Happy?
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 June, 1992)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (4)

PiL on Happy Pills? Not quite...
The live band John Lydon assembled in early 1986 for the "Album" tour would, in fact, endure as PiL's longest-lasting lineup: guitarist John McGeoch and bassist Alan Dias would be on board for the subsequent three albums and drummer Bruce Smith for the next two. The first album with the "new" PiL may have an ironic title, and feature Lydon's trademark negation throughout, but it's still a very exhuberant, surprisingly upbeat work - hard, but danceable, rock (this evocative, aurally-exotic music - with female backing vox - would effectively characterise the PiL sound for the next half-decade). While "Happy?" is not quite as musically innovative or consistently excellent as its predecessor, what's on the album is more than worthwhile. The bouncy "Seattle" is a terrific, all-on-board opener; 'Rules and Regulations" is a dancey number that anticipates the sound of the next album "9," and in "The Body" Lydon revisits the abortion theme of the similarly-titled Sex Pistols classic "Bodies" (good as the album version of "The Body" is, both the UK and US 12'' remixes are superior). "Fat Chance Hotel," with its Wobble-esque bass intro and repetitive melodic drone, sounds like an amalgam of the 1978 and the 1987 PiLs. Much of the album has an intrinsically 80s, cinematic feel - especially on "Save Me" and "Open and Revolving" - which is almost certainly due to producer Gary Langan's multilayered production (again, a similar approach would be taken by Stephen Hague on "9"). "Happy?" is not PiL at its very best, but it's not far off from it.

Happy? Yes I am.
The best way to describe this album; Pop Heaven. The instrumentation is excellent, and catchy as hell, and to top it all off, we have John's smart and funny lyrics that make everything even more meaningful. Every song on here is worth listening to. "Angry" was quite a surprise; it doesn't sound very angry. It sounds more like festering frustration to me. The sample of paper being torn in the song was a nice touch. "Fat Chance Hotel" is another song I liked, and tells a story we all can relate to; going on a trip with our loved ones and not having it turn out quite the way we hoped it would. "Seattle" was one of the catchiest songs from the get-go. My favourite on here is "Open and Revolting", which is about being open with people and receptive to new ideas. The instrumental breaks with the synths and guitars are just tops! Come to think of it, this whole album is.

5/5

British Post-punk Anthem
A surprisingly tight and melodic collection from a former member of The Sex Pistols.The lyrics remain politically inspired, yet this is a neat80's-type band.Seems to me that the first three songs hit like a hammer,then the rest of the CD rolls gently downhill.All in all, this is arockin' album and there's bound to be more than just a few songs you likeon here. ... Read more

Asin: B000024ZVJ
Sales Rank: 419154
Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. College Rock    4. Post-Punk    5. Rock   

That What Is Not
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 June, 1992)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (9)

That What is Not Wonky

How could people who loved PIL's 9 album not enjoy That What is Not? It's a bit of a mind-boggler, that's for sure. The songs "God," "Emperor," and "Think Tank" are amongst some of PIL's catchiest and best. There are no filler songs on this album, either. Most of the songs here have the guitar near the front of the mix, so it's more audible, but that certainly doesn't give the songs a "metal-based" sound (as many a previous reviewer has wrongfully pointed out). If you like any PIL from 1983-1990, there's something here for you.

Final PiL...unfortunately
"That What Is Not" inhabits a vague realm: it's not particularly loved, but it doesn't appear to be despised either. It's simply regarded as what it is: the last PiL album. It doesn't achieve true greatness, but it's not boring or offensively bad, and is quite excellent in places. Despite having a settled lineup and fixed locale, the latter-era PiL was not afraid to change styles: there's nothing on "That What Is Not" that would have fitted on the two previous albums. In fact, the album is almost entirely devoid of the dance element that characterised "Happy?" and "9." Instead, "That What Is Not" opts for a harder, more metal-based sound (this is probably the PiL album the late John McGeoch has the most audible presence on), and while this is no "Album," Lydon's vulture-scavenging vocals and the imaginative musical touches and flourishes still keep PiL out of simple heavy rock. The album's grammatically-wonky title is a lyric in the opening song, "Acid Drops." The song is, fittingly enough, acidic (Lydon chastising government censorship), but the music is almost upbeat (the "No Future" refrain from the Pistols' "God Save The Queen" is effectively and nostalgically mixed into the outro; as a famously once-banned song, it's contextually perfect). Elsewhere, PiL demonstrates just how they were never able to cut it as a truly commercial, accessible band, letting their idiosyncrasies compromise mainstream appeal: "Luck's Up" has an emotive guitar line, but the chorus has an overlay of weird doggy wheezes; and the tuneful "God" could have been a great hit if it was shorter, had less outspoken lyrics, and had someone with a more radio-friendly voice than Lydon singing it. "Good Things" sounds like a refurbished "This Is What You Want" outtake, and in "Think Tank" Lydon takes a swipe at the middle-class journalists and music historians constantly reinterpreting and misrepresenting his life and the Punk era ("Rewriting history/Tampering in my story/Standing in my shadow/But still so pale/So shallow"). Given the extreme unlikelihood of another PiL album being made, it's disappointing that "That What Is Not" was their last studio release - not that it's unsatisfactory, it's just that you know PiL made it without the knowledge of it being their swansong. After its release, Lydon wrote his autobiography, reunited the Sex Pistols, released his solo album, clowned around for TV...It's been over a decade now, and as he inches ever so closely to 50, one hopes Lydon comes to his senses, reunites PiL, and makes sure "That What Is Not" is a comma, not a full stop.

Melodious hard rock explorations
This album of powerful guitar driven music marked John Lydon's return in the 1990s. Lydon is assisted by John McGeoch, Alan Dias and Curt Bisquera. Acid Drops is a scorching slab of heavy metal, Lucks Up is similar, a farewell song to a drug abuser. The thrash metal vibe continues on Cruel and Covered, whilst Unfairground and Love Hope have a more eclectic mix that includes harmonica and psychedelic twists and turns. Lydon's piercing voice rides the sonic wave to impressive effect. Emperor is a frenzied throwback to his punk roots, Good Things is a type of retro electro with a funky rhythmic undertone and Think Tank has a catchy tune and almost singalong chorus. That What Is Not is a strong album of neo heavy metal, exploring various avenues of the genre. It also contains some great melodic songs with intelligent lyrics and Lydon's trademark caustic observations. This work is as good as anything he came up with in the previous two decades, including the Metal Box set and his work with Sex Pistols.
... Read more

Asin: B00000DR70
Sales Rank: 115288
Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Punk    5. Rock   

Public Image Ltd
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 May, 2000)
list price: $16.99 -- our price: $16.99
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• Import

Reviews (20)

Entertaining but repetitive...
Most of the songs on this album are entertaining. They have catchy hooks, a cool sound, and Johnny "Rotten" Lydon's distinctive sneering vocals. However, there are a few major problems.
For the first part, they're all basically the same song. They're pretty much all just an excessively loud brick wall of sound, which might have been interesting for a few songs, but is just repetitive and draining after a while.
Also, the songs are stretched out way too long. These could make great three minute or so songs, and than maybe PiL could put on more than eight tracks. But no. They had to stretch them into five minute long ballads that sound like they could very well just be on a loop. There is almost no variation between verse and chorus, and the volume of the music stays basically the same throughout the whole record: unnecessarily loud. This is of course with the exception of one song, "Religion", which is basically a great, big, anti-Catholic rant and a perfect example of good ol' Johnny taking himself a wee bit too seriously. To be quite frank, the whole rant reminded me of poetry that might have been written by Rick on the television show "The Young Ones". And then of course is "Religion II", which is the same song as "Religion" except with instruments in the background. Good try Johnny, but no dice. Shoulda stuck with "God Save the Queen".

NO WAY !!!
I wrote this review only because I saw so many bad reviews of it I could'nt believe my eyes !!! How can anybody give this album less than 5 stars is beyond my wit !!! This is the sh..t !!! And the Holy Grail of after punk albums !!!!! It's weird and powerful,it was my introduction to after punk,and a deluxe one,I may add.Together with ALBUM,this is the best after punk album of all times.I LOVE THIS STUFF.

Never Mind The Sex Pistols, Here's John Lydon's Real Legacy
Let it not be forgotten just how villified John Lydon was when Public Image Ltd emerged in the immediate post-punk era. Already despised by the press/public, Lydon (the face of Punk) was at this point also copping the derision of hardcore punks who labelled him a sell-out amid the messy break-up of the Sex Pistols. Which makes PiL's debut album all the more remarkable. While Steve Jones and Paul Cook were sticking with Malcolm McLaren as he bilked the Sex Pistols moniker beyond parody point, and Sid Vicious was inching ever closer to his ignoble and inevitable death, it was Lydon who managed to reinvent himself in the full glare of the public, with an album that sounds nothing like "Never Mind The Bollocks" but is equally powerful - due primarilyto the expert musicianship that surrounded Lydon's lyrical/vocal broadsides, courtesy of ex-Clash guitarist Keith Levene, novice bassist Jah Wobble and drummer Jim Walker. The insidious sparsity of PiL's first album has an aural menace that contrasts with the guitar wall-of-sound that was the Pistols' trademark. Comprised mostly of short, punchy anti-pop numbers, Lydon is at his most cathartic, tearing into the media in the classic single "Public Image" ("You never listen to a word that I said/You only seen me for the clothes that I wear"), "Bourgeois Anarchist" Malcolm McLaren in "Low Life" ("Egomaniac traitor/You never did understand/You fell in love with your ego/It did not fit into plan") and Christian hypocrisy in the venomous "Religion II." But the album is bookended by longer, improvisional "songs" which anticipate "Metal Box" - the opening "Theme" is a lengthy, steady-paced torrent of doom, with bass and shrieking guitars and Lydon alternating between fiendish cackles and anguished screams ("I wish I could die"). But nothing compares to the jaw-droppingly-weird improvisational closer "Fodderstompf" - 8 minutes of Wobble's disco-dub beat with the band in Silly Voice mode, muttering away cynically and nonsensically (and intoning "We only wanted to be loved" over and over again in Gollumspeak). If the album as a whole is not quite as satisfying as most of its parts (the spoken-word "Religion I" is superfluous), it was to be expected for a debut effort. By and large, this is an above-average starting point for the adventurous and underrated PiL. ... Read more

Asin: B00000733Q
Sales Rank: 57789
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

This Is What You Get
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (30 June, 1998)
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• Import

Reviews (16)

