Public Image # 1

Track Listings

1. Public Image # 1

2. Who's That Lady

3. (She's Got) The Body Of Life

4. Together, Forever

5. Interlude (Where Eagles Fly)

6. I Do - Don't You

7. Unless She Comes Back Home

8. This Feeling We're Feeling

9. Never Can Say Goodbye

10. Interlude (Golden Lady)

11. Takin' It As It Comes

12. Wait Until You're Ready

13. There's No Better Time Than Now

14. You Belong To Me

15. Golden Lady

16. Where Eagles Fly

17. Amen (Excerpt From The Lord's Prayer

Editorial Reviews
Bob Thomas, Quiet Strom WHUR 96.3, Wash., DC
If love is your thing... Desi will enhance the mood... If relaxing is your thing... Desi will add the ambience.

Product Description
A smooth and mellow sound with great uptempo beats that will have you moving to the grooves, this is a great singer with class to his lyrics that you just don't hear much of today. Desi brings many emotions to the starving individual in need of relaxation, spirituality, Forever Love, Conscience Awakening and bodily movement. Once you have experienced Desi, you too will want to hear more of his Big, Warm and Wonderful voice.

Public Image # 1

Public Image # 1,Desi

Public Image # 1

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Theme
Religion I
Religion II
Annalisa
Public Image
Low Life
Attack
Fodderstompf

Album Details

The First Reaction from John Lydon after the Demise of the Sex Pistols. He Teamed Up with Keith Levene, Martyn Atkins and Jah Wobble for What was a Bold Statement at the Time. Lydon was the Familiar Character, but Instead of Heading a Punk Outfit, Here He was Fronting this Dark, Brooding Experimental and Somewhat Obtuse Gang who Broke New Ground for the Postpunk Movement. 'first Issue' Stands as a Document of a Time When Diy Ruled and Music was a Free for All.

Customer Reviews:

Got to be a die hard fan to listen to this!.......2006-09-01

Listen, on the surface this pretty much stinks.

Sex Pistols was rock music. This is noisy, in your face, purposefully abrasive.

However, at the time, it was definitely ground breaking. The guitar playing was avante garde/Sonic Youth before that type of music came into vogue. The bass playing was also innovative.

"Public Image" is a decent song, "Anastasia" is all right, the rest of the album is headache inducing.

The band reached its zenith on 2nd Edition with the cool dub sounds and screaching guitar.

In real life, John Lydon is a jerky and abrasive person. This record was not only to isolate himself from the pistols but, it was also giving a middle finger to the public.

I saw him live circa 1979. He was terrible, performed behind a screen, and never acknowledged the audience.

I do not think that this album was a serious artistic endeavor.

Pistol Image.......2006-03-13

I love this album and i love P.I.L, but you people dont understand the greatness of the Sex pistols, a lot of u just want to say you hate the Pistols because you want to be artsy and have a Image of yourself, and I'm saying that as an artist.
The Sex Pistols broke down the walls, and PIL walked through it.

Great first album.......2005-11-22

According to Lydon most of the songs on this album were meant to be recorded by the Sex Pistols,but the other members,along with McClaren,thought the songs were too controversial. Ironic,eh?

My personal favorites are Public Image,Religion 1&2,and Annalisa. Religion 1&2 in particular are brilliant because of the stand that Lydon takes against the Catholic Church.Lydon grew up in a Catholic family and you can really feel his anger towards the church in the lyrics.

PiL were one of the best post punk bands in the 1980's and they have been sorely overlooked by people lately. I feel that they are just as important as Joy Division,in the sense that PiL influenced a ton of other bands. For me, they opened my eyes to a bunch of different styles of music from punk to funk.This is a great album by a great band.

Entertaining but repetitive..........2005-03-03

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 !!!.......2005-02-22

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.

Average customer rating:

UK Metal Box Vs. US Second Edition
A ferocious masterpiece... "words cannot express".,
Lydon, Wobble and Levine at their peak, a classic- like a good wine it gets better with age!!
Post-punk Bleakness In the Most Austere Atmosphere
The Flowers Of Romance

Metal Box
Public Image Limited
Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Public Image
Second Edition
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Entertainment

ASIN: B000007UDQ
Release Date: 1996-09-03

Tracks:

Albatross
Memories
Swan Lake
Poptones
Careering
No Birds
Graveyard
The Suit
Bad Baby
Socialist
Chant
Radio 4

Album Details

Limited Edition Metal Case Packaging.

