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Music : The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle: Highlights
1 2
Rating: 
- Less is more
I would seriously reccommend the 12-track highlights album as opposed to the 24-track sprawling mess. Firstly when dealing with erratic material like this, the sequencing makes or breaks the album. The highlights album begins with Malcolm McLaren's voiceover and then crashes into Rock n Roll Swindle - a good start. It includes all the best of the rock n roll songs like Something Else and Lonely Boy but none of the dross like Johnny Be Good and Road Runner where Johnny Rotten struggles to remember any of the words and consequently swears a lot! The Ten Pole Tudor songs are completely insane but seem to fit in better on the 12-track album than on the longer version.
However, the lyrics are still shocking, yet have none of the political oomph of the first pistols album. Perhaps this is the Pistols as Malcolm McLaren would have liked them - a charicature of punk rock with nothing much to say.
Personally, I would prefer a 17-track album with the 'highlights' dozen followed by the amusing French style Anarchy in the UK, then the first Belsen was a Gas, Don't give me no lip, I'm not your stepping stone and the Black Arabs medley as a fittingly daft finisher. With the 24-track album this parody is placed before one of the songs it is parodying (No one is innocent) which seems absurd.
Whereas Johnny Rotten's 'Belsen was a gas' seems to express disgust at the Nazi regime with the repeated 'Be a man, kill someone', the Ronnie Biggs' version seems much too light hearted for the shocking subject matter, but then I suppose it would have been a bit much to expect pathos from one of the great train robbers! As for the dirty rugby song done punk style which concludes the longer album, if nothing has offended you so far, this one might just do it. Thankfully the highlights album omits this! All in all, this album proves just how pivotal Matlock was to the Sex Pistols being a serious band.
Rating:
- It's A Swindle!
Forget objectivity this album is so obviously an insult to it's intended audience that it's beyond a joke.Then why do i find it so incredibly entertaining then? Punk rock always had a sense of the ridiculous.That was often missed by it's detractors but as it was an antedote to the po faced mush that preceeded it we can understand that.It's a mixed bag based on a film that was never really a film and contains all kinds of curios that many Pistols purists still find beneath contempt.As a collection of music it is fine, and like it or not, a part of the Pistols legend.
Rating:
- Charming Mess
This is perhaps more McLaren’s album than that of the Sex Pistols. It’s a mess, it’s in bad taste, but at least it’s an interesting mess. The God Save The Queen Symphony with vocals by McLaren is truly strange. The French version of Anarchy by one Jerzimy accompanied by an accordian is poignant but bizarre, while the two version of Einmal war Belsen Vortefflich (the second with vocals by Ronnie Biggs, are beyond redemption. The famous My Way a la Sid Vicious has a certain tragic charm and does not seem out of place amid all the weirdness. The orchestral version of EMI with vocal by Steve Jones is quite impressive with its sinister lyrics, while Friggin’ in the Riggin’ , sung by Steve Jones is crude and vulgar. This is followed by the entirely pointless You Need Hands by Malcolm McLaren. The album concludes with Tenpole Tudor’s messy but at least enthusiastic Who Killed Bambi. Bearing in mind that this is a soundtrack and that the group had already split up at its release, it’s still probably one of the worst second albums in history. Whereas the first album mocked the establishment and the music business, this one mocked the Sex Pistols themselves. It’s a very interesting piece of rock ‘n roll history but not a great listening experience.
Rating:
- Swindle? Definitely!
With the departure of Johnny Rotten, the Sex Pistols should have been no more, and this album is excellent proof of that. It is mostly novelty songs and songs sung by other members of the band, but there is nothing that comes even close to anything that was sung/snarled by Johnny Rotten.
Let me ask you this - if it wasn't for the name 'Sex Pistols' on the front, would you buy and album of mostly cover versions sung by the other members of the band or their manager after the singer left, filled in with some accordian music and badly recorded rehearsals? I think not, and I regretted buying it on vinyl all those years ago for exactly these reasons. Never Mind the Bollocks was an awesome album, but this is only the Sex Pistols in name.
Go and buy Never Mind the Bollocks instead, it's a million times better!
Rating: - God save the Queen 'eh John?
The Sex Pistols were musically revolutionary and produced a brilliant first album, but it was all over too quickly. Their second was the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It is a collection of bottom barrellers. New version of Anarchy, early recording impro of Johnny B Good, Sid Vicious My Way, Belsen was a Gas. Otherwise there are some dreadful songs recorded after the band had pretty much broken up or by other bands. The Black arabs? "The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle" preformed by a guy who went onto to host The Crystal Maze? (the one who had hair) No wonder Johnny Rotten wanted out. Friggin' in the riggin' is however classic football chant. I suggest you buy this if you are bored of "Never Mind the Bollocks." It is the only other album with other original material.
