Am I officially an old codger for saying I simply cannot stomach most punk rock post-1994, and find the '70s first-wavers to be the chef's kiss? Well, if you see eye to eye with yours truly, then you're sure to get a kick out of the new 5-CD box set, Blank Generation: A Story Of US/Canadian Punk And Its Aftershocks. As its title clearly states, you can forget about hearing any selections from punk's UK counterparts (Sex Pistols, Clash, Damned, etc.) here – as it's 100% North American. 

Think back to what mainstream rock was like in the mid '70s, and while there were of course some artists offering up some inspired, hard-hitting rock ‘n' roll, by and large, it had become bloated, self-indulgent, and long-winded. Thankfully, punk rock came along and gave rock a much-needed kick in the genre's keyster. Heck, even if you're a staunch metalhead and don't particularly fancy punk – punk was an obvious inspiration/influence on such subsequent metal movements as the NWOBHM and thrash metal (and if you consider hardcore, industrial, and grunge to be metallic, feel free to add those genres to the list as well). 

Such all-time punk classics as the Ramones' “Rockaway Beach,” the Heartbreakers' “Chinese Rocks,” the Dead Boys' “Sonic Reducer,” Richard Hell's “Blank Generation,” and the Dead Kennedys' “Holiday In Cambodia” still prove to be no bark and all bite all these years later. Also, such underrated tunes as the Stimulators' “Loud Fast Rules,” Pure Hell's “Noise Addiction,” the Gun Club's “She's Like Heroin To Me,” X's “White Girl,” and Devo's “Come Back Jonee” fill out the tracklist nicely. 

Admittedly, there are some noticeably absent artists (Bad Brains, Black Flag, Misfits, DOA, Fear, etc.), and additionally, since the starting point for this set begins in the mid '70s, prime proto-punk is nowhere to be found (Velvet Underground, MC5, Stooges, New York Dolls, the original Alice Cooper line-up, etc.). But all in all, Blank Generation: A Story Of US/Canadian Punk And Its Aftershocks is still a fine 101 crash course of punk's trailblazers.