Never Mind The Bollocks (35th Anniversary reissue):- Sex
Pistols
Punk’s genesis gets its 35th anniversary reissue.
Rating 8/10
35
years after its release and Never Mind
The Bollocks is still seen as one of the defining moments of the 70’s Punk
scene, taking the Pepsi challenge with albums such as The Clash’s London Calling & The Ramones self titled. The bands influenced by this album are as
broad and as diverse from Gallows to
indie bands like The Libertines.
Its
amazing to think that four adolescents from London with limited musical
knowledge (in Sid Vicious case absolutely none), assembled by Malcolm
McLaren created and shaped the UK’s
thoughts about what punk sounded like, looked like and the attitude of Punk
rock embodied. They may not have been
Burklee College of Music graduates, but with their fuck you/take no prisoners
attitude they went on to define a generation.
The
album still sounds as raw as it did the, even after being reissued and
remastered for what seems the one millionth time. Lydon’s vocals still have
that snarl that made the songs sound so unique and distinctive. Guitarist Steve Jones, who is still in my
opinion one of the most, underrated song writers in British music and here he
displays his greatest work, even if he was dismissed from the band for
allegedly admitting to liking The Beatles. Songs like Anarchy In The UK,
Holiday In The Sun and Pretty Vacant are still as anthemic as ever and remind you that although the band
where essentially a construction in order to jump on the Punk bandwagon, they
did produce some of Punks most legendary songs. The reissue also comes with a
good quality live show from Scandinavia featuring live tracks as well as DVD
footage. The collection also comes with a selection of B sides, which are good
but it is clear why they were left of the final cut of the album.
Overall this release is an
essential release for Pistols fans; the album still holds up after all this
time, Filled with special features and bonus material. I can’t see any fan
being disappointed by the album, even if Mr Lydon himself isn’t too happy about
its rerelease.
For fans of: - The Clash, Green Day, The Stooges
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