Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming punk, 14 Jun 2007
Bursting on the scene in 1977, X-Ray Spex were one of the most unusual and colourful bands of the British punk explosion. Like their contemporaries Siouxsie And The Banshees, they had a female lead singer: the eccentric Poly Styrene with her charming dress sense. The original band consisted of Poly, Lora Logic (sax), Jack Stafford (guitar), Paul Dean (bass) and BP Hurding (drums). The Spex were first and foremost a singles band and made the UK charts with the angry anthemic Oh Bondage Up Yours and more pop-like numbers like The Day The World Turned Dayglo and Identity. The title track Germ Free Adolescents is a lovely melodic ballad on which Poly actually sings instead of screeches. This album includes other treasures like Genetic Engineering, Warrior In Woolworths and I'm A Poseur. I found the music more cute than threatening or angst-ridden like some other punk music, and still enjoyable after all these years. For a more comprehensive compilation, I recommend Let's Submerge: The Anthology, as it contains multiple versions of their most memorable songs plus other single releases, like Highly Inflammable, that are not represented here.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
PUNKPOP PERFECTION, 7 Sep 2000
A delightful collection of classics from this early Britpunk band that displays their versatility in captivating witty songs mainly built on Poly Styrene's high-pitched wail and the sexy sax of Laura Logic. All the excitement of the times is captured in the fast numbers like Day The World Turned Day-Glo, Identity, Warrior In Woolworths, I'm A Poseur, Highly Inflammable and the inimitable Oh Bondage, while my favourite is the slow song Germfree Adolescents with its flowing melody and Poly showing that she can sing ballads too. Clever lyrics, strong hooks and a totally unique sound make this a collector's item.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great album - punk at its best!, 19 Mar 2000
This is a great album. Xray Spex are punk, but they are also a little bit more. The opening track, 'The Day the World Turned Dayglo', is not only the best punk track ever made but is also, in my opinion, one of the best tracks ever. The dark, killer riff is perfectly complemented by Poly Styrene's howling vocals, and the whole thing throbs and writhes. The final track, 'Oh Bondage Up Yours!' is another masterpiece in which the lyrics are shouted out in wild abandon which perfectly fits the music and the words. In between the first and last tracks there are other great numbers, including 'Obsessed with You', 'Genetic Engineering', 'Identity', 'Art-I-ficial', 'Let's Submerge', 'I am a Poseur', and 'I am a Cliche'. There is also, admittedly, some sub-standard tosh on the album, but given the large number of really great tracks, that hardly matters. The music is 22 years old (or thereabouts), but to my mind it is still fresh and has not dated. The reason, I think, is that while it it definitely punk, it is also something more. This bears the stamp of punk, but musically is superior to it. A great album!
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