Black Like Sunday [Enhanced]

King's X | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Metal Blade
• ASIN: B000095J1L
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,264 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #24 in Music > Christian > Hard Rock & Metal

Track Listings

1. Black Like Sunday

2. Rock Pile

3. Danger Zone

4. Working Man

5. Drams

6. Finished

7. Screamer

8. Bad Luck

9. Down

10. WOn't Turn Back

11. Two

12. You're The Only One

13. Johnny

14. Save us

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3 decades and getting stronger, May 21, 2003

By 

Timothy K. Schwader "@impalerspeaks" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Like Sunday (Audio CD)

King's X. Either you "get" them, or you don't. Sad for you if you don't because this is the best band in the history of the world. These same three cats have been playing together since 1981 and, in fact, most of the songs from this new release were written and originally performed during the band's earliest days while they were known as The Edge and then as Sneak Preview. All songs were re-recorded with a modern edge between late 2002 and early 2003 though. These songs are amazing, especially "Two," "You're The Only One," "Black Like Sunday," and "Down." Another standout is "Johnny," always a cool song, this one joins the select group of ULTIMATE King's X songs in its current incarnation. Doug, Ty, and Jerry take a groovy little pop song written during the height of New Wave and turn it into a modern "Moanjam" with the extended jamming section that will appeal to jam-band fans, metalheads, and of course King's X followers. The cover art is the best since 1992's self-titled release, and it comes courtesy of a fan named Danny Wilson who won a contest ... It's about time this incredible band had cool cover art again! The whole package is great, with the booklet designed as a mini 2003 calendar complete with historical information about King's X, current tour dates, and more. This is also the band's first enhanced disc, including a video of the band performing the song "Dreams" live in 1986, right after the name change to King's X, plus a wealth of cool photos and complete lyrics to all 14 songs. Final notes on BLACK LIKE SUNDAY: the production is a real treat, the songs are great, Ty's guitar playing sounds fresh and inspired (among his best, especially on "Johnny"!), Doug's bass playing is the best in the business and his vocals are among the best in his career (and that is really saying something as Doug has the greatest voice in the history of music), and Jerry's drumming is as tight as ever and very creative. All the harmonies are tight and clean, too. Vocally, this is a truly classic King's X album. Some of the lyrics will seem strange and dated on the printed page, but if you put them in the context of three mature men taking songs they wrote when U2, Big Country, and The Police ruled the airwaves and revamping them for today, it all makes sense. This album will make you feel good in every way. If you are tired of today's boring, homogenized music "scene" or maybe haven't checked out a King's X album since you were in high school, give them another shot with BLACK LIKE SUNDAY. You can't go wrong here!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Love these guys, but..., October 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Like Sunday (Audio CD)

It's tough to seperate the good King's X albums from the bad ones, because fans of the band have such radically different views. Everyone pretty much loves "Gretchen...", but people were pretty much split on "...Bulbous." So someone who reads a good review of "Black Like Sunday" may not agree once they hear the album, and vice versa. So in an effort to clear it up, here's how I rate past King's X albums:

Loved (from best to merely adequate): Ear Candy, Gretchen, King's X, Dogman, Faith Hope Love, Tapehead, Out Of The Silent Planet.

HATED (From most depised to merely disliked): Please Come Home Mr. Bulbous, Manic Moonlight, Black Like Sunday.

In other words, King's X took a shockingly bad turn with Bulbous, and they've been struggling to recover ever since. They've made another step on the road to recovery, but they aren't there yet. I thought Ear Candy was their best work, but I can also understand why people like Gretchen so much. It's a great album. "Black Like Sunday" is missing all the things that made us love King's X in the first place. Gone are the stellar harmony vocals, the lightning guitar leads, the hooks that were original yet effective, and the lead vocal contributions from the other band members. This record is raw and unpolished (which might work for Alice in Chains, but not King's X), the music is uninspired, Doug Pinnick handles all lead vocal duties and most of the back-up, and while much of the music still has those original sounding hooks, they're just not as interesting as they used to be. I'm all for a band progressing and evolving, but that's not what King's X is doing. They're not picking up new "musical tools" to add to their bag. They're trading in their good tools for bad ones.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the King's X we know and love, June 4, 2003

By 

Mr. S. Russell (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Like Sunday (Audio CD)

Texan trio King's X are one of the few bands whose albums I automatically buy whenever a new one is released, to date, I have never been disappointed. Each one has seen the band grow and evolve together in new and interesting directions. However, as much as it pains me to say it, their latest offering "Black Like Sunday" is a bit of a patchy, hit and miss affair.

In fairness, this album can't really be judged alongside the main body of the band's work because it contains recently recorded versions of songs that were all written some 20 years ago, before the band became successful. I have to say though, that you can tell. The standard of songwriting is not what we've come to know and love from the guys and, although there are occasional flashes of the band as we know them today, the material generally lacks the solidity and maturity of even their earliest studio work. As someone who loves the band for their thoughtful lyrics and their depth, this time warp back to 1986 and the "Whoa, yeah, I'm a rocker" style is a bit of a shocker.

As a nostalgia trip for the band and the fans who remember them prior to "Out of the Silent Planet", BLS may be great fun. However, it isn't going to win them any new friends in 2003 and is no more than an interesting curiosity for those who joined the King's X bandwagon in 1988. If you're a hard-core fan you'll buy it anyway, but I reckon you'll only listen to it a couple of times before retreating back to the safety of something more recent.