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Public Image Limited - One Drop EP

PiL One Drop vinyl EP (PiLOfficial)
One Drop / I Must Be Dreaming / The Room I Am In / Lollipop Opera

 

How apt that PiL should make their return on vinyl, specifically 12” vinyl, a format embraced by the group since Death Disco in 1979. The first thing to grab you is the glossy high grade card cover, again a throwback to those early pioneering 12” singles, complete with back inner dust sleeve. The presentation is completed by the striking PiL logo label, given a reworking to reflect the cover design.  Would the care put into the packaging be reflected by the musical content?

Lead song One Drop, already familiar to many via Soundcloud, finds John announcing his return, or more importantly the return of PiL, to the world. “We come from chaos, you cannot change us” shows John’s attitude has remained consistent, regardless of the differing means he adopts to put it across. Surprisingly commercial, with an unshakeable hook “One drop in all of this ocean” and steely guitar reminiscent of early PiL, it’s a confident return.

I Must Be Dreaming, is for me the most experimental track on the EP. PiL have always made challenging music, and this track had me thinking long and hard as to its meaning. Negative, self destructive dreams are clearly a concern of John’s, and he appears to be warning against the pitfalls. The music reflects the lyrics; dreamlike, mellow and spiky.

There seems to be a theme of breaking out of society’s confines on the EP, and both The Room I Am In and Lollipop Opera shine a light on this. The Room I Am In has a lineage traceable all the way back to Religion. It’s an atmospheric piece; bleak, stark, haunting. It is perhaps the surprise stand out cut on the EP conjuring up images of a childhood trapped – maybe John’s bout of meningitis lies within this song? Or maybe it provides a mirror of others trapped within a life of despair? “Also in heaven” he sings. Ambiguous?  Perhaps. Like all good song writing, the interpretation is open to the listener.

If any song suits the 12” vinyl format, it’s Lollipop Opera. There is some unique instrumentation, invoking aboriginal imagery, enhanced by the vinyl format which imbues the music with a warmth lost with digital formats. It’s boundary pushing, with the intense ranting of the chorus contrasting with the claustrophobic setting. Like The Room I Am In, there is a feeling of being constrained within a single space. A dash of humour completes the song, “The hotel smells? Well it can't have been me, I weren't there.”

One Drop EP is not a rock ‘n’ roll record. It’s a PiL record. It is perhaps closest to late 1980s PiL, with a splash of 1979, but with modern, thoughtful production and fresh instrumentation. Like the best PiL, the first listening results in some head scratching, forcing you to return and invest more time in the music for the splendour to slowly evolve. It is a journey worth embarking upon. PiL are still out there, in every sense, and the vinyl format is perfect for their return.

Place the needle in the groove, put your headphones on and listen, and listen again. An incredible observational soundscape will emerge. PiL.... where have you been?   

Review by Phil Singleton (April 2012)

God Save The Sex Pistols ©2012 Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net
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God Save the Sex Pistols

God Save The Sex Pistols ©Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net