Public Image: First Issue

There are some decent moments sprinkled throughout this. The fact the group went for shock-value is unfortunate, because this had the chance to be great.

There’s much to say about this album and very few are complimentary. This album is what the stereotypical person who doesn’t like punk thinks punk sounds like, skipped basically the first half of the album and nothing really grabbed me. The vocals aren’t great, the music never develops both in the songs and over the course of the album. Apparently this album is important in developing the sound of the post punk movement, I’m happy that other bands like joy division didn’t stay or sound like this

Not bad at all. Quite catchy

A fine selection of the worst noises that can be produced using these instruments. Vocals are so cheesy and trying way too hard. It almost sounds like a joke.

No There is often a fine line between honesty and just being an asshole. I’ve always somewhat respected Johnny rotten for dancing around that line playfully to make political points. John Lyon, however somewhere along the line seems to have decided that being an asshole is pushing that boundary and I do not agree. More often than not he comes off as Boris and just an overall prick. In this case, if this record was released under the name, Sex Pistols, it likely would have been panned. If any unknown artist released it, it would’ve been laughed at. Because it was lighten it got a record deal. It’s shit, plain and simple. No, thanks.

As someone who typically enjoys punk, Johnny Rotten can be ANNOYING sometimes. There are good parts, but the majority of this album is too repetitive and… unpleasant.

Favorite Song: Public Image

Muy bueno. Me sorprendió ver que los músicos de esta banda fueron parte de los Sex pistols y de Sid Vicious. Buen rock duro, por momentos algo abrumador, pero un disco que siempre se deja escuchar. Muy post punk.

Hmmm rigtig post-punk vibe, synes ikke nødvendigvis det var verdensb edste men heller ikke verdens dårligste. Det var bare lidt noise fra mig. Tror det er forsangeren fra sex pistols.

Noch weiter kann es nicht runtergehen. Einfach nur unterirdisch!

I'm gonna be honest, I really didn't like this. Punk is not really my genre and this felt like particularly "dry" punk. It was mostly noise with an okay bassline underneath. Two stars.

una tremenda basura, lo siento

So awful

More interesting than traditionally “good.” But, I appreciate what Lydon does here and the boundaries being pushed. Highly influential.

Niet van genoten…

dit vond ik toch maar raar, een beetje te veel klanken 1.5

Noise. A lot of it!

Prototypen för all postpunk som kom därefter 78/79. Rätt imponerande platta, innovativt, experimentellt och väldigt musikaliskt kompetent. Jag förstår de låga betygen då det verkligen inte smeker medhårs. Riktigt utmanande även 2026, kan bara tänka mig hur det kändes för alla sex pistols fans när den kom ut. Det är ärligehetens namn lite väl stark tobak även för mig, även om public image är en banger. 3/5

Not really my bag..

Not my thing particularly but I can see how influential it was. Knowing that Johnny Rotten is a bit of an arsehole doesn't help me enjoy it though.

It might be an historical record of a genre that I quite like but I found it boring nevertheless Favorite Songs: Annalisa

Not sure I’d revisit but didn’t hate it!

it's cool but it's not my thing

Ones enough. And we’ve had this. I love public image. Jah wobble! But this is not their best anyway. I feel it’s here because us critics wanted to cock their snoot at those listeners who couldn’t hear it at the time.

The title track and Annalisa, not bad. John: the rest of it... fuck you too.

John Lydon seems interested in PIL as an art/media project, but is less concerned with the music, which is pretty hard to listen to, the title single aside. Even that title single (which everyone agrees is the only good song on the album) is barely a song. I think their US record company made the right call when they decided not to release this album (it was first officially released in the US in 2013). This is a document of an interesting band (Levene and Wobble in particular) jamming out improvised grooves with Lydon sneering (and occasionally screaming) over the top. Many of the tracks are improvised first takes, made up on the spot. They ran out of money halfway through, so decamped to a cheap dub studio, which informed their production choices somewhat but they still don't seem to have put a lot of time or thought into writing. Wobble's dub bass playing, Levene's spiky metallic guitar and the heavy drumming (by short-timer Jim Walker) were really influential on post-punk, for which I am grateful, but let's be honest; this record sounds like rubbish. Does anyone listen to this for fun? I feel slightly condescended to by John Lydon; he has served up an undercooked, poorly recorded set of rough demos, and expected me to lap it up -- Fodderstompf is particularly egregious. And if I don't, that is _my_ fault for not being smart enough or hip enough to get it. I _like_ this sort of thing, I really do, but this album leaves me cold and uncomfortable. It's deliberately and uncaringly bad, and I lay most of the blame for that at the feet of John Lydon, who is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is. It could have been so much better if they had put in even a modicum of effort.

I wanted to stop listening to this half way through the first song. I persisted but it just got worse. I'm unsure why I decided to torture myself like that. Instead of yet another post pink album I would have happily listened to Tibetan throat singing.

That marvellous dead-eyed implacable stare on the cover, a perfect visual for this challenging music, music of reinvention, rebirth, and music that sowed the seeds for post punk. 4 stars for being awkward, difficult, and being it's own thing

Public Image

There was some entertainment there. For its time it would be more impactful than the ocean of music we have today. Interesting.

maybe if the vocals matched the music it could have been tolerable

It is heartening to see Public Image Ltd’s debut, "First Issue", included here. To this day it is an album that remains as likely to alienate listeners as it is to inspire and thrill them; I certainly fall into the latter camp. By replacing traditional song structures with dub-heavy bass, abrasive guitars, and cold, spacious production, the tracks move away from conventional song-writing toward atmospheric soundscapes saturated with attitude. I can well appreciate that it can be a challenging listen for some. As one of the earliest post-punk records, it sounded unlike anything else when I first purchased it years ago and certainly nothing like The Sex Pistols! Beyond John Lydon’s iconic and polarising vocals, the album features Keith Levene’s superb guitar work and a formidable rhythm section comprising Jim Walker on drums and Jah Wobble, whose bass playing is both brilliant and highly distinctive. I enjoy this album immensely and am glad there is a place for music such as this; it is eight tracks of wonderful noise. As a final point, and if you are not familiar and want to explore further, the two albums that follow are arguably even better. Side one 1 "Theme" (5/5) 2 "Religion I" (4/5) 3 "Religion II" (4/5) 4 "Annalisa" (5/5) Side two 5 "Public Image" (5/5) 6 "Low Life" (4/5) 7 "Attack" (4/5) 8 "Fodderstompf" (4/5) Total - 36.00 Average - 4.50 278/1001 148/278 albums reviewed were new to me

One great track, the rest not that much.

Theme - 2 Religion i - n/a Religion ii - 3 Annalisa - 3 Public image - 4 Lowlife - 3 Attack - 3 Fodderstompf - 2

Det va rare greier, det! Ikke helt for mæ, men æ har vel kanskje hørt verre (men ikke så mye verre).

Not terrible. Not great.

Complete trash. Horrible songs, horrible singing, horrible production. Saying that, at least 2 songs are pretty iconic so I’ll give it a 2 based on that and that alone. I have a complicated relationship with music sometimes.

Not my cup of tea. I did not enjoy listening to any of the songs. This is something I appreciate from the 1001 Albums Challenge because it also helps me name what genres and styles I do not like.

8 songs. 2 are ok or pleasant. The rest of it is quite annoying, soulless punkrock

A bit of a challenge with some songs but others had a good groove and I appreciate the experimentation for the time.

The first time I tried to listen to this, I thought I just wasn't in the mood. Having now listened all the way through, can confirm, will never be in the mood for this, because I do not like it.

How did he end up sucking so much?

This is alright, but JR is a wanker. I feel like I might like it more if it wasn't him doing it

PiL certainly got better

This album sounds like it is trying to annoy me which is most apparent on the final track Foddestompf which just sounds like a bunch of British Muppets yelling at you. Did not really enjoy this and would not listen to again. The British bias hits again. Favorite Track - Public Image Least Favorite Track - Fodderstompf ⭐️⭐️

So much better than the other Public image album. Still didn’t like it that much but much better

I've listened to PiL's Metal Box before and couldn't get into it at all because of the vocals. After listening to this I will definitely give that album one more chance because this is phenomenal. The instrumentation is amazing, especially the basslines - they feel so deep, it's like they take over your whole body. The sound is angry and chaotic, all builds up into this ball of rage. I love the manic screams of I WISH I COULD DIE on the first song. What a way to start an album. What a perfect tone setter too, really matches the vibe of the whole thing. The album fires non stop and on all cylinders up until the last song, which is this experimental rock sound collage that somehow works. Very exciting album that makes me want to dive deeper into their discography.

Not awful, really. I, however, cannot stand the repeating x10. I get it.

This has nothing to recommend it. A failed attempt at refined punk)

Sure, it’s good, but fuck Johnny Rotten.

Wild album. I had never heard of Public Image Ltd., it was interesting.

Really cool band name. But I wasn't too sold on the whole... spoken word part of things. 'Religion I' was just a long monologue, and then it kind of continued in 'Religion II', even though that had a pretty cool riff. In the end this was too punky for me, and it sounded pretty bad (especially 'Attack', just a mid-range and high end mess).

I honestly couldn’t tell why anyone would want to listen to this. It was noisy punk without any type of message or even edge. While some punk feels raw, this just felt pretentious and completely missed the mark. I was wondering why this was even a thing before I realized that it was a project from John Lyndon who was in the Sex Pistols. Without his name attached to this I doubt this would be a thing. Real edge-lord shit.

There's some fantastic stuff on here, mostly Levene's guitar and Wobble's bass. Lydon's lyrics, not so much.

1/5

i think i’ve heard of this band and album before. apple music calls it punk, i wasn’t really expecting that. it feels new wave-y to me, judging by the cover and band name. i’m excited :) i also think it’s funny there’s an hour long interview attached to the apple music release, and that’s the only version of the album on apple music. HOLY SHIT WHAT AN OPENING. i’m a little stoned for this one. this is johnny rotten????? i didn’t know he had this shit in him holy goddamn. the mixing / panning on this is weird as fuck, but it doesn’t really bother me. it’s pretty sick. my head hurts. whoever mixed this is an insane person. i love the bassist on this. mmmmm bass guitar. i accidentally fell asleep during the last song, i gotta go back and listen to it again. i’m thinking a 5 atm honestly. i’m sober now, listening to that last track again. it’s crazy, for sure. i like the audacity of it. i still like it a lot. i can imagine myself revisiting this. 5

There is artistic merit in making an album that feels like having a headache that lasts all day, but it’s not particularly enjoyable.

There's something about Keith Levine's sheet metal guitar set against Jah Wobble's lumbering sub bass that I can't get enough of on Theme. It's kind of weird that the lead single off this invented U2. That aside it's the other truly genius moment. Annalisa and Low Life are also fantastic. The lyrics on Relgion don't bother me although they are at the clumsily blunt end of Lydon's style. But I can't help but love his OTT delivery. The riff however and the change up to the chorus are a bit of a plod.

weird but okay

I prefer This is what you want as a PiL album but I get why this one was on the list..if you can force your way through the first two tracks it evens out and is a solid example of post punk.

So funny how a different day changes your perspective on music. I had the other Public Image Ltd. album 5 days ago and couldn't get through it, but today, with this album, I'd listen to it again. I should probably listen to the other one again, even though I can't edit my original rating.

70s rock. Post-punk. Johnny Rotten. Very influential. Meandering punk tracks with loads of talking and screaming. Experimental.

This album was like a pizza cutter. All edge and no point.

no escuché aún, mis expectativas son algo similar a the police o a genesis, un sonido maa energético o fiestero pero sin ser pesado rock de re mierda es el hijo down de sex pistols, me hizo doler la cabeza, la mejor canción del album es un 5 pts y es analissa, definitivamente no lo volveria a escuchar y ni 1 solo tema va a la playlist

I didn't know people unironically made songs as bad as fodderstompf

This album was very ambitious and creative but it turned out to be a terrible creation. It’s just terrible to listen to.

Abrasive and beautiful. I loved it.

An assault on the senses (and sensibility)

Viciousness

Great album

3/5

3.5

I don’t like it, like at all in any way possible. My ears were bleeding and I couldn’t wait for it to end. I had faith I could find some liking in there somewhere but it never came

own

drug addict/ alcoholic making noises and complaining about religion

Not for me

There's some good stuff here. The run of "Public Image," "Low Life," and "Attack" is definitely top notch. I'd include "Annalisa" in that list, but it's too long by half, doesn't use its 6 minute runtime to go anywhere or even stay engaging. It's ok. Same with "Theme." Good elements, and I can see how it was a particularly influential track for American postpunk/noise stuff of the 80s and 90s that I like much better, but... plods noisily. "Fodderstompf"? Ok, point made, Mr. Rotten. There's classic 5/5 stuff here, but it's a 3/5 album.

Time for new wave? Two rap days in a row, means we're well overdue for something both stinky and British. Now, we're definitely in England here (I didn't have to google) but are we going to be exposed to stench? Right off the bat I was pleasantly surprised and it continued in that vein. Devastating, punk-ish screaming and heresy boil down to a very pleasingly miserable project that is about 35 years ahead of it's time. This record seems to take the burgeoning punk genre and takes it to places that would still sound fresh if released today, 48 years later. Now. There is a big lull here. All of the aggression seemed to be used up for the bookends of this piece and that takes this out of the pantheon and back into the "meh" mill. Whatever. I can't write. I enjoyed this. I especially liked the part where Elmo was wigging out for 8 minutes. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Theme, Religion, Fodderstompf

John Lydon can suck it.

There are good songs on this album. I even liked some of them. I think John Lydon is super pretentious, but his tuneless singing, the tin-pan drums, tight pocket bass lines, and odd guitar really come together to make something more than the sum of its parts.

Mye kult, og en del intetsigende. På en god dag hadde jeg kanskje gitt det en stjerne høyere.

Kom aldri helt inn i det. Et groove her og der som er kult, men det blir litt tynt.

Noen høydepunkt her: Low life, public image. Men fyfaen! Det her e det jævligste siste sporet av ei plate i he hørt noensinne. For å gjøre vondt verre så e faen me låta 7.48 minutter lang.

Tenderer til å være interessant innimellom. Men næh..

Åpningssporet e fullstendig krise. Første kvarteret e fullstendig krise. Tar sæ jo opp i andre halvdel, men ikke nok til å vippe opp til tre stjerne.

Litt tungt med en 9 minutters start. Hørt på vei til jernbanen, så det er i alle fall on brand med Johnny Rotten.

Hater det. Virker så utrolig low effort.

Truly awful, if I could give zero i would

I liked this. If I’d been a (post) punk this would have been my band I reckon. Although I find John Lydon a twat so maybe not. 3.5 rounded down cos I’m not a punk

hard one to rate. The single is great, the band is great, it's musically really innovative, but Rotten is a shit singer and the lyrics are stupid. But without Johnny the band doesn't exist and we miss a stepping stone into post punk. They have better albums.

Would be five because this album is fantastic, but I cannot justify the sheer length of Fodderstompf, even if the lyrics and concept are good.

stop talking

I think John Lydon is a completely bellend but Public Image Ltd. actually made decent music as opposed to the Sex Pistols.

patience test challenge (impossible)

Very mediocre, noisy and shallow.

3/10

Having THAT as the first track is a choice. If you don't dig that, you're likely not going to dig the rest of the album. Me? I'm still here because I'm a masochist I guess. Bass playing is good here at least.

Not my thing

Good.

Boring as fuck. Sorry. Not sorry.

I kinda liked it, even though punk is not really my thing. I'm not sure why this is so low rated on the site, as I seemed to quite like it. Solid stuff. 7 / 10

Subpar punk

Promising instrumentals all ruined by the whiny-screamy vocals. I think Punk is not for me.

70’s Punk ⭐️

Cool.

I saw this when I woke up this morning and was dreading listening go it because Metal Box was so shitty. This one is actually pretty good, though! They actually wrote some songs for this one!

solid!

This was better than I thought it would be, mostly thanks to the solid work of Jah Wobble.

i don’t really like it

Ok. Interesting. It's not terrible. And I'm intrigued by the reputation & supposed influence. Dig. 3 stars

The wiki blurb for this album said that upon release this album got a 2/5 from a publication. That seems like a fair rating for this album. It has a horrendous start but gets redeemed towards the middle starting with Annalisa through Attack. On Fodderstompf Lydon sounds like Mort from the movie Madagascar so that made me chuckle. "Yay I'm a sacrifice!" 2/5

How did this make the list? So boring.

I just died Terminal boredom

Noisy and energetic post-punk. I dig the attitude. The performances are raw. Definitely a style-over-songwriting sort of album though. The last track “Fodderstompf” is a little obnoxious though. Feels like the sort of joke track that 20-year-old dudes who are friends in a band would think was funny.

Nice proto-punk sort of sound (I think that's what this genre is?). I don't really love it though, it's kind of harsh in ways that I didn't really want. Maybe it's this subgenre itself that doesn't always dance with me but one thing that stands out is that the music tends to drone on an idea for a while.. which is fine, but if the vocals don't do something on top that pulls me in then I'm kind of listening to the two big sound puzzle pieces and not finding joy in either. Cool album cover though, I'm sure at the time it really stood out as his facial expression is really provoking.

Atmospheric

Je sais pas pourquoi j’écoute les albums de cette liste le matin; quand j’en pogne un comme celui-ci, ça affecte négativement le reste de ma journée. Pis qui veux commencer sa journée avec le ptit Johnny Rotten qui te beugle dans les oreilles? Honnêtement? Y’avait rien de mieux qu’un album solo du pourris en personne à mettre dans cette liste?

This is the good stuff.

Angular dancy post punk with John Lydon on vox. Johnny is on point throughout, but the songs get a little long. And then there's Fodderstomph. Closer to 4.5

What's the only thing worse than a bad album? A really fucking boring one

I wasn’t expecting much going into this since I’m not massively keen on The Sex Pistols yet somehow this didn’t even match my rock bottom expectations. I hated this. Genuinely hated everything about it. I don’t know if it’s my least favourite overall so far but it is absolutely in the discussion.

Es ist ein wenig anstrengend und stellenweise nervig – vor allem durch die langen, repetitiven Strukturen und John Lydons schneidenden Gesang. Tracks wie „Theme“ oder „Religion II“ ziehen sich bewusst in die Länge und fordern Geduld, während „Public Image“ als Single noch am zugänglichsten bleibt B.

Horrible.

Having this album and the next one (Metal Box) included on this list is a major head scratcher. I get it: Lydon really wanted to separate himself from the Sex Pistol association, and he does so with this next venture. But, outside of the song Public Image, it’s just not that good. There are much better post-punk albums than this. And it really isn’t until the albums This Is What You Want…, Album, and Happy? where PiL really start to come into their own with a stronger and more unique sound.

A droning 8 minute song into a track devoted to the reading of a poem is a hell of a way to start an album… this did not do it for me

I thought the best song on this was Religion I. Which is funny because it is just spoken word. I also misheard and thought he said, “and pray to the god of a bitch….spelled backwards is……Doug.” That tickled me for some reason. 1.25

Giving the same rating as the other album from this band. Flabbergasted they showed up on this list twice. 1.25/5

Album 1041 of 1089 Public Image: First Issue - Public Image Ltd. (1978) Rating : 2.5 / 5 I’ll admit right out of the gate - the album cover fooled me. I went in expecting something closer to British pop, maybe a Spandau Ballet–adjacent vibe, and instead was met with hard, raw punk. That’s on me, not the album. Taken for what it is, this was a fine listen. It’s loud, confrontational, and intentionally abrasive - lots of shouting, pounding rhythms, and very little concern for melody or polish. Clearly, that’s the point. I can appreciate the attitude and the intent, even if it doesn’t really connect with me on a musical level. Nothing here grabbed me or lingered once it was over, but I also didn’t feel like I was wasting my time. It’s an album that does exactly what it sets out to do, and for fans of early post-punk, I can absolutely see why this one holds a place of importance. It just didn’t hit any particular nerve for me, and that’s okay.

The Public Image song was pretty good, but the rest was not really what I would want to listen to.

