Today, 40 years ago, Public Image released its debut album First issue!
Public Image: First Issue is the debut studio album of Public Image Ltd, formed and fronted by Jonny Rotten aka John Lydon after he left the Sex Pistols in January 1978. First Issue was released by record label Virgin on December 8th the same year and it is still considered as one of the pioneering records of post-punk.
It entered the UK Albums Chart, where it stayed for 11 weeks and reached #22 on 23 December 1978. The single “Public Image” entered the UK Top 75, where it stayed for 8 weeks and reached #9 on 21 October 1978
In 1979, a court in Malta had stopped selling the album because the lyrics of “Religion” offended public morals and decency.
After hearing the test pressings Warner Bros records also decided not to publish the album in the United States because the sound of the record was considered as too uncommercial for an American release. PiL were asked to re-record parts of the album and although the band recorded new versions of some tracks the album was never released in the US. Only in 1980 Warners released the song “Public Image” on the compilation album “Troublemakers”, the only album track released in the US until the 2013 release of the entire album.
On 18 June 2013, the album was finally officially released in the US via Light in the Attic Records.
Upon its release, Public Image: First Issue received only 2 out of 5 stars review in Sounds and NME was similarly negative, quipping that "unfortunately the 'image', public or otherwise, is a good deal less limited than many of the more practical factors involved in this venture."
However, it is now considered as a groundbreaking post-punk classic. Pitchfork Media stated "First Issue's industrial-strength stompers anticipate the scabrous art-punk of the Jesus Lizard and Slint, while Levene’s guitar curlicues on “Public Image” are the stuff Daydream Nations are made of." It is, along with Metal Box, included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Public Image: First Issue
1. Theme 9:05
2. Religion I 1:40
3. Religion II 5:40
4. Annalisa 6:00
5. Public Image 2:58
6. Low Life 3:35
7. Attack 2:55
8. Fodderstompf 7:40
Personel:
John Lydon – vocals, piano
Keith Levene – guitar
Jah Wobble – bass, vocals and fire extinguisher on "Fodderstompf"
Jim Walker – drums, vocals on "Fodderstompf"
DISCOGS
Today Jim Morrison (8 December 1943 – 3 Juli 1971) would have been seventy-five, his life like his music is very well documented, instead of running through his list of activities and of course each of the albums we can look at the last breath of greatness The Doors delivered.
LA Woman, the artistic height of the original Doors line up, whether at the time it was known or not, they had reached their height and before the wagon of fame rolled down hill, turning the band into a facade of what they originally were, there was one last album of splendor left in them and was to be a blues based affair with the twist of Morrison's lyrics and delivery.
Morrisons voice was strained by the alcohol abuse and the hefty lifestyle which had left him sounding three times his 27 years, like an old blues man hollering in a bar;
'I've been down do goddamn long...'
Looking at the front photo of the album a dead giveaway is noticed as this was the true group effort, Morrison in height looks less than any of his band members, bearded and blended into the album where the focus was not entirely on him, unlike the debut album and subsequent releases.
The journey to this point had only been a mere four-years, the same time most modern bands leave between albums, but The Doors managed to tour, write and release five other albums, this was to be their sixth and this is where it had all been leading, the compass of their art had led them to this very point.
A workshop was built for the recording, a two-story building at 8512-Santa Monica Boulevard.
Long time producer Paul Rothchild walked out early on in rehearsals, as legend goes, describing the studio rehearsal of 'Riders On The Storm' as cocktail music and a step back from all that was accomplished on Morrison Hotel
With Bruce Botnick now at the helm, recordings began at the workshop in December 1970 and would last right through until January ‘71.
The added in-house bass player for that extra live dynamic whereas guest bass players were nothing new to Doors albums, LA Woman was no exception.
For that one Jerry Scheff rounded out the band and played on every song, giving it that live as possible feel and adding to the roundness of the overall sound.
The blues numbers grooved and listening back now you hear the sound of musicians and the height of their game, effortless music flowing making every melody line memorable.
This raw sound created by the band made the final mix with very little overdubs used, except for keyboard lines and of course the thunder and lighting affect on “Riders On The Storm” the second single released, the first was the keyboard driven rocker “Love Her Madly”.
