Public Image: First Issue

“Okay, okay, hear me out. What if we took the mediocrity of the Sex Pistols… but made it longer?” - John Lydon, probably

I can fast forward through any song and wherever I stop sounds exactly the same as where I started.

Male

Boy, John Lydon (formerly of Sex Pistols) wants you to work for this album. Track one is a 9-minute long, post-punk, noise-rock grind. Track two is a spoken word tirade against organized religion. Track three is that SAME tirade but put to music. It isn't until track four that it starts to feel like an actual album. This is often credited as the first true post-punk album and it really is that. Lydon takes the in-your-face, don't care about aesthetics approach of punk and the "I really have something to say about humanity/culture/you" ethos that he brought to Sex Pistols... but then strips out all of the nihilistic, anarchic, devil-may-care FUN of the genre. This really feels like Lydon's expression of discontent with the state of the scene and anger at the industry that supports music. Even with all that, I found it interesting and engaging as an album. Maybe that's because I actually really love punk so I can appreciate this album. Despite Lydon's rejection of punk, this album is still so very punk. Standout tracks are: "Public Image" for its strong ties to Sex Pistols and "Fodderstompf" for being the most experimental. Seriously, that track is WAY out there.

“Public Image: First Issue” by Public Image. Ltd. (1978) Kid atheists are so cute. I just want to kneel down, give them a hug, and tell them to go play outdoors, but don’t run in the street. They’re so sweet at that age. Actually, “atheist” is not quite the right term for these fellows, since it’s not THEIR belief or non-belief at issue here, but rather it’s the belief or non-belief of OTHERS that they’re singing about. And that’s a different matter. They’ve graduated from thoughtful consideration of metaphysical commitments to evangelistic iconoclasm (“Religion I” and “Religion II”). They could have learned a lot from John Lennon’s “God” on the album “Plastic Ono Band” (1970). They like to stand outside the Church throwing spit wads at stained glass because they see hypocrisy, blindness, avarice, absurdity, and (one could add) ephebophilia. Well, boys, you should see what it looks like from the INSIDE. Your critique would become more intelligent. Their self-proclaimed “Theme” is summarized: I wish I could die I wish I could die I wish I could die I just died Terminal boredom You see, they’ve traded their illusions for a nullity. These mental rug rats have grown ‘up’ to go beyond Sex Pistols (lyricist John Lyndon) to semiautomatic Nerf Knockoffs. It’s like watching reruns of Scooby-Do. John Lyndon characterizes his antagonists (and this album is all about antagonism) as egomaniacal anarchist bourgeois morons with shit for brains (his terms, not mine). These enemies are subject to his “Attack”. But his weapons are so weeny. I almost don’t care who wins. John, spend some time in the totalitarian universe of your antireligious compatriots and get back to me. We’ll talk. 1/5

Not my thing and the singer sounds like Carl Weezer from Jimmy Neutron on some songs

The singer's gutteral vocals in certain songs would be really at home in early back metal or crust punk bands like Venom or Deviated Instinct...but sadly, they are over this boring music. Devoting an entire track to your very edgy anti-christianity spoken word poem (religion I) and following it up with literally the exact same poem set over a repetitive jam (religion II) is awful, and public image should feel bad about it. || Parts that were listenable when I dove into work and tried not to pay attention. I'm giving this a 2 because a 2 is more forgettable than a 1. I don't want to have to think about this trash again.

Juvenile.

Hated it. Shows Lydon up for the talent-free 14 year-old esque poet and agitator that he is.

I really hated this, even more than Le Tigre. And honestly, looking back at my prior ratings, I think I'm supposed to have it like the bourgie scum I am. Surprising amount of preaching in post-punk, just preaching to a different choir.

