Best/Favourite XTC album

Does Nonsuch really deserve a 0?

Nope. But I voted for "Skylarking" instead, thus my second favourite XTC album didn't get my vote.

"Nonsuch" is very much underrated.

let's just assume that one person wanted to vote for it and accidentally picked Drums and Wires instead

Does Nonsuch really deserve a 0?

It was the album that killed XTC for me, altough "That Wave" is alright, I suppose.

Give me the clangy, angry, jittery, hiccupy early stuff.

I love Nonsuch, and have even described it here as my very favourite XTC record. I'd have probably voted for it ahead of Drums And Wires/Black Sea purely on grounds of predicted neglect.

I'll tell you what also doesn't deserve a 0: Apple Venus 1. Probably my 4th-favourite XTC record after the three mentioned. In previous times it's probably been number 1.

Nothing released by XTC from "Skylarking" onwards deserves a 0.

Nonsuch rules. A lot. No XTC album deserves a zero, except maybe "Go 2."

Oh, and "Wasp Star."

I'll tell you what also doesn't deserve a 0: Apple Venus 1. Probably my 4th-favourite XTC record after the three mentioned. In previous times it's probably been number 1.

"Apple Venus" is so very very amazing, "Easter Theatre" is one of the most incredible songs EVER.

Nonsuch is great, I think only the first 4 albums in this poll are better. Perhaps Nonsuch is the Second Favourite XTC Album for a lot of people.

I missed this and I insist on another vote. Black Sea should have won.

Nonsuch was the first one I owned, and except for the pop songs ("Dear Madam Barnum" and "The Disappointed") the material is hamfisted and ugly, abetted by the Paul Fox production.

except that it was gus dugeon (sp?) who produced nonsuch. paul fox was responsible for the horrible production of oranges & lemons, a record i'd rate below nonsuch.

Ooh...I see. No wonder those albums were mostly crap.

Once more for emphasis: the demos found in the Fuzzy Warbles series are much better than the overproduced versions of O&L and Nonsuch. Having said that, I have a soft spot for O&L.

yeah, the songs on o&l are probably slightly better than nonsuch, but the relatively unobtrusive production on nonsuch make it a better listen

yeah, my mistake about Gus Dudgeon. Guess it makes more sense -- he's like the Sam Wood or John Farrow of record producers. I thought of Paul Fox because he produced that Robyn Hitchcock record released the year before Nonsuch which is a classic example of okay to great songs sunk by terrible production.

I have no problem believing the songs on O&L are "better" (or perhaps just more "far reaching") than most of the songs on Nonsuch, but the production and arrangements kill the record for me. O&L could've been Big Express* II, minus a couple of tunes and with production that didn't trade idiosyncrasy for state-of-1989 accessiblity 4 out of 5 times.

Nonsuch is also one of my faves, tho again, I could probably remove 2 or 3 songs, and love it as much or more.

* - BE now being in the top 3 xtc records for me

I STILL haven't bought TBE.

I still haven't fallen in love with TBE in the way I have with most other XTC, but I do enjoy it a good deal. I too have a soft spot for O&L; there are some top-notch tunes on it, despite the production (as with Hitchcock's Perspex Island).

I'm with Dominique: there is not much wrong with the production of Nonsuch, but in the case of Oranges & Lemons yes, it could have been a much better record with a normal production.

there is not much wrong with the production of Nonsuch

To my ears, there's a production sheen on _Nonsuch_. It's all a bit bright, a bit too shiny. If you've got them, compare one of the demos, which remarkably sounds almost identical but without that sheen.

Nonsuch rules. A lot. No XTC album deserves a zero, except maybe "Go 2."

Outlandish. Even the weakest track on GO2 is a thousand times better than the syruppily overproduced glop that was Nonsuch. Nonsuch was the beginning of the end (just ask Dave Gregory).

Well, the weird thing about the overproduction on Nonsuch, is that there's almost too little going on (as opposed to the usual kitchen-sink gripes about overproduction), but what is going on sounds way too bright and shiny and ultimately lifeless.

I stand by my comment, although as of this morning I might switch out Wasp Star for Go 2.

It's all a bit bright, a bit too shiny.

