Richard Hell was born Richard Meyers on October 2, 1949, and was raised in Lexington, Kentucky.
After an attempt to run away to Florida and live on the beach with friend Tom Miller (later Verlaine), he dropped out of his Delaware boarding school in 1966. He made his way to New York. There he hoped he would be able start a career as a poet and immerse himself in the
rich art community of the city.
He and friend Tom Verlaine, who had also come to New York with poetic ambitions, decided to try their hand at rock and roll. Their first group was The Neon Boys. It was a short lived group that produced only two four-track studio recordings. The project was eventually revived and became the
group Television. Television received a good deal of hype in the New York music scene, with good write-ups in the Soho Weekly News, by Patti Smith, who was then sometimes working as a rock journalist, among others. After leaving Television, Hell joined Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan (both ex-members of the New York Dolls) in the Heartbreakers (they have nothing to do with Tom Petty’s backing group of the same name). They were a super-group of sorts on the New York scene.
In 1976 he founded his own group, the Voidoids. With his group, he was in control and would finally be
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PATTI SMITH & RICHARD HELL
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allowed the creative freedom that he had wanted but couldn’t get in his earlier groups. The band consisted Ivan Julian on Guitar,
Bob Quine, a fixture of the New York scene and preeminent chronicler of the Velvet Underground as a live group, on lead guitar, and
Mark Bell, later
Marky Ramone of the Ramones, on drums. His group along with others on the scene, including Television, the Heartbreakers, the Patti Smith Group, and the Ramones originated the punk movement.
Hell had written the song "Blank Generation" while still in Television; he had played it regularly
with the band since at least 1975, and later with the Heartbreakers. The Voidoids released a 7" Blank Generation EP in 1976 on Ork Records including "Blank Generation", "Another World" and "You Gotta Lose". The cover featured a black-and-white cover photo taken by Hell's former girlfriend Roberta Bayley, depicting a bare-chested Hell with an open jeans zipper. It was an underground hit, and the band signed to Sire Records for its album debut.
After doing the press and touring for Blank Generation, coupled with his ongoing heroin addiction, Hell took time off from music. It would be four years until Hell's second album, Destiny Street. In the time
between his two albums, punk exploded, first in England, and then in America. The troubled rise and quick burnout of the Sex Pistols left a bad impression of the sustainability of punk with many people, though other groups on both sides of the Atlantic used the early exposure to build highly acclaimed careers including the Clash, from London, and Blondie and the Talking Heads, from the New York scene. However, Hell kept himself largely out of the fold, and didn’t tour or build up an audience.
When Destiny Street came out, punk was no longer in the headlines, supplanted by “New Wave,” and
the album did not receive as much attention as its predecessor. It got good notices within the New York area, with Robert Christgau from the Village Voice giving it a very good review, and the New York Times naming it one of the ten best of 1982.
Since that time, Hell has largely remained out music. Other releases include R.I.P., released in 1984, a
collection of B-sides, outtakes and previously unreleased tunes from the span of his career that also included some new songs that had been recorded in New Orleans. Hell made a minor comeback, without intent of a full blown return to music, in 1992 with Dim Stars, another punk super-group of sorts. The band included Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Don Fleming of Gumball. They recorded one album, Dim Stars, which was released that same year, and received a four star review in Rolling Stone.
BLANK GENERATION 1977 40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION 2017
To wander the streets of a bankrupt, often lawless, New York City in the early 1970s wearing a T-shirt with PLEASE KILL ME written on it was an act of determined nihilism, and one often recounted in the first reports of Richard Hell filtering into the pre-punk UK. Pete Astor, an archly nihilistic teenager
himself at the time, was most impressed. The fact that it emerged (after many years) that Hell himself had not worn the T-shirt but had convinced junior band member Richard Lloyd to do so, actually fitted very well with Astor's older, wiser self looking back at Blank Generation. Richard Hell was an artist who could not only embody but also frame the punk urge; having seeded and developed the essential look and character of punk since his arrival in New York in the late 1960s, he had just what was needed to make one of the defining records of the era.
This study combines objective, academic perspectives along with culturally centred subjectivities to understand the meanings and resonances of Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Blank Generation.
