We Got the Neutron Bomb

We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of LA Punk is an oral history of the Los Angeles punk scene written by Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen.[1][2] It was released in 2001 by Three Rivers Press.[3]

We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk
AuthorMarc Spitz, Brendan Mullen
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMusic
PublisherThree Rivers Press
Publication date
November 13, 2001
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages296
ISBN978-0-609-80774-3
Preceded byToo Much, Too Late 
Followed byNobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times and Music of Green Day 

The story begins around 1971 with an exploration of the impact that the UK glam rock scene was having on American rock at the time, specifically through the efforts of promoter Rodney Bingenheimer to help sell David Bowie to the American public. There is then an examination of the impact of various bands that were contemporaneous at the time, including The Stooges and The New York Dolls before looking at the roles of bands and key figures that followed including The Screamers, Devo, X, Black Randy, Kim Fowley, Darby Crash, The Go-Go's, The Cramps, Black Flag, Los Lobos, Agent Orange and Social Distortion.

The book finishes around 1981 with the perceived 'selling out' of the LA punk scene, including The Go-Go's having their mainstream breakthrough on MTV, Penelope Spheeris' documentary The Decline of Western Civilization and the death of Darby Crash, foreshadowing in Greg Hetson's words "the dark years of punk" from 1984-1990.

Reception

Punknews.org gave the book four and a half stars out of five.[3] The Stranger called it "required reading" for those with "interest in L.A.'s budding pre-punk culture, or fringe-music culture in general."[4]

References
  1. Marchese, David (October 12, 2009). "Legendary L.A. Punk Pioneer Dies". Spin. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  2. "Punk Rock Anarchy and a Little Nostalgia". Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2001.
  3. "Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen: We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of LA Punk". Punknews.org. November 26, 2004. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  4. Maerz, Jennifer (August 22, 2002). ""Inauthentic" and "Irrelevant" - Q & A with L.A. Punk Impresario Brendan Mullen". The Stranger. Retrieved October 20, 2019.


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