Jah Wobble
An autobiography by someone who seems to have plowed his own farrow in the music industry and not really spent a lot of energy sucking up to gain extra sales. Great name (you find out how he got it) and someone who started off on the first post Pistols Lydon record Public Image Ltd. which was a seminal and much underrated album. Plus the next Metal Box. Fantastic bass player who went on to form lots of bands and was a player in the world music scene which I wasn't really into as a concept or execution. I guess I was most into Wobble in the late 80s early 90s with his Invaders of the Heart which was bass heavy fairly experimental with lots of global influences including great north African instruments. Slightly jazzy improvisation vibe going on before he went more world music and jazzlike. So back to the book. Very entertaining pulling no punches, at least in parts, and both interesting for the ageing punk and also as a general read. It's not all about the music. Wobble's tales of east End life and how it's changed over the generations is entertaining and informing. He seems a bit full of himself at times with some suspect claims regarding both music and facing down hard men but hey, what do I know, I wasn't there. He also gives us the lowdown on his personal life and whilst he doesn't reveal all especially regarding his kids who can blame him. You get the picture and there's no need to go into too much detail regarding others. Unfortunately at the end he becomes a bit of a bigot apologist getting the punches in first by saying that anyone who disagrees with him is a middle class politically correct bleeding heart. If everyone took his view the British wouldn't have embraced any immigrant groups or cultures. This is especially ironic given he's from Irish stock and has married someone who is hardly classic BNP tecruitment material. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth but overall a good read. Maybe I should read Lydon's autobiography
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