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Jim Snook
60+0. Canadian. Lives in Germany. RYM profile: https://rateyourmusic.com/~guidedbyvices Last-fm profile: http://www.last.fm/user/guidedbyvices
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Jim Snook's Album Reviews
There are a couple of times during "The Decline Of Western Civilization", Penelope Spheeris' 1980 documentary on L.A. punk, where you realize that X aren't really like the other bands that made up that scene.
The first is during an interview with Exene Cervenka where Spheeris notices a bouquet of roses behind her and asks Exene where she got them. "The Whiskey sent them." she replied "They like us. They do better business when we play there." Apart from maybe for a funeral, I'm pretty sure that nobody from Black Flag, Circle Jerks or Fear were ever sent flowers from any club owners.
The other comes during a short explanation of the song "We're Desperate" (off second album "Wild Gift"). Exene says "There's going to come a time when we play this song and people are gonna think "sure, they're desperate. I just paid $6 to see this band, they're not desperate"" and then adds almost embarrassedly "There are other ways of being desperate than being poor"
Both examples are telling as it shows that X, even though they were connected to that scene, were not like other prominent L.A. punk bands like Black Flag. They were co-operative. Their approach was more professional, with the punk ethos being less a style and more about making music that was direct and honest. It was obvious that they were taking their careers and the music that they made seriously.
While other bands were pursuing the proto-aggro side of punk with hardcore, X went in the americana direction with revved-up surf, roots and rockabilly riffs. They had much more in common musically with bands like The Blasters and Rank n' File than with the Circle Jerks.
Of all the punk debut albums that were released during that 1980-1982 period, X's "Los Angeles" was easily the most accomplished of the crop. Even though they were slammed for doing something as unpunk as having ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek producing (plus adding keys); he was able to have the band keep that balance between the raw and the cooked.
It also didn't hurt that X had brought a great batch of tunes to the table. All eight originals are keepers, with "Johnny Hit And Run Pauline", "Nausea", The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss" and the title track being standouts. Also, their cover of The Doors' "Soul Kitchen" is better than it has any right to be.
And what can't be disputed is the band's chemistry. Be it Exene and John Doe's harmonizing, Billy Zoom's hyperbilly riffing or DJ Bonebreak's rocksteady drumming; it all fits together perfectly.
Debating whether or not X or this album are "punk" enough is irrelevant, "Los Angeles" is a classic no matter how you slice it.
The first is during an interview with Exene Cervenka where Spheeris notices a bouquet of roses behind her and asks Exene where she got them. "The Whiskey sent them." she replied "They like us. They do better business when we play there." Apart from maybe for a funeral, I'm pretty sure that nobody from Black Flag, Circle Jerks or Fear were ever sent flowers from any club owners.
The other comes during a short explanation of the song "We're Desperate" (off second album "Wild Gift"). Exene says "There's going to come a time when we play this song and people are gonna think "sure, they're desperate. I just paid $6 to see this band, they're not desperate"" and then adds almost embarrassedly "There are other ways of being desperate than being poor"
Both examples are telling as it shows that X, even though they were connected to that scene, were not like other prominent L.A. punk bands like Black Flag. They were co-operative. Their approach was more professional, with the punk ethos being less a style and more about making music that was direct and honest. It was obvious that they were taking their careers and the music that they made seriously.
While other bands were pursuing the proto-aggro side of punk with hardcore, X went in the americana direction with revved-up surf, roots and rockabilly riffs. They had much more in common musically with bands like The Blasters and Rank n' File than with the Circle Jerks.
Of all the punk debut albums that were released during that 1980-1982 period, X's "Los Angeles" was easily the most accomplished of the crop. Even though they were slammed for doing something as unpunk as having ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek producing (plus adding keys); he was able to have the band keep that balance between the raw and the cooked.
It also didn't hurt that X had brought a great batch of tunes to the table. All eight originals are keepers, with "Johnny Hit And Run Pauline", "Nausea", The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss" and the title track being standouts. Also, their cover of The Doors' "Soul Kitchen" is better than it has any right to be.
And what can't be disputed is the band's chemistry. Be it Exene and John Doe's harmonizing, Billy Zoom's hyperbilly riffing or DJ Bonebreak's rocksteady drumming; it all fits together perfectly.
Debating whether or not X or this album are "punk" enough is irrelevant, "Los Angeles" is a classic no matter how you slice it.
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