X is a noted punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1977. While they achieved only limited mainstream success, they were widely considered one of the most accessible and tuneful of Los Angeles’ many punk bands. Their landmark 1980 record Los Angeles resonated so loudly with the artisans of the city it is named after, that the band received an Official Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles in acknowledgment of their important contributions to Los Angeles music and culture. They were hugely influential on various genres of music, including punk, hardcore, folk and protest music. Exene especially was known for her political activism.
Original members were Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, and DJ Bonebrake. After Zoom retired from the band, Dave Alvin, then Tony Gilkyson replaced him on guitar. Zoom reunited with X in 1998. The original line-up now tours not-so-sporadically.
*The commentary is by “Corporations_Ate_My_Baby” the member posting on this YouTube page who can also be contacted at his political activism page -
www.myspace.com/reregulation
Duration : 0:3:26
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I stand corrected. …
I stand corrected. Weird that the official music industry didn’t “embrace” punk until after “Teen Spirit”. It was then bands like The Offspring had a chance. I’m not sure what happened in the 90s was punk. Punk flavored maybe. L.A., NY, London… magic places between ‘76-80… judging by all the documentaries available now. No one realizes just how historic an art or music scene is going to be at the time. I’m so grateful for X.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Actually, ‘Nazi …
Actually, ‘Nazi Punks Off” was the cry in the bay area clubs-it was a Dead Kennedys song. And…it was long before ‘84. By then those of us in the “Hollyweird” clubs had left then in the hands of the Nazi Punks, Oi Boys and Skinheads.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I hear ya. Post em …
I hear ya. Post em on another account. Title Them JHRP and IMNTBT. and share them with friends. Put “please support this band” all over the video with links to their site. They don’t support themselves on CD sales, they do a robust business in licensing and selling wearables. Their record companies make most of the music money. Send money directly to X when you listen. Send em $10 a year for listening to their music for “free”. Or put that in the video. We have to keep spreading their sound.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I mourn for “Johnny …
I mourn for “Johnny hit and run Pauline” and” I must not think bad thoughts.” Two more videos pulled because somebody needs the royalties to pay for their heroin habit.
At this rate the only thing left on youtube will be Hannah Montana and that monkey that pees in it’s own mouth.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
^ [ When Exene was ...
^ [ When Exene was writing poetry, and when she & John were writing lyrics, a basic high school education was a lot better than it is today. People get on the internet & start reading all kinds of twisted stuff. They actually mean well. They just don't know the basics.] Thanks for the comment BLKSUN
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I mourn for the …
I mourn for the state of education in our times. Things are gonna get much better because we’ll all get back our “necessities and more” - and you probably won’t say “thank you”… you’ll think it was your own boot straps.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I believe the …
I believe the original cry in the hollyweird clubs back in the day was “Nazi Punks Off! - lol - Sigh. Sorry bout the train, but music was pretty excitin’ in ‘84
May 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
MMmmmm, beer at the …
MMmmmm, beer at the Whiskey.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Good lord. It’s X. …
Good lord. It’s X. Socialism? Communism? How about the simple pleasure of pimping beer from a liquor store and getting into the Whiskey with a chalked driver’s license just to stomp to their music? Truly, at that point in my life I wasn’t there so much to argue the finer points of politics. Rather, I came to bathe in the raw sound and be swept away with the possibilities that the music engendered. Many thanks for the video.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I Seen these Guys …
I Seen these Guys in concert in Salt Lake City, Ut. 1984, I almost died this night, the friend that drove us crossed a rail X crossing & didnt see the ING TRAIN!!!, Anyway I Love All People! Black, Latinos, Ect. Just NO REDNECKS…FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I thought a lot …
I thought a lot people are just scared socialism will lead to communism. It does seem similar except the people will have the power i guess not the government or person.
And Corporations8MyBaby do you think you can explain to me why socialism is so good if you have the time. Like how it will work as well. Wouldn’t the whole would have to be under a Socialism form of government for it to work. I’m only 16 and not an expert on this stuff. Just interested.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
That’s way cool. …
That’s way cool. You are so welcome!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
question….how do …
question….how do you expect a ustopia with a socialist or marxcist controll -forced controll of the people? so if i read you correctly -your saying that gov controll of evryones property to ‘empower’ the poor is the solution…and special rights for perversion is “gain” ? wow….i am speachless…what a utopia!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
But by denying …
But by denying blacks the right to vote for so long, we did NOT let “the people have a say,” making it not a democracy in actuality.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
well this was a …
well this was a nostalgic trip, i remembering listening this as a child with my dad in the car. Thanks a lot for posting video,
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
jc4jcjcjc20jc, I …
jc4jcjcjc20jc, I respect how you use your mind. That’s a logical point. Jefferson wanted our system to be a republic first, but a republic that was governed by democracy. The majority wanted to preserve SLAVERY too, but our system obeys the constitution first - the people cannot vote to remove rights. Soon the GLBT community will be vindicated. It is the American way. We are subject to the words of our founders.We are free.We have unalienable rights. X reminds us to share freedom even w/the poor
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
is democracy THE …
is democracy THE PEOPLE HAVING A SAY IN WHAT ARE GOVERNMENT DOES so yeah the majority do not want to give gays rights….. how is that not still democracy and im not agianst gay people if i was old enough to voted to give all of them equal rights marriage whatever im just saying the majority of the PEOPLE VOTED AGIASNT IT and thats what democracy is all about right the people haivng a say
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I guess you read …
I guess you read that phrase too fast. Think about the words “attempt” & “ideal”,instead of “democracy”. We struggle to form a more perfect union yet are a long way from Utopia to be sure. When this song came out, we were taking huge steps BACKWARDS as a nation.Sure Nixon was a criminal, but our society rejected him. The Reagan revolution was about ERASING gains for Gays, non-whites, the poor&middle classes. This song is a wake up call: We’re losing the small gains we’d fought for! TheNew World!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
America was not “an …
America was not “an attempt to put ideals of democracy into practice.” If that was true, then America would have split from GB much sooner than they did. In actuality, no one gave a about democracy until it became an excuse to not pay taxes. Another thing, if our infallible ancestors cared so much about democracy, how the did we go until the 1960s before we even gave black people their right? And we still deny rights to gay people. People care about their own wellbeing, not democracy
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Welcome and thanks …
Welcome and thanks for watching.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Actually, in my …
Actually, in my work blogging I find quite a few who think socialism & communism are the same thing, and they are not 12. I’m glad you are not an idiot and understand that socialism is a form of governing that merges private & public collective ownership of large industry so as to benefit the citizenry first. Communism allows no private ownership. This is critical in understanding X’s reaction to Reaganism in the 80s & it’s drive to total privatization & the dangers of Fascist/Corporatism.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I’m so glad the …
I’m so glad the Reagan Mythology of “giving everything to the rich so that it will trickle down” is dying as an ideology. X kept that flame alive for many of us.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Only idiots don’t …
Only idiots don’t know what Socialism is. What are you? 12? X kicks , and their music will be more relevant than even under the Godbama administration.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
boy does this bring …
boy does this bring back early 80’s drug memories
May 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Organizing is the …
Organizing is the greatest power the people have. We couldnt have ended segregation & Jim Crow had the meekest,poorest persons not organized& stood their ground. The difference is thatToday Fox News nearly says that civil rights activists were radicals 2 blame. GM didn’t like having to pay decent wages, so they helped create a corporate media 2lie2 all of us, & in govt. to undo the fairness of our society & keep their $ power.*GM will break the US economy to get their way. UNIONS R DEMOCRACY.