Public Image Ltd – "Commercial Zone" (PiL Records Inc. – XYZ-007) 1984

Recently Deceased  alleged guitar genius Keith Levene (alleged by himself mainly) who was responsible for stealing the tapes for Public Image Ltd's dodgy follow-up to the classic 'Flowers Of Romance' LP.,and remixing the results to make himself look even more like the feckless junkie he really was. The accepted wisdom is that "Commercial Zone" is far superior to the awful dross that was the official PiL fourth studio album, clumsily entitled, "This is what you want...This is what you get".....which I can now reveal to be incorrect.....we wanted Metal Box 2 but got "This is what you want...This is what you get" and "The Commercial Zone",in other words, the same album twice. (get Metal Box deluxe Edition Here!)

As horrified as I was back in 1984,as to how unapologetically 'Bad' this record by one of the greatest groups to have ever stalked this Earth ,was. I now have changed my mind. They are both quite awful in 1984 terms,but in 2022, they both sound rather otherworldly,and have aged like a budget bottom shelf wine.They just don't make 'em like this anymore! 

What on earth is that singer doing? A horrible throaty hi-pitched whine that seems to be singing the same tune in every song.Wasn't he in Those Sex Pistols once upon a time? How did it get to be like this?

The music IS Disco,but a Disco that no-one wants to dance to....which is,in fact, the best kind of Disco.

Keith Levine stole and released "Commercial Zone" after he was sacked from PiL so as not to endanger the group's lucrative Japanese tour due to his severe drug addiction. Revealing an album with no hits,even though "This Is Not A Love Song" was a massive worldwide smash,it really shouldn't have seen the light of day when comparing it to little Johnny Rotten Band's previous work.

However, having not listened to these two different versions of the same record after a good thirty years abstinence,I now find myself enjoying this confusingly disconnected art school drop-out funk ...with a singer who seems to be taking the piss out himself and the record buying public in general.

Previously, my opinion of John Lydon, and his post-1981 work followed, somewhat, the general direction of this rather malicious review of "This is what you want...This is what you get", by the NME's Biba Kopf, who got his/her claws out ruthlessly back in good ol' 1984:

"Dear John, the big kiss off:

This is what you want? Carry On Picking The Carrion Part Umpteen? Starring Johnny Rotten as Little Miss Understood, the world’s most self-righteous schoolmarm, whose once shrivelling, presently shrivelled, wit has tightened to a contstipated bowel that slowly and painfully emits squeaky sarcasms only capable of raising tears in 11 year olds? Or the frightening faithful class creep Martin Applecheeks back in line?
This is what you’re left with when you make a career of going against nature (only to be defeated by your own): a fixed scowl, a very limited public image indeed, intuition dried up, refinement beyond grasp, reduced by sloth to hiring studio morticians to cosmetise the corpse of a long dead idea, because you no longer care or have energy enough to be invigoratingly careless.
Now bored with testing the world against your whims you blame it, anyone else but yourself-it can never be your fault, can it? - for your loss of interest, loss of words, loss of vision; for your very deafness… But surely even you can feel the cheapness of the horrortronics permeating this record with the stink of the stale and the secondhand. Sudden sax squalls and thunderous drum breaks are hardly the things to blow it away.
For one whose chief pride has always been remaining true to yourself, I’m surprised your conscience so readily accepts your feeble reasoning. Just because you write a love song, there must be something wrong with the form? Obviously. And because your dwindling legion still stand by to watch the waning moon of your rotten talent, believing it will rise again, they must be thoroughly abused, thereby disabused of that sentimental notion? Naturally.
With you on the last point, Johnboy, and will reluctantly admit you a piddling victory. Your idiot finger wagging rhythm ’n’ entropy, exemplified by the bicker banter of the title ‘This Is What You Want This Is What You Get’, is crass and mediocre enough to complete your self-willed, pointless martyrdom. Congratulations. You’ve earned our contempt. Here it comes:
Wot a bloody stupid cackleshit asshole coyote lied-to done-in-good ’n’ rotten put-upon no-hope lumpenlard jackal knucklehead trickletalent pile of jokepuke you turned out to be. There ain’t enough copographers in the world to swallow your PiL in quantity enough to justify the cost any longer.