Customer Reviews:

UK Metal Box Vs. US Second Edition.......2007-07-17

Uk Metal box has been remastered, all the songs are 1-2 seconds longer than US versions. Surprisingly, these longer seconds seem to be apparent in the songs intros; little jangles, noises, and voices.

The track/song listing is different No Birds and Socialist are reversed.

Overall, the UK Metal Box is punchier, and feels more musical. If you are a Second Edition fan I think you will enjoy Metal Boxes nuances.

A ferocious masterpiece... "words cannot express"., .......2007-04-07

Metal Box is an album as impenetrable as the case in which it comes... a fifty-minute swirling bombardment of Kraut-rock rhythms, dissonant keyboards, jagged guitars and Lydon's bitter lyrics and screaming vocals. It follows on nicely from their first album, which took the sound of the Sex Pistols and fused it with disco, Kraut-rock and the kind of guitar music that would later become known as "post-punk". As a listening experience there is little else to rival it, with Metal Box offering up twelve tracks filled with a pain and anguish that can seemingly only find true catharsis through the screaming angular music found within. This is the sound of a band falling out of love with each other... and with the world around them.
The opening song, the near-legendary Albatross (which is almost eleven minutes of Beckett-like lyrical ruminations, over screaming guitars, a heavy and monotonous bass-line and some trance-like percussion) picks up where Theme (the opening track of their first album) left off, giving us more of Lydon's existential anguish and torment, as he screams about death and all manner of other related-horrors that infuse the album with a bleak, gothic and claustrophobic sound. Unlike the first album, the emphasis here is more on sound rather than song, so there's no real standout singles like Annalisa or Public Image, instead, we get longer tracks with much reliance on layered instrumentation. This is very much a precursor to those Radiohead classics, Kid A and Amnesiac, with PiL creating a landscape of cold synthesisers, an aching violin and that great integrated sound of Keith Lavene's scratchy, distorted guitar and the dub pounding bass of Jah Wobble.

This is dark music, as bleak as albums like Tilt, OK Computer, Regeneration, Blood on the Tracks and The Final Cut... although it has a sound that is unlike any of those albums, or indeed, anything else you've ever heard. The album progresses on from the epic Albatross onto the dark Memories, which sets Lydon's grating vocals and doom-laden lyrics against a backdrop of distorted, echoed guitars and a funky monotonous bass-line, which is further complemented by an Eastern-tinged and somewhat alien violin (or possibly keyboard) refrain wailing away in the background. It leads us perfectly into my favourite song on the album, the mesmerising Swan Lake.

Enough said, in the late 70's, PIL is unique with this punk Funk : only the bands Siouxsie & the Banshees and Wire offer a music as original as theirs. Inspired, Lydon makes psalmodies on the breathtaking " Careering" which with " Poptones" is enough to justify the acquisition of this precursor recording

Lydon, Wobble and Levine at their peak, a classic- like a good wine it gets better with age!!.......2007-01-09

This unusual but groundbreaking album was first released in 1979, my mum bought it for me as a christmas present that year, 'Metal Box' in a metal box by P.I.L contained 3 12" singles then later realeased as a double album called 'Second edition' i remember there was a small group of us at school very excited by these tracks it was definitely the first time any of us had heard this kind of 'Punky Dub' together with Keith Levine's screechy guitars, John Lydon and Don Letts had been to Jamaica the previous year following the Pistols' split, and to my mind it's quite clear that John came back wih a pretty good vision of his future music!

Post-punk Bleakness In the Most Austere Atmosphere.......2006-11-14

Oh, man, don't get me started on the starkness of the production values on this item. "Subterranean basslines" mixed with the trebliest shards of guitar spurts, with Lydon wailing in the background. Competent drumwork underscores the polarized EQ on this album. The production is a key part of this record's personality.

