Rocktober Album #21: Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)

32 years ago today, two beasts were unleashed on the world. Me and the Sex Pistols' one and only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. (There are conflicting reports about when the album was released, but I'm going to believe that it was on my birthday. Let me have this one.)

Widely recognized as THE album that defined punk and, above that, one of the most important albums in rock history, Never Mind the Bollocks is a cultural and musical institution. Of course, underneath all the angst, loud instruments, and screaming are some very well-crafted songs with hooks and pop sensibility.

1. Holidays In The Sun
Right of the bat, they come at you with supersonic speed and yelling and such. They apparently really wanted to go over the Berlin Wall.
2. Bodies
This is one of my favorites on the album. It is definitely intense. As a song about abortion, this certainly was a direct influence on the Bloomington, Indiana-based, short-lived punk sensation Cervical Implosion's hit song "Abortion Monday." In actuality, the inspiration is pretty messed up. Legend has it, the subject of the song – some chick called Pauline who – had several abortions, and one time showed up at Johnny Rotten's door with an aborted fetus in a plastic bag. Pretty standard.
3. No Feelings
Another great song, especially for those of us who care only about ourselves.
4. Liar
This is a song that I presume was written presciently about Mark Sanford. Zing!
5. God Save The Queen
This is a punk classic, summing up the English youth's collective feeling at that point in time: "No future / No future / No future for me."
6. Problems
I got a rash, man.
7. Seventeen
Any song describing oneself as a "lazy sod" has to be a good one. Oddly, Winger's cover of this song sounds nothing like it and contains none of the same lyrics.
8. Anarchy In The U.K.
"I am an antichrist / I am an anarchist." Talk about one of the all-time great lines. This, of course, is a punk classic. As I'm sure you all know, it spawned literal anarchy in the United Kingdom. The Queen abdicated her throne, Parliament closed its doors, and Pete Doherty was born.
9. Submission
This is slower than most of the other songs, almost sounding like it could be a Stooges song.
10. Pretty Vacant
This is another one of my favorites on this album. I love the intro riff, as well as the play on words in the chorus ("We're so pretty / Oh, so pretty / Vacant"). You see, Kevin, they actually don't think of themselves as pretty, but rather as pretty vacant.
11. New York
This one is basically a "fuck you" to New York scenesters.
12. E.M.I.
I bet EMI kicks themselves everyday for releasing the Sex Pistols they made this album. At least they have a constant reminder in song form.