Tag: Generation X

Generation X – ‘Anthology’ (2003) – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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Record companies like to release compilations long after a band has broken up as it keeps the band relevant and another opportunity to grab some cash. Unlike most greatest hits compilation, this one has some meat on the bone. EMI records released ‘Anthology’ on February 25, 2003 and it isn’t a one disc type of compilation. No! You get 3 CDs of goodness. The booklet gives us a nice biography of the band plus credits for all the songs on the 3 discs. And it also gives 51 tracks from the Generation X catalog.

But before we get in to the music. Who is Generation X? Well, if you didn’t follow my Billy Idol series, then I will let you know who they are (but go back and read all the reviews in the Series after you are done with this one). Generation X were a punk band out of England that ran from 1976 until 1981 and consisted of Tony James, Bob “Derwood” Andrews, Mark Laff and of course, Billy Idol. That is how discovered them is digging through Billy Idol’s musical history and I am so glad I did. They had 3 albums and went from Generation X to Gen X when there was a line-up change. But I liked most of what I heard so this was easy decision to grab this one…okay…now on to the music included in this set.

DISC ONE:

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Generation Sex – ‘Listen To This, Johnny!’ (2024) – Bootleg

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In 2023, a new Super Group was born. This one was called Generation Sex and consisted of members of both Generation X and The Sex Pistols. From Gen X we get Billy Idol and Tony James. And from The Sex Pistols we get Steve Jones and Paul Cook. The four legends toured Europe in the Summer of 2023. Of course they performed songs from both bands as that was the whole point of the Tour. And like with almost any tour, you generally can find a bootleg and I did just that.

As you know, I love Billy Idol and so any time I can find anything I don’t have I grab it. This bootleg came out on July 16, 2024 and for a show at the Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden. The title of the set is called “Listen To This, Johnny!” which is wonderful shout out to The Sex Pistol lead singer, Johnny Rotten. Maybe a giant middle finger…who knows.

The setlist for that show was a whopping 16 tracks, but we don’t get the full show here sadly. This bootleg only gives us 11 songs from that set, but those songs are great. The bootleg was done like those back in the day (70’s/80’s) which means it is a white cardboard jacket with a sheet of paper wrapped around it with the information crudely printed and xeroxed copied. In a word, awesome!! There is no extra information, just basics and the vinyl label is pretty basic with a giant A on one side and basic white on Side B. And as far as sound, a pretty damn decent audience recording and since we are here for the music, that is a good thing. Let us dive right in.

SIDE A:

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The Collection: Ep. 19 – Generation X

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A few weeks back, we went through my Billy Idol Vinyl. I promised we would come back and do a walk through Billy’s first big band, Generation X. Here we are ready to tackle the Generation X collection. We go through all the vinyl I have and even throw in a few CDs and a cassette. If you like some Punk, then you’ll love Generation X. We start with a young lad name William Broad that turns in to the great Billy Idol and how he developed in to the superstar he would later become. I hope you enjoy!!

So go check it out as it is live now on June 24, 2024 at 8pm. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

The Collection: Ep. 16 – Wrap-Up May 2024

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We are to the end of another month so it is time to what 2 Loud 2 Old Music added to the collection this month. We hit a couple local shops including Noble Records and Mad Jacks. I also ordered some new releases from Amazon and bought a few things off Discogs including one I’d been wanting a while. In fact, had to sell a couple things to be able to afford it. If you like Kiss, Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Billy Idol, then it is a must see. If not, you should still see all that is in store. We have cassettes, CDs and Vinyl for you this week. Enjoy!!!

So go check it out as it will be live tonight right now, June 3, 2024 at 8pm. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

And for those that like to see all the stuff in one shot…here you go…

Grant’s Rock Warehaus – Generation X featuring Billy Idol Discussion & Review

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Premieres Sep 8, 2023 @ 8PM EDT

Discussion & Review: Generation X featuring Billy Idol w/John T. Snow

Join Grant and John as they take a look at the band Generation X.

This was a lot of fun, if you want to know where Billy Idol started, then you will enjoy this walk through the Generation X Catalog. Check it out! And thanks to Grant Arthur for having me on the show.

Billy Idol – ‘Icon’ (2013) – Album Review ( the Billy Idol Series)

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Apparently compilations are always a big hit with the music buying public. No one wants full albums anymore of new material…nope. They just want the hits. Universal Music & Capitol Records are capitalizing on that and have a series called ‘Icon’. You might have seen one from Kiss, Megadeth, Limp Bizkit, even Billy Ray Cyrus. In 2013, Billy Idol was treated with his own ‘Icon’ greatest hits compilation.

Here is my thing with these releases. They are LAZY! No new edits, no unreleased tracks and only room for a handful of the hits. Not even all the good ones. This Billy Idol release is no different. It only draws from his biggest albums, the first three and one Generation X song. It is missing the good stuff from Charmed Life, Cyberpunk or even Devil’s Playground. However, what is here is good, great in fact. These songs are classics for a reason so I can’t complain about that, but it is still a safe collection. The songs are in chronological order which is also pretty damn lazy.

The albums first is the now classic, “Dancing With Myself”.  I say now a classic because this song failed to chart upon its release and didn’t really do much.  It wasn’t until Billy released it as one of his solo songs, but that is for another discussion.  The song was inspired by what the band saw while on tour in Tokyo.  They noticed at that dance clubs, the people were dancing more with their own reflections in the mirrored walls than they were with other people. The song is pure New Wave dance music with a slight punk edge…classic Billy Idol solo.  It is so melodic and catchy.  The guitars are a little louder on this version and not as much bass, but other than that it is the song you know.  A great way to start out the collection. This track is off the Generation X album ‘Kiss Me Deadly’.

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June 2023 Purchases – Vinyl, CDs & More…

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Welcome to another monthly round-up of what we obtained here at 2 Loud 2 Old Music. It was another big month, but not quite like last month. The month started off with another Buy 5 Get 5 deal and ended with a trip to Los Angeles so it was a fun month here at the site.

First up was the 2nd & Charles Buy 5 Get 5 Free on Used CDs, so of course, I took advantage of that deal. Not a bad haul I must say…

And of course, we did get some new releases this month including Extreme, Neal Schon and my personal favorite, The Defiants!! I went the cheaper route of CDs for these mainly because Neal’s isn’t on vinyl and The Defiants isn’t available until September (pre-ordered).

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Generation X – ‘Demos 1977’ – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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At the record show here in Charlotte back in May of 2022, I found a Generation X album on vinyl I didn’t know existed. It is ‘Demos 1977’ and was actually only released back in 2020 and with Covid going on, probably the reason I missed it. It is also a German release which adds to why I didn’t see it. It says these demos were recorded back in 1977 on February 16th presumable for Chiswick Records. The band at the time was Billy Idol, Tony James, Bob ‘Derwood’ Andrews and John Towe and the demos were recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in Wembley, North London.

Here’s the problem I have with this saying these are the demos for Chiswick Records. They actually only recorded 5 songs for Chiswick and there are 13 songs here. Plus only 4 of those 5 are on this recording. The other 9 songs are from other recording sessions between 1977 and 1980 I believe based on the songs.

SIDE 1:

The first four songs on the album appear to be the Chiswick demos, but it is missing “Kleenex” which is a shame as that is a great one to have as it has different lyrics than the final product for the debut album. It kicks off with “Your Generation” which would’ve been their first single they released independently with the original pressing only 250 copies and later they would go back and do another 500. The B-Side of that single was “Listen” also from these sessions. “Listen” would wind up on the debut album, however, it was omitted from the U.S. release of the album and “Your Generation” take its place as it did not make it on the UK debut.

