I Don’t Like Them As Much As I’m Supposed To: Sex Pistols

I Don't Like Them As Much As I'm Supposed To

sexpistols I Dont Like Them As Much As Im Supposed To: Sex Pistols Just because a band is hugely influential doesn’t mean I have to like ‘em. Even if I like cruddy third-rate versions of said band. In this case, I’m talking about the Sex Pistols. For some reason, I just can’t get into ‘em. They’ve got a couple of songs that I love. “Pretty Vacant” is a masterpiece in schlock pop and “God Save The Queen” is a hilarious piece of rockin’ trash… but for me, that’s about all they’ve got to offer.
Now, I’ve already touched on it, but I feel that I’ll have to reiterate. I understand how incredibly important the Sex Pistols are to British music, but I do sniff at the idea that punk came about because of Johnny Rotten & Co. Punk is something that’d been around for more than a decade before ‘Year Zero’. The thing that the second punk movement had was great timing.

From ‘64 onwards, there were loads of great punk bands knocking around. The Sonics, The Wailers, The Stooges, MC5, New York Dolls, The Ramones… however, all these bands were around at a very fertile time in music. The Sex Pistols happened at a time when the world was awash with people who liked their guitar solos long and their gongs set up behind the drumkit. You can’t grumble at the effect, either. From proggy hell we got our music back. It was like getting a bug-eyed, demented buncha Little Richards going wild at high voltage.
Even though I understand completely how vast the effect of the Sex Pistols is, I still don’t like Nevermind The Bollocks. I think “Anarchy In The UK” should be a bit faster. I can’t stomach the Sex Pistols fall-out, either. Public Image Ltd were so-so. Lydon’s tracks with Leftfield and Afrika Bambaataattaatta were average at best. The panto-like reunions and appearances on reality TV haven’t exactly won me over either.
As far as Brit punk goes, the main boys, notably The Clash and The Sex Pistols leave me a bit cold. Gimme Music From A Different Kitchen and Germ Free Adolescents any day of the week.