How is this one of the lowest rated albums on here?! You people have no taste. This is one of the greatest post-punk albums ever made, thanks mostly to Mr Keith Levene with the incredible guitar, and Jah Wobble with the gorgeous dub-style bass. Lydon's lyrics give the album an extra kick. I've heard this album countless time and I love the sex pistols and a lot of other work Lydon has done so of course I'm very biased about my adoration of this album. On a first listen, I don't think I 'got' this album. So in all fairness, it will take time for someone to appreciate just how good it is. Fav tracks: Religion II. So angry. I love it. Annalisa and Theme are great. Theme in particular has a great opening bassline. And lydon's screaming on it must have disgusted so many listeners :)

Reminds me a lot of early Swans with a bit more punk than no-wave! Still retains a lot of no-wave elements (see: that high-class piano solo in Religion II, the vocals on Fodderstompf) without explicitly being a part of the scene. This is made all the better by the fact that the no-wave movement would've been at it's genesis around this time, so PIL is at the cutting edge around this time. The punk elements are also a huge part of the sound, lending itself extremely well to the sneering sarcastic tone of the album. This is so great. More modern post-punk bands should aspire for this level of raw vitriol. And coming off of the less-than-stellar Sex Pistols, I applaud John Lydon (formerly Rotten) for making this move in the music scene. If only his contemporary political views didn't make him a FUCKING TRUMP SUPPORTER, THEN MAYBE HE'D ACTUALLY BE A COOL AND ADMIRABLE FIGURE IN THE MUSIC WORLD, YOU FUCKHEAD. LISTEN TO YOUR OWN GODDAMN MUSIC FOR ONCE.

This is an album for musicians, I can tell. It's also an album for pissed off people. Is this punk? If so, I might like punk! The instruments and vocals combine in absolutely punishing ways. First, they break down your religion, then trust in society, government, etc. The vocals are divine - visceral screams, howls, and shouts. It seems that he's actually railing against society here. Favorite songs are Fodderstompf, Theme, Religion I, and Attack. Low life is the worst song, but it's only because it is forgettable. My favorite point on the album is in fodderstompf when he says he is just doing this to get the album done in the easiest way to fulfill contractual obligations. God it is a smart song. Sarcastic, but a smart critique on the music industry.

Over-rated post punk purveyor. Probably had to be there. Best Tracks: Annalisa, Public Image, Low Life

Very boring, the kind of stuff that did not age well

Wow!!! I thought some of the past offerings by the sex pistols was bad, this has taken dirge to a whole new level. It’s absolute rubbish, I’ve heard white noise that has more appeal than this. I suppose that you have to listen to the really bad music to appreciate the mediocre and to love the good. I’m only giving this a one start because I have to award it something, if I could I would have given it a zero

My hangover got even worse from this.

Awful, terrible spoken word political punk, would prefer to give it 0 stars!

Hair coiffed up, suited up, as if he were on the front cover of a prestigious magazine. John Lydon had no intentions on being rotten anymore. This was the new public image and he was going to use it to let the world know that he was more than what they thought he was. Of course he couldn't do it alone, for he had the best guitarist and bassist of the time right beside him and, together, they'll create the kind of fission that would split punk in two. To this day, this is an album that is ahead of its time in crafting a new noise and a new way forward for not only disillusioned punks but curious on-lookers and listeners as well. While their finest hour was yet to come, this First Issue is an exhilarating first step forward.

Post punk bands are still copying this homework

Garotte-wire guitar, dub-rumbling bass, frantic drumming and That Voice. Raw, bloody and wild. The good stuff, straight out of the vein.

This album is okay, I guess. The kind of music that sounds decent stone cold sober, but even better after a drink or two. It's as if the edgelords you knew in high school formed a band and actually turned out to be pretty good. Fave track: Religion II. Nice bass lines all the way through, solid drums. Worthwhile but I didn't adore any track.

Jah Wobble is the king of the groove. I don't care what everyone else is doing and sometimes I wonder if they do, but it doesn't matter because he just drives every song.

