#PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. Flowers of Romance

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"THE QUALITY OF THE PICTURES WAS SO GOOD. I HAD A STINT OF HAVING IT WITH ME ALL THE TIME."

PIC(S) INFO: Mega-spotlight on behind-the-scenes Polaroids of English post-rock/post-punk/experimental music group PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED, c. 1980-'81. 📸: Jeannette Lee.

OVERVIEW: "In late 1978, one year after the tumultuous break up of the SEX PISTOLS, John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) launched his new band, PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED, featuring his childhood friend Jah Wobble on bass, and Keith Levene, former guitarist for THE CLASH, on guitar. Lydon had had a rough time of it; by the time the Sex Pistols disintegrated, he had no money, no privacy thanks to the band’s enduring notoriety and no real control over his punk past (former manager Malcolm McLaren had staked claim to the SEX PISTOLS’ image, forbidding Lydon to use the name Rotten for future endeavours). As a result, he deemed that Public Image Limited would be different: a band-cum-company comprised of trusted co-collaborators.

Shortly after founding the band he approached Jeannette Lee, now best known as the co-director of iconic independent label Rough Trade Records, inviting her into the PiL fold as a “non-musical member” of the group to help with press, promotion and general administration. Thus ensued a magical period of innovation and cooperation which saw PiL rise to greater and greater heights, blazing an avant-garde, post-punk trail. Now, a new limited-edition book of Polaroid photographs taken by Lee during her three or four-year tenure with the group, and published by IDEA, sheds candid light on this formative period of the band’s history.

Lydon and Lee had met through Don Letts, the then-manager of famous punk-reggae clothing store Acme Attractions on the King’s Road (where Lee also worked), and bonded over a shared love of reggae and their north London council estate backgrounds. “He came to me and said, "I’m starting this new thing. I want to work with people that I trust. I don’t want to work with any more idiots,"" Lee recalls in an interview with Jarvis Cocker – a close friend, whom she also manages and who helped her compile the publication – for the book’s accompanying text. “There was no real job description: just like-minded people joining forces.” Alongside the key band members, these included Don Letts, Sheila Rock, Judy Nylon and Plaxy Locatelli, among others, all of whom set up office in Lydon’s house in Gunter Grove, between Fulham and the King’s Road, and spent their days, in Lee’s words, "making manifestos and then living according to them."

It is in this intimate setting that many of Lee’s pictures are staged, taken from 1980 onwards, after the purchase of her Polaroid SX-70 camera on a trip to New York. “The quality of the pictures was so good. I had a stint of having it with me all the time. Taking pictures everywhere I went,” she tells Cocker. Lee was a natural photographer, her snapshots rendered in dreamy hues and boasting compelling compositions. Some of the images from the book will be recognisable to PiL fans – such as the brilliant photograph of Lydon gazing furtively into a spiderweb-etched mirror, which was used as the cover for the "Flowers of Romance" single – while many more have never been seen, and offer viewers wonderful insight into the very private world of PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED. There’s a picture of one member tenderly clasping a puppy, one of Levene sitting in front of a strawberry milkshake, traces of its froth forming a moustache across his top lip, another of Lee and a boater-topped Lydon grinning goofily into the camera: the softer, sillier side of punk."

-- ANOTHER MAG, "Behind-the-Scenes Polaroids of Public Image Limited’s Heyday," by Daisy Woodward, c. May 2017

Source: www.anothermag.com/art-photography/9825/behind-the-scenes-polaroids-of-public-image-limiteds-heyday.

#PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. #PUBLIC IMAGE LTD #PUBLIC IMAGE #PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED #PiL #Post-rock #John Lydon #Polaroids #Photography #Experimental Music #1981 #Keith Levene #Jeannette Lee #Post-punk #Flowers of Romance 1981 #Experimental #Flowers of Romance Sessions #Don Letts #PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. Flowers of Romance #PUBLIC IMAGE LTD Flowers of Romance #Flowers of Romance #Polaroid Photos #Polaroid photography #1980s #Polaroid

[spilladabalia]

Public Image Ltd - Under The House

#public image ltd #pil #under the house #john lydon #keith levene #martin atkins #post punk #the flowers of romance #1981 #Youtube

[tornbluefoamcouch]

Artista: Public Image Ltd. Álbum: Flowers of Romance Ano: 1981 Faixas/Tempo: 12/47min Estilo: Post-Punk/Experimental Rock Data de Execução: 03/08/2022 Nota: 5,0 Melhor Música: Banging The Door

#public image ltd. #pil #flowers of romance #1981 #post-punk #experimental rock #banging the door

[awakeonsundaynight]

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.-FLOWERS OF ROMANCE

#PUBLIC IMAGE LTD #PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED #PIL #POST PUNK #POST-PUNK #ALTERNATIVE MUSIC #FLOWERS OF ROMANCE #1981 ALBUM #Youtube

[the-hottest-band-tournament]

Round one

Public Image Ltd

Formed in: 1978

Genres: Post-Punk, New Wave, Experimental Rock, Funk

Lineup: John Lydon/Johnny Rotten- vocals, violin, saxophone, percussion

Keith Levene- guitar, bass, piano, cello, synthesizer, drums, percussion

Martin Atkins- drums, synthesizer

Jah Wobble- bass

Albums from the 80s:

The Flowers of Romance (1981)

This Is What You Want… This Is What You Get (1984)

Album (1986)

Happy? (1987)

9 (1989)

Propaganda: 

Culture Club

Formed in: 1981

Genres: New wave

Lineup: Boy George- vocals, tambourine

Mikey Craig- vocals, bass, keyboards

Roy Hay- guitar, vocals, keyboards

Jon Moss- drums, percussion, vocals

Albums from the 80s:

Kissing to Be Clever (1982)

Colour by Numbers (1983)

WakingIo with the House on Fire (1984)

From Luxury to Heartbreak (1986)

Propaganda: 

#round 1 #public image ltd #culture club #Boy George #Mikey Craig #Roy Hay #Jon Moss #John Lydon #Keith Levene #Martin Atkins #Jah Wobble #johnny rotten #the hottest 80s band tournament #the hottest 80s bands tourney

[crewneck]

Playlist: Love at the Rainbow's Edge

ravi shankar and philip glass - ragas in minor scale

ryuichi sakamoto - heartbeat

can - she brings the rain

public image ltd - flowers of romance

fun boy three - our lips are sealed (remix)

miki nakatani - frontier

a certain ratio - knife slits water

durutti column - grace

yukako hayase - amino co de ji

#KIND OF ERRATIC BUT.........this is what i envision lmfoaskjdh #interesting prompt!!!

[urbanenemy]

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. - Flowers Of Romance 7" (1981/UK)

#new wave #post punk #uk rock #public image limited #john lydon

[vmonteiro23a]

SONGS TO REMEMBER: Public Image Limited - "The Flowers of Romance"

SONGS TO REMEMBER: Public Image Limited – “The Flowers of Romance” “PRODUCED BY PUBLIC IMAGE LTD/WRITTEN BY KEITH LEVINE AND JOHN LYDON VIRGIN/MARCH 1981 UK CHART:24 PiL’s last stand remains the strangest chart record of the last 25 years, maybe ever. A one-note drone led by a naked, rudimentary pseudo-African drum riff, stiff rimshots and occasional hi-hat, no bass or guitar, Lydon needling…

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[jshatan]

It’s day 10 of the #bodyvinylchallenge by @zedosdiscos: SMELL. Public Image Ltd. - The Flowers Of Romance (Virgin, 1981) How do you follow up Metal Box, one of the greatest albums of all time, known for its deep bass and spacious songs? You dump the bass player and go for a confrontational, percussion-heavy sound that reinvents post-punk once again. While it doesn’t zero in on my pleasure centers the same way Metal Box did, it remains a fascinating, timeless work of art. #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #februaryvinylchallenge https://www.instagram.com/p/CohlzvUgppl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#bodyvinylchallenge #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylgram #vinylgeek #vinylcollector #records #vinylchallenge #vinylcommunity #februaryvinylchallenge

[julio-viernes]

Mala racha. Keith Levene (The Clash, The Flowers Of Romance, PIL) RIP, 65. Arriba la tortuosa e intensa “Theme” del debut en largo de Public Image Ltd en 1978. Un denso y chirriante mamut eléctrico de casi 10 minutos durito de pelar. 

Es el tema que ha citado el escritor Adam Hammond, la persona que ha anunciado el deceso del músico, como ejemplo: “No hay duda de que Keith fue uno de los guitarristas más innovadores, audaces e influyentes de todos los tiempos (...) Su trabajo de guitarra durante los nueve minutos de 'Theme', el primer tema del primer álbum de PiL, definió lo que debería ser la música alternativa”.

