I could be wrong...

"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon)
02/04/2014 at 12:29 • Filed to: None

But Steve Vai, Ginger Baker, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Johnny Rotten doing a song about South African apartheid is still manically weird almost 30 years later. Probably one of the most bizarre combinations of musicians to ever record an undisputedly classic album.

DISCUSSION (14)

505Turbeaux > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:30

love this jam

quarterlifecrisis > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:34

Ginger Baker has lived in South Africa for a reallllllyyyyy long time.

That's all I have to add to that.

Chairman Kaga > 505Turbeaux
02/04/2014 at 12:35

PiL proved John Lydon was a serious musician. Such a deep catalog of some really interesting, varied music. Metal, dub, punk, electronic, jazz, world, whatever. I can't believe PiL never got more acclaim and recognition than they did. Just as groundbreaking and listenable as anything Wax Trax, Factory, or 4AD were doing.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:36

Needs more James Hunt.

505Turbeaux > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:37

it is a true thing. It was still off the wall as anything, but utterly listenable, especially for alot of the crap that was out at the time. I think the release was just a few years off to make a big impact

Gamecat235 > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:41

But... Ginger wasn't on Rise was he? I thought Tony Williams was on drums for that one. And how can you leave out Skopelitis?

Album was groundbreaking.

Chairman Kaga > 505Turbeaux
02/04/2014 at 12:49

Something else I think is so interesting about Album in particular is how well Lydon got along with the "session players". I was reading an interview with Steve Vai about his experience dealing with Lydon, and how intimidated he was (bear in mind this is a guy who went pro with Zappa), but how they instantly connected over Lydon's crystal-clear vision fot he record and the sounds it should contain. They are both such perfectionists and technicians that there were zero personality conflicts for the limited amount of time they spent working together, and they've managed to stay acquainted over the years. Sort of flies directly against the general public image of Lydon.

Chairman Kaga > Gamecat235
02/04/2014 at 12:51

You could be right.

There were no song credits on the album at all. I know they both played, and if it was Williams, that's even cooler.

505Turbeaux > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:54

yeah, he cultivated that perception himself in the 70's with the pistols, but I knew he was more substantive as a talent than he let on. That is really cool about the relationship with Vai, never heard about that.

I decided to rock some Gang of Four for the rest of the afternoon in this vein

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > quarterlifecrisis
02/04/2014 at 12:54

Lucky bastard is sitting in warm sunshine right now while I freeze my arse off.

Gamecat235 > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 12:55

I remember reading somewhere that it was Williams, and that Miles himself was in the studio when Williams was there. God to be present for those sessions.

(The list of insane performers with PIL over the years is simply absurd, Wobble, Worrell, Williams, Vai, Baker, Sakamoto, Skopelitis, Levene...)

Chairman Kaga > Gamecat235
02/04/2014 at 13:03

Absolutely. Musicians WANTED to work on PiL records because they were basically given freedom to do whatever insane thing came to mind - as long as it jibed with Lydon's overall vision. He didn't micromanage though. Really fascinating. Has more in common with Peter Gabriel or Robert Fripp than Malcolm McLaren. This is a band that every musician should be familiar with. So much depth!

Roadster Man > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 13:10

Ryuichi Sakamoto is the MAN. I love his stuff.

JEM > Chairman Kaga
02/04/2014 at 14:49

Well, now that we're discussing PiL on jalopnik I can pretty much shut down the internet for the rest of the week...

Still remember buying this tape used as a teenager, what a great thing to find. Still love this song.