Reviews (page 6 of 8)
This album was not for me. It was general punk pop but not very interesting or engaging at all. Great album cover though!
Awesome stuff. Didn't know them before, great album so I instantly listened to it twice.
An excellent catchy punk record. Loved this.
I was thrilled to see this album come up as I've loved Oh Bondage, up Yours for so long. What a sweet sax....sound. The voice is alot to take after a few songs, but there's enough sax use to warrant a 3.
Spiky and likable. The horns are a major additive. Definitely dated-sounding however, and the vocals can be a touch grating. Rounding up a bit for effort and an authentic edginess. And also the very strong range and creativity that's on display here – "Highly Inflammable" and "Warriors in Woolworth" make this more than a simplistic and direct, immediately post-punk record.
Proper ass-kicking punk - I wasn't too sure about it in the beginning but the longer I listen the more I like it
Zu wild können nicht singen
Lady punk - marvellous! 3.6
I didn’t like punk n the 70s but I’m more tolerant of it now. Maybe it’s the nostalgia. This was alright but not something I’d seek out so a harsh 2*
A wonderful, raw piece of punk energy. Just a shame about the saxophone
I had a tough time getting behind this. The album feels chaotic and raw. The energy is relentless. Lyrics are sharp, and tackle social issues. The production is rough, which suits the punk vibe. It has moments of brilliance, but they are scattered.
Dear Poly, STOP YELLING ....OK!!!!!!!
Started really fun and fresh but Jesus it got annoying after a while. 15-20 mins of this would be perfect and 3.
Cool girl punk music!
So the vocals were all over the place. First song just horrible, next song ok...then back to hard to listen to. This is a great sounding band for the time this was released. Very cool and interesting album cover.
The entire album was noise. Just dreadful.
01) Germ Free Adolescents - 5,5 02) Identity - 5,5 03) The Day the World Turned Day-Glo - 5,5 04) Genetic Engineering - 5,0 05) Art-I-Ficial - 5,0 06) Plastic Bag - 5,5 07) I Am a Poseur - 5,0 08) I Live off You - 5,0 09) Let's Submerge - 5,0 10) Obsessed With You - 4,5 11) Warrior In Woolworths - 5,5 12) I Can Do Anything - 5,0 13) Age - 5,0 14) Highly Inflammable - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,18 (52/100) Current ranking: 204/220 Spotify and Wikipedia have different track listings, but I won't bother with that, Spotify it is. Let's see who X-Ray Spex are, I've never heard of them. Hmmm, English punk rock band, it doesn't sound promising. Once again, it turns out that I'm really not a fan of punk. Her voice is annoying to me, the songs are all the same, guitars, drums, noise and that's it. Oh, there's a saxophone, but it doesn't help much. Not for me. Next!
Some proper new wave punk with Poly Styrene's piercing and distinctive voice. Something the edgy kids in college would listen to that I would struggle with then but somehow enjoy more now.
On paper, this one didn't really appeal to me, but man it was some good stuff.
Fantastic follow-up to yesterday's Neneh Cherry. Released a decade apart, two young women with unique takes on their respective genres. Germfree Adolescents is just so good! Poly Styrene's voice is raw but incredibly pure, confident with a whole lot of swagger. For punk songs, they are musical and catchy. This is a real gem.
Some catchy punk the way I prefer it… just a touch of pop. I started off liking it, and then they endeared me completely and I love it!
Classic!!!
I'm sorry, is that a PUNK SAXOPHONE?! Talk about things you never knew you needed in your life...
Music is ok…. Vocals not so much
I get what this is supposed to be. It’s good for what it is and I suppose people heard of it and were influenced by it.
not for me
Wow. Beautiful punk. Her voice is golden and the songs stomp. 5/5
Poly was a trailblazer who should still be out there sticking it to the establishment. Glad this seems to be widely recognised as a significant contribution to the punk catalogue.
Love the title track but the rest of it wasn’t really for me.
I could listen to the title track for ever and it’s a good reminder to floss. The rest was a bit samey but I’m giving her a three because, icon. Also, why on earth wasn’t I in a band in my teens?
I hate to continually be so critical of punk bands, but gosh I couldn't get past the lead singer's vocals, even when I'm aware that is the point of punk music. I do recognize that their sound is different, especially for 1978. X-Ray Spex were punk with just enough of a presence in pop to be on the cutting edge of new wave. And with American music always dominated by men, to have a female lead vocalist and frontman is still great! But I just couldn't wait until the album finished.
YES to girl punk bands! X-Ray Spex brings a lot of new wave and even ska sounds to their punk while still keeping things very punky -- this was a bit of a change I enjoyed compared to a lot of the hardcore punk acts on this project. The ska sound comes through heavily on this album in the form of horn instruments and saxophone. Additionally, they're one of those quirky, weird bands (a la B-52s) and that weirdness just works really well for them. Honestly, I'm here for all of it. I just find it quite interesting how this group elevated (in my opinion) the punk sound to the next level by dabbling in sounds and styles of the coming decades. Not necessarily a favorite album on this project, but I would consider this a hidden gem of an album that I didn't previously know about, from a band I had not heard of before!
Got some iconic tracks on there.
Pretty kick ass punk rock. Sex Pistols style with a woman's touch plus a sax. Yes, please!
Another perfectly fine female punk album from the 70s. But also another one that I don’t understand the purpose of it being on this list.
Awesome early punk, can hear the influence on later bands (Go-Go's, The Waitresses)
This is actually prretty great. I am definitely a punk fan and this fits right in there as it should. I am surprised sometimes by how many bands and musicians I never heard of. This band also has a bonus of having a sound that could have been made yesterday for some reason. Genres like punk don't necessarily age as some others might as it is, and many of the themes are still hanging in the air today. The hard part here is that while it is varied and interesting, the lead singers super strong voice, by default, kind of makes the songs blend together sometimes. I found myself semi-consciously looking at how many songs were left as I began getting antsy towards the end. Nevertheless! Worthy and interestiing, especially if you are into anything punk or want to hear a non auto tuned voice for a while!
Punk is not for me but it’s not a terrible album, I suppose
Definitely have never heard of this artist before. Maybe I have heard a track of theirs but so far doesn't sound like anything I've heard before. Not my style.
Not that bad
Good punk album, surprised I've not heard more of them. Identity is a great song.
I'm so mad that I had never listened to this album before - this fucking rules. The riot grrl blueprint plus ripping sax solos. Kathleen Hanna definitely got some inspo from Poly Styrene. Identity is such a good song. I love this album - all grilling no chilling.
A punk album that was not entirely what I thought was it was going to be. The music was pretty good, heavy on guitars and saxophone. The lyrics aren't amazing but there is at least a little bit of thoughtfulness and substance. Notable songs are " Highly Inflammable' and "The Day the World Turned Dayglo".
Punk rock new wave. Chulo.
1.7 - Was a quite annoying and I think I'de find it annoying in the 70's as well. Lot's of "oh look at me being so random!"
New wave isn't really doing it for me atm. I guess there are some fun ideas here and this album has quite a defined sound, but there's not much I can imagine going back to. I find the vocals grating and they detract from some of the musical ideas. 3/5
What
Still fresh this early English Punk/New-Wave music! This one is not of the aggressive sort, but is fun energetic guitar music, even jazzy sometimes. With lyrics still relevant, like this one: It's 1977 and we are going mad It's 1977 and we've seen too many ads It's 1977 and we're gonna show them all Apathy's a drag My mind is like a plastic bag That corresponds to all those ads It sucks up all the rubbish That is fed in through by ear I eat Kleenex for breakfast And use soft hygienic Weetabix To dry my tears Could have inspired Naomi Klein's No Logo!! Good way to describe current Western society (sorry, is my personal opinion, please enjoy your own life) the bloody way brands and ads and populists are turning Western citizens into sheep-like consumers of useless overpriced stuff, imposing their world view (Money and being Rich and having the new iPhonesold with 90% profit margin is the measurement of usefulness of people, not ones kindness or integrity) ,resulting in everyone in the world dumbing down and having the same overpriced material stuff being produced in low-income country for almost nothing, who says Colonialism has gone?). Favorites are the melodic ones with fantastic singing, Germ Free Adolescents and Warrior in Woolworth’s . Ashame she died at such a young age. Enough rambling, gonna listen to the album again.
Pretty good punk stuff, saxophone playing makes it quite unique
Horrendous vocals. The instrumentals are the only thing slightly saving this.
I really enjoyed the music but cannot separate from how much the vocals just did not land well for me. Even if there had been just a little more variation to the vocals, I think I would have enjoyed them vastly more. But there was almost a monotone scream singing that I couldn’t even make out most of the lyrics due to. And then randomly at the end of the album, the last few tracks had a different singer which, I thought hey, I can focus on the music, but then I focused on the vocals not sounding matched to punk music. Giving a 2 only because the music is really good.
I'd prefer adolescent germ over this
the only good part how cute she sounded as she said "warrior warrior warry-warrior"
wtf is that voice
Side 1 was rough was close to turning it off. Side 2 was better as the lead singer wasn't screeching so much and it was almost like a cross between Blondie and The Clash or something
There is a lot to like here. Energy, sense of fun, saxophone. Oddly I liked the second side more than the first. Mostly I just didn't connect with the singer, making my appreciation more intellectual than emotional. Which is not great for punk. Undoubtedly belongs on this list.
Cigarettes was the only song I liked after two listens. 3/5 to commemorate its contribution to punk, but not my thing.
Not my bag, plastic bag that is
This was such a fun album of a band I’d never heard of before. Favorite Songs: The Day the World Turned Dayglo, I Am a Poseur, Germfree Adolescents.
Fire! I know the name but I'm not sure I've ever listened to them before and I definitely regret it. Female-fronted punk is always amazing. This is super fun. I love the sax too.
I guess I just don't like punk. That sax really made me wanna stop listening
The music is straight foreward but the vocals are annoying. 1,5
Pretty fun and entertaining album.
I think this album would have been high rotation for me if I had heard it as a teenager. As it is now, I enjoyed it and will be adding it to my library for next time I’m feeling something with attitude. Highlights: Art-I-Ficial, I Live Off You, I Am a Poseur, Plastic Bag.
I’m enthralled with Poly Styrene’s voice and it’s obvious that Kathleen Hanna is as well. I think that the musical structures of X-ray Spex’s tunes are really interesting and not the typical straight-up-and-down punk arrangements that you might expect. That said, I appreciate the well-defined outro curb for each and every track - that’s a true gift. This album fits for me into the “you really should have listened to this by now, you twat” category. I love this list reading me for filth like that. Bonus star for the “dubiously-tuned saxophone”.
Tykkäsin ekasta biisistä ja levyn edetessä fiilis lerpahti. Levystä fiilistely oli kuin kuolevan ihmisen sydänkäyrä, joka ei sitten hyvin päättynyt - levy jäi kesken.
Tommonen punkkipamautus, joka paikoin ihan mukaansatempaavaa, mut ei vieläkään ole lähellä sydäntä
I remember back in 1978, my older brother playing the 45's of "Day-Glo" at peak volume... It was weird, but it was awesome. I only know a couple of songs from these gyts, but they're all weird and wonderful. It will be interesting to see if it'll work across a whole album. This is everything that was great about late 70's punk. A little sloppy, but a lot of energy... played fast. Rapid fire short songs: get in, make your point, and get out. Attitude over aptitude. And unlike anything you heard before. These guys get full marks for originality, and extra credit for style. That said, they're a little bit of a 1-trick-poney, and better suited for singles that a long listen. Stilll, it works, and will get listened to some more. 4/5
Hauska! Eikä aika obvious hauska. Paljon vauhtia hyvällä tavalla. Kiva ääni laulajalla. Ei kaipaa useampia kuuntelukertoja sisään pääsemiseksi, hyvä sekin. Ei kuitenkaan mieleenpainuvia melodioita.
Ei mikään helpoin levy: selvien koukkumelodioiden sijasta bändi harrastaa jippoja (huom. esim. rytmi, tempo, instrumentaatio). Silti levyllä saavutetaan jotain ainutlaatuista. Ja mikä laulaja. 3,5
A surprising amount of fun with a few bangers
Goes alright for a protopunk album
Awesome album. X-Ray Spex have a similar style of punk as Blondie but with an extra edge. Fast riffs, big energy, an ear for pop melodies and a really charismatic frontwoman. And as a bonus, there’s a saxophone player in the band! Amazing. Sharp lyrics too.
Punk music either really clicks with me or it really doesn't. There's not a lot of middle ground and I find myself either loving a band or really disliking a band. This band however has made me question that a little bit. I found myself being kind of annoyed with the sound; the vocals are jarring, clashy, and oddly very monotone, the music is inoffensive (I want offensive) and forgettable. But all together it kind of worked, but not enough for me to love it? I liked how there were random saxophones and kazoos and vibraslaps. I did like the music on "Identity", it sounded like a a 70's cop drama mixed with some Iron Maiden-esque lead guitar moments. Fun album cover.
Leuke ontdekking! Siouxsie and the Banshees maar dan punk.
Didn’t even finish. I get it
la voz de la mina a veces me irritaba pero excelente sonido, carrea el album
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.
A bunch of the songs on this album are grayed out in Spotify. What I have been able to listen to I have been enjoying though :) This is like girly B52s but better. Love love love 5/5
Yeesh. "Grating" is probably a good summary
Simply Wonderful. Upbeat pop punk at its finest.
Very wet leg with the pet rat in i cant do anything. Very wet leg in the feminist empowerment thing. LOVE the sax Few not my fav but many are def repeats 6.5/7
Bad, really hard to get through this one
i've never been the biggest punk fan myself, i like some ramones/sex pistols on the radio from time to time but there's always been a sentiment of "no you don't get it, punk is supposed to be annoying to listen to.", i don't like being annoyed. at least they had the decency to keep it short. (shoutout to the sax tho, ya love to see it)
I was quite mixed on this one! Some I was infused about, others I got much more into. I warmed to it towards the end and got in the groove more.
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!
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
I feel this cup has been filled already.
Yeah some nice crass rockin' punk, very late 70s UK.
Good punk album. Some bits to cheesy for my taste. 3/5
It takes some getting used to her voice, and in turn I could see listening to the songs on this album out of context from each other could lead to annoyance, but once I got over that hurdle, this was a pretty good punk album. It feels just pop enough for its anti-establishment attitude to feel a tad tongue and cheek, something the album refers to a decent amount of time, and the variation on the genre, not only with a female lead vocalist in a male-dominated genre, but also with the inclusion of new wave elements a year before The Clash made that a standard in London Calling, and saxophone playing to make it stand out instrumentally as well. It doesn't even suffer from the repetitive tone issues that plague many a punk album, having enough speed-up and slowdown to feel like there was actually some thought put behind it all. It can still fall into that grating sound at times, and I'll admit I don't remember a great deal about the record when it comes to specifics, but as a whole I'm glad I enjoyed this pretty solidly, and perhaps this means I should start exploring the feminine side of the punk movement, because so far it seems a lot more honest, and therefore, good, in my eyes.
This was a fun punk album. Got a lot of B-52's and Riot Grrrrl vibes. Was very surprised to see this came out in 1978 and not in the mid to late 80s. I had a good time with this one.
A bit head do-ing to start with...Poly Styrene's voice isn't the easiest of initial listens. But it grew on me and, as a complete album, it works pretty well. Favourite track: The Day the World turned Dayglo
Oh fuck yes! I needed this palette cleanser after listening to a bunch of hippie crap. Unpretentious, unvarnished and straight from the gut. In Poly Styrene’s voice, you can hear Cyndi Lauper, Bjork, Bow Wow Wow, Bikini Kill, Blondie and The Slits. Loving this. The band is tighter than you’d expect. Her voice is stronger. The whole thing is really well produced. Lots of fun. I swear the intro from the title track reminds me of Talking Heads’ Love->Building on Fire.
alright, lots of energy.
Punk del bueno
#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 Song added to playlist: Identity I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
I usually have no use for punk but I actually enjoyed this. Maybe it’s the sax.
I think I would have liked it more if I was more of a punkhead. Plastic Bag was super enjoyable; it’s like a proto-Black Country New Road.
Surprisingly good. Felt like this was full of sounds that other bands would build on in the 80s. Like punk Blondie. Light 4
Pog Punk. Love the leader singers raspy ass voice opening up the album. Album absolutely shreds ! So many saves throughout. Back half of the album was weaker but still good
Great punk/ska punk album. The recording sound is a bit meh, but it adds to the chars. The lyrics and delivery is great. Not sure why this one is on the list but I definitely enjoyed it
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.
Everything punk should be: raucous, energetic, and presented with a message. It has the added bonus of killer saxophone and a fearless front-woman in Poly Styrene. So glad I finally listened to this one. 4.5
I think if I had heard this in college, I would have been obsessed with it. As it is, it feels like I missed its moment for myself.
I know this album inside out and backward and I am still astounded by how good it is every time I listen to it. It is illogical that it is as good as it is. A perfect record.
Okropny głos. Nie mogę tego słuchać tbh
first listen. such a fun album!! i will definitely revisit it.
Good album.
Either I'm starting to appreciate punk or I'm just getting great punk albums lately. Either way, I enjoy this recent array of unique, daring punk albums. This one boasts a delicously messy brand of saxophone sprinkled, female-lead punk.
Germfree Adolescence - 4 Identity - 4.5 The Day the World Turned Dayglo - 3.5 Genetic Engineering - 3.5 Art-I-Ficial - 4 Plastic Bag - 3 I Am a Poseur - 4.5 I Live Off You - 4 Lets Submerge - 3.5 Obsessed With You - 3 Warrior in Woolworths - 2.5 I Can’t Do Anything - 3 Age - 3 Highly Inflammable - 3 Average - 3.5 I wasn’t excited for this one but was pleasantly surprised I liked this better than Sex Pistols. Not good for Hangover
70s uk pop/punk nothing groundbreaking, nice to hear saxophone used in such fast-paced music
Less shouting pls
I Can’t Do Anything about the Genetic Engineering of this album at my Age.
These are some of the most irritating vocals I've ever heard. Too many (sometimes one-note) melodies being unpleasantly shouted at me. I made it through, but it was hard to listen to.
The musical work was good, there was a saxophone, but the lead singer couldn’t sing very well.
It’s old school punk but also proto-riot grrrl. You can tell Kathleen Hannah was inspired by this. Digging the sax, actually! 3.8/5
3.8 - I may not be wild about this glam funk sound, especially with its liberal use of saxophone, but I am in awe of Poly Styrene. The voice, the look and the lyrics are undeniable. I also love the pulp sci-fi themes that still make this record feel current. Standouts: "Genetic Engineering", "Identity."
Why does the saxophone sound so out of tune? Almost gave this a 1, but found parts of this catchy, so upped to a 2.
Poly Styrene was a true original (and one of the few women of colour in the punk scene of the 1970s). For me, the standout is her voice; she was as comfortable roaring over a crowd as she was cajoling listeners on some of the slower tracks. Some flirt with pop (e.g. Germfree Adolescents).
After the first track I was worried this would just be a lot of shouting over boring guitar chords, but the tracks that followed had more colour than that. It stays the right side of the fun/annoying line more often than not. This also appears to be a key album/band in the early UK punk scene that I was previously oblivious to, so a nice education for me.
Punk rock new wave. Chulo.
That sax! “Plastic Bag” my fave, but overall very enjoyable.
Solid early punk rock. Mixing in saxophone at times is not what you'd expect from punk rock but it works. "Germ Free Adolescents" was my top.
Classic punk rock that set the bar for many other bands. More than anything, it was frontwoman Poly Styrene and saxophone from Rudi Thompson that gave X-Ray Spex a differentiating edge that put them a step above their contemporaries. Even compared to other vocalists of the day, Poly Styrene had a distinct look and sound that practically defined the band. No doubt, her voice would help shape the sound of Kathleen Hanna and the eventual riot grrrl movement of the '90s. Track listing varies depending on which version you had, something that always bothered me. Going with the streaming track list, it opens with the slow grower title track before bursting into its punk rock form with non-stop energy. It's kind of incredible how every track hits its stride, resulting in a cohesive punk album that feels somewhat rare for this era. Dynamic and memorable, X-Ray Spex had a winning formula to keep punk colorful.
Classic punk. This girl hits a high note pretty frequently, like every song and it makes it all run together. Some may like that. Too much for me
This is exactly what I was hoping to find with this whole project - an amazing album I haven't heard (of). An absolute gem.
Punk with saxophone. At last a punk album that I like. Usually i love punk's message & style but not the music. Apparently a mostly in tune sax can change that.
I don’t like classic punk as much as others (it has a tendency to blend in with other stuff), but this is good. Like really, really good. The lyrics, the melodies, the singing, all great. Not anything more to say, just very enjoyable.
3.5
Always a huge fan of female punk rock.
This rocks. but other punk bands, please don't go listening to this & thinking you should add saxophone or other horns. You're not X-Ray Spex, ok? You have to be able to drive & groove at the same time. don't do it, ok? ok. glad we got that sorted out in 1978 before anything bad could happen. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
Boy this should definitely get a lot more recognition than it does. I thought I was familiar with the way they sounded, but on listening to this, I was wrong. The saxophone rips ass, and the whole thing holds up with the best of any early wave English punk.
this woman's voice is unbearable
Early New Wave/Punk album. Poly Styrene definitely makes her mark here and blazes her own trail.
I'm pretty sure I've only ever heard one song by this band (Oh Bondage Up Yours) and now I'm full of regret that I haven't spent more time checking them out. What a fool I was because this is amazing.
Another band I never heard of but liked!
trying to find the end of my burning silhouette
When driving home from Spain to Germany next time and i am tired will try this album to accomplish
No comment
Her voice got annoying at times. Love the horn/sax section.
"Germfree Adolescents" is the debut album by English punk band X-Ray Spex. Punk rock and new wave. Yep! Critics have hailed this as one of British punk's strongest albums. X-Ray Spex is Poly Styrene (vocals), Jak Airport (guitar), Paul Dean (bass), Rudi Thompson (sax) and B.P. Hurting (drums). Commercially, the album hit #30 in the UK. "Art-I-Ficial" starts out fast. A great rock guitar and a sax playing along giving this a very unique sound. Poly singing about how society shapes us. "Identity" has a more punk guitar. Kind of morbid describing a girl slitting her wrists. The guitar in "I am a Poseur" is more heavy metal. A heavy riff and a nice sax interlude. "Exhibition is the name. Voyeurism is the game." "Germ Free Adolescents" starts out with a wobbly guitar/synth and a slow drum beat. A tremendous sax melody interlude. This sounds like the Beta Band and the Buzzcocks "Why Can't I Touch This." It's about obsession with cleanliness and just a great song. "Plastic Bag" goes fast punk and slows down and repeats. The mind is like a plastic bag sucking up all the garbage thrown at it. And another song with a great name "The Day the World Turned Day-Go" properly ends the album with a searing guitar and driving rhythm section. You guessed it: the onslaught of synthetics in the world. This is quite the album. Poly Styrene talking, screaming and singing. The lyrics are utterly brilliant tackling society, obsession with cleanliness, civil rights, suicide, exhibition, synthetics, partying and genetic engineering. The musicians are top notch and the band just rocks. The sax adds a uniqueness. The music goes punk, heavy and slow. This is a must listen.
very... unhinged album. idk what the lyrics were about but i liked the sax.
Interesting, very funky and upbeat. Couldn't understand a word they sang, but fun, nonetheless.
One in many proto punk albums that I am sure was far more groundbreaking at the time, but just falls a bit flat today. 2/5
"I eat Kleenex for breakfast" A lyrical masterpiece
Well worth another listen. 3 songs could do with being chopped but the rest is really energetic.
I was expecting something much worse based on the cover, but sax + punk is simply too good of a combination.
What the fuck is this mastering. I'm only on the first track and it's unbearable. The female vocalist's voice is simultaneously muddy, without detail, and piercing. When the other instruments kicked in, her voice still sounded far too loud while every other element was significantly louder. This track sounds like a pre-set rhythm on a knockoff Yamaha stapled to a dying cat. It's like Poly Styrene has zero control over the volume of her voice and it's constantly maxed out, so they just turn it down during editing.
Lmao what? Nah.
I'm bored of punk now DNL
Nope
A great bit of early punk
Not my style of music, the singing sounds like screaming at some points Some of the lyrics are also slightly questionable: "I dreamt of being hitler" for example I probably didnt catch the full context, but out of context that is not the greatest look
Cool ig
Surprisingly enjoyable, 57/100
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.
Groundbreaking, noisy, punk, feminist. LOVE.
Когда я в первый раз прослушал альбом, я подумал: "Че за говно?". Реально, голос мало того, что постоянно кричащий, так еще и невероятно слабый, я давно не слышал таких слабых голосов. Но на втором прослушивании я стал получать кайф от крутого саксофона и от сопвдения мелодии с голосом. Это как "Дайте танк!" -- неплохая группа, но постоянно слушать запрещено.
Massively underapreciated punk album. Highly listenable. Up there with first Clash album and Bollocks.
Absolute shite from start to finish.
Now you're pushing it.
Music was ok, not into the singing.
Interesting female punk album, not one I immediately connected with but grew after a few listens.
This is a new album and band to me. Based on the description I’m surprised I haven’t come across them before. I’m hoping they’re more Clash than Sex Pistols. The opening title track suggests they are exactly that. Germfree Adolescence is a super interesting track, not what I expected given the description of the band. The next two are more punky punk, except the presence of the SAXOPHONE. I know not everyone agrees with this, but I think a decent saxophone makes anything better. This is certainly the first punk rock accompanied by saxophone I’ve listened to, and I think it’s interesting.
You know how British artists can sing and not even sound British. This is one of those times where that never happens. The singer may be one of the worst I’ve heard on this list. The only redeeming part of this album is the saxophone. The jazz punk sax was pretty cool but not redeeming enough for the rest of the bad album. 2.5/10
La música no esta mal, pero la voz es repugnante.
