Public Image Limited : When did you get off the bus?

Huh! I'm genuinely surprised it has its fans!

GTFO, World Destruction slays.

this recent anti-WD mood on ILX takes me completely by surprise

Want to boldly say something like 'Album is the only thing involving Laswell I ever need to hear again' but ehh I guess there's Ask The Ages.

what, She's The Boss didn't move you?

D^%E&Y*&^(&*#$^*(

World Destruction is classic - took me ages to figure out what that song was when I kept hearing it on KROQ as a teen

oh not you too, Dan

wtf, no not me too, I'm just saying it's kind of crazy to assume everyone loves a song (unless that song is "Wanna Be Starting Something")

I could be wrong but I think Alfred was referring to your Bieber diss.

That's not even a diss (even though it's true I intensely dislike Bieber), it's more an acknowledgement of the existence of Venn diagrams

so.....should I check out their show on Friday?

it could be good, it could be bad

it could be wrong, it could be right

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maxe3u9vhF1qa6myvo1_250.jpg

they put a hot wire to his head!

now in the endless summer, I could be happy or in distress, depending on the company

I never imagined a time when Brian Wilson would look better than John Lydon.

i saw them in 2010 and the first issue/metal box stuff was FANTASTIC - even if none of them actually played on it. The "psycho's path"/"rise"/"disappointed" seemed to please those old enough to remember them from college radio, but I just waited it out. Latest song they played was that Leftfield "Open Up" number though - would totally see them again on a Plays Metal Box tour but not sure about the new material.

i should exclude "psycho's path" from that college rock comment

Wobble & Levene have been doing Plays Metal Box shows this year, to Lydon's withering contempt

Things that don't earn Lydon's withering contempt:

- John Lydon
- Butter advertisements
- The Slits

- Poly Styrene

To give him his due, it really is good butter.

I wonder how that Wobble/Levene ep released earlier this year is?

The Slits

I've never heard someone go off on someone else as savagely as Lydon did when talking to me about Ari Up (this was in the early 90s, long prior to her passing.) He was not kind. I've since heard he spent a lot of time teaching Ari's kids to read, since she didn't believe they needed to know this herself. I've never heard him much praise the Slits, to be honest . . . though he was quite lavish in his praise for the Raincoats.

I wonder how that Wobble/Levene ep released earlier this year is?

Pretty good so long as you're not expecting Metal Box II. But don't bother, as it appears that all four tracks appear in the new album, plus six more. I haven't heard that, so I can't confirm that the versions are identical, but buyer beware.

a bit more on this: http://www.contactmusic.com/news/john-lydon-i-was-too-busy-playing-daddy-to-reform-pil_1346009

http://i46.tinypic.com/35d6rkk.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/19xuhi.jpg

"World Destruction" is the sound of two all-time musicians reaching their nadir at the exact same moment.

Not helped by the fact that Laswell has never understood that just because two things have never gone together before that doesn't mean they necessarily should.

I don't know why I'm enjoying this as much as I am... Think I was prepared for the worst?

http://concert.arte.tv/fr/europunk-public-image-limited

It's good to have low expectations, you can only go up.

I listened to "Happy" and "9" recently and dug almost all of them aside from a few tracks. Still looking for a good recent live set.

The one I just linked to is from last month btw - Feb 25th.

listened to 'seattle' only today. have never ventured into anything later than that song, but i do love it

oh wait. 2013. sorry. Xp

They're touring the US again. Should I get back on the bus? Haven't listened to 'em in ages.

http://www.johnlydon.com/images2/pil-cycle-jersey.jpg
.. and onto the Bike?

"The wheels on the bike go ROUND AND AROUND, AROUNDAROUND ROUND ROUND..."

Free bus with every copy..

Release Date 28 October 2016
Product code
5701491
Format
Quadruple CD Album
Label
UMC / Virgin EMI
On 28th October, PiL will reissue the seminal albums ‘Metal Box’ and ‘Album’. ‘Metal Box’ was the band’s second album, originally released on 23rd November 1979 and ‘Album’ was their 5th studio album and was originally released on 3rd February 1986, marking 2016 as its 30th anniversary.

The album’s will both be issued as 4 CD and 4 vinyl LP super-deluxe box sets, as well as digitally. The editions will include rare and previously unreleased material along with a live disc. The CD version’s feature additional tracks to the vinyl editions due to running time restrictions, however, the vinyl edition will include a download card for all tracks on the CD version’s. ‘Metal Box’ will be issued in a square metal tin (CD & LP) (the 1979 original was issued in a round metal film canister) with an embossed PiL logo. Both super-deluxe editions will include a 72 page booklet together with an exclusive poster, art-prints (LP version) and postcards (CD version).

