And God Created Punk: Erica Echenberg and Mark P
Virgin Books
Copyright Date: 1996
Review Date: 1999
Grand prize winner in the “avoid the p-word” contest. Got a box of old photographs laying around? Cash in on the latest wave of commercial success for so-called punk bands. Virgin records must have a full time staff charged with the task of milking the golden calf in case they missed anything from the first wave. Echenberg and Mark P at least have the cred. If you’ve read anything about those glory days of yore, you’ve probably heard of the fanzine “Sniffin Glue,” which Mark P created with the help of Echenberg’s photography. Unfortunately, the written content and presentation gives the impession that “And God Created Punk” was put together by a highschool kid. While a certain amount of DIY ethic is to be admired, let’s face it, this is the 90’s, and Virgin isn’t Dischord. I knew Ian McKaye, and you, Richard Branson sir, are no Ian McKaye!
The first warning shot across the bow – possibly the dumbest title for a punk tome, especially in this day and era. Check the bilge pump as soon as you open the cover to discover an explosion of grunge typography that makes you wish the desktop publishing revolution sank with the Bay of Pigs invasion. You can almost hear some fat bastard coming down from the mountain top toting a stone tablet with a chisled inscritption reading “Give the Kids Grunge Typography.” Grab a life jacket when you actually start reading it. AGCP reads like a bad fanzine. Because the guy on cross said “let he who has not sinned pass the first kidney stone” (or something similar, I think.) I’m reminded of some of the crap I’ve written. The difference is that I’m desperately trying not to write any more. Yes, yes, try harder. The running commentary is like some sort of juvenille scene report from MRR – “These guys are cool but that band is a bunch of posers.” Especially when you write in your own book that you think your band “kept the punk spirit more alive than anyone else” by taking chances when others were following the rules. Puh-leeze. I really like only song I’ve heard by Alternative TV, but that sounds like sour grapes. Admittedly, I’ve been in my share of crappy bands, so it’s not jealousy on my part. Don’t feel sorry for Mark P, if anyone can enjoy a good put-on, it should be him.
Throw away the words and the horrible typography and you’re left with the photography. The photos are there in spades. All the heavies and some of the lessor known foot soldiers caught in candid and less than candid shots. This book could have limped into the drydock based on the merits of the photographs were it not for the second great bane of desktop publishing, an offense I’d like to call Photoshop abuse. The huge popularity explosion of the web has given birth to an unholy legion of rubber stamp happy, emboss filter using, antialias ignorant zombies abusing the digital imaging process. In some cases, D.I.Y. is not a good thing. While avoiding the obvious pitfalls of filter overuse, AGCP instead falls victim to random and senseless aspect ratio distortions. Yes, the same technology that brought you a thin Paula Abdul in some horrible video which I thankfully can’t recall the name of. In the case of AGCP, we’re talking about stretching or compressing images for no apparent reason other than to achieve an amateurish effect. A picture is worth a thousand words. If only someone had just said “stop.”
There are some good pics in there but there is only so far that a snap shot of Shane MacGowan looking like a ten year kid can go. The mutton chops on the Gorillas axe man are worth a mention as well as not much else. If I were Echenberg, I’d be pissed. Her work suffers As a result of the presentation. Mark P, drop me line and put me in my place. Otherwise, pass on this one. Start your own zine instead. It is with regret that I bestow a meager four out of ten stars on this festival of mediocrity.
12.99 pounds. 144 pages perfect bound.
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