Not really for me.

1,3/5

Weird but OK

Forgetable

Echt mijn ding niet. Ik word er nerveus van

Heel tof! Kende ik niet

2.3 That was pretty shit, and very disappointing after firstly quite enjoying the other PiL album on here and secondly reading the blurb about this beforehand. Track by track it's just not very good. First track, intro, fine, goes on quite long, interesting concept but not really one to come back to. Religion(s) grated me, I like Lyndon's voice usually but he can put on 'that' voice which sounds quite annoying, this track is full of it. Analisa and public image fine, not terrible. Next two are similarly ok, even less memorable. But the album closer, Jesus Christ. Done with it.

Terrible. Need I say more.

Unlistenable trash from future butter salesman and Tory John Lydon

1.5

If there's anything that really tanks this album it is the opening track "Theme" and the closing track "Fodderstompf" and usually two tracks won't totally tank an album but as bad as those were in the fact that they take up almost half the album i don't think I'd ever want to listen to this as a whole again. Which is kind of sad because I really like "Annalisa", "Public Image", and "Low Life", which all kind of have a closer relationship to *Nevermind the Bullock*, with a bit of a Post Punk twist. I really like the overall groove of "Religion II" as well, but I don't like Johnny Lyndon's kind of monotonous delivery. It doesn't really do much for me. And I really didn't care for "Attack" at all, but considerably more listenable than the opener and closer which is the real headache of the album. (5.55) ★★½

Not my thing, but a lot better than the other Public Imagr Ltd. album on this list. 2.5 stars

I thought this was a cool post-punk album, which considering it was released in 1978 makes it ahead of its time. A couple tracks do test my patience a bit, but there's some really cool stuff among it, including "Public Image" and "Low Life". 3.5 stars.

2.5

Starts off absolutely wretchedly with that 2nd track monologue being the pits. Has a small oasis of not-as-wretched like mainly with the eponymous single. Then goes back to being fully wretched. The only essential work from Johnny Rotten as it stands is Never Mind The Bollocks and Country Life butter adverts. Oh, and Open Up with Leftfield to be fair. 1.5 stars.

Not good. One or two songs reminiscent of the pistols. Rest the ranting of a teenager who isn’t as clever as he thinks he is

3 constants in this world: Death, Taxes, and Lydon can't sing for shit in any band. Rest of the band sounds great

stupid

Damn, ale tłusty punk. Otwierający utwór jest tak genialnie paranoiczny, uwielbiam. Pure insanity. "Religion" też mega mocne, zwłaszcza jak na 1978. Ciekawy zabieg z tym podwójnym wykonaniem, ta deklamacja w pierwszym jest świetnym łącznikiem pomiędzy wysokim poziomem niepokoju w pierwszym kawałku do protest songu w następnym. No i ma to mnóstwo mocy, zrobił się z tego manifest. "Annalisa" też mi mega siadło. Album jest trudny do słuchania. To nie jest muzyka do puszczenia sobie w drodze do pracy, więc ciężko mi sobie wyobrazić moment, w którym stwierdzę "posłuchałbym sobie Public Image" dzisiaj. Ale za to mocne otwarcie w pierwszej połowie albumu daję jednak 4. Wywarł na mnie spore wrażenie.

An interesting record... May not listen again but somehow glad it was here

2/5

My rating 1.2 This is a bunch of self important pretentious crap. Even he can’t believe people bought this con.

This is one of the few records in this whole project that actively made me not want to keep listening. I understand what it’s doing, and I understand why it matters historically, but that understanding doesn’t translate into enjoyment for me at all. The sound is deliberately abrasive and confrontational, and while I can respect that intent, it feels like ideology first and music a very distant second. The repetition, the hostility, and the lack of any real groove or melodic payoff make the experience feel punishing rather than provocative. It’s not challenging in a way that pulls me in. It’s challenging in a way that dares me to stick around, and I don’t feel compelled to accept that dare. I’ve been pretty generous throughout this list, even with albums that didn’t resonate deeply, but this is one of the rare cases where I actively disliked the experience. I can acknowledge its influence and its place in post-punk history, but that doesn’t obligate me to enjoy it. This lands firmly in the 1–2 range for me, and it joins a very short list of albums here that I genuinely wouldn’t want to revisit under any circumstances. Respect for the impact, but zero connection on a listening level.

Punk

Unintelligible caterwauling noise. Some people like the idea of the punk ethos where anyone can pick up instruments and play their little hearts out. A completely open right to expression and rebellion. I am all for the ethos, but I don't want to listen to it.

I'm into punk and Avant Garde, but this is just not my thing. Barely 1 decent song on the whole album, the rest is just angry noisy nonsense. Maybe that's the point, and maybe I'm missing the point, but I didn't enjoy it at all

Bratty vocals. Adolescent lyrics. Brilliantly nasty sounding guitars: metallic, violent, buzzing dissonance. Anxious dynamics and a mood so tense its fraying at the edges, on the cusp of snapping. Deep dub bass keeps it all in check, holding down the low end so the riot above burns. The songs stretch out to 6 minutes, room to settle into a funk groove and thrash around a bit, but they outstay their welcome. The title track rips through its 3 mins though, it's the most direct and sex pistols sounding track with the best vocal melody on the album. The recording isn't great, feels like it's all compressed into the mids and has no room in it. They'd improve on the formula.

This album was described as New Wave/Post Punk/Art Rock/Experimental. Tell me I'm going to hate your album without saying I'm going to hate your album. This is album 252 of this project for me, and it feels like album 52 of New Wave/Post Punk/Art Rock/Experimental (oh, and 48 of 52 are British). Then you're going to lead off with 9+ minutes of something and follow that up with spoken word poetry. Ugh. And yes, I know it's Johnny Rotten and Keith Levene; I just wish I didn't know that. Influence 3. Quality 2. Intangibles 3. Hits 1. Please. No more New Wave/Post Punk/Art Rock. Please. 1.

Previously rated: #868 - Metal Box (1/5) ***************************** Album #1,022 I couldn't remember what I thought of this band until I went back and read my last review. Seems like others didn't like that album either. I hope this one is better. Starts off pretty awful, he starts ranting about religion with and without music. Has one good song, Annalisa, then back to the super repetitive crap. I did not bother with the bonus track.

This was tastefully abstract and had deep meaning with numbing rock. Favourite tracks: Religion I, Religion II

Hi ha altres àlbums d’aquest estil que m’agraden més però una mica de PiL never hurt anybody.

Some of it was good. None of it was great. The last song was unlistenable.

