Taking Sides: PIL's Public Image VS Metal Box

Sorry blah, but no comparison.

But his tone is incredible.

where can one hear/buy this?

re: the bass, wobble might be starting to become my most favourite bassist, ever. that bassline he kicks in with on the first album is just immortal. one thing about PIL that makes them extra great is their overall sound and production, its just utterly stunning and almost like stainless steel. (excuse the corny similie, but) its like the kitchen devil knife of post-punk!

I'd like to hear that "re-recorded" debut also and IM makes an interesting point abt Flowers of Romance, it sounds much much much better to my ears now than it did in 1981.

The last track's one of the best things on it! I can live without both Religions and Attack

I'd love to hear that re-recorded first album -- it sounds like it'd trump Metal Box.

I just wish they would have followed this direction for another album that was even more far out and abstract.

When people talk about a re-recorded version of the first album that I have no idea how to get my hands on it makes me want to punch, strangle, squeeze, maim...

seriously. WHY was this not included on the box set?!?

where can i see this? is it online??

The PIL Bandstand clip used to be online at this site called Homestead, along with a bunch of other post punk clips. But the site went down awhile back, not sure where to get it now, exactly.

http://www.robertlindsley.com/video/OLD/

Anyway, here's me on the third greatest album ever made...

I loved First Isue imediately but took me considerably longer to "get" Metal Box.

Both are great albums but both could do with a little judicious pruning imo.

C'mon, I can hardly bear the suspense...

2 & 3 are easy.

Just took listen to a few clips of this Carla Bley record. I must say it strikes me as most pleasantly bizarre.

Every year, PiL gets a little closer to being my favorite band.

I have some burned copy of a bootleg that has this tracklisting:

PIL (PUBLIC IMAGE LTD) 8-10 110m
TV + Several live performance : public image promo 78 / chant interv. check it out79 / death disco promo79 / poptones ogwt 1980 / careering ogwt 1980 / careering NEW YORK, GREAT GILDERSLEEVES 1980 / Public Image NEW YORK, GREAT GILDERSLEEVES 1980 / Another NEW YORK, GREAT GILDERSLEEVES 1980 / Low Life NEW YORK, GREAT GILDERSLEEVES 1980 / Bad Baby NEW YORK, GREAT GILDERSLEEVES 1980 / Press Conference 1980/ Poptones american bandstand 1980/ Careering american bandstand 1980/ Interv. Tom Snyder 1980/ Flowers Of Romance TOTP 1981/ 82 ch 5 roseland 82/ this is not a love song 83 the tube/ interview 84 / bad life rock of the eighties 84/ public image rock of the eighties 84/ Lowlife rock of the eighties 84/ bodies rock of the eighties 84/ Annalisa rock of the eighties 84/ judge judy

It gets so bad after the "this is not a love song" video that I've never even gotten to the last part, intriguingly titled "judge judy"

But - the American Bandstand performance is perfect, unthinkable on television today. It makes you melancholy watching it, actually, because it just doesn't even seem fathomable that something like that could happen anymore. Same with the Tom Snyder interview.

I love the Sex Pistols as well, but they strike me as perhaps the band with biggest enhancement with visuals. That is, watching the Sex Pistols is miles better than just listening to the Sex Pistols.

PiL is different. Lydon is a camera magnet, as usual, but Levine and Jah Wobble actually seem to shy away from the camera. The music stands on its own. Classic band.

And I still want to know about that "re-recorded" first album.

"Judge Judy" is Lydon when he was on Judge Judy, surely?

Is Chant plus interview on Check It Out the one that ends with a massive expletive filled rant from Wobble before he walks out on it? (And if not, does anyone know what this is?)

Yes it is. Lydon walks out as well, while one of the hosts trys to calm her co-host down and prevent a fight between themselves and PiL. It's hilarious.

Lydon goes in a "I'm not biting!" sort of way, after provocation (they did a voxpop on the street w/ "punks" who just happened to be Angelic Upstarts).

Wobble goes in a highly sweary way.

Levene stays and is all "OK, what shall we talk about then?"

Walker, umm, dunno forgot.

Judge Judy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=p2CnwYPhcQk

i didnt like metal box at first but i now think its one of the most amazing albums ever made. i hope after repeated plays i still think that or ill be dissapointed.

It was the same for me as well! I was utterly puzzled by it for many years, not a single song did anything for me, including Poptones & Careering. In one ear and out the other until years later I decided to give it another go and was really surprised at what I found.

I won't say they're like two different bands but each album serves a different purpose in my mind. Wasn't a chunk of the debut already written by Lydon beforehand? _Metal Box_ is almost like his REAL coming out as an artist in his own right.

Mr. Odd I just wrote you an email (unrelated to this thread) please AIM me or get on so I can AIM you.

Revive!

(RIP, Bimble goddammit -- your enthusiasm was amazing)

Second Edition (let's be honest -- I've never heard this from a metal box) is still so, so great. The bit "Memories" kicks in increasingly feels like the moment PIL began -- full of dynamics and insights the Pistols never had.

Thumbs up to Marcello's blog above (tho I would note that despite trying to correct for the record about Lydon singing "Albatross" not Wobble he still credits Wobble incorrectly with intoning a few lines -- can't ever miss an opportunity to correct for the record!).

Did anyone ever hear Levene and Wobble do their "in dub" version of this live a few years back?

'Memories' will always be a PiL favourite for me, each element of the track is killer, from the rhythm, to the bassline to the guitar playing. That's before I get to that neat effect they achieve by splicing differently mixed sections together. When the chorus kicks in, it's like you're suddenly in the room with the band.

Have owned both "Metal Box" (the 4MWB reissue, I'm not rich dammit) and "Second Edition", and can confidently state that it's a greater album on 45RPM. There's also something about the fussiness of having to flip sides and fuss with crepe paper sheets every few minutes that fits with their irritating aesthetic & makes "Metal Box" more than it might otherwise be.

(the 4MWB reissue, I'm not rich dammit)

Not anymore, yr not!