Public Image Limited
Album (Compact disc)

THE REVIEW

1986: The Year of Rebirth.

Lydon wins the legal case against McLaren over the Sex Pistols' legacy. The sense of inner freshness that the singer experienced during this period inevitably influences the new material being developed. To do things in a grand way this time, he has assembled a superstar band: guitarist Steve Vai (Whitesnake, David Lee Roth band, Frank Zappa), drummers Ginger Baker (Cream) and Tony Williams, Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards), bassist Jonas Hellborg (John McLaughlin band), and various other artists. All under the production of Bill Laswell.

The beginning is dominated by speed: "F.F.F.", a fast-paced and rocking track like never heard before in the P.I.L. camp. A Punk voice in the best Rotten tradition, Vai's quirky lead guitar adding a bit of metal to the situation, and a driving, straightforward, mechanical rhythm section. The exact opposite of this is in the following "Rise", the album's jewel. Here we are in Pop, nothing more, nothing less. Johnny knows how to navigate the chorus well and distinguish himself as usual in the semi-rap of the verses, with a whining, shrill, but original style. Steve Vai enhances the textures of the track and is never too intrusive, also due to the non-virtuosic context in which he is placed.

Proceeding more than worthily along the lines of "Fishing" and "Round", two simple and unique songs where Lydon manages to showcase his achieved maturity. Although we are far from the experimentation of the early days, the singer has challenged himself with a powerful and sophisticated sound, straightforward but alternative in conception, with multiple influences coloring the arrangement and interpretation. Credit for the above-stated aspects goes to the production of Bill Laswell, a historic Dub bassist and highly renowned underground producer (Afrika Bambaataa, Sly and Robbie, Ramones, Iggy Pop), as well as an indefatigable collaborator with other internationally acclaimed artists (Praxis, Brian Eno, David Byrne).

His presence is also crucial in the songwriting phase, as evidenced by the single "Home"; a solid, pounding base, vocal preaching and a chorus that explodes into an unexpected melody, immediately devoured by a dissonant and sickly guitar solo. The closing track "Ease" is another demonstration of a multi-shaped sound, which does not exclude more thoughtful (slightly ethnic) excursions while maintaining coherence: a remarkable quality in this heterogeneous album.