No. They made a stonking album and a few excellent singles before Lydon quit and it wasn't really the Pistols any more. Those records, their attitude and their gigs made a lasting impression on music at the time which still echoes (to some degree) over 40 years later. (The 'No Future' recordings contain some excellent versions of their early stuff as well). I think it's difficult to imagine (or remember if you were there) how exciting it all was at the time.
I quite liked em .... attitude over ability ( certainly after sid replaced matty) though, albeit they 'looked' the part
Which is all fair enough and not doubting the splash they made at the time, it was certainly significant. But I think they have become more legend than substance these days.
Ive been lucky enough, to meet ( and chat to for a while on more than a few occasions) , Glen Matlock - he tells a good story for sure@Sarge - I always thought their ability was rather downplayed. Matlock was a fine bassist, and (though a bit limited) Steve Jones and Paul Cook did what they did very well. Having Sid in the band was stupid, he was a liability. Lydon's sneering vocals were certainly unusual, but without them the Pistols would have been much more ordinary.
@SteMerritt - I think you are right in a way. Listening to their stuff now doesn't give you the same feeling as it did them. It was (like much music and other pop culture) a product of and relevant to the times in which it was made, and familiarity has certainly dulled the edge (so far as musical/lyrical shock tactics are concerned, although the music still sounds pretty powerful to me). There *is* a lot of legend - all you can do (as with early Joy Division) is to listen to and enjoy their best work and try to ignore the nonsense hype that surrounds them. Oh and sell that RnRS album. It's rubbish!
I think they all do, Sarge. The trick is to not quite believe any of them!Ive been lucky enough, to meet ( and chat to for a while on more than a few occasions) , Glen Matlock - he tells a good story for sure
indeed
Pistols and Joy Division not overrated at all, both fantastic and important, but not for very long, as you say! See also Nirvana (a bit less fantastic) - we'd all be bored of them now if they were drooping around releasing Americana albums and solo projects, though at least we would have been spared the Foo Fighters.
