Generation X

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Bin 12481. No longer available on CD in the U.S., this is areissue of their 1978 debut featuring Billy Idol and theirmemorable punk rocker's 'Kiss Me Deadly' and 'Ready, Steady,Go'.

Tracks:

From The Heart
One Hundred Punks
Listen
Ready Steady Go
Kleenex
Promises Promises
Day By Day
The Invisible Man
Kiss Me Deadly
Too Personal
Youth Youth Youth
Your Generation
Wild Youth
Wild Dub
Trying For Kicks
This Heat

Album Details

Fully Remastered Re-issue of the Debut Album from Billy Idol and Generation X. Includes Booklet with Band Memorabilia.

Customer Reviews:

What happened to track one?.......2007-02-18

I'm a big fan of this album. I've owned it on vinyl, on cassette, and I used to have the original CD release. Now, I own this version, and I'm not at all happy with it.

Take for a start, that the track listing is shuffled from the original running order. Ok, not that big a deal, I admit. But this shuffle appears to have been done, to hide the larger problems with this disc:

Four of the "bonus tracks" are not bonus tracks. They're tracks off the original album, and I have no idea what pinhead labeled them this way.

Three of the tracks on the CD, which are NOT listed as bonus tracks, actually ARE bonus tracks, as they do not appear on the original release.

Further, a bonus track which was available on the cassette release, the studio version of "save my life" isn't provided.

And finally, my biggest gripe: Track one is completely missing - "Gimmee Some Truth" that song that opened the album, appears nowhere on this CD.

After looking around for a replacement track, I've discovered that the only version of this song currently available, is the one on their Anthology box set, which is a diferent take, with different instrumentation, different lyrics, and a really annoying timing error in the first few seconds,which makes it sound like someone's turning the speed control on the record down as the song intro plays.

So, great band, great album, and completely cocked-up CD. After the muddy slowness of the original CD release, I was really looking forward to finally getting a decent copy of this album for my collection.

I'm still waiting.

What happened?

this band had more talent than their contemporaries.......2006-11-02

When you listen to Generation X, they had more susbtance, better dynamics, churned out more songs, and wrote cacthier, more radio friendly songs then most of the other Brittish punk groups.

It's no coincidence that Billy Idol moved on and became a big star.

This is a real good cd not only as a representative of the 70's punk movement but also because the material was just plain good as basic pop music.

UK PUNK AT ITS FINEST.......2005-06-28

What can you say besides, simply genius. Idol and Tony James interfuse stripped down rock (punk), with pop sensibilities. Idol was at the top of his game during the UK Punk Invasion, unlike such in my opinion junk like rock the cradle of love. Idol has in my mind a voice made for punk, probaly the best punk voice ever, a tie between himself and Joey Ramone, RIP. If your into 70's punk, please pick up this cd, or just download Ready Steady Go, or Kiss Me Deadly. Excellent writing, excellent music. Kiss Me Deadly is one of his best songs, that and Running With The Boss Sound on Valley Of The Dolls. IT DOESNT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!! READY STEADY GO!

GORGEOUSLY SEMINAL !!!.......2005-06-17

77 type,fast,catchy,poppy,clearly influeced by their contemporaries The Clash and Buzzcocks.I wish I had the remastered edition,I got the old EMI one,the drums are hollow and it has virtually no treble on the right channel,but sounds superb anyway.The last album track is a mamooth 6'+ exercise on the use of the vibrato lever,full of incredibly trebley and exciting (in a primitive PUNK way,course) guitar solos.

Do You Remeber the Promises?.......2004-02-15

Generation X was one of my favorite punk bands. Like the Sex Pistols, they really only have one album to own and this is it. Thankfully its been remastered and reissued with the original artwork restored.

This album has some of the best punk of the era. What else can be said? I only wish that it contained "Time for Truth" that was on the original US release. Then I believe it would be complete.

Tracks:

Dancing With Myself
Your Generation
Ready, Steady, Go
Untouchables
Day By Day
Wild Youth
Wild Dub
One Hundred Punks
King Rocker
Kiss Me Deadly
Gimme Some Truth
New Order
English Dream
Triumph
Youth, Youth, Youth

Amazon.com

Thanks to relentless MTV exposure, Billy Idol became a virtual one-man parody of himself--and the tattered, all-too-quickly recycled remains of mid-'80s new wave--in near record time. And before it became one of the '90s most overused cultural labels, Generation X was the name of Idol's short-lived ('78 to '81) entrée into London's oft-sordid punk wars, often to the chagrin of U.K. critics who found their antics a trifle posed. But Idol and guitarist Tony James didn't let concerns about authenticity get in the way of some lively age-baiting (thumbing their noses at the Who on "Your Generation"), faux anthems to "the movement" ("100 Punks"), or the perils of individualism--or was it onanism? (an early version of Idol's later hit "Dancin' with Myself"). And if proceedings sometimes went spectacularly awry (their painful "punk" take on John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth"), Gen X often got by--as do many third-generation punks--on nothing more than loopy bubble-punk exuberance. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Good Compilation.......2006-08-23

If you are a Billy Idol fan i think this is a pretty good addition for your collection. I would recommend it.

THE BEST ARTIST!.......2005-07-27

Generation X along with Billy Idol alone are the best cds recorded. The songs all all great on the Perfect Hits'. If you love Billy Idol, check out his new cd Devils Playground!!!

A fine collection of punk songs.......2005-07-17

Since being a huge fan of Idol, Generation X automatically became one of my favorite bands and my favorite punk band.

A decent but not comprehensive look at Gen X.......2005-05-12

I bought this "Best Of" compilation back in the 90's when it came out. Its definitely a decent introduction into the excellent work of Billy Idol before he became a self-parody; indeed, I think most Billy Idol fans would admit that his work in Generation X was probably his best work. And this CD definitely hits some high points--"Triumph", "English Dream", "One Hundred Punks", "Kiss Me Deadly", and "Ready, Steady, Go" all showcase the catchy hooks and aggressive guitars that made all 3 Generation X albums so appealing. The main problem is with some of the other selections, many of which are extremely weak and do little to convey the tremendous songwriting talents of the Idol/James team. "New Order", "Wild Dub", and the gimmicky "Gimme Some Truth" are easily among the weakest songs Generation X ever recorded. In general this compilation falls prey to the fallacy that Generation X's main strength was their "punkiness" and as a consequence it samples much more heavily from their first, "punkest" album to the detriment of their successive albums. Only three songs come from "Kiss Me Deadly" (one of which, "Dancing With Myself", is really just a Billy Idol solo song with different guitars) and two from "Valley of the Dolls". "Running With the Boss Sound", which is a magnificant ode the power of rock and roll from "Valley of the Dolls", should have made the cut instead of some of these other songs. And anyone wanting to hear what Generation X sounded like at the absolute peak of their post-punk, powerpop sound should find an ultra-rare copy of "Kiss Me Deadly". "Heavens Inside", "Stars Look Down", and "What Do You Want" off this final Generation X album are all as good or better as the songs included here. Use this CD as the start of a journey into the pop-punk brilliance of Generation X, but don't stop here.

A collection of wild wild wild youth!.......2005-02-07

Billy Idol and Tony James got their starts in Generation X respectively as lead vocalist/guitarist and bassist before a lucrative but brief solo career for the former and stints in Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Sisters of Mercy for the latter. Of course, there was Chelsea before this, but that's another story. Generation X was derived after the book focusing on the Mods and Rockers scene. As for the music, it shows that Idol and company held their own during the first original punk scene of the 70's, combining themes of nihilism, rebellion, and dissatisfaction with mainstream life with a ferocious guitar and steady drum attack. The irony is that they disbanded in 1981, the last year for the generation following the Boomers. That generation was also entitled X.

It's fitting that Generation X's best known song, "Dancing With Myself," from Kiss Me Deadly, which was later included on Billy Idol's self-titled debut and shot to bigger fame with the nihilistic video, leads off this compilation. The catchiest and most danceable tune, which nevertheless captures the sense of alienation of youth.

Idol and company show sheer disdain for their elders in the equally jamming "Your Generation"-"your generation don't mean a thing to me!" They show a more militant but flexible solution in getting their way: "might take a bit of violence, but violence ain't our only stance."

