See How We Are
Studio album by
X
Released1987
Recorded1987
StudioRumbo Recorders (Los Angeles)
GenreRock
Length37:30
LabelElektra
ProducerAlvin Clark
X chronology
Ain't Love Grand!
(1985)		 See How We Are
(1987)		 Live at the Whisky a Go-Go
(1988)

See How We Are is the sixth studio album by American rock band X, released in 1987 by Elektra Records. It was their first album without founding guitarist Billy Zoom, who was replaced by ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin for the album's recording sessions and some live shows. Alvin left X on good terms and was replaced by Tony Gilkyson.

It was reissued with five bonus tracks by Rhino in 2002.

"4th of July" appeared on the TV show The Sopranos, where it was played in the end credits to the 2006 episode "Live Free or Die".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Spin Alternative Record Guide4/10[2]
The Village VoiceB[3]

Robert Christgau gave the album a lukewarm review in his 1987 "Consumer Guide" column for The Village Voice:

"Even during the first four songs, when the sustained detail of the writing--with a boost from Dave Alvin's tormented yet unembittered '4th of July'—makes it seems [sic] they'll fight for every inch, you miss Billy Zoom's syncretic junk: fine though he is, Tony Gilkyson is too neoclassy for these convinced vulgarians. Then the material devolves into complaints, throwaways, wasted stanzas, and utter clinkers."[3]

Rolling Stone wrote that X "adjusts to the challenge of guitarist Billy Zoom's departure by tightening up, discarding the gratuitous poetics of some of its lyrics and stating its case as succinctly as it has since its 1982 signpost, Wild Gift."[4]

Track listing

All tracks written by Exene Cervenka and John Doe except as indicated.

Side 1

  1. "I'm Lost" – 2:55
  2. "You" – 3:28
  3. "4th of July" (Dave Alvin) – 3:32
  4. "In the Time It Takes" – 3:09
  5. "Anyone Can Fill Your Shoes" – 2:45
  6. "See How We Are" – 3:46

Side 2

  1. "Left & Right" – 2:57
  2. "When It Rains..." – 4:29
  3. "Holiday Story" – 3:36
  4. "Surprise, Surprise" – 2:50
  5. "Cyrano de Berger's Back" (John Doe) – 3:33

Bonus tracks (2002 reissue)

  1. "Holiday Story" (Demo/Remix) – 4:00
  2. "I'm Lost" (Demo/Remix) – 2:48
  3. "Highway 61 Revisited" (Bob Dylan) (Outtake/Rough Mix) – 5:08
  4. "In the Time It Takes" (Demo/Remix) – 3:08
  5. "See How We Are" (Demo/Remix) – 3:57
  6. (untitled hidden track) – 2:06

Personnel

X
Additional personnel

Charts

Sales chart performance for See How We Are
Chart Peak Date Duration
Billboard 200[5] 107 July 31, 1987 11 weeks

References

  1. ↑ "See How We Are Review by Greg Prato". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 438–439.
  3. 1 2 Village Voice review
  4. ↑ Guterman, Jimmy (Oct 8, 1987). "X See How We Are". Rolling Stone. No. 510. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
  5. ↑ "X". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
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