Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols

1	Holidays in the Sun 3:20
2	Bodies 3:02
3	No Feelings 2:49
4	Liar 2:40
5	Problems 4:10
6	God Save the Queen 3:18
7	Seventeen 2:02
8	Anarchy in the U.K. 3:31
9	Submission 4:12
10	Pretty Vacant 3:16
11	New York 3:05
12	E.M.I. 3:10

Barnes & Noble

Made to be the most high-profile confrontational record of the '70s, Never Mind the Bollocks is also one of the great rock records of all time. The Sex Pistols were the poster boys of punk rock; their followers dressed in combat boots wore spiked hair (often colored in hues not found in nature) and used oddly placed safety pins as accessories. Many record companies were frightened by the controversy caused by the single "God Save the Queen," an effective rebuke to the nationalism surrounding the Royal Jubilee. Finally, then small time Virgin Records released it and had an instant classic on its hands. Original bassist Glen Matlock and guitarist Steve Jones brought a considerable songcraft to tunes, which jackhammered their way into the listener's consciousness. "Anarchy in the U.K.," perhaps their greatest single, launches with "I am an anti-Christ/I am a An-ar-chirst/I don't know what I want/But I know how to get it/I want to destroy/Pacify/'cause I want to be in An-ar-chy." The establishment was repulsed. Rolling Stone featured them on the cover with the headline was "Rock is Sick and living in London." Though they broke up as quickly as they burst on the scene, Pistols won respect in other circles. Neil Young heralded them in his "My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)." Bassist Sid Vicious who had replaced Matlock shortly after Never Mind... was recorded was subject of the film Sid and Nancy, which told of their tragic affair and deaths. Lydon reformed the Pistols for a cynical reunion tour in the early '90s, but little can diminish the vitality of their only true recording. Martin Johnson

All Music Guide

While mostly accurate, dismissing Never Mind the Bollocks as merely a series of loud, ragged midtempo rockers with a harsh, grating vocalist and not much melody would be a terrible error. Already anthemic songs are rendered positively transcendent by Johnny Rotten's rabid, foaming delivery. His bitterly sarcastic attacks on pretentious affectation and the very foundations of British society were all carried out in the most confrontational, impolite manner possible. Most imitators of the Pistols' angry nihilism missed the point: underneath the shock tactics and theatrical negativity were social critiques carefully designed for maximum impact. Never Mind the Bollocks perfectly articulated the frustration, rage, and dissatisfaction of the British working class with the establishment, a spirit quick to translate itself to strictly rock & roll terms. The Pistols paved the way for countless other bands to make similarly rebellious statements, but arguably none were as daring or effective. It's easy to see how the band's roaring energy, overwhelmingly snotty attitude, and Rotten's furious ranting sparked a musical revolution, and those qualities haven't diminished one bit over time. Never Mind the Bollocks is simply one of the greatest, most inspiring rock records of all time. Steve Huey