Reviews (page 4 of 8)
God, I wish I could remember more about this. It was...alright? I think?
01) Albatross - 5,5 02) Memories - 5,0 03) Swan Lake - 6,5 04) Poptones - 5,0 05) Careering - 5,5 06) No Birds - 5,0 07) Graveyard - 5,0 08) The Suit - 4,5 09) Bad Baby - 4,5 10) Socialist - 5,0 11) Chant - 2,0 12) Radio 4 - 4,0 TOTAL: 4,79 (48/100) Current ranking: 704/739
Loved it since the 70s. Lost the tin in the 90s :(
Don’t get it. I understand why it’s important but I’ll never give this a go again. Not sure why it’s considered so amazing, but I can appreciate what it did for future music.
dub, scratchy guitars, Lydon wailing. careering is standout.
Sounds like an inspiration for the Smiths. But even the Smiths sounded prepared to be in the studio — ie, had songs, could play their instruments, could hit the vocal notes. The bass player can play/is talented, but the exception proves the rule in this case. Ugh. A 1.
Yes!!!!power to the flower*
Good but hard to listen...2,5
Didn’t like it
Not my style
Very mediocre.
Was a 3 in the beginning, got down to a low 2 by the end
Everything's weird here, from the packaging down to the incredibly under produced music (glossed as mutant disco by RYM). Personally, I'm here for ALL of it. Favorite track: Swan Lake
I’ve come to loathe Public Image Ltd.
I appreciate this for the unusual experiment it is, but don't see myself listening again. I found the first few songs very danceable, even though they are repetitive. I enjoyed the bass playing a lot too, which is surprising given that I hated the Jah Wobble album. Maybe I need to give that another listen. This album is way too long and repetitive though. By the end I had stopped paying attention to everything except the driving drum and bass. I was still moving to it though, so I guess that's something.
Title checks out. Best industrial electronic music out there. Maybe not the best, but still.
++: Albatross, Memories, Swan Lake, Careering, Graveyard, Socialist, Chant +: No Birds, Radio 4 +-: Poptones, The Suit, Bad Baby 8,7/10
4.5
Not for me. Bass alright in pop tones and Radio 4 kinda cool. I guess it’s too cool for me
not for me. rather punk lol
Can be okay at times, but didn't find it super enjoyable.
Wow. What an album. Introduced me to post punk.
I absolutely loathed the first Public Image Ltd album I got from this list, so I did not have high hopes for this. And maybe I was just in a weird mood, but I fucking loved it? I mean, I hated it too, and John Lyndon's voice is the worst part about this band. It works for the Sex Pistols but not for anything remotely melodic. But where I found First Issue to be just noise and grating vocals, this was actually interesting. The songs seemed to have a purpose. The album was long, but I never felt the length, which is quite a feat. Honestly I think the lack of vocals really helped here. But the songs were interesting, and it really seemed like they were doing something new here. I totally understand why this album made the list and was somewhat critically acclaimed. On a different day I could very well have rated this a 1, but I really enjoyed listening to it. This album had a uphill battle against my expectations going in, and it really exceeded them and then some.
8/10
Not my vibe at all. The guitar sounds made me want to turn it of straight away and the singing/talking isn't appealing to me at all.
PIL, what can I say about these? THEY'RE SHIT!!!!!! How they ever came up with Rise I will never know. To be fair I must say the rhythm section weren't bad, but a half decent rhythm section does not a band make. Purely because there is no zero they get a 1. But I do feel that devalues the other 1's I have awarded
I can only find one positive on this album. The bass playing is superb. Unfortunately, John can only hold one note, so the vocal performance is at best monotonous, and at worst blood curdling.
What can I say about a legendary album which I haven't listened to since the 1980's, and that time was once round a friends house. For some reason in this modern age of streaming, I have not thought to return to this. So, I was finally nudged into playing it today. Did this live up to my expectations? Yes and no. Yes, Metal Box had influenced just about everything in the five years after it's release, from Bauhaus, Big Black to Simple Minds. It is groundbreaking in its style and musicality. My only problem is that I should have been playing this over the decades once in a while just to get used to it's harsh abbrasiveness, but I haven't. Maybe I should play it more often, as on the first listen in recent times, I was intrigued by it and I find the best albums always require several listens to 'get' it completely. My uncle owns an original copy. Lucky bugger.
Still got mine & treasure it. Love PIL
Vähän vaikeeta mun makuun kyllä. Periaatteessa arvostan ja vinyylijulkaisuhan on hieno kun tulee metallisessa boksissa, mutta jotenkin ei lähde ihan täysii. 3/5
Vaikea saada tarttumapintaa. Tavallaan kiinnostavaa mut ei nappaa. 2/5
< the Beatles Another album in the category of post punk is as shit as punk is good
I just posted ‘the post-punk is just a bunch of sneaky jerks messing around’ and you recommended another one for me today. Ok, To be honest I really can’t appreciate this but it did have some special points I couldn’t even clarify.
Welcome to Watch mojo and hears a list of albums you didn't need to listen to
I'm capable of appreciating what it's doing, I just don't think I'm capable of enjoying what it's doing. That being said I did listen the whole thing, I wasn't bored, and at least its unique and interesting and not another Metallica album.
I tried, but this was virtually unlistenable. Experimental doesn’t equal good.
I'm more familiar with PiL's Album and Happy era. It was nice to dive into one of their earlier, more experimental, albums. I like the Dub-influenced post-punk vibe of the album. Some songs ("Albatross", "Swan Lake", "Careering") I really enjoyed. Others were good, but I'd be more likely to revisit Happy again before giving Metal Box another full listen.
1979, experimental period, I figured it was time for something good. This list seems to go through the motions all week, while you just wait for that one album to catch your attention. This one caught my attention for sure, the Jah Wobble driving bass lines are pretty hypnotic at times. I did feel fatigued by the end of the album. Not sure if I would listen again or not.
I wasn’t amazed, but I didn’t hate it.
omfg man shut UP Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: no?? 1.2
Psychedelic rock kinda like the pixies pretty good album
2.13
This was not good
A great Post punk album but it’s not as great as I hoped it to be. I don’t know what I don’t like but something is pushing me away from giving it 5 stars.
Look, I’m not above using snazzy packaging to sell albums. Master P’s Ghetto D had that bright ass orange case, and that shit was Fire, but this ain’t no mother fucking P…just was some artsy, avant garde, new wave, noisy ass bull shit. I bailed after a few tracks.
This project has taught me that I don't really care for post punk. The bass is kinda cool on most of these songs, but not digging much of anything here. Would be fine never hearing this one again.
Awful
Perfectly weird on an early fall day.
Almost as shite as the Sex Pistols. Some decent aggressive post-punk style guitar and bass work saves this from being a big fat zero
I quite liked it, actually. It was weird, and I didn't know this was Johnny Rotten's band. It's nothing at all like The Sex Pistols. This is a tough one to rate, because I'm not sure I liked it 4 stars worth, but I like it better than most of the stuff I've given a 3.
According to John Lydon, "Many people don't understand that it was improvisation [...] It had to be, because we'd spent most of the money on the container – and so what we had to do was quite literally sneak into studios when bands had gone home for the night. And these were pretty rough monitor mixes – no actual production." We can tell Mr. Lydon. We can tell. Sincerely, People with ears.
Having seen Johnny Rotten at Isle of Wight festival in the mid-noughties, I'm not a massive fan, but I did enjoy this album from PiL. Fairly stripped back and accessible post-punk
Talking Heads and David Byrnes vibes. Albatross was freaking 10 minutes long, seemed to drone on forever. I do find it sonically interesting. Especially Swan Lake. Maybe it’s the bass. Not really my vibe, but interesting and formative without a doubt.
