It’s interesting that Clive Davis passed over this band because of the band’s name. But if there is anything awesome about this band and their music is how people are discovering Death and their music today and being shocked that the band has been playing this kind of music in the early ’70s. It’s definitely an album worth owning and listening to!
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BAND: Death
ALBUM: …For the Whole World to See
RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2009
- Keep on Knocking
- Rock-N-Roll Victim
- Let the World Turn
- You’re a Prisoner
- Freakin Out
- Where Do We Go From Here???
- Politicians in My Eyes
When it comes to punk music, a Detroit, Michigan band known as Death is becoming more known as one of the first punk rock bands.
The band was formed in 1971 by brothers Bobby (bass), David (guitar) and Dannis Hackney (drums/percussion).
The band began as a funk band, but when they watched concerts by The Who and Alice Cooper, the group switched their style to rock and David wanted the band to go to a more hard-rock direction.
While the style which we know as punk music today, back then many people didn’t know how to categorize their music. But today, they have become recognized as being a proto punk band but also one of the first African American rock bands.
While the band broke up in 1977, the got back together in 2009 and their music from the ’70s has been released courtesy of record label Drag City in 2009.
The Hackney brothers were first introduced to rock music by their father who had them watching “The Ed Sullivan Show” to watch the Beatles perform. And as the brothers would purchase instruments that they could afford at the time, they started playing music in 1971 known as Rock Fire Funk Express.
But after the death of their father due to an accident in 1974, the band change their name to Death. And the following year, the band wrote seven songs and recorded it thanks to the funding by Columbia Records president Clive Davis. But when Davis asked the band to change their band name, they refused and lost the funding.
The band did release a self-released single “Politicians in My Eyes” which came with “Keep on Knocking” (with only 500 in circulation) and the brothers ended the band in 1977. David Hackney would pass away of lung cancer in 2000.
But because word got around that Death was the first punk band, collector’s have been trying to get their hands on a rare copy.
Fast forward to 2008, and MP3’s songs were being shared and for Bobby Hackney’s son heard songs played by his roommate and recognized his father’s voice. This would lead to Drag City to ask the Hackneys of a possible album release and the two brothers gave the label their masters.
And sure enough, those seven Death songs from 1975 were released in 2009 on CD and LP under the title “…For the Whole World to See”. And a New York Times article by Rick Rubin about Death would reach a larger audience clamoring to hear the first punk band.
I discovered Death because I was looking things up of one of my favorite punk bands featuring African American musicians, Bad Brains. And then I discovered Death and videos from other musicians talking about how Death’s “…For the Whole World to See” is a must buy!
And sure enough, I got the album and I’ve listened to it many times.
Granted, it’s not a long album, seven songs at 27 minutes long. But listening to the music, the band was ahead of its time. This is a band that formed in 1971, before the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, The Clash. And there were other proto-punk bands such as The Stooges and MC5 and also music critics have said The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground and The Who created proto-punk songs because they were counterculture.
But for me, I am drawn by that raw guitar playing, quick drums and bass playing and a style that we identify as punk.
While “…For the Whole World to See” kicked off with “Keep on Knocking”, “Rock-n-Roll Victim” was the song that drew me in immediately. And then songs like “You’re A Prisoner”, “Freakin Out”, “Where Do We Go From Here??” and “Politicians in My Eyes” are what really got me going and loved. “Let the World Turn” is great but for me, it’s about the drums in that song that I loved.
It’s interesting that Clive Davis passed over this band because of the band’s name. But if there is anything awesome about this band and their music is how people are discovering Death and their music today and being shocked that the band has been playing this kind of music in the early ’70s. It’s definitely an album worth owning and listening to!