The individual tracks all revolve around rather simple motifs and riffs, but their impact is long-lasting. Lydon's vocals, when audible, can range from dirge-like warbling to high-pitched gloomyness. The songs here will all be catchy, but not because they're designed to be bubblegum confections. Rather, the basslines will seize the body with their tremorous nature, while Keith Levine's guitar and John Lydon's vocals will piece deep into the psyche. This sound hackneyed and improbable, but then again, have you actually listened to the album? Once the songs have been played, they shall resonate within the listener for quite a while.

What more can really be said about this masterpiece? It isn't for the pop-loving kiddies, that's for sure. Anyone who revels (or can at least tolerate) brooding, jagged soundscapes should snatch this up as soon as possible. It's well worth it.

And the tin can is a hoot to own.

The Flowers Of Romance.......2006-09-25

The original vinyl release was three untitled 45-rpm discs in a metal film canister. It was issed in the U.S. as a two-lp set - the first domestic release - as Second Edition.

Where the band's first U.K. debut - Public Image - stayed the course mostly set by the punk movement, Metal Box (Second Edition) enters the bleak horizon paved by Joy Division. Jah Wobble's reggae-influenced bass dominates, with Keith Levene's powerful guitar work battling synthesizer sounds for space around John Lydon's voice.

It set up PiL's U.S. tour and several memorable appearance on national television shows. John Lydon and Keith Levene double-crossed late-night yapper Tom Snyder with an "interview" that had the host cussing out the duo during commercial breaks. As the story goes, Lydon and Levene were polite and cordial during he pre-show interview, but made Snyder sweat out the live appearnce with snappy, rude responses.

The band's American Bandstand appearnce was a classic, as Lydon quit singing to the record and got the audience to dance with the band. Lydon also proved his prowess in eating hot dogs, as he reportedly enjoyed the ballpark cuisine at Fenway Park more than the Red Sox game!

The publicity generated was more than any band could have asked for. Articles on PiL appeared not only in major music publications, but a feature hit the front page of The Wall Street Journal.

Unfortunately, many fans for the tour were still living out their ideas of punk rock.

The Cleveland Agora show was typical; Lydon forced to kneel down to avoid spit and objects being thrown, Levene stoically holding down stage-right and carrying on a battle with spectators and Wobble trying to avoid the mess by staying near the drum kit. The end of the show had the band return to the stage and dump the post-concert food on the front row.

Metal Box showed Lydon walking away from the punk movement he virtually invented. It remains the finest release from the band.

Public Image Ltd. - Greatest Hits So Far

Average customer rating:

Hey you! Don't buy this! It's no good!
A limited Public Image.
Severely Limited introduction
Not Perfect, by any means, but excellent for new listeners..
nice

Public Image Ltd. - Greatest Hits So Far
Public Image Ltd.
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Big Audio Dynamite - Planet BAD: Greatest Hits
Public Image
Second Edition
This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
Beat This: The Best of the English Beat

ASIN: B00000DR6J
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

Public Image
Death Disco
Memories
Careering
Flowers Of Romance
This Is Not A Love Song
Rise
Home
Seattle
The Body
Rules And Regulations
Disappointed
Warrior
Don't Ask Me

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

Hey you! Don't buy this! It's no good!.......2006-09-01

What a silly little man John Lydon was. He took this quasi-band and did not know what direction to take them in. With the first 2 albums, he was, at least, musically adventerous. Jah Wobble and Keith Levene were very innovative and knew how to play. The dub stuff had the potential to be cool. What detracted from the sound was Lydon screeching.

As the band moved on, they tried too many diverse musical styles, which is why this compilation is horrible.

I like rock, I like musically adventerous music. I like good musicianship. I don't like weird quasi-dance music especially mixed with screechy, purposefully annoying ,semi-rock music.

Only a fanatic of this group could listen to the cd all the way through. The songs are too diverse for the casual listener.

A limited Public Image........2006-02-27

As others have said, this is not a perfect collection, but it is perfect for the new PIL fan. After John Lydon left the Sex Pistols he formed this band, but PIL is far from the punk sound of the Sex Pistols. While I find the whole disc here good, it doesn't become what I would call catchy until the track "This Is Not A Love Song", though the opener "Public Image" is rather good. The biggest hits to the casual fan will probably be "Rise" and "Disappointed". Both are late 80's alternative classics, and both are over six minutes long. Minor hits like "Seattle" and "The Body" I like also. I'm happy this runs in chronological order, and it ends with the alt/pop sing-a-long "Don't Ask Me", which is hard not to like. Overall it's probably the only disc most fans should need.

