X (Aus)
Formed in Sydney, Australia in 1977, the legendary X were one of the most notorious bands ever to emerge from Sydney's fertile inner-city music scene.
People called X a punk band – and they certainly acted like one – but they were actually a great meld of Ian Rilen's gut busting bass and pioneering Oz rock stance (as you would expect from a veteran of both Band Of Light and Rose Tattoo) and newcomer Steve Lucas' incredible sandpaper scream. Their shows were legendary - not only for the music nor the occasional violence caused by the punks and skinheads who frequented their gigs but equally, for the band's own attitude.
They recorded their seminal 1980 debut X-Aspirations in one 5 hour session with ex-Coloured Balls and Aztecs guitarist Lobby Loyde producing. It featured the 'punk' classics 'I Don't Wanna Go Out' and 'Delinquent Cars'. X-music was rock'n'roll stripped down to the bare essentials of noise, raw power and pure energy.
In early 1985 X recorded At Home With You. Once again produced by Loyde, the album (issued during September) displayed a breadth and sense of dynamics only previously hinted at in the band's music. A lot had to do with the freshness and vitality of new drummer Cathy Green (ex-Cough Cough), to say nothing of the rhythmic swing that Green contributed to the band. Green's style fitted X like a glove and helped transform the band into a killer live act. The songs and production had more depth too – the Hunter's & Collectors' horn section: The Horns Of Contempt contributing to 3 tracks.
Originally released as Major MRLP002, September 1985, the year 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of X and the prefect time to revisit this album. Following a re-release on Aztec records in 2007, Lucas and Green - along with new bassist Kim Volkman (Ian Rilen having passed away in 2006) - reformed X and began playing select gigs to promote the reissue. January 14th 2009 sees X perform the entire 'At Home With You' in sequential order for the very first time.
