BCB 100 - X

[automatic_drip]

I, too, cannot be objective about them. Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake are the shit. The fact that John and Exene wrote and sang really interesting stuff over the top is really just icing for me.

Love this band. I grant you that you may have had to be there - not that I was even remotely punk then or ever, but I saw them live over ten times in Arizona between Los Angeles and the Dave Alvin era.

Between X, Blasters, Beat Farmers, Gun Club, Cramps, Rank and File, et al - California South to North had so many great twang infused punk rock bands - what a great era.

Album - More Fun in the New World

Song - White Girl (really obvious choice, but that song is X - could've easily gone for Universal Corner, or a dozen others....)

[sloopjohnc]

Actually, I agree they're not one of the 100 best acts ever. But sentimentally I'm glad they're here. I'm from LA. They were the first "punk rock" act I liked (at the time- I was a teenager & didn't like punk rock- it was due to the Doors connection).

Album - Los Angeles (still the best- and Manzarek's great on it, too!)

Song - White Girl

Except for the LA part, I'm with toomany. They weren't all that accessible at first punk look and got reamed on their first tour of England. They were a combo---Billy Zoom an d Bonebrake's drumming and Doe and Exene's singing and lyrics. They brought something to punk that hadn't been there before.

In a fair world, there would be as many threads about these guys and the DKs as Stiff Little Fingers and Undertones.

[bixhenry]

Actually, I agree they're not one of the 100 best acts ever. But sentimentally I'm glad they're here. I'm from LA. They were the first "punk rock" act I liked (at the time- I was a teenager & didn't like punk rock- it was due to the Doors connection).

Album - Los Angeles (still the best- and Manzarek's great on it, too!)

Song - White Girl

Except for the LA part, I'm with toomany. They weren't all that accessible at first punk look and got reamed on their first tour of England. They were a combo---Billy Zoom an d Bonebrake's drumming and Doe and Exene's singing and lyrics. They brought something to punk that hadn't been there before.

In a fair world, there would be as many threads about these guys and the DKs as Stiff Little Fingers and Undertones.

Like toomanyhatz and davy the fat boy (probably my two best friends in the known universe), X were absolutely ubiquitous to my musical coming-of-age in LA. I can't pretend to be objective about 'em - hatz, davy and I all count D.J. Bonebrake as a friend (and, in my case, a frequent musical colleague), and I played with John Doe in San Francisco a couple of years ago. One can't overestimate X's importance in bringing an earthy intelligence (for lack of a better term) and strongly-rooted songcraft to the often-rootless punk scene at the time.

It remains a travesty that, in terms of LA bands of the '80s, X were virtually ignored overseas while overhyped, derivative mediocrities like The Long Ryders got a Melody Maker cover story and tons of media coverage in Europe. Who did X sound like? Much harder to pin down.

A great band that UK mags like MOJO and UNCUT should reconsider.

Album - Los Angeles

Song - 'The New World'

[toomanyhatz]

Like toomanyhatz and davy the fat boy (probably my two best friends in the known universe), X were absolutely ubiquitous to my musical coming-of-age in LA. I can't pretend to be objective about 'em - hatz, davy and I all count D.J. Bonebrake as a friend (and, in my case, a frequent musical colleague), and I played with John Doe in San Francisco a couple of years ago. One can't overestimate X's importance in bringing an earthy intelligence (for lack of a better term) and strongly-rooted songcraft to the often-rootless punk scene at the time.

It remains a travesty that, in terms of LA bands of the '80s, X were virtually ignored overseas while overhyped, derivative mediocrities like The Long Ryders got a Melody Maker cover story and tons of media coverage in Europe. Who did X sound like? Much harder to pin down.

A great band that UK mags like MOJO and UNCUT should reconsider.

I don't want to turn this into too much of a mutual back-slapping party, but I just want to say this post is right on the money. I wish I'd said it. Hey, Sid Griffin of the Long Ryders was our friend too for a while, and he's a nice guy. But was his band anywhere near as inventive or interesting as X? No freaking way. How they were so huge in the UK, even for the short time that they were, is beyond me.

[Sambient]

Glad to see that others hold Under The Big Black Sun in high esteem.
Hard to pick a song. Maybe to grab something earlier, Beyond and Back.


And ooh ooh! John Doe was at a thing I attended last year. Cool presence, he was pretty much left alone to just hang out. I was close enough to him to see his dandruff.

[Matt Wilson]

Great thread, and very predictable as everybody says exactly what you'd think they'd say.

Top band, and as good as most anyone from '80-'83.

[Snarfyguy]

Top band, and as good as most anyone from '80-'83.

Yep.

Saw them live last year - still great.

Album: Wild Gift

Song: White Girl

[Matt Wilson]

Great thread, and very predictable as everybody says exactly what you'd think they'd say.

i.e. the americans and jumper k love them, the brits can't really comment because they just don't know them!

Jumper K's an honorary American, you know...

[Matt Wilson]

Great thread, and very predictable as everybody says exactly what you'd think they'd say.

i.e. the americans and jumper k love them, the brits can't really comment because they just don't know them!

Jumper K's an honorary American, you know...

That's odd. He said you were a bunch of cunts

He sure likes a lot of music made by cunts then.

[Sneelock]

That settles it then. X are the Dick Van Dyke of rock n' roll.

will Exene trip over the ottoman?

ablum: Los Angeles by a BILLION percent.
song:
win: See How We Are
place: the world's a mess it's in my kiss
show: the new world

bag on X all you want. they are my Clash.

[Nicky Loves Fuzz]

ALBUM: See How We Are

SONG: Johny Hit and Run Pauline

Not one of my favorites, but I have a lot of respect for them. I can pretty much listen to anything they put out. I know a lot of X fans, so they grew on me, I guess.