Re: Which XTC?

[freed@ARAMIS.RUTGERS.EDU (Laurence T. Freed)]

> From: Jeff Dalton <jeff%aiva.edinburgh.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK>

> I'd be surprised if there were as great a consensus on XTC as there
> is (or seems to be) on Kate, Peter, and the Beatles, but anyway...

> I would suggest _Black Sea_ and then their 1st LP, _White Music_, which
> together with what you already have would cover nearly their full range
> styles.

> The best thing about 2nd LP (title forgotten) is the cover, but it's
> a *good* cover.  The 3rd, _Drums and Wires_, is similar to _Black
> Sea_, but not, in my opinion, as good.  _English Settlement_, the
> one after _Black Sea_, presents the problem of chosing between the
> UK (double lp) and US (different song?) releases and so should wait
> until you want to buy them all.  After that, we get to _Mummer_ and
> _Big Express_.  I've never liked them as much as the earlier ones,
> but then you may not want to listen to me because I don't like
> _Skylarking_ as much either and it's closer to them them than it is
> to what came before.

I have to agree and disagree with you Jeff.  There is no consensus
on XTC. But I can't have you down playing some of the most original
music of this decade, and I certainly can't let you pass it on
without sticking my cent and a half in...

_English Settlement_ (the UK release) was the last album from which
they would play live. It is the creative climax of the sound XTC
had been nurturing through _Drums and Wires_ and _Black Sea_: a very
guitar-band sound. I've never heard a band even come close to
their style. Incredibly original. What impressed me most was their
use of tonal clashing. Although most of the tracks could be reduced
to basic chords (I, IV, V, etc) the layering of (seemingly) unrelated
chords and suspended riffs sounds so unusual, you may believe that 
perhaps andy partridge had created a few new chords...

_Mummer_ and _Big Express_ are magnificent studio albums. The atonal
tendency was transfered from primarily guitar/bass/vocal
experimentation to the entire studio environment. Their
"differentness," i.e. their need to experiment, break new musical
ground, etc, became less forced, less conscious, but more striking.
In these two albums you'll find echoes of _English Settlement_
and _Skylarking_. (two very different albums). 

_Skylarking_ owes a lot to producer Todd Rundregen(sp?), as much as
XTC would like to deny it. Apparently, Todd and the band didn't get
along well, but the album is fantastic. It was clearly an attempt by
their label the popularize XTC, which is why the label brought in
Todd. It did make XTC more accesible (is that good or bad...). hell,
they've even been played on 92.3 K-ROCK. But I gotta add that the
album is smoother, less flawed, and more whole that any of their
previous seven albums.

To make a long article longer, my reccomendation depends on your
taste.  If you are basically a mainstream sort of person, I suggest
going back from _Skylarking_ (to _Big Express_, _Mummer_, _English
Settlement_, and then the earlier albums), just to ease your way into
XTC's unusual sound. Otherwise, any of the three albums I mentioned,
or _Black Sea_ are worthwise investments of your time.

					Laurence T. Freed
					freed@aramis.rutgers.edu