You are now entering an Underrated Zone
Generally regarded as PiL's worst studio album. While this is probably true - it is undeniably patchy - it's far from awful and in fact boasts some great moments ("Bad Life," "Solitaire," "The Order Of Death" - incidentally, the album's title is a lyrical motif recurrent on "Bad Life" and "The Order Of Death"). At the time, "This Is What You Want" was PiL's biggest stylistic shift yet - from edgy avant garde to (edgy) disco funk, re-recorded after the departure of original guitarist Keith Levene (who released his mix of the original album tapes as the semi-legit and largely better-liked "Commercial Zone"). The horn section is only really obtrusive on the horrid remake of "This Is Not A Love Song" (the infinitely superior 1983 single version was PiL's biggest chart hit to date). That and two other numbers - "The Pardon" and "Where Are You" - form a severe lapse in quality that drags the album down. The original PiL sound is aching to emerge from underneath the sinister camp of "Tie Me To The Length Of That" (admittedly, a good track, with Lydon assuming the persona of a traumatised newborn: "When I was born the doctor didn't like me/He grabbed my ankles/Held me like a turkey/Dear mummy/Why'd you let him hit me/This was wrong/I knew you didn't love me"). "1981" serves as an epitaph for the UK-based PiL ("I'm leaving England/We're near the ending/You gave me nothing/No more pretending"). Like "Flowers Of Romance" (which, aside from a couple of tracks, it doesn't at all resemble musically), "This Is What You Want" is unsatisfying overall, but it has enough interesting tracks to weigh out its shortcomings.

these are not love songs
This is not the death ofPiL that many fans are calling it. There are some great songs here. "1981" is cool - great drums, great lyric , reminds me of the Flowers of Romance album, which i love . "Tie me to the Length of That" has a spooky Vincent Price vibe to the lyric and vocal, and a welcome return to a hooky bassline. "The Order of Death", despite being featured in an episode of Miami Vice - uuuugh - is one the best Pil songs ever, itschants of "this is what you want, this is what you get" becoming more and more bitter and sarcastic the more they are repeated. Even the then-current Brit-funk experimentations of "Bad Life" and "This is Not a Love Song" cannot hold them back. They have an undeniable energy, despite their somewhat dated sound. This is, after all, 1983. And a sight better than Kajagoogo or A-ha.

Best PIL album ever
After the awful Flowers of Romance Public Image releases their masterpiece. This is really just Johnny Lydon solo.The rest of the band all quit during the recordings and our hero plays all the instruments...

The song "Where are you" is to his missing band mates.

"This is not a love song" is a wonderful dancy pop song.They hadn't had a hit since "Public Image" and this corrects the problem.The record companies kept telling Johnny to write a love song and he decided not to and it was a top ten hit in England.

"Bad Life" is another highlight.I heard this song as "Mad Max" on a bootleg live album from 1982.They must have been not allowed to use the original lyrics.

"This is what you want" was featured on the episode of Miami Vice.

The inflections of Johnny voice are great throughout the album.There are keyboards and saxophone.All great stuff.

This is the middle ground PIL. Not as commercial as later stuff not as inaccessible as earlier stuff.

... Read more

Asin: B00000733R
Sales Rank: 91619
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

This Is Not a Love Song
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 July, 1993)
list price: $11.99
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• CD-single

Reviews (1)

PIL'S LAST STAND
The last gasp from the original team of John Lydon and Keith Levene. This small offering gives you a taste of the bands post Sex Pistols punk (the classic "public image" ) to the art rock classic "bluewater". This e.p. of course features the original version of"This is not a love song" as well as a remix of that track. Ilike this disk because it shows you where they began and how it ended. ... Read more

Asin: B00000AQRT
Sales Rank: 417597

Live in Tokyo
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 April, 2004)
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• Import
• Live

Reviews (5)

So what if you don't want this!

Gimme a break.
Everything a performer does is for the money. If John said he was ONLY doing his thing for the fans, he'd he lying. But apparently, people like Drainpipe like being lied to. No performer sings for the sole purpose of trying to win back former fans that won't give him the time of day for experimenting in the studio and playing a few sax solos in his songs.

If anything by PIL was unlistenable, it was their Second Edition album. What sparse crap that was! With that said, everything else afterwards by PIL, including Live in Tokyo, is excellent. And yes, it features several songs off Second Edition, but these renditions are more than unlistenable with the pseudo-disco treatment they've been given here. I'd love to see Drainpipe's reaction to John Lydon's solo material! It's dancier than Duran Duran. And it's GOOD. And (gasp!) FUN! John freely admits he loves doing music that is more accessible, and I'm glad that he (of all people) freely admits that.

And to anyone who doesn't like it: Quit living in the past, and sod off!

Don't believe the gripe
With Keith Levene and bassist Pete Jones flying the coop, John Lydon and Martin Atkins hastily assembled the infamous "cabaret band" from New Jersey and this faux-PiL toured Japan. Testimony of which is this much-maligned release, the world's first digitally-recorded live album which Lydon freely admits was nothing more than a cash incentive. So how does this less-than-laudable endeavour hold up? "Live In Tokyo" is all very smooth and glitzy; the perfunctory band goes through the motions with little of the edge that characterised the original PiL. But that doesn't mean that this set is unlistenable. Unsurprisingly, the pop-oriented material from the upcoming "This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get" album comes off best ("Solitaire," "This Is Not A Love Song," a very nifty "Bad Life"). The segue between "Low Life" and "Solitaire" is neat, "Religion" is boosted by an ironic Church-organ intro, and even "Flowers Of Romance" doesn't sound half bad. Unfortunately, the album doesn't include PiL's calling card number, "Public Image," which was retained on the official video of the gig. It's always going to be seen as the least essential PiL release ever, but "Live In Tokyo" is not boring - and small praise as that may be, given the circumstances of this album's existence, that's about as much as one could hope for.

Great live album capturing the essence of Public Image Ltd.
Well since I own a copy in VHS of the album, 2 CD's (Japanese & European version of the album) I can assure that this album is great. ... Read more

Asin: B00000AOSX
Sales Rank: 85862
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

The Flowers of Romance
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (30)

BRILLIANTLY EVIL
These songs are like nightmares committed to tape. Very odd, but I quite like it. One of the strangest albums ever released by a major label. Every bit as good and as influentialas Metal Box, although it sounds nothing like it.

Pansie Title/Evil Album
Cavernous, skeletal and almost completely evil-sounding; with a disillusioned Jah Wobble gone, PiL's musical emphasis shifted dramatically from bass to drums & vocals (and moody synths and Arabic musical motifs). Ironically, for an album so heavily reliant on drums, PiL drummer Martin Atkins only plays on three tracks (most of the drum detail is provided by Keith Levene). There's practically no guitar and, in its own way, this sparse, tribal album is just as experimental as "Metal Box" (and is even less immediately accessible). There's a lot of filler, but some of the material is as stunning as anything in the PiL canon (the title track; "Banging The Door;" and the moody and cinematic "Hymie's Him," which was originally composed, but ultimately not used, for the movie "Wolfen"). "Flowers Of Romance" has its admirers (many think it's one of the best things PiL ever did) and in retrospect it has proven to be an influential work (Phil Collins recruited engineer Nick Launay to replicate the big drum sound for his albums...the sound went on to dominate 80s pop). As albums go, "Flowers Of Romance" is one hell of an acquired taste. It might have made a better EP...That being said, however, Lydon has hinted that it's his favourite PiL album. Certainly, it gets better with repeated listening. The album, incidentally, is named for the short-lived band which featured a post-Clash Keith Levene and a pre-Pistols Sic Vicious (the name has also been attached to a pair of live 1976 improv numbers by the Sex Pistols).

Reminds me of The Cure's 'Pornography'
'Flowers of Romance' reminds me a lot of 'Pornography' by The Cure.I guess it's the emphasis on the heavy, almost-tribal percussion.Both albums used the same drum sound and both have quite a grim lyrical outlook.I think this is PiL's best work as I like the almost-Middle Eastern sounds with the heavy percussion along with John Lydon's monotone, Cockney whine.If I was forced to choose a favorite off the album, I would definitely choose the title track(although 'Go Back' would be a very close second).The title track has the tribal drumming that, along with that kind of Middle Eastern sound, make it one of the strangest, yet most engaging tunes I have ever heard. This album has kind of a gothic feel to it.Not surprising with the style of percussion and lyrical content.I can't listen to it enough.One of the all-time great pop(if it could even be called that)records, yet sadly underrated. ... Read more

Asin: B000005JAC
Sales Rank: 14455
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Experimental Rock    3. Noise-Rock    4. Pop    5. Post-Punk    6. Rock   

Second Edition
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Editorial Review

Among its many virtues, the second album by John Lydon's post-Sex Pistols group has the most brain-devouring bass sound ever, courtesy of Jah Wobble, whose dubby throb overpowers Lydon's drugged-out wail and Keith Levene's spidery, modal guitar lines. Lydon's words and singing evoke unending horror--they're the voice of a man in hell who can barely understand what's happening to him--and the songs here cycle through a few notes over and over until they're abruptly cut off. "This person's had enough of useless memories," he moans, and Second Edition isn't just a repudiation of rock's chords and catharsis, but a despairing attempt to forget. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (29)

At the top
I used to listen to a friend's copy of the original "Metal Box" of EP's, when it first came out.

Years later the "Second Edition" came out on LP's for those of us who hadn't sprung for the Metal Box before it sold out.

Eventually the Second Edition came out on this CD. So I finally could own a digital copy myself. Pristine, audio quality at least as good as the original Metal Box in my opinion, if I remember correctly.

You do need to listen to this. You do need to buy a copy and get other people to listen to this too.

this album... this album...
this album is tibetan singing bowls for the globalization age. this album is straight up dread. this album is the resurrection and the life.

fans should also check keith hudson, the specials, whitehouse's "new britain," the pop group, mars, king tubby, and the new trax records retrospective.

Jah Wobble on cold fire
This is as bass in your face as you're going to get, and this is perhaps PiL's most accomplished album. Each cut cuts. Lydon's voice is in supreme 'gargled with broken glass' shape. "Poptunes" and "Careering" are shattering tunes, and yet things cool down, down to the near hypnotic "Radio 4". There's good reason why this is the most critically acclaimed PiL album. ... Read more

Asin: B000002KJZ
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. England    3. Experimental Rock    4. Noise-Rock    5. Pop    6. Post-Punk    7. Rock   

Plastic Box [UK]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 June, 1999)
list price: $103.49 -- our price: $103.49
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Features

• Box set
• Limited Edition

Reviews (11)

Only a hardcore PiL fan can complain. And I'm one...
Essential 4-disc retrospective of PiL's 14-year career. Along with many tracks culled from the studio albums, the set includes B-sides, 12'' versions, a few alternate mixes, a selection of radio session performances other rarities to round out the collection of the serious PiL enthusiast. Highlights include an instrumental remix of "Fodderstompf," the outtake "Pied Piper," the B-sides "Question Mark" and "Selfish Rubbish," and "Criminal," from the "Point Break" soundtrack. Unfortunately, this set fulls short of being definitive. Nothing from the two live albums is included (which most people would regard as a good thing). There's also nothing from "Commercial Zone" (except "Blue Water," which was an official B-side), and B-sides/remixes from the latter era of PiL are almost non-existent (the 1987 remakes of "The Suit" and "Religion" would have been perfect inclusions as they were only ever released as 12'' vinyl B-sides, and never on CDs). Practically every track from the first five studio albums (1978-1986) is included, and then selected material from the final three (1987-1992) is squeezed onto the last disc, which reinforces the (false) perception that the LA-based PiL was something of a write-off. In the absence of a fifth disc, deleting tracks from the earlier albums - to allow room for more songs of the later PiL - would have resulted in a more balanced set (it's annoying that great, underrated material from "Happy?" and "9" is absent to provide room for dead weight from "Flowers Of Romance" and "This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get"). No matter though - despite its shortcomings, "Plastic Box" proves what a damn good band PiL in all its various permutations was (John Lydon's frank and informative liner notes rate a mention too). Collected sets rarely get much better than this...

