Public Image Ltd | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Formed by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) in the wake of the collapse of the Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd. was a shape-shifting musical project in which the bilious singer and lyricist explored his ideas in thoroughly uncompromised form. Depending on what period of the bands career you choose, Public Image Ltd. (officially abbreviated PiL) could sound like bass-heavy post-punk thunder (1978s Public Image: First Issue), an inspired fusion of Krautrock and dub (1979s Metal Box), muscular and expertly executed alternative rock (1986s Album), or polished but angular dance-friendly pop (1989s 9), with many other stops along the way. Despite a constantly shifting lineup and musical approach, Lydons bitter howl -- full of anger, pain, and sometimes sardonic wit -- gave PiLs many guises a musical and thematic through line, and at their best, his collaborators created music as powerful and absorbing as Lydons intense (if often negative) charisma. On January 14, 1978, the Sex Pistols played the final show on their American concert tour following the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, Heres the Sex Pistols, and three days later, the band split up. John Lydon first traveled to Jamaica, where he and Virgin Records head Richard Branson scouted local reggae talent, and then Lydon returned to London. Lydon soon approached an old friend, Jah Wobble (aka John Wardle), about forming a new band. In May 1978, vocalist Lydon and bassist Wobble recruited one-time Clash guitarist Keith Levene and drummer Jim Walker, and the four began rehearsing. Two months later, Lydon named the band Public Image, adding the Ltd. several weeks later. Virgin Records quickly signed Lydons new act, and their debut single, "Public Image," was released in October 1978. It was a chart success, and the following December, the band dropped their first album, Public Image: First Issue. While the album sold well in England and did well in America as an import, it would remain unreleased in the United States until 2013. The group, in suitably contrary fashion, played their first live show on Christmas Day 1978. PiL experienced the first of many personnel changes when Jim Walker left the group, with Richard Dudanski (who had played in the 101ers with Joe Strummer) taking over on drums. Later that year, PiL released the single "Death Disco," a meditation on Lydons grief as his mother died. In November 1978, PiL released their second album, an ambitious set called Metal Box, with three 12" discs mastered at 45 rpm packaged in a metal film canister. During the sessions for the album, Dudanski dropped out of the group, and Martin Atkins took over on drums. While Metal Box was applauded by critics, the package was expensive to produce, and when the groups American label, Warner Bros., released the album in July 1980, it was in a variant version titled Second Edition, a two-LP set in a conventional cardboard sleeve. The American release was followed by PiLs first American tour, where Lydon often verbally sparred with audience members calling out for Sex Pistols songs. (The tour also included an appearance on American Bandstand, where Lydon cheerfully refused to mime along with the track "Poptones.") 1980 also saw the release of Paris au Printemps, a live album recorded in France that was issued primarily to combat well-circulated bootlegs from PiLs European dates. By the time the third PiL studio album was completed, 1981s minimalist The Flowers of Romance, Jah Wobble and Martin Atkins were out of the group, and visual artist Jeannette Lee became a bandmember. In May 1981, PiL were invited to play a one-off show in New York City at a club called the Ritz. The group opted to play an especially experimental set, with the stage covered with a screen; video images were projected onto it, and only shadows of the band were visible from behind it. Fans were not pleased, and a riot broke out, which became the talk on the music press on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1982, the group toured North America with a new lineup, with Martin Atkins once again behind the drum kit and Pete Jones on bass. PiL began work on their fourth studio album, but creative differences between Lydon and Keith Levene (intensified by Levenes addiction issues at the time) led to Levene leaving the band and taking the tapes with him. Levene self-released a version of the projected album under the title Commercial Zone, while Lydon began from scratch. In 1983, with Levene and Pete Jones out of PiL, Lydon and Atkins assembled a band of little-known musicians from New Jersey for a tour of Japan; two of the shows were recorded digitally, and highlights from the concerts were released as 1983s Live in Tokyo. In September 1983, PiL released a single, "This Is Not a Love Song," which became a Top 5 hit in the U.K. The song would later appear on the 1984 album This Is What You Want … This Is What You Get, which was dominated by Lydons versions of the material Levene released on Commercial Zone. Another PiL lineup toured the world in support of This Is What You Want ..., featuring Atkins, guitarist Mark Schulz, and keyboardist Jebin Bruni, and Lydon began writing new material on the road. Lydon would scrap this version of PiL for the sessions for their fifth studio album; producer Bill Laswell recruited an impressive and eclectic group of musicians for the project, including Steve Vai, Ginger Baker, Tony Williams, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Bernie Worrell. Released in early 1986, Album (the CD and tape versions were titled Compact Disc and Cassette) was a commercial success in the U.K., rising to number 14 on the album charts (the single "Rise" peaked at 11 on the singles charts), and fared well in the United States. Lydon set out on a PiL tour in support, with a new band comprised of guitarist John McGeoch (formerly of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees), bassist Allan Dias, guitarist and keyboardist Lu Edmonds (formerly of the Damned and the Mekons), and Bruce Smith (previously with the Pop Group). While Laswell was interested in working with Lydon again, he preferred to use this latest lineup of PiL for their next album, 1987s Happy?, which included the singles "Seattle" and "The Body." The band would tour extensively in North America, the U.K., Europe, and South America, but by the end of 1988, Lu Edmonds would drop out of the band, owing to health problems. With