Lester Bangs Biography

Occup.Critic
FromUSA
BornDecember 14, 1948
DiedApril 30, 1982
Aged33 years
Lester Bangs, born on December 14, 1948, in Escondido, California, was an American songs journalist, writer, and musician, extensively known for his unique and appealing creating design. With a profession covering virtually twenty years, Bangs' work remains to affect generations of music movie critics as well as lovers alike.

Raised in a stringent Jehovah's Witness family, Bangs created a rebellious spirit early in his life, which later informed his composing style and also critical perspective. He began checking out music at a young age, commonly checking out the local library to pay attention to records. As his passion in songs grew, Bangs started penning passionate and opinionated articles concerning bands and also cds that captivated him.

In 1969, Bangs sent a testimonial of a now-iconic MC5 cd to Rolling Stone publication. The magazine's editor at the time, Jann Wenner, published the evaluation, and so started Bangs' amazing occupation as a songs journalist. He relocated to Detroit and later signed up with the staff of the influential music publication Creem Magazine, where he offered initially as a writer and afterwards as an editor up until 1976.

Bangs' work at Creem Magazine established him as a top voice in songs journalism. His distinct, fascinating, as well as usually controversial creating design helped shape the publication's countercultural identity. He championed below ground as well as punk bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and also The Clash, moving them into the mainstream. Throughout his occupation, Bangs spoke with a few of the most famous musicians of his time, including Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, as well as David Bowie. His short articles and also evaluations were noted by wit, humor, and also thoughtful evaluation, putting the songs in the context of a larger cultural narrative.

Throughout the late 1970s, Bangs left Creem as well as ended up being a self-employed reporter, composing for various publications such as The Village Voice and also New Musical Express. He continued to profile promising musicians, greatly affecting the New Wave and hard rock activities. Not limited to music insurance coverage, Bangs additionally explored various other kinds of media, writing about film, art, and national politics. His particular voice and also composing style continued to be a constant, despite the topic.

An accomplished artist in his own right, Bangs fronted his very own band, Birdland, and later played in The Delinquents. These music tasks enabled him to share his views on the punk visual straight and also directly, more cementing his condition as a noticeable figure in the scene.

Unfortunately, Lester Bangs' life was cut short on April 30, 1982, when he died at the age of 33 due to an accidental medicine overdose. Although he left this world prematurely, Bangs' impact on songs journalism continues to prosper today, with countless doubters personifying the spirit of his work. His writings have been collected in anthologies such as "Psychotic Reactions as well as Carburetor Dung," "Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and also Bad Taste," and also "Do the Gods Wear Capes?"-- All working as a testament to his considerable influence on the globe of songs as well as journalism.

Our collection contains 25 quotes who is written / told by Lester.

Related authors: Lou Reed (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Iggy Pop (Musician), David Bowie (Musician)