great set, bad price
I don't want to bash amazon, but I bought this awesome collection on half.com for $31.99 brand new. I'm not sure why amazon is charging over $100.00 for it. I would highly recommend this Public Image Ltd. set but not for over $100.00. Shop around!

all the PiL you will ever need
This box set is fantastic. It has all the important material PiL recorded, plus a few rarities - B-Sides, Peel Sessions, 12" mixes, etc. Be warned, I docked this a point because of the last disc - latter day PiL is stoooopid , low brow rock music, it has none of the feeling of fresh inventive enthusiasm that their early work does. Listen to the first three discs, use the fourth as a coaster. ... Read more

Asin: B00000I3V0
Sales Rank: 142232
Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Box Sets (Audio Only)    4. College Rock    5. Experimental    6. Experimental Rock    7. Noise-Rock    8. Pop    9. Post-Punk    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop   

Paris in the Spring
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 May, 2000)
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• Import

Reviews (3)

Great but sad
Great album but it is sad to think this is the last piece of music we will ever get from the Lydon/Levene/Wobble team.Sometimes life just isn't fair.

the Turgid Miasma of Paris in the Springtime
John Lydon cursing the audience, the audience responding with hoots and catcalls; Jah Wobble and Keith Levine screwing around
in between songs--the hate is palpable. The songs and action is standard PIL, rickety and dour, the recording starting and ending abruptly; sound quality is very good. Not a place to start listening to PIL,but considerably better than "Live In Tokyo", the sound and performance of which makes me think of HBO specials and Las Vegas acts.

harrowing
This is the early edition of PiL, with Lydon accompanied by Wobble (bass) and Levene (still playing mostly guitar).This is not fun music -- Lydon's vocals drip with dread and loathing.The bass *sounds* incredible, although it seems like Wobble is straining against severe limitations.Levene spews out shards of lethal noise.A low point in their career, and for anyone willing to follow them to these depths, rewarding without being especially enlightening.You should already know if this is for you or not.Not for the faint-hearted, but perfect if you're in that mood. ... Read more

Asin: B00004XNLA
Sales Rank: 172971
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

That What Is Not
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 July, 1996)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (9)

That What is Not Wonky

How could people who loved PIL's 9 album not enjoy That What is Not? It's a bit of a mind-boggler, that's for sure. The songs "God," "Emperor," and "Think Tank" are amongst some of PIL's catchiest and best. There are no filler songs on this album, either. Most of the songs here have the guitar near the front of the mix, so it's more audible, but that certainly doesn't give the songs a "metal-based" sound (as many a previous reviewer has wrongfully pointed out). If you like any PIL from 1983-1990, there's something here for you.

Final PiL...unfortunately
"That What Is Not" inhabits a vague realm: it's not particularly loved, but it doesn't appear to be despised either. It's simply regarded as what it is: the last PiL album. It doesn't achieve true greatness, but it's not boring or offensively bad, and is quite excellent in places. Despite having a settled lineup and fixed locale, the latter-era PiL was not afraid to change styles: there's nothing on "That What Is Not" that would have fitted on the two previous albums. In fact, the album is almost entirely devoid of the dance element that characterised "Happy?" and "9." Instead, "That What Is Not" opts for a harder, more metal-based sound (this is probably the PiL album the late John McGeoch has the most audible presence on), and while this is no "Album," Lydon's vulture-scavenging vocals and the imaginative musical touches and flourishes still keep PiL out of simple heavy rock. The album's grammatically-wonky title is a lyric in the opening song, "Acid Drops." The song is, fittingly enough, acidic (Lydon chastising government censorship), but the music is almost upbeat (the "No Future" refrain from the Pistols' "God Save The Queen" is effectively and nostalgically mixed into the outro; as a famously once-banned song, it's contextually perfect). Elsewhere, PiL demonstrates just how they were never able to cut it as a truly commercial, accessible band, letting their idiosyncrasies compromise mainstream appeal: "Luck's Up" has an emotive guitar line, but the chorus has an overlay of weird doggy wheezes; and the tuneful "God" could have been a great hit if it was shorter, had less outspoken lyrics, and had someone with a more radio-friendly voice than Lydon singing it. "Good Things" sounds like a refurbished "This Is What You Want" outtake, and in "Think Tank" Lydon takes a swipe at the middle-class journalists and music historians constantly reinterpreting and misrepresenting his life and the Punk era ("Rewriting history/Tampering in my story/Standing in my shadow/But still so pale/So shallow"). Given the extreme unlikelihood of another PiL album being made, it's disappointing that "That What Is Not" was their last studio release - not that it's unsatisfactory, it's just that you know PiL made it without the knowledge of it being their swansong. After its release, Lydon wrote his autobiography, reunited the Sex Pistols, released his solo album, clowned around for TV...It's been over a decade now, and as he inches ever so closely to 50, one hopes Lydon comes to his senses, reunites PiL, and makes sure "That What Is Not" is a comma, not a full stop.

