Generation X - Generation X (Deluxe Edition) (2019)

Cocky and commercial and sporting some of Billy Idol's better lyrics Generation X is more like glam or straight power pop with punk themes than pure punk. The guitar freakout at the end of "Youth Youth Youth" is the sort of noodly guitar jam you might not expect from a supposed punk band, and "Kiss Me Deadly" is a precursor to the power ballads of the '80s hair bands. The three songs here on this British edition that were omitted from the American one are of particular note: "Listen," "The Invisible Man," and "Too Personal." "Invisible Man," with its "My Sharona" rhythm and atypically oblique lyrics, is the interesting one, although all three are minor compositions. Music buyers in the United States were treated to "Gimme Some Truth," "Wild Youth," and "Wild Dub" in exchange, which made for a slightly stronger package after all. Generation X recorded a number of non-album tracks, too, so perhaps a three- or four-disc box set of complete recordings will someday make these various international configurations obsolete.