Germfree Adolescents

Wow! What a kickass album. I love the vocalist and the shitty saxophone. Girl punks > Boy punks

My new favorite pastime is reading reviews of punk albums on this site and finding all the reviews that complain about punk records being repetitive and the songs sounding the same. You guys crack me up. Seriously, never change. Maybe one day you’ll find the prog-punk masterpiece you’re after. In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying this X-Ray Spex record. It’s a classic.

Absolutely fresh as fuck punk. Love it. Can't believe I haven't heard of these guys before!

Proto-riot-grrrl English punks, with clear influences from the Sex Pistols and clear influences on 80's ska-punk bands. Catchy, with some inconsistent guitar effects choices.

Simply, one of my favourite albums of any genre. Crackles with energy and possesses a spring and a bounce that is all too rare. Poly Styrene was an electric frontwoman. The saxophone should have featured more in punk. I'd give this six stars if I could

Are you joking me? How have I not heard this before? A killer woman-led punk album with sax!? Hell yes. I can imagine they had a major influence on the riot grrrl movement! Loved it, but I wonder why the track listing is all cattywampus on Spotify. I took the official track listing from Wikipedia and just put the songs in that order in my queue. Listeners beware!

Hidden gem! I've never heard of this group before but this album speaks directly to my musical sensibilities and tastes. It's remarkable how much Poly Styrene's vocals remind me of Kathleen Hanna. I'm digging this so much. Plus, fuck yeah, saxophone!! I am instantly in love with this record and Poly Styrene. She is a punk goddess and badass feminist icon. Oh bondage up yours indeed!

incredibly consistent woman-fronted punk album with some early new wave stylings (and a radass saxophone!)

FASCINANTE. Me encantó y no la vi venir. Punk bien punk de pendejos y mujeres que se cansaron del estereotipo de mujercita correcta. La verdad muy muy bueno. Se extiende un poco mas de lo que quisiera, pero no se hace imposible de terminar. Aparentemente es el unico que sacaron, asi que don't know. Me gusta mucho la voz que mezcla Patty Smith con Karen O, es imposible hacer la comparación. Las letras son super juveniles y bordean lo burlesco, para la epoca no era tan normal, pero resalta un monton. Faveadisimo. -El primer tema TIENE que haber sido la inspiracion de Edgar Wright para el opening de Scott Pilgrim.

Not on Spotify but found it on YouTube. Doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Great female fronted punk with a freaking saxophone! So many good melodies - I’m going 5 stars!!

A classic. Thoughtful, early punk. When so many bands were busy being "weird" or "edgy" for edginess sake, they were the real deal. This album has held up very well throughout the years. Can hear who they've influenced over the years, from Bikini Kill to Rocket From the Crypt. I really need to revisit this one more often.

Touching on themes like capitalism, consumerism, scientific progress, advertising, young people, feminism, aging, fame, identity, and more. The critiques on this album are as sharp and relevant today as they were in 1978. All of that is tied together in a nice little punk/new-wave packaged with wicked saxophone accompaniments. The music has a kitschy theatrical feel to it that drives the message home even further. I honestly couldn't ask for anything more. I am reminded of The Peptides when listening to this. I had never heard of this band or album before, but this is a real gem, really glad to have found it. NOTE: Youtube Music does not have the tracks arranged in the proper release order :( Fav Tracks: Honestly ever track here is great. But if I have to choose: Plastic Bag, I Can't Do Anything, Identity

Absolutely loved all of it. I've never heard of this band and this album is now one of my favorites. When it ended, I even listened to all the bonus tracks and then wanted to listen to their entire discography back to back... turns out they only made two albums.. and this is their only one on Spotify. That's the first time I've ever done that from what I remember. Whoever's that saxophonist, I hope he's alive and healthy. What a legend.

