Fun fact! My mom, Jasmine, is the kid singing both parts in the song. She was 8 years old at the time, and she got the opportunity to record this through a producer friend :)
@@Anonymousmikey that’s tru! however it made more sense for them to cast a little boy in the music video bc it’s supposed to represent the lead singer as a little boy and wouldn’t have fit the message of the song and his pov if it were a little girl :)
XTC are a criminally under-rated band. So many great songs: "Towers of London", "Senses Working Overtime", "Generals and Majors", "All You Pretty Girls", "Green Man".. Really glad to see someone reacting to their music!
"Did you make mankind after we made you?" What a line. XTC was an awesome band. This is my favorite song by them. It's really well arranged, well played, and conceptually it is deep and yet simple. Really great song that made me sit up and take notice of XTC. Great analysis Justin! I'm glad that you are impressed with this song.
Andy Partridge did write the song. It starts a child's letter to God, progressing to the adult who never got a response and continued to see all those things as he got older with no change. Really is a fantastic song. Excellent reaction video
So happy to see you finally come back around to XTC. One of my favorite bands. Dear God was pretty controversial back in the day. Always interested to see how people react to it in the present times that we live in. I really hope that you come back to this band again in the very near future. I would recommend a couple of songs that are very different from this one. Mayor of Simpleton and King for a Day. The first is the song my wife describes as a perfect pop song. Although I think it's pretty good, I actually would rank King for a Day just a little bit higher in the "perfect pop song" category. The band wrote a lot of wonderful material back in the day and I think it holds up really well. More XTC please!!!
If you get to "Ballet For a Rainy Day" it goes right into "1000 Umbrellas". This was one my favorite albums of 1986. Just excellent proper English pop. The whole album is major ear candy.
I first heard the album in 1992. I rushed out and bought the current one, Nonsuch. Then bam, back to the record store to buy Black Sea, Drums & Wires, English Settlement and Dukes Of Stratosphear
My first songs that sold me were yacht dance (which blended into no thugs in our house) jason and the Argonauts (directly after yacht dance) this was in the time of vinyl with lyrics on the sleeves. I initially didnt think much of the song, but i got high and started reading the lyrics. " Ive seen acts of ever shades of terrible come from man like creatures and ive had the breath of liars blowing me off course in my sails". Those words strunk me as a beautiful, clever, honest, and telling. I was hooked.
It's not an exaggeration to say I've listened to this song thousands of times, and yet the hard staccato percussion drop to the stripped acoustic at the end gives me chills Every. Single. Time.
I love this song and its message. It's resonating even today, some 30+ years later. FTR, I am an anti-theist. This song almost brings me to tears when I think of all those under the spell of religion, believing in an all-knowing, omnipresent and omnipotent entity that will only break their hearts when "prayer" doesn't work. Peace and love to all. And thank you for your thoughtful review. Love this!!
This term gets thrown around a lot, but Andy Partridge is a musical genius. I often thought of XTC as the Beatles of the 80's. This song still gives me goosebumps after hundreds of listens and learning to play it even. Andy did everything right on this one - like you said the words, music, and vocals all just work together perfectly to deliver a powerful message. The rest of the album is good, especially the more pop-ish "Earn Enough for Us" which I thought was a continuation of "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" from the excellent, but under appreciated album, "Mummer". My favorite XTC album though, is still 1982's "English Settlement". So many superb songs on there and it was especially refreshing at the time. Check the hit "Senses Working Overtime" or the excellent opener "Runaways". Some of the other greats on this album includes "Jason and the Argonauts", "Ball and Chain", "Melt the Guns", "No Thugs in Our House", and "Snowman". Thanks for listening and sharing! Keep going with XTC! Peace from SF
My favorite XTC album. I hope you listen to all of it. Without the child's voice it may have seemed an angry barrage of compelling thoughts about religiosity, but the innocent vocal bookends is where the heart of it lies for me.
Truly, one of the greatest songs ever written. It is a musical and lyrical masterpiece. I could listen to this song on repeat for hours and probably not get sick of it. I also relate deeply to its message. I hope that for those of you who have never heard XTC before, this song will act as a gateway to their vast and greatly underappreciated catalog. There is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered!
One of the most creative bands of the 80s, and the best message in a song ever. This album was also produced by Todd Rundgren. Great pick and reaction!
The song caused alot of uproar (read indignation and contempt) from believers of all stripes esp the religious right. The irony of course is that despite all Andy's protestations, questions and outrage, he is still writing a letter *to* God. Brilliant song from a brilliant songwriter.
Thank you for playing the track start to finish before discussing it- it shows a genuine respect for music and the artist. Listening is far better than just hearing to get the full impact, and that act alone had me sub to your channel. :-)
I would have voted they cut "Big Day" to squeeze "Dear God" on. That track has always sorta felt to me like Skylarking's "Doctor Robert", if you know what I mean. The rest of it really is nearly perfect.
