Generation X: Anthology - Disc 1 of 3 CD Track Listing

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Generation X Anthology - Disc 1 of 3 (2003)
2003 Chrysalis Records, Inc.\n\nOriginally Released April 8, 2003\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The title Anthology implies that a record spans a lot of ground, and this three-disc set from Chrysalis/Capitol does indeed cover a lot of ground, but it's not as thorough as you'd expect. The box breaks down easily into a disc of hits, a disc with an unreleased album, and an unreleased live concert from Osaka, Japan, in 1978. Indeed, that's a lot of unreleased material and collector bait, but it's not as enticing as it seems, since it consists of neither complete recorded works nor a logical exhumation of rarities. The simple fact is, the fans who want the previously unreleased Sweet Revenge (originally mooted as the follow-up to Valley of the Dolls) and the live show will not need yet another collection of the group's hits, and those who would want a streamlined overview like that on the first disc will surely not need the rarities on the other two discs. This flaw in design carries over to the liner notes, which are a mere two and half pages from Alan Parker, followed by tinted photos and page upon page with track listings that only detail titles and credits. To top that off, the two discs of unreleased material are simply not that interesting. Generation X wasn't a particularly dynamic live act, and the live disc here is lead-footed. Sweet Revenge, while hardly a disaster, doesn't have any great songs outside of "Dancing With Myself" and is kind of flat, confirming that the group was pretty lightweight, treading very close to punk bubblegum but without the fizz and pop that combination should produce. So, it's one for the very devoted collectors, a sentiment that would be easier to swallow if this were a two-disc set instead of three-disc box. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nOverpriced, Watered Down & Wimpy...., June 18, 2003 \nReviewer: "The Woj" (Downers Grove, IL)\nThe first disc collects most of Gen X's hits in excellent sound quality. However, the track selection on the "Perfect Hits" cd is much better, plus it flat out rocks harder. Strike one.\n\nDisc two it 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.\n\nDisc three contains a live concert recorded in Osaka, Japan.\nWhy 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. \nYou'll maybe listen to it once. Strike three.\n\nSo 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". \n\nps....don't forget Billy's VH-1 album. Now there's all killer, no filler. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\ngreat music, awful packaging, May 3, 2003 \nReviewer: aliled "aliled" (Shawnee, Kansas United States)\nFirst 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. \n\n"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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nAll 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.\n\nThe 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?\n\nTwo 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. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nRevenge is Sweet, April 14, 2003 \nReviewer: Harold Grey "Post-punk progressive pop junkie" (San Jose, CA USA)\nI 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.
This rock cd contains 19 tracks and runs 70min 16sec.
Freedb: 00107613
Buy: from Amazon.com

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