Reviews (page 5 of 7)
The genres they’re mixing aren’t really mixing good example of this is ”White girl” the switch from the verse to chorus is so jarring. However that’s really the only “bad” song and many of the songs put better use to the switches in style 3/5
too soft for my taste. more watered down punk, rather than an original feeling style. i just would rather listen to other post punk/punk artists that have a more distinct or generally harder sound.
I like the vibe and am proud of their trailblazing and all that. Maybe I’m just a dipshit, but I wouldn’t be able to pick this sound out of a lineup, and that’s a must for top scores for me.
3.5
I like the music and energy of this punk rock album. But the vocals are not my favour. 2,5
Some silly dilly songs in here! 6/10
I'd never heard of X until now. Nothing spectacular but pretty enjoyable.
3.5
3.5 Weird combination of different genres
Really liked it but shoulda been like 10mins longer!!
Love it
Generic'80s/90s punk. Is all right to listen to but didn't really do anything for me
Eh, this is okay, but the singing is pretty bad, and everyone just seems really bored. There is a weird lack of energy to this album, everyone seems like they are about to fall to sleep. If I had to guess I would have said this album came out 5 years earlier than it actually did. I can't overstate how old this album sounds for 1981 (the same year damaged by Black Flag came out). Also for only being 30 minutes, this album felt like 45. I'm not exactly sure why this album was included, it doesn't sound very good, or that ground breaking/influential. low 3
Decent punk album.
Some fun early punk, love that they have male and female singers, and I dig the sound but wish it was a tad harder.
Adult Books is an early standout to me. I like the play on the 50s riff. Can't shake the feeling that In This House borrows its melody from "Ten Little Indians." Pretty meh on this one -- soft 3 / 5.
Interesting punk album. Never heard of the band X before. Wasn't terrible. Reminded me of blitzkrieg bop. 3 stars
For the most part I like the woman's voice. Has a kind of country/folky tone to it. Sometimes it sounds a bit whiny, but that's on par for punk. Happy with the length of this one. Standard sounding punk that I feel like moves toward a more palatable sound compared to British punk. Maybe started influencing pop punk a bit?
Pretty run of the mill but found myself bouncing a few times. Low 3
Liked this one. Easy to listen to and I enjoyed the energy of the band. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
3/5. It's hard to say if I even liked it. I did like some of the songs but to say this is 10/10 like all these critics are saying is a pretty wild choice. I like the punk and the fresh take on it with the mixing of different genres but it's not crazy good. I have to stop looking at other reviews and just take it at face value. This was not bad, but it didn't wow me. Best Song: In This House That I Call Home, It's Who You Know, White Girl
C'était du bon punk, mais j'ai un peu de misère à voir comment il vient particulièrement se démarquer de plusieurs autres albums punk de cette liste. J'imagine que l'incorporation beaucoup plus flagrante de sons comme le rock ou le blues joue pour un peu d'unicité, mais ultimement je n'ai pas trouvé ça si mémorable, même si c'était un album très agréable à écouter. 6/10
This album was a pleasant surprise for me. I am pretty familiar with the 1980s, but I had missed this one. As such, I enjoyed it with keen interest. Really nice, tight, sound. And the punk-vibe was refreshing to hear.
Meh
Even though their first album Los Angeles is more iconic, I like this one better. Not sure it's essential. Favorite song: We're desperate.
Gode punk elementer. Men jeg syntes det mangler noget kant ind i mellem.
I have never heard of this before! I know X’s “Wild Thing” and that’s it. I do like it—feels exactly what early 80s rock should sound like. I like how the lead singers voices sound together. I like what the guitar does on “Adult Books” a lot. Some of the other songs just kinda wash over me. I would definitely enjoy this as a concert but probably wouldn’t choose to listen to this in my own.
I didn't hate it but it got very repetitive for a 38 minute album. I did enjoy the dual singer arrangement.
there was an initial adjustment period while i mourned that this wasn't X of gonna give it to ya fame, but then it grew on me. belongs on a playlist with early the white stripes, i think
This might have been a 4 if I was more ready for it on a different day. I'm convinced though that I can tell LA-area punk bands from other punk bands of similar timespans and they sound slightly surfer-y, which isn't my favorite.
