John Lydon on the two “perfect” folk songwriters that stood out from the “pretentious arseholes”
John Lydon has always turned heads because of how unrelenting he is when it comes to giving his musical opinion. Regardless of the genre, era, or who their target market is, you can bet that Johnny Rotten himself will interject, and the majority of the time, he doesn’t have much nice to say.
The common thread that weaves its way through most of Lydon’s critiques is honesty. A lot of the time, when he is tearing apart one of his musical counterparts, he doesn’t criticise how they sound but how much he buys into that sound. Bands like Guns N’ Roses, The Clash, and Kiss have all come under fire as Lydon called their music over-commercialised and completely false.
One genre that is supposed to be an accurate reflection of the person singing it is folk music. There is no other style of music where the heart is worn so firmly on the sleeve, and the established sound should hold up a mirror to the world, showing clearly what the person performing sees. Artists like Bob Dylan have always been praised for their poetic ability to accurately portray the real world, but Lydon has never bought it.
When asked what type of folk music he listens to, Lydon said, “I could go all over the world, but American folk, normally no. I’m sorry, but that ‘60s revolution from New York folk music never meant anything to me. It was a little too perfected. It left me cold.”
Adding: “It wasn’t coming from real folk; it was coming from pretentious arseholes, most of it, with very few rare exceptions.”
Lydon’s criticisms aren’t unique. Many people roll their eyes at some famous folk artists, seeing the exaggerated articulation of the struggle as being somewhat pretentious as opposed to genuinely moving. It was this kind of attitude that led to the anti-folk movement that was pioneered by Beck and saw people almost parody the iconic folk sound with much more human lyrics that are both disjointed and minimal.
Of course, despite being the face of punk, Lydon is still human, so some classic folk artists have appeal. Big names he mentions include Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention; however, he would only offer up two artists as “perfect.”
“Who can knock Joni Mitchell, for instance?” He asks, “You can’t, she’s bloody perfect. Same with Carole King. Perfect. But the rest, with their frumpy hats and farming implements, no, I’m not interested.”
Lydon’s opinion on folk music remains consistent with his opinion on all kinds of music; it’s less about what he actually hears and more about whether he believes in what he’s hearing. As is the opinion of many folk listeners, some of the bigger artists come across as insincere and pretentious, which Lydon reiterates in his take on the genre.
