All of their albums have their supporters and critics... for example I understand that there's a fair amount of XTC fans that don't rate The Big Express, but quite a fair amount of the album made my ballot!
― Welcome To (Turrican), Sunday, 12 October 2014 02:35 (nine years ago) link
Skylarking without "dear god" is p much perfect
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 12 October 2014 02:39 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, I always listen to Skylarking in its original configuration, with 'Mermaid Smiled' on it instead of 'Dear God'. Although, on the US version, the transition from 'Dear God' into 'Dying' is kinda nice, if I recall.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Sunday, 12 October 2014 02:49 (nine years ago) link
My #1 will be Respectable Street, but beyond that I'm clueless. I need to sit down with all of these albums and do some homework.
― Darin, Sunday, 12 October 2014 03:06 (nine years ago) link
One thing that will be interesting about this poll for me is the placing of the Colin tracks.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Sunday, 12 October 2014 03:09 (nine years ago) link
I never understood why they took off Mermaid Smiled from Skylarking, it's such a beautiful song and one of my favourites on the album. Big Day is probably my least favourite song on there.
― Kitchen Person, Sunday, 12 October 2014 03:51 (nine years ago) link
'Mermaid Smiled' is sublime when the percussion kicks in. I love the lyrics to 'Big Day', but it's far from my favourite track on there.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Sunday, 12 October 2014 03:53 (nine years ago) link
Yeah I love that bit too. It could be their prettiest song.
― Kitchen Person, Sunday, 12 October 2014 04:03 (nine years ago) link
Without doing an actual statistical analysis, my impression was that O&L had the highest percentage of songs that made my ballot. Listening to it in sequence with the others, it felt to me like the brightest, most fluid realization of all their intentions to that point.
Shit, I just realized I didn't even consider the Dukes tracks for inclusion. "Vanishing Girl" would have been top 20, for sure.
― hardcore dilettante, Sunday, 12 October 2014 04:48 (nine years ago) link
I was surprised to find that Oranges & Lemons had the most on my ballot with 6 out of 50 tracks. My 2 favorites, English Settlement and Skylarking, only had 5 each in the top 50, but 3 from each made the top 20--the highest O&L track placed at #21.
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 12 October 2014 05:06 (nine years ago) link
Not a lot from Oranges & Lemons or English Settlement made it onto mine.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Sunday, 12 October 2014 05:12 (nine years ago) link
Only 1 track from Apple Venus made my list, which is probably tantamount to heresy on ILM.
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 12 October 2014 05:25 (nine years ago) link
I don't know to what extent Wasp Star is Pro Tooled -- parts of it sound like it -- but is it heretical to say I prefer this pop album to Nonsuch and the beloved Skylarking? "Wounded Horse" is painful though.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, October 12, 2014 2:18 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, I would say that's pretty heretical...
Moulding's Skylarking songs especially are so much better than his contributions to Wasp Star.
― ColinO, Sunday, 12 October 2014 05:37 (nine years ago) link
The thing I love about the polls is the chance to revisit a catalog. It would have been interesting to rate the albums. I had never warmed to The Big Express or Mummer, and while I came away with a greater appreciation of Mummer, I'm now convinced The Big Express is nothing more than a transitional record and the only all-around dud in the catalog.
― campreverb, Sunday, 12 October 2014 14:10 (nine years ago) link
I had the most tracks from English Settlement and the Dukes (5 each) with Skylarking, Black Sea and Mummer just behind at 4 each. The others all got 2 or 3 except for drums and wires and nonsuch which only got 1 and white music, go 2 and wasp star which got 0 (I just haven't heard those records in too long and wasn't motivated to revisit.)
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 12 October 2014 14:19 (nine years ago) link
Albums that changed in my estimation because of this poll revisit:
I like Mummer a lot more than I thought. I like apple Venus a lot LOT more than last listen-- before, I was hung up on the use of sampled orchestral instruments pretending to be real, now it doesn't bother me anymore and one of the tracks which does this most blatantly made my top 10.
Nonsuch still dud for me, the dead compressed guitars, the second string lyrics, the mid-tempo-itis.
Black Sea and English Settlement have now switched places as my #1 and #2 XTC LPs. I have to just own the fact that I'm one of those corny English settlement people.
Still need to hear transistor blast someday.
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 12 October 2014 14:27 (nine years ago) link
I guess I missed the deadline; that's fine, I really just wanted to vote for "Battery Brides" because it's a fun OMD prototype.
