X X-ASPIRATIONS 70s AUSSIE RAW ROCK PUNK REMAST CD +3

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X – X-Aspirations. Aztec Music AVSCD 043. Australian release. SEALED CD. Originally issued in 1980. This remastered edition issued in 2008. Comes in a deluxe foldopen digi-pak with insert booklet with the addition of 3 bonus tracks. MEMBERS: Ian Rilen, Steve Lucas, and Steve Cafiero. Produced by Lobby Loyde. TRACKS: Suck Suck, Present, Simulated Lovers, Police, Revolution, Turn My Head, Good On Ya Baby, Delinquent Cars, Don’t Wanna Go Out, Dipstick, It Must Be Me, Coat Of Green, Waiting, and Batman. BONUS TRACKS : Mother (1984 single), Half Way ‘Round The World (1979, pre-album single), and Mother (previously unreleased version). DESCRIPTION: The story goes that X-Aspirations , their debut album and one of the most important and underrated albums of the punk era in Australia , was recorded in a mere five hours. Formed in Sydney , Australia in September of 1977, shortly after Ian Rilen departed Rose Tattoo. That following May original guitarist Ian Krahe died in his sleep; Rilen, Lucas, and Cafiero decided to continue as a trio with Lucas adding guitar to his vocal duties. In the exhaustive liner notes of this release, which include the few reviews written about X during their heyday, singer Steve Lucas reflects on why the band never shook off the tag of perpetual outsiders. "We never lost that sense of walking in off the street," he says. "If ever our heads did get up in the clouds, our feet were still firmly nailed to the gutter." It's that sense of the street that still resonates in the songs of X-Aspirations today – even after all the stories of drugs and violence have been worn out and three of the four original members have passed on (as has Loyde). Originally released in 1980, X-Aspirations is a mix of punk and hard rock with lyrics about inner-city deadbeats. One song is set in "the hospital beneath the Cross" ( St Vincent 's Hospital in Darlinghurst, next to King's Cross). In another, the protagonist "stayed up last night 'cuz I couldn't sleep/ There was traffic outside goin' beep beep beep." If the words sound simple, well, that's sort of the point. Their minimalism becomes poetic. One of the best tracks, Police , relies on the repetition of the words "police" and "bullies", over and over, until you can't tell which one the band are singing about. Musically, X-Aspirations is what the phrase 'rough as guts' was coined for. Lucas' hoarse vocals and thick Australian accent are about as subtle as a postcard from Mt Druitt, while Ian Rilen's bass is a slow and steady roll of punches to the gut and Steve Cafiero provides a perfunctory backing on drums. Its brilliance lies in simplicity and the melodies are without fault. This reissue also includes the superb Half Way 'Round The World and two versions of the band's cover of John Lennon's Mother . After X-Aspirations , the first incarnation of the band fell apart, with Rilen moving his focus to Sardine V. They returned in a different form a few years later, with Lucas and Rilen teaming up with drummer Cathy Green to record the art-punk classic At Home With You (also reissued by Aztec). During the last 10 years, the music establishment has been catching up with the seedier side of things. The Saints, Radio Birdman, Lobby Loyde, and Rose Tattoo have all been recognised in the ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association) Hall of Fame. It's about time X were given their due credit as well. X-Aspirations is a masterpiece of dropout rock, as important to the history of Sydney as (I'm) Stranded is to Brisbane . An outstanding and essential recording; highly recommended! If you have any questions or if you have additional information, especially corrections, to the description, please e-mail me. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER CURRENTLY LISTED ITEMS AND EBAY STORE. TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS: SS or SLD: Still Sealed or Sealed. Short abbreviation that will appear in the title line of my listings. This item is new and unplayed. Also appears in the listing description as Sealed CD or Factory Sealed CD. NEW CD: This item is new and unplayed, b... read more

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