Music Library: Pterodactyl, Public Enemy, Public Image Ltd., Pulp, Pulsars, James and Bobby Purify, Pushtwangers, Pussy Galore, Pylon

Pterodactyl - Pterodactyl (2007). Fun Beefheartian spaz-rock.

Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush The Show (1987), It Takes A Nation Of Million To Hold Us Back (1988), and Fear Of A Black Planet (1990). As with other heavy-hitters I've gone through recently, this white middle-aged man concludes that he has little to contribute to any discussion of Public Enemy.

Public Image Ltd. - First Issue (1978), Second Edition (1980), Commercial Zone (1983), and Greatest Hits, So Far (compilation, 1978-90). These first two albums are absurdly great, all dub bass courtesy of Jah Wobble and Keith Levene's wailing industrial guitars while John Lydon (nee Rotten) whine-screams his objections to the modern world. Commercial Zone is Levene's protest album, as he stole the master tapes for the future This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get album during a dispute with Lydon and released these tracks himself. The compilation is okay, but shows how far from grace Public Image fell in 12 years. Check out this video, in which Lydon makes it up as he goes and has a hell of a time subverting the institution of American Bandstand.



Pulp - Different Class (1995). Sneering at British society just as much as Lydon, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker softened the blow with pop music not unlike later Roxy Music or Belle and Sebastian instead of Public Image's abrasive sound. Hard to argue which is more subversive.

The Pulsars - "Technology."Another orphan of unknown origin in my collection. Electropoppy.

James and Bobby Purify - Shake A Tail Feather: The Best Of James And Bobby Purify (1966-68). Perhaps the best ambassadors for the Muscle Shoals Sound.



Pushtwangers - "Naked In My Car."This orphan is power-poppy.

Pussy Galore - Exile On Main St. (1986) and Sugarshit Sharp EP (1988). A brilliant track-for-track deconstruction of the Stones album and a top-notch post-punk EP. Not bad at all. Warning: lots of dirty words in the clip below.



Pylon - Gyrate (1980) and Hit (1979-83). Truly excellent Athens (GA)-based post-punk band. You cannot go wrong listening to Pylon.