One of my favorites, it's is a complete aggressive explosion of social comment on abortion with a killer riff, plenty of punk energy, and quasi morbid lyrics. “No Feelings” is actually pretty catchy with some amusing lyrical moments and is also one of the more “pop friendly” tracks on the album... if you want to call anything that the Sex Pistols did pop friendly, it seems like a bit of an oxymoron to me. The aggressive sneer of “Liar” works well with it's kick in the teeth guitar riffs, especially in the chorus and the bridge. This song also features a screaming guitar lead in the middle that is simple, but effective and seems to only up the intensity that much more when the band returns to the verse... another one of my favorites. “Problems” is another great rock song (heck, they really all are), but I'm especially fond of this one's lyrics with it's building chorus and exclamation point “The problem is you.” I mean could any statement be more punk than that?
Where “No Feelings,” “Liar,” and “Problems are more socially directed, the band returns to more to political sniping with “God Save the Queen,” a direct shot at the Queen of the UK in the form of a catchy rocker. “Seventeen” has a particularly different musical feel, a bit more of a swagger than some of the other straight forward songs, but it still hits hard, has an absolutely massive chorus and it's apathy fueled, snotty lyrics are incredible.
“Anarchy in the UK” is about as rebellious and sneering as any band can be, but combine that with some great, loose rock and roll riffs and you have a song huge enough that I bet, when played live, everyone sings along to the chorus. “Submission” is another one of my favorites because of a unique style that sets it off from the rest. It's probably the most adventurous track on the album, but don't get the idea that it sounds out of place. This is still firmly a Sex Pistols song through and though, but at the same time it seems to hint at some of bands that would come after the punk movement and subsequently be labeled “post punk.”
Article comments
1 - Brad Laidman
There are maybe four notes by sid on the album. I think only the first couple singles have Glen on them the rest are just played by Steve Jones.
The VH1 Greatest Albums episode on the album is actually pretty brilliant
2 - JC Mosquito
The Pistols were apparently more than just influential, or even ahead of their time - they might even have been prescient. There's no way they could have accepted admittance into the same RNRHOF knowing that Madonna would one day be there with them. Not knocking Maodnna, but you've gotta think that musically she's diametrically opposite to Mssrs. Rotten & Co.
Madonna: "Papa don't preach..."
Johnny Rotten: "I don' wan' a baby / that looks like that!"