Revolution Rock (Revisited) Public Image Limited's Albatross & Show # 514

Originally released in November 1979, Public Image Limited’s Metal Box (or Second Edition in the US) was the band’s second full-length album. Following their trend of post punk music from their 1978 release First Issue, Public Image Limited found themselves diving into experimental territory as they took their sound into a more experimental direction. Bassist Jah Wobble’s reggae and dub-influenced basslines were evident on First Issue as was guitarist Keith Levine’s angular neurotic guitar style and John Lydon’s cryptic vocals, but they were pushed to greater depths on this album. Metal Box found PiL’s experimentation featuring a multitude of drummers such as Richard Dudanski (previously in The 101’ers), David Humphrey, guitarist Keith Levine and bassist Jah Wobble even played drums on some of songs that made up Metal Box. But it is the album’s first track that clearly portrays the avant-garde, experimental post punk sounds that the band was aiming for on Metal Box.

“Albatross” clocks in at ten minutes and 34 seconds, making it not only a long album opener, but also a unique starting track. The song itself was recorded live in one take at The Manor Studio in Oxfordshire, England. When initially recorded, the band was unsure whether it would make the final track listing for this release. The song featured heavy dub influenced basslines, metallic sounding guitar stabs and drum cymbal crashes that float amongst John Lydon’s visceral lyrics that are commonly misconstrued as a reference to the Sex Pistols. The song was as John Lydon said himself “free-formed” in and interview with Scott Murphy for fodderstompf.com in 2004. He also elaborated more on the extent of the free-form tendencies of “Albatross” stating that the band “All did, and that's how it should be when the mood is right." An albatross can refer to the bird at sea or also a burden. PiL definitely was going through changes and challenges during the album's recording sessions and during this time period.  This song and album, captures a certain calmer mood, one that is more laid back than the sounds found on First Issue, but just as effective.

This week’s program was a repeat of program # 511 that originally aired on May 31st, 2014. My blog post for that week featured a write up on the LA punk band The Weirdos. You can find that post here.

The Play List:

1. The Black Angels - Sunday Evening
2. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Running Meredith
3. The Sonics - It’s All Right
4. The Spits - 2018
5. Moondogs - Ya Don’t Do Ya?
6. Ian Rubbish & The Bizzaros - Living In The Gutter
7. No Fun - Fall For A Cliche
8. The Demics - The Least You Can Do
9. Dik Van Dykes - Road Warrior
10. Talking Heads - The Big Country (Live)
11. Twin Library - A Cruel Rodeo
12. Tire Swing Co - Forgive Me
13. James OL - Bastimentos
14. Salmon Breath - Cadillac
15. Alex Chilton - Waltz Across Texas
16. Iggy & The Stooges - Cry For Me (Pin Point Eyes)
17. Modern Lovers - I’m Straight
18. Public Image Limited - Albatross
19. Laughing Clowns - I Want To Scream
20. Spizzenergi - Where’s Captain Kirk?
21. Tanz Der Youth - Delay
22. The Soft Pack - Head On Ice
23. Tay Falco’s Panther Burns - Where The Rio De Rosa Flows
24. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - Cream
25. The Weirdos - We Got The Neutron Bomb
26. Radio Birdman - Descent Into The Maelstrom

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 21. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

This Is PiL & Show # 408

While most people identify with John Lydon when he was a Sex Pistol and known as Johnny Rotten, he formed Public Image Limited after the implosion of Sex Pistols in 1978. There have been numerous Sex Pistols reunion shows since 1996, but his other band also intrigued audiences and there was always a possibility of a reunion. That happened in 2009, when Public Image Limited reformed for several live performances. The reformed group featured Lu Edmonds on guitar, Scott Firth on bass, Bruce Smith on drums and of course John Lydon on vocals. Edmonds and Smith had been in a later incarnation of PiL in the 80s, and Edmunds has been involved in numerous UK groups including The Damned, The Mekons and more, he is known as a Folk and Rock musician. Public Image Limited’s last full length album was released in 1992, an album titled This Is What Not. In November of 2011, PiL announced that they were working on a new album. The band travelled to Steve Winwood’s studio in Cotswolds in the UK, a secluded farm/studio landscape and began recording material for what was to become This Is PiL, Public Image Limited’s first full length studio album in twenty years. The band first released an EP, the One Drop EP for 2012 Record Store Day. In May of 2012, This Is PiL was released.

