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Rating:
First live show of this claustrophobic band. The most fitting project Rotten could create after the Sex.
Well, great admiration especially goes to Wobble and Leven, the foundation of the sound and stylistic idea. "First Issue" was a great leap forward for the sparse punk that existed up to that moment, even though with "Metal Box" they reached a miracle. Deep dub bass like few others, unsteady guitar lines, and drum parts more precise than a drum machine.
Even Lydon's voice doesn't just shout and act rebellious, as if he were a hippie in '67. He starts to grow and finds a dark, alienating tone that would mark an entire decade of productions, so much so that he would also be called by Leftfield in "Open Up."
The album dates back to 1980, a year before the other fabulous "Flowers Of Romance." They ignite Paris with class and professionalism, as if they had been playing for twenty years.
The tracks are faithfully reproduced from the originals, although they possess the classic charm of live performance. They revisit all the top tracks from the first two works, even if they discard "Memories," "Albatross," "Death Disco," and "Public Image."
It starts with the trivial "Theme," the famous opening of "First Issue," where they prepare to beat cymbals, snares, and strings. One experiences a dark trance state thanks to the guitar paralyzed in feedback and Lydon's anguished wail. A performance that immediately settles on high levels, focusing more on the noise dimension than the original's cacophonous wall of sound.
They are not afraid of the power being cut. The second track is "Chant." Here too, more stripped down compared to the studio version, and with Lydon despairing in this tunnel of gratuitous unsoundness, it manages to intrigue us immediately. "Careering" and "Bad Baby" support the live show with excellent performances. Lydon doesn’t seem to have any vocal drops, the rest of the band cynically enjoys assaulting the sound, and the French audience is much more than just hypnotized and shocked.
Aware of the greatness they were reaching step by step, they conclude the work with the sweet irony of "Poptones." An album not to be underestimated. Don't think about the probable low audio quality or an unripe live performance by Lydon & Co. Here everything is perfect.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Theme (08:37)
(scream)
Theme
Now I understand (ha, ha, ha)
Now I understand (ha, ha, ha)
Theme going on and on and on
It's not the same anymore
No, never, never no
Wish
Wish
Wish I could die
Now walk alone
Now walk in drain
Does not compute
Not a cliche
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
Random
There is only one reaction
You must never underestimate
And I wish I
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
Now understand
Now I understand
It doesn't matter no more
Another leap in the dark
I will survive
And I wish I could die
And I wish I could die
And I wish I
I wish I
I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
It's only excuses
Never mistaking
Rhyme or reason
No, never no never
And I wish I could die
And I wish I
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
I wish I could die
Understand
Theme's going on
On and on and on
I wish I could die
No, never no more
Does not compute
Walk alone out of the drain
It's not cliche
Wish I
Wish
Wish I could die
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
And I wish I could die
On and on and on and on
Will survive
I wish I could die
I will survive
I wish I could die
Understanding doesn't matter no more
Leap in the dark
I will survive
Wish I could die
Wish I could die
Wish I could die
Wish I could die
I just died
Terminal boredom
02 Chant (04:25)
Voice moaning in a speaker
Never really get too close
Only a gimmick pointed fingers
Never more serious sight
Wouldn't waste the effort on entertainment
Out of control - mob running wild
All you ever get is all you steal
Side of London that the tourists never see
Angle ambiance
Chant
(Mob, War, Kill, Hate)
(Love, War, Fear, Hate) YOU DECIDE!
Don't know why I bother
There's nothing in it for me
The more I see the less I get
The likes of you and me are
An embarrassment
Chant (mob, war, kill, hate)
It's not important
It's not worth a mention in The Guardian
Every librarian has its theory
Chant chant angle ambiance
Chant (mob, war, kill, hate)
Voice moaning in a speaker
Chant
03 Careering (07:11)
(scream)
Theme
Now I understand (ha, ha, ha)
Now I understand (ha, ha, ha)
Theme going on and on and on
It’s not the same anymore
No, never, never no
Wish
Wish
Wish I could die
Now walk alone
Now walk in drain
Does not compute
Not a cliche
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
Random
There is only one reaction
You must never underestimate
And I wish I
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
Now understand
Now I understand
It doesn’t matter no more
Another leap in the dark
I will survive
And I wish I could die
And I wish I could die
And I wish I
I wish I
I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
It’s only excuses
Never mistaking
Rhyme or reason
No, never no never
And I wish I could die
And I wish I
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
I wish I could die
Understand
Theme’s going on
On and on and on
I wish I could die
No, never no more
Does not compute
Walk alone out of the drain
It’s not cliche
Wish I
Wish
Wish I could die
And I wish I could die (ha, ha, ha)
And I wish I could die
On and on and on and on
Will survive
I wish I could die
I will survive
I wish I could die
Understanding doesn’t matter no more
Leap in the dark
I will survive
Wish I could die
Wish I could die
Wish I could die
Wish I could die
I just died
Terminal boredom
04 Bad baby (06:23)
Nearly ten thirty
I'm rising early
I've got an eye to buy the best
Before the rush
Someone left a baby
In the car part
Never any reason
Don't you listen
One more sob story
Some one is calling
Seen through the window
Calling through mirrors
Don't you listen
Don't interfere
Ignore it and
It will go away
Someone is calling
Don't you listen
Don't you listen
Someone is calling
Don't listen
Someone is calling
Don't you listen
Don't you listen
06 Attack (03:00)
I can see
I can see when our hands are tied
I was a victim when you lied
Attack
AttackAttackAttackAttack
I was a victim of your pride
I will survive
AttackAttackAttackAttack
You who smile back legislated
You who made me stupid hatred
AttackAttackAttackAttack
You who made me ignorant
You will face the consequence
Attack
Attack
You who sits on golden arses
Tinkering your cocktail glasses
You who smiled so politely
You who make us so unsightly
You who used your money taking
AttackAttackAttackAttack
You who tax and persecute
You who guarded all the loot
Attack
Attack
Attack
All our deals confiscated
Legaling with magistrate
Attack
Attack
Attack
You who buried me alive
I will survive
Attack
Attack
Attack
Destroy
Eliminate
Wipe out
Burn
Gave me your manure
Made me insecure
AttackAttackAttackAttack
Attack
07 Poptones (07:03)
Drive to the forest in a Japanese car
The smell of rubber on country tar
Hindsight done me no good
Standing naked in this back of the woods
The cassette played poptones
I can't forget the impression you made
You left a hole in the back of my head
I don't like hiding in this foliage and peat
It's wet and I'm losing my body heat
The cassette played poptones
This bleeding heart
Looking for bodies
Nearly injured my pride
Praise picnicking in the British countryside
Poptones
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