The five senses, sight, hissing, swelling, gyration and taste.
― dorsalstop, Monday, 11 November 2019 21:01 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWfaMTk4o9I
― Maresn3st, Monday, 11 November 2019 22:01 (four years ago) link
Someone needs to compile them "punk" "Top of the pops" versions.
Their version of "Automatic lover" sounds like The Vibrators. All well and good, but it's supposed to be the Dee D Jackson song.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 12 November 2019 13:59 (four years ago) link
Record store dude was blasting Apple Venus Volume 1 in store the other day. Sounded great. Wish it was streaming.
― triggercut, Tuesday, 12 November 2019 14:33 (four years ago) link
https://vimeo.com/318598567
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 26 November 2019 19:12 (four years ago) link
Great doc
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 26 November 2019 20:06 (four years ago) link
Coulda been, but no indication that Colin even existed until 8 minutes in is not the way to tell that band's story.
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 27 November 2019 07:39 (four years ago) link
Yeah that's understandable. They focus on Colin for a while soon after that, but the whole doc is from the perspective that Andy is the de facto leader of the band. Which IMO he was, so I guess it didn't bother me much
One small thing I liked: using "Dear Madam Barnum" to soundtrack the moment when Andy had his breakdown and made the decision to stop touring. I never made the connection but it seems possible the song was inspired by that time
― Vinnie, Thursday, 28 November 2019 02:20 (four years ago) link
The Chalkhills interview with Andy about 'Dear Madam Barnum' doesn't mention the connection with XTC stopping touring, but I'm sure there's a link, conscious or otherwise.
TB: I was going to ask about the lyrics, because it's another of your "my marriage is in trouble" foreshadowing songs, along with "Crocodile" and "The Disappointed."AP: Oh yeah, sure. My marriage was going off the rails -- I can see that. I think I was part blind to it, and partly it was coming out subconsciously that I could see it.
AP: Oh yeah, sure. My marriage was going off the rails -- I can see that. I think I was part blind to it, and partly it was coming out subconsciously that I could see it.
http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20090222.html
― Portsmouth Bubblejet, Thursday, 28 November 2019 08:29 (four years ago) link
Makes more sense for it to be about his marriage, given the timeframe. It maps remarkably well onto the touring thing though
― Vinnie, Thursday, 28 November 2019 10:29 (four years ago) link
So yesterday there was a 6 or 7 hour plus stream of videos in place of the annual XTC convention, usually held in Swindon, which I thought would be quite good in places but it transpired to be a bit special overall. The actual highlight wasn't the exclusive interview with Andy, nor the discussion/quid feat. the likes of Stewart Lee, Paul Putner, Kevin Eldon and others, but this incredibly joyous cover of Desert Island which got a couple of airings.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mziIBHDv1As
― PaulTMA, Sunday, 20 September 2020 17:36 (three years ago) link
my god, that guy's Partridge impression is incredible
― Simon H., Sunday, 20 September 2020 20:29 (three years ago) link
XP - Oh nice! Are the streams available or easy to find?
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 20 September 2020 20:38 (three years ago) link
yes would love to see those! great video
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 21 September 2020 16:33 (three years ago) link
I saw them say they were going to post them once they've tidied up technical faults and whatnot
― PaulTMA, Monday, 21 September 2020 16:42 (three years ago) link
starting to relisten to my XTC albums and can anyone explain why Partridge keeps slipping into pidgin English on like a third of his songs?
― frogbs, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 03:46 (three years ago) link
He thinks it's funny?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 04:35 (three years ago) link
Like Ray Davies?
― Mark G, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 06:57 (three years ago) link
I don't think of it as pidgin, more like a depiction of infantile enthusiasm.
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 15:10 (three years ago) link
how about "Shake You Donkey Up", what exactly is that
― frogbs, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 15:28 (three years ago) link
He's sort of singing in a hee-haw braying donkey style. It's fun.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 16:28 (three years ago) link
i get the impression he was just listening to a fuckload of rocksteady at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdHpM0zMZT8
― Specific Ocean Blue (dog latin), Tuesday, 24 November 2020 17:34 (three years ago) link
Am I misremembering, or did Andy say somewhere that his infamous stage fright was attributable, at least in part, to overindulgence in cannabis during those years? I don't want to be reductive, but as an ex-pothead myself, I feel this explains a lot about those records which would otherwise remain inexplicable.
― handsome boy modelling software (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 08:41 (three years ago) link
Andy Partridge and any kind of drug does not sound like a good idea.
― Naughty Boys Hoo! (Tom D.), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 09:53 (three years ago) link
If I remember from the XTC documentary correctly Partridge started taking Valium at a young age (something to do with his Mum?). I think he said that while on tour his then wife dumped all his stash of it down the toilet. The withdrawal from it caused his existing anxieties to explode to the point where he couldn't face being on stage any more.
― treefell, Wednesday, 25 November 2020 10:40 (three years ago) link
Yes, I'd heard about the Valium addiction.
― Naughty Boys Hoo! (Tom D.), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 10:41 (three years ago) link
Kind of amazing that it going cold turkey overnight after a decade didn't kill him
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, 25 November 2020 12:20 (three years ago) link
Jesus, I didn't know anything about the valium! Benzos are scary stuff.