Pretty chill and a lil Chaotic lol

johnny rotten is a bigoted, arrogant prick that can't even sing. the only track i enjoyed on the album was religion 1, but only because it has a message i agree with. rotten's voice is grating and all around bad compared to his work with the sex pistols, an era he's been trying to relive his entire life.

Sometimes, when an artistic output takes itself ultra seriously but also fucking sucks, it gains a kind of so-bad-it's-good charm. Sometimes it can even become outright fantastic. I'd say Burzum is a good example of how something that fucking sucks at face value can end up a masterpiece. But other times, something that fucking sucks on the surface fucking sucks all the way through. This album fucking sucks to the core. Musically it's utterly devoid of talent and the lyrics aren't even 10th grade quality. Yet it tries oh so hard to insist upon itself, but because it fucking sucks so much it ends up being downright embarrassing to sit through. Lydon clearly had two goals here: he wanted to be hated, because his personality is permanently set to awful anyway - just look at his fucking face - and he also wanted people to grudgingly respect him as a lyricist/artist/etc. He probably even fancies himself as a Real Poet; no one would record "religion" otherwise. Problem is, it's very obvious that he isn't a Real Artist. The lack of artistry really slaps you in the face. It's not worthy of respect. To be fair though, Lydon did achieve his other goal of being hated. And I guess sooner or later someone had to find out how loathsome and punchable you can make yourself look by dressing up like a fucking pedophile serial killer on your album cover. lol. So fucking clap clap, the only thing he has going for him is that he's wholly obnoxious. Seriously though, this fucking sucked so bad. 1/5.

First Issue Mixed feelings on Lydon, but I guess that’s kind of the point, he is an insufferable dickhead, but capable of producing some great music, some great ideas and some excellently pithy and provocative lines, among all the obvious contrarian and artless posturing. Obviously Sex Pistols had a big musical and cultural impact, but PiL are definitely a more interesting if more challenging listen. I’m not familiar with everything they have done, but I do like the bits I know. I do find myself attracted to their spiky conceptual auto didactic art school experimental ethos and I bought the re-issue of Metal Box on CD, mainly as the packaging is great, but it's a great listen, and I also like the album ‘album’, which has the brilliant ‘Rise’ on it. I love the cover on this album, the pastiche of the cover of a lifestyle magazine, with his neat hair and suit, poking at his image as the face of Sex Pistols/punk. I know the song Public Image, however I don’t think I’ve actually listened to this album in full before, or if I have I can’t remember it. Track 1 and 3 are a great indication of their approach - superb, prominent bass, abrasive guitar and hit and miss sloganeering. Annalisa is probably the first track that feels like a traditional song, it definitely has echoes of Sex Pistols, with its familiar sneering vocal, but with the bass, drums and wiry guitars it sounds much more modern and far more interesting. And then Public Image is a fantastic bit of agitated post punk, a superb track with its swirling and scratchy guitar and fantastic bass line. Love the Can/Neu style drums on Low Life and the bass as ever is excellen Attack is perhaps a little underpar, it doesn’t have the immediacy or sense of excitement or new ground that the other songs do. Fodderstompf is great though, superb dubby bass, minimal guitar, sprinkling of synth and some more nonsense from Lydon. This was released only one year after Never Mind the Bollocks, but it sounds worlds apart, like something from the future (of the early 80s), with its abrasive and wiry guitars, dubby bass and rhythmically interesting drums. You can really hear how influential this was; on where guitar music was going in the years after punk, as a conceptual art punk project, and then down the years on lots of great bands Conceptually I love it, I find it fascinating and musically I find it pretty addictive. Interesting albums don’t always intersect with good, but this one does. There’s some great ideas and some great music on here, feeling both futuristic and boundary pushing, but with a feeling that it could only be made at the end of the 70s in the immediate aftermath of punk. I love a MOR crafted pop album as much as anyone, but I also love this. You know what, I’m giving it 5. 💊💊💊💊💊 Playlist submission: Public Image

Absolutely great album.

