All of us thought the Sex Pistols were sh*t. Famous, well-marketed sh*t, but one of the least interesting bands of the time.
I can't stand Crass, lol. I hold them responsible for the late 70's / 80's US punk scene. Gang of Four were great - but post punk, really. Part of the factory crowd with Joy Division / New Order, Durutti Column, Cabaret Voltaire (not a Factory act, but the first band to open up the Hacienda) etc.
It's a bit like every genre defining artist. SP causes an eruption and then everyone copies them and builds on their template. If you came to them late you'd think
they were the cliched ones because you've heard everyone else wear out their moves to death.
The pistols had the energy that kicked the movement off (in the UK - obvs you have MC5 / Ramones / Death in the USA before). For my money they were the best punk band with the best songs that did everything a pop song should - make you wanna dance / sex / shout then bugger off all within 3 minutes.
They bought the energy and the attitude. Everyone else was playing catch up with everything, the guitars, the tempo, the vocals, the sound, the clothes, the rebellious attitude. They were a nuclear bomb dropped on the staid, coked up hippy hangover of the seventies prog scene (I love Steve Hillage and Pink Floyd, btw). When I look at X Ray Spex, Buzzcocks, Early Damned, Clash they're either ripping off SP or are baroque punk.
The pistols epitomised 1976 like no other band - like the Beatles did in 1963 and then in 1967.
