Sex Pistols: Nevermind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols

The debut album by this legendary punk outfit is next up for review.

‘Holidays in the Sun’ opens up Side One. The start of the album as a whole is very provocative, with the sound of Jack boots marching. Followed on by Steve Jones snarling guitars. Lyrically this song plays on the divide between East and West Germany present at the time. The track is a sign of what to expect for the rest of the album, it was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before. ‘Bodies’ follows it and this track is extremely graphic, tackling a rather sensitive subject. However John Lydon, has stated the song is neither pro or anti abortion, instead it highlights important choices that people make. Like ‘Holidays in the Sun’ the song is built around the punk methodology. With snarling guitars and powerful drums. ‘No Feelings’ is the third track on the album. The song highlights a selfish individual, who has no feelings for anything or anyone. Another snarling guitar classic. The vocal delivery on this song is very fast and it can prove hard to keep up with the way John Lydon sings. ‘Liar’ is the fourth track on the album and the song is pretty self explanatory he sings about people who lie, and what those lies entail and how they effect other people. The guitars in this song are more intricate, interwoven with the vocals, musically the Sex Pistols are often overlooked. This track really shows there musical ability. Next on Side One is ‘God Save the Queen’ the bands most famous song and a scathing attack on the establishment in Britain. However many people fail to overlook the irony in this track. Lyrically it’s one of the bands strongest and the chorus of ‘No Future’ can resonate with people today as much as it did then. ‘Problems’ is the last track on Side One another classic punk effort talking about being a young person and the problems we all face. The lyric ‘The Problem is You’ can resonate with everyone, as we all make mistakes and do things we aren’t proud of. A hidden gem on this album

Starting Side Two is ‘Seventeen’ another standout track with a snarling vocal delivery and powerful guitars. I love the backing vocals in this track it really adds another level to the chorus and creates a singalong feel. ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’ is the next track on this album. Another famous effort from the band tackling social, political and environmental issues within the U.K. at the time, like ‘God Save the Queen’ this track is an anti establishment song and lyrics are still relevant today, with the current state of affairs. It truly is a timeless piece of music. ‘Submission’ is next and this track was a bit of a joke between band members, taking the title and changing the meaning. Lyrically the song actually plays out as a love song, all be it with a ocean theme. It’s a very different pace from everything else on the album it’s much slower and it makes for a welcome change. Love is a universal topic and therefore it makes for great songwriting. ‘Pretty Vacant’ follows on and the riff is instantly recognisable, it’s probably the sound of Punk in those few seconds. The whole movement came from that riff. A further thing that sticks out from this song is the chorus, it’s so catchy it’s a chant. This song also led to the dance the pogo where fans jumped up and down like a pogo stick. It’s one of the bands best and a true highlight of the album. ‘New York’ is the albums penultimate track. The band have claimed this was an attack on glam rock present in England at the time. It’s certainly a snarling attack with some rather dark lyrics. I always forget about this track when listening to the album, maybe it’s because it’s one of the weaker ones. However that highlights how good the album is. ‘EMI’ ends the album once again an attack on something. This time the bands former record label. It’s a brilliant track though, with a high pitched vocal. The tracks call and response chorus towards the end. Makes for a rather interesting listen, it’s unlike anything else the band ever did. Musically it’s also one of the complex tracks on the album. Probably due to being created entirely in the studio.

The album changed music forever and ignited youth culture in the U.K. again and many artists and individuals regard this album highly. Without it, who knows what would have occurred.