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XTCAlbums ReviewedDrums And Wires (1979)Black Sea (1980) English Settlement (1982) Mummer (1983) The Big Express (1984) Skylarking (1986) Chips From The Chocolate Fireball (1987) Oranges and Lemons (1989) Nonsuch (1992) Fossil Fuel: The Singles 1977-1992 (1996) Apple Venus Volume I (1999) Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000) White Music(1978)Go2(1978)I haven't picked these up, mostly because I'm not a huge fan of the group's early period - I hear White Music is pretty good, but Go2 is often singled out as their worst album. Drums And Wires(1979)After releasing two frenetic new wave albums in 1978, XTC attempted to make a fresh start with Drums And Wires. Most importantly, frenzied organist Barry Andrews was replaced by gentlemanly guitarist Dave Gregory, giving XTC a more patterned approach. Steve Lillywhite gives Drums And Wires a curiously rigid production; compared to the denser Black Sea, also produced by Lillywhite, Drums And Wires is jerky and brittle. The only time XTC really rock out is in the riveting culmination of the album closer 'Complicated Game'. This production approach is hypnotic on the more interesting songs, but somewhat stulifying on the lesser tracks. Colin Moulding's simple writing style is well suited to the treatment; 'Making Plans For Nigel' is the obvious single, with ironic social commentary lyrics, while the funky 'Day In Day Out' and 'Ten Feet Tall' are similarly captivating. Only 'That Is The Way' fails to register, with Moulding taking simplicity a step too far. Meanwhile, Andy Partridge turns up his quirky knob to 11 in delightful compositions such as 'Helicopter' and 'When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty', but turns in a large load of unmemorability on the second half of the album. The best part of Drums And Wires is the bonus tracks from the 'Life Begins At The Hop' EP that preceded the album; the title track isn't one of their better singles, but the two silly b-sides are as much fun as a barrel of monkeys. 'Chain Of Command' has a cute horn line while 'Limelight' is ridiculously egocentric, declaring "I'm in love with myself". As you'll see from the following reviews, XTC are an impressively consistent group, and preferred albums depend on the stylistic taste of the listener. I can see why someone could prefer Drums And Wires as their favourite XTC release, but I prefer their lusher, later studio productions. For this reason, and to give the following starry eyed reviews credibility, it is necessary to award Drums And Wires an average grade. 
Black Sea(1980)For their fourth album Black Sea XTC were still a self sufficient band, with the songwriting duo of guitarist Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding augmented by drummer Terry Chambers and guitarist Dave Gregory. Their first four albums are recorded with a vaguely punk ethos; energy levels are cranked up, while the group only play what they could recreate on stage as a four piece. After Partridge's nervous breakdown in 1982, XTC ceased touring and retreated to the studio to create more intricate records. While I prefer the groups more sedate and crafted albums, there's no denying that 1980's Black Sea is admirable in its own right. Moulding only contributes three songs, which are all in a similar vein, linking upbeat bouncy tunes to pessimistic lyrics about militarism, lust and pollution. Partridge is also in splendid songwriting form; the social commentary of 'Respectable Street' rocks, the political 'Living Through Another Cuba' is all sorts of historical fun ("It's 1961 again and we are piggy-in-the-middle") and 'Towers of London' should have been a hit single. Partridge has disowned 'Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)', but the punning lyrics are really cute: "get the expert on mademoiselles/he could diffuse, any bombshell." Partridge also gets adventurous with the seven minute experimental 'Travels in Nihilon' and the surprisingly effective dub track 'The Somnabulist', which is far better than anything on his entire Explode Together album of dub experiments. Black Sea does suffer a little in places; some of the songs in the second half are a little uninteresting, and a couple of extra Moulding tunes would have spiced things up a little. Black Sea actually topped the charts in New Zealand, XTC's only number one album anywhere to my knowledge, which makes me feel pretty darn patriotic.