So what’s the difference between this album and other PiL albums? The album features the embodiment of what PiL initially stood for their Post Punk sound that was extremely influential, they were one of the first bands to be identified as Post Punk, in the late 70s following the release of their First Issue album. Their sound featured elements of Dub, Folk, what some people now call Noise Rock and other genres, all of which you can find on this album. The album has many strong points most notably the lead off single “One Drop” a song with a slow Reggae/Dub experimental groove that lyrically identifies with the youth of today, while at the same time Lydon reflects on his time as a youth in England. Other standout tracks include the title track “This Is PiL”, a song that features a predominant Folk like guitar rhythm mixed in amongst heavy Dub like bass, “Deeper Water” is a song that was done in one take, but one in which as John stated for Rolling Stone in May of 2012 is a song about “about bad influences, bad information, bad leadership”.

The album also features many experimental moments such as “The Room I Am In” and “Lollipop Opera” a song which is a Dance music track with Folk and Post Punk guitar stabs reminiscent of John McGeoch, a guitarist that was a later member of PiL as well as being in Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The albums artwork was done by John Lydon himself, it is a painting that he created for the cover that adheres to a complete DIY ethic and coincides with the albums release, which was NOT on a major label, but on Johns own PiL Official label. When released in May 2012, the album went to number 35 on the UK album charts. Overall This Is PiL is an album that has all the good qualities of previous Public Image Limited albums, but one that also features what many reviews are calling a “stylistic evolution”. This Is PiL has been called their best album in years, and it truly is. It has been twenty years, but the new Public Image Limited sound rejuvenated and fresh.

This week's play list:

1. The Aces – Why Should It Be Mine
2. Spits – Wait
3. Songs For Snakes – F.E.A.R.
4. Blonds – Run
5. The Schomberg Fair – Touched By Fire
6. Indian Wars – Tom Dula
7. The Cynics – I Need More
8. Captain Higgins – AM Radio
9. Skip Jensen – Done Tried
10. The Sinners – No Brain Required
11. Gentlemen of Horror – Overhead Projector
12. Animal Kingdom – Tension
13. Japandroids – For The Love of Ivy
14. Joey Ramone – Rock N’ Roll Is The Answer
15. Luger Boa – What Is Real?
16. Only Ones – The Happy Pilgrim
17. Public Image Limited – This Is PIL
18. Gang of Four – What We All Want (Live)
19. Crystal Swells - Kelly Bayside
20. Holograms – ABC City
21. Jaill - I'm Home
22. Modern Lovers – Government Center
23. The Black Lips – Sick Of You
24. The Black Lips – Dance With You

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 12. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Poptones...The Story of Public Image Limited and Show #263

After exiting The Sex Pistols, John Lydon went on to form a new group who would be titled, Public Image Limited. Forming in 1978, the group consisted of John Lydon on vocals, Jah Wobble on bass, Keith Levene on guitar and Jim Walker on drums. Wobble had been a friend of Lydon's since their school days, while Levene had previously been in an early incarnation of The Clash. Another interesting fact is that the bands original drummer, was in fact Canadian. Jim Walker had been in the Canadian Punk band The Furies and after moving to London, he answered an ad that was placed in the UK magazine Melody Maker. With the band members in order and after rehearsing for several months, the band needed a name. Taking the title from the book Public Image by Muriel Spark, this group of musicians became known as Public Image Limited.

The bands first single "Public Image" would be released in October of 1978. The song which had been written while Lydon was in The Sex Pistols, was sonically different than the Pistols. "Public Image" featured heavy almost Dub sounding bass lines, with the unique guitar stylings of Keith Levene, John Lydon's sporadic vocal delivery and the Dance-like rhythms of Jim Walker. The song was unlike anything at the time and would eventually be labelled under the genre of Post-Punk. The single for "Public Image" charted at #9 on the UK singles charts. A promotional music video was made for the single "Public Image", it was directed by Don Letts. From July to November of 1978, Public Image Limited recorded material for was to become their first full length album. First Issue as it would be titled was recorded in several studios throughout London because the band had went over the budget given to them by their record company. The album which featured eight songs, drew in a wide variety of eclectic music influences. The album features longer songs, four of which are over five minutes. Songs such as the nine minute opener "Theme", "Annalisa" a six minute song blending elements of Rock and Dub expanding on sounds the band had started with the song "Public Image", "Low Life" a droning song with a steady drum beat, and "Attack" a low-fi sounding rock song, the album was unlike anything heard before. With Keith Levene's piercing guitar sound, Jah Wobble's heavy Dub influenced bass tones and Lydon's often experimental and anarchic vocal style, First Issue can not be discredited for it's artistic originality.


