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Whatever happened to XTC?


shniggens

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Does anyone else appreciate what these guys did!?!??!?!

 

A friend of mine turned me on to XTC. It's cool to discover bands you never knew about. It's like listening to a "new" band. And this "new" band may be my new favorite.

 

Why don't bands like this become huge stars?

 

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XTC were amazing. One of the best bands of that era.

 

What happened was that Andy Partridge had terrible, debilitating stage fright, and stopped doing shows in 1982. They've done some great work since then, but it's only studio albums from time to time, and they've never been very commercially focused. They finally broke up, presumably for good, maybe 10 years ago.

 

Glad you discovered them, though. Terrific band.

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Partridge has been rumored to be doing some stuff with Mike Keneally recently. Rumors sometimes have a way of being true when the sources are good. Don't know if it will ever be released but I hope so.

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schniggens --

 

you might want to check out the Dukes of the Stratosphere as well - it's basically XTC under a different name -- they did a couple of things that were sort of a straight homage to SGT Pepper style psychedelia (yeah, I mean like maybe even more than their other stuff)

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I saw them on their one and only trip to LA at the Whisky A Go Go and they were, really, really, really good. I've seen a lot of pretty good shows and XTC was one of the very best.

 

Another vote for The Dukes of Stratosphear (note nonstandard spelling and lack of article -- it can make a diff trying to look them up). It's a hugely fun compendium of psychedelic tricks and now-charming cliches... song after song will remind you -- Ruttles style -- of some famous psychedelic song and yet, somehow, sound fresh and charming. It's a tricky tight rope but they do it with amazing enthusiasm and real love for the style and era.

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The Dukes of Stratosphear
(note nonstandard spelling and lack of article -- it can make a diff trying to look them up).

 

 

Wow

color my face red, I got the albums when they came out and never ever noticed that's how they spelled it

 

 

 

It's a hugely fun compendium of psychedelic tricks and now-charming cliches... song after song will remind you -- Ruttles style -- of some famous psychedelic song and yet, somehow, sound fresh and charming. It's a tricky tight rope but they do it with amazing enthusiasm and real love for the style and era.

 

 

That's a really good description!!

 

- it's like USE the cliches as musical turn of phrase or something -- so it's derivative, but deliberately and for artistic reasons, they are harkening back to that style to evoke that sense and they do it very cleverly.

 

It kind of reminds me of when a comedian has a joke with some phrase or situation in it. Then 15 minutes later in a completely unrelated part of his set, he calls back to that first joke and ties it all back together.

 

 

didn't an XTC box set come out a while back??? If so is it come of those uber-complete ones? maybe (gasp) I'll have to skip this week's bottle of Booker Noe and go get that instead

(I estimate distance in units of bowling alleys and fun-money purchases in units of bourbon fifths -- no kidding)

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xtc is a major influence on my music. brilliant songs and great musicianship that never gets in the way of the song.

 

[YOUTUBE]depsFULhqV8[/YOUTUBE]

 

billy joel ripped off the beat and feel from this track for "allentown":

 

[YOUTUBE]JRNHbBg6HVc[/YOUTUBE]

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They finally broke up, presumably for good, maybe 10 years ago.

Wow -- Wasp Star was ten years ago! Man, time flies!

 

I've always been an XTC fan. I used to sing "No Thugs In Our House" (from English Settlement) in my band back when it was a current release. Man, I'm dating myself!

 

Anyway, XTC was a great band. My top three favorite albums of theirs are 1) Black Sea, 2) English Settlement, and 3) Skylarking, but you really can't go wrong with any of their stuff.

 

Glad you discovered them, shniggens. :thu:

 

Best,

 

Geoff

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"Mayor of Simpleton". There is so much to like about this song I don't know where to start. Genius bassline. Smart lyrics. Jangly guitars. Not an ounce of fat on the arrangement. If all pop music were held to XTC's standards, the world would be a better place.

 

And as a bonus: a video with a nod to "The Avengers".

[YOUTUBE]5Da9sc6YDBo[/YOUTUBE]

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Mike Keneally of Zappa fame? That sounds interesting.


XTC's music seems to have withstood the test of time. It all sounds fresh.

 

 

 

 

Mike's been writing with Andy since 2008. He's hoping to release some of the stuff they've done together next year. On vinyl. Fingers crossed.

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According to an interview with Todd Rundgren I read a while back Andy Partridge was always busy shooting himself in the foot with bad business decisions. For example he insisted on releasing Dear God as a single and leaving it off the album Rundgren had been producing because he was pissed at Todd.

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According to an interview with Todd Rundgren I read a while back Andy Partridge was always busy shooting himself in the foot with bad business decisions. For example he insisted on releasing Dear God as a single and leaving it off the album Rundgren had been producing because he was pissed at Todd.

 

 

As soon as Dear God starting getting airplay, Geffen pressed new copies of "Skylarking" with the song on it. Me and a few dozen other people were probably the only ones who bought the album without it on there. So leaving it off was hardly a business decision that hurt the band.

 

The truth is that XTC never got really big because their songs were too smart for pop. While there are catchy melodies and nice Beatle-esque touches on a lot of their material, there really is very little they ever wrote that was going to resonate with the larger record buying public. Comparing them to The Police is a good one: The Police were also a very 'smart' band but what they did differently was take songs with lyrics based on books by Russian authors and work "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" into the chorus. XTC was writing songs like that but without the chorus.

 

Touring would have helped, but I don't think it would have sent "Skylarking" to #1.

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The truth is that XTC never got really big because their songs were too smart for pop. While there are catchy melodies and nice Beatle-esque touches on a lot of their material, there really is very little they ever wrote that was going to resonate with the larger record buying public. Comparing them to The Police is a good one

 

Elvis Costello is an even better comparison.

Squeeze would be the closest band comparison.

All too brilliant for public consumption. :idk:

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I was also lucky to see them live in a club and they were great. They had no trouble reproducing their records. (although there stuff was a bit simpler in the early days.)

 

If you like XTC and Squeeze then check out Godley and Creme. They were originally half of 10cc. Their albums L and Freeze frame are the best ones. Anyone else here know their music?

 

[YOUTUBE]vnzuaP31IWk[/YOUTUBE]

 

[YOUTUBE]tn0dgCeAONs[/YOUTUBE]

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