I don't have the whole catalog, but here are favorites. Making Plans For Nigel, Respectable Street, Jason & The Argonauts, This World Over, Earn Enough For Us. Black Sea is my favorite album.
Xtc was that band that to me was like a personal treasure that nobody knew about but those who did totally got why they were so fantastic a few of my top xtc songs are generals and majors, helicopter, grass, the meeting place, king for a day, complicated game, mayor of simpleton, radios in motion, runaways and ball and chain as you can see Im a total Colin moulding fanboy
I love Another Satellite. Oddly, Todd didn't like it. Then She Appeared, Runaways, Towers Of London, That Is The Way, Poor Skeleton Steps Out and several Dukes songs are also among my favorites
Well, when I noticed that my two favorite music analysts had discussed one of my favorite bands, I knew it would be great - and it was! A couple of comments: I agree that Oranges and Lemons seems too long and I don't enjoy it as much as I did in 1989. Also, I agree with Todd in that I absolutely love the underrated tracks "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" and "Sacrificial Bonfire" on Skylarking. Thanks for the great discussion!
@@ToddEvans1964 Hey Todd, I'm the guy in Atlanta who offered you the tickets to the Kansas show in Augusta (in October?). Unfortunately, those tickets were wasted...sad. All my Augusta friends are post-punk snobs who would never be seen at a Kansas show!
White Music - "I'll Set Myself On Fire" Go 2 - I'm with Todd in that I didn't connect to this album, (but I will revisit it) so I will say "Are You Receiving Me?" because there are no rules in the comments section. Drums and Wires - Many of these songs on any given day but today it's "Roads Girdle the Globe." Black Sea - Lately it's "Burning with Optimism's Flames." (Doesn't count but I really love "Smokeless Zone") English Settlement - "Jason and the Argonauts" Maybe my fav XTC song. HM: "Fly on the Wall" (one of my fav Colin songs) and "Down in the Cockpit" (Andy is quite earthy when writing about relationships) Mummer - "Love on a Farm Boy's Wages" The Big Express - "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her" Fun back story. Skylarking - "Grass." I'm fascinated with the recording of this album and Rundgren's stories of being a disciplinarian. Oranges and Lemons - "Mayor of Simpleton" And whoops - I actually haven't gotten very far past this point. I'm still discovering and exploring their catalog. Most of their career happened before I was old enough to buy much of my own music. Hard to say what my entrypoint is since it would have been any point in my childhood but I'm going to say it was while I was living in Germany and watching Euro MTV, which I think was newish in the early 90s. I remember seeing the video and hearing "Making Plans for Nigel" and the song bothered me somehow. I think it was because the songwriting was so British and so different to my ears. Too strange for my sensibilities but it hooked me enough to have a casual fan interest in other singles. I know their psych stuff through my favorite indie music blogs in the early 00s, but still never dug deep until recently when I heard "Jason and the Argonauts." Now I want to hear everything, but I have to pace myself because there's so much good stuff and I have to take my time digesting it. Anyway, great show. More XTC shows, please.
White Music/This Is Pop Go2/Jumping in Gomorrah Drums and Wires/Roads Girdle the Globe Black Sea/Towers of London English Settlement/No Thugs in Our House Mummer/Wonderland Big Express/All You Pretty Girls Skylarking/Season Cycle (my favorite XTC song!) Oranges and Lemons/Across the Antheap Nonsuch/Holly Up on Poppy Apple Venus Vol. 1/ Your Dictionary Wasp Star: AV Vol 2/Playground Great video! I agree with Todd, Big Express is amazing. And Bicycle Legs, I also adore Nonsuch, one of the most underrated albums ever!
Radios In Motion, Beatown, Complicated Game, No Language In Our Lungs, Jason And The Argonauts, Great Fire, Train Running Low On Soul Coal, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, Chalkhilks And Children, That Wave, Easter Theatre and Wheel And The Maypole.
White Music - I could have said "This Is Pop?" but since I don't like the album version, which is slower than the single version, I'll go for "Statue of Liberty". Go2 - I don't like this one. I prefer the non-album single "Are You Receiving Me?" released at the same time, but if I had to choose just one track from it then it would be "Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)". Drums and Wires - Quite a few favourites on this one for me but it will come down to "Millions" or "That Is the Way". Black Sea - Brilliant songs throughout, but if I had to choose one it would be "No Language in Our Lungs". English Settlement - Hard to choose a track from my favourite XTC album, but I'll go with the opener "Runaways". Mummer - An average album overall for me. I'd go for either "Ladybird" or "In Loving Memory of a Name". Big Express - A return to form after the disappointing Mummer, in my opinion. I hesitate between Colin's "Wake Up" and Andy's "This World Over", but I think I'll opt for the latter. Skylarking - "Earn Enough for Us". Oranges and Lemons - "Miniature Sun" linked to “Chalkhills and Children” (as on the original album) as for me, the two are inseparable. Nonsuch - "Wrapped in Grey" without a second thought (although I do love "The Ugly Underneath"). Apple Venus Volume 1 - The brilliant "The Last Balloon" (and the great “I Can't Own Her” in second). I'm not crazy about the rest of the album. Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) - This one is real letdown for me. Maybe "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love", but that's about it.
