Live In Los Angeles

This no-frills DVD documents the re-formed original X in all their glory, on-stage and on fire in the band's hometown of Los Angeles in November of 2004. The four-piece plows through a short but intense hourlong show, stuffing 21 songs from its early career into a hyperventilating 60 minutes, including two encores, that leave bassist/vocalist John Doe soaked with sweat. A few popular tunes such as "Burning House of Love" and their version of Otis Blackwell's "Breathless" don't make the cut, which is somewhat frustrating especially due to the abbreviated set length. Also MIA are tracks from 1987's generally excellent See How We Are and its more disappointing follow-up, Hey Zeus!, presumably because guitarist Billy Zoom did not contribute to those albums. But that's nitpicking a performance that finds the founding four members looking older yet playing with the same enthusiasm, if not quite as much frantic energy, as in their '80s heyday. Zoom is in fine form, whipping off shimmering rockabilly/punk leads on his silver-flecked guitar while avoiding any sense of the scrunched guitar face so common to six-stringers. He's great fun to watch and adds an element of nonchalance to his blazing solos impossible to re-create on the studio albums. Two extras unique to the DVD (the rest of the performance is available on audio CD) find Doe and Exene crooning "See How We Are" and "True Love" in a cozy acoustic setting. The often grainy camera work perfectly captures X's taut on-stage energy. It's raw enough to convey the group's punk roots yet effectively records the action and especially the music's effect on an audience driven into a frenzy by hearing these songs played by the original members with determination and commitment. ~ Hal Horowitz|