After nearly fifty years of deliberately provoking audiences, John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, finally unveiled his tender side on his comeback single “Hawaii.” The touching song serves as a poignant farewell to his late wife, Nora, who passed away in April. While the rest of the album, from which “Hawaii” is taken, leans more towards abrasive lyrics, there are still moments of creativity. The track “Being Stupid Again” sees Lydon playfully attacking student idealism, while the opener “Penge” humorously combines Viking drama with the mundane setting of a south London suburb.
In addition to these tracks, the album features the accurately titled “Pretty Awful,” which introduces the term “wanker’s mac” to 21st-century popular culture. However, there are also moments of gentleness reminiscent of “Hawaii,” such as the beautifully loose and relaxed sound of “Walls,” driven by Scott Firth’s sinuous basslines and Lu Edmonds’s subtle guitar work. There’s an eerie quality to “Strange,” and the synth-driven “Car Chase” stands out as a pulsating highlight.
Like previous albums by PiL (Public Image Ltd.), Lydon’s band, “End of World” is a mix of hits and misses. The staccato glam-rock stylings of “The Do That” can be particularly frustrating. However, it’s safe to say that Lydon, with his contrarian nature, wouldn’t want it any other way.
Overall, “End of World” showcases Lydon’s range as a musician and his ability to evoke emotions in his listeners. The album may not be perfect, but it’s a testament to Lydon’s enduring artistry and unique approach to music.
Almost half a century into a career in which his stock in trade has been wilful provocation, John Lydon finally revealed his tender side on January’s comeback single Hawaii, a disarmingly poignant and beautiful goodbye to his terminally ill wife, Nora, who died in April. Lyrically, the rest of its parent album is rather more boilerplate abrasive: Being Stupid Again finds him gleefully attacking student idealism (“Ban the bomb! Save the whale!”) and the entertaining but silly opener Penge relocates Viking drama to south London suburbia. Meanwhile, the accurately named Pretty Awful includes perhaps the first reference to a “wanker’s mac” in 21st-century popular culture.
Elsewhere, some of Hawaii’s gentleness is reprised: Scott Firth’s sinuous basslines combined with Lu Edmonds’s subtle guitar interventions give Walls a gorgeously loose and relaxed sound, and there’s a distinct eeriness to Strange. Best of all is the throbbing, synth-driven Car Chase. As with all of PiL’s recent albums, End of World is frustratingly hit and miss – the staccato glam-rock stylings of The Do That are particularly annoying – but then you suspect that the arch contrarian Lydon wouldn’t have it any other way.
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