Really enjoyed this one, energetic & driving guitars with sax blended in throughout. Unexpectedly amazing

I love this album. This was one of my favorite albums growing up and remains a favorite today. I’m sure that the combination of sax, nearly operatic screaming, and the punk aesthetic may seem odd at first listen, but part of the point of making a project of this album generator (and the point of listening to new music in general!) is to learn about the multitude of ways music speaks to a multitude of people. The seeming clash of sounds on Germ-Free Adolescents is purposeful. The sax may represent the traditional oldheads in British society, as it often is involved with a sort of mocking call and response to Poly Styrene’s vocals. This album’s primary theme is anti-consumerism — the clash of musical sounds lead to something that is, on its surface, not at all commercialized. It’s new, it’s odd, it’s art, and, yes, it’s punk at its core. Every song is a trip to the sky, where you find yourself looking at the world with a bird’s eye view, exploitative capitalist consumerist systems clearly at play. Musically and in its message, this album taught me so much when I first heard it in high school. There’s still much to be gleaned from it today. An easy 5.

I love this album, such a great sound. Polysyrene's voice is superb, adding saxophone to this kind of music sounds so good. I think X-Ray Spex aren't shouted about enough, they pop up in a lot of music books I read but they never seem to be front and centre, they are so good!

Ended up really not liking this album. It was a struggle to get through every song. The singing was too much like yelling, the music had that classic same-y punk feel for me. Presence of the saxophone / other unique bits did not save this album for me.

You gotta like the energy and relentless screaming. The singer sounds like a female version of Johnny Rotten. The saxophone, though a bit squeaky at times, gives them a bit of a Bowie/glammish feel underneath the punk ranting. It definitely sets their sound apart from their contemporaries. The opening track is a classic and the next five or six really rock. They took their foot off the gas for the title track, which was disappointing.

The band and the music were new for me. This was an interesting recommendation, with a mix of punk and new wave to the music. It felt like the music could fit in on a playlist with the Talking Heads, the B-52's, and the Pixies, while not being far away from the sounds of more well known punk bands like the Sex Pistols. A punk-ish sound that included saxophone was unexpected. The album was okay, but my individual track ratings started to dip as the album went on. I didn't hear enough variety with my first listen.

Some great tracks. I can only imagine the reaction of parents when teenagers brought this record home, and played it loudly in their bedroom!

Its not a great album. Its interesting, and punk with a saxophone is different, and the lyrics are smart, but its not great. Or even good. 2/5

super fun slop rock

Kick ass! Straight raw punk, definitely not for everyone, but this is exactly what it's supposed to sounds like, no over production, no radio hits, no shits given and plenty of sax!

Surprised that I enjoyed as much as I did. The saxophone was SICK. This record basically begged me to have a good time, and although I'd typically roll my eyes, I couldn't resist.

This sounds like something that could've come out last week: hooks and annoyance. That sax! Angry and fun, this was a real surprise. Given that they only released a few singles and one album, seems they didn't fuck about. (I wonder how much of the difficulty in finding this album (it's not complete or available on Spotify or Apple Music locally) is because of Polly Styrene's 2009 beef with Google over royalties?)

Had to go to find a playlist on YouTube for this one.

So much energy! This record speeds by quickly and it's such a shame the band only released one album during their heyday. Every song reminds me of other songs that came later, which shows how important and influential this record was when it was released. An Essential listen for fans of female-fronted bands of all genres!

I was really excited to get this album, since I became acquainted with the band through their song "Oh Bondage, Up Yours" earlier this year and really liked it. This whole album is filled with a similar energy and approach to that song. There is something weirdly fun about the combination of punk and saxophones. It's really too bad that this band doesn't get more recognition as a pioneer. The title track stands out a lot as being a sort of proto-post-punk song (whatever that means) 4/5

Get's straight to the point. A brilliant and varied selection of little punk gems. Came close to full marks but I still find a couple of tracks difficult to connect with. Germ Free Adolescents is a stone cold classic.