Both were well received as was the album in its entirety, the maturity and Morrisons deep immersion in the blues on tracks such as “Crawling King Snake” and of course the title track, this was the record to end on, to bow out with the same style that had steered their career.
While the mixing took place in February '71, Morrison went to France to take time out, there was going to be no tour for this album, morning he never returned, he died as mysteriously as he lived, found in a bathtub on the third-of July 1971 and buried three days later in division-six of Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, sharing space with Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf.
“Lions in the street and roaming
Dogs in heat, rabid, foaming
A beast caged in the heart of a city
The body of his mother
Rotting in the summer ground
He fled the town
He went down South and crossed the border
Left chaos and disorder
Back there over his shoulder
One morning he awoke in a green hotel
With a strange creature groaning beside him
Sweat oozed from it's shining skin
Is everybody in?
Is everybody in?
Is everybody in?
The ceremony is about to begin!”
Kevin Burke Dec 2018
Pete Shelley the punk troubador is the latest idol to leave us.
Born Peter Campell McNeish in Lancashire, England he became central to the formation of the punk and new-wave movements.
Shelley formed Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto after the two met at Bolton Institute in 1975 and Buzzcocks debuted the following year in Manchester.
They released their first well received EP, “Spiral Scratch” on their own label, New Hormones. With a few false starts and Howard Devoto leaving the group Shelley was forced to take over duties as lead vocalist, main songwriter and main focus.
Buzzcocks soon became one of the most important bands on the late-seventies punk scene, releasing a dynamite fueled bunch of singles such as “Orgasm Addict", "What Do I Get?", and "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)".
The three long-players released are blueprints for the eighties new wave sound, “Another Music in a Different Kitchen” and “Love Bites” both in 1978 and “A Different Kind of Tension “ released the following year.
The most common album and most people’s audio entry into the world of Shelley and Buzzcocks was the compilation and punk masterpiece “Singles Going Steady”, though this was also the cause of friction between the band and publishing companyl Virgin, the band threw in the towel initially in 1981 although reuniting several times over the years and most recently with the 40th-anniversary shows on 2016
Shelley's debut solo album “Sky Yen” was recorded in 1974 but remained unreleased until early 1980 when it was released on 12" vinyl on Shelley's own Groovy Records, it remains an impressive dive into electronic music.
In 1981, Shelley released his first solo single “Homosapien", an almost autobiographical tale of his life, following on from this with the album of the same name along with follow-ups “XL1” and “Heaven and the Sea”.
He still remains an important figure of influence and will be sorely lost by a world who dance to “Ever Fallen In Love”.
Homosapien
Pete Shelley
I'm the shy boy, you're the coy boy
And you know we're Homosapien too
I'm the cruiser, you're the loser
Me and you sir, Homosapien too
Homosuperior in my interior
But from the skin out
I'm Homosapien too
And you're Homosapien too
And I'm Homosapien like you
And we're Homosapien too
And I think of your eyes in the dark
And I see the star
And I look to the light
And I might wonder right where you are
All the Gods in the sky, way up high
See the world spinning 'round
But the sun and the moon
And the stars are so far from the ground
I'm the shy boy, you're the coy boy
And you know we're Homosapien too
I'm the cruiser, you're the loser
Me and you sir, Homosapien too
Homosuperior in my interior
But from the skin out
I'm Homosapien too
And you're Homosapien too
And I'm Homosapien like you
And we're Homosapien too
And the worlds built of age are a stage
Where we act out our lives
And the words in the script seem to fit
'Cept we have some surprise
I just want this to last
Or my future is past and all gone
And if this is the case
Then I'll lose in life's race from now on
Homosuperior in my interior
But from the skin out
I'm Homosapien too
And you're Homosapien too
And I'm Homosapien like you
And we're Homosapien too
And I just hope and pray
That the day of our love is at hand
You and I, me and you
We will be one from two, understand?
And the world is so wrong
That I hope that we'll be strong enough
For we are on our own
And the only thing known is our love
I don't wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you're Homosapien too
I'm the shy boy, you're the coy boy
I don't wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you're Homosapien too
I don't wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you're Homosapien too
I don't wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you're Homosapien too
Kevin Burke 6/12/18
BodyBeats announces complete and 100% Swedish line-up for International EBM day!
