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

Wing Beat Fantastic is a great song. You can definitely hear the Andyness in it, and also in the other track from that album that’s posted on Keneally’s website (I’m Raining Here, Inside).

If you do start a thread like that, please link to it here, or else it might take months until I find it.

 

I was just dinging around Discogs, and the entry for "Dear God" has a 'live' version from some awards show.

 

My TC&I EP arrived as well as "The Hardest Battle" which is apparently no longer out of stock...

Looking forward to giving it a listen this weekend.

 

Did anyone here go the recent XTC weekend in Swindon?

 

The last time I was on Burning Shed site was to buy the Andy Failed Songwriting Christmas Ep. I didn’t notice if the TC&I live album, Naked Flame is still in print. If so, pick up a copy. You’ll love it.

 

The Big Express is to be rereleased on 200gr vinyl by Ape on November the 11th, preorder available here:
https://burningshed.com/store/ape/xtc_the-big-express_vinyl

Gatefold sleeve. Newly cut from masters by Jason Mitchell at LOUD mastering

 

‘My dream had died’: XTC’s Andy Partridge on mental illness, battling the music industry and losing his muse

 

Without too much investigation, I'd wager that's the audio from the CASBY awards show in 1987. From Toronto, IIRC? All award winners played live on the show (?), but no one informed the band of that, nor was the show informed that XTC did not play live any more. Colin's son, Lee, lip synced the intro for "Dear God", and the band mimed the rest of it. Andy wrote a letter that was placed in the audiences free program for the evening explaining it all and why there was no live XTC to enjoy. Andy's letter is a rarity that eludes me still, although i do have one of the programs.

 

So...did they officially release the "live" audio of a mimed performance?

 

An interview with Andy appeared in The guardian today.
Andy Partridge reflects on XTC, his life,...

 

No. Not sure what release has this mime-ing.

 

I thought it was a good interview albeit a somewhat gloomy Andy.

 

Boy the interview really does make a big deal about Andy being "choked up" and close to tears during parts of the interview. I don't remember that ever being emphasized in any previous interview with Andy. In fact, I think that he usually comes off as kind of manically funny. I hope he's OK.

 

I wish I hadn't read the guardian interview, I had no idea about his twitter debacle, some of his posts there were disappointing to say the least, sigh.

 

Yeah, I was around on that Twitter feed, he replied me on a 60s UK psychedelic track I mentioned, but yes I did see the um.. reactions that caused him to quit it.

 

Yeah, I guess that's what I meant by gloomy. I just had the impression that he was essentially retired and spending way too much time at home by himself (so to speak). I guess I got the sense of a guy who has decided he is gonna retire from the world which was a bit sad to read to be honest.

 

He’s been hinting for a while that he wasn’t in a great place as far as the future of his music was concerned. I think the saddest part for me is that he’s basically become a recluse who seems increasingly uncomfortable/afraid of being out among other people. That has to be tough to live with.

 

Plus the whole “Santa” incident … I had no idea. It reads like dark comedy except it’s real.

 

Here's a fuller interview which covers some of the same tales, from further back...

http://tonightthestreetsarefulloftr...jesus-id-never-called-my-mother-****.html?m=1

 

Ok, I see why that one isn't going to work..

Basically, change the asterisks to a well known c-word...

 

I read the Guardian interview and it left me sad and very concerned for Andy’s well being. He seems like a prisoner in his own life. I can’t speak to his comments on Twitter other than what I’ve read. His Twitter posts don’t seem to square with who I believe Andy to be. I only know Andy from some interviews, video clips and his participation in the This is Pop documentary. I prefer my knowledge of Andy to be from his lyrics. I hope Andy finds some happiness. At least the same amount of happiness he’s given to me and countless others through his music.

 

tonight the streets are full of tractors

This link takes you to the location of the blog post-it's a little easier than trying to edit the link.

He really is the definition of a troubled genius. One hopes he will get the recognition the bands' entire body of work deserves, not just the handful of hit singles. This song by song thread made me realize just how good they were, and at least 70% of that artistic achievement is due to AP's talent as a writer and musician-not to discount Colin Moulding or Dave Gregory's contributions, but I doubt it would have happened without Andy Partridge. IMO, of course.

 

A great interview.

 

Like Andy put it in the interview linked above, he was "the battery" -- Moulding and Gregory are capable and creative musicians, but they're not leaders. I think the peculiar stroke of luck that made XTC possible was that Andy managed to surround himself with two musicians who could a) contribute a great deal while b) having no real interest in challenging him for leadership of the band. That arrangement was always fraught and probably doomed to break down. I think we're lucky it even lasted as long as it did.

 

Additional circumstantial evidence: Barry Andrews did prove to be a band leader, and he couldn't be accommodated.