Kut muziek
jesus that was awful
Brilliant
I tried, the post-punk drowned vocals with metal sounds vibe really isn’t for me, but I did listen to most of the album before falling asleep to it. I would say the lyrics I did hear were cool, and I understood what the record was trying to say. Probably wouldn’t listen again, but I can hear the late 60s influence and like that.
Album No. 0036 on my list. Only knew the name of the band before this; "Metal Box" was a completely new listen to me. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the album all that much. I can appreciate its avant-garde music and its post-punk vibe. I do understand what would lead critics, people who are more knodledgable than myself or more advanced listeners would pick this for the 1001 album list. The songs themselves however did not appeal to me that much. Despite its length, i did like "Albatross" the best, and I enjoyed the instrumental "Socialist" as well. The other songs were less memorable for me, to be honest. To summarize - appreciate the influential nature of this, didn't like it that much personally. 2/5 stars.
Cathal is wrong
Great stuff, nice and weird. First two PiL albums are far more interesting than the Sex Pistols.
I liked this, very underground dindgy vibes
Meh
This one was a struggle. The Sex Pistols was an experiment that worked. This was an experiment that didn't.
Pretty damn cool, but also a bit grating.
too long for an album, sounds really good. a songs should not be more then ten mins, and not at all an opening song. but I enjoyed the music.
Thought I’d give this a 2 but couldn’t make it to the end of the album.
I don't need verse chorus verse to have a good time. Weird albums are often something I look forward to. But this is just aimless noise with nothing really holding it together.
zu alt
Oh boy, where to start with? The vocals are unbearable, sounding like someone painfully dying in slow motion. The tracks are way too long for how boring and repetitive the music is, and honestly, the music itself isn’t great either. I couldn’t make it through the whole album and I'd rather listen to the sound of nails on a chalkboard!
I probably just don't "get" post-punk, but absolutely nothing on this album sounds anything close to good.
I bought my copy of this in my teens off a Great Rock and Roll Swindle punk in my class. He hated it and let me have it for 50p. Whichever punk had it before him had thrown away the metal cannister and put it in plain paper inner sleeves in a plastic outer sleeve. Shame. I had no idea it was three 12" singles and listened to the whole thing at 33 and a third a few times thinking hmm this is a bit of a challenge. Best thing all involved ever did.
Experimental punk melodic sounds, very avant guard coded. Heavy bass sounds...this hit a spot I didn't know I had in me.
Maybe groundbreaking for the time, but sounds like bad Nirvana
Just a lot of noises. I generally like punk rock but this was a different spin. Likely won’t listen again.
Hating this, giving up 4 songs in
This is so bad I feel bad for even giving them the listens on Deezer - nobody involved deserves to be making money off this. And it's so long too :(
Bass, Bass and more Bass. It is a sprawling mess.
Highlight Song/s: Albatross and Poptones What a bleak album. I feel dreariness; I imagine heavy fog; I feel like I'm on a conveyor belt in this huge factory and seeing thousands of other conveyor belts whilst being completely stunned and helpless; It is SO repetitive to the point it's hypnotic; Possibly, just maybe, I could dance or march to my death whilst listening to this album. All of that above is what I would imagine if it was a type of weather, or if it was a place, or ultimately my feelings this album evokes. This album has me in its complete grasp.
I wanted to give it four stars for being innovative, but I just don’t like it enough. I wanted to! I think it’s mostly the vocals that put me off. I don’t expect post-a to have a ton of melody but this was a bit too repetitive both within the songs and throughout the album. That said, their are moments of very nice instrumentation
Interesting to say the least. The music has a very entrancing effect to it that evokes strange emotions. Now I don’t dislike it because of the experimental post punk style. The grooving bass lines along with completely random guitar riffs are pretty intriguing, and the way the vocals are mixed reminds me of something off of Stratosphere by Duster. Rather, the fact that the songs seem to drag on without end and the vocals feel like they were all uninspired from the first take really takes a lot away from what could make this album enjoyable. Rhythm section is the most redeemable quality of the album.
Much like Public Image, this just doesn't do a ton for me. Post-punk is such a strange genre that I can appreciate while not caring for much of it.
2.5
Bro hör uf mer das experimentele Post-Punk azrüere, vorallem wenns e Stond god. Das experimentelle zeigt sech do au rächt einersiits dör rächt chrommi Tön, anderersiits dör e rächt verzerrti Gitarre. Was wahrschiindlech us dem Projekt scho usecho esch, esch dasi zwar gärn so sache ha, solangs passt. Do fendis äbe no schwerig z Säge, wels einersiits doch sehr onpassend chrom tönt, andersiits heds äbe scho au öppis ond es tönt no kinda ikonisch. Das esch eigentlech so chli es Zeiche dasi ned sett ufhöre das Albom z lose wel sech mini Secht no starch am verändere esch, do esch sie aber jetzt rächt gliich blobe. Das lod mech chli met emne Albom wo mer so erschiint als obs mega iflossrich esch oder zomendest wemmer die Art vo Musig fühlt baba esch, för mech aber ned so s Deng ond drom wahrschiinldech s legschte mol scho glosst esch. Esch aber trotzdem e geili experience gse.
We hebben er weer een! De zanger is weer werkelijk dra-ma-tisch, muzikaal zit dit album wel echt ontzettend goed in elkaar!. Zo ontzettend jammer dat deze band de allerergste zanger heeft die ik heb gehoord, hij huilt en klaagt en kermt continue over de nogmaals prettige muzikale/instrumentale stukken. Ook is dit album LANG, jezus jongens, niet te doen. Elk nummer duurt en duurt en duurt. Dit is duidelijk een album dat is gemaakt voordat de radio edit was uitgevonden, want daar had het echt een hoop aan gehad. Merk dat ik na een tijdje echt compleet klaar er mee ben en het blijft maar door gaan. Gelukkig is het wel erg lekker weer en kan ik daar nog van genieten maar dit is geen album dat ik ooit nog aan zal zetten. FAVO: Memories,
The singing is awful! The music is a little interesting, but woof. 1.5.
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
I listen to Animal Collective. THIS is too weird for my tastes. 2/5
I've been listening to this every two or three months since 1979. I've largely had to do it on the downlow because past and present partners were not and are probably still not fans. Like other singular records, this soothes my soul. Other albums in this category include Robert Wyatt's _Rock Bottom_, Hüsker Dü's _Zen Arcade_, Captain Beefheart's _Mirror Man_, and Pere Ubu's _The Modern Dance_. There are more. Essential listening.
If you don't like Johnny Rotten, you don't like bad music.
ROTTEN, ABSOLUTLEY ROTTEN
A somewhat fun bass line and tone carried me through this one. Maybe punk is not for me? This was a slog.
1 - not good and all the songs are too long
Not for me. Listened to all of this, but definitely wouldn’t listen again.
Didn’t enjoy, parts sounded like they were trying to be the Doors, at others Talking Heads then the new wave synth thing. Won’t listen to again 1 or 2 stars
Это пример, что получится если панки решат сделать авангард. На совершенно монотонный костяк из баса (единственное, что мне здесь понравилось это бас) и прямых партий ударных натянуто дребезжание и истеричный вокал Лайдона. Я люблю прогрессивный рок и психодел, но когда я вижу песню длиной в 10 минут, я хочу слышать развитие мелодии ина все 10 минут. Albatross это песня минуты на две растянутая на десять. Примерно то же и с poptones. Весь "авангард " этого альбома это крики Лайдона и выскребывание из гитары потусторонних звуков
There were moments where this album was not insufferable.