― droit au butt (Euler), Sunday, 12 October 2014 14:48 (nine years ago) link
If its any consolation Alfred my wife's favorite is also Wasp Star, altho yeah this is a fairly unusual opinion.
I consider Skylarking their perfect record. Apple Venus is close.
― Οὖτις, Sunday, 12 October 2014 16:15 (nine years ago) link
I also consider skylarking their perfect record, but it's my 3rd favorite
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 12 October 2014 17:35 (nine years ago) link
Euler if you send me yr ballot before tomorrow morning I will count it
― Οὖτις, Sunday, 12 October 2014 17:39 (nine years ago) link
I wanted to try and represent every record but in the end I had to cut my favorites from White Music and Go2 because I couldn't justify keeping them over my 4th or 5th faves from some of the later albums.
― ColinO, Sunday, 12 October 2014 18:06 (nine years ago) link
^and you had to limit the size of your ballot why?
― hardcore dilettante, Sunday, 12 October 2014 20:37 (nine years ago) link
Guess I didn't have to but 40 was hard enough for me...
― ColinO, Sunday, 12 October 2014 23:02 (nine years ago) link
OK! 33 ballots in, votes have been tabulated, just have to get the images together and then we will roll out the results
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 October 2014 15:43 (nine years ago) link
232(!) songs received votes
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 October 2014 15:45 (nine years ago) link
I take that back, 196 songs received votes (stupid text formatting)
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 October 2014 15:59 (nine years ago) link
what with the absence of a limit on how many songs you could vote for I was trying to work out how many songs were eligible, I gave up, but it's a lot:
http://chalkhills.org/reelbyreal/i_song.html
slightly disappointed there wasn't at least one indomitable voter who ranked every song on that list
― soref, Monday, 13 October 2014 16:07 (nine years ago) link
there were a couple 100 entry ballots, most hovered around the 20-40 range
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 October 2014 16:16 (nine years ago) link
Didn't vote because my favorites are all the obvious songs, but looking forward to the rollout
― The Velvet Fog called me a motherfucker (Sandy), Monday, 13 October 2014 16:33 (nine years ago) link
yeah, me too
― sleeve, Monday, 13 October 2014 16:45 (nine years ago) link
I was tempted to do a 50 track + monsterballot, but I found it too hard so I decided to just pick 20 songs I liked and not make any attempt to be comprehensive, aside from the top 3 or 4 there's probably another 16 songs I could have substituted and been equally happy/unhappy with
― soref, Monday, 13 October 2014 16:48 (nine years ago) link
I cut my ballot off at 100 songs because I was under the gun. Had about 115-120 songs on the list. Ranked them from 0-5 stars while listening on iTunes. Then was ranking from within the star ratings on the fly as I typed up the ballot.
― hardcore dilettante, Monday, 13 October 2014 18:23 (nine years ago) link
Damn forgot to vote in this. Looking forward to the rollout. My ballot would have been boring and had Nigel at number one anyway.
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 04:20 (nine years ago) link
My ballot would have been the Dukes tracks, with some singles and various Go2/plus/"Take-away" tracks.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 06:31 (nine years ago) link
'Commerci-alli-TAY!"
― Mark G, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 06:32 (nine years ago) link
ok Hideous Lump is gettin the graphics together, should start the roll out either later today or tomorrow, depending
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:30 (nine years ago) link
now taking suggestions for results thread titles
'The Wheel and the MayPOLL''Meccanik Dancing (Oh We POLL!)'
― soref, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:38 (nine years ago) link
why bless my POLL I'm already there
― soref, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:40 (nine years ago) link
even I never know where I POLL when my eyes are closed
(I'll stop now)
― soref, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link
Making plans for My Poll
― Mark G, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:44 (nine years ago) link
This is Poll? The Last Polloon Ten Feet Poll
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:44 (nine years ago) link
Poll Me My Daddy Summer's Polldron
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:47 (nine years ago) link
Tissue Voters (The Arguers)
― warning, #4 can't be unseen (WilliamC), Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:50 (nine years ago) link
ApPOLL Venus, vol 1: the songs
― Dominique, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:51 (nine years ago) link
When You Poll Me I Have Difficulty.
― campreverb, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:53 (nine years ago) link
Also Featuring The Songwriting Talents Of POLLin POLLding
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Tuesday, 14 October 2014 15:59 (nine years ago) link
Bless you, Bless You, All of the Pretty POLLS
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 October 2014 16:00 (nine years ago) link
and just to end the list, everything that could exist, needs the POLLing
― soref, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 16:05 (nine years ago) link
^also suggestion for new ilm mission statement
― soref, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 16:06 (nine years ago) link