| Author | Message | ||
     skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1584 Registered: 10-2008 |
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2012/02 /13/public-image-ltd-one-drop-stream/ | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2857 Registered: 03-2005 |
Oh dear indeed. Maybe the royalties have run out. | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 389 Registered: 05-2005 |
What is this shit? as Greil Marcus once said, I would have refused to play it | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1090 Registered: 08-2004 |
Not that surprising, really. They are still a limited company. Maybe they should change the name to PLC. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2319 Registered: 10-2004 |
Surely no one is surprised by this. I mean, when they first got back together in 2009, I was surprised Lydon wasn't milking it more by trying to reunite the Metal Box line-up. Part of the impetus for reuniting was to commemorate the 30 year anniversary of Metal Box, and without Leven and Wobble, what on earth would be the point? At any rate, PIL hadn't put out a truly good record since Metal Box anyway, so it's not like they would get back together now and suddenly be good again. The only thing surprising about this new track is how wasted Lyon's voice has become. Sounds like all those years shouting himself hoarse on Sex Pistols reunion tours has ravage his vocal chords. | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 390 Registered: 05-2005 |
Jeff's right of course in that we shouldnt be surprised and that they havent been great since Wobble left but they have done some stuff that is at least listenable, this is embarrassing | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1585 Registered: 10-2008 |
I'm glad its not just me then:-) It truly is dreadful. The points about Wobble and Levene are 100% bang on the money. Wobble was amazing on Metal Box, and the intro to the debut single is one of the greatest moments in rock history imo. The song itself is one of my favourite singles of all time, although the album it came from was very patchy. And then Metal Box just blew everything else out of the water a year or so later. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 4294 Registered: 05-2005 |
I don't think it's so terrible. His voice is pretty wasted, no doubt, but the song isn't as awful as you're all making it out to be. It has his reggae influences to the fore, mixed with some melodic pop. It's not really my cup of tea, but it's OK. I will have to disagree with Jeff about the last great PIL record too. That would be the still stunning Album. The best Kraut rock/Irish trad album ever. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2320 Registered: 10-2004 |
Sure, there are PIL albums after Metal Box that have their moments, but in my humble opinion, none of those albums contain more than a couple of decent tracks. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1586 Registered: 10-2008 |
Krautrock, really Padraig? Its 20 plus years since I played Album (although Rise is on the radio quite a bit), and I can't remember any songs resembling Krautrock. I take it anything that does sound Krautrock-y would mean a similarity to Can, rather than Neu or Kraftwerk (are Kraftwerk really Krautrock, I think we had this discussion before?) To be honest I wasn't a great fan of the album when it came out and hardly played it. Wasn't that the one that had Ginger Baker on drums? That alone was probably enough to put me off, as I have an allergy to the type of music he is renowned for. Strangely enough Baker was on a TV programme the other night about Jack Bruce and he came across as a right tosser, and although he was coherent he was very slowly spoken and looked almost comatose. Didn't strike me as a nice character. Anyway, back to Lydon. I do have a lot of time for him and his general demeanor, and am currently reading his autobiography which is as entertaining as you would imagine | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2859 Registered: 03-2005 |
White guy "reggae" should be illegal. I'm in the U.S. where we can make it a capital offense. No, I don't like the Specials or the pre-MOR-pop English Beat either. I have "Album" (but in my case it's "compact disc"). I listened to it a fair number of times when it was new. I might play it tonight for the heck of it but I'll be surprised if I like it. I remember it sounding like album-oriented-rock style film music. I didn't know Ginger Baker was on it. He's a very good drummer but, yes, Cream and Blind Faith perpetrated a lot of rubbish. Cream's stuff stood a reasonable chance of being decent if the song was written by Jack Bruce and was no longer than four minutes. Was the next PIL album "Happy?" That's when I jumped off the bus. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 4296 Registered: 05-2005 |