Piss off.

Biba Kopf, NME, 4th August 1984"

OUCH!?

Of course this kinda of intelligent funky stuff was ten a penny back in the eighties,and it got swallowed up in the swell of the tsunami,then dragged out to sea.But,all said, the Bad Life/Mad Max video is,and always was,and always will be, one of the best video's ever made,in my humble opinion.

And as much as I agreed with Bibs in 1984, I now have,predictably, the opposite view nowadays. It's a lump of 'lumpenlard jackal knucklehead' cypto-genius is what it is......it went really downhill from here however.

This blurb was supposed to be a tribute to the recently expired Keith Levene,to whom the much over-used word 'Genius' was often applied largely by...er...Mr Lydon a lot, and not by very many others save himself.

As his reputation is intrinsically linked to PiL's first two albums, it is partially true; but he was conspicuous by his smack induced absence on Flowers of Romance,and largely invisible on The "Commercial Zone" bootleg too.However, one must point to his highly unique contributions to "Theme" and "Public Image" (the single),which will echo deep into infinity and beyond with their shimmering perfection, and the inescapable irony of John's lyrics to "Theme"...."I wish I could Diiiiieeee".

Not sure Keef would appreciate the reality of such words wherever he may be in the eternal now,what was, and what should have been.

Rest In Peace Keef.....and hopefully there are no Drugs in paradise to fuck up the after-life too!

Tracklist:

Commercial Zone:

1 Mad Max 4:11
2 Love Song 4:27
3 Young Brits 3:40
4 Bad Night 3:29
5 The Slab 3:36
6 Lou Reed Part I 3:58
7 Lou Reed Part II 2:50
8 Blue Water 3:30
9 Miller High Life 2:38

"This Is What You Want...."

1 Bad Life
2 This Is Not A Love Song
3 Solitaire
4 Tie Me To The Length Of That
5 The Pardon
6 Where Are You?
7 1981
8 The Order Of Death

DOWNLOAD to get what you want HERE!

Public Image Ltd. - "Futurama Sci-Fi Festival, Leeds 8th september, 1979" (Bootleg)

Post-punk's 'woodstock' was the 1979 Futurama Festival in Leeds,and the opening night was headlined by PiL, above such luminaries as Joy Division ,Cabaret Voltaire and a raft of nearly every other hip band of 1979.......it even had Hawkwind, despite them being more science fantasy in their outlook than science fiction.
PiL's performance had mixed reviews from brilliant to terrible,with Lydon spending most of the gig with his back to the audience.A stance I've always approved of. 
Wobble's outfit was an all white combination of socks, sandals and shorts,as if he was drafted in from Wham!'s 'Club Tropicana' video.
This band had a fantastically terrible attitude that matched the brilliance of their groundbreaking music. They had every right to put on a terrible performance; that's why they(PiL 1978-80) were always brilliant no matter what they did.

Tracklist:

1.Chant
2.Annalisa
3.Memories
4.Lowlife
5.Public Image
6.Attack
7.Death disco
8.Another
9.No Birds Do Sing

DOWNLOAD the ghost of future past HERE!

Public Image Ltd. ‎– "Metal Box - (Super Deluxe Edition)" (Virgin ‎– 570 149-1) 2016/1979

In the history books of rock'n'pop'n'roll there are few records that deserve their place in the annals as one of the most strikingly original and inspired pieces of genius as much as PiL's "Metal Box".
Maybe "Trout Mask Replica", "Are You Experienced", "Revolver", "Pet Sounds" (I hate pet sounds by the way,JZ), "Highway 61","Unknown Pleasures",.....the list is short,and admittedly incomplete,but this album from outer space is on there......even though I prefer the first album,which i have now decided is actually called "First issue"......the ultimate 'bad attitude' album or what?
After this classic conceptual piece of progressive post-punk, Lydon finally surrendered to his ego and not so much burned out,as fizzled out; turning into the publicity seeking media whore he is today(His Public Image is no longer 'Limited'!).
PiL ceased to exist as soon as Wobble was 'sacked', by a goofy tin-pot rock star and a disappearing smack head....you can guess who they are. As it is with many artists,the more difficult and untenable the circumstances the greater the product.These conditions could never have continued to produce a Metal Box 2,and nor should they.The saddest thing is that Lydon was allowed to carry on as 'PiL', soiling the brand name,even to this day, with the circus act that is the new PiL.
So,here we are with the bottom of the Metal Barrel thoroughly scraped for every last shard of related material to satisfy the public, who, in classic showbiz terms, were left wanting MORE!....which is what we all get of everything these days....in fact too much......and the crowd screamed for LESS!

