Germfree Adolescents


Germfree Adolescents is the debut album of English punk rock band X-Ray Spex. It contained the UK hit singles "The Day the World Turned Dayglo", "Identity" and "Germ Free Adolescents" which reached No. 18 in November 1978.

Reception

Germfree Adolescents received wide acclaim upon its release. In his February 1979 Consumer Guide in the Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau bemoaned the fact that Germfree Adolescents had not been released in the US and praised Poly Styrene's "cheerfully moralistic nursery rhymes", strong melodies and the "irresistible color" of the band's "dubiously tuned one-sax horn section". He also named the album one of the few import-only records from the 1970s he loved yet omitted from , later deeming it "one of British punk's strongest". Trouser Press called it "a masterpiece!" The Rough Guide to Rock calls it a "storming album", and it was ranked at No. 9 among the top "Albums of the Year" for 1978 by NME.

Legacy

In 1994, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music named Germfree Adolescents the eighth best punk album of all time. Seven years later, in May 2001, Spin magazine ranked the album number 5 in its "50 Most Essential Punk Records". In March 2003, Mojo magazine ranked the LP number 19 in its 'Top 50 Punk Albums'. The album is listed as one of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Cover versions and cultural references

All tracks written by Poly Styrene.
Side A
  1. "Art-I-Ficial" – 3:24
  2. "Obsessed with You" – 2:30
  3. "Warrior in Woolworths" – 3:06
  4. "Let's Submerge" – 3:26
  5. "I Can't Do Anything" – 2:58
  6. "Identity" – 2:25
Side B
  1. "Genetic Engineering" – 2:49
  2. "I Live Off You" – 2:09
  3. "I Am a Poseur" – 2:34
  4. "Germ Free Adolescents" – 3:14
  5. "Plastic Bag" – 4:54
  6. "The Day the World Turned Dayglo" – 2:53
Bonus tracks
The 1991 Caroline release features four additional tracks and a rearranged song order.
  2. The Day the World Turned Dayglo" – 2:50
  3. "Obsessed with You" – 2:26
  4. "Genetic Engineering" – 2:46
  5. "Identity" – 2:21
  6. "I Live Off You" – 2:06
  7. "Germ Free Adolescence" – 3:10
  8. "Art-I-Ficial" – 3:21
  9. "Let's Submerge" – 3:23
  10. "Warrior in Woolworths" – 3:03
  11. "I Am a Poseur" – 2:30
  12. "I Can't Do Anything" – 2:55
  13. "Highly Inflammable" – 2:32
  14. "Age" – 2:36
  15. "Plastic Bag" – 4:51
  16. "I Am a Cliché" – 1:52
  17. "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" – 2:48
The 2005 CD reissue includes the original song order and the following bonus tracks not on the original release.
  2. "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" – 2:51
  3. "I Am a Cliché" – 1:55
  4. "Highly Inflammable" – 2:35
  5. "Age" – 2:38
  6. "Genetic Engineering" – 2:49
  7. "Art-I-Ficial" – 3:24
  8. "I Am a Poseur" – 2:34
  9. "Identity" – 2:25
  10. "Germ Free Adolescence" – 3:05
  11. "Warrior in Woolworths" – 3:06
  12. "Age" – 2:38
Additional personnel