1180. Sex Pistols / Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. 1977. 5/5

For the layman in music, the Sex Pistols are a band that these days is shrouded in the mists of time. And given what is more or less seen as outrageous or accepted in music in the current day, the antics of the punk movement in the UK can sometimes be seen to be quite tame in comparison. Even the fact that there is some... gasp... swearing!... in a couple of the songs, barely even rates a mention given what occurs in POP SONGS in the modern age. So a lot of the shock and horror that the Sex Pistols created in their short span in the music scene would barely raise a ripple with the current trends.
Indeed they were a forerunner to so many music trends. Not only were they one of the leading lights in the fast burn of that punk scene, they were also born of an era where on occasions technical musicianship was less important than stage presence, something that fitted the Sex Pistols well given the way the band members started out and how they were drawn together to become the group they were.
To try and make this a history lesson into the birth of the Sex Pistols, and their place in the history of punk music in the UK, would stretch this episode beyond what it has set out to be. The drawing together of the initial quartet of guitarist Steve Jones (who famously is quoted that he taught himself guitar while on methamphetamine to keep his concentration over several days without sleep), drummer Paul Cook, bass guitarist Glen Matlock and lead vocalist John Lydon (better known under his stage pseudonym of Johnny Rotten) through the influence of manager Malcolm McLaren is an interesting story, along with Matlock’s eventual leaving of the band prior to the recording of their debut album even though he had contributed to the writing of most of it, and the recruitment of John Ritchie as his replacement, who is better known as Sid Vicious. Several documentaries exist of course, and a recent dramatization of their career in the six-part series titled “Pistol” is a fun way to follow those early exploits.

The band had already signed and been sacked by two record companies before Richard Branson came along and signed them up to his Virgin label, and the Sex Pistols had matured from a band that played cover versions of songs to writing and playing their own material. The band had recorded the single “Anarchy in the UK” for EMI in late 1976, but due to several controversies they were dropped by the label in early 1977 and not long after Matlock left the band. This left “Anarchy in the UK” as the only song on which Matlock played on the album, though its inclusion on “Never Mind the Bollocks” was not in line with what the band wanted. They had wanted all new songs on the album, and the songs they had released as singles - “Anarchy in the UK”, along with “God save the Queen” and “Pretty Vacant” - to be left off. Virgin and McLaren were having none of that, which, in retrospect was the smart move, as they are arguably the best songs on the album, and certainly the best known.
At the time, the Sex Pistols were reviewed and marketed as being ‘out there’ on stage, with crazy antics and sometimes incomprehensible musicianship, certainly in the case of when Sid Vicious joined the band as he was reported as being almost completely useless on the bass guitar. And that leads to the two things that make this album so interesting even in the modern day. Because, when the band was recording this album, Malcolm McLaren was given the task of making up excuses to keep Vicious unaware that the recording was occurring, and also then keeping him away from the studio, as the three other members of the band recorded the album on their own. There are two songs where Vicious has played the bass, on the songs “Bodies” and “God save the Queen”. However, those pieces were also tracked by Steve Jones on bass, and eventually Vicious’s bass was turned down so far in the mix that it is basically not heard at all. For the remainder of the tracks, Jones recorded the bass guitar, to make the songs sound listenable.
And that’s one of the main points about this album that doesn’t usually get mentioned. The music is not all over the place, out of time or unlistenable. The lyrics are not shouted of screamed or unintelligible. In fact, Jones and Cook are actually pretty awesome together, with drums and bass forming a great rhythm section, and Jones’s guitar chugging along perfectly, setting a terrific platform for each song. It is exactly what the Sex Pistols brought to the table in regards to their legacy to music. It is stripped back, basic power chords, tight 3-4 minute songs with catchy choruses and lyrics that create topical songs in an era where the times needed a push back. Chris Thomas and Bill Price as producers have done a sterling job on this album and in getting a great sound out of the band that, 45 years later, still stands up again everything that has come since this was recorded.

