THROUGH pulsing blue neon
beats that thrum like the surface of inner city violence, that scrawny,
sneering vagabond voice returns like a triumphant Fagin; back to inflame
some new kind of punk. Not the kind of punk that is a two chord thrash
around a four-four beat, but the sleek sophistication of Leftfield’s
Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, which suddenly turns the image of Lydon’s
fading pantomime dame back into stark, provocative gunslinger.
"Open Up" picks
up where the Afrika Bambaataa collaboration "Timezone" left
off, and leaves you wondering why Lydon never continued exploring the
collision between urban dance and his natural bile. Like Suicide’s
pioneering disco Elvis, this techno PiL is an amphetamine-laced, fevered
sweat through strobe-lit London nights, and despite the "Burn Hollywood
Burn" refrain, these nasty lyrics still could have McLaren in their
targets.
The mad eyes have it. |