The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle - The Sex Pistols

A wildly inconsistent but often entertaining collection, the soundtrack to the Sex Pistols' pseudo-documentary contains great music, whacked-out novelties, and flat-out tripe in approximately equal proportions. Some formative recordings are included -- mostly covers like "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone," plus a demo of "Anarchy in the U.K." that somehow manages to top the version on Never Mind the Bollocks in terms of raw rage and sheer power. "I Wanna Be Me" and a veiled chronicle of the band's breakup, "Silly Thing," are also necessary items. Devoted fans will enjoy "The Black Arabs"' disco medley of Pistols' hits, a French version of "Anarchy in the U.K." complete with accordion, two tracks sung by loony Edward Tudor-Pole (later of Tenpole Tudor), and Sid Vicious' awful but strangely appropriate reading of Frank Sinatra's "My Way." ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide