Beyond & Back: The X Anthology (CD - 1997)

X includes: Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, Dave Alvin, Tony Gilkyson, D.J. Bonebrake.

Producers include: X, Michael Wagener, Don Gilmore, Dave Jerden, John Doe, Tony Berg.

Includes liner notes by Travis Dickerson.

More than a simple greatest hits, BEYOND AND BACK is a 2 CD-collection featuring plenty of unreleased material, live recordings (of varying quality) and examples of the various phases X has gone through over the course of their career. Although Exene Cervenka and John Doe's contributions continually stand out, much of X's spark came from Billy Zoom's powerful rockabilly riffs ("The World's A Mess; It's In My Kiss") and DJ Bonebrake's pounding percussive style ("Hungry Wolf"). As time passed and X's primal sound evolved, their music reflected more of a populist slant. This philosophical exploration manifested itself in both their country alter-ego The Knitters (represented by "Someone Like You" and "Call Of The Wreckin' Ball") and later material that leaned more towards Woody Guthrie than Sid Vicious ("See How We Are," "4th Of July").

Doe and Cervenka's personal relationship eventually foundered back in the mid-80's. Their musical collaboration, however, remained fresh right up until X's last album, 1994's live UNCLOGGED. The inclusion of "Burning House Of Love" from that record makes the case for X's collaborative core being punk's answer to George Jones and Tammy Wynette. minimize