BCB 100 - XTC

geoffcowgill · Postby **geoffcowgill** » 22 Jun 2006, 16:51

Well, I like 'em.

I find something to love about all of their incarnations. The delirious frenzy of the first couple of albums, with Andrews' absolutlely deranged organ work, has an equal sense of fun and energy that is missing in most of the more universally acclaimed recordings of the late '70s. They really come into their own over the next three albums, though, going from the refined abstractions of Drums and Wires, through the sheer force and popcraft of Black Sea where they come off as a post-punk Who, and finally the shift towards the skewed bucolic in English Settlement that would partially define the rest of the career and find its purest forms in Skylarking and Apple Venus 1. That turn of the decade trilogy is the axis of their career, it seems, and some of the most engaging, if a little askew, pop music ever made.

Black Sea is my favorite. Its nonstop momentum, only slowing down for the side enders ("No Language In Our Lungs" and "Travels In Nihilon"), fraught with tension and hooks, a continuous sense of the listener being pulled and pushed back, is thrilling. It doesn't appeal to everyone, understandably, but Andy Partridge's vocal style, like he's slaloming through a labyrinth of syllables, an unnecessarily complex maze of his own creation, is great. It has the passion of a madman, a street preacher warning of the apocalypse and verging on speaking in tongues. The music is fantastic, too. I've heard complaints about the drum sound, but I don't hear the problem.

Favorite Album - Black Sea

Favorite Song - "Respectable Street"

Clippernolan · Postby **Clippernolan** » 22 Jun 2006, 16:55

The short answer is:

Album - Apple Venus, Vol 1.

Song - "Wrapped in Grey"

They are one of my favourite bands.

Carl's Son · Postby **Carl's Son** » 22 Jun 2006, 16:56

Favourite Song: Harvest Festival, for today

Favourite album: Skylarking

Mike Boom · Postby **Mike Boom** » 22 Jun 2006, 17:17

Song - "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead"
Album - "The Black Sea" with special mention to "Nonsuch"

Jimbly · Postby **Jimbly** » 22 Jun 2006, 17:33

Used to love them , cant be arsed anymore

Song - Complicated Game

Album - Go Too

soundchaser · Postby **soundchaser** » 22 Jun 2006, 17:39

Album: Apple Venus Vol. 1.

Song: Love On A Farmboys Wages.

Snarfyguy · Postby **Snarfyguy** » 22 Jun 2006, 17:41

Album: Black Sea

Song: Senses Working Overtime (not because it's better than a dozen others I could have picked, but just for the sheer exuberance of it)

Neige · Postby **Neige** » 22 Jun 2006, 17:56

Genius, I love them to bits

Album: Apple Venus Volume 1

Song (at this very second, because it suits my mood): Ballet For A Rainy Day/1000 Umbrellas...

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:00

Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

The Modernist · Postby **The Modernist** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:01

The Legendary John Coan wrote:Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

It's just you, me, Griff and Owen I think.

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:02

The Unique Modernist! wrote:
The Legendary John Coan wrote:Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

It's just you, me, Griff and Owen I think.

Ah, good! I'm in good company, then.

Quaco · Postby **Quaco** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:03

The Legendary John Coan wrote:Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

You may not realize they did release one or two albums after 1980.

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:04

Quaco wrote:
The Legendary John Coan wrote:Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

You may not realize they did release one or two albums after 1980.

Yes, they 'matured', didn't they? :roll:

sloopjohnc · Postby **sloopjohnc** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:04

Album: Black Sea
Song: That's Really Super, Supergirl

I had to think about my favorite song A LOT. I love the opening guitar and wry anger in Respectable Street, but I find myself wanting to hear Supergirl more than any other of their songs. Grass is up there too.

The Prof · Postby **The Prof** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:11

The Legendary John Coan wrote:
The Unique Modernist! wrote:
The Legendary John Coan wrote:Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

It's just you, me, Griff and Owen I think.

Ah, good! I'm in good company, then.

They bore me too!

Quaco · Postby **Quaco** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:16

The Legendary John Coan wrote:
Quaco wrote:
The Legendary John Coan wrote:Is there anybody here who doesn't like 'em? apart from me, I mean?

Gimmicky new-wave shite.

You may not realize they did release one or two albums after 1980.

Yes, they 'matured', didn't they?

You need more exercise.

Jimbly · Postby **Jimbly** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:16

I am not a fan either, I liked the first album loved the next two, and think that they were shite thereafter.

geoffcowgill · Postby **geoffcowgill** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:29

neverknows wrote:Black Sea's best songs are really great but half the record is boring ('Sgt Rock', 'Generals & majors', 'Cuba').

Maybe "Generals and Majors", relative to the rest of the album, is a little bland, but "Sgt. Rock" and "Living Through Another Cuba", for all their goofiness, are far from boring. How dare you, sir!

Matt Wilson · Postby **Matt Wilson** » 22 Jun 2006, 18:31

geoffcowgill wrote:
neverknows wrote:Black Sea's best songs are really great but half the record is boring ('Sgt Rock', 'Generals & majors', 'Cuba').

Maybe "Generals and Majors", relative to the rest of the album, is a little bland, but "Sgt. Rock" and "Living Through Another Cuba", for all their goofiness, are far from boring. How dare you, sir!

I was gonna say--those are three of the best songs on the LP!

toomanyhatz · Postby **toomanyhatz** » 22 Jun 2006, 19:49

Love 'em, though I agree the patch between English Settlement and Nonsuch is pretty spotty.

Favorite album - Toss up between English Settlement (not the original American single LP version) and Skylarking

Favorite song - Varies. Sometimes it's Love on a Farmboy's Wages, sometimes Senses Working Overtime, sometimes something completely left field- very early or very late. Probably those two, usually.