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May 2022 Purchases – Vinyl & CD’s

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Another month down and therefore it is time to review the purchases made this month at 2 Loud 2 Old Music. And I think it was a pretty good haul. We bought some stuff online, we hit a local record store and we had a record show this month. And we will kick it off with the brand new album by Jeff Scott Soto which came out on May 6th. It is called ‘Complicated’ and we won’t be getting to review this one for a long time as we are only 20+ albums into the 70 album series. For now, take a peek…

Then I have some research I need to do for a friend of Jeff Scott Soto. I have a lot of homework to do on Jason Bieler of Saigon Kick (notice the three Rock Candy Editions) and his new band Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra plus others. Hmmm…now why would I be doing homework…I guess you will soon find out…

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Gen X – “Dancing With Myself” 12″ Single – Bonus Edition (The Billy Idol Series)

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In my crate digging back in June, I found this beauty.  It is a Gen X 12″ single of the song “Dancing with Myself”.  This was off the band’s third album called “Kiss Me Deadly” and was a little before the song became famous by the Gen X singer, Billy Idol, on his first solo outing. Since I have all the band’s stuff (with minor exceptions), I look for the Singles and oddball items now and this fit the bill nicely.

For me it is both a Single and an oddball, because what is the deal with the frightening little girl on the cover.  She’s scary, right?  The album is still wrapped in the original plastic wrap which has seen better days, but this has kept the album in pretty dang good shape.

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“Dancing with Myself” failed to chart upon its release and didn’t really do much.  It wasn’t until Billy released it as one of his solo songs, but that is for another discussion.  The song was inspired by what the band saw while on tour in Tokyo.  They noticed that at the dance clubs, the people were dancing more with their own reflections in the mirrored walls than they were with other people.  That somehow inspired the song.

The song has has always been one of my favorite songs by the band and Billy’s solo work.  The song is pure New Wave dance music with a slight punk edge…classic Billy Idol solo.  It is so melodic, catchy and so much energy you can’t help but move.  The guitars are a little louder on this version and the bass toned down ever so slightly, but other than that it is the song you know.  Being the 12″ Single, it is extended out to just over 4 minutes which is about 20 seconds longer than the album version and 20 more seconds to be on the dance floor.

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The prize on this is not just “Dancing With Myself” as I have several versions on other releases, but it is the B-Sides.  Okay, I have the other two songs as well,  but only digitally, not physically.  Now that has changed.  The two tracks are called “Loopy Dub” and “Ugly Dub” and honestly, they aren’t that great.  So the prize really is “Dancing With Myself”.

“Loopy Dub” doesn’t really go fast enough for a dance track.  It is kinda slow and drags on with no real purpose.  I would’ve liked something more upbeat that you could dance too because this just depresses me.  “Ugly Dub” isn’t any better.  There is a strong case to be made why these didn’t end up on the album.  Honestly, not sure there was ever any reason to release them period.

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And there you have it.  Another nugget in the world of Billy Idol.  The collection is coming along nicely and I love adding new stuff especially when it comes to the Gen X era of his career.

Now, if you want to check out the full reviews and the entire Billy Idol Series, click on any and all of the links below…

  1. Generation X – ‘Generation X’
  2. Generation X – ‘Valley of the Dolls’
  3. Gen X – ‘Kiss Me Deadly’
  4. Gen X – “Dancing With Myself” 12″ Single (Bonus Edition)
  5. Generation X – ‘The BBC Transcription Disc Series No. 126 1978’ (Bootleg)
  6. Billy Idol – Don’t Stop E.P.
  7. Billy Idol – Billy Idol
  8. Billy Idol – Rebel Yell
  9. Billy Idol – Whiplash Smile
  10. Billy Idol – To Be A Lover – Single Review
  11. Billy Idol – Vital Idol
  12. Billy Idol – Charmed Life
  13. Billy Idol – Cyberpunk
  14. Billy Idol – “Speed” (song from the Speed Soundtrack)
  15. Generation X – K.M.D. Sweet Revenge
  16. Billy Idol – VH1 Storytellers (Live)
  17. Billy Idol – Devil’s Playground
  18. Billy Idol – Happy Holidays
  19. Billy Idol – The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself
  20. Billy Idol – Kings & Queens of the Underground
  21. Billy Idol – BFI Live (#RSD 2019)
  22. Billy Idol – Revitalized
  23. Generation X – Your Generation (7″ Record Store Day Release)
  24. Generation X – Generation X Deluxe Edition
  25. Billy Idol – Rebel Waltz: Live (Bootleg)
  26. Billy Idol – Rebel Calling: Live (Bootleg)
  27. Billy Idol – The Albums Ranked From Worst to First