I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp : An Autobiography (Richard Hell)

Richard Hell

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp : An Autobiography

A very interesting read of Hell's life in NYC from early 70s onwards and his involvement in the start of the punk scene. He makes out that he virtually created the punk look, attitude and sound. Whilst he does acknowledge others he does seem a bit full of himself. An unsavoury aspect is his dismissive attitude to women who he always sleeps with and indeed I can't remember him mentioning any who he doesn't. It's always in the context of them letting him do whatever he wants to them which he makes out is consensual but doesn't really read that way as he often says that these women are pretty strung out and have a lot of mental health issues. Hell then goes on to say that the British have an unsophisticated and childish attitude to women seemingly because when on tour with punk bands the blokes don't view all the women around as sex objects. It's not unsophisticated Hell, it having respect for women as humans not just someone to bed, The book then goes into Hell being addicted to heroine and to honest the book sort of descends into an excuse for his behaviour whilst addicted. The book does read a bit like therapy for Hell where he's excusing exploitative behaviour, having rants at those he doesn't like and retrospectively framing everything he's done in the context of a predetermined poetic artistry. It's difficult to tell if what he writes is near the truth or just plain bullshit. Not having lived in NYC in the mid 70s it's difficult for me to tell but some of what he says about Britain is obviously bull. Yes we like potatoes but even back in the late 70s you could buy more than fried potatoes in town centres. I think that this is written for the American audience which makes me wonder if the whole lot is bull as the number of people reading who were into the early punk scene in NYC would be very small. Also John Lydon stopped using the moniker Rotten in 1978 so not sure why Hell, who obviously wanted to keep his adopted surname I guess cos otherwise people wouldn't know who he is, refers to him as Rotten. Having said all this it's a good read souring somewhat at the end. And the albums he made with the Voidoids and with music and lyrics that good I can forgive a few irritations in his book. As if Hell will ever know and as if he would even care.