It's weird eh. Oddly enough, that's not the first time I've heard someone tell me This Is What You Want... isn't all that bad. I'm just not really a fan of the production over most of the album at all, especially those shrill horns they go for. Might give it another chance sometime soon though, as it's been a long time since I last got through the whole album.

That's funny, the quirky production is one of my favorite things about the album. In terms of production and style I see it as a bit of a precursor to one of my favorite albums, Gub by Pigface, particularly since Martyn Atkins was involved in both.

One thing I will say about This Is What You Want... though is that that side 2 is stronger than side 1. "The Pardon", "1981" and "The Order of Death" are my favorite songs on the album, and all on the second side.

You might want to check out the album Commercial Zone.

It's Keith Levine's mixes of original recording of the 'This Is What You Want' album. which was then going to be titled 'You are entering a commercial zone'
Lydon decided to scrap the recordings & start the album again.

Levine left the band & took the mastertapes with him & put it out briefly on his own label until Lydon got an court injunction to get it withdrawn from sale.

It's an interesting listen.

What's it sound like?

I've heard the mix of This Is Not a Love Song from the Commercial Zone, which needless to say I much prefer over John Lydon's mix. Haven't heard anything else off of it though. It's an album I've been wanting to check out for years but never actually found. That said, it's probably been about a year since I last tried to look for it. I'll have a nose around a few blogs tomorrow for it.

I'll definitely be giving This Is What You Want another chance in the mean time. As I say, it's been a while since I last did.

Maybe I should give the others after This is What You Want... another/third chance (Hey, it's John Lydon, it's worth it.). Through The Late 80's I went through my Kind-of-Hardcore Punk days (Meaning I had a few friends that were into it while I was just kind of listening while getting into other sounds), and while I did like songs like "Rise," there was something about the Post-Flowers albums that just did not connect with me...the first time around and even the second. Maybe it was that fateful borrowing of This is What you Want... that really killed off the interest, but as now the memory is only a small part of my growing up today, maybe the others can be a good ride.

And, yes, "Don't Ask Me" is one of those singles that sparked up the ears.

As far as albums as a whole go, Album/Cassette/Compact Disc is one that gets a bit overlooked by most fans I've come across, and's very good stuff overall. Their last album, That What Is Not, is pretty decent too. Happy and 9 have some good songs spread out over them, but I found them to be a bit inconsistent overall. Worth hearing at least though.

I do agree that the first three are the best though. Music doesn't really get a lot better than Metal Box and Flowers in particular for me.

Caught this the other week on the BBC. Short, sharp and sweet half hour interview in 3 parts. A very interesting guy for sure.



Parts 2 and 3 are in the Related videos section.

I like a lot of early P.I.L. stuff when Jah Wobble was on bass, utlimately though I've always found John Lydon to be a one note singer, he's seems to be stuck for the last in the same pitch for the last 30 years.

The most revolutionary aspect of Metal Box was it's complete lack of rock and roll influences. Metal Box was the foundation of the post-rock movement in popular music.

On Metal Box you hear an exotic fusion of dub reggae, avant garde classical music, electronic music, middle eastern music and experimental music but there isn't a trace of conventional rock and roll as played by the Sex Pistols in 1977. John Lydon really meant what Johnny Rotten said when he declared rock and roll dead with the dissolution of the Sex Pistols. Metal Box was a blueprint for the future of popular music.