Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs

The first few chapters had me wondering if i were going to be able to get through this to the bitter end but John has a certain narrative style that takes a little getting used to and once you're in the zone it becomes a lot better. The man's certainly not without ego which in many regards seems counter-intuitive to the punk ethos but in fairness he quickly become 'legend' and few would not be affected by such a tag.Some wonderful insights into band dynamics; if it appeared chaotic from an audience perspective it was far worse from inside the machine. Malcolm plays hero/villain in equal quantities - an unusual chap to say the least. Loved John's unique view on 'the real' Sid, again a kind of love/hate relationship but sensed genuine sadness at his extremely premature demise.A recommended read for sure: next on my read list is Jones's 'Lonely Boy' as its good to try to gain more than one perspective plus of course Steve is an extremely colourful character; more than just your average rock band guitar playing hero... Enjoy!

Rotten is an excellent autobiography. I was in high school and college at the time of the Sex Pistols. I never got to see the Pistols live since I lived in Florida (UF), but I connected with the music and message. The number of bands that spawned from the Pistols in the late 70's was amazing. I happened to be in Sydney in October of 1996 and caught their Filthy Lucre reunion tour, but they and I and the world had changed. Sadly most of the bands that came afterwards sold out and/or became part of the system.I remember seeing "The Police" in a free concert at UF and the crowd went wild after the concert. The university and the town talked about banning punk and new wave. Now Sting is playing elevator music.Since there was no internet and the press (and especially the music press) was full of crap during the late 70's, most of what you heard or read about the Sex Pistols was made up to sell print. It is priceless to have Johhny Rotten's first hand account. Adding the thoughts of the other Pistols and people associated with the scene was very enlightening. The best part is that the truth about the Sex Pistols is much more interesting than all of the lies. Malcolm McLaren is a POS for not taking better care of the band. Someday before I die, I would like to drink a pint or two of Watney's Red Barrel and take a P*ss on Malcolm's grave.

I was never a huge Lydon fan, but had a general appreciation for the Pistols. Johns humor, writing style and honesty are stunning in my opinion! This book was one of the best bios I’ve ever read.John admits to a lot of faults and mistakes; but beneath that tough exterior is a man who truly loved his mom and dad! Someone who is still fighting against mediocrity and blandness (like some of the popular music of, say, 2020??). I read Steve Jones’s bio and really liked that too; but John’s bio has (in my opinion) more substance and depth.I would suggest this book to any music lover, young or old, into any sort of music. Johns story is universal and as applicable now as it was in the 1990s when he wrote it.

Even almost 40 years after the band's formation, I take everything I read and see about this band with a grain of salt. There's been so many varying and contrasting opinions expressed by band members and contributors/conspirators alike that it's hard to tell what's the truth and what isn't, not the least of whom is Mr. Lydon himself. In '76 he claimed he hated hippies, but here he is pictured with long hair and admitting to liking Hawkwind. He wore an "I Hate Pink Floyd" shirt and has a beef with David Bowie, but he quotes them both in this book. He claims to love it when other bands don't bother tuning, but bitches when Steve Jones' guitar goes out of tune. He's always voiced his hatred of "rock stars" but bitches about the Pistols not having good monitors. Sigh.....Anyways, this book is still a very entertaining read. It's definitely his words and attitude, and that comes across in spades. And to his credit, it includes several different viewpoints from others who were there at the same time.Overall a great read and highly recommended-just don't take his viewpoint as the absolute truth.

If you are a fan of the Sex Pistols, this is a must read. Excellent account, makes you feel like you were there. I prefer this to Lydon's latest biography. An interesting feature is you have a lot of guests in the book giving their own account, people that were around the scene at the time. On one hand it looks as though McLaren ruined the group, but on the other hand maybe without his craziness the group wouldn't be so mythic. Its almost like they had to self destruct. To me they put punk on the map. They turned England on its head and produced one phenomenal album. You can argue about who started "punk" or who was the first "punk" band but there is no question that the Sex Pistols were ground zero and the leader was Johnny Rotten. There was no other group that had so much impact. For example the other punk groups like The Clash were just bands. The Sex Pistols were a full on phenomena. This book tells the story.

This is a very unique look at a very unique time in history. This is a raw look inside an intelligent, passionate yet egomaniacal mind. I was an infant during this period so to me this is like being able to hear first hand accounts of a period I wish I saw for myself. The only downer is that the book pays almost no attention to the 20 years after the breakup. I wanted to learn more about PiL and how Lydon survived the 80's! The best part of the book, other than his brutal honesty, is that a good part is written by other contributors who offer a fresh (and sometimes different) view of the situation. I have no idea what truly happened back then but I do think that I a vague idea what No Future was all about. I'm very greatful to have read this book.

Any serious fan of the Sex Pistols and Public Image, Ltd. will not be disappointed. A vivid recollection of lightning in a bottle. Twice.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly as there are contributions from those who were part of it and were also there at the time. These comments are not changed either to fit John Lydons' so that everything is false and symmetrical, they are real views of real events and times from different perspective including Billy Idol and SP drummer Paul Cook.. An explanation as to who and what the Bromley crowd were is a great idea totally missing from Steve Jones effort. I know where Bromley is but not everyone will. Mr Lydon is no British patriot and has no love of England. In some respects I know why and I am in full agreement. He no longer lives in The UK and I can also quite understand why. The book photos he includes are all Sex Pistols band in action stuff. Unlike Steve Jones there is no posturing, posing arty farty inclusions and none of these photos used even belong to John Lydon. He has none of his own now apparently. All are black and white and they are relevant. The story of John Lydon the child, teenager and man is an interesting one. Why he hated bright lights on stage and had to constantly clear his sinuses (serious childhood illness is the reason) which led to all the spitting the band were famous for is a revelation. For once it's a book about the era, the Sex Pistols as they became a band, their brief band life and the much more well known aftermath. John never was a doped up, and out and out Heroin drug addict so he can remember the events and is not relying on others to tell him what he has absolutely no recollection of. A heaps better book than Steve Jones. I am now reading Glen Matlock for his view on the life and times of the SP so I may add a footnote. Until then though, this is the recommended read for the real band story.

I gave it an average review, not because of the literal content, but it is hard to enjoy reading a book when it is falling apart. After the second chapter the cover came loose from the rest of the book and then the first couple of chapters fell out completely. It is a shame when a product which features creativity is marred by inefficient physical manufacture. A more accurate score would be literary content 5 out of 5 Physical product 0 out of 5. Try and produce a book which won't have completely self destructed before I get to the end.

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. Intelligent, direct, honest and entertaining, this is a well-written book that reads at times as if it is a transcription of Lydon speaking - which is no bad thing. There are other voices too - of friends and band members, which helps to give balance to the story. But it is essentially the story of John Lydon, up until the early days of PiL. There is quite a bit on John's childhood and family, which I found fascinating, but it is mostly about The Sex Pistols, and the early days of punk - which is even more interesting. I reccommend this to anyone for whom the Sex Pistols were inspirational; also to media studies lecturers who peddle stupid myths about the Pistols; and to modern day 'punks' who may not appreciate just how important a cultural phenomenon was 'Johnny Rotten' and the Sex Pistols.

Brilliant read, covering his early life and the Sex Pistols days.Debunks the Media rubbish that was circling the band like flies, putting things into real context.Reveals the depths of Malcom McClarens attitude and self behaviour.Reflexs the early Punk following and at last tells the truth much nearer the reality than the UK media has portrayed things ever!

I borrowed and read this book a few years ago and it blew me away. It's the most amazing insight into those early days of punk, funny, sad, clever, disgusting - everything you'd expect from Mr Lydon!! A few weeks ago I went to see PIL (amazing - fat, old and disgusting, gobbing all over, but boy, what voice!!) and I thought I've got to have my own copy!! If you liked the Pistols and punk YOU'VE GOTTA READ IT! Even if you don't like punk but like music, you've got to read it! It's your duty! Without these boys breaking down those barriers, you wouldn't be able to listen to the **** you listen to these days!! ;-)