Re: What's Wrong with Lemons and...

[John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>]

batcave!batman@Sun.COM (Karl MacRae) sez:
>
>	...Sorry to get on a soapbox, but I think these guys still
>have material the quality of 'English Settlement' and 'Black Sea'
>in them, if only they'd quit fooling with this 60's sound. This record
>just has entirely the wrong presentation for XTC. It's slick, gentle
>and a little spineless. Rough edges suit them far better; Andy's voice
>works more effectivly as a barking howl than as the pretty crooning
>he's trying to do here...

Andy Partridge sez:
    Some people write and say Skylarking is too quiet, they like the
  rocky ones, they preferred us when we were noisy; I'm sure some
  people like records or songs because it's attached to some part of
  their life and nothing to do with the merits of the songs
  themselves.  (_The Little Express_, Autumn 1988.)

Personally, I think there's a bit of _English Settlement_ in "Poor
Skeleton Steps Out" and a bit of _Black Sea_ in "Across This Antheap".
But I also think the lyrics on many of the _O&L_ songs are much
stronger than on earlier albums, especially on the two songs I
mentioned.

And the 60's sound is something they love.  Why should they turn their
backs on it?  Are they really trying to please their fans?  I think
they are trying to please themselves.
	-- John