Richard Hell and the Voidoids
Blank Generation

Talking about Richard Meyers, known as Richard Hell, is certainly no simple task, partly because he is considered the godfather of the punk look (and not only that), partly because, together with friend Tom Verlaine, he brought the Television to life and even made a pit stop with the Heartbreakers; lastly, because he published that immortal masterpiece that is "Blank Generation". 

First of all, I would like to say that this album has the immense merit of bringing together the two faces of the punk movement that was just being born at the time, the intellectual and neurotic side of New York (with the partial exception of the Ramones) and the more angry and nihilistic London side (and in this sense, the title "Blank Generation" can be considered emblematic).

"Love Comes in Spurts", the first track on the album, immediately lets us understand what we are dealing with: sharp and frenetic guitars paired with a truly expressive voice that manages to move from neurotic to lethargic with disarming ease. The record proceeds by stepping on the accelerator with the track "Liars Beware", showcasing the splendid guitar intertwines of Ivan Julian and especially Robert Quine— a guitar duo that, in some way, cannot help but remind us of the other duo Verlaine-Lloyd, and gives a fundamental contribution to the entire album. Besides this, in "Blank Generation" there is also room for more relaxed but still very effective tracks like "Betrayal Takes Two" until we reach "Another World", eight minutes of astonishing dramatic tension. A separate mention deserves "The Plan", a song in which once again the guitars of Julian and Quine reign supreme and which, without a doubt, any band that emerged from 2001 onwards and ended up on the cover of NME has memorized. Lastly, I saved the symbol song of this album, as well as the zenith of Hell's production, both for its beauty and musical impact, that is "Blank Generation", whose definition I like the most is: "anthem of any rebel without a cause anymore", simply an immortal song.

In conclusion, "Blank Generation" can definitely be considered a milestone of modern music, because not many records have achieved such beauty and weight in terms of influence as the masterpiece signed by Richard Hell.