English Settlement(1982)Double album English Settlement was a definitive moment in XTC's career, as they retreated from the energy of their early albums to a more measured studio based sound. English Settlement has distinctive textures; Partridge began using an acoustic twelve string guitar to give the album a folk feel, which is contrasted with inventive and energetic rhythm patterns. Partridge even contributes some saxophone to 'It's Nearly Africa'. Moulding's opener 'Runaways' sets the tone for the album's textural experimentalism, with a smooth groove generated from the tasteful drum machine, Moulding's fretless bass and catchy rhythm guitar parts. The most striking instrumental part, however, is the incisive one finger piano solo. Moulding is in fantastic writing touch throughout English Settlement; 'Fly on the Wall', 'Ball and Chain' and 'English Roundabout' are all concise and vigorous, providing the most accessible entry points to the album. In contrast, virtually all of Partridge's tracks are drawn out longer than five minutes. In some circumstances, particularly 'Jason and the Argonauts', the treatment is fully appropriate to the song, giving it more weight. On the other hand one minute of 'Melt the Guns' would be nauseating; six are tortuous. On balance Partridge comes up trumps with mostly strong songwriting, although the third quarter of the album is relatively heavy going. Highlights include the sole UK Top 10 single 'Senses Working Overtime', marking the beginning of a beautiful relationship between XTC and nature, 'Snowman' (with the classic line "people will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with Welcome written on it,") and the punkish 'No Thugs in Our House.' English Settlement marked a commercial highpoint for XTC in Britain; shortly afterwards the group ceased touring due to Partridge's chronic stage fright. This caused Chambers to quit, and the group's next two albums made little impact. Lots of fans regard English Settlement as XTC's best work, but I 'm only willing to bestow the title of flawed masterpiece upon it.
Mummer(1983)After steadily increasing their British profile with a series of successful albums, XTC fell off the map with Mummer, to the extent that many followers assume that the group broke up after English Settlement. Ironically, XTC's previous success contributed to the failure of Mummer; the group invested some of their previous earnings into synthesisers, which dominate the album unduly. Partridge recast himself as a composer, virtually relinquishing instrumental duties, so that his energetic rhythm guitar parts are conspicuous by their absence. When unimpressive production, lethargy and a couple of the worst songs XTC ever committed to vinyl are factored in, it is apparent that Mummer ranks among XTC's least accomplished works. Moulding certainly isn't to blame; his forgotten 'In Loving Memory of a Name' benefits from the most upbeat and organic arrangements on the album, while 'Deliver Us From the Elements' is the one place that the synthesisers work, giving the piece an ominous edge.His sweet single 'Wonderland' is a great song, even if its greatness would be more patently obvious if it wasn't buried beneath layers of cheesy keyboards. Partridge contributes the lovely 'Love on a Farmboy's Wages', but his vitriolic 'Funk Pop A Roll' ("swallowing is easy if it has no taste") would benefit from some input from Steve Lillywhite. Elsewhere his material is either nice but dull, or completely awful. Partridge's vocal limitations are exposed by 'Human Alchemy' and 'Me and the Wind', rendering them both additionally interminable. Mummer's bonus tracks are often vaunted, but the instrumentals are merely creepy and 'Jump' and 'Gold' are hokey, if not without merit. 'Desert Island' and particularly 'Toys', however, are among the best songs on the disc. While Mummer is something of a failure, if XTC had made Partridge play more guitar, hired a better producer, shaken off some lethargy, and included 'Desert Island' and 'Toys' instead of 'Human Alchemy' and 'Me and the Wind', chances are that Mummer would have been up to the standard of the rest of their catalogue. For interest's sake, here is my proposed tracklist for the remodelled Mummer; Side 1: 'Wonderland', 'Love on a Farmboy's Wages', 'Ladybird', 'In Loving Memory of a Name', 'Desert Island'. Side 2: 'Funk Pop A Roll', 'Toys', 'Great Fire', 'Beating Of Hearts', 'Deliver Us From the Elements'.
The Big Express(1984)There's a reasonably logical transition in XTC's work from 1978's White Music to 1986's Skylarking, as they progress from scarily energetic new-wave pop to intricately crafted pop. Except The Big Express, which comes across as a kneejerk reaction to 1983's overly tepid Mummer. Moulding's opener 'Wake Up' bursts out with a dazzling dual rhythm guitar pattern, which gives way to a beautiful keyboard outro. Throughout The Big Express XTC crank up the energy levels, wisely reintroducing electric guitars as Andy Partridge's frenetic rhythms drive 'All The Pretty Girls' and imitate an express train in the excellent closer 'Train Running Low on Soul Coal'. Of course in 1984, if your drummer quits during the previous album there's no need to replace him when there's modern technology! Surprisingly the Linn Drum programming sounds pretty decent; the effect on the louder songs is surprisingly invigorating, while XTC are smart enough to use a real drummer on the more sensitive pieces. There's a lot of things happening and lots of weird rhythms on The Big Express, and it's probably not the best place to start an exploration of XTC. 'Shake Your Donkey Up' is the closest XTC will ever get to country, with some fine fiddling thrown in for good measure, while 'I Bought Myself a Liarbird' mixes Beatlesque verses with an abrasive chorus. Again sensibly, there's some prettiness buried amongst all the noise; Partridge's blatantly poppy 'You're The Wish You Are I Had' should have been a single, while 'This World Over' and Moulding's 'I Remember The Sun' are lovely ballads. The CD version appends three bonus tracks; Moulding's bouncy 'Washaway' is great, but the other two are disposable. Even among XTC's strong back-catalogue, The Big Express is a standout effort.