It's not bad. Good for the time for sure. Not sure I'll listen to it again though
Meh
I don’t know how I’ve never heard of this band before. It makes me think of Cherry Bomb era Joan Jett. A lot of their two-part vocals are sung in a monotone or out of tune, intentionally. Somehow, it works. The bass lines are fun and their songs are pithy. I like it. I didn’t listen to the remastered version, but might give that a try. 3.9
Straight forward punk. They work around her voice limitations well with good harmonies. Somewhat melodic, but mostly the same after a while. 3.0
Thrash rock - kinda fun
Day 27 of listening to 1001 albums, one day at a time. Wild Gift is a sense a really wild album. It’s a punk rock album that doesn’t exactly stick to punk. It takes a lot elements of blues and r&b but I do think this album a fair amount to say. From it talking about the adult book store John used to go to or criticizing Elvis Presley for joining the military. However I think the beginning and end of this album seem to be its strongest and the middle is unfortunately a bit weak. I do still enjoy this album, it’s rare you get to hear a early punk album like this and I liked it.
Hressilegt pönkrokk. Alveg gaman að þessu.
3.5 for me, enjoyed it.
Solid all the way through, like most of their work. I always felt they were a big influence on Pixies.
nothing standout about this, generic 80's punk.
Yeah fine whatever more punkish music. Sort of like Blondie
Nice and punky
It’s short. It also doesn’t really do much to stand out from countless other punk albums. It’s good though
Got a bit boring by the end, although it wasn't awful and there were some nice Pixies vibes, just too samey and nothing stood out.
A good album, my favorite of the songs was Adult Books.
A less unhinged Dead Kennedys.
Back to back punk I suppose. This one's not bad, a couple good songs, but there's certainly nothing as distinct to me as the Public Image album from yesterday. Female vocalist, which I do appreciate in the genre, but yeah. It's alright, I'll save a few tracks, but as a whole, nothing special. Favorite tracks: Some Other Time, Adult Books, Year 1. Album art: Really like this, it looks super modern, super contemporary. Would not have guessed '80s based on the clarity of this picture, seems more like a late 2000's indie rock album cover shot. Colors are great, looks like mostly wrapping paper on everything. Great to look at. 3/5
This is a real fun little Punk record. It didn't blow me away but the guitar work was really good and they kept me going through what is a pretty repetitive album. Fav songs: - The once over twice - Universal corner
lustiger indie punk rock
Some nice poppy, punky jams in here. A bit bland at times but overall a nice listen.
Why did the first song keep sounding like it was going to break into Chattahoochee by Alan Jackson? Interesting mixing different sounds into punk. There were definitely a few songs that had a rockabilly vibe. Honestly in 2024, this album is kind of boring. I could see how this would have been fun in the 80s though.
This is 100% one of those *formative* records from the 80s that the authors of this project seem to love. That’s not to say it’s not worthy of its place in the list. I freakin love this band. X really is one of the most underrated punk bands of all time. When it comes to SoCal punk they’re always forgotten and especially when it comes to folk or cow punk. Social-D gets all the credit. But considering the nature of the songs, punk was still new, and at this point, hardcore was starting to take over the scene. X stands out as a band that takes a the elements of punk and mergers rockabilly, folk and country but still stays true to the nature of the genre. Hard, fast, and full of energy. They never take themselves too seriously. The songs have a level of humor and sarcasm to them that was later emulated by bands like Descendants and made legendary by bands like blink-182. This isn’t my favorite X record, I prefer Los Angeles or See How We Are. A lot of these songs are kind of similar, but for the time, I get it. This record coupled with Los Angeles influenced a lot of the music of my youth. Also shoutout to Exene Cervenka for being one of the OG female punk vocalists and John Doe for his amazing cameo in Boogie Nights.
Classic punk with that classic raw production. Good energy and surprisingly upbeat
New wave-y punk, I liked it, torn between 3 and 4.
Great discovery once again!
Loved
Beetje een cluster fuck Soort punk? Wel ok
Kinda cool album… reminds me of someone but can’t put my finger on who…
Fun.
This was a tough one for me. It hovers between a 3 and a 4. Ultimately, I probably won't relisten often enough to give it a 4. But it's good.
Peppy!
This was surprisingly good
Rips
Pretty great stuff in here. I imagine it sounded revolutionary when it came out (hence Christgau) but the influence it's had on a lot of what came after makes it sound like a lot of other things to my ears. I may be hard on stuff that comes out of california as a rule.
This sounds like a stripped back kind of punk rock. “Beyond and Back” tends to flirt with rockabilly as well (could this be the origins of punkabilly?). With repeat listens, I know the band will grow on me. It’s nice. Overall: 6/10
Solid guitar riffs and chords. Overall sound was good, not sure they would be in the rotation but I enjoyed this listen.
80s American punk Not great not crap Ramones do it better
Enjoyed this little album
THPS
Chill men tenkte ikke så mye på sangene egt
Fun album
These early punk albums are good fun. While this might not hit my favorites of all time, X was both good and influential and this is one of their best albums. Highlights - The Once over Twice, In This House that I Call Home, White Girl, Year 1
2.9/5 Best Track: White Girl
This was the chocolate milk of punk. Familiar, comfortable and enjoyable.
A fun romp. You can hear the influence in many who followed
Yeah totally fine and not much more to say than that!
This was good. Can't say it was anything special but it was right up my street.
I have a bit of a love hate thing going with X. They write great songs but I wish their albums suffer from thin, light production. Drums always sound insubstantial, just wish there was more meat on the bone. I had never heard this album and its the usual collection of fine X tunes. Not much variation in tempo and arrangement though. Still another wonderful X album 3.5 stars
Upbeat and catchy. Very competent. I can see why it’s on the list.
Didn’t love it on starting the first track, but I found it grew on me and was well worth a second play through. A couple of odd gear shifts between songs meant the album didn’t feel entirely coherent but for 80s punk I probably shouldn’t have my expectations too high in this regard. Overall enjoyed it for what it is.
Generic rock from this era. British feel to it? Pretty generically fine.
Ok
Boring and soft for punk, but not bad.
I really like the rockabilly and early rock n' roll riffs that're on here (which it took me a hot moment to notice for some reason), but otherwise, eh, it's just above-fine to me. The idea of a punk album that covers domesticity and relationship issues is interesting to me, but it turns out it's more in theory than in practice.
…It’s just OK. There’s really nothing that special here – I have a number of songs I sorta liked while listening, just because they hit on some of my musical sensibilities, but it’s a pretty forgettable album otherwise. There’s no standouts, there’s nothing here but a really stripped down style: two vocalists, a good drummer, and a sick guitarist. Instrumentals on this album are great, but the lyrics and the vocal performances just weren’t always clicking for me. It’s a mediocre 3; it kinda just feels like it’s a worse version of Murmur by R.E.M..
Not a fan...too fast, too loud and the instruments have a whiny, screeching sound. It is, however, upbeat..would be good to listen to when working out or when you need some artificial cocaine!!!
It's weird to think about this music co-existing at the same time as Michael Jackson or any other synthy early 80s pop. I'm not too familiar with the punk genre, it's probably not for me, but I respect that they're getting after it .
good not great
I enjoyed it though it did wash over me a bit.
reminds me of better british punk, so this gets 3 stars
Pretty good LA punk.
I wasn’t familiar with X at all other than the hits on various punk compilations. I was under the impression it only had a girl singer, image my surprise. I liked it a lot, when our love passed out on the couch was my favorite.
Fun, rocky, short
enjoyed.
Not really in my wheelhouse musically but it’s ok.
Not sure how to rate this for now. Only listened once , 3/5 for now, may listen again
Pretty good, I don't mind this type of punk.
Rock / Punk mix
Would I listen to this album again? No. First time hearing the full album? Yes. Were there any songs I skipped? No. Comments? Mediocre punk like album. Favourite Songs? I'm Coming Over, When Our Loved Passed Out on the Couch.
Run-of-the-mill punk/indie rock. Fairly decent, not unpleasant but not a genre I like and nothing outstanding. As usual, when the album ended Spotify continued playing its similar recommendations and I didn't notice.
Good
Never actually heard of these guys and they aren't that bad. I mean it's still early punk and it very much sounds like it but it's not bad. 6/10
нормальные панки, слушать я такое конечно не буду но не отвратительно
It was fine 2.7/5
Solid album. Lots of genres. The Spotify playlist after this album was awesome - probs better than the album. 3.3
Bro, the lady and the man singing the same shit at the same time is like part of my nightmares. Her voice is absolutely horrible - like why are you yelling lady and singing off key. The band backing is awesome though. The guitar and bass and drums are all really good. Unfortunately, the singing takes away so much enjoyment, it makes it like a 2 to me. Listening to the last few tracks, where there is less duplication on the singing recovers it back to a 3. The band is really nice to listen to, and the singer is more tolerable toward the end, and knowing it's a punk type band makes the singing fit a little better. I can picture myself at a show for a band like this.
The best punk album I’ve heard so far, still not amazing though. It was enjoyable enough, but really nothing special. Every track sounds the same to me. 6/10 Top 3: 1. The Once over Twice 2. In This House That I Call Come 3. It’s Who You Know
Punk lite, some pretty catchy. Shades of Sonic Youth.
