Poptones - PIL

[alvgen]

Oh fuckin' God.This is fantastic.

[almanngibbons]

most influential band ever.

[tomahawkbungle]

thats bass is as (jah) wobbley as it gets..pure four stringed genius..

[megadora1969]

ヴォーカル　ジョン・ライドン、　ギター　キース・レヴィン、ベース　ジャー・ウォブル（！）の３人がいたころのPILは最強です。今­聞いても凄い・・・

[Markthompson123]

hell ya

[durashka123]

God, that's amazing.



[MrBuk86]

I LOVE this version.

[poopy50832]

So Punk! me love it

[Thekijuju]

my favorite version

[trippy898]

pil were never punk . . your a dick head

[seanmoliver]

Wobble's bass is one of those killer 60's Ampegs w/ see-through f-holes and the scroll at the head w huge tuning pegs like an upright acoustic. My dad played bass professionally for 50 years until his death in '98, and owned a rare fretless version from 68-74. I loved to 'play' it when I was a toddler. He sold it in '74 when he decided to play only jazz & classical gigs from then on, using his 1826 Italian-made upright. No more playing those god-awful 'rock n roll' gigs for him!

[Silverblade2345]

Beautiful tune and great live performance.

In some ways prefer this version & the Peel session version of Poptones to the actual version on Metal Box.

Either way tho - just how ridiculously good is this?

Beautiful.

[EddieHitler1000]

@Silverblade2345 true that bass is shit hot



[glassineheart]

three people have shit taste in all aspects of life

[myeverchangingmoods]

Brilliant comment by poughkeepsiejohn1!

[jasonbigelow]

If i was ever going to murder someone,we'd take a long drive with this on repeat.

[notdeadjustlazy]

Johnny juiced up to the eyeballs lol.

[CONSIDERABLYMORE1]

Whenever I feel depressed I spend a day or a week listening to Metal Box, in particular this masterpiece, and all of a sudden I start to feel happier. Seriously.

[SincereCreature]

If this isn't auditory art, I don't know what is.

[lancetop]

so far ahead of it's time, that it's still out of most people's grasp.

[ozzylemmy]

@lancetop Not mine.Iwant your interpretation of the lyrics to compare to mine.For fun.Everybody interprets thing s totally different.Im curious to see if were even close.But if your from johnnys country or area youll get somethin g totally different cause you know the culture which puts a different play on words and things.Sorry ,bye not mine Iment not far ahead of my time .Ive listened to this guy since 80's.Thank you .Please respond.

[NUMBERONETANARNOID]

Music's not too bad. I agree about the hypnotic bass; and guitar and drums quite nice too. Shame about that useless little prick bleating all over it.

[Spraycando]

@NUMBERONETANARNOID Well stop singing along to it.

[NUMBERONETANARNOID]

@Spraycando How long did it take you to think of that? Very poor - must try harder.

[reggaestones]

mucho style

[johnnykaka66]

totally underrated

[Thekijuju]

this is my favorite version

[colesalvator]

beautiful sounds here...acid mothers temple's "pink lady lemonade" reminds me of this sometimes ..

[The12ozBucket]

oddest,strangest, very hypnotic bass line,beautifully played.

[Dr0ctave]

Anybody got any idea what that weird triangular-bodied guitar is? I've never seen one before.

This song is really beautiful. Metal Box is such a great album, good to listen to when you're feeling isolated and weird...

[johnmcluskey]

I have just started getting into PiL recently and the one thing I noticed is Jah Wobble sticks out like a sore thumb in the 70's/80's era for his bass sound. Nice harmonics and a great low end groove style with a pretty unique sound that's reggae and rock fused. He's a natural bass player and listening to PiL is awesome. John Lydon has to be recognised as one of the best men in musical history. He's also a very funny guy too when you hear him on tv. Don't make them like they used too..

[disappear]

Pop Tones, AKA....The riff to Nirvana's "Milk It"

[GikeMoldberg]

@disappear no. u have a vivid imagination if you think milk it is a rip off of this. 

[disappear]

@GikeMoldberg Well "rip off" is probably the wrong word, but PIL's metal box / second edition was a HUGE influence on the making In Utero, even Kurt acknowledged that. Is the riff the same, in the same way that intro to "Smells like Teen Spirit" is similar to the bridge in that Boston song? No....but it is similar (probably more the bass and drums, than the guitar really). But yeah, its not the same, but I totally can hear the similarities, if nothing else, in the rhythm.

