11. Public Image LtdFlowers Of Romance

I heard Metal Box and then I think I picked up Flowers Of Romance on my own as I was really focused on hearing the Keith Levene albums to find out where they went next. Do they make another Metal Box?They lose their bass player, which is for many people, the defining sound of that album. I would go so far as to say that PiL with Keith Levene made some of my favourite music and were a very influential band in terms of the roles each member can have. They were crucial in teaching me how to avoid getting trapped by your own music – you don’t need to be trapped playing guitar or being the singer from the Sex Pistols or not having Jah Wobble on bass, you can change and ask “what does a band mean?” I think that some of their ideas of them being a corporation were a bit pretentious, which I love. I think pretension in music is necessary to an extent. I can’t neglect to mention Jeannette Lee. I think she had a big hand in designing the cover, one of my favourites ever.