Justin, I'm thrilled you chose to react to this one, and I'm equally thrilled with the reaction! This is one of my all time favorite tunes for all the reasons you cited. I majored in philosophy and have always been amazed at how well this song makes its "argument", especially since it's mostly asking questions (Socrates would agree with that method, I think). The music only adds to it. The album it's on, Skylarking, is a little masterpiece. It was produced by Todd Rundgren, and while I learned he and the band didn't get along all that well, you can't tell from the result. Both Todd in his own work and XTC in their's can manage to craft perfect pop music, but they're also both capable of stuff that's a whole lot more challenging. There's a lot of great XTC music out there, but I'll recommend The Mayor of Simpleton - it gets my vote (and I'm being serious here) for best (catchiest?) pop song ever, and has one of the best bass lines you'll ever hear. Enjoying your channel as always!
Back around 2008, on the Amazon discussion boards, I was a part of a thread we called The Trainwreck. Most of us there became not only very good online friends, but a large number of us have met and had great concert get togethers (such as Clapton's Crossroads festival in Chicago) and "Trainwreck Reunions" (twice in NYC, once in Denver, once in Austin), as we called them. To this day I'm very close with quite a few of my fellow Wreckers. We burned CDs for each other and did mass mailings of them, and other music related things, to each other. We knew each other's tastes in music. On the board, we did many fun activities. One of my favorites was each of us making a list of our 100 top songs. On my list, "Dear God" is number 36. Considering I have over fourty-five thousand songs on my computer, #36 is quite high, don't cha know. The Amazon boards have been shut down for a few years now, but I have numerous good friends and a ton of fun memories from riding that Trainwreck. One of the best things I have ever been a part of. And such good people, too. Good times. Real glad you liked the tune. Their song "The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead" is almost on a par with "Dear God", especially with the crucifixtion of Jesus and JFK assassination references. Yeah, Andy Partridge is pretty deep.
XTC is one of my favourite bands and this song is powerful stuff to say the least. I like how you appraised the song itself rather than just the lyrics as it’s a well played and constructed song. Are you a teacher? Your critiques are so well done this can’t be just an accidental hobby?
Seriously overlooked band with incredible songs. A wonderful rabbit hole if you want to take the leap. "If God made us in his image, why are we not like, invisible?" - Father Guido Sarducci
English Settlement is my favorite XTC album. Skylarking took some time for me to digest , but. It’s a great album. I hope one or both can get into your rotation.
If you're up to it, try Level 42's "There's Something About You" or The Church's "Under The Milky Way" or Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" or "Flowers In December"
@@Ignatius1972 Unfortunately no. I sure wish I could play an instrument or even sing (lol - I've been asked many times by my wife to stop when I've had headphones on).
@@RGRG3232 oh man! We are all in a big brotherhood of "people without musical skills".... 😜 Unfortunately 😔 I love Mazzy Star too. Do you know Opal and Kendra Smith? Opal become MZ after the departure of Kendra and the arrival of Hope. I love all of them. And last, but not least, a teardrop for David Roback, one of the genius behind Opal and Mazzy Star...
XTC - i was obsessed with this band for a while. Still massive favourites of mine, but haven't listened to a lot of their albums for some time. This was their accidental college radio hit ;-) Still, it is not really representative of their musical idiosyncracies. The album from that time is really beautiful (and produced by Todd Rundgren). If you enjoyed that do not overlook their earlier 'art-punk meets power pop' albums. There are some really quirky gems to be found before they turned to pop perfection ;-)
Great to see you covering XTC, Justin. I often think of them as the Swindon Beatles. I've never been crazy about this song though - not because of the controversy or anything but it just doesn't excite me that much. It's okay I guess. But there's a whole universe of XTC to explore: a whole bunch of albums, countless outtakes and demos and even side projects (most notably Dukes of Stratosphear). I would recommend starting with the Fossil Fuel singles compilation, as it covers the bulk of the band's career and demonstrates nicely their development over time (it was also what got me hooked on them - best £5 ever spent!). If I had to recommend one studio album to begin with I would probably go for Black Sea. I've been following you since your videos on early Genesis (which I was getting into around the same time). Keep up the good work!
So many perfect pop songs: They got better end better: River of Orchids, Harvest Festival, Wrapped in Grey, Easter Theater, Mayor of Simpleton and many more ....
This song hit me hard when it first came out and it stands true to me today! Just pure power in his questioning. Partridge is a lyrical genius. If you listen to certain songs by Ren, his delivery and cadence could be influenced in the same way. Thanks for giving it a listen and bringing it back to old guys like me. Be well!
This was the first song I ever heard from XTC. It was on a new wave show on a Detroit radio station. I went to a record store and bought Skylarking (on vinyl!) and was extremely disappointed when I realized Dear God wasn't on it (I eventually got the Grass single that had Dear God on the B-side). But when I listened to the album, I was struck by how amazing the album was. It's still one of my all-time favorite albums and I love every single one of the tracks on it. They are my favorite band.
