Perhaps its just as well they stay out of politics on either side of the divide.

Cheers,

It’s the best rock documentary I’ve ever seen. Well, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, Jeff Stein’s documentary about The Who is very good too.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0236216/

I had a chance to chat with the members of the AlterEgo band http://www.alterego.am/ When I asked why they sing about imaginary “Rishikesh” (the name of their song), rather than real life in Armenia, they said that they put the music first and hate the politics. Well, at least they sing about Jim Morrison, Jimmy and Janice in contrast to that dreadful cheap’n’ cheesy stuff that is constantly being aired on Armenian TV and radio.

JOHN LYDON - Open Up
(An awesome mix of Johnny’s voice with the Chemical Brothers techno beat!)

Open up
Now open up
You lied
You faked
You cheated
You changed the stakes
Magnet toss that pie in the sky
Unrehearsed let the bubbles burst
All in all a three-ring circus
Of unity with parody tragedy or comedy
Probably publicity

Open up
Make room for me
Now open up
Make room for me

Lose myself inside your schemes
Go for the money, honey
Not the screen
Be a movie star Blah, blah, blah
Go the whole hog
Be bigger than God

Burn, Hollywood, burn
Taking down Tinsel Town
Burn Hollywood, burn
Burn down into the ground
Burn, Hollywood, burn
Burn, Hollywood, burn

Take down Tinsel Town
Burn down to the ground
Down into the ground
Burn

PIL - Disappointed

Disappointed
Promises
Promises
Old tired
Worn out second hand sentences
One thing
With you is certain
You’re a really sad person
So sad

Disappointed a few people
When friendship reared its ugly head
Disappointed a few people
Well, isn’t that what friends are for
What are friends for

You
You’re just a really bad person
Who won’t
You won’t listen to anyone
No not you
With those half moon eyelids
Just babbling on
Your useless defences
So sad

Disappointed a few people
When friendship reared its ugly head
Disappointed a few people
Well, isn’t that what friends are for
What are friends for

This erratic haphazard
Fluttering
This to-ing and fro-ing
Like a confused moth
The collusion
Illusion
And it’s all ad infinitum
You’re a really sad person
You’re really so sad

Disappointed a few people
When friendship reared its ugly head
Disappointed a few people
Well, isn’t that what friends are for
What are friends for

Fools and horses
Running their courses
And brow beaten down
Like dust on the ground
You cheat easily
Like sweet charity
And all of the bastards
The world despises
Springing surprises
In newer disguises
You cheat easily
Like all charity

Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran.

Originally a gathering of friends jamming together at the Viper Room, they eventually recorded one album, Neurotic Outsiders (1996) on Maverick Records, and did a brief tour of Europe and North America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotic_Outsiders

Still has a punk feel to it although the vocals are perhaps far too smooth. Still not bad, especially when I need something to listen to over the crap that passes as “contemporary music” in Armenia.

Anyway, nearly 30 years on I’m still impressed with Never Mind the Bollocks as an album. It’s still loud and in your face today so god knows what a sensation it must have created in the UK in 1977. Anarchy in the UK, Pretty Vacant, Bodies, Problems etc are still awesome today. Anyway, I can remember some of the shock from that time, but not much as I was only 9 years old.

The group’s second single, released by Virgin on 27 May 1977 was “God Save the Queen”, a stinging attack on the ideals and institutions of Britain, delivered in Johnny’s trademark sneer. The song is summarized in the line “There is no future … in England’s dreaming,” which became a de facto position statement for British punk. The song was widely perceived as a personal attack on Her Majesty, and seemed to be personally offensive to most of his countrymen. Rotten however stated that the song was not specifically aimed at the Queen’s person at all (”God save the queen/We mean it man!”), but was written to attack the ‘old order’ of British Society. Coming at a time when deference to royalty was still a predominant trait in both the establishment and the country as a whole, it caused tremendous public outcry, and the record was quickly banned from airplay by the BBC, whose Radio 1 dominated music broadcasting at the time. As Rotten later remarked, “We had declared war on the entire country—without meaning to!”

Nevertheless, in the week of Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, the record reached number two in the official UK chart, held off by Rod Stewart’s “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” / “The First Cut Is The Deepest”. When counting down this chart, the BBC mentioned the Pistols’ song without playing it; it is claimed that in other (unofficial) listings the number one spot was left blank. Many believe, with evidence, that the Sex Pistols record actually reached number one, but the charts had been rigged to prevent such a spectacle. At least one radio station announced the song as number one, but stated that they would not play the record, as they had been advised it might cause unrest, especially during the national celebrations. The Pistols’ song also hit number one in the NME chart.

Meanwhile, the Pistols themselves decided to mark the Jubilee, along with the success of their record, by chartering a party boat, upon which they sailed down the Thames, past Westminster and the Houses of Parliament, performing their live set (which was, of course, intended to include God Save the Queen). As usual, the event ended in chaos; the boat was raided by the police, despite being licensed for live music, and McLaren, the Pistols and most of their entourage were taken into custody. It was arguably all good fun and a great publicity stunt, but matters took a distinctly uglier turn when young punk followers of the Sex Pistols became victims of physical attacks in the street by ‘pro-royalists’, and Rotten himself was assaulted by a razor-wielding gang of ‘Teddy Boys’ outside the Pegasus pub (which was a music venue at the time) close to Newington Green, Islington, who, it seems, didn’t see the humour of the Pistols’ antics. This delayed the tour of Scandinavia by a couple of weeks, which would have started at the end of June, but because of the attacks, it started in mid-July. This was followed by a secret tour of the UK at the end of August (known as SPOTS, Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly), with the band playing under pseudonyms to avoid cancellation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_pistols

Not sure if any band has ever come even close to hav ing the influence on society that the Sex Pistols did back then. Quite amazing for a band that didn’t last long at all in terms of a recording career, but which has taken its rightful place in the history of western contemporary culture.

