![]() ![]() Interviews: Orange Juice John Cougar Human League: Joanne and Susann Erazerhead Blue Zoo The Jam The band has released only two studio albums since this anthology was compiled, so it represents a solid overview of the band's entire career-with the exception of their two releases by their psychedelic alter-egos The Dukes of Stratosphear.(click on the image to see the full issue) It's a nice touch, but there is no band history, no pictures of the band (although they are somewhat reclusive and have never appeared on an album cover to my knowledge), and there's no discography or mention of which album each song came from or when it was released. The centerfold replicates many of the picture sleeves from the singles, but the remainder of the booklet is merely the printed lyrics of all the songs. The only real downside to this collection is the accompanying 16-page booklet. If you're not interested in seeking out their individual albums, this is the one disc to own. was 1982's "Senses Working Overtime." XTC's music is infectious, melodic and quirky. In their native England they fared little better most of their singles barely crawled out of the bottom half of the Top 40. hit, "Mayor of Simpleton," peaked at a modest No. ![]() This is a band that truly deserved a wider audience. It's a mystery to me why XTC never had any widespread success. Just make sure you listen all the way through as the band's evolution is dramatic. Nonetheless, with the material presented in remastered sound, this is a fine collection and a worthy starting point for anyone curious about the band. Literally the only complaint I can make with this is the decision to leave off the Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC's alter ego when they recorded psychedelic music) singles- while they didn't seem to pick the best of that project for singles, it seems it should be here. While their last record with Virgin felt a bit overarranged to me, they still managed some great pieces ("The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead") and have remained relevent as long as they've recorded. A pair of late '80s pop albums ("Skylarking" and "Oranges and Lemons") produced a seemingly endless series of stunning pop songs, many of which are represented here ("Grass", "Dear God", "The Mayor of Simpleton", "The Loving" are all absolutely stunning). When they quit touring, using the studio as an instrument and compositional tool became central to their work (Moulding's delicate and lovely fantasy "Wonderland", Partridge's "Love on a Farmboy's Wages"). The band eventually took an unusual shift, embracing these textures even further, to the benefit of their performances and receeding the punk elements in favor of Beatles and Beach Boys inspired pop elements- the brilliant pop hook on "Senses Working Overtime" provides a fine example of this. When Andrews departed to be replaced by guitarist and sometime keyboardist Dave Gregory, the band's compositions became more and more enamoured with harmony, arrangement and melody, first the compositions of bassist Colin Moulding (throbbing mechanical rocker "Making Plans for Nigel", early acoustic rumination "Ten Feet Tall") then eventually Partridge (the churning "Towers of London"). While it was a bit inconsistent (mostly due to odd vocal styles), Partridge's compositions already showed an undercurrent of wit ("Statue of Liberty") and pop hooks ("This is Pop?"). XTC started as a ska/punk new wave band, driving rhythms, buzzing organs (courtesy of keyboardist Barry Andrews) and skanking guitars from Andy Partridge dominated the early work. As an introduction to the band, it provides a fine overview of their career and history and you can hear how many pieces should have been huge singles, but never were. "Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-92" is a a compilation of every British a-side the band released during their tenure with Virgin Records.
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