Customer Reviews

The Great Rock & Roll Swindle

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This album is weird but is still a great album. The song's humour get old fast but so does any humour really. There are still a few good solid songs though like "Belson was a gas" and "I'm not your stepping stone". I really enjoyed "my way" sung by Sid Vicious, when I hear the line I lived a full life, I get coked up inside. I would have like more rotten though. All in all a great album but for anyone who doesn't already love the sex pistols but for anyone else get never mind the bollocks.

I can't say this is an unmitigated punk classic. I CAN, however, claim to love several funny/brilliant tracks that are far more chaotic (and thereby closer to the spirit of punk) than any of the other Sex Pistols residual recordings. "A Punk Prayer" with Ronnie Biggs is a lot more fun than an entire Damned Box Set, "C'mon Everybody" has Sidney going at it with a spot-on Joey Ramone impression, "Belsen Was a Gas" tore us all up back in grade nine (no accounting for taste), and for good measure they've included Sid's "My Way," a shambolic masterpiece of style over substance.

My only complaint comes from the symphonic bits, and the lack of inclusion of "No Fun", one of the more brilliant Pistols covers, only found on other import junk like "Flogging a Dead Horse."

Buy it especially for these odds 'n' sods, particularly the title track. Lots of fun for the whole family.

Just one question: how could any self-respecting Pistols fan NOT enjoy this album? After hearing their awesome version of "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone", along with songs such as "Don't Give Me No Lip Child" and "Substitute", this album went down as one of my favorites. Sure, "Friggin' In The Riggin'" and Sid's infamous rendition of "My Way" (which, may I add, can't be fully appreciated until you see the movie) are a bit on the silly side, but hey, music isn't always about being serious. My only complaint? Tenpole Tudor should've never been handed a microphone! Yikes.

Johnny Rotten implores the band, "Stop it! It's [...]awful!", screams and proclaims it torture. He speaks merely of the impromptu version of "Johnny B. Goode" the band massacres, but one wishes the producers of this cd had heeded Johnny's warning. There is little of value to be found in this collection of what can only loosely be termed songs. Stupid, juvenile and low grade, bathroom humor pervade the album. Everything the critics would have panned Punk, "Bollocks" and the Sex Pistols for is to be found in this package.

A friend, upon listening to this cd for the first (and only) time, said the title was indeed apt, it WAS truly a swindle. The few marginally catchy mock-punk songs aren't worth the price of admission. Die-hard Sex Pistols fans would do better simply buying another copy of "Bollocks" (if they MUST "support the cause") or following the post-Pistol career of John Lydon with Pubic Image [Ltd.]. From offerings like "Swindle", it is clear the Pistols did not have much more in them than "Bollocks"; from PIL's offerings, it is clear that Johnny did. Spend your money wisely...

Truly and honestly shown what the Sex Pistols were capable of playing(awesome punk music!) Johnny,Steve,Paul and Sid did a sweet job on this album! Sid's "My way", "C'mon everybody" and "Something else" are punk masterpieces with the man himself on vocals (Sid).Their ballad "Belsen was a gas" which was recorded on the Sex Pistols last live show until 18 years later! "Anarchy in the U.K."(the pistols version) is my favorite of them all (check it out!)Steve Jones' "Lonely boy" is another sweet song to check out, Paul cook's "Silly thing" is also a cool tune to dig, plus other song's like "I wanna be me", "Don't give me no lip child',"Stepping Stone",add some silly tunes like: "Friggin in the riggin" and "Who killed bambi?" and you've got what I call the weirdest but yet most awesome soundtrack I've EVER listened to! I never go a day without listening to it! You have to check this album out all you Anarchist's out there! I give this album 5 stars and an infinity of A plus's! Check it out!!! SID MASON

The Great Rock 'N Roll Swindle soundtrack has moments of Sex Pistol's brilliance, and Malcolm McClaren injected stupidity. The soundtrack is to the pseudo-documentary of the same name. The film is about how Malcolm supposebly orchestrated the entire punk movement, by manufacturing The Sex Pistols to exploit the music scene. The movie is complete and total crap. The Sex Pistols were not a manufactured band and Malcolm is a complete and total idiot. The soundtrack has some great early Sex Pistol cover songs like "Stepping Stone, and "Substitute." It also features a great live performance of "Belsen Was A Gas," one of the Sex Pistols best songs. I don't care whether people find it offensive or not; great song. "I Wanna Be Me," is a direct attack on the media and how they blew punk way out of proportion. Sid's version of "My Way," is now a punk guilty pleasure. The title track is pretty decent as well, even though the lyrics are not what the Sex Pistols were about at all. Steve Jone's "Friggin and Riggin," is done in campy fun, as well as "Silly Thing." Now the downside of the album. All the French versions of "Anarchy in the U.K.," are terrible. Sid's cover songs of "Something Else," and 'C'om Everybody" are terrible, but they are suppose to be. Ronnie Bigg's version of "Belsen Was A Gas," is downright more sick and offensive than the original song that was penned by Johnny Rotten. Also Bigg's horrible "No One Is Innocent," is just god-awful. Why did The Sex Pistols agree to sing with this guy, he is just terrible. Rotten by this time had already left the group, and Steve and Paul thought they could continue the Sex Pistol's name, boy were they ever wrong. McClaren's "You Need Hands," is just terrible, we'll leave it at that.
Overall, extremely disappointing album, that seemed to be more organized by McClaren. The album has some shining moments, but just not enough to keep it afloat till the end. The movie is also totally untrue. McClaren did not manufacture and use The Sex Pistols as marketing technique. The Sex Pistols were for real, and are still the best punk band of all time. Don't buy into McClaren's ..., it is totally false. Buy Never Mind the Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols: the best punk rock record of all-time.

Sure, absolutely, Johnny Rotten/Lydon was the Pistols' visionary (but let's not forget Glen Matlock), but I always laugh my fool head off listening to Sid's "My Way." He even does passable covers of two Eddie Cochran rockabilly classics. The live "Belsen Was a Gas"--tasteless, sure, a definite sign the band had distintegrated beyond repair--is notable because it's from their last show, in SF, 1978. "Be a man, kill someone, be a man, kill yourself!" Rotten shouts as the thundering music behind him grinds to a halt, leaving a vast empty chasm of amorality (wait, sorry, reading too much Greil Marcus). Tenpole Tudor's "Who Killed Bambi," Steve Jones' obscene "Friggin' in the Riggin'" and Malcom's "You Need Hands" sound like great Benny Hill routines. Cook'n'Jones'"Silly Thing" and "Lonely Boy" are great straight-up rockers. And the version of "Anarchy in the UK" contained herein is more ferocious and exhilirating than the one on "Bollocks." True, you've got to be a pretty serious Pistols collector to buy this, but hey, what the hell? Keep the swindle going....

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, is 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.

A must for any Pistols fan. It arrived quickly and in perfect condition ! Thank you so much !!!!

This is a great addition to any Sex Pistols collection. The Pistols only had a certain amount of recorded songs, so this adds a few more you can't get anywhere else along with some really silly covers. Eat Me!