XTC : Classic or Dud.

(xp) LOL. I just listened to the Top of the Pops album version of "Pretty Vacant", which is surprisingly good and is actually enhanced by the singer occasionally going a bit Norman Wisdom "Mr. Grimsdaaayyyyle".

What are they singing instead of "I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste"? "I can see his swell turned taste"?

The five senses, sight, hissing, swelling, gyration and taste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWfaMTk4o9I

Someone needs to compile them "punk" "Top of the pops" versions.

Their version of "Automatic lover" sounds like The Vibrators. All well and good, but it's supposed to be the Dee D Jackson song.

Record store dude was blasting Apple Venus Volume 1 in store the other day. Sounded great. Wish it was streaming.

https://vimeo.com/318598567

Great doc

Coulda been, but no indication that Colin even existed until 8 minutes in is not the way to tell that band's story.

Yeah that's understandable. They focus on Colin for a while soon after that, but the whole doc is from the perspective that Andy is the de facto leader of the band. Which IMO he was, so I guess it didn't bother me much

One small thing I liked: using "Dear Madam Barnum" to soundtrack the moment when Andy had his breakdown and made the decision to stop touring. I never made the connection but it seems possible the song was inspired by that time

The Chalkhills interview with Andy about 'Dear Madam Barnum' doesn't mention the connection with XTC stopping touring, but I'm sure there's a link, conscious or otherwise.

TB: I was going to ask about the lyrics, because it's another of your "my marriage is in trouble" foreshadowing songs, along with "Crocodile" and "The Disappointed."

AP: Oh yeah, sure. My marriage was going off the rails -- I can see that. I think I was part blind to it, and partly it was coming out subconsciously that I could see it.

http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20090222.html

Makes more sense for it to be about his marriage, given the timeframe. It maps remarkably well onto the touring thing though

So yesterday there was a 6 or 7 hour plus stream of videos in place of the annual XTC convention, usually held in Swindon, which I thought would be quite good in places but it transpired to be a bit special overall. The actual highlight wasn't the exclusive interview with Andy, nor the discussion/quid feat. the likes of Stewart Lee, Paul Putner, Kevin Eldon and others, but this incredibly joyous cover of Desert Island which got a couple of airings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mziIBHDv1As

my god, that guy's Partridge impression is incredible

XP - Oh nice! Are the streams available or easy to find?

yes would love to see those! great video

I saw them say they were going to post them once they've tidied up technical faults and whatnot

starting to relisten to my XTC albums and can anyone explain why Partridge keeps slipping into pidgin English on like a third of his songs?

He thinks it's funny?

Like Ray Davies?

I don't think of it as pidgin, more like a depiction of infantile enthusiasm.

how about "Shake You Donkey Up", what exactly is that

He's sort of singing in a hee-haw braying donkey style. It's fun.

i get the impression he was just listening to a fuckload of rocksteady at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdHpM0zMZT8

Am I misremembering, or did Andy say somewhere that his infamous stage fright was attributable, at least in part, to overindulgence in cannabis during those years? I don't want to be reductive, but as an ex-pothead myself, I feel this explains a lot about those records which would otherwise remain inexplicable.

Andy Partridge and any kind of drug does not sound like a good idea.

If I remember from the XTC documentary correctly Partridge started taking Valium at a young age (something to do with his Mum?). I think he said that while on tour his then wife dumped all his stash of it down the toilet. The withdrawal from it caused his existing anxieties to explode to the point where he couldn't face being on stage any more.

Yes, I'd heard about the Valium addiction.

Kind of amazing that it going cold turkey overnight after a decade didn't kill him

Jesus, I didn't know anything about the valium! Benzos are scary stuff.

The moment he walked offstage for good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZrCL1aF_Zg

the valium was straight up child abuse, absolutely fucked to sedate a child for years and years

I can't imagine how bad the withdrawal must have been but he easily could have died

couldn't believe that part of the doc

because he's in a rock band it gets referred to as "addiction" but call it what it is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJktzmj_mk0

I have a daughter who's turning 4 in two weeks. the song "I Can't Own Her" made me cry the other day. god, this lockdown needs to end

XTC adjacent: "Daughter" by Peter Blegvad, you may have the same reaction.

Coming soon:

https://burningshed.com/andy-partridge_my-failed-songwriting-career_cd_vinyl-bundle

Skylarking is 35 years old today.

The middle eight (and remainder) of Season Cycle still gives me such major goosebumps, even after all this time.

The "Grass" 12" came out in August 1986 but I didn't get a copy in the US until September and played it on my radio show non-stop. 3 perfect songs, with "Extrovert" being my favorite at the time though I did love the audacity of "Dear God". When "Skylarking" came out in October, it was incredibly exciting, especially watching the rest of the world suddenly take notice of one of my favorite bands. At this distance, I must say I feel like "Skylarking" has become a bit overrated compared to the rest of their catalog. That and I've probably overplayed it.

It's only quite recently that I've come to fully appreciate Skylarking. It's just jam packed with great moments. That said, what it's missing are some of the spikier edges from previous albums and for anyone who prefers more leftfield or slightly harder-edged stuff I'd say Mummer is the one to go for

I love Skylarking and it was my gateway into XTC when I first heard it in the late '00s. Picked up Fossil Fuel after that, then a few more albums.

The whole "reverse polarity" thing still baffles me. Todd Rundgren disputes the idea that anything was wired in backwards or whatever during the mixing and recording, and I still prefer the MFSL mastering over the new "polarity-corrected" mastering. Also, the uncensored artwork is no improvement.

FWIW, the official documentary is pretty good - a paint-by-numbers approach but if you just want good interviews and good stock footage, it does the job.

slightly harder-edged stuff I'd say Mummer is the one to go for

Heh, I always felt "Mummer" was the weakest until "Wasp Star". It's certainly grown in my estimation over the years but it's never been a go-to.

The Big Express is a certi step down from Mummer I'd say

Completely disagree, but then "The Big Express" was my entry to XTC so that colors my judgement.

first 3 tracks on Mummer are incredible

Beating of Hearts, number 1 on my XTC poll ballot.

I was almost surprised--I knew it would be top 10, but it kept inching everything else out.

Much to my surprise, all the images I did for the XTC poll, which disappeared when Photobucket went subsciption only, have now reappeared. Except now they've got big Photobucket watermarks across them.

Long ago I re-uploaded them to Imgur and re-added them to the bottom of the thread, so unadulterated versions are still visible.

The Big Express is a certi step down from Mummer I'd say

To say this is not the consensus opinion might be understating somewhat.

first 3 tracks on Mummer are incredible

― frogbs, Friday, October 29, 2021 1:52 AM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

first 4 I'd say are essential XTC. Great Fire is amazing. I'll admit it smoulders out a little on the second side. They've both got real highs, but neither Mummer nor TBE are as stylistically or qualitatively consistent as Skylarking and that's why it's considered the best one

Hideous Lump, those images were incredible.