Public Image Limited

General music discussion.
laxman
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 3737
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 6:05pm

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by laxman »

Marky Dread wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 5:57pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 3:07pm
Okay, short answer is that you won't feel ripped off.

The really curious thing about this is that the notable change in style is less in a dub direction, as the title would suggest, than something more obviously rock or dance. Drums are heavily foreground and powerful. Guitars are similarly loud and proud. In that, this is making Metal Box more conventional (tho not conventional by any means). If Metal Box is cold, spooky, scary, this is mostly joyous and energetic, a lot of it ready for the clubs. Only a few tracks get serious reworking, the most obvious being "Fodderstompf" (it and "Public Image" are added on bonus tracks), which is now a fully realized song. ("Careering" is also significantly re-interpreted, so less successfully from my first listen.) I think only four songs get vocals (from Wobble) and the surprising thing is that the loss of Lydon or his words really don't lessen the effect.

It's not an album that needed to be made, but it's cool when Wobble does drop something that is quite accessible. I suspect most people here would dig this.
Great thanks for the review. Yes I've always felt it would work brilliant as an instrumental album as well. Lydon's vocals and lyrics are great but then the music is a great foundation. Looking forward to getting this. 😎
It is on Amazon Music already. I'm listening now. Powerful is definitely a good description.

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115983
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Dr. Medulla »

laxman wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:34pm
Marky Dread wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 5:57pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 3:07pm
Okay, short answer is that you won't feel ripped off.

The really curious thing about this is that the notable change in style is less in a dub direction, as the title would suggest, than something more obviously rock or dance. Drums are heavily foreground and powerful. Guitars are similarly loud and proud. In that, this is making Metal Box more conventional (tho not conventional by any means). If Metal Box is cold, spooky, scary, this is mostly joyous and energetic, a lot of it ready for the clubs. Only a few tracks get serious reworking, the most obvious being "Fodderstompf" (it and "Public Image" are added on bonus tracks), which is now a fully realized song. ("Careering" is also significantly re-interpreted, so less successfully from my first listen.) I think only four songs get vocals (from Wobble) and the surprising thing is that the loss of Lydon or his words really don't lessen the effect.

It's not an album that needed to be made, but it's cool when Wobble does drop something that is quite accessible. I suspect most people here would dig this.
Great thanks for the review. Yes I've always felt it would work brilliant as an instrumental album as well. Lydon's vocals and lyrics are great but then the music is a great foundation. Looking forward to getting this. 😎
It is on Amazon Music already. I'm listening now. Powerful is definitely a good description.
"Albatross" is now something that can be described as ass-kicking.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

laxman
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 3737
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 6:05pm

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by laxman »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:37pm
laxman wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:34pm
Marky Dread wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 5:57pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 3:07pm
Okay, short answer is that you won't feel ripped off.

The really curious thing about this is that the notable change in style is less in a dub direction, as the title would suggest, than something more obviously rock or dance. Drums are heavily foreground and powerful. Guitars are similarly loud and proud. In that, this is making Metal Box more conventional (tho not conventional by any means). If Metal Box is cold, spooky, scary, this is mostly joyous and energetic, a lot of it ready for the clubs. Only a few tracks get serious reworking, the most obvious being "Fodderstompf" (it and "Public Image" are added on bonus tracks), which is now a fully realized song. ("Careering" is also significantly re-interpreted, so less successfully from my first listen.) I think only four songs get vocals (from Wobble) and the surprising thing is that the loss of Lydon or his words really don't lessen the effect.

It's not an album that needed to be made, but it's cool when Wobble does drop something that is quite accessible. I suspect most people here would dig this.
Great thanks for the review. Yes I've always felt it would work brilliant as an instrumental album as well. Lydon's vocals and lyrics are great but then the music is a great foundation. Looking forward to getting this. 😎
It is on Amazon Music already. I'm listening now. Powerful is definitely a good description.
"Albatross" is now something that can be described as ass-kicking.
The first 2 or 3 minutes of Public Image too.

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115983
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kory
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 17319
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 1:42pm
Location: In the Discosphere

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58886
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Marky Dread »

Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
That's all a very long time ago. Lydon has spoken highly of Wobble long since.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58886
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Marky Dread »

laxman wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:34pm
Marky Dread wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 5:57pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 3:07pm
Okay, short answer is that you won't feel ripped off.