Beep. Boop. Beep. Some futuristic notes are present in this album. Overall this was quite average-ish album for me.
I would’ve rather listened to a Sex Pistols album. I didn’t like this. It was just noise.
A 1-hour-long recording of an actual metal box filled with tools and nails being kicked down a flight of stairs would only have been slightly less obnoxious. Kudos for making me want to punch someone more than any Punk album ever did.
The bass is good. That's the end of the good part of the review. The random noises and guitar screeching on top of the bass occasionally worked but mostly are just annoying. The vocals are absolutely terrible and ruined the little enjoyment I was getting from the music.
This album was an absolute chore to listen! (3.66) ★½
Really depressing album. 1.5 stars
I thought this was a pretty cool album. John Lydon abandons the punk scene that made him a household name and makes something totally different, but also influential in it's own way. I can see why it's an acquired taste for some, but I think it's neat. Probably longer than it needed to be and there's a few tracks that don't really work for me, but "Swan Lake" is amazing, and there's some other tracks like "Memories" and "Poptones" that are very cool too. 4 stars.
Shouldn’t be in a metal box but rather a litter tray and an Olympic pool-sized one at that.
Impressively early for this kind of 90s-ish sound, so clearly ahead of its time, although I genuinely wasn't super excited to listen to it.
If you want to hear Johnny Rotten caterwaul over the same repetitive beat for 7 minutes, this is the album for you.
This feels pioneering in fusing dance and rock/indie my songs just don’t stand up.
Not my kinda noise
Very different. I really liked the background music, but could've done without the vocals.
This album is like being locked inside a fridge that’s somehow also a haunted political manifesto. It’s industrial, strange, slippery—like trying to punch fog. It sounds like punk died and came back as a bitter, avant-garde ghost. And John Lydon is its mouthpiece, spitting cryptic prophecies through a distortion pedal while the bass drills holes in your spine. Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: This isn’t an album, it’s a metallic hiss from the abyss. Favorite Track: Albatross – a slow descent into dub hell. It’s 10 minutes long and every second feels like you’re being hypnotized by a very angry filing cabinet.
Not my speed, never was a Johnny Rotten fan
I actually find it insane how influential this was. Like there were genuinely loads of other musicians at the time that listened to this garbage and saw the vision, and actually used that to make their music not suck.
Won't deny that it was influential and groundbreaking. But did I enjoy it? Not really.
one of the best/hardest albums ever made. i rip off jah’s playing style on this bad boy every chance i get
I mean… I thought I liked this but as an album it’s difficult to listen to all the way through. I love the song poptones though.
HORRIBLE
I could barely get through the first song. It's piercing and barely together. Plus I really hate the voice. Like so much. It's so boring to listen to and you can barely understand him. Also it sounds like he's in a tunnel. Why is Albatross 10 minutes long!!!!? It did get progressively better as the album progressed. Kinda sounds like Echo and the Bunnymen to me??? Idk I'm liking it more and more as it goes on. I think I just hate Albatross. Yeah, it's a good album that I liked but holy god Albatross really brings it down for me.
This one was hard to get through.
Surprise! This wasn’t the angry, thrashing chaos I expected from John Lydon’s post-Sex Pistols life! Instead, it’s this strange dub-punk vibe machine with hypnotic bass, jagged guitar, and Lydon ranting like a street-corner prophet. The sound itself is quite listenable, even groovy at times. My favorite surprise was “Bad Baby” — sarcastic, funky, and fun in a way I didn’t think PiL had in them. A strange, sprawling record, but one I enjoyed way more than I thought I would.
Nei, takk.
I like that Lydon turned his back on the previous Sex Pistols style punk music and chose to do something different. The album sounds pretty amazing considering it is almost 50 years old. The bass lines are simply fantastic on many tracks. The problem is, however, that the songs have no melodies and Lydon's vocal performance is pretty terrible. I would have enjoyed this more as an instrumental album.
First album/band served that I’m completely unfamiliar with. I liked the instrumentals best—Graveyard, Socialist, & Radio 4.
Such a unique album when it came out and I still love PIL
As usual, Lydon's views, lyrics, vocal performance, and humor are shit, but at least he hires good instrumental performers, so I just tune his vocals out, like they are a sound effect in the background and focus on the groove. Jah Wobble's bass performance is one of the only consistent bright and funky spots on the entire album. This is early in Martin Atkins drumming career before he would show off his genius in Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Pigface. I understand the complaints of others about the album being repetitive, but unlike others, I don't mind the repetition. I find the repetition in punk, dub, electronic, and dance to be quite zen meditative, if one is willing to close their eyes and simply let go. Favorites: "Careering", "Socialist", and "Radio 4". Being a fan of many of the genres that embraced instrumental ideas expressed on this album I wanted to like this album more than I actually did. So, yes it is clearly a proto album for punk, electronic, and industrial, but not sure that anyone needs to hear it anymore, since there is very little pleasure in doing so.
There is some really interesting production on many of these tracks. The wailing vocals really serve some of the more despondent and dark tracks, but 60 minutes of that is a LOT. It's clearly experimental, it has some odd instrumentals, tracks with odd talk-vocals, and weird production. I can imagine this being really interesting and affecting as a punk fan in '79 but in my opinion not all of this ages that well. I'll also readily acknowledge that I might just not like post-punk very much, idk.
I feel like I would have enjoyed this much better as an instrumental album. I really liked the bass-led tracks, and some were passable even with vocals but whether by choice or just “production circumstance” it’s a hard listen with the vocal tracks.
Much of this album feels like noise. Chant, Albatross, Bad Baby had to resist getting skipped or ignored. They are rough to get through. I do appreciate what they tried with Poptones, parts of Swan Lake, and Socialist but I'm not sure that this isn't just by comparison. Not my least favorite of albums but this is overall a no from me.
Favorite tracks: Memories, Socialist Honorable mention: lyrics of The Suit, but the song was terrible I hated this album, but man do I have to give them credit for making something completely new. Unsettling, driving, loud, futuristic - but also, noise. Sometimes, it's just a lot of noise.
There are only 2 things that kept this album from getting a 1 star from me. First, most of the album, the vocals reminded me of Gordon Gano from The Violent Femmes, and second, eveey song has a killer bass line. Nothing else in this album did anything for me.
I call myself a fan of post punk music, but I wasn’t a big fan of PiL’s First Edition, so I wasn’t incredibly excited to see this album pop up for me today. To add to my trepidation, I see that Metal Box clocks in at one hour. I’m going to give this album a fair shot, but I’m not going to get my hopes up! Well touché, PiL, because Metal Box was incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an album with such amazing bass playing like this from start to finish. Every track had an incredible bass line, but each bass line was distinct and unique. On top of that, the guitar playing was fantastic too. I loved the screeching and angular guitar playing on each song, and for such a dark and moody album, the guitar playing was really varied too. Metal Box had an incredibly cohesive sound, but each song was its own dark and moody journey. PiL really shows how versatile post punk can be. When it comes to post punk from the late seventies, I’ve loved Joy Division, Magazine, and Gang of Four, but Metal Box is so different from those albums, and I loved it for entirely different reasons than why I loved those other albums. I’m really in awe at how awesome this was, especially since I didn’t care for First Edition all that much, and I absolutely hated Jah Wobble’s solo album. If I ever become independently wealthy, I’m going to snag an original pressing of this on vinyl. Some notes on the songs themselves: “Albatross” immediately snagged my attention. The bass was fantastic, and so was the screeching guitar. The vocals weren’t my jam, but they fit the overall vibe and sound of the song. “Memories” was excellent. The bass was awesome, and there were some shifts in sound that I can’t quite put my finger on that I really loved. I think it was the tempo that changed a few times? I don’t know for sure, but it ruled. That guitar on “Swan Lake” was fantastic. Probably some of the best rhythms on the album. I loved the jangling of the guitar on “Poptones,” and the cymbal crashes were outstanding too. Easily one of the best songs on the album. “Careering” was awesome. The bass was fantastic, the rhythm was awesome, and I loved the vocals and lyrics. The gun-like sounds were an excellent touch. This is in contention with “Poptones” for best song on the album. The synthesizers on “Socialist” were awesome. It had such an alien feeling, which is probably what being a socialist felt like under Reagan and Thatcher. “Graveyard” is so dark. The guitar has such a haunting sound to it, and the bass accentuates everything perfectly. “Radio 4” was the perfect closing track. The synths were bright, but still managed to fit the dark, deep sound of the album. Truly mesmerizing stuff. This was in contention with “Poptones” and “Careering” for best song on the album. I’m going to be thinking about this album for days. It’s dark and brooding, but there’s so much going on, just with the guitars and bass. What an incredible work of post punk music. I can understand that this isn’t up everyone’s alley, but damn, what an incredible experience.
The very first song has the singer moaning the line "You are unbearable, run away" ... so I did!
This album is way too slow for me. Long stretched songs with very little happening. Graveyard was the best song for me.
Not my cup of tea as far as post-punk albums go.
Hated it. Can't even define genre. Post punk? All the songs sound the same.
Knepig skiva. Gillade omedelbart de första sekunderna på första låten. Tycker nog den är rätt najs i grund och botten fortfarande. Men lång och sången drar ner. Sången är bitvis fruktansvärd på resten av skivan. Jävligt svårt,.två eller tre? Jag diggar soundet på många låtar, så jag landar nog på tre ändå. Men gränsfall.
Börjar bra men jösses vilken bergochdalbana det blir därefter, tyvärr med fler dalar än toppar. Finns en del riktigt bra som skulle kunna byggts vidare på, men mycket är också så uselt att betyget inte orkar över en tvåa för mig.
Am I missing something? This is a joke right? This album is terrible and I want whatever drugs people were on when they made it
I didn't really like this.
I try and anticipate the Global Rating for each album while listening. Based off my estimation of the racial and age demographics of this project, I can usually get pretty close. Kinda hilarious how low this one is compared to how much I enjoyed it. Rule of thumb; if it's challenging in the slightest, it's below a 3. 4.5/5
The driving bass lines are really enjoyable, and the songs have a distinct post-punk crunch and reverb to them - a very decent album that I can see people loving, but not one that I’ll personally be listening to on repeat
I liked some of what these guys put out back in the day. But today, running this one back start to finish, I found this album to be tiresome overall.
2/5
Great opener. Driving violin. Driving rhythm too for epic Lovers. These long tunes are great. I imagine myself at a concert just swaying away lost. Maybe not two cds worth and not sure essential. 4 verging toward 3 but the good feelings push to 4. By the way, if you haven't looked it up, a "bang on the ear" is a fond greeting. Laid back driving--make sense?
I’m a little conflicted since the Sex pistols, Johnny Lyndon and PiL were such radical pioneers. This is confrontational music and I admire what they’re trying to do but it’s not always ‘enjoyable’ or easy. I loved the tracks Public Image and This is not a love song. I wish they were on here.
While I've never actually enjoyed anything by John Lydon and whatever outfit he's fronting, I sometimes can appreciate the socio/emotional catalyst that fuels the music. This just sounded like wankers wanking.
God, what an album. Some of the best bass lines and guitar work I've ever heard. Poptones alone is worth the price of admission. There are some classics I love but never listen to. but I've been returning to this one over and over again for decades. A monster.
I was digging this more than the last PIL album we had...that is until Chant. All in all, I can't say I'll spin this again but I was glad to have a good listen.
Had to use a playlist for this one, but good stuff. Nothing crazy but I liked the mood and I’ll probably check more of their stuff out
Didn't like it. Is interesting.
Like this one a lot! Crazy to me that Johnny Rotten pivoted so well from punk into this type of post-punk. 4.5/5
Wild catching up on all these after pausing this project for a while, right as this one has been on repeat for me lately! Perhaps it’s bias talking but this one is an all time great.
No reason to listen to this one again.
I didn't like it. It was too "experimental" for my taste. The album has some interesting elements but the mix between cryptic lyrics and strange instrumentals are way too bizarre and quite boring. I listen to all the album but half the second track I just want it to stop. The last track "Radio 4" was more enjoyable. Very atmospheric and more in line with my style. It's really the only track i didn't dislike of the entire album.
This sounds like shitty dive bar stuff, not something that was made by the same guy who fronted a quintessential punk album. Why Johnny Rotten chose to channel his inner Yoko Ono is beyond me.
Я розумію вплив і важливість цього альбому. Розширяє горизонти панку настільки широко, що панку тут майже на залишається. Я колись його пробував слухати і мені сильно не сподобалося. Зараз це сприймається краще, але все одно не можу уявити ситуації, у якій я до нього повернуся.
98/1001. How do you rate an album which is mostly uncompromising and which is mostly shit? 2, since is not total shit.
Well that wasn’t very good
I was looking at the reviews on this site. It took a long time to get one that was neutral. It seems like people love or hate this album. I liked it but thinking about it now the next day. It wasnt really memorable and parts were repetitive.
What a load of bollocks
Never heard of this group. Midway through my listen and things feel like they're droning on. Each track seems to go on for about two minutes too long. It's all very melancholic and drab. I get they're trying to bring an 'avant-garde" angle to punk rock, but it just ultimately came off as dull At the very least, the bass playing is excellent.
surprisingly kinda nice
Que des albums que j’aime pas, jusqu’à quand seigneur jusqu’à quand Des sons de 15min on est où là
I want to like this, but I'm not a fan. Couldn't get through the opener. Swan Lake and Socialist are cool. Theres some great sounds and interesting ideas on here, but most of the songs feel really half baked, like Joy Division fucking around in the studio after listening to a bunch of funk and reggae. Yeah idk all the tracks have a groove that's cool for like 30 seconds, but doesn't really develop from there and ends up outstaying it's welcome halfway through
I’m not listening to this x
Legend.
I think I get this. The scratchy guitars and strained vocals are held together by some absolutely bumping basslines. The long songs allow for the grooves to sit with you. Favorites were Swan Lake, Poptones, Socialist, and Graveyard.
An awful experience with no conexión in between songs 2/10
Too whiny and repetitive
Started off really disliking this but after a while it got more enjoyable. Not sure if that’s because the songs got better or I became more understanding. 2.5/5
It feels weird to say that it wasn’t too bad but only give it a 2. I appreciate it I guess but I don’t see myself going back to it.
Holy crap the first song, Albatross, is basically an Interpol song. There's no way they were not influenced by Public Image Ltd. This is an excellent example of music that influenced many other bands in the post-punk area of music, but on their own, I don't know if this is actually a "good" album. John Lydon's voice never really bothered me with the Sex Pistols but it's a bit grating for me on this one. It could be because the songs are so much longer than the Sex Pistols songs. The first half of the album is pretty good or at least very bearable. The back half is not as bearable for me. This may be influential and yet I don't think it's actually very good.