This is an album that is included for its historical worth and not because it is enjoyable to listen to. One of those sneer at the world message albums. Only got away with making it because of the Sex Pistols. That said, I do like Jah Wobbles bass. 2⭐️

first listen meh

whatever

4/10… uk post punk / new wave / *1978

not my sound

No, never heard anything by PIL that I wanted to hear once say again and the 1st album doesn’t change that. Unlike the album or Mr L in particular who appears to set out to antagonise I won’t, so that means I have nothing to say about this. 1 Star

John Lydon is the worst, but this record isn’t. I fully expected to hate it, and I did hate Religion I. But the rest of the album was kind of good.

I am laughing at myself right now because I've probably listened to this record a thousand times and only just now learned that side two is not side one. 🤪 Hell, I OWN A COPY OF THIS ON VINYL and still I somehow never noticed! I had to stop writing this review just to pull it out and look at it to see how I could have carried that misunderstanding for 40 years. I dunno, because apparently I lost my copy somewhere along the way, a sure sign of a classic - one of my friends probably stole it from me, as I did many of their records. I think everyone would play this record starting on site two, not just me. Anyway, Public Image, the first song on side two, apparently side two, is a kick ass tune. If you were into the underground in the 1980s, having an opinion on PiL wasn't really a thing. It never occurred to me that I could not like them. It still doesn't. And this particular lineup is like punk rock royalty all-star band. Keith Levene is among the most influential guitarists in British rock. RIP. And Jah Wobble - what a spectacular, stolen from reggae bass sound, deep as the ocean. I also had no idea how many times I listened to this back in the day until Religion came on now and I noticed I was finishing every line Johnny was saying. And still I somehow never noticed it was the second song on side one and not side two! Hahahahaha!!!!! So I have to tell you my life changing Johnny Rotten (sorry, Lydon) story. My friend's band somehow got the gig opening for PiL at the Hartford, Connecticut show of their "generic" album tour in like 1986 or so. My friend Kevin and I convinced them to let us be their roadies that night, which among other things required sneaking out of school early so we could help with the load-in. Kevin drove us and as was often the case, his tape of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti was cranking all the way there. It was a hot late spring/summer afternoon and we had all the windows down and sunroof open cranking Led Zep all the way. We pull into the Agora's parking lot and already there's a huge line of punks waiting for the doors to open in like three hours or something. It seemed like every punk within a hundred miles was there to worship at the man's feet. Our route to the parking lot took us right by this huge line of them dutifully waiting basically single file and wrapping around the building. Many were yelling at us as we drove by giving us shit for being into Led Zeppelin. It was how you expressed yourself back then - by hating on people for insufficiently obscure tastes. Especially at a punk show. You never met rebels with so many rules! Anyway, we go inside and pretend to help our friends and really just hang back, trying to not be noticed so we wouldn't get kicked out. Suddenly, Johnny Rotten materializes, propping open a side door with a folding chair, sitting on the railing at the top of the outside stairs the door led to and lighting a cigarette. From there, he can see this massive line of adoring fans, patiently waiting to worship him, but they didn't appear to notice us . To no one and to all of us, Johnny starts lecturing about how stupid these people lined up waiting for him are for being punks. "Punk's dead! Don't they know? Punk's dead! Fucking idiots! What do they think this is?!?! It's fucking 1986!" Etc. I was frozen in amazement at just being in the same room as him, let alone to hear him go off with his intimidating accent on such weird shit about the people who love him....I never could have imagined any of this! Is there anything more punk rock than hating punk rock? My mind was melting. It never occurred to me that being Paisley Jungle's roadie for a night could mean spending a few minutes with His Royal Highness, or that he would offer up some of his legendary crankiness for me. I was just paralyzed, trying not to do anything lest I disturb something and cause him to leave or me to get thrown out. Anyway, he finished his cigarette and disappeared again. A few hours later, PiL took the stage for what one of the loudest and most powerful performances I have ever witnessed, even to this day. And Johnny was literally spitting on the crush of people up front. They probably loved being able to say later that Johnny Rotten spat on me! I have never seen anything like this before or since. Probably never will. It was crazy. Anyway, the punchline is that, topping off what was probably the greatest night of my life at that point was that PiL fucking opened their show with an absolutely bone crushing instrumental version of Physical Graffiti's classic jam Kashmir. Ha! Take that, you fucking punkers making fun of us before! Now Johnny's spitting on you to Led Zeppelin! Glorious! My ears were ringing for days but I didn't mind, for the ringing was proof to myself that all that really happened. I actually have tinnitus now. I don't attribute it to that show specifically, as fucking loud as it was, but recalling all this now, I realize the ringing in my ears now is proof to myself that there is some good shit out there. Hallelujah!

Well, this is *not* what I expected when I saw that we had finally arrived at the first of two PIL albums in the collection. I'm not sure I'd ever heard PIL before this (or at least their early stuff), so just based on all the PIL stickers on fellow high-schooler skateboards and leather jackets, I figure it would be another late 70s punk album, with poor production quality, twitchy drums and guitars and screaming vocals. So in that sense, this was a nice surprise, although there are definitely elements of the punk sound in tracks like "Annalisa" or their single "Public image". I'm not sure I could say I enjoyed most of the tracks, but I admire the "anti-rock" attempt and approach, and interesting to get a couple of self-exiles--The Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) and The Clash's John Levene--teaming up with Jah Wobble and Jim Walker to create a weird and seemingly intentionally offensive album. I also really admire whoever was involved in the Wikipedia entry for this album, as it reads like a series of random interview anecdotes, loosely incorporated into the standard Wikipedia structure, but without *any* real attempt to describe much of anything aside from various (and often random-seeming) people's recollections. Thankfully, the "1001 Albums" came to the rescue a bit with a more standard review. I'm now a bit more curious than I was previously to see what "Metal Box" will sound like.

Honestly, this wasn't very good. But it was kind of fun.

It was years before I knew that Johnny Rotten was the driving force behind Public Image Limited. So far I love this. I really only knew “Rise” before. This opening track feels like Black Flag playing through the Clash’s gear. This album is pretty brilliant. And I really like it as much as I like “Rise”. The Song “Public Image” is great. While I love the Sex pistols, I like this band more. I feel like this stated new wave.

Erfitt að hlusta sorry

lots of religion comments

this was fun i didnt know johnny rotten was in this band omg but yes the title track and theme were my faves the end track was a bit odd but overall good

As for post punk. Its there, underneath experimental and noisey spoken word passages. But its there. No precisely my cup of tea when it comes to the genre. Much more enthusiastic over the Buzzcocks and others. But there's at least two inconic songs on here.

wouldn't return to it but a cool album

A few annoying tracks (Annalisa being particularly lame) but 'Public Image' and my favourite track on the album, 'Fodderstompf', pulled me through. Rotten's sermon on 'Religion II' comes off as easy targeting and hardly as edgy as he may have thought it was. But there's enough variation here and he does best when he puts his voice into that contorted squeal, not as iconic as Dead Kennedy's front man, Jelo Biafra, IMHO but it stands out all the same.

I feel like they are just randomly playing the instruments.

