The Proletariat
Encyclopedia
The Proletariat was a punk
band from Fall River, Massachusetts
. They were active during the 1980s in the Boston Hardcore
scene, despite their recorded output having a decidedly non-hardcore
sound; The Proletariat show more strongly the musical influences of bands such as Wire
, and Gang of Four
in their angular guitar sound and Marxist
-themed lyrics.
covers, eventually melding the styles of their heroes, the Pistols and Gang of Four
. In 1981 they released a 7-song demo tape they called Distortion, which became popular with DJ
s and critics. Several songs from Distortion would end up on their first LP, and they gained wider exposure to the hardcore audience on the This is Boston, Not L.A. and Unsafe at Any Speed compilations that were put out by the Modern Method label.
The band was made up of the British-sounding American singer Richard Brown, bassist
Peter Bevilacqua, drummer
Tom McKnight, and guitar
ist Frank Michaels. Their sound was characterized by drums holding a militaristic steadiness while guitars alternated between jarring upstrokes and overdriven chords.
The 1983 release of their first LP Soma Holiday was hailed by Robert Christgau
as "The hardcore debut of 1983" even as Christgau noted their sound was not hardcore per se. Named for the drug in Aldous Huxley
's Brave New World
, the album demonstrates the band's artpunk roots, with lyrics examining social issues from Brown's distant, Marxist
perspective, critiquing capitalism without embracing determinist revolutionary dogma. The band itself were actually members of the working class, most of whom dropped out of college to drive trucks and work elsewhere.
In 1985, the band released a 7" and a second full length LP. Indifference, on Homestead Records
, showed the band's softer side, including the layering of melodies onto the songs, with an appearance by Roger Miller
of Mission of Burma
playing piano on "An Uneasy Peace." They also brought in Laurel Bowman, whose soft-toned voice contrasted with Brown's (he would later find himself taking over vocals completely in a late, unrecorded incarnation of the band).
After a hiatus, Richard, Peter, and Frank, with a new drummer, formed a new band called Churn, which disbanded in 1997.
All recorded Proletariat material has been compiled on a double CD collection on Taang! Records
.
, 1997) contains all their recorded work, including the previously unreleased tracks "10 Years", "Abstain", "Choice" and "It's More Than Soil".
Other resources – fan page with links to other articles and interviews
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. They were active during the 1980s in the Boston Hardcore
Boston hardcore
Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. (Not to be confused with Boston metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore; itself an...
scene, despite their recorded output having a decidedly non-hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
sound; The Proletariat show more strongly the musical influences of bands such as Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
, and Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
in their angular guitar sound and Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
-themed lyrics.
History
The Proletariat gained notice in the 80s hardcore scene with obscene Sex PistolsSex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
covers, eventually melding the styles of their heroes, the Pistols and Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
. In 1981 they released a 7-song demo tape they called Distortion, which became popular with DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s and critics. Several songs from Distortion would end up on their first LP, and they gained wider exposure to the hardcore audience on the This is Boston, Not L.A. and Unsafe at Any Speed compilations that were put out by the Modern Method label.
The band was made up of the British-sounding American singer Richard Brown, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Peter Bevilacqua, drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Tom McKnight, and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Frank Michaels. Their sound was characterized by drums holding a militaristic steadiness while guitars alternated between jarring upstrokes and overdriven chords.
The 1983 release of their first LP Soma Holiday was hailed by Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
as "The hardcore debut of 1983" even as Christgau noted their sound was not hardcore per se. Named for the drug in Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
's Brave New World
Brave New World
Brave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth novel, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of...
, the album demonstrates the band's artpunk roots, with lyrics examining social issues from Brown's distant, Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
perspective, critiquing capitalism without embracing determinist revolutionary dogma. The band itself were actually members of the working class, most of whom dropped out of college to drive trucks and work elsewhere.
In 1985, the band released a 7" and a second full length LP. Indifference, on Homestead Records
Homestead Records
Homestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...
, showed the band's softer side, including the layering of melodies onto the songs, with an appearance by Roger Miller
Roger Miller (rock musician)
Roger Miller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for co-founding the groups Mission of Burma and Alloy Orchestra.His main instruments are guitar and piano...
of Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
playing piano on "An Uneasy Peace." They also brought in Laurel Bowman, whose soft-toned voice contrasted with Brown's (he would later find himself taking over vocals completely in a late, unrecorded incarnation of the band).
After a hiatus, Richard, Peter, and Frank, with a new drummer, formed a new band called Churn, which disbanded in 1997.
All recorded Proletariat material has been compiled on a double CD collection on Taang! Records
Taang! Records
Taang! Records is an American independent record label founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts which is currently based in San Diego...
.
Soma Holiday
1983 release on Non-U/Radiobeat- "Decorations"
- "Splendid Wars"
- "Famine"
- "Embraced"
- "Events/Repeat"
- "Another Banner Raised"
- "Hollow Victory"
- "Condition"
- "Avoidance"
- "Pictures"
- "Bread & Circus"
- "Blind"
- "Subsidized"
- "Torn Curtain"
- "Purge"
- "Scars"
- "Decide On Change"
- "No Lesser Of Evils"
Indifference
1985 release on Homestead RecordsHomestead Records
Homestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...
- "Indifference"
- "Pride"
- "Better Man"
- "Homeland"
- "Columns"
- "Sins"
- "An Uneasy Peace"
- "Recollections"
- "Trail Of Tears"
- "The Guns Are Winning"
- "Instinct"
- "No Real Hope - Prelude"
- "No Real Hope"
- "Piecework"
Compilation tracks
- "Options","Religion Is the Opium of the Masses","Allegiance", on This Is Boston, Not L.A.This Is Boston, Not L.A.This Is Boston, Not L.A.is a hardcore punk compilation album released in 1982. It is considered the definitive album from the Boston hardcore scene, as several of the bands that were prominent in that scene appear on the album...
(1982) Modern Method. - "Voodoo Economics" on Unsafe at Any Speed (1982) Modern Method.
- "Uneasy Peace", on P.E.A.C.E CompilationP.E.A.C.E./WarP.E.A.C.E./War is a compilation double album first released in 1984 by R Radical Records, the label run by MDC's Dave Dictor, in association with the San Francisco Bay Area punk fanzine Maximum RocknRoll...
(1985) R-Radical Records.
Compilations
The 2CD compilation Voodoo Economics and Other American Tragedies (Taang!Taang! Records
Taang! Records is an American independent record label founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts which is currently based in San Diego...
, 1997) contains all their recorded work, including the previously unreleased tracks "10 Years", "Abstain", "Choice" and "It's More Than Soil".
External links
Official sitesOther resources – fan page with links to other articles and interviews