Retro Spins: Public Image Ltd - 9

Well, here we are. The final entry of Public Image Ltd. for the 80's. They're a band, for me, which started off the decade somewhat struggling, but ultimately got better and better as their sound evolved, and new members came into the fold.

By 1989, the band was reduced to a quartet with the departure of Lu Edmonds, who left from difficulties associated with tinnitus. However, while he wouldn't contribute guitar to the ninth PiL studio album, appropriately called, 9, he would be credited as co-writer. He would eventually be replaced by Ted Chau. However, Chau doesn't perform on the album.

Evolving again, the band settled into a new wave pop rock sound for their decade ender. While it was initially intended to be produced by Bill Laswell, who had worked with Lydon on 1986's Album, once again Laswell caused waves. Much like with 1987's Happy? which saw the producer wanting to replace the band with session musicians, Lydon simply wouldn't agree to do that. The end result was that the agreement was dissolved, with Steven Hague, and Eric Thorngren being brought in to fill the role.

9 produced the band's most successful single to date, Disappointed. It would reach number thirty-eight in the UK, and hit both the Billboard's Modern Rock Charts, and Dance Club Songs charts. Further, Lydon himself has stated it's his favorite song he's ever written.

When it first kicked on, I felt the album was definitely bigger than previous releases. It included what felt like a full band sound, while also incorporating female background vocals. Extravagant comes to mind.

By track four, while I hadn't heard anything I disliked, it would be the odd U.S.L.S. 1, which would be the first track I actually wanted to add to my shuffle list. Worry would be the next which hit this mark, but again, I stress that I wasn't hearing anything bad. If anything, I kind of want to listen to the album from front to back again.

Was it a smashing ending to the decade? No, not really, but 9 was an enjoyable album overall. If nothing else, I'm really glad that as a whole I found some new tunes in this journey.

The irony is that when I first got into buying PiL albums, it was at the same time as when I started getting the Psychedelic Furs. If you would have asked me at the time, I would have told you the Furs were going to be the superior of the two. That turned out to be quite the opposite.

Years of living in the excess of the party life, Bruce Smith felt it best to step away in 1990 to get himself cleaned up. The band, consisting of remaining member John Lydon, John McGeoch, and Allan Dias, would continue on, recruiting Gregg "J.P." Arreguin, and Curt "Kirkee B." Bisquera for the 1992 released That What Is Not.

Virgin Records would decline to pay for a tour in support of the album, culminating in Lydon disbanding PiL. Rather than return to the music scene, he would spend 1993 working on his memoire, Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs, which was released the following year. in 1996, he participated in the reunion, Sex Pistols' Filthy Lucre Tour with Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook. This was followed in 1997 by his solo album, Psycho's Path.

2009 would finally see PiL reemerge, but unfortunately only Lu Edmonds, and Bruce Smith would return, with new member, Scott Firth. This new iteration would release three albums, This Is PiL (2012), What The World Needs Now... (2015), and End Of World (2023).

Sadly, Lydon's wife of forty-four years, Nora Foster, would pass away from Alzheimer in 2023. The singer would announce his retirement shortly thereafter but thankfully end up changing his mind. Public Image Ltd. is currently on tour, with shows scheduled to wrap up in May of this year.

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Retro Spins: Public Image Ltd - Happy?

With the new line-up of John Lydon, John McGeoch, Lu Edmonds, Allan Dias, and Bruce Smith in place, Public Image Ltd. was ready to return to the studio. There was just one hangup. Previous Album producer, Bill Laswell, wanted to replace all but Lydon with session musicians. Unwilling to agree to that, Laswell would ultimately be nixed, and Gary Langan brought in to fulfill his role.

Happy? produced the single, Seattle as well as the abortion-themed single, The Body, a sequel of sorts to the similarly titled Sex Pistols song, Bodies. However, overall, it would suffer on the UK and US charts, peaking at 40, and 169, respectably.

The album saw the band shifting again in music style. Still gone were the roots of punk from earlier releases, and in their place were a continuation of the previous alternative rock, now sprinkling in a fair amount of dance. PiL had definitely reshaped themselves, pushing ever forward to stay relevant with the times.

Happy? is the second album from the group that I actively had on my want list (the second being 1984's This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get). The others all just came with finding them cheap at used CD shops. In particular, I wanted the song, The Body. However, within the first few seconds of hearing Seattle, it too became a must have for me.

Personally, I didn't hear the purported dance. Instead, it was just a solid rock album. Much like my previous listening experience of Album (1986), it's not perfect by any means, but it's rather enjoyable as a whole. In addition to the above noted tunes, I also dug Open And Revolving, Angry, and Fat Chance Hotel. While this was more so for the guitar work on all three, which feature really catchy riffs, Lydon brings an almost haunting vocal to them, especially on the latter.

This is definitely a band, which for me, has gotten better and better as the decade progressed. I'm equally excited to jump into their next album, but disappointed at the same time that it's their last of the era.

PiL would support the album by appearing as the opening act for INXS in 1988. However, tinnitus would impact Edmonds at the time, forcing him to depart. This didn't slow the band down much, as by the end of the year they were back in the studio as a quartet to record their final album of the decade and then set off in 1989 with New Order and Sugarcube, billed as The Monsters Of Alternative Rock. That's my final stop for tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.