Amazing album. The copy that I downloaded had a 1 hour long interview with John Lydon tacked on to the end of the list; that was an unexpected treat!

I mean. It's noise and whingey complaining and repetitive long songs. Loud and weird is one of my favorite genres.

Discordant, pretentious, irritating, provocative, surly. Loved it

The song Public Image still gives me chills - so good!

cool

This is unpleasant, talentless and offensive. I love it. I can't say I like John Lydon but he has always been outspoken and this is fairly enjoyable if you like Pistols and Punk/New wave but i'm more interested in how unpopular this is to reviewers. It's from 1978 riding on the back of Punk so it's what I would expect it to be but the reviewers seem to want to compare it with serious music.

Not sure what you'd call this style, but it's great. Similar vibe to punk, but more chill so that I can actually understand the lyrics.

Fab! One of my favourite records!!

Me gustó bastante. Me puso de buen humor su sonido tropezado, se va cayendo por todos lados, pero es divertido. Creo que las que más me gustaron fueron Analisa y Religion con su intro. Mood: vomitando lyrics

This album lays the groundwork for the far more experimental Metal Box, and in turn, also has those moments of pure creative, destructive, funky punk, where John Lydon and co. (especially Jah Wobble's bass) deconstruct punk rock to its amateurish, raw roots and ironically make something a bit disco. Because of this, the album has a lot of great, heart-racing moments with an actual pulse behind them and a reason to keep listening to the end. I think what leaves this one a tad bit lesser than its follow-up is that this album feels less haunting, less demented, and instead, juvenile. Does that fit the punk aesthetic more? Yes, but after the first track you're going to get something "lighter" in tone, and while just as quality musically, it isn't quite as memorable. However, still a great new step in the punk landscape, and if that new era wants to end with a goofy ass song, so be it.

The most direct route from punk to post-punk. I actually enjoy this much more than The Sex Pistols. It has a nice balance of loose experimentation and sharp hypnotic focus. Fodderstompf is a bit of an obnoxious way to go out, but I suppose that was their point.

Though a lot of the creative decisions can probably be attributed to John Lydon wanting to troll the mainstream, the dub-influenced post-punk still shows strongly. The brighter tracks "Public Image" and "Low Life" are great too

unforgiving, tough, stripped down punk music. Very enjoyable for what it is.

This is probably the perfect example of an anit-pop album. The songs here are just ugly, brash pieces that shouldn't have been pressed onto a record... however, it's done in a fashion which makes it impossible to look away from it, kinda like a slow moving car crash. It's basically the 70's version of Alice Cooper's debut Pretties for You (which originally inspired Johnny's musical styling in the first place) so it's quite a fitting comparrison.

Stripped down punk, as Public Image Ltd really peel back all the pomp and circumstance, leaving only the anti-religious confessions and accusations of Johnny Rotten. Often times, his voice is used more as an attack instrument rather than a melodic one. Not my favourite art-punk/post-punk project, but definitely worth the listen (the drums alone are fantastic). Fav Tracks: Annalisa and Public Image Rating: 3.5/5

7.5/10 sube a 8

Muy pank, pero ya menos crudo, más estilizado (¿por eso se llama post punk?). Es maravilloso lo que pasa muchas veces con los instrumentos, como que encuentran en distintas canciones y momentos una oportunidad para brillar. Todo cool, dan ganas de escuchar esto en vivo. "Theme" es un gran inicio y luego me gustaron mucho "Religion II", "Public Image" y esa maravilla chistosona "Fodderstompf" con su "We only wanted to be love" repetido demencialmente. John Lydon, mis respetos (?). 9/10

I liked it better the second time.

