Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Under the Big Black Sun (1982)

X turned out to be one of those bands where each member had something giant to offer, and the sum of the parts exceeded, etc., etc. A situation where people choose favorites (not forgetting the "fifth X," producer/evangelist Ray Manzarek either). For me, it was always Billy Zoom who mattered most, and this is his shining moment, his real life rock 'n' roll guitar ringing over and ruling all that it surveys, which is simply everything. Of course, it doesn't hurt that D.J. Bonebrake's drumming is on the order of Charlie Watts here -- he's hitting hard and right at an astonishing level all the way through. Nor that Exene Cervenka's and John Doe's songwriting and singing collaboration takes several significant steps deeper (particularly Cervenka taking on the death of her sister) into the collaboration that would ultimately burst apart and spit out a poet and a country singer. You don't want to miss this one.

1 comment:

  1. Great post mate, would love to hear some other X stuff if you have it, especially More Fun In the New WOrld.

    Devil DOll is one of my favourite tunes of theirs but ive never heard much else from them.

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