Exactly why I love it. And also an exact description of Todd Rundgren's production on "Skylarking". Which is perfect.

the problem with this polls are that most people didnt listen to the whole discography in order to decide what is the best record for them.
i know i didn't, i only know their stuff till "skylarking"
and so, i wouldve voted for it,if i saw this poll earlier.

OK but "My Bird Performs" is really great.

Nonsuch has some of both Partridge's and Moulding's best ever song-writing. Bungalow is universally maligned, but jesus, just listen to it! It's a masterpiece.

Apple Venus was superb. Wasp Star should have been fantastic (the demos framed the '90s for me). As it stands, it has some brilliant songs -- The Wheel and the Maypole among the band's best of all time -- but also some weirdness that would certainly have benefited from slightly less electric production. (Oranges & Lemons is just as electric, and perhaps over-produced, but somehow it suits the band really well.)

Skylarking works without Dear God. It works with it too, but I actually prefer it not being there. Rundgren was right.

Oh and I probably would have voted for English Settlement because it's enduring. After I got sick of everything else, English Settlement kept pulling me back. If 25 O'Clock were there I might have picked that instead.

RUNDGREN WAS RIGHT

Apple Venus Pt. 1 0

this is kinda sad, this album is great!

i can't remember if i voted Drums & Wires (probably) or Black Sea. wOuld owning the UK version of English Settlement instead of the US have any bearing on my opinion of it?

Damn, I totally would've voted for Apple Venus Vol. 1. Especially since Chips from the Chocolate Fireball isn't on here. But AV probably would've won for me anyway. That album is...gorgeous.

the two with 0 votes = wtf, 90's-hatin' fascists ;-)

I love "Nonsuch", but obviously "Nonsuch" is themselves doing things slightly not as good as they did on "Skylarking". And I think most people who love "Nonsuch" will tend to prefer "Skylarking".

Nonsuch is allright but has a fair amount of crap songs on it. Songs which other XTC fans tend to love though (Bungalow, That Wave) so what do I know. Books Are Burning is dreck.

Dudgeon's production kills some parts of Nonsuch a bit. Peter Pumpkinhead, for example, could be far less irritating if it were more subdued. Other parts are great, though.

I like how Dungeon did roughly the same thing that Todd Rundgren did earlier.

There will always be divide between those who prefer early XTC and those who prefer late XTC. I certainly belong to the latter, but I know those who belong to the former have serious trouble with the polished and sophisticated production of Rundgren and Dudgeon.

eh you know I don't subscribe to your aesthetic rules (lolz who does) but for me its more about the quality of the songwriting. Skylarking is easily a high watermark, but even so I credit that not so much to Rundgren's overly shiny and crisp production so much as to his enforced song-cycle vision and various arrangement tricks (stringing Summer's Cauldron and Grass together, the strings on 1000 Umbrellas, etc.) Dudgeon's production on Nonsuch doesn't particularly bother me, I just think its a fairly weak set of material.

"Smartest Monkey" is REALLY awful.

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyep

in fact I skip it so consistently that I forgot it existed. THANKS ALFRED

Aww I really like that one!

In fact I'd go as far as to say that there are NO weak tracks on Nonsuch. Maybe my very ear is biased (it is, honestly, the first ALBUM I ever heard in full), but That Wave roolez (the segue into Then She Appeared is sheer songwriting alchemy) and Books Are Burning is a kickass closer with a bitchin' solo.

nonsuch isn't bad, it's way better than oranges & lemons, but it's ultimately not that remarkable. apple venus was a surprise, very strong record, but then wasp star is their worst imo, and they are both from the same sessions which is kinda perplexing, but i guess andy doesn't know how to edit himself very well.(todd rundgren would agree)

"The Smartest Monkeys" is one of my all-time favourite XTC songs. But again, I notice it is hated by those who prefer "Black Sea" etc.

But Geir, it's a shit song.

Black Sea is awesome. Drums And Wires is awesome. Nonsuch is awesome. English Settlement is awesome. Apple Venus 1 is awesome. Loads of tracks off the other albums are awesome. Everybody quit being silly.

And AA I'm afraid I've got Geir's back re: The Smartest Monkeys. Not one of my absolute favourites but it's a corker. The solos especially on Nonsuch are things of restrained joy. "Wrapped In Grey" is one of the most beautiful pop songs ever written. Etc.

