Richard Hell

Kentucky-born Richard Hell deserves credit (or blame) for originating much of the punk imagery and style associated with the London scene. Musically, though, the Voidoids resemble Captain Beefheart's Magic Band much more than the Sex Pistols. And Hell has never managed to capitalize on his early notoriety.

The sullen, punked-out Blank Generation stings like a casual insult. "Love Comes in Spurts" -- if you're lucky. Behind the sliced T-shirts and ear-scorching amplification, however, lurks an underrated band: The Voidoids focus Richard Hell's boundless alienation into bold, innovative rock & roll. Lead guitarist Robert Quine (who would later gain recognition for his work with Lou Reed) spikes the angry rush of sound with quick runs and sudden explosions; Quine milks each tender electric nerve of his Fender for all it's worth. Hell's no more a poet than he is a bass player, but his snarl-to-a-croak vocal range sounds downright affecting here, not affected. His indictments of society (and himself) are propelled by his band's headlong attack: There's not a wasted growl or gust of feedback on Blank Generation.

But during the long layoff between Blank Generation and Destiny Street, Hell's creative momentum froze; the latter album sounds testy, a little hedging -- not exactly what you'd expect from the author of scathing rave-ups like "Betrayal Takes Two" and "New Pleasures." Though he made a brief return in the supergroup Dim Stars, after Destiny Street, Hell mostly abandoned music to focus on acting and writing. Quine committed suicide in spring 2004, months after the death of his wife, Alice.

Time brings together all the odds and ends -- many of which were first included on R.I.P. -- into a two-disc set that includes Voidoids-era outtakes, lo-fi live recordings, an odd 1984 New Orleans session, and some crude, compelling demos from Hell's howling tenure with Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. (RICHARD ABOWITZ)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide