Highway 61 Revisited [Outtake/Rough Mix][#][*][Outtake][Take] - X, Dylan, Bob
In the Time It Takes [Demo/Remix][#][*][Demo Version]
See How We Are [Demo/Remix][#][*][Demo Version]
Expanded & remastered reissue of 1987 album with 5 previously unissued bonus tracks 'Holiday Story' (demo/remix), 'I'm Lost' (demo/remix), 'Highway 61 Revisited' (outtake/rough mix), 'In The Time It Takes' (demo/re... more »mix) & 'See How We Are' (demo/remix).« less
Expanded & remastered reissue of 1987 album with 5 previously unissued bonus tracks 'Holiday Story' (demo/remix), 'I'm Lost' (demo/remix), 'Highway 61 Revisited' (outtake/rough mix), 'In The Time It Takes' (demo/remix) & 'See How We Are' (demo/remix).
CD Reviews
My First X Album
11/05/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really like this cd. I come at it from a completely different direction than most X fans. I never was an X fan, (not much airplay in the east) but I am a fan of John Doe's solo work. So, I am working my way backward through his catalogue. Most reviews seem to say that this was the first mainstream X cd, much too MOR, and even Exene seems to feel that way in the liner notes. However, I don't see this as part of the X flow because I don't have their earlier stuff. I can judge it strictly on merit. And it is terrific. I don't think there is a weak track until Holiday Story, and that is followed by Surprise Surprise which takes you right back to the high that Left and Right gave you. 4th of July and the title track are excellent. In The Time It Takes and When It Rains are just as good. Billy Zoom fans may miss him, but the guitar work is terrific, and the drumming is outstanding. John and Exene sing so well together, especially when she follows his lead. Maybe this is not like previous X albums, but it is what it is, a slice of sound from the band at a different point in time. And it is really good. Old X fans may think it heresy to like this cd this much, but the energy level here is fantastic."
A New X
umze | Seattle, WA | 07/08/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Many X fans lament the passing of the sound on "Under the Big Black Sun" and the loss of Billy Zoom on later albums. It would have been wonderful if X had stayed on the track of their earlier albums. Things change, however, and the reality was that John and Xene were talented enough to tackle a variety of styles, and create a sound that evolved in unexpected ways.Here, the songs have much less of a punk feel. The results, while not as striking as the classic earlier X, are terrific."See How We Are" is an achingly beautiful song - the cd is almost worth owning for that alone. "Fouth of July" is a great rock song. These are songs that will have you hitting the repeat button on your cd player. A very solid work by one of the best bands of the eighties."
Revisiting X
K. L. Havens | 08/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As an X fan since my teens, I enjoy the fact that the band continued to grow and change rather than merely creating pale imitations of their early work. This album though rootsier, as people have noted, retains the magical vocal meshing of John Doe and Exene's voices and the poetic lyrics (something few artists strive for much less attain)that distinquish X from so much of the "mainstream" music of their peers. For X fans whose love of the band faded a bit with Ain't Love Grand, this album serves as a testament to the reality that the powerful talent of the band never faded (it just got lost in the "mix"). Remastered and containing the wonderful outtake/rough mix of "Highway 61 Revisited" this album is very much worth (re)visiting, especially for those X fans who may have missed/overlooked it the first time around."
X Matures
Steve | Virginia | 04/25/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really don't think I'd want to hear a group playing punk music past the age of 30 or so. The same can be said for X, a group that built a solid reputation on their short, pounding, punk epics about love amidst the decay of L.A. in the late 70s and early 80s. But, punk is as much about age and attitude as it is about musical skills (or lack thereof), and X was always far more talented than your average punk group of angry kids taking out their angst on instruments and writing odes to anarchy and getting hammered. X grew up, like we all have. Still, for many folks, X changed too much for their liking, starting with their problematic decision to go pop-metal and generate some long-awaited radio buzz. The follow-up to that mixed bag, "See How We Are" featured a new guitarist to replace the fleet-fingered but frustrated and burned-out Billy Zoom. Tony Gilkyson was the new axeman, a guy who had a solid resume including a stint with another L.A. band with a similar low sales/high buzz history, the short-lived Lone Justice. Probably the song where he stamps his unique style on the X format is on "Anyone Can Fill Your Shoes," a rocking riff-heavy song that, despite it all is nowhere near the X of "Year 1."
This is an album that has been tagged with the "rootsy" label, although that really only shows up on a few songs and two of them are brilliant. The mild-hit "Fourth of July," co-written by another SoCal bud, Dave Alvin of the Blasters, and "See How We Are," one of my top twenty favorite songs of all time are highlights on this album. The title track is a painfully beautiful song that demonstrates why this band received so many accolades despite never achieving the radio success of far lesser bands. It is sparse, yearning, and bitter, mixing an acidic take on self-absorbed Americans with a tender apology to a lover. John and Exene's lyrical genius is all over this album and I particularly love "Surprise, Surprise" where Exene, lamenting a life on the road, cries in the wail that only she can deliver. X has always been keenly aware of where they stood in the music world and perhaps the critical acclaim that attached itself to this band from the get-go worked as salt in the wound when their albums failed to sell like their contemporaries who wrote pabulum-filled crap and couldn't hold a candle to the art they created. Despite years of love from the press and a hardcore audience of fans, the band still found itself playing small crowds and promoting themselves to a world that would largely never understand or appreciate them. It certainly would've been natural to wonder where their success was as they watched dopes like Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, or even The Go-Gos make millions.
Nevertheless, in the retrospective narratives that go with the reissues, they seem to have made peace with their past and thankfully we have the music to listen to over and over. This cd, while uneven in places, still contains a handful of songs that are fantastic and shows the future trajectory of John Doe and Exene Cervenka as they headed towards solo careers over the next years.
"
X is a must for all music lovers
M. Goldman | 12/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of the greatest bands of all time. Their influence is astounding. Live they are ridiculously good and fun. If you are a music lover you should listen to all of their music. It will blow you away."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1