XTC-where to start?

I've read quite a lot of people saying they like Travels in Nihilon, I'm not keen on it myself but Black Sea is still my favourite XTC album.

 

The lack of consensus in this thread only goes to show how great this band was.

 

Hello all,
I just recently watched the XTC doc This is pop on Showtime. I never paid much attention to them growing up so I was pretty much unaware of this bands talents. After watching the program I dove deep into the music of this band. I have been totally consumed with this bands music for the past few weeks. As stated many times it is amazing how much this band improved from its early New Wave punkish roots. I just read an interview with Andy Partridge and he said that the Nonsuch album did not sell well? It just seems like the bands writing and musicianship skills just kept getting better and better, very similar to the Beatles, but the Beatles had George Martin. I am very surprised that this album did not sell well because I absolutely think this a masterpiece!
It took me a few listens, but the more I listen to it the more I love it. I am curious do XTC fans agree with my assessment?

Regards,
Jeff

 

Nonsuch is a fantastic album and the culmination of a long line of amazing albums. My favorite is Skylarking (check out the corrected polarity edition), but all of their albums have a lot to recommend for them.

 

Of Nonsuch? Yes it's a great album though, personally, I think a couple of Partridge's uptempo tracks (The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead, Dear Madam Barnum) sound a bit forced. I think it works better as a downbeat album - Humble Daisy would be my choice of opener. At the time it was difficult for XTC to sustain their profile with no live performances. It was especially difficult for XTC to pick up new fans during a time when new things were happening and they seemed apart from it all.

 

Nonsuch is a fantastic album! The weakest track is Peter Pumpkinhead and I skip it quite often. A couple of other tracks are hit and miss for me depending on my mood, two of Colin's tunes 'Wardance' and 'The Smartest Monkeys', sometimes they are enjoyable, sometimes they seem like a slog.

 

Drums & Wires...BEST ALBUM

 

I love XTC but I wouldn't say that.
IMO, songwriting-wise, they were at the top of their game virtually since Day 1 or 2: Ten Feet Tall, Roads Girdle The Globe, When You're Near Me, That Is The Way, Millions impress me as much as the supposedly more mature work of the late 80's / early 90's.

That's the point: very similar to the Beatles. Had XTC catalog started circa Dukes Of Stratosphear, I would still admire them, but I would miss the aforementioned Drums & Wires songs, and other masterpieces like "In Loving Memory Of A Name" , "Ladybird", "Love On A Farmboy Wages".

 

Peter Pumpkinhead was the only hit song (well, on our college and indie radio) -not weak by any stretch. I agree with you regarding Wardance and The Smartest Monkeys.

Nonsuch suffers from bloated CD syndrome and could be improved by dropping several of the weaker tracks and relegating them to b-sides:

1. "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" 5:02
2. "My Bird Performs" (Colin Moulding) 3:51
3. "Dear Madam Barnum" 2:48
4. "Humble Daisy" 3:36
5. "The Disappointed" 3:23
6. "Holly Up on Poppy" 3:04
7. "Rook" 3:47
8. "Omnibus" 3:20
9. "Then She Appeared" 3:51
10. "Wrapped in Grey" 3:46
11. "The Ugly Underneath" 3:50
12. "Bungalow" (Moulding) 2:49
13. "Books Are Burning"

 

I have to say I do not much care for there earlier work. I really feel that Partridge’s voice was not great and almost irritating. His voice matured 100% on Skylarking and just got better. The suttle but wonderful arranging skills of Dave Gregory really shine on Nonsuch. I also love the Oranges And lemons album. Maybe the more time I give the older albums the more I will appreciate them. I was never much of a New Wave/ punk listener being a child of the 60s.

 

Forum member wayneklein got me hooked on this gem-
Easter Theatre from 99. The single includes a nice home demo

 

Yeah, I know it was a hit, personally I think it's the weakest, that's not to say it's a bad song, just that I'm not much of a fan of it.

 

I've always thought the same about Nonsuch. It's too long, too many weak tracks, it doesn't flow nicely. A 13-track album would've made it damn near perfect, though I quibble slightly with your song choices. Rook is a great song but doesn't belong on the album, IMO.

 

Something a little different, The Dummies Ellen did a nice vocal for it

 

English Settlement is great, but every song is like 5-6 minutes long....sometimes I get tired of them before they are over.

For that reason, the tighter Skylarking and Orange & Lemons may be a better gateway for you.

 

About half the songs are under 5 minutes, but I agree that some do go on a bit too long (I'm looking at you Melt The Guns!).

 

I am not one of them. Rubbish.

 

Polarity Question----If I play the old (wrong) version through an amplifier with a reverse polarity switch activated, does that correct the problem? Thanks.

 

I'm not one of you, Brilliant! I love it!

 

This is where I started - brilliant overview imo

 

I'd start with Black Sea (1980) and Skylarking (1986), and decide if you're more interested in their early new-wave/rock material or their later studio based work.

 

Considering that I barely even know what polarity is, I’m not the right person to ask. Though I’d be interested to know how it works.

 

I started with Skylarking, which is kind of a mid-point in their evolution, then worked backward and forward through the catalog.

 

Well, almost no live performances.