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PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.

John Lydon's post-Pistols project parlayed its post-punk mix of dub, avant garde, and rock into (unlikely) pop hits. One of the first and most significant post-punk bands, Public Image Ltd. (PiL) were originally a quartet led by singer John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten, born January 31, 1956) and guitarist Keith Levene, who had been a member of the Clash in one of its early lineups. The band was filled out by bassist Jah Wobble (John Wordle) and drummer Jim Walker. It was formed in the wake of the 1978 breakup of Lydon's former group, the Sex Pistols. For the most part, the band's early incarnation devoted itself to droning, slow-tempo, bass-heavy noise rock, overlaid by Lydon's distinctive, vituperative rant.  "SECOND EDITION"

<released in the UK as a limited edition 3x12" (45 RPM) titled Metal Box, which was packaged in a round Metal Box>

1979        2LP    ISLAND RECORDS     2WX 3288

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.     ORIGINAL PRESSING 

GATEFOLD SLEEVE

NOTES: Originally released in the UK as a limited edition 3x12" (45 RPM) titled Metal Box, which was packaged in a round metal box.   Warner Brothers in North America didn't want to pay for the extra packaging and triple vinyl, so it was changed to a 2x12" (33 RPM) in a standard gatefold sleeve, and the title changed to Second Edition. Virgin UK used this format & title for a reissue in early 1980 once the original Metal Box sold out.   "Swan Lake" was titled "Swan Lake (Death Disco)" on Metal Box, and is a slightly different version of the track "Death Disco" that was released as a single in June, 1979. 

Although the album has a Warner Bros. catalog number, the album cover and labels use the Island logo.

Matrix notes: "STERLING" is stamped, the preceding matrix info is etched.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Barcode: (scanned) 075992328814  (text) 0 7599-23288-1

Label Code: none

Label: ISLAND - LIGHT&DEEP BLUE LABEL w/ISLAND LOGO - BLACK/WHITE TEXT

Catalog on cover: 2WX 3288 

Catalog on labels: WX 3288

Matrix / Runout (Side A, Etched): 2WX-1-3288 WW1  —◁  (Stamped): STERLING

Matrix / Runout (Side B, Etched): 2WX-2-3288 WW1  —◁  (Stamped): STERLING

Matrix / Runout (Side A, Etched): 2WX-3-3288 WW2  —◁  (Stamped): STERLING

Matrix / Runout (Side B, Etched): 2WX-4-3288 WW1  —◁  (Stamped): STERLING

On labels: All Words and Music by........

All Selections Published by..........

 Produced by Public Image Ltd.

℗1979 Warner Bros. Records Inc.

(Side A & C only) rim text reads "All Rights...........Reserved"

(Side B & D only) rim text reads "Unauthorised...........Prohibited"

On Back Sleeve: Lyrics & Credits

© ℗ 1979 Warner........Made in U.S.A.   © 1979 Nymph Music, Inc. (BMI)....

Manufactured & distributed by Warner.................Made in U.S.A.

tracklisting

Side A: ALBATROSS - MEMORIES

Side B: SWAN LAKE - POPTONES - CAREERING

Side C: SOCIALIST - GRAVEYARD - THE SUIT

Side D: BAD BABY - NO BIRDS - CHANT - RADIO 4

grading

RECORDS VG+ but (please, read above description)

SLEEVE VG(+) but (please, see pictures and read above description)

PiL managed to avoid boundaries for the first four years of their existence, and Metal Box is undoubtedly the apex. It's a hallmark of uncompromising, challenging post-punk, hardly sounding like anything of the past, present, or future. Sure, there were touchstones that got their imaginations running -- the bizarreness of Captain Beefheart, the open and rhythmic spaces of Can, and the dense pulses of Lee Perry's productions fueled their creative fires -- but what they achieved with their second record is a completely unique hour of avant-garde noise. Originally packaged in a film canister as a trio of 12" records played at 45 rpm, the bass and treble are pegged at 11 throughout, with nary a tinge of midrange to be found. It's all scrapes and throbs (dubscrapes?), supplanted by John Lydon's caterwauling about such subjects as his dying mother, resentment, and murder. Guitarist Keith Levene splatters silvery, violent, percussive shards of metallic scrapes onto the canvas, much like a one-armed Jackson Pollock. Jah Wobble and Richard Dudanski lay down a molasses-thick rhythmic foundation throughout that's just as funky as Can's Czukay/Leibezeit and Chic's Edwards/Rodgers. It's alien dance music. Metal Box might not be recognized as a groundbreaking record with the same reverence as Never Mind the Bollocks, and you certainly can't trace numerous waves of bands who wouldn't have existed without it like the Sex Pistols record. But like a virus, its tones have sent miasmic reverberations through a much broader scope of artists and genres. [Metal Box was issued in the States in 1980 with different artwork and cheaper packaging under the title Second Edition; the track sequence differs as well...(AllMusic)