3.75
Pretty fun punk album. Nothing to hate nadda to love🤷
didn't wow me, didn't hate it either. the canonical 3.
It’s reassuring when you pretty much know what year an album has come out and where the band are from even though you’ve never heard of Twitter, sorry, X. Except they aren’t from New York but Los Angeles. It’s bizarre. If Talking Heads , Television and Blondie tried to make a lightweight Ramones album it would sound just like this. Hey, it’s quirky and feisty. Maybe I’ll listen to it again someday but it just seems slightly behind the curve.
It's kinda punk, but about five years too late. A bit shouty for my taste, but not terrible.
It was pretty good but didn’t love it :( I think it just felt like I’ve heard similar sort of music that had been more intense but it was not bad
I thought this was just okay. Hope the next one is not punk
Made it through the album. Barely. Interesting though.
blondie vibes, nothing jumped out but enjoyable throughout!
3.5/5
This is fine, its punky and varied, but I just think there is better stuff on this list and think this will be quite forgettable
I have listened to Los Angeles, Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun In The New World. So how did i miss this album? I'm not sure but it was well worth the wait. Los Angeles remains my favorite but this is a solid album and a great listen and their musicianship and harmonies are at the top of their game here; X dispelled the notion that punk music had to be "sloppy". This was a very talented band. I still prefer the other X albums over this one, and i am curious if any other X albums are on the list, but this is a good record.
Completely forgot this album.It’s generic punk with a female singer for most of it.Nothing spectacular.
Started out good, got a little bored of it by the end though. Will I listen to again: 50%
Same as 2 of of theirs
Liked it. Not every song was a winner but they all were good.
I though it was gonna be another ZZ Top type band, but was actually shook when I heard a women’s voice. Songs were a nice mix between rock, punk, country, and surfer rock. The lead male singer also reminded me of Elvis for some reason. Fuck. Everything I wrote after this was deleted and I don’t remember what I wrote. I liked it but didn’t love it. 6/10
A welcome suprise after a few crappy albums. Fun punk, can't believe this came out in 1981. 3.5/5
3+
Didn’t touch the sides
Como rock indie. Bien.
Ehh, nice but not remarkable.
Hmm. I'm a fan of their first album, but I think their bit of punk bit of rockabilly bit of new wave is already sounding a bit thin. Enjoyable enough, but not pulling up any trees.
Nice enough punk 'n' roll from the artist formerly known as Twitter.
3.5/5
Good fun as always though looking back at the last entry from X on this list I feel like their sound and sensibility developed a lot more sophistication even a couple years later on More Fun...
3.5
Raw-sounding early 80s punk record. It's fine, just not my jam. Universal Corner is the best track on this album.
Not too bad
pretty gooooood
Punk rock assez soft. 6/10
Blondie esque punk
Never heard of them or a single song from this album before today. The punk-rockabilly was kinda cool.
definitely a punk rock album, reminds me of dead kennedys. it's well done, was fond of "in this house i call home" in particular but it's generally a consistent record.
C'est elon qui a choisi le nom du groupe ou quoi, j'ai pas raison la team ???
reveillee
Starts off with some rocking riffs and female vocals, then a gentler song - refreshingly beyond punk, then reverts to more punky territory via classic rock n roll and rockabilly. Good energy, good guitar playing, just not quite up there for me.
Trevlig punk
Solid punk!
Helt schwäg
Yeah, one knows (as everyone does) that they were great live. But they’re not live anymore and while one has liked some cuts over the years, this feels more tired than energizing or even hard-edged today, for as fresh and authentic it may have seemed all those years ago. On the plus side, bass bounces in quality fashion. The excess of grit undercuts the tunefulness.
I prefer Los Angeles but these first 2 albums are both really good even if nothing else afterwards lived up to them. Such a fun mix of punk, rockabilly and more.
Mediocre punk. 5/10
Good
3.6 - Clever, though sometimes obscure lyrics add an air of mystery to songs like “Adult Books” and I do often love the chemistry between Exene and John Doe. Their loud vocals give this a very different take on punk that’s worth a listen. There are, however, moments when it sounds like these two are trying to shout over each other. Maybe that’s just a symptom of marriage?
