Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Dec. 12, 1997, edition 1 / Page 9
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The Guilfordian December 12,1997 New Music ♦XMABRED THE /POT, PLUS LONG OVERDUE H X Beyond and Back: The X Anthology BY PAIGE MCRAE Staff Writer Ah, the glory of X! During the late 70's and early 80's they were at the vanguard of the Hollywood punk scene, with John Doe and Exene Cervenka presiding. They function as a sort of link between older L.A bands like the Doors (Ray Manzarek produced four of their albums) and more recent ones like Jane's Addiction, who have X: saviors trom decadence played with X. However, "X: Beyond and Back" proves that their musical appeal is by no means limited to the West Coast. It covers the history of X from their 1980 debut album "Los Ange les" to 1995's "Unclogged." We also have live tracks and one from their critically acclaimed album "Wild Gift." There is even a song from their rockabilly alter-ego the Knitters. It wouldn't be completely incongruous to hear them playing with the Cramps. Some tracks I particularly en joyed were "We're Desperate," "In This House that I Call Home," and "Los Angeles." One thing that kept X a step Features Hty I P^ o -/ "TV\S ofttS x lHlc, Kcwdtf" ; Good Luq\c> l4c#v4ify "^ v *- drafcj ./■- ra xd i a y oA -.-If —TTT) i\ ; 5 lOtVi jWJ- w.'Hv wx ~7* T~|SMIIIIIS lis- Ca9 Food Ve.p- /Ay Cof-WC SV P Tkt G-ilfor-A Soc^l -LI 1 1 ' 1 ' ]__ '"" ir> its - 7*U ahead of their competition is the way Exene and John harmo nized to create one lead vocal. Guitarist Billy Zoom and drum mer DJ greatly add to the band's compact sound. Thev ex- plored unpleasant relationships, hangovers and the city they called home. X give an artful and real glimpse into the L.A punk scene of their day but stand the test of time of by in fluencing new generations. "Beyond and Back" is a good place to become aquainted with this legendary punk band. The Misfits Static Age BY JEFF IRVING Staff Writer 1997 has been quite a year for the Misfits. A tribute album with bands like Pennywise, Sick of It All, and NOFX has been re leased. The current version of the Misfits put out "American Psycho," which got mixed re views. Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Finally, they released "Static Age" for the first time outside of their box set. These songs were recorded in 1978 and would have made up their first album, but there were problems in mixing some of the songs and in find ing a label that would distribute them. Many of these songs appeared on "Legacy of Brutality" with muddy production quality, but that's been fixed on "Static Age." It no longer sounds like they were playing in an empty indoor swimming pool. There's even a song on here that just made it to the mixing board and has now been released for the first time. These 17 bomblets were re T corded nearly 20 years ago, but they're far from dated. The formula is pretty basic; take the Ramones' 3- chord barrage, mix in a little bit of the Doors, up the guitar distortion so it's just a little bit harsher, and let the B-grade horror movie obsessions fly long and far. If you're looking for politics, you won't find it here, except maybe "Bullet", a thrasher about JFK's as sassination (well, sort of). These guys did some of the most relent lessly kitschy (in a good way), catchy, aggressive, and fun punk rock of the late 70's/early 80's, and many of today's bands are still trying to catch up. In his early days, Danzig's voice echoed Jim Morrison and showed hints of Iggy Pop. Franche Coma's guitar roars and clangs like a stain less steel girder stuck in a cement mixer. Jerry Only and Mr. Jim are always on the spot with their raw but i ne Misrits: decadent saviors. Moments," "Angelf**k," and "Atti tude" have planet-sized hooks that hint at the fact that they probably listened to some 60's pop before 'll rolled around. "Come Back," "Hollywood Babylon," and "Theme For A Jackal" all land on terrain somewhere be- tween the Doors and the Stooges, and many of us have heard Metallica cover "Last Caress" If this album were released shortly after it was recorded, it could conceivably have ranked somewhere up there with "Never Mind the Bollocks," "London Calling," "Dam aged," and "Zen Arcade" in terms of essential punk rock albums. It also stands as great stupid-but-brilliant rock and roll that is meant to be en joyed and not politicized. If you want to begin your Misfit education, "Static Age" would be a good start. If you already have most of their stuff, though, you probably have most of these songs. If that's the case, listen to this album, see which production/mixing job you like better, and go with that. SAD CONTINUED FROM PG. 6 of depression you should contact a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Common symptoms of SAD: *Feeling depressed only in the Fall and Winter. fatigue and lack of en ergy *Sleeping more or still feeling sleepy after several hours of rest. increased cravings for carbohy drates increased appetite *Weight gain *Moodiness *Reduced concentration Tips for preventing SAD: *Take action when you notice a change in your moods and energy lev els. *Stay physically active with your friends, don't hibernate. *Expose yourself to as much natu ral outside light as possible, use as much light indoors as you can. *Eat a balanced diet *Take a multivitamin accurate bass and drum work. "Bul let," "She," "We Are 138," and "Spinal Remains" are all good for a toxic waltz in the pit. "Some Kin d a Hate," "Hybrid Courtesy Caroline Records 9
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Dec. 12, 1997, edition 1
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