Placebo
Limited Edition Meds

I have to admit that I really like Placebo very much. I didn't know them at all, but since March I started to like them. I bought "Sleeping With Ghosts" and fell in love. Slowly, I bought all of their works.
Now, in September, I discovered that there are Limited Editions of some albums and I couldn't resist, being the fanatic I am, from buying the Limited Edition of Meds (unfortunately, I couldn't find the much more enticing Special Edition of "Placebo," their first major album).
The Limited Edition case is shaped like a book and features some amusing photos at the beginning. I had heard about Molko, frontman of Placebo, being a lunatic, an exaggerated claim, but he can't be that normal. I read on a site that he decided to include the photos. I was shocked. The initial photos are borderline pornographic (perhaps that's why they've marked it with Explicit Content). The first pages show a semi-naked woman hovering in the air, falling and rising again (http://www.hellagood.de/imgs/meds3.jpg). Absurd!!!!!!
I really don't understand the point of showing a topless woman whirling, falling, and whirling again, through a filthy little room.

The song lyrics, which come after these scandalous photos, should be read and analyzed (apart from "Infra-Red," which is utterly banal) because they are very poetic and beautiful lyrics. The booklet is completed with photos of the recording studio.
The CD and DVD, which appear at the end of the case, almost hidden by the pages, are white with a purple line on the CD and a green one on the DVD, and these colors are found a little bit everywhere in various shades and in the form of horizontal stripes.
The CD, already reviewed by me, is very beautiful and, as I've already said, can be a summary of their previous works.

However, I haven't reviewed the DVD!!! It presents itself very well and contains enough juicy treats.
The documentary on the making of the album is really beautiful, and Molko is always very charismatic and good at giving interviews because he manages to convey something, an emotion.
"If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" is the song by The Cure performed with Placebo. The drummer of Placebo plays the tambourine while the bassist supports the main bass. The song, with oriental rock melodies, often in duets with Brian, has its peculiarity in the blending of the two voices, Smith's low voice and Molko's high and shrill one. The union of the two voices creates a particularly dark atmosphere.
"Twenty Years Live" is the famous Placebo song that, however, like most of Placebo's live performances, loses a bit of its charm.
Molko's voice is less sharp and pungent and surely the frontman needs to improve his live performance. Too stiff and composed.
The song is noteworthy for the added guitar piece, very fitting and well played.
Note that the drummer keeps his eyes closed the entire time. The bassist is a bit more relaxed, but not enough to engage the audience.
The DVD also features demos of some songs from the album and "Long Division," a song I'd never heard of.
The latter presents itself with a beginning similar to the song "Without You I'm Nothing" and then continues more or less with the same melancholic melody, with the addition of the characteristic electric bass of "Sleeping with Ghosts."
The demo of "In the Cold Light of Morning" presents itself as the track but without electronic additions, with a piano barely audible. Note the low voice of someone who is certainly not Molko.
"I do" is practically identical to the final version except for some shortened parts and a different ending.
"Pierrot the Clown Demo" is the acoustic version of that strange and particular track on the album. I prefer it this way, much more beautiful, but certainly different and faster.
There are also images from Live8 showing Brian Molko's meeting with Robert Smith of The Cure and various preparation moments before the performance, all with "Twenty Years" in the background.
This Special Edition presents itself as a true gem for fans, with an excellent DVD and excellent demos that could perfectly replace the originals in beauty.

For the fans, a must-buy.