When released in the UK, First Issue received a lot of criticism, but fans enjoyed it causing the album to reach #22 on the UK album charts. There was a slightly different version of the album planned for release in the US in 1979, but after some test pressings the album was deemed noncommercial for the America market. PiL actually re-recorded new parts for certain songs and even re-recorded new versions of songs from First Issue for a US release, but the album was never released.

The bands next album, Metal Box would be released in 1979. By this point Jim Walker had left the group, not agreeing with the result of the bands first album. For Metal Box PiL did not have a steady drummer, so several drummers were featured on the recordings, which resulted in the drummers not being credited in the linear notes. Some tracks featured Jah Wobble on drums (on "Careering" and "The Suit"), and Keith Levene on "Swan Lake" and "Radio 4", a song in which he played all of the instruments. Other drummers on the sessions were David Humprey, Richard Dudanski and Martin Atkins. The album departed from the sound of the bands first album, entering more of an exploratory realm. Songs such as "Albatross", "Memories", "Swan Lake", Careering" and "Poptones" all helped characterize the new direction the band was heading in. Metal Box also featured several instrumental tracks.

The packaging and design for Metal Box was a design created by photographer/designer Dennis Morris. The album was packaged in a 16 mm metal film canister featuring the music on six 12" records. The album went to #18 on the UK album charts. In the US a slightly different version of the album was released. It was retitled, Second Edition and made a double album. The artwork for the album featured Keith Levene with a wavy , fun house mirror effect altering his appearance. The album went to #46 on the US album charts. In 1980, PiL embarked on their first US tour. The band had several cancellations due to their controversial stands. At one show PiL records were played over a PA system as the band mimed along to them and Lydon taunted the audience from behind a projection screen. John Lydon and Keith Levene also appeared on the Tomorrow Show with Tom Synder, during their interview viewers were told that the band was a company, while John Lydon and the host insulted each other on-air.

Metal Box (1979) and Second Edition (1979)

By the time the band was to record their next full length album, Jah Wobble was no longer with the group. As a result Flowers of Romance, featured barely and bass, and instead focused around the sounds of percussion, synthesizers reversed guitar and sound effects and vocals. Drumming for this album featured drumming from Martin Atkins (on three tracks), Keith Levene and John Lydon. While the albums title makes reference to a band that featured one time Sex Pistol bassist Sid Vicious, the albums sound is not within the Punk genre. In fact the album features an unconventional sound, and while this may be seen as a bad thing by some, the album went to #14 on the UK album charts and #11 in the US. Another interesting fact is that Phil Collins liked the drum sound of this album so much, he employed the albums engineer Nick Launay for his own recording projects. In 1982, PiL began work on their fourth album, but due to internal pressures and arguments among band members, Levene left the group and the album was cancelled. A few years later, Levene would release the album titled Commercial Zone on his own, which featured songs form the 1982 album sessions. With Levene out of PiL, they re-recorded the album bringing the band in more of a Pop and Dance direction. The result would be the 1984 album, This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get. The album would feature several other musicians and Martin Atkins on drums. A single released in 1983, titled "This Is Not A Love Song" became a huge hit for the band prior to the albums release. The single went to #5 on the UK singles charts and was re-recorded for the album This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get. The single version of the song did however feature Keith Levene on guitar.

Public Image Limited's next album would be titled Album. Released in 1986, the album was titled according to what format it was released on. For example, if you were buying the cassette version of it, it would be titled Cassette and so on. Artwork for the album was a generic blue and white design, which poked fun at generic consumer products. The album was produced by Bill Laswell, who would play bass on some tracks and also bring in a cast of session musicians for the album. Some of the other musicians featured on Album, were Steve Vai, Johnas Hellborg, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Ginger Baker of Cream. Musically the album is a return to a more conventional PiL sound, while incorporating elements of Folk, Middle Eastern and big guitar and drum sounds. The album features songs such as the song "F.F.F (Farewell My Fairweathered Friend)" a song about Lydon's previous band member Martin Atkins, "Fishing", "Round", "Bags" and "Home". Album would also the spawn the hit single "Rise". The song had Folk and Middle Eastern melodies, while lyrically it referenced situations going on in Africa in the 80's. "Rise" went to #11 on the UK singles charts.