Tracklist:

The Metal Box - (Remastered)

1-1 Albatross 10:35
1-2 Memories 5:05
1-3 Swan Lake (AKA Death Disco) 4:12
1-4 Poptones 7:46
1-5 Careering 4:31
1-6 No Birds (Do Sing) 4:41
1-7 Graveyard 3:08
1-8 The Suit 3:29
1-9 Bad Baby 4:29
1-10 Socialist 3:09
1-11 Chant 5:00
1-12 Radio 4 4:27

B-sides, Mixes & BBC Sessions

2-1 Death Disco (7” Edit) 4:17
2-2 Death Disco (12”) 6:43
2-3 Half Mix / Megga Mix 6:52
2-4 Death Disco [Drums – Richard Dudanski] 2:27
2-5 Memories (7/12”) 4:52
2-6 Another 3:51
2-7 Poptones [Drums – Martin Atkins] 4:32
2-8 Careering [Drums – Martin Atkins] 7:32
2-9 Chant [Drums – Martin Atkins] 5:16
2-10 Poptones [Drums – Martin Atkins] 3:44]
2-11 Careering [Drums – Martin Atkins] 5:03
2-12 Pied Piper
[Featuring – John Lydon, Keith Levene, Steve New] 1:51

Rare & Unreleased Mixes:

3-1 Poptones (Version 3) 6:36
3-2 Swan Lake (Monitor Mix) 9:24
3-3 Albatross (Monitor Mix) 10:24
3-4 Swan Lake ("Master") 7:42
3-5 Unknown Instrumental Jam 1 ("Chant") 6:30
3-6 Unknown Jam 2 ("Megachant") 5:02
3-7 Music From An Oven (AKA Memories) 4:42
3-8 Radio 4 ("Symphony Suite") 7:19
3-9 Home Is Where The Heart Is (Original Mix)
Featuring, Bass – Jah Wobble 6:39
3-10 Unknown Instrumental 2 5:53

Live At Manchester, The Russell Club (The Factory) 18/6/79:

4-1 Chant 7:51
4-2 Swan Lake (AKA Death Disco) 7:39
4-3 Memories 7:54
4-4 Public Image 8:48
4-5 Annalisa 5:49
4-6 No Birds (Do Sing) 6:51

"B-sides, Mixes & BBC Sessions"
2-1: A-side of 'Death Disco' 7" single.
2-2: A-side of 'Death Disco' 12" single.
2-3: B-side of 'Death Disco' 12" single. Re-recorded and renamed version of 'Fodderstompf' from the debut PiL album 'First Issue'.
2-4: BBC TV, Top Of The Pops July 12/7/79 [Misprinted as "12/7/72"]. Audio recording of live TV appearance.
2-5: A-side of 'Memories' 7" and 12" singles. Alternative mix to the 'Metal Box' version.
2-6: B-side of the 'Memories' 7" and 12" singles. Vocal version of the instrumental track 'Graveyard' from 'Metal Box'.
2-7 to 2-9: BBC Radio 1, John Peel Session 17/12/79. PiL's one and only John Peel radio session. Three songs recorded at BBC Maida Vale Studios, London.
2-10, 2-11: BBC TV, Old Grey Whistle Test 5/2/80. Audio recording of live TV appearance.
2-12: Rare post-'Metal Box' track from budget 1980 Virgin compilation LP 'Machines'. [...] recorded at the Manor Studios, Oxfordshire.

