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Sex Pistols

title

God Save The Queen (Neil Barnes remix)

label

Virgin

format
7inch

Sex Pistols Released to coincide with the Queen's Jubilee (ever the consummate capitalists, those Pistols have put out a singles collection called Jubilee), God Save the Queen is still quite relevant nowadays for the British and for us Americans it is still just a great punk rock record.

Luckily we don't really have to deal with their politics (and what I mean is the British reviewers who no doubt slag them for seal-waxing out) but we certainly can enjoy the music - and why not? I for one was quite happy to hear the remix on the b-side by Neil Barnes (ex-Leftfield) which makes the song more playful, with a wah wah bass, and a simple electronic backing - but still retaining Johnny Rotten's lead vocal.

It is nothing more than what might have happened if the Sex Pistol's had turned to making some dub remixing in the later 70s if they had stayed together long enough (a la the Clash's move in that direction). It's not startling or not a sell-out as many will like to ascertain (that argument got old back in '77) it's just a good remix of a great song.

When the chips are down, this remix will fit in with the other electro/dub flashing around, and the original version will fit fine next to the best punk rock you could dig up.

---Patrick Rands, July 16, 2002