What an album...one great tune after another and refreshingly different from anything else at the time. My vinyl copy is an early British pressing and doesn't even include their most famous song Oh Bondage Up Yours, but amazingly Germ Free Adolescents does not suffer for its absence. 4.5 🌟

Ah, Poly Styrene (RIP) and the gang! Great punk album this, Poly was and still is a feminist Icon, she took the bull by the horns and lead that group of Punk women who changed the face of Rock & Roll in the late 70's. I have this original vinyl in my collection, but first heard the band on the "Live At The Roxy" album where they did "Oh Bondage! Up Yours" a classic of the oeuvre! Highlights for me are "Warrior In Woolworths" (I can't believe there is a whole generation that have no understanding of what Woolworths meant to working class families!)

It's a great album. Poly Styrene is a great vocalist with a unique style, and the album is mostly thrashy fun. Warrior in Woolworths is such a great song. Even saxophone breaks can't ruin this record for me! A lot of good stuff, but then at the end, Germ Free Adolescent is a beautiful moment of vulnerability. That's a rare trait in punk, and it really works. Beautiful. Finally, I'm listening to the reissue, because to deny myself Oh Bondage Up Yours would be a sin.

Never heard of them before. Wish I had. What a solid band from front to back. Love the horns as well, almost brings an element of ska to the punk. And with a name of Poly Styrene as the lead singer... this is awesome!

There aren’t that many original British punk albums that I can throw on & listen to from go to whoa these days, but this is definitely one of them. The ex has the vinyl but I have the 1991 Caroline cd, which changed the track listing and added 4 bonus tracks, including the iconic Oh Bondage Up Yours! and the wonderful I Am A Cliche. From the original album, the highlights for me are Identity & especially the title track, which shows how they could be be equally compelling when they slowed things down. Poly was a stunningly great front-person, but even though Lora Logic had been sacked from the band before the album was recorded, they used the sax charts she had drawn up for those songs, so she’s all over it & that horn sound was so influential in the post-punk years. I love this record. It still sounds fresh to me.

A very unexoted 4. Could this be the answer to my unanswered questions form the film American Beauty? Ah so this is the punk music I missed out on. Better than the sex pistols. Sounds like the sister act. But with better instruments. They took it seriously? Anyway... Yep. She has a kind of a voice and we'll stylaised.... Good brass and the drum kits gets a workout, and telling. it wants to woman does a better job . Funnest songs. THE DAY the world turns dayglo. ( I found my self humming "I am am an ar Christ...." Somehow) . How funny . By the time art-i-ficial came on I think I could like this guys despite it all... Where's my hair gel, safety pin, and tartan? It's fun. "my mind is like a plastic bag" is beautifully dernaged and she goes on to perform a wonderfully unhinged salute. Landmark. It this American beauty explained? She channels Bellatrix Lestrange for a moment ... Is Helena B.H. a time shifter too? What's that, cockney? But yes. Thanks for the Edyukation.

A terribly under appreciated band, X-Ray Spex deserve much more than their usual odd mention on Punk Documentaries. Poly Styrene should be a poster girl for everyone, a true icon who makes you realise how insane this world is. When you see girls today saying that the likes of walking talking Daily Star advert Rihanna are their idols it makes you wonder what the fuck is going on. Poly strikes a blow here for intelligent females all over the world.

What I really like about this is that the Sex Pistols and The Clash were pretty aggressive, but then X-Ray Spex took the same format and just had fun with it. I can't think of any genre that's so willing to take the piss out of itself so quickly.

Cannot believe I've not heard these guys before. Kick ass punk, a saxophone and a great vocalist. You can hear the Sex Pistols but they also have their own undeniable sound and style. Clearly a huge influence on many of the more modern ska/punk bands I grew up listening to.

One digs the edginess, which feels authentic, if effortful. "Live Off of You" and "Warrior of Woolworths" are quality cuts, the latter's riffs and hooks make it sound like a different band almost, with some hooks that look glamly back to the '70s. The horns make the record. One finds the vocals a bit annoying after a time, but the level of creativity and commitment are legit, solid+.

Loving the shape of punk that was, dig the singer’s weirdly dreamy and detached energy and the instrument choices. I heard some sax, some other general winds, really fun to hear that mixing in with the usual punk guitar.

