X "Ain't Love Grand" 1985

O.K. I agree with what most people have to say about this album, how heavy handed the production is etc. but in defense of the band and the producer lets just look at the facts. Whilst all our opinions count, they will always vary greatly and thats what makes life interesting. Fact 1.You play in of the one more original and underated L.A. bands since the Doors. Fact 2.You have a record company hungry to re-coup the cash they sunk into you're earlier efforts,whilst showing great promise you only had small record sales.Fact 3. Hire Michael Wagener of Alice Cooper fame to produce Ain't love Grand if only to get the record company off you're back.Fact 4. I don't care what anyone says but the Wagener produced albums of Alice Cooper's in the early to mid 70's, rock as hard as any of the new punk rock music that was to come(just listen to the Killer album).Fact 5. unless we we're all there in the studio when X recorded, who really knows what happened, it all just speculation.Now onto the non- facts I love X nearly and dearly with all my heart so much so that I have a great big X tattoed over my heart.In my ears, X never really did make a bad album just different records in a developing career, wether we the fans, agree or disagree with their desicions is entirely up to us as individuals.This album appears to have been fraught with danger from the very beginning, with John and Exene's ensuing personal issues as well as Billy Zoom deciding to quit the band,does this sound like a recipe for creative success , I personally would think not.When I put this album on to listen to I don't go in my head( oh my god I'm listening to the worst X album they ever made) I just let myself get into the music. Songs such as My Goodness crap over the latest effort from over produced pop muppets such as little Miss Kelly (I wanna be the next Avril) Clarkson's latest effort sorry Kelly I'm sure you're not a bad person(hang on yes you are).Sure this album was made in the middle of the big hair era but please don't use this as an excuse to say that this is why X didn't make a great record.From what I can hear they made the album that they had too make, not the album the we wanted them too make. There are still even hints of X's early sneering punk legacy in such songs as What's wrong with Me.Metal-billy makes an appearance in the form of the brilliant Dave Alvin penned Little Honey I think Billy Zoom shines on this track (which you can hear warts an' all on the Xcellent Knitters Poor Little Critter in the Road)and Burning house of Love rocks.The only song that ever really caught me off guard was their choice of the Small Faces All or Nothing(I never really did get this) and song such as Watch the sun Go Down, shows us to which direction The John Doe thing would take in another couple of years time .So maybe when you listen to this album don't be so harsh, maybe X are just victims of circumstances and the times, look out for those huge drum sounds BOOM! BOOM! BOOM ! Please Mr Producer man can I get a little more reverb on the snare thnx it's like record company executives had only just discovered reverb for the first time( it was total reverb mania in the 80's).Anyway after all is said and done you may still not like this album but at least try to be a little open-minded and forgiving. Because when you play in a band you don't always get to do things you want to do on a recording and I feel I can speak from experience, as a musician.As Jerry Dammers (of the Specials fame) once said in an early 80's interview and I still tend to agree with him, he said " there is no such thing as bad music there is only music that I like or that you don't like". - By gillyzoom (Australia)X:
Exene Cervenka: vocals / Billy Zoom: guitar, saxophone / D.J. Bonebrake: drums, percussion / John Doe: vocals, bass guitar

Trax:
1. Burning House of Love 2. Love Shack 3. My Soul Cries Your Name 4. My Goodness 5. Around My Heart 6. What's Wrong With Me 7. All Or Nothing 8. Watch The Sun Go Down 9. I'll Stand Up For You 10. Little Honey 11. Supercharged
...served by Don K...