Top Of The Box

Public Image Limited - Public Image

In January 1978 The Sex Pistols split up and by December 1978 Johnny Rotten had reverted back to using his real name, John Lydon, and formed the awesome Public Image Limited, also known as PiL.

I see The Sex Pistols as the last traditional rock n roll band and their existence opened the door for new forms of post-punk /rock music to emerge.  Music with less traditional structures and conformist sounds. Public Image Limited were to me the pinnacle of post-punk music in the late 1980’s.  When I first heard Public Image by PiL I was really blown away.  Nothing had ever sounded like this before.  This was truly original.

In Jon Savage’s brilliant book about punk, England’s Dreaming, he suggests that Johnny Rotten had attempted to get Steve Cook and Paul Cook to change musical direction to sound like PiL.  But considering they went on to record with Ronnie Biggs and Sid Vicious; and worse still form The Professionals, while John Lydon hooked up with Jah Wobble and one time Clash guitarist Keith Levine, I think there was only one winner.

Listening to Public Image by PiL today it still sounds as powerful and fresh as it did back in 1978.  A true classic song will always stand the test of time.