Evil Rumours - Live At The Basement (2 CD) by X

PRESS:

"A live 2CD set from one of Australia's most notorious, unrelenting, eclectic and goddamn loud punk acts of the '80s, this X collection offers incendiary and remarkably true-to-the-original-spirit takes on the classics [Degenerate Boy, Dipstick, Dream Baby, All Over Now] plus some surprises [additional musoes, I love Rock 'n Roll]; with the added benefit of experience and 'mature age' seasoning. It's all in the attitude, dude - NOT the haircut. Proof positive that what they call Punk today ain't nothin' but a ruse." - 8/10 - Rip It Up

"When they first burst onto the scene some 25 years ago, X were a true revelation. Here was a band that was not afraid to blend all the musical elements of 1978 Australia and throw it out to the audience with a performance aesthetic that celebrated the very ethos of putting on a live show. With their raw sound and dynamic sonic approach, X were a reaction against the new breed of local bands that were quickly adopting the new wave ideologies of their European counterparts. A quarter of a century later and X are back with a stellar performance at Sydney's The Basement, sounding as fresh and relevant as ever. It seems good music never really goes out of fashion. Complemented by a string section, a lot of these tracks take on a new life, the touching lyrical plea of Don't Cry no Tears an achingly beautiful moment on an exceptionally good album." - The Brag

"Back in the 1970s rock needed a good kick in the sternum and punk provided just that. Suddenly an aspiring musician need not be a musical prodigy with grandiose dreams. Banging away on a cheap guitar amidst a squall of feedback was just as good, or so the kids thought. X were one of the early Australian proponents of this ideal, although they always were more hard rock than punk, given Ian Rilen's history with Rose Tattoo. Soon X had built a reputation alongside contemporaries such as Radio Birdman, Psycho Surgeons and Shock Treatment as a must see Sydney band. Over the course of the next 25 years, X has become an institution which has outlived all of their original counterparts. Their bludgeoning attack and Guiness Book Of Records worthy 'last ever' performances have taken their toll on many band members. Mainstays Ian Rilen and Steve Lucas has gone on undaunted.

To celebrate their quarter of a century, "Evil Rumours" has been released as a live document. Original member, Geoff Holmes, rejoins and Cath Synnerdahl takes the drum stool vacated by another female, Cathy Green. The further inclusions of piano, strings and saxophone help flesh out the sound allowing X to go beyond mere basic punk to raging boogie. Beginning with the cabaret like Sad Days Girl which could easily befit any Les Negresses Vertes album, they slowly build to their first kick on Dipstick. A great version of Roy Orbison's Dream Baby is followed a smorgasboard of their better known songs and John Lennon's Mother.

Their earliest material, represented by Police, Degenerate Boy, Dipstick, I Don't Wanna Go Out stands well alongside latter day material and indicates just how little they have changed. But you don't fix it when it ain't broke. Vocals are shared between Lucas and Rilen although Lucas has the major share in this department. His voice certainly gets a work out as he switches from clear enunciations of slow rock (Don't Cry No Tears) to primal screams (TV Glue).

The riffs slam headfirst into drumrolls, like barreling ninety miles per hour down dead-end street although they still find a context and relevance, unlike many bands that have cranked their guitars and been pigeon holed by insignificance. When X sing about the seamy side of life it sounds real, as real as only veterans are able to make it sound. As punks lound and fst rules backed the genre into a corner, X had the versatility to rise above all that whilst retaining the chaotic core that makes them sound young and wanting to burn out." - Beat Magazine

"Live albums are 10 to the dozen, bootlegs recordings more so. When I hear a live recording, I want it to move me. If it's from a band I love, I've probably heard the tunes scores of times so I want the recording to add something to the experience, to do something different. That was the intention when X committed to a show at Sydney's Basement in December 2002. And bugger me, if they haven't gone and achieved something stunning.

