When First Issue was released in 1978 I was - like many others - disappointed on the first listen, eventually expecting a Never mind.. follow-up album. But, leaving that "punk" expectation aside, I soon realized what a great album this is. A preliminary step, a foretaste of the masterpieces that yet had to come.

There are not many albums I use to listen to more than once, very few that are regularly on my player, but the Metal Box/Second Edition and the Flowers of Romance I heard over and over in the past 40 years, and the Metal Box is without any doubt the album that I would take to the lonely island, if I had to pick only one.

Later, the line-up of PiL changed massively, and Lydon sang Not a Love Song, appeared in butter adverts, reunited the Pistols, made his living in Malibu. His choice. But, for the first 3 (studio) albums and his appearance in Copkiller aka Order of Death alongside Harvey Keitel, he will always have a place in my private Hall of Fame.

This set, not much more than a best of the best of playlist, focusses on those albums, with few other tracks from this era (b-sides, versions).


2019-08-08/2019-08-12
-
Religion I 0:00 | Albatross 1:22 | Home Is Where The Heart Is 11:35 | Four Enclosed Walls 17:47 | Flowers Of Romance 22:17 | Theme 25:00 | Careering (Peel Session) 33:50 | Go Back 41:20 | Swan Lake/Death Disco 44:55 | Under The House 48:58 | Banging The Door 53:22 | Another 58:02 | Memories 61:25 | Poptones (Peel Session) 66:02 | The Suit 70:30 | Unknown (Instrumental Jam 2) 73:55

    Other, Post-Punk, Avantgarde, New Wave, Public Image Ltd., John Lydon
    • Type: Mix
    • 160 bpm
    • Key: Bm
    Full Link
    Short Link (X/Twitter)
    Download Video Preview for sharing