I think Apple Venus is one of those albums loved by XTC fans and probably doesn't even register on people unfamiliar with the band. Practically everyone I've talked to that likes the band places the album high. I'd probably put it third or fourth overall. But I guess that's the thing - if it's liked by fans, the same people probably already have clear favorites and would place it third or fourth. (Maybe I'm projecting a lot here.)

The real puzzle is that Wasp Star got a vote over it!

LJ is right, they're all grate. Smartest Monkeys would have the be the most horribly irritating and arse songs they ever did, though. Worse even than the cloying xmas song they did. And THAT'S saying something.

Only good song on Nonesuch = "Dear Madam Barnum."

RONG

u r 4getin such classics as Humble Daisy, Holly Up on Poppy, Then She Appeared, The Ugly Underneath, That Wave and Bungalow.

Every song on that album is at least good IMO.

The real puzzle is that Wasp Star got a vote over it!

"Wasp Star" is kind of different, whereas "Apple Venus" continued very much the same thing they'd been doing since "Skylarking". I like "Apple Venus" because I liked that direction, but I can imagine some people going for the "rock" direction of "Wasp Star" that was sort of a one-off for them.

I mean, it is like their "Blood & Chocolate" in a way. Just it didn't work out (but IMO "Blood & Chocolate" worked out even less)

Apple Venus >> Nonsuck >> Wasp Star >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oranges and Lemons

haha, Nonsuch. (I stand by the typo)

Skylarking >> Nonsuch >> Oranges And Lemons > Dukes Of Stratosphear > Apple Venus >>> Murmur >>> Wast Star >>> the rest

Wasp Star even

Dukes >>>>> English Settlement >>> first half of Skylarking >>> Drums & Wires >> Oranges & Lemons >>> Apple Venus >> Mummer >>> Big Express >>> Nonsuch >> the ones I can't remember just now because I am unwell >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wasp Star (hur it's a euphemism for 'vagina,' I get it)

hur it's a euphemism for 'vagina,' I get it

hmmm no I don't!

ooh

Black Sea = Nonsuch > Drums And Wires >> Apple Venus 1 = English Settlement >>>>> Skylarking >> Wasp Star >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oranges & Lemons

haven't rly heard the others, Dukes doesn't count but if it did it'd be somewhere around AV1/ES

I have The Big Express but haven't rly got thru it all yet, doesn't help that the 1st track is about 10x better than all the ones immediately after it (possibly except All You Pretty Girls)

Wasp Star is wholly redeemed by You and the Clouds, Church of Women and (particularly) The Wheel and the Maypole, which is top 5 XTC ever. Some other great tracks (Boarded Up, Stupidly Happy), but enough cloying ones to make it difficult.

You people make me angry.

Yep, this board is pretty useless, even more so than most internet message boards. Woo!

The Wheel And The Maypole is massively brilliant, yeah, and I reckon the rest of the album is at least consistently good!

detailed opinion plz kwhitehead

LJ: Nothing on Wasp Star is bad, per se, but about half the album is sub par for such a great band. Slightly too electric. Style before substance &c.

Well...I fond anything post-Skylarking very hard to take. All the creativity and feeling seemed to disappear. To a certain extent "Mummer" and "The Big Express" are failures but, at least they are interestingfailures; chances were being taken, different avenues were being explored, etc. It just seems to me that during and after "Skylarking" Partridge/Moulding became enamored with the crystal clear polish of the studio and they both became lazy songwriters.

That folks could find more merit in those records from the 90's than the band's early output just boggles my mind.

I know there is quite a bit of (misplaced?) hatred for GO2 on this board but there is more energy and and great songs on that record than any of the records from the 90's.

If I had to list my favorites it would have to go like this:
Black Sea
English Settlement
Drums and Wires
GO2
Skylarking
White Music

Between 1978-1982 I am not sure there was a band that could hold a candle to them.

Wasp Star is just flat to me; it's missing that extra level of musical detail that makes every song sound unique on other XTC albums. I'm convinced it's the lack of David Gregory.

Most of anything right or wrong with songs in the entire XTC discography can be pinned on Andy, since he's been the band's drillmaster since forever, and he's the one that basically brought XTC to its death this decade... which is fine.