After the success of their very first edition of International EBM day earlier this year, BodyBeats Productions have decided to repeat this feast in 2019. Although their first edition was very international, with acts like Plastic Noise experience (D), Pankow (IT), we chose this time to have a 100% Swedish line-up by inviting some the best EBM/Electro acts Sweden has to offer these days.
As the title already gives away this is the annual day on which EBM fans from all over the world celebrate their beloved music genre, Electronic Body Music! A dark but pounding music style, maybe not so much invented by Belgium's EBM pride, Front 242, but definitely most finely-tuned and exploited by them. Hence the date on which EBM fans over the whole world celebrate International EBM day, 24th of February or >24.2<
However in 2019, as 24th February is a Sunday and most of you need to appear tidy and fresh at work on Monday, BodyBeats Productions decided to start celebrating International EBM day early on Saturday 23.02.
So this is the date to mark in your agenda and to come celebrate International EBM day! And as BodyBeats Productions say themselves: Don't expect Kraftwerk, DAF or the aforementioned pioneers but rather a fine selection of their legacy!
So let us introduce to you this year's 100% Swedish line-up in short!:
WULFBAND are from the Swedish capital Stockholm. Founded in 2014 by a masked duo who sing / shout in German and officially call themselves Sieben & Neun. For reasons that are not our affair, the band prefers to work with an anonymous creative image instead of putting their personal identities forward. As far as the music is concerned, it can be argued that it is inspired by the early post-punk DAF and when you feel the urge to comment on their German pronunciation, know well that these gentlemen are quite capable of inflicting serious damage... whether or not auditory... Wulfband describe their music as "Gewalt-Tanz und Angriffe gegen Alles"
ALVAR does not need an introduction to the regular BodyBeats followers, as they performed twice already for them in 2017. The first time they played the Dark Demons night (Antwerp) where they overwhelmed friend and foe, claiming their well deserved opening spot at BIMFEST 2017. At BIMFEST they also caught the crowd's attention with ease. According to some, their music is situated between dark, sometimes lingering, dark electronics and sometimes pounding EBM. Connoisseurs even claim their music to be reminiscent of early releases of the cult label Cold Meat Industy.
NO SLEEP BY THE MACHINE stands for energetic and pumping live performances, so no wonder they have also played BIMFEST before, in 2013. Their music is rather like an uncompromising complaint against injustice and fight for more freedom in our society. Now, after several years of inactivity, the band is back and is working hard on a new album. In the meantime you can still discover their pretty fantastic previous albums Close, Quadrilateral and Splice on their Bandcamp.
SEVERE ILLUSION was founded in 2000 by Fredrik Djurfeldt and Ulf Lundblad and have released five albums, an EP and more since. It's clear this band is also popular outside their home country, as proven by the impressive list of the band's outbound performances over the years... Germany, Russia, Chile, Hungary, Ukraine, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, UK, Uruguay, Brazil, Canada and Denmark... and now for the second time in Belgium! Their mix of dark harsh electro with EBM influences draws many to the dance floor.
DJ BORG
Of course, this EBM feast would not be complete without a pounding after party by Bodybeats resident DJ BORG.
FACEBOOK
DJ BORG
23.2 INTERNATIONAL EBM DAY @ De Casino, St-Niklaas, B (Tickets, media & Info)
Check in on Facebook HERE!
Na het succes van de allereerste editie van de Internationale EBM-dag, besloot BodyBeats Productions dit event te herhalenin 2019. Hoewel de eerste editie heel internationaal was, met groepen als Plastic Noise Experience (D), Pankow (T), kozen we deze keer voor een 100% Zweedse line-up door enkele van de beste EBM/electro acts uit te nodigen die Zweden vandaag de dag rijk is.
Zoals de titel al aangeeft, is dit de dag waarop BodyBeats en vele andere liefhebbers van elektronische muziek één van hun geliefde muziekgenres eren en vieren, Electronic Body Music of kortweg EBM, een eerder donkere maar uiterst dansbare en beukende muziekstijl. Al was onze nationale trots FRONT 242 misschien niet helemaal de uitvinder van EBM, toch is het genre zonder twijfel door hen gefinteuned en hebben ze ervoor gezorgd dat EBM wereldwijd bekend en gesmaakt werd. Vandaar ook de datum waarop fans over de hele wereld 24 februari (24.2) uitgeroepen hebben tot Nationale EBM-dag. Omdat in 2019 24 februari op een zondag valt en iedereen op maandag fris en monter op het werk verwacht wordt, besloor BodyBeats Productions wat vroeger te starten met de festiviteiten, op 23 februari.
