X

No, not that X (the one from Los Angeles featuring John Doe and Exene Cervenka), rather this is a reissue of a gritty 1985 underground rock masterwork by the Australian band of the same name. Like the L.A. variety, this X came into being in the late '70s and was inspired by Yankee acts like the Stooges and the MC5, and those influences were still being paid homage by the time this crunchy, stripped-down material was put to tape. Apparently melody wasn't very high on X's priority list, as most of the disc's 12 tracks revolve around prevalent bass lines with guitars and occasional horns brightening the corners here and there. Front-man Steven Lucas sounds a little like a lozenged Brian Johnson. At the time of its original release, this disc must have been a great antidote to Men At Work. Now, it's a solid and interesting document of its time and place, but that's about it.