"Rare & Unreleased Mixes"
3-1: Alternative mix. Recorded at the Manor Studios, Oxfordshire, 1979. Previously unreleased.
3-2: Original monitor mix. Previously only released as limited edition Record Store Day 12" single in 2014, and as an audio extra on the 2005 John Lydon 'Best of British £1 Notes' compilation DVD. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, March 21st 1979.
3-3: Original monitor mix. Previously released as an audio extra on the 2005 John Lydon 'Best of British £1 Notes' compilation DVD. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, March 21st 1979.
3-4: Alternative mix of 'Death Disco' / 'Swan Lake'. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, May 3rd 1979. Previously unreleased.
3-5: Alternative early mix of 'Chant'. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, May 21st 1979. Previously unreleased.
3-6: Experimental jam of what would become 'Chant'. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, May 21st 1979. Previously unreleased.
3-7: Early mix of 'Memories'. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, August 13th 1979. Previously unreleased.
3-8: Extended alternative mix of 'Radio 4'. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, October 13th 1979. Previously unreleased.
3-9: Original mix of track that later appeared as the B-side of the 'Flowers of Romance' 12" single. This version [...] was recorded at The Townhouse, London, March 11th 1980. Previously unreleased.
3-10: Post-'Metal Box' instrumental from same sessions as 'Home is Where The Heart Is'. Recorded at The Townhouse, London, March 11th 1980. Previously unreleased.

DOWNLOAD this super free deluxe mp3 320 edition of the virgin super deluxe rip off edition HERE!

"Tommy Vance Show, Capital Radio July 16th 1977 - "Johnny Rotten, The Punk and His Music"

Ok, here's the infamous Tommy Vance show, when Johnny Rotten exposed himself as a prog/folk/reggae fan. No New York Dolls on this show, and i'm sure Malcolm Maclaren was fuming.Serves him right for breaking the first rule in Pop svengali-ism.....Don't Pick anyone with a brain for your living art project!
It's amusing to listen to Lydon trying not to alienate his street cred whilst at the same time audibly loving Tommy Vance's naked sycophancy. 
"What turned me on to you was that here's someone who reaaallllly knows what he's talking about", said Tommy (from memory so don't pull me up about any errors please!?).
"I phfink I do" says Johnny, who's hideous Ego-trip was just about to go into first gear around this time in 1977.
He always gave me the impression that he didn't know what he was talking about,constantly making contradictory and confused statements, whilst banging on about being " 'Onest.".
But nevertheless, he was in two of the greatest groups of all time, had great stage and media charisma, and wore good clothes. Of course, as it was (almost)written in Neil Youngs tune from "Rust Never Sleeps", he burnt out, but then insisted on fading away into the cuddly TV chat show guest that he's turned into today.
Oh Yeah, he's a fucking Brexiter as well; the final nail in the coffin of my teenage idolatry......but Pil 1.1 and 1.2 are immortal in their shear brilliance,so I forgive him. And he likes Captain Beefheart, Van der Graaf, and Gary Glitter, so he ain't all bad.
To counteract Vance's sickening sycophancy, there's always the vintage radio adverts, which are probably more entertaining than listening to Rotten's 'I'm working claahs' monologues between questions.  

Tracklist:

1.Tim Buckley - Sweet Surrender
2.The Creation - Life Is Just Beginning
3.David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
4. Unknown Artist - Drowsy Maggie
5.Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown
6.Gary Glitter - Doing Alright With The Boys
7.Fred Locks - Walls
8.Vivian Jackson and the Prophets - Fire in a Kingston
9.Culture - I'm Not Ashamed
10.Dr Alimantado & The Rebels - Born For A Purpose
11.Bobby Byrd - Back From The Dead
12.Bobby Byrd - Back From The Dead

13.Neil Young - Revolution Blues Neil Young - Revolution Blues
14.Lou Reed - Men Of Good Fortune
15.Kevin Coyne - Eastbourne Ladies
16.Peter Hammill - The Institute Of Mental Health is Burning
17.Peter Hammill - Nobody's Business
18.Makka Bees - Nation Fiddler / Fire!

19.Captain Beefheart - The Blimp
20.Nico - Janitor Of Lunacy
21.Let's Get It On Ken Boothe - Is It Because I'm Black
22.John Cale - Legs Larry At Television Centre
23.Third Ear Band - Fleance
24.Can - Halleluhwah

DOWNLOAD the punk and his muzak HERE!