This album has always been one that the industry has held up as the main source of the UK punk scene, but is rarely referenced in recent years. Given the way modern punk affiliated bands have gone about their work, many of the songs here are felt to be tame in comparison. The songs that created such controversy at the time, such as “Anarchy in the UK” and “God save the Queen” are referenced as being simplified musically, and with lyrics that aren’t fiery enough to create the mayhem needed in the modern day. And there is little doubt, and I can’t say this from first hand experience, that this recorded version of their songs are quite different from the way they played them live in the clubs of those days, in front of rabid fans who had taken them to their hearts. They haven’t been stonewashed of their impact, but the producers have made sure that everything comes at you at the same level. Is this a good thing in regards to putting the band’s imprint on vinyl to share with the world? Obviously, to get the full impact, a live recording of the band performing their material would have been the ideal way to follow up this album. Of course, that didn’t happen.
Like most people of my generation through the 1980’s, I knew the main songs from this album. I even played a couple of them in my first band, no doubt to please one or two members who thought we were being the rebellious types at the time. “Anarchy in the UK” has been covered so many times over the years by all manner of bands that it has probably lost its sheen and meaning of the day. But other songs still come across as they must have in the day, such as “Liar” and “Submission” and “Pretty Vacant”, and there is still lots of fun in listening to “Holidays in the Sun” and “Bodies” and “God save the Queen”. Like I said, I think the album itself still holds itself up amazingly well in the modern age. And perhaps that is because it was the one and only that the band produced, with first John Lydon moving on during their tour of the US, and Sid Vicious overdosing a year later. In many ways it is probably this album’s saving grace, as there is nothing to compare it with after this. The band always seemed to be on borrowed time before they imploded, and while a second album may well have been bigger than this in sales and content, the fact that it is a standalone volume still makes it a unique experience to listen to. I’ve had it on constant rotation over the last six weeks, as well as having watched the mini-series on their lives, and it still has the power of its convictions.

1179. AC/DC / Live. 1992. 5/5

Live albums. They are an artform. Generally you wouldn’t think you could stuff them up, but when they are done well they are a pleasure to listen to. Prior to this album’s release, AC/DC’s only officially released live album was “If You Want Blood You’ve Got It” from back in 1978, with Bon Scott on vocals and recorded on the “Powerage” tour. It has an eclectic song selection that often annoys younger listeners even today, because it doesn’t contain what they necessarily believe are the ‘hits’ of the band from the time. That’s what actually makes it a really good live album. But I’m not here to talk about that album.
In the years since AC/DC had continued to write and record solid hard rock albums, coming up with occasional radio hits, but generally building their audience worldwide. When they finally toured Australia in 1988 after a long absence, they sold out shows throughout the country. Songs such as “Who Made Who” and “Heatseeker” had been popular hits, and on the back of “The Razor’s Edge” album, which had brought the big selling number one “Thunderstruck”, the band made the decision to record some shows around the world in order to release their second official live album. The double CD version of the album has songs recorded from eight different shows in six different venues, all put together from the setlist played over the length of that worldwide tour. And while some discussion can always be had over what was played and what was left off, what you can’t complain about is the quality of the performances of the songs they did perform.

When it comes to live albums, as I have said multiple times on other episodes of this podcast, you should get the best of the best, and therefore rate almost any live album full marks. You always have to play the ‘greatest hits’, which is difficult for a band with the longevity and success that AC/DC has enjoyed. There are often just too many to choose from. And you also have to play songs off the latest album, because after all that’s what you are touring to promote. So the balancing act is always a tenuous one.
Even all these years later, the set list is fun and still listenable. The songs from “The Razor’s Edge” are still worthy, with “Thunderstruck” starting off the album in excellent fashion, and is followed up throughout by plenty of other tracks from the album, “Are You Ready?”, “Fire Your Guns”, Money Talks” and the title track. Which is what you expect from a band on tour. Then you have the recent singles that had done well on the charts such that everyone knew the songs, such as the classic “Who Made Who” which really shot them back to the top after a period in the doldrums, and “Heatseeker” and “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock and Roll” from the “Blow up Your Video” album. So for the fan who had just come upon the band in those late 1980’s years, there is plenty here for them to enjoy.
Beyond that you delver back into the Bon Scott era with those legendary tracks, ones such as “Sin City”, “Jailbreak”, “The Jack” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”, before the second disc includes great songs like “High Voltage”, “Whole Lotta Rosie”, “Let There Be Rock”, “Highway to Hell” and “TNT”. It’s a gluttony of that great era of the band. And finally we have the early Brian Johnson era where the band was able to revitalise following Bon’s passing, with the songs “Shoot to Thrill”, “Back in Black”, “Hells Bells” and “You Shook Me All NIght Long” from the “Back in Black” album, and the concert and album closer, the legendary “For Those About to Rock, We Salute You”. As you can see, there’s a lot to fit in to two discs and over two hours of live music.

