Second Edition

This is just one of those amazing albums that could never be replicated again. Many have tried, even the dudes who made this have tried, but this was lightning in a bottle. A perfect album, made once in a lifetime.

Forget the Sex Pistols. Lydon's real contribution to music is this. It's really hard to put into words just how influential this album is. PiL's secret was that they went into the studio with nothing written, and really changed the way recordings were made. So many styles of music - including, in my opinion, even the rave scene - can be directly traced back to this album. It still sounds great after I don't want to think about how many years.

There’s nothing else like this album. Certainly one of the best of albums of the 70’s or ever. I’d rate it higher if I could.

These songs sound like they would be a lot of fun to play (perhaps one reason why they're so long), but unfortunately they're not as enjoyable to listen to. Still, an unforgettable set of experiments by Lydon and the gang. Key tracks: Albatross, Poptones, Swan Lake...anything else is up to personal opinion.

What else can I say about this album that hasn't been said before? It is a work of art. It is genius. The power trio (John Lydon, Keith Levene and Jah Wobble) have yet to be outdone. "Swan Lake" is worth the price of admission alone. And then you have the dissonant, psychedelic "Poptones" and bass-heavy "Careering." This is the best PiL album as far as I'm concerned. This album, First Issue, Flowers of Romance and Commercial Zone pretty much sum up the best of PiL. These albums were released when PiL was ambitious, challenging and fascinating! Much respect goes to John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) for leaving the Sex Pistols and taking a more experimental route. That took guts. He could have opted for "Johnny Punk Rock Star" but decided to draw upon his love of experimental, avant garde bands like Can and take a huge, sonic risk. And boy, did it work out! This album was released over thirty years ago, yet it still sounds just as fresh and relevant as it did then. Our grandchildren will be grooving to "Swan Lake." Add this work of genius to your collection. You will not regret it!

Dub bass lines minimal beats, dissonant guitars, ice digital bleeps, pissed of streamofconciousness on the verge of worldlessness, the end of the 70s, one of the greatest albums ever, if you trully hear it- it will change you, still challenging 30 years later, nothing comes even close, and the original vinyl metal box is the real thing all the way

I still listen to this frequently. LOVE love love the bass.

Metal Box/Second Edition came almost literally out of nowhere. Totally fresh and unexpected, these raw yet hypnotic tracks were a big, bold leap into the unknown for Mr. Rotten. They're still remarkable today -- not only his best work with PiL, but far and away the best work any Pistol did after the breakup. Sure, it was and I guess remains an acquired taste, but what a strange taste. "Memories" and "Swan Lake" in particular swing like Arabic dub from Mars.

Probably one of my favorite post punk albums, Second Edition (orginally The Metal Box) is truly a masterwork of the genre. From Jah Wobble's thunderous dub basslines, Leviten's "mettalic" guitar noises, and Lyndon's (aka Johnny Rotten's) shrieks and bleak yet insightful lyrics are truly innovative for 1979 (when the original album came out). Some of he best songs on here are the epic "Albatross", the frenetic "Memories", the darkness of "Swan Lake", and the releative calm transendence of "Radio 4". Overall, the whole album, esspecialy those songs, are a huge testament to what is PiL.

I wish downloads included lyric sheets. This album "reads" very well...a true testament to the lyric prowess of John Lydon. Dark, brooding and scary if you want to kill yourself- buy this record instead.