Anger Is An Energy: The Unique History of PiL's Generic "Album"

John Lydon of Public Image, Ltd.

Recently, John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, founder of the post-punk outfit, Public Image Ltd., and former frontman of punk pioneers, Sex Pistols, made some statements that were perceived as pro-Trump, and the punk set reacted with shock, horror, and revulsion.  And there I was laughing.  Lydon got precisely  the reaction that he was hoping for.  Has no one paid attention to who this man is?  He wants to be adored by no one.  He wants to be reviled and to be the one person who will provoke you into a strong reaction, always keeping you off-kilter and unbalanced.  He doesn't really like Trump.  But he knows that he will piss off a few "snowflakes" by saying that he does.  That is the nature of true punk.

The Sex Pistols in essence was a boy band put together by music industry as a response to the burgeoning punk movement.  They put out one seminal album with a handful of decent if overrated songs before they imploded.  One might question how Sex Pistols contributed to the lexicon of great music.  I would argue that their contribution was their image.  They represented the punk image and attitude.  Not just in looks, but their very existence represented contempt for authority and a huge middle finger at the music establishment.

So, it's no surprise that John Lydon's very next project was Public Image Ltd. (often stylized as PiL).  I remember in my early teens, at the height of my infatuation with punk, sitting down and listening to PiL's "Paris Au Printemps" for the first time.  I was blown away - not in terms of "Oh wow, this is great!"  But more like, "WTF is this?"  It was sheer avant garde.  Free form. Totally ignoring conventions of how music should be put together.  It was like Stravinsky.  But Lydon and PiL represent the heart of post-punk.

John Lydon in 2017

I have often argued that perhaps the greatest time period for artistic music was arguably between 1978 and 1982, after the punk movement crashed and burned in the UK.  Those who had been a part of that scene were free to experiment and push the boundaries of music as an art form.  Some of the most creative acts came out of this time period - Wire, Television, The Cure, Killing Joke, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and many, many others.  At the heart of this dissociative movement was Lydon, the former poster boy for the punk scene, and his experimental band.

In 1986, PiL released their fifth studio record, and, if you bought it on vinyl, it was generically entitled "Album".  If you bought the tape, it was marked "Cassette", or you could buy "Compact Disc".  Lydon promoted this record by posing with a variety of generic brand products.  It was a brilliant commentary on the state of music in the '80s, and, even though Lydon labeled this collection of songs as generic, it was anything but.

During the summer of 1986, I listed to "Album" quite a bit.  I was sixteen and had a job working on the grounds crew at Central Arizona College.  I spent my time during the blistering triple digit days mowing lawns, smoking weed, and listening to PiL.  This record will always remind me of those days.  It was well received by my set of friends as well.  "Rise" (marketed as "Single") was getting heavy airtime on the local alternative radio station as well.

I recently purchased the record to add it to my collection once again.  In researching, I was very surprised to find the interesting story behind its creation.  The album had some generic packaging, but it deliberately omitted the name of some very famous session musicians that made this project possible.  This was intentional.  Producer Bill Laswell said that they knew that if they published on the liner notes which musicians had worked on the album that the critics would focus in on that instead of the music.  So everyone participated without credit.  And they were okay with it.  It was a big joke.

Lydon had written and thrown together the songs in rough demo form, but he was reluctant to record the album with his touring band.  He knew it would sound too sloppy, so he went into the studio and threw down the tracks with guest musicians.  On drums, there was legendary jazz drummer, Tony Williams, and Ginger Baker of Cream, who was brought out of retirement in Italy to play drums for Lydon.  On keyboards, he used Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto - this one really surprised me.  And on guitars was famed heavy metal legend, Steve Vai.  Vai has gone on to say that the work that he is most proud of is his stint with PiL.

The result is a very tight album, almost cinematic in its scope, something that is absent in all of PiL's previous efforts.  Pounding, pummeling drum beats driving the songs forward with Vai's monster guitar hooks and scintillating licks flitting like butterflies through all the songs.  The neatness of the music is contrasted by Lydon's wavering voice as he sneers and spits the lyrics like venom.  Lydon says that Miles Davis came to the studio to see them record, due to Tony William's association on the record, and Miles commented that Lydon sang like he, Miles, played the trumpet.  Lydon said that it was the best compliment ever paid to him.  There was a half-joke that Lydon should take this lineup and make a full-time band, a supergroup of sorts.  But they only ever talked about it, and it never happened.  Lydon assembled his touring band and went out in support of "Album".

My favorites are the aggressive "FFF" (stands for "Farewell, my fair weather friend") and vomitous shrieking on "Fishing".  "Rise" is, of course, the standard that I never get sick of.  There a driving force behind "Bags", and "Ease" actually has Lydon almost really singing.  This record is truly Lydon's swan song.  I don't know if he will ever match this masterpiece, but I am sure he will find ways to piss us off.  It's what he does.