I'm Bugged, Beatown, Millions, No Language in Our Lungs, Knuckle Down, In Loving Memory of a Name, Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, Season Cycle, Chalkhills and Children, That Wave, Harvest Festival, Wheel and the Maypole.
I definitely have to do an episode on The Dukes, I do feel like they’re a seperate thing from XTC though which is why they weren’t included here. Thanks for watching!
Bicycle Legs, you need to listen to the Steven Wilson mix of The Big Express, it’s fantastic and brings out the layers of the instruments very well which was the problem with the original mix as there was so much going on in each song. The album’s production I have a problem with is “Nonsuch”, it has that compressed sound of that period and it lacks warmth, I also think the drumming is pretty generic on that album and it’s Dave Mattacks, so I was expecting more subtlety and finesse with the drumming, not all the songs though, I also think Andy’s voice sounds tired on some tracks, you can hear the aging of his voice which is wired because his vocals aren’t like that on Apple Venus and I’ve never liked “The Ballad OfPeter Pumpkin Head”.
![Andy Partridge - XTC's Secret Chords Revealed [Part 4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0IvYTsXpRNA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Andy Partridge - XTC's Secret Chords Revealed [Part 4]](/img/tr.png)
My favorite song on Mummer is “Deliver Us From The Elements”.
Great song!
On Oranges and Lemons it’s “Scarecrow People” for me. “One In A Million” is close though.
Both really good.
I don't have the whole catalog, but here are favorites. Making Plans For Nigel, Respectable Street, Jason & The Argonauts, This World Over, Earn Enough For Us. Black Sea is my favorite album.
All really good songs. Thanks!
XTC was great! My all time favorite song by them would be Complicated Game but they had many superb songs!
They sure did. Thanks for watching!
Xtc was that band that to me was like a personal treasure that nobody knew about but those who did totally got why they were so fantastic a few of my top xtc songs are generals and majors, helicopter, grass, the meeting place, king for a day, complicated game, mayor of simpleton, radios in motion, runaways and ball and chain as you can see Im a total Colin moulding fanboy
Great picks, thank you!
Colin is a spectacular songwriter. "King for a Day" and "Ball and Chain" are tremendous!
I love Another Satellite. Oddly, Todd didn't like it. Then She Appeared, Runaways, Towers Of London, That Is The Way, Poor Skeleton Steps Out and several Dukes songs are also among my favorites
Thanks kev, some excellent choices there!
Well, when I noticed that my two favorite music analysts had discussed one of my favorite bands, I knew it would be great - and it was! A couple of comments: I agree that Oranges and Lemons seems too long and I don't enjoy it as much as I did in 1989. Also, I agree with Todd in that I absolutely love the underrated tracks "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" and "Sacrificial Bonfire" on Skylarking. Thanks for the great discussion!
Thank you for watching and for your very kind words.
Thank you Thomas! 🙂
@@ToddEvans1964 Hey Todd, I'm the guy in Atlanta who offered you the tickets to the Kansas show in Augusta (in October?). Unfortunately, those tickets were wasted...sad. All my Augusta friends are post-punk snobs who would never be seen at a Kansas show!
White Music - "I'll Set Myself On Fire"
Go 2 - I'm with Todd in that I didn't connect to this album, (but I will revisit it) so I will say "Are You Receiving Me?" because there are no rules in the comments section.
Drums and Wires - Many of these songs on any given day but today it's "Roads Girdle the Globe."
Black Sea - Lately it's "Burning with Optimism's Flames." (Doesn't count but I really love "Smokeless Zone")
English Settlement - "Jason and the Argonauts" Maybe my fav XTC song. HM: "Fly on the Wall" (one of my fav Colin songs) and "Down in the Cockpit" (Andy is quite earthy when writing about relationships)
Mummer - "Love on a Farm Boy's Wages"
The Big Express - "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her" Fun back story.
Skylarking - "Grass." I'm fascinated with the recording of this album and Rundgren's stories of being a disciplinarian.
Oranges and Lemons - "Mayor of Simpleton"
And whoops - I actually haven't gotten very far past this point.
I'm still discovering and exploring their catalog. Most of their career happened before I was old enough to buy much of my own music. Hard to say what my entrypoint is since it would have been any point in my childhood but I'm going to say it was while I was living in Germany and watching Euro MTV, which I think was newish in the early 90s. I remember seeing the video and hearing "Making Plans for Nigel" and the song bothered me somehow. I think it was because the songwriting was so British and so different to my ears. Too strange for my sensibilities but it hooked me enough to have a casual fan interest in other singles. I know their psych stuff through my favorite indie music blogs in the early 00s, but still never dug deep until recently when I heard "Jason and the Argonauts." Now I want to hear everything, but I have to pace myself because there's so much good stuff and I have to take my time digesting it.
Anyway, great show. More XTC shows, please.
Thanks so much, excellent picks all. I can’t argue with any of those!
Fantastic list Tia! Fly on the Wall" is WAY underrated.
White Music/This Is Pop
Go2/Jumping in Gomorrah
Drums and Wires/Roads Girdle the Globe
Black Sea/Towers of London
English Settlement/No Thugs in Our House
Mummer/Wonderland
Big Express/All You Pretty Girls
Skylarking/Season Cycle (my favorite XTC song!)
Oranges and Lemons/Across the Antheap
Nonsuch/Holly Up on Poppy
Apple Venus Vol. 1/ Your Dictionary
Wasp Star: AV Vol 2/Playground
Great video! I agree with Todd, Big Express is amazing. And Bicycle Legs, I also adore Nonsuch, one of the most underrated albums ever!
Thank you so much, excellent choices too!
Excellent list Chris! Season Cycle is GREAT!
An enjoyable discussion and nice song selections from you both.
Thank you!
Radios In Motion, Beatown, Complicated Game, No Language In Our Lungs, Jason And The Argonauts, Great Fire, Train Running Low On Soul Coal, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, Chalkhilks And Children, That Wave, Easter Theatre and Wheel And The Maypole.
That would make an excellent playlist, thanks!
Great list! I considered all of those!
Two of my favourite gents on RUclips! Quality!
Thanks Peter!
Thank you Peter! ☺
White Music - I could have said "This Is Pop?" but since I don't like the album version, which is slower than the single version, I'll go for "Statue of Liberty".
Go2 - I don't like this one. I prefer the non-album single "Are You Receiving Me?" released at the same time, but if I had to choose just one track from it then it would be "Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)".
Drums and Wires - Quite a few favourites on this one for me but it will come down to "Millions" or "That Is the Way".
Black Sea - Brilliant songs throughout, but if I had to choose one it would be "No Language in Our Lungs".
English Settlement - Hard to choose a track from my favourite XTC album, but I'll go with the opener "Runaways".
Mummer - An average album overall for me. I'd go for either "Ladybird" or "In Loving Memory of a Name".
Big Express - A return to form after the disappointing Mummer, in my opinion. I hesitate between Colin's "Wake Up" and Andy's "This World Over", but I think I'll opt for the latter.
Skylarking - "Earn Enough for Us".
Oranges and Lemons - "Miniature Sun" linked to “Chalkhills and Children” (as on the original album) as for me, the two are inseparable.
Nonsuch - "Wrapped in Grey" without a second thought (although I do love "The Ugly Underneath").
Apple Venus Volume 1 - The brilliant "The Last Balloon" (and the great “I Can't Own Her” in second). I'm not crazy about the rest of the album.
Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) - This one is real letdown for me. Maybe "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love", but that's about it.
Thanks for your list!
@@bicyclelegsmusic You're welcome!
I'm Bugged, Beatown, Millions, No Language in Our Lungs, Knuckle Down, In Loving Memory of a Name, Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, Season Cycle, Chalkhills and Children, That Wave, Harvest Festival, Wheel and the Maypole.
Sounds like an excellent playlist, thanks!
Fun convo! Would have been nice to hear your takes on the Dukes albums.
I definitely have to do an episode on The Dukes, I do feel like they’re a seperate thing from XTC though which is why they weren’t included here. Thanks for watching!
Bicycle Legs, you need to listen to the Steven Wilson mix of The Big Express, it’s fantastic and brings out the layers of the instruments very well which was the problem with the original mix as there was so much going on in each song. The album’s production I have a problem with is “Nonsuch”, it has that compressed sound of that period and it lacks warmth, I also think the drumming is pretty generic on that album and it’s Dave Mattacks, so I was expecting more subtlety and finesse with the drumming, not all the songs though, I also think Andy’s voice sounds tired on some tracks, you can hear the aging of his voice which is wired because his vocals aren’t like that on Apple Venus and I’ve never liked “The Ballad OfPeter Pumpkin Head”.
I have it, it’s definitely an improvement (especially in 5.1).
Are You Receiving Me IS on the album... it's just not listed.
Personally, I think Side One of Go 2 should be in the RRHOF.
It isn’t on the original UK pressing, listed or otherwise.