Wild Gift

Untitled

Wild Gift is the second album by the American punk rock band X. In 2003, the album was ranked number 334 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

In a review published in his "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau gave Wild Gift a rare A+ rating, writing that "hippies couldn't understand jealousy because they believed in universal love; punks can't understand it because they believe sex is a doomed reflex of existentially discrete monads. As X-Catholics obsessed with a guilt they can't accept and committed to a subculture that gives them no peace, Exene and John Doe are prey to both misconceptions, and their struggle with them is thrilling and edifying...Who knows whether the insightful ministrations of their guitarist will prove as therapeutic for them as for you and me, but I say trust a bohemian bearing gifts. How often do we get a great love album and a great punk album in the same package?" Christgau later ranked the album third on his 'Personal Best' list for the 80's, the highest placing of any rock album.

When The Village Voice held their Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 1981, Wild Gift was ranked at #2, right behind Sandinista! by the Clash.

Wild Gift was remastered and reissued in 2001 by Rhino Records, with seven bonus tracks.

The track "White Girl" was sampled by The Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 1989 album Mother's Milk during the song "Good Time Boys", along with samples from fellow L.A. stalwarts Fishbone and Thelonious Monster. Ensuing lyrics mention John Doe specifically, "whose voice is made of gold". The song name-dropped several other West Coast indie acts, including fIrehose, intending to showcase the diverse Los Angeles music scene of the late eighties and early nineties.

Track listing

All tracks written by John Doe and Exene Cervenka.

Side one

1. "The Once Over Twice" – 2:31
2. "We're Desperate" – 2:00
3. "Adult Books" – 3:19
4. "Universal Corner" – 4:33
5. "I'm Coming Over" – 1:14
6. "It's Who You Know" – 2:17

Side two

1. "In This House That I Call Home" – 3:34
2. "Some Other Time" – 2:17
3. "White Girl" – 3:27
4. "Beyond and Back" – 2:49
5. "Back 2 the Base" – 1:33
6. "When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch" – 1:57
7. "Year 1" – 1:18

Bonus tracks (2001 reissue)

1. "Beyond and Back" (Live) – 2:48
2. "Blue Spark" (Demo) – 2:04
3. "We're Desperate" (Single version) – 2:01
4. "Back 2 the Base" (Live) – 1:40
5. "Heater" (Rehearsal) (Doe) – 2:32
6. "White Girl" (Single mix) – 3:29
7. "The Once Over Twice" (Unissued single mix) – 2:35

Personnel

• John Doe – bass, vocals
• Exene – vocals
• Billy Zoom – guitar
• D.J. Bonebrake – drums

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1981	Billboard Pop Albums	165