John Lydon - "Psycho's Path" CD, Album, 1997 (Virgin)

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first (and only?) John Lydon solo album.   I bought this due to my dedication to the brand of Mr. John (Rotten) Lydon.  With all due respect he won't more likely go back to the brilliance of the first two Public Image Ltd albums, but still, "Psycho's Path" has its (and many) high points. 

The first cut "Grave Ride," sounds very much like classic Howard Devoto/Magazine, well, at least to me.  I never thought of the relationship between the two artists, but I believe that there are similarities due to both are willing to take a chance or leap into the unknown.   For one, Lydon never sounded better than this album.   The vocals are very strong,  melodic even, with layers of electronic effects, his voice is used as an instrument in the overall mix.  This is Lydon in a cocoon, and the results are surprisingly good.  "Psychopath" is practically a ballad, that would remind one of the classic "Poptones."  Lydon is very much taking care of the instruments on this album, with the assistance of Martin Lydon (brother?) and Mark Saunders.  

The one classic cut here, and I think it is Lydon's best song ever is "Sun."  It's the Lydon rant but done in such a superb fashion.   It reminds me of Men Without Hats!  And that is no snarky insult.  Fighting against 'nature,' Lydon lists all the delights of life beyond the dirty world.  What makes this song and the others on this album is songcraft.  I sense Lydon is experimenting with traditional pop song format, which for him, is basically an avant-garde move.  So yes, this is actually a very commercial (in a good way) album.  The truth is, following Lydon is an up and down adventure, yet, he's truly a brilliant singer/artist.   In the tradition of Morrissey, Devoto, Gene Pitney, I think Lydon is one of the great white/British vocalists.   "Psycho's Path" went under the radar.  The World, time to give it a proper listen.

Sex Pistols - "Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2008/1977 (Warner Brothers Records)

My first impression of when I first heard of the Sex Pistols is ho-hum.   At the time I was totally in love with the New York City Punk/No Wave scene.  The British side of the Punk world seemed to be more fashion orientated (which is laughable on my part, because clearly, NYC had that as well) and more bullshit media attention than anything else.   It wasn't till I bought the original single of "Anarchy in the U.K." that I went "oh my god."   For the reasons above I suspected that this song or recording would be so-so.  I didn't expect it to be a sonic masterpiece on a higher level.  Lyrically, theme wise, melody and just the production of this song became a huge wow for me.  Clearly up there with "My Generation,"  "Psychotic Breakdown" and "Talk Talk" of the 1960s.  Yet though the roots of the song were in those recordings, "Anarchy" is very much the sound of that moment or time.  There are a few records for me that yell out a moment and becomes a snapshot of life then.  

It's fun to know the story behind this album, and the relationship between band members and their manager. As well as the entire British music scene of the time - but I will also like to distance this album from that world, and listen to it as music.  Is that possible?  In my opinion, no.  It's very much of a product/artwork from 1977. 

Johnny Rotten's lyrics are like journalism.  He's reporting the world through his eyes, and his work is very unpoetic and straight forward.   In that sense, it is very much part of the social world of Punk, but not only is he making art here, but also reporting it at the same time.   Sex Pistols could have wrapped this album around a British newsprint, which would have made great sense.  It is also a work where you don't need a second album or further thought.  The band did all their work on that one disc, and there is no reason why there should be another album.   Them breaking up makes perfect sense in the Pistols world.  In my opinion Rotten's next adventure, Public Image Ltd. is a much better band (with Wobble and Levene) and vision.   Still, "Never Mind The Bollocks" is a great rock album.  A classic like the first Doors album.  And like that album, it fits perfectly in that year or decade, but the power doesn't last.  The music still sounds good, but it's not an essential sound in my life anymore.  Like a flower that blossoms, we love the instant second that happens.  A lovely memory of that flower, but once gone, it's gone. 

Public Image Limited - "Metal Box" 3 x Vinyl, LP, Album, 45 rpm, 2006/1979 (Virgin/4 Men With Beards)

For me, this is the greatest album from the post-punk era: PIL's "Metal Box."   The first Public Image LTD. album I thought was pretty good.  Way more interesting than the Sex Pistols.  I like how Johnny Rotten (Lydon) took it up a notch with his ability not playing to the fans of the Pistols.  He was going to explore new worlds, and through "Metal Box" he not only entered a new space but kicked the door to that area and entirely caused a large entrance, where one can't close that gate anymore.  

This is a band that couldn't do wrong.  Keith Levene a brilliant guitarist and Jah Wobble, who re-invented the bass for me, were a band that was the definition of perfection. It couldn't last.  And that's OK.  When I think the word 'original,' it apparently means this album and its package.  For my all thumbs style of opening anything more complicated than a can of beans, this album was a real test for me. It must have caused Virgin Records a series of nightmares that is probably still in their conscious years later.  Minimal with maximum results. 

The music is incredibly touching, I even come to tears time-to-time when listening to "Death Disco" (Swan Lake) and "Poptones."   Who would think a Sex Pistol would draw so many tears on my face? "Death Disco" with it "Swan Lake" melody sneaking into the hard mechanical funk is a wonder.  One of the great meetings between rock and classical music ever.  It's almost like a memory that is too powerful to forget.  For me, the album is about memory and how one digests the pain over the years. In that sense, it reminds me of John Lennon's first solo album "Plastic Ono Band."  Not only in sound, but it's emotion right on the top of the tongue.  

Thanks to Geo Blance, who out of the blue, sent me the new edition of "Metal Box" a few years ago. One of the great gifts ever.