An Uncle Roddus Album Review
I had some time while in the city the other week to look at purchasing a couple of CDs from my wants list and a budget of about $40 which would get me a couple of discs if I could find them at The Warehouse. Looking for specific artists at The Warehouse is a pretty random thing and you have to want the more mainstream stuff to shop there, but sometimes some unusual stuff does turn up in their random ordering process. I hadn't even started to look for my wanted discs before I spotted a stand with a whole bunch of 5 CD box sets of reissued albums from mostly mainstream 70s and 80s Rock and Soul groups. They were selling for 20 bucks a set. I had to have a look through the entire stand because the first set I spotted at the front was by the obscure German Fusion group Passport and I wasn't gonna pass that by. I was just as excited to also find this set from legendary Californian punk band X, their first 5 albums and an excellent bunch they are.
The first album was always gonna be a hard act to follow, being so perfect as it was but Wild Gift makes a very very good attempt at it with another 30 minute batch of songs of pretty much the same formula and nearing the same quality. I am not as familiar with this set as I am of the first album and so these tracks aren't as ingrained into my psyche as much but I get the feeling that further exposure to this country tinged punk album will result in more classics for my ears. Rating 4.5/5
After a two year break and bringing in a new producer on the last album of this set, 1985's Ain't Love Grand certainly has a different feel and ambience to it. This set sounds more polished and almost bordering on a light metal sound which is a bit of a shock and feels a bit of a sellout for X. Not that it has produced a bad album but by now the power of the bands writing is defiantly waning although there are still some good songs here and overall it is a good album. Rating 3/5
Album number four in four years and they were on a roll, the quality is starting to wane, but ever so slightly. Another great set of punk power pop which kicks of with the excellent political "The New World" and doesn't let up for 42 minutes of great Rock N' Roll. This all just goes to show what a magnificent band they were and their ain't nothing around to touch this today.Rating 4/5
Los Angeles is the Debut set from X and I think it is their best. They were a pretty obscure outfit over here back then and I remember hearing the wonderful title track from some compilation and maybe on student radio and they were like some awesome band from another planet, so far away and so obscure to my young ears. The next song I encountered much later was the totally brilliant "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline", a disturbing commentary on domestic violence and rape. This album is at the very pinnacle of the American punk scene of the time, with its great melodies, rockabilly undercurrents and intelligent song writing and great guitar from Billy Zoom. Another attribute of this group is the shared male /female vocals of Exene and John\ Doe, another indication of their country influence.Brilliant 5/5.
Considered by Allmusic to be their Masterpiece, this third album certainly comes close. "Riding with Mary" is a standout and I certainly do enjoy this almost as much as the Debut. Still sticking with the winning formula they have used on the previous albums again showcases the strength of X, their playing and their songwriting. 'Come back to Me" is a slower ballad like number with some steamy Jazz styled Saxophone showing their maturing craftsmanship. "The title track sounds a bit like early Blondie and also shows their more commercial side and indeed this music would sit well on today's Indie radio.Rating 4.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment