The seeds of punk rock were sown from the very beginning of rock n’ roll. The look and attitude of early rockers like Elvis, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis would be re-interpreted over the years with more and more outrage added to the mix until it reached its logical peak with punk. Festering away in the Bowery in New York and on the streets of London, bands started exploding out of both scenes with Los Angeles and San Francisco soon to follow. Each scene contributed different fashions to the overall punk aesthetic. The Sex Pistols were certainly one of the bands that had an unforgettable look and spawned a punk rock icon with Sid Vicious. But one of the other things unique to rock n’ roll is the guitar hero. Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols is a guitar hero who has it all. Onstage with the Pistols Steve Jones had the sneer of Elvis and the chops of Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran channeled through Johnny Thunders and Ron Ashton (both very stylish themselves). He had a great look, the attitude and had great guitar chops to back it all up. And as someone who was there from the beginning Jones has many yarns to spin when it comes to sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.
Reading along as Jones talks about many things one thing that keeps popping up is his admiration of the looks of his favorite rock stars. He was a big Roxy Music fan from the beginning and loved David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars. As he was drawn to Malcom McLaren’s fashion shop he absorbed the things he saw Malcom and his partner Vivienne Westwood doing to make their fashions and shop successful. One of the ideas was to help out an aspiring young rock band and have them wear their designs at the gigs. Not quite a manufactured boy band and not quite a DIY operation, the Sex Pistols launched Jones into the world he had always loved and wanted to be a part of.
From his troubled boyhood to success in Hollywood with a popular radio show, Jones tells his story with the kid gloves off. Its obvious he still has great respect and love for Malcom who the Pistols, led by John Lydon, sued over royalties. His relationship with his former singer is more complicated. Jones has some nice things to say and shows respect but isn’t afraid to point out what he really thinks of John’s ego. He points out that the Pistols are over for good because aside from Cook and Jones, the four find it unbearable to be in the same room together. Jones also cannot contain his dislike for Midge Ure, Jerry Lee Lewis and especially a certain Beach Boy. A humorous, revealing and tough tell-all that gives the fan reader exactly what it wants but also would give the casual reader a unique look at what turns a young boy into a cat burglar, foul mouth yob, guitar legend, recovering addict and eventually a Hollywood celebrity.
