The Sex Pistols’ punk classic, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, will be re-released as a three-CD box-set to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

Released in 1977, Never Mind the Bollocks may not be front-to-back quality in the same way that later albums by The Buzzcocks, The Clash or even Public Image Ltd (the group formed by John ‘Johnny Rotten’ Lydon after the Pistols split), but its impact upon release sent shockwaves through the UK, and its influence on a generation of punks can never be denied. How quaint it now seems that the word “bollocks” being in the title was such a topic of controversy, too.

This new box-set version will be released on September 24 through Universal Music, and has been remastered from the record’s original master tapes by Metropolis’ Tim Young in collaboration with Chris Thomas, the album’s original producer. The remastered album makes up the first CD of the box-set, while CD2 is given over to rarities, B-sides and demos. CD3 is comprised of live material from the year of the album’s release.

Naturally, this box-set isn’t just about the music (man). Enclosed within will be a replica of the withdrawn 7″ version of Pistols single ‘God Save the Queen’, a live DVD tilted 1977 that chronicles Pistols gigs from the year, a 100 page “diary” of quotes, anecdotes and previously unseen photography, and a copy of the hand-written lyrics to ‘God Save the Queen’. No word on price as yet.

This isn’t the first time Bollocks has been reissued, we should add: a 30th anniversary version was wheeled out five years ago. Earlier this year, when murmurings of this reissue (and the re-released ‘God Save the Queen’ and ‘Pretty Vacant’ singles) first emerged, Lydon wasn’t pleased, stating that “[he] would like to very strongly distance myself from the recent stories and campaign to push ‘God Save The Queen’ for the number one spot.  This campaign totally undermines what The Sex Pistols stood for”.