The Sex Pistols (Read 1,086 times)

[Beady’s Here Now]

Is it just me who doesn't get them?

Try as I might, my ears can't handle that harsh sound.

I can appreciate how revolutionary and socially important they were at the time. But listening without that context, I can't understand the appeal.

My ears literally bleed when I try listening to them.

I just don't get them. Am I alone on this one?

[Lennon2217]

Apr 1, 2014 21:44:54 GMT -5 Beady’s Here Now said:

Is it just me who doesn't get them?

Try as I might, my ears can't handle that harsh sound.

I can appreciate how revolutionary and socially important they were at the time. But listening without that context, I can't understand the appeal.

My ears literally bleed when I try listening to them.

I just don't get them. Am I alone on this one?

[WirralRiddler]

Probably the most notorious band of all time, they came and they conquered. They made a hell of a statement with only that one real album to their name. The raw energy i feel from Pistols tops any other band for me, even Oasis. What they lacked in technical ability they more than made up with raw aggression and attitude. I still listen to them regular, never gets old for me. Nevermind the bollocks is one of the greatest albums of all time.

Very influential as well. There would be no Oasis if not for the Pistols, that gig they played in Mancheter 76 seemed to spark their music scene into life. Which as we know eventually gave birth to Oasis. Not to mention the likes of the buzzcocks, smiths, joy division and the roses too.

[WirralRiddler]

No bad for a b-side either.

[Cast]

I rarely listen to the Sex Pistols anymore but they are a damn great band whose influence is unescapable. Rotten is a one of a kind and Jones/Matlock are a great duo. Songs like Holidays in The Sun, Pretty Vacant, Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen are some of the best songs of all time.

McLaren really did seize a moment in time with the band. the Sex Pistols pushed music beyond its actual boundaries and challenged society's notion of how to define a band or music in general. Even if he did ripoff Richard Hell's style and genius.

They made punk into a (counter) culture visible by the mainstream by expanding on proto-punk ideas and ideals. Yeah they are a bit caricature now when we think of "punk" and they are a little bit more basic compared to their proto-punk fathers but they are a great band that made punk accessible with short, aggressive, and catchy songs.

Still they aren't my favorite punk band, I'd take Television and The Stooges over them. And I still believe that "Sister Ray" by the Velvet Underground is the quintessential punk statement.

[davidjay]

I think Never Mind the Bollocks is a great album - a series of short, sharp, shocks as someone once put it. Listened to it for the first time in ages the other weekend and it still has the that same nuclear impact. John Lydon's (or should I say Johnny Rotten's) strident vocals are fantastic, brimming over with venom and sneering defiance. The guitars do have a harsh edge to them but I think that was part and parcel of the sound they were going for.

The tunes are instantly memorable and the band's playing is really underrated too. It's also very well recorded and mixed. Yes, high-fidelity punk. You mention it being ear-bleeding to listen to... there are some dodgy masterings of it on CD which are all over the place, quality wise. The 21st anniversary edition is definitely over compressed, squashing the life out of Paul Cook's drums ("ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" hehe). To hear it at its very best I would recommend either the current CD issue, or the new Blu-Ray audio edition.




My favourite track off the album. An obvious choice, but it's an undeniable classic.

[davidjay]

This is a great website for learning more about the band. Meticulously researched. www.philjens.plus.com/pistols/pistols/pistols_news.html

[The Milkman & The Riverman]

Apr 1, 2014 21:44:54 GMT -5 Beady’s Here Now said:

Is it just me who doesn't get them?

Try as I might, my ears can't handle that harsh sound.

I can appreciate how revolutionary and socially important they were at the time. But listening without that context, I can't understand the appeal.

My ears literally bleed when I try listening to them.

I just don't get them. Am I alone on this one?

[The Milkman & The Riverman]

Punk rock music in general isn't too kind to your ears cause it's not supposed to be in the first place.

[Beady’s Here Now]

Apr 2, 2014 19:31:08 GMT -5 The Milkman & The Riverman said:

Punk rock music in general isn't too kind to your ears cause it's not supposed to be in the first place.

The Clash seem to do a damn fine job.....

I have never heard anything as harsh as The Sex Pistols (other than Screamo "music" and metal, of course).

[Deleted]

True story ...believe it or not I really don't care .... It's true though sign of how cool things were when I was a kid ....1980 freshman in high school. Our music teacher was mr frumkin , music was in the basement back then , it was a snow day like 10 of us showed frumkin was like 30 real old lol ......anyway he busts out a never mind the bollocks puts a towel over the little window and busts out a couple of joints cranks the lp and we all chilled to bollocks for 40 minutes ....best 40 minutes I ever had in school ....true story

[mimmihopps]

Never Mind The Bollocks were/are a great album and actually Steve Jones, Glenn Mattlock and Paul Cook were good musicians.

Pistols were one of the greatest productions and a trademark in the modern history which was created by Malcolm McLaren. Without McLaren's brain they wouldn't have been what they were

They also have done some great covers - I'm Not Your Stepping Stone by Monkees, No Fun by The Stooges and I Wanna Be Your Dog (by Gary Oldman in the film "Sid and Nancy") by The Stooges.

I had to laugh when I read Noel's early interview in Uncut magazine a few days ago that his favourite Pistols song was "Bodies", especially his mum didn't like him to play the record. It was my favourite song when I was younger and my male friend were shocked when I told him. He was like "what? you, as a girl likes this song? I'm shocked!".

Joe Strummer stopped his band after seeing Pistols. By his own word he said "by seeing them, I realized that we were yesterday's paper".

Pistols were what United Kingdom (I mean "youth") needed at that time and they were there in right time and right place. Without them, there would have been no Clash, The Jam and all the others.

[Officer Jim Kurring]