XTC Song of the Day thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George Co-Stanza, Aug 11, 2018.

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  1. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Love this one, but then, I'm also a huge fan of most of Wasp Star. This has one of Andy's most hilarious lyrics IMO. "Some star sneezed, now they're paging you in reception" etc.
     
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  2. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Today's song is "River of Orchids"



    I have to admit that when I first heard this song a few months ago, I was in total and complete amazement. I was so not expecting that kind of song, yet it wowed the hell out of me. I can only imagine what the reaction was of XTC fans back in 1999, that being the first new song by the band you heard in 7 years...I am sure some were like, what the hell. It is so different than any other song they had done prior, yet it has that Andy Partridge stamp on it to where it still sounds very much like XTC, if you ask me. The way all of those different ideas all come together at the end and play simultaneously and overlap one another is a great demonstration of what an utterly brilliant songwriting Andy Partridge is. This song is a massive achievement.
     
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  3. riknbkr330

    riknbkr330 Senior Member

    I first heard this before Apple Venus was released. A friend of mine had a CD of Andy's demos, and this was before the Homegrown/Homespun series. I think he had a friend who knew Andy, and managed to get a CD of Andy's demos.This must have been around 1997 or so...in any case this was the first song of new XTC (Andy) material since Nonsuch, other than his collaborations.

    I was excited and entranced as I had a good 2 hour drive ahead of me and popped this CD into my portable player that was connected to my car stereo.
    For the duration of the two hours I think I played this song 3 or 4 times. It sent goosebumps on my skin every time I heard the song. It still conveys the feeling I had that night I first heard it.
    On a side note, as a cyclist, I wish we would ditch our cars as much as possible.
     
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  4. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Well said!! :cool:
     
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  5. ralph7109

    ralph7109 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Franklin, TN
    Sorry to be a few days late for this one.

    Fantastic song, wonderfully melody and outstanding lyrics all undone by the last 15 seconds.

    Andy’s father was right!
     
  6. hutlock

    hutlock Forever Breathing

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    Yes. A thousand times yes. Perfectly stated.
     
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  7. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    I don't have a problem with the last 15 seconds. It's an unusual lyric to end the song, but it works.

    What did Andy's father say?
     
  8. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Mesmerized from the very first water droplet! Apple Venus is a beautiful album.


    I had a dream where the car is reduced to a fossil, indeed!

    Living in the "motor city" has made me detest cars as transportation, there are a seemingly infinite amount of cars on the roads, nearly all with one passenger, the driver. What a waste of metal, concrete, oil and money.
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2018
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  9. DaverJ

    DaverJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    River of Orchids - Andy's somewhat experimental building-a-jigsaw song. A nice change of pace from the Beatlesque guitar/bass/drum/keyboard songs he's so good at, and it shows what a master he is at the odd but pleasant melody.

    I deem this fine song as "art", but at the same time might skip this track during an interactive listening session.
     
  10. ralph7109

    ralph7109 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Franklin, TN
    It’s the change in music and harsh high pitch - not the lyrics:

    Below is an excerpt from a 2007 interview wit Todd Bernhardt:

    TB: Where did the "stand up naked and grin" ending come from?

    AP: I just wanted to deflate any kind of pomposity that the song may have had up to that point! [laughs] I thought, "I've got to stick a pin in this balloon."

    You know, I don't usually play any of my material to my father, because he always criticizes, but I thought, "Yeah, he could get behind this, because it's kind of square, it's a bit Bacharach and David, maybe one of the safer Beach Boys things -- he surely couldn't find this offensive." So I played it to him not long after we'd finished it, and his face was looking kind ofalright, like was going to say something great about it. And then it got to the piece at the end, and his face just went really sour.

    TB: "And now you've ruined it."

    AP: That's what he said! He said, "Oh, what do you want to stick that on the end for? You've ruined it!" And I thought, "Great. That's my dad!" [laughs] He can't say anything nice. Not to me. Maybe he can say it to other people, but he just can't say it to me. I thought, "Yep. Great. He doesn't like it! All's right in the world."
     
  11. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Eh, I do not agree with his dad. Even if you don't like those 15 seconds, to say it "ruined" the song seems like hyperbole. Sounds like dad was being his usual critical self.
     
