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continued Sex Pistols - The Box Set (Virgin SexBox1) (For track listing, see below) Warning: Spoiler alert! The following review contains surprise information. The eagerly-awaited three-CD box set is finally here. Compiled by Scott Murphy and Paul Burgess, with a little help from their friends (Dino Everett, David Fakrikian, Géant Vert, and myself). Before assessing its true worth, you have to consider the purpose of this collection: to bring together the most comprehensive collection of Pistols' tracks, released studio versions, demos, plus a flavour of the Sex Pistols live. For two decades fans have had to track down an array of dodgy bootleg and semi-official releases, a nearly impossible task, in order to listen to rare tracks, a number of which have gained almost mythical status. So here we have it: Bollocks, the b-sides, the rejected version of Anarchy In The UK, demos from Majestic Studios, Denmark St, Wessex Studios, Manchester Square, Gooseberry Studios, plus live at The Screen On The Green '76, and additional live rarities. They're all here, remastered, cleaned up, and packaged with an informative and attractive 80 page booklet. While many hardcore fans will have a lot of this material scattered across their collections, what they will not have is the complete Mike Thorne Manchester Square demos, in glorious uncut, stunning quality. Not only did Mike provide copies of his demos for inclusion in the box set, his tape yielded three hitherto unknown gems! Hidden away on the box set are backing tracks Mike produced for Anarchy, God Save the Queen and Pretty Vacant. The power of these tracks is amazing and gives perhaps the most clear indication of what Bollocks might have sounded like with Glen Matlock still on bass. Incredible. The Thorne tracks alone justify the purchase of the box set. The 'live' disc contains the Screen On The Green August '76 concert, which last year surfaced on bootleg. Here it is again, this time minus the hiss and lo-fi sound. It serves as an important document of a band in its ascendancy. The crowd may have been relatively small but the level of antagonism certainly wasn't. The additional live tracks are included to ensure the most comprehensive round-up of the band's repertoire. The quality of the two versions of Flowers Of Romance may not be fantastic, likewise Understanding, but that would be missing the point. Now you can at last hear these tracks for yourself. The booklet contains an entertaining and accurate history of the band, a detailed track by track breakdown (read carefully if you think you know all there is to know about Belsen), and for the first time, accurate lyrics! Visually, many previously unseen photographs make their debut, no mean feat after all these years (pages 4, 13 and 14 are my picks). Casual fans may gripe at having to hear yet another version of No Feelings. That's fine, stick with Bollocks or maybe treat yourself to Jubilee, this isn't for you. This is for the fan who wants a little bit more than that. The box set delivers. Big time. For once you won't get the feeling that you've been cheated. I must admit after listening to all three discs back to back, I was totally Pistoled-out. What a fantastic feeling. Review by Phil Singleton
Sex Pistols - Jubilee (Virgin CDV2961) Tracklisting:
God Save The Queen / Anarchy In The UK / Pretty Vacant / Holidays In The Sun /
No One Is Innocent / My Way / Something Else / Friggin’ In The Riggin’
/ Silly Thing / C’Mon Everybody / The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle
/ (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone / Pretty Vacant (Live) / EMI (Unlimited Edition)
PLUS: God Save The Queen (video) / Anarchy In The UK (video) / Pretty Vacant (video).
