Generation X - Anthology

 

We picked up this 3-CD set a couple of decades ago when we moved out here to Vegas and it is jam-packed with tons of previously unreleased items including a full unreleased LP (the second CD, Sweet Revenge) and and entire show in Osaka in 1978! Of course, their first album is classic British second wave punk rock and their second record is much more "rock'n'roll" (in a good way) with Bob "Derwood" Andrews' flamboyant guitar work before they cut "Dancing With Myself" and Billy decided to go solo and became a huge star.

Funnily, it's Idol and bassist Tony James who make up the group's songwriting team, and they came up with some terrific anthems (their initial blast of the memorable "Your Generation", "Ready, Steady, Go", with its homage to the 60's, and "Wild Youth") and still performed some old-guard covers like John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth" and even Led Zep's "Rock'n'Roll"!

This first CD has all of the classic, original cuts, starting with the biggest hit, "Dancing With Myself" and the aforementioned classics, as well, and while they couldn't fit both albums in total on one CD, this has a pretty good selection, although I'm sure some people will find fault and mourn the rejection of cuts such as "Kleenex", ditto with Valley of the Dolls, and the exclusion of numbers like "Running With the Boss Sound". There are a couple of representations from the Kiss Me Deadly record (that had a different guitarist and drummer and its failure led to Idol leaving) and the odd covers like the previously mentioned "Rock'n'Roll" (wherein Idol didn't bother to learn the lyrics) and the blues tune, "The Hunter" (based on Free's version)! Pretty good selection, overall, although I usually prefer chronological order just for consistency's sake.

The unreleased third album, Sweet Revenge, comprises the 2nd CD, although it was never released and was only meant to be demos, but the band split up before it could be completed. It shows a continuation of the sound that they explored in Valley of the Dolls, with pop tunes mixing with Andrews' wild guitar leads, but also includes the early version of "Dancing With Myself" that is not that much different from the hit version. "Girls" is surprisingly harmony-based - their attempt at power-pop/bubblegum, I suppose - "Modern Boys" attempts to be anthemic, but doesn't quite make it, while "Cathy Come Home" simply wanders aimlessly, and "Revenge" is a slow, plodding ballad that never really goes anywhere and is kinda insipid considering the title. The pick up the energy for "Flash As Hell" and "Anna Smiles" but "Psycho Beat" is a bit too unsuccessfully repetitive, and, again, "Stars Looked Down" doesn't really do much. I guess I can understand why they didn't go with this album, even with "Dancing.." on it. There's a few bonus tracks - "I Dig Everything", a dub-ish "Dancing With My Wealth" (funny!) and an interview with Tony James.

The sound is pretty good overall for the 1978 Osaka Japan live show that makes up the third CD and while they oddly play some of the songs slower live (instead of faster, as most groups do), they still manage to radiate good energy and there's a nice song selection and some fine git-playing. The cuts included numbers from all three (including the unreleased record from CD 2) albums, ending with a ravin' take on "Rock'n'Roll" (hilariously, performed right after their rant against people of that age in "Your Generation"!) and "Shakin' All Over" before blasting out "Youth Youth Youth", both in a pretty wonderfully anarchic way.

Although I always like hearing full albums (I tend to like the oddball cuts that others might not dig), this is a great comp filled with lots of oddities'n'extras. I see that it is going for a fair amount of money these days, but if you're a fan and you can find a deal on it, this is a good one.