Needles & Grooves AoTM /// Vol. 9 - March 2020 /// X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents

I'm a believer that this club should be first and foremost about sharing and discussing the music we love, so in the spirit of that I'll share my first thoughts on the album:

After giving it 2 listens, I find something that is holding me from fully enjoying this record. When I hear the first few seconds I'm like "hell yeah, this is going to be an exciting ride", but that feeling changes soon. I think it is the melodies that I'm not a huge fan of, they come off as kind of cheesy or undercooked to me. I really enjoy the delivery and the overall aesthetic of this album, but the melodies are throwing me off at the moment.

I'll keep listening and see if my opinion changes once I get used to the songs, but I appreciate the care and love that went into the pick. Punk is admittedly a genre I listen to very little of, so having this club introduce me to such an important but underappreciated record is great. Who knows, maybe I'll come back to this record in the future when I'm big on punk music and will absolutely love it. Thanks for the pick @girlnevergoesout, and I hope you take my comments the best way possible: I'm trying to give this album my full attention and share my thoughts with this community, something that would not have happened if it weren't for you picking this album.
 
I am so happy that so many people are enjoying and ordering the record. Even if you didn't, thanks for giving it a shot! This album is so important to me and it just felt like it snapped the pieces of the puzzle in place of who I was and what I believe in.

Punk should be inclusive of everyone. It often gets lost in the "history" of punk that many women, poc and queer people were at the forefront. It should be remembered and celebrated and continued as it could be anything you want it to be, something that includes everyone and not just white dudes with snarls, leather jackets and safety pins policing others as to whether people passed as punk and being overly aggressive.

I'll have a lot more to say later. I promise the essay is coming soonish and videos and further listening.

Thanks for a fun month!
 
Turbo said:
I got the version from Real Gone Music, which just said it was "clear". It's not going to be like your copy, is it? Your blue splatter copy is beautiful.
Click to expand...
I think the pressing Real Gone is selling is just straight clear. This one:
www.discogs.com

X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Vinyl release of "Germfree Adolescents" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com

Discogs list a *bunch* of variants but they're all limited edition pressings except for the clear. If you really want the blue splatter it's still available from Acoustic Sounds!

Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records
store.acousticsounds.com
 
gaporter said:
I think the pressing Real Gone is selling is just straight clear. This one:
www.discogs.com

X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Vinyl release of "Germfree Adolescents" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com

Discogs list a *bunch* of variants but they're all limited edition pressings except for the clear. If you really want the blue splatter it's still available from Acoustic Sounds!

Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records
store.acousticsounds.com
Click to expand...

I already spend too much getting fancy variants, don't encourage me!!!

(I just got that Tame Impala variant I paid too much for, but it's sooooooo awesomely shiny!)
 
I’ve had this record for a couple years, and am ashamed to say I’ve never listened to it. In fact, I’ve got it up for sale, trying to get rid of records I don’t spin. If you mention this group, I’ll take $24 for it. (BTW, I hope I’m not out of line soliciting my copy here, just seemed fitting. If it’s not, I’ll take it down). This pic is a stock photo, not mine.

X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents
F40D7288-1FC4-49BA-841A-E2193494A5A2.jpeg
 
Now spinning:

XRS1.jpg

XRS2.jpg XRS3.jpg

XRS4.jpg XRS5.jpg

This is a fantastic pick! Haven't spun it in a while but will be keeping it out for the next week or two for multiple spins.

girlnevergoesout said:
I have been reading DayGlo: The Poly Styrene Story written by Celeste Bell and Zoe Howe. It's wonderful. It includes Poly's artwork, excerpts from her diaries and interviews with a lot of people talking about her and the enormous impact she made in punk and future generations of music.
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This book has been on my Amazon want list since it came out. I'll get to it eventually!
girlnevergoesout said:
I am so happy that so many people are enjoying and ordering the record. Even if you didn't, thanks for giving it a shot! This album is so important to me and it just felt like it snapped the pieces of the puzzle in place of who I was and what I believe in.

Punk should be inclusive of everyone. It often gets lost in the "history" of punk that many women, poc and queer people were at the forefront. It should be remembered and celebrated and continued as it could be anything you want it to be, something that includes everyone and not just white dudes with snarls, leather jackets and safety pins policing others as to whether people passed as punk and being overly aggressive.
Click to expand...
This completely nails it. Punk was always about being inclusive, not exclusive.

I'm not huge on guess threads, but these N&G AOTMs are exactly what curation is all about. Love. Not business partnerships. Great fucking job, @girlnevergoesout !!!
 
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What an absolute star you are @girlnevergoesout - thank you so much for gifting me this wonderful album. I feel like a complete charlatan given all I did was guess the album and couldn’t make any of the clues stick! Can’t wait to spin this one, thank you again for hosting such an enjoyable guess thread and picking a cracker of a record.

AACF7747-78A4-466C-947E-DD792919231D.jpeg
 
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