You’ll dance to anything by Public Image Limited

not a standout record, but there are a couple decent tunes. i enjoyed "religion i & ii" sonically and, additionally, find that the amount of people who're angry or dismissive of these tracks only makes them better. a lot of the record is filled out with now-standard post-punk guitar-work that i always love, but with john lydon's "ain't i a stinker" style of vocal screeching over it. this shit wasn't charming in the sex pistols, and even less so now. i found this very similar to siouxsie sioux's debut record, which i listened to for this project two months ago and enjoyed significantly more. one of the benefits of this project is it has better enabled me to reflect on observations like this and develop a stronger framework for thoughts like "why do i find this album kinda mid"

my second album from these guys. start was horrendous. it did turn into music a couple songs in. good bass lines, good guitar, but repetitive to the point of pain

i've been walking around shouting "THIS IS RELIGION!" in a johnny rotten voice all day. my wife is annoyed, my cat worried. has got to be one of the worst songs ever recorded; the spoken word version doubly so. a real twat, this guy. the guitar on annalisa and public image is interesting enough to elevate the album to a 2, which really just means i'd take it over most 70s prog.

1001 Post-Punk Albums You Don't Really Need to Hear Before You Die, Or Ever, Really.

England ought to be ashamed of itself. This was just as bad as their other album "Metal Box" that we had to endure. There's probably only about three other bands that have ever existed that I hate with as much passion as I do this sorry excuse for a band. Let's start with the songs. They're really, really bad. I don't care if they're supposed to be some sort of profound commentary on society and music and religion as an institution, they sound like crap. I mean just downright awful. Once again the only part of the songs that wasn't nails on chalkboard for me was the bass line. Everything else, the drums, guitar, and vocals, was just torture. If you wanted to drive me to insanity you would just need to play Public Image Ltd. and that would do it. Secondly, WHY WAS THERE A 56 MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH LYDON AT THE END??? Nobody cares what you have to say John, you're a terrible musician as well as being a bloated, conceited, arrogant wannabe philosopher who thinks he's the funniest thing the world has ever seen and the messiah of music. You're just not. You never have been and never will be. You are not and never will be "ten times better than anything else out there". I mean what an arrogant and pretentious statement to make?? How deluded and narcissistic can you be?? This was just a travesty and England ought to be ashamed that they produced such a band.

as much as I'd like to enjoy listening to your college campus's hobo edgelord wail about religion, accompanied with barren waiting-room rock backing tracks, I just don't

This sucked. I had to listen in lowest possible volume so I didn’t get kicked out of the house. Right off the bat I knew this would be a rough one.

Monumentally bad. Narcissistic trash. Actually anger inducing having to listen through this.

Doesn’t respect your time

God, what a dreadful 39 minutes. I struggle to imagine the band listening back to this in the studio and saying "we nailed it boys". Also, how the instrumentalists in the band didn't want to punch Lydon's smug little face after hearing the shit he lays down here. What a fuckwit.

Not one moment did I like this

Other than the eponymous track, complete rubbish. If he hadn't been who he was, this would never have got published. Whining adolescent drivel. So bad it makes me cross.

Wat een experimentele bagger. Kan hier echt helemaal niets mee

Geen zin in deze weltschermz.

Ooooh, edgy

I understand that late 70s punk rock was just as much about making a political statement as well as an artistic one, and that blurring the line between music and noise was an intentional way of expressing emotion, however it's quite possible that this is the worst album I've heard on this list so far. A substantial portion of this 40-minute album is made up of discordant and over-distorted guitar behind what can barely be described as singing. At some points, the lead vocalist will simply scream as hard as they can into the microphone without any rythym or melody to the point that just listening to this man damage his vocal chords became physically discomforting. The drums were solid throughout and the bassist was pretty much the sole reason this album had any semblance of a melody at all. The last track is particularly annoying. The vocalist just makes noises and adlibs high-pitched voices over a simple disco beat for nearly 8 minutes. It should be said that "Religion I" was an enjoyable spoken word interlude and "Low Life" was a decent tune. Other than that, I am genuinely surprised that I listened to this whole album and wish that I could somehow get those 40 minutes of my life back.

one of those records where you can *hear* how influential it was, all these years later. blimey.

cool record. you can definitely feel how it is like an evolution of the sex pistols. definitely still has that johnny rotten attitude, but it's a little more subdued and a lot more sleeker. i didn't know what to expect out of this one but was really surprised! definitely one i am going to revisit.

