Since John Lydon last made an album, he reunited the Sex Pistols and appeared on TV as a Judge Judy litigant, a reality-show contestant and a spokesman for Country Life butter; in short, he's become the punk-rock Kelly Ripa. But This Is PiL proves that the taunting weaponry of his voice is still a delight, as he drawls out syllables like an over-the-top TV villain. It's tough to sharpen a rusty tool, and Lydon's lyrics are often overshadowed by Lu Edmonds' piercing guitar drones. But a few songs are crisply antagonistic, especially "One Drop"; amid a shuffling reggae backbeat, Lydon crows, "You cannot change us," once again finding inspiration in defiance.

Listen to "One Drop":

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• Photos: Random Notes

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.