Black Cat Bone

Released in January 1982

A Top Ten hit AND a masterpiece

Absolutely. Brilliant band, brilliant song and surely, one of the strangest records to make the Top 10

To me they're very, very beautiful.

For me English Settlement is their best album and Senses Working Overtime one of the best songs on it.

mudshark wrote:For me English Settlement is their best album and Senses Working Overtime one of the best songs on it.

Seconded.

Great, great song from a great album (though I still prefer Apple Venus myself)

Great track, though I prefer "Ball and Chain" from that album.

Indeed. Very often prefer Colin's songs, tbh

Neige wrote:Great, great song from a great album (though I still prefer Apple Venus myself)

Indeed, Apple Venus is a stunning record, they don't come much better than that, and I keep hearing new things in it, the Orchestrations are just mind-blowing and beautifully recorded.

The LPs are almost all great. I love the Dukes stuff as well.

I would rate them thusly (minus the Dukes)

Apple Venus Volume 1
Skylarking
Nonsuch
Wasp Star
English Settlement
Black Sea
Oranges & Lemons
The Big Express
Mummer
Drums and Wires
Go 2
White Music

Mike Boom wrote:I would rate them thusly (minus the Dukes)

Apple Venus Volume 1
Skylarking
Nonsuch
Wasp Star
English Settlement
Black Sea
Oranges & Lemons
The Big Express
Mummer
Drums and Wires
Go 2
White Music

Pretty much how I would rate the albums, but with some elbowing and shuffling of the top four.

For me it would be:

Nonsuch
Apple Venus Volume 1/Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (like the White Album)
Skylarking

I think they would be interchangable depending on the time of year; winter, spring, summer, autumn if that makes any sense at all.

Tom Waits For No One wrote:
For me it would be:

Nonsuch
Apple Venus Volume 1/Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (like the White Album)
Skylarking

I think they would be interchangable depending on the time of year; winter, spring, summer, autumn if that makes any sense at all.

I always think of them as
Skylarking - Summer
Apple Venus - Winter
Nonsuch - Fall

Just got the Wilson remix of Skylarking and really enjoying the bonus tracks Let’s Make A Den, Extrovert, the Troubles and especially Little Lighthouse

https://thequietus.com/articles/31096-xtc-english-settlement

Interesting article from the Quietus about English Settlement and Andy's "attack of the Brian Wilsons"

Interesting article indeed. Thanks Mike!

While I love the song I tend to listen to the other albums these days.

After Love on A Farmboy's Wages, it is my favourite 3 minutes of XTC.