Listening to it on my iPhone courtesy of Rhapsody right now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Box![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/PIL_-_Metal_Box_original.jpg)
Metal Box is the second album by Public Image Ltd., released in 1979 by Virgin Records.
The title refers to the album's original packaging, which consists of a metal 16mm film canister embossed with the band's logo and containing three 12" 45rpm records. The album was reissued in 1980 as a double album titled Second Edition.
A radical departure from PiL's relatively conventional debut, the avant garde, abstract Metal Box was characterised by singer John Lydon's cryptic vocals, Jah Wobble's propulsive dub reggae-inspired basslines, and a unique, "metallic" guitar sound (guitarist Keith Levene played Travis Bean guitars which have aluminium necks). Metal Box is widely regarded as a landmark of post punk and experimental rock: In 2002, Pitchfork Media ranked Metal Box at #19 on their "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s",<1> while In 2003, the album was ranked number 469 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
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Personnel
* John Lydon - Vocals
* Keith Levene - Guitar, Synthesiser
* Jah Wobble - Bass Guitar
A paper insert lists PiL's members as "John Lydon - Keith Levene - Wobble - Jeanette Lee - Dave Crowe," though the latter two individuals were the band's videographer (though only one video, "Death Disco", was produced for the album) and accountant, respectively. Lydon also talked about Public Image Ltd. as a company in interviews.
PiL didn't have a permanent drummer at the time of recording, so the drummers are uncredited. Later interviews<3> with the people involved have established the drummers as David Humphrey (tracks 1 and 3), Richard Dudanski (2,6,7,10,11), Keith Levene (4,12), Jah Wobble (5,8), Martin Atkins (9).
Levene played all instruments on "Radio 4".
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Track listing
The track listing for the original release is as follows:
Side one
1. "Albatross" (10:32)
Side two
1. "Memories" (5:05)
2. "Swan Lake" (4:19)
Side three
1. "Poptones" (7:45)
2. "Careering" (4:32)
Side four
1. "No Birds" (4:43)
2. "Graveyard" (3:07)
Side five
1. "The Suit" (3:29)
2. "Bad Baby" (4:30)
Side six
(12:31)
1. "Socialist"
2. "Chant"
3. "Radio 4"
"Swan Lake" is an alternate version of the earlier PiL single "Death Disco".
"Graveyard" is an instrumental version of "Another", the B-side of the "Memories" single.