man, do I really need to buy a 5th copy of this album
― frogbs, Monday, 24 October 2016 12:51 (seven years ago) link
Yea, it depends on the depth and breadth of your need to have 5 different iterations of the original record and a mess of b'sides, demos etc:
― MaresNest, Monday, 24 October 2016 13:01 (seven years ago) link
It'd be my 4th copy, I think, so I'll pass. Curious to hear about the extras. Were they worth it in the previous deluxe versions?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 24 October 2016 19:50 (seven years ago) link
so sometimes i go into a youtube hole of ppl covering XTC songs, specifically bass, and this one blew my mind. Colin's composition is just incredible. makes me want to get a copy of Music Theory for Dummies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIA0_kiFJkE
― flappy bird, Monday, 24 October 2016 20:30 (seven years ago) link
^^^one of the few XTC songs I figured out on guitar (okay I figured out a bunch of Dukes songs too). None of the chords are especially weird but the way he fits them together is p ingenious.
― Οὖτις, Monday, 24 October 2016 20:39 (seven years ago) link
i just figured that out on guitar too! just the verse melody though- not sure about the chorus chords yet (Bb6 and Ab6?)
― flappy bird, Monday, 24 October 2016 20:52 (seven years ago) link
I've mentioned this before but I played bass, for a short time, in an XTC covers band and the amount of work figuring out Colin's steez was pretty high, but a lot of fun, I remember spending utterly ages on All of a Sudden, just for us to play it a couple of times and go, nah.
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 10:06 (seven years ago) link
Back when I used to play a bit of bass, working out and playing XTC basslines was always fun.
― Millions of species Faye Dunaway (Tom D.), Tuesday, 25 October 2016 10:17 (seven years ago) link
Although Mayor of Simpleton is a cunt to play especially the second bar of the loop, you can tell it was probably written on a guitar.
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 10:46 (seven years ago) link
http://podcast.tunetribe.com/?name=podcast_96_-_andy_partridge.mp3
― Οὖτις, Friday, 6 January 2017 22:35 (seven years ago) link
This looks sweet, thanks for sharing!
― flappy bird, Friday, 6 January 2017 22:46 (seven years ago) link
I'm only 15 minutes in but he is, as always, a v entertaining interview
― Οὖτις, Friday, 6 January 2017 22:49 (seven years ago) link
XTC: This Is Pop, the inevitable rockumentary, http://www.c21media.net/screenings/specialtreats/xtc-this-is-pop/10210
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Friday, 3 March 2017 14:43 (seven years ago) link
I don't know how much of Andy Partridge I can take tbh.
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Friday, 3 March 2017 14:45 (seven years ago) link
If That Wave had been on The Crow soundtrack.
http://bigtakeover.com/news/song-premiere-that-wave-xtc-cover-by-fassine
― MaresNest, Monday, 6 March 2017 12:16 (seven years ago) link
Simpleton bass line is one of my favorite moments in music
― calstars, Monday, 6 March 2017 14:31 (seven years ago) link
YES:
@xtcfansIdeally, I would have wanted 4 teenage Japanese girls to play XTC, and it all take place in the Japanese equivalent of Swindon. Subtitles
― flappy bird, Monday, 6 March 2017 17:57 (seven years ago) link
really enjoyed watching that trailer
― frogbs, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 18:49 (seven years ago) link
yeah, looks great
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 18:58 (seven years ago) link
might've mentioned this upthread, but the Chalkhills & Children book is so sad, XTC got fucked six ways to sunday with the Liarbird manager, their label, AP's refusal to play live even after the band was offered a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden in 1989 that promoters were sure would sell out, Dave Gregory having to take day jobs in the studio years because he wasn't making any publishing money like AP and CM... and the fact that AP was such a thrilling live performer, a total ham, but coming off of Valium like he did will fuck you up for life... reminds me of Hüsker Dü a lot, that quote Mould had at the end of their chapter in Azerrad's book: "We could've done so much more." XTC was such an amazing live band, i'm sure i'm not the only one that would pay way too much just to see AP solo with an acoustic. argh
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:07 (seven years ago) link
two-night stand at Madison Square Garden in 1989 that promoters were sure would sell out
really? I can't envision this myself
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:09 (seven years ago) link
yeah me neither, even with the (moderate?) success of 'Dear God' and the O&L singles.
the book is a thoroughly depressing read, but a necessary cautionary tale, it should be required reading for anyone in a band or working in the music industry.
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:13 (seven years ago) link
Books about rock bands are invariably depressing ime.
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:19 (seven years ago) link
should we poll "Most Depressing Musician Bios"? "The One" about James Brown would top my list.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:21 (seven years ago) link
xp Generally they're depressing in a different way: huge success, drugs, inevitable fallout with or without death/overdose/breakup... really the feeling I got from Chalkhills & Children was frustration and anticlimax.