McGeoch, Dias, and Smith, Lydon recorded 1989s 9, so titled because it was the bands ninth album overall. PiL toured North America as part of a package tour called "Monsters of Alternative Rock," which also featured New Order and the Sugarcubes. In 1990, PiL released a compilation, The Greatest Hits So Far, featuring 13 songs from the groups back catalog as well as one new tune, "Dont Ask Me," which became a hit in itself, rising to number 22 on the U.K. singles charts. Bruce Smith had dropped out of PiL, and Lydon, McGeoch, and Dias were joined by a handful of session players to record That What Is Not, which was released in February 1992. PiL once again took part in a North American package tour to promote the album, MTVs 120 Minutes Live, in which they were joined by Big Audio Dynamite II (featuring former Clash guitarist Mick Jones, marking the first time he and Lydon had shared a stage since the Sex Pistols ill-fated 1976 "Anarchy" tour), Live, and Blind Melon. After a long round of touring in Europe, the U.K., and South America, Dias parted ways with the group, and in 1993, Lydon issued a statement that he was retiring Public Image Ltd. to pursue a solo career. A career-spanning four-disc box set, Plastic Box, was released in 1999. After releasing a solo album, publishing his memoirs, staging several reunion tours with the Sex Pistols, and appearing in a number of TV projects, in 2009 Lydon brought back PiL for a British tour, revealing he bankrolled the project with the money he received from appearing in a commercial for butter in the U.K. This edition of the band included PiL alumni Lu Edmonds and Bruce Smith, as well as bassist Scott Firth. The initial U.K. tour was a success, and a live album drawn from one of the dates, Alife 2009, was issued in 2010 as the group played shows in the United States and Europe. The bands set at the 2011 Isle of Wight Festival was also issued as a live album before the year was out. In 2012, the group released a studio album, This Is PiL, and they devoted 2013 to touring. 2015 saw the release of What the World Needs Now…, the second studio effort from the revived PiL, and the first time the group made two studio albums in a row with the same lineup. In 2017, a documentary about PiLs long and convoluted story, The Public Image Is Rotten, began playing at international film festivals, and a hefty box set (five CDs and two DVDs) tied into the films release, The Public Image Is Rotten: Songs from the Heart, was issued in 2018. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 22 Title: First Issue Released: 1978-12-08 Tracks: 8 Duration: 39:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Theme (09:11) 2 Religion I (01:25) 3 Religion II (05:53) 4 Annalisa (06:05) 5 Public Image (02:58) 6 Low Life (03:38) 7 Attack (02:55) 8 Fodderstompf (07:46) |
| First Issue : Allmusic album Review : Like it or not, Public Image Limiteds First Issue (aka Public Image) was an album that helped set the pace for what eventually became known as post-punk. In England a vacuum had opened up in the wake of the breakup of the Sex Pistols in January 1978, and many punk fans and rival groups were impatient to see what ex-Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon aka "Johnny Rotten" was going to roll out next. Disheartened owing to events in his legal proceedings against the Sex Pistols management company Glitterbest, and disgusted by the punk scene in general, Lydon was determined to create something that was neither punk nor even really rock as it was known in 1978. Working with ex-Clash guitarist Keith Levene, first-time bassist Jah Wobble, and Canadian drummer Jim Walker, Public Image Limited produced an album that represented the punk sound after it had shot itself in the head and became another entity entirely. Embracing elements of dub, progressive rock, noise, and atonality and driven by Lydons lyrical egoism and predilection towards doom, death, and horror, First Issue was among a select few 1978 albums that had something lasting to say about the future of rock music. And not everyone in 1978 wanted to hear it; contemporary critical notices for First Issue were almost uniformly negative in the extreme. Not all of the material on First Issue was necessarily forward-looking: "Attack" and "Low Life" could almost pass muster as latter-day Sex Pistols songs if it werent for their substandard production values. These two numbers were recorded late in the project, and on the cheap, as the fledgling Public Image Limited had already been kicked out of practically every reputable studio in London. And there was a bracing song about Lydons pet peeve, "Religion," presented in both spoken and sung incarnations. It is about as vicious and personal an anti-Catholic diatribe as exists on record, and in its day was considered a high holy turnoff by many listeners. But from there it gets better -- Public Image Limiteds debut single, "Public Image," was also included on First Issue, and Keith Levenes guitar part, with its tasty suspensions and held-over-the-bar syncopation, was an important departure from standard punk guitar language absorbed so quickly by others (the Pretenders, U2, the Smiths) that listeners and musicians alike forgot the source of the sound. First Issues opener, "Theme," was a force to be reckoned with, a grindingly slow dirge with wild, almost Hendrix-like figurations on the guitar and Wobbles floor-splitting foundation. This was punk with the power of Led Zeppelin, but none of the pretension. Lydons anguished mantra in "Theme," "...and I just wanna die," was the exact reflection of what his generation was thinking about in the wake of the collapse of classic punk. "Annalisa" is the hardest-kicking rocker on the album, with nosebleed-strength guitar from Levene; it is so good that Nirvana in all practical purposes purloined the whole number, with minor alterations, as "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" on In Utero. But even with all of the calculated controversy seemingly built into the various cuts on First Issue, none attracted quite so much attention as "Fodderstompf." Faced with a serious shortage of material to fill out the album and with its release date looming, Public Image Limited decided to conclude the project with a track 12:55 in length, consisting of no more than a disco beat, chattering synthesizers, a bassline, and Jah Wobble singing, shouting, and screaming the phrase "we only wanted to be loved" in a joke voice. Rock critics savaged the song as a deliberate attempt to rip off the public, but it became hugely popular at the Studio 54 disco in New York; the drag queens and hipsters sang and screamed right along with Wobble out loud on the dancefloor -- nothing like that had ever happened at Studio 54. As it is perhaps the earliest extended dance mix that has little to do with disco or dub, it is apparent that "Fodderstompf" is an obvious precursor to the acid house and techno that began to evolve in the mid-80s, although it is seldom accredited that distinction. After it was released in December 8, 1978, First Issue peaked at number 22 on the British album charts, and import copies were snapped up in America practically as soon as they were loaded off the boat. But Warner Bros., the American label to which Public Image Limited were signed, was unhappy with the album, particularly in that the label felt the bass was mixed too loudly -- no one had ever recorded the bass so hot on a regular LP before. Public Image Limited protested, but Warner Bros. stood fast and the band ultimately relented; in the early weeks of January 1979 the whole of First Issue was re-recorded for the American market. But the only portion of this project ever to surface appeared on the backside of the U.K. 12" single of "Death Disco" in July 1979, a mix of "Fodderstompf" minus the vocals, retitled "Megga Mix." Warner Bros. never released the remade album, and the remainder of it has since disappeared. By early 1980 Trouser Press was joking that the American issue of First Issue was the "longest rush release in recorded music history," but clearly long before First Issue was a "dead" issue with Warner Bros. Right after the remake session concluded, drummer Jim Walker surprised Public Image Limited by departing with no notice to join the interesting but now forgotten English group the Pack. In came ex-101ers drummer Richard Dudanski, and by their next album, Metal Box, Public Image Limited had already worked out an entirely different sound and approach. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 22 Title: Metal Box Released: 1979-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:00:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Albatross (10:35) 2 Memories (05:06) 3 Swan Lake (04:13) 4 Poptones (07:47) 5 Careering (04:34) 6 No Birds (04:42) 7 Graveyard (03:10) 8 The Suit (03:30) 9 Bad Baby (04:30) 10 Socialist (03:10) 11 Chant (05:01) 12 Radio 4 (04:23) |
| Metal Box : Allmusic album Review : PiL managed to avoid boundaries for the first four years of their existence, and Metal Box is undoubtedly the apex. Its a hallmark of uncompromising, challenging post-punk, hardly sounding like anything of the past, present, or future. Sure, there were touchstones that got their imaginations running -- the bizarreness of Captain Beefheart, the open and rhythmic spaces of Can, and the dense pulses of Lee Perrys productions fueled their creative fires -- but what they achieved with their second record is a completely unique hour of avant-garde noise. Originally packaged in a film canister as a trio of 12" records played at 45 rpm, the bass and treble are pegged at 11 throughout, with nary a tinge of midrange to be found. Its all scrapes and throbs (dubscrapes?), supplanted by John Lydons caterwauling about such subjects as his dying mother, resentment, and murder. Guitarist Keith Levene splatters silvery, violent, percussive shards of metallic scrapes onto the canvas, much like a one-armed Jackson Pollock. Jah Wobble and Richard Dudanski lay down a molasses-thick rhythmic foundation throughout thats just as funky as Cans Czukay/Leibezeit and Chics Edwards/Rodgers. Its alien dance music. Metal Box might not be recognized as a groundbreaking record with the same reverence as Never Mind the Bollocks, and you certainly cant trace numerous waves of bands who wouldnt have existed without it like the Sex Pistols record. But like a virus, its tones have sent miasmic reverberations through a much broader scope of artists and genres. [Metal Box was issued in the States in 1980 with different artwork and cheaper packaging under the title Second Edition; the track sequence differs as well. The U.K. reissue of Metal Box on CD boasts better sound quality than the Second Edition CD.] | ||
 | Album: 3 of 22 Title: Paris au Printemps Released: 1980-11-14 Tracks: 7 Duration: 41:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Theme (08:37) 2 Chant (04:25) 3 Careering (07:11) 4 Bad baby (06:23) 5 Lowlife (04:19) 6 Attack (03:00) 7 Poptones (07:03) |
| Paris au Printemps : Allmusic album Review : Released primarily to cut down on bootlegs of the same concerts from early 1980, Paris au Printemps catches Public Image Limited at the peak of the bands career. While the album was criticized at the time for being nothing more than a live album and thus not adhering to the groups avant-garde rhetoric, the music more than makes up for any breakdown in the bands ideology. Jah Wobble issues forth pseudo-reggae liquid basslines while John Lydon moans and whelps over heavy, almost free-form guitar from Keith Levene. Although the songs remain quite similar to their album versions, there are far more prominent synth effects on this recording, adding more of an element of dark psychedelia to the mix and enhancing the menacing aspect to such songs as "Bad Baby," and the droning "Careering." Meanwhile, the epics -- "Theme" from First Issue, and "Poptones" from Metal Box -- sound arguably even better live. Unfortunately, while the music is great, the album has been pasted together quite sloppily from two concerts, placing the tracks in a bizarre order while leaving out some of the groups best numbers. Nonetheless, Paris au Printemps is a fine release, especially in the absence of any other live recordings of the band from this period. [Note: The CD is currently out of print in America and is also known as Paris in the Spring.] | ||
 | Album: 4 of 22 Title: The Flowers of Romance Released: 1981-05-18 Tracks: 9 Duration: 33:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Four Enclosed Walls (04:45) 2 Track 8 (03:15) 3 Phenagen (02:40) 4 Flowers of Romance (02:51) 5 Under the House (04:33) 6 Hymie’s Him (03:18) 7 Banging the Door (04:49) 8 Go Back (03:47) 9 Francis Massacre (03:30) |
| The Flowers of Romance : Allmusic album Review : As opposed to the axis of throbbing bass and guitar slashings of Metal Box, The Flowers of Romance is centralized on razor-sharp drums and typically haranguing vocals. No dubwise grooves here -- bassist Jah Wobble was kicked out prior to the recording for ripping off PiL backing tracks for his solo material. And growing more disenchanted with the guitar, Keith Levenes infatuation with synthesizers was reaching a boiling point. His scythe-like guitar is truly brought out for only one song. Stark and minimal are taken to daring lengths, so its no surprise that Virgin initially balked at issuing the heavily percussive record. "Four Enclosed Walls" opens with something of a mechanical death rattle and John Lydons quavering warble, framed by backwards piano and Martin Atkins spartan, dry-as-a-bone drumming. His rapier-like drums seem to serve a similar purpose to Levenes guitar on Metal Box. An unsteady drum pattern and fragile, wind chime-like guitar from Levene shape "Track 8," a bleak look at sexual relationships. Lydon adds color with pleasant imagery of Butterball turkeys and elephant graves. "Under the House" and "Francis Massacre" are the most violent tracks due to Atkins machine gun firing and Levenes chilling atmosperics. Lydon lashes out at zealous fans on the only bottom-heavy tune, "Banging the Door": "The walls are so thin/The neighbors listen in/Keep the noise down." Perhaps the bands most challenging work (in the avant garde sense), its just as "love it or hate it" as Metal Box; itll either go down a treat or like a five-pound block of liverwurst. [The UK version adds three bonus tracks: an instrumental version of "The Flowers of Romance," "Another," (essentially "Graveyard" with vocals) and "Home Is Where the Heart Is." The latter two can be found on Plastic Box.] | ||
 | Album: 5 of 22 Title: Live in Tokyo Released: 1983-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Annalisa (05:17) 2 Religion (05:49) 3 Low Life (02:47) 4 Solitaire (03:59) 5 Flowers of Romance (04:47) 6 This Is Not a Love Song (06:28) 7 Death Disco (05:07) 8 Bad Life (04:45) 9 Banging the Door (04:55) 10 Under the House (01:56) |
| Live in Tokyo : Allmusic album Review : After guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Pete Jones left Public Image Limited due to major concerns about the direction John Lydon wanted to take the band, Lydon and drummer Martin Atkins reformed the group with members of a New Jersey outfit, Westside Frankie and the Inglewood Jerks, who knew the Sex Pistols catalog by heart. The band toured Japan in the summer of 1983, and were offered the chance to record two shows on rare Japanese digital recording equipment while in Tokyo. Atkins would later say the resulting album was released not because of the quality of the show itself, but because of the opportunity to record a live album digitally. Comprising of material from throughout the groups history, Live in Tokyo was originally released as two 12" 45s, in keeping with the style of the earlier Metal Box. However, unlike that seminal album, the performances by this version of Public Image Limited were resoundingly faceless and bland. Even Lydon seems unable to muster up any enthusiasm for the material, which is stripped of any of the qualities that made it so revolutionary in the first place. Gone is any semblance of Jah Wobbles deep bass, Levenes brash guitars, or even Lydons apocalyptic screaming. Instead it is all replaced by bland competence. Particularly appalling is Lydons call-and-response shtick with the crowd and the soulless versions of the once haunting "Death Disco" and "Flowers of Romance." Only one track, "Religion," comes across as adding something to the original version, with a new organ introduction and an astonishingly biting performance from Lydon. Ironically enough, because the group recorded with such sophisticated equipment, the sound is phenomenal, capturing a mediocre band in crisp, rich tones. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 22 Title: This Is What You Want… This Is What You Get Released: 1984-07-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 36:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bad Life (05:15) 2 This Is Not a Love Song (04:12) 3 Solitaire (03:59) 4 Tie Me to the Length of That (05:18) 5 The Pardon (05:18) 6 Where Are You? (04:18) 7 Nineteen Eighty One (03:17) 8 The Order of Death (04:49) |
 | Album: 7 of 22 Title: Album / Compact Disc / Cassette Released: 1985 Tracks: 41 Duration: 3:50:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 F.F.F. (05:31) 2 Rise (06:17) 3 Fishing (05:19) 4 Round (04:26) 5 Bags (05:25) 6 Home (05:50) 7 Ease (08:10) 1 Kashmir (02:49) 2 FFF (05:35) 3 Low Life (04:21) 4 Fishing (05:50) 5 Poptones (03:53) 6 Pretty Vacant (03:47) 7 Banging the Door (06:28) 8 Flowers of Romance (06:55) 9 Bags (05:09) 10 Round (04:50) 11 Home (05:01) 12 Public Image (07:19) 13 Rise (06:32) 14 Annalisa (03:28) 1 Things in E (AKA Ease) (Alternative Laswell mix) (13:58) 2 Rise (04:29) 3 Rise (instrumental) (06:02) 4 Home (04:36) 5 Home (BBC TV, Old Grey Whistle Test 20/5/86) (05:23) 6 Round (BBC TV, Old Grey Whistle Test 20/5/86) (03:45) 7 Rise (06:17) 8 World Destruction (extended 12″ mix) (05:40) 9 World Destruction (Industrial remix) (05:12) 1 Animal (05:54) 2 Black Rubber Bags (AKA Bags) (05:34) 3 European Cars (AKA Round) (05:08) 4 Farewell Fairweather Friend (AKA FFF) (05:35) 5 Pearls Before Swine (AKA Fishing) (09:18) 6 Things in E (AKA Ease) (instrumental) (04:28) 7 Ben Hur (04:51) 8 Cats (03:35) 9 Have a Nice Day (04:13) 10 Untitled 3 (06:27) 11 Pearls Before Swine (AKA Fishing) (alternate mix. incomplete) (06:39) |
| Album / Compact Disc / Cassette : Allmusic album Review : After the release of This Is What You Want, Lydon assembled yet another touring band. Martin Atkins stayed on as drummer, with Jebin Bruni and Mark Schulz joining the bands ranks. While gigging, Bruni and Schulz assisted in writing the material that wound up on Album. Atkins left to spend more time on his own projects after touring, and Lydon again scrapped his remaining associates prior to recording. Anyones first 10,000 guesses as to who Lydon would work with next couldnt possibly come close, as the unlisted credits for Album read as a motley crew of established musicians who literally have no business being anywhere near Lydon, let alone in a studio with him or with one another. Well, maybe that made perfect sense, given Lydons ability to baffle. The hardest working man in the avant-garde, Bill Laswell, produced and played bass, which isnt too much of a stretch. But Steve Vai and Ryuichi Sakamoto? Or better yet, Ginger Baker? (Especially odd since PiL played an April Fools joke on the press by announcing his membership in the early 80s.) Strange bedfellows indeed, but the lineup makes for a surprisingly cohesive (if mediocre) rock record. "Rise" proves that "This Is Not a Love Song" was no fluke, not Lydons lone stab at pop accessibility. Successfully marrying rock with Celtic folk (a heavier Dexys Midnight Runners?), Lydons chorus is his most hospitable yet. Opener "FFF" and "Home" are other strong points, just as driving and defiant as anything from PiLs previous output. The former is as good as hard rock got in 1985. But Album can be found lacking in its reliance on outright professionalism and polish, emphasizing skill over craft. Vais scorched shredding likely repelled Lydons fans more than any of PiLs earlier attempts to alienate and frustrate. The 90-second wailing over closer "Ease" is anything but; at most points, Vais playing just doesnt fit. Unfortunately, Yellow Magic Orchestra member Sakamoto pops up only a couple times. His talent is pretty much wasted here. On the whole, Album (or Compact Disc, or Cassette) is just as generic as its title. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 22 Title: Happy? Released: 1987-09-17 Tracks: 8 Duration: 35:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Seattle (03:40) 2 Rules and Regulations (04:32) 3 The Body (03:11) 4 Save Me (04:50) 5 Hard Times (03:42) 6 Open and Revolving (04:01) 7 Angry (04:13) 8 Fat Chance Hotel (07:02) |
| Happy? : Allmusic album Review : Happy? benefits from some relative stability in PiLs lineup, not to mention the undeniable fact that the band members allegiance makes sense (in contrast to that of Albums crew). Keyboardist Lu Edmonds (the Damned and 3 Mustaphas 3), guitarist John McGeoch (Magazine and Siouxsie & the Banshees), drummer Bruce Smith (the Pop Group and Rip Rig & Panic), and muscular Yank bassist Allan Dias are a solid unit, forming something of a post-punk supergroup. The Blind Faith of the 80s? Even more radio friendly than Album, Happy? is increasingly entrenched in dancefloor-type fare. Lydon isnt his full-blown postal self, but hes still continents away from being rosy. Though the music might be too dated for most ears years later, Lydons riffing on unplanned pregnancy ("The Body"), sheep mentality ("Angry"), and false national pride ("Hard Times") still holds together lyrically. McGeoch and Edmonds sparkling work comes a little too close to stadium-bound for comfort (paging Mr. Edge...), but its a good turn away from Albums brainy metal-wank fireworks. Just when the band sounds as if its approaching standard issue 1987 chart fare, it fiddles with the arrangements and structures enough to make sure the songs dont qualify as such. If PiL was trying to remain accessible and challenging at the same time, the band fell just short of its goal; given the conspirators involved, Happy? is not quite as distinct as it should have been. But as far as PiL outings are considered, it was Lydons best in six years. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 22 Title: 9 Released: 1989-05-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Happy (03:58) 2 Disappointed (05:34) 3 Warrior (04:17) 4 USLS 1 (05:37) 5 Sand Castles in the Snow (03:41) 6 Worry (03:55) 7 Brave New World (04:19) 8 Like That (03:41) 9 Same Old Story (04:19) 10 Armada (04:43) |
| 9 : Allmusic album Review : 9 features essentially the same group of characters found on Happy?, with only Lu Edmonds having left the fold (though he did contribute to the writing on each song). Seven studio albums, seven lineups -- Lydon failed yet again to keep the same people together for more than one record. But is this notion really of major consequence? Not really, and Lydon probably prides himself in it. Thankfully, 9 retained the Happy? core of Bruce Smith, John McGeoch, and Allan Dias. If Happy? and various points prior were flirtations with accessible dance-pop, 9 was a bear hug embrace of it. 9 is split between a modern rock record and a dance producer-derived one, but credit both producers and band for making it a successful combination; on paper, the game plan looks like an accident waiting to happen. Stephen Hague was responsible for just over half of the albums production, with E.T. Thorngren working on the remainder and Nellee Hooper mixing one of Thorngrens productions. 9 is easily PiLs slickest yet, but theres substance to balance it out. The catchy "Disappointed" provided the bands greatest success in the States, with plenty of airplay on modern rock radio stations and light rotation on MTV. Other highlights: the dubby, almost Police-like near-instrumental "U.S.L.S. 1" and the surprising use of acoustic guitar on "Worry." Lowlights: the slightly goofy "Sand Castles in the Snow," the oddball fusion of Asiatic keyboards and late-80s R&B; on "Like That," the character play of Lydon in "Warrior." | ||
 | Album: 10 of 22 Title: The Greatest Hits, So Far Released: 1990-10-22 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:08:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Public Image (02:58) 2 Swan Lake (04:13) 3 Memories (05:06) 4 Careering (04:34) 5 Flowers of Romance (02:51) 6 This Is Not a Love Song (04:12) 7 Rise (06:17) 8 Home (05:50) 9 Seattle (03:40) 10 The Body (UK remix) (06:38) 11 Rules and Regulations (04:32) 12 Disappointed (extended 12" mix) (06:45) 13 Warrior (Dave Dorrell remix) (07:08) 14 Don’t Ask Me (03:43) |
| The Greatest Hits, So Far : Allmusic album Review : The Greatest Hits, So Far mines the singles PiL released through 1990. Ten years after its release, it was doubtful that a second volume would surface (the 90s saw one lone studio release, not to mention a John Lydon "solo" record), so thankfully Lydon didnt embarrass himself by titling it "The Greatest Hits, Volume One." That said, not many outfits under the guise of one name can boast a collection of singles so diverse and ranging in quality. And really, the title should be "The Singles, So Far." By attempting to hit upon all the studio releases, bright moments like "Bad Baby," "Banging the Door," and "The Order of Death" get left behind. The distance between 1979s "Death Disco" and 1990s "Dont Ask Me" would be impossible to traverse with the trustiest of vehicles. The back cover of the disc depicts Stonehenge and an earthbound spacecraft, with a howling dog in the middle. Thats accurate. With peers mutating from the Pop Group ("Careering") to Information Society ("Warrior"), PiL couldnt possibly expect to concoct a compilation that would appeal to all ears. In that regard, GHSF is more of a Dennys sampler than a thematic banquet spread. (To clarify: "Rules and Regulations" is a cheese stick, not tasty bean pâté.) Whether or not this is a proper first place to go for PiL is up for debate, as it takes a very eclectic head to thrill to both their early discordance and later chart-targeted tunefulness. Its not going to provide a solid idea of where they stood at any point in their existence, but its just enough to pique further investigation. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 22 Title: That What Is Not Released: 1992-02-25 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Acid Drops (06:36) 2 Luck’s Up (04:07) 3 Cruel (05:18) 4 God (05:33) 5 Covered (04:40) 6 Love Hope (03:47) 7 Unfairground (05:16) 8 Think Tank (04:40) 9 Emperor (04:08) 10 Good Things (05:34) |
