Germfree Adolescents

The creator of this list really likes punk.

yet another album that make me question the popularity and endurance of sex pistols

Fun.

It reminds me of the B-52s if the B-52s were a punk band. Not for me, but I can appreciate why others love it.

eh bit bored

Obsessed! New favourite band unlocked

decent record, had some good punky aspects to it

I like punk and over all, this is fun. But maybe not a regular repeat listen for me. 3/5

Kind of cool vibe. Mad respect to the female punk rockers out there. Album had a consistent theme and some bops alongside some less interesting ones. Arguably iconic.

Lot of people hate particularly noisy punk, but this album is amazing. Also goes to show I guess the Sex Pistols could inspire some great bands while being not good.

X-Ray Spex, X-Ray Spex… it’s the best time of the year girl

just one of those bands that all around kicks a huge amount of ass

Liked it, but not something I’d reach for

liked Art-I-Ficial, I Can't Do Anything, Identity, Germfree Adolescence,Plastic Bag and Highly Inflammable

I quite enjoyed British album number #853.

A weird example of an album that peaked in the middle for me. At the start I wasn't really feeling it and by the end it had worn off me for a bit, but in the middle I was really jamming with it! Energetic punk rock with a prominent saxophone and Polly Styrene's enthusiastically yelped vocals is a very good combo.

Interesting concept, British punk with some cool saxophone throughout. The song Plastic Bag was AWFUL, to the point that it significantly dropped my opinion of the album after I was enjoying it to that point. I’ll still keep it at a 3 overall I guess.

The punk tag had me wary at first, but the sax bug's contribution does bring a very interesting edge to the album 🎷🐛 Quite a fun energy throughout, and I do like how colorful and sincere the whole thing feels. It’s hard to imagine a modern band with a singer named Poly Styrene tackling consumerism and environmental issues this earnestly. Standouts: Obsessed with You • I Can't Do Anything

Sorry I hate it. This is one of the only albums I didn't finish on the Rolling Stone list.

sviđa mi se ideja i jako mi se sviđaju saksofoni. ovo bi mi se u teoriji trebalo svidjeti, al jebote, vokal je ili jedva prolazan ili naprosto nepodnošljiv i zbog toga znatno narušava bilo kakav potencijalni užitak u slušanju. s obzirom na to trojka je možda i previsoka ocjena, al neka, ima žara, ima originalnosti i ima lude saksofone

Sonido chulo, aunque no me ha parecido muy original.

fuck off

Lovely cover

Kinda cool

Gøy gøy gøy!

meh

Finally some real punk!

Not available

3/5

There were some bright spots, and I think the saxophone is a fun choice for a 70s punk album. But overall I thought it was a little boring and didn't really stand out from other older British punk.

pretty lit. they put in the time for rah rah original flavor punk and still get a little whacky. very enjoyable. favorite song is either Plastic Bag or The Day the World Turned Day-Glo

Rating: 6/10 Cool punk feminist political music that feels way ahead of its time. Like it must have influenced a lot of riot grrrl and later women’s indie punk, and sax in punk way before people thought that was cool for a bit. I’m sure I would like this band the more I listened because a grating voice can grow on me and the first listen is always hardest in that aspect. Identity was really cool

Probably influential to countless punk rock bands over the next 40 years, but this album specifically was very annoying. The vocals were annoying, and the weird sax horn stuff was somehow even more annoying 3.5/10

Punk-delen var fin og catchy nok, men puh, der var meget saxofon.

I was surprised by how much I liked this album. I wasn't a huge fan of the lead singer's voice, but I still liked the music. Experiencing different types of music was one of the reasons I joined this list, and today it opened a new group to me which I liked. Best song: "Identity" and worst song: "Plastic Bag".

Correcto

I loved this! Good fun punk time. Her voice is amazing and compelling and the sax is on point!

Really doesn't do anything for me

Another one I'm not familiar with, but definitely enjoyed this one! Some days you just need a little punk.

Sounds really nice, I love it

I really enjoyed this, some super solid punk/riot-grrl stuff that doesn't fall into the many pitfalls that 70s british punk seems to. Definitely sufers from british voice but this is a new favorite. These are the exact 4/5 bangers that I started this project for! 4/5

Superb!

Really great. First album on this list where I haven't skipped any songs in a long time.

I had never heard of the x-ray spex, but after listening I realized that many years ago I had heard a couple of songs. It is very much the punk of the 90's that I do like. I really enjoyed this album, it had that fast paced beat that I enjoy along with some very nicely angry songs. I would definitely relisten and would probably own this record. The only thing that keeps it from being a 5 is the voice of the lead singer. I found it a bit grating about mid-way through the album. Still liked the songs etc but her voice made it difficult to listen to a lot.

god bless punk music

Absolutely HATE this style and always have. Lasted a song and a half.

Screw David Crosby and his diss of the punk genre. There were some bands that didn't have it but this one did too bad it was short lived.

Bra! Sångerskan har en röst gjord för punk. Häftigt album även om det inte är en absolut favorit hos mig. Uppskattar dock låtarna och gillar helheten.

An okay album, I liked Warrior in Woolworths the most.

Never heard of this group but it’s some pretty fun punk.

Loud, fun, sax. Loved it.

ughhh

This is some OG punk. I dig it. The saxophone? Not so much. Still a good album.

Fun and loud example of early Brit punk, while not my personal flavor, I can see why it influenced others to follow suit

Pretty interesting. I liked the sax and I tend to like a female punk vocal. 3/5.

