Senses Working Overtime: XTC and Dukes of Stratosphear Song-by-song

I love the way Colin moved the bass notes around a little compared to R+R Star. Great rocker. 5/5.

 

Drug: The choruses are a slight let-down after the build up of tension in the verses. Still I like this one a lot. Sometimes it's nice when AP doesn't get super wordy and throwing in too many clever turns of phrase. I think I just said upthread that there aren't 1:1 analogs for the songs on PP but I guess I forgot about that Byrds track. Once you all pointed it out it's pretty obvious.

3/5

 

"You're My Drug" just hits me in all the right places. I think the melody's great, I love the Byrdsian arrangement, and I'm not bothered at all by the resemblance to "Rock 'n' Roll Star." This is by no means a carbon copy; it's just that the references are in your face. (Parts of it sound more like "Eight Miles High," but it isn't worth bothering to try nailing everything down.)

Is it as great as "Rock 'n' Roll Star" or "Eight Miles High"? No, but it's great enough. 5/5

 

It's a lucky thing you're in this thread and not elsewhere on the forum where you might have been burned in a wicker monkey.

 

Anyone who knows me will tell you that the true way to my heart is a good güiro rhythm!

Some wonderfully ludicrous -ug rhymes here, like You take me to heaven from deeper than hell ever dug-- only Sir John Johns could have conjured. The phasing should get tiring, but the timing of the descent/ascent of the effect make it work for me.

4/5

 

You Are My Drug. I think this is pretty bland filler and possibly the weakest track so far. 2.5 / 5

 

"You're My Drug" - Groovy with a capital G. Yes, it's the Byrds. I would've liked to hear what they would've done in an "Eight Miles High" vein (the Dukes sadly never did any real psychedelic freak outs, it would've been cool to hear them take on Hendrix), but this is very good. I dig the flanging and panning. Nice bass playing and backwards guitar on the outro. 4/5

 

I like "You're My Drug," but the chorus grates just a tad, maybe even keeping it out of "really like it" territory for me. "You're My Drug" is not my drug.

3.9/5

 

I'm hearing every influence Andy has planned for us. And yes, while I love "You're My Drug", those lyrics needed a bit more time
in the shed. Workin' time, Andy, if you want me to rate this higher than 3.5/5. My lowest rating on the L.p. so far. Not as great a
song as it wants to be. It was a good choice not to open the record with.

 

Nothing like The Byrds if that's what they were aiming for, if that's what the main inspo was then they've fallen a whole lot short...awful, 2/5

 

You're My Drug-I love this track, it's one of my favourites on the album. Yeah, I know it's a Byrds rip-off, but I love that sound so much I don't really care. It's well done, I enjoy the tongue-in-cheek lyric, the bass line is killer and the whole thing is slathered in a lovely coating of Itchycoo Park flavoured flanging(?) phasing (?) (what's the difference?). It's MY drug! 5/5.

 

Never ask a question you don't want the answer to!
Q. What's the difference between phasing and flanging?

 

That's cool. I'd thought it might be two expressions for the same thing. Thanks for the link.

 

You're My Drug - Great start to side two, not an absolute classic, but still pretty damn good, the chiming psychedelic guitars, Colin's great bass playing, and yeah, that flanger effect is very cool! Goes well with beer from a jug!
4.5/5

 

That was seriously cool...thanks for sharing!

 

YMD - 4/5

Love the Byrd-isms.

 

Our votes for "You're My Drug"
1-1
2-2
3-10
4-12
5-8
Average: 3.6439

 

Today's song is "Shiny Cage", written by The Red Curtain and produced by John Leckie & The Dukes.

The Dukes of Stratosphear – Shiny Cage Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
Background:
An outtake from The Big Express, rejected because it was too Beatles sounding. The liner notes on the release (by Gary Pig Gold) Mention the Beatles and a "touch of '66 Hollies (again.)"
Andy:

Line Up:
The Red Curtain: vocals, bass guitar
Lord Corneilius Plum: guitars, mellotron, vocals,
Sir John Johns: guitar, vocals
E.I.E.I. Owen: drums

Stereo, 5.1 and instrumental remixes on the 2019 CD/Blu-ray comp Psurroundabout Ride, as well as a home demo.

 

"Shiny Cage" is cute, and I think it's a really excellent song: the arrangement is pure Beatles, fo course, except for that middle bit, which is, well, I'm not really sure. '66 Hollies, says Gary Pig Gold, but I don't know.

It nags at me though: I almost think it's too good a song to be given such a a heavy pastiche. I love the lyric.

Anway, 4.5/5.

 

Shiny Cage: best cut on side 2! 4/5.

 

"Shiny Cage"

I've only owned Revolver for a couple of years, and even then I've not listened to it that much. I've only ever really heard this as a Colin song, pure and simple. Yes, there are some obvious Beatles touches on it, but I don't really think it's any more a Dukes song/any less an XTC song than "Big Day". Not personally one of my favourite Colin songs but still very good and very catchy. 3.5/5.

 

Shiny Cage is great! 4/5

 

Shiny Cage. Playing the influence game, this is I'm Only Sleeping interrupted by What's the New Mary Jane. That juxtaposition of the bridge is pretty odd IMO. Anyway, intriguing track but not a favorite.

(Both this and The Affiliated have odd bridges stuck into the main song)

 

Shiny Cage

As above, the melody/structure of the verse is I'm Only Sleeping. The middle section just generally mid-period Beatles. Really like it.

4/5.

 

Yeah, I'd not clocked this as a Colin song - probably should have as it's quite straightforward lyrically

Another highlight, what's not to like?

5/5