Not a fan of regatta de blanc then Randy? Kevin, listen to Rise - the album, not single, version - again. It's got an Irish trad melody which comes from Lydon hearing his parents' records when he was a kid, and what I consider to be a Krautrock groove (not that I'm an expert). Yes, Album features Ginger Baker and also Steve Vai. The musicianship is superb throughout, and not in a clinical, studio muso way. I know very little of Cream, but I don't think the drums on their records sounds anything like how Baker plays on Album. (I could be wrong. I could be right). I like nothing I've ever heard Steve Vai play on, apart from the brilliance of his playing on Album. The production by Bill Laswell, whom Lydon had worked with in collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa's band Time Zone (on the great World Destruction single), is also a huge factor in making Album the record/cassette/CD it is. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1588 Registered: 10-2008 |
World Destruction is immense. In fact the best things that Lydon has done these last 20 years or so have been collaborations with electronic artists. His cameo with Leftfield on the Open Up single is a career highlight imo. Burn Hollywood Burn indeed. Back to Jack Bruce again. I was pretty bored the other night so watched this hour long documentary on him. I didnt even know he was Scottish! And I also didnt know that Sunshine Of Your Love was a Cream song till watching this. That's a pretty cool bass riff when all is said and done. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 2337 Registered: 01-2005 |
I was never a big Cream fan. I though Clapton was much better with Derek and The Dominoes before the drugs and ego destroyed them. This might be the best ever live singing and guitar performance by Clapton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Aw7Jai7p eM | ||
| andreas Member Username: Andreas Post Number: 924 Registered: 04-2006 |
PIL: the new song sounds o.k. when it tootling in the back, but it seems that nobody needs this music really. interesting is that mr. lydon's voice sounds to me like in the good old days with the sex pistols. World Destruction: grandiose!!! Cream: i don't have any regular cream album, just a double album (sampler) since the seventies. i really can't remember when i listened the last time to this album, but the song white room is maybe one of the songs iam always hum along. don't know why, but it's true. Jack Bruce: i have the first three albums. on his first album 'songs for a tailor' is not only the fabulous theme for an imaginary western, no, it contains also the song 'to isengard' which i will count as one of my all time fave songs. Michaels's link: as with most of the you tube links we germans see nothing except the message that this songs is not available in germany because the GEMA (GEMA represents in Germany the copyrights of composers, lyricists, and music publishers) says no (there is a law suit between both parties. GEMA wants more money than You Tube is willing to pay). | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 391 Registered: 05-2005 |
New song is absolutely f***ing awful Padraig, I have no problem with PIL after Metal Box as previously stated, not generally my cup of tea but danced at the student disco to This is not a Love Song and dont switch off the radio when Rise comes on but this really is a nadir and indefensible. I am genuinely concerned for your hearing/taste/sanity | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 392 Registered: 05-2005 |
In the nicest possible way | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1091 Registered: 08-2004 |
This Is Not A Love Song is very danceable & has it's black heart in the right place. Actually, Lydon's solo single 'Sun' was pretty good as well aided & abetted by Leftfield with their signature sound. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1597 Registered: 10-2008 |
Listening to Metal Box tonight for the first time in a while and just blown away by how brilliant it is. However, its far from just being the John Lydon show. Wobble and Levene are all over this album and no way could Lydon have created this masterpiece without them. Similarly Wobble and Levenes tunes needed the unhinged Lydon vocals to realise their full potential. Its basically a perfect meeting of hearts and minds. This WIKI link gives some interesting insights to the songs by the musicians themselves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Box I had the original Metal Box "film cannister" which consisted of three 12" 45 rpm vinyl records. I wish I still had it, it would probably sound amazing and is how these songs should be heard, emphasising Wobbles bass. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1598 Registered: 10-2008 |
Wobble is a great bassist, maybe not technically but he is all about atmosphere and feel and he just nails it on Metal Box. Thee is an article in Word magazine and it is about celebrating bass players and what they bring to a band,Of course none of our "heroes" are in there and thats probably a good thing. The post punk scene produced brilliant bass players, who like Wobble were maybe not technically brilliant but they were essential to the sound of their bands, and wrote great basslines to enhance the songs. As well as Wobble I am thinking in particular of guys like Barry Adamson, Hooky, Dave Allen from GOF4,Steve Severin from The Banshees, and the king of them all was Steve Hanley from The Fall | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 4301 Registered: 05-2005 |