Importante para comprender de qué iba la vaina Levene: “He was an early fan of progressive rock; at fifteen he worked as a roadie for Yes on their “Close to the Edge” tour”. Levene dijo de Steve Howe, guitarrista de Yes: “He’s the greatest fucking guitarist in the world.”

#pil #keith levene #adam hammond #public image ltd #yes #steve howe

[9janewspoint]

Keith Levene dead and obituary, English musician, member of both The Clash and Public Image Ltd

Keith Levene dead and obituary, English musician, member of both The Clash and Public Image Ltd

Keith Levene Julian Keith Levene (born 18 July 1957 – 11 November 2022)[1] was an English musician and founding member of The Clash and Public Image Ltd (PiL). Born in Muswell Hill, London, Levene was an early fan of progressive rock. At fifteen, he was a sideman for Yes on their Close to the Edge tour. [3] In 1976, he was a founding member of The Clash and The Flowers of Romance. Levene was…

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#Keith Levene dead

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

THE MOST UNCOMMERCIAL ALBUM EVER DELIVERED TO A MAJOR STUDIO -- THE MOST ANTI-ROCK 'N' ROLL ALBUM EVER MADE.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on record shop posters and/or adverts for "The Flowers of Romance" (and its 7" vinyl single of the same name), the third studio album by English post-punk/experimental music band PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED, released in April 1981 under the Virgin Records label.

OVERVIEW: "As opposed to the axis of throbbing bass and guitar slashings of "Metal Box," "The Flowers of Romance" is centralized on razor-sharp drums and typically haranguing vocals. No dubwise grooves here -- bassist Jah Wobble was kicked out prior to the recording for ripping off PiL backing tracks for his solo material. And growing more disenchanted with the guitar, Keith Levene's infatuation with synthesizers was reaching a boiling point.

His scythe-like guitar is truly brought out for only one song. Stark and minimal are taken to daring lengths, so it's no surprise that Virgin initially balked at issuing the heavily percussive record. "Four Enclosed Walls" opens with something of a mechanical death rattle and John Lydon's quavering warble, framed by backwards piano and Martin Atkins' spartan, dry-as-a-bone drumming. His rapier-like drums seem to serve a similar purpose to Levene's guitar on "Metal Box." An unsteady drum pattern and fragile, wind chime-like guitar from Levene shape "Track 8," a bleak look at sexual relationships. 

Lydon adds color with pleasant imagery of Butterball turkeys and elephant graves. "Under the House" and "Francis Massacre" are the most violent tracks due to Atkins' machine gun firing and Levene's chilling atmosperics. Lydon lashes out at zealous fans on the only bottom-heavy tune, "Banging the Door": "The walls are so thin/The neighbors listen in/Keep the noise down."

Perhaps the band's most challenging work (in the avant garde sense), it's just as "love it or hate it" as "Metal Box"; it'll either go down a treat or like a five-pound block of liverwurst." [The UK version adds three bonus tracks: an instrumental version of "The Flowers of Romance," "Another," (essentially "Graveyard" with vocals) and "Home Is Where the Heart Is." The latter two can be found on Plastic Box.]

-- ALLMUSIC, review by Andy Kellman

Sources: http://mrstu616.blogspot.com/2018/11/781-weird-wonderful-experimental.html, Pinterest, & Allmusic.

#PUBLIC IMAGE LTD #PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. #PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED #Post-rock #1980s #Flowers of Romance 1981 #PiL #Flowers of Romance #Vintage Ads #PIL #Record Ads #Adverts #Virgin Records #80s #Record Adverts #PUBLIC IMAGE #Keith Levene #PiL Flowers of Romance #Print Ads #Post-punk #Retro Ads #Vinyl #Jeannette Lee #Avant-garde #John Lydon #Experimental Music #1981

[diaryofamaniac]

Public Image Ltd. – The Flowers Of Romance（1981）

　削ぎに削ぎ落とされた肉片と何処か密教の儀式でも行われているような歪曲した空気が漂い、懐疑し腑に落ちないカオス的原子の人骨が踊る奇妙さが残る。John LydonがPILを始動した理由に、過去のパンクムーブメントで創り上げた自身の偶像を破壊する目的、それを崇める聴衆には暴君になり皮肉や毒舌を交え目を醒まさせなければならないと上げている。幸福にも不幸にもならないのっぺらなマンネリと社会に嫌気がさし、自らの思考を明示し叩きつける、名だけが浮かび上がった偽物はおそらく下落させるインパクトになったのではないかと思われる。ロックの解体という言葉が最も当てはまるアルバムとなっている。

https://youtu.be/kC8XsMvPlmg

[newxdiary]

--FLIRTING WITH DISASTER AND DISASTER FLIRTS RIGHT BACK--

June 7, 2022

Coffee Time: 6:40 p.m.