Out of town, I missed the gig, staged on a Sunday night to mark the beginning of the 25th year of the band's existence. At least I can sample second prize - the live album. If you're in a similar boat, in laying your hands on this you should in no way feel short-changed because you missed out. This is an enduring release, something you'll play over and over.

Yeah, the prospect of X playing "unplugged", as they announced was their intention, was always going to be weird. X are perhaps the least "unplugged" of any Australian band of the last quarter century. In Ian Rilen's primal bass, Steve Lucas' corrugated iron guitar and shredding vocals lies The Heart of a Bad Machine, and volume is one of the main components in its arsenal of Weapons of Aural Destruction. Many's the time I've left an X gig deaf and with the legs of my pants pinned to the backs of my legs. So let's get this out of the way, up front. This is not Peter, Paul and Mary or the fucking Seekers. This is X, playing through smaller amps as a concession, of sorts, to the size of the venue, but augmented by guests (string section Fourplay, John Gaucci on keys, Jason Morphett on sax) who bring to bear elements like piano, organ, sax, cello and viola. And it's as intense a trip as ever.

By racheting back some of the fury and allowing other textures in, X have produced the most adventurous recording of their esteemed career. As basic as the songs are, mid-period X looked to introduce those extra elements with varying degrees of success. Whether it was Chris Wilson's harp in live shows (or on the "And More..." album), they've opened up - but never to this extent. Piano accordian works a treat on "Sad Days Girl", sans Steve's agonised howl. John Gaucci's piano fills out "The Feel" and a lesser song like "You Really Don't Care" and his Hammond organ really enhances "Waiting" and "Ooh Baby". Star turn is taken by saxophonist Jason Morphett who provides a fantastic focus on "I Don't Wanna Go Out" (still a killer song after all these years).

X have a massive back catalogue and it would be nitpicking to come up with a list of songs that should have made it to the stage that night. Lennon's "Mother" did and that's a Good Thing. So is the inclusion of "I Like You and You Like Me". Let's hope it hangs around in current sets.

"I Love Rock and Roll" was the obvious closer - because they DO. If you share the sentiment, make this double album your constant companion." 5 stars! - I94 Bar Website

"In the liner notes to the recent Tales Of The Australian Underground CD, compiler Tim Pittman writes," alongside The Saints, Sydney`s X can lay claim to being The Australian punk "band". While X Themselves dispute the label "punk", preferring plain ol` rock & roll, Pittman`s sentiments are on the money. Anyone who`s witnessed the outfit`s ferocious Liveshows over the last quarter century wouldn`t argue. X`s juggernaut of bass-driven, lung-shredding melodic energy makes slavering devotees of almost all who witness it. The fact that they remain relatively unknown is one of the greatest injustices in Australian music.

However, it was with trepidation that I approached the concert captured here, a show I experienced on a rainy Monday night in December at the Basement last year. After all, stalwart member Cathy Green had departed, and it had been touted as "X Unplugged", two words that I never expected to see together on a gig poster. But when the band hit the stage, dapperly dressed like 30`s gangsters, relief washed over; this was simply X turned-down-a-little, not unplugged! And new skin-smacker Cath Synnerdahl seemed immediately at home, though it was her first-ever gig with the venerable Messrs Ian Rilen and Steve Lucas.

For this show, X had invited a number of guests to augment their primal sound, each taking their musical turn in memorable fashion, despite the obvious minimum of rehearsal. To name just a couple of the fine players featured, original guitarist Geoff Holmes -a full time member again-complements Lucas & Rilens thumping riffs with a controlled wash of distortion, while sax player Jason Morphett honks up a storm on I Don`t Wanna Go Out. Special mention must go to string trio FourPlay, with spiralling playing that lifts TV Glue into the stratosphere.

Evil Rumours is the album that deserves to bring X to the attention of the greater public, not just here but across the world. Album of the month (and not just because you can hear me yelling "More!") - Aaron Curran

Average Customer Review: