Also, the production on all of English Settlement really jumps out, so tracks like "Melt the Guns" and "It's Nearly Africa" are foreplay for my ears.
― Hideous Lump, Friday, 17 October 2014 21:58 (nine years ago) link
It was "Knuckle Down" that I thought was a bit under, really.
― Mark G, Friday, 17 October 2014 22:02 (nine years ago) link
"Melt the Guns" might be the duddest dud they ever duded
See, if we're talking just English Settlement, that would be "Knuckle Down" as far as I'm concerned. But I fully understand why someone would hate "Melt the Guns."
― Hideous Lump, Friday, 17 October 2014 22:02 (nine years ago) link
x-post!
Is it the lyrics that cause hate? AP's vocal?
Mostly the vocal; I think "Melt the Guns" was the moment I realized I liked XTC in spite of, and not because of, Partridge's voice.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 17 October 2014 22:03 (nine years ago) link
ha.
xpost
― Mark G, Friday, 17 October 2014 22:04 (nine years ago) link
Of the 5 that weren't on the US single LP, "Yacht Dance" is the one that doesn't do much for me, the other 4 just don't make much of an impression. But I've listened to the US LP hundreds of times, which may make those songs I'm much less familiar with seem superficial, or oddly placed on the record.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Friday, 17 October 2014 22:14 (nine years ago) link
To muddy the waters further, my copy of ES (the first XTC i owned) was some kind of European import cassette which had everything except leisure, cockpit, africa, knuckle and fly.
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Friday, 17 October 2014 22:45 (nine years ago) link
So those are the outlanders for me. And of those I only really like fly
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Friday, 17 October 2014 22:47 (nine years ago) link
Young Cleopatra highest ranking song with only 1 vote. Voter come out & explain yourself please.
That was me. I like a lot of the Warbles - I especially like the original Jules Verne's Sketchbook cassette as being a high water mark for Partridge demos - but this came in first for me. I actually prefer this even earlier demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzkSLzsVbKI
It's a catchy, enthuastic Andy song with a great hook and lyrics ("You'll never be the Queen unless you do as your told"), sung with a lot of affection and regard for the subject. A pretty enthusiastic piece of young girl worship, which is of course the main problem with it and probably what kept it off any of their albums, but I first heard the song when I was trying to start a family myself, and so I kind of appropriated it and heard it the way I wanted to, as a proud father song that gave me something to look forward to.
So yeah, probably as much of a personal favorite as anything.
― savetherobot, Saturday, 18 October 2014 00:22 (nine years ago) link
I love "Melt the Guns", and the freakout is the best bit (aside from Colin's fantastic bassline). For ES duds, I'm on the side of "Knuckle Down" and "Leisure", with "Down in the Cockpit" not far behind.
― hardcore dilettante, Saturday, 18 October 2014 01:50 (nine years ago) link
leisure is so gooooood, it's the sound of the british working class being despised and mocked by the media & hung out to dry by failing industry & thatcherism, the sound of enforced not-giving-a-toss hiding genuine rage & disenfranchisement, one of their truly great protest songs
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Saturday, 18 October 2014 01:52 (nine years ago) link
My ballot. For a time in my early-mid 20s, XTC were my favorite band, period. I cannot begin to describe the anticipation I felt before the release of Apple Venus. Still a big fan, although my top five albums have shifted since then (currently, in order: English Settlement, Skylarking, Black Sea, Nonsuch, Oranges and Lemons).
1 Towers of London2 Wrapped In Grey3 Life Begins At The Hop4 Love At First Sight5 Earn Enough For Us6 No Thugs In Our House7 Easter Theatre8 One Of The Millions9 The Wheel And The Maypole10 The Mayor Of Simpleton11 Senses Working Overtime12 My Bird Performs13 King For A Day14 Stupidly Happy15 Rook16 Making Plans For Nigel17 Vanishing Girl18 English Roundabout19 Then She Appeared20 Jason And The Argonauts21 Snowman22 Harvest Festival23 Playground24 No Language In Our Lungs25 You're A Good Man Albert Brown26 Runaways27 Beating Of Hearts28 I Can't Own Her29 Generals and Majors30 Complicated Game31 Rocket From A Bottle32 The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead33 Great Fire34 The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul35 Sacrificial Bonfire36 Brainiac's Daughter37 That Wave38 Dear God39 Real By Reel40 Little Lighthouse41 All Of A Sudden (It's Too Late)42 Love On A Farmboy's Wages43 Across This Antheap44 Grass45 Are You Receiving Me?46 Scarecrow People47 Dear Madam Barnum48 She's So Square49 You're The Wish You Are I Had50 The World Is Full Of Angry Young Men
― chris_coolidge, Saturday, 18 October 2014 16:09 (nine years ago) link
I gathered a ton of images before the final tallies were done--here's some of the runners up.
(Complete runners up gallery here, Top 60 gallery here.)
Alternate image for Sacrificial Bonfire:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/47alternateSACRIFICIALBONFIRE.jpg
Alternate Peter Pumpkinhead from last week's news:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/52alternateBALLADOFPETERPUMPKINHEAD-Alternate.jpg
I Bought Myself a Liarbird:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/61IBOUGHTMYSELFALIARBIRD.jpg
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:34 (nine years ago) link
The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/62MANWHOSAILEDAROUNDHISSOUL.jpg
Paper and Iron:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/65PAPERANDIRON.jpg
This World Over:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/72THISWORLDOVER.jpg
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:35 (nine years ago) link
Poor Skeleton Steps Out:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/76POORSKELETONSTEPSOUT.jpg
Bike Ride to the Moon:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/78BIKERIDETOTHEMOON.jpg
That Wave:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/86THATWAVE.jpg
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:37 (nine years ago) link
Red Brick Dream:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/93REDBRICKDREAM.jpg
Miniature Sun:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/105MINIATURESUN.jpg
Your Dictionary:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/120YOURDICTIONARY.jpg
The Affiliated:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/123AFFILIATED.jpg
The Smartest Monkeys:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/135SMARTESTMONKEYS.jpg
Thanks for Christmas (Shocker Claus!):
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/156THANKSFORCHRISTMAS.jpg
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:38 (nine years ago) link
ahaha you did one for The Smartest Monkeys in case it placed XD
these are great obv
― joie de marsh (imago), Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:39 (nine years ago) link
Pink Thing:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/131PINKTHING.jpg
The original image of Nonsuch Palace:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/NONSUCHPALACE.jpg
And finally, two bizarre images, but I couldn't figure out what song to pair them with:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/Gargling_Oil_Almanac.jpg
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j449/HideousLump/XTC%20ILM%20Top%2060%20Runners%20Up/How_to_Hold_Pets_-_2.jpg
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:39 (nine years ago) link
First could be In Another Life
second could be New Town Animal
― joie de marsh (imago), Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:47 (nine years ago) link
In answer to an earlier question, my exposure to XTC was in college in the 80s where an XTC obsessed DJ used to play them all the time and even run an annual 4 hour show dedicated to them.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 19 October 2014 23:21 (nine years ago) link
played lots of XTC this past week inspired by this poll. Verdict: gf not impressed. AP voice "whiny", XTC music "not exciting, but maybe good for background", though slightly amused by lyrics for "Pink Thing". Kids today.
― Dominique, Monday, 20 October 2014 14:15 (nine years ago) link
haa o dear
does she dig yr own stuff or are you blissfully unencumbered by fandom
xtc is perfect kids' music imo
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 14:25 (nine years ago) link
a question for every musician on this board, ever!
― Mark G, Monday, 20 October 2014 14:28 (nine years ago) link
it was provocatively phrased as a binary, of course there's a happy medium of appreciation
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 14:32 (nine years ago) link
"do you have to play that again?"
― Mark G, Monday, 20 October 2014 14:39 (nine years ago) link
AP voice "whiny"
Not an adjective I would apply to AP. More "shouty" imo, but there's probably a better one I'm missing. I don't think I've ever played XTC in wife's presence, I'll have to see what she thinks.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 October 2014 14:47 (nine years ago) link
she likes my stuff, but definitely more on the pop end of the spectrum (like most of the rest of anyone who's heard my music). However, there are plenty of things I listen to that she, if not hates, at least appreciates if I don't play so loud (Darkthrone, Magma, Steve Reich). Luckily she's an angel in every other way :)
― Dominique, Monday, 20 October 2014 14:50 (nine years ago) link
re: whiny, it was more like "it's maybe too whiny, or something?" like she also couldn't quite place the right adjective. I think she's referring to his voice on "Senses Working Overtime", the "hey hey the clouds are away..the innocents can all sleep safely" stuff, I could see as whiny.