They've influenced a gazillion bands already. Do we still need XTC anymore? I think Andy wants to work with former members of Henry Cow and seminal ambient dudes (i.e. collabs with Harold Budd and Peter Blegvad.)

An early XTC reunion ain't gonna happen.

In fact, no one wants to be in a recording studio with Andy if songwriting is involved (i.e. Monstrance. Lol at Barry Andrews reuniting with Andy, but only for improv. Power to 'em. I love that Monstrance 2xCD)

The first thing Andy said in a record-recommendation piece on Amazon.com to prospective fans: "Buy some JAZZ for fuck's sake. Pharaoh Sanders. John Coltrane. Miles Davis. Please. Get a jazz album!" (Lol, not verbatim, but the tone was pretty clear.)

So, yeah, it's not surprising that the quality of XTC since the 90's hasn't been like the classic years.

An early XTC reunion ain't gonna happen.

Nor should it.

...and yes, Dave Gregory is missed but not as much as the band Terry Chambers. I love the frantic way he held down those crazy wheezing songs off of the first two records.

And just listen to his beautiful drumming on Towers of London. Lillywhite mic'd him up just right.

meant to say "not as much as the band missesTerry Chambers."

Well...I fond anything post-Skylarking very hard to take. All the creativity and feeling seemed to disappear.

^ RONG BOMB

Well...I fond anything post-Skylarking very hard to take. All the creativity and feeling seemed to disappear.

^ RONG BOMB

dude: you ask me for a detailed opinion, I provide it, although somehwat lamely, and you flame in in all caps?

Yer a classy one.

It just feels like what you wrote is the complete and exact opposite of the truth. Partridge in particular grew immensely, in breadth and depth, as a songwriter once he stopped touring and focused on studio work (not counting the wackiness of the past 3-4 years, obviously). Oranges & Lemons is a much-maligned note to his new children, as is much of Nonsuch. Apple Venus is perhaps his masterwork, although a bit strained for effect in the studio. The demo material he produced in the '90s is truly incredible (refer to Fuzzy Warbles). Moulding became less consistent, definitely, but still wrote some fine material.

btw caps is how we communicate here

A quick scan of this thread reveals a paucity of caps.

You have every right to your opinion. My guess is that you came to the band late and probably heard those albums from the 90's first. Again, understandable; but to my ears those albums lack a certain flair both in their too clean production and the one dimensional nature of the songs.

I have tried to listen to the "Fuzzy Warbles" box set but find it tough going. To me it seems the epitome of self indulgence. It seems Partridge wants to release everything he puts to tape. I am expecting a box set containing four discs of his telephone messages.

I understand the importance of not living in the past but, in this case, that's where the good stuff is.

Fuzzy Warbles is indeed full of filler, but the 40-odd proper new songs in there are terrific.

Also, yes, I did come late. Nonsuch was my entry point :(

I heard the early stuff first, and thought it was OK but maybe a bit too rough. Then I heard "Skylarking" and the two albums after it and all the pieces fell into place as they now had a perfect production to go with those wonderful songs too.

drums & wire-english settlement is the peak period but only oranges & lemons and wasp star from later period are truly weak (and the problem with the former is mostly in the production). but i came on board circa "making plans for nigel" so i would think that

when is andy going to do a "proper" solo record now that xtc is more or less officially kaput?

never

Nonsuch > Oranges & Lemons, but by golly there are some clunkers on the former.

Apple Venus would kill if they cut off Colin's two songs, which were little more than him just coming along for the ride.

For what it's worth, Black Sea is the album of choice before THERE IS NO SONG THAT I WOULD EVER SKIP OVER ON THE iPOD. Seriously, all keepers. Even "Sgt. Rock".

Hmmmmmmm, "Sgt. Rock" make me squirm a bit

Yeah...yeah but..."HEY!! ROCK!! Rock!!"

For what it's worth, Black Sea is the album of choice before THERE IS NO SONG THAT I WOULD EVER SKIP OVER ON THE iPOD.

Lots of great songs on that album, but I tend to skip "Travels In Nihilion", which is not.