- Less is moreI would seriously reccommend the 12-track highlights album as opposed to the 24-track sprawling mess. Firstly when dealing with erratic material like this, the sequencing makes or breaks the album. The highlights album begins with Malcolm McLaren's voiceover and then crashes into Rock n Roll Swindle - a good start. It includes all the best of the rock n roll songs like Something Else and Lonely Boy but none of the dross like Johnny Be Good and Road Runner where Johnny Rotten struggles to remember any of the words and consequently swears a lot! The Ten Pole Tudor songs are completely insane but seem to fit in better on the 12-track album than on the longer version.
However, the lyrics are still shocking, yet have none of the political oomph of the first pistols album. Perhaps this is the Pistols as Malcolm McLaren would have liked them - a charicature of punk rock with nothing much to say.
Personally, I would prefer a 17-track album with the 'highlights' dozen followed by the amusing French style Anarchy in the UK, then the first Belsen was a Gas, Don't give me no lip, I'm not your stepping stone and the Black Arabs medley as a fittingly daft finisher. With the 24-track album this parody is placed before one of the songs it is parodying (No one is innocent) which seems absurd.
Whereas Johnny Rotten's 'Belsen was a gas' seems to express disgust at the Nazi regime with the repeated 'Be a man, kill someone', the Ronnie Biggs' version seems much too light hearted for the shocking subject matter, but then I suppose it would have been a bit much to expect pathos from one of the great train robbers! As for the dirty rugby song done punk style which concludes the longer album, if nothing has offended you so far, this one might just do it. Thankfully the highlights album omits this! All in all, this album proves just how pivotal Matlock was to the Sex Pistols being a serious band.
Rating:
- It's A Swindle!Forget objectivity this album is so obviously an insult to it's intended audience that it's beyond a joke.Then why do i find it so incredibly entertaining then? Punk rock always had a sense of the ridiculous.That was often missed by it's detractors but as it was an antedote to the po faced mush that preceeded it we can understand that.It's a mixed bag based on a film that was never really a film and contains all kinds of curios that many Pistols purists still find beneath contempt.As a collection of music it is fine, and like it or not, a part of the Pistols legend.
Rating:
- Charming MessThis is perhaps more McLaren’s album than that of the Sex Pistols. It’s a mess, it’s in bad taste, but at least it’s an interesting mess. The God Save The Queen Symphony with vocals by McLaren is truly strange. The French version of Anarchy by one Jerzimy accompanied by an accordian is poignant but bizarre, while the two version of Einmal war Belsen Vortefflich (the second with vocals by Ronnie Biggs, are beyond redemption. The famous My Way a la Sid Vicious has a certain tragic charm and does not seem out of place amid all the weirdness. The orchestral version of EMI with vocal by Steve Jones is quite impressive with its sinister lyrics, while Friggin’ in the Riggin’ , sung by Steve Jones is crude and vulgar. This is followed by the entirely pointless You Need Hands by Malcolm McLaren. The album concludes with Tenpole Tudor’s messy but at least enthusiastic Who Killed Bambi. Bearing in mind that this is a soundtrack and that the group had already split up at its release, it’s still probably one of the worst second albums in history. Whereas the first album mocked the establishment and the music business, this one mocked the Sex Pistols themselves. It’s a very interesting piece of rock ‘n roll history but not a great listening experience.
Rating:
- Swindle? Definitely!With the departure of Johnny Rotten, the Sex Pistols should have been no more, and this album is excellent proof of that. It is mostly novelty songs and songs sung by other members of the band, but there is nothing that comes even close to anything that was sung/snarled by Johnny Rotten.
Let me ask you this - if it wasn't for the name 'Sex Pistols' on the front, would you buy and album of mostly cover versions sung by the other members of the band or their manager after the singer left, filled in with some accordian music and badly recorded rehearsals? I think not, and I regretted buying it on vinyl all those years ago for exactly these reasons. Never Mind the Bollocks was an awesome album, but this is only the Sex Pistols in name.
Go and buy Never Mind the Bollocks instead, it's a million times better!
Rating:
- God save the Queen 'eh John?The Sex Pistols were musically revolutionary and produced a brilliant first album, but it was all over too quickly. Their second was the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It is a collection of bottom barrellers. New version of Anarchy, early recording impro of Johnny B Good, Sid Vicious My Way, Belsen was a Gas. Otherwise there are some dreadful songs recorded after the band had pretty much broken up or by other bands. The Black arabs? "The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle" preformed by a guy who went onto to host The Crystal Maze? (the one who had hair) No wonder Johnny Rotten wanted out. Friggin' in the riggin' is however classic football chant. I suggest you buy this if you are bored of "Never Mind the Bollocks." It is the only other album with other original material.