Editing Public Image: First Issue (section)

== Reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/public-image-first-issue-mw0000767689 |title=Public Image: First Issue – Public Image Ltd. |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=9 September 2013 |last=Lewis |first=Uncle Dave}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Blurt (magazine)|Blurt]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://blurtonline.com/review/public-image-ltd-first-issue/ |title=Public Image Ltd. – First Issue |work=[[Blurt (magazine)|Blurt]] |date=23 August 2013 |accessdate=25 October 2020 |last=Engram |first=April S.}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Clash (magazine)|Clash]]''
| rev3score = 9/10<ref name="Clash">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/public-image-ltd-first-issue-the-flowers-of-romance |title=Public Image Ltd – First Issue / The Flowers Of Romance |work=[[Clash (magazine)|Clash]] |date=9 January 2012 |accessdate=9 February 2016 |author=TC}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev4score = 9.0/10<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18200-public-image-ltd-first-issue/ |title=Public Image Ltd: First Issue |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=24 June 2013 |accessdate=9 September 2013 |last=Berman |first=Stuart}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[PopMatters]]''
| rev5score = 7/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/public-image-ltd-first-issue-2495742266.html |title=Public Image Ltd.: First Issue |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=18 July 2013 |accessdate=25 October 2020 |last=Murphy |first=John L. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620082137/https://www.popmatters.com/public-image-ltd-first-issue-2495742266.html |archive-date=20 June 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Record Collector]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/first-issue |title=Public Image Ltd – First Issue |work=[[Record Collector]] |issue=418 |date=September 2013 |accessdate=25 October 2020 |last=Peacock |first=Tim}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Public Image Ltd. |last1=Coleman |first1=Mark |last2=Matos |first2=Michaelangelo |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/662 662–63]}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[Smash Hits]]''
| rev8score = 5/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Albums |work=[[Smash Hits]] |volume=1 |issue=5 |date=8–21 February 1979 |last=Starr |first=Red |page=25}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev9score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name=pete/>
| rev10 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
| rev10score = 8/10<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Public Image Ltd. |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Reynolds |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=315–16}}</ref>
}}
In 1979, ''[[NME]]'' reported that a court in [[Malta]] had halted sales of the album because the lyrics of "Religion" offended public morals and decency.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=T-Zers |work=[[NME]] |date=1 September 1979}}</ref>

Upon its release, ''Public Image: First Issue'' received a 2- (out of 5) star review in ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''. Reviewer Pete Silverton said that the single is the "Only wholly worthwhile track on the album." He dubbed the rest of the songs as "morbid directionless sounds with Rotten's poetry running just behind it."<ref name=pete>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/public-image-ltd-ipublic-imagei-virgin |title=Public Image Ltd: Public Image (Virgin) |work=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |date=9 December 1978 |accessdate=2 November 2017 |last=Silverton |first=Pete |url-access=subscription |via=[[Rock's Backpages]]}}</ref> [[Nick Kent]] of ''NME'' was similarly negative, quipping that "unfortunately the 'image', public or otherwise, is a good deal less limited than many of the more practical factors involved in this venture."<ref name=nick>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/public-image-ltd-ipublic-image-ltdi-virgin |title=Public Image Ltd.: Public Image Ltd. (Virgin) |work=[[NME]] |date=9 December 1978 |accessdate=2 November 2017 |last=Kent |first=Nick |author-link=Nick Kent |url-access=subscription |via=[[Rock's Backpages]]}}</ref>

However, the album is now considered a groundbreaking post-punk classic. [[AllMusic]] critic Uncle Dave Lewis stated that the record "helped set the pace" for the post-punk genre, adding that it was "among a select few 1978 albums that had something lasting to say about the future of rock music."<ref name="AllMusic"/> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''{{'}}s Stuart Berman wrote, "''First Issue's'' industrial-strength stompers anticipate the scabrous [[art punk|art-punk]] of the [[The Jesus Lizard|Jesus Lizard]] and [[Slint]], while Levene's guitar curlicues on 'Public Image' are the stuff ''[[Daydream Nation]]''s are made of."<ref name="Pitchfork" /> ''Public Image: First Issue'' is, along with ''[[Metal Box]]'', included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |editor-last=Dimery |editor-first=Robert |publisher=[[Cassell (publisher)|Cassell Illustrated]] |year=2013 |isbn=9781844037353 |page=406}}</ref>