Didn’t care for these guys generally 4 decades ago and nothing has changed since.

When I first listened to it I thought it had a Sex Pistols meets U2 vibe with an Oingo Boingo backing band. Little did I know it was Johnny Rotten with Keith Levine: a Clash/Pistols supergroup. Honestly, I liked before I knew that nugget of info, but I had re-listen to it after just take it in. I appreciated how both artists took a leap of faith away from their previous styles (I wonder how much Billy Idol’s successful shift to pop after GenX influenced this). I think this album is definitely a history/influence album because you can definitely this sounds in later bands like U2 and the birth of Alternative genre. Public Image could have been a U2 song. Overall, it’s a good album with plenty of relevant influences and helped lead in the ‘80s.

Random thoughts: * I listened to this one at least part of the way. Went to review this and couldn't remember the kind of music it was, so I re-listened. * On re-listen I kind of got lost and it faded into the background. * I recall this had a cool vibe-ominous and mysterious. * I need several more listens to this one maybe with a more focused attention. I'd definitely try again. * I'm offering almost nothing in this review. Some day I might have something interesting to say.

really liked it favourite song - Religion I 9/10

Fucking garbage!!!!!!!!

I am a punk fan, but this whole album feels like i am 15 and this deep.

not my cup of tea

Still better than Metal Box. Solid 3 Stars.

I’m at a 3.5 that I wish I could leave there, but I think I’m going to bump this down to a 3. For the site though, I'll give it a 4. I feel a little bad, honestly. I don’t think I gave “Metal Box” a very fair shake at all. It was the 15th album we got, my brain wasn’t very inclined to deal with an album that had a 2.42 rating, and I wasn’t even really sure I wanted to commit to doing the entire list. My original goal was just to listen to an album every day in 2024, and I was willing to skip albums on the list to fulfill my quota for THAT goal. I think I initially skipped Metal Box, in terms of a focused listen, only giving it a half-hearted shot as background noise that I truly don’t remember anything of. By all accounts, I need to go back & truly listen to it, because I only wrote 8 words the first time around: “i liked it better when he wasn’t singing”, before slapping it with a 2 & moving on. I couldn’t even be fucking bothered to realize that “he” is Johnny fucking Rotten, & Public Image Ltd. is his post-Sex Pistols project, now going under his real name of John Lydon. Given the 723 albums we’ve gotten since then, and my own slow appreciation for post-punk, shoegaze, post-rock, or whatever multitudes of genres & artists we’ve since gotten that fall into the same metal box as this album, I figured I would probably appreciate this a little more, and I did. When this album is at its best, it’s rolling in a way that if nothing else, creates a cool atmosphere. It’s just not the best at consistently hitting a peak, and that slightly bumpy roller coaster is most of the reason that I’m stuck at a 3.5. “Theme” is pretty cool, honestly. It feels like an attempt to do what shoegaze bands of the ‘80s would come to truly realize, but with the technology of 1978 not really allowing for atmospheric sound design in that overblown way, it feels like more of a novelty. It’s like Nine Inch Nails without any pretense lyrically (just straight up saying “I wish I could die”), and it feels like the wiggly warbly awkward guitar is a compromise for being unable to capture texture in that way. I thought it was cool, and somehow, the 9 minutes didn’t bother me. “Religion I” is nice – it’s just a good poem about the woes of religion. It’s when you get to “Religion II” and its awkward panning / mix that the album hits its first big snag. I didn’t hate “Religion II”, but it’s incessant in a way that just feels like a rehash with awkward drums & bass put behind it. It’s not very compelling or super pleasing, plus it’s just melodically inconsistent. An unnecessary track. “Annalisa” is good, though. It’s based on a real girl who suffered psychological torture due to undergoing intense exorcism rituals, eventually being practically starved & paralyzed to death. As a song, it’s a bit padded in the runtime, with the cool ending of the “demon” inside of her breaking the instrumental down being undermined by that length. If it had shaved about a minute or so in the middle, it would’ve flowed really well, but it’s still a good track regardless. “Public Image” is just a really good release of frustration about the Sex Pistols. The instrumental feels like a mid-80s track, the vocals are good, & the lyricism is damning in a good way. It’s the most played track on the album for a reason, and it’s probably the best one here. “Low Life” is another diss, seemingly aimed at the lead manager for the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren. I think the higher pitch of the track is intentional, to place him higher than the person he’s talking about, and that’s an example of good witty production. It’s a little bit long for what it is, given the repetition in the vocals / lyrics, but overall, the track works. “Attack” is fine – it’s likely a frustration being released over the public outcry following “God Save The Queen” back on “Never Mind The Bollocks”, but as an actual track, I think the sense of progression doesn’t feel as good as it could, with the track teasing a faster percussive tone that never comes to fruition. I liked it, but it needs a bit more work to make that progression feel better. “Fodderstompf” is… well, it’s not useless, at least not for the first 3 minutes or so. The experimental nature of the instrumental, bringing in a little bit of an electronica / Daft Punk vibe is pretty cool for 1978, and it does feel like it could still be sampled today. The pussyfooting around with a goofy admission that it’s a track made to pad out the album, along with the sort of goofy deranged grandma voice that John does, feels kinda charming for the first 3 minutes. And then it just keeps fucking going. At nearly 8 minutes, it feels like watching a comedy act lose its novelty in real time, and it just leaves a really sour note to close out the album. If it had stopped after the first 3, I’d probably be willing to bump this up to a 4, just for ending a good comedic note, but it’s just incessant by the end. It doesn’t need to be 8 minutes. With all of the little issues combined & the 2 bigger snags of “Religion II” & “Fodderstompf”, I just feel like I have to bump this down from a 3.5 to a 3. Make no mistake, though; I did enjoy this one. If those two tracks weren’t there (or just mixed better / trimmed down), I’d easily be at a 4. This doesn’t quite get up to the range of a 5, but it’s a genuinely enjoyable album in its nicest moments. All that said, I don’t think this is an album so bad that it deserves a 2.43 on the site, & I probably need to give “Metal Box” a fair relisten, with my tastes growing much more since then. Despite my belief that this is a 3.5 bumped down to a 3, I want to give it a 4 on the site, just as a vote of confidence & as a bit of atonement for only giving “Metal Box” a 2 despite barely engaging with it. I think it’s earned that. In closing, I liked it better when he sang this time. Good job, John.

There were a few tracks on here that i liked a fair bit, but the opener and the two "Religion"s were a slog, and the final track, long for the sake of a record contract track, was too.

Complete garbage

The last song kinda took it down a notch for me, I liked most of it though.

Unenjoyable.

Hated it!

This book’s love for angry British 70s punk just does not make sense to me. Fodderstompf is hell on earth

Noisy.

Biggest pile of shit I’ve ever heard in my life

Ki zbi 7achek

Nope, that's just noise

Yeah, not good. Unique enough to deserve a place on the list. 2/5.

