- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: St Martin's Press; Reprint edition (1 April 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 031211883X
- ISBN-13: 978-0312118839
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.4 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 601,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
"Invaluable...sheds welcome light on that short period of great music and spasmodic cultural change." --"San Francisco Chronicle"
"Alive at the core...Lydon's quite the humorist...(Full of) cut marks of wit and ego." --"The New Yorker"
"A wrathful Irish poet...Lydon proves to have a keen wit and rare insight." --"The Washington Post Book World"
"A pavement philosopher whose Dickensian roots of blossom with Joycean color." --"Rolling Stone"
"Alive at the core...Lydon's quite the humorist...(Full of) cut marks of wit and ego." --"The New Yorker"
"A wrathful Irish poet...Lydon proves to have a keen wit and rare insight." --"The Washington Post Book World"
"A pavement philosopher whose Dickensian roots of blossom with Joycean color." --"Rolling Stone"
Kerrang!, January 24, 2004
‘Lydon’s story is one of struggle and an almost foolhardy courage... for sheer eye-of-the-storm authenticity, this is hard to beat.'
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unfortunately, with all of the hype concerning the infamous Sex Pistols, their rapid rise and just as rapid decline and break-up, people have a tendency to forgot about the people involved in the band. Although Johnny Rotten is probably the most well-known member of the Pistols (I say probably because Sid Vicious is, quite possibly, more well-known), he is often seen as little more than a "punk rock" icon. In this book, he sets it straight, as he sees it. It is an incredibly good read, and Lydon (his real last name) is brutally honest about his home life, his childhood, his inclusion into the Pistols and the breakup and demise of the Pistols. The book is, at times, depressing, touching and upsetting, but it is always entertaining and, surprisingly, incredibly funny. Lydon is a very witty guy, and he holds nothing back in this autobio. Definately recommend for anyone interested in the man, the Pistols or punk in general.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book, is a great insight to what John's life really was like, from his early childhood to his current career. He tells of how him and his mother was really close, and how the pistols was really organised as a shambles, Sid on drugs and him being rejected slightly by the other pistols.
In his early childhood he tells of how he had spinal meningitis, and the pain of the injections and the fact he was in and out of comas for a year.
In his early childhood he tells of how he had spinal meningitis, and the pain of the injections and the fact he was in and out of comas for a year.
Later on, there is a chapter about Nora, his wife, and this is really touching. Also as you go through the book you have sympathy for him, as he was brought up on a rough estate in London, but look what this amazing man has pulled out of that.
There is many contributions in various parts from Johns family and close friends, this also shows what a genuine person he is.
A great book, that is well worth reading, especially if you are a fan of John, the sex pistols or PiL.
68 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Last time I checked, this was out of print, so discussing Lydon and his amusing appearance on TV's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! I found it has been reissued. Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs is Lydon's first memoir, generally centred around his perception of life in the Sex Pistols (though he does offer other people's views); he is due to publish a second book, on his superior act after, Public Image Limited, which after reading this several times, is something I'm looking forward to...
Lydon has always been great with words, something you can't doubt from the lyrics to debut Anarchy in the UK alone; his lines at the notious winterland concert ("ever felt you've been cheated?") are typical of him. Whichever way you cut it, Lydon is one of the great English characters- he's up there with William Blake, Anthony Burgess, Graham Greene, Morrissey, Tony Hancock, Sid James, Pete Townshend, Virginia Woolf- a typically individual English voice...
No Irish No Blacks No Dogs probably tells it like it is, though of course we all have our own perspectives on experiences- Lydon discusses The Sex Pistols, the split after and of course Malcolm McLaren. Key events are seen from Lydon's POV, though perhaps the brilliant documentary The Filth&The Fury has surplanted that- I loved the scene from The Filth where the Sex Pistols played a Xmas party for striking miner's kids and a kid chucked a pie or cake in Lydon's face. This is why it seems perfectly natural he's on I'm a Celebrity!. Lydon makes lots of amusing bitchy comments about other people, from Shane MaGowan to Joe Strummer, and shows that he has remained an individual. He discusses that radio show he did, where lots of those who'd bought into a uniform notion of what punk was were aghast at his picking tracks from Kevin Ayers, Can, Miles Davis & Peter Hammill- the same idiots who took task with albums like Metal Box and Secondhand Daylight for supposedly prog-tendencies. The classic Pistols TV moment is recalled & it's interesting to have Lydon's view from inside the maelstrom that was the Pistols...
In many ways, the stuff about Nora and the post-Pistols era prior to Public Image are the best & Lydon advances on the personal themes of PIL's Death Disco (about his mother's illness which lead to death), as well as his feelings on Sid Vicious. The episode where Lydon goes on Virgin's money to Jamaica to check out the dub sound that would become apparent in PIL's early work is of note & it's nice to see that Lydon punctures myths throughout the book. Which was the point of the Pistols really; as a book it feels utterly related to the band who did that storming version of The Stooges' No Fun...
It's a compulsive read, can't wait for the follow-up, and stands easily alongside such rock autobiographies as Diary of a Rock & Roll Star by Ian Hunter and Head On/Repossessed by Julian Cope. A brilliant memoir from a great British/English voice & a sound purchase; one you'll read and re-read. He did you no wrong...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Real Thing
The 'history' of the Sex Pistols has been re-written and distorted so much and so it is great to get the real story, the truth from the man who was at the centre of it all. Read more
Published 16 months ago by S. FREEMAN
Prick the Pin Prick
This is not the normal biog. John elevates the biography to an art form. Coming from a family who escaped Irish poverty to relocate in London they survived in North London. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2010 by Dr. Delvis Memphistopheles
A lot of good reading.
For those of you that watched Johnny Rotten in the seventies and thought he was the brainless youth that made you kick in your TV-set and do something more boring instead to calm... Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2007 by mr Average
Truly Fantastic, Captivating and Articulate
John Lydon writes the way EVERY writer should write - clearly and concisely. Indeed, I would say that this is the best autobiography I have EVER read. Read more
Published on 11 May 2006 by J. Roberts
John is so cool.
I love anything to do with John, and this book is great. This book has some rare pictures, and I love that it's the story from John's perspective. Read more
Published on 28 April 2005
Facisinating, but not complete....
This a very fascinating book, both autobiography and history lesson to those who were (like myself) to young to really remember the late seventies. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2005 by "razic"
Don't 'gob' on this!
I found this book extremely interesting and the description of Johns childhood and upbringing and the atmosphere of society in general and life in London at that time was really... Read more
Published on 5 Nov 2004
no nonsense, no self delusion, no sychophancy - brilliant!
I first read this book 9 years ago after it was first published when I borrowed the hardback from a friend of mine in London. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2004
Quite disappointing
Having read all the glowing reviews I was disappointed by this book. I didn't find the childhood descriptions very interesting, and the Pistols era was described in a very... Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2004 by Mr. N. D. White
ROTTEN? No way more fantastic read
Must say from the start I was there when punk rock started. Reading this book tells not only who started it but why & when. John tells it as it is and so funny too. Read more
Published on 18 May 2004 by S. A. Luff
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