BEST PROTO-PUNK BAND?

Another pal I've never met from Jack Nicklausland named Zach Spazz posted this question on the Neus Subjex Message Bored.

His comments: "I'd list some of the major players as Chuck Berry, BOC, MC5, New York Dolls, The Stooges, and many of the minor garage-fuzz/psychedelia bands. However, I'd prolly pick The Stooges. Their songs were the angriest of the bunch, full of the bile that punk is best known for. I mean, how hateful is a song called 'Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell'? The Stooges' career was a bit varied, from the rock 'n' roll of s/t, to the genius, jazzy mess of Funhouse, then culminating in the stripped-down thrash of Raw Power. Honestly, the aggression prevalent in their music hasn't been matched since. Maybe Black Flag could claim second place, but no other band has pushed such much destruction through a set of speakers. Anyone else have a nomination?"

Yeah, man (though my pick mirrors yours, Zach): You certainly can make a strong, strong case for The Stooges. I mean, Raw Power might have no takers, in terms of pure, focused aggression. Yet, a non-album track of theirs ("I Got A Right") just might be the ultimate proto-punk offering, with its Damned-before-the-Damned tempo and declarations of independence in the lyrics. Along with Iggy and company, I'd also mention the multitudes of one-song-and-out bands found on the Nuggets box sets, as well as acts like Question Mark And The Mysterians ("96 Tears" is perhaps the greatest #1-charted single ever and was a huge inspiration on The Stooges' "!969"), The Sonics, The Standells, The Animals and so on and so forth.

Taking all of these into consideration, I'll side with Zach and give The Stooges my nod.