Album

Album/Cassette/Compact Disc
Cover of the CD edition
Studio album by Public Image Ltd.
Released	February 3, 1986 (1986-02-03)
Recorded	1985, Electric Lady Studios, The Power Station, Quadrasonic Sound Studios, RPM Sound Studios, New York City
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	40:55
Label	Virgin/Elektra
Producer	John Lydon, Bill Laswell
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (B+) link Trouser Press (very favorable) link
Public Image Ltd. chronology
This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get (1984) Album (1986) Happy? (1987)

Album (also known as Compact Disc or Cassette depending on the format) is the fifth studio album by English rock band Public Image Ltd., released on February 3, 1986 (1986-02-03). It features John Lydon backed by a group of musicians assembled by producer Bill Laswell, including Steve Vai, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tony Williams and Ginger Baker.

The packaging concept is a pastiche of generic brand products. Flipper, a punk band from San Francisco, California, had released an album with the same concept and a near-identical name, Album - Generic Flipper, in 1982. Later in 1986, Flipper retaliated by releasing a live album entitled Public Flipper Limited Live 1980-1985.

In the liner notes of PiL's Plastic Box compilation (1999), Lydon remarked that Album was "almost like a solo album" since he was working on his own with several musicians. He said that Miles Davis came into the studio while the album was being recorded and commented that Lydon sang like Davis played the trumpet. Lydon said it was "still the best thing anyone's ever said to me." ^[1]

Track listing

Listed on the album cover as "Ingredients"

1. "F.F.F." (John Lydon, Bill Laswell) – 5:32
2. "Rise" (Lydon, Laswell) – 6:04
3. "Fishing" (Lydon, Jebin Bruni, Mark Schulz) – 5:20
4. "Round" (Lydon, Schulz) – 4:24
5. "Bags" (Lydon, Bruni, Schulz) – 5:4
6. "Home" (Lydon, Laswell) – 5:49
7. "Ease" (Lydon, Bruni) – 8:09

Personnel

• John Lydon – vocals
• Tony Williams – drums on 1 2 6
• Ginger Baker – drums on 3 4 5 7
• Bernard Fowler – backing vocals
• Ryuichi Sakamoto – Fairlight CMI on 2 3 5 7
• Nicky Skopelitis – guitar on 1 2 3 4 6
• Steve Vai – guitar
• Jonas Hellborg - bass

Additional personnel

• Shankar – electric violin on 2 4
• Bernie Worrell – organ on 1 4 6, Yamaha DX7 on 3
• Malachi Favors – acoustic bass on 3 5
• Steve Turre – didjeridu on 7
• Aïyb Dieng – chatan pot drums on 4

Charts

Album

Notes