Never been a fan of the Pistols, so came into this not expecting much. Amateur move, as this is a delightful slab of post-punk indulgence. The whole thing sounds like it was recorded on your mate Colin's shitty 4 track in the garage, and it probably was, but the low-fi production totally suits this record down to the ground. Rotton's slurred ramblings are excellent. Favourite tracks: seems to me like a record that should just be played from start to finish, just like Grandma used to.

What an odd yet somehow enthralling record. It totally sucks me in, and it's not what I expected Johnny Rotten to do after Sex Pistols. I quite liked both Religions and even the weird ending song is a fun listen. This is great

This was an incredible listen. I ended up really enjoying this.

If "Never Mind The Bollocks" was an intense close-up, this is a wide-shot, expanding the scope of Lydon's snarling lyrics into something more interesting and diverse.

Public image Ltd are great

While transformative for the adjacent music scene, beyond Religion 1 and 2 and Public Image, the rest of the tracks are a bit more discordant (Low Life gets credit for its punk hooks) than is my preference. However, on the strength of these 3 or 4 tracks and the auditory journey by Lydon, it makes it work.

I felt this was definitely one of the better punk albums i've heard on the 1001. The punk energy feels more genuine, and musically interesting, quite aggressively experimental at points. Fave Tracks: Theme, Public Image, Low Life, Fodderstompf 3.6/5

I listened to this the day after Christmas and found it refreshing. A nice vitriolic attack on hypocrisy and consumerism. The bass and drums sound good and I like the metallic guitar squalls over it.

Not exactly my thing, but not objectionable. I like it when a new band has a concise 40 minute statement of their ideas.

Interesting

Kova

This was a really fresh post punk album! Something felt familiar, but I only found out that it was Johnny Rotten singing way too late 😅

This is sick

I understand the low rating on this site but I kind of liked this. Yeah the lyrics are juvenile but the musicianship is rock solid. Will listen again.

good

I imagine myself in a poor-lit bar, surrounded by teenagers smoking heavily and chugging one beer after another. Posters of bands like The Who or The Clash decorate all the walls in the venue. Lots of kids wearing black shirts and leather jackets. A girl wearing fish net tights and black lipstick. I would probably skip the rants about religion, those sound pretty dumb to be honest.

good stuff. foundational

I think this 1001 Challenge just made me found out that Post-Punk overthrowned East Coast Rap(Which mind you, was my fav since I was like 6) as my favorite genre ever lol. Love this record!

Point deducted for thinking that the lyrics of Religion were so good that they warranted an additional recital.

Unlike the majority here, I actually like listening to this album, and I'm going to give it 4 despite the blatant filler (its combination of nihilism & sense of humour sometimes catches me in the mood). But I struggle to see why it is included in the 1001 Albums, when it adds so little above its successor Metal Box.

Another excellent choice. More staying power than the Sex Pistols. Maybe just as influential? Love a lot of it, but not all of it.

Очень необычный альбом

I found this album surprisingly interesting and engaging. There were some moments that were a little "too much Johnny Lyndon," but most of his vocals were interesting and played nicely with the music - in a much more interesting way than The Sex Pistols. Overall, I found it to be an interesting Post-Wave album that I definitely want to hear more of.

