Wild Gift
Encyclopedia
Wild Gift is the second album by the American punk rock
band X, released in 1981. It was very well received critically, and was voted #2 for the year in The Village Voice
Pazz & Jop
Critics Poll. In 2003, the album was ranked number 334 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
In 1988, Slash
released Los Angeles
and Wild Gift jointly on a single CD. Wild Gift was remastered and reissued in 2001 by Rhino Records, with seven bonus tracks.
The track "White Girl" was sampled by The Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 1989 album Mother's Milk during the song "Good Time Boys". Ensuing lyrics mention John Doe specifically, "whose voice is made of gold".
gave Wild Gift a rare A+ rating, writing that "hippie
s couldn't understand jealousy because they believed in universal love; punks can't understand it because they believe sex is a doomed reflex of existentially discrete monads. As X-Catholic
s obsessed with a guilt they can't accept and committed to a subculture that gives them no peace, Exene
and John Doe
are prey to both misconceptions, and their struggle with them is thrilling and edifying...Who knows whether the insightful ministrations of their guitarist will prove as therapeutic for them as for you and me, but I say trust a bohemian
bearing gifts. How often do we get a great love album and a great punk album in the same package?" Christgau later ranked the album third on his 'Personal Best' list for the 80's, the highest placing of any rock album.
When The Village Voice
held their Pazz & Jop
Critics Poll for 1981, Wild Gift was ranked at #2, right behind Sandinista!
by the Clash
. It was listed at #334 in Rolling Stones 500 greatest albums list in 2003.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band X, released in 1981. It was very well received critically, and was voted #2 for the year in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
Critics Poll. In 2003, the album was ranked number 334 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
In 1988, Slash
Slash Records
Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
released Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Wild Gift jointly on a single CD. Wild Gift was remastered and reissued in 2001 by Rhino Records, with seven bonus tracks.
The track "White Girl" was sampled by The Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 1989 album Mother's Milk during the song "Good Time Boys". Ensuing lyrics mention John Doe specifically, "whose voice is made of gold".
Critical Reception
In a review published in his "Consumer Guide" column, Robert ChristgauRobert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave Wild Gift a rare A+ rating, writing that "hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s couldn't understand jealousy because they believed in universal love; punks can't understand it because they believe sex is a doomed reflex of existentially discrete monads. As X-Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s obsessed with a guilt they can't accept and committed to a subculture that gives them no peace, Exene
Exene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka is an American writer, musician and artist, most famous as the co-lead vocalist of the Los Angeles punk rock band X.-Career:...
and John Doe
John Doe (musician)
John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
are prey to both misconceptions, and their struggle with them is thrilling and edifying...Who knows whether the insightful ministrations of their guitarist will prove as therapeutic for them as for you and me, but I say trust a bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
bearing gifts. How often do we get a great love album and a great punk album in the same package?" Christgau later ranked the album third on his 'Personal Best' list for the 80's, the highest placing of any rock album.
When The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
held their Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
Critics Poll for 1981, Wild Gift was ranked at #2, right behind Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
by the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. It was listed at #334 in Rolling Stones 500 greatest albums list in 2003.
Side one
- "The Once Over Twice" – 2:31
- "We're Desperate" – 2:00
- "Adult Books" – 3:19
- "Universal Corner" – 4:33
- "I'm Coming Over" – 1:14
- "It's Who You Know" – 2:17
Side two
- "In This House That I Call Home" – 3:34
- "Some Other Time" – 2:17
- "White Girl" – 3:27
- "Beyond and Back" – 2:49
- "Back 2 the Base" – 1:33
- "When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch" – 1:57
- "Year 1" – 1:18
Bonus tracks (2001 reissue)
- "Beyond and Back" (Live) – 2:48
- "Blue Spark" (Demo) – 2:04
- "We're Desperate" (Single version) – 2:01
- "Back 2 the Base" (Live) – 1:40
- "Heater" (Rehearsal) (Doe) – 2:32
- "White Girl" (Single mix) – 3:29
- "The Once Over Twice" (Unissued single mix) – 2:35
Personnel
- John DoeJohn Doe (musician)John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - ExeneExene CervenkaExene Cervenka is an American writer, musician and artist, most famous as the co-lead vocalist of the Los Angeles punk rock band X.-Career:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Billy ZoomBilly ZoomBilly Zoom is an American guitarist, best known as one of the founders of the punk rock band X.-Early life:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - D.J. BonebrakeDJ BonebrakeDonald J. "DJ" Bonebrake is an American musician from California who first emerged as the drummer of the punk rock band Eyes...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Albums |
165 |