IS

also partridge has more-or-less disowned sgt rock

I think most XTC records have (often lots) to recommend. Wasp Star is probably my least overall favorite, and that's because I think it has the fewest number of good (or at least entertaining) songs. But even then, the good parts are kind of unbelievable. Whenever I think about the downward spiraling chord progression at the end of "the wheel and the maypole", with partidge singing about how everything decays re: his marriage or whatever, I get a very warm/sad feeling in my gut. XTC are weirdly ultra-personal in their songs, which is often obscured by the fact that the music is usually pretty complex, and the production and singing can be a bit on the impenetrable side. (perhaps this is why they can never really be a "pop" band?) So, when they're good, it seems to me they're hitting on subjects and ways of expressing themselves that most bands don't ever go near, just by virtue of letting their idiosyncrasies run the show.

XTC are weirdly ultra-personal in their songs

I was saddened the day I learned the gorgeous Wonder Annual is about his girlfriend masturbating.

geir you hating travels in nihilon is like the final dagger in my heart

as i keep saying, nonsuch was MY entry point too! and it RULES

"Sgt. Rock" is great though. Perhaps the best track on "Black Sea".

WAHT

Sorry Geir just when I think you're a bastion of common sense you bodyline me.

I agree with AA and did not "come late" as it were - first record I bought was Skylarking, but first stuff I heard/was familiar with was English Settlement-period.

But there's always this annoying split with XTC fans between the touring/Barry Andrews version of the band and the all-studio/drummerless version of the band. I like both, no need to be either/or about it. Although insinuating that Partridge took LESS "risks" (whatever the fuck that means) once he focused on studio stuff is kinda wtf. The sonic range of the band increased immeasurably in the mid-80s.

But there's always this annoying split with XTC fans between the touring/Barry Andrews version of the band and the all-studio/drummerless version of the band. I like both, no need to be either/or about it.

real talk

xp True.

Also, I love all the versions, but I prefer the later years. Only by a slim margin, though.

Best track on Black Sea = completely torn between No Language In Our Lungs, Smokeless Zone and Travels In Nihilon

with honourable mentions to Towers Of London and Generals And Majors

There's genuine fun being had on that record. Way too difficult to pick a favourite, apart from Sgt Rock which is obviously the worst.

(and by 'worst' I mean exactly that, not a bad song)

I like how the keyboards get more blatant in each chorus!

...but yeah the lyrics are pretty indefensible

That, and for mine the song doesn't age nearly as well as the others.

This is also most true. It's a bit corny and half-assed. Most of the record is simply magnificent when it wants to be. I think "No Language..." might just shade it, when that descending riff comes in near the end instead of words it's simpy glorious.

ARSED AGH GOD

No Language and Optimism's Flames are probably the most cheeky/fun tracks.

sorry about the arse

Optimism's Flame is aces but doesn't have quite as strong a tune as some of the others IMO. The guitar solo is amazing! Still haven't worked out how he (Partridge or Gregory) played it.

Is it speeded up like what George Martin used to do with piano solos?

heh i've been obsessed with Black Sea ever since this thread was revived. "rocket from a bottle" is the one doing it for me right now.

i've never bothered with anything after skylarking (which i absolutley adore) for no other reasons than time & money, but this thread is def making me curious.

"Wow!" @ English Settlement! Is it all this good?

Nope, but nearly.

You might want to pick up one of the singles collection ("Compact XTC" or "Fossil Fuel"), I think they each have a few unique tracks so they'll always be useful. And some folks think their singles were as good as they got. I'm not one of them, mind...

Too much filly, waist-coated love for the pastoral XTC, not enough angry allegiance for the clangy, hyperactive XTC.

frilly

white music is horrible, though

white music is horrible, though

... if you're an idiot, maybe.

"With my weapooooonnnnn!"

Barry's songs were great fun, including the unused ones that showed up on the "Coat of Many Cupboards" box.

no i just don't like white music

I LOVE GAY MUSIC!

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, April 20, 2005

true, but i don't think that is relevant right now

i know, but it's one of my favorite ilx quotes

skylarking is so much gayer than white music, with its faux masculinity

i'm pretty gay for terry chambers' drumming tbh

If skylarking is gay I don't want straight.

Or, I want straight to a lesser extent.

>"Wow!" @ English Settlement! Is it all this good?

― piscesx

If you're flipping over "Yacht Dance" and "Jason & the Argonauts" that's as good as they got in that vein (excepting, arguably, bits of Oranges and Lemons) (which nobody but me seems to really dig all that much, but I'm a big gay bottom for XTC).

However, if you're not just wonky for the prog, there's mountains of great stuff they did - every one of their albums is worth hearing.

i'd almost (*almost*) forgotten how classic drums and wires is. i've outgrown many of my old powerpop favorites, but not this.

Making Plans For Nigel
Helicopter
Day In Day Out
When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty
Ten Feet Tall
Roads Girdle The Globe
Real By Reel
Millions
That Is The Way
Outside World
Scissor Man
Complicated Game

There's only a few tracks that I can't bring to mind just by looking at their titles (Day In Day Out, Millions, That Is The Way) but the rest I have unmitigated lurve for in spades. There's an amazing live version of "Scissor Man" (on Rag & Bone Buffet) that verges on Andy vocally falling apart but is just sooooo intense! The US versions the equally classic "Life Begins At The Hop" and the CDs usually have one of their finest b-sides, "Chain Of Command". <3 <3 <3

Can't remember "Day In Day Out"

There were two versions of that album iirc, one had "Life Begins at the Hop" instead of "Day In Day Out".

otm re the Rag & Bone version of "Scissor Man", sooo much better than the album take.

<3 this freaking record so much still

I don't have any XTC on CD, it's all vinyl, so I don't get a chance to listen to them anymore. Passing mention of "Jason and the Argonauts" has given me an insane desire to hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQIklhh-MuI

Apple Venus 1 coming last with no votes, get to fuck

Going through an intensely obsessive XTC period and working out my list of faves will be therapeutic:

Black Sea > Skylarking > Apple Venus > Mummer > Nonsuch > Oranges & Lemons > English Settlement > Drums & Wires > White Music >The Big Express >Wasp Star > Go 2

Black Sea: flawless edgy pop

Skylarking: flawless psychedelic pop (dodgy engineering, looking forward to hearing the "corrected" version AP keeps touting)

Apple Venus: strange, beautiful, crazy underrated, if not for a couple of slightly off Moulding moments it would be my fave

Mummer: INSANELY underrated, I have no idea with this and TBE are always lumped together as some sort of wilderness years

Nonsuch: just way too long, cut the 4 or 5 crap songs and you'd also maybe have the best XTC album

Oranges & Lemons: also overlong, have never understood people's dislike of the production, I love it

English Settlement: what do you know, overlong! Have finally started warming to this after years of not "getting" it, get rid of that monotonous/obnoxious side three and now we're cooking with gas

Drums & Wires: still finding their sea legs, overall pretty great tho

White Music: grabs this spot on pure manic energy alone, I find myself rooting for this band

The Big Express: never warmed to this at all, kinda grating to my ears, don't really dislike it but absolutely nothing grabs me

Wasp Star: until yesterday my least favorite, realize that there's some really wonderful songs on it (Wheel and the Maypole, My Brown Guitar, Stupidly Happy) but also some bad ones and the aforementioned stiff and stark productions and lack of Dave Gregory sink this

Go 2: actively irritating, still has some good spots.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Ah man, no two XTC fans are the same but I reckon you've been fair to every album (except possibly Nonsuch, which is IMO fucking incredible from start to finish)

Smartest Monkeys and War Dance are the only weak links on Nonsuch for me. Still a great album though.

My order..

Skylarking
Drums & Wires
Black Sea
Nonsuch
The Big Express
Go 2
Apple Venus
White Music
English Settlement
Oranges & Lemons
Wasp Star
Mummer

xxpost:

Yeah, Nonsuch is up there for me. You're definitely OTM about Black Sea and English Settlement though!

Ah man, no two XTC fans are the same

Is there any band this applies to more?!

but I reckon you've been fair to every album (except possibly Nonsuch, which is IMO fucking incredible from start to finish)

Oh man, I cannot abide "War Dance" for thirty seconds, "Smartest Monkeys" is totally grating and... hmm, have those two songs alone knocked this album from #2 to #5?