Theres no point in asking us youll get no reply
Oh just remenber a dont decide
I got no reason its all too much
Youll always find us
Out to lunch !

Oh were so pretty oh so pretty vacant
But now and we dont care

Dont ask us to attend cos were not all there
Oh dont pretend cos I dont care
I dont believe illusions cos too much is real
So stop your cheap comment
Cos we know what we feel

Were pretty pretty vacant
Were pretty pretty vay-cunt
And we dont care

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sex+pistols/pretty+vacant_20123600.html

Actually, although the anger and emotion of the song was more one of rebellion, the chorus perhaps sums up Armenian youth in a nutshell.

Anarchy in the UK

Right ! now ! ha ha ha ha ha

I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Dont know what I want but
I know how to get it
I wanna destroy the passer by cos i

I wanna be anarchy !
No dogs body

Anarchy for the u.k its coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time stop a trafic line
Your future dream is a shopping scheme cos i

I wanna be anarchy !
In the city

How many ways to get what you want
I use the best I use the rest
I use the enemy I use anarchy cos i

I wanna be anarchy !
The only way to be !

Is this the m.p.l.a
Or is this the u.d.a
Or is this the i.r.a
I thought it was the u.k or just
Another country
Another council tenancy

I wanna be an anarchist
Oh what a name
Get pissed destroy !

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sex+pistols/anarchy+in+the+uk_20123592.html

God Save The Queen

God save the queen her fascist regime
It made you a moron a potential h bomb !

God save the queen she aint no human being
There is no future in englands dreaming

Dont be told what you want dont be told what you need
Theres no future no future no future for you

God save the queen we mean it man (God save window leen)
We love our queen God saves (God save… human beings)

God save the queen cos tourists are money
And our figurehead is not what she seems
Oh God save history God save your mad parade
Oh lord God have mercy all crimes are paid

When theres no future how can there be sin
Were the flowers in the dustbin
Were the poison in your human machine
Were the future your future

God save the queen we mean it man
There is no future in englands dreaming

No future for you no future for me
No future no future for you

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sex+pistols/god+save+the+queen_20123626.html

Problems

Too many problems
Oh why am I here
I dont need to be me
cos youre all too clear
Well I can see
Theres something wrong with you
But what do you expect me to do?
At least I gotta know what I wanna be
Dont come to me if you need pity
Are you lonely you got no one
You get your body in suspension thats no
Problem problem
Problem the problem is you

Eat your heart out on a plastic tray

You dont do what you want then youll fade away
You wont find me working nine to five
Its too much fun a being alive
Im using my feet for my human machine
You wont find me living for the screen
Are you lonely all you needs catered
You got your brains dehydrated

Problem problem
Problem the problem is you
What you gonna do

Problem problem
Problem the problem is you
What you gonna do with your problem

In a death trip I aint automatic
You wont find me just staying static
Dont you give me any orders
For people like me there is no order

Bet you thought you had it all worked out
Bet you thought you knew what I was about
Bet you thought youd solved all your problems
But you are the problem

Problem problem
Problem the problem is you
What you gonna do with your problem
Ill leave it to you
Problem the problem is you
You got a problem
Oh what you gonna do

They know a doctor
Gonna take you away
They take you away
And throw away the key
They dont want you
And they dont want me
You got a problem
The problem is you
Problem problem
Problem the problem is you
What you gonna do
Problem problem problem

Problem problem problem
Problem problem problem
Problem problem problem

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sex+pistols/problems_20123589.html

B****cks to fame, we’re the Sex Pistols
Age hasn’t mellowed the punk pioneers, and their chairs at one US awards bash will be staying pretty vacant
By Anthony Barnes
Published: 26 February 2006

As punk pioneers, the Sex Pistols spent a brief, chaotic time kicking and snarling against the system. Nearly three decades on, they have shown they are still spitting - over attempts to make them part of the establishment - by declining one of the music industry’s greatest accolades.

The band have decided to snub their induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an annual extravaganza in which the music business honours its most influential figures.

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/news/article347817.ece

Bodies: Sex Pistols and Abortion Art

I believe “Bodies” remains the most important song to deal with abortion, a major political issue of the 1970s when it was written.
Mike Mosher

Issue #55, May 2001

Coffee helps, but I need Punk. On sleepy Mondays I pop in the Sex Pistols’ 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks while driving seven miles to the university where I teach. Kicking off the work week with the opening song “Holidays in the U.K” is bracing, but it’s the high-energy second track “Bodies” that is always the most fun and thought-provoking.

http://bad.eserver.org/issues/2001/55/mosher.html

The Sex Pistols were, despite their short existence, a very influential British punk band. Of the original set of U.K. punk bands, The Clash were perhaps more articulate and politically motivated, The Damned more versatile, and Buzzcocks possessed of more astute pop sensibilities. But the Pistols achieved more recognition through their iconic punk rock passion and flamboyancy, and no other band of the era made such a lasting impression on British popular culture.

Amazing to think of how much controversy they caused in the 70s when their music still works so well even by today’s standards. Fantastic stuff. System of a Down sound like pansies in comparison.