Ramones, PLEASANT DREAMS Black Oak Arkansas, BLACK OAK ARKANSAS Public Image Ltd, THE FLOWERS OF ROMANCE Bob Dylan, BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

So, I was close to making rent when I woke up yesterday. When checking social media, I saw that a friend of mine was giving away a nearly new sofa. It looked good, so I sent her a message, asking if I could have the sofa. The stipulation was that it had to be picked up before today. So, I got right on it.

I rearranged the slop pit that is this apartment as much as I could, went down to Radio Cab to get my van, measured the space in the back to see if the 92” couch would fit (just barely) and I drove out to SE Pine St, near Music Millennium and waited for “P” to come. We got most of the Sofa in, except for about 8 inches, so “P” followed me as I drove to my apartment with the couch protruding out the back. I didn’t let her help me get it in the apartment as I’m too ashamed of how disgusting it is. I waved goodbye and worked the couch in by myself.

Time was, I could put that thing on my head and run it right through the doorway. Instead, I had to walk it in on its tiny feet, rocking it back and forth. How weak have I become? I was sweating and out of breath and had to take frequent breaks. I got it in (with a final push from my next door neighbor's kid, "M") and it made my apartment completely crowded with furnishing and decorations and stuff that even a lame person would keep better organized. Louie reacted badly to the whole play. I think the smell of “P’s” dog triggered him and he hid under the bed. I didn’t get him back out from under there until morning.

I couldn’t spend any more time on the apartment as the rent crisis is still THE CRISIS. I still needed a little more than $100 to cover June’s rent, let alone the $1700 I need to cover the back rent. So I left my choked up apartment and took my sweaty smelly body on the road to drive cab.

And it all went so well. Short rides, long rides, good people. One young lady was leaving a birthday party at the Marathon, because she was recently sober and found it hard to take. I told her that I was 30 years sober myself. The ride went quiet for almost the entirety of it, but when I got to her building out on Foster, she turned and asked me if it was worth it to be sober. I told her that it was, but it takes time. I told her that it often feels like things get worse at first, but that it does get better. I think she wanted to ask me much more but didn’t dare to until she was able to leave the car. I understand.

I drove a stage hand from the Moda Center all the way down to Oregon City. Such a cool guy, but at the end of the ride, he told me that he had to stop driving because his eyes struggle with the light: he’s going blind.

I next drove a couple from Milwaukie, up to PDX. By now I had a solid balance of cash and credit fares. When I dropped them off at PDX, I then got an order at PDX to take a guy up into Hazel Dell. This man had been having one hellacious journey, between cancelled flights, mechanical issues, re routings due to weather. He said he’d been trying to fly home for about 24 hours. So, I said to him: Good News! When you’re getting in the cab your troubles are over, you are as good as home! Yes, I pretty much talked in exclamations. He was a nice guy. As we got on 205 north and headed onto the Glen Jackson Bridge, an object that looked a bit like a brown shopping bag appeared in front of my car. Turns out it was solid, and it destroyed both of my tires on the right side. I guess when you get in the cab, you’re not as good as home.

He was a cool guy, and dispatch did as I asked and got a driver out to the bridge within 10 minutes. I was glad to see my customer off, I was enjoying the conversation, we were talking about Muddy Waters’ FATHERS AND SONS album just before “O” drove up in another radio cab. In another 10 minutes the tow truck showed up.

Money was so tight that I only tipped the tow-truck driver $10. I felt bad, but he seemed happy with it. Later in the morning, and smelling more ripe than I normally do, I went in to RCC to get my credit card money. $85 had been deducted for a permit to pick up wheelchair fares in Washington County. I can’t express with enough indignation how uninterested I am in picking anyone up in Washington County at all. I literally strive to never go there. At any rate, I made my rent with just $29 to spare.

P.S. I gave that big bag of weed that I took off the customer who failed to pay for her ride, to "P" as a thank you for the free sofa.

#diary of the the New Mr. X #diaries #ambitious projects. #people who live and work at night #cab drivers #diary #Sofa

[ffactory]

#Public Image Ltd #PiL #Flowers of Romance #40 years ago today

[total-derangement-of-the-senses]

Song of the Day

13 Jan., ‘21

#Song of the Day #Public Image Ltd. #Flowers Of Romance #music #Spotify