[disappear]

@disappear You just have to slow it down just a few notches, and its totally there. Its no where near the same song, like Killing Joke's "Eighties" mirrored "Something in the Way", but you can still totally hear the inspiration. (At least I can)

[Eddyfilm]

@disappear A Boston Song? Do you mean like Brad Delp Boston? Are you referring to the Pixies, a Boston band who Nirvana confessed to have basically ripped off "smells like teen spirit" in terms of style?

[GikeMoldberg]

@Eddyfilm no. he means boston. teen spirit is a riff similar to more than a feeling. similar rhythm in the guitar riff, both have 4 chords that change every 2 beats and repeat,etc.

[stevejah7]

Programmes like OGWT were great because there were no tosspot audiences like you get on Later with Jools, which is basically the Top Gear of music programmes : (

[alejandro75595]

Uno de los mejores grupos de rock, sin duda. Desde México

[oldtuber47]

CAW! CAW! CAW! I didn't realise PIL had been on the OGWT. Still sounds great after all these years; I saw PIL in Toronto in 1982, & Rock City Nottingham England in 83. CAW! CAW! CAW! (Much prefer PIL to the Pistols).

[closetome]

jah bless

[MiffiMuffin]

I love this song, it has this awesome melancholia to it. One of the best PiL songs, but actually all their songs are bloody fantastic.

[rakabasha]

Yes, the bassline is fantastic. But PiL was everything about Keith Levene, not Jah Wobble.

[notdeadjustlazy]

@rakabasha Idiot, it was about everyone in the band not just one player.

[markusa]

the latest version of pil is a sick joke compared to this.

[missSuchashame]

I'm so glad I got the chance to see them live! saw them last week, and maaaan they are still tight!

[FredGreenbucket100]

Best Bass line in music!!..

[prgvidiot]

What this life needs now is Levene, Lydon and Wobble to get back together before one of them dies.

[LEdPRINCEgirl]

god he's so FIT.

[Skincat71]

Jesus look at the pupils at 2.16. Speeding!

[kiribula]

@jeffbeckgeek1 How old are you ?

[crybabywithoutacause]

great album, more people should hear it

[akabak]

Super Release! Saw live Performance of this tour! :))))))

[JormaX]

keith levene got kicked out of the clash cos of him being late on rehearsals and using too much speed.. but yeah he is quite a lad. Being a guitar player and unique. great shit is this!! love it.

[easepleaseme]

Interesting, i've always liked PIL more than the SP's- ironically i always found them to be more risque...but I didn't know about this stuff...I'm going to get into this.

[JelsenInnocent]

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.

[kohlemainen]

This is so...beautiful :)

[giggie]

fuckin brilliant ! still ahead of its time !

[Spraycando]

Metal Box. One of the best albums ever.

[derelict74]

@Spraycando Absolutely!!!

[MrBuk86]

@Spraycando Yes, it is. PIL were great in their beginnings.

[MrBollockFace]

truly, truly awful, makes me want to swallow my own vomit whilst shitting onto my left hand while piss dribbles down my right leg, John Lydon is an insufferable cunt as well, much love

[poughkeepsiejohn1]

You've got to hand it to Johnny Rotten (or John Lydon). He went from working with the worst bass player in rock, Sid Vicious, to the best bass player in rock, Jah Wobble.

[ozzymanod411]

ugh you used the term "rock" but yes wobble is amazing and vicious is crap

[CerebralCrisis]

Amen.

[liamevans]

@poughkeepsiejohn1 Good point. And all three shared a squat/flat at some point in time too. The three Johns.

[tubbythug92]

@poughkeepsiejohn1

It was all about attitude, and Sid had that attitude.

[youhavegeniusshins]

@poughkeepsiejohn1 Yea true. I don't know if Wobble is "the best," but his tone is awesome. Nothing sounds better to me than really dead bass strings. Cool band.

[GAREMPOTS]

@youhavegeniusshins saw jah wobble with raiders of the heart his influince he got fom reggae jim walker was the heartbeat even when wobble left after metal box they did a drum album called flowers of romance great original beats

[TheAnarchist33]

@poughkeepsiejohn1 Actually, he worked both projects simultaneously and they were all friends and were known as "The Johns"...

