xtc

[Dogatron]

i bought their singles 1977-92 double cd a few weeks ago and thought the first cd was pretty good 'Generals and Majors' def my fave but what happened to them later on? I could only stomach the first 4 or so songs of the 2nd cd before my blood was boiling too much and I had to stop my walk and go back home. Listening to 'Love on a Farmboy's Wages' felt like I was being gangraped by everything that is bad about the 80's.

how did they go from 'Making Plans For Nigel' to that?

[monet2u]

My fave song is still Dear God. that's an amazing song. that's from the 80s. I forget which album it's on tho.

however, James is the man with the XTC answers. Maybe Sunny too as I recall.

[Irock]

My fave song is still Dear God. that's an amazing song. that's from the 80s. I forget which album it's on tho.

Skylarking - it's a concept album, the songs all blend together. Takes you from creation (Summer's Cauldren) to disillusionment (Dear God), then "Dying" and "Sacrificial Bonfire." At least that's always been my take on it.

I like Love on a Farmboy's Wages, though it's not my fav. I only have their full albums and some demos and stuff so I don't know how their singles would all sound together but that song's on Mummer and there are definately better songs on that album, imo. Looking at the track list Beating of Hearts and Great Fire jump out at me.

How'd you feel about Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead? Nonsuch was the first XTC Album (read: copied cassette tape) I had, so I've always been partial to that one even though it's kind of silly. And The Smartest Moneys and The Disappointed. And War Dance, I love War Dance.

Ok, I love pretty mch all of their stuff. Sorry about the 80s.

Edit: and yes, James is definately the resident expert.

[James]

Ok here we go.

You're talking about Fossil Fuel, which is always my first choice to tell xtc nu-b's to start with, because it's a great selection of the first ten albums.

As for the band, Dog, you have discovered the sudden shift of career in xtc-land, and there's a bit of history there. Disc 1, which you like, is their early career, when they were a young and hot touring band. There was a lineup change that replaced the keyboardist to another guitarist after track 4, so there's a slight change, but the method is the same pretty much. Towards the end of the disc, they started changing the instrumentation and such.

The second disc, which you obviously don't like, is the post-touring days. There's a semi-famous episode where Andy Partridge just stopped playing mid-song and walked off stage. He claimed stage fright and refused to perform live ever again. They cancelled their tour and have never really played live again (apart from the odd TV show or radio show). And to this day, he's turned down every single offer to do so, even though he's been offered pretty incredible sums to do it so I suppose it's real.

I actually discovered Oranges and Lemons first (89) and I was shocked when I heard their earlier stuff. Then I got to like the earlier stuff better.

Now I like the later stuff better, but I put it down to age. Give it a listen in another 5 years and you might start to like it. Then again, maybe you're just hard.

I love "Love on a Farmboy's Wages", but yeah it's incredibly different from anything on that first disc. A sidenote: it was that song that caused the drummer to quit, so you're in good company. The best part is that it's actually a slam of his record label because, despite their hits, they were somehow broke.

"Dear God" actually wasn't a Skylarking original, and I've always found it a bit weird in the place it was in. On the Japanese re-release a few years back, they put it back in the correct order, with "Mermaid Smiled" in place of "Dear God", which was moved to the end as it was a B-side. I love it too, but it really doesn't fit in once you hear it as it was intended. There were some great b-sides left off there, in particular "Find The Fox" and "Extrovert". If you get a chance to read the XTC book about Skylarking, it's pretty great. Todd Rundgren produced and apparently it was pretty much war day by day.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I agree with many of the songs on the second disc of Fossil Fuel...all of those albums are somewhat concept (even starting with English Settlement), especially The Big Express singes...I love "This World Over" but how Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her and Smalltown aren't on there I'm not sure.



This might be the longest post I've ever made, but I've got one more thing to say. In my opinion, their best album is Apple Venus Volume One. Orchestral Pop's finest moment.

[mr_j]

If you get a chance to read the XTC book about Skylarking, it's pretty great. Todd Rundgren produced and apparently it was pretty much war day by day.

.

Can't really add much to what James has already said, but I really recommend the book. It's a hilarious oral history of the band, going through song by song, side project by side project, unreleased number by unreleased number. it's funny, it's hilarious, and occasionally it's vicious. but it's one of my all-time fave books about music. also, it should be added, andy and the band were middle age-ish when the music became softer.

also worth finding is the harold budd and andy partridge collabroative album. it's instrumental save for some of budd's poetry, but it's utterly beautiful.

[James]

also worth finding is the harold budd and andy partridge collabroative album. it's instrumental save for some of budd's poetry, but it's utterly beautiful.

You speak of "Through The Hill" and it's a beautiful record (as most Harold Budd collaberations are) but it sounds absolutely NOTHING like XTC.


Changing this back to Michael's original post: if you were to get albums, I would say you'd be best off with "Black Sea" and "Drums and Wires". Both are classics that have been ripped off by every new-new wave band in the history seemed to rip off in the last few years (the futureheads especially, who might as well be an XTC ca. 1980 cover band)

[Jan]

*makes plans for Nigel*

*fucks off and listens to the National*