Public Image Ltd – Happy? (1987)

January 1, 2025

Without wanting to be too melodramatic, Happy? is everything I worried that Album would be (yes, the album before this album, which is called Album). Album was so poppy and drenched in a sunny, up-beat 80s production, that I worried it would be the death of PiL’s experimental and weird side. Whilst Album retains PiL’s uniqueness, I unfortunately cannot say the same for Happy?, which succumbs far more heavily to the vices of the 80s pop music world. It seems that almost every band that was active through this era has “one of these” albums under their belt.

Now, this does not mean that Happy? is a bad 80s pop album. It is, in fact, rather quite good. But, pant-suits and soft-top cars are not the images I want conjured in my mind whilst listening to PiL. For what it is, it is incredibly well produced and played, yet results in no real standout moments. For these reasons, Happy? is – potentially – a contender for one of least favourite PiL records.