We Got the Neutron Bomb

We Got the Neutron Bomb chronicles the rise and evolution of the Los Angeles punk scene from 1971 to 1981. The book compiles first-hand accounts from musicians, promoters, and scene fixtures who shaped this crucial period in American music history. The narrative begins with the influence of UK glam rock on the LA music scene through figures like Rodney Bingenheimer, then traces the emergence of early punk bands and venues. Major players featured include The Screamers, X, Black Flag, The Go-Go's, and numerous other bands that defined the sound and culture of LA punk. Through interviews and historical documentation, the book captures the scene's transition from underground movement to mainstream recognition, ending with watershed moments like The Go-Go's MTV success and the release of The Decline of Western Civilization documentary. This oral history preserves a pivotal chapter in music, documenting how LA's distinct cultural landscape and social dynamics created a punk movement different from its New York and London counterparts. The authors present the scene's internal tensions between authenticity and commercial success, creativity and self-destruction.

Readers appreciate the book's oral history format and firsthand accounts from musicians and scene participants who documented LA's punk movement from 1977-1982. Many note it captures the raw energy of the era through detailed stories about bands like X, Black Flag, and the Germs. Readers cite the fragmentary nature of the interviews as a weakness, with some accounts feeling incomplete or jumping between topics without clear connections. Several reviewers mention factual errors and timeline inconsistencies. Some felt it focused too heavily on certain bands while overlooking others. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.07/5 (1,846 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (129 reviews) "Does a great job capturing the chaos and creativity of early LA punk" - Amazon reviewer "Too many random anecdotes without proper context" - Goodreads reviewer "The oral history format works but needs better editing" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🎸 The title references a song by The Weirdos, a pioneering LA punk band formed in 1976, who used the Cold War's nuclear anxiety as inspiration. 🏢 Co-author Brendan Mullen founded The Masque, an influential underground club in Hollywood that became the epicenter of LA's early punk scene until its closure in 1978. 🎥 The LA punk scene documented in the book heavily influenced director Penelope Spheeris, who captured many of the bands in her 1981 documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization." 🎨 The visual aesthetic of LA punk was shaped by artists like Gary Panter, who designed the logo for punk club The Germs and later won Emmy Awards for his work on "Pee-wee's Playhouse." 🌟 Many future stars emerged from the scene, including Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle, who started as a drummer for the pioneering punk band The Germs under the name "Dottie Danger."