Plastic
Box
Disc
Disc 1:
PUBLIC IMAGE / THE
COWBOY SONG / THEME / RELIGION I / RELIGION II / ANNALISA / LOW LIFE /
ATTACK / POPTONES, CAREERING & CHANT (Radio 1, John Peel Session 17.12.79)
/ DEATH DISCO (12" Remix) / HALF MIX - MEGAMIX / NO BIRDS DO SING
/ MEMORIES
Running Time: 74:58 mins
review by Scott
M, May 1999 (First published F&F 9)
© 1999 Fodderstompf.com
/ F&F Publishing
The
set kicks off with PiL's stunning debut single, a bite back at the
Pistols and a warning things were going to be different. The track is
a classic, both lyrically and musically, Wobble's bass is superb,
as with all his stuff he kept it simple and did his damage with the sound,
Keith Levene's metallic guitar rings out, and Jim Walker's drums
provide a danceable backbeat - absolutely superb stuff! Myth has it this
could almost be a Pistols song, lyrically maybe, but not musically, the
Pistols could never have sounded like this, I can't really
see a song built round Sid's bass can you. Next is 'The Cowboy'
song released here for the first time on CD , it's more a piss-take
than a song, some clippedey clops, some bass, some scratching noises and
some shouting about Richard Branson! Good to finally get it on CD though,
and with the sound improvement it's actually a lot easier to hear
what they're screaming!
Six tracks from 'First Issue' (everything minus 'Fodderstomph')
are included next, however, like all the tracks in the box set, you can
tell they've been remastered. I've got the album on CD and it
sounds nothing like this. Right from the opening burst of 'Theme'
you can tell things have been tidied up, everything's so much clearer,
Keith's guitar virtually soars around the speakers, especially on
'Annalisa' and 'Low Life' (which incidentally John
says in the sleevenotes is about Sid, I always thought it was Malcom,
it certainly make more sense to be Malcom, listen to the lyrics).
The previously officially unreleased Peel sessions follow, I had the tracks
on bootleg, but it's great to get then on CD with far improved sound
quality. All three tracks are fairly different to the 'Metal Box'
versions, obviously the style is similar, but they're a lot different
in the mix. And they've done something well weird to 'Poptones',
at the end the vocals begin to fade out and then suddenly they come back
in, it's a weird effect, and it used to always make me jump - bastards!
'Careering' is a bit faster, and the synth is all over the place,
a more free-form version than 'Metal Box' but still a good version.
'Chant' (PiL's punk song!) is far more noisey than normal
and Keith's guitar is going crazy.
Next up is the extended 12" of 'Death Disco', again released
here for the first time on CD (I honestly couldn't tell it had been
mastered from vinyl). This track was another huge change in direction
for the band, gone was the sonic rock of the first album, and in came
a more structured sound built around Wobble's bass. The track itself,
written by John to his dying mother, features another classic repetitive
Wobble bass line , Keith doing his best to imitate 'Swan Lake'
on the guitar and John pouring his heart out on top. Another seriously
ground breaking track, and a surprise hit! This 12" version is a
very different mix to the 7" and indeed the album version, it's
nearly six minutes long for a start, and similar to the Peel sessions
it's far more free-form.
'Half Mix - Mega Mix' , the re-recorded version of 'Fodderstomph'
taken from the B-side of the 'Death Disco' 12" is featured
next. This is the only track from the re-recorded Warner Brothers 'First
Issue' sessions ever to be released, I love this version, I like
the album version too, but it's more a piss-take isn't it. This
instrumental is a more polished version, reggae bass with dancey drums
and weird synths - prototype 'House' if you ask me. Incidentally
both versions of 'Fodderstomph' almost made the box set, I had
to explain to Virgin that they were the same track, the fact they thought
'Mega Mix' was 'Death Disco' also added to the confusion,
it took a bit explaining but we got it sorted! Next up is 'No Birds
Do Sing', originally the 7" B-side of 'Death Disco'
and later an album track on 'Metal Box'.
The disc concludes with 'Memories', it was supposed to be the
12" version but there's been a mistake somewhere along the line
as it's actually the normal album version, which is a real pity as
the 12" mix is superb, don't get the wrong the album version
is great too, I'm just disappointed it's not the 12"...
Review Continues:
Plastic Box 1
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