Customer Reviews

Xl1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps not as poignant as it's predecessor ("Homosapien"). XL-1 never the less cements Shelley's legacy in the nu-wave movement of the post-punk era. "XL-1" (the title track) is definitive documentation of the introverted state that Shelley functions in. When he sings "we're never seen together, we hide away", you get an extreme sense of his desperation concerning relationships and trying to cope in a social environment. Right from the start with the hit "Telephone Operator" we're (the listener) brought into Shelley's cold and isolated world of constant communication breakdown. Thus confirming XL-1's layered sound of cancer and decay. You're reminded of Richard Nixon's infamous quote; "you peel back that scab, you'll uncover alot of pus". Indeed Shelley does here. "(Millions Of People) No One Like You" is a relentless tour of mind numbing narcissism propelled by his inability to be noticed by anyone who he feels might love him. So tragic is Shelley's comprehension of what love is suppose to be, you're almost prepared to pay someone off to pretend to want him. XL-1 parallels Homosapien in so many ways that it actually plays more like a sequel than anything else. A catch-22 if you will, meaning; you shouldn't have this one without the other, and vice versa. XL-1 is up close and in your face...and not to be missed!

olofpalme63

The 10 songs on this CD are excellent, however, it is the two bonus tracks that make this remastered CD great. It is a little misleading since the jewel case titles these tracks as two separate "dub" versions. But they are really one continuous 12" remix (i.e., both tracks flow together without a break) that was originally titled "Many a Telephone Operator (scratchbanded version)" when it was issued as the B-side of the now ultra rare Telephone Operator 12" single. It is a fabulous mix of the songs "Telephone Operator" and "Many a Time" with bridges and sound effects that still delight.

XL-1 experimented a bit more than Homosapien, and both excelled and suffered mildly in spots for this. "(Millions of People) No One Like You", "Telephone Operator," and "Many a Time" are great songs, songs that might have fit well in the Buzzcocks catalog if recorded with less of the pop sound. On the other hand, I never really cared for "If You Ask Me I Won't Say No," it always sounded too teen-pop for my tastes. The bonus dub remixes are a bit long and tedious and only mildly interesting; I'd have preferred a cleaner album without them.

In any case, it's a very good album and no Shelley/Buzzcocks fan should be without it.