[invictorium]

@poughkeepsiejohn1 hahaha so true

[tomahawkbungle]

@poughkeepsiejohn1 agreed man.that bass is far out.

[SFFOOL76]

@poughkeepsiejohn1

He pulled a 180 for sure.

[glennwithers]

i dont know what you cunts are on about ,15, i just like this song

[AleixPB]

Great John

5/5

[Blink182DudeRanch]

that bass line is so catchy great band, great frontman, great song

[mimesis6mime]

I saw an interview with Keith he said he left the clash because he hated their sound

so he walked out

clash are ok but over rated

The original PIL is great like the Pistols

[dawncrk23]

Mimesis - I agree completely. Clash are over-rated. However, London Calling is a classic. The Sex Pistols ruled over the Clash and every other punk band in the '70's. Most of these Clash freaks here on you tube weren't even born then, and have fallen for that "the only band that matters" crap. Joe, may he R.I.P. - I certainly miss him anyway.

[mimesis6mime]

London Calling is great, the Clash were at their best when they were having fun. really like guns of brixton.

From this whole era the best and most radical band really was Joy Division. Most stunning and most beautiful.

But PIL was damn interesting and John was one of the few performers to trade up the music that made him famous.

[dawncrk23]

Mimesis - Yeah, Joy Division. Hard to imagine how a band could get that far, far out. Beautiful. New Order had some classics, too. They were a great '80's band, no doubt about it. My fave '80's band is probably one of the most under-rated and disrespected: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Psychedelic Furs!

[mimesis6mime]

Psychadelic Furs, great band, underrated

But yeah, Joy Division is really the best band to come out of England in the seventies. All the energy of punk but with such a dark interesting sound. They brought real empathy into music like no one before.

Ian Curtis really could write about loneliness and isolation.

[MattMartinHare]

Joy Division were obviously great, but when it's late at night and I'm in that chilling, hypnotic early British post-punk mood, you're much more likely to find me blasting Metal Box through my headphones than Closer or Unknown Pleasures. I just find PIL to be closer to me heart. I think it's that godly bass... Well, that and my preference for Johnny Lydon over Ian Curtis as a singer.

[mimesis6mime]

Yeah, Lydon really is in a room by himself. I've been listening to the early Pistols recordings lately and fuck if he's not made of electricity.

That same energy comes across with PIL, you can really feel how excited they were about what they were doing.

[MattMartinHare]

Still, neither band quite touches the brilliance of Wire for me. They're my pick for the true genius's of that era, followed closely by The Fall...

Top British Post-Punk:

Wire

Fall

PIL

Gang Of Four

The Pop Group

Swell Maps

Young Marble Giants

[mimesis6mime]

Love Wire. The 15th is probably one of the best songs ever written.

If you haven't already check out Fischerspooner cover of the 15th, its amazing. I wouldn't compare it up against the original but its definately worth a listen.

[norvegicusbass]

I agree with your list but would have Joy Division in there at number one

[desasterz]

What about JOy Division?

[sonicjoydivisonswans]

@desasterz what about The Birthday Party.

[brunosis]

@sonicjoydivisonswans The Birthday party were Australian. My guess is that's why they don't figure in a Top British Post Punk' list.

[sonicjoydivisonswans]

@MattMartinHare I agree!

[dawncrk23]

Mimesis - another thing is John could only sing about 3 notes, but he's undoubtedly one of the greatest singers in the history of rock and roll. Like Jack White said: It's all about attitude!

[mimesis6mime]

Hell Yeah. I read John's autobio and he's one guy who came from total poverty and just never gave a fuck. Always inspires me, a rag to rags story!

[ozzymanod411]

wrong

[ozzymanod411]

yep your wrong because you've been brainwashed to focus on class and materials and yes i try to beat my cock once a day but you know (kids around blah blah blah)

[mimesis6mime]

Being poor is being hungry

if rich people eat well and poor people don't, thats the effect of 'class'

what are you trying to say, as a child i was 'brainwashed' into thinking about food?

when you ate one meal a day as a child what did you 'focus' on?

try living on cereal and peanut butter for one week and then talk to me about brainwash you stupid fuck

[ozzymanod411]

haha you obviously where brainwashed into thinking about food because i didn't bring it up at all

[ExMachine]

And you've been brainwashed -not- to think about it. The only question is which is preferable.