25 Famous quotes by Lester Bangs

Small: Or like in the early 70s when we had the reaction against acid rock and all the fuzz tone, and feedback
"Or like in the early 70's when we had the reaction against acid rock and all the fuzz tone, and feedback, and the noise. And you had James Taylor and everyone went acoustic and that"
Small: Its much easier to wear a Chairman Mao button and shake your fists in the air and all that, then to act
"It's much easier to wear a Chairman Mao button and shake your fists in the air and all that, then to actually read the Communist manifesto and things like that and actually become involved in politics"
Small: Basically no, I mean I think that its very easy to like I say, smoke a joint or even to wear a Chairman
"Basically no, I mean I think that it's very easy to like I say, smoke a joint or even to wear a Chairman Mao button, or do a lot of these things with out knowing what's behind it, and what it really means"
Small: As far as a truly radical conscience, you have to take it as part of a larger thing, that it was sort o
"As far as a truly radical conscience, you have to take it as part of a larger thing, that it was sort of historical inevitability that with the coming of a leaguer society people would start to use drugs a lot more then they had before"
Small: The first mistake of art is to assume that its serious
"The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious"
Small: No I dont think it was a myth at all, anymore than what the recession that the whole country was experi
"No I don't think it was a myth at all, anymore than what the recession that the whole country was experiencing was a myth, which obviously seems like it's going to get worse and worse"
Small: In fact I think now weve reached a point now, where the powers that be really have sort of vested inter
"In fact I think now we've reached a point now, where the powers that be really have sort of vested interest in all of us being stoned out as much as possible all the time so we don't know what's going on, and we don't care"
Small: I mean its easier to be in a demonstration if its a trip thats one of the reasons why the whole thing f
"I mean it's easier to be in a demonstration if it's a trip that's one of the reasons why the whole thing fell apart in 1971, because it wasn't a trip any longer"
Small: I hate Stanley Clark, but I have to admit hes playing Jazz whether I like it or not
"I hate Stanley Clark, but I have to admit he's playing Jazz whether I like it or not"
Small: Nothing ever quite dies, it just comes back in a different form
"Nothing ever quite dies, it just comes back in a different form"
Small: Im really schizophrenic about that, because on the one hand I would say, yes there is, theres something
"I'm really schizophrenic about that, because on the one hand I would say, yes there is, there's something inherently, even violent about it, it's wild and raw and all this"
Small: I mean the interesting thing I think would be if something happened like, what happened in England wher
"I mean the interesting thing I think would be if something happened like, what happened in England where all these kids that all of a sudden can't afford the ticket prices"
Small: The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I dont find
"The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I don't find most of the groups that are coming out now really do"
Small: No, I see it as meaning very little at the moment because none of the groups are about anything
"No, I see it as meaning very little at the moment because none of the groups are about anything"
Small: When kids cant afford to see it anymore maybe well have a whole resurgence of garage bands all over Ame
"When kids can't afford to see it anymore maybe we'll have a whole resurgence of garage bands all over America and this New Wave thing will start to mean something on a grass roots level"
Small: Most of them are pretty down records, pretty unhappy, pretty confused. Which only reflects how people i
"Most of them are pretty down records, pretty unhappy, pretty confused. Which only reflects how people in general were feeling, I mean really the sense that you get is society running down"
Small: Every great work of art has two faces, one toward its own time and one toward the future, toward eterni
"Every great work of art has two faces, one toward its own time and one toward the future, toward eternity"
Small: And doing so you can recreate yourself and you can also come up with something that is not only origina
"And doing so you can recreate yourself and you can also come up with something that is not only original and creative and artistic, but also maybe even decent, or moral if I can use words like that, or something that's like basically good"
Small: The great thing about The Clash of course is that they keep searching for answers beyond that
"The great thing about The Clash of course is that they keep searching for answers beyond that"
Small: I mean Iggy and The Stooges first couple of albums I think sold twenty five thousand between the two of
"I mean Iggy and The Stooges first couple of albums I think sold twenty five thousand between the two of them you know and so to talk in terms of an underground I mean you have to go really to the independent labels and things like that"
Small: Here we are in the 70s when everything really is horrible and it really stinks. The mass media, everyth
"Here we are in the 70's when everything really is horrible and it really stinks. The mass media, everything on television everything everywhere is just rotten. You know it's just really boring and really evil, ugly and worse"
Small: Corporations are social organizations, the theater in which men and women realize or fail to realize pu
"Corporations are social organizations, the theater in which men and women realize or fail to realize purposeful and productive lives"
Small: The ultimate sin of any performer is contempt for the audience
"The ultimate sin of any performer is contempt for the audience"
Small: Thats one reason why its pretty worthless, I cant totally buy it, if you think about it, its things lik
"That's one reason why it's pretty worthless, I can't totally buy it, if you think about it, it's things like the Phil Spector records. On one level they were rebellion, on another level they were keeping the teenager in his place"
Small: I dont see that there are any particular changes in popular music
"I don't see that there are any particular changes in popular music"