Monday, July 05, 2021

Album Review: 17 Generic Public Image

Album Review: 17
Generic Public Image

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Public Image Ltd Compact Disc
1986 Electra Records 9 60438-2
****


“Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be right I could be wrong
I could be black I could be white"

I first got this CD with the generic title Compact Disc back in the mid 1980s, (recommended by one of my buddies, well insisted really) then for some reason a few years later I sold it. I don't remember when or why, the why was obviously to get some buckage. Back then the first time I heard it, I didn't really like it except for the second track Rise which I tend to like, probably because it's so simple. A few months before reviewing this album, I searched for my copy but couldn't find it, because I wanted to hear that song. Well long story short I managed to find a copy off Ebay for cheap.

I enjoyed this album a lot, unfortunately its so generic sounding, there is little that stands up and grabs me, but I like it anyway.

This generic album has a nice light punk rock sound. The vinyl version is titled guess what? Album and the cassette version titled Cassette (if there were an 8-Track version that would have been called 8-Track). I suppose you could say it was softcore punk as opposed to hardcore. Public Image, LTD sounds like a cross between a typical UK punk band and REM, with a little Talking Heads tossed in.

Oh BTW for the first track titled FFF (all the tracks have simple titles, thus the generic feel to the album) stands for Farewell Fairweather Friends

I'd like to find sealed copies of the Cassette version and the album versions to put on display around my music collection. Newer remastered editions of this "album" is called "album" even on the CD versions.

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