― handsome boy modelling software (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 12:35 (three years ago) link
The moment he walked offstage for good:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZrCL1aF_Zg
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 13:21 (three years ago) link
the valium was straight up child abuse, absolutely fucked to sedate a child for years and yearsI can't imagine how bad the withdrawal must have been but he easily could have diedcouldn't believe that part of the doc
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 14:00 (three years ago) link
because he's in a rock band it gets referred to as "addiction" but call it what it is
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 14:02 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJktzmj_mk0
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 7 February 2021 22:44 (three years ago) link
I have a daughter who's turning 4 in two weeks. the song "I Can't Own Her" made me cry the other day. god, this lockdown needs to end
― frogbs, Monday, 15 February 2021 04:14 (three years ago) link
XTC adjacent: "Daughter" by Peter Blegvad, you may have the same reaction.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 15 February 2021 04:37 (three years ago) link
Coming soon:
https://burningshed.com/andy-partridge_my-failed-songwriting-career_cd_vinyl-bundle
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 17 June 2021 18:15 (two years ago) link
Skylarking is 35 years old today.
The middle eight (and remainder) of Season Cycle still gives me such major goosebumps, even after all this time.
― Maresn3st, Wednesday, 27 October 2021 14:52 (two years ago) link
The "Grass" 12" came out in August 1986 but I didn't get a copy in the US until September and played it on my radio show non-stop. 3 perfect songs, with "Extrovert" being my favorite at the time though I did love the audacity of "Dear God". When "Skylarking" came out in October, it was incredibly exciting, especially watching the rest of the world suddenly take notice of one of my favorite bands. At this distance, I must say I feel like "Skylarking" has become a bit overrated compared to the rest of their catalog. That and I've probably overplayed it.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 27 October 2021 17:59 (two years ago) link
It's only quite recently that I've come to fully appreciate Skylarking. It's just jam packed with great moments. That said, what it's missing are some of the spikier edges from previous albums and for anyone who prefers more leftfield or slightly harder-edged stuff I'd say Mummer is the one to go for
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Thursday, 28 October 2021 10:20 (two years ago) link
I love Skylarking and it was my gateway into XTC when I first heard it in the late '00s. Picked up Fossil Fuel after that, then a few more albums.
The whole "reverse polarity" thing still baffles me. Todd Rundgren disputes the idea that anything was wired in backwards or whatever during the mixing and recording, and I still prefer the MFSL mastering over the new "polarity-corrected" mastering. Also, the uncensored artwork is no improvement.
FWIW, the official documentary is pretty good - a paint-by-numbers approach but if you just want good interviews and good stock footage, it does the job.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 28 October 2021 15:14 (two years ago) link
slightly harder-edged stuff I'd say Mummer is the one to go for
Heh, I always felt "Mummer" was the weakest until "Wasp Star". It's certainly grown in my estimation over the years but it's never been a go-to.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 28 October 2021 15:59 (two years ago) link
The Big Express is a certi step down from Mummer I'd say
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Thursday, 28 October 2021 20:48 (two years ago) link
Completely disagree, but then "The Big Express" was my entry to XTC so that colors my judgement.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 29 October 2021 00:44 (two years ago) link
first 3 tracks on Mummer are incredible
― frogbs, Friday, 29 October 2021 00:52 (two years ago) link
Beating of Hearts, number 1 on my XTC poll ballot.
I was almost surprised--I knew it would be top 10, but it kept inching everything else out.
― Hideous Lump, Friday, 29 October 2021 03:45 (two years ago) link
Much to my surprise, all the images I did for the XTC poll, which disappeared when Photobucket went subsciption only, have now reappeared. Except now they've got big Photobucket watermarks across them.
Long ago I re-uploaded them to Imgur and re-added them to the bottom of the thread, so unadulterated versions are still visible.
― Hideous Lump, Friday, 29 October 2021 03:53 (two years ago) link
To say this is not the consensus opinion might be understating somewhat.
― Des Weerelds Dool-om-berg ont-doold op Dool-in-bergh (Tom D.), Friday, 29 October 2021 07:09 (two years ago) link
first 3 tracks on Mummer are incredible― frogbs, Friday, October 29, 2021 1:52 AM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― frogbs, Friday, October 29, 2021 1:52 AM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
first 4 I'd say are essential XTC. Great Fire is amazing. I'll admit it smoulders out a little on the second side. They've both got real highs, but neither Mummer nor TBE are as stylistically or qualitatively consistent as Skylarking and that's why it's considered the best one
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Friday, 29 October 2021 08:36 (two years ago) link
Hideous Lump, those images were incredible.
I’ve never understood the appeal of Great Fire; it’s nakedly an attempt to rewrite Senses Working Overtime & feels a little desperate as such. I eventually came to love Mummer and TBE, but I still feel like together they’re the low point in an incredible catalogue. Wasp Star was maybe an objectively worse album, but it’s a coda (if not quite a Coda).
― war mice (hardcore dilettante), Friday, 29 October 2021 13:49 (two years ago) link
Mummer was the album that turned me from being a huge XTC fan into not wanting to listen to them for over a decade. Can't recall a similar allergic reaction to a formerly adored band, apart from 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday.
The pastoral gubbins really wasn't what this Drums and Wires & Black Sea supporter was looking for as a callow youth, and Partridge's hectoring vocals on 'Funk Pop a Roll', 'Human Alchemy' et al. were a major turn-off. Might be fun to listen to Mummer again with fresh ears and see if my perspective has changed.
― Portsmouth Bubblejet, Friday, 29 October 2021 13:54 (two years ago) link