With all lyrics written by John Lydon ‘Metal Box’ was recorded with original PiL members Keith Levene and Jah Wobble. Original drummer Jim Walker had left, to be replaced by a succession of drummers. ‘Metal Box’ came out less than a year after PiL’s debut ‘Public Image: First Issue’ yet it was nothing like its predecessor. Things had changed, and so had PiL. 

While outside pressures mounted PiL channeled their energies (negative and positive) into a record that would set them apart back in 1979, and indeed today in 2016. Whether it be John’s powerful and passionate vocals; Keith’s wailing guitar and melodic synths; Wobble’s sub-disco reggae basslines; or the crashing rhythm that holds it all together, ‘Metal Box’ has many strengths. The album was originally released as 3 x 45rpm 12” singles, housed in a metal ‘film’ canister. As made by ‘The Metal Box Company’ in London’s East End; hence the name. The deluxe edition includes rare and unreleased mixes from the recording sessions, along with B-sides and BBC sessions, plus a live recording from a now legendary unplanned show at Factory Records Russell Club in Manchester arranged on the day of a Granada TV appearance.

Tracklist:
Disc 1:
Remastered album
1. Albatross
2. Memories
3. Swan Lake (Death Disco)
4. Poptones
5. Careering
6. No Birds Do Sing
7. Graveyard
8. The Suit
9. Bad Baby
10. Socialist
11. Chant
12. Radio 4

Disc 2:
B-sides, mixes & radio sessions
1. Death Disco (7” edit)
2. Death Disco 12”
3. Half Mix / Megga Mix (b-side)
4. Death Disco - BBC TV, Top of the Pops July 12.7.72
5. Memories 12”
6. Another (b-side)
7. Poptones - BBCRadio 1, John Peel Sessions 1979
8. Careering - BBC Radio 1, John Peel Sessions 1979
9. Chant - BBC Radio 1, John Peel Sessions 1979
10. Poptones - BBC TV, Old Grey Whistle Test 5/2/80 (audio)
11. Careering - BBC TV, Old Grey Whistle Test 5/2/80 (audio)
12. Pied Piper (rare compilation-only track)

Disc 3:
Unreleased Mixes
1. Poptones (version 3) (unreleased)
2. Swan Lake (monitor mix)
3. Albatross (monitor mix) (alternative mix)
4. Swan Lake (“master”) (alternative mix) (unreleased)
5. Unknown INST Jam 1 (“Chant”) (unreleased)
6. Unknown Jam 2 (“Megachant”) (unreleased)
7. Music from an Oven (aka Memories) (unreleased)
8. Radio 4 (“symphony suite”) (unreleased)
9. Home is Where The Heart is (original mix) (unreleased)
10. Unknown INST 2 (unreleased)

Disc 4:
Live at Manchester, Russell’s Club (The Factory) 18/6/79 (unreleased)
1. Chant
2. Swan Lake (aka Death Disco)
3. Memories
4. Public Image
5. Annalisa
6. No Birds Do Sing

LOL:

Metal Box has many strengths

Seriously, tho, this looks pretty awesome.

man that is a whooooole lotta filler

For me, it's all about the first three albums and Commercial Zone, and the odd track here and there after that but not full albums.

The parts on 'Memories' where the track completely changes sonically as a result of two different mixes of the same track being edited together is such a genius production decision.

A lot of people followed this arc of "growing out of" the Sex Pistols and realizing that PiL is, like, waaay better, but for me it was the other way around. Metal Box was one of my first left-of-center postpunk discoveries but at some point it "unclicked" with me (the hype wore off? I got more honest with myself?) and I can't even remember what I saw in it.

"GET PISSED / DESTROYYYYY" > the whole jittery awkward situationist smartypants scene

i adore album

I think the Order of Death might be my favorite PIL thing.

critical support for post-Levene PiL regime - even the drabbest bits of Happy? And 9 have John McGeoch doing something interesting off in a corner of the mix -

but i leap off the bus with the arrival of that noxious single Don’t Ask Me - maybe i am doing it wrong but that seemed to me a really repellent little ditty

The drum sound on "Rise" is so awful I've never listened to the entire album (or anything after tbh). The rest of that song (Steve Vai aside) could be salvageable but those are some of the worst drums of the '80s.

huh, the drum sound is part of its weird charm for me

"Don't ask me" John didn't write.

The credits have all the band named, which is fine as John has always done that with all his songs, there's a fair few drummers getting royalty cheques that other bands wouldn't..

I think 'Disappointed' was his last great single.

But, if you enjoy your job and don't want to quit, then carry on! Let's not get precious about it ..

Allan Dias wrote 'Don't Ask Me'

I love the drum sound on Album :)

I think 'Seattle' was his last great single. The only post-Levine album I've heard in full [by accident] is That What Is Not, which ranges from passable to terrible.

"Rise" is the best coulda-been INXS single, "Anger is an energy" one of my favorite maxims.

I do prefer the single remix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXBFh05uVXU