Lydon and Crew Return With a Far From Rotten Album
9/10
"This. Is. Pil.", proclaims a vehemently assured John Lydon as he thunders his way through the first of a dozen new songs with a determined holler and trademark glint in both eyes. Recorded at Steve Winwood's Cotswold studios last year, "This is PIL" is their first since 1992's "That What Is Not" and is as British as Hovis, Hobnobs and Country Life butter (the product that funded the band's regrouping). Releasing this ninth studio-album during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations is either a mark of genius or great marketing (my money's on both) and Lydon's star has rarely shone brighter in the two interim decades.
Musically here, PiL have succeeded in merging many of their old previous trademarks from most of their earlier releases, sprinkled them with creative fairy-dust and injected the same imagination and variety that made "Metal Box" such a landmark album. A tough task but if I had to pick one weak song, I'd have to pick the opening title-track, if only for the unlikely lack of lyrics from a man who has normally got a lot to articulate. Still, I can't fault the ace band he's enlisted - Jeez they're tight and as sharp as the musicians assembled for the best-selling "Album". Did I say 'weak'? Perhaps I meant 'not quite as sparkling as the rest'.
From the point that opening track ends and song number two rumbles within earshot, you quickly realize that Lydon's muse of old has returned and it's a sign of relief all round. "One Drop", chosen as a taster single for Record Store Day, isn't the highlight of "This is PiL" by a long chalk, but it's still possessed of purpose and prosaic lyrical imagery such as "we come from chaos, you cannot change us!", plus a righteous and proud proclaimation, "I am John and I am from London". Of course he is. Later on he will declare that "he's from Finsbury Park and I am having a lark". Nowt wrong with that.
"Deeper Water" is perhaps one of the album's key counterpoints - initially written 'on the hoof', the powerful six-minute anthem features a supercharged guitar-riff from previous Pil-head Lu Edmonds that sounds for all the world like the ghost of the great and sadly-departed John McGeoch is watching over the sessions. Frankly, this is one of PiL's strongest songs from their impressive career and is up their with "Rise", "Memories" or "Love Song". Afterwards, there follows a raft of top-notch trademark Public Image Limited, spearheaded by "Terra-Gate", "Human" and "I Must Be Dreaming", all sounding like business as usual, but not in a predictable sense, just in quality with Lydon in fine voice for a man in his mid-'50s, stirring together wit and bile. (You can hear he's enjoying himself again).
The remaining half of the album is a broader palette of colours that begins with "It Said That", an apparent snipe at tiresome gossip and continues with the claustrophobic drug-addled council-flat desperation of the spoken-word poem, "The Room I Am In", recalling the "Religion" monologue on "First Issue". And if you thought that Lydon was getting all dour and down on our asses, check out another pivotal piece on the album, "Lollipop Opera", a shuffling dubby megaphone-driven groove that highlights what a great band he's assembled - drummer Bruce Smith gives this fidgety track the full 'Ginger Baker' throughout. I defy you to keep your body still when this is on.
"This is PiL" is undoubtedly the sum of PiL's many multi-faceted parts and rounds off with three more examples as to why you should embrace Lydon's return with open arms. With plenty of festival slots approaching, including Blackpool's worthy Rebellion and Rochester's Music Event One, and a tour during the summer and autumn, there's never been a better time to go on the PiL. It's a well-used cliche but this is one of the albums of the year.
For more information on Public Image Limited, visit Allgigs here
9/10
"This. Is. Pil.", proclaims a vehemently assured John Lydon as he thunders his way through the first of a dozen new songs with a determined holler and trademark glint in both eyes. Recorded at Steve Winwood's Cotswold studios last year, "This is PIL" is their first since 1992's "That What Is Not" and is as British as Hovis, Hobnobs and Country Life butter (the product that funded the band's regrouping). Releasing this ninth studio-album during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations is either a mark of genius or great marketing (my money's on both) and Lydon's star has rarely shone brighter in the two interim decades.
Musically here, PiL have succeeded in merging many of their old previous trademarks from most of their earlier releases, sprinkled them with creative fairy-dust and injected the same imagination and variety that made "Metal Box" such a landmark album. A tough task but if I had to pick one weak song, I'd have to pick the opening title-track, if only for the unlikely lack of lyrics from a man who has normally got a lot to articulate. Still, I can't fault the ace band he's enlisted - Jeez they're tight and as sharp as the musicians assembled for the best-selling "Album". Did I say 'weak'? Perhaps I meant 'not quite as sparkling as the rest'.
From the point that opening track ends and song number two rumbles within earshot, you quickly realize that Lydon's muse of old has returned and it's a sign of relief all round. "One Drop", chosen as a taster single for Record Store Day, isn't the highlight of "This is PiL" by a long chalk, but it's still possessed of purpose and prosaic lyrical imagery such as "we come from chaos, you cannot change us!", plus a righteous and proud proclaimation, "I am John and I am from London". Of course he is. Later on he will declare that "he's from Finsbury Park and I am having a lark". Nowt wrong with that.
"Deeper Water" is perhaps one of the album's key counterpoints - initially written 'on the hoof', the powerful six-minute anthem features a supercharged guitar-riff from previous Pil-head Lu Edmonds that sounds for all the world like the ghost of the great and sadly-departed John McGeoch is watching over the sessions. Frankly, this is one of PiL's strongest songs from their impressive career and is up their with "Rise", "Memories" or "Love Song". Afterwards, there follows a raft of top-notch trademark Public Image Limited, spearheaded by "Terra-Gate", "Human" and "I Must Be Dreaming", all sounding like business as usual, but not in a predictable sense, just in quality with Lydon in fine voice for a man in his mid-'50s, stirring together wit and bile. (You can hear he's enjoying himself again).
The remaining half of the album is a broader palette of colours that begins with "It Said That", an apparent snipe at tiresome gossip and continues with the claustrophobic drug-addled council-flat desperation of the spoken-word poem, "The Room I Am In", recalling the "Religion" monologue on "First Issue". And if you thought that Lydon was getting all dour and down on our asses, check out another pivotal piece on the album, "Lollipop Opera", a shuffling dubby megaphone-driven groove that highlights what a great band he's assembled - drummer Bruce Smith gives this fidgety track the full 'Ginger Baker' throughout. I defy you to keep your body still when this is on.
"This is PiL" is undoubtedly the sum of PiL's many multi-faceted parts and rounds off with three more examples as to why you should embrace Lydon's return with open arms. With plenty of festival slots approaching, including Blackpool's worthy Rebellion and Rochester's Music Event One, and a tour during the summer and autumn, there's never been a better time to go on the PiL. It's a well-used cliche but this is one of the albums of the year.
For more information on Public Image Limited, visit Allgigs here