If Music Could Talk

I need any 80-82 boots that have "No Birds" on them and a decent copy of Commercial Zone (not that crappy vinyl rip out there). Anyone help me out?

PiLstopher wrote:I need any 80-82 boots that have "No Birds" on them and a decent copy of Commercial Zone (not that crappy vinyl rip out there). Anyone help me out?

Given that CZ was never released in any format other than vinyl, there is no proper digital version—they'll all be vinyl rips.

Unless someone else uploads over night, I'll look at what I have for those boots tomorrow morning.

edit: Just took a quick look at the gigography in Heylin's PiL book. "No Birds" was only played live a few times:
18 June 79
8 Sept 79
17 Jan 80

I can upload the two 1979 shows if you wish.

Commercial Zone (Plus Bonus Tracks and Outtakes)

Studio Roughs & Rehearsals, 1981-83

The Russell Club, Manchester, 18 June 79

Futurama Sci-Fi Festival, Queens Hall, Leeds, 8 Sept 79

Groovy, thanks Hooky. By the way PiL did No Birds a few times on the 82 tour. I saw them do it and I still can't figure out what Levene was doing.

Bad Babytopher wrote:Groovy, thanks Hooky. By the way PiL did No Birds a few times on the 82 tour. I saw them do it and I still can't figure out what Levene was doing.

Yup, you're right. Shows on 10 Nov and 11 Dec 82 list "No Birds." Heylin lists other shows around that time but no set list.

I don't care what anyone says, the Jones/Atkins lineup pissed all over all the other PiL lineups onstage. Wobble was awesome, but wasn't a powerhouse in a live setting. That '82 gig at the Channel was not only amazing because the crowd went insane, but also because Levene was clean (and ripped the shit up) and that rhythm section was tighter than fuck and heavier than Heaven. Definitely in my top 5 all-time favorite shows. What a friggin' shame they lost their balls in the studio afterwards (Where Are You and The Slab are the only cuts that measure up) and then Lydon replaced Jones and Levene with a bunch of clowns from a Holiday Inn band.

WobTopher wrote:then Lydon replaced Jones and Levene with a bunch of clowns from a Holiday Inn band.

If there's ever been a worse live album than Live in Tokyo, I haven't heard it. That Lydon managed to scrape together a couple listenable albums after that defies the odds.

Found this link for the LP rip and some artwork
http://vivalesbootlegs.blogspot.com/200 ... icial.html

Dr. Medulla wrote:

WobTopher wrote:then Lydon replaced Jones and Levene with a bunch of clowns from a Holiday Inn band.

If there's ever been a worse live album than Live in Tokyo, I haven't heard it. That Lydon managed to scrape together a couple listenable albums after that defies the odds.

Yeah it's naff, I was never 100% convinced of Lydon's excuse for it being the new Toshiba technology available to record it at the time for it's existance.

Marky Dread wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:

WobTopher wrote:then Lydon replaced Jones and Levene with a bunch of clowns from a Holiday Inn band.

If there's ever been a worse live album than Live in Tokyo, I haven't heard it. That Lydon managed to scrape together a couple listenable albums after that defies the odds.

Yeah it's naff, I was never 100% convinced of Lydon's excuse for it being the new Toshiba technology available to record it at the time for it's existance.

I'd guess it was more a dwindling bank account and an opportunity to cash in on the semi-hit "Love Song."

Dr. Medulla wrote:

Marky Dread wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:

WobTopher wrote:then Lydon replaced Jones and Levene with a bunch of clowns from a Holiday Inn band.

If there's ever been a worse live album than Live in Tokyo, I haven't heard it. That Lydon managed to scrape together a couple listenable albums after that defies the odds.

Yeah it's naff, I was never 100% convinced of Lydon's excuse for it being the new Toshiba technology available to record it at the time for it's existance.

I'd guess it was more a dwindling bank account and an opportunity to cash in on the semi-hit "Love Song."

He would probably made more money out of issuing remixes of "Love Song"

Marky Dread wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:

Marky Dread wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:

WobTopher wrote:then Lydon replaced Jones and Levene with a bunch of clowns from a Holiday Inn band.

If there's ever been a worse live album than Live in Tokyo, I haven't heard it. That Lydon managed to scrape together a couple listenable albums after that defies the odds.

Yeah it's naff, I was never 100% convinced of Lydon's excuse for it being the new Toshiba technology available to record it at the time for it's existance.

I'd guess it was more a dwindling bank account and an opportunity to cash in on the semi-hit "Love Song."

He would probably made more money out of issuing remixes of "Love Song"

About fifteen years too early for that scam. Curious that the best stuff from that period of PiL—Commercial Zone/This Is What You Want—are where Lydon's involvement is minimal. Levene's instrumentals and the excellentest "Blue Water" blow the fuck out of anything else from that period (okay, maybe "Tie Me To the Length of That").

Dr. Medulla wrote:About fifteen years too early for that scam. Curious that the best stuff from that period of PiL—Commercial Zone/This Is What You Want—are where Lydon's involvement is minimal. Levene's instrumentals and the excellentest "Blue Water" blow the fuck out of anything else from that period (okay, maybe "Tie Me To the Length of That").

It's awesome* to think about how long ago it was that Lydon approached anything like "artistic relevance" or "creativity" or whatever.


*where "awesome" refer to the cruelty of life, entropy and the human condition.


His solo album is the balls though.

Flex wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:About fifteen years too early for that scam. Curious that the best stuff from that period of PiL—Commercial Zone/This Is What You Want—are where Lydon's involvement is minimal. Levene's instrumentals and the excellentest "Blue Water" blow the fuck out of anything else from that period (okay, maybe "Tie Me To the Length of That").

It's awesome* to think about how long ago it was that Lydon approached anything like "artistic relevance" or "creativity" or whatever.


*where "awesome" refer to the cruelty of life, entropy and the human condition.

I'm gonna place that date around when Wobble left. He's put out some good (read: listenable) music since then, and his collaborations with Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield were damn cool, but, really, he's been coasting since Metal Box. I still give the guy tons of credit for being involved in two of the most seminal, and dissimilar, albums of the last rock era, but is period of relevance was less than five years. (The Riot Show is also way cool.)

His solo album is the balls though.

Admittedly, I've never been a fan of the electronica genre, but even at that I was bored by it. "Sun" is alright—I liked the accordion bit—but the album as a whole is just really dreary.

Dr. Medulla wrote:I'm gonna place that date around when Wobble left. He's put out some good (read: listenable) music since then, and his collaborations with Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield were damn cool, but, really, he's been coasting since Metal Box. I still give the guy tons of credit for being involved in two of the most seminal, and dissimilar, albums of the last rock era, but is period of relevance was less than five years. (The Riot Show is also way cool.)

Lydon is usually at his best when surrounded by other musicians which help him rise up. the original Pistols lineup did that as did PiL up to Wobble's departure. His work with Bambaataa and Leftfield suggest that he could still produce some gems when paired with talent that helped raise his ship, so to speak.

Admittedly, I've never been a fan of the electronica genre, but even at that I was bored by it. "Sun" is alright—I liked the accordion bit—but the album as a whole is just really dreary.

His solo album ruins my thesis because it is the great thing to be recorded by mankind besides Cut the Crap.