Good punk jams, can’t say I know much about X or their influence but this was fun. 6/10
I didn’t actively listen to this too much. I have to say, I’m not too into early punk. I make an exception for DK, but even then it took a lot for me to get my head around their stuff. In any case, “Wild Gift” by X is a decent listen. I can hear how this album was ahead of its time. For the most part, it’s not really my thing, but I did particularly love the song “White Girl”
Enjoy a bit of playful punk-rock every now and then. Nothing transcendent here beyond some great vocal chemistry. Personally prefer music in this style that is a bit rougher and louder, but again, good fun. Fave track: Universal Corner
Hmmm, I get this. It's OK. It has some nice moments and it's listenable certainly. It's quite clever in places. But it doesn't sound groundbreaking to me - even when I try and put it in context. Maybe it's the California in it. Maybe I just prefer my punk to be a bit more London, Derry, Dunfermline or New York based? Keep on going back between 3 and 4, But 4 means I commit to listening to it again and I'm not sure I want to do that. So it's probably a 3 - but a solid 3.5.
The album sounds the The Strokes with a bit more uptempo composition. Nothing outstanding stood out, but unique for 1981. 3/5
3 stars only for White Girl.
Simpatico e allegro, ma niente di più.
Flavours of inspiration from Talking Heads and for The Pixies. Enjoyed it, decent.
This album is short enough that it played through almost twice before I noticed, so alright
Never heard of these but it's really good and catchy. It sounds an awful lot like the Violent Femmes which is a big positive
Was good to listen to as background noise, would probably listen again, but don’t thini I would seek it out.
Enjoyable.
Enjoyed it!
A rambunctious, overtly melodic, aptly wild and at times varied American post-punk from one of L.A.'s great punk bands. Favorites: The Once Over Twice, We're Desperate, Adult Books, Universal Corner, I'm Coming Over, In This House That I Call Home, White Girl, Beyond and Back, When Our Love Passed out on the Couch.
Som ritmos interesantes en algunos puntos, pero el tipo de musica no deja que ee aprecien al 100%. Me precio un disco normalito que no da mas que para un 6 de 10
Nije los Angeles
I don't know what to think of this album. It just goes in so many different directions that I just can't grasp it. I do like it, but it's hard to listen to top to bottom.
Good early punk sound. Both vocalists play off of each other well and keep the album sounding fresh when some of the riffs and songs otherwise sound similar.
Enjoyed this. Not every song struck my fancy, but "Adult Books" really stood out. Good energy and I like the vocal tandem.
Pretty good rawk from some LA punks. 3 stars.
Como rock indie. Bien.
I always feel like I’m not schooled enough in what makes good punk good, but this just felt a bit unremarkable to me.
Didn’t know this my punk is British Two voices are good Moves to David Byrne places … I’d listen to early Talking Heads The straighter rock and roll lines jump out and feel slightly naff … But enjoyable A bit
Nice and smooth Ramones-like punk rock from 1981 that clearly draws influences from rockabilly, B52's and Roy Orbison ("Adult Books"). And it's clear that the band, on the other hand, also influenced bands that came later. Listen to songs like "We're Desperate" and "I'm Coming Over" and you clearly hear where the Pixies come from. And even though this is really up my alley, it just doesn't click for me.
Not the wildest thing I've ever heard, I'd say too restrained for my liking, but still good fun. Singers were a bit amateurish sounding even for punk. 3 savagely wrapped presents out of 5 🎁🎁🎁
A cool album of riffs, retro sounding, but with the energy and attitude of punk. Not a bad listen. Perhaps the most odd thing is that the band are conservative-punks.
Another Punk album, although this one atleast stands out due to the fact it has a female singer. That makes the album better however the lack of standout songs means that this stays at 3 stars
A fun punk record, nothing too exciting but a good time
It's fun, but it doesn't strike me as particularly special. Probably would listen to it again if someone suggested it.
The songs with the male vocals were so much better than those with the female vocals.
If someone asked me to guess the year this album was released, I wouldn’t have said 1981. It’s not quite my style, but the production is CRISP.
1981 Punk Rock John Doe – bajo, voz Exene – voz Billy Zoom – guitarra D.J. Bonebrake – percusión Side one "The Once Over Twice" – 2:31 "We're Desperate" – 2:00 "Adult Books" – 3:19 "Universal Corner" – 4:33 "I'm Coming Over" – 1:14 "It's Who You Know" – 2:17 Side two "In This House That I Call Home" – 3:34 "Some Other Time" – 2:17 "White Girl" – 3:27 "Beyond and Back" – 2:49 "Back 2 the Base" – 1:33 "When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch" – 1:57 "Year 1" – 1:18
Ok, liked track 2. Bit basic sounding like recorded in someone’s garage. Not my thing but had interesting moments
Sounds like a lot of good bands (Love, talking heads, Siouxsie) while also being kinda forgettable
I think I like X. Let's see -- yep, rollicking sarcastic fun. Actually, doesn't quite hold up, even through the very short run time. Good but not uniformly great. Definitely fun. 3.5 stars
Cool stuff
Interesting punk album that incorporates a lot of different genres in it.