Severely Limited introduction.......2005-03-09

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.........2004-09-21

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.......2004-06-25

"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.

Average customer rating:

Great NewWave/Punk
never recieved
My favorite PiL album....
This is where it all went wrong
Rise Above It

Compact Disc
Public Image Ltd.
Manufacturer: Elektra / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Public Image
This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
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Metal Box

ASIN: B000005IRS
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Fff
Rise
Fishing
Round
Bags
Home
Ease

Customer Reviews:

Great NewWave/Punk.......2006-10-03

This music has some of the rough, up-in-your-face quality of Patti Smith ("Easter" "Horses") and of course the Sex Pistols. The more mainstream, pop melodies are not integrated as much with the rancor as they are on "9." However, this gives you something almost as good, as the juxtapositions are generally very well executed. The catharses are more simplistic, but often more freeing. Primitive, prowling, "Gang of Four" rhythms blossom into the fragrant flowers you associate with U2.

"Compact Disc" has the peculiar distinction of having a lot of great dance rhythms and melodic riffs woven into Johnny's otherwise insane warbling. The guitar work is sometimes jarring and overdone, though some of it is remarkably fast and pure.

Of particular interest are the beautiful melodies on the second and last tracks. On "Ease," Johnny confides, "What makes you happy, your misery." These two PIL albums rank right up there with the Beatles, Stones, Bowie, etc. that made monumental music from the grist of this statement.

never recieved.......2006-02-22

I initially only wanted to order "compact disc",by "public image limited" but amazon had a deal if I also orderd "flowers of romance", by the same band so I thought why not, I orderd both c.d.s' but I only recieved "flowers of romance",and not the "compact disc".I paid for both and only recieved the one.

My favorite PiL album...........2005-11-22

This has always been my favorite PiL album because it hits harder than all of the others. Lydon's earlier work may have been more experimental, but this album is very political.I saw them open for INXS(funny eh?)back in 1987 and about half of the songs they performed were from this album.It was one of the best concert experiences I have ever had because the energy that was put into the music was astounding.

Rise is the most famous song from this album, but Bags and Home are just as good and just as political.The guitar playing is great and the bass is very heavy throughout. In my opinion this is the last 'great' album that Lydon made.

This is where it all went wrong.......2005-10-19

PiL's John Lydon managed to get entirely lost, after the great music and earlier bandmembers were well out of the picture. 'This is what you want...', still has its moment of irony and one can hear Lydon's sneer at people and matters around him. With Album/Compact Disc he started to lose his roots in search for more. Even with a bunch of great musicians around him, he couldn't find anything more than a just above average rock album.

That was something he did NOT want to become. Some years later some girly backgroundsingers had to accompany his pityful attempts. Lydon was lost and was ever since unrecognizably bad. Even these musicians here on this album couldn't make him recognize he was losing track. Nice try...a heartless result ! And unfortunately much worse was still to come from Mr. Lydon.

PS. Let me be kind enough to thank him for his wonderful and inspiring early works. Full of great grooves and spooky moments.

Rise Above It.......2005-10-03

OK, it must be acknowledged that PIL's output has been patchy. However, with Compact Disc they were on top form. The single, Rise, is justifiably (relatively) well known and the album is worth it for that track alone. However, the rest of it pretty well lives up to the standard set by Rise - no real duff tracks on it. There's a force, passion and energy to this record that, for my money, they've never bettered. Own this and "Metal Box" and that's really all the PIL you need.

Average customer rating:

US Second Edition Vs. UK Metal Box
Killer album...but CD sound does "second edition" serious injustice
One of the very best post punk albums..
Classic
not good but...not bad

Second Edition
Public Image Ltd.
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Public Image
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The Modern Dance

ASIN: B000002KJZ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Albatross
Memories
Swan Lake
Poptones
Careering
Socialist
Graveyard
The Suit
Bad Baby
No Birds
Chant
Radio 4

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

US Second Edition Vs. UK Metal Box.......2007-07-17

UK MEtal Box has been remastered, all the songs are 1-2 seconds longer than US Second versions. Surprisingly, these longer seconds seem to be apparent in the UK songs intros: jangles, noises, and voices.