Skylarking(1986)The aspect of Skylarking that I admire the most is the way that each arrangement is carefully tailored to maximise the impact of the song; producer Todd Rundgren chooses disparate song contexts which inevitably work, even the big band of 'The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul'. Moulding's songwriting goes straight for the jugular this time; instead of his typical quirky stories about his garden, laundrette or bungalow, Moulding tackles the big issues of sex, marriage, death, and animal sacrifice. Partridge is also in splendid form, using bright analogies to mask dark thoughts in 'That's Really Super, Supergirl' and 'The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul' and creatively rhyming "cycle" with "umbilical" in 'Season's Cycle'. Gregory contributes some lovely piano work; his fills in 'Ballet For A Rainy Day' are beautiful. Skylarking features many moments of magic, like the switch from the messy psychedelia to the refreshingly direct piano in the chorus of 'Summer's Cauldron' and the harmonised chorus of 'The Meeting Place'. The summery first side of the album is practically flawless, while the second is less integrated but still features the anthemic 'Earn Enough For Us', the swinging 'The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul', the affecting 'Dying' and the climactic 'Sacrificial Bonfire'. To my knowledge thus far, Skylarking is one of the best album of the 1980s, and the jewel in XTC's excellent catalogue.
Feedback: from Rob Eustace The Dukes of Stratosphear: Chips From The Chocolate Fireball(1987)With their albums up to 1982 XTC slowly gained a fan base in England, with English Settlement cracking the Top 5. Partridge and Moulding must have been expecting to be able to fund a lifetime supply of crumpets and flugelhorns, but instead XTC's ship almost went down. Partridge got stage-fright, they stopped touring, Chambers quit, and the manager absconded with some of the group's money, while 1983's Mummer and 1984's The Big Express were so spectacularly unsuccessful that many people assumed that the group had split up. By 1985 XTC were at a crisis point, and recorded a cute little EP in the spirit of their psychedelic sixties influences under the pseudonym The Dukes of Stratosphear to cheer themselves up. To enter into the spirit of things Andy Partridge became Sir John Johns, Moulding became The Red Curtain, Gregory became Lord Cornelius Plum, while his brother Ian drummed as E I E I Owen. Embarrassingly 25 O' Clock outsold XTC's previous two albums, but it also served to revitalise them, as well as broadening their stylistic palette for Skylarking. Apparently XTC had minor difficulties recording Skylarking, because they couldn't restrain themselves from playing like their alter egos. In 1987 Partridge had written several more light hearted songs that didn't fit into the XTC mould, so the Dukes reconvened to record the album Psonic Psunspot. Psonic Psunspot was inappropriately short for the CD era, so the Dukes' two releases were combined onto one CD as Chips From The Chocolate Fireball. 25 O' Clock is relatively homogenous, with obvious reference points including psychedelic era Pink Floyd and Beatles, while Psonic Psunspot takes in a broader spectrum of sixties styles with homages to The Kinks, The Byrds, The Hollies and The Beach Boys. While their material is more purposefully trivial than usual, some of XTC's best songs are to be found here: Moulding's sweet Hollies tribute 'Vanishing Girl', 'Brainiac's Daughter' and 'Pale and Precious' are among the highlights. My major problem with the album isn't anything to with the material or performances, but rather that The Dukes are so accomplished at imitation that my liking of a Dukes song depends on whether I enjoy the group that they are imitating. I like The Byrds, so I like 'You're My Drug', but I'm not quite so keen on the more abrasive performances like 'My Love Explodes' or '25 O' Clock'. Some of Partridge's vocal performances are surprisingly convincing; he does a passable Lennon on 'Mole From The Ministry' and a McCartney on 'Brainiac's Daughter'. Moulding and Partridge's harmonies intertwine convincingly to recreate The Hollies on 'Vanishing Girl', although they don't have quite enough vocal presence to fully emulate The Beach Boys on the excellent 'Pale And Precious'. It's easy to see why XTC enjoyed playing together as the psychedelic The Dukes of Stratosphear, because there are lots of fun whirring and beeping noises which enliven proceedings no end. While Chips From The Chocolate Fireball doesn't quite rate at the top of my XTC pantheon, it's still completely essential if you're a fan of the group.