Not in love with FFF as an opener, but I do really enjoy Rise. This one exists in kind of a weird place stylistically -- certain points remind me of 80s pop, but there is a jammy/freeness to certain sections. Digging the pure percussion groove opening Round. Closer Ease is fantastic. Love the wandering virtuouso guitar alongside the more "Eastern" sounding string accompaniment. I can certainly see where the vocals on this record could be polarizing, and understand the hate among the group as a result. That said, I think you are all wrong. This was an enjoyable and varied ride from start to finish without overstaying its welcome. At 41 minutes across 7 tracks, this album gives space for each of the songs to breath and let their atmospheric qualities permeate. Several songs borrow effectively from more "Eastern" traditions in terms of the instrumentation (Ease) and poly-rhythm / syncopation (Round), all while maintaining a punk-forward cruft. I enjoyed this even more than Metal Box (from memory) and will definitely be back again. Strong 4 / 5

ovwrall average with one particularly above everage song

I recently saw a video of PiL on American Bandstand in 1980. It was surreal; I would bet that 90% of the televised audience for that performance were expecting the Sex Pistols. What they got was what is on this album plus one important spark: Johnny Rotten being charismatic and inclusive and selling the shit out of his music. It’s really quite magical to watch. It makes me laugh to think about Richard Branson and the Virgin executives. Picture hiring the darling of the hottest musical genre (punk) and giving him the reins to his first album with his new band…and then he spontaneously evolves overnight into an unheard-of musical style (post-punk). Wild. And totally in keeping with Mr Lydon’s creed of “sticking it to the man”. The music might not endear itself to me, but damnit if the ethos doesn’t.

Interesting chaotic sound. Would like to listen more

While I don't share John Lydon's disdain for religion, I can appreciate the anger at bad religion. (Jesus was known for this as well, see for example Matthew 23.) But this album gets 4 stars for the other statement it makes. Fresh off the Sex Pistols' musical coup, John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten) goes into full deconstruction mode - not just about religion but about celebrity, fame, and (you guessed it) image. There are some great sounds here. I love the vibe of Annalisa, based on a sad story of religious malpractice. This sound would be reproduced and deepened on Metal Box, aka Second Edition. Meanwhile, Fodderstompf apparently draws inspiration from Monty Python, the Beatles, and maybe the Mothers of Invention. If you don't like a song, wait till the next one. There's quite a bit of variety here. That alone is interesting coming off of "Never Mind the Bullocks." And besides, if you literally hate some of the tracks on this record, that's probably what John Lydon was going for.

From the ashes of the Sex Pistols comes this early post punk. No matter what anyone says Fodderstompf is great.

What an absolute 'fuck you' to the establishment this must have been in '78. And judging by all the 1 star reviews it still has the hypocrite masses clutching their pearls. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Lol. The bass playing on this album is killer. The first 3 tracks are ok. From track 4 to the end is where it's at for me.

I mean. Lovely.

4.0

not quite as good as metal box but still really groovy and entertaining. so much better than the sex pistols. 8/10

Almost shocked to say it, but I kinda dig this album. I'm not a big punk fan, and I know we had one other album from these guys (though I don't think that was as punk) and it wasn't as memorable. This one though, it's unique to me. It takes the freewheeling, DIY nature of punk and stretches it to extremes of length, to a few tracks that are long and droning to give time for melodies to breathe. Hard to explain why it worked so well for me, but it really did. Especially "Fodderstompf," that song almost seems like they were doing a bit, as the percussion and "beat" reminds me of some kind of new-wave pop, but it's still this gritty punk song talking about "we only wanted to be loved." Damn, something about this one just got under my skin, in a good way. The tracks I didn't like were basically skippable, but the ones I did were enough to elevate this pretty significantly. Favorite tracks: Fodderstompf, Theme, Religion II, Public Image. Album art: Guy's face, up close. It looks like they made a very light effort to create a magazine cover style, emphasis on "light" though because there isn't much to it. The guy's eyes are piercing though, something unnerving about that picture. Not a bad cover, font is nice and bold, but it's also not super distinct. 4/5

The brains of the Sex Pistols