Next Lydon would assemble a more stable line up of band members. He would recruit John McGeoch for guitar (of Magazine and Siouxsie and The Banshees), Lu Edmunds (a short lived guitarist for The Damned, but also a multi-instrumentalist), and Alan Dias of The Pop Group on drums. The bands sound would drift into a more Dance and Drum based musical direction. PiL would released Happy? in 1987, 9 in 1989, and This What Is Not in 1992. Following a self financed tour (their label would not pay for a tour), PiL disbanded after a concert in September of 1992. By this point the line up had altered several times, but John Lydon stated that PiL is not necessarily broken up, but that they are just on hiatus. In 1999, a Public Image Limited box set was released titled Plastic Box. It was also announced that Public Image Limited will be reuniting for five UK tour dates for the 30th anniversary of the album Metal Box. More information on Public Image Limited can be found on the Fodderstompf website and Public Image Limited's official website.

The Play List:

1. The Vacants - Television Viewer
2. The Gizmos - Pay
3. The Nerves - One Way Ticket
4. Nebula - Aprhodite
5. One For Jude - Aux Doux Anges
6. Wreckless Eric - Reconnez Cherie
7. Ex-Boyfriends - To The Lowest Bidder
8. Ex-Boyfriends - Born To Be Kicked Out
9. The Rival Boys - Lonely Heart
10. Miesha & The Spanks - Mmmade For Me
11. The Michael Parks - Vanessa
12. The Hidden Cameras - Kingdom Come
13. Brian Setzer Orchestra - Trouble Train
14. The Raconteurs - Keep It Clean (Live)
15. XTC - Buzzcity Talking
16. Only Ones - From Here To Eternity
17. Rocket Reducers - Sauce Wagon
18. Public Image Limited - Tie Me To The Length of That
19. Public Image Limited - Fishing
20. Big Audio Dynamite - Sudden Impact!
21. Gang of Four - Sweet Jane (Live)
22. The Stranglers - Mean To Me
23. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - 5ive Gears In Reverse

To download this week's show visit the CJAM archives and select the files 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM on August 25th, 2009.

Public Image Videos:

Public Image
Poptones (OGWT 1980)
Careering (OGWT 1980)
Tom Synder Interview Part 1
Tom Synder Interview Part 2
American Bandstand 1980 (Poptones & Careering)
This Is Not A Love Song
Rise
Seattle

The Public Image...Show # 130

This page used to feature a profile on the Post Punk band Public Image Limited. I have expanded this post to include greater detail on PiL. It can be found in my Poptones: The Story of Public Image Limited post.

I played some songs this week by The Smugglers and The Shades. Both are Canadian punk bands from Vancouver during 1977-1988. I also played two songs from a John Peel BBC Session by Buzzcocks, and another BBC Session from Elvis Costello & The Attractions. Buzzcocks BBC Sessions are now out of print, and I don't think Elvis Costello released his BBC Sessions. The Peel Sessions for Buzzcocks can now be found on the expanded deluxe editions of their first three albums (Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites, and A Different Kind of Tension). Finally I played two songs by the Canadian band Sloan live on a Spanish TV show called ipop. The songs were "Try To Make It", a song recorded for A Sides Win, a greatest hits compilation from 2005, and "Judy is a Punk" which is a cover of a Ramones song. It is pretty cool to hear Sloan doing a Ramones song. You can actually watch the performance on you tube by clicking here

Here's the Play list from my show:

1. Generation X – from the heart
2. MC5 – teenage lust
3. Smugglers – revenge
4. The Wrong - prisons of our isolation
5. The Shades – new clientele
6. Undertones – true confessions
7. Buzzcocks – fast cars (BBC)
8. Buzzcocks – moving away from the pulsebeat (BBC)
9. The Saints – save me
10. Ramones – sleeping troubles (demo)
11. The Gruesomes – I need you
12. The Clash – justice tonight
13. Suburban Reptiles – Saturday night, stay at home
14. The Police – when the world is running down you make the best of what's still around
15. Talking Heads – pulled up
16. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – pump it up (BBC)
17. PiL – public image
18. The Odds – someone who’s cool
19. The Ride Theory – alright
20. Dirty Pretty Things – no signal, no battery (demo)
21. Rage Against The Machine – new millennium homes
22. The D4 – too stupid
23. Sloan – try to make it (live ipop)
24. Sloan – judy is a punk (live ipop)
25. Sloan - Iggy & Angus (Live 4 Nights at the Palais Royale)
26. The D4 - do no right