Kevin, after you finish Lydon's book you should check out Wobble's Memoirs Of A Geezer. Like Lydon, he grew up in a London Irish family. He talks about being educated by the Sisters Of Mercy and having to do Irish dancing every week. (I think the family was originally called O'Wobble). | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1650 Registered: 10-2008 |
Lydons just been on BBC6 Music saying the upcoming album is "a killer", and "very experimental, but not in a jazzy way!".I don't think he would say it was a "killer" unless he really thought so. Say what you like about him he's a sharp cookie, and not daft enough to big something up that he knew was crap. Maybe this album will be quite good against all the odds? | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 406 Registered: 05-2005 |
yeh right, he has no idea what killer is, where it is or when it is | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1651 Registered: 10-2008 |
Harsh, but possibly fair!! Maybe he has lost the plot, the proof will be in the pudding. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1728 Registered: 10-2008 |
The new PIL album is Album of The Month in Mojo! Gulp. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1740 Registered: 10-2008 |
Another very postive review in Uncut, and Lydon is front page of NME, with an extensive interview inside. He was asked his thoughts on John McGeoch "For hanging out with great fun. And a very talented fella. To my mind he let the alchohol dominate. I mean you dont need a keg of wine onstage. But John pushed himself into that direction. And it made it harder and harder to deal with the moods. His work in Magazine was stunning. But he didnt seem to be able to take it any further. The older he got the more he just got into heavy metal riffs. He was riffing through life, because he was in a state of constant drunkenness really. But you dont let your friends down, so you put up with that" | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1785 Registered: 10-2008 |
I cannot believe I am typing this, but the album is surprisingly excellent. There is not one ounce of filler, and I have listened to it about 8 times now, usually while out walking, so there have been no distractions. Lydons vocals veer from scary, to comic to breathtaking, sometimes in the same song. The lyrics are crazy at times ("we come from chaos, you cannot change us"), to reflective("I am human, I'm just thinking about getting it right"). The band are cooking throughout, especially Lu Edmonds on guitar. The much maligned One Drop which kickstarted this thread is actually a really good song in the setting of the album, but highlights for me are Human, This Is PIL, Terra-Gate and Fool which has a circular guitar pattern that is reminiscent of the Metal Box era. This album is NOT Metal Box, but against all odds it succeeds on its own merits and will not spend any time in that albums shadow. Lydon is obviously proud of it as can be picked up in the many interviews he is doing just now, but I can vouch for the fact it isn't empty bluster. I spoke to a friend this afternoon who has also heard it, he is the same age as me and usually doesn't entertain any "comeback" albums by our ex heroes, but he was raving about it. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 4574 Registered: 05-2005 |
I think I was the only one to defend One Drop above. Apologise everyone. Loving the album so far. Kevin is right about One Drop; it does fit well on the album. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1791 Registered: 10-2008 |
Yes indeed, well done Padraig. Listening to the album with headphones on the bass player Scott Firth plays a blinder. He is clearly no Wobble, but his bass carries the songs beautifully rather than lead them like Wobble did. It would be optimistic to think this album will be held in the same esteem as Metal Box 20 years down the line, but for now it is a real joy to listen to. | ||
| andreas Member Username: Andreas Post Number: 999 Registered: 04-2006 |
i wasn't as harsh as most of the folks (found the song o.k., liked his voice, but i wrote also that i think that this music needs nobody really). thanks to spotify i listened now to the whole album. under the influence of the punk britannia episode and the more or less enthusiasm of kevin and padraig i have to say that i expected more. i would not say that it is a bad album, but i am still not sure, if the album is needed. maybe it needs more listening sessions. highlights: the first three/four songs and the last one, so far. but i will definitely will listen to it again. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1886 Registered: 10-2008 |
Must watch tonight! Question Time has John Lydon as one of the panelists. I usually watch it anyway but tonight will be even better than normal ;-) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kmg0r |