erin petrie looks at a forgotten track from one of the pioneers of L.A. alt-rock …
In 1977, X became much more than just a letter. That was the year that a couple of twentysomethings from the City of Angels formed a punk band named X and stormed the music scene with mismatched vocals, rockabilly hairstyles and clothes that look like Sid Vicious picked them out.
One of their best songs — evidenced in a great clip below from the documentary Decline of the Western Civilization, about the L.A. punk scene — “Johnny Hit And Run Pauline” is undeniably catchy and a fine specimin of rock music. Even though the lyrics tell the story of a bizarre and slightly disturbing sex-crazed rapist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWunSUmEm4
X were stars of the Los Angeles punk scene — one that tended to pale in comparison to the punk movements in New York and London. Their catalog of rousing rockabilly, punk chords and folk-tinged political anthems didn’t score them any Top 40 hits, or really even any mainstream success, but they remain one of the best American punk bands.
Exene Cervenka and John Doe shared vocals (and, at one time, nuptials, though they divorced by 1985) while the latter also played bass. Guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake rounded out the band.
Their early albums (Los Angeles and Wild Gift) are widely acclaimed among music critics, although this writer thinks 1983’s More Fun in the New World is their true masterpiece. Ray Manzarek, former keyboardist with The Doors, produced all three albums.
