Search - John Lydon :: Psycho's Path

Overlooked masterpiece

Burritoman "USA" | Pennsylvania | 12/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Lydon is known as one of pop culture's top innovators as well as for his consistently brilliant music. His discography is one of the most impressive of all time, placing him alongside the all-time greats in terms of vision and originality. But it is just this sort of pop-star iconoclasm that Lydon has always ingeniously deflated, and it is safe to say that the artist's personality and viewpoints are more than alive and well in this cd. "Psycho's Path" was John's solo debut and is a logical progression in the same sort of techno-punk direction that he took in Public Image Ltd.'s 1989 album "9", but with a distinctly '90's edge. The songs are excellent, with some of his most directly personal lyrics since "The Flowers Of Romance". To fans of early-era Pil, this direction takes a bit of getting used to, but it is well worth the effort. The music is not bloodless, the melodies are not hidden, the lyrics are astute and often startling, the vocals are great- and all of "Psycho's Path" is imbued with Lydon's one-of-a-kind take on things. His anti-establishment stance has definitely been tempered by maturity and responsible concern for the coming generations, but he won't stand for injustice of any sort and it is this element of his worldview that has always been his appeal (even when his music, circa '78-'84, was completely inaccessible to any radio formats other than the campus stations). I know little about the field of music that "Psycho's Path" falls into generally, techno-rock. If this genre is an aberration or a groundbreaking movement is not clear to me yet. But I do know all of John Lydon's work, and "Psycho's Path" is the third greatest album of his career, behind only "Metal Box" and "Never Mind The Bollocks". Buy this cd, you'll get the clearest, most concise and most scathing music/commentary from John Lydon that you've heard in years. And he did the bulk of it himself. A sadly overlooked masterpiece from one of rock's true innovators."

Truth in Music

Alan L. Paris | 06/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm glad I rediscovered this amazingly weird and delightful record by the artist formerly known as Rotten. The techno-influenced rock suits his bizarre voice as well as his torn and safety-pinned clothes did when he was younger and nastier. His lyrics always were about a contemporary world of conflict, tension, and potential desolation. Maybe, that's how techno works with his message: pointing out the personal ruin in the economic boom of the 90s as much as in the recession of the 70s. We're living in the "no-future" The Sex Pistols warned us about: Many relationships are virtual and relative instead of intimate and familiar. There's not many real products left to be distanced from. And many of us, even the most seemingly normal, feel like aliens lost beyond alienation. This is how the music sounds - strange and otherworldly, just the truth."

I liked it.

Alan L. Paris | 03/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alright then. I listened to this album and I liked it. Was perfectly happy with the sound quality and lyrical content. "Sun" stands out as my favourite song from it. Enjoyed the different mixes. I'm giving this 5 stars just because I feel like it. Five little pointy stars to stick on your forehead...or shove up the nose of the amazon.com reviewer. He must be such a amazingly cool person, self-importantly wise in all his ways...oh, who cares about him. Have a listen, decide for yourself."