Thursday 15 July 2010

Sex Pistols - 'Never Mind the Bollocks'

Although this is starting to show its age a bit in terms of production, the sneering, bile-fuelled attitude of this record is such that it still cuts a slice across your face with a jagged blade as soon as the needle hits the opening chords of 'Holidays in the Sun'. It doesn't really matter who played the music (there are rumours that at least half of it was done by session musicians), it's a perfect snapshot of a revolution taking place. And if the late Malcolm Mclaren was a svengali behind it, so much the better - I love a bit of situationism.

This reminds me really vividly of my brother, early 1980s. We had a portable tape recorder (they used to call them boom boxes, you know), and he had a tape of this album in it. He walked into the kitchen with it paused, and said 'Listen to this'. He released the pause, and the stanza of 'Bodies' just after the false ending kicked in. 'FAAHCK AND FAAHCK THAT! FAAHCKING IN THE THE FAAHCKHOUSE, FAAHKING BLACKS!' screamed Johnny Rotten. I looked at my brother, secretly envious that he'd laid his hands on this near-mythical (to a 1t year old) artefact from ancient history, but also appalled that he'd decided to play that bit of it in the kitchen, in front of our parents. Incredibly, they didn't notice, and later Jan confessed that he'd made a mistake by playing that - it was just a coincidence that he'd paused it at that point.

I still can't believe my parents didn't notice. It clearly made quite an impression on me.

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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous9 August 2010 at 06:29

    I'm really enjoying this blog, Zak. I have such memories attached to vinyl and tapes, too-- much of my teen life was spent looking for records and playing them-- I met my partner in a used record shop on Hollywood Blvd. (He has a great record blog, too-- http://mrowster.wordpress.com/)

    I think I first heard punk from a friend who played a tape of the Toy Dolls' Dig that Groove Baby, played from the belly of one of those "speaking" baby dolls that had a tape deck inside it. I never looked back. Haha!

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  2. ZakAvery9 August 2010 at 22:04

    Thanks, impymalting, I'm pleased you're enjoying the ride. I've had a look at your chap's blog and all I can say is WHOAH! He's got some really obscure records!

    I stupidly ditched 99% of my tapes a few years ago - along with the vinyl, they were just lending toom uch ballast to my life. But the vinyl is too precious to ever let go.

    I love the idea of a baby doll playing music from its belly - properly satanic.

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