From the opening notes of the record, one would be hard-pressed to guess this was an X album. Perhaps giving to the six years between studio recordings, contemporary music had changed, and X, always at the forefront, were in the unenviable position of having to play catch-up. It's not that the songs are bad; they're simply tainted by production maestros Tony Berg and Tchad Blake and the lack of focus drawn from a band who'd ceased to continue working as a family unit. "Big Blue House" is as close to the real John and Exene as it gets.