Okay anyone that listens to Solitaire off this release and still thinks that Lydon is not an incredible singer is just plan wrong. As Rolling stone said when they named Lydon best male singer for the Flowers of Romance release" he is truly the scarest sounding singer ever" Tie me to the link of that is just plan awesome. Okay this isn't the sex pistols they went away this was an attempt to make a new sound and this record made dancing cool for the aging punk in me. It was smart edgy and clever and yeah scary...Hey this is not a love song is a classic laugh at the whole make a love song and make a hit industry that Lydon tried to destroy. If you love music for the art and the evolution of a genre then you should love PiL and this record. Their best efforts are in order CD(I bought it as Album), this one here, and Flowers of Romance
I was inspired to buy this after seeing PiL in SF recently. There's some great tracks on here I forgot existed. As I recall they opened the show with the ominous 'The Order of Death' from this album when I saw them in '85. If you love and respect the band, it's a keeper.
My Fave track is obviously 'The Order of Death'. I also recall hearing it in an S&M scene on Miami Vice. The repetitive nature of the song doesn't get annoying, as there are "hidden" lyrics beneath the moaning synth. 'Bad Life' refers to the 'this is what you want' phrase that John Lydon adores, and it has a similar sound to 'where are you' and 1981. Most of the songs have horns reminiscent of ducks dying, and erroneous vocals, not saying good or bad about them, because Pil's career was based on this.
**This review is being written based upon the tracks included on the "Plastic Box" compilation, which does not feature the album version of "This is Not a Love Song." I haven't heard the LP version, so I won't even bother to comment on it.**
Generally speaking, I think there are two reasons why people write reviews for free: they either love or hate the product. The people who love the product usually love the creator, which is why an artist's entire catalogue is eventually given a 4 or 5 star rating. Now, I'm a huge PiL fan. I have been ever since I heard the "Public Image" single five years ago. But this album, although it has its moments, is not a five-star album. That rating would lead you to assume this album is perfect, a classic. It's not. It's flawed, it's hollow and/or boring in spots.
Highlights:
1. Bad Life: The album's opener starts things off very promisingly with very funky drumming and some of Lydon's best singing. Everything about this song works and it's one of PiL's best. The chanting of "This is what you want\This is what you get" at the end is maddeningly addictive.
4. Tie Me To The Length Of That: The bass line on this is similar to "Metal Box" -era PiL and there's a nice, repetitive beat to this song. John juxtaposes his monotone mumble with his high-pitched shriek, going on about how he was dropped on his head at birth. (Really.)
7. 1981: Synth bleeps that sound like a pager ringtone fade in before a big drum beat comes in. There's a middle-eastern tone to this song and the whole thing reminds me of something off of "Flowers of Romance." Very aggressive, propulsive music that gains intensity as the drum loops and sound effects build up into dense layers.
8. The Order Of Death: Over some simple drum loops, dark synths and an interesting keyboard melody, Lydon intones again: "This is what you want\This is what you get," bring the album full circle in a very Kraftwerkian kind of way. Some extra background vocals give this an airy feel. Nice closer.
And now some lowpoints:
3. Solitaire: The beat is okay, but hasn't aged very well. Very 1980s in a hokey kind of way. Not a very good vocal performance by Lydon, as he sounds out of tune compared to the best of the LP. A mediocre song that never caught my attention.
5. The Pardon: Kind of a boring number that doesn't go anywhere in particular. There are some intersting sounds here, but nothing ever really forms into a solid structure (even by PiL standards). It's a bit too long for it's own good since there is nothing to grab you and make you listen or nod your head. I'm really not sure who or what is being pardoned here. ...?
6. Where Are You?: I have a feeling this song may grow on me with time....for now it's a bit grating, along the same lines as "The Pardon" but a bit more structured. I can't see this ever becoming something I would listen to often. It does have a decent beat with the snare drum, though. I don't know if this song is actually bad; it just isn't the kind of song where I say "Hey, I haven't heard THAT in a while..."
So, as you can see, I think this album is a toss-up. Half good, half unmemorable. Clearly, PiL was at a watershed where they (meaning Lydon at this point) could either look for a new direction or die a slow death. They chose a new direction and made one of their best albums a year or so later.
"This Is What You Want," shows that PiL were running out of steam, at least in the field they were involved at the time. This album is probably worth buying for the 4 highlights I mentioned, but not at the import price listed. If you're just starting a PiL collection, I suggest shelling out the extra dough and just getting the "Plastic Box" set, rather than an expensive, flaky import album.
BTW: On a similar note, I'd be interested in finding out if anyone knows where to find the semi-legal "Construction Zone" LP on CD. I'd find a copy of the vynil, but it's maddeningly difficult to find on eBay at a decent price...cheers!
Thoughts from a Commercial Zone (9/23/04):
Having had the pleasure of downloading CZ, Keith Levene's semi-bootleg version of this album, I would like to share some thoughts on these releases.
1. You MUST hear CZ: A short little song called Lou Reed pt 2. It's one of the very best PiL songs I've ever heard. The intensity is straight off of Metal Box and exceeds many of MB's tracks...simply one of their best ever.
2. I've heard several versions of this is not a love song, and I enjoy the Lydon/Atkins version. Thing is, John sang it better the first time. Reminds me of New Order, sort of. Levene's skeletal guitar also adds to the song. Nice to hear it without the bloody horns!
3. This album was never gonna be perfect. I think John and Keith were simply running out of ideas together. John did the best thing he could by putting together a new band (for the awesome ALBUM and HAPPY?) And since we haven't heard much from Levene.......well, he has a new album out but I've yet to hear it...I won't criticize my guitar hero too harshly. PiL may have been better off without him, at least for the moment...
This album is a very transitional one, and not one of PIL's best. It is not nearly as groundbreakingly experimental as Metal Box (AKA Second Issue) and Flowers of Romance. It hints at the more New Order-style dance rock that was to come later in the decade, but only a couple of the tracks really work. A lot of the tracks are grating and repetitive. But wait! Aren't half the songs from MB and FoR also grating and repetitive? Yes, they are, but they are so strong musically (sonically) that they are still very good.
A greatest hits compilation with This Is Not a Love Song and The Order of Death would suit most fans just fine. Unfortunately, it doesn't exist. Greatest Hits So Far doesn't have The Order of Death on it and the Plastic Box has a bland remix of This Is Not a Love Song (although it does manage to include the rest of the album).
So in the end, I find this to be the weakest studio album PIL put out in the 80's. Not a terrible album, but not nearly as good as the ones that come before and after.
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