I have the eponymous track on some playlists already. As for the rest… idk, ever like the idea of something but don’t actually enjoy listening to it? Cool guitars, though—apparently influenced Sonic Youth and that’s doing the lord’s work.

John Lydon looks like Arthur Weasley.

Turgid with only a couple of songs of note in Public Image and Lowlife, otherwise a painful slog. Metal Box is far superior.

Yeah I just don't really like this. It has some okaaaay parts and I like some of the lyrical content, but it's not something I wanna listen to again.

After quitting the Sex Pistols, one of the pioneering punk bands, John Lydon created this, a pioneering post-punk band. Brilliant progression, that. Amid knotty, gnarled basslines are sung pretty typically punk lyrics about religion and the government and the like. And y'know what? It works for me! I'm a fan of post-punk in general, and this band definitely delivers on the elements I enjoy about the genre.

What the fuck. This is definitely up there for worst album of the entire list.

I'm so mad that they're being annoying on purpose, because critiquing it feels pointless from the start. It's anti-music. It goes completely against everything I look for in music. As it played, I honestly and truly tried to self-reflect, to understand why someone would enjoy this, what value this constant abrasiveness has, what they were attempting to say with their art (not like THIS IS RELIGION THIS IS RELIGION THIS IS RELIGION is very subtle)..... All of this, as John Lydon on the cover art kept annoyingly staring me down, taunting me with his bad music. But then, when the artist straight up tells you "we only wanted to finish the record with a minimal amount of effort which we are doing successfullyyyy 🤪🤪🤪" (Fodderstompf), what's even left to analyze? It's clear contempt is its whole purpose, and I don't see that as interesting or much worth engaging with at all.

This album really challenged me. As an album that I would enjoy listening to....this is not it. It was honestly painful at times and I was struggling to psych myself up for a second listen. however, as a work of art by someone who is trying to make a statement....I can't deny it. I can't deny how immensely influential this obviously was. While he was screaming Annalisa over and over I couldn't shake the feeling that he was communicating something important that flew over my head. Straight down the middle.

Come on

This is soo bad - just sounds like someone copying sex pistols with no good songs Don’t think I minded the public image song

🥇public image 🥈low life 🥉annalisa

I like shitty music but this just sucked.

Favorite Song: Theme Least Favorite Song: Religion I Went in thinking I’d hate this and I did, in fact, hate it.

Would have been a 2 if not for the sheer unadulterated excellence of 'Public Image'

A real abstract offering from PIL. Not sure I would revisit but this band continues to impress by being anything but generic. More noise rock than anything but that punk rock attitude was coming through loud and clear. Gotta give to Johnny Lydon for consistently doing whatever the F he wants.

Seems pretty one dimensional, but I can definitely hear the influence that this album had on a lot of what would become known as post-punk. Couple of pretty good songs on here.

3/10

Yeah fine. Not life changing okay

3.5

2.0

Interestingly, this album and Feeding of the 5000 by Crass were recorded at around the same time. I looked this up because John Lyndon’s spoken word track “Religion I” made me think of the track “Asylum” that leads off the Crass album, both being spoken pieces highly critical of religion. Seems like there wasn’t any influence in one direction or the other if we’re going on timeframes. Listening to them side by side though, the Crass one gives me shivers even though I’ve heard it countless times; the PiL one, on the other hand, affirms Rotten’s/Lyndon’s snarling “terminal boredom” at the end of “Theme” just before getting into his anti-religious tirade. Which, as compared to Crass’s and its railing against Christian gynophobia and warmongering, is largely about money. Because of course it is. It’s provocative, sure, or at least was at the time, but it all feels like a boy pushing buttons out of boredom to get a reaction. And yeah, I get it, punk rock, but cynical nihilism isn’t the only path here. Which is a shame because when PiL is good, they’re really good. The song “Public Image” is excellent. Overall, I much prefer the bass and drum led rhythm heavy approach of PiL to the rock n roll of the Sex Pistols, just too bad both had a crappy singer.

Did not vibe with this

Shocked how much I enjoyed this despite it being QUITE obnoxious.

British punk is the worst punk

Though I deeply respect what they are trying to do I did not care for this album.

A template for post-punk. The leap from Sex Pistols to this for Lydon is amazing, and this album has stood the test of time far better than either him or his first band. This translates the Punk energy into something far more open to possibility, bringing in influences like reggae and dub in a way that The Clash never quite managed. The fact that the follow-up was even more groundbreaking is astonishing. I love the stompy tracks here best: Annalise and Attack especially. One slight niggle - I'd have loved to hear the immense backing track that is Fodderstomp taken a bit more seriously, but I guess it's kind of punk in attitude, and also hinted at what was to come musically with Metal Box. Even better (and faster) than I remembered it.

There's an awful lot going on here: you can't ignore Lydon's cry for help - but even an instrumental version of this album would rate highly. Levene's guitar is like a dental drill; Wobble's bass sends you dizzy. Even the drums sound unlike what you would expect. There's something of a rock god feel to them, but somehow they still slot into the jigsaw. It's a fucked up picture, for sure. But that's how I like my music.

This album is milestone in our music history. The raw energy of the song Public Image is matched by no other song of this time.

wtf

They're onto something but execution is lacking

I couldn't listen to this with my ear buds in. I put it on speakers across the room. Never has anyone achieved so little with so little talent. Dreadful.

John Lydon's first post-Pistols album is a challenging listen, but overall it's better than his old group's lone album. One big challenge is the opening and closing tracks. The opener is a long groove with pleasingly mechanical guitars and heavy bass, but it meanders a bit too much. The closer turns a similar groove into a send-up of a dance song that just ends up sounding goofy, and it's the album's one real miss. But in between those bookends is a satisfying set of angular punk that is both harsh and a bit fun. "Public Image" is the catchiest track, but "Annalisa" is probably the best. Lydon's vocals come right up to the line of being annoying without crossing it. Other bands, notably Gang of Four, would improve on this sound by making things a bit more immediately pleasing despite the noise, but this is still a fun enough listen.

I like this, it's good punk-y rock-y background music

They only wanted to be loved.

Prescient stuff. The run from Theme to Public Image is absolutely banging. Amazing bass playing. But, what the fuck was that last track?

Horror. En serio dos discos de Public Image en esta lista??. Insoportable.

Another strange alternative/punk band. Some ok music, nothing memorable.

I like this more than the Sex Pistols

Being a Sex Pistols agnostic, I never put any time or effort into PiL. Listened as I decorated for Christmas with my kids. A little evisceration of organized religion warmed my Christmas cockles, and the vague ska vibe on a couple later tracks got my head bobbin’. Not 100%, but a decent first touch.

