Signing with a major label (Elektra) in 1982 gave SoCal's premier punk/new wave band an opportunity to stretch out musically, leading to the suprisingly roots-rock, at times almost neo-country, flavor of their third album.... more » Only in a city like L.A. could a cracked boho couple like John Doe and Exene Cervenka combine Hollywood sleaze ("Motel Room in My Bed") and American Indian metaphysics ("The Hungry Wolf") and get away with it. Then again, the same probably goes for the heart-tugging romanticism of "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" and "Blue Spark." And the catalog riffing of guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake's name-worthy bashing somehow keep it all focused. --Billy Altman« less
Signing with a major label (Elektra) in 1982 gave SoCal's premier punk/new wave band an opportunity to stretch out musically, leading to the suprisingly roots-rock, at times almost neo-country, flavor of their third album. Only in a city like L.A. could a cracked boho couple like John Doe and Exene Cervenka combine Hollywood sleaze ("Motel Room in My Bed") and American Indian metaphysics ("The Hungry Wolf") and get away with it. Then again, the same probably goes for the heart-tugging romanticism of "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" and "Blue Spark." And the catalog riffing of guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake's name-worthy bashing somehow keep it all focused. --Billy Altman
"If you're under thirty you probably don't even remember these guys, which is your loss, and a major hole in your musical education. This is what Punk Rock as Art was all about, innovation and sincerity without an second of prentention or preachiness. A weird mix of poetic lyrics, tight riffs, and open emotions, with some of the tightest vocal harmonies in musical history. If you're young enough to think that GreenDay, The Offspring, or Blink 182 are what punk rock is all about, this should set you straight unless you're just plain soul dead."
Music as it was supposed to be played
James V Graziosi | Troy, MI United States | 01/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"X remains one of the most underated bands in the history of rock. I can't help but feel exactly as the "Hungry Wolf" describes. We have entered an era of music that reminds me of the 70's arena rock. Pointless and indulgent. CD's like this stand the test of time. It is refreshing to hear music that makes a point and is musically pleasing. John Doe and Exene have put together some poetic songs emphasising an interesting view of relationships. The band has blended punk and rock a billy to create a fresh sound. "Blue Spark" and "Real Child of Hell" showcase the guitar playing of the underated Billy Zoom. I think John and Exene display some interesting harmonies that work like in "How I". When I listen to the "new" alternative bands, I feel they lack the emotion of bands like X. Although I prefer "Los Angeles", this cd is really a piece of work. This cd is a time capsule which displays the attitude of the punk era."
X was never better than this!
Johnny Roulette | 06/15/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was the one that began my love affair with X. John Doe & Exene Cervenka do some of their best harmonizing on this release. The death of Exene's sister led to a punk rarity...there is real personal loss and emotion all over this album. Her tragic loss was, in a sense, our gain. X was never a band to put up much of a front. What you heard and saw was who they were. There was an intelligence and maturity in X's music & lyrics that was(and still is) so very rare in punk rock. There really isn't a weakness on this cd. Riding With Mary, The Have Nots & Because I Do are absolute classics. Start with Under The Big Black Sun and you will, more likely than not, be back for more from the X catalog. Several songs presented here appear on the X Anthology(in one form or another), but the ones that don't cannot be missed. This was the pinnacle for John, Exene, Billy & D.J.. It has not lost an ounce of charm or impact in all these years."
Nearly perfect
Johnny Roulette | 07/31/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"X has always been something of a cult band with a fanatical following, but if anyone deserved mainstream success, it was them. This is one of those bands who are so good you have to partially attribute it to luck - they just work so well together, they are so much more than the sum of their parts. And this is their best album, with the absolutely stunning title track, a song that, if there were any justice in the world, would turn up on all kinds of "Best Rock Songs of All Time" countdowns. Exene's voice is a little more melodic this time around, but without losing any of its bite. Billy Zoom is absolutely magnificent on his guitar, not to mention cool as hell.Every track is effective. The lyrics are great. From the raging punk of Because I Do to the understated sadness of Dancing with Tears in my Eyes, this is one of the greatest albums of all time. I don't give many 5-star reviews, either."
Should have been a huge hit
Sharon A. Stanley | california | 11/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Exene Cervenka, an enigmatic cult icon, was one of the women in rock who vied on equal footing with the boys of early punk rock. Exene was not the media... sex symbol that Madonna was, nor the outrageous new wave pixie that Cyndi Lauper was, nor the rock and roll chick with a guitar embraced by Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett. She was instead the femme fatale of every great film noir, and this was X's best film - capturing the dark, sleazy, decadent underworld of Los Angeles at the beginning of the decade of excess better than any other album I can think of. X were a punk rock band including two Beat poets and a Gene Vincent-worshipping guitar hero whipping out rockabilly licks with the coolest detachment you've ever seen. If the combination of Zoom's menacing riff and Exene's desperate wails on the title track don't send a shiver down your spine, you have no soul.I love this album. But no one else has heard it. X were truly, as they presciently observed on their stunning debut Los Angeles, locked out of the public eye. They should have been bigger than REM on college radio. Their live shows were deservedly the stuff of legends. There has never been a vocal duo like Exene and John Doe before or since. This album is absolute proof that the masses don't always discover the true gems of their time. Popular music today sure could use an Exene."