alright, i know i’m a wee bit late on this, but RIP Malcolm McLaren.
he’s a tough one to write about, because really, what hasn’t been said by this point? from a strictly personal point of view, McLaren’s undertakings and shenanigans frequently fascinated me, although many of them i became familiar with posthumously. From the Sex shop to the sex pistols, from adam and the ants to bow wow wow (so much promise! such a failure!), from buffalo gals to madame butterfly – it’s a chaotic and hugely entertaining CV, if not an altogether successful one.
as he aged, so too did his familiar role as impresario. to be expected, i suppose – especially since he was typecast from the pistols on.
yet he should be remembered, in particular, for two feats: engineering the right people and fomenting the right conditions to produce Never Mind the Bollocks, one of the 20th century’s singular pieces of art; and, along with fellow provocateurs like Jamie Reid, injecting a hearty dose of theory – situationism, in particular – into popular culture. Or, as he might prefer, starting a revolution of everyday life.
Was Bow Wow Wow a failure? They produced two great tunes, Wild in the Country and I Want Candy. That’s close enough to being a success, isn’t it?
I also really enjoyed Buffalo Girls and Madam Butterfly but I realise that’s controversial. I recall they stood out as something different on compilation albums of the time.
i totally agree – wild in the country and i want candy were absolutely thrilling. and i guess that’s what i meant by so much promise – i loved those tunes but then everything just sorta fell apart shorly after that…