Anyone on the BBS like the English band XTC? They have been around for ages (70's) and i've been into them since I was about 8 (bout '91). I have rarely stumbled across many other fans in this time. They have the most amazing lyrics and melodies (Major credit to frontman Andy Partridge). XTC are like no other band I can really think of. If you haven't heard them do yourself a big favor and have a look into them soon. It's hard for me to nominate which album to go for as they have produced so many great ones over the years. The recent 'Wasp Star' is great, but for older flavor go 'Black Sea', 'NonSuch', 'Skylarking' , 'English Settlement' or 'Oranges and Lemons'
"Oranges & Lemons" and "Skylarking" are two of my favorite albums of all time. The first time I heard "Dear God" on the radio, I went out and bought the CD that day.
Skylarking is a brilliant album. I think it's the only album where the band's quirkiness was harnessed and pushed into the right direction. The other albums have some great songs, but never really come together as a whole. Skylarking, on the other hand, is one album long orgy of perfection.
todd rundgren fan, are you? im a huge xtc fan - pretty much the only one i know. i always thought that if the beatles had still been together in the 80's, they would have sounded just like xtc. i remember hearing them every now and then growing up, but never became a fan until 5 or 6 years ago when i heard black sea. now i own pretty much all of their albums (definately more than i own of any other band), which might be due to the fact that since i dont know any other xtc fans i cant burn cd's from them, but actually have to go out and buy them. english settlement is my favorite w/ skylarking and black sea right behind.
XTC would easly rank in my top 5 favorite bands of all time. Black Sea and English Settlement are in my opinion their finest work, but I can see why others would favor Skylarking as most bands never come close to such a fine release. XTC really had (has) alot going for them. Not only were they able to make quirky and inventive music sound catchy as the Beatles, but also had the great (and often over looked) guitar work of Dave Gregory and profound lyrics of Andy Partridge (Dear God, No language in my lungs, etc).
Skylarking is my favorite XTC release. Have you ever heard any Dukes of Statosphere? It's XTC's side project.
I love the hell out of XTC and Dukes of Stratosphear. I've been a fan since the mid-eighties. I remember going to an in-store appearance they did at the old Sound Exchange (might have been Record Exchange then) around 86.
I have only have really heard the Dear God song from whenever it came out. I never saw what the big deal was. I guess I should listen to some more.
I love XTC. I don't have their most recent album, but I should probably try and find it. They are usually consistantly good with occasional greatness. Nonsuch is actually one of my favorites. The early stuff has some real gems on it. 'Making Plans for Nigel' is as good as it gets. I think Andy Partridge's stage fright kept them from really tourning and makinging it as big as they good have.
yeah Andy's valium addiction, the stagefright you mentioned and more recently the hold out over their Virgin records contract held them down at critical times in their career. "The Disapointed" and "Peter Pumpkinhead" were hits in several different countries in the early 90's... and then after that the 6 year holdout before their next studio release. the sort of guys Colin and Andy are (kinda weird,like their privacy) they probably aren't overly concerned with never getting massive in the mainstream.
Used to love "Peter Pumpkinhead" in 6th grade, and grew to appreciate Mandy Moore as more than wank fodder when she covered "Senses Working Overtime."
aaaah you got me there. it was the english connection mainly. their music honestly isnt that much like the Beatles.
