Generation X did wait and signed with Chrysalis in late 1977  staying with them for 3 albums and countless singles. The first three singles alone sold around 60,000 copies each and made the lower reaches of the charts.  At least up to the first album James wrote the words and Idol supplied the music.  After that it became more democratic. 

"Its just the way the songs came out; we don't write them to be poppy. You realise when we first came out as a group there were a lot of pressures and we weren't completely honest with ourselves. That pose that snarling look. I think we've  realised we should just be ourselves." Tony James Sounds 16.7.77

Their statement of intent but not quite the incendiary retort to The Who's My Generation but an admirable effort that reached number 36 in the charts in September 1977. The B side features perhaps one of their best and punkiest  moments Day By Day. Look out for the early demos with a superior version of Your Generation.

 Click to hear audio clip of 
 'Day By Day' 

'Your Generation is about forgetting the previous generation. Punk rock is trying to do that.' Billy Idol

It might take a bit of violence
But violence ain't our only stance
It might make our friends enemies
But we gotta take that chance,
Ain't no time for substitutes,
Ain't no time for idle threats
Actions rather hard to please
'Cos what you give is what you get
Your generation don't mean a thing to me.

Disappointing...supposedly written in 5 minutes after James and Idol had seen someone had sprayed 'youth!' on a wall and it shows! Poor song and the b side is no better...a dub version of the a side. The claim is it was ahead of its time. In reality average.

Back on form here with a real peach of a single and a tribute to the old sixties music show. Great riff, lyrics and a pure slice of pop punk. Incidentally this was the oldest song in the set being the first that Idol and James wrote together. 

"We're saying: we dig the feeling of the 60's - that whole rock'n'roll thing/all the groups - but don't want all that revival stuff, y'know Mary Quant." Tony James Sounds 16.7.77

Great cover by Gered Mankovitz who's famous for photographing the Rolling Stones. For me a disappointing first album with songs promising so much but instead being quite patchy.  That said check out 100 Punks Rule, Kleenex and their free form wipe out album closer Youth, Youth Youth.

Click image above for larger image of LP review NME 1.4.78

Their tribute to the King (originally called 'King Kong' on a John Peel session) (1978 Chrysalis). What can I say. Four different sleeves. Four different coloured vinyls and a top 10 smash for our boys. From the heavy weight drums opening the song, to the slashing riffs, this record is a classic. Backhanded tribute to the king Idol loved so much. Raucous stuff.  B side is not bad either. Cover of the John Lennon song from a John Peel session.
Jailhouse rockeroo's indeed!!

Slight drop in tempo and their new light rock sound and production of Ian Hunter is coming through. That said the B side features a superb rendition of Shaking All Over that makes the single worthwhile by itself.  Punk? I think not. The sound of a '76 punk band in '79 if you know what I mean. Issued on marbled brown vinyl.

Yet another single to be pulled from the album and unfortunately a fairly average track that not even being issued in pink vinyl could improve.

Second even patchier album that was produced by one of their heroes Ian Hunter, ex of Mott The Hoople a glam band from the early seventies. Not suprisingly the band became a sort of glammy heavy rock band and lost the plot.  Apart from the singles a lacklustre album. The spark was missing.

Filmwise they make an appearance in DOA but for some reason are miming to Youth Youth Youth. They are in the Punk Movie both undressed changing backstage and errr dressed playing at the Marquee tho the lingering shots of punkettes fishnets are more interesting than the song they are playing !!