Under the Big Black Sun

Last updated
Under the Big Black Sun
XUnderTheBlackSun.jpg
Studio album by
X
ReleasedJuly 1982
Recorded1982
Studio Cherokee (Hollywood)
Genre Punk rock
Length34:29
Label Elektra
Producer Ray Manzarek
X chronology
Wild Gift
(1981)
Under the Big Black Sun
(1982)
More Fun in the New World
(1983)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Village Voice A− [5]

Under the Big Black Sun is the third studio album by American rock band X, and their major-label debut. It was released on Elektra Records in July 1982 and reissued on Rhino Records in 2001 with bonus tracks. It was re-released in its original format by Fat Possum Records in 2018.

Contents

The cover art illustration was drawn by Alfred Harris. [6]

Track listing

All tracks written by John Doe and Exene Cervenka except where noted.

Side A

  1. "The Hungry Wolf" – 3:45
  2. "Motel Room in My Bed" – 2:32
  3. "Riding with Mary" – 3:40
  4. "Come Back to Me" – 3:43
  5. "Under the Big Black Sun" – 3:23

Side B

  1. "Because I Do" – 2:21
  2. "Blue Spark" – 2:06
  3. "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" (Al Dubin, Joe Burke) – 2:20
  4. "Real Child of Hell" – 2:59
  5. "How I (Learned My Lesson)" – 2:12
  6. "The Have Nots" – 4:44

Bonus tracks (2001 reissue)

  1. "Riding with Mary" (Single Version) – 3:12
  2. "X Rewrites 'El Paso'" (Rehearsal)/"Because I Do" (TV Mix/Instrumental) (Marty Robbins, Cervenka, Doe) – 2:56
  3. "Universal Corner" (Live) – 4:08
  4. "Breathless" (Single Mix) (Otis Blackwell) – 2:20
  5. "How I (Learned My Lesson)" (Live) – 2:20

Personnel

X
Additional personnel

Charts

Sales chart performance for Under the Big Black Sun
ChartPeakDateDuration
Billboard Pop Albums [7] 76August 20, 198215 weeks

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References

  1. Prato, Greg. "Under the Big Black Sun – X". AllMusic . Retrieved September 11, 2005.
  2. "X: Under the Big Black Sun". Entertainment Weekly . September 28, 2001. p. 75.
  3. Puterbaugh, Parke (August 16, 1982). "X: Under the Big Black Sun". Rolling Stone . No. 376. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2006.
  4. Sisario, Ben (2004). "X". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  889–90. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  5. Christgau, Robert (August 10, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved April 4, 2006.
  6. Veltkamp, Joey (7 December 2009). "History of Art in Seattle, Chapter One". Best Of. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  7. "X". Billboard . Retrieved April 30, 2020.