*Poll* - The Weakest Link - XTC - English Settlement - R4

*Poll* - The Weakest Link - XTC - English Settlement - R1

*Poll* - The Weakest Link - XTC - English Settlement - R2

*Poll* - The Weakest Link - XTC - English Settlement - R3

Well the Yacht has sailed off into the sunset and we are left with this octet.

Will the Snowman be on thin ice now?



It is still two to vote off in this fourth round and things should be much more competitive.

DISCUSSION

How does English Settlement rank in your XTC order of studio albums?

And in the song NO THUGS IN OUR HOUSE...

What do you imagine "waspies" to be?

The insect-headed worker-wife will hang her waspies on
The line; the husband burns his paper, sucks his pipe while
studying their cushion-floor; his viscous poly-paste breath
comes out, their wall-paper world is shattered by his
shout, a boy in blue is busy banging out a headache
on the kitchen door. all the while graham slept on,
dreaming of a world where he could do just what he wanted to
no thugs in our house, are there dear? we made that clear
we made little graham promise us he'd be a good boy. no thugs
in our house , are there dear? we made that clear we made
little graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
the young policeman who just can't grow a moustache will open
up his book, and spoil their breakfast with reports of asians
who have been so badly kicked, is this your son's wallet I've
got here? he must have dropped it after too much beer! oh, officer,
we can't believe our little angel is the one you've picked. and
all the while graham slept on, dreaming of a world where he could
do just what he wanted to. no thugs in our house,are there dear? we
made that clear we made little graham promise us he'd be a good boy. no
thugs in our house, are there dear? we made that clear we made little
graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
they never read those pamphlets in his bottom drawer,they never readthat
tattoo on his arm. they thought that was just a boys club badge
he wore, they never thought he'd do folks any harm. the insect-headed
worker wife will hang her waspies on the line; she's singing something
stale and simple now this business has fizzled out; her little tune
is such a happy song her son is innocent, he can't do wrong,
'cos dads a judge and knows exactly what the job of judging's all about.
and all the while graham slept on, dreaming of a world where he
could do just what he wanted to. no thugs in our house, are there
dear? we made that clear we made little graham promise us he'd be a
good boy. no thugs in our house, are there dear? we made that clear
we made little graham promise us he'd be a good boy.

Chalkhills: Reel by Real: XTC: "No Thugs In Our House"

 

I'm voting off Snowman and this for the 'cod reggae' alone.

 

Waspy is a term for old-fashioned women's underwear, specifically a corset type thing, I think. So a double meaning in the lyric here.

 

Here's the t-shirt I created using the covers I referred to in R3 for No Thugs.

 

Runaways and English Roundabout.

Having the misfortune to live in Swindon I see that damn roundabout that inspired the song nearly every day. Have seen Mr Partridge on occasion as well, usually walking a dog around The Lawns Park up at Old Town. He always looks a bit grumpy so I’ve never spoke to him.

 

Snowman is my favourite track on this fabulous album. Still don't understand why anyone would start a WL thread instead of an appreciation thread on such an outstanding album. What I wannna know, man (Why, oh, why) ?

 

1. There is bound to be an appreciation thread already for this album. Therefore I am saving ink.
2. IMO Snowman is one of the weakest closing numbers on any album.

 

the magic roundabout? I tend to avoid that, at least in rush hour anyway.

It's possibly my favourite track out of the ones left in this round.

 

Yes, the “magic” roundabout

 

Snowman
No Thugs In Our House

Ask me tomorrow and I'll come up with a different answer, but right now I'd rank the XTC catalogue like this:
1.Skylarking
2.Oranges and Lemons
3.Apple Venus Vol. 1
4.Nonsuch
5.Drums and Wires
6.Mummer
7.English Settlement
8.Black Sea
9.The Big Express
10.Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2)
11.White Music
12.Go 2

 

as much as I like them it is time for Jason and the Argonauts to take their ball and chain away

 

Missed the last round....too much going on...anyway... "Runaways", "Ball and Chain".
DQ:My favorite XTC LP, never changes.

 

Sadly Snowman and (even sadder) Roundabout. It's getting way too hard now.

ES is still probably my favorite XTC album. Black Sea and The Big Express come right after that.

 

This is going quite as expected. I had to refresh my memory of the album and have been playing it in the car the last few days. I was reminded why I don't very often put it on. Even if it is prime era XTC (well, almost all eras XTC is prime...), as an album it has always come up short for me. All the really good tracks (which are *very* good) are up front. The rest sounds like B-sides - either they are kind of weird/clunky/genre-Experiments or they are typical XTC fare but just not that good. Overall, this album ends up quite a bit down the list for me. The best tracks, however, are high on my favourites list (more on that in later rounds).

1. Black Sea
2. Skylarking
3. Drums & Wires
4. Mummer
5. The Big Express
6. Apple Venus Vol. 1
7. English Settlement
8. White Music
9. Oranges & Lemons
10. Nonsuch
11. Wasp Star
12. Go 2

Getting a little fuzzy on the last few albums and how they rate vis a vis each other, but the top 7-8 is pretty firm. . And to be honest, there's not much to differentiate between #5-8. If the Dukes stuff counted as one album, that would end up around # 4-5

 

It would be a shame to lose Snowman, if only because it contains my favorite AP line - "People will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with Welcome written on it."
But let the flakes fall where they may.

 

Jason + Thugs again

1. Drums & Wires
2. Mummer
3. Skylarking
4. Black Sea
5. Oranges & Lemons
6. English Settlement

 

Jason and Roundabout.

Snowman has grown on me over the years. I don't think it's even XTC's weakest closing track, let alone the weakest on any album.

My ranking varies depending on mood but Drums & Wires will always be #1, and ES in the top 3.

 

Ball And Chain is making a late charge toward the guillotine.

 

1. skylarking
2. oranges & lemons
3. black sea
4. english settlement
5. drums and wires

 

Black Sea
White Music
Nonsuch
Apple Venus
Drums And Wires
Oranges and Lemons
Go 2
The Big Express + Mummer tied
Skylarking
English Settlement
Wasp Star

 

Interesting to see these lists, they are pretty much all over the place!

 

Oh yeah....additional DQ: Waspies.....Wash...Washies....

Oh, and as far as a list, ES always on top...others vary, but ES is the constant.

 

Ball and Chain and Jason.

DQ: English Settlement is my favourite XTC album.

 

Snowman. How is it still here?

Its my favorite, but its last in a perfect run of Drums, Black Sea and this one.

 

Snowman's worth keeping just for Andy's scream at the end.