Melodious hard rock explorations
This album of powerful guitar driven music marked John Lydon's return in the 1990s. Lydon is assisted by John McGeoch, Alan Dias and Curt Bisquera. Acid Drops is a scorching slab of heavy metal, Lucks Up is similar, a farewell song to a drug abuser. The thrash metal vibe continues on Cruel and Covered, whilst Unfairground and Love Hope have a more eclectic mix that includes harmonica and psychedelic twists and turns. Lydon's piercing voice rides the sonic wave to impressive effect. Emperor is a frenzied throwback to his punk roots, Good Things is a type of retro electro with a funky rhythmic undertone and Think Tank has a catchy tune and almost singalong chorus. That What Is Not is a strong album of neo heavy metal, exploring various avenues of the genre. It also contains some great melodic songs with intelligent lyrics and Lydon's trademark caustic observations. This work is as good as anything he came up with in the previous two decades, including the Metal Box set and his work with Sex Pistols.
... Read more

Asin: B000005JL0
Sales Rank: 220975
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Public Image Ltd. - Greatest Hits So Far
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 June, 1992)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten made a definitive break from his past when he reclaimed his real name--John Lydon--and formed Public Image Limited. He was no longer a token punk rocker, but an artiste reveling in his newfound auteur status. The first six songs of this collection feature this vision of the group: hard, uncompromising, idiosyncratic tunes that turn pop music inside out with devastating results. "Public Image" is the residual fury of the Sex Pistols' breakup rendered with spiky guitars and Lydon's patented snarl. "Careering" and "Memories" are skeletal art rock based on the atmospherics of dub music and perverse dance grooves. But by the Bill Laswell-produced "Rise," PiL was no longer a group but Lydon's personal pop vehicle. The music became increasingly accessible, allowing for "alternative" hits such as "Seattle" on college radio and other tunes that, while enjoyable, do not challenge the status quo as advertised. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Severely Limited introduction
Slender but reasonably comprehensive package which if nothing else serves as a good intro into for the novice into the PiL oeuvre. John Lydon actually had to haggle with Virgin Records (Virgin originally wanted a mere 8-song set), but the end result is still frustratingly meagre. Inevitably, many gems are absent, and sadly the LP remake of "This Is Not A Love Song" is included instead of the original single version which, ironically enough, was PiL's greatest (commercial) hit. Still, there are superior remixes of "The Body," "Rise" and "Disappointed," and the set is closed off nicely with the supremely catchy eco-pop single "Don't Ask Me." But there's little need to revisit this collection once you get all the PiL albums.

Not Perfect, by any means, but excellent for new listeners..
Surely after the disbanding of "The Sex Pistols" few would have put money on singer "John Lydon / Johnny Rotten", setting up a
'Post-Punk'band, from the ashes of his first band.But then John Lydon was always about confounding the publics perceptions.So with World music / Worldbeat / Alternative bassist "Jah Wobble" (Who would be later sacked from the band), PiL is an amalgamation of early post-punk, Dub-rock, Alternative Dance & (later on) Pop/Rock.

First and formost, It must be noted that this is a 'Singles' collection more than anything, and thus forgoes consistency in favour of popular hits or singles tracks. So the collection of songs is understandably diverse and a little erratic.Although that's not to say that the singles in question are anything less than excellent choices, in fact it's surprising how well these singles stand up under close inspection considering how old some of them are (late 70's - Early 80's).

The First Track, "Public Image" is closer to the fiercer rockier side of the band that first emerged, with chugging guitars, rapid drumming and John Lydon shrieking with lyrical contempt "Two sides to every story, Somebody had to stop me, I'm not the same as when I began, I will not be treated as property" shows that his disdain of the establishment hadn't completely deserted him, when the Sex Pistols split.In fact this is one of the songs that is like a closest relative to the pistols work. Urgent, conformational, short and to the point noise rock!!.Sure, it's no replacement for the Pistols, and it certainly isn't Punk, but that rough & ready Angst-ridden alternative sound isn't too hard to discern.

If there's a particular stand out track, then for me, it's unquestionably got to be "Careering", a particularly exemplary example of Dub-Rock / Alternative Dance, that takes a sublime slow tempo slap-heavy bass (courtesy of 'Jah wobble'), brooding percussion, and scattershot electronics, which sound like thousands of metallic ball bearings hitting sheets of aluminium. and a shouty-sung dancey aesthetic that belies it's easy to miss seriousness of lyrics, with Lydon yelping "A face is raining, Across the border, The pride of history' The same as murder, Is this living, He's been careering!!", its a stunning juxtaposition of articulate lyrics mixed with the bouncy post-punk, dance sensibility, that earmarks some of the genres finest tracks, and went on to feature on several Post-Punk compilations.

"This is not a love Song" begins to show the transition of the band into a more accessible Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Dance group (much to the cargin of fans of their early material).And yet if you (like me), You are happy to take the music on its own merits, (as opposed to worrying about it's lack "Sticking it to the Establishment" approach from before).Then the introduction of a more refined and less abrasive sound Lydon won't disappoint, as well the use of a horn section, spiky guitars, and a far more FM Rock orientated sound.(Not strictly FM rock, as such, but certainly something that had more chance of being played on the radio, then their early work).But maybe its Lydon's reluctance to completely give in to the general public, because although the lyrics were less confrontational, they still retained that sarcasm that Lydon is famous for, with the lyric "I'm adaptable and I like my new role, I'm getting better and better, And I have a new goal, I'm changing my ways, where money applies" being a particularly Lydon-ish moment.

"Rise" is possibly one of the biggest concessions to refining a more accessible sound.And the single I remember most, on hearing it being playlisted on the radio on its first release.But actually a song that seems to touch up social/racial injustice with Lydon firing up unifying lyrics like : "I could be wrong I could be right, I could be black I could be white...", over looping guitars, keyboard and droning synths, showed that the transition to something that could make an entry into the musical charts was complete (possibly to subvert from within the pop/rock industry??), and although this is the point that they admittedly attracted a new audience with it's more rhythmic sounding instrumentation, largely broader musical scope and less confrontational lyrics (this song was actually the track I remember most, when I first heard PiL), It probably had their intital audience moving elsewhere, but the repeated shouting of "Anger is an Energy" showed that Lydon hadn't completely forgotten his past.