Is proto punk good because it’s a little more accessible? To me one of those albums where it just sounds like the band is having fun. The sound is a little less refined, which isn’t shocking for a first album, but it’s not unrefined to the point of disjointed. The band supports itself well with interesting bass/drum lines and the vocals put a bow on every song. And you know what? I’ll just say it. The sax is fun and a great call

I feel like I’ve come across Germ Free Adolescents somewhere before but I’m not sure where. It’s hard to know if I’ve heard of X-Ray Spex or if I’m just thinking of silly shows from my childhood where x-ray glasses were mentioned. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: I Am A Poseur, Warrior In Woolworths Firstly, I didn’t recognise the track Germ Free Adolescents at all so that topic stopped before it started. For the first few tracks, I was quite unsure about the music. The vocals felt quite grating initially - very British, and somewhat shrill. However, by the end of the album they had completely won me over and I was loving it, and was left wanting more as the closing track finished. It reminded me a bit of Siouxie and the Banshees, but I found this more enjoyable.

It’s a shame their best song Oh Bondage Up Yours isn’t on Spotify- check it out on YouTube then listen to the rest of this album. A real punk stepping stone. And maybe Riot Grrl would exist without this, but most likely not. I’d make this 4.5 if I could.

I'm not usually into punk, because it's just so noisy and discordant, but as an example of the genre I think this is decent. There's some good grooves and riffs running through this, and it clearly has a lot of typical punk energy. It's way groovier and more musical than other punk albums, with the addition of the sax in particular. 3.5 rounded up.

Made me want to drink beer at a packed venue while listening to this. Cool punk album with hints of ska. The vocals are really something special. That said did i even listen to the right album? I just took the one on Spotify but now I see it seems to have quite a few different songs. Anyway, favorite tracks include "I Am a Poseur" and "Identity" with its cool sax. Nice album of a band I have never heard of.

Альбом был бы просто улучшенной версией Ramones, если бы не ебаный саксофон. Как он тут вообще оказался?)) Правда, это уже не важно, потому что он здесь прям как влитой.

Somewhere between ska, new wave, and the Dead Kennedys. Poly Styrene's vocals take some getting used to, but I eventually got it. The saxophone, however, is a novelty that wears off. Announcing the song title at the beginning of the song does as well. Favorite tracks: "Identity", "Plastic Bag"

When this first came on my first thought is that it would be getting 5 stars. I love most punk stuff and the addition of the saxophone was really cool but pretty much every song on this album sounds exactly the same. I need just a little bit more variety to keep me interested for the length of the whole album.

If Blondie got together with the Sex Pistols this would be their lovechild. Kudos for their audacity and energy. Poly Styrene is a great front-woman and the cheap sounding sax is a refreshing change.

I get that it’s a style, maybe if an important album to that style but it’s not even slightly enjoyable. The UK-ness of this book is showing.

Didn’t really care for this and kept thinking, “is this really an album I need to listen to before I die?” It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve listened to on this list, but it was boring and a bit repetitive. The title track and “I Cant Do Anything” were okay, but this is a skip from me.

#184. On the one hand, I suppose shitty punk music is more punk than more well executed punk music, but on the other hand, I still fucking hate this. 2/5: Yeah, I realize the problem may lie with me, but I'm gonna give it a two anyway

Better than most of the punk that was kicking around - the sax helps, as you can't just thrash that instrument. I think her voice is also much more interesting that most punk yellers. Still, won't ever listen to any of it again

Nr. 162/1001 Germfree Adolesance 3/5 Identity 3/5 The Day The World Turned Dayglow 2/5 Genetic Engineering 2/5 Art-I-Ficial 2/5 Plastic Bag 2/5 I Am A Poseur 3/5 I Live Off You 2/5 Let's Submerge 2/5 Obsessed With You 2/5 Warrior in Woolworths 3/5 I Can't Do Anything 3/5 Age 2/5 Highly Inflammable 2/5 Average: 2,36 Didn't really like this.

