Product Description

Written in his own unmistakable voice, this is a frank and fascinating account of a geezer’s life in the music business. Jah Wobble begins by offering the most authentic insider’s account of the beginning of punk rock yet written, but there's much more to him than that. His is an eventful life, as the celebrated ups – PiL’s The Metal Box, 90s hit Visions Of You with Sinead O’Connor – are balanced by major downs – chronic alcoholism and marital breakdown. It begins with an East End childhood in a London barely recovered from the War and ends with Wobble finally turning his back on London that no longer feels like home. Through the book Wobble tell it like he sees it: his opinions of the great and good from Malcolm Mcclaren to Peter Gabriel to Brian Eno to Iain Sinclair are refreshingly disrespectful. Oh and if you ever wondered how got his name, the answer is here: his teenage pal Sid Vicious gave it to him when he drunkenly slurred Wobble’s real name, John Wardle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1348 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
`There's plenty to talk about with John Wardle...his honesty and forthrightness is the book's greatest strength...'
--Joe Shooman, Record Collector

`Like you'd expect, gritty and witty recollections from "the nice one" in PiL.' --Simon Reynolds, author

`A thumpingly good read' --Hot Press

`Punchy and extremely funny... the terse voice of a man staking out his own territory... the greatest of recent bassists.' --Derek Walmsley, The Wire

`The bass leviathan' --Mojo

`Springs off the page the same way a good pub raconteur ambushes you with words' --David Pollock, The List

`[A] diverting tome...Wobble is far too busy to live in the past.'
--Martha de Lacey, London Lite

'It's a colourful read, and Wobble can write... Very entertaining.' --Johnny Davis, Q

'Rather than another tale by a spoiled celeb, this autobiography - funny and sharply intelligent - reads like a valuable cultural historiography.'
--Alan Warner, Guardian

`It's hard not to warm to the candour with which he tracks his life story... anger is still an energy.' --Keith Watson, Metro

`Read it for the stories and the craziness - there's plenty of both here.' --Jonathan O'Brien, Irish Sunday Independent

`Sharp, funny and always searingly honest account of his life to date.' --Jim Carroll, Irish Times

`There isn't a dull page in this slyly entertaining memoir'
--Suzi Feay - The Independent on Sunday

`Riveting... extraordinary: brutally honest, often hilarious, Lucid, gripping and incredibly direct, Wobble has produced nothing less than a Cockney Chronicles.' -- Kris Needs, Mojo

`Eminently readable account of the affable East Ender's journey...perfectly mixes open humility with cavalier swagger... Engaging, unflinching, self-deprecating' --Ian Fortnam, Classic Rock

`He writes as well as he plays... entertaining and uplifting.' --Tom Widger, Sunday Tribune

`Music books of the year 2009: Entertaining, like his bass the lows are low and the style upfront' --Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, FT

`Blackly comic' --Helen Brown, Daily Telegraph

`A heartfelt account... a beautifully observed record of much more than his time in the post-punk spotlight with PiL' --Simmy Richman

`He writes with a punchy honesty... an enjoyable romp through three decades of pop culture.' --Toby Lichtig, TLS

From the Back Cover
Mercury-shortlisted musician, former public image limited bassist, punk rebel and genuine geezer, Jah Wobble spills all in his autobiography A frank and entertaining account of life in the music business, this is Jah Wobble's insider view of the beginning of punk rock. Celebrated ups - PiL's Metal Box and Wobble's 90s hit with Sinead O'Connor - are balanced by major downs - chronic alcoholism and marital breakdown. During a stint working on the London Underground, he announced 'I used to be somebody. I repeat. I used to be somebody'. Memoirs of a Geezer begins with an East End childhood in a London barely recovered from the war and ends with Wobble leaving a city that no longer feels like home. If you ever wondered how he got his name, the answer is here, alongside his refreshingly disrespectful opinions of the great and the good. Throughout, Wobble tells it like he sees it.

About the Author
Jah Wobble was born John Wardle in Stepney, East London in 1958. He was one of the founder members of Public Image Limited, along with John Lydon, formerly of the Sex Pistols, whom Wobble met, along with Sid Vicious, at sixth form college. After Wobble left the band he embarked on a number of solo projects and collaborations, including the Invaders of the Heart and the Human Condition. His album Rising Above Bedlam was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize (1992). His latest project, Chinese Dub, is one of the great world music hits of recent years. He is a bass guitarist, singer, composer, poet and music journalist. As well as all that he runs his own record company, 30 Hertz Records. More information on Jah Wobble can be found at www.30hertzrecords.com.

Customer Reviews

It's all true!
Having had the pleasure of sharing some of this mayhem with Wobble (as we in the inner circle referred to him) I can vouch that the tales are all true, the highs and the lows are graphically emparted with the honesty and wit that is the man. The wonderful colourful tapestry that has been created in the wake of Wobble will continue to morph and change as has the man himself. If you are looking for a luvvee rose tinted memoir steer well clear, if it's straight to the point well written honesty you're after then Wobble has delivered for you. Oh and while you're at it pick up the CD box set "I could have been a contender" bargain price for a three disc set of eclectic musical masterpieces (You have to hear A13, if Alan Bennet was dragged up in an East End council estate he may have written something like this)

Memoirs of a great artist
At last an account of '76/77 by someone who can write and does not think that punk is the highlight of his life.
This book gives you the opportunity to share the spiritual development with a soulful person.
There is no bigger gift than that.

johnny b
l heared about this book on janis longs radio show when jaw wobble was talking about it on the show.l could have listen to them talking about the book for hours but he was only on the show for a short while so l had to get the book and read for myself.its great reading ,the flour fight, the rockers chasing him and vince and when they ended up in wales when they were roadies great stuff.