"Ready Steady Go" named after the 60's British TV music programme of the same name, is a nostalgic tribute for Gen X-ers who tuned into the Beatles, Stones, and the presenter, Cathy McGowan

The contempt towards a dead end existence, commentary on how one hates one's neighbours if they are wealthier, and how one is like a robot on the production line is shown on "Day By Day," with the line "living for inflation" being a reminder of that particular problem in the 70's.

Other tunes giving narratives of the punk movement include "One Hundred Punks" glorifies the punk subculture and them having their day, while the ballad "Kiss Me Deadly" relates the gang violence, drug deals, and nights at the pool hall of the life.
Their highest-charting UK hit was the #11 "King Rocker," a telling song on how Elvis and the Beatles have had their day in the 60's and aren't that relevant. The mid-song rap on "Ali buzzing like a bee" and "Elvis took a dive/waitin' for the towel more dead than alive" gives a boxing imagery of how things were going.

The more political side of punk music is captured in their cover of John Lennon's "Gimme So Truth" which should be a byword for all: "I'm sick to death of hearing things from neurotic psychotic short-sighted politicians. All I want is some truth." It becomes a mantra for the ages when they chant "truth truth truth truth." The ripping "New Order" calls for such, demanding rights as an individual.

"Never wanna be an adult/Always wanna be in revolt" is a classic punker anthem in "Youth Youth Youth," The life is the now, no future stance is given by "Don't wanna spend my life saving up for things/Don't wanna have what a steady job brings/
I don't want security/Don't want responsibility." It ends with some screeching psychedelic Hendrix-like guitarwork at the end. But don't forget "Wild Youth," whose chants of "wild wild wild youth" is accompanied by some clomping drums, also anthemic in its declaration. That to me encapsulates Gen X-wild youth.

Tony James followed this with some pretty weird punk/techno with Sigue Sigue Sputnik, and while Billy Idol had some flaming moments in his solo career like "Rebel Yell," "White Wedding," and "Shock To The System," the majority of his hits never equaled the raw youthful energy of Generation X.

Average customer rating:

Ready To Celebrate Jesus?
WOW!
Just Awesome!
The Greatest Youth Chior
Its tremendous, "His eye is on sparrow" touched me great;ly.

Generation X Celebration
Walt Whitman & the Soul Children of Chicago
Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Children of the King
Growing Up
We Are One
When God's Children Get Together
New Creation

ASIN: B00000I6N2
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

Lift Him Up
Celebrate
My Father Knows
Stop The Tears
His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Play On (Interlude)
Lord, I Lift Your Name On High
A Brighter Day
Power
Greater He
Secret Place
We Are One

Customer Reviews:

Ready To Celebrate Jesus?.......2002-05-10

First off, this is the album that should have been entitled, "Growing Up", because this album shows that Walt Whitman and The Soul Children have grown with the times, and that they've grown in their style. One thing remains the same though, that the choir still ministers to your soul with heartfelt messages in the songs that are being sung. The album opens up with the setting-of-the-tone-for-the-album song, "Lift Him Up". After listening to that song, we find that the song was only to prepare us to celebrate Jesus with "Celebrate". Although majority of the songs have that contemporary gospel feel to them, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" will appeal to those that are longing for that good old gospel music. What became an instant favorite to me was Walt Whitman's rendtion on Rick Found's "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High". If you haven't heard of Walt Whitman and The Soul Children of Chicago, or even if you're a fan, you won't be diappointed with this album, but deeply annointed.

If you like this artist, you might want to check out: GMWA Youth Mass Choir, TM (Truth Ministry) Mass Youth Choir, Youth For Christ, Shout Praises! Kids Gospel, Mississippi Children's Choir, Tyscot Gospel Kids, and Canton Gospel Soul Children

WOW!.......2000-07-29

They've done it again! God has truly blessed Brother Whitman and these beautiful children. The music is there, the message is there and most of all, God is there. With a combination like this, how can they miss? The children's choir in my church sings "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and they will be singing more material from this wonderful group!

Just Awesome!.......2000-03-22

Touches my heart! My Father Knows and Secret Place moves me to tears of joy in the Lord. These young people are a blessing from the Lord!

The Greatest Youth Chior.......2000-02-18

This CD is definetly one of the CD's to get if you are a gospel music lover. Walt Whittman does an excellent job at directing these young children. "My Father Knows" (soloist Lecrecia Campbel)is one of the best songs on the album. "Greater He" provides just the right mix of hip hip and scripture to woo even the youngest of gospel lovers. If you are young and new to gospel, this album will be sure to have you tapping your toes and praising the Lord at the same time.

Its tremendous, "His eye is on sparrow" touched me great;ly........1999-11-14

I tell you, I've only heard one song because my cd haven't came yet. But His eye is on the sparrow sparked my insides with intensity. It really reminded me to live life with greatfulness and preach to others that he's coming back one day and that everyone needs to get there life focus and right for jesus christ. I love this song, God Bless

Average customer rating:

Kiss Me Deadly - album title but no song?
Awesome Finale!!!!!!!

Kiss Me Deadly
Generation X
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

British Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Generation X
Valley of the Dolls
Anthology
Billy Idol
Pure Mania

ASIN: B0009N11R4
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Tracks:

Dancing with Myself
Untouchables
Happy People
Heavens Inside
Triumph
Revenge
Stars Look Down
What Do You Want
Poison
Oh Mother
Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Dubble
Loopy Dub
Ugly Dub
From the Heart [Live]
Andy Warhol [Live]

Album Details

Generation X's Third and Final Album which features Ex Sex Pistol Steve Jones Playing on "Dancing with Myself". Features the Original Album Artwork and Tracks plus Five Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Kiss Me Deadly - album title but no song?.......2007-04-14

Is it just me or I always thought it was weird how Gen X called this third album "KISS ME DEADLY" when a) the song is NOT included on this album or CD an b) it was an old song from their earlier album? Odd, but still a great Gen X album, made even better with the inclusion of the rare 1981-era dubs and b-sides. Nice stuff indeed.

Awesome Finale!!!!!!!.......2005-09-25

KMD Gen X's third and final record is a must have for any BI fan. GenX's 3 records were all equally great and different. The first a slice of UK punk, the second a glam effort and this a post punk, metal and goth tinged treat! The original version of Dancing w/ Myself is the only one I could ever listen to....the remixed versions released by Billy Idol ommitted the heavy overdub guitar....Here also is the original The Untouchables, re-recorded for Don't Stop EP.....more sincere and heartfelt IMO. POison has a quirky John MeGeoch of Magazine riff while What Do You Want has a Kink-sy power chord riff that puts the album in the realm of proto metal....and why not those guys listened to all that early 70's rock and were totally influenced as a result...Oh Mother is a barnstormer of a song...a great ending.....the bonus tracks are cool, shame they left off Rock on from the 12" Dancing w/ Myself ep....it is available on an EMI Australia compiliation....the other tracks are great, no time to go into them....not a bad track on here...I bought this on vinyl in '83, then cd which got nicked....relieved to see it remastered!!! Get this NOW!!!!

Average customer rating:

Someone should get fired over this
this album blows
A Pretty Solid Second Effort
Classic Punk!
A must have for Idol fans and Punk fans.

Valley of the Dolls
Generation X
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

British Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Generation X
Kiss Me Deadly
Anthology
Perfect Hits 1975-1981
We Have Come for Your Children

ASIN: B000063T0V
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

Running With The Boss Sound
Night Of The Cadillacs
Paradise West
Friday's Angels
King Rocker
Valley Of The Dolls
English Dream
Love Like Fire
The Prime Of Kenny Silvers (Part One)
The Prime Of Kenny Silvers (Part Two)
Gimme Some Truth
Shakin' All Over

Album Details

Fully Remastered Re-issue of the Second Album from Billy Idol and Generation X. Includes Booklet with Band Memorabilia.

Customer Reviews:

Someone should get fired over this.......2007-03-27

All in all, this disc is a fairly good representation of the original album. No problems there. If you liked this album, and only care about the songs that make it up, then this CD is well worth the price, as it's been cleaned up and sounds a lot better than your scratchy old LP will.

No, my gripe here is wih one of the "bonus" tracks. There is a real mystery going on, concerning the song Gimme Some Truth, and as this album is playing a part in that mystery, it's worth noting here.

Why is the song Gimme Some Truth being released ONLY in the live version from the Radio One sessions? I purchased the original Generation X album, and was quite annoyed to find that this track, the one that originally opened the album, was completely missing.

Furthermore, after purchasing all of the compilation discs currently on sale, such as "Perfect Hits" and "Anthology" in the hopes of getting the missing track, I was absolutely horrified to find out that they also use the live track, rather than the original album track.

After the anger and frustration I felt at being cheated yet again, I saw the song was listed here, on Valley Of The Dolls, with the footnote that this was the "b-side" to king rocker. At last, I thought, they've finally done it - they've finally released it - and it's even labeled as such. This has to be it.

So, I buy it.

But, what do I get, after plunking down the cost and waiting for delivery? The live version, yet again. Not the album version, not the actual b-side to king rocker, and not the track as advertised, no - the track listing they present here is a lie. An utter, and absolute lie, and frankly, someone should lose their job over this. Either someone was so clueless that they allowed product to go out mis-marked, or they simply didn't care that the information was false.

What has happened to this song? Where is it? Where do I go to buy it? I've tried to do just that, at least three times now with no success. I want the version that opened Generation X, the album, which starts with a drumbeat, and doesn't have someone talking over the end of it. That's the one listed on the label, that's the one that was "b-side" to king rocker, and that's the one that should have been provided.

It's wrong.

Give me the album I paid for.

this album blows.......2005-05-19

Compared to the First Generation X album..which is a punk rock classic... this album blows big time...

as a matter of fact..compared to anything good...this album blows..

don't waste your time..

I hated this album when it was released... and I still can't stand it...

The First Generation X album was awesome though..and still is...

A Pretty Solid Second Effort.......2004-11-22

Matching or even improving on their debut album was a tall order for Generation X. Unfortunately, they weren't quite able to fill it with "Valley of the Dolls". Still, there are some great tracks on this CD, including "Running with the Boss Sound", "Night of the Cadallacs", "King Rocker", "English Dream", and, my favorite "Love Like Fire". Guitarist Bob Andrews reveals a knack for catchy, rock star-approved riffs and solos while producer Ian Hunter wisely keeps things raw and direct while improving on the overall sound of the first album.

The remaining tracks are merely okay, in my opinion. "Kenny Silvers" displays epic aspirations that unfortunately fall well short of greatness. It seems like Billy Idol says the guy's name about 80 times through the course of the song. "Paradise West", meanwhile, sounds like a prototype for an '80's power ballad. The title track is catchy enough, but ultimately lightweight.

Pick up their debut album or Perfect Hits first. Then, consider adding Valley of the Dolls to you collection. It's well worth it.

Classic Punk!.......2003-01-14

You can't talk about Punk Rock and overlook the contributions of Generation X. Most will instantly recognize a fresh faced Billy Idol who was all of about 17 years of age at the time of the bands first release.Although "Valley of the Dolls" contains some great tracks (King Rocker, Night of the Cadillacs, Kenny Silvers etc.)and shows some growth and sophistication in the bands writting ability I would recommend the bands debut release (Generation-x) as a proper introduction to the bands music and old school punk. You just can't overlook Generation-X classics like "Kiss me Deadly, 100 Punks and Ready Steady Go!". However, the Bonus track of the Who's "Shakin All Over" on Valley of the dolls CD will be enough for some to make this album a worthy purchase. Although I recommend this album, I would suggest those unfamiliar with Generation X check out the "Perfect Hits" CD first.

NOTE: "Shakin all over" is also available on a rare CD called "The Idol Generation"

A must have for Idol fans and Punk fans........2002-12-05

Waited many years for a CD release with bonus tracks. The original release with no bonus tracks was found at Half.com for about $30, thus this price is excellent. A real rocking song is "Night of the Cadillacs", covered by the L.A. Guns on one of their albums called "Cuts".Overall, not a bad song on the disc. I bought the album in 1980 and still have it although it's fairly worn out. Billy Idol actually called Robert Plant and Led Zep has beens when he was about 20 years old. Now Billy is staring down the barrel of 50 years old. This is his best.

Average customer rating:

Generation X-Istential Blues

Manufacturer: Porch Glow
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAEI74
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Generation X-istential Blues
Porchlight
Excuses for a Friend
Blues I Shall Keep
Don't Wanna Cry No More
Enemy
Love to Burn
Oh My My
Fake Love
Buckskin Stallion Blues

Average customer rating:

Kick ass compilation!
Gen X Fan's Dream Release
Overpriced, Watered Down & Wimpy....
great music, awful packaging
Revenge is Sweet

Anthology
Generation X
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Generation X
Valley of the Dolls
Kiss Me Deadly
L.A.M.F.: The Lost '77 Mixes
The First Four Years

ASIN: B0000665EY
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

Dancing With Myself
Fridays Angels
Your Generation
Ready, Steady Go
Untouchables
Valley Of The Dolls
Day By Day
Wild Youth
Prime Of Kenny Silvers Pts 1 & 2
Wild Dub
One Hundred-Punks
King Rocker
Kiss Me Deadly
Gimme Some Truth
New Order
English Dream
Youth, Youth, Youth
Rock'N'Roll
The Hunter

Tracks:

Triumph
Dancing With Myself
Girls
Modern Boys
Cathy Come Home
Revenge
Flash As Hell
Anna Smiles
Psycho Beat
Stars Looked Down
I Dig Everything
Dancing With My Wealth
Exclusive Interview

Tracks:

Ready Steady Go
This Heat
English Dream
Triumph
Anna Smiles
Night Of The Cadillac's
No No No
Valley Of The Dolls
Revenge
Kiss Me Deadly
Friday's Angels
Wild Youth
Day By Day
King Rocker
Your Generation
Rock'N'Roll
Shakin' All Over
Youth Youth Youth
Outro Jam

Album Details

Disc One is the Complete Singles Collection Including B-sides and Previously Unreleased Tracks. Disc Two is the Previously Unreleased Sweet Revenge Album. Disc Three is a Live Recording.

Customer Reviews:

Kick ass compilation!.......2005-10-30

I was extremely pleased to get my hands on this collection. I've been listening to Generation X for well over 15 years now, and never get tired of them! The first compilation ("Perfect Hits 1976-1981") had a couple of songs I wish was included with this anthology (hence, the four stars), especially "Running with the Boss Sound". Other than that, it's a collection worthy of any Idol/GenX fan.
The "Sweet Revenge" album is almost worth the price of the set. The version of "Dancing With Myself" on this album is better than the later releases; a little rawer with that not-so-polished punk sound to it -- vintage stuff! The "Girls" song is sure to be a favorite among GenX fans... "Psycho Beat" was a little grating, but hey, you can't have a perfect song every time, right?
It was GenX that introduced me to the 70's punk scene, and for that I'll always be a fan!

Gen X Fan's Dream Release.......2003-11-30

Every Gen X fan has disc one in one form or another. What's new is disc two (unreleased album by org line-up) and disc three (unreleased concert).

Purchased this two weeks ago and it's been on steady rotation on my player since; and I'm a person who's easily bored.

The versions of Triumph and Stars Looked Down on the unreleased album that were redone for the Kiss Me Deadly album easily SURPASS the later versions.

The guy who wrote the 2 star review is an idiot!

Yeah, the liner notes suck and are filled with grammatical errors and misspellings: so what? I buy CDs for music, not liner notes!

Get it - you won't regret it!

Overpriced, Watered Down & Wimpy...........2003-06-18

The first disc collects most of Gen X's hits in excellent sound quality. However, the track selection on the previously released "Perfect Hits" cd is much better, plus it flat out rocks harder. Strike one.

Disc two is the "unreleased album" and comes off sounding like a bunch of American English demos (the band that sang that dreadful "I'll Melt With You" song), with a extremely mellow Billy Idol on vocals. No Idol sneer on this disc; more like a quaint, perky little smile. The guitar work is brutal and the lead riffs are almost non-existent. The guitar during the fade out of the song "Triumph" sounds like a 1st graders first guitar lesson. The "Kiss Me Deadly" album which shares a similar tracklist, has "way" better production value, rocks much harder, has the guitars way up fron in the mix, and is a better purchase. This is Billy Idol-lite. Strike two.