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

They should change the name of this app to 1,000 albums to listen to before you die.

This was great!!! It's so raw and real. I'm devastated for not know this band before. A great album that deserves much more attention. The songs are cool and different during the whole album, this "punk" sax thing is kind of a special thing and the vocalist is a very good example of the best punk singer. I don't have any complaints. Just a great album.

yup

Sheer brilliance. Pure punk with a charismatic vocalist.

I can here where the B-52’s got a lot of inspiration from.

Quite simply one of the greatest albums of the punk era.

Not on Tidal. Not on Spotty-fry. Not on Hamazon Music. YouTube? Yeah, that's got it. And I'm glad I looked for it, because it's a solid album.

Just incredible

Épico, poderoso, à frente do seu tempo. Riot grrrl at its finest.

Oddly overlooked first wave of punk stone cold classic.

Inicios del punk-rock. Vinilo.

How is this album not even averaging a 3 right now? Looks like y'all don't like a female singer? GTFO

Never heard this before yesterday, freaking rocks though. Reminds me of Bikini Kill in a way, love it.

Holy crap! This may be my favorite punk album so far, and maybe one of my favorite albums. Poly Styrene was a fucking force of nature! So bright and with an incredibly powerful voice. The sax playing of Lora Logic brings so much melody and texture to the sound of every song. The drive of the fuzzed out guitar and the high speed rhythm section is awesome, but the sax makes the whole thing stand out in a truly unique way. What a great album!

cool

Been listening to this since 7th grade. The best. So happy to revisit.

A standout early punk album. It definitely has its own thing going on and that's a big part of the charm. The only problem I have with the album isn't a problem at all: I though Oh Bondage! Up Yours! was on this album. It was not. It was a single. I just wish it was here. A classic of the genre regardless.

honkin good stuff

I am huge fan of early, raw 70s punk, Poly Styrene was a queen.

Loud, colourful, fun, unapologetic. This is a punk album that still feels relevant. The simultaneous embrace and critique of consumerism feels very contemporary, even 40 years later. It's energetic and fun. I listened to this through four times in a row, and enjoyed it more every time it went through. This is 4.,5 stars; the only failing is that it doesn't have Oh! Bondage Up Yours on it, which would make it perfect. (I know this was corrected on the deluxe CD reissue, but I REALLY want a vinyl version with it on). But I'm rounding up, because I enjoyed this so much. I think "I Am A Poseur" is my new personal; theme song.

For me Germ Free is the sound of Double J in the late 70's, timeless, wonderful song, quite a songwriter was Poly. Good use of horns a la The Saints, and young Jak could play an awesome punk guitar. I reckon the intro to Day Glo inspired quite a few bedroom guitarists to get out and to their thing. The other thing to say is Falcon pulled off a great sound here, sounds amazing for the era, the mix of guitars and sax is brilliant, Art I Ficial is huge. Good gosh a mighty, this is a great record, goes beyond the genre and the times, love it.

Did music ever move as quickly as it did in the three years from 1977-1980? New Rose by the Damned was October 1976 and barely two years later bands like X-Ray Spex were moving light years beyond the speeded up pub rock punk template. Oh! Bondage Up Yours is one of the classic punk singles - a howl of protest from an extra-ordinary new sort of singer in Poly Styrene, mixed race, wearing braces and with a sandblasting voice. But by their debut album the punk howl was only one of their registers. The title track opens on a hypnotic synth riff and an unfolding rhythm that the new romantics a few years later would kill for. Then there’s Rudi Thompsons er unique sax playing - in fact Laura Logic and even someone called Ted all took a turn at the sax keys. Along with the thrilling sound what impresses in this album forty years on is the strength of the ideas. From OCD cleanliness, genetic engineering, the emptiness of consumerism, personality and identity crises: this is a cumulatively brilliant critique of late seventies society. Though its the student radicalism of the Gang of Four who get the plaudits for injecting post-punk with the overtly political, and the Au Pairs who hold the feminist ring, this album holds its own with both of them in the strength of its ideas. An essential album, one of the albums on the cusp of punk/post-punk that has lasted best. 4.5 stars but surely needs rounding up.

