why does STEVE VAI play on PUBLIC IMAGE records?

It works, though. That squealing solo on "Rise" is partly what makes the song a work of genius.

that should be general bias, unfortunately i know more people with Steve Vai charms than i know people with love for PiL

MY FAIR WEATHER FRIENNNDDDDDD!!!!!!!

Easily it's my favorite. It's the only PiL album I've heard where I unreservedly love every single song to ittty bitty pieces.

Nope. I think there are some songwriter credits and that's it.

i also vaguely remember that album was being marketed as "johnny rotten makes nice to the press!" i.e., he actually gave interviews and was somewhat charming instead of whatever kind of rotten fellow/punk stereotype lazy journalists assumed that he would be.

Whoa, this sounds awesome (not so much b/c of Vai but because of everyone else). Can someone describe what the album sounds like? I find the 'classic' PiL material very interesting but ultimately a little tedious and unfun.

The video for "Rise", with Lydon ranting in some backyard under some hanging laundry (IIRC), was neat.

holy shit this album is heavy. i love when the synths come in w/2 minutes to go on flowers.

Tony Williams???? Holy shit

Vai acquitted himself most admirably on Eat'em And Smile.

-- Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 14 August 2005 23:15 (2 years ago)

I would just like to say that Alfred is OTM here

eat 'em and smile is so amazing.

I remember reading a story about the making of this album - apparently Laswell and Lydon didn't get along at all, and the original idea was to use whatever touring lineup of PIL existed at the time, but Laswell said, basically, "Your drummer sucks - let's get someone else in," and Lydon sneered "Why not get Ginger Baker, then?" to which Laswell responded, "That's the first good idea you've had," and picked up the phone.

In this months Uncut, Lydon talks about how enjoyable the whole process was. He's in a phenominally good mood tho.

"Home" is still my favorite thing on the album (although pretty much everything on the album is beyond brilliant except "Bags", which is merely good).

There was certainly enough shredding happening in punk in 1986 that it wasn't some radical statement to have a hot guitar player on a Johnny Rotten record. Punk orthodoxy still hadn't quite congealed, other than it was still pretty much anything goes at that time.
Besides, the technical ineptitude of punk musicians is one of the more over-stated bits of received wisdom.

I hate John Lydon

Listening again after a long time. Weird masterpiece.

Funny I was just reading the Wikipedia article on this album

This quote (from Laswell manager Roger Trilling) from the Wikipedia page is amazing:

"John, I think, got a cassette the evening before [recording his vocals]. The idea was to get him on the initial take, and if it didn't work, keep the tapes, which was Bill's music anyway."

That album should totally not work and yet it did!

Every time I listen to him I think “ok, now I’m going to hear the soul in this and get it,” but sadly…

there’s always next time

Is a PiL record the place to find soul?

Even Richard Nixon has got soul

Sock it to me?

Go crawl back into your dustbin
Go crawl back into your dustbin
Go crawl back into your dustbin
Go crawl back into your dustbin

anyway, "Rise" is a masterpiece, one of the decade's best.

Wasn't John's idea to make "commercial" sounding record and use big names? I mean, he had Miles Davis record something (that didn't make the final cut)! John is always looking to subvert expectations.

Wasn't John's idea to make "commercial" sounding record and use big names? I mean, he had Miles Davis record something (that didn't make the final cut)! John is always looking to subvert expectations.

I think that's ex post facto ass-covering. The real story, gleaned from interviews with Laswell and Bernard Fowler (who sang backing vocals on the entire album, basically doubling Lydon), seems to go like this:

- Lydon and his new backing band, who suck but are good at following orders, write some new songs
- Management hires Laswell to produce; Laswell is already working with what will become "the PIL Players" on a thousand other projects
- Laswell tells Lydon "Your band sucks, why don't you go to the bar while my guys come up with some music"
- The music is recorded, Lydon is summoned and lays down his vocals
- Pleased with his awesome-sounding new album, Lydon comes up with a press narrative that emphasizes collaboration and flatters all parties
- Laswell collects his check, moves on with his life, and murmurs positive things about Lydon when asked

I did read somewhere that Laswell was approached to do the follow-up (Happy?) and made the same demand re not using the PIL touring band - but John L was by this point quite attached to the McGeoch / Smith / Edmunds / Dias band and said fuck off.

I mean that is undoubtedly a pretty talented band, not sure of the chronology though re the players that got dissed for Album, I think that was a different lot?

Ok yeah it was these guys - the 1984/5 touring band - who actually have songwriting credits on most of Album.

https://www.fodderstompf.com/MEMBERS/1984.html"> https://www.fodderstompf.com/MEMBERS/1984.html

Ah fuckin hell

here