'Oranges & Lemons' by XTC: Classic or Dud

'Miniature Sun' is great and very underrated - there's so many little details in that track, and it's one of the best lyrics on the album, IMO.

The Big Express has only grown more with me over the years, although I think side one has the advantage over side two.

'Train Running Low on Soul Coal' still one of my absolute, all-time favourites.

'Train Running Low on Soul Coal' still one of my absolute, all-time favourites.

― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 17:03 (twenty-seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

andy was especially great when he was working the lyrical concept into the sound of the song itself (can't think of the word for this just now). 'train' shunts to a halt just like a big steam train; 'helicopter' is a chopper taking off; 'poor skeleton steps out' bumbles along like a skeleton trying to walk; 'across this antheap' is ants in procession; 'that wave' is water swelling and crashing; 'summer hot as this' is taking place in a heatwave; 'ra ra for red rocking horse' is a toy horse that's totally out of control; 'broomstick rhythm' is mindful sweeping; 'the bland leading the bland' is soulless plebs trudging in circles

Oh, glad to see there's others that like "Miniature Sun". Yeah great lyrics on that one. I agree that the horn blasts don't sound great nowadays - wonder what it would sound like with Apple Venus-quality production

While we're on:

Just passed all the new stereo mixes by Steven Wilson, now to next stage, the surround mix.
Oh, forgot to mention, it's BLACK SEA

— XTC (@xtcfans) July 25, 2017

I'm going to have to listen to 'Nonsuch' to remind me of it because 'Oranges & Lemons' is worse than I remembered it.

xxxpost:

Yeah, absolutely! Also, the "cow bass" on 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages' ...

whoah many thanks for that list Hideous Lump!!!

"Shake You Donkey Up" is like getting bucked off a donkey, and I should know

I want to buy a bass just to play Mayor over and over

I find it fascinating how differently people hear this band's tracks than I do.

Also interesting how split we can be on the overstuffed, abrasive stuff from Big Express and Oranges & Lemons:

Shake You Donkey Up
Reign of Blows
Train Running Low
Garden of Earthly Delights
Across This Antheap
Miniature Sun

Not just between us, but even inside our own rankings--love this one, but hate that one.

I'd rank them: Garden > Donkey >>> Miniature > Reign > Train >>>>>> Antheap

I'd rank 'em:

'Train Running Low On Soul Coal' > 'Across this Antheap' > 'Miniature Sun' > 'Reign of Blows' > 'Garden of Earthly Delights' > 'Shake You Donkey Up'

don;t underestimate the power of hearing "kid! stay and snip your cord off! talk and let your mind loose!" and then being welcomed to the garden of earthly delights when you are 12 and just bought a random album by a band you had never heard of before

it was pretty great
i still feel exhilarated when i hear it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyeBiJssPSg

Yeah, GOED is in my XTC top 10 for sure.

KID!

Those instrumental versions rule.

Saw this in an unsorted box of donations, amongst other choice selections. I thought it was a really unique package and I, of course, had never seen a copy of the album in this format before.

For those who like the tinny, clangorous sound of the CD mastering, but miss the inconvenience of having to get up every 15 minutes to flip the vinyl.

How was the condition? I've never seen one of these that wasn't pretty trashed.

Yeah, I've got the King For A Day 3" CD in the mini crown and that was hard to get home without a bent corner!

I've got one of those, it's in decent nick as I kept it in a safe space, and I wasn't that taken with the album in general at the time.

There's a couple on EBay right now in decent nick for around £25 (starting bid)

This one I came across at work was in pretty decent shape, considering it was basically tossed randomly into a bag with standard jewel cases.

Just thought I'd mention..

The Blu-ray edition is back in stock at Burning Shed for £15 approx, after having been out of stock for ages (and being £80+ on discogs/eBay/etc)

In fact, they 'all' are, including the Dukes of Stratosphear set.

(Not including the ones they've not done yet obv)

Ooh

R.I.P. Paul Fox

As I discussed on [XTC media] very recently, the album sounds to me as though its been played on pipes (a la the Windows screensaver) except made of glass, and coloured in different ways. That's what I hear where some other people hear stuffy late 80sness.