Long out of print for whatever reason, Penelope Spheeris' look at the So-cal punk scene of the early 80's, The Decline Of Western Civilization, has been a bit of a white whale- until Youtube. Spheeris (who directed Wayne's World) has a knack for letting these kids rattle off and act natural, which makes it a disarming look into what music has been and should still be- raw, desperate, and dangerous. No band better exemplifies that aesthetic than the almighty X.
X marries punks aggression and romanticism with Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley riffage and rhythmic shuffle. Los Angeles, Wild Gift, and Under the Big Black Sun are all cold classics in rock and roll history, and- unlike most punk of the time- remain timeless. I could go off for days on their brilliance but I'll let the light and sound do it for me.
Seriously, buy or steal all these albums, they are front to back brilliance.
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