Public Image Ltd - What The World Needs Now
John Lydon’s at it again. This 10th PIL album once again brings out the delightfully nasty side of the ex Sex Pistols front man.
Lydon’s crass lyrical style along with a cool sparse backing band, make this a must listen.
This onslaught to the ears begins with Lydon’s spoken word rant about unfortunate plumbing issues, yes, plumbing.
The opening song is a treasure. Lu Edmonds, of The Damned fame, provides the blissful guitar riff throughout as Lydon provides the squawkish croon.
The main attraction for me on this album is the band. Lu Edmonds of course is at his usual guitar brilliance, and along with bassist Scott Firth and the guru of the beat, Bruce Smith on the skins; they provide the perfect accompaniment to Lydon.
Lydon’s lyrics are of course still in a class of their own. He has not lost a bit of his feistiness or rebelliousness over the years. This is strikingly evident on songs like “Corporate” and I’m “Not Satisfied”.
The eight-minute classic “Big Blue Sky”, is a monster of the groove and features Scott Firth’s bass line that will at blow your ear drums to oblivion when cranked to 11. Love it, so I don’t hear.
PIL isn’t a band for everyone; to say that they are an acquired taste is an understatement. But if you’re in for a musical adventure, put on your hiking boots on and slip on a studded bracelet and give this album a spin.
Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean
This past week I watched Canadian singer songwriter Frazey Ford perform live on the British music show Later with Jools Holland. I would love to see Canada produce a show in this similar vein. But that’s another story. Now back to my review.
Ford is mainly known for being a founding member of the Vancouver band, The Be Good Tanyas. I was blown away by her performance. Despite the fact that this album has been out for a while, I needed to give it a listen.
Ford’s torpid singing style is a real joy to listen to. This album features the Memphis blues style, similar to the musical style of the genius Cat Power (Chan Marshall).
Her band is more than capable of blasting the blues, and this is evident on “You’re Not Free”. The song “Runnin” features the strong horn section and the captivating backing vocals that I love to no end.
Ford’s lyrical darker side is spotlighted on “Done”. Singing about a breakup, she makes it more than clear that she’s definitely done!
The slow tempo “Indian Ocean” allows Ford to show off her melodic pipes as she sings beautifully along with the band that gradually breaks it open at the end. Great stuff.
Indian Ocean is a very strong musical effort and contains absolutely no filler tunes.
I can’t wait to hear more from Frazey Ford, in the meantime I will give this one another listen.