  12. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Today's song is "My Weapon"



    Not sure what to make of this song. It has some cool things going on, but those lyrics seem fairly...pedestrian. I am on record as not being much of a fan of the first two records, and I cannot imagine going out of my way to hear this song again.
     
  13. Yes, I was a fan in '99 who snapped-up this CD, and as you suspected River of Orchids was a big surprise and shock to me. Unlike anything that came before it...a strange and pastoral vibe created out of nowhere.
     
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  14. Fastnbulbous

    Fastnbulbous Doubleplus Ungood

    Location:
    Washington DC USA
    An insult to pedestrians IMO. Apparently you aren't a big fan either. What is your modus operandi here? It's like a Hitchcock thread that leads off with The Skin Game and Juno and the Paycock.
     
  15. DaverJ

    DaverJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    My Weapon - oh lord. Andy has almost disowned Sgt. Rock because of the misogynist lyrics, and I would bet he would prefer this Barry Andrews composed/ Terry Chambers sung ditty would remain unheard.

    I guess the song has an interesting beat and sort of a funk, and there's a certain commitment to it. Simply as a song, it's got a fun groove one can dance to. But I can't get past the horrendous lyrics: "Lying beside me like a parcel of fat -- hot love, cold sweat, feel her beneath me. Wanna crush her to death." I'm ashamed to have this in the XTC catalog. Go 2 has better songs to offer.

    Bottom of the barrel.
     
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  16. dthomas850

    dthomas850 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland, Ohio
    My Weapon & Super Tuff should have been left off the album, they should have been b-sides. If they were replaced with "Strange Tails, Strange Tales" & "Instant Tunes", the album would've been much stronger.
     
  17. ellaguru

    ellaguru Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milan
    I would've saved 'Heatwave' for the 2nd LP instead of an earlier b-side over any Barry contributions.
     
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  18. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Okay, let's salvage the day with a much better one...

    Today's second song of the day is "The Mole from the Ministry"



    Yes, I am including songs by the Dukes of Stratosphear here, and what better place to start than the first song I heard by them. My reaction to seeing the video and hearing the song for the first time (which happened together) was a combination of awe, shock, hilarity and pure joy. They are having so much fun in the video, which makes sense given how much fun the song sounds. There are other Dukes songs I love more at this point, but this will always be "my first." :D
     
  19. They had Barry’s great song Things Fall To Bits and bumped it for this turkey? Astounding!
     
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  20. The Duke's Mole From The Ministry is their I Am The Walrus. I love the fade-out freakiness.
     
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  21. riknbkr330

    riknbkr330 Senior Member

    Ahhhh the Dukes! Love the Dukes as it was the stuff I was listening 5 years prior to the release. I love Psychedelia and this was a beaut of a song with all the effects and ingredients to blow one's mind!
    I was working in a record store when the 25 O'clock 12" came in and I believe one of my colleagues pointed out this was XTC. I remember looking at the cover and basically with my mouth slack jawed and saying "no way, no way"..throughout my work shift. Ripped the plastic covering off and threw that slab of vinyl on our turntable and played it over and over. I'm glad my work mates were amenable, but I think someone slipped in Dead or Alive's "Spin me Round" to pi$$ me off.
     
  22. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Haha, good story!
     
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  23. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Today's song is "Great Fire"



    I didn't care much for this song at first, probably because it sounded vastly inferior to quite a few other songs from Mummer, but I have come around to liking it. Still seems like one of those would-be catchy songs where the hook isn't quite there, which probably explains why it didn't make a dent as a single in the UK and wasn't even given a chance here in the States.
     
  24. Rocat

    Rocat Do you realise, this world is totally fugazi.

    Location:
    Italy
    Back then, when the record was out and we spun it for the first time, it sounded 100% XTC to me and my friends...maybe it was the long time spent waiting for something new from the boys...I understand it was different for other listeners. An amazing album, anyway, it stands the passage of time very well, I think.
     
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  25. Grahamstuartcanada

    Grahamstuartcanada We play two kinds of music “new” and “wave”

    HI I am late to the party here! I am hoping I am posting this in the right location...Jason and the Argonauts is amazing, this album really was my introduction to xtc by album as opposed to the singles/videos that I occasionally heard/saw. I remember the sounds at the beginning the birds and that opening riff, and then that huge bass by Colin. I totally loved that song then and now. What is interesting is that warmth that this album has for me. I guess fretless, and acoustic must be why. Great song- love the chimes too!
     
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