Under the Big Black Sun

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Under the Big Black Sun
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 1982
Recorded1982
StudioCherokee (Hollywood)
GenrePunk rock
Length34:29
LabelElektra
ProducerRay 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[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
The Village VoiceA−[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.

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

Track listing[edit]

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

Side A[edit]

  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[edit]

  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)[edit]

  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[edit]

X
Additional personnel

Charts[edit]

Sales chart performance for Under the Big Black Sun
Chart Peak Date Duration
Billboard Pop Albums[7] 76 August 20, 1982 15 weeks

References[edit]

  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.