Those first few PIL albums were by far John Lydon's best work, and really great records.

Too bad he's decided to play a caricature of himself on reality shows now.

Speaking of shred guitarists (BTW I disagee with the Satch comment in the headline) Steve Vai played on a PIL album if I'm not mistaken.

strangeguitar: Steve Vai played on a PIL album if I'm not mistaken.

Yes. He played on PiL's Album.

Well, basically there is PIL with the incredible Jah Wobble who is responsible for this here song and plays on "first album" and "second edition" which is by far the best the band did, and some of the best 80's stuff, imho

I mean, wow... "second edition" is like a perfect blend of Dub and Captain Beefheart... and it makes sense


then there is he 3rd one "Flowers of romance" which I like a lot, but marks the exit of Wobble and the beginning of the end for PIL, as far as Im concerned


"Album" mentioned above, although not bad, is a purposely commercial album made with studio musicians like Vai... I still like some songs on it "fff" and "rise" but this is nowhere close to the brilliance of a song like "Theme" , one of my fave song from the first album

Lionel Mandrake: He played on PiL's Album

The CD version of which is entitled Compact Disc, and the casette version is entitled Casette.

More direct, and every bit as forgettable.

Fark You subby, Satraini is a god amongst mere mortals

I love me some Satch, and I agree with the headline. Though, Satch's music is supposed to sound alien, like he's Tron trapped inside some video game, or walking along the horizon of some distant planet...

/like he's surfing with an alien even; just sayin'

WhyteRaven74: Lionel Mandrake: He played on PiL's Album

The CD version of which is entitled Compact Disc, and the casette version is entitled Casette.

I know...I have all three :)

(bought album, then bought cassette when I was on vacation, later updated to compact disc)

Awful. That was...that was just awful.

Whomever submitted this link, please punch yourself in the dick, in my absence. Thank you in advance.

balls
guts
soul

Urge to kill subby rising.

Not sure if this PIL song is the best choice to get your point across with, but I otherwise support your sentiments, subby.

THE BEST BASSLINE EVER

I think not. How about something like this?

THE BEST BASSLINE EVER


I love simple repetitive droning basslines.
PIL and that Smithereens are both superb.
Both those songs are driven by the bass.

....I am a bass player.
I don't attempt to compete with Geddy or Jaco.

craigdamage: ....I am a bass player.
I don't attempt to compete with Geddy or Jaco.

Fark that, if you like a song or what an artist does, work your farking ass off and learn to do that. I know you're a bassist, so the stereotype is that you have self confidence problems anyways, but work through that shiat!

i never knew PIL had an album before "Second Edition".
huh......thanks!

p.s. subby i completely agree with "satriani's soulless, intricately-designed maze of notes going nowhere".
I don't like any of those 80's/90's speed guitar "gods" like Vai, Satriani, etc.
sure they can play a lot of notes and practice a lot and are *technically* [as in technique-wise] gifted, but they just don't do anything for me, personally....

Give me a guitarist with feeling....
like Knopfler or Gilmour.

Hell, take Robert Fripp: he did intricate-maze guitar work sometimes [ie. "Fracture", and the "discipline" album] but at least he had feeling too [ie. "starless", "exiles", "the night watch", the end of "lizard" etc.]

or even take Alex Lifeson, the guy who "attempts to cram as many notes into a solo as possible" [to paraphraes some reviewer.... who, i forget], but he still had feeling too [ie. "La Villa...", "2112", etc.]

Obscured by Clouds: Fark that, if you like a song or what an artist does, work your farking ass off and learn to do that.

Why be a clone of someone else? Stick to your own thing. When the Chili Peppers first got popular, every bass player in town starting slapping. It was ridiculous. Even though I enjoyed the bass playing of Flea, I made a conscious effort to not do anything remotely close to his style. Didn't want to sound like everyone else. Still haven't bothered to learn it. If craigdamage is happy just laying down the groove, more power to 'em.

"I love simple repetitive droning basslines." Is this because you are simple repetitive and droning? That bass line was terrible, Bass is a rhythm instrument not a metronome. Satch was way better than this. The lead singer is like pretty boy version of Johnny Rotten, pathetic.

I'd rather be bored by a gifted guitarist than an average pop-rock band.

kallahan: The lead singer is like pretty boy version of Johnny Rotten, pathetic.

Yeah, the lead singer is some guy named John Lydon, I looked it up, and he does sound a lot like Johnny Rotten.

kallahan: The lead singer is like pretty boy version of Johnny Rotten, pathetic.

I am assuming (or at least really hoping) you are kidding.

Steve Vai played on a PIL album if I'm not mistaken.

With Ginger Baker on drums, too.

I saw them live a few times, but I think both times they had the guitarist from Siouxsie and the Banshees, but not really sure.

sunlion: Steve Vai played on a PIL album if I'm not mistaken.

With Ginger Baker on drums, too.

I saw them live a few times, but I think both times they had the guitarist from Siouxsie and the Banshees, but not really sure.

Yeah, there was a pretty fertile cross-pollination going on in the 80's alt scene - John McGeoch played with Siouxsie and then with PiL, replacing Lu Edmonds who went to Shriekback, replacing Keith Levene who used to play in a band with...Sid Vicious.

// and Jah Wobble 0wned all of them with two less strings.

Ooh, nice one, subby. I find the long guitar solos posted here boring. More good things, please.

John McGeoch was the best guitarist PIL ever had. Sadly missed.

R.I.P Great guitar man.

craigdamage: THE BEST BASSLINE EVER


I love simple repetitive droning basslines.
PIL and that Smithereens are both superb.
Both those songs are driven by the bass.

....I am a bass player.
I don't attempt to compete with Geddy or Jaco.

I'm also a bass player. I like a happy medium between busy, and subtle. I suppose it really comes down to what the song requires. It's as simple as that.

I think that this thread is basically a battle between 80's metalhead shredders and alternative music fans.

It's a no win situation, and there will just be a lot of bickering. It's very "black and white."

PiL is the first case of selling out.
Johny Lydon, already notorious for the first industry made culture band(see 90% of grunge and metal bands) decided to take up Richard Branson and start another band.
PiL is a band that stole a lot of stuff(they were successfully sued by Flipper for plagarism of album titles) and over charged for concerts and albums.

PiL is a shiat band with no soul.

PiL were really, really different. It's amazing how many bands really bounced off of "Metal Box" - Husker Du (first single was very much a PiL clone), Birthday Party...and then "Flowers Of Romance" which is such a bizarre record. It's fantastic. Then Lydon didn't know where to go and the pop-PiL - no Levene, no Wobble - they took over and it wasn't as groundbreaking or interesting.
But man those first few records ....incredible stuff.

PiL were leagues better than Sex Pistols. The first three albums were bizarre and amazing. They were a metallic and abrasive sounding version of Can IMO.

Their guitar sound inspired dozens of famous guitarists including The Edge, Tom Morello and Black Francis.

viccellini: John McGeoch was the best guitarist PIL ever had. Sadly missed.

R.I.P Great guitar man.

He was also one of the best guitarists Siouxsie & the Banshees ever had. RIP indeed.