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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 15, 2020 15:20:00 GMT
The UK punk scene would have played out differently without Jordan who, along with a handful of other orginators, defined it in the early days. I remember how shocking it was just wearing drainpipe trousers and having short hair in 1976.
Jordan took this shock value and multiplied it by a hundred. She was totally fearless in an era where violence on the street was commonplace. Her looks and outfits were also imaginative and inventive. She was assisted in this book by the wonderful Cathi Unsworth and together they have created a really compelling account of Jordan's formative years.
From her childhood in Seaford, through the 70s she has a great story to tell and this book is full of interesting social history and excellent anecdotes. The text is augmented by other eye witness accounts from friends and other participants. If you're interested in the punk era, social history, fashion and subculture then this is another essential read. 4/5 |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2020 15:48:29 GMT
The UK punk scene would have played out differently without Jordan who, along with a handful of other orginators, defined it in the early days. I remember how shocking it was just wearing drainpipe trousers and having short hair in 1976.
Jordan took this shock value and multiplied it by a hundred. She was totally fearless in an era where violence on the street was commonplace. Her looks and outfits were also imaginative and inventive. She was assisted in this book by the wonderful Cathi Unsworth and together they have created a really compelling account of Jordan's formative years.
From her childhood in Seaford, through the 70s she has a great story to tell and this book is full of interesting social history and excellent anecdotes. The text is augmented by other eye witness accounts from friends and other participants. If you're interested in the punk era, social history, fashion and subculture then this is another essential read. 4/5 I liked it apart from the droning on about clothes all the time in the middle but well done to Jordan for having the balls to do what she did. She defined an era and I thought her stories about poor old Adam Ant were hilarious. 7/10 |
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Post by doug61 on Feb 9, 2021 16:20:05 GMT
I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Was more reflective of the fashion punks of the Kings Road.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Feb 9, 2021 20:01:10 GMT
I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Was more reflective of the fashion punks of the Kings Road. Fair comment Doug Jordan and the fashion punks were the people who kickstarted it all though |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2021 21:00:34 GMT
Partly, but the real drive behind the Pistols were Cook and Jones.
Jordan, I think comes into her own as fashion wise she had the balls to do what others just wouldn't or couldn't do.
She was a main ingredient and probably had more integrity than the Kings Road posers.
After reading her book I wouldn't lump her in with any of that lot.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Feb 9, 2021 21:06:20 GMT
Balls is the word. As I mention in my review up above I remember getting all kinds of shit for short hair and drainpipes in early 77 Gawd knows what she must have had to endure Hard to overstate how radical this was in 1976...  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2021 22:05:45 GMT
I mind some of the other kids in our scheme used to fire things at us for having the audacity to wear a pair of dyed white trousers with only one leg!
Still, we gave as good as they got and some of the other schemie weans got into punk.😎
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Post by doug61 on Feb 10, 2021 15:14:03 GMT
I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Was more reflective of the fashion punks of the Kings Road. Fair comment Doug Jordan and the fashion punks were the people who kickstarted it all though Oh, yeah, and credit to them, but how much is true and how much was coming through as a groundswell anyway? The publicity they, and the setting up of the Roxy (never went, although I did go to The Vortex), created, certainly lead to the "faraway towns" becoming involved but in London we already had the Feelgoods/Hot Rods/pub scene changing the "feel" of the live music scene and I often wonder what would've happened had the "Sex" crowd not been involved. Reading it I think she came over as more involved with the look and the Zeitgeist than the actual music. Incidently, Paul Marko's book on the Roxy is an absolute must read, stunningly indepth. |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Feb 10, 2021 15:29:50 GMT
Oh, yeah, and credit to them, but how much is true and how much was coming through as a groundswell anyway? The publicity they, and the setting up of the Roxy (never went, although I did go to The Vortex), created, certainly lead to the "faraway towns" becoming involved but in London we already had the Feelgoods/Hot Rods/pub scene changing the "feel" of the live music scene and I often wonder what would've happened had the "Sex" crowd not been involved. Reading it I think she came over as more involved with the look and the Zeitgeist than the actual music. Incidently, Paul Marko's book on the Roxy is an absolute must read, stunningly indepth. I love those "what ifs" Doug I agree that things were changing and something was brewing on the street and, most likely, without the Sex crowd things might changed anyway. My guess is that there would have been some kind of more disparate scene, like in New York, but perhaps something that, like Pub Rock, was never destined to break through into the mainstream. So many people who went on to form groups cite seeing The Pistols as the lightbulb moment. No Malcolm McLaren, no Pistols is my analysis. The biggest "What if" for me is what if the Pistols had not done the Today show and there had been no Grundy interview That would mean the scene would have developed more slowly and organically. The Pistols would have been able to tour and develop at a slower pace. So many things might have happened at a slower pace and away from the judgemental gaze of the mainstream media. And "YES!", Paul's book is absolutely essential |
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