Underrated great band ,this is a Classic Album from start to finish ( Produced by Todd Rundgren ) Some of my other personal favorite Albums are Oranges & lemons ,Nonsuch, Waspstar , Apple Venus ,Big express ,Mummer ..ps. watch the official video for " "Dear God" it great !!
XTC were INCREDIBLE...unique, quirky, cynical, poppy, genius. So much good stuff there. This album was produced by Todd Rundgren...and almost resulted in the band breaking up as Todd and Andy Partridge butted heads the whole time (and after). When the album first got released this song was NOT on it. Todd wanted on there but the record company and Andy thought it would be too controversial. Afterwards some college radio picked up on it and it took off...album was re-released including the single. Anyway...XTC. So many great songs...my favorite ‘no language in our lungs’
Justin, you should consider reacting to The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul also on Skylarking. It has a '50s Jazz feel to it and Rundgren's arrangement was based on the music of 1960's spy films. The lyrics are great too, but what would you expect with a title like this, as are all of XTC's stuff.
Oooh! Yes! That song is AMAZING. All of Skylarking is so great, but that song in particular gets me. Along with Summer's Cauldron... that drum fill by, I think it was, Prairie Prince from the Tubes who drummed on that? Anyway. Such a great album.
This is third of the last track, the song that follows "Dying", and closes with "Sacrificial Bonfire". Todd Rundgren was the producer and delivered their most coherent concept album.
Yes - XTC! I'm going to limit my comments to the song itself, apart from the lyrics. You nailed it Justin - it is passionate and compelling in the production, arrangement, and delivery. You cannot deny its power. I prefer Skylarking in its original release, it was fantastic and it does not suffer from "Dear God" being absent from the cycle. I get the suits saw $$$ and wanted it added, despite the controversy (controversy sells, just ask Madonna). You really need to tackle "Senses Working Overtime" from XTC if you haven't. Another masterpiece.
Having the kids singing, about the age a rational person would be when he or she realizes the whole religion racket is BS is sheer brilliance. I feel a need to quote the master satirist Terry Pratchett: “I was walking along the bank of a stream when I saw a mother otter with her cubs, a very endearing sight, I'm sure you'll agree. And even as I watched, the mother otter dived into the water and came up with a plump salmon, which she subdued and dragged onto a half submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters, who scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy. One of nature's wonders, gentlemen. Mother and children dining upon mother and children. And that is when I first learned about evil. It is built into the very nature of the universe. Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being, I told myself, it is up to all of us to become his moral superior.”
As soon as my middle school took me to church for Easter and Harvest Festival, walking in that church freaked me out. I couldn't understand why we were looking at a fucking guy hammered to a cross... Could never take it seriously, even at that age (5/6years old) cos I couldn't understand why anyone would want to look at that!!! Still don't. Too much hocus pocus involved.
Check out "Complicated Game", also by XTC. Easily on par with "Dear God" as far as musical intensity and lyrical brilliance (probably more so, actually). You will not be disappointed.
They’ve been in my ‘handful of fave bands’ since I got Mummer... then English Settlement. Then when they melded strengths with all-time fave Todd, it became magical. XTC was on thin ice with their label, which mandated they use a US-based producer... Rundgren became the choice, and both are the richer for it. Dear God became the trigger for great success for the album... and the album seemed to re-fuel the band... which roared forward with several absolutely great albums, and even some tunes that got mainstream airplay. They finished on a creative peak with Apple Venus & Wasp Star. The band always seemed to me like what would have happened if the Beatles had kept going. They had a way of merging genres - punk/rock/prog/ska/power pop/pastoral - and making it seem right.
Great song, it wasn't on the UK album. Todd and the band didn't really get on but still a great production and a great album. Summer Cauldron and Grass must be played together. Great reaction JP, it's cool that you liked it so much.
Summer's Cauldron/Grass from the same album, two songs that need to be heard as one song, and then One of the Millions from their Oranges and Lemons album. Also, anything by their side project called The Dukes of Stratosphear, they are all totally awesome 1960's style songs.
Jump into XTC with Skylarking, yes. But the real deal is in my opinion Drums & Wires, Black Sea and English Settlement. Also: check the awesome sleeve of the Dear God single.
"Skylarking" is XTC's masterpiece. It's a shame Producer Todd Rundgren and Andy Partridge hated one another, and the two never worked together again. The opening tracks, "Summer's Cauldron" and "Grass" have to be listened to together. I bought this album when it first came out, and my vinyl copy has "Mermaid Smiled", rather than "Dear God". I later bought the album on cd, which included "Dear God".
Feel a bit guilty bobbing my head to this song. But the words are so powerful and so catchy. Another 80's song that doesn't suck. Your face near the end cracked me up J.P!
Interesting song - I first heard it when the video was playing on MTV - it was probably competing with all of those Australian rock bands at the time, like