Aimed at a different market to the Box Set, Jubilee is Flogging A Dead Horse for the 21st century. Opening with fittingly, God Save The Queen, this 'best of' is a run through all the hit singles released under the name 'Sex Pistols'. In many ways the collection gives cause for a re-evaluation of the Rock'n'Roll Swindle era. Time has not been kind to the memory of the post-Rotten material, but there is no denying the immense popularity of the Swindle singles, as their chart positions and sales figures testify. Of course My Way is an accepted classic, but even the more perfunctory Sid singles, Something Else and C'Mon Everybody are delivered with typical Pistols swagger, not to mention a more than adequate vocal performance from Sid. The much maligned No One Is Innocent features terrific guitar by Steve Jones. It remains tasteless to this day, but that is exactly what this track set out to be! Sick, catchy, and funny. The inclusion of the double A-side Friggin' In The Riggin' is welcome, as it never fails to amuse, even though we should know better! Silly Thing remains one of the greatest punk rock singles ever. It still sounds as fresh and dynamic as it did on its release in 1979. The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle boasts a superb Pistols riff, but the bad language ensured a radio ban, and it stalled outside the Top 20. Perhaps a case of one single too many, although Virgin didn't see it that way. Far from it, they subsequently released Stepping Stone for no other reason than the desire for a single to coincide with the movie's release in 1980. Not a great way to end the group's singles legacy. Thankfully, the 1996 live version of Pretty Vacant brings the collection full circle, although I can't help but rue the production job by Chris Thomas. The BBC FM broadcast gave a far better representation of the energy of the Finsbury Park concert. The non-single EMI closes the album with an ironic touch, which may be lost on some of the people buying this CD, but nevertheless will provide the non-Bollocks owning 'Greatest Hits Purchaser' with a nice bonus! The CD also comes with sleeve notes detailing each release, including listing the personnel (where known) of each track, plus chart positions. A product of the re-issue era, and backed by a TV advert, this release will offer nothing new to visitors to God Save The Sex Pistols, but will give the 'armchair-routed, TV remote control fan' the perfect fix of those Pistols faves of yesteryear. Plus, let's face it, Flogging A Dead Horse was long overdue an upgrade. Three videos are included, God Save the Queen, Anarchy In The UK (1992 promo), and Pretty Vacant. Review by Phil Singleton Never
Mind the Bhangra - Here's the Opium Jukebox: A Tribute to the Sex Pistols Put together by ex - PIL drummer Martin Atkins, this has got to be the most bizarre tribute record ever! It is also the most difficult to review. Bollocks is almost unrecognisable as it has been re-interpreted using Middle-Eastern instruments, such as tablas and sitars. Vocals are out of the question. Great fun can be had trying to recognise passages from your favourite songs performed in such a radical fashion. Ironically, it is the only non-Pistols penned song My Way, that sounds even remotely familiar. Connoisseurs of this style of music may of course instantly shout out God Save the Queen the moment it starts! It's certainly different, is also great fun, and it makes a welcome change to The God Save The Queen Symphony. If you're brave enough, check it out. Underground inc./Invisible Records Released June 11th '02. Review by Phil Singleton Vicious
White Kids Track Listing: C'mon Everybody / I'm Not Your Stepping Stone / Don't Gimme No Lip / I Wanna Be Your Dog / Belsen Was A Gas / Chatterbox / Tight Pants / Something Else / My Way / An Interview With Rat Scabies And Glen Matlock The CD is taken from Sid Vicious's solo performance, 'Sid Sods Off', 15th August 1978, which in addition to Sid, featured Glen Matlock, Steve New, and Rat Scabies. The material has previously been available as "The Vicious White Kids featuring Sid Vicious" (Deloren Records), and later re-issued with an interview with Glen Matlock & Rat Scabies (Receiver Records). The concert itself can never be described as a classic. It is however of historical importance, with it being Sid's only solo performance in the UK. Similar in performance and recording quality to 'Sid Sings', the band knock out the set with plenty of energy, with a couple of between-songs remarks from Sid. Having been out of print for some time, Sanctuary have re-issued the Receiver Records edition, which included a 30 minute interview with Glen Matlock and Rat Scabies. The interview, conducted in the early Nineties, is in many ways more interesting than the concert itself. Glen and Rat were brought together to discuss the concert and how it came about, but in addition, they have a lot of interesting anecdotes about the early days of punk. You won't want to listen to the concert every day of the week, but if you've not got it in your collection already, it's a worthwhile addition, if only for its place in Pistols' history. The disc is unfortunately let-down by a poor cover. Come on Sanctuary, the packaging is important. Review by Phil Singleton No