It's Kick Colin night is it? :P

I love both of those songs (especially TSM, which has so many awesome things happen in it) but then I was exposed to the album aged 7 or 8 so it's pretty entrenched

xpost

Somebody in this thread or another said something like "some of XTC's very best moments are by Moulding, but when he writes a bad song it is BAAAAD."

Black Sea
Nonsuch
Skylarking
Chips From The Chocolate Fireball
Apple Venus
Drums & Wires
The Big Express
Mummer
Go 2
White Music
English Settlement
Oranges & Lemons
Wasp Star

I fucking love 'The Smartest Monkeys'. 'War Dance' much, much less so.

Fuck, I forgot the Dukes.

Black Sea > Skylarking > Apple Venus > Chips From The Chocolate Fireball > Mummer > Nonsuch > Oranges & Lemons > English Settlement > Drums & Wires > White Music >The Big Express >Wasp Star > Go 2

Nonsuch
English Settlement
Black Sea
Apple Venus
Chips From The Chocolate Fireball
Drums & Wires
Skylarking
Go 2
Wasp Star
Mummer
Oranges & Lemons
The Big Express
White Music

The last 4 or 5 are more or less interchangeable though. There's great stuff on all of them. Mummer is the one I need to reevaluate/listen to much at all, really

I'm listening to Mummer right now. The guitars on 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages' are so fucking beautiful.

THIS.

I might've said that about Colin, and I can't stand his post-O&L songs aside from one or two. Just awful. Having said that, the worst thing bearing the XTC name is "I'm The Man Who Murdered Love". So wimpy! Gah!

My favorite album changes from time to time. The last time I listened to English Settlement I found it just sublime, even the songs thst people often dump on like "Melt The Guns". Then Black Sea steamrolled me, then Drums And Wires, and Apple Venus is incredibly gorgeous. The Dukes material just gets better the more I listen to the 60s sources of inspiraton. I'm getting ready to go on a Fuzzy Warbles listening spree, detritus and all.

This band means so much to me, there's always something to revisit or dig into with each listen.

That Is The Way might be my least favourite XTC song tbh

This band means so much to me, there's always something to revisit or dig into with each listen.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, March 15, 2014 2:40 AM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Completely agree, those studio-era records (with the exception of Wasp Star) are so loaded with detail that I always find something new to discover somewhere in the mix. I must have listened to Skylarking alone hundreds of times and I still find something new to get enthused about.

Worst XTC song? I've never liked 'Blue Overall'.

Oh c'mon, "Blue Overall" is a trifle but hardly in the same league as "Smartest Monkeys". But I don't want to keep harping on the negative, we should do a poll of just Colin's song but I'd be afraid we'd get only 5 voters. Colin couldn't write a bad song from Drums through Skylarking, really.

Mummer: INSANELY underrated, I have no idea with this and TBE are always lumped together as some sort of wilderness years

^^^^^^^ My XTC mantra

Standing In For Joe and Fruit Nut are particular low points imo

good shouts aye :/

oh, and Colin Moulding Poll

But, but, but... 'Smartest Monkeys' has the echoing guitar riff, and great synth solo! I can't see any merit in 'Blue Overall' at all!

I'm on deck to run an XTC tracks poll in a couple months. Just FYI

In Loving Memory Of A Name, that lovely quiet section halfway through with the one dramatic chord seems to say so much about middle England, I'm not even sure how.

I've always wanted to cut together all of XTC's middle eights in chronological order, one day I will sharpen my axe and do it.

I think Chips should be counted as two records; 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot were recorded, and originally released, two years apart.

I prefer the former, at least in part because it gets the production style eerily spot-on. You could easily convince someone this was some lost 60s band, whereas Psonic has relatively contemporary-sounding production.

I've done this before, but I'm gonna list everything that's good about The Smartest Monkeys

- echoey guitar riff
- intriguingly distant keyboards
- moulding being a sardonic fucker
- in addition, a sardonically cheesy prechorus
- chorus contains echoey riff with cleaner tone
- subtle keychange into second verse
- arresting synth orchestration
- SIREN
- fucking beautiful countermelody from guitar in first part of middle eight
- SYNTH SOLO over a gorgeous organ chord
- all of the bassline
- fretboard squeak into chorus reprise
- SYNCOPATED BIT
- by the end it's pretty much a bass solo
- SYNCOPATED BIT AGAIN IN FADEOUT
- BOOM BING BOOM BOM CHA oh wait that's the next song

It's all good apart from the Omar Hakim drumbeat and 'Quick! call the GBOR'

Where's the love for Rag & Bone Buffet? Extrovert! Tissue Tigers! Looking For Footprints!

