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

Fireball is a lot of fun, and a highlight of the unreleased stuff on disc 1 of the Coat box. But I wish it finished when the dub starts - 3/5.

 

"Fireball XLF/Fireball Dub"

Another example where I like the music in the first part, but not really into the vocal or the lyrics. I'm a huge fan of dub, but this is not a good example of great dub. They are trying to do it, but it sounds like a failed experiment to me. 2/5

 

I'll take Chips from the Chocolate Fireball over this Fireball any day, but it's OK I guess. 2/5. One of these days I should dig through my boxes of CDs to see if I still own a copy of Explode Together: The Dub Experiments, which I haven't listened to in 30+ years. I don't recall it being very good, but maybe there were a few gems that I've forgotten about.

 

"Fireball XL5"

Hadn't heard this before - it's reasonably enjoyable I think, without being essential. I prefer the dub section on this to some of the later dub experiments. I've never owned COMC - I don't remember hearing much about it when it came out, and I think by that stage I was growing out of the need to find all of a band's b-sides and extra tracks etc... 2/5.

 

Being one of 'the ancients' I remember Fireball XL5 from when I was very young - in fact my mother bought me the 45 of the original tune (which was awful and had nothing to do with the show, but much played nonetheless), so this is an aberration. Interesting that John Leckie was 'responsible' for the dub thing - unlike many (here) I've never liked his production, everything always sounds reduced/compressed in some way. 1/5

NASA based the Space Shuttle on Fireball XL5. Possibly.

 

Really fun cover - I like the retro-futurism of covering Fireball XL5.

3/5

 

"Fireball XL5/Fireball Dub" -- 2.5/5

I have no frame of reference for this song and wouldn't have known it was a cover. It's not bad -- short and catchy.

The dub portion is where they lose me. Don't get it.

 

Fireball

This is cute for what it is, but wow, do I hate that keyboard sound. I feel like I’m at a roller rink on Mars. I like the dub part better, as it lessens the effect of that cringe-inducing keyboard sound.

2.5/5

 

Andy would probably take that as a compliment!

 

Fireball XL5

This is an interesting two part song, with first the intentionally cheesy 60s mix, and then the dub version. If we just had the first half I would be dismissing this, but having both the 60s version and the dub version makes this interesting.

3.3/5

 

"Fireball XLF/Fireball Dub":

Love this, including the goofy dub! I agree with HitAndRun that without the dub version, the song wouldn't be half as interesting.

 

If "Fireball" ended at 1:35, it would be AT LEAST a 4 from me. I love this sort of goofy stuff and I did the retro styling as well. I don't mind the dub all that much, but... let's say a dear friend tagged along on a date with someone you were desperately trying to impress... they're still a dear friend, but they just don't need to be there.

3.3/5

 

Fireball XL5/Fireball Dub

I was enjoying this until it reached the dub section, at which point it went due south. 2/5

 

I had no idea XTC did a cover of the Fireball XL5 theme song. I love it. I wish they'd have tackled all the Gerry Anderson show themes. Especially U.F.O.

 

Overall, it's a 2/5. The cheesy Fireball cover approaches a 3, but another dub experiment is a 1/5.

 

Fireball is a gas! Barry really livens this one up and makes it for me a highlight of the box set. The dub section does little for me.

 

Fireball:
This is…. Not boring. Their early work is overflowing with ideas, even if some of them don’t quite gel with each other. At least it’s always interesting. I really admire the musical restlessness that goes on in these early works, even if I’m slightly irritated by the cheesy keys. 3/5

 

Fireball XL5. Absolutely adorable. Not to be taken seriously, just good fun. The dub part is ok, it's pretty short anyway.

 

We'll get to it, but what I like about Andy's dub experiments is that he builds new songs out of the wreckage of the old rather than just adding spacey echo to them. The new songs are very hit and miss, and none of them have the organic solidity you'd expect from 'real' XTC songs, but I find it an entertaining listen once in a blue moon.

 

Fireball XL5/Fireball Dub: I listened to the original TV theme for the first time earlier today. Fun, spirited outtake with some cool keyboard sounds. I like both parts but in the scheme of things XTC it's a 2/5

 

They were obviously having fun with "Fireball XLF/Fireball Dub". I was a Thunderbirds kid so I appreciate the Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shout out. It's EQ'd to sound like it's coming out of a TV speaker in the song portion, which is intentionally irritating but kind of adorable. They once again can sound a bit like early Boomtown Rats when Andy turns up the sneer and they dial back the organ tone clusters (yes, "Atom Age", I'm looking at you too). The dub portion is colorful but a little undercooked. It sounds like a single pass at sending elements to the delay, etc-it's kind of loose rhythmically in places. The bouncy circus isn't my first choice of dub source material but it is brief and makes a nice twist after the TV mix. I've never fully checked out the Andy dub (re)mixes so I look forward to hearing more of them in this (re)visit. 2/5

 

Another song I had only heard once back in 2002, "Fireball XLF" - a 2/5 and I will shut up about it. Or, I could say I don't like the dub section at all.
Unnecessary says it right. I did like some of the dub tracks.

 

Although I passed on the Cupboards box in 2002 I was buying loads of xtc product. xtc has held my interest to this day - that's why I'm here writing.

In 2001 I was sure riding high as Andy and Colin closed shop with Homegrown - love that and the earlier Homespun. I passed on the instrumental
discs - should give them a listen, probably something good there. 2002 was when the Japan mini-Lp Sleeve albums came out. I collect those from
my favorite artists. I picked six - English Settlement thru to Nonsvch. The first couple of Fuzzy Warbles appeared, but not in any stores I went to -
not even on Long Island, N.Y. - as I said earlier, I had to wait until 2016 when they came out in three sets.

The only out-takes type discs I have are one of the live discs (#4), released before Transistor Blast, and the excellent Rag & Bone Buffet. I'm still
not convinced the Cupboards box is worth the price. Now that I have the mega releases that have so many extras and the Fuzzys I don't think I need
that box. The Fuzzys have great/similar stuff.

 

The instrumental version of Apple Venus 1 in particular is excellent.

 

"Fireball XL5/Fireball Dub": Without having to charm the skeptics in a club, this cover really has no reason to exist. The dub portion heaps needlessness upon needlessness.

1.5/5