― Dominique, Monday, 20 October 2014 14:53 (nine years ago) link
...which yields to glorious, full-throated joy! AP is a total thesp, his mood is a broad & copious palette
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 14:55 (nine years ago) link
Glad 4u tho, even it this means nothing else like 'The Return' :P
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 14:58 (nine years ago) link
I once played Senses Working Overtime to a teenage science class. They were "what the fuck is this?" during the first verse, but were hooked by the end.
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 20 October 2014 15:01 (nine years ago) link
Ha, I remember when I bought the (12") single. I was exactly that!
― Mark G, Monday, 20 October 2014 15:05 (nine years ago) link
I'd say AP's voice can be a little hard to deal with. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt really.
Listened to the song 'Gold' off Mummer yesterday for the first time and it struck me (I'm sure this must have been mentioned) just how unconventional the structures on many of these songs are.
― Shepard Toney Album (dog latin), Monday, 20 October 2014 15:06 (nine years ago) link
Oddly enough I'm listening to their version of "All Along The Watchtower" right now, which takes Dylan (already a textbook example of a singer with some, uh, limitations) to a whole new level of bizarrely exaggerated pronounciations.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 October 2014 15:07 (nine years ago) link
that cover is so punk & awesome, wish I'd voted for it
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 15:09 (nine years ago) link
I always forget how much I love it until I drag it out again; it is amazing. Just pre-punk, one of my favorite artists was Steve Harley, so I think I was predisposed to liking Andy's vocal stylings.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 October 2014 15:20 (nine years ago) link
yh steve harley was another childhood fave of mine, at least his greatest hits
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 15:31 (nine years ago) link
fwiw I always thought this song was kind of a midpoint between Cockney Rebel and early XTC. Yelpy vocal/weedy organ, but trying for some kind of new pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqT4wv305Wc
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 October 2014 18:42 (nine years ago) link
oh totally! this is really cool
if squeeze are at one end of the worthwhile post-punk spectrum and wire at the other, then this lot fit in near the former and say foxx era ultravox! the latter. all are great
― joie de marsh (imago), Monday, 20 October 2014 18:48 (nine years ago) link
sounds a bit like
http://youtu.be/-ZH2fknRMLE?list=AL94UKMTqg-9B_oAQYmKTmhuA4g_ibPoh2
― chemical aioli (Hunt3r), Monday, 20 October 2014 19:15 (nine years ago) link
The thing I love about the 'All Along The Watchtower' cover is that tight but funky groove that Chambers & Moulding lock into... honest to God, I could listen to just the bass and drums grooving away on that for ages. Then there's Barry's unorthodox organ work on top of that as well. It's one of those covers where if you removed the vocal, you'd be hard pressed to guess what song they're covering. I guess Japan's covers are a bit like that, too.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Monday, 20 October 2014 19:17 (nine years ago) link
^^^ ahh yes, thank you for this, I'd forgotten the song and have never seen the video. I tend to only remember Boomtown Rats for "I Don't Like Mondays."
It took me years to track down tha actual Secret LP back in the pre-internet days. The rest of it isn't all that good. xpost.
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 October 2014 19:19 (nine years ago) link
I'd say that the barriers that most people face when getting into XTC are Andy's voice (especially on the earlier albums), Andy's fondness for dissonance and the dense productions of albums like The Big Express and Oranges & Lemons. The impression I've always got when I've read people's opinions of XTC over the years is that Colin's stuff seems to act as a gateway into the band. Colin's stuff is more instant, whereas Andy's stuff is more rewarding in the long run.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Monday, 20 October 2014 19:22 (nine years ago) link
And repetition, on songs like "When You're Near Me" and "Scissor man," among many examples.
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 October 2014 19:31 (nine years ago) link
I did but I think I may have been the only one. So true about the lock and groove on that song.
― kwhitehead, Monday, 20 October 2014 22:37 (nine years ago) link
Has anybody pre-ordered the Drums & Wires reissue? It's due in about a week iirc. I'm even weirdly excited to hear the instrumental version of the whole record.
― MaresNest, Monday, 20 October 2014 22:41 (nine years ago) link
Also, while we are talking about early yelpy, herky jerky bands, The Nits early records are worth checking out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIQ_U3I2bZY
― MaresNest, Monday, 20 October 2014 22:44 (nine years ago) link
Sound - On - Sound by Bill Nelson's Red Noise must be the closest relative of White Music/Go 2 XTC? produced by John Leckie as well
― soref, Monday, 20 October 2014 22:51 (nine years ago) link