Kiss Me Deadly

A phenomenal post-punk document

     

I have spent the past 20 years trying to fight two misconceptions regarding this album: (1) that Generation X wasn't a great punk band; (2) that this album is the weakest of their efforts. The former comes from punk purists who think life began and ended with the Pistols and Clash; the latter from critics who will concede that Generation X had its moments but all of them come from their (in my opinion) fairly derivative (but much more "punk", whatever that means) first, eponymously titled album. But most Gen X fans know that they got better with age, releasing two more albums after their first, each more sophisticated than the last. This, their final full-length release, is the culmination of their pop/punk tendencies and is a magnificent post-punk musical document. Because this album was such a collaborative effort between Idol, James, former Clash drummer Terry Chimes, and a revolving door of who's who punk guitarists, including Steve Jones, John McGeoch, and Steve New, their isn't a lot of musical continuity across the songs. But the guitars are soaring and majestic; songs like "Heavens Inside", "Triumph", and "Stars Look Down" capture the essence of where post-punk music was at in England at this time. McGeoch's signature guitar sound is particularly evident on "Heavens Inside" and "Stars Look Down" and gives these songs a lushness reminiscent of early New Romantic sounds. Slower, bass-heavy numbers like "Revenge" and "Happy People" lean more toward dub reggae and give the album a mellow vibe. And of course this album produced two songs for Idol's solo career, the hit "Dancing With Myself" and "Untouchables", both of which he re-recorded for his initial solo EP. There are very few weak moments here and fans of early 80's English music will enjoy this greatly.