KING'S X (ABO #014)

KING'S X
The Power Of Love (1987-1997)

It all started in 1979(!) when bassist Doug Pinnick and drummer Jerry Gaskill met. Soon, guitarist Ty Tabor joined them. King's X was born? Not quite yet... First they were named The Edge and specialized in classic rock and Top 40 covers, one had to eat. In 1983, tired of the cover-clubs routine, they changed their name to Sneak Preview and started recording original material. Later that year, they released a self-titled album that attracted no attention from the recording business. From here, in 1985, the band moved from Springfield, MO to Houston, TX where they had made connections with Star Song Records which lead to nothing but landing in a new town where luck was awaiting them as they met Sam Taylor, then vice-president of the ZZ Top production company. Taylor convinced the band to change their name to King's X (pronounced King's Cross) and helped them secure a deal with independant metal label Megaforce Records in 1987 while assuming the position of manager and producer.
Their first album, Out Of The Silent Planet, came out in 1988 but, while receiving a unanimous critical acclaim, did not sell much peaking at #144 on the Billboard album charts. The singles from this album, King and Shot Of Love, failed to get more attention. It's a killer album by the way, like all first 6 albums of the band are and, same as with their debut, every King's X album were to be critically acclaimed but selling too few copies to put the band as a big name on the U.S. rock map.
Musically, their mix of heavy guitars, blues roots, pop and soul vocals and slightly progressive influences was an interesting and inovating mix. I hear some Black Sabbath, some Jimi Hendrix, some Beatles and Beach Boys in that music and, all the same, the band has its own identity. One I very much wanted to put a spotlight on with this very compilation comprising 19 songs from their six first albums and one track that was only featured on their 1997's farewell to Altantic records Best Of compilation. If you check out that particular compilation and compare it with mine, you'll see there are songs I left aside to replace it by others (and more, the 1997 Best Of featured only 17 tracks).
Do enjoy this very much underrated genius of a band and tell me what you think!

1.Power Of Love
2.Wonder
3.Goldilox
4.Shot Of Love
5.Summerland
6.The Difference (In The Garden Of St. Anne's-On-The-Hill)
7.Mission
8.Don't Believe It (It's Easier Said Than Done)
9.It's Love
10.Mr Wilson
11.Six Broken Soldiers
12.Legal Kill
13.Lost In Germany
14.Dream In My Life
15.Shoes
16.Flies And Blue Skies
17.Complain
18.Looking For Love
19.American Cheese (Jerry's Piano)
20.April Showers