Not a bad punk album but not really my thing.
A delightfully polymorphic punk album that leans more towards the cerebral/art-house vibe.
It’s a little punky, a bit grindy and sort of rock revivalist, but for all those reasons, it’s lost a little bite and energy.
good punk
Has alot going for it, particularly when they go hard, but I think it gets bogged down when they do the old timey thing. Do love the male female vocal mix though.
I like the style but beyond that is was just okay. Competent punk but nothing stood out.
x - wild gift (1981) notes: - post punk band with shared lead vocals - really like the artwork! - i like the album “los angeles” by x but i’d never gone deeper in their discography fav - were desperate - i like the energy and dissonant guitar in the chorus least fav - year 1 - i like the vocals but the rest of the song didn’t match to me to me los angeles does everything this album does but better
Cet album s'écoute assez calmement même si tout au long du projet, notre oreille nous suggère que quelque chose ne tourne pas rond. En voici l'explication : il a été produit par l'ignoble Ray Manzarek.
Surprisingly good but nothing I was crazy about
Punk's not really my jam but this wasn't a horrible listen - I'd give it 3.5 if I could. Fave track - "The Once Over Twice", maybe, or "In This House That I Call Home"
I have not heard of "X" before, but I'm interested to find out what they are about. So far nothing jumps out as hey I really like this sound, but it's inoffensive and is decent. May check it out again but overall meh its alright.
Never quite understood the appeal X had on the early LA punk scene (along with the one it had on rock critics such as Christgau and the likes). Guess you had to be there at the time to get what's special about them. They're a more-than-decent act *objectively speaking*, but to me their overall sound and aesthetics are still too tame for bona fide punk--and not nearly intense enough compared to what was done in that genre at the time--while their melodies and unimaginative chord changes often lack the inventivity and/or catchiness that's required for more regular (indie-)rock bands. It's sort of a lose-lose situation for me. I suspect those 50s rockabilly influences, so endearing to X's fans, are also to blame here. They make the whole thing sound as a very derivative exercise, even though you never feel that the latter was at least *fun* to play (like it was for The Cramps or The B-52s). Or maybe Ray Manzarek's somewhat bland and linear production is at fault here. An ex-Door producing punk albums is an idea that has always sounded a little suspicious to my ears. I swear that I didn't know about that when I explored X's back catalogue and listened to that string of records he produced for them, always finding the whole thing a little too generic for me. But I have a sneaking suspicion he was not the best choice for the band... I have to say that X is far from being a ridiculous band, however. And browsing through their early discography, it's easy to see why singling out this particular record (along with the debut released before it) is a no-brainer. There are some nice cuts on "Wild Gift" ("White Girl", "We're Desperate", "In This House That I Call Home", "When our Love Passed Out on The Couch"), even if there's nothing in it that relatively similar acts such as The B-52s and The Violent Femmes haven't said more convincingly. One of the assets of this album is clearly the charming vocal harmonies between Exene and John Doe--"perfectly imperfect", as someone *perfectly* stated in this group. For some listeners, 80% of what makes an album good is related to the vocal performances (and they *are* very good here). My own percentage is certainly lower than that. Conversely, it might be higher than other listeners when it comes to songwriting, catchy melodies, instrumentation, arrangements, production and intensity. Those "gifts" can be "wild", too. Even for punk rock. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 852 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 81 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 37 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 31
The was a group that is new to me. At just over 30 minutes it has the perfect album running time. Some of the riffs strangely reminded me of Sigue Sigue Sputnik. It's a little low on melody, but it makes up for this on attitude.
I enjoyed that punky country sound from the early 80’s.
Suena muy moderno a pesar de ya tener más de 40 años.
Punkzinho e pa
Some Other Time is a cool song. pretty bland punk sound.
I checked to see if X's much more notable debut album Los Angeles is in the list and it is not, so do yourself a favor and good listen to that right now. X makes generally good punk. By 1981 we would start to see hardcore punk take over so for X to stick to what they know is a safe call. X's style of punk is more rooted rockabilly sound, which allows them to standout. They excel most when the songs are fast and driving, full of energy. Wild Gift is a good showing from X but I find it more underwhelming than not.