The really curious thing about this is that the notable change in style is less in a dub direction, as the title would suggest, than something more obviously rock or dance. Drums are heavily foreground and powerful. Guitars are similarly loud and proud. In that, this is making Metal Box more conventional (tho not conventional by any means). If Metal Box is cold, spooky, scary, this is mostly joyous and energetic, a lot of it ready for the clubs. Only a few tracks get serious reworking, the most obvious being "Fodderstompf" (it and "Public Image" are added on bonus tracks), which is now a fully realized song. ("Careering" is also significantly re-interpreted, so less successfully from my first listen.) I think only four songs get vocals (from Wobble) and the surprising thing is that the loss of Lydon or his words really don't lessen the effect.

It's not an album that needed to be made, but it's cool when Wobble does drop something that is quite accessible. I suspect most people here would dig this.
Great thanks for the review. Yes I've always felt it would work brilliant as an instrumental album as well. Lydon's vocals and lyrics are great but then the music is a great foundation. Looking forward to getting this. 😎
It is on Amazon Music already. I'm listening now. Powerful is definitely a good description.
I've got it on order so I'm waiting. Usually I get downloads with stuff from Amazon but hey I'm happy to wait. It will never diminish how I felt on hearing it on the day of release all those years ago. But I'm glad it's sounding good.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115983
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
I thought of that as I was listening. "Another" isn't revisited here, but the record is a statement, once again, that these songs are mine as much as yours, Johnny.

BTW, seeing as you're on this thread, what's your view of Wobble as a bass player? When I read Pete Jones' memoir, he was pretty dismissive of Wobble as a musician, yet it's hard to deny the guy's huge body of work with a diverse array of collaborators, so there has to be something to him even if he's not, I guess, technically impressive.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kory
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 17319
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 1:42pm
Location: In the Discosphere

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:24pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
I thought of that as I was listening. "Another" isn't revisited here, but the record is a statement, once again, that these songs are mine as much as yours, Johnny.

BTW, seeing as you're on this thread, what's your view of Wobble as a bass player? When I read Pete Jones' memoir, he was pretty dismissive of Wobble as a musician, yet it's hard to deny the guy's huge body of work with a diverse array of collaborators, so there has to be something to him even if he's not, I guess, technically impressive.
I like him. As a bassist, it's impressive to me when someone is technically virtuosic. But as the years have gone on, it means a lot less to me than their general sense of timing, articulation, and note choice as it relates to the song. There's genres for which a higher level of technique is potentially required for the feel rather than for the sake of showing off (like funk, for example—although there's plenty of showing off there too), but for what he does, he's right on the money.

One of the virtues of the bass is that while it's difficult to be a virtuoso, it's pretty easy to be perfectly serviceable. And if you have good musical intuition, you can make being perfectly serviceable sound pretty damn cool.This isn't as true with other instruments.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115983
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:48pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:24pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
I thought of that as I was listening. "Another" isn't revisited here, but the record is a statement, once again, that these songs are mine as much as yours, Johnny.

BTW, seeing as you're on this thread, what's your view of Wobble as a bass player? When I read Pete Jones' memoir, he was pretty dismissive of Wobble as a musician, yet it's hard to deny the guy's huge body of work with a diverse array of collaborators, so there has to be something to him even if he's not, I guess, technically impressive.
I like him. As a bassist, it's impressive to me when someone is technically virtuosic. But as the years have gone on, it means a lot less to me than their general sense of timing, articulation, and note choice as it relates to the song. There's genres for which a higher level of technique is potentially required for the feel rather than for the sake of showing off (like funk, for example—although there's plenty of showing off there too), but for what he does, he's right on the money.

One of the virtues of the bass is that while it's difficult to be a virtuoso, it's pretty easy to be perfectly serviceable. And if you have good musical intuition, you can make being perfectly serviceable sound pretty damn cool.This isn't as true with other instruments.
It sounds like you've gone "backwards" to more of a punk attitude—the feel being more important than technique and virtuosity. Sid forevah!
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58886
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Marky Dread »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 8:01pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:48pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:24pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
I thought of that as I was listening. "Another" isn't revisited here, but the record is a statement, once again, that these songs are mine as much as yours, Johnny.

