Background
Public Image Ltd returned in 2009, after a 17-year hiatus. John Lydon financed the reunion using money he earned doing a UK TV commercial for Country Life butter. He said "The money that I earned from that has now gone completely – lock stock and barrel – into reforming PiL". [3]
In November 2009, when asked if PiL would re-enter the studio to record new material Lydon said "Yes, if I raise the money from this [tour], I most definitely will." [4] The new line-up (consisting of Lydon, earlier members Bruce Smith and Lu Edmonds, plus multi-instrumentalist Scott Firth) began touring in December 2009.
On 1 July 2011, PiL entered Steve Winwood's studio in the Cotswolds and began recording new material. [5] Lydon said "it was the only place we could afford. It was this barn, in the middle of the Cotswolds, with nothing for inspiration but sheep – and I don't like sheep particularly." [6] PiL left the studio in August and in September it was revealed that they had recently completed their new album.
In February 2012, it was officially announced that a 4 track EP entitled One Drop would be released for Record Store Day on 21 April and This Is PiL would be released on 28 May. [7]
Reception
Upon its release, This is PiL received mostly favourable reviews from music critics. [8] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66 based on 25 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [8] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, stating that the album "both recalls their glory days and contradicts them at the same time". [11] Mojo's Andrew Perry said "it's simply a joy to hear Lydon in fine voice, getting stuck into thorny matters with his unique, raw-nerve gusto, backed by a cookin' band". [13]
Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork considered it "not terrible" and "hollow" but also as "a reminder of the band's former genius and a treat for longtime fans who should appreciate at least half the album as solid PiL work". [16] Paste considered the arrangements as "dull, ordinary and unforgivably sluggish" before describing Lydon's voice as "a scratchy, breathless whimper". [15]
In the United Kingdom, the album entered at number 35 at the end of the first week, before falling to number 89 on its second week. [19]
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