46/1001 :: Public Image Ltd. - Metal Box / Second Edition Heard before? :x: Would I revisit? :white_check_mark: Rating: 7.5 Fav Tracks: Memories, Albatros, Swan Lake This is a very interesting album. I should start off by saying I figured this album was gonna sound like the Sex Pistols. That it did not. In fact it wasn’t really a Punk Rock album. Maybe Punk in spirit but it was definitely more New Wave or even at many times Noise Rock. I guess this shows my knowledge of Public Image Ltd. which is nonexistent. The album also definitely starts off more structured but as it progresses the songs become more textured than anything. And while some of the songs have lyrics a couple of the songs in the 2nd half are more instrumentals than anything. Also, the rhythm section of this band is really strong. On almost every track they’re laying down a great grove that lets abstract guitar work and Johnny Lydon’s trashy vocals to float over top. I’m not sure when I would listen to this again but it’s certainly a vibe and even at an hour I’m glad I got 2 listens in. One that I won’t rule out. Listen to this before you die? Yes
I like the repetitive nature of this album. I like the sharp guitar sounds and bass. Lydon's vocals work better with this type of music than I expected. 8/10
What a wild way to start this off. Enjoyed it a lot, blew my mind at points. Something I never would have listened to of my own volition
I listened to "Second Edition," which is what was available on Apple Music. It appears to be basically the same thing but different song order. I was not familiar with this band at all. I just have no patience for this shit. Awful, unpleasant vocals, out of tune guitars, the inane repetition. It's all too much for me to take. There was one decent track, Socialist, which had no vocals or guitar. Bleck!
2.9 / 5 stars for me on this one. A lot to take into consideration when listening to this. I read a bit of the backstory and the album definitely sounds like it was a lot of expermentation with a completely different sound, thus the post-punk tag that is thrown on it. But unlike Joy Division at this time, these guys were not really putting it all together into cohesive songs. The music is there as a foundation but just a smattering of hooks and random vocal warbling from John Lydon does not make this worth hearing more than a couple of times. Later material is more entertaining.
Loved Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols. Never understood PIL. Always sounded like they intentionally suck to remain relevant. Terrible.
I was pretty meh on most of it besides Radio 4. I don't think I can constitute giving it less than a three with that track.
This has everything I'd normally like in an album from this era. Goofy parts, wild experimentation in an already experimental genre, a good groove, etc. The problem is that it all comes together to make some of the most annoying music New Wave has ever produced. It's only made worse by the fact that these guys have a second album on the list. The only interesting part is the cover, or I guess, case.
In junior high, I frequently purged my adolescent frustration and angst by blasting the Sex Pistols from my boom box. At least initially, despite the legacy of Lydon, PiL did not scratch that particular itch. Later, in high school I finally “got it” and this album become among my favorites. A post-punk kid needing post-punk music. My God, this album brings back memories, some of them are actually good. It has too long since giving it a listen. Metal Box (AKA Second Edition) is a masterpiece. Yes, this music is somewhat challenging, but sometimes innovative work sounds weird. It is entirely possible for something to be both weird and amazing, I exist after all. Despite being released in 1979, the album continues to seem innovative today. It is worth noting that Lydon wanted this music to be uncomfortable, the intent was to get rid of the albatross of rock, by sowing seeds of discontent. The guitar and basslines are very experimental, but technically impressive. The varied time signatures the Wobble pounds out on the bass in sounds like “Poptones” feel unsettling, but also draw one into the layered complexity of the guitar and drums underneath. Speaking of guitar, the Levene is a master, mostly creating tones in the background that are wonderfully textured. Lydon’s vocals are equally impressive and innovative, sometimes haunting, sometimes bracing, but always emotionally evoking. An excellent of is the grief one hears, and feels as Lydon wails about his mother dying from cancer. The lyrics on many songs are actually pretty profound and integral to understanding the importance of this outstanding music. This is another album that absolutely deserves a place on this list. It remains unique even today, yet despite nothing being quite like it, its lasting influence is hard to deny. There are many great PiL albums, but this is probably their most important record and my personal favorite. God save the queen and God save Johnny Lydon! In the spirit of what initially brought me to this music: if you don't get it, fuck you, just scurry on back to your comfy corporate shell (while I pretend I don't have one).
I love these albums that inspire either 1 or 5 stars. Often these late 70s post-punk albums. Suicide, which I listened to a couple of days ago was similar. Again, a unique new sound that earns its place on the list for me.
It just felt like a lot of long whinyness. The sounds weren't painful to the ears, just a lot of metal undertones that didn't really add anything just made them seem sad or creepy.
Nope. I don't think it's that interesting musically and there isn't much to distinguish one song from another. Also these songs suck too much to have so many of them on the album.
This is the second day in a row I've had a second album by an artist whose previous album in the project was a 1 for me. And I don't hand out many 1s! So I wasn't terribly excited going into either day. But this is also the second day in a row I haven't hated this next album. Again, is my musical mind expanding, or are these albums actually more pleasant to my ears? Hard to say for sure, but I liked how rockin' this was, and I didn't mind how long a few of the songs were. I did listen to the Second Edition version though, as I couldn't find the original Metal Box on Spotify, and that version breaks up the last 12-minute song into three parts. At any rate, I enjoyed Rotten's dark, broody lyrics mixed with a lot of really cool instrumentation. It's not an album I'd probably choose to listen to again, but I appreciate the artistry!
Not a great album for me. Music seemed uninspired and the vocals were nothing special. I know the singer is from the sex pistols but I don't really like them either.
Heard some PiL before but I wasn't ready for this album. It gave me a headache. It was just random sounds 1/5
The epitome of the post-punk era. Solid fun, despite the fact that Johnny Rotten is a prick.
Abrasive, but in a good way.
Okay, now we are getting into the terrible music that I enjoy and has shaped my interest in music. This Metal Box is mostly put together with songs from Second Edition, which is one of my favorites, but the album, Flowers of Romance (most certainly an acquired taste) introduced me to producer/drummer Martin Atkins. I immediately fell into the PIL trap and became a devoted fan of First Issue and Second Edition. John Lydon's self-proclaimed "anit-music" struck a chord with me. I then woke up from the spell once Album was released and it was the Album tour in 1986 that was the last time I saw them live. Was so excited when Martin joined with the MINISTRY/RevCo team of misfits.
Verging somewhere between not that good and annoying
Wasn't as good as I expected ..... but maybe it needs more than one listen.
This sounded unfinished like they had laid down a decent backing track but forgotten the songs. Droned on a bit.... A generous 2.
John Lydon has always been a bit of a prat. He's had some great albums, and some not so great albums. This is one of the later.
Classic 5/5
Got better towards the end. Post-punk just ain't for me. 2/5
Thank god for the bassist, he’s the only one making music here
It's no secret that I enjoy garbage music
two songs in... i can't
Very challenging. I almost bailed half-way through "Albatross," but I stuck it out. It does get better; the band is pretty awesome, especially Wobble's bass, and I got used to Lydon's vocals. On the whole, though, it just wasn't for me. Favorite tracks were "Swan Lake" and the instrumentals.
Lourd, déstabilisant, expérimental. Pas écoutable mais ça l'air important.
2.5 étoiles pour le drum et la basse.
