The one about hairy backs
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:19 (nine years ago) link
the bridge between the verse and the chorus is pretty, but yes it's more about the lyrics, esp as they put more bluntly something present in other XTC songs that I like more where this sentiment is maybe easier to ignore/go along with? xp
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:19 (nine years ago) link
Nonsuch is their first record to be 50% clunkers, it was hella dispiriting at the time. But I mean fuck it my man Robyn has made so many 50% bad 50% awesome albums by this point.
I'm willing to relisten to everything except wasp star for this poll...
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:20 (nine years ago) link
there is some great stuff on Wasp Star, as noted already
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:21 (nine years ago) link
I did think, while clicking Submit, that someone will love Fruit Nut. Your [Angel Brain's) "less overlap on people's choices than most ilm polls" remark is holding up…
― cc: Peniston (Paul in Santa Cruz), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:22 (nine years ago) link
The utterly heart melting middle eight in Harvest Festival makes up for a lot of the awkward middle age music, but only just.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:24 (nine years ago) link
most of apple venus 1 is awesome
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:25 (nine years ago) link
I like all of those Colin songs on the the last two albums about being a boring middle aged person, they are a nice contrast with stuff like Greenman and I Can't Own Her on Apple Venus vol 1 especially
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:25 (nine years ago) link
harvest festival is one of partridge's best lyrics
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:26 (nine years ago) link
boarded up is one of the best songs on wasp star and proof that colin could still do it when he got pissed off enough
xp ha, I wrote that before i saw MaresnNest's ref to 'awkward middle age music'
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:26 (nine years ago) link
I think maybe soref and I have crossed swords about this before, but to me Moulding's quotidian preferences ruined the last couple of records. XTC music isn't supposed to be brown, in my humble.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:28 (nine years ago) link
I think In Another Life might be my favourite song on Wasp Star, maybe even above The Wheel and the Maypole
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:29 (nine years ago) link
agree on this one
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:29 (nine years ago) link
Partridge can be as equally middle agey, but at least he makes the effort to sound like a Move B-side while he does it.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:31 (nine years ago) link
I will retain my usual passive-aggressive, over compensating Mummer stan for this poll.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:32 (nine years ago) link
partridge wasn't all boxes of fireworks! cf 'the somnambulist'
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:32 (nine years ago) link
self consciously quotidian? isn't there something in one of the books about Moulding finding the idea of being a 40 something rock musician horribly embarrassing, and the style he adopted on the last two records a result of him trying to find an age-appropiate schtick?
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:33 (nine years ago) link
at this point, xtc are forgiven their sins, just wish dave gregory had been allowed to write a song (did he?)
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:34 (nine years ago) link
a kind of mortal terror of coming across like Mick Jagger in the Dancing in the Street video xp
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:34 (nine years ago) link
Moulding was moving in that direction as far back as 'Dying', maybe further
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:36 (nine years ago) link
some other Fuzzy Warbles gems I forgot to nominate
Where Is Your HeartWas a YesEverythingI Can't Tell What Truth is AnymoreCherry in Your TreeCandymineVisit to the Doctor
(these last 3 part of an aborted "bubbleglam" album)
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:38 (nine years ago) link
it was always in him
songs about smoking bans and civic demolition programmes in his early twenties i mean
xp
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:38 (nine years ago) link
Did he write Smalltown and Washaway I wonder
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:40 (nine years ago) link
I love 'Everything'
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:43 (nine years ago) link
-former 11 O’Clock Show and RI:SE host Iain Lee-Daniel 'sister of Charlotte Raven, husband of Julie Burchill' Raven
Are there any other celebrity XTC fans?
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:44 (nine years ago) link
just makin sure everyone knows this one and remembers to vote for it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVU-clPr_kY
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:44 (nine years ago) link
that should say 'brother of Charlotte Raven', obv
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:45 (nine years ago) link
Iain Lee played bass in a Cardiacs-y band called Magnilda so no surprise there.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:46 (nine years ago) link
Οὖτις am I right in thinking we are just voting tracks, not tracks and albums?
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:48 (nine years ago) link
i have an mp3 somewhere of Iain Lee interviewing Partridge and Moulding on his xfm show around the time Wasp Star came out, he is surprisingly bearable when not doing his comedy persona/talking about something he's enthusiastic about
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:50 (nine years ago) link
Count me in with the Moulding-lost-it group. Yes, Andy's lyrics can be more than a bit silly but I can forgive him almost anything in the face of "Smartest Monkeys", "War Dance" and the godawful "Bungalow".
But "The Man Who Murdered Love" is absolutely, positively the worst thing XTC put their name on.
Andy's plain-spoken heart-on-sleeve approach to stuff like "Melt The Guns", "Omnibus" and "Dear God" works for me only because I share his sentiments.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:53 (nine years ago) link
oh shit, dear god is fucking abysmal lol
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:54 (nine years ago) link
that's the worst one
About 3 years ago a friend of the band and rather infamous taper called H@ns D3 V3nt3 leaked a lot of really nice bootleg stuff.
He obviously used good taping equipment, but as well as live stuff he also leaked a lot of demo material, possibly all of which is now legally available. I remember getting a thing that was an unused AP soundtrack to some short film from the mid-eighties, will dig it out.
Trouble with the leaks, they were just big side-long files with no separation, so I'm not sure what's there exactly.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:54 (nine years ago) link
I wasn't planning on an albums tally (we have button polls for that)
I think one ballot came with albums so far, but yeah I was only asking for tracks
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:55 (nine years ago) link
I have a vague feeling that there might be a UK/US divide on the question whether Bungalow is fantastic or mot, but I may be totally wrong
― Angel Brain (soref), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:55 (nine years ago) link
Everybody listen to Red Brick Dream if they haven't heard it for a while, plz
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
The Big Express has the biggest stretch between good and whack tracks imo.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 2 October 2014 21:58 (nine years ago) link
feelin like I should have asked for "worst" votes too
then I could've posted both "best" and "worst" results and let people guess which was which
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:00 (nine years ago) link
I don't hate Dear God but I prefer Skylarking with Mermaid Smiled, mostly because the boy's vocal on DG seems out of place.
― cc: Peniston (Paul in Santa Cruz), Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:05 (nine years ago) link
I'm wondering how people feel about GO2? I shall revisit before I submit, I think it was a shame that the two Barry tracks they left off were miles better than the ones that made the cut.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:07 (nine years ago) link
XP - I Think that's a girl on DG.
go2 has a couple of really brilliant weird/slow numbers
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:08 (nine years ago) link
I haven't listened to the entirety of Go2 or White Music in at least 20 years. Felt obligated to check them out but couldn't find them readily downloadable for free so said fuck it
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:08 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3cw9h2AQX4
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:10 (nine years ago) link
LOL, rip themselves off much?
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:11 (nine years ago) link
Just found a really good German language cover of Things Fall To Bits on YT, how random!
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:11 (nine years ago) link
Du bist mein Lieblings-Liebling (Wie wahr, wahr)Mag die Parfum-Duftschwade, kommst du an die BarMag deine Glanzfassade und dein saubres HaarIch träum, mit dir die Esplanaden langzufahrn, ist es nicht schade, dass
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:12 (nine years ago) link
And he has a German cover of Pulsing Pulsing on his channel, dude!
― MaresNest, Thursday, 2 October 2014 22:14 (nine years ago) link