X - Ain’t Love Grand [Deluxe Edition] (1985/2013)

Released 32 years ago this month, AIN'T LOVE GRAND is as sarcastic a title as you're likely to find in the X discography - released just after singer-songwriters Exene and John Doe got divorced, the Elektra collection is filled with emotional turmoil. The set proved transitional in other ways, too, being the final studio album with original guitarist Billy Zoom. And after four albums produced by Ray Manzarek, the quartet brought '80s metal specialist Michael Wagener behind the boards for these sessions. For all the changes, the songwriting remains as brilliant as ever, with highlights including “What's Wrong With Me,” “My Goodness” and minor hit “Burning House Of Love” (which earned the group an appearance on TV's American Bandstand). The Deluxe Edition of AIN'T LOVE GRAND adds four bonus tracks, including demo and extended versions of album cuts and a cover of The Replacements' “I Will Dare.”