[ozzymanod411]

i'm suprized i'm saying this but you bring up a valid point, thank you

[Babaziba]

Jack White also said the drummer was his sister.

[dvdprkr]

i heard keith got kicked out cause he injected speed while the other members of the clash weren't that hardcore about it...

and i like "lost in the supermarket" and this song, too...

[TheNancyRotten]

i love johnny

[johnnyrotten1977punk]

I luv him so much(*^^*)

[dawncrk23]

Someplace I read that Keith Levene was in the original Clash, which turns out to be true. I'll bet $1000 he didn't stay in the Clash because he refused to wear skintight black pants & combat boots & scoot around the stage like a faggot like the other Clash members did. Check out the vid for 1977, which isn't even really that song, but they're all scooting around like they REALLY NEED to take a shit instantly. It's hilarious seeing Paul Simonon watching Mick & Joe, trying but failing to keep up.

[Horsemanray]

They dressed like total idiots(the clash). Lost in the supermarket comes across as being from the perspective of a retarded person.

[ThisIsRuthie]

I think he got kicked out because he was a dick and wouldn't show up for rehearsals. Great guitarist though. I love both the Clash and PIL.

[leecorey1]

If your american fuck you for your taste. If your british, ill kick your ass when you get to hell.

[dawncrk23]

You British are so played out, you can't kick anyone's ass. The Americans always have to save you sorry wankers. If you'd quit wanking each other and learn to fight, it might be different for you.

[najmar101]

possibly the greatest band ever -they were avant garde without being pretentious  or inaccessible and were totally natural to boot."metal box " is probably the most radical and uncompromising album ever to get into the top 10.

[dawncrk23]

najmar - not sure about the greatest band ever, but certainly in the top five, along with the Stones, Captain Beefheart, the Psychedelic Furs, and the Sex Pistols. This song right here? It's just beautiful, there is no other way I can describe it. Leave it to Johnny to be in two of the greatest bands ever! My favorite song of theirs? Annalisa by a mile. Talk about avant garde, that song is the essence of it.

[kwakky]

lol @ "possibly the greatest band ever"

[eme1969]

he should pick it up again, pil is hot

[thedoorsforevermore]

sexy rotten!

[khurit]

sometimes i listen to p.i.l. .... and i eat a nice sandwich made of coloured fat

i love earth

[stevedire]

Great song, great performance. The only love song ever written by the punk movement. After PIL punk has disappeared.

[PoorDeadBat]

Whats with this being a video response to two girls acting completely silly dancing to an emo song? Hmph.

[rhubarbcub]

Modern marketing? I dunno...

[neuefreiradikal]

the cockneys and yanks are fighting, oh no, maybe they'll continue to call each faggots and point out various cultural dissimilarities, why do people waste their fucking time on insulting each other on fucking youtube, and punk isn't fucking dead you fucking, anyone who says it is, is a filthy rotten sod

[triplefi66]

Cheers for posting this.

Great song

Even better than the album version (metal box).....slower , more sinister

The cassette played..........

[eskil9800]

woo, internet fight!

[npowerjohn]

PiL was the best band of the 80's. Better than the millions of hippie haired metal shat from USA.

[track8fodderstompf]

atleast we dont have to use trucks to get us to the bottom of the street : ) FAT FUCKS

[track8fodderstompf]

best food on earth : ) and dont watch FOOTBALL, I play it, because im not fat : )

FAGGOT

[dawncrk23]

npower - being a yank and having been alive and conscious and listening to music in the '80's, I agree with you 100%. There were lots of great British bands back then, like the Furs, New Order & the Cure. In a lot of ways, PIL were the best. They were certainly the most intellectually honest, not to mention scary band around. I mean, really, was anyone ever really afraid of Motley Crue? I will admit Guns Roses had a touch of menace to them, but they were choirboys compared to the British.

[dawncrk23]

2nd reply to npower - However, you have to admit some USA bands from the '80's were great, like Husker Du, the Minutemen, the Replacements, Pixies, Black Flag, and Sonic Youth. All of these bands were rougher around the edges that most British bands of that era, but they were great nonetheless. The only thing that ever remotely scared me about Motley Crue was the possibility that Vince Neil's pants might split open, but I guess those kinds of pants don't tear. Thank God.

[FernyBass007]

best bass line!!! makes me feel dancing in my mind will listening to this on the underground!!!!

[indicadubman]

one of Johns best love it 5star

[markusa]

yes thats martin

pil were better then the shambles that is now the sex pistols..... what a shame lydon ended up selling butter for fucks sake.

[indicadubman]

if you look deep into it he is still taking the piss out of the money men think about it

[earinsound]

is this Martin Atkins on drums??

[forafewneedlesmore]

Lydon , Wobble and Levene MUST get back together ASAP ... saw Lydon with the Pistols at the Brixton Academy last year , I'm missing part II of that though ... a PIL reunion is more than due

[Samaflame]

Lydon is different from rotten. He has made that clear

[pleasureavalanche]

fuck yes

[vaspers]

congratulations. today this video was selected by the NYC Punk Rock Evolution Foundation. love it.

[Gundahm]

my favorite song from PiL

Lydon is better than Rotten

i know they are the same people but still

[WoodRatGirl]

It's Poetry with a Punk twist.

[Cureheadlany]

Love this song,it's full of life.

[Fetrey]

This is post-punk at it's finest.

[markeesmith]

Pure genius. Wobble and Levene were INCREDIBLE!

[Bassmaster86]

look at Keith Levine's guitar....its awesome

[violentrainX]

Gotta respect a man who does everything possible to keep society from defining him. Johnny Rotten/John Lydon is just as good with PIL as with Sex Pistols. It is a different genre, and a completely different tone.

His voice is the greatest thing about this. Taking Punk Rock and turning it into something Complex.

[japicuca]

It is John Lydon voice what fails. Guitar and bass are very good. J.Lydon was good singing with the Sex Pistols (rage,hate,anger). I think he tried, honestly, with Pil to do something different, experimental, but he didn´t o could´nt find the right phrasing.

[JAYROX1969]

I don't agree, his voice is what makes his songs unique, i think his vocal style suits PIL just as much as the Sex Pistols.

[helloEM1]

I agree with JAYROX1969, Johnny's unique voice fits in perfectly with the dreamy guitar and bass. PiL's sound was very original.

[kangaroocomedy]

PIL Compared to The Pistols??...cant be done..its like saying why doesnt Mozart compose music like the way Monet paints ...totally different art forms, but both art...if you understand that you are winning

[vanilla845]

honestly this was the the roots of the 90's rock genre they all took different parts and rode with it. they just took segments man this some good stuff. i mean come on are you always that sex pistols high energy. if you are then you must be on crack. gotta mellow down sometime pal

[KingYumYum]

i'm sorry for saying this but PiL just seems like a depressing let-down compared to the exciting sexuality and impact of the sex pistols.

if you thumbs down me, you're a boring person who's not open to opinions.

[Gundahm]

hahah kin yum yum is an idiot sex pistols better than PiL never

ever ever an as for Lydon advertising butter hes old now leave him alone he grew up

[Sarge7777]

Good Song cant stop Listening... poptones...

[Annamandabella]

God Damn This Song is HEAVY. The Epitome of Post Punk.!!!! If It Weren't For That Little Man Band That "Continued" On It All, This Woulda ' Been The Definer .FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[honchler]

ride to the forest in a japanese car, the smell of rubber on concrete tar......

and don't forget, fuck maclaren - he sucks!

[BaraCrash]

oh yeah i'm lovin' it! :)

[neildonoghue]

jah wobble there on bass im getting into so much music from that man apart from PIL...Solaris Live 2002 is a journey...this is just legendary..Really want that Metal Box on vinyl :)))

[jubilee64]

As good today as it was back then, a slice of surreal genius, thanks for sharing. What's the singer up to nowadays? Hope he's not performing 30 year old songs to loads of people with little imagination living in the past, wouldn't that be oh so cruel irony.....

[hysteresiscure]

No, he's advertising Country Life British Butter at the moment.

Kill your idols.

[glassbreaker5791]

i love the hypnotic groove. weird, surreal lyrics just complete the whole image. i could drift off to this so easily.

[peterdunkley]

Ah, memories! Cracking stuff - great bass from Wobble

[Blinko420]

Man lydon was on sum good acid

[DeeDonner]

I bought this in the Spring of 1980, POP TONES was in my head constantly...

[sysvrev0]

me too! perhaps we shared heads that year!

[drjohnpreston]

fuckin tune and half. pisses on boring fuckin greenday shite.

[bowyer56]

and most other shite for that matter