Kostas does it again and posts a profile of the post Sex Pistols John Lydon joined forces with Jah Wobble, Keith Levine and drummer(s) Jim Walker & Martin Atkins
I bought Metal Box when it came out and loved that first foray into new musics for the former Pistol. Kostas goes on to say:
"Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylised as PiL) are an English post-punk band formed by lead vocalist John Lydon (previously, as Johnny Rotten, lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene (a founding member of the Clash), bassist Jah Wobble, and drummer Jim Walker in June 1978. The group's line-up has changed frequently over the years; Lydon has been the sole constant member.
Formed by John Lydon in the wake of the collapse of the Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd. is a shape-shifting musical project in which the bilious singer and lyricist explored his ideas without compromise.Depending on what period of the band's career you choose, Public Image Ltd. (officially abbreviated PiL) could sound like bass-heavy post-punk thunder (1978's Public Image: First Issue), an inspired fusion of Krautrock and dub (1979's Metal Box), muscular and expertly executed alternative rock (1986's Album), or polished but angular dance-friendly pop (1989's 9), with many other stops along the way.
Despite a constantly shifting lineup and musical approach, Lydon's bitter howl -- full of anger, pain, and sometimes sardonic wit -- gave PiL's many guises a musical and thematic through line, and at their best, his collaborators created music as powerful and absorbing as Lydon's intense charisma. Lydon revived PiL for live work in 2009, and the reunion albums This Is PiL (2012), What the World Needs Now (2015), and End of World (2023) featured some of his strongest work since the '80s. In 2023, PiL released the unexpectedly tender song "Hawaii," a love song Lydon wrote for his wife, Nora Foster, who died after a long illness in April 2023. "
