Public Image Ltd. - Album (Super Deluxe Edition) (2016)

‘Album’, Public Image Limited's seminal 5th studio album is due to be rereleased in super-deluxe, 4LP Format in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the record. ‘Album’ will be issued in a square card box with de-bossed artwork and will include a 72 page booklet together with an exclusive poster and postcards. With its striking minimalist generic style artwork, ‘Album’ arrived in February 1986. Written by John Lydon and produced with Bill Laswell (with music for some tracks co-written with Jebin Bruni and Mark Schulz from the 1984-85 PiL live band) the album was recorded in Autumn 1985 in New York with prolific session players such as Steve Vai, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tony Williams and the legendary Cream drummer Ginger Baker. The album only took three weeks to record, followed by a week of mixing. John Lydon later remarked that ‘Album’ was, "almost like a solo album" as he was working on his own with several hired musicians. Jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman came into the studio while the album was being recorded and commented that Lydon sang like he played the saxophone. Lydon said it was, "still the best thing anyone's ever said to me." ‘Album’ peaked at No.14 in the UK charts and features perhaps the most famous PiL track 'Rise', which peaked at No.11. As well as rare and unreleased mixes from the album and single’s the deluxe edition includes the original demos recorded pre-Laswell with the 1984-85 PiL live band all of which are previously unheard. Two 12” mixes of John Lydon’s groundbreaking collaboration with hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa are also included as bonus tracks.