Re: Which XTC?

[voder!apple!bc@DECWRL.DEC.COM (bill coderre)]

NOTE: Set PERSONAL OPINION flag to MAX. No flame wars, puhleaze!

Drums and Wires:
	Hit Songs: (or them that should be)
		Making plans for Nigel
		Helicopter
		Scissor Man
	Dance Tracks: (higly danceable fun tunes)
		Helicopter
		Life begins at the Hop (!)
		Real by Reel
		Scissor Man
	Listening songs:
		Complicated Game
		Helicopter

I think of this as mostly a dancing album. Lots of heavy beat. Not as
"world"ly as others, but much good time can be had while dancing. The
slow songs don't go over well at dances because they are not tender
ballads. It is also a great listening album, filled with cool lyrics
and some fine instrumental work. Complicated Game sounds like the
Clash cleaned up -- less punk, more acid/hevymettle sound, very
vicious geetars, hateful lyrics. 


Black Sea:
	Hit Songs:
		Respectable street
		Generals and Majors
		Living through another Cuba
		Burning with Optimism's flames
	Dance trax:
		Respedtable street
		Generals and Majors
		Rocket from a Bottle
		Towers of London
		Burning with Optimism's Flames
		Sgt. Rock (is going to help me)
	Listening tracks:
		(all the hit songs)
		No language in our lungs
		Towers of London

I think of this as mostly a listening album. There are just as many
dance tracks (and Sgt. Rock is the best of all), but the pace is a
little less relentless, a little less hooky-poppy-riffy. More
viciousness in sound and lyrics, more protest, more in the "Clash"
direction, but with more instrumentation and engineering than the
Clash. 

Both are fine albums, well produced, good sounding. Lyrics are SO
GOOD uniformly. Both I would call "Brilliant" without hesitation. No
bad spots on 'em. Both in my personal top 2%.

My friend assures me that English Settlement (the harder to find
British 2 Lp set) is the best XTC ever. I haven't heard it (for
shame).

Note that stuff this early is very different than later stuff. I like
to think of the later stuff as smoother, blander, more controlled. But
I'll get flamed for that. I like the older stuff better, that's MY
PROBLEM. But Hey, "BOB" is my sysBeep...............................bc