Great early punk band.

Oh hell yes! I owned this one, cranked it plenty to piss off my stuffy college roommates. At first blush, her vocals can be unsettling. But damn if she doesn’t grow on you. The band is tight and the sax adds a great twist to the punk sound. Great album. Too bad they couldn’t really hold it together, but such is the life of a punk.

Another one I’ve never heard of! Really excited to listen. Art-I-ficial was a very nice opener, and following it up with Obsessesed with you was so good. It was fast and fun which is honestly not what I expected. Warrior in Woolworths was a change of pace, but was still quite listenable. The name made me smile. Let’s Submerge was honestly more of the same, but I liked the horns. I can’t do anything was pretty good. I took it as a bit satirical and thought it was quite perfect. Identity was an alright closer to side 1. Opening side 2 with Genetic Engineering, this was one of the first songs I think I genuinely enjoyed on this album. It’s not that I didn’t like the rest, I just find very obviously British music hard to get into. Not sure why, although it’s probably due to the fact I have family over there and have complicated feelings about it. I live off of you had some cool moments. The pause at the start was a cool bit of punctuation, and as with this whole album, the horns are awesome. The title track was slightly strange. I didn’t love it. It took away the pace of the album but not in an alright way like Warrior in Woolworths earlier. I genuinely liked Plastic Bag. It was a return to form. It was quirky but in a good way. I didn’t have too many feelings about the closer. 3/5 ⭐️, 6/10 47/1089

fire no notes

As little as I like punk, I do find girl punk fun. Add a sax to the mix and I really wanted to enjoy this album… but the vocals were just too hard on the ears.

Undoubtedly incredibly innovative at the time. Now, I'm not impressed.

Whenever 70/80's punk pops up (NOT The Sex Pistols), it's just a great listen. Poly Styrene is a great lead and a roll model for females in the punk movement.

Cool, fast, punk music with energic voice and interesting saxophone moments. I like punk songs like "Identity" and, even more, the direction they explored with "Germ Free Adolescents".

Das fetzt!

Enjoyed the energy of this album.

Quite liked this one, which I wasn’t sure initially if I was going to

Bin the saxophone and you have a good album. Loved the DIY nature of this and most of it seemed ahead of it’s time.

Hard not to compare this with the (similarly appealing) Siouxsie and the Banshees album which was released within 3 days of this one. Guess it took everyone a year from the Sex Pistols release to get their tribute acts together. But that’s doing this a massive disservice. Punk wasn’t so much about musicality as the attitude, and there’s tonnes of energy to be had here. She has a great voice and one might say a bit more pop sensibility than your average punk. Musically it has a slightly rockier sound with the simple but effective sax giving their spin on things. Very entertaining (I am a Poseur the almost glam rock highlight), almost more so as this was their only ever offering. In your face, and done, that’s punk.

Noisy (duh its punk) and bad vocals. Did not enjoy. 2/5

as far as punk goes, it's tolerable

I don't think I've heard saxophone in a punk band before. I dig it.

This is ace. A really cool band that I'd heard of, but stupidly never tuned into. The sax on this is superb, ahead of it's time in my eyes.

Rad

Couldn’t quite catch the words!!! But you know seemed pretty punk rock.

✅✅ Identity – horns!! Lil' yelly on the whole

This is a new to me band and album. I love a good punk album, and this one is pretty solid. I like that they used some different sounds, including the saxophone. But, the lead singer's - Poly Styrene - voice could definitely be a little grinding at times. On a couple of the songs, it was just too much for me. Solid album, but not one I'd add to my regular listening rotation.

A punk album that stands out from much of the rest on this list. Finally.

An entirely unexpected yet thrilling and impactful early punk album. The implementation of the sax is astounding and the energy is electric.

# Album Name: Germfree Adolescents # Artist: X-Ray Spex # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: What a lovely listen with my corn flakes this morning. Banger of a punk album. Love the punk vibes of the band mixed with the trumpet and vocals. Very english. Very British. First disc was the highlight. # Top Tunes: Artificial / obsessed with you / lets submerge / identity / poseur / Day-glo # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Women and saxophones in punk, enough said.

Loše 1/5, 1/10

i LOOOOVE the way Poly Styrene says the name of some songs at the beginning. i wanna be like her so badly.

Solid all around

A one-half-star lift for the saxophone addition to a proto-punk band.

That became tiresome quickly

Interesting

A very fun and wild blend of new wave and punk, with a very interesting incorporation for a punk project: an absolutely killer saxophone. I know there is some very experimental and weird bands that surely use horns as one of the main instruments in a punk album, but for something as "conventional" as this, it is unusual. I hope I'm not sounding as a super disconnected person or saying something super stupid. Either way, doesn't stop how well integrated the saxophone is. It gives a lot of personality and blending incredibly well with both the the catchy and energetic sides of this record. While I'm giving a lot of praise to this particular instrument, the others do an incredible job as well, specially the super euphoric and sometimes smooth vocals. Is not only great to hear a female voice in punk, but she also sounds really passionate and giving all that she has in theses performances. The guitars also have some incredibly killer riffs and the rhythm section can get very frenetic. The two starting songs "Art - I - Ficial" and "Obsessed with You" with "Plastic Bag" I think are the most energetic and my favourite parts of the project. When it comes to the lyrics, at first I thought they would be silly, but once I started to reading them, as it can be a bit hard to clearly hear what she is singing, they ended up being really good critics of capitalism and the consuming society mixed with some other themes such as identity crisis or OCD. In conclusion, a very fun album. I would say that I prefer the punkier side to the other more accessible new-wave, but still a great and fun experience.

Album 1046 of 1089 Germfree Adolescents - X-Ray Spex (1978) Rating : 4 / 5 I remembered this one well from my straight-through listen of the original 1001 Albums list, and I was glad to see it come back around. Punk isn’t always my go-to, but this album hits in all the right ways. This is punk for punk’s sake - high energy, sharp edges, fun songs, and just enough musicianship to keep things from collapsing into noise. It’s aggressive without being sloppy, and it never forgets that punk can still be entertaining. Poly Styrene is absolutely perfect out front. Her voice cuts through everything with attitude, intelligence, and personality, and she brings something genuinely unique to the genre. There’s conviction there, not just volume. She isn’t trying to imitate anyone - she is the statement. A true punk legend, in my opinion. I had let this one slip past me after that first listen, but I won’t make that mistake again. This album holds up, delivers exactly what it promises, and earns its place. If you need to get your punk on, this is a great place to start.

Whatever it would take to get punk like this back, I’ll do it, pay it or whatever. Bring it back please!!

Omanji punk klasik

Very fun

Is this ska? It's weird listening to 800 albums and now hearing ska and thinking ah Jamaican influence. This is pretty tight for the style of music. The singers voice does a great job of cutting through at the right moments. I'm liking this more than I expected. I like the album cover for the times. Also I can deduce the sticker is covering two feet and they are wearing one green and one blue sock. It's nice to get a free puzzle with your album, like on the back of a cereal box.

The Sax Pistols. Fun stuff. High energy. Some pretty good mixing.

2.2 Rough. It's as though someone went to see the Sex Pistols live and thought "I could probably do that?". Bonus points for deciding to add horns to make it even more fucking annoying.

Pretty good album. Love the incorporation of the saxophone on the punk which makes this unique with a soul of ska. Good album bit singers voice was a notnfor me altough she can actually sing. Pitch was not my thing but she hots notes and the album has a few really good raw punk songs. Her voice becomes repetitive and sounds the same after a while

saxophone 👎🏻 women led punk bands that sing about how much capitalism sucks 👍🏻

What a great discovery! I loved everything about this album- the lead vocals were stellar, great lyrics, I loved the atypical arrangement of having brass included in more of a punk sound. Loved it! Looked up the lead singer Poly Styrene, and she had such an interesting, inspiring, but also sad life. There’s a documentary about her that I would like to check out.

Never heard of them, but this was fun! Who woulda known girl punk + mildly out of tune but still somehow awesome sax was such a good combo.

Votes against? Punk. Votes for? British punk. Votes against? Slightly irritating voice. Votes for? It's female-led punk. Votes Votes for? It has a sax on it! Look, for punk it was alright, did some interesting things, had some interesting instrumentation, was a bit irritating, but perfectly listenable. A perfect 3.

it’s safe to say that if it’s punk, i’ll probably enjoy it. was this a lyrical or vocal masterpiece? no. did i enjoy it anyway? yes. realistically a 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I really wanted to like this. Female fronted punk. The first track started and I loved it. Great riffs, cool singing. A bit Johnny rotten maybe in her delivery, but something else too... But then as it went on less of it was like this. The big riffs kind of calmed down, the vocals become a bit less decipherable, they brought out a bloody sax and it sounded like they weren't sure if they were punk or in madness. Every so often the sax worked, but more often than not it sounded like you'd wandered into a 1st year uni students house party where everyone still thinks it's a good idea to drink blue aftershock. I really wanted to like it and I didn't totally dislike it, but my excitement after track 1 just veered off.

punk as punk should be - laut, roh, wild.

Erfrischender Punk Rock der dank Saxophon 🎷 anders wirkt.

now this is how you open an album the horns and vocals are very energetic especially on I live for you age was also so good really solid punk album

I get it but wouldn’t listen again

Surprisingly good album. Really fun music, with quite some variation in it as well. Just misses the exclamation point somewhere to really elevate this up to the highest mark. 4/5

The songs are polluted by the piercing voice of an adolescent version Blondie. Plastic bag as the most painful song

Pretty catchy songs and a quick runtime. Fun enough to listen to

I will drink heavily and shout at you album samo što se ovo ne bi svidjelo ni Bernardu Blacku imam osjećaj.

Really really noisy and the horrible saxophone tone was painful to listen to. I was miraculously bored and overstimulated at the same time

Not my cup of tea, but I see why this is on the list. Inspiration for females in pink, rock etc.

Que Álbum! Punk com vocal feminino e ainda saxofone. Sensacional! Percebo que bandas como o Bikini Kill devem ter essa banda como referência. Gostei muito mesmo. Celest Phoenixcall.

Pretty cool, just not something I’d revisit

I like it. 3/5, though, it wasn't that great.

Yell-y vocals that sound like the singer is going to lose her voice? Check. Energetic electric guitars? Check. Another British punk/alternative album (how many of these have I had in the first 10% of the 1001 albums?). Good energy and semi-listenable, but I would turn it off if I could.

This was probably better than I'm giving it credit for. I just don't think I was in the right mood for this?

Punk, with horns thrown in

Moeilijk om te beoordelen omdat ik het genre sowieso niet leuk vindt. Vanmorgen toen ik haast had op de fiets werkte het wel, maar ik kan me geen andere reden voorstellen waarom je dit voor je plezier zou willen luisteren. Ik word er gestrest van

Ananas en pizza is ok, punk en sax nooit een goeie combi. Text, boodschap en energie ok. maar die tering sax...

Ben niet gemaakt voor dit soort muziek. Heel kut, saxofoon ook.

It's just like a lot of British punk, nothing too special, except the singer reminds me of female Johnny Rotten and the saxophones. It's a pretty fun record but still at time same-y

Yehaa, rockt ine. Biz mood abhängig. Aver hed guete drive. Female rebel vibes kickin asses in the 70s

When you’re in your late 20s but you still watch cartoons for kids aged between 5-10.

In my opinion, disc 1 sounds a little less punk rock and almost like a precursor to ska-punk. Vocalist is aight, some songs I could dig it, others were just aight. Disc 2 takes a bit more of the punk rock approach. I think the band fits much better into this box, and I thought it was pretty fun. Probably wouldn’t go back to this much, it was fine.

I imagine this album is what Helena Bonham Carter playing Bellatrix Lestrange playing Helena Bonham Carter as a lead singer of a punk rock band would sound like.

I fun little punk album. I love the brass sections. Makes it almost a ska punk album, but not quite. I enjoyed listening to it, but I doubt I will ever come back to it.

Annoying punky singing shouting screaming whatever it is ruins everything

6/10

Had never given these guys a proper listen despite having friends in high school who loved them. Thoroughly enjoying this now in large part due to being reminded of those people. Fun, irreverent, frenetic, and clever punk rock. Second half is more interesting than the first.

Took me a bit to get into this but really enjoyed it once I did

Fun, punk excitement

Amyl and the Sniffers definitely liked this album

Again, know the band, but not too many of their tracks so ready for this. Packs a punch - nice energy and use of sax too. There is a nice originality and quirkiness to them and likely a distinguishable sound, even amongst new-wave punk. A kinda Madness meets Sex Pistols. I was kinda done by the end of the first side. Enjoyed it, but had kinda got the picture by then and sounding similar-ish and pretty similar for the second side too. Enjoyable enough, like the originality but probably wouldn’t return to listen (3.5)

I am not a germ-free adolescent, in fact I'm listening to this record with an ear infection. Thankfully Poly Styrene's vocals are piercing! And that Rudi Thomson saxophone is shrieking! It's a punchy record, catchy and compelling. Today's listen is just one tinnitus riddled ear doing the work of two and I can tell you this record, while this version lacks "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" (readily found on the anthology and even some later CD versions of this record) it still feels like a complete X-Ray Spex experience start to finish.

Very fun album. Had a bit of a rocky start for me, but lots of good stuff in the second half. Wish I could understand the vocalist better, but I'm pretty sure that's just a skill issue on my end. Favorite Songs: "I Can't Do Anything", "Identity", "Germfree Adolescence" Least Favorite Song: "Obsessed With You" Mid 4.

Enjoy

I can appreciate it but I just don’t like punk. 2

Pretty awesome. The energy is fantastic, the lyrics are on point too. Great album to start my day with.

This is not my favorite genre of punk

This was great. Surprisingly, I don't think I've listened to this one before, and I have to say a bunch are better than Oh Bondage Up Yours. Definitely will be listening to this more

Yes, yes, yes! One of my favorite albums. Poly Styrene is simply brilliant. I love her vocal style. I love her lyrics. X-Ray Spex were exceptional. Something that stood out from the punk monotony. Don't get me wrong, a certain monotony was definitely part of it. And yes, I love Lora Logic and her saxophone; something would have been missing without her. X-Ray Spex simply didn't exist for long enough. "Germ Free Adolescents" is a fantastic album.

Szkoda że tylko 2 kawałki... Ale szczerze ideolo na sobotni mroźny poranek

I had no idea what to expect going into this. A few tracks in I was having fun and vibing, halfway through I was thinking "this is probably a 4, this is so fun and cool", 3/4th of the way through I started debating myself on if I should give this a 5. It'd be crazy to give it a 5, right? Well... I wish I took notes as I listened, but It's 2am at the moment, and I wasn't sure if I'd care enough to. I ended up grabbing a post it note pad to write down anything I knew I'd want to mention. The guitars and production, synths and sax here and there, it was all so so fun! I loved it. The way she says "rats" on "I can't do anything" and honestly just that whole entire song was so so fun and great! "Identity"...fucking wow. the line "before you read about it" floored me. The song "Germfree Adolescents" was amazing, I loved it. If she thinks she's seen too many ads in 1977 in "plastic bag" I'd fear for what she'd think now. I know I would've had more to say if i actually took notes, but I didn't lol. This album was better than I could've expected, the production, the lyrics, the overall vibes. Honestly fantastic. Maybe I shouldn't...but I do think I'm giving this a 5. I don't think i'll come back to it like everyday or anything like that, but this will be so so fun to revisit when I do. slay

i am a poseur 1978 united kingdom punk rock

Fav: Art-I-Ficial Least Fav: Warrior In Woolworths Sex Pistols if it was awesome 🎷

tuff 8/10

I will admit that I had no idea what to expect. It was like the B-52’s and Joan Jett had a baby. It was a very listen and truly exceeded all of my expectations.

Not my kind of music at all.

I appreciate why its on the list. Just not my jive man.

Fun lil bop of a record

I love the tone and spunky style to this. A lady leads the vocals and the guitars are punk with a lot of spirit. This was a fun listen.

high energy fun punk music i'm into it. 4 stars

Art punk? Meh…

So much shouting. No thanks.

This was a pretty good album, good old school punk and I liked it!

Groupe inconnu. Punk assez dynamique avec une instrumentation originale : un saxophone en plus des classiques guitare/basse/batterie. Le sax apporte vraiment quelque chose de plus (accompagnement mélodique ou chorus). Je l'écouterais certainement de nouveau, mais il ne rejoindra pas ma collection (pas trop fan du style par ailleurs). =>3/5

Definitely sounds like a 70's punk rock album. Incorporates a lot of saxophone, which probably inspired the 90's Ska Punk movement. Very good songs on there!

Fun album that never flags, with appropriate use of saxophone in rock (rare). 4.0/5.0: Great

not the greatest punk album but it was fun

Rocking and fun! I’ll go back to this one for sure

Love george

Really fun, angsty, high energy. It’s a shame they only had that one LP.

Just hooting and hollering, buncha noise for no reason. Only reason why this isn’t a 1/5 is bc #girlpower

I don’t like how they announce the name of the song at the start of each song

I usually like when women yell but I didn’t like this one very much. Cool cover art. Favorite- I can’t do anything (I love when she says “I hit him back with my pet rrrrat”)

Wow sounds very riot grrrl over 10 years before the genre gained momentum, really cool and great vocals even if theyre a little much at times

If I was to record a studio album I would simply tune my saxophone 2/5

Punkish moments were great and refreshing, but poppier moments ruined some fun for me... Also I'm not sure if this band really needed a sax. Probably will be a grower, so will relisten at some point.

I do like the characteristic brass of the late 70's. The album cover is fun too. It's just so much shouting. It might just be that I'm not a huge fan of punk. From the lyrics I caught, I enjoy their message, but unfortunately with bad hearing to begin with, I had no idea what she was on about for the majority of the album. Nice short album though, I'll give them that.

Punk rock saxophone? FUHHK YES. This is fun as hell. Interesting group/story too. Burn bright for a short time & then off to other projects. Each of the principals went their own way & I def plan to give each a spin or three. We’re gonna say 3 & 1/4 stars, round that thing back down to 3, & pour one out for Poly

This is pretty cool. Classic punk rock sound with added saxophone filling the gaps that would often be filled with lead guitar. The energy is really good here. Favorite songs were Warrior In Woolworths, I Can’t Do Anything, Plastic Bag, and The Day The World Turned Day-Glo.

Had never heard of this, and it's blowing my mind a bit - I really like it. Reminds me a ton of X - brings in simple 50's rock and roll themes, like the best of punk rock, but with great horn overlays. Need to dig more into this band, and research more of there context

Searing righteous girl punk with HORNS!!!

Not a massive fan of punk, wouldn’t listen again

This was rad.

3,5

Nope

The punky music on this was pretty class

Someone should tell these sassy little girls to be quiet

I like the angry energy of punk. But as with HipHop I don’t empathise. Not really into the Spex but like the use of sax. A change from most punk. Hence the rating.

Like the music but the voice is very off putting :(

Love a female punk singer

Solid old school punk/alternative. Punk rock chicks are badass.

I love early female led punk bands - especially when there’s a saxophone involved!

Oh my god I love this. Punk needs more saxophone like this. The songs are insanely catchy and all sound like they could have been hits. Before getting this album tonight, I still had some of these hooks pop into my head at random times.

Didn't like as the vocals ruined it for me.

Direct, thrilling, and right in your face

Cool punk album. Nothing amazing, nothing awful to me.

3/5

Punk.

The namesake stood out but the sound overall isn’t for me. Fun hearing some trumpet in this kind of music, though!

I can’t do girl punk. I sincerely apologize.

Very fun classic! Few songs do sound somewhat “samey.” Some are a bit all over as well, very angry at something or someone, than bam horn section. Other than the few outliers, it’s definitely a fun punk rocky vibe with a hint of humor? Reminds me of something roller derbies would be playing or background track for a skateboarding video/videogame in what feels like the 90s. 7/110

An energetic, female-vocal, early punk (late 70’s) group/album. Musically, it was great, didn’t catch all the lyrics.

Could grow to a 4, but a bit too samey and doesn't have their best song.

Without knowing anything about the band or album, I’m gonna guess it’s influential because it was punk fronted by a woman. If I liked punk, I suppose I’d like this. But I don’t and I don’t. It’s not that it’s bad at all, just not my taste. And it didn’t grow on me as I listened. I just wanted it to be over with.

Well it sure is of the era, pretty basic late punk-ish entering into the pre-new wave era. Surfing that spot in-between. But certainly captures the time.

This was pretty fun if not a little samey-sounding. This makes me think of pop punk but if it came to prominence in the late 70's instead of the 2000's. Those drums do a ton of work here and they produce a pretty good album!

Shockingly I enjoyed this punk album! The addition of some killer saxophone really had me vibing. The guitar work was pretty boring punk stuff but overall I thought this was a pretty fun album!

Fireeee!!! 🔥🔥

Rock, cool beat. I like the use of the sax

so bougie und cute🥹 ich liebe frauen 8/10

pop-rock de los 70, grupo de mujeres adolescentes, nada que volver a visitar, toques de hard rock o punk

Riot girl punk rock… with saxophone!

Hey I actually enjoyed a British band I’ve never heard of.

Made it through most of this. Some decent punk. I see the attraction. The voice is brutal after a while. There's so much punk and post punk on here....

A very nice surprise! 4.

Yes yes yes yes yes. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Liked the vibe, added to my library.

Saxophone is a big plus Shades of Grease + the B52s???

If nothing else, it's not a boring album; just an annoying, whiny mess that overstays its welcome. Favorite Track" "Germ Free Adolescents".

X-Ray Spex are possibly my favourite punk band.

Class

So much damn fun. Would be a blast to play guitar in a band like this.

I was fairly unfamiliar with X-Ray Spex prior to this listen. This day, The List giveth. I've heard of Poly Styrene before as an early light of the punk movement but, at least in Canada, we're much less exposed to the music of the X-Ray Spex than their punk contemporaries like Buzzcocks or the Sex Pistols. It's criminal -- this is excellent. Guitars (Jak Airport/Jack Stafford) are gritty and driving. Bass playing (Paul Dean) is suitably chugging and melodic by turns, the drums (B.P/ Hurding) are just busy enough to feel frenetic and the sax parts (Lora Logic and Ted Bunting) -- yes, sax parts -- are a welcome addition (something I've rarely ever said about saxophone). What a trip. This is a version of Sex Pistols-style British punk that has a better singer, better guitar player and, somehow, horns that really add to it. It's also a fairly early example of punk being overtly political/activist. Styrene is a perfect punk: refusing to be a sex symbol, having lived at least four years as a travelling hippie in her teenage years, writing anti-consumerist and anti-capitalist lyrics and forming a band that didn't even conform to the emerging punk template, her band's sound is that of joyful, defiant resistance. If you don't dig punk, I don't think this will change your mind. Whisky tastes like whisky. If you're open to the brash sounds of punk music and you aren't familiar with X-Ray Spex, you need to check this out. It's Clash-quality stuff -- and it's only 41 minutes long, so it won't take you long. Their influence is clearly only limited by their limited output: this was their only album for 27 years, until they reunited for 1995's Conscious Consumer. 5/5 this is a forgotten punk landmark

Tämmöstä köyhän naisen blondieta. Meinas olla eka levy jota ei jaksanut kuunnella edes loppuun asti.

Kakkosputki jatkuu, mut ei tämäkään saanut viisaria värähtämään. Ehkä jossain feministi-iltamissa voisi toimia, mutta nyt olin himassa

On kyllä niin karseeta laulantaa että korviin sattuu. Eikä muillakaan meriiteillä kuuhun mennä.

Oujee tää on tämmöstä turboahdettua Blondieta. Aluks mietin, että laulu menee liian revittelyks, mutta levyn edetessä siihen joko tottui tai se vähän seestyi. Joka tapauksessa aika pitkälti kaikki nippelit kohdillaan ja kivaa kuunneltavaa. Koska menee kategoriaan "voisin kuunnella lissee" niin arvosana nousee sit samalla. Nelonen todistukseen ja hymyt huulille.

Ihan kivaa uuden aallon räminää, mutta biisit itsessään oli kyllä tosi mitäänsanomattomia. Ei tästä oikeastaan jäänyt mitään käteen, vaikka kuuntelin kahteen kertaan.

Not too shabby

Best Song: Identity. The saxophones were a nice touch to this punk ditty. Worst Song: I Am a Poseur. Sometimes a song feels like it was written to be popular rather than written to be good. This feels like that. Overall: A great, very "youthful" feeling punk rock album. The star here is the vocals, but the rest of the band is able to keep up well. Disc 2 felt a little more ordinary, but the first half was great.

Punk, 1978 -> 2

Album #8: Germfree Adolescents - X-Ray Spex Genre (according to Wikipedia): Punk rock, new wave Singles?: No. Have you heard any songs from this album or group before?: No. Thoughts?: I love classic punk rock, and I think this album, so far, is the genesis of ska! I think Poly Styrene’s writing is the best part of it though, since most punk rock sounds very similar. She reminds me of a lot of future (at the time) punk or indie bands like The Replacements or The Smiths. Mainly with bite and wit about societal issues, or any topics. Favorite songs?: Art-I-Ficial, Obsessed with You, Let’s Submerge, I Can’t Do Anything, Identity, Genetic Engineering, I Live Off You, I Am a Poseur, Plastic Bag, The Day the World Turned Day-Glo As a writer, what can you use this music for when honing your craft?: Because of reading about its influence on feminine punk and the riot grrrl movement, I wouldn’t be surprised if I did stories about those types of movements with this music in the background. File correlations: #007: Tallis Tales, or #009: Force Devils

Very good punk music. Probably my favorite punk I've heard so far. Nearly a 5, possibly a perfect punk album.

This was more fun than I expected, and a good high energy album for the morning. For once, the saxophone doesn't feel like an add-on, or a friend who wanted to be in the band but could only play saxophone. It adds to the sound and I think taking it out would actually ruin this or at least turn it to unremarkable. Everything else is a good amalgamation of speed, excitement and aggression, the way punk should be. For once an old punk album by a band I've never heard of isn't a complete mess. You don't need to know about anything here other than the fact that it's a good listen.

reminds me of 10 things i hate about you

Ahead of its time. I want to say 4 stars and I hope I listen to this again

Some parts reminded me of Yoko

Angst mixed with musicality, providing an energetic and enjoyable experience.

Late 70s punk rock. Great delivery and attitude.

How can you not love it when a punk girl gets her energy out?

Really good punk, but too much saxophone (if that’s even possible).

'Als vrouwen deze wereld besturen, wordt alles beter.' Hm, ik vrees dat in de politiek dezelfde verschrikkelijke types komen bovendrijven, ongeacht het geslacht. En in de muziek is het helaas ook al zo. Deze dames hebben niks aan het punkgenre toe te voegen dat we niet al van de heren gehoord hadden. Namelijk vals kattengejank, zorgvuldig gespeend van enig talent. Muzikaal heeft het nog wel wat glamrock-achtigs, maar de zang weet het vakkundig te verpesten. Volgende plaat graag.

Mijn eerste gedachte was: punk met een dame in de lead. Toch doe ik de band daarmee te kort. Er is aandacht besteed aan de muziek. Het is vrij dansbaar (of waarschijnlijk springbaar) door het catchy ritme. En met name de sax doet wonderen. Het geheel maakt de punkzang acceptabel. Ik verander mijn oorspronkelijke gedachte daarom naar: punk met de sax aan de lead.

Typische ouderwetse punk, maar nu met een zangeres, die niet veel verschilt van Johnny Rotten. De gitaren beuken er wel lekker op los moet ik zeggen, het is vrij strak gespeeld allemaal. Ik ben normaal gesproken niet zo'n fan van toeters, maar dit toetertje vind ik wel geinig, het stemt wel vrolijk. Jammer dat ze er wat andere geluidjes tussendoor willen gooien soms, want die zijn wat minder geslaagd. Het geheel klinkt als een wat ruigere Blondie, zeker als het meer richting de new wave gaat, zoals in Warrior in Woolworths en Let's Submerge. Ik moet zeggen dat ik het uiteindelijk leuker vind dan ik vooraf had verwacht. Het stemt me best vrolijk, er zit lekker tempo in. Op een andere dag had ik dit misschien ook af kunnen branden, maar ik wil hier nu best een goede 3 voor geven. Een 4 vind ik weer iets teveel van het goede, want na een half uurtje heb je ook wel genoeg gehad.

ja ganz okayes punk album. bissl anstrengend auf dauer. 3.5.

It’s got character, some of its annoying some is endearing

I love the manic, bratty energy of this album. It's the rightly lauded precursor for so many incredible (and important) riot grrrl–affiliated records that broke onto the scene in the 80s and 90s. The lyrics are occasionally funny - also: what a brilliant title for an album - but mostly incredibly smart. And so are the hooks and riffs. The whole thing is infectious as hell, never slows down, and has killer sax melodies on it. Plus, the songs are all bangers. Singer Poly Styrene delivers one stunning performance after another. A true classic and one of the holy grails of punk music.

This is fine mid-rate punk. It’s not amazing, but it’s ok.

Die Sängerin ist etwas extrem. Saxofon aber ganz cool

SUCH AN EPIC ALBUM SO COOL

I can only imagine how great this must have sounded in 1978, in context, and on vinyl. But hey, it still stands out from the crowd — a unique, interesting, enjoyable punk-to-new-wave experience. Riot grrrl before Riot grrrl, a bid to be your Joey Ramone before Sleater-Kinney made the ask two decades later.

This was a delightful surprise! Punk s still a little bit of a hard genre to embrace, but bands like this with a fresh, interesting voice are just fun to discover. I love the blend of other genres and sounds, and the message packs punch without being too over the top. I mean, this is punk which by definitions is over the top, but there is some fun cleverness here that makes it stand out.

Interesting. Melodic sense, not just the messy punk of the era. Poly Styrene is iconic on the stronger tracks. Some uneven points that just come across as a bit more naive and lyrically clunky (I mean, they are young punks) like Plastic Bag. But the strongest points - wow. Identity, Germfree Adolescence. Never heard this before, but they're fresh and these are massive tracks. Super enjoyed this one. Go saxophones!

Not worth your time.

No standouts

Spunky and has sax! I'm on board.

Fun 90s vibe

Never heard of these gals. Nice punk with some ska influence. Could imagine them in a Tony hawk soundtrack.

Pretty damn cool! I forgot to rate after I listened but I def liked it. Not 100% my thing but love the production and the songs

Same problem as Nirvana. Gotta understand the words in order to fully enjoy. But the style and the sound are p phenomenal. Def get why this is on the list.

Classic Punk album. Contains some absolute bangers. Sad that their output was so minimal because their form of high energy Punk was very palatable

Pretty solid album. I loved the saxophone.....something that doesn't show up in punk music very often, if ever. This was a fun punk rock album Top tracks: Warrior Woolworths, Let's Submerge, Highly Inflammable

Enjoyed this one quite a bit. 3.5/5

Really fresh fun sounding punk music that parallels Blondie but with distinctly British touches. Poly Styrene's voice is one of my favorites, wish she had recorded more music. There's a direct line from this to Sleater-Kinney right down to the cracking, fractured vocals and heavy sax use. There is a sweet spot for saxophone use in English punk and Germfree Adolescents hits it right before it becomes too ska-like for my liking. I could play Warrior in Woolworths on an endless loop and never get sick of it. So many fun songs on this one. Favorite Tracks: Warrior in Woolworths, Identity, I Am a Poseur, Germfree Adolescents

Pretty cool

Punktastic!!!

I'm happy for them.

Amazing album!! One of my favorites ever!

