XTC : Classic or Dud.

It's Snowing Angels: Recorded by Andy Partridge on 14 August 1990
Blue Overall: Recorded during sessions for The Big Express
The Bland Leading the Bland: recorded during Wasp Star
I Gave My Suitcase Away: ?
Rocket: guessing around O&L or before Nonsuch
Extrovert: recorded during Skylarking
Lightheaded: guessing around Wasp Star or later
These Voices: 2003
Open a Can of Human Beans: ?
I Defy You Gravity: mid 90s sometime, around same time as my brown guitar?
Smalltown: Black Sea?
Red Brick Dream: Black Sea sessions

http://chalkhills.org/reelbyreal/i_song.html

first time I am hearing Open A Can, apparently this was a Dukes production, but definitely sounds like later era XTC, maybe Wasp Star or later?

Is "Smalltown" different than "(The Everyday Story of) Smalltown"?

Ah, I see what you're asking, never mind.

Some corrections and clarifications:
It's Snowing Angels: Recorded by Andy Partridge on 14 August 1990 - the Nonsuch sessions
I Gave My Suitcase Away: ? - around 2005
Rocket: guessing around O&L or before Nonsuch - in 1991, the Nonsuch sessions
These Voices: 2003 - around the time of "Wonderfalls"
Open a Can of Human Beans: ? - for the Wish List comp in 2003
I Defy You Gravity: mid 90s sometime, around same time as my brown guitar? - around 2000
Smalltown: Black Sea? - no, this appears on Big Express
Red Brick Dream: Black Sea sessions - no, the Big Express sessions as it was a b-side from that album

y'know, this Martin Newell album that Andy did is pretty underrated

Greatest Living Englishman (the song) is one of his best collaborative works ever imo

Fucking hell, I love this band. I went away for the New Year to visit some friends and didn't actively listen to much music for the duration I was there. As soon as I got back home, I put Mummer in the stereo, put on the headphones and stuck on 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages'... as soon as the chorus had kicked in and those beautifully-recorded guitars tickled my eardrums, I felt like I was falling in love with this band all over again. Superb. Fucking superb.

Yep, Andy's a genius. Be sure to check out his two collaboration with Peter Blegvad!

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/3920749.jpg

dave mustaine played in XTC briefly before going on to form metallica.

I listened to their entire discography from Drums and Wires on a little while ago and it really is pretty breathtaking

i am complete awe of XTC and they might be most underrated/underacknowledged band of all time (except maybe some unnamed group of tribal aborigine musicians living in Papau New Guinea in the mid 1200s), but somehow only about 30% of their proper albums seem stunningly and unprecedentedly brilliant, while 70% is merely good or decent. as a singles band, they are hard to beat though.

they might be most underrated/underacknowledged band of all time

On the second count most definitely, on the first I don't know - I hear bands like Sparks and XTC referred to as "underrated" all the time and it seems that well, among *those who have heard them*, they're rated extremely highly - the question is why didn't XTC, who wrote some of the catchiest singles of the 80's, pick up more fans? Sure, their record company hated them, but it's still weird to think that bands like Midnight Oil are still known by your average Dad while it seems only music nerds really value XTC. When, as you mention, they've a good 20-some singles that are just undeniable. That's what strikes me about songs like "Life Begins at the Hop", or "Love on a Farmboy's Wages", or "Senses Working Overtime" - they do everything an amazing pop song should do, and then some. They're not even "weird" like Sparks. I don't get it.

it took me dozens of listens to like nearly every xtc album. it's quality music that takes time to digest. a few singles have immediate appeal, but on the whole the albums require work.

I've shifted on this point for XTC -- in that now, I think it's pretty amazing they became as popular as they did. Partridge really doesn't strike me as the kind of guy with enough patience or tact to be "famous". He kind of does what he wants, as far as songwriting, even when he's trying to be super "accessible". Despite the fact he's essentially a genius at melody, song structure, harmony, etc, he still seems incapable of writing something for "everyone", at least on purpose. So, if you like what he does -- well, you kind of have to *love* it.

yeah, he's been contracted to do heaps of writing for television/film, other artists, etc., but apart from the wonderfalls theme nothing really went anywhere

the amount of commissioned stuff on Fuzzy Warbles that got turned down is pretty incredible

a new rerelease campaign was announced that would involve their entire catalogue being mixed in 5.1 surround sound and released in expanded editions beginning with their 1992 album Nonsuch.

lol waht how much more crap could there possible be

oh god

at first I thought that meant they would be started chronologically with Nonsuch and then moving forward but duh that's only um three albums, two of which have already been repackaged and reissued in multiple formats. but maybe they're not going to go chronologically... either way, would rather just hear some new stuff at this point :(

otfm

Nonsuch one of their best obv

Haha at this thread being next to the Cure one. The two bands of my early youth! XTC got older more gracefully

I can't muster much enthusiasm for 5.1 mixes but maybe we'll get comprehensive non-lp collections with each album.

Little bit on O&L here:
http://thequietus.com/articles/14404-xtc-oranges-and-lemons

dunno if I agree that problem with O&L is "too many instruments" or overly busy arrangements. feel more like too many of the songs are lazy retreads of previous ideas.

Problem for me is that it's mixed like a record from 1989.

I don't think the abundance of instrumentation is necessarily a bad thing but the way it's mixed makes it hard to focus. I looked up John Fox's wiki page and his only other production I've heard is TMBG's John Henry which is kind of similar - good material stretched too thin and too many distractions in songs that didn't need them.

It always sounded to me like a jingle writer's overlong demo tape. It was a pretty huge disappointment at the time, as I loved Skylarking and couldn't wait to hear where they'd go next (Psonic Psunspot notwithstanding).

I don't think the abundance of instrumentation is necessarily a bad thing but the way it's mixed makes it hard to focus

Bingo. I adore this album, but the mixing could have been better. It's a glossy, tiring record that takes a lot of attention. Took me years to get past that and really get into it, but I love almost every song nowadays.

first song on that album is so great.

huh was unaware of this lil bit of "inspiration"

http://www.rare-posters.com/2354.jpg

"scarecrow people" is sucha great song.

as is generally the case w XTC, always funny to hear fans' different favorites. no one ever agrees. has to be the least-consensus-making band ever.

forgs otm - cluttered & lifeless arrangements/production killing songs that might have worked if delivered differently. i have in moments come to appreciate O&L, but it's still XTC & andy's big dropoff point afaic.

has to be the least-consensus-making band ever

I'm thinking Autechre is the poster child for this (or maybe Prince??) but I have definitely been shocked at the number of people who loved Nonsuch, which I found dull and lifeless, but have since come around to in a big way. Meanwhile I love White Music but you don't see anyone boosting for that one (granted, I love it for the same reasons that many can't stand it).

I do think they had plenty of good music left in 'em on O&L and beyond, but it definitely feels like the moment where the end was in sight. I would've loved to write about Apple Venus (turns 15 this year!); maybe the best "last gasp" album I've ever heard

I'm very keen to see how the eventual XTC poll shakes out, because yeah, I have no idea what consensus there is on this band if any. Among the albums, I often see Skylarking cited as their best, but a lot of fans have disdain for its most well-known song! Maybe everyone will vote for 20 songs with no absolutely overlap and we can call it a day

looks like it was done 6 years ago, here were the results:

Drums & Wires 13
Skylarking 10
English Settlement 9
Black Sea 4
The Big Express 2
Go 2 2
Oranges & Lemons 1
White Music 1
Mummer 1
Wasp Star 1
Nonsuch 0
Apple Venus Pt. 1 0

Very surprising - I figured both Skylarking and English Settlement would be Top 3, but no votes for Nonsuch or Apple Venus is odd, and I only know of one person who thinks D&W was their best overall. I'd picture D&W getting 0 votes before Nonsuch. Curious how the Dukes stuff would slot in there too

Meanwhile I love White Music but you don't see anyone boosting for that one (granted, I love it for the same reasons that many can't stand it).

― frogbs, Tuesday, February 11, 2014 12:52 PM (22 minutes ago)

white music & go 2 tied for my favorite

25 O'Clock would be pretty high on my ballot.

I think I'm slated to run the XTC poll...? I expect the turnout to be small (20 voters tops probably) and the vote spread very wide, with next to no overlap. Dukes and other sundry spinoff stuff will be eligible.

at one point i had at one point every xtc album up to oranges and lemons including dukes stuff, but i've never owned or heard the rest, other than peter pumpkin head (i hated oranges and lemons that much).

listening to wasp star now. this seems pretty good!

the last two are really great capstones to their career

Wasp Star is probably their most immediate album, every song is just so obviously catchy, though it does feature "Wheel and the Maypole" which is such a great way to round out their career. Still, Apple Venus is the one you want - if not for Moulding's songs it would be practically a perfect album.

Haven't listened to Wasp Star in years, but only remember really liking "Church of Women" and "Wheel and the Maypole". In fact, I mostly remember how the version of "My Brown Guitar" paled in comparison to the more Dukes-y demo, and they didn't even include stuff like "Wonder Annual" or "Ship Trapped in Ice" but did include "Standing in for Joe" and "Wounded Horse", which is maybe the least essential XTC song ever. Ugh, and now I'm hopping mad just typing that >:(

Apple Venus has the biggest disparity between the Andy and Colin songs. Two decent songs that sound like they were written just so they could call it an XTC album vs. some of the most ambitious arrangements the band ever made. Not crazy about Colin's songs on Wasp Star either, but Andy's songs aren't a whole lot better. Not surprised Colin called it a day after that, seemed his presence was more obligatory. Kinda sad too, he wrote some of their best songs.

still listening- i did recognize the man who murdered love, don't know where i'd have heard it though.

Ship Trapped in the Ice is so good

Eek. I disagree with a couple of the premises (Partridge "maturing" from the barker or whatever).

Not surprised Colin called it a day after that, seemed his presence was more obligatory. Kinda sad too, he wrote some of their best songs.

My thoughts exactly - seems every album had something brilliant from him, "Generals and Majors", "Wake Up", "English Roundabout", "One of the Millions", "Sacrificial Bonfire", etc. - then on those last two he didn't seem interested at all. I still appreciate Wasp Star as a total crowd-pleaser, "Wounded Horse" or not