2000 Great Songs #1487: The New World

There are a number of great tracks on X's 1983 LP More Fun In The New World competing for my attention, like "Make The Music Go Bang" and their outstanding cover of Otis Blackwell's "Breathless." But I'm a sucker for opening sorta-title track "The New World," if only because the guitar hook is just ridiculous. The riff sounds like some sort of military call-to-arms, a delightfully rousing earworm, but the whole thing is just a terrific anthem, a weird callback to Martha & The Vandellas' "Dancing In The Streets" given a post-punk update.

On tv, 1983:

Live 1985:

Remake by John Doe/Exene Cervenka alter ego band The Knitters:

Poster Children cover:

Pearl Jam with John Doe:

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