XTC thread

fredkocherpepsi

Active Member
Inspired by the mention of them in the Cure thread because of the Grammy nod.

Anyone lucky enough to have seen them before Andy Partridge said “bye bye” to the road? Favorite album? Song? Do share.
 
Battery Brides, Rook, Another Satellite, Earn Enough For Us, Everyday Story of Smalltown...really no bad songs in the bunch.

Personal favorite albums are Nonsuch and Skylarking. Also English Settlement and Black Sea. I enjoy the early herky-jerky stuff but nowhere near as much as I love what they became after Drums and Wires.

The Fuzzy Warbles/Coat of Many Cupboards rarities comps contain some stuff that is absolutely essential, as well.
 
When i first heard Dear God many years ago something stirred in me. I have XTC to thank for that. I'd love to hear Morrissey cover this song! It's still one of my favourite songs of all time...

 
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Battery Brides, Rook, Another Satellite, Earn Enough For Us, Everyday Story of Smalltown...really no bad songs in the bunch.

Personal favorite albums are Nonsuch and Skylarking. Also English Settlement and Black Sea. I enjoy the early herky-jerky stuff but nowhere near as much as I love what they became after Drums and Wires.

The Fuzzy Warbles/Coat of Many Cupboards rarities comps contain some stuff that is absolutely essential, as well.

I agree. I enjoy the first two LP's but don't think they really came into their own until "Drums and Wires". From that until at least "Skylarking"...what an incredible run. I really enjoy "Oranges and Lemons" and "Nonsuch" too. Hell, I enjoy the whole catalog.
 
I agree. I enjoy the first two LP's but don't think they really came into their own until "Drums and Wires". From that until at least "Skylarking"...what an incredible run. I really enjoy "Oranges and Lemons" and "Nonsuch" too. Hell, I enjoy the whole catalog.

I love the Apple Venus/Wasp Star LPs; the songs are amazing but they definitely lost something studio-wise when Gregory left.
 
When i first heard Dear God many years ago something stirred in me. I have XTC to thank for that. I'd love to hear Morrissey cover this song! It's still one of my favourite songs of all time...



That'd be neat!
 
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The Drums and Wires through Skylarking period is what has the biggest lasting impression on me with English Settlement being my favorite album of the bunch. Terry Chambers on drums just wows me to no end.

Rockpalast 82
 
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Just listened to a bunch of my XTC singles today. They had some equally awesome and weird b-sides.

Best XTC b-sides in my opinion are My Paint Heroes and Living In a Haunted Heart...Oranges and Lemons era. Neither was ever collected on a comp, I believe. Youtube them, they are amazing songs.
 
Best XTC b-sides in my opinion are My Paint Heroes and Living In a Haunted Heart...Oranges and Lemons era. Neither was ever collected on a comp, I believe. Youtube them, they are amazing songs.

I love Oranges and Lemons. My friend who introduced me to XTC thinks it’s their worst album, due to the production. I am listening to these b-sides now, thank you.

edit: I actually have Living In A Haunted Heart on my “Mayor Of Simpleton” 12”. I wish it wasn’t a demo!
 
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I love Oranges and Lemons. My friend who introduced me to XTC thinks it’s their worst album, due to the production. I am listening to these b-sides now, thank you.

edit: I actually have Living In A Haunted Heart on my “Mayor Of Simpleton” 12”. I wish it wasn’t a demo!

Oranges and Lemons is a masterpiece. You have to see through the production and focus on the songs. Similarly it doesn't bother me that LIAHH is a demo. The song itself is phenomenal.

Have you heard the stuff they did as Dukes of Stratosphear? If so, what do you think?
 
I love Oranges and Lemons. My friend who introduced me to XTC thinks it’s their worst album, due to the production. I am listening to these b-sides now, thank you.

edit: I actually have Living In A Haunted Heart on my “Mayor Of Simpleton” 12”. I wish it wasn’t a demo!

Jesus. I probably have so much of this shit. Granted not officially released so the mastering on the officials is better but yeah, there is some great stuff floating around.

Didn't Hurt a Bit is one of the best things Colin ever wrote; the demo is 1000 times better than the version on Coat of Many Cupboards. He had four songs on Nonsuch: War Dance (horrible), My Bird Performs (beautiful), Bungalow (beautiful), and The Smartest Monkeys (horrible)... had they gotten rid of one of the bad ones or both and substituted Didn't Hurt a Bit or Where Did The Ordinary People Go...Jesus, it could have been a revelation.
 
Oranges and Lemons is a masterpiece. You have to see through the production and focus on the songs. Similarly it doesn't bother me that LIAHH is a demo. The song itself is phenomenal.

Have you heard the stuff they did as Dukes of Stratosphear? If so, what do you think?

I dig the Dukes stuff as well. I have Psonic Psunspot on vinyl. Would love to find a cheap copy of 25 O’Clock. That stuff is super cool. I can’t imagine what it was like to have that stuff coming out as a “new” record and being thrown off and hearing the rumors that it’s just XTC under a different name.
 
I'm gonna start uploading my cache of rarities...this is all album-specific; I'll start with White Music and go forward.

This stuff is culled from re-issues, compilations, boots, etc.

XTC White Music Outtakes

wmrarities.png
 
Inspired by the mention of them in the Cure thread because of the Grammy nod.

Anyone lucky enough to have seen them before Andy Partridge said “bye bye” to the road? Favorite album? Song? Do share.

Yes, since the 80s. I never saw them live unfortunately. I used to buy their old 7 inch singles from a stall in Camden market ( a long time ago). The owner was telling how great their were live. Another time in NYC, i was in a bar in the middle of the night and the barlady played the whole of Dukes of Dukes of Stratosphear which was a bit random.

I think the Black Sea is my favorite LP. Do think Skylarking is Colin's best selection of songs.
 
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