So you obviously can’t argue with that track list for a double live album, can you? And the performances are top notch. The whole band is at the top of their game. Chris Slade, who had arrived on drums on this album following Simon Wright moving on to Dio, is terrific, and added a new dimension to these songs with his presence. And what can you say about Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson and Angus Young that hasn’t bee said before? They were at about their peak at this point in time, riding high on renewed success and still of an age where Angus could get away with the schoolboy uniform.
Is there a bone to pick? Perhaps a small one. “Flick of the Switch” and “Fly on the Wall” don’t have a song representing those albums here, and perhaps finding space for just one off each would have given this a collection a complete feel. It’s a small thing, but one worth mentioning.
I got this album on the day of its release 30 years ago, and played it a damn lot at that time. I had also been fortunate enough to have seen this tour when it hit Sydney, from the second row of the gig, which as just amazing. Great times and great memories. And that’s what this album offers. Great memories of one of the great hard rock bands of all time, playing their all time greats at the peak of their powers. For a live album, it’s pretty hard to stuff that up. And I can guarantee you that that isn’t the case here. This is a top shelf live album experience.

1178. Joe Satriani / Surfing With the Alien. 1987. 4.5/5

Sometimes I’m not sure what is Joe Satriani’s greatest claim to fame – the fact that he was a guitar teacher and instructor to some of the great guitarists of the last 30–odd years, or his own work in the music he has produced. There is an apocryphal story that he decided to take up playing the guitar at the age of 14, when he heard the news of Jimi Hendrix’s death. Whether true or not, he eventually went on to study and teach in Berkeley California. When it came to students that graduated from his classes, you’d have to say that they have gone on to reasonably bright careers, players such as Steve Vai, Rick Hunolt, Alex Skolnick and Kirk Hammett, just to name a few.
His first album was released in 1985, titled “Not of This Earth”, which tickled the fancy of those in the industry and made some noise in album sales around the world. For his follow up, he again went with drum machine to program all of the drums, except for one song, “Satch Boogie”, where the drums were played by Jeff Campitelli. Also, according to an interview with Satriani in 2017, the only solo that was worked out before beforehand was on “Crushing Day”. The cover art too has its roots in the Marvel Universe, depicting the Silver Surfer in all his glory. I guess if you are going to be a guitar nerd, you may as well be a comic nerd as well.

I still adore the first half of this album to this day. While people try to categorise this into several different genres, in the long run it is a guitar geeks album, and people who love almost any type of music genre can find something to love. My mother-in-law for instance has always been a fan of the quieter, more introspective track “Always with Me, Always with You”, and often played it on the public radio station she used to do a shift on. The lovers of hard rock and metal will tend to side more with tracks such as “Ice 9” and “Crushing Day”, especially in the parts that could be described as the solo breaks, if that is possible on an instrumental track. The title track and opening track “Surfing with the Alien” sets the album off on the right foot in an up-tempo freelance guitar hyperactivity. And “Satch Boogie” has Joe showing all the tricks he has learned over the years.
There are more tricks up the sleeve in the second half of the album, which remains terrific. “Echo” especially is good because we get to hear the bass doing some funky stuff without the focus being taken away by the guitars. Indeed, all of the tracks in this second half of the album have a much different style from the first half, showcasing the various skills that Satriani has. It isn’t as raucous as those first half a dozen tracks but they are enjoyable all the same, because of the magic that Joe has to offer.

I have no recollection when I first heard this album, nor when I first got a copy of it myself. As my own copy, sitting here in front of me as we speak, is the CD version, I can hazard a guess that I didn’t buy this until about 1990. I can dimly recall having this taped on one side of a C90 cassette, and if memory serves it was with Gary Moore’s “Wild Frontier” on the other side, which could well have dated this as not too long after it was released, but having gone through my extensive collection of cassette tapes prior to this episode I couldn’t find it, so it was either lost in time or destroyed by one of my old car’s cassette decks.
My earliest memories that survive of actually listening to this album is of the early days of the band I played in back in those days, and trying to convince our lead guitarist that playing the solo in “Crushing Day” would be a piece of piss, and that he should learn it so that we could play the song live. Being a drummer that only plays basic beats sometimes has its advantages. The playing it live part never eventuated.
This is still a great album to listen to today. The high velocity and energy in the first half of the album pumps you up, and the serenity of the back half allows you to cool off again. I can put it on at any time and enjoy it. I have been fortunate enough to see Joe live a couple of times, the first being on the tour for his next album after this, “Flying in a Blue Dream”, with the brilliant Jonathan Mover on drums and Stu Hamm on bass, so it was a spectacular concert indeed. And when indeed they played “Crushing Day” live, our protestations to Shane to learn the solo to that song started all over again.