So there you have it, It's not a complete summary of the band by any means, and there are almost certainly omissions in track selection.And as been previously mentioned in the reviews below, is the the albums lurches wildly from Experimental Dub-rock track one minute, to Post-Punk throwdown the next, without much consideration for what went before.Plus not forgetting that the album feels largely in two distinct halves.The early Post/Experimental Punk/Rock & Art-Rock work, and the later, Alternative Pop/Rock & Dance sounding tracks, which may alienate early or later adopters to their music.But then this collection was never designed with them in mind.and they should seek out the individual albums.

So bearing in mind these criticisms, why is this release getting 5-Star's??....simple, because if your not concerned with their musical transitions, and how they were then, or how they are now.This is a fantastic singles collection full stop.There's some truly superb material here, irrespective of whether its : Dub, Noise-Rock, Art-Rock, aggressive Rock, Alternative Dance, or any of the other multitude of genres the band touched upon.PiL enthusiasts may want to overlook this release in favour for the studio albums, but the rest of us (especially those relatively new to the band), will find this to be an excellent primer for their work.

nice
"This is not a love song" one of the best song's I've heard on this cd.I recommend this.It sounds eerily similar to "Holiday in the Sun" by The Sex Pistols.The rest of the cd is good.This is a either/or type of cd.You're either going to like it,or you're not going to like it at all.I like it. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DR6J
Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. College Rock    4. Experimental Rock    5. Pop    6. Post-Punk    7. Rock   

9
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 June, 1992)
list price: $11.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (5)

Is everybody (not standoffish with the 80s) happy?
Lazy title identifies this as PiL's ninth album release, although it's the seventh studio album (and Lydon's second with the McGeoch/Dias/Smith nucleus). And it's another effective rebuttal to those who casually dismiss the latter-era, LA-based PiL. When plans for Bill Laswell to produce fell through, production chores were taken over by Simple Minds-cohort Stephen Hague (who specialises in lavish, art-of-noise production - and it shows here) and Eric "E.T." Thorngren. Like its predecessor "Happy?", "9" is steeped in unmistakable, archetypal 80s rock production, but if you accept it on its own merits, it's compelling nonetheless: synth-based, catchy, dancey hard rock (highlights include the opening "Happy" [why wasn't it on the previous album?], the airforce-bashing "U.S.L.S 1," the carnivalesque "Sand Castles In The Snow," and the synth-pinball chorus of "Same Old Story"). "Brave New World" has an incredible chorus, and "Like That" has an inherent goofy charm. "Warrior" boasts some embarrassing lyrics and musical touches, but "Disappointed" is one of the most stunning PiL songs, ever: great rousing music and Gospel vocals set to Lydon's cynical appraisal of friendship ("Disappointed a few people/When friendship reared its ugly head/Well, isn't that/What friends are for?"). Lydon is especially playful with his lyrics throughout, with liberal use of well-worn clichés ("The best things in this life are never free", "The devil takes care of his own", "Why should the devil have all the good tunes", "The emperor's new clothes", "The King and his castle," etc). His abrasive vocals don't chafe against the PiL/Hague musical environment of spiralling riffs and rhythms and gothic melodies, which makes this relatively accessible, as PiL albums go: wild and sprightly, but musically disciplined. In retrospect, "9" is probably PiL's most underrated release: infectious, likeable, brilliant.

If you like PiL, you'll love it
I happen to disagree with Jed, the reviewer above, but I think lots of people may agree with him.He is right about one thing, which is that it does sound like an album made in 1989, which to me is an album that crosses over between sophisticated arrangements and slightly chincey arrangements.It seems like quite a few albums did come out like that, but for me and many, the late 80's were a weak spot in the rock genre anyway.If you can put that aside, you can really start to see that this album was mixed, arranged, and written the way it should have been.I do mean that in a complimentary way.If you like the PiL vibe itself, you'll probably like this album all the way through.If you like only a couple PiL songs, you will probably only like Happy and Disappointed, maybe a few others.I do actually like Lydon's ostentatiousness, in his singing and as a person, and if you don't, then you are probably creepy anyway.

well, isn't that what friends are for?
"Disappointed", in my opinion, is one of THE BEST songs of the 80's. If you've ever had a 'friend' that messed you over, this song could be your anthem. Besides that, it just sounds wonderful. The whole CD does. I have always liked John's voice, as well as his wisdom. 9 is the only PiL we have on CD as, but we plan to get more.. ... Read more

Asin: B000008TW5
Sales Rank: 101047
Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. College Rock    4. Pop    5. Post-Punk    6. Rock   

Public Image Ltd. - Greatest Hits So Far
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 July, 1996)
list price: $11.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten made a definitive break from his past when he reclaimed his real name--John Lydon--and formed Public Image Limited. He was no longer a token punk rocker, but an artiste reveling in his newfound auteur status. The first six songs of this collection feature this vision of the group: hard, uncompromising, idiosyncratic tunes that turn pop music inside out with devastating results. "Public Image" is the residual fury of the Sex Pistols' breakup rendered with spiky guitars and Lydon's patented snarl. "Careering" and "Memories" are skeletal art rock based on the atmospherics of dub music and perverse dance grooves. But by the Bill Laswell-produced "Rise," PiL was no longer a group but Lydon's personal pop vehicle. The music became increasingly accessible, allowing for "alternative" hits such as "Seattle" on college radio and other tunes that, while enjoyable, do not challenge the status quo as advertised. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Severely Limited introduction
Slender but reasonably comprehensive package which if nothing else serves as a good intro into for the novice into the PiL oeuvre. John Lydon actually had to haggle with Virgin Records (Virgin originally wanted a mere 8-song set), but the end result is still frustratingly meagre. Inevitably, many gems are absent, and sadly the LP remake of "This Is Not A Love Song" is included instead of the original single version which, ironically enough, was PiL's greatest (commercial) hit. Still, there are superior remixes of "The Body," "Rise" and "Disappointed," and the set is closed off nicely with the supremely catchy eco-pop single "Don't Ask Me." But there's little need to revisit this collection once you get all the PiL albums.