Recrrrrrds.

I've got Drums & Wires on now, and one track on there which astounds me is 'Millions'... just recently I realised that I've actually been listening to this song "wrong" for years. It took me a long time to find where the "one" was.

Oh yeah, that happens every time to me. I loved hearing that Go 2 outtake with the guitar line from Millions for the first time.

Even now, right at the beginning of 'Millions', it throws me off as to where the "one" is, it usually takes a few bars before my brain adjusts to where it is. It plays tricks on my brain, that damn song.

(The "we" at the beginning of the first line falls on the second beat of the bar).

Shakey Mo, if you're planning on doing graphics for the XTC poll, everything you need can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibliodyssey/sets/

Just looking at that Colin Moulding poll. Along with some obvious masterpieces (Nigel, Generals & Majors, Grass etc.) He did some brilliant album tracks that I kind of forget about. Dying, My Bird Performs and Cynical Days are all understated and beautiful songs.

Trying to think of a worst XTC song. I only really know their albums and a few of the B-sides I've heard as bonus tracks. I've always hated Across the Antheap. War Dance and Melt the Guns would be up there too.

btw I just found this, posted only 3 or 4 days ago :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T11vkHm2f8

et encore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T11vkHm2f8

Just looking at that Colin Moulding poll. Along with some obvious masterpieces (Nigel, Generals & Majors, Grass etc.) He did some brilliant album tracks that I kind of forget about. Dying, My Bird Performs and Cynical Days are all understated and beautiful songs.

Trying to think of a worst XTC song. I only really know their albums and a few of the B-sides I've heard as bonus tracks. I've always hated Across the Antheap. War Dance and Melt the Guns would be up there too.

― Kitchen Person, Saturday, March 15, 2014 12:15 AM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

He has most of the best moments on their best record ("Dying," "Grass," "Sacrificial Bonfire," "The Meeting Place"). And I always loved "Nigel" and "Wake Up." At his worst, he's nondescript; whereas, Partridge at his worst is actively annoying ("Across This Antheap").

'Across This Antheap' is one of my highlights of Oranges & Lemons, though! That's a great set of lyrics.

I love 'Across This Antheap', the chorus where most of the instruments drop out near the end leaving Partridge sounding kinda lost is very affecting.

I would love to hear a de-kitchen-sink'd version of O+L with maybe Kronos Quartet on some songs.

I guess it's because "Antheap" reminds me of two things I never liked: Frank Zappa, and the Ferris Bueller racing-home-scene music (which I just learned was The English Beat, whom I otherwise love).

But that's a great English Beat song!

I love 'Across This Antheap', the chorus where most of the instruments drop out near the end leaving Partridge sounding kinda lost is very affecting.

― MaresNest, Saturday, March 15, 2014 9:03 AM (12 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The part where the entire drum track feels like its going around in a circle at the end in the stereo field is one of my favourite parts when I'm listening on headphones!

Worst XTC song is 'Dear God', a) because it sucks b) because it struck the template for all the overly thetical Andy songs to come.

it does suck but haranguing humanity is and always has been a big part of Andy's deal

It doesn't suck, it's just overrated.

Dear God is probably my favourite XTC song. It's not a cool choice but it gets me every time.

I love Dear God despite its heavy handedneas. I played Melt The Guns in my high school senior lounge in 1985 and the other kids says "what's this jungle music"? Morons.

I hope you said "That's not jungle music!" and then played It's Nearly Africa.

So if I've heard all of Skylarking a hundred times (big favorite of mine in hs) as well as bits and pieces of the earlier post-punk-y "good" albums and my favorite stuff is still songs like "King For A Day" and "Mayor of Simpleton," what XTC album do I need to buy after Oranges and Lemons?

Nonsuch and Apple Venus should be easy for you to like

also the dukes albums, especially '25 o'clock' but both really

thanks!