The 101'ers ‎– "Elgin Avenue Breakdown" (1975-76)

Champagne Socialist,former Public Schoolboy and Diplomat's son, Joe "Woody" Mellor. Was soon to dump all his squatter chums from 101 Walterton Road, Maida Vale, and join the Punk Rocker clique with The Clash.
The 101'ers also included future PiL drummer Richard Dudanski, who contributed most of the skin work on the holy grail of post punk,"Metal Box".
'Woody', as Strummer was known as in the hippie squatlands of London, did some fine work with this unpretentious hard rocking pub band; which is largely superior to most of The Clash's output post 1977. He was very quick to shed his former persona(and friends) and become the archetypal Punk, when he spotted the new trend very early on, and jumped ship pronto.
Well, i'd sooner listen to this than "London Calling" or the inexorably awful "Sandinista".

(this is the extended CD version by the way)

Tracks 1,2,6,7,11 and 12 recorded on 28th November 1975 at Jackson's Studios.
Track 3 recorded at Pathway Studios on 10th March 1976.
Tracks 4 and 5 recorded at Pathway Studios on 4th March 1976.
Tracks 8,9 and 10 recorded on 28th March and 10th April 1976 at Maida Vale BBC Studios.
Tracks 13, 14, 16, 17 & 19 recorded live at Camberwell Art School, 21st May 1976.
Track 15 recorded live at The Roundhouse 18th April 1976.
Track 18 recorded live at Wandsworth Prison, 21st March 1976.
Track 20 recorded live at Cellar Club, 22nd May 1976.
Tracks 7,12,14,16,18 and 19 are previously unreleased.
Tracks 13,17 and 20 are previously unreleased versions.
Tracklist:

1 Letsagetabitarockin'
2 Silent Telephone
3 Keys To Your Heart (V.1)
4 Rabies (From The Dogs Of Love)
5 Sweet Revenge
6 Motor Boys Motor
7 Steamgauge 99
8 5 Star R 'n' R
9 Surf City
10 Keys To Your Heart (V.2)
11 Sweety Of The St. Moritz
12 Hideaway
13 Shake Your Hips
14 Lonely Mother's Son
15 Don't Let It Go
16 Keep Taking The Tablets
17 Junco Partner
18 Out Of Time
19 Maybelline
20 Gloria

DOWNLOAD some musical socialism minus the champagne HERE!

Public Image Limited - "New York Ritz,15/05/1981" (Bootleg)

The infamous 'Riot' show at the Ritz theatre,which involved the remaining members of PiL mark one,augmented by 60 year old jazzer Sammy Ulano the drummer,and Jeanette Lee, performing,or not, behind an opaque video screen.
The ultimate in lazy, contemptuous, 'Bad Attitude' performance from the ultimate 'Bad Attitude' band.
For the full story check it out here.

Tracks:

1- Flowers Of Romance (Recorded Version)
2- Instrumental 
3- Four Enclosed Walls 
4- There's A Hole In My Heart
5- Go Back
6- Band Introductions... 
7- Go Back 
8- Happiness...

DOWNLOAD your very own riot HERE!

Public Image Limited - "Russell Club,Manchester,18th June,1979" (bootleg)

One of the first gigs to feature a standing Jah wobble,arranged at short notice after appearing on Granada TV. Tony Wilson being the producer of the programme,and known to put on nights at the Russell Club,aka 'The Factory'; was asked by Lydon if  he 'still had that club of (his)',and they 'might as well do a gig then'!
Through word of mouth alone a decent crowd turned up,and A Certain ratio supported.
The 'new' drummer,referred to throughout the performance was one Richard Dudanski,late of the pub rock legends, the 101er's.
A good quality soundboard recording of a very rare PiL appearance in 1979.

Track listing:

1. Chant
2. Death Disco
3. Memories
4. Public Image  [False Start #1]
5. Public Image  [False Start #2]
6. Public Image
7. Annalisa
8. No Birds Do Sing

download it HERE!

Public Image Limited - "Live,Rainbow Theatre 12-26-1978" (Bootleg)

This gig already exists earlier on this blog,in a much inferior form.So you can read the blurb for that ,and this HERE!
This version is a much improved version sound quality wise.

Anyone got the mythical christmas day appearance on bootleg?

Track Listing:

1 Theme
2 Low life
3 Belsen was a Gas
4 Annalisa
5 Public Image
6 Sod In Heaven
7 Attack
8 Public Image (Encore)

DOWNLOAD a pil for a boxing day hangover cure HERE!