Oranges And Lemons(1992)After fighting with Todd Rundgren during the Skylarking sessions, XTC hired producer Paul Fox, a fan of the group, for double LP (fits on one CD) Oranges And Lemons. While Rundgren bought a discipline and thematic unity, Fox allows XTC the freedom to indulge themselves. So, while the raw material isn't necessarily inferior to that on the surrounding albums, Oranges And Lemons lacks their cohesion and economy. The mix is often very busy, with loads of percussion and horn parts thrown into XTC's already ornate arrangements. Sometimes this works (the vibrant 'Merely A Man' showcases overdriven guitars and a lovely horn section) and sometimes it doesn't (opener 'Garden Of Earthly Delights' is messy, and never really gels). Correspondingly, the entire album is a hit and miss affair. 'One Of The Millions' and 'King For A Day' are two of Moulding's best ever songs, but 'Cynical Days' is his only substandard contribution to XTC during the entire 1980s. Partridge's strike rate is even lower; 'President Kill Again' isn't particularly tuneful and 'Across This Antheap' is preachy ("We're spending millions to learn to speak porpoise/When human loneliness is still a deafening noise"), while a lot of the songs have promising ideas that aren't properly disciplined into a cohesive form ('Pink Thing' has hilariously ambiguous lyrics, while 'Hold Me Daddy' has a lovely guitar riff). 'The Mayor Of Simpleton' is a catchy single, but is surprisingly formulaic by XTC's standards. There is a nice run of groove driven songs in the middle of the album, with Moulding's bass lines and guest Pat Mastoletto's (future King Crimson member) drumming, while Oranges And Lemons ends superbly with the jazzy 'Miniature Sun' and the beautiful 'Chalkhills And Children'. While it is slightly hindered by the production, the latter is one of Partridge's best melodies, while the lyrics are a lovely statement of contentment from a commercially unsuccessful cult figure. While it isn't as good as XTC's other albums from the period, Oranges And Lemons still has plenty of bright retro appeal (it's more reminiscient of the Dukes than any other XTC album) and a predictable plethora of musical ideas.
Nonsuch(1992)Andy Partridge struck a rich vein of songwriting on Nonsuch, turning out classic song after classic song. Partridge's work extends from quiet piano ballads 'Rook' and 'Wrapped in Grey', mid tempo pop/rock 'The Disappointed' and 'Books are Burning', the weirdly boppy 'Omnibus', and the more raucous 'Crocodile' and 'The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead'. XTC were in dire financial straits, so Moulding and Gregory were forced to work for a vehicle collection agency to raise funds for Nonsuch. This may explain the lack of substance of Moulding's material. There is enough happening musically to rescue most of his compositions from ignominy, such as the guitar solo in 'The Smartest Monkeys' or the horn parts in 'My Bird Performs', while production makes "They're resurrecting Churchill/And bringing national service back" in 'War Dance' ominous. Absolutely nothing can be done, however, to save Moulding's tribute to his 'Bungalow'. Moulding does contribute some wonderfully innovative bass parts, like the stop/start patterns in the lovely 'Then She Appeared', which enliven Nonsuch greatly. Gregory also contributes some wonderful solos, while he duels memorably with Partridge at the conclusion of 'Books Are Burning'. While Nonsuch teeters a little close to mainstream blandless, its 17 songs are almost constantly enjoyable; while it isn't flawless, it is the XTC album I listen to the most often.
Fossil Fuel: The Singles 1977-1992(1996)Fossil Fuel's excellent two CDs of singles deepens the mystery of XTC's lack of commercial success. The first disc of Fossil Fuel chronicles the group's stripped down new-wave sound, which sounds slightly dated but features Partridge's and Moulding's predictably interesting songwriting. In the original lineup was a prominent and virtuoso but tasteless keyboard player named Barry Andrews. His style functions effectively in 'Statue of Liberty', but generally he is distracting. Partridge writes that "Barry had a ludicrously idiosyncratic style." XTC made a large step forward when Andrews was replaced by David Gregory, and Colin Moulding's songs were released as singles. Moulding's catchy pop songs 'Making Plans For Nigel', 'Generals and Majors' and 'Love at First Sight' complement Partridge's darker and more literate singles well. Moulding is also the instrumental star with his innovative bass lines. Moulding's initial success inspired Partridge's songwriting to the new heights of 'Senses Working Overtime', 'Respectable Street' and 'Towers of London'. Around the time of the second disc of Fossil Fuel, beginning with 1983's Mummer, XTC softened their approach and retreated into the studio in an attempt to emulate 1960s influences, such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys and the Kinks. The group also developed an attractively romantic sense of archaism in 'Love on a Farmboy's Wages', 'All The Pretty Girls' and 'Grass'. 'The Meeting Place' features lovely harmonies and innovative piano riffs, while 'Wake Up' features an unforgettable dual rhythm guitar introduction. Although the music on Fossil Fuel is excellent, there is justification of XTC's low profile in the jarring effect of the bizarre coda tacked onto the end of 'Wrapped in Grey' and the bridge that interrupts the flow of 'King for a Day', while Partridge's slightly grating voice is often a distraction. Maybe we should be grateful as it allows these great songs to remain untainted by the overexposure on the radio.
Apple Venus Volume I(1999)After a seven year self-imposed exile to sever their ties with Virgin, XTC returned in 1999 on a minor label. A very generous minor label: for Apple Venus Andy Partridge is given an entire orchestra to play with. Attempts at orchestrated rock have had mixed results, but the arrangements on Apple Venus are innovative with songs written specifically for symphonic treatment. While the not-particularly-attractive voices of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding have often been XTC's achilles heel, they work as an asset on Apple Venus. Opening song 'River of Orchids' has an Enya-like pizzicato string arrangement, but after Partridge yelps his way through "I heard the dandelions roaring in Picadilly Circus" it is clear that Apple Venus is never going to be found in a dentist's lounge. The innovative arrangements are accompanied by wonderful lyrics from Partridge. The closest that Apple Venus gets to sappiness is 'I Can't Own Her', which is beautiful but not a love song. Along with a nasty attack on his ex-wife in 'Your Dictionary' ("H A T E, is that how you spell love in your dictionary?") and a reflection on ageing in 'The Last Balloon', Partridge's major preoccupation on Apple Venus is paganism. 'Easter Theatre' is arguably XTC's single finest achievement, an eyewitness account of an ancient fertility rite, with seamless integration of electric guitars and orchestral instruments. 'Greenman' and 'River of Orchids' are almost as wonderful, with Partridge voicing a vision of a green England. Colin Moulding is far less interesting and his two relatively bland songs are low points of Apple Venus, although they are not nearly as bad as other commentators make out. The two offenders, 'Frivolous Tonight' and 'Fruit Nut', are slight but don't detract from Apple Venus particularly, as they are melodic, brief and glossed over with a baroque Beatlesque treatment. The worst news from Apple Venus is the departure from XTC of long-time guitarist/keyboardist Dave Gregory during recording, leaving only a core duo of Partridge and Moulding. Gregory is on top form on Apple Venus, contributing a lovely piano part to 'Your Dictionary' and a wonderfully appropriate guitar solo to 'Easter Theatre'. While Apple Venus isn't as consistent as some other 5 star albums on this site, the best songs on offer are truly stupendous, taking pop music to the limits of beauty and literacy.
Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)(2000)Wasp Star clears out the songs that Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding wrote between 1995 and 1998. Instead of the grandiose orchestral textures of Apple Venus, Wasp Star stays in more conventional pop/rock territory and features less interesting songs. Dave Gregory's instrumental skills are sadly missed, while Moulding's bass is inexplicably buried in the mix. While Partridge's guitar work is unconventional enough to be interesting, he needs to pull all the milk of human compassion from his fridge to give to give to Gregory to woo him back into the XTC fold. The good news from Wasp Star is that Moulding has regained some semblance of his previous compositional ability, and his low key songs fit the album well. I particularly like the twangy little acoustic riff of 'Boarded Up', while 'In Another Life' and 'Standing in for Joe' are charming. Meanwhile, the first two minutes of Partridge's 'The Wheel and the Maypole' is the most commercially viable piece of music that XTC have ever created (that's a compliment), although the Maypole part isn't as interesting. 'Playground', 'Stupidly Happy', 'We're All Light' and 'Church of Women' are great too, although Partridge is guilty of an excessive amount of barely disguised sexual metaphors ("I've got the rabbit/If you've his burrow home" is possibly the worst offender). While it is overly straightfoward, and falls short of the artistic level set on previous highs, Wasp Star is still an enjoyable effort and well worth picking up.
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Written 2001-2009, Graham Fyfe
