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Severely Limited introduction

The Drainpipe | Australia | 03/09/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Slender but reasonably comprehensive package which if nothing else serves as a good intro into for the novice into the PiL oeuvre. John Lydon actually had to haggle with Virgin Records (Virgin originally wanted a mere 8-song set), but the end result is still frustratingly meagre. Inevitably, many gems are absent, and sadly the LP remake of "This Is Not A Love Song" is included instead of the original single version which, ironically enough, was PiL's greatest (commercial) hit. Still, there are superior remixes of "The Body," "Rise" and "Disappointed," and the set is closed off nicely with the supremely catchy eco-pop single "Don't Ask Me." But there's little need to revisit this collection once you get all the PiL albums."

A limited Public Image.

H3@+h | VT | 02/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As others have said, this is not a perfect collection, but it is perfect for the new PIL fan. After John Lydon left the Sex Pistols he formed this band, but PIL is far from the punk sound of the Sex Pistols. While I find the whole disc here good, it doesn't become what I would call catchy until the track "This Is Not A Love Song", though the opener "Public Image" is rather good. The biggest hits to the casual fan will probably be "Rise" and "Disappointed". Both are late 80's alternative classics, and both are over six minutes long. Minor hits like "Seattle" and "The Body" I like also. I'm happy this runs in chronological order, and it ends with the alt/pop sing-a-long "Don't Ask Me", which is hard not to like. Overall it's probably the only disc most fans should need."

As Far As Things Went

Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 04/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Comprising of the singles - and a few remixes - which essentially spans the group's career, the 1990 release is a nice sampler of the evolution of the sound as John Lydon took more artistic control after the departures of guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Wobble and drummer Martin Atkins.



The 14 tracks clock in at 65:17 and includes the biting debut single, Public Image (1978), and the fantastic performance art of This Is Not A Love Song. A 7-inch mix of Death Disco, extended mix of Disappointed and remix of Warrior are the slim helpings of scrounging around the vault. A new track - Don't Ask Me (1990) - scored a #2 ranking on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.



The group - essentially a Lydon solo project - released one more studio album in 1992 before going on hiatus, which continues today. The PiL catalog is oftentimes difficult to track down, so this album is a solid way to hear the band as they attempted to use radio to pave a trail to the charts."