“I belong to the Blank Generation, and I can take it or leave it each time,” sang Richard Hell. Those words would quickly galvanize the nihilism and rejection of the mainstream that defined punk rock. Richard Hell is an American musician and writer, known for his involvement with the early punk
movement in New York City in the 1970s. Punk was a musical and sub-cultural phenomenon driven by reaction against the idealism of the sixties counterculture that manifested itself in minimalist, confrontational, and often nihilistic music. It would eventually prompt a paradigm change in American rock ‘n’ roll music and culture. “A ‘Blank Generation’” uses
Richard Hell to show that “punk” is both derivative of and a reaction to literary and musical precedents. In doing so, it shows that Hell’s musical and cultural contributions have been influential in their own right.
Richard Hell & The Voidoids – Blank Generation
Label: Sire – 081227932787, Rhino Records – 081227932787
Format: 2 x CD, Album, Deluxe Edition, Reissue, Remastered, 40th Anniversary, Nov 24, 2017
Country: Europe
Released:
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk
DISC 1. ORIGINAL 1977 ALBUM REMASTERED
01. Love Comes In Spurts 2:03
02. Liars Beware 2:52
03. New Pleasure 1:57
04. Betrayal Takes Two 3:36
05. Down At The Rock And Roll Club 3:42
06. Who Says? 2:08
07. Blank Generation 2:43
08. Walking On The Water 2:16
09. The Plan 3:55
10. Another World 8:14
11. I'm Your Man
12. All The Way
DISC 2. 40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION - BONUS TRACKS
13. Love Comes In Spurts (Electric Lady Studios Alternate Version) 1:59
14. Blank Generation (Electric Lady Studios Alternate Version) 2:54
15. You Gotta Lose (Electric Lady Studios Outtake Version) 3:43
16. Who Says? (Plaza Sound Studios Alternate Version) 2:12
17. Love Comes In Spurts (Live At CBGB November 19, 1976) 2:10
18. Blank Generation (Live At CBGB November 19, 1976) 2:40
19. Liars Beware (Live At CBGB April 14, 1977) 2:58
20. New Pleasure (Live At CBGB April 14, 1977) 2:36
21. Walking On The Water (Live At CBGB April 14, 1977) 2:11
22. Blank Generation (Ork Records Version)
23. Another World (Ork Records Version, 1976) 6:09
24. Oh (Original 2000 Release) 4:13
25. 1977 Sire Records Radio Ad 1:03
LINE - UP
Bass, Vocals – Richard Hell
Drums – Marc Bell
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Ivan Julian
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Robert Quine
BLANK GENERATION LYRICS
I was sayin', "Let me out of here", before I was
Even born, it's such a gamble when you get a face
It's fascinatin' to observe what the mirror does
But when I dine, it's for the wall that I set a place
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ??? generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
Triangles were fallin' at the window as the doctor cursed
He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye
The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first
The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, "God's consolation prize"
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ??? generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
To hold the TV to my lips, the air so packed with cash
Then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot
To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms' tracks
And watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ??? generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ??? generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
MP3 @ 320 Size: 182 MB
Flac Size: 513 MB
DESTINY STREET COMPLETE (2021)
Robert Palmer of The New York Times hailed Destiny Street as one of the year's best albums, writing
that "musically, Destiny Street is a stirring, adventurous record, with Robert Quine turning in a particularly impressive performance on guitar." He praised the original songs, especially "Time," as "rock poetry at its best - insightful, felicitously phrased, and to the point," and described Hell as a contemporary equivalent to Bob Dylan who was also capable of writing rock poetry as "compact and crystal-clear as the songs of Mr. Dylan's early idols, Smokey Robinson and Chuck Berry."