Too loud voice
This is the kind of punk I like. Spirited energetic vocals, and the sax adds a lot of texture to it. Fun!
Lively
Not really a fab of punk so this album was going to be a bit of a stretch for me to listen to
What a train ride! First off; it was very hard to understand what songs that were part of the original album. The Spotify link sent me to Germ Free Adoloscents: The Anthology. Then I checked wikipedia and the original tracklist was different and with another order of the songs. Also turns out it has been re-released a few times with different set of songs and orders, so that made it more tricky. I gave up trying to make sense of it and listened to whatever the Anthology that the link sent me to. It didn't start off very strong with 'Oh Bondage! Up Yours!' which was very punky, but grew on me after that. I really enjoyed 'The Day the World Turned Day-Glo' which had some metal vibes. And then 'Germ Free Adolescents' was probably my favourite song, but was neither punk nor metal. So the whole album was quite a mix of different genres, with saxophone and everything, and in this case it worked quite well! Overall I enjoyed it a fair bit, and there were some songs that stood out as quite good! It was not even enough to really warrant a higher rating, but I'll still give it a weak 4 just because of the handful good songs and the pure joy of hearing something weird and different that actually works for once (very often it does not)!
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.
man this style of vocals just doesn't work for me
Pretty nice punk, from an era of punk I'm not too into.
8/10 pretty great punk album! the vocals would occasionally bug the heck out of me, but this album has really solid production and a great energy
Never heard of this band before. Wish I hadn't.
I've never heard or known about this album or band before, I think? Which is okay, my Punk sensibilities aren't great. This was rad! Also, never used "rad" before but I know rad when I see it: this right here. Truth be told, not something I need a whole 40 minutes of*, but how "Identity" sounds like Le Tigre feat. Bad Religion, in 1978, is fucking amazing. A history lesson, this one. (*narrator: he spent much more time with it that day)
I liked it
I knew their name but couldn't recall any records of them. Earliest punk with the unusual addition of a saxophone, her voice is one of a kind, so this is a remarkable album. Punk is usually not my choice of music anymore, but sometimes one is in the right mood, and then I will listen to this album.
They should change the name of this app to 1,000 albums to listen to before you die.
HL: “Plastic Bag”, title track, “Identity”, “Highly Inflammable”, “Art-I-Ficial” Haven’t heard of this before Apple Music doesn’t have the songs in original release order- but at least all the songs are there! Punk album of the month? I realize I just had the seminal Never Mind the Bullocks…, but in terms of vocals I’ll take Poly Styrene over John Lydon most days Part of the Wikipedia article for this album is just shitting on “Plastic Bag”. I liked it tho…? January 30th, 2024
I can see how this was progressive at the time and an influence on the future, but not for me.
I can see why this was well liked and sounds like it influenced a lot of current bands I listen to
Fun, upbeat, punky energy. Not super inventive, but nice to have in the background.
Kind of cool punk rock, vocals wore me out by the end. Silver lining to this album is that it has some dynamite sax in it.
I thought this was punk. This is new wave. I love punk. Aside from Talking Heads, I can't stand new wave.
Cool vibe. Love that girls were doing punk music early on in the scene.
Not my cup of tea. Music kinda sounds all the same. I get punk was trying to do something different. But while listening to a musical revolution in progress, before it matures into whatever it’s gonna be, may be riveting to some, and that’s fine. But for me it’s too difficult. It’s like watching kids grow up - some people love children, but I’d a lot rather interact with the adult the child will grow into. Made it through 6 of the 37 songs on this ‘collectors edition’ Spotify gave me.
not my thing
Punky, but I'm not sure how good it actually is. Possibly I just wasn't in the mood for it but I found myself zoning out alot
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.
Delightfully loopy, unapologetically sax-drenched punk. God bless Poly Styrene.
good punk album
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.
Never heard of them, and thought my internet connection was messed up with the guitar delay on the first song. "Identity" sounds like "25 or 6 to 4" goes punk. I like the different instruments throughout (horns, sax, and was that a clarinet!?). And its cool that they used different tunings for the snare drums on the various songs. Fun album to listen to.
I would go see this band live. Sounds super fun. Almost like if the pixies hired Iron Maiden’s guitarist and the sax player from Billy Joel. The singer is exhausting though. The only words I could pick out through the album were “MY MIND IS A PLaStIC BaG” and her tone is… exhausting. That knocks it down a full point from like a 4.5 to a 3.5.
Highly disliked, awful noise
Amateurlärm
Loved this
Not my kind of music.
Punk AF! I loved it, full of spark and energy and sounding thoroughly English
Inicios del punk-rock. Vinilo.
Punk rock new wave. Chulo.
Ça gueule énormément mais je crois que je ne vais plus faire l'effort de commenter quoique ce soit ; eltrapeze et moi avons déjà commencé à amener des jeux de société et attendons patiemment la fin de ce générateur de malheur.
ça gueule ça gueule et c'est bien la la seule chose que l'on en retient
DNF
Garbage
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).
I wanted to like this. The music is solid, but man, the singers voice is just grating.
Disappointing really. I was quite looking forward to this, as a punky, female-fronted band should at least have been a bit of fun. Sadly, it was too musically one note, and the vocals were quite annoying. It reminded me a lot of Daphne and Celeste, which I'm guessing isn't what they were hoping for.