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:24 (seven years ago) link
Mismanagement is a recurring, almost compulsory, theme though.
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:33 (seven years ago) link
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 2:21 PM
Trouble Boys.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:35 (seven years ago) link
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 2:09 PM (eighteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I could maybe see it selling out if these were guaranteed to be their only live shows that year, or for the foreseeable future. They probably had enough fans outside of NY and the US that would've made the trip, and once you combine those with however many NY/northeast US fans they had, a two-night MSG sellout doesn't seem impossible.
But if done a full US tour in '89, they wouldn't have played anything larger than 5000-seat venues.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:36 (seven years ago) link
if *they'd done
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:39 (seven years ago) link
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Wednesday, March 8, 2017 2:33 PM (five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
absolutely, and i think the fact that XTC never made a dime off of any of their touring (allegedly) because of their shit managers is a big part of AP's reluctance to play live at all - and also now he says that he doesn't want to get onstage and "be the old guy," music is a young man's game, he hates seeing old rockstars, etc. reading that book, there were so many times that XTC were on the verge of success/fulfillment, and it got cut off at the pass for some stupid reason.
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:42 (seven years ago) link
Tom D's absolutely correct, even some of the biggest bands like Fleetwood Mac, Queen and even The Rolling Stones all have horror stories of mismanagement at some point in their career.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 21:59 (seven years ago) link
The story of Badfinger probably one of the saddest I can think of right now.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 22:01 (seven years ago) link
Yeah the Stretch (fake Fleetwood Mac) story is some amazing management chicanery. xp
― You're going to see a lot of love. Okay? Thank you. (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 22:01 (seven years ago) link
Can I just mention Moby Grape here.
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 22:05 (seven years ago) link
would probably be harder to come up with a list of bands that *weren't* screwed over by their management at some point
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 22:10 (seven years ago) link
This syllabically awkward couplet from "the Loving" drives me crazy:
"Babies at the breast / those in power and those oppressed"
― calstars, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 22:22 (seven years ago) link
would probably be harder to come up with a list of bands that *weren't* screwed over by their management at some point― Οὖτις, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 10:10 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 10:10 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
U2?
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Wednesday, 8 March 2017 23:30 (seven years ago) link
― You're going to see a lot of love. Okay? Thank you. (Dan Peterson)
link plz
― sleeve, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 23:37 (seven years ago) link
aw :(
@xtcfans Just heard re documentary, that BBC aren't interested in showing it. Ha ha. I knew it. Not famous enough for them.
― flappy bird, Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:28 (seven years ago) link
Yeah that's tough to beat.
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:30 (seven years ago) link
They'll show it at some point. Graham Parker isn't more famous than XTC, to name but one act who has had a documentary I've fallen asleep to on BBC4 (xp).
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:38 (seven years ago) link
BBC4 ran a Sun Ra documentary, so yeah, "not famous enough" likely wasn't the reason.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:39 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing... obviously it would have no chance of being shown on BBC 1, but I can't see why it wouldn't get shown on BBC 4.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:45 (seven years ago) link
Is Guy Garvey in it? becuase that could be problematic if not.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:46 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, I imagine they turned it down on the basis that it doesn't feature Guy Garvey saying something insightful like "eeeeeee, listening to vinyl records is like being by a warm, crackly fire"
A petition has been made to show interest to the BBC, can't hurt to sign, I guess:https://www.change.org/p/bbc-bbc-please-air-the-xtc-documentary-this-is-pop?recruiter=129880795
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:50 (seven years ago) link
Yeah the Stretch (fake Fleetwood Mac) story is some amazing management chicanery. xp― You're going to see a lot of love. Okay? Thank you. (Dan Peterson)link plz― sleeve, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 5:37 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― sleeve, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 5:37 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
http://www.jonkutner.com/why-did-you-do-it/
― You're going to see a lot of love. Okay? Thank you. (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 9 March 2017 16:54 (seven years ago) link
should we poll "Most Depressing Musician Bios"?
Careless Love is right up there. The last 100 pages or so read like a Stephen King story.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 9 March 2017 17:43 (seven years ago) link
As much as I love XTC, I really can;t see them ever making it much bigger than they already were, esp. without touring. And, the more popular they got, the more their records suffered. Enormous drop in quality from Skylarking on.
― kwhitehead, Thursday, 9 March 2017 17:55 (seven years ago) link
Hmmyeah, I don't agree with that.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Thursday, 9 March 2017 18:00 (seven years ago) link
Mostly because their most popular period in the UK was roughly from 1979 to 1982, but also because Nonsuch and Apple Venus are two of their best ever records.Skylarking was a massive commercial flop here.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Thursday, 9 March 2017 18:03 (seven years ago) link