Song order: Socialist and No Birds are reversed.

Overall, the UK Metal Box is punchier, and more musical sounding. If you are a US Second Edition fan I think you will enjoy Metal Boxes' nuances.

Killer album...but CD sound does "second edition" serious injustice.......2007-02-02

Amazing record, no doubt. One problem here though. Put simply, don't buy this album on CD, if you can help it. Get the Vinyl format instead. CD's can't even begin to handle the complexity of the sound on this album, not to mention absolutly the deeeepest bass grooves EVER laid on track. "Second Edition" was recently reissued on Vinyl in a round metal canister with 3 vinyl records (that's how it was originally released in '80). And by the way, the album also goes by "Metal Box" hence the round film canister. Get the vinyl "Metal Box", that is if you value quality, you'll thank me.

One of the very best post punk albums.........2007-01-13

There is nothing I could say about this album that hasn't been said before. An amazing, influential post-punk album, this is the first PIL CD I ever owned. Weaving together cool guitar lines, loud dub bass, and awesome steady drumming(Martin Atkins of Pigface, Ministry, Killing Joke, etc), along with the offbeat vocals of none other than Johnny Rotten, former front man for the Sex Pistols. Even though it is the same singer, the vocals in the two bands sound completely different, in PIL it is more of a spoken word type of singing.
My lasting impressions, as far as comparisons go, would be a nice mixture of mostly Joy Division(bleak side), with a little bit of Talking Heads(upbeat side). Don't be put off by the first song, it is the only one that ventures into the 10 minute mark, and beside, it is a great intro to the CD. After hearing 'Memories' and 'Careering', it is very obvious where Luke Jenner and the Rapture got their musical influences from. From a different musical point of view, the song 'Poptones' reminds me of Fugazi every time I hear it, very cool. There is only one song that I dislike a little bit, and it is 'Chant' (probably too much chanting). After that is the closing song, 'Radio 4', (another modern day post punk band you may have heard of). This song is nothing like the rest on the CD, it is a beautiful sounding instrumental, reminds me of something you would have heard on Radioheads' "Kid A" album. If you could imagine hearing Joy Division with more instrumentation, or if you just enjoy post punk in general, I would recommend checking this out 'cause it rocks.

Classic.......2006-09-21

Thank you Johnny Lyndon aka Rotten for you love of music. I know you did the Sex Pistols for the sake of money, i know Can and Neu are much better than Malcom McLaren or Sid Vicious! And thank you for presenting me this crazy virtuoso renamed Jah Wobble - what a a f***** bass player! What music! Buy this and put them next to your Can - Neu - Funkadelic/Parliament - A Certain Ratio - Liquid Liquid - ESG records. It's where mine is.

not good but...not bad.......2006-09-01

I despise John Lydon. I hope his act is schtick or else he deserves to have the tar beaten out of him.

I also have a limited respect for him. The Sex Pistols, when they wanted to be, were a fine rock band. Their best songs were enhanced by Lydon's vocal attack.

P.I.L. had cool musicians that were distracted by Lydon's absurd wailing. However, this is a musically adventerous album.

"Memories" and "Albatross" are actually good songs. The other tunes have really cool bass and guitar.

If another less-abrasive singer sang on this, it probably would have been better.

If Lydon put this all together then kudos to him, it is a fine musical experiment. If it was a group effort, then Lydon not only marred the work but he also ruined a good thing by taking the sound towards dance.

This album is definetly a bass/guitar showcase!

Average customer rating:

New York, New York
BRILLIANTLY EVIL
Pansie Title/Evil Album
Reminds me of The Cure's 'Pornography'
what a mess!!!!!

