Public Image Ltd.: Album - 1986

 

This was a fantastic album that mixed "Heroes"-era Bowie with Iggy Pop of The Idiot, The Velvet Underground and many, many post punk bands into one big, muscular monster of a creation. For me, it was PIL's best offering, no question. 

F.F.F. positively bristles with pounding drum-driven energy (from the redoubtable legend Ginger Baker on tracks 3, 4, 5 and 7) - fast paced, riffy, chunky and in possession of a killer vocal, with Lydon sounding as committed and as sneering as ever. It is a superb opener and stands as one of PIL's best tracks. Check out that wild, dentist's drill guitar near the end too. 

Rise is also a wonderful number - doing its title says and rising high above it all in its melody and once again the vocals are great as Lydon tells us that anger is an energy, he could be black and he could be white and how they put a hot wire to his head. Oh, that persistent guitar riff too - great stuff, as indeed is the throbbing bass and sonorous orchestration. A behemoth of a track. 

Fishing is massively riffy, with guitars and Ginger Baker's drums attacking you right at the centre of your nervous system. "Go crawl back in to your dustbin" growls Lydon over a pulsatingly insistent beat. Again, get a load of that searing mid-song guitar. Round starts with an absolutely sumptuous bass line from Bill Laswell, some Eastern-sounding rhythms and a huge post punk vibe all over it. It is another absolute corker. Bags is also very bleak and post punk but given great vigour to its thumping drum sound and more top notch riffs. More crazed soloing ensues.

Home is also delightfully chunky in a Lodger-era David Bowie meets Fear Of Music-era Talking Heads sort of thing while Ease ends the album in anthemic Rise style, with blatant "Heroes" instrumental sounds at the beginning. Its riffiness when it kicks in is just intoxicating and inspirational. Brilliant. Those military-style drums as well and the sombre lyrics about Susan and Norman - marvellous. It is PIL's equivalent of The Doors' The End. This was a truly great album and a thoroughly unique one. 

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