Disco de Public Image Ltd.: “Plastic Box”

When Plastic Box was first released over a decade ago, I jumped on it thinking it would be a suitable replacement for all of my PIL cassettes. Well, not exactly.

What is it?

* Almost every track from their first five studio albums, Public Image, Metal Box, Flowers of Romance, This is What You Want This Is What You Get, and Album

* A couple of tracks each from Happy, 9, and That What Is Not

* A hodge-podge of outtakes and one-off releases

* A hodge-podge of remixes, but only some of them

* Two BBC sessions, one early and one late

What's to like?

* I prefer the remastering from the box set to the original CD masters. While some remastering jobs are overdone, I didn't find that to be the case here.

* I appreciate being able to get ahold of the various outtakes, one-offs, and remixes. In particular, I like the Metal Box-era outtakes, 1/2 Mix Megamix and Another (vocal version of Graveyard).

* The BBC sessions are very good. The second one gives me a greater appreciation for some of the songs from That What Is Not, even though I think the album as a whole is rubbish.

What's not to like?

* I'm not sure what the point is to releasing 90% of the first five albums. A serious fan absolutely has to get Metal Box anyway, but what about the other albums? Someone who bought this might not recognize how powerful the other individual albums were on their own. Even if the missing tracks aren't the most important ones, they still are important to the album's coherence. As for me, I ended up buying most of the albums anyway.

* This Is Not A Love Song is presented in a remix with most of the lyrics omitted. I guess this is a good thing for the completist, but it also means you need to have TIWYW,TIWYG or Greatest Hits So Far to get the better version.

* I wish more alternative versions were included. If Mr. Miller's review is accurate, I'd like to have a way to get ahold of these things, even if it means that some of the deep cuts of the early albums were left off of the boxed set. (Maybe they'll release a "Deluxe Edition" of Metal Box that includes all of these things in one place - that would at least solve some of the problem.)

The bottom line is that the music here is top notch, but it leaves me wanting more. I guess that is what a boxed set is supposed to do.

Most box sets and best of's have glaring omissions, or versions no one ever cared about. Not so with this. Just about everything the PiL fan has been hunting for; and just about everything a new fan needs to get their brain around this bands' awesome awesome catalog. Most everything here needs to be heard. This box set will still be important 25 years from now.

THE PLASTIC BOX is the four-disc collection of the best of the music tracks from the Public Image Limited (a.k.a. The John Lydon Band). The first two discs are the best of the bunch (when they still were a collective unit). Disc three and four are best used as coasters (unless you love the John Lydon version of P.I.L.). Instead of searching out for the first three albums, you can get them all collated in this box set. The plastic box also comes with a nice booklet with pictures and thoughts from John Lydon.

If you love Public Image Limited (either versions) then you must seek out this set. You wont be sorry.

Highly recommended.

I picked this collection up in hopes of getting a few different versions of songs & saving me the expense of buying some of PIL's later albums that were basically just not as enjoyable. Some of the later efforts should actually be called The John Lydon band, but that's up for debate. The BBC sessions are great, you get a different perspective on some of the songs you've been hearing for years. There's also "The Cowboy Song" a 12" remix and another B-Side. I'm sure there was more rarities that could be included here but the price was reasonable, so I can't really get too upset. The songs from HappY?" should have included "Fat Chance Hotel"-which is the closest they came to their original sound. Still waiting for the PIL reunion.

John Lydon's post-Johnny Rotten work stands as living proof that the man was more than just the wailing, cackling frontman of punk rock's most lucrative and enduring brand name. This box set succeeds where most retrospectives fail, by balancing the scope of the band's official discography with bonus goodies (remixes, sessions, and unreleased material) of true tangible value. No wanky fodder here, folks... everything on these 4 discs truly matters to the genuine PiL enthusiast. OUTSTANDING.