Not Perfect, by any means, but excellent for new listeners..
Surely after the disbanding of "The Sex Pistols" few would have put money on singer "John Lydon / Johnny Rotten", setting up a
'Post-Punk'band, from the ashes of his first band.But then John Lydon was always about confounding the publics perceptions.So with World music / Worldbeat / Alternative bassist "Jah Wobble" (Who would be later sacked from the band), PiL is an amalgamation of early post-punk, Dub-rock, Alternative Dance & (later on) Pop/Rock.

First and formost, It must be noted that this is a 'Singles' collection more than anything, and thus forgoes consistency in favour of popular hits or singles tracks. So the collection of songs is understandably diverse and a little erratic.Although that's not to say that the singles in question are anything less than excellent choices, in fact it's surprising how well these singles stand up under close inspection considering how old some of them are (late 70's - Early 80's).

The First Track, "Public Image" is closer to the fiercer rockier side of the band that first emerged, with chugging guitars, rapid drumming and John Lydon shrieking with lyrical contempt "Two sides to every story, Somebody had to stop me, I'm not the same as when I began, I will not be treated as property" shows that his disdain of the establishment hadn't completely deserted him, when the Sex Pistols split.In fact this is one of the songs that is like a closest relative to the pistols work. Urgent, conformational, short and to the point noise rock!!.Sure, it's no replacement for the Pistols, and it certainly isn't Punk, but that rough & ready Angst-ridden alternative sound isn't too hard to discern.

If there's a particular stand out track, then for me, it's unquestionably got to be "Careering", a particularly exemplary example of Dub-Rock / Alternative Dance, that takes a sublime slow tempo slap-heavy bass (courtesy of 'Jah wobble'), brooding percussion, and scattershot electronics, which sound like thousands of metallic ball bearings hitting sheets of aluminium. and a shouty-sung dancey aesthetic that belies it's easy to miss seriousness of lyrics, with Lydon yelping "A face is raining, Across the border, The pride of history' The same as murder, Is this living, He's been careering!!", its a stunning juxtaposition of articulate lyrics mixed with the bouncy post-punk, dance sensibility, that earmarks some of the genres finest tracks, and went on to feature on several Post-Punk compilations.

"This is not a love Song" begins to show the transition of the band into a more accessible Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Dance group (much to the cargin of fans of their early material).And yet if you (like me), You are happy to take the music on its own merits, (as opposed to worrying about it's lack "Sticking it to the Establishment" approach from before).Then the introduction of a more refined and less abrasive sound Lydon won't disappoint, as well the use of a horn section, spiky guitars, and a far more FM Rock orientated sound.(Not strictly FM rock, as such, but certainly something that had more chance of being played on the radio, then their early work).But maybe its Lydon's reluctance to completely give in to the general public, because although the lyrics were less confrontational, they still retained that sarcasm that Lydon is famous for, with the lyric "I'm adaptable and I like my new role, I'm getting better and better, And I have a new goal, I'm changing my ways, where money applies" being a particularly Lydon-ish moment.

"Rise" is possibly one of the biggest concessions to refining a more accessible sound.And the single I remember most, on hearing it being playlisted on the radio on its first release.But actually a song that seems to touch up social/racial injustice with Lydon firing up unifying lyrics like : "I could be wrong I could be right, I could be black I could be white...", over looping guitars, keyboard and droning synths, showed that the transition to something that could make an entry into the musical charts was complete (possibly to subvert from within the pop/rock industry??), and although this is the point that they admittedly attracted a new audience with it's more rhythmic sounding instrumentation, largely broader musical scope and less confrontational lyrics (this song was actually the track I remember most, when I first heard PiL), It probably had their intital audience moving elsewhere, but the repeated shouting of "Anger is an Energy" showed that Lydon hadn't completely forgotten his past.

So there you have it, It's not a complete summary of the band by any means, and there are almost certainly omissions in track selection.And as been previously mentioned in the reviews below, is the the albums lurches wildly from Experimental Dub-rock track one minute, to Post-Punk throwdown the next, without much consideration for what went before.Plus not forgetting that the album feels largely in two distinct halves.The early Post/Experimental Punk/Rock & Art-Rock work, and the later, Alternative Pop/Rock & Dance sounding tracks, which may alienate early or later adopters to their music.But then this collection was never designed with them in mind.and they should seek out the individual albums.

So bearing in mind these criticisms, why is this release getting 5-Star's??....simple, because if your not concerned with their musical transitions, and how they were then, or how they are now.This is a fantastic singles collection full stop.There's some truly superb material here, irrespective of whether its : Dub, Noise-Rock, Art-Rock, aggressive Rock, Alternative Dance, or any of the other multitude of genres the band touched upon.PiL enthusiasts may want to overlook this release in favour for the studio albums, but the rest of us (especially those relatively new to the band), will find this to be an excellent primer for their work.

nice
"This is not a love song" one of the best song's I've heard on this cd.I recommend this.It sounds eerily similar to "Holiday in the Sun" by The Sex Pistols.The rest of the cd is good.This is a either/or type of cd.You're either going to like it,or you're not going to like it at all.I like it. ... Read more

Asin: B000005JKX
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock