Ain't Love Grand [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

X | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Label: Elektra / Wea / Rhino
• ASIN: B000065DU1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Burning House Of Love

2. Love Shack

3. My Soul Cries Your Name

4. My Goodness

5. Around My Heart

6. What's Wrong With Me...

7. Watch The Sun Go Down

8. I'll Stand Up For You

9. Little Honey

10. Supercharged

11. Wild Thing (Long Version) (Bonus Track)

12. I Will Dare (Demo) (Bonus Track)

13. My Goodness (Demo) (Bonus Track)

14. All Or Nothing

Editorial Reviews

Expanded & remastered reissue of 1985 album with 4 bonus recordings 'Wild Thing' (long version), 'I Will Dare' (demo - previously unissued), 'My Goodness' (demo - previously unissued) & 'All Or Nothing'. Also includes a 20 page booklet with commentary by

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars X SELL THEIR SOULS! But make a pretty great album., October 20, 2001

By 

Jim Allison (rochester, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ain't Love Grand (Audio CD)

Ok, ok. This is not X's greatest album ("Wild Gift"). And even though at the time it was made, it was a rather desparate attempt at an ultra-modern, 80's sound, it is their most dated sounding album. Sure, I was pretty peeved back when this album first came out that my favorite band had "sold out" and made a "big-hair" record. But you know what? I got over it. This album rocks! It's still better than just about any other music that was around at the time and its aged better too, just not as well as the other X albums. The songwriting is actually just as good as anything that came before it. What keeps "Ain't Love Grand" from being another X classic is the BIG 80's production. It's got the huge drum sound so popular then and it's so echoey it could have been recorded on the main altar of St. Peter's Basillica. And those choruses are straight out of a Journey album (eeeewwww).
Still, turn on a song like "Little Honey" or the duet "I'll stand up for You" (which could have been such a huge hit for Peter Cetera & Cher!)(just kidding) and you'll hear for yourself, "Ain't Love Grand" is grand 80s rock from X. Just not their best.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars more inappropriately produced album of all time?, April 20, 2008

By 

mabewa (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ain't Love Grand (Audio CD)

After 4 albums of the bare-bone Ray Manzarek production, this one was a real shocker! They got some wussy pop metal producer, and as a result, sounded shockingly different! BIG guitars, echo-chamber drums, lots of reverb on the vocals, layered synths in the background. It's one of the weirdest combinations I've ever heard. I guess that guitarist Billy Zoom threatened to leave if they didn't have a hit, so they got a commercial producer... the album ended up being marginally more successful than their earlier ones, but a lot of the loyal fans didn't like it, so it really wasn't much of a success, and Zoom left anyway. Overall, a real disaster. So, you might ask, why a 3??? Well, it's a breakup album--Exene and John had gotten divorced, and it could have been a bit like a punk-rock "Rumors" if it had been produced properly. Good, emotional songs, basically--song-for-song, not as good as their (classic) earlier albums, but it could have easily gotten a 4 from me if it had been produced properly. My favorite song on it, My Goodness, is a great torch ballad that is barely affected by the production, but the rockers definitely suffer. Still, it's a worthwhile album if you are willing to sit through the production.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Overlooked Album, June 21, 2000

By 

Robin Lowe (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ain't Love Grand (Audio CD)

While X is one of the most influental punk bands in the US, this album is usually overlooked by many. That's a shame. While 'Burning House of Love' was primed to be the hit maker of the album, songs like 'My Goodness' and 'Around My Heart' show the maturity the band finally reached with the release of "See How We Are". Although my favorite is the flat out honesty of "What's Wrong with Me". I still play that song full blast on those days when I need to blow off steam.