Did not like the lead singer

Another of those albums from my high school years that I missed completely because it had no traction in the U.S. (at least not in my native Midwest). It's a fun listen.

Picks like this are getting to the point I can’t even figure out what to really say anymore. It’s just another album that is okay at best, and never really does anything for me as the listener. 2.5 / 5

own

Still sounds fresh and vital

Many songs are quite annoying

Чудесно, великолепно, ярко, необычно. Приятно удивлен. До сих пор звучит свежо и актуально. Несколько песен добавил. Твердая четверка

It's not my style of music, but it's good, I appreciate it

rock. english. punkish.

this was sweet - i loiked it v much!

Rock n roll with a female singer. Lots of guitar, it’s punk apparently but I am more familiar with later punk that is a lot faster. I can see this being super cool at the time.

corny, fun new-wave

So far two songs in and it’s just piercing, unintelligible yelling/shrieking. Not sure I can take another 35 minutes of this. Oh, a little less shrieky. Still not good, though. Nope, back to it. Ok, finished disc one and I think I’m done. This is just bad. And I don’t see it going anywhere good.

Not my style, very repetitive album. I was not able to differentiate the songs.

Está divertido, aunque la voz de la vocalista sí puede llegar a fastidiar. Me dio muchas vibras de The Rocky Horror Picture Show, lo cual siempre es bueno. De hecho, ahora que lo pienso, es como si Magenta y Columbia hicieran un grupo musical: éste sería el resultado.

Liked this so much i finished listening and then started the album up from the beginning again.

Es un albúm que al principio me recordaba a mecano si haber esuchado nada, pero al escucharlo es un punk asi que me recuerdo MUCHO todas las canciones a deceptacon de le tigre creo, la cantante canta como el que imita a hugh jackman de GIVE ME A LOAF OF BREEAAAAAAD y me hace mucha gracia, tiene la voz muy aguda y las canciones suelen repetir el título mucho, incluso prefije como iba a empezar una. Las que son más tranquilas y sin menls griterío me gustan más pero tampoco tanto, mucho saxofón sorprendentemente también. Le doy un 4 sinceramente, si no me hubiera roto los tímpanos la voz de la vocalista hubiera tenido un 6.

Meh. I love punk but it rarely rises to the 1001 GAOAT level. Good but probably will never intentionally re listen.

👎🏻

X-Ray Spex is one of those early punk bands I missed for whatever reason. (Maybe the sax put me off?) That's a shame, because this should be Required Listening for all budding punk rockers. Maybe I have my history wrong, but this feels like a dispatch from the early, wider-open days of punk before orthodoxy took hold. It's a shame X-Ray Spex didn't stick around longer, but it's also kind of perfect that they didn't.

I don't understand what they mean And I could really give a f*ck

Not bad but nothing distinguished this album for me and I don't anticipate revisiting any of it. 2/5.

I want to like this. There are a few catchy noises but overall I couldn't get into it. 2.5/5

Hated this, sounded like nails on a chalkboard

All girl punk band from the seventies. Sounds good on paper, not so good as a listen. Only 42 minutes and couldn’t wait for it to be over. I think the 1001 Must Hear List originator was just throwing the X-Ray Spex a bone. The lead singer is just screeching way out of her range. The songs are terrible. Only bright spot is that the sax player can blow. (0.8*s) Was hoping for so much more…

Sounds like some teenage girls doing karaoke in their rooms. Adding the sax in gave the tunes a little more depth but I wasn't really into it. This is some early girl punk so I guess that gets them on the list. Not terrible, just mediocre and pretty skippable in my opinion. I won't be exploring any more from the Spex or revisiting this one. 2.04 stars.

Nice to be exposed to some alternate punk with a female vocalists. She brings a lot of enthusiasm to the affair which is otherwise pretty basic. I was enjoying this for a bit but I didn't expect the novelty to wear off so quickly though. Within 20 minutes I had consumed pretty much all the X-Ray Spex I think I need. It's not bad, but the formula is so consistent that it almost feels like you listened to the same song for 10 of the 12 tracks. Glad to be exposed to them, but not anything I'll spend more time with. 1.98 stars

Punk NEEDS more saxophone X-Ray Spex was so real for that

I really love this album. Banger after banger.

I liked all that sax.

1978? Holy shit. This is great. The addition of the sax fills in some of that early punk sound, and it's a complete package. Somehow, it didn't grip me the way I wanted it to, but still, real winner here. Slicker than you'd expect while still being rough around the edges.

At least it has some energy. 2/10

This might be the least bad punk album I've heard. It actually sounded good until the singing started. I liked the youthful energy, the refreshingly (for punk) un-amateurish instrument playing, and the use of saxophone. It's also not overly long. But even a short album with shrieky singing becomes hard to bear pretty quickly

Sehr cool, der Gesang ist nicht immer Grade, aber es war ja gut gemeint

Schwierig. Ich schwanke zwischen Kunst und Abfall. Die negativen Aspekte überwiegen.

Nicht sonderlich abwechslungsreich, aber ein toller durchgängiger Flow, der süchtig macht. 4,5

Noch nie gehört. Punkig, rotzig, irgendwie New Wave. Wie grandios sind denn hier bitte die Bläser? Erstaunlich gut gealtert! Gefällt mir sehr gut, meine erste richtige Neuentdeckung hier.

Not bad, but generic punk with a slightly grating voice after some time. Gave up before it finished. Punk isn't really my thing to be fair.

Not a fan.

STOP YELLING AT ME