Sex Pistols “The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle” released on this day, February 26, 1979. Double record, soundtrack. The album was released after the band broke up and therefore features cover songs like “Something Else” and “My Way” sung by Sid Vicious and new tracks written and performed Paul Cook and Steve Jones (“Silly Thing” and “Lonely Boy”). Tracks featuring the original line-up are recordings from earlier studio and live performances. Johnny Rotten refused to participate in this swindle.

It’s an uneven record, at best, though I have a real fondness for the demo versions of covers like “Johnny B Goode” and “Roadrunner.” The version of “Anarchy in the UK” that appears on “Swindle” is even more raw and angry than the one appearing on “Never Mind the Bollocks.” However, songs like the disco medley “Black Arabs,” featuring snippets of “Anarchy in the UK” and “Pretty Vacant,” are just plain horrible. But the Sex Pistols being the Sex Pistols, including some gawd awful music was the best way to show their f*&k off punk attitude.