Wild Gift

Available with LOS ANGELES on 1 CD. X: John Doe (vocals, bass); Exene Cervenka (vocals); Billy Zoom (guitar); D.J. Bonebrake (drums). Recorded at Clover Recorders, Hollywood, California in March 1981. Originally released on Slash (107). Includes liner notes by Kristine McKenna. All tracks have been digitally remastered. On X's sophomore effort, 1981's WILD GIFT, the quartet made a conscious effort to solidify their songwriting and sound. While some of the jagged edges have been smoothed out, compared to their rough-and-ready debut, LOS ANGELES, there is still plenty of punk rock energy and attitude to go around. Once again, former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek is on board as producer, and the results are just as impressive. The obvious standout is "White Girl," a punk pop ditty that foreshadowed such later bands as the Pixies and Nirvana, and would have been a smash hit in a perfect world. Also included are such subsequent X standards as "We're Desperate," "In This House That I Call Home," and the rockabilly rocker "Beyond and Back" (which would later serve as a title track for a double-disc 1997 anthology of the band). The 2001 Rhino Records reissue contains seven bonus tracks, including a demo take of "Blue Spark" (which would be recut for their third album, UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN) and a single mix of the aforementioned gem, "White Girl."