The Legendary Nashville Tapes Rare Recordings London 1976

Description

The earliest known concert recordings of the Sex Pistols (often referred to as "The Savage Young Pistols") — most of which were captured at the Nashville Rooms in London in April 1976, just five months after the start of their live career — constitute a damning indictment of the eighteen months that would follow. The core of the band's repertoire is already well established; the incendiary assault that would characterize their career is already perfectly honed. Only the absence of yet unwritten tracks like "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen" prevents considering the rest of their existence as a complete waste of time. Certainly, the media circus that would soon engulf the band was hardly conducive to creativity; but while it is understandable that the Pistols chose to cultivate their image rather than focus on the music, the result remains frustrating. Comparable to an excellent recording tape of the Stones or the Beatles at a time when they were not yet signed (hence this alternative title, a nod to the compilation *Savage Young Beatles* covering their Hamburg years), *The Nashville Tapes* reveals a classic rock band — and inventively classic — in full bloom, blowing up conventions as Johnny Rotten's "anti-singing" screams rise above the sonic maelstrom to pave the way for the rock to come. If they hadn't derailed, who knows what could have happened? A few isolated tracks from a concert in Birmingham six months later maintain the momentum, while three demos recorded with guitar legend Chris Spedding ("Problems," "No Feelings," and "Pretty Vacant") prove that the Pistols' strength remains intact, sheltered from the wear of time and trends; in fact, the sometimes poor sound quality even enhances their impact. As you struggle to grasp what is being played, you remember that this is precisely what made the effort to decipher it so valuable from the very beginning.