Best Ever Albums

Re: Best Album By XTC?

kickerofelves — Tue, 6 Mar 2018 16:08:23 GMT

Author: kickerofelves

Posted: 03/06/2018 21:08

rkm wrote:

XTC baffle me, because the most popular albums leave me a bit cold (Skylarking, English Settlement, Drums and Wires), while I quite like Black Sea, Oranges and Lemons, and Apple Venus. Makes me second guess myself. I often wonder this with music: if the thing that appeals to me about a band is completely different to what another person appreciates?

The great thing about XTC is how consistent their writing was over a long period of time. Most of their albums are worth listening to so it's more a question of what style you're most interested in.

I would argue that English Settlement, Drums and Wire, and Skylarking are only the most popular albums because they all contain (relatively) well known singles (Senses Working Overtime, Making Plans for Nigel and Dear God.)
I think Black Sea, Apple Venus, Nonsuch and Oranges and Lemons are equally high quality.

I never used to like any of the post Terry Chambers albums, but now i love all their stuff.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

rkm — Tue, 6 Mar 2018 04:35:30 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 03/06/2018 09:35

I found a vinyl copy of Drums and Wires in nice shape at my local record store today. I’m listening to a stream of it now, trying to figure is I should go back and buy it. Making Plans for Nigel is the only song I really know from it. I’ve tried it before and nothing much stuck, and I feel the same tonight.

XTC baffle me, because the most popular albums leave me a bit cold (Skylarking, English Settlement, Drums and Wires), while I quite like Black Sea, Oranges and Lemons, and Apple Venus. Makes me second guess myself. I often wonder this with music: if the thing that appeals to me about a band is completely different to what another person appreciates?

Re: Best Album By XTC?

joshbrooker2001 — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 14:53:37 GMT

Author: joshbrooker2001

Posted: 02/18/2018 19:53

My three favourites by XTC are

Mummer by XTC
Mummer

The Big Express by XTC
The Big Express

And

English Settlement by XTC
English Settlement

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Romanelli — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:11:36 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 02/14/2018 17:11

bobbyb5 wrote:

But what's ironic is that their later refined pop sound didn't have the pop appeal or pop outreach of the early punky angular stuff. All of their pop hits were the early stuff. Which means that it was better pop than the later supposedly refined pop stuff.

No, that's not what that means at all. Actually...what happened was that XTC stopped touring after English Settlement. Their sound continued to change, as they were basically a studio only band. No touring means less exposure, less promotion, less hits (unless you're The Beatles). The audience that XTC was reaching became a lot smaller because they were no longer playing live shows. It had nothing to do with any lesser quality of their material (they were actually growing as writers and studio performers). Even so, not all of their pop hits were their early stuff. I'd say that all three of your above sentences are pretty much incorrect.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Norman Bates — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 07:40:40 GMT

Author: Norman Bates

Posted: 02/14/2018 12:40

My favourite XTC songs, however, are not on English Settlement. They're on Apple Venus Vol. 1 and Nonsuch respectively.

Link

Link

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Norman Bates — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 07:38:09 GMT

Author: Norman Bates

Posted: 02/14/2018 12:38

English Settlement by XTC

has it all. The catchiness, the preciosity, the over-the-top Britishness, the obviousness of the tunes. Melody Settlement.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

rkm — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 05:02:43 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 02/14/2018 10:02

I don't think of it as pop music in the sense that it's trying to appeal to a lot of people, I think of it as pop music in the sense that it's highly melodic.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Tha1ChiefRocka — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 22:04:29 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 02/14/2018 03:04

bobbyb5 wrote:

Yeah, I agree, which is what makes those more remarkable to me.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

bobbyb5 — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 21:53:36 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 02/14/2018 02:53

Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:

So, I guess it boils down to whether you like their more angular punky sound, or their more refined pop sound. I'm definitely on the punky side.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Tha1ChiefRocka — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 21:32:37 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 02/14/2018 02:32

So, I guess it boils down to whether you like their more angular punky sound, or their more refined pop sound. I'm definitely on the punky side.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

bobbyb5 — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 21:18:28 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 02/14/2018 02:18

Favorite songs is easier

Life Begins at the Hop
Senses Working Overtime
Generals and Majors
This Is Pop
Helicopter
Making Plans for Nigel
Towers of London
Statue of Liberty
Sgt. Rock
All You Prettty Girls

Re: Best Album By XTC?

TheHutts — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 19:17:08 GMT

Author: TheHutts

Posted: 02/14/2018 00:17

I like the studio based stuff - Skylarking then Apple Venus 1 for me.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

AfterHours — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:24:19 GMT

Author: AfterHours

Posted: 02/13/2018 22:24

I go back and forth between White Music and Skylarking. Definitely their best two albums, with perhaps the slight edge to Skylarking.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

baystateoftheart — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:10:11 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 02/13/2018 19:10

Apple Venus Volume 1 for me, with Skylarking as runner up. The Dukes Of Stratosphear side project is also great. XTC are at their best when their music is lush and psychedelic and/or baroque. Apple Venus Volume 1 does this style best, and the songwriting and vocals are more consistent than your typical XTC album.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

souplipton — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:09:48 GMT

Author: souplipton

Posted: 02/13/2018 18:09

Haven't listened to all of their albums, but from what I have heard, Oranges and Lemons is my favourite

Oranges And Lemons by XTC

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 06:21:14 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 02/13/2018 11:21

Nonsuch (1992) tie with Oranges & Lemons (1989)
(both ranked 28 in the UK chart :))

Re: Best Album By XTC?

bobbyb5 — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 05:15:50 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 02/13/2018 10:15

Drums and Wires. But I like Black Sea almost as much. But I was always kind of baffled at how so many people prefer their music that came after English settlement. I don't like anything after that very much. Even after trying.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

Romanelli — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 17:42:33 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 02/12/2018 22:42

Skylarking is pretty remarkable, and tough to beat. Drums And Wires is a fine album.

But for me...Nonsuch.

Nonsuch by XTC

I think that this album gets forgotten, but it's got some great stuff on it. They were having a lot of problems with their label (the recording of Nonsuch was delayed for almost 3 years, and then the band went on strike against the label for 7 years after this came out), finding a producer, working with a new drummer, and not touring didn't help their sales along with Virgin's unhappiness with them.

But the songs here are great. In a perfect world, I think this could have been their biggest album. "The Disappointed" was the lead single, but "The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead", "The Smartest Monkeys", "War Dance" (clarinet riff!), "Books Are Burning", and especially "Dear Madam Barnum" are all hit worthy. And excellent, and fun. This is probably their most political album, and it may run a little long...but you've also got "Holly Up On Poppy", "Then She Appeared", and the pretty "Humble Daisy".

This track alone wins it for me:

Link

Re: Best Album By XTC?

rkm — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 17:13:49 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 02/12/2018 22:13

XTC are a band that I always respect, even if I don't love them. There's something about the absolute Englishness of the vocals that makes it a bit hard for me to enter into it.

I think Skylarking is ranked highest, but I don't particularly like it (which makes me question myself). I've recently enjoyed Black Sea, English Settlement, Oranges and Lemons, and Apple Venus Volume 1, for different reasons.

Re: Best Album By XTC?

kickerofelves — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 12:25:04 GMT

Author: kickerofelves

Posted: 02/12/2018 17:25

My favorite will always be Drums and Wires, it was the first one i heard and to me it is the most alien sounding. The writing was also pretty consistent on that album.

Black Sea is a close second but the tracklisting doesn't flow quite as well as D&W, and the production is a little bit heavy handed for me... heard as a whole it wares me down.