Public Image Limited - "Theatre 140, Bruxelles, 20/12/1978" (Live Bootleg)

Hi kids, they've let me out of Hospital now,so i will continue my recuperation with a PiL to cure all ills.......yes, more PiL.The perfect pop group. 
What was really unique about PiL, was that they were one of the very few pop groups who had the opportunity to unleash uncompromising and challenging music to a mass audience.Very few pop stars have had the intelligence and power,or the guts, to use their position to unfurl such a monster of avant rock as Public Image Limited. We've had the "Tomorrow Never Knows" era Beatles, maybe bits of Bob Dylan, but nothing really matched PiL performing "Death Disco" on Top of The Pops. A cacophonous scream of anguish and grief beamed into 12million living rooms at dinner time; this will never happen again. 
Another thing I loved about this band is that they never looked like they wanted to be in any kind of group,or even be here at all.An admirable bad attitude,probably the worst attitude in pop history.No intelligent human being should ever want to be the public's performing monkeys......something John Lydon is now very good at;but we can forgive him that for he burnt so brightly,that his star burnt out completely around 1982.
This performance was the second set of the day from PiL's first ever live appearance,and one of only four the original line-up did,so god knows what the audience were expecting to see?Most of them wanted The Sex Pistols mark 2,but for the most part seem relatively appreciative.
We also get to hear two attempts at "The Cowboy Song" ,which quickly disappeared from the set after this.

Tracklist:

1-Soundcheck 1
2-Soundcheck 2
3-Theme
4-Belsen was a Gas
5-Low Life
6-Sod In Heaven
7-Attack
8-Cowboy Song 1
9-Cowboy Song 2
10-Public Image(instrumental)

DOWNLOAD some aural pharmaceuticals HERE! 

PiL :“Public Image Limited,Live at Le Stadium,Paris 22/12/1978” (Bootleg)

As you may,or may not have noticed,I have been conspicuous by my absence of late. This is largely due to me and my daughter being the victims of a near death car smash on a French auto-route approaching Normandie. Landing on its roof my car spun upside down,with your author still belted and bleeding in the drivers seat. Miraculously,my daughter escaped almost unharmed through the window,as did my unsecured Dog! Alas, I only suffered,a collapsed lung,three broken ribs, one smashed into three bits,a broken collar bone, broken nose,two black eyes, eight stitches worth of gashed forehead and brow,and various minor cuts and bruises. I write this Morphine fueled nonsense from some French Hospital in Abbeville,where I can't seem to get out of until my Lung is fully recovered .I'm chewing my arms off in between bouts of 'Stockholm Syndrome'.It's very much like being kidnapped. And the best bit is,my daughter is not covered insurance wise and its only costing me 800euro's a day to stay here.

The cops(who kindly refer to me as the 'Victim') have recovered most of my stuff,and brought it to me,including my lap-top,so I can alleviate the crushing boredom by writing something for Die or DIY?

The theme has to be vaguely French,but most French music is either profoundly Naff or pretentious beyond normal decency. What better excuse is there to listen to my favourite pop group than this?:

“Public Image Limited,Live at Le Stadium,Paris 22/12/1978”

(Avec 'Johnny Rotten',it says on the ticket,and it cost 30 Francs,also know as three quid in proper money,bonne affaire!)

This may have been their second or third live show, and one could only imagine the proportions of estrangement achieved by the crowd splitting squeals of “Theme”.The definitive anti-pop manifesto,and best ever opening album track ever made? You can feel the relief when the vaguely 'Punky' Low-life follows it in the set list to stop some of the attendees from running for the metro.

Although this is an audience recording,its surprisingly listenable,with all instruments and voice sitting equally in the mix,along with some amusing French banter from the audience also features the only time they played “Problems”;a cover version apparently?

This stuff is not so much Do It yourself music,it's Do What You Like music,and something that has no real equivalents,remaining totally unique up to today and beyond.

Track Listing:

1 – Theme (12:21)

2 – Low life (4:51)

3 – Annalisa (9:07)

4 – Sod in Heaven (4:59)

5 – Public Image (3:59)

6 – Belsen Was A Gas. (4:21)

7 – Attack (3:25)

8 – Problems(4:00)

9 – Public Image (Encore) (3:02)

10- Annalisa (Encore) (7:41)

Telecharger le 22e Decembre 1978, tappez ICI!

