The Generation X expanded deluxe edition CD set has been newly re mastered from the original production tapes and includes 11 previously unreleased recordings. CD1 contains the original UK 11 track album with CD2 including all the A and B-sides of their singles from the period, 11 previously unreleased outtakes, a single mix and a number of mixes made by engineer Alan Winstanley.
Its been a while coming but at last the Generation x debut album gets the reissue it deserves with added bonus tracks and sleeve notes by Adrian Thrills.
Formed in London during the punk movement in 1976 this hard working band were somewhat overlooked in its early stages, a 250 white label demo was pretty much all you could find until Chrysalis records finally picked them up in July of 1977. After an appearance on the Marc Bolan Show and positive reviews, the first single ‘Your Generation’ charted the UK singles chart at number 36 in September of the same year.
A second single Youth Youth Youth was released without the success of the previous single and it wasn’t until Ready Steady Go the most chart friendly of the singles and the album Generation X was released in Feb 1978 that the band became on of the most popular punk bands of the time.
The original album here in question has received some fine re-mastering work and it’s a pleasure to have from the original vinyl ive had since release. Along with the singles Ready Steady Go , Youth Youth Youth and the great track Kiss Me Deadly ( a later album title ) the opening 2 tracks on the album are very strong, particularly One Hundred Punks which in my opinion should have been a single.
With Idol and Chrysalis at the helm, Generation X were going to become your punk pin ups, but thankfully at this early stage the first album comes with the grit and soul of early punk and the rawness in places of a band that had been touring and playing anywhere they could.
This album is front to back great and sounds even better than I remembered, but there`s more to this release than the album, you get a second CD with out takes and B sides of the early singles, but the best bit is the Alan Winstanley mixes, he engineered the original album but didn’t mix it, but here and thankfully his mixes are finally on offer.
There has also been a RSD day release of one of Winstanley`s mixes on red vinyl which is not available on this 2 CD and 3 LP version.
All in all this is well worth a purchase, and your opinion on Idol and the later career of Generation X should go out the window, as this album is Generation X Period.
9/10
Leggy Mountbatten
Tracks
CD1 (&LP1) – The Original Album [2019 Remaster]
1 – From The Heart
2 – One Hundred Punks
3 – Listen
4 – Ready Steady Go
5 – Kleenex
6 – Promises Promises
7 – Day By Day
8 – The Invisible Man
9 – Kiss Me Deadly
10 – Too Personal
11 – Youth Youth Youth
Produced by Martin Rushent, engineered by Alan Winstanley
CD2 (LP2+3) – A-Side, B-Side and Outtakes [2019 Remaster]
1 – Your Generation [Non-Album Single] +
2 – Day By Day (B-side Version) [B-side to Your Generation] +
3 – Wild Youth [Non-Album Single] +
4 – Wild Dub [B-side to Wild Youth] +
5 – No No No [B-side to Ready Steady Go]
6 – Trying For Kicks (1977 Outtake) [B-side to Friday’s Angels from 1979]
7 – This Heat (1977 Outtake) [B-side to Friday’s Angels from 1979]
8 – Ready Steady Go (Phil Wainman Version) +
9 – No No No (Phil Wainman Version) +
10 – Gimme Some Truth (Outtake) [Released on the US version of the album]
11 – Rock On Dub (Outtake)
12 – Promises Promises (Previosuly Unreleased Single Version)
13 – From the Heart (Winstanley Mix)
14 – The Invisible Man (Winstanley Mix)
15 – Kleenex (Winstanley Mix)
16 – Day By Day (Winstanley Mix)
17 – One Hundred Punks (Winstanley Mix)
18 – Too Personal (Winstanley Mix)
19 – Youth Youth Youth (Winstanley Mix)