Okay
1. Albatross - 1 Vocally it does not sound good and the guitars are pleasant at times, noisy at others. Lyrically it's hard to follow as well, with a lack of meaning or any substance in the lyrics themselves. 2. Memories - 1 It's more of the previous track: lyrics I cannot follow or that have no real purpose. Vocals I do not enjoy. Bass line is solid on this track but the rest of the instruments are not enjoyable. 3. Swan Lake - 3 Rinse and repeat. Guitars and drums are more enjoyable on this track. 4. Poptones - 3 The non-singing parts are better than the singing parts. 5. Careering - 0 Dreadful sound. 6. No Birds - 2 Guitars are nice at times. They are the only highlight for the track. 7. Graveyard - 1 Noise with no structure. 8. The Suit - 0 Horrendous track. The vocals sound insanely dull and lyrically it's not strong at all. The worst track on the album. 9. Bad Baby - 2 Bass is a lot more enjoyable on this track but it is the only redeeming thing about it. Vocals are just as bad as any of the others. 10. Socialist - 2 Purely instrumental track. 11. Chant - -1 I seriously debating giving this a -1 and as I listened to more absolutely was convinced to give it the score. It is the worst track I've listened to so far in the 1001 Albums Challenge (Day 34). Pure noise. 12. Radio 4 - 0 Purely organ-like music. Now I love a good organ (example: Dancing Mad from Final Fantasy VI), but this is just slow and melodic. As if I was in a church but not even the Lord himself can save this album or the rating I will bestow upon it. Average Rating: 1.17 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 0.58 Rounded Up: 1 Star
I was seriously doubting I'd like or even finish this album because of my previous listening to Pil. The "singles" they had put out were fairly atrocious and Johnny's voice is horrific. Sex Pistols at least gave a wall of sound and it kind of fit (for a song or two). I thought they only got albums made because of his notoriety and didn't give their musicianship much credence. So, with a finger hovering over the Next button, I got this album going. First song, Albatross, was pretty cool. Johnny's not screeching or yelling and the music is quite cool. A little atonal, but interesting. Overall, I like this album. Especially when Johnny is just talking or singing in a "normal" voice. It really sounds a lot like the early Bauhaus albums that came out about the same time; the musical style, tone, and metallic guitar. Of course, Peter Murphy is 10x the singer that Johnny is, but some of these songs sound quite similar. The best songs are the instrumentals like Socialist and Graveyard. Chant is unlistenable. I probably would have loved this if I'd heard it 30 years ago because it does fit into the post-punk, pre-goth, or industrial that came around then or right after. Perhaps some of those others were influenced by this, but I don't recall anyone saying that. It's not easy listening and I'm not sure when would be a good time to spin this up, but I added a few of the songs to my playlist and may even try a little more Pil now. I think it's a solid three, but will give it 4 because of it's historical and influential status
Just like the other PIL album I've gotten, the real draw here is Jah Wobble. The bass playing makes this album for me. I also enjoy Johnny's vocal sneering, his anti establishment attitude strikes a chord in me. While this is an hour long it passed by quickly and I listened a few times. Dig it.
Normally i Like the music from the late Seventies. But a strong bass is not enough.
I enjoyed this album listen! Public Image Ltd. is such a solid new wave/post-punk band and I very much dig their vibe. I would definitely listen to this album again. There was only one song ‘chant’ that I gave up on because it became very repetitive to me but I liked the other songs on the album!
Metal Box by Public Image Ltd. Meeeeeh it's just a bit odd. I think the bass in it is excellent but unfortunately it's drowned out my Lydons wails and a guitar player that knows what he is doing....just about. It's 2 because it's miles better than their self titled album
Is this what depression feels like?
This album objectively sucks. I know the history, it doesn't matter, it still sucks.
just fine for work background. Could not listen around other people as its definitely weird. Great quick pace. Would have been a 1 if it came on in the car instead. A work 3
Was this mentioned enough in the early ‘00s as inspiration for all those bands? This basically sounds like it came out in 2006.
Nut my cup of tea, quite experimental and I personally did't like the songs 1/5
Love rise, the rest is too Avant guard for me
Poptones
A real mixed bag.
Oh, I know someone who's got this. Bit rusty but still intact. The perfect antidote to fucking Belle and Sebastian that I was just listening to. How is that rubbish tasted higher than this. MF'ers have no taste. Let's dig in. Fuck, bit lengthy. Quite hypnotic. One of my favorite songs about Albatrosses on this album, though, I think. I could get into this. Maybe a couple more listens. Solid Three on the first go around though.
Bass was great and the only thing I enjoyed here. Vocals were awful and ruined what might have been enjoyable. Listened to this twice and disliked it more the second time. Not going to revisit this anytime soon
Oh Johnny. What on earth was this? Haven't listened to this for 40 years and now I know why. Awful.
Post-punk is the worst and this is no exception.
10/10 fun and weird! kinda reminds me of Pere Ubu a bit
It was hard for me to get through this one, but still gave it a full listen. Felt like the singer was just moaning/talking/mumbling over the bass line, not something I would choose to listen to again.
excellent noise, excellent bass. gets even more hypnotic as it goes.
Johnny rotten’s singing on this album is cool and interesting but this album would still rock if you took him off. There are some phenomenal musicians, making some spooky tunes on this bad boy.
Went into it expecting to hate it, but it was actually pretty good. John Lydon is a talentless hack, so I can only imagine this album is decent despite his involvement. In fact, the music is the best bit, the vocals are sort of there...so kind of proves my point.
Wow! This is cool as fuck. As someone who loves modern post-punk bands like Protomartyr, FACS, etc, this is an insightful look into some of the early forebears of the style. And wow, it is uncompromising. Dark, hypnotic, disturbed. I was uncertain with the first track, but the little bits of melody and atmosphere that begin to emerge in the subsequent tracks deepened my appreciation. Very cool stuff and must-listen #174.
I keep wanting to give this a 2 but the parts that aren’t a 2 are so far removed from a 2…worth checking out again
Well this was quite a challenging listen, there was a lot of good in the opening tracks from a musical perspective but I wasn’t a fan of John Lydon’s vocals unfortunately. The album seemed to get increasingly experimental for the 2nd half and perhaps there are a lot of ideas that are hard to grasp with one listen. Hard to think when I’d come back for this but part of me thinks there would be merit in coming back, although running past the hour mark isn’t in its favour.
Chewy, challenging, some moments felt White Light White Heat-ish
very cool!! need to relisten
FINAL REVIEW After going back and forth in my head, I'm giving this album a 2/5. The instrumentals did eventually make sense to me, and those are a 4/5 for me. However, John Lydon's voice and the way the album seems to drag on bring it down to a 2/5. NOTES 11:28 pm - public image ltd. is one of the guys from the sex pistols, right? so i'm guessing this with be either punk or post-punk/new wave. let's see lol 4:41 am - i am finally listening to this, a few songs in, and i think i now understand how everyone around me feels when i put on mr bungle. like......i dont get this. every song is the same un-tuned guitar chords on loop with the most irritating, british screaming i have heard in music. to me, mr bungles avant-garde works bc they are all super talented and use that to be super fucking weird. this sounds like a bunch of guys who dont know how to play their instruments, but instead of playing fast, intense punk songs, they are playing long, droning, plodding nonsense. 5:19 am - listening to the whole album made me get the instrumentals a little bit more, but that voice is so fucking grating. 5:47 pm - alright, trying this again. i read up a little more on the album, and i'm hoping that background info will help me "get it". one thing i can pick up is that they definitely at least share some influences with one of my favorite bands, siouxsie and the banshees. siouxsie sioux was a huge sex pistols fan as a teenager and would follow the band to all of their shows, so its honestly not shocking that there are similarities here. 6:08 pm - honestly, i think the instrumentals have grown on me, now that i've gotten over the shock. the vocals are still annoying as shit, though. i would totally blast an instrumental version of this album tbh, honestly the discordant nature of it, all held together by some really excellent basslines, creates a really great, dark vibe. no more whiny british men though, please (says the radiohead fan).