A real bare bones garage band type feel to this...At one point it started to wear me down and then the last few tracks White Girl, When Oour Love Passed Out on the Couch and Year 1 got me back in.
Fun, punk album
This album didn’t make a great first impression but it grew on me after a while. Still not great and not good canvassing music but oh well
I enjoyed this while I listened, but it didn't really seem to have anything particularly memorable
Nice proto punk guitar.
Punk rock nordamericà de primer nivell. No arriba a ser tan memorable com el seu primer disc, l'anterior 'Los Angeles', però no baixen gaire el llistó. Temes ràpids, precisos i tot i que no compte amb singles que destaquin és un bon i consistent treball
Not really my jam. Kinda rocker punk vibe.
Not really my cuppa, but it's pretty catchy. Not bad.
Pretty good. Prefer Los Angeles. 6-7/10
3-, not bad punk album but kinda repeatable
It's alright. Nothing special. None of the songs left a lasting impression.
Listened to on 3/2/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: Back 2 The Base Great - very big hair 80s party vibes
Hadn't heard of X. Enjoyed it, pretty good.
Pretty good.
"Wild Gift" is the musical equivalent of being woken in the middle of the night by two cats having sex outside your bedroom window. There's a lot of confusion and some truly horrible noise going on and you just want it to stop. I generally give punk and punk-adjacent music a pass where vocals are concerned but, in no key are these vocals hitting actual harmonies. They're just wailing. Which is a shame because the lyrics are legitimately poetic and the backing music is pretty decent. The wailing, though. Dang.
Kim Gordon vibes Wipers vibes Really good
I dig it
Solid punk, I guess. Not exactly for me.
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It is a punk rock album. It is good. I did not know any of the songs.
The first album I've got where I had genuinely NEVER heard of them before. Grungy and crunchy and surprisingly enjoyable.
If it was released between 77-80 it would have been more interesting, but it wasn't so it's just some generic punk by numbers. Not bad to listen to, just uninteresting.
Better than Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.
It sounds like a band trying to leave behind the '77 punk sound of Los Angeles (which is fine) but not really hitting on anything new of note. Punk was splintering in a million different directions by 1981, this probably wasn't one of the more exciting ones.
Spunky. 5/10
Didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did! As with all punk it's best enjoyed in small doses
Not my style. Not terrible
3rd song in, strong start so far but wont seek out
very lorelai/jess punk rock style but i think i'm too young to really feel it
I was only familiar with the Australian band of the same name. This one rocks nuts much harder though.
Has some interesting parts...I enjoy the more rockabilly side of things. I didn't remember X having that type of sound. Overall the early 80s punk sound isn't my favorite...prefer more post punk. 2.5/5
decent punk album. doesn't blow my socks off but don't hate it either. sounds pretty much like what I'd expect an early 80s punk album to sound like.
Not my thing but better than expected
Pretty alright. I didn’t hate listening to it. Nothing to write home about though.
It was fine. The first two tracks rock then it gets a bit middle of the road after that.
Got a Pat Benatar meets the Ramones vibe. Never heard of this band, but they can rock! This is definitely punk, but a little more refined. Ramones is really a good comparison. I also love just the fast-rock 2-minute jam and done tracks. Adult Books sounds so much like a Talking Heads song, I have to know if they collaborated or were just fans. Boom: from John Doe: "But he cites his live introduction to punk rock, a gig by the Talking Heads early in their career, which took place at New York City’s CBGB, appropriately enough, as a true life-changing event. “Their music was an elixir,” he recalls. “It filled the space and affected everybody who was there. The band played Psycho Killer, and at the end, David Byrne took off his guitar and just walked out the door. I thought to myself, This could be his last performance." Clearly an influence there. This was pretty good. They carved out a style and it mostly works. I don't know how memorable it was, but I think I would listen to some of this again, and i can see how it can get its hooks into you. Definitely an album about having fun - no bummers in here.
Certainly the best thing I've heard from John Doe. I think I last heard X over 40 years ago - this has aged well.
A bit energetic
"4th Of July" by X is one of my all time favorite songs. I got into it after hearing it used at the end of an episode of The Sopranos. It's from the latter stage of X's career, and it's one of only a handful of their songs not written by John Doe and Exene Cervenka. There's really nothing here that resembles "4th of July" (but you should listen to it, 4th Of July is a 5). It's still a great listen. I don't necessarily side with all of the critics who seemingly fell all over themselves to over praise it back when it was initially released. But 1981 was a bizarre year all around.