The Human Condition - “Live at Collegiate, London, 13.09.81” (self-released cassette THC1) 1981 & “Live in Europe, November 1981” (THC1) 1982

Ok, What's the greatest pop group of all time?.....Correct......Public Image Limited mk1 & 2. So that leads us neatly to: Who were the greatest rhythm section in all eternity?.......Correct again.......Jaki Liebezeit and Holgar Czukay; but a close second is Wobble and Walker from Pil mk.1 . (Feel free kids to supply your own nominations in the comments section below; although Wobble and Liebezeit won’t be accepted due to the only one entry per candidate rule).

The unequalled Supernova of “Out There” creativity that emanated from the constellation of PiL, inevitably burnt itself out, leaving a Black Hole (Lydon) from which no light so escapes; a black dwarf (Levine), and an expanding debris field that is the eclectic creative force of Wobble. A musical gravitational force that attracts any passing melodious asteroid shard, eventually forming an over populous planet with a distinct Wobble in its orbital ellipse. Eclecticism is NOT my cup of herbal tea! It takes the “better” bits of all the dodgiest musical genres, and squeezes them into something not quite as good, or bad, as the original.

John Wardle has been incredibly culpable in this heinous crime against good taste!....but, in the earliest days after departing the sinking ship of PiL, the celebrated mark one rhythm section of “First Issue” reunited for some live improvisational gigs around Europe. Walker showing off his Jazzy roots, accompanied by someone called Dave Animal on exploratory guitar, anchored by Wobbles’ repetitious, dub funk bass. This was ‘The Human Condition’.

‘Twas a brave stab at exploring and testing the boundaries of a post-punk audience, akin to the similar New York Mutant Jazz stuff that Bill Laswells’ various combos and chums were churning out at the same time.

“Live in Europe” being the superior set, with a more interesting direction, more funky with some decent Sax fleshing out the sound. Moving it towards the unstable ground of Jazz Fusion, but thankfully its Red Shift is more towards the Miles Davis end of the light spectrum, a la “On the Corner”.

What is relevant to these blog pages is that Wobble rushed out the recordings of these gigs, days after, on self-released cassettes.(Incidently for some reason both of these cassettes have the same serial number!?)

THC's recordings were only issued on cassette ("I like small, contained things - they're more refreshing"), recorded on a tight budget & knocked out so swiftly that Live In Europe, their second & final tape, was apparently on sale by the end of the gig(!)

"To my delight, I found that I could record an album in my bedroom for virtually zilch... spend another £100 cutting it before ordering 2,000 pressings at around 35p a shot. I'd pick up the records from the manufacturers & wholesalers & deliver them to various distributors, exporters & wholesalers, as well as specialist shops. I found that I'd come out of it with a good few quid". (J.Wobble)

These are the last vestiges of the great PiL line-up, preserved in all its hissy posterity on 4mm analogue tape. One can only yearn for the great Lydon caterwaul to finish these improv’s off. Rotten, we miss you.

DOWNLOAD Live in London and Europe HERE!

PiL / Public Image Limited - "Live at the Rainbow, 26th December 1978"

Christmas day 1978 was lacking something for my 14 year old self. My brother and cousin were noticeably absent from the family festivities. Then the gutting news filtered out that they had gone to London to see Johnny Rotten's new group!! Left to watch the Morecambe and Wise Christmas show, while they were lording it down at the Rainbow!
One anecdote sticks in my brain, as relayed by my older sibling, was when a lack of appreciation was evident for support band Basement 5, the droning voice of one J. Rotten was heard over the PA suggesting some activity in this department;
"I hear no applause???", said mr Lydon.
The response of the audience was obedience personified, and they applauded as ordered by their leader. Oh those rebellious punk rockers eh?
As the Christmas day show wasn't bootlegged(which apparently It Was I am now told!?), we'll have to make do with the boxing day show instead. In all its warehouse style acoustic glory.
Lydon, the voice that launched a thousand DIY bands.

DOWNLOAD boxing day 1978 HERE!