Sex Pistols “Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols” 1977. Today, October 28th, is the 40th anniversary of the legendary release of the Sex Pistols’ first and only full-length studio release. This copy is the American version on Warner Records with the pink cover with 12 tracks, including “Submission” (a sticker is slapped on the back cover to note its inclusion). The original UK release on Virgin had a yellow cover and 11 tracks. We have a yellow copy around the Vault somewhere, but none are originals (in my defense I was only 6 years old when Never Mind the Bollocks was released, though it was one of the first punk records I ever purchased, just after The Clash, probably in late ‘85 or early ‘86, and just like The Clash, it’s a punk classic that I never get tired of).

(The back cover with the “Submission” sticker)

It’s hard to overstate the impact and significance of Never Mind the Bollocks: controversial to the extreme even before its release, one of the best-selling punk records of all-time topping the UK album chart in ‘77 and it also appears on many many best-of album lists. From Allmusic: “Already anthemic songs are rendered positively transcendent by Johnny Rotten’s rabid, foaming delivery. His bitterly sarcastic attacks on pretentious affectation and the very foundations of British society were all carried out in the most confrontational, impolite manner possible. Most imitators of the Pistols’ angry nihilism missed the point: underneath the shock tactics and theatrical negativity were social critiques carefully designed for maximum impact. Never Mind the Bollocks perfectly articulated the frustration, rage, and dissatisfaction of the British working class with the establishment, a spirit quick to translate itself to strictly rock & roll terms. The Pistols paved the way for countless other bands to make similarly rebellious statements, but arguably none were as daring or effective. It’s easy to see how the band’s roaring energy, overwhelmingly snotty attitude, and Rotten’s furious ranting sparked a musical revolution, and those qualities haven’t diminished one bit over time. Never Mind the Bollocks is simply one of the greatest, most inspiring rock records of all time. “

The Sex Pistols had released four singles from the LP prior to its release: “Anarchy in the UK” in late ‘76, “God Save the Queen,” “Pretty Vacant” and “Holidays in the Sun.” While Sid Vicious appears prominently on the inner sleeve, he only played bass on one track, “Bodies” – his skills were so poor that producer Chris Thomas asked guitarist Steve Jones to record the bass tracks for the remaining songs (original bassist Glen Matlock was asked to do it first but because Malcolm McLaren didn’t pay him up front, Matlock refused to show).