Ironically I’m going to swear twice in today’s album choice (kinda have to for effect)
I always talk of punk and the rave scene as being two of the most important creations in the history of music. Both were born out of rebellion against the system / anti-authoritarianism and both were a complete backlash against the musical norm.
Don’t get me wrong punky fact fans, I’m well aware that the Pistols weren’t responsible for the creation of punk, and it was around before the Sex Pistols came about, these gentlemen just helped catapult it to the mainstream, like a breath of fresh air, or swift boot to the balls.
For a boy like myself I just loved the fact that these perky, outspoken young chaps didn’t appear to give a flying fuck about anyone else, I was in awe and disbelief that people were allowed to say such things about The Queen without being summoned to the Tower Of London for a beheading. I was able to assign the words within their songs to many of my own grievances about the system, which let’s face it I knew everything about as a teenager.
I have a good mate Spud and we liked nothing better than bouncing around his house listening to this with a large bottle of Olde English each and cans of the cheapest, strongest larger that we could find that week in the wine lodge. Luckily his neighbours were pretty mad themselves and this blasting out of his Aiwa midi system didn’t seem to cause any major aggro. We felt like we could take on the world with this hammering out through his bedroom window. These are actually some of my fondest music memories.
In my book back then, anything or any-one that put two fingers up to the establishment and being told what to do was a winner for me. As I got older and learned more about life I soon realised that from day one the Pistols were just a bunch of lads, manipulated into becoming the corporate cash cow that they still are to this day, more than 44 years after they recorded NMTB – It doesn’t stop this from being a fucking killer album.
To me, this album has lost absolutely none of its force and fury as the years go by, if anything it’s actually stepping up a gear as I get closer to 50, I still listen to these tunes and shout out the car window at Policemen (or old ladies at least)
To me the Pistols were more than just the massive publicity machine creation of Malcolm McLaren (although there’s no denying that he did a great job), they made me feel like I didn’t have to accept what was offered to me and that I had a voice of my own. Rebellious music of this power only comes around once in a lifetime. I say this whilst also paying respect to the many other Punk bands who I love dearly like The Clash, Ramones, SLF etc who played an equal if not bigger role in this movement.
Absolute 100% no holes barred, belter of an album on all possible levels.