Verwacht op dit event geen Kraftwerk, DAF of de eerder genoemde pioniers maar een mooie selectie van hun nakomelingen!
Laat ons de 100% Zweedse line-up van 2019 kort voorstellen:
WULFBAND is afkomstig uit de Zweedse hoofdstad Stockholm en werd opgericht in 2014 door een gemaskerd duo dat in het Duits zingt / schreeuwt en zichzelf officieel Sieben & Neun noemt. Om redenen die onze zaken niet zijn, wil de band liever met een anoniem creatief imago werken eerder dan hun persoonlijke identiteit voorop te stellen. Wat de muziek betreft, kan men stellen dat die is geïnspireerd door de vroege postpunk DAF, en moest u eraan denken commentaar te geven op hun mischien niet altijd perfecte Duitse uitspraak, weet dan goed dat deze heren behoorlijk in staat zijn om ernstige schade aan te richten... Al dan niet auditief... Zelf beschrijven ze hun muziek als "Gewalt-Tanz und Angriffe gegen Alles"
ALVAR heeft voor de vaste BodyBeats aanhangers geen introductie meer nodig want deze Zweden traden in 2017 al twee maal voor BodyBeats op. De eerste keer op de preselectie Dark Demons (Antwerpen) waar ze vriend en vijand overdonderden en zo hun wel verdiende plaatsje op BIMFES 2017 opeisten. Ook op BIMFEST wisten zij als opener met gemak de aandacht van het publiek op te eisen. Hun muziek situeert zich volgens sommigen tussen donkere soms slepende donkere elektronica en beukende EBM. Kenners beweren zelfs dat hun muziek aan de vroege releases van het cult label Cold Meat Industrial doet denken.
NO SLEEP BY THE MACHINE staat garant voor een energieke pompende live-performance en stond om die redenen al in 2013 op BIMFEST. Hun muziek is eerder een compromisloos betoog tegen onrecht en voor meer vrijheid in onze samenleving. Na enkele jaren inactiviteit is de band nu weer terug en wordt er hard gewerkt aan een nieuw album. Ondertussen kan u wel al eens de lichtjes fantastische voorgaande albums Close, Quadrilateral, Splice gaan ontdekken op hun bandcamp.
SEVERE ILLUSION werd in 2000 opgericht door Fredrik Djurfeldt en Ulf Lundblad en bracht ondertussen vijf albums, een EP en meer uit. Dat deze band ook graag gezien is buiten hun thuisland Zweden bewijst het palmares van buitenlandse optredens van de band door de jaren heen. Zo stond Severe Illusion al op het podium in Duitsland, Rusland, Chili, Hongarije, Oekraïne, Slovenië, Polen, Tjechië, UK, Uruguay, Brazilië, Canada en Denemarken en nu voor tweede maal in België! Hun mix van donkere electro met EBM invloeden doet menige dansvloeren vollopen.
DJ BORG
Natuurlijk zou dit feestje niet compleet zijn zonder een afterparty met beukende beats en waves gedraaid door resident DJ BORG.
Tickets, media & Info:
23.2 INTERNATIONAL EBM DAY @ De Casino, St-Niklaas, B
Check in on Facebook HERE!
'Write When You Get Work' will be available on all online streaming outlets February 28.
When Jonny, a dodgy New Yorker, stalks his way back into Ruth's life, he quickly realises how to take advantage of his sandbox love and her solid lifestyle. But also a New York upper class couple arouses his interest. What's Jonny's plan after all?
Write when you get work is a romantic yet excitingly plotted story about the morally convoluted realities existing in New York City. It is definitely a must-watch!
The movie will be available on all online streaming outlets February 28!
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Written / directed by: Stacy Cochran
Runtime: 99 minutes
Cast: Emily Mortimer as Nan Noble, Finn Wittrock as Jonny Collins, Rachel Keller as Ruth Duffy, Scott Cohen as Guy Brinckerhoff and Jessica Hecht as Ellen Hazard
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7917484
Trailer:
