That What Is Not
Encyclopedia
That What Is Not was Public Image Ltd's eighth, and to date final album, released in 1992.
with:
"Luck's Up":
"Think Tank":
Track listing
- "Acid Drops"
- "Luck's Up"
- "Cruel"
- "God"
- "Covered"
- "Love Hope"
- "Unfairground"
- "Think Tank"
- "Emperor"
- "Good Things"
Personnel
- John LydonJohn LydonJohn Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...
- vocals - John McGeochJohn McGeochJohn Alexander McGeoch, , was a Scottish guitarist who played with a number of bands of the post-punk era, including Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Visage and Public Image Ltd....
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Allan Dias - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, background vocals
with:
- Tower of PowerTower of PowerTower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
- horns on "Covered" and "Good Things" - Gregg "J.P." Arreguin - rhythm guitar
- Curt "Kirkee B." BisqueraCurt BisqueraCurt Bisquera is a studio drummer known for his glasses and long dreadlocks. He has worked with Josh Groban, Mick Jagger, Seal, Elton John, Johnny Hallyday and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers among others. He states that his biggest thrill was playing in Madison Square Garden with Elton...
- drums, percussion - Jimmie Wood - harmonica on "Covered", "Love Hope" and "Good Things"
- Bonnie SheridanBonnie BramlettBonnie Bramlett is an American singer and sometime actress known for her distinctive vocals in rock and pop music. This began in the mid 1960s as a backing singer, forming the husband-and-wife team of Delaney & Bonnie, and continuing to the present day as a solo artist.-Life and career:Bramlett...
- background vocals on "Good Things"
Track by track commentary by band members
"Acid Drops":- John Lydon (1992): “[The song is about] censorship – that particularly relates to America, because there's a lot of vested interest groups, like all these religious fanatics. They're saying the human body, and everything connected with it, is dirty – that's wrong. I don't believe in censorship of any kind.” “Well, [using a Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
sample for the song] started off as a joke. The producerDave JerdenDave Jerden is an American record producer, engineer and mixer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock, punk rock and metal genres....
threw it in one night for a laugh. I didn't find it too funny at first! But now I think it's perfect for the song. Oh, why not? I can't take myself too seriously.” “I'd recommend him to anyone – he's the best producer I've ever worked with. He's a rarity, in that he speaks his mind. He doesn't do things for fashionable reasons.” - John McGeoch (1991): (about the new album) “It'll be dance music, pretty guitary, pretty fast. And we'll be using a real drummer because however much you humanise a drum machine beat, the feel's never the same [...] It's about half-written at the moment and I don't know where we'll end up doing it [...] I live in the country, so I'd be quite happy recording somewhere like The ManorThe Manor StudioThe Manor Studio was a recording studio in the manor house at the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England, north of the city of Oxford. It was the first residential recording studio in the UK...
, and JohnJohn LydonJohn Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...
's the same, but Allan's a real town person.” - Ted Chau (PIL tour guitarist, 2001): “I was invited to L.A. to play on 'That What Is Not' but due to timing with other things, never came off.”
"Luck's Up":
- John Lydon (1999): “'Luck's Up' is about the hopelessness of junkies and druggies.”
"Think Tank":
- John Lydon (1992/99): “'Think Tank' is me having a go back at all the people who all the time rewrite and misrepresent the events of my past, usually middle-class journalists who were never there at the time.” “Yes, ['Think Tank' is about rewriting] my history, in particular. I know JonJon SavageJon Savage , real name Jonathon Sage, is a Cambridge-educated writer, broadcaster and music journalist, best known for his award winning history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, England's Dreaming, published in 1991.-Career:...
very well – I just don't like the slant of his book with that upper-class attitude of those who know everything, while us working-class bums know nothing.”
Related tracks
"Criminal":- John Lydon (1990/99): “A whole bunch of new stuff which will be recorded in January, February, March [1991] - that way, and I think in England. I couldn't tell you who the producer is at the moment, because me and my record company are squabbling! Yes, folks, I do love to drag my dirty laundry out in public!” “'Criminal' was for the soundtrack for the movie Point BreakPoint BreakPoint Break is a 1991 action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The title refers to the surfing term point break, where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline.The film was a box office success upon...
.” - Allan Dias (2004): “It was written specifically for the movie. I think initially it was one of John McGeochJohn McGeochJohn Alexander McGeoch, , was a Scottish guitarist who played with a number of bands of the post-punk era, including Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Visage and Public Image Ltd....
's songs, or a sketch that he had, it was based on that. We went into the studio with a producer specifically to do that track, it was a one-off thing, it wasn't an outtake or anything. As I recall we were approached by someone from the movie, but I think we were in the middle of recording an album or something, possibly working on '9'9 (Public Image Ltd. album)-Personnel:*John Lydon: vocals*John McGeoch: guitar*Allan Dias: bass*Bruce Smith: drums-Track-by-track commentary by the band:"Happy?":*John Lydon : “'Happy?' was much more militant in its approach, kind of pissed off at the world. That was the attitude. But this one is much more happy, much more...
, and by the time we got the track done and put it to them it was too late to be considered for the title track. But they put it on there regardless.”
UK
- “That What Is Not” briefly entered the UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, where it stayed for 2 weeks and reached #46 on 7 March 1992. - The single “Cruel” briefly entered the UK Top 75, where it stayed for 2 weeks and reached #49 on 22 February 1992.
USA
- “That What Is Not” did not enter the Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album charts. - The song “Covered” was released as a promo CD single and entered the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts, where it stayed for 9 weeks and reached #11 on 21 March 1992.
- The song “Acid Drops” was released as a promo CD single and entered the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts, where it stayed for 2 weeks and reached #29 on 9 May 1992.