I love early punk stuff
This is great
Berike ikkje livet mitt
Meir sax i punken
omg I love this album, getting it on here is dope. perfect. 5/5
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.
This is pretty great, though I have a fond spot for punk in all forms. The female vocals and the sax make this unique.
I knew more X-ray Spex than I thought. Quite enjoyed it. The sax as a Punk weapon is a nice touch. I can’t work out if the lead vocals are really irritating, or not. Probably depends on my mood.
I'm good for a couple songs, but an entire album is a bit much for my taste.
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!
Not a great album.
I almost like this. I would enjoy the album a lot more with a different vocalist/lyricist. I didn't like their voice from the first song and some of the lyrics were really bad. Will I listen to again: 0%
Sounds a bit dated now, but it captures some of the energy of the Punk era in the late 1970s. Quite liked "Identity" and especially like the title track "Germ Free Adolescents". On tracks like "I Live Off You", you can begin to hear the start of the Ska resurgence that followed.
The saxophones or whatever woodwinds got in the way too much. I think it’s an interesting concept but just wasn’t working well with punk yelling for me.
Decent punk sound but didn’t really hook me. As an aside, someone in our group mentioned that the solo Poly Styrene album is good so I also listened to that; it was a *very* different sound and I didn’t really like it. But this group album is ok.
Enjoyed this, but almost wanted to enjoy it more. The louder and more punk it was, they stronger the songs. When it slowed it lost me a bit.
Sleater Kinney, Epoxies, Kudu - this wasn't the prototype on which those bands built, it was the O.G. Some of this sounded like it could have come out yesterday, which I was not expecting.
This album ruled! Love it love it.
pretty rockin
first listen fresh sound i like it
Loved it, but the saxophone kept throwing me off. Sometimes i liked it, sometimes i did not! But the energy & lyrics kept me listening.
The spotify version doesn't have oh bondage up yours on it, so what's the point?
okay so… this album started off and I was like “I kinda dig this”. And then the yelling began. I don’t really know how to explain my reaction to this. I listened to the whole thing through because I was in such a state of bewildered confusion. How could they make such good music, and then just… yell over it? Constantly? And the Saxophone! What a delight! But then also… the yelling! Not A delight! two stars.
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.
mixed bag!
sax is always going to get a pretty decent rating from me
I love Poly Styrene but I also love not listening to her entire albums at one sitting. Sorry! Love u!
The music was very fun, I did not like her voice
As an old punk I feel obliged to love this. But I don't. The lyrics are fun, unique and ahead of the curve, but I find the backing a bit lumpen / obvious, and it's generally too ploddy for me. The heart is clearly in the right place, but I do feel like I want more light and shade in the music than this provides. Maybe I have just heard the ''hits' too many times (I Can't Do Anything was the standout for me this time), but this is not a classic, for me.
The saxophone makes this album. It gives a new dimension to the punk sound. There's elements of a glam hangover - no bad thing either. It was fun in places, but then got a little repetitive towards the end. I like the Stockwell tube station namecheck.
Punk
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.
Great punk rock. Would relisten. Three stars
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.
meh
This one rocked. Girl pink from the early days, loved the instrumentation and the kick ass attitude. Glad to have discovered it!
You know, I can't say I was ever expecting to listen to a female-fronted punk album featuring saxophone solos in it. Anyway, this one's okay. I was quite intrigued when doing research and also when I started the album. It's definitely an interesting album to say the least. The sound is pretty good, with the saxophone solos being a great touch. The lyrics and writing touch on subject that remain relevant to this day. However, I have two main problems with this album. First off, I'm not the biggest fan of the singing at times. It just doesn't really resonate with me all that much. Secondly, and this is the big one, is that after a few songs, this album became quite repetitive and samey. Each of the songs just kind of blended into each other. Overall, not a bad album, but not the greatest thing in the world. I do think that another rock album with saxophones from another band could be an interesting idea though. light 3/5.
I enjoyed "Germ Free Adolescents" and "Warrior in Woolworths". X-Ray Spex is punk shot through with wry humour rather than raw (and tedious) aggression. Some of tracks approached SKA with its use of back up brass instrumentation. Unfortunately there was not a lot of variation between songs so the entire album sounds rather same-y. 3.2 rounded down.
New album, new band for me. Wikipedia suggests it wasn’t released in the US, so that may be the reason. The album has a bright, clear sound that I really enjoy (especially the brass!), though I’m not a fan of all of the songs. The title track, Identity, Poseur, Let’s Submerge, and Warrior in Woolworths are great, though possibly a little much for an early morning listen.
Guitars played with an urgency and female vocals howling words of frustration and despair: I love this kind of music. I’d imagine that most people who are not contemporaries of X-Ray Spex found the band from listening to the fantastic “Oh! Bondage Up Yours!” This was definitely my case, although I can’t remember when I first heard it. This song is undoubtedly the highlight of this album, but there are enough good songs that make this a cohesive and interesting record (like “Plastic Bag” and “Art-I-Ficial,” for example), if not a brilliant one. If possible, I’d give it a 3.5 - 3 for the album and another notch for the stepping stone that this was for all the riot grrrls that came after it.
I liked this album, don't know how much I will relisten to it though.