| That What Is Not : Allmusic album Review : Former Sex Pistol vocalist John Lydon once again unleashed his Public Image Ltd. project, this time with a more basic, unrelenting rock & roll attack than ever before. The audio assault of guitarist John McGeoch and bassist Allan Dias perfectly complements Lydons frenzied, strangled bleating throughout. As usual, Lydon succeeds in being all of satirical and fatalistic, confrontational and self-deprecating. The albums opening words set the tone: "What does it mean/What does anything mean." Its spat out as a statement rather than a question. "Covered" unpredictably tosses sampled vocals, bluesy harmonica, and Tower of Power horns into the mix. That What Is Not can be a difficult PiL to swallow, but the heady side-effects make the effort worthwhile. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 22 Title: Plastic Box Released: 1999-06-08 Tracks: 64 Duration: 5:03:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Public Image (02:58) 2 The Cowboy Song (02:16) 3 Theme (09:11) 4 Religion I (01:25) 5 Religion II (05:53) 6 Annalisa (06:05) 7 Low Life (03:38) 8 Attack (02:55) 9 Poptones (04:32) 10 Careering (BBC session) (07:32) 11 Chant (BBC session) (05:14) 12 Death Disco (12″ remix) (06:42) 13 1/2 Mix Megamix (06:51) 14 No Birds Do Sing (04:42) 15 Memories (05:06) 1 Another (03:51) 2 Albatross (10:35) 3 Socialist (03:10) 4 The Suit (03:30) 5 Bad Baby (04:30) 6 Radio 4 (04:23) 7 Pied Piper (01:51) 8 Flowers of Romance (02:51) 9 Four Enclosed Walls (04:45) 10 Phenagen (02:40) 11 Track 8 (03:15) 12 Hymie’s Him (03:18) 13 Under the House (04:33) 14 Banging the Door (04:49) 15 Go Back (03:47) 16 Francis Massacre (03:30) 17 Home Is Where the Heart Is (07:33) 1 This Is Not a Love Song (12″ remix) (04:10) 2 Blue Water (03:44) 3 Bad Life (03:51) 4 Question Mark (04:09) 5 Solitaire (03:59) 6 Tie Me to the Length of That (05:18) 7 Where Are You? (04:18) 8 The Pardon (05:18) 9 1981 (03:17) 10 The Order of Death (04:49) 11 F.F.F. (05:31) 12 Rise (06:17) 13 Fishing (05:19) 14 Round (04:26) 15 Home (05:50) 16 Ease (08:10) 1 Seattle (03:40) 2 Angry (04:13) 3 The Body (US 12″ mix) (03:41) 4 Selfish Rubbish (03:34) 5 Disappointed (05:34) 6 Happy (03:58) 7 Warrior (12″ extended mix) (06:45) 8 USLS 1 (05:37) 9 Don’t Ask Me (03:43) 10 Criminal (04:29) 11 Luck’s Up (04:07) 12 God (05:33) 13 Cruel (BBC session) (05:25) 14 Acid Drops (BBC session) (06:48) 15 Love Hope (BBC session) (04:02) 16 Think Tank (BBC session) (05:25) |
| Plastic Box : Allmusic album Review : Most who own Plastic Box probably use the second half as coasters. Those who dont probably get headaches when listening to the first two, and a select few find much to love about the whole thing. As if conceding to the consensus that PiLs early years were their best, the first half is devoted to the bands first three studio LPs cut over four years, while the second half covers the remainder. Listeners get the entirety of Public Image/First Edition sans "Fodderstompf." The majority of Metal Box (issued as Second Edition in the U.S.) is included, with three of the original versions sacrificed for Peel Session counterparts that really take the cake. "Careering" is especially wonderful and harrowing, arguably the collectives finest recorded moment. Keith Levene goes bonkers with the keyboards, perhaps fostering the increased intensity amongst the remaining members. The 12" mix of "Swan Lake" ("Death Disco") gets the box set upgrade too, as well as a couple other worthwhile Metal Box outtakes. Closing out the second disc is the entirety of The Flowers of Romance, sequentially shuffled with an additional non-album track. The second half of Plastic Box hits upon each of the remaining studio LPs, with the odd rarity, single mix and Peel Session thrown in for completist bait. For those who want improved sound over their early CD issues, the money spent is a smart investment. A quick comparison of the first 20 seconds of "Annalisa" to the version found on an old copy of Public Image should be evidence enough; the bassline of "Chant" makes the gut feel as if its being endlessly pummelled by a bouncing battering ram. Though vast and relatively pricey, Plastic Box is an excellent introduction, if only for the adventurous. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 22 Title: ALiFE 2009: Manchester Academy, 19th December 2009 Released: 2009-12-19 Tracks: 23 Duration: 2:13:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Rabbit Song (02:20) 2 Public Image (03:43) 3 Careering (04:44) 4 This Is Not a Love Song (04:40) 5 Poptones (07:24) 6 Albatross (09:03) 7 Tie Me to the Length of That (05:17) 8 The Suit (03:23) 9 Death Disco (06:10) 10 Four Enclosed Walls (04:04) 11 Flowers of Romance (08:27) 12 Psychopath (06:58) 1 Disappointed (05:50) 2 Warrior (08:33) 3 U.S.L.S. 1 (05:54) 4 Bags (with Banging the Door intro) (04:34) 5 Chant (03:34) 6 Memories (05:31) 7 Annalisa (04:19) 8 Religion (08:58) 1 Sun (06:10) 2 Rise (06:36) 3 Open-up (07:22) |
 | Album: 14 of 22 Title: ALiFE 2009: O2 Academy Brixton, 21st December 2009 Released: 2009-12-21 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:47:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Rabbit Song (02:15) 2 Public Image (03:50) 3 Careering (04:37) 4 This Is Not a Love Song (04:59) 5 Poptones (07:14) 6 Albatross (08:23) 7 Tie Me to the Length of That (04:53) 8 The Suit (03:18) 9 Death Disco (05:57) 10 Four Enclosed Walls (03:20) 11 Flowers of Romance (08:32) 12 Psychopath (05:51) 1 Disappointed (05:46) 2 Warrior (07:16) 3 U.S.L.S. 1 (06:00) 4 Bags (04:13) 5 Chant (02:51) 6 Memories (05:39) 7 Annalisa (04:35) 8 Religion (08:22) |