Hey, Hey, The Monkees Still Got It: Reviewing Their Killer 12th Release

The Monkees now

It's undeniable that the music of the late '60s had a huge influence on the music I love from the '80s, and, hence, the music of today.  I spent many hours of my teen years watching "The Monkees" TV show on Nickelodeon.  Dismissed in their day as a boy band, a contrived fabrication of the music industry, The Monkees were possibly loved more in my generation than they were in their own.

In recent years, the true story has come out - one of talented, young musicians trying to wrest creative control from authoritarian TV producers.  That's a struggle that any Gen Xer can admire.  It's quite "punk rock", if the term applies.  And I think it does.  The Monkees have always been beloved by punks, many of whom first cut their teeth on rock music through the music of The Monkees.  And why not?  The music was stripped down and simple.  The show was schlocky, psychedelic, and ironically anti-establishment whenever it could get away with it.  It poked fun at hippie culture.  Many of the songs were antiwar.  As a result, punks love The Monkees.  Their music has been covered by Sex Pistols, Minor Threat, and The Dickies.  The punk band I was briefly in during the '80s even did a sloppy cover of "Stepping Stone" back in the day.  Other admirers have included John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, U2, and Michael Stipe.  Last week, I listened to the new Jesus & Mary Chain album (which I will review soon), and I was surprised to hear that it sounded just like a Monkees record.

So, it was little surprise that Rhino commissioned Adam Schlesinger of new wave outfit Fountains of Wayne to produce The Monkees' 12th studio album, "Good Times!" in celebration of the band's 50th anniversary.  Schlesinger recruits a plethora of modern artists to assist in the songwriting and as session musicians, but mainly uses the surviving members of the band, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork.  (Davy Jones sadly passed away in 2012.)  The result is a captivating experiment.  As you discover which artists contributed to the record, you can see the influence of The Monkees in their music, and, at the same time, their contributions fit very well on this collection.  Remember - the original members of the band often went into the studio individually to record their own music, and this resulted in records with a very eclectic sound - from Nesmith's country rock contributions, to Dolenz's pop songs, and Davy Jones's piano ballads.  Monkees' albums had a very diverse sound, and that's what you will find on this collection.

The Monkees then

But make no mistake - this is no fluffy nostalgia piece.  This is amazingly a legitimate pop rock album in its own right.

The first song, the title track, "Good Times", is a hip-swinging number, a duet with Dolenz and the late, iconic songwriter, Harry Nilsson, who collaborated with the band several times.  Nilsson passed away in 1994, so this number is a good way to resurrect him.  The next is a toe-tapping song called "You Bring the Summer" written by Andy Partridge of XTC, one of my favorites on this record.  It is amazing that it sounds like an XTC song, but it also sounds like a Monkees song!  "She Makes Me Laugh" is a fizzy piece written by Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.  It was funny to read that Dolenz changed some of the lyrics, because he didn't feel that they were age appropriate.  Schlesinger takes a stab at a couple of songs - "Our Own World" and "I was There (And I'm Told I Had A Good Time)" - the latter co-written with Dolenz, and the younger musician shows that he is not bad at mimicry.  There are a couple of songs from the old days that were never released and were remastered for this project, sometimes the vocals re-recorded for the tracks.  These songs are "Gotta Give It Time", "Whatever's Right", and "Love to Love", a ballad penned by Neil Diamond and vocals added posthumously by Davy Jones.  It's like summoning a ghost.  "Me & Magdalena" is a haunting melody provided by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie.  Peter Tork provides a couple of songs - a newer one called "Little Girl" and an older one called "Wasn't Born To Follow".  And Nesmith provides a couple - a ballad played with Schlesinger called "I Know What I Know", and "Birth of An Accidental Hipster" - written with Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Paul Weller of The Jam and Style Council.  The song is a Beatles-esque venture into progressive psychedelia, with almost schizophrenic changes, very enjoyable.

This album is worth having.  It is a good welcome home for old fans as well as a good introduction to a younger audience, featuring the contributions of more recent acts, conjoining one generation with another.  If this is the way The Monkees are going out, then what a way to go out.  Even though Nesmith contributed to the album, with the exception of a few shows, he did not tour with the rest of the band.  It is questionable whether they will continue.  This was a good farewell.

Smart Pop: Ingrid Michaelson's Latest Releases

Ingrid Michaelson

Oh, Ingrid.  If I ever gave you a tepid review, would it ruin my chances of having you as my next plural wife?  Not to worry - our relationship is secure.  Your seventh album, "It Doesn't Have To Make Sense" is okay!

