cover image Pretty Vacant: A History of U.K. Punk

Pretty Vacant: A History of U.K. Punk

Phil Strongman, . . Chicago Review, $16.95 (289pp) ISBN 978-1-55652-752-4

The latest in a robust lineage of books about the early days of punk music, Strongman's history delivers a straightforward account of the rise of the Sex Pistols and the Clash in the U.K., as well as retelling the story of the New York scene that gave birth to the Ramones and Patti Smith, and the West Coast punk movement that spawned the Dead Kennedys and others. More than 30 years later, the characters that populate these stories continue to amuse and appall with equal ease: John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) performing “a bizarre mewling, puking, hunchback-cringing” rendition of “I'm Eighteen” at his first audition for the Sex Pistols; Sid Vicious spiraling out of control in a violent, drug-fueled nightmare. The Pistols get most of the glory here, as indicated by the book's title from one of their earliest and most famous songs, but Strongman's narrative is notable for its inclusiveness of a diverse group of scenes and bands. While it breaks no new ground in redefining the accepted forefathers (the Velvet Underground) or heirs (Gang of Four, the Fall) of the most famous era of punk music, the book is undoubtedly valuable as a well-researched primer on the events and personalities that defined the records and culture of that world. (Apr.)