X-Ray Spex's messaging is peppy in spades and wouldn't take much to comprehend if it weren't for the slight lack of coherence on their debut. It's from precisely between those things that the joy springs. The album pulls you along, keeps it brief, loses no impact at all. Sax-powered plastic punk is without equal.

A surprisingly strong punk album. Standouts include I Am A Cliche, Identity, Cigarettes, and Germfree Adolescents.

Musically very good. Not sure about the singer. Her voice suits the style and the music. Really good, love the quirky nature of it.

This is what makes this list worth it. What a great album that predates riot grrrl by almost a decade and a half. Sounds super fresh and unique. Shame I'd never heard of them since they should be more well known.

Fucking epic! Oi! 5 stars.

Goofy but genuinely good pop-punk. The first track kind of threw me off, but the rest of the album is really energetic and just makes you want to dance. The singer has the right combination of charisma and great vocals. Love the saxophone. And the retro-futuristic theme in some of the songs gives them a cool flare (or futuristic, for the time, I guess).

More fantastic energetic punk fun. Loving this!

Top to bottom a bratty punk mess and it’s all the better for it Poly Stryene was born to be a punk rocker! You can hear her influence all over the Riot Grrl scene. Snotty and bratty in all the best ways. A classic in its genre!

Much more influential than the boys would like you to believe

Somewhere between 4 and 5, but giving it a 5 because it’s basically Bikini Kill 10 years before their first album. Plus I love sax

Am I giving out too many 5s? Whatever, this deserves it. Top to bottom bangers. Incredible and ahead of its time.

It’s all about the sax. This is up there with X for late first wave punk. It’s a shame they never made a follow up, this record is so strong it makes you wish for more

Oh Bondage. Up Yours! I didn't come to this album until many years after its release. X-Ray Spex was never much of a thing here in the U.S. That's a pity. Poly Styrene (what a great punk name) and company pack a wallop into a mere 41 minutes of music. Full of political and social commentary, wailing saxophone, and Styrene's screaming vocals, Germfree Adolescents is an iconic British punk album. Granted, this is not for everyone. If you like sweet pop music or headbanger rock, you won't get this album. If you like old school punk - hell, if you like any punk - then this album will grab you.

What a fun album! Poly Styrene’s voice has such a forceful character that works perfectly for the music. This is definitely a 4.5 star album for me.

This album ruled! Love it love it.

Easiest 5 of all time, the pure raw freshness of this albums hits home close to 50 years later. Poly Styrene's tortured but fun vocals unforgettable. Probably the best one and done album of all time.

omg I love this album, getting it on here is dope. perfect. 5/5

I love early punk stuff

What? When did Spotify remove Oh Bondage Up Yours? Anyone enjoying this who doesn't know XRay Spex must check that out immediately. Also well worth checking out is the 2021 documentary Poly Styrene: I am a Cliche, directed by her daughter. Poly was an absolute force of nature. So sad what happened to her in her life with lifelong mental struggles and cut criminally short by cancer but I'm so glad she existed to make this record. Also fantastic that they got back together for a last hurrah a couple of years before she died. Had to listen to the tracks in the wrong order but I'll take that over fucking about with YouTube ads. Speaking of ads, a real highlight this afternoon's listen was Plastic Bag. Love the lyrics. And the sax! Obviously five stars, it's X-Ray bloody Spex. Five stars every day and twice on a Sunday (which today happens to be).

Inicios del punk-rock. Vinilo.

Punk AF! I loved it, full of spark and energy and sounding thoroughly English

Delightfully loopy, unapologetically sax-drenched punk. God bless Poly Styrene.

One of the greatest punk rock albums of all time. The out of tune sax, Poly's incredible vocals, the songwriting - it's perfect. Absolutely perfect.