Way back when single albums became triple concepts albums and rock stars were properly washed and treated to do glamourous benefit events these lads changed it all.

True, on the other side of the pond there also was a new exciting scene BUT britains often know how to add something magical to the music. Call it fashion, image or whatever. And the images of Jamie Reid and the Clothes of Vivenne Westword certainly made this bunch unique.

And after i heard "Anarchy" for the first time on german radio at the and of '76 (on a political radio magazine where they moaned about "nazi rock coming from england") i was hooked.

Now, listening to this album again (as much re-released as everything else) i must admit that apart from the first three 45s ("Anarchy" "God Save The Queen" and "Pretty Vacant" only "No Feelings" really does it for me (and that was originally a B-Side). The rest sounds a bit too much like Status Quo on speed.

Still a very vital part of my musical life, but this hasn't aged thaaat well. (And is probably to blame for those hordes of third-rate "Punk Rock"-Bands all over the world.)

Definitely one of my favourite albums of all time. The title says it all: 'Never mind the bollocks, here’s the Sex Pistols'…

Sometimes, the music industry needs a complete Tabula Rasa, a new beginning that erases everything previous in a brutal way. That’s what The Sex Pistols did with this album, a mean spit in the face of the upper class. There had never been such a clear break between the society-accepted and approved hit parade music and the real youth culture.
What also set them apart was the fact that these guys and their music came right of the gutter, they had no classical music education, nor n high standard attitude of a pop star. They were scum, they couldn’t sing, the couldn’t play, they were the prototype of the low class youth without any future, an example of the late seventies UK depression.

Yeah, the whole group was a marketing stunt by Malcolm McClaren to promote and sell his clothes and a middle finger to the conservative UK but it doesn’t matter: this album is a milestone in the history of music and breaks with all the rules. 'Anarchy In The UK', 'Holidays In The Sun', 'Pretty Vacant' or 'God Save The Queen' are still fantastic unpretentious, cynical, hilarious and straight to the bone songs which will make you turn on the volume of your stereo to the maximum level.

The revolution would last about two years, the main purpose was achieved: The Sex Pistols: 'Never Mind The Bollocks' and then nothing anymore...

All about origianal NMTB-pressings to be read here (sex-pistols net).

What more to be said...And this note only mentiones the english pressing, the worldwide ones would take several more pages! :-)

Pls bare in mind due to the rush release of Never Mind the Bollocks there have been several issues at the beginning with the single and/or the poster, with a sticker on the frontside, as 11 or 12-track album, with songlisting on the backside and with plain pink back...

Hope this will assist..

The running order of N.M.T.B. was changing daily. But when it went to pressing the LP, eleven tracks were agreed on. But in Pistols' style at the eleventh hour, the group insisted on the inclusion of Sub-mission being on the LP.
The copies already run were possibly going to be scrapped, but due to import copies arriving from France, panic set in. Would everybody buy the heavily imprted French album verion for the extra track. Whch was already on the streets, with a printed sleeve reading : N.M.T.B. includes the unreleased Sub-mission track.
So plan two went into action to release the initial copies of the 200,000 run and add a single-sided 7" containing Sub-mission.
Version 1 : The 11 track LP with single-sided 7" and full colour poster, shrink wrapped together, rush released a week earlier than planned. Note the back cover of this version only lists 11 tracks with no Submision.
Version 2 : This came with the re-cut album containing 12 tracks (with Sub-mission). A thousand of these got out with a plain pink back cover, no track listings.
Version 3 : Then came N.M.T.B. with printed sleeve with twelve tracks printed on the back cover including Sub-mission.
Version 4 : Three months later in January 1978 came the picture disc version of N.M.T.B. in pink die cut sleeve with tracks written in black and white in order, as opposed to scattered on the back cover.

Perhaps the apogee of the 1970's punk movement; Nevermind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols is still a huge throbbing brain of an album. The lyrics excoriate while the bass, guitar and drums still defy appraisal. Masterpiece.