BTW, seeing as you're on this thread, what's your view of Wobble as a bass player? When I read Pete Jones' memoir, he was pretty dismissive of Wobble as a musician, yet it's hard to deny the guy's huge body of work with a diverse array of collaborators, so there has to be something to him even if he's not, I guess, technically impressive.
I like him. As a bassist, it's impressive to me when someone is technically virtuosic. But as the years have gone on, it means a lot less to me than their general sense of timing, articulation, and note choice as it relates to the song. There's genres for which a higher level of technique is potentially required for the feel rather than for the sake of showing off (like funk, for example—although there's plenty of showing off there too), but for what he does, he's right on the money.

One of the virtues of the bass is that while it's difficult to be a virtuoso, it's pretty easy to be perfectly serviceable. And if you have good musical intuition, you can make being perfectly serviceable sound pretty damn cool.This isn't as true with other instruments.
It sounds like you've gone "backwards" to more of a punk attitude—the feel being more important than technique and virtuosity. Sid forevah!
I guess Kory prefers the guy who knows how to turn his amp on.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Kory
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 17319
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 1:42pm
Location: In the Discosphere

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 8:01pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:48pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:24pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 6:47pm
Can't help but think this record is going to piss off Lydon coming on the heels of The Great Betrayal from Cook, Jones, and Matlock.
Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
I thought of that as I was listening. "Another" isn't revisited here, but the record is a statement, once again, that these songs are mine as much as yours, Johnny.

BTW, seeing as you're on this thread, what's your view of Wobble as a bass player? When I read Pete Jones' memoir, he was pretty dismissive of Wobble as a musician, yet it's hard to deny the guy's huge body of work with a diverse array of collaborators, so there has to be something to him even if he's not, I guess, technically impressive.
I like him. As a bassist, it's impressive to me when someone is technically virtuosic. But as the years have gone on, it means a lot less to me than their general sense of timing, articulation, and note choice as it relates to the song. There's genres for which a higher level of technique is potentially required for the feel rather than for the sake of showing off (like funk, for example—although there's plenty of showing off there too), but for what he does, he's right on the money.

One of the virtues of the bass is that while it's difficult to be a virtuoso, it's pretty easy to be perfectly serviceable. And if you have good musical intuition, you can make being perfectly serviceable sound pretty damn cool.This isn't as true with other instruments.
It sounds like you've gone "backwards" to more of a punk attitude—the feel being more important than technique and virtuosity. Sid forevah!
The times when I was most interested in virtuosity were 12th grade and then again around 2010–2012. Once you've heard the upper limits of virtuosity, there's not much left to impress you.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115983
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
23 Nov 2021, 2:32pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 8:01pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:48pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:24pm
Kory wrote:
22 Nov 2021, 7:14pm


Especially since he was already excommunicated for stealing backing tracks.
I thought of that as I was listening. "Another" isn't revisited here, but the record is a statement, once again, that these songs are mine as much as yours, Johnny.

BTW, seeing as you're on this thread, what's your view of Wobble as a bass player? When I read Pete Jones' memoir, he was pretty dismissive of Wobble as a musician, yet it's hard to deny the guy's huge body of work with a diverse array of collaborators, so there has to be something to him even if he's not, I guess, technically impressive.
I like him. As a bassist, it's impressive to me when someone is technically virtuosic. But as the years have gone on, it means a lot less to me than their general sense of timing, articulation, and note choice as it relates to the song. There's genres for which a higher level of technique is potentially required for the feel rather than for the sake of showing off (like funk, for example—although there's plenty of showing off there too), but for what he does, he's right on the money.

One of the virtues of the bass is that while it's difficult to be a virtuoso, it's pretty easy to be perfectly serviceable. And if you have good musical intuition, you can make being perfectly serviceable sound pretty damn cool.This isn't as true with other instruments.
It sounds like you've gone "backwards" to more of a punk attitude—the feel being more important than technique and virtuosity. Sid forevah!
The times when I was most interested in virtuosity were 12th grade and then again around 2010–2012. Once you've heard the upper limits of virtuosity, there's not much left to impress you.
Snobbish punk!
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115983
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Listened to the record again on my walk. "Albatross" is like it came from the Album sessions. Those Bonham-like booming drums just and hard rock guitar turn it into such a bad-ass thumper. If we could count this record as an official PiL album, that "Albatross" might be in my top 5 PiL songs.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

sonnyburnit
Junco Partner
Posts: 462
Joined: 16 Aug 2008, 9:58am

Re: Public Image Limited

Post by sonnyburnit »

I honestly had higher hopes after hearing Poptones a month ago. I guess I was hoping for more “dub”. It’s solid, maybe a little underwhelming and not a world changer but a cool listen nonetheless.

Post Reply