Future UK? This legendary bootleg brought together the "Spunk" bootleg (Denmark St., July '76; Gooseberry Studios, January '77; & Wessex Studios '76 ) plus additional July '76 versions of "Pretty Vacant" & "Anarchy In The UK", plus the Wessex Studios "No Fun". It had previously been given an official CD release courtesy of Receiver Records back in 1989. However, Receiver mastered the album directly from a vinyl copy of the bootleg, complete with clicks and pops. It's taken a further 12 years to get it right, but Sanctuary have done just that. The sound quality is excellent, easily on par with the likes of 'This Is Crap', 'The Mini Album', etc. Although the material can be found dispersed over numerous other releases, there will always be something exciting about listening to 'No Future UK?' the way it was intended. Perhaps the biggest plus is being able to listen to the full uncut Wessex studios 'No Fun' (which appeared in a curtailed form on the b-side of 'Pretty Vacant'), without having to dig out the awful US CD, 'The Swindle Continues'. This release of 'No Future UK?' can be summed up in three words. At long last. Review by Phil Singleton Punk
Aid - 25 Years of Punk Rock Line-up: One-Way System / Warriors / Only Alternative / Argy Bargy / 999 / The Troggs / Spizzenergi / Tenpole Tudor / TV Smith / Los Paraliticos El Sanitorium / Slutch / Chelsea / Alternative TV / Emergency / Red Flag 77 / The Anoraks
16 bands played over the course of the three days which resulted in almost £2,500 being raised for charity. The effects of the recent disaster in New York even reached Punk Aid, with some groups having to withdraw, most notably the UK Subs who were marooned in Brazil. This didn't seem to dampen the spirits or the numbers of people who attended, with each night being packed out with eager punters, plus a number of celebrities. Jo Guest, Claire King, Mark Lamarr, Gaye Advert and Mike Peters were all spotted mingling with the crowd. Wednesday (19th) was probably the pick of the three days, with performances ranging from passionate (TV Smith), barmy (Tenpole Tudor), hilarious (Spizzenergi), classic (The Troggs), to the blistering (999). The whole event was rounded off on the Thursday with excellent sets from Alternative TV and Chelsea, who as well as their own 'Right To Work' anthem, threw in covers of 'Pretty Vacant' and 'White Riot' as a fitting nod towards the bands who started it all 25 years ago. It somehow seemed appropriate that the festival was concluded by performances by 2 first-generation punk bands. With 2002 and another Jubilee just around the corner, I think it's a safe bet to predict another 'celebration' put together by Punk Aid. This year's event may have involved a certain amount of looking back, but the future of such events looks to be in safe hands. Well done Punk Aid. Review
and photograph by Phil
Singleton The
Sus-Sex Pistols Set List: Bodies / Seventeen / Silly Thing / Holidays In The Sun / No Feelings / No One Is Innocent / The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle / I Wanna Be Me / EMI / Pretty Vacant / Problems / Stepping Stone / Belsen Was A Gas / Anarchy In The UK / C'mon Everybody / My Way / God Save The Queen. Encore: Public Image / Substitute If you are going to attend any tribute show in a cynical frame of mind then you'd better stay at home. If however you're a fan of the Pistols and want a fun night out, then I do urge you to go and see a Sus-Sex Pistols show. The band recently acquired a new 'Johnny Rotten'. Having not seen them previously, I couldn't compare the two. I imagine the current incarnation of John would be hard to beat. He's certainly been brushing up on Johnny's mannerisms, intonation, stare and snarl, all delivered with a hint of humour. He knows he's not Johnny but is clearly having fun playing the part. A tribute band relies heavily on the singer getting the right balance of imitation and parody. 