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To help John Lydon celebrate the fortieth birthday of Public Image Ltd (PIL), there’s nothing better than a good old treasure chest filled with singles, rarities and concert extracts. On 5 CDs, The Public Image Is Rotten (Songs From The Heart) gathers 74 titles: every PIL single released between 1978 and 2015 (CD 1), all the B-sides, some rarities and extracts of radio sessions at John Peel’s in 1979 and Mak Goodier’s in 1992 (CD 2), some Maxi and dance remixes (CD 3), brand new mixes and titles (CD 4) and a brand new concert at the Ritz in New York on July 16, 1989 (CD 5)… Created barely a year before the end of the Sex Pistols by a Johnny Rotten that had become once again John Lydon, PIL is a post-punk oddity that will first poach on his previous band’s turf (the crazy single Public Image launched his legacy into the future) before becoming more experimental as soon as the second album, Metal Box. With aptly-named this metal box, the guitar sound barrier of the Sex Pistols seems rather far… Johnny Rotten, who had become once again John Lydon, invents here the long, painful and all wound up soundtrack of a martial New Wave whose groove is surprisingly cold. Controlled by Jah Wobble’s bass and slashed by Keith Levene’s guitar riffs, this second revolutionary opus from Public Image Limited invents the post-punk dub, the cold funk and the (f)rigid rock. Throughout the PIL saga, the former Pistol shouts like a soulful muezzin and trepans even more the ears than on Never Mind The Bollocks. He thus follows the steps of Neu’s and Can’s German krautrock, and above all proves to be the forerunner disc of a punk funk that will resound for many years. After the departures of Wobble (1981) and Levene (1984), PIL will take a less avant-garde direction, but will not be any more civilized. Those are different eras that perfectly reflects this box that is essential for the fans and useful for the newcomers. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz
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Jah Wobble, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Levene, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sean Magee, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 Virgin Records Limited
George Chambers, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jah Wobble, Bass Guitar, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Levene, Guitar, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hugh Padgham, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nick Cook, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Richard Dudanski, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2016 Virgin Records Limited
Stephen Jones, ComposerLyricist - Martin Atkins, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Levene, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Glen Matlock, ComposerLyricist - Paul Cook, ComposerLyricist - Sean Magee, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Martin Atkins, Producer, Drums, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Producer, Keyboards, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Martin Clive Atkins, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Virgin Records Limited
Martin Atkins, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1984 Virgin Records Limited
Steve Vai, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Nicky Skopelitis, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ryuichi Sakamoto, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bill Laswell, Producer, Mixer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Williams, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Lakshminarayana Shankar, Electric Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Bernard Fowler, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1986 Virgin Records Limited
Steve Vai, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Nicky Skopelitis, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bill Laswell, Producer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Williams, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Sean Magee, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bernie Worrell, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Bernard Fowler, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1986 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gary Langan, Producer - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Eric "E.T." Thorngren, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, ComposerLyricist - Gary Langan, Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - John McGeoch, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hague, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 Virgin Records Limited
Ken Jordan, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - SUSAN ROGERS, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Shipley, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Berg, Producer - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1990 Virgin Records Limited
Gregg Arreguin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - DAVE JERDEN, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Annette Cisneros, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bryan Carlstrom, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Allan Dias, Keyboards, Programmer, Unknown, Sequencer, Background Vocalist, Other, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, Programmer, Sequencer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Recording Engineer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Curt Bisquera, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1992 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, ComposerLyricist - Lu Edmonds, ComposerLyricist - Scott Firth, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 PiL Official Limited
Bruce Smith, ComposerLyricist - Scott Firth, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Lou Edmonds, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 PiL Official Limited
Bruce Smith, ComposerLyricist - Scott Firth, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Lou Edmonds, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 PiL Official Limited
Bruce Smith, Composer - Lu Edmonds, Composer - Scott Firth, Composer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer, Author
℗ 2015 PiL Official Limited.
DISC 2
Keith Levene, Composer - John Wardle, Composer - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Walker, Composer
℗ 1978 Virgin Records Limited
Keith Levene, Composer - John Wardle, Composer - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer - Jim Walker, Composer
℗ 1979 Virgin Records Limited
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Richard Nother, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 Virgin Records Limited
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1981 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Miller, Producer - Martin Atkins, Composer - Keith Levene, Composer - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer
℗ 1983 Virgin Records Limited
Martin Atkins, Composer, Producer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer, Producer
℗ 1984 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Langan, Producer - Alan Dias, Composer - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Robert Edmonds, Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1987 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Eric "E.T." Thorngren, Producer - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Composer - Lu Edmonds, Composer - Scott Firth, Composer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer, Author
℗ 2015 PiL Official Limited.
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Newshoes, ComposerLyricist - Mick Glossop, Producer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1980 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jimbo Barton, Producer - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1992 Virgin Records Limited
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Tony Wilson, Producer - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Dave Dade, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 BBC
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Tony Wilson, Producer - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Dave Dade, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 BBC
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Tony Wilson, Producer - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Dave Dade, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dudanski, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 BBC
Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - John McGeoch, ComposerLyricist - Simon Askew, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Long, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ted De Bono, Producer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1992 BBC
Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - John McGeoch, ComposerLyricist - Simon Askew, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Long, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ted De Bono, Producer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1992 BBC
Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - John McGeoch, ComposerLyricist - Simon Askew, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Long, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ted De Bono, Producer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1992 BBC
DISC 3
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 Virgin Records Limited
Stephen Jones, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Glen Matlock, ComposerLyricist - Paul Cook, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1981 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Miller, Producer - Martin Atkins, ComposerLyricist - Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 Virgin Records Limited
Steve Vai, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Nicky Skopelitis, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryuichi Sakamoto, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bill Laswell, Producer, Mixer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Williams, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Lakshminarayana Shankar, Electric Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Bernard Fowler, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2018 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, ComposerLyricist - Gary Langan, Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - John McGeoch, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hague, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Spike Drake, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2018 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hague, Producer - Alan Dias, ComposerLyricist - Dave Dorrell, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - C J MacKintosh, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Spike Drake, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Allan Dias, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John McGeoch, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Edmonds, Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Virgin Records Limited
Bruce Smith, ComposerLyricist - Lu Edmonds, ComposerLyricist - Scott Firth, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 PiL Official Limited
Bruce Smith, Composer - Lu Edmonds, Composer - Scott Firth, Composer - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Composer, Author
℗ 2015 PiL Official Limited.
Keith Levene, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 Virgin Records Limited
Martin Atkins, ComposerLyricist - Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 Virgin Records Limited
DISC 4
Keith Levene, Producer, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, MainArtist - John Lydon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jim Walker, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sean Magee, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2018 Virgin Records Limited
Keith Levene, ComposerLyricist - John Wardle, ComposerLyricist - Public Image Limited, Producer, MainArtist - John Lydon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2016 Virgin Records Limited
Album review
To help John Lydon celebrate the fortieth birthday of Public Image Ltd (PIL), there’s nothing better than a good old treasure chest filled with singles, rarities and concert extracts. On 5 CDs, The Public Image Is Rotten (Songs From The Heart) gathers 74 titles: every PIL single released between 1978 and 2015 (CD 1), all the B-sides, some rarities and extracts of radio sessions at John Peel’s in 1979 and Mak Goodier’s in 1992 (CD 2), some Maxi and dance remixes (CD 3), brand new mixes and titles (CD 4) and a brand new concert at the Ritz in New York on July 16, 1989 (CD 5)… Created barely a year before the end of the Sex Pistols by a Johnny Rotten that had become once again John Lydon, PIL is a post-punk oddity that will first poach on his previous band’s turf (the crazy single Public Image launched his legacy into the future) before becoming more experimental as soon as the second album, Metal Box. With aptly-named this metal box, the guitar sound barrier of the Sex Pistols seems rather far… Johnny Rotten, who had become once again John Lydon, invents here the long, painful and all wound up soundtrack of a martial New Wave whose groove is surprisingly cold. Controlled by Jah Wobble’s bass and slashed by Keith Levene’s guitar riffs, this second revolutionary opus from Public Image Limited invents the post-punk dub, the cold funk and the (f)rigid rock. Throughout the PIL saga, the former Pistol shouts like a soulful muezzin and trepans even more the ears than on Never Mind The Bollocks. He thus follows the steps of Neu’s and Can’s German krautrock, and above all proves to be the forerunner disc of a punk funk that will resound for many years. After the departures of Wobble (1981) and Levene (1984), PIL will take a less avant-garde direction, but will not be any more civilized. Those are different eras that perfectly reflects this box that is essential for the fans and useful for the newcomers. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz
About the album
- 5 disc(s) - 76 track(s)
- Total length: 06:30:03
- Main artists: Public Image Ltd.
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Punk / New Wave
© 2018 Virgin Records Limited This Compilation ℗ 2018 Virgin Records Limited
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