 | Album: 15 of 22 Title: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 2011 Released: 2011-09-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:20:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Public Image (03:37) 2 Home (06:00) 3 Break (02:00) 4 Albatross (08:26) 5 This Is Not a Love Song (06:39) 6 Flowers of Romance (02:48) 7 Death Disco (06:00) 8 Warrior (06:22) 1 Bags (02:22) 2 Chant (05:21) 3 Religion (08:57) 4 Memories (05:44) 5 Rise (05:17) 6 Open Up (10:40) |
 | Album: 16 of 22 Title: Live at Rockpalast 1983 Released: 2012-04-21 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Public Image I (03:22) 2 Annalisa (03:54) 3 Religion (05:12) 4 Memories (04:41) 1 Flowers of Romance (05:19) 2 Solitaire (02:58) 3 Chant (03:22) 4 Anarchy in the U.K. (03:10) 1 (This Is Not a) Love Song (04:41) 2 Low Life (03:32) 3 Under the House (05:43) 4 Bad Life (04:33) 5 Public Image II (03:16) |
| Live at Rockpalast 1983 : Allmusic album Review : Live at Rockpalast, 1983 is a simple transfer of PiL performing live on the German television show, but its of special interest as the concert falls firmly between two albums. The prickly Flowers of Romance was going on two years old and the fast, funky stomp of This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get was yet to come, but pivotal member Keith Levine is already gone with drummer Martin Atkins and, of course, vocalist John Lydon being the only PiL of note in this version. Interesting to hear a particularly bright "(This Is Not A) Love Song" and an almost swinging version of "Bad Life," two points that already make this a better deal than the same eras Live in Tokyo. Add a steely "Anarchy in the U.K." from a project that rarely played it, and the set becomes desirable for PiL fans who dont see Levines departure as the bitter end. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 22 Title: One Drop Released: 2012-04-21 Tracks: 4 Duration: 19:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 One Drop (04:51) 2 I Must Be Dreaming (04:13) 3 The Room I Am In (03:07) 4 Lollipop Opera (06:54) |
 | Album: 18 of 22 Title: This is PiL Released: 2012-05-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:04:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 This is PiL (03:39) 2 One Drop (04:51) 3 Deeper Water (06:07) 4 Terra-Gate (03:47) 5 Human (06:02) 6 i Must Be Dreaming (04:13) 7 it Said That (04:08) 8 The Room i Am iN (03:07) 9 Lollipop Opera (06:53) 10 Fool (05:52) 11 Reggie Song (05:48) 12 Out of the Woods (09:41) |
| This is PiL : Allmusic album Review : Enabled by the expiration of obstructive contracts and a little income from an appearance in a butter ad, John Lydon revived PiL in 2009. Consisting of alums Bruce Smith (1986-1990) and Lu Edmonds (1986-1988), along with bassist Scott Firth, Lydons band toured steadily from December 2009 through 2011 and released this, its first album since 1992s That What Is Not, in 2012. Those later set lists -- one of which was documented on ALiFE 2009 -- leaned heavily toward PiLs first two albums. Playing that material seems to have affected the sound of This Is PiL, though it is no attempt at replication. Its more like a stylistic evolution -- one thats easier on the average set of ears than the droning dread of the first albums "Theme" or the mangled dub of Metal Boxs "Poptones." Firths liquid throb replaces Jah Wobbles rumbling and penetrating basslines. Edmonds flexible guitar style carries significantly less violence than Keith Levenes caustic slashing. Smiths rhythms are more intricate and musical than PiLs early thud-discoid "drummer by committee" approach. Lydon, sharp and direct as ever, shows occasional signs of softening, as heard in a handful of wistful lines laced through otherwise forceful songs like "One Drop" and "Human" ("I miss those roses, those English roses"). However, he sticks to his seething wordplay with far greater frequency. This is exemplified by the standout "Terra-Gate," a vivid rant with as much intensity as Metal Boxs "Chant" ("Take what you make, what you hate, integrate, into hate, its too late," etc.). Its one of the PiLs best albums. Just as important, it has as much attitude -- if somewhat tempered and pointed in some new directions -- as anything else Lydon has recorded. And it begins with a belch and ends with a wail. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 22 Title: Rise: The Collection Released: 2015-05-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Public Image (02:58) 2 Careering (04:34) 3 Chant (04:25) 4 Banging the Door (04:49) 5 Religion (05:49) 6 This Is Not a Love Song (12″ mix) (04:26) 7 Tie Me to the Length of That (05:18) 8 Rise (12" mix) (06:05) 9 Bags (05:25) 10 Seattle (03:40) 11 Angry (04:13) 12 Happy (03:58) 13 Disappointed (extended 12" mix) (06:45) 14 Don’t Ask Me (03:43) 15 Covered (04:40) 16 Deeper Water (06:07) |
 | Album: 20 of 22 Title: What the World Needs Now… Released: 2015-09-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 55:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Double Trouble (03:52) 2 Know Now (02:45) 3 Bettie Page (03:21) 4 C’est la vie (06:08) 5 Spice of Choice (05:43) 6 The One (03:42) 7 Big Blue Sky (08:14) 8 Whole Life Time (03:46) 9 I’m Not Satisfied (05:43) 10 Corporate (05:23) 11 Shoom (06:30) |
| What the World Needs Now… : Allmusic album Review : A fuzzy drum and bass track booms out as a man bellows over the top, "What, you f--king nagging again? About what? What what? The toilets f---ing broken again?!?" Is it a new single from the Sleaford Mods? No, not quite -- its the opening tune from What the World Needs Now, the second album from John Lydons 21st century edition of Public Image Ltd. While Jason Williamson may be upholding the great tradition of world-class ranters in pop music, the artist formerly known as Johnny Rotten is still the undisputed champion, and even as hes pushing 60, Lydons eccentric speechifying about domestic discord, destructive lifestyles, mans relationship with danger, Americas obsession with sex, and a rich variety of other things that get under his skin, continue to signify and give this music its backbone. Lydons pronouncements here sound more grandly operatic than he did in the 70s and 80s, but the vitriol that made him the most loved and hated man in the United Kingdom is still in ready supply, and his lyrics -- sometimes carefully composed, other times consisting of dubwise chanting that seems to have emerged from his imagination while the band jammed -- are, by themselves, strong enough to give this album a reason to be. As for Lydons bandmates, this edition of PiL lacks the vision and chaos that made First Issue, Second Edition/Metal Box, and The Flowers of Romance post-punk touchstones, but this is still the best and most sympathetic backing group Lydon has had since the studio crew that helped him make Album in 1986, with Lu Edmonds sending sharp waves of guitar floating over the rock-solid rhythm section of drummer Bruce Smith and bassist Scott Firth, providing a melodic and rhythmic foundation that serves the vocalist well (and is honestly intriguing in itself). If Lydons decision to revive Public Image Ltd. seemed curious at first, with What the World Needs Now, the group has a firmly established new personality that suits its leader well, and finds him making strong and engaging music again after many fans wrote him off as a spent force. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 22 Title: Live at O₂ Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, October 2nd 2015 Released: 2015-10-02 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:42:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Double Trouble (04:00) 2 Know How (03:46) 3 This Is Not a Love Song / Poptones (12:57) 4 Disappointed (06:08) 5 The One (04:08) 6 Deeper Water (07:12) 7 Corporate (06:17) 8 Death Disco (07:32) 1 The Body (04:58) 2 Warrior (11:10) 3 Bags / Chant (08:04) 4 Religion (14:20) 1 Public Image (03:32) 2 Rise (08:06) |
 | Album: 22 of 22 Title: The Public Image Is Rotten (Songs From the Heart) Released: 2018-06-20 Tracks: 76 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Public Image (?) 2 Death Disco (?) 3 Memories (?) 4 Flowers of Romance (?) 5 This Is Not a Love Song (?) 6 Bad Life (?) 7 Rise (?) 8 Home (?) 9 Seattle (?) 10 The Body (?) 11 Disappointed (?) 12 Warrior (?) 13 Don’t Ask Me (?) 14 Cruel (?) 15 One Drop (?) 16 Reggie Song (?) 17 Out of the Woods (?) 18 Double Trouble (?) 1 The Cowboy Song (?) 2 Half Mix / Mega Mix (?) 3 Another (?) 4 Home Is Where the Heart Is (?) 5 Blue Water (?) 6 Question Mark (?) 7 Selfish Rubbish (?) 8 USLS1 (mix) (?) 9 Turkey Tits (?) 10 Pied Piper (?) 11 Criminal (?) 12 Poptones (BBC Radio 1, 17/12/79) (?) 13 Careering (BBC Radio 1, 17/12/79) (?) 14 Chant (BBC Radio 1, 17/12/79) (?) 15 Cruel (BBC Radio 1, 25/2/92) (?) 16 Acid Drops (BBC Radio 1, 25/2/92) (?) 17 Love Hope (BBC Radio 1, 25/2/92) (?) 18 Death Disco (12″) (?) 1 This Is Not a Love Song (12″) (?) 2 Flower of Romance (instrumental) (?) 3 Rise (Bob Clearmountain mix) (?) 4 Seattle (US remix 12″) (?) 5 The Body (US remix extended 12″) (?) 6 Disappointed (12″) (?) 7 Happy (US remix 12″) (?) 8 Warrior (extended 12″ mix) (?) 9 Lollipop Opera (from This Is PIL) (?) 10 Shoom (from What the World Needs Now…) (?) 11 Death Disco (original monitor mix) (?) 12 This Is Not a Love Song (12″ remix) (?) 1 Annalisa (“New mix” – Townhouse 1979) (?) 2 Albatross (monitor mix) (?) 3 Careering (live Paris) (?) 4 Banging the Door (a.k.a. The Door) (alternative mix – Townhouse 1980) (?) 5 Vampire (Townhouse 1981) (?) 6 Nineteen Eighty One (original version – Townhouse 1981) (?) 7 Bad Night (Park South 1983) (?) 8 Things in E (a.k.a. Ease) (alt Laswell mix) (?) 9 Can You Feel the Fours (instrumental – Farmhouse 1987) (?) 10 Open & Revolving (a.k.a. Spy Thriller) (alternative mix - Farmhouse 1987) (?) 11 Kashmir (instrumental – Renovation mix 1987) (?) 12 Cajun (Bill Laswell instrumental 1988) (?) 13 Worry (“Ruff mix”) (?) 14 Think Tank (“outtake” – Eldorado 1991) (?) 1 Warrior (with intro) (?) 2 Happy (?) 3 This Is Not a Love Song (?) 4 Home (?) 5 Round (?) 6 Brave New World (?) 7 Same Old Story (?) 8 The Body (?) 9 Open & Revolving (?) 10 Rise (?) 11 Dissapointed (?) 12 Public Image (?) 13 Seattle (?) 14 World Destruction (?) |
| The Public Image Is Rotten (Songs From the Heart) : Allmusic album Review : "I will not be treated as property," John Lydon howled on "Public Image," the first single Public Image Ltd. released in October 1978. While the group would take a dizzying number of creative twists and turns over the next four decades as they evolved from dub-obsessed experimentalists to a polished and pop-savvy alternative rock band, the one thing that remained constant was the voice of Lydon -- angry, theatrical, dripping with venom, sometimes curiously witty, and always overflowing with passion, even if it was usually expressed in negative terms. PiL was his vehicle, and while he may have had valued collaborators, there was never any mistaking that this was Lydons show and his message. Lydons two years as Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols have burned deeper into the pop culture consciousness, yet PiL has proven to be his definitive musical statement, and with 2018s The Public Image Is Rotten: Songs from the Heart, hes offered a deep dive into the ongoing projects history. Timed to coincide with a similarly titled documentary about PiL, The Public Image Is Rotten is a massive five-CD box set that takes a different approach to the bands catalog than the 1999 collection Plastic Box. While Plastic Box offered a hefty summary of PiLs recorded history, The Public Image Is Rotten starts with a disc collecting the A-sides to 18 of their singles. Disc two offers nine B-sides, two rare tracks, and six numbers from radio sessions for the BBC (including three outstanding takes of material from Metal Box recorded in 1979). Disc three is devoted to extended mixes that appeared on 12" singles and dance-oriented releases, which presents some overlap with songs on disc one (though anyone likely to pony up for this set is likely to be interested in the minutiae). Disc four contains previous unreleased versions of 14 songs, the most curious being a faithful instrumental cover of Led Zeppelins "Kashmir." Finally, disc five documents a 1989 live show in New York City, as PiL was touring in support of the album 9. As if this werent enough, the package also includes two DVDs of television appearances, live footage, and music videos, as well as a full-color hardcover book filled with press clippings and details on the recordings. While devoted fans will appreciate the rich audio and the wealth of hard-to-find material on The Public Image Is Rotten (as well as the fact it folds in recordings from PiLs post-1999 editions), this is a less coherent listen than Plastic Box. That collections chronological sequencing made it easy to follow the groups stylistic evolution, while the thematic nature of these five discs repeatedly takes us back and forth through their history. That said, The Public Image Is Rotten presents a thorough and uncompromised portrait of Lydons work with PiL, and anyone interested in the many contexts hes created for his unique vision will find plenty to take in. | ||