More Fun in the New World [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] (CD - 1983)

Producer: Ray Manzarek.

Reissue producers: Gary Stewart, John Doe.

Recorded at Cherokee, Dreamship Studios, Los Angeles, California in 1983. Originally released on Elektra (60283). Includes liner notes by Kristine McKenna.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

X: John Doe (vocals, bass); Exene Cervenka (vocals); Billy Zoom (guitar); D.J. Bonebrake (drums, percussion).

Recorded at Cherokee, Dreamship Studios, Los Angeles, California in 1983.

Personnel: Exene Cervenka (vocals); Billy Zoom (guitar); D.J. Bonebrake (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixers: Clay Rose; Ray Manzarek; Brad Gilderman.

Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Audio Remixer: Dave Way.

Liner Note Author: Leigh Hall.

Recording information: Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1983); Dreamship Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1983).

Photographers: Rick Schmidlin; Howard Rosenberg; Raymond Bridgers.

Coming off their 1982 masterpiece Under the Big Black Sun, X offered their follow-up More Fun in the New World one year later. While its predecessor won the band a slew of new fans, it didn't serve as the major breakthrough that it so deservedly should have. Rightfully, they didn't fool with their already winning formula; they issued another solid set of songs produced, again, by Ray Manzarek. The anthemic album opener "The New World" is still powerful years later, as is the absolutely beautiful ballad "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts," which perfectly captures the paranoid feeling of Reagan's America in the '80s. X achieved new rough and rocking heights with the vicious "Devil Doll," "Painting the Town Blue," and "Make the Music Go Bang," while returning once again to their retro '50s roots with "Poor Girl." More Fun in the New World would prove to be Manzarek's final production credit with X, who would hook up with renowned heavy metal veteran Michael Wagener for their next release two years later, Ain't Love Grand! ~ Greg Prato

The gradual incorporation of extra elements into X's sound and songwriting over the course of their first four releases (all of which were produced by ex-Door keyboardist Ray Manzarek) marked a subtle but unmistakable progression. By the time of this album's appearance the band had already outlasted most of their Los Angeles contemporaries, and with good reason--they had somewhere to go; there was room to grow and develop. "True Love," "I Must Not Think Bad thoughts," and "New World" all have a sound reminiscent of LOS ANGELES.

"Breathless" appeared in a concurrent movie of the same name. It was an audacious move to release a single forever tied to Jerry Lee Lewis, but they made it their own, substituting guitar for piano and Exene Cervenka's irony-tinged take for the Killer's hopped-up vocals. Alas, success on a large and national scale still eluded them and changes were afoot by the time of their next, AIN'T LOVE GRAND.

The gradual incorporation of extra elements into X's sound and songwriting over the course of their first four releases (all of which were produced by ex-Door keyboardist Ray Manzarek) marked a subtle but unmistakable progression. By the time of this album's appearance the band had already outlasted most of their Los Angeles contemporaries, and with good reason--they had somewhere to go; there was room to grow and develop. "True Love," "I Must Not Think Bad thoughts," and "New World" all have a sound reminiscent of LOS ANGELES.

"Breathless" appeared in a concurrent movie of the same name. It was an audacious move to release a single forever tied to Jerry Lee Lewis, but they made it their own, substituting guitar for piano and Exene Cervenka's irony-tinged take for the Killer's hopped-up vocals. Alas, success on a large and national scale still eluded them and changes were afoot by the time of their next, AIN'T LOVE GRAND.

Coming off their 1982 masterpiece Under the Big Black Sun, X offered their follow-up More Fun in the New World one year later. While its predecessor won the band a slew of new fans, it didn't serve as the major breakthrough that it so deservedly should have. Rightfully, they didn't fool with their already winning formula; they issued another solid set of songs produced, again, by Ray Manzarek. The anthemic album opener "The New World" is still powerful years later, as is the absolutely beautiful ballad "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts," which perfectly captures the paranoid feeling of Reagan's America in the '80s. X achieved new rough and rocking heights with the vicious "Devil Doll," "Painting the Town Blue," and "Make the Music Go Bang," while returning once again to their retro '50s roots with "Poor Girl." More Fun in the New World would prove to be Manzarek's final production credit with X, who would hook up with renowned heavy metal veteran Michael Wagener for their next release two years later, Ain't Love Grand! [More Fun in the New World was re-issued in 2002 with four bonus tracks.] ~ Greg Prato minimize