Richard Hell And The Voidoids – Destiny Street Complete
Label: Omnivore Recordings – OVCD-410
Format: 2 x CD, Compilation, Remastered Jan 22, 2021
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk
DISC 1. DESTINY STREET (1982)
01. The Kid With The Replaceable Head 2:23Written-By – Hell
02. I Gotta Move 2:36Written-By – Davies
03. Going Going Gone 2:33Written-By – Dylan
04. Lowest Common Dominator 2:23Written-By – Hell
05. Downtown At Dawn 5:57Written-By – Hell
06. Time 3:34Written-By – Hell
07. I Can Only Give You Everything 3:56Written-By – Coulter, Scott
08. Ignore That Door 3:13Written-By – Julian, Hell, Quine
09. Staring In Her Eyes 4:18Written-By – Hell
10. Destiny Street 4:43Written-By – Maher, Maciel, Hell, Quine
DESTINY STREET REPAIRED (2009)
11. The Kid With The Replaceable Head 2:17Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Marc Ribot
Written-By – Hell
12. I Gotta Move 2:39Written-By – Davies
13. Going Going Gone 2:38Written-By – Dylan
14. Lowest Common Dominator 2:27Backing Vocals [Backup Vocals] – Ruby Meyers-McEnroe, Sheelagh Bevan
Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Marc Ribot
Written-By – Hell
15. Downtown At Dawn 4:30Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Marc Ribot
Written-By – Hell
16. Time 3:16Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Bill Frisell
Written-By – Hell
17. I Can Only Give You Everything 4:00Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Bill Frisell
Written-By – Coulter, Scott
18. Ignore That Door 3:08Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Ivan Julian
Written-By – Julian, Hell, Quine
19. Staring In Her Eyes 4:20 Backing Vocals [Backup Vocals] – Sheelagh Bevan
Guitar [Additional Guitars] – Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot
Guitar [Solo's First Part] – Marc Ribot
Guitar [Solo's Second Part] – Bill Frisell
Written-By – Hell
20. Destiny Street 7:13Guitar [Add'l Soloing] – Ivan Julian
Guitar [Solos And Add'l Guitar] – Marc Ribot
Guitar [Solos On The Outro] – Julian*, Ribot
Written-By – Maher, Maciel, Hell, Quine
DISC 2. DESTINY STREET REMIXED (2021)
01. The Kid With The Replaceable Head 2:23Guitar [First Solo] – Naux
Guitar [Second Solo] – Robert Quine
Written-By – Hell
02. I Gotta Move 2:37Guitar [Solos] – Naux
Written-By – Davies
03. Going Going Gone 2:32Guitar [Solo] – Robert Quine
Written-By – Dylan
04. Lowest Common Dominator 2:26Backing Vocals – Ruby Smyth Meyers-McEnroe, Sheelagh Bevan
Guitar [Solos] – Marc Ribot
Written-By – Hell
05. Downtown At Dawn 4:28Guitar [Solos And Additional Guitar] – Marc Ribot
Written-By – Hell
06. Time 2:35Guitar [Solo] – Robert Quine
Written-By – Hell
07. I Can Only Give You Everything 3:55 Guitar [Solos] – Naux
Written-By – Coulter, Scott
08. Ignore That Door 3:11Guitar [Left Soloing] – Robert Quine
Guitar [Right Soloing] – Naux
Written-By – Julian, Hell, Quine
09. Staring In Her Eyes 4:21Backing Vocals [Backup Vocals] – Sheelagh Bevan
Guitar [Additional Guitars] – Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot
Guitar [Solo's First Part] – Marc Ribot
Guitar [Solo's Second Part] – Bill Frisell
Written-By – Hell
10. Destiny Street 5:36Guitar [Soloing] – Robert Quine
Written-By – Maher, Maciel, Hell, Quine
11. Don't Die (Bonus Track) 3:06Guitar [Solo] – Robert Quine
Written-By – Julian, Hell
DESTINY STREET DEMOS (1978 - 1980)
12. The Kid With The Replaceable Head (Radar Single Version) 2:20Rhythm Guitar [Left], Guitar [Solo] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Right], Guitar [Solo] – Ivan
Written-By – Hell
13. I'm Your Man (Radar Single Version) 2:43Guitar [All audible guitars including solos] – Ivan
Written-By – Hell
14. Crack Of Dawn (Demo Version) 2:13Rhythm Guitar [Left] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Riht], Guitar [Solo] – Ivan
Written-By – Hell
