I'm coming over, so move over.

X is one of my favorite bands and since I'm super jealous of whoever is at SXSW and got to see X on Friday and yesterday.... here is Wild Gift by X. Out of the albums I have, it is the one I have listened least to, as I have only have it for a few months. So I don't know it as well as some of the other albums.

Wild Gift (1981) was X's second album, it has a similar feel to Los Angeles (1980). Erm, I am a big fan of John Doe and Exene Cervenka's lyrics, and John Doe's voice especially, but Exene's too,and also of the effect of John's and Exene's voices together. And most things about X in general....

"When Our Love Passed Out On The Couch" is good, "The Once Over Twice" is a good one, "We're Desperate" is fun, "Universal Corner." My favorite of the moment is "In This House that I Call Home."(my, we're using strong words today, aren't we? good? like? super jealous? Sorry guys, it's a Sunday morning...I'm not really sure how that is an excuse but....). Aw, heck, all the songs are good, it's a solid album, just give em all a listen.

Or you could listen to the Amazon.com editorial review:

Though a small handful of its 13 songs predate Los Angeles, X's second album represents a giant leap forward for the band. Wild Gift stands as one of the 1980s' most fully realized rock & roll LPs. John Doe and Exene Cervenka bring altogether more personal and biting lyrics to the mic, making for riveting, curiosity-promoting performances. ("If I wrote a song like 'White Girl,'" Doe tells critic Kristine McKenna in this remaster's liner notes, "there was an unspoken pact that this may happen, but I love you more.") From the metallic riff of "It's Who You Know" to the surf-wise lines of "In This House That I Call Home," guitarist Billy Zoom is given freer rein, while drummer D.J. Bonebrake fuses the Ramones and Beefheart to enduring effect on "We're Desperate" (improved from an early single version by a slight lyric change). And "Back 2 the Base" and "Year 1" stand out as two of the most complex statements about punk's icon-smashing impulses ever. The 45-rpm take of "We're Desperate" is included here, along with six other bonus tracks. Shut up and smoke. --Rickey Wright

grab Wild Gift here (the reissue here features some demos/live/single versions)
Buy at Amazon here (the linear notes have some nice interesting recollections plus the lyrics, so buy it!)

oh oh oh oh
Two of the songs that appear as demos on the reissue of Los Angeles are from this album. I've listened to Los Angeles so many times that it the versions on this album almost sound weird.

For some fun (or something), compare Los Angeles's "I'm Coming Over" to the version on Wild Gift (here), and Los Angeles's "Adult Books" to Wild Gifts's (here)!