Neat punk album. Fairly high quality production, a bit more polished than your traditional punk. Not all the tracks were winners.
Enjoyable for what it is, and can see the influence it had on later bands, but doesn't stand out as much anymore
3/5 okeyish
Can't tell why this one is here. Sounds like most rock albums and didn't blow me away. It's good punk, but I wouldn't say I needed to hear it before I died.
Nice garage rock album. I like the raw production and the combined vocals of the female and male singer.
Not bad but punk is not my thing 3*
Yeah ok. Raucous.
80. Tudo isto não é uma fábula. A quantidade gigantesca de dados que ELES têm armazenados sobre nós pode efetivamente impacto muito reais na nossa vida, na nossa saúde... No acesso a produtos financeiros, no acesso a produtos de seguro que é um dos casos... Pá, que é mais conhecido. Todos estes dados podem efetivamente virar-se contra nós, man. Eu posso saber que uma pessoa cuja mãe tenha tido cancro do pulmão, que fume e que tem um conjunto de atividades na sua vida XYZ*##%, com muita probabilidade se tiver uma doença oncológica, amanhã lhe pegar aquele tratamento, aquele tratamento não vai ser eficaz em 70% das dos casos. Faz sentido que nós possamos tomar essas decisões sobre as pessoas? Na minha perspetiva não faz. Mas é nesse caminho que nós estamos. É deste tipo de situações que nós estamos a falar, meu. MotA: When Our Love Passed out on the Couch "I just heard the sad song by another band sung. By another man he gave me the once over twice"
Classic punk, some great works in there.
Decent early punk, good vocal harmonies between the male and female lead. Songwriting was pretty straightforward but catchy.
I thought this one was aight. Didn't jump out at me though!
Kinda punk, kinda ok, kinda whatever
Seems good. I need more listens. Solid 3/5.
I have to give it to them for the cohesive performance, sounds like a band playing together live instead of multiple takes on-top of one another.
Not bad. I liked Adult Books and White Girl.
Too much rock for my taste, but was some great riffs there!
There are some solid, rocking songs on here. I’m iffy on the vocals. Some tracks they are good while on other tracks not so much. I’m more in favor of the music.
Pretty good
Boring
Sounds a lot like Auntie Christ. Pretty enjoyable, would listen again.
listened to half. It was fine.
3
Probably better live.
never heard of these before - better than expected but not one I can imagine getting really into
De eerste paar nummers had ik de indruk dat die met tegenzin waren opgenomen en vond ik nogal vervelend. Naar het verder verloop van het album toe begon het iets dragelijker te worden
Gillar själva musiken men sången är nääääee
Fairly consistently good punk, a bit of rockabilly that was eh so so
Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 12/20 Innovation: 11/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 10/20 =51 Yeah was alright bit boring but hey ho
New to me, quite liked it - going to have a listen to their other stuff 👍
In one ear and out the other. forgettable rockabilly punk vibes. It's fine
6
Great energy out of this album, which is what you would expect.
I was originally down on this album but it grew on me and as the album played through spotify took me to some very cool punk bands with a similar sound that I enjoyed. Pretty neat.
Hard rock with punk vibes, not my jam but it was ok
Generic late punk album
punk rockabilly love songs
Such a 3/5 I can tell it’s early punk and why it’s on this list
X sounds best when John and Exene are singing together. It's a little off kilter, but the energy is gives off is fantastic. Pretty consistently good album, though nothing that is amazing.
Wasn't really familiar with this band before, I liked it.
oddly wild
Not too shabby.
This was some ok punk rock. Some songs were more aggressive than others ("the once over twice" and " desperate Los Angeles"), While some seem more country("adult books" - has a more punk Elvis vibe.), some just didn't work at all for me as it seems the 2 singers weren't so harmonious(but that could be what they were going for)"I'm coming over". But for me there were some great songs "it's who you know" and "in this house that I call home"has the right about of everything above mixed together. Overall a decent album.
du punk brut
Fun, energetic, and catchy rock.
Needs another listen
Not my thing but better than expected
Fun, I’d forgotten how much
Right around the middle on this one. Preferred LA
A bit rough around the edges but definitely an interesting sound
It was okay. The album was definitely consistent, but nothing amazing.
another instantly forgettable album. .who is picking this shit ?????
Not one of their better albums. They need to stick to a lane. The rockabilly just did not do it for me
This reminded me of others I've heard... the B-52s a little, Heart a little, I don't know what else... but it was milder and not as good as any of those others. I find this vocal style extremely grating and that strongly influences my rating.