The Flowers of Romance
Public Image Ltd.
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Public Image
Second Edition
This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
Metal Box
Paris au Printemps

ASIN: B000005JAC
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Four Enclosed Walls
Track 8
Phenagen
Flowers of Romance
Under the House
Hymie's Him
Banging the Door
Go Back
Francis Massacre

Customer Reviews:

New York, New York .......2005-09-06

Was anyone else here besides me at that New York club show, lo those many years ago, when PIL came out behind a screen and started playing "The Flowers of Romance" and a riot with flying bottles, ash trays and what have you broke out. The mob tore the screen down and roadies raced out to protect Johnny and company and got them out with their lives and glass shattered everywhere in the mayhem until the coppers arrived. I was under my table as a protective measure, but, lord almighty, I done saw it all that night. John Lydon just loved to mess with the image of rock star and rile up the populace. Great theater, even if it was real. We never did get to hear the end of the first song. Another one in the memorable loss column.

BRILLIANTLY EVIL.......2004-11-03

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 influential as Metal Box, although it sounds nothing like it.

Pansie Title/Evil Album.......2004-10-23

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'.......2004-09-24

'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.

what a mess!!!!! .......2004-08-19

Theres no Jah Wobble on this album, there actually isnt any bass - which is not to say Jah Wobble is needed. This album is a tribal-psych-proto hip hop rave up that will turn you psychotic and keep you dancing. Easily Second Edition's equal, if not superior.

Fans should also check the Tower Recordings, Yabby You, Amon Duul 1, Taj Mahal Travellers, Dan Friel, Animal Collective, and Milford Graves.

Average customer rating:

BORING !!!!!!
Long time PiL fan...
Despite Myself
John Lydon's one trick pony show goes out with a whimper.
That What is Not Wonky

That What Is Not
PiL
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
Second Edition
Public Image
9
Metal Box

ASIN: B00000DR70
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

Acid Drops
Luck's Up
Cruel
God
Covered
Love Hope
Unfairground
Think Tank
Emperor
Good Things

Customer Reviews:

BORING !!!!!!.......2006-09-12

Last and final album for this glorious band.1992.I love their more ¨accessible ¨ period, that is to say, their latest albums like Happy ? but this one is dull, unimaginative, and sounds like it had been jammed in the studio, probably to fulfill contractual obligations ? .And god forgive me but it has a certain air of Rush (the canadian prog-metal band)to it.Even guitar god John McGeoch seems to have run out of ideas on this one. All tracks sound alike, and the prime appeal of the band to me, John Lydon's voice, is insultingly low in the mix.Nevertheless, the sound is incredibly hi-fi .For completists ONLY.

Long time PiL fan..........2006-05-22

First off, I got into PiL in 1987 via my big brother. He played me "Rise" in his car, and I've been smitten ever since. I immediately become obsessed with Album, and bought Happy? upon its release that year. I have to agree with the reviewer who said That What Is Not is neither a record you love, or hate. I think that's the main problem with it, IMHO. I also agree with the person who said it's a shame Lydon, McGeoch (RIP) and Dias didn't know it was their Swan Song because it could have been so much better. While TWIN does have some fine songs (Acid Drops is lyrically and musical brilliance, and God, Unfairground (about the first Iraq war under the first Bush) Covered and Good Things (at least the final song on the final PiL disc is pretty decent) are fun and exciting) the remaining songs really don't go anywhere. I loved (and still love) 9. I remember how disappointed (no pun intended) I was upon the first listening of TWIN. "PiL made a heavy metal record...", I said to myself. I missed the dance elements of Happy? and 9. PiL (particularly Lydon) had always prided himself on not being bracketed, which I guess is why he chose more 'rock' direction of TWIN after Happy? and 9. I could understand that but I was still disappointed.
Also, while I loved the female background singers for Happy? and 9, I think they wore out their welcome on TWIN.
Lastly, I am glad Lydon put PiL to rest after TWIN and concentrated on his solo career (and don't even get me started on the horrendous Sex Pistols reunion!!) I'm not so sure PiL in the mid to late 90's would have worked (it hardly worked in 1992!)
Anyway, if you are new to PiL, dont start with this one. It's neither great, nor does it suck, which is why you should probably avoid it. Go get First Issue, Metal Box, Flowers of Romance, Album and 9 instead. Avoid This is What you Want, This is What you Get as well. Happy? isn't that great due to the production being terrible. Or go for the Plastic Box four disc collection. It's fantastic.

Despite Myself.......2006-04-15

I cannot say I was blown away by this album when it was released. It was a decent enough addition to my PiL collection but hardly the showpiece. 10 years later I realised that it is the one PiL album I still listen to regularly and enjoy immensely. A few years later and nothing has changed. I really like this record!
Why that is is hard to pin down but I think it has to do with John McGeoch's more obvious presence. To correct the previous review, this was not a line-up of session muso's but a stable core of Lydon, McGeoch and bassist Dias. It certainly has the feel of a band working together and is as coherent as anything else PiL ever did [and more coherent than most of it].
Given that there was never anything you could define as "the PiL sound" this album seems as appropriate a swan-song as anyone could hope for. Its strong, catchy and clever.

John Lydon's one trick pony show goes out with a whimper........2005-06-15

That What is Not (1992) was the last disc from the John Lydon Band. Every disc Lydon made after forcing Keith Levene from the band buried the legacy of Public Image Limited further into the ground. This album buried them so deep in the world of MTV and VH1 that it was impossible for them to ever be considered a force in the pop world. Instead of defying the conventional wisdom, Lydon and his session players embraced it and became another phony band who'll forever be labled a "college" rock band.

Lydon destroyed what the original ideals of what Public Image Limited stood for. The name lost all meaning as
he turned it into a banner for himself. With the death of P.I.L.
and John Lydon reviving the Sex Pistols as an arena band during the mid-90's how far wil Lydon go in burying his
tarnished legacy?

Bad music only for fans of Public Image Limited 3.0 (1986-1992) and "college" rock fans.

That What is Not Wonky.......2005-03-26

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.

This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get

Average customer rating:

Johnny Rotten * Genius
Nonsensical tripe from Lydon and Atkins.
You are now entering an Underrated Zone
these are not love songs
Best PIL album ever

This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
Public Image Ltd.
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Public Image
Second Edition
That What Is Not
Metal Box
9

ASIN: B00000733R
Release Date: 1995-03-09

Tracks:

Bad Life
This Is Not A Love Song
Solitaire
Tie Me To The Length Of That
The Pardon
Where Are You?
1981
The Order Of Death

Customer Reviews:

Johnny Rotten * Genius.......2007-06-22

This guy (Band PIL) John Lydon.
Musical genius in the way Captain Beefheart was/IS.
Listen to the strain in Solitaire!
Very MODERN , like Television's-Marque Moon......Great sound.

Nonsensical tripe from Lydon and Atkins........2005-06-15

This is What you want (1983) was a terrible album from John Lydon and Martin Atkins. After an rift between Keith Levene and John Lydon occured during the recording of the demo tracks, Atkins and Lydon ran Keith off and he quit the band. Instead of keeping him on the finished tracks, Atkins and Lydon removed Levene and Pete Jones (the band's studio bassist) from the audio tracks and re-recorded them
with members from their Holiday Inn band (Lydon hired members from a covers band who performed at a New Jersey Holiday Inn).

The new tracks and horrible. All of the guitar riffs and rhythm
section that were originally recorded for the future album were erased. Noise and other unwelcomed sounds were added to the tracks. The original tracks were far superior (even in their basic state) to what was released. To hear them you'll have to find the Commercial Zone LP. The failure of this disc and the bickering between Atkins and Lydon would cause the band to become a solo project for the former anarchy king.

Not recommended.

You are now entering an Underrated Zone.......2004-10-23

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.......2004-09-30

This is not the death of PiL 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, its chants 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.......2004-08-27

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.

Average customer rating:

Thanks for the Memories
A damn FINE Disney soundtrack
DAMN BACKUPSINGERS
Is everybody (not standoffish with the 80s) happy?
If you like PiL, you'll love it

9
Public Image Ltd.
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
That What Is Not
Public Image
Public Image Ltd. - Greatest Hits So Far
Second Edition

ASIN: B000008TW5
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

Happy?
Disappointed
Warrior
U.S.L.S. 1*
Sand Castles In The Snow
Worry
Brave New World
Like That
Same Old Story
Armada

Customer Reviews:

Thanks for the Memories.......2006-09-28

The only time I ever saw PIL live was in 1982 or 83 at The Chance, a seedy little Carnegy Hall of a place in Poughkeepsie, NY. I was trying to get away from "the crowd" by retreating to the balcony when I ran into the band as they were entering the building stage left. Their faces were averted like Dali's Christ and they were definately not from Poughkeepsie. Some fellow Americans grabbed me so that I didn't follow them backstage and then I guess either be killed or have to go out and do a duet with Johnny.