I respect how generally annoying this is. Reminds me of seeing local bands paying for seven (7) people in dingy warehouses (in a good way)

Kind of UR moment for new wave I love the record, but it’s obviously sort of difficult listening at times

This isn't really a great album, but you definitely see the roots of what PiL would become later.

theme- 3 or 4 religion i- 4 religion ii- 4 annalisa- 4 public image- 4 low life- 3 or 4 attack- 3 or 4 fodderstompf- 3 or 4 stfu ❤️

WTF - although it's short, I didn't make it through.

I don’t even know what this was

Actually had to stop, just didn't enjoy the roaring and talking

Hell yeah

Neil Young wrote a song that was literally all about how it’s better to die than to make garbage like this. I kind of get it.

I wasn't expecting much with Public Image Ltd. because I had their follow-up album six months ago and hated it. First Issue (a cute name for a debut album) wasn't so avant-garde and was just normal, brash post-punk music. Much of it was too abrasive and not to my liking, but I enjoyed the spoken word of "Religion I." Go off, John Lydon. Anyway, turns out I know the song "Public Image" because of Alphabeat's electropop cover. Oh and I didn't know Johnny Rotten was in this band either (except I guess he's a bigot?). What a big day I had.

This album was pretty damn obnoxious. It represented all of the worst qualities of punk rock, in my opinion. It all sounded roughly the same, too. I definitely wasn't into this.

Discordant, atonal. Religion I and II are some real early-teenage level philosophy. The first few tracks were a trial to listen to, the middle pulled it up a bit, then the final Fodderstompf was (presumably deliberately) extremely annoying. Almost no enjoyment to be found in this album for me.

My God that was unpleasant

Not my favourite album

I want to give three stars just for the ambition of the album. (One of the defining albums of post-punk). Opening track is 9 minutes and last track is 7 minutes!!! However the lead singer/vocals ruined it for me . I get that it is likely the point but the vocals range is from the vocals that people use to make fun of pretension singers who take themselves to seriously to just downright awful. Will only be 1 or 2 stars.

In a way I don't think they made the album to be liked.

Your public image sucks. You suck. 0 stars.

Sometimes during this journey you just have to give a 1 and move on with your life.

Not a bad album. I can understand its influence. However, nothing really drives me towards another listen. Perhaps in a particular mood, I would revisit it, but overall, it was just not for me.

Old punk

Honestly, much better than the Sex Pistols.

PIL got so much better after this album. It is great but nowhere their best. Mr. Lydon should give it a break now, but this was groundbreaking at the time but also a bit annoying. 4 out of 5

John Lydon annoys me to be honest. Pretty tedious. I understand now why Apple Music didn't bother putting it on there.

how about no you crazy dutch bastard

i don’t know really

I guess there is a reason I've never heard of these guys before. Very hard to listen to.

always beware the albums that are only known for potentially being inspiration for better albums

Took a little time to adjust to it as it's almost purposely inaccessible with its first 3 tracks but it's decent, influential post punk.

Had never heard of this. Started it blind, thought this sounds like Sex Pistols. Then looked it up, ohhhh, haha. Anyway, ya, it's some good stuff, challenging.

I dont like John Lydon, im not a fan of post punk particularly and for that reason i did not like this. I dont understand why this type of music considers the ability to actually sing not important. You wouldn't have a really good band and then have one person who could barely play their instrument with their volume turned up loud.

Johnny Rotten tries to become a serious musician. Fails.

Well, that was an experience I will not be repeating. If the goal was to make friends, this wasn't the way to do it. This is pure headache fuel. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions Public Image

Desperately trying to remove himself from the Sex Pistols and failing is how I track this

Well, this was definitely more listenable than ‘Metal Box’ to me, but I still didn’t love it. Post-rock is a hard pill for me to swallow and this might’ve been the first of its kind. Bass work still rocks though. I’d give it a 2.5 if I could.

kinda preachy but good. better than sex pistols but johnny rotten is still not my fav vocalist

Not for me

Never heard this album before today. I thought it was not great even though the singer is famous and all that. It's still kind of a genre of music that I don't really like that much and never go into. Don't regret listening to it but I don't care to hear it again.

new wave is already such a challenging genre to get people to take seriously why would we do this

bad album generator, naughty!!!!!!!

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⠤⠐⠂⠀⠈⠉⠉⠀⠒⠂⠤⣠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡤⠔⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣉⣒⣄⣀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠠⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠒⠄⠀⠀⣼⣿⠿⢿⣷⣕⢄ ⠀⠀⡐⠁⣤⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣠⣤⣾⠀⢠⠇⠀⠀⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠙⠊ ⠀⡰⠀⠀⠀⡀⠭⠛⠉⠉⠉⠛⠫⢍⠁⠀⠈⠀⠀⠀⠃⠀⣠⠖⠀⠒⢌ ⢠⠁⠀⡠⠊⢀⣠⣤⣤⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠑⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⣥⣤⣄⠀ ⢼⠀⠰⢡⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡀⠀⠀⠈⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀ ⢸⠀⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁ ⢸⠀⢃⠹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠏⠀⠀⠀⢠⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⠻⠿⠛⠁⠀ ⠀⡆⠈⢢⡀⠉⠉⠋⠉⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠓⢄⣀⣀⠌ ⠀⠘⡄⠀⠈⠒⠤⢀⣀⣀⣀⠠⠔⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀ ⠀⠀⠘⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠎ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠒⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠔⠁ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠑⠤⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠉⠉⠱⣄⠀⠀⠀⡜⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠐⠂⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠄⠒⠒⠓⠂⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This… but not Enya….?

Once you get past religion it’s a decent punk album. 2.5 stars.

Противный пилящий звук, под стать текстам.

Really boring, not a post punk fan and this was some of the most boring of that genre I’ve ever heard

Dig it 🤘🚀🧨

Some of this was interesting.

2.13

Started annoying, stayed annoying in the middle, finished annoying. Couldn't wait for it to be over.

Angry blokes

Didn’t like it

Songs sound the same. Not my style

2.5 stars. Not sure if this genre is for me

actually sort of found myself grooving along at some point. not really my thing.

Can’t believe this is from the Sex Pistols guy.

*This grew on me as the album went on. *Great guitar tone and very pointed lyrics...I could see how its reputation improved over time *Cool album art with the magazine cover theme

Pretentious and irritating

Struggled with this one. Haven't gone for a one as there were some ok elements to it, but clutching at straws.

I went in expecting something a bit more "Sex Pistols"esque, but that was not to be. Opening track sounded like protosludge, but then the next track went a bit off the rails. Not my favourite punk album...

Light punk feel

Uff

Þetta var erfiður dagur, það að hlusta á þessa.

How many god awful Public Image albums does the twat who made this list think we need to hear before we die? I was ready for the grave about 5 minutes in 😒

I liked 'Metal Box' or 'Second Edition' much more than this....and still gave that a low rating. The last song on this album pushed this from a 1.5 down to a 1.