Tuesday 17 November 2009

World Destruction




Following on from yesterday's post with the first collaboration, at least that I can think of, between rap and punk. Here we have Lydon collaborating with African Bambaataa on the single World Destruction,  produced by Bill Laswell who would go on to produce PiL's Album two years later.

For a fifteen year old preoccupied with the imminent threat (I thought and I don't think that I was alone in that view at the time) of nuclear war and the lasting effects of a nuclear winter if you were unlucky enough to survive, this track did not instill in me a sunny demeanor or fill me with hope for the future; what with lines like "this is a world destruction, your life ain't nothing", references to Nostradamus and chemical warfare it isn't your typical party tune. But it is brilliant, at the time there was nothing like this and Lydon's near manic vocals used to send a chill down my spine. The video is pretty effective as well, in fact I think that the first time I heard the track was when I saw the video on the Tube.

I've posted both sides of the 12" that I picked up on one of my recent visits to Oxfam music, where the near mint copy was floundering in the racks for a mere 99p and which means I no longer have to play my scratched to death 7" copy.

Timezone - World Destruction

Timezone - World Destruction (dub)

And the rather brilliant video

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Magnificent.

One of the first 12" singles I bought again after getting the USB turntable.