Ощущение что летишь под серым небом над серой водой, в тумане и берега нет.
Little less punk, little more production. There's good beats in here, along with some "huh?" lyrics and some extra odd sounds, but Graveyard and No Birds are solid
A bit self indulgent for sure but there’s some interesting things happening
The bass and drum parts are so tight. I like dub music already but the added dissonance from the guitars/vocals makes everything more tense. I appreciated something that felt like my own anxiety and frustration. I suppose it's here because it's experimental and innovative, but I personally found it to be a gratifying experience. I like Lydon’s voice and lyrics; he’s really expressive. He showed his catchy rock side with the Sex Pistols so I think it should be evident that there’s both an underlying musicianship here and an underlying anguish and alienation that led to this music. I also think it’s a clear step forward from the first PiL album.
This sounds like how I feel all the time - but in a good way! Weird, wry, goofy, with a great groovy bassline throughout. I liked the energy of the other PiL album on this list; I liked both the energy and sound of this one.
Largely forgettable. Nothing too interesting or good on this album. 2/5 Won’t listen again
This kind of music isn't my thing. I don't mind its experimental nature but the instrumentation, his annoying vocal delivery (see: Poptones and The Suit) and general sound of it doesn't do anything for me.
An absolute monster of an album - dark, weird, abrasive, pointedly clever and relentlessly creative. It's an album which recognises and makes the most of its limitations with drawling vocals, cryptic lyrics, spikey guitar, distant production and unconventional arrangements which could drag and meander if it weren't so deranged! Favourite tracks: Albatross, Swan Lake, Socialist
I have heard very few albums worse than this mess of so called songs. An hour of my life I will never get back. Don’t waste your time with this!
Yes, they are interesting. Yes, they are creative. Yes, there are some interesting songs on the album. BUT No, apart from 2-3 songs I wouldn't like to listen again. Still it is a 3 for the creativity.
johnny rotten is a talented man. i dig the sex pistols. but for the life of me i just don’t get PIL. the songs drone on and on to the point of being redundant and boring. to me, there’s just no “there” there.
Nah man, I’m good.
Holy shit, Public Image Ltd. A few years back I listened to The Flowers of Romance because I thought the album cover was cool (even if I didn’t understand what the hell it was depicting). In retrospect, that cover feels like one of those incomprehensible, upsetting AI images that people generate just to mess with each other. I haven’t thought about these guys in years and only have vague recollections of their music, so I’m willing to give these guys another chance. “Public Image Ltd” is a great name for a band, after all. If I were more into punk, I could see myself possibly, maybe, hypothetically enjoying this album. Where I currently stand, I feel more than a little underwhelmed by it. I’m all for wackadoo experimental bullshit, but this album kind of potters in place and does absolutely nothing. There are beyond zero things going on in the lyrics and the instrumentals are samey across the board. Albatross is a serviceable opener. It does an alright job at establishing the sound and atmosphere of this album. I don’t mind the guitars, though they become a much bigger problem as the album progresses. The bassy backing instrumental does a good job at holding my attention, which is the most consistent bit of praise that I have for Metal Box. I don’t mind Poptones. The guitar performance is, again, pretty alright. It gives the track a little bit of floatiness, which I enjoy. Graveyard is pretty cool. The guitar doesn’t do much for me as it’s way too shrill, but the heavy bass and more subdued instruments are quite good. I think my experience of this album is learning to tune out the shitty leading instruments and pray to God that John Lydon doesn’t get on the beat. This album has been massively acclaimed by critics, which is surprising. The book describes this album as “a measurement of torture”, which is funny. Do I think this album earns a spot on the list? I’m unsure. On one hand, I appreciate being given weird shit to listen to and on the other I don’t think this album does nearly enough to earn its “weird” status. It’s not like this music even gave me much of an experience, as I’ve already forgotten this band once over. Overall, I’m pretty unimpressed and frustrated by this one.
fuck i want some box rn (slang for vag) because i am a virgin who hates women
Can’t say i cared for this
eins bis zwei
I've always been more of a dead Kennedy's side of punk listener. Public Image Ltd. is certainly its own thing and I wish I'd heard this earlier? It isn't a revelation of an album but I would have spun it up all the time when I was younger and I'll definitely listen to it again.
How are there so many "post-punk" albums from the UK around this time on this list? Every song sounds like it was recorded in a cave and they're all like 10 minutes long. I guess the bass playing was good.
1 stern
It starts out like just noise, but the sound evolves over the course of the album and becomes very interesting, its hard to believe this was made in the 70s.
It's albums like this one that make people question or regret why they've started this list. Why is this garbage worthy of being an album you must listen to before you die? God good man, there are better albums out there. Absolute waste of time listening to these talentless bums. 1/10.
The vocalist(s) remind me of untrained garage band singers. Too often they are out of tune. They are musically interesting, however.
2.4 - This was a struggle not gonna lie
I can’t really explain it but I thought this was pretty great. Not sure I would want to relisten much, but the spirit of these tracks felt so genuinely gritty and punky. Fave Tracks: Albatross, Memories, Poptones, Chant 3.9/5
2 stars
I loved it; Especially the coarse voice matching the tempo of the songs; Felt like eating ice-cream with lemon squeezed all over it!!
The first track is abysmal, then it gets (slightly) progressively better Best Song: Swan Lake Rating: 3/10 (Bad) Stars: 2/5
Never heard of this either. The version I’m listening to is called metal box as the other version is not available on YouTube music. Starting off I’m into it. 3 mins in and I am no longer into it. The rhythms sounds like Billie Jean and I can’t unhear that. Oh man this first song is ten minutes?! I also want to run away. This is a collection of cool beats with the worst singing. It feels like trying to listen to Tomahawk or any other Mike Patton project. This was terrible, but the music was ok. It was the singing and lyrics that ruined it for me.
Twas alright
Far more annoying than I remembered but there are some good nuggets in there. I'd rather listen to either the Sex Pistols or Joy Division, but both at once isn't working.
Eh not my thing 2/5
3.1 2x. Catch up
On Apple Music as Second Edition. I was good and I can tell that it is important. Would have been really into it in high school, but probably won’t choose to listen to it again. https://music.apple.com/us/album/second-edition/95911817
One of the greatest albums ever made. The sound, the packaging, the influence. That said, Albatross is not an auspicious start, and sounded stodgy as an opener on this listen. But the combo of Lydon's voice, angular guitar and heavy heavy bass on tunes such as Poptones, The Suit, Bad Baby, are worth 5 stars on their own. Nothing sounds quite like this, and probably never will.
A very muddled album. And it's all the better for it. You feel like you are fighting against the music, struggling for air. Sometimes you need music to be a challenge.
Describing this as “post-punk” seems a bit obvious given the presence of John Lyndon, but it is! The angular sharp spiky guitars weren’t a surprise, but the grooving jam-band nature of it was a surprise for me. Like if Gong were really angry about stuff! It was weird and interesting and I need to check out more PIL.
I can’t imagine what this must have sounded like at the time, really experimental and still sounds fresh and interesting today…
How to describe... Rock-Jazz, with someone constantly (almost speaking) "singing". Most of the songs feel quite long.
This album starts with a ten minute trance, that kept making me think of Billie Jean, and it gets worse from there. It’s 6 sides of discordant noise with John Lydon groaning and howling in the background. Albatross would probably be better if it was shorter. In fact all the songs would be better if they were shorter. Is it meant to be taken seriously? I can’t decide if it’s mocking Joy Division or being influenced by them. Either way, I don’t like this album and can’t see myself choosing to listen to it ever again.
