Sex Pistols/ The Great Rock ‘N Roll Swindle

Sex Pistols
The Great Rock 'N Roll Swindle
(Virgin)

Press play on this album and a strangely familiar voice starts whispering to you over classical music; "My name is Malcolm McLaren. I have brought you many things in my time, but the most successful of all was an invention of mine they called ‘The Punk Rock’..."
Considering the man has just died, this feels like nothing short of paranormal activity. Is it OK to say that yet? Nope? Righto.
‘The Great Rock ‘N Roll Swindle’ was McLaren's fantasy movie about the rise and fall of the Sex Pistols, with the manager casting himself 'The Embezzler' – the mastermind manipulator behind the band, secretly pursuing an agenda of "chaos".
I’m no punk genius, but as far as I can tell the film was a vanity project for McLaren as well as a cashing in of punk’s rapidly deflating stock. The movie was angrily opposed by John Lyndon, who appeared in it whether he liked it or not via the medium of stock footage (and cartoons!).
The soundtrack features re-recorded Sex Pistols classics with (yet again) Mr Rotten dubbed over the top, leading to a general sympathy for why he went batshit. You only have to hear the French version of 'Anarchy in the UK' to feel angry for all the wrong reasons. ‘L'Anarchie pour le UK’ anyone?
To their debatably eternal shame, the remaining Pistols did take part - contributing a freakishly interesting version of 'My Way' by Sid Vicious, and even a sneering take on The Who's 'Substitute'. These tracks are remotely bearable compared to the disco droppings of ‘God Save The Queen’ (which appears to have been remixed by John Travolta’s own ballsack). Ironic or not, the song takes punk to Disneyland.
Julien Temple's later documentary The Filth and the Fury re-established the Pistols as genuine artists, showing this album up for the frankly terrible idea it will always be. But as a document of its time, this re-release will at least allow us to consider McLaren as a media prankster, turning history into fantasy.