British punk with sax. Fast and fun, yet biting and honest. The lyrics alive and bristling with social criticism and sharp commentary, most of which is still relevant and pointed today. I want to say ahead of their time, but the issues and problems with modern society they are pointing to, like consumerism, technology overtaking our lives, and issuers of identity, are all issues they faced at the time, but the album does seem oddly prescient. I will say that the message is a little undercut by the fact that I had to look up the lyrics. Nonetheless, (we are now so inundated and surrounded by these issues, it is harder to see them clearly. Corporatism rules the world but we just about universally celebrate the takeover. Identity politics rules both sides of the aisle. War rages round the world. Anti-human sentiment comes in hot and heavy. To be punk now seems to be to reject the trappings of anti-traditionalism and maybe start a loving family and join your local community. Who knows?) I’m glad this album exits.
kusista punkkia engelsnännistä taas.. niin kovaäänistä mutta ei mitään tunnetta..emootiota musiikissa.. ääntä äänen takia...soundwave inflation... saxoföönistä yksi piste. ei tälläsiä voi kotona kuunnella. CHEEEWESDAEY INNIT!!!! hanki parempi akksentti esim latvia... pois tämä tieltä the day the wrold turjned dayglo
Hmm.. a lot of energy, but musically not really offering much
Great punk vibe, some interesting odd time? Cool counterculture feel
love some girly punk! cool blend of feels, more dynamic than i know of this genre
Do people that like punk typically like metal? My guess would be no, since its so simple vs complex. Punk just doesnt do it for me 9/10 and this is one of the 9.
3.5/10, why sing good when you can sing off tune? The infuriating part for me is that Poly Styrene can sing well but just decides not to???
Meh
British rock, didn't vibe with the yelling ??? probably a lot better live
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
Am I giving out too many 5s? Whatever, this deserves it. Top to bottom bangers. Incredible and ahead of its time.
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
It's very erratic but that's obviously the theme they are going for unfortunately most of the tracks on Spotify are blocked for me so I can't give a decent review.
It’s fun. Reminds me of no doubt somewhat as well. Not sure I’d come back
Good punk
Some called this album a hidden gem, but I think there's a reason why it was lost to the ages. The vocals are shrill and unintelligible. This is another example of the indisputable UK bias in this compellation of albums. Despite the incomprehensible vocals, the rest of the album is pretty fantastic. The instrumentals are phenomenal. The punk rock drumming is energetic, fun, and the fills are clean. The saxophone rips and is admittingly my favorite feature of this album. The instrumentals could easily be an inspiration to punk, rock, ska, etc. I would love to hear this album with a completely different vocal track.
this shit sucks
Muzikaal niet slecht, maar de zangeres heeft een vreselijke stem.
no
Knall funk
Bien punk bien entretenido pero no se si volvería a escucharlo
This album is awesome. The horns add a lot to the music.
Pleasing to the ear at times and a supreme lead vocalist, but incongruous as a whole album.
Quasi-New Wave-Punk-Post Punk that is actually not too bad. A 41 minute punk album is a bit long and X-Ray Spex do not try to fill it with variety. Change the lyrics to any song to be insulting, questioning, funny, angry or just infantilistic humor and you have X-Ray Spex gist. 3/5.
This is good sloppy punk, but it just isn't for me. I think if you like vintage punk you'll enjoy this!
2.4/5
Just awful
Engelsk 70’er punk rock, fyldt med horn, mærkeligt, men fungerer på en måde
More sax in punk pls
An English, female lead punk band with a sax!? Don't know if a band has been more for me.
How have i never heard this before.
Punk rock new wave. Chulo.
I was a teenager through the punk explosion, but X-Ray Spex sort of passed me by. Listening to this now, doesn't make me want to hark back to those days, and they didnt have the extra edge that bands like The Clash and The Jam had. But this is good stuff, a drummer whos on fire and a singer in Poly Styrene, who was all attitude and angst. Interesting use of the sax on some numbers must have been quite novel for the time.
This album encapsulates all that is fun about being young and rebellious: the rage, the creativity, the energy, the music! Poly Styrene is the one making most of these things happening, with her ferocious voice and her protesting delivery. But the music is great too, especially with the inclusion of a sax in the chaotic and somewhat primitive punk rock the band is playing.
Woman yelling over great music.
Wow! This was totally unexpected! A very energetic and rebellious record that I never heard of before. The title is gold!
Interesting in its use of brass, kinda adds a slight ska element to what is mostly a very raw pop-punk.
Fun punk!
Surprisingly "soft" and not-raw punk album
Loud, frenzied riffs. The lead singer sounds like she is a female version of John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon. Interesting use of horns and sax though out.
A thoroughly enjoyable album. I was already familiar with the band, having seen them some years ago at a punk all-dayer festival, but this was more new wave than I expected. That said, it was great fun throughout. Not every song is a classic or anything, but the album as a whole has a lot of energy and personality. Well worth a listen.
Much more influential than the boys would like you to believe
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.
I quite like this. Poly Styrene is an excellent lyricist (and vocalist) and she rips her way through twelve songs about the emptiness of consumerism, the artificiality of society, feminism, and the gradual sterilisation of humanity (and what it means to be human) via scientific progress. It’s earnest, but it rocks and still sounds fresh today. If anything, it’s more relevant than when it was released 45 years ago.
Wasn't a fan of the vocals. The instrumentals sounded very bland and boring.
An amazing album. Drummer is killing it, love the sax and the singing is amazing. Love this
I didn't know what to expect with this cover, but really fun!
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!