| · The X symbolizes the proper musical family name, reminding us how the multi-national music cartels took away our real rock ’n’ roll language and gave us their own.
If Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes) and Frank Black (Pixies) could find common ground long enough to put out a catalogue surpassing the output of Damn Yankees, then, and only then, would we have something approximating Federation X. No, sir, I have no qualms with democracy. In fact, I rather embrace it. But if these two men can’t get along in order to make the music they should, then we must form a new political union: Federation X.
The key to X Patriot being a good album is that the two guitarists play "riffs" together. Let’s keep it simple – "riffs" are something that musicians do. That’s all you need to know. Good musicians play good "riffs" while bad musicians play bad "riffs" or none whatsoever. Federation X, the newly constituted federation, are good musicians because good "riffs" abound – big, loud "riffs" pronounced with the united voice of two guitarists, accompanied by a drummer whose sound is enhanced by the recording techniques of the bespectacled Steve Albini.
It’s not just "riffs" that make it a successful recording, but melodies as well. Catchy ones. Ones that make the listener play the CD again rather than learn an instrument and channel the melodies themselves.
Are these the rantings of an insane man? Perhaps, but that is what a damn good rock record does to a person. Those fundamentalist preachers speak the truth.
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