Tracks:
Disc 1: Public Image / The Cowboy Song / Theme / Religion I / Religion II / Annalisa / Low Life / Attack / Poptones, Careering & Chant (Radio 1, John Peel Session 17.12.79) / Death Disco (12” Remix) / Half Mix - Meggamix / No Birds Do Sing / Memories

Disc 2: Another / Albatross / Socialist / The Suit / Bad Baby / Radio 4 / Pied Piper / Flowers of Romance (12") / Four Enclosed Walls / Phenagen / Track 8 / Hymies Him / Under The House / Banging The Door / Go Back / Francis Massacre / Home is Where the Heart is

Disc 3: This is Not a Love Song (Unreleased LP Remix) / Blue Water / Bad Life (7" edit) / Question Mark / Solitaire / Tie Me to the Length of That / Where Are You? / The Pardon / 1981 / The Order of Death / FFF / Rise / Fishing / Round / Home / Ease

Disc 4: Seattle / Angry / The Body (US 12” Mix) / Selfish Rubbish / Disappointed / Happy / Warrior (UK 12” Remix) / USLS 1 / Don¡t Ask Me / Criminal / Lucks Up / God / Cruel, Acid Drops, Love Hope & Think Tank (Radio 1, Mark Goodier Live Session 25.2.92)

Release Date:
8.3.99
Re-issued (14.12.09)

Label & Catalogue Number:
Virgin. PILBOX 1

Running Time:
Disc 1: 74:58 mins
Disc 2: 73:05 mins
Disc 3: 78:25 mins
Disc 4: 76:44 mins

Personnel:
See individual tracks/albums for full info

Format Info:
Limited edition 4 CD box set compilation. 36 page booklet featuring pix; plus sleevenotes by John Lydon. Housed in an old style double CD case; enclosed in a PVC slip case.
The 2009 re-issue (PILBOXXX 1) only features an 8 page booklet featuring the Lydon quotes, and was not issued in a PVC slip case.

Track Info:
The only previously unreleased track on the box set is an unused LP mix of 'This is Not a Love Song' from the 'This is What You Want...' sessions. (Incidentally the track was picked accidentally by Virgin!).
However, the set also includes the Radio 1 John Peel Sessions 17.12.79 & Mark Goodier Live Session 25.2.92 which had never been officially released.

The set also includes a selection of B-sides, rare tracks & mixes that were previously unavailable on CD (eg: Death Disco 12" / Pied Piper / Selfish Rubbish & Criminal).

See above for full track info. All tracks are normal versions unless stated.

Publishing Info:
See individual tracks/albums for full credits

Trivia:
Originally the box set was to be released in a metal container. However, Virgin Records budget would not run that far.

Some of the early plans for the compilation were to include PiL's live show from New York Ritz 16.7.89. Virgin were also hopeful of including unreleased tracks brought to their attention by Martin Atkins, unfortunately they never made it.

The 'Commercial Zone' album was never given serious consideration, apparently due to "licensing problems".

For the 2009 re-issue Virgin Records did not officialy contact PiL to let them know the CD had been released and were reluctant to send out any review copies. PiL decided to promote the CD's themselves on the rear of the December 2009 live 'ALiFE' CD's stating "Virgin Records advertising courtesy of Public Image Ltd".

Producer:
See individual tracks/albums for full credits
Remastered by Simon Heyworth

Studio:
See individual tracks/albums for full info

Sleeve Design:
Design: Hills Archer

Quotes:
Looking back at this lot, or should I say, body of work I think, most of the songs I've written have a relevant point. That's why I wrote them. As for PiL - I always wanted them/me to be an influence - and also be influenced, but never imitate. I wanted PiL to always stand above and beyond what might happen to be currently fashionable. And by the way, this collection represents a comma not a full stop, I fully intend to carry on with PiL, and there will be more in the future. Finally, I'd like to say thanks to Virgin Records, without whom none of this would have been necessary.
- John Lydon, 'Plastic Box' sleevenotes 1999

I actually wanted to put unreleased stuff on ‘Plastic Box’. I told Virgin about the unreleased stuff I had. I wasn’t asking for anything, other than, what I said is, why don’t you buy me an EQ unit for my studio. That would feel karmacally right to me, because I’ve had this stuff for 20 years, and it would be nice that if for the next ten years every time I touched the EQ unit I could think 'hey, that worked out nicely'. But of course they didn’t want to do that... I’ve got some great stuff, an unreleased track called ‘Vampire’, I’ve got John singing ‘Twist and Shout’. I’ve got different mixes of stuff, I’ve got a lot of different stuff. Unreleased songs, I mean real songs...
- Martin Atkins, Fodderstompf 2001

Lyrics:
See individual tracks/albums

Press Reviews:
Q Magazine, March 1999
F&F9, May 1999 (extensive review)