15. Going Going Gone (Demo Version) 2:36Rhythm Guitar [Left] – Ivan
Rhythm Guitar [Right], Guitar [Solo] – Bob
Written-By – Dylan
16. Funhunt (Demo Version) 3:14Rhythm Guitar [Left] – Ivan
Rhythm Guitar [Right], Guitar [Solos] – Bob
Written-By – Hell
17. I Lived My Life (Demo Version) 2:13 Rhythm Guitar [Center] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Right] – Ivan
Written-By – Bartholomew, Ridgley
18. Ignore That Door (Demo Version) 3:13Rhythm Guitar [Left], Guitar [Second Solo] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Right], Guitar [First Solo] – Ivan
Written-By – Julian, Hell, Quine
19. Smitten (Demo Version) 2:11Rhythm Guitar [Left] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Right], Guitar [Solos] – Ivan
Written-By – Bonfiglio, Hell
20. Staring In Her Eyes (Demo Version) 3:57Rhythm Guitar [Left], Guitar [Solo] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Right] – Ivan
Written-By – Hell
21. Time (Shake Single Version) 3:04Rhythm Guitar [Left], Guitar [Solos] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Right] – Ivan
Written-By – Hell
22. Don't Die (Shake Single Version) 2:55Backing Vocals [Backup Vocals] – Kitty Summerall
Rhythm Guitar [Center] – Bob
Rhythm Guitar [Doubled Left And Right], Guitar [Solo] – Ivan
Written-By – Julian, Hell
23. Time (Bonus Track) 2:41Guitar [12 String Guitar] – Ivan
Written-By – Hell
CD 1. + CD 2. MP3 @ 320 Size: 341 MB
CD1. Flac (24 Bit-44,1 Khz) Size: 903 MB
CD1. Flac (24 Bit-44,1 Khz) Size: 822 MB
LINE - UP
Vocals – Richard Hell (tracks: 1-1 to 1-10, 2-1 to 2-13)
Bass – Jerry Antonius (tracks: 2-12, 2-13), Richard Hell (tracks: 1-11 to 2-11), X-Sessive (Jahn Xavier Bonfiglio) (tracks: 2-14 to 2-22)
Drums – Fred Maher (tracks: 1-1 to 2-13), James Morrison (tracks: 2-14 to 2-22)
Guitar – Ivan Julian (tracks: 2-12 to 2-22), Robert Quine (tracks: 2-12 to 2-22)
Guitar [All Rhythm Tracks] – Naux (tracks: 1-11 to 1-20), Robert Quine (tracks: 1-11 to 1-20)
Guitar [All Solos And Additional Guitar] – Bill Frisell (tracks: 1-11 to 1-20), Ivan Julian (tracks: 1-11 to 1-20), Marc Ribot (tracks: 1-11 to 1-20)
Guitar [Guitars] – Naux (tracks: 1-1 to 1-10, 2-1 to 2-11), Robert Quine (tracks: 1-1 to 1-10, 2-1 to 2-11)
Lead Vocals – Richard Hell (tracks: 1-11 to 1-20, 2-14 to 2-22)
NOTES
Tracks 1-1 to 1-10: Original version. Originally released in 1982 on Destiny Street by Red Star Records and Marty Thau.
Tracks 1-11 to 1-20: Originally released in 2009 on Destiny Street Repaired. Stripped down version using only the original album's basic tracks—two guitars, bass, drums—with new guitar solos by Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell and Ivan Julian, and new vocals by Richard Hell.
All rhythm tracks recorded 1981. Quine is on the right and Naux on the left.
All lead vocals rerecorded 2008-2009.
Tracks 2-1 to 2-10: The newly discovered 1982 24-track master tapes, entirely remixed by Nick Zinner with Richard Hell. Previously unissued mixes.
Tracks 2-4, 2-5, and 2-9: Originally made for Destiny Street Repaired (Insound), were produced in 2009 by Richard Hell from new guitar tracks by Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell and new vocals by Hell overlaid on a 1981 studio reference cassette rough mix of the 1981 band's two rhythm guitars, bass, and drums.
Tracks 2-12, 2-13: Originally released in 1979 on The Kid With The Replaceable Head.
Track 2-12: Each of the two solo is divided in half, with Ivan playing the first half, and Bob the second.
Tracks 2-12, 2-13: Produced at Greene Street Studios, NYC.
Tracks 2-14 to 2-22: Engineered at Chelsea Sound Studios, NYC.
Tracks 2-21, 2-22: Originally released in 1980 on Don't Die / Time / That's All I Know (Right Now) / Love Comes In Spurts.
Track 23: Recorded live through sound board at Robert Quine memorial, CBGB Annex, December 4, 2004. Previously unissued.