Though I was never much of a fan of the Sex Pistols, this PIL album appeals to me because it effectively blends the heavy rock sounds of bands like Cream with the rhythms and melodies of New Wave, and weaves them into the greater tapestry of Mr. Lydon's punk.

All of the songs on "9" are great. The best example of the blending referred to above is on "Armada," which I think is a masterpiece. It exemplifies the same kind of extreme emphasis of a chord that Cream does in "Toad," the difference being that "Toad" piles on top of the tonic, whereas "Armada" celebrates the third chord of the standard blues progression, not the first one (the tonic). While both of these major chords are closely related, the third one is more intense and troubled and it makes "Armada" a more energized song. (If, in your head, you take the "Armada" cadences and its tip-toeing, entranced ditties and overlay onto them "Toad's" sustained harmonic resonances in the tonic, you'll be even more impressed with the beauty of this song.) In "Armada," the tonic peddles "pleasant platitudes" and is a chord the band can't wait to dump. What is "magnificent" is the third chord on which PIL's well-oiled guitars soon converge. To some, this music may represent a betrayal of what the Sex Pistols were about, but, to me, it represents its ultimate expression.

For the reviewers who complain about the background vocals on "9," I draw their attention to the masterful use of them in "Armada," where Johnny's 4-syllable "My-Ar-Ma-Da" is beautifully offset by the chorus' "Ar-Ma-Da." Very much the pirate, Mr. Lydon intends to "die on the water." Unlike Clapton's meandering lead in "Toad," "Armada's" lead comes out swinging. The only thing that mars this song is the end of "Armada," where, instead of shifting the emphasis onto the tonic and adding some of Clapton's sweet harmonic overtones, Lydon overstays his welcome on the third and the song crumbles under the weight of its own angst. The song needs to redeem the tonic, which it has heretofore scorned and the only way to do this is to give us a few measures of "Toad's" tonal harmonics at the end. (I've got some great Clapton-esque, wah-wah leads swirling in my head.) Otherwise, this music is pretty refined. I just discovered a somewhat hidden and very beautiful guitar riff on "Armada" that provides some of the harmonics missing at the end of the song.

My other favorites on "9" are all of the songs, especially "U.S.L.S. 1," which employs a great, almost classical, bass line right out of Beethoven. Some reviewer thinks it's about the US military, but I think it might be about the Pan Am flight that Libyans blew up over Scotland. The lyrics in general are great in and of themselves.

A damn FINE Disney soundtrack.......2006-01-05

I think the guy below was probably looking for some Sex Pistols-esque music, which, as Lydon admitted, really was "a sham". Punk was such a phony genre of music. It's even worse now. Too bad PIL isn't putting out any albums anymore, because they'd be a ray of sunshine and a huge dose of reality to all these I-Hate-Myself-And-Wanna-Die bands that are popular nowadays. It's true that the PIL albums from the generically-titled Compact Disk up to their final That What is Not are very Pop-sounding, but who cares? John Lydon's voice offsets the Popiness of the music a bit with his warbly and unique voice, and the songs themselves have great lyrics on a range of topics. 9 is a solid album, and there are a few songs I really love, like 'Warrior' which is about standing up and defending your land (not to be confused with being Nationalistic), the haunting 'USLS 1', and of course the Disneyfied 'Disappointed' which has those "damn backup singers". I find it funny that people have qualms about the backup singers, because they were nothing new at that point; John had been using them on at least two of his PIL albums before 9.

DAMN BACKUPSINGERS.......2005-09-24

this album would be amazing if it werent for those goddamn backup singers.. they make it sound like its a disney soundtrack.

Is everybody (not standoffish with the 80s) happy? .......2004-10-24

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.......2002-02-03

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.

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