Rotten by John Lydon

[marky]

"Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" by John Lydon

(named apparently after a sign displayed at one hotel the Sex Pistols stayed at...Lydon is actually Irish)

I'm about halfway through this book now and find it so remarkable as to be well...worthy of comment here.

I apologize for the fact that it presents itself as a book exclusively by or about John Lydon, for it really isn't. I bought it because I thought it would be, and I wanted to get a more accurate picture of what makes this guy tick, because I've come to admire him more and more over the years. Not so much because he was the lead Sex Pistol or because of his music with PIL, but something that came through in his personality.

The book starts out just being about him, by him. He talks about his childhood, his family, his schooling. But gradually you begin to realize that the really brilliant thing about this book is it includes a multitude of people's different perspectives on John, on the Pistols, on punk, on the little psychological differences between people and their upbringings. If it had just been John it would have been good but a bit tiresome after awhile. Instead you get to hear his dad's point of view, other Pistols' members point of view, Chrissie Hynde's point of view (who was part of the same circle of friends in London at the time), and the point of view of some friends of John's and others names who I don't recognize but I would imagine are journalists and record company people. So when you put it all together, it really becomes quite fascinating. Certainly a much more extensive document of the Pistols and that time period than films like Filth & The Fury or Sid & Nancy.

And as I read the book, I find it interesting that The Sex Pistols are really not even one of my favourite bands in the world. So why the hell do I know all this shit about them? Because it's interesting, I guess. It goes beyond music.

[Tommy Martyn]

I was sad bastard channel surfing the ohter night and kept on flipping back and forth to the rock and roll inductee show. (vh1 did the show and at the same time vh1 classic played the old videos) The show thing was embarrasssing. Two things were good though. They read out the pistols letter and the original blondis line up got the award but one of them must be kicked out of th eband now because he wasn't allowed to play. He was at the mike begging Debbie Harry if he could join them on stage and she was saying no. He even said, "Please. Please. Pretty please." What's this all about Marky?

Miles Davis got an award. What's that all about? I am prepared to believe that he was a genius. His music is not to my taste, but those who know about these things rate him highly. Under no circumstances though, could he be included as a rock and roller. I know the whole concept is daft on it's face but if you start to include things that are not rock and roll why stop at jazz? Why not tap dancers or pastry cooks?

[marky]

Yeah, Miles Davis is talked about a lot isn't he? I do remember hearing one song on the radio a long, long time ago that I liked, but something in me just doesn't think I'd like him now. But yeah, like you say, people just talk about him so much I feel it's safe to assume he was probably brilliant.

The way you tell the Blondie story sounds like it must have been a joke, but sure enough this comes from the VH-1 website:

Still, one cannot help but wonder what Lydon would've thought of the whole ceremony if he'd bothered to attend it.

He probably would have enjoyed the nasty onstage spat that occurred between members of Blondie, which was certainly the most "punk" moment of the night. After frontwoman Deborah Harry, guitarist Chris Stein, keyboardist Jimmy Destri and drummer Clem Burke accepted their awards, former members Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison — who unsuccessfully sued to rejoin the band on its 1998 reunion tour (see "Blondie Reunion Blocked By Former Members") — raided the podium and begged to perform with Blondie.

"Debbie, aren't we allowed?" Infante whined. "I thought the group was being inducted tonight."

"Can't you see my real band is up there?" Harry shot back, before launching into spirited set of Blondie's hits, "Heart of Glass," "Rapture" and "Call Me."

The ugly onstage incident spilled over into the press area, as Stein told the assembled media that he was keeping an eye on his Rock Hall trophy "In case I see one of those f---ers back here."

That sorry scene was, for better or worse, probably the evening's highlight.

[marky]

Also for what it's worth, I don't see either of those guys as having been key members of the band. I don't think Infante was even with them very long.

I'm just saying, if they'd parted ways with the likes of Jimmy Destri, that would have been a lot more upsetting, I think.