Disc three contains a live concert recorded in Osaka, Japan.
Why Japan and not Europe is beyond me. The band seems totally lifeless and out of their element. I never viewed Japan as much of a "punk" rock country. Heavy Metal, yes (as in Made In Japan... "Ian Paice on the drums, yes!"); but not punk. Anyway, this 3rd disc does nothing to endear one to the band's proficiency as musicians. The sound is fair and the mix is borderline brutal.
You'll maybe listen to it once. Strike three.

So after pulling another Sammy Sosa and whiffing on this one, here's my advice. "Perfect Hits", "Kiss Me Deadly" if you can find it & "Radio One Sessions".

ps....don't forget Billy's VH-1 album. Now there's all killer, no filler.

great music, awful packaging.......2003-05-03

First things first, the "rare" stuff. "Sweet Revenge" is what should have been the third Generation X album with the original line-up, but wasn't released at the time. It shares some tracks (though in different versions) with what was released as the third album, "Kiss Me Deadly". It's a pretty fine record, but in comparing the tracks the two albums share, it's clear that "Kiss Me Deadly" enjoys better recording and production. But it's a treat to hear the "new" songs, which are pretty good, and a few - most notably "Girls" - about as good as anything the band did.

"Live At Osaka" is a pretty fair recording of the band around the same period of time as the unreleased album. A good selection of hits, b-sides and album tracks and reasonably good sound quality.

The first disc claims "the complete singles", but what you're really getting is all the a-sides, not chronologically, as well as a few b-sides and album tracks, plus three rarities - covers of Led Zeppelin and Free (interesting but not that great) and "New Order", which previously was found on the (totally redundant if you own this) "Perfect Hits" CD. In fact, disc one is essentially that CD with some extra tracks.

All of this would be fine, except the packaging is awful. A shame when "Perfect Hits" was pretty well packaged. The liner notes are pretty skimpy with details, have LOTS of annoying misspellings and ZILLIONS of typos and not many pictures or anything. (In fact the bootleg version of "Sweet Revenge" was much more professionally packaged.) There's not much of an excuse for this; the package was delayed a year and there was ample opportunity to get some real fans or professional critics to contribute notes that would have been worthwhile. The interview track with Tony James is very open to discussing the drug problems that [messed] up the band - kudoos for his honesty - so it's a shame that the same sort of thoroughness didn't enhance the packaging.

The other perplexing thing is why so many album tracks are on this set to the exclusion of the few remaining non-CD b-sides which would have made this the perfect completist's set. Where are Loopy Dub, Rock On, Ugly Rash and Ugly Dub?

Two other notes: "This Heat" on the live disc is actually not that song but "Trying For Kicks". I don't know how they [messed] that up. And all the studio tracks from "Valley Of The Dolls" are way remixed and sound pretty different than any other version of the album - almost painfully "hot" compared to the songs from other records. No mention of this is made in the notes or anywhere.

Revenge is Sweet.......2003-04-14

I had been looking for the Sweet Revenge bootleg for a long time, and it has been worth the wait. Disc 1 is mostly songs from the first 2 LPs. Disc 2 is the real value here. It is real interesting to hear the early versions of the songs that later appeared on Kiss Me Deadly. And an even bigger treat to hear Derwood Andrews playing the songs instead of James Stevenson or Steve New or Steve Jones. I never realized Andrews came up with the riffs for Dancing with Myself, Triumph and Others. Of the unreleased songs, I really like Girls, Modern Boys and Cathy Comes Home. The interview with Tony James is also good in that he talks about the drug abuse that marred the Kiss Me Deadly sessions. I haven't gotten to Disc 3 yet, a concert from Osaka, Japan. I always though Derwood Andrews was one of the underrated guitarists of the punk generation. One minor disappointment: the liner notes and artwork are kind of [bad]. They could have done a better job. A must have for any GenX fan.