I've been a fan of Ingrid Michaelson since her MySpace days and have all of her albums.  In fact, this is my third review of her material.  In 2012, I reviewed "Human Again" - still my favorite of her records.  And exactly two years and one day ago, I reviewed her last album, "Lights Out".

On her seventh effort, she continues her tradition of piano ballads, reminiscent of Tori Amos or Regina Spektor, snappy pop tunes, and smart lyrics.  Like on the last release, Ingrid relinquishes some of her creative control and brings on other songwriters to assist her, but her presence in both production and songwriting remains prevalent.

The album starts out with ""Light Me Up", a dreamy pop tune dominated with Ingrid's signature piano and plaintive voice.  "Whole Lot of Heart" is probably one of my favorites here, subdued and yet insistent.  I see smoke-filled cafe in the early dawn when I hear this.  "Miss America" , with its danceable electronica is probably the most commercially accessible song on here, addictive and effervescent.  Ingrid shows her vocal range with shivering trills on "Another Life".  On "I Remember Her", she does what she does best with just a piano and her voice.  The somber "Drink You Gone", with its orchestral accompaniment, she shows her lyrical prowess and tells an alcoholic story.  "Hell No" has an impeccable bounce and comes in as the album's first single.  "Still the One" and "Celebrate" hone her pop sensibilities, and the album finishes out with a whisper on another ballad with the wistful "Old Days" - just a piano and a faint accordion.

If having this album wasn't gift enough for diehard fans like me - tomorrow, on May 12th, Ingrid is releasing a new EP called "Alter Egos" that features refreshing versions of the songs on "It Doesn't Have To Make Sense" which includes a remake of "Whole Lot of Heart" with Tegan & Sara, "I Remember Her" with Lucius, "Drink You Gone" with John Paul White, an acoustic version of "Miss America with Sara Bareilles, who has performed with Ingrid before, and an amped up version of "Celebrate" with AJR.  If you are a fan, be sure to download this tomorrow.

Hopefully, Ingrid will keep making sweet music, and maybe one day she will accept my imaginary proposal without saying, "Hell no!"

Finding Peace: Blue October's Latest Album

Blue October

For a long time, I have been part of an online community that practically worships the work of Blue October - and with reason.  This band is genius.  However, I know many fans that were taken aback by their eighth studio album, "Home".  Why?  It's too happy!

It's no secret that singer-songwriter Justin Furstenfeld has a history of mental illness.  This struggle has oozed into the music, and the lyrics have often been tortured and angst-driven, the words often bit off and spat out with virulence, broaching a panorama of subjects like torture and murder fantasies.  Justin has often put so much of himself in his lyrics that his fans are often familiar with his personal struggles.  This culminated in "Any Man in America", an angry diatribe against his wife and custody case.  It was a little to much for the fans.  That album was followed by 2013's "Sway" which loosened its proverbial collar and veered into the direction of dance rock, but still had some of Justin's trademark weirdness.

So what's the deal with the new album?  One friend pointed out the primary single and radio hit - the title track "Home".  "I don't want to hear Justin singing about 'Daddy loves Momma' and 'dancing in the kitchen'!" said my friend.  "It's just not the Blue October that I'm used to.  What the hell has happened to Justin??"

Well, he got happy, apparently.  Give the guy a break!  Hasn't he suffered enough?  Obviously, he's in love again, and the songs are pleasantly sappy.  It's refreshing to see him happy.

That said, maybe there is method to the madness.  Although the songs are well-crafted and polished and palatable, none of them grab me as hard as anything on "Foiled".  The ferocity, the tenacity, the gritted-teeth passion that made me love Blue October is missing.

The opener, "Coal Makes Diamonds", is probably one of my favorite tracks with its piano intro and Justin's plaintive howls.  "Driver" could be a remake of "Sway", but they are both catchy songs, so it is forgivable.  "Heart Go Bang" is one of those sappy songs that I was mentioning.  It is incomparably hopeful, although the song is not that bad.  The dreamy background vocals at the end give it an added dimension.  "I Want It", the other single, is a fist-pumping anthem that could easily play at a self-help seminar.

The redeeming quality of this record is that the band veers off into dream pop for several songs, focusing on atmospherics and an ethereal quality that, of course, to me, is quite pleasing - songs like "We Know Where You Go" with its catchy bridge, "Break Ground", the sprawling "Time Changes Everything", and the shoegazey "The Still".  There are even some residues of aggression on songs in "The Lucky One" and the dissonant "Houston Heights".  Throw a couple of remixes, and you have a pretty good album.

These guys are all good musicians and songwriters.  They're not going to make a bad album.  However, this is probably one of my least favorite in their catalog.  The edge, the raw power of human emotion that was always prevalent in their music is gone.  But if it means peace for Justin - may they never recapture that.