Tracks:
Side 1: Happy / Disappointed / Warrior / U.S.L.S. 1 / Sand Castles in the Snow
Side 2: Worry / Brave New World / Like That / Same Old Story / Armada

Release Date:
30.5.89

Label & Catalogue Number:
Virgin. V 2588

Highest UK Chart Position:
36

Personnel:
Vox - John Lydon
Guitar - John McGeoch
Bass - Allan Dias
Drums - Bruce Smith

Format Info:
Single LP, with b&w inner sleeve featuring lyrics/artwork.

Track Info:
All tracks were newly written for the album. 'Sand Castles in the Snow' was originally titled 'Spit'. Various Virgin pre-release information stated 'Spit'. However, on official release the track was re-titled 'Sand Castles in the Snow'.

Publishing Info:
Tracks written by Dias, Edmonds, Lydon, McGeoch & Smith
Except: Disappointed - Dias, Edmonds, Lydon, McGeoch, Smith & Stephen Hague
Published by EMI 10 Music Ltd / MCA Music Ltd © Virgin Records 1989

Trivia:
Although titled '9' after the number of albums PiL had released, technically it was only their seventh studio album. If you include the two live albums it's nine...

Lu Edmonds, who had left the band due to hearing problems by the recording of '9', receives a co-credit on all tracks, but does not play on any of them. Ted Chau who was drafted in to replace Edmonds does not play on any tracks either.

Bill Laswell was originally lined up to produce '9'. However, despite PiL flying to New York in summer 1988, Laswell decided he didn't like the musicians and wanted to bring in his own people. After three days of conflicts PiL gave up and returned to England; leaving them $80,000 "in the hole" to Virgin Records. Lydon and Laswell have never spoken again.

During their aborted time in NY, and completely by chance, legendary Jamaican producer Scientist mixed a session for the band.

Producer:
Steven Hague & PiL / Eric Thongren & PiL

Studio:
Comfort's Place / The Manor, UK

Sleeve Design:
Mick Haggerty & PiL

Quotes:
If 'Happy?' was our first album, and '9' was, er, very much a second album. What I'm trying to chip away at is that there's all these old cliches about a band's first album and second album... I don't think '9' was a bummer, but looking back with the luxury of hindsight, I'm more content with 'Happy?'.
- John McGeoch, Sounds 1990

We ended up with Steven Hague, who is a great producer, but again, ‘9’ was completely sucked dry of any scruffiness, and all that beautiful space. So for me those albums are disappointing because I know they could have been better. It wasn’t really the musicians fault, and it wasn’t Lydon’s fault. But when you get in the hole, and to some extent with the manipulative pressures of Virgin at that time, and not having a manager to protect you from that, and actually in my case, I would say not having the guts to stand up and say so 'No, I want it to sound like this...' Well, you just end up with the albums you make...
- Lu Edmonds, Fodderstompf 1999

Lyrics:
9

Press Reviews:
Q Magazine, June 1989