'Johnny Rotten' gets it spot-on. The band itself prove to be skilled musicians and able to deliver the songs in a powerful and accurate manner. It could be argued that the drummer resembles Steve Jones more than he does Paul Cook (or is that because 'Paul' wears the knotted hankie in the Sus-sex Pistols!), or that the guitarist looked uncannily like Glen Matlock as opposed to Steve Jones - but that would be somewhat missing the point! To confuse the matter more, 'Sid Vicious' looks as though he was the one who spent six weeks in Rio with Ronnie. He's never looked so tanned! It's all part of the tribute band experience! It was good to hear 'Johnny' singing the likes of 'Silly Thing' and 'No One Is Innocent', rather than simply sticking to the Lydon-only material, as it gives the show its own uniqueness. Ironically, it was the band's hilarious rendition of 'My Way', which got the dancers out of their seats. The song began with 'Sid' warbling the opening bars complete with crowd sing along, before 'John' took over as the guitar crashed in. This was quickly followed by a rousing 'God Save the Queen', which closed the main set. A fine rendition of 'Public Image' was delivered during the encore. Another nice touch, which I hope they retain in future. The reaction of the crowd at the Limelight proved beyond doubt that the performance had been a success. The Sus-Sex Pistols may not be the real thing, but they don't claim to be. They are, however, a great night's entertainment. If they play near you, as Johnny once said, 'get off your arse' and go and see them. I know I will. Review by Phil Singleton The Sus-Sex Pistols on CD! Their 12 track CD can be purchased from www.sussexpistols.co.uk, price £5.99 + £1.50 P&P. Track List: God Save The Queen / My Way / Holidays In The Sun / Bodies / Swindle / Anarchy / Pretty Vacant / Seventeen / Substitute / No One Is Innocent / EMI / Public Image SEX PISTOLS - LIVE AT THE LONGHORN DVD (REGION 2) - CASTLE MUSIC PICTURES CMP 1004 £15.99 Track listing; EMI / Bodies / Belsen Was A Gas / Holidays In The Sun / No Feelings / Problems / Pretty Vacant / Anarchy In The UK / No Fun. Plus promotional videos for God Save The Queen / Anarchy In The UK What can DVD do for the Sex Pistols? This DVD is pretty much a straight forward re-issue of the now deleted 1996 video, "Live at Longhorns" (PNE/Castle Music video). Dating from 10th January 1978, on their ill-fated US tour, the Pistols are playing at The Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas. The footage itself starts five songs into the set with "EMI", (the film of the opening four songs is believed to be lost or damaged). The venue is cramped, adding to the tension that was building as the tour progressed. The result makes for fascinating viewing. Johnny Rotten at his most manic; security intervening in a potentially ugly fracas involving Steve Jones and the crowd; and most startling, a blood smeared Sid Vicious, clearly in a state of rapid decline. Even Paul Cook looks intense behind his drum kit. The limited number of cameras means certain notable moments are unseen, such as Sid falling over. Rotten and Jones fail to disguise their feelings on Sid's pitiful display. "Big tough Sid falls over," mocks Jones. "The living circus" adds Rotten. It's no surprise that one week later the group had split. What of the DVD itself? The live footage looks excellent. The two promotional videos on the original video release have been retained, taking the running time to a mere 44 minutes. Unfortunately, as per the video, the source tape for the "God Save The Queen" promo is poor. A waste, as far better quality prints have been aired on television many times. The "Anarchy In The UK" promo video, (compiled in 1992 by Julien Temple), is however, excellent quality. The DVD extras are a (small) mixed bag. The biography is a reasonably accurate précis, consisting of a narration backed by a set of repeated images, all from the video, and lasting for about 5 minutes. Would it be too much to ask for a few stills to illustrate the story? Even worse is the discography. A completely random selection of official, semi-official, and bootleg albums. No labels, no dates, no use. The presentation of archive material on DVD, in this case over 20 years old, automatically poses problems. What extras could be added and how much money are companies willing to invest in a release such as this? Yes, it would be nice to have the "Winterland" (also previously released on PNE/Castle video) and "Longhorn" concert footage on the one disc, but Castle Music are in the business to make money first; respect for the fans comes second. If this release sells, Winterland will no doubt follow. However, there must be plenty of clips, (TV appearances etc.), Castle could have got permission to use, thereby giving the release some genuine "extras". Gripes aside, on balance, Castle are to be applauded for bringing this classic footage into the digital age. Review by Phil Singleton ©2000/2001/2002 Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. |
Where
else are you going to hold an event to celebrate 25 years since the original Punk
Rock festival of September 1976? It could only ever be held at one place, the
100 Club.