Meh.
I was not expecting much from this, not knowing much about PIL I was expecting a sex pistols rip off. Think there is probably a decent album in this if if it was half the length. At its best it reminded me of dance-indie like the Rapture but about two decades earlier, which is pretty ahead of its time. Unfortunately this being a one man show where no one else can challenge crap ideas means it's stuffed full of rubbish too. Lots of annoying singing bits and songs going on two minutes longer than they should. I wouldn't listen again I don't think, the bad parts ruin the enjoyment of the good stuff. Worth one go though I'd say, 2.5.
I was convinced these were Public Enemy. I was surprised that instead of hip hop, which I have to be in a certain mood to listen to, this was Punk, which I also have to be in a certain mood to listen to. Memories and Careering were my favourite tracks. A lot of the album does sound the same, I think it is a strong 3.
I'd forgotten that John Lydon had done anything after the sex pistols, but I do remember hearing "rise" now come to think of it..... Hmm, this is strange and hard to rate, it's fairly difficult to listen to in parts, but it's pretty unique sounding. Can't have been much else sounding like this at the time and I do think its pretty punk in fairness. I quite like the dub elements which are reminiscent of that Bauhaus album we had. The repeated hooks at almost remind me of Sleaford Mods, who I'm never quite sure if I like or not either, but find myself drawn in by. I don't think I'm going to be listening to this again, but I reckon it does fit the bill of an album you should hear before you die, if not just for it's uniqueness.
I didn't really enjoy this one, but I can hear its importance in how much it influenced early 80s music.
Eh
Dug it. Like a holding area between music eras, little bit of 70’s rock melding with what would become 80’s mid.
I liked it more than I thought I would - several songs were standouts. I'm not sure how often I would listen to it though. Wish I could do a half star, although I think it is closer to 3 than 4 for me.
Meh
I can see the bands that were influenced by this album, but I enjoy all of their albums much better than this. The tracks where the bass was forward in the mix, I enjoyed a bit better, but overall it didn’t move me.
Gloomy, monotonous, and redeemed here and there by Jah Wobble's bass playing. Much preferred the instrumentals to anytime that Jihn Lydon opens his mouth.
Starting with the positives - kudos to the bassist, some really great, creative basslines throughout the whole thing. I also enjoyed the punky, offkilter drums. But oh my God, john lydon wailing rubbish like an alleycat made this damn near unlistenable at times. The prick couldn't hold a note with a gun to his head, and it just grates. If they had a different vocalist and written more interesting lyrics, would probably have really enjoyed this, but was a fairly insufferable Sunday afternoon soundtrack thanks to johnny rotten. Best tracks are graveyard, socialist, and radio 4 because he doesn't utter a word
Vind dit echt niks 😭😭
pass
On *Metal Box*, Public Image Ltd. retain the anger and anarchic spirit of punk but pursue an entirely different direction musically, a fusion of dub-inflected basslines, Krautrock-influenced instrumentation and John Lydon's unique approach to vocals. A solid rhythm section holds down the bottom end, leaving space for Keith Levene's guitar and synthesizer experimentation. While most of the tracks are exceptional, not all of them are entirely compelling, and the instrumentals (with the exception of "Radio 4") aren't terribly essential. On the whole though, this is an audacious album that shows the strength of the band's vision.
Joy division is better
An album full of sounds generated by a first grader arranged in a pretty decent way
Just the bass by itself dude
I really thought I’d like this from the first few minutes, but it didn’t fully hold my attention. I’d say I learn more toward liking it than disliking it; I was a little disappointed, though. (Just for my own reference, I really enjoyed the song that autoplayed afterward: Modern Art - Hello / Goodbye)
Lynchian LCD Soundsystem Favorite song: Radio 4
Took me a second listen to appreciate this oppressive, upsetting nihilistic post-punk album.
Flirted with one-star territory; redeemed in part by "Graveyard" and a couple of later songs. Johnny Lydon/Johnny Rotten just isn't my guy.
Painful at times
Really enjoyed this!
Weird
If Swan Lake had a rebellious teenage phase, Metal Box would be it, beautiful in theory, but mostly loud, weird, and a little bit terrifying.
3.8
Ik kan me voorstellen dat dit in de jaren 70/80 cool was om op te leggen om je te profileren als een edgy, coole kerel die eye liner en zwarte lippenstift gebruikt. Maar voor een 25-jarige in 2025 is dit gewoon een schelle gitaar, een heel repetitieve baslijn en een kerel die wat schreeuwt in een microfoon. Dit had evengoed een auditief kunstwerk kunnen zijn in het S.M.A.K. 0.5
1001 ALBUMS - # 54 Just like taking a metal Pill 💊, this ain’t your grandma’s Sex Pistols! Man oh man Mr. Johnny Rotten sure gets dumped on quite a bit…okay yes, he was a whiny little piss ant with the Pistols, however his influence cannot be denied, and yet just a year later he reinvents his style to usher in the sub-genre of punk and still gets no respect. So here, he gives a great big 🖕 with an abrasive, unsettling, rhythmic yet interminable onslaught of hauntingly cryptic songwriting. Metal Box is a sprawling, avant-garde album that defies traditional song structures. Opening with the 10-minute ambient piece “Albatross,” the album ventures through dub, krautrock, and industrial landscapes. Guitarist Keith Levene’s jagged, metallic riffs and bassist Jah Wobble’s deep, dub-infused grooves create a hypnotic foundation, while John Lydon’s impassioned vocals deliver abstract, politically charged lyrics.  The album’s unconventional packaging—three 12-inch records housed in a metal film canister—mirrored its boundary-pushing sound. This design choice reinforced the band’s commitment to challenging norms, both musically and aesthetically. 🎧 Classic Track: Death Disco (Swan Lake) 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Careering 🎧 Personal Favorite: Albatross The album stands as one of the most daring and influential albums of the post-punk era. Emerging from the cultural aftermath of punk rock and the disintegration of the Sex Pistols, PiL—helmed by former Pistols frontman John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten)—set out to reinvent not just his own musical identity, but the very structure and purpose of popular music. With Metal Box, PiL delivered an audacious and uncompromising work that remains a benchmark for experimental music. Critically, Metal Box has been hailed as one of the most significant records of its time. The Guardian compared its impact on post-punk to the influence of Coltrane’s A Love Supreme on jazz. Rolling Stone included it in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, while AllMusic called it the “apex” of PiL’s creative output. At the time of release, however, its abstract sound and high price point made it a commercial challenge. Over time, its visionary qualities came to be more fully appreciated, and it has since been recognized as a foundational work in the evolution of post-punk, industrial, and experimental rock. 🖼️ Album Artwork: The Metal Box tin! 💽 What makes Metal Box remarkable in hindsight is how far ahead of its time it was. It anticipated the sonic landscapes of industrial and noise rock, the minimalist repetition of ambient and electronic music, and the anti-consumerist ethos of later indie scenes. The album is now understood not just as a pivotal moment for PiL, but as a blueprint for a new kind of music: less about rebellion through noise, and more about resistance through experimentation. Metal Box is intended to be appreciated as a work of art, love or hate the music, respect it.
Well at least it has guitar in it🤷♂️ I was pretty excited to hear this, knowing that it was some of John lydons post Sex Pistols work. I knew it was different but for me, this is too different. I was determined to sit through it, so now I've done so, I doubt t I'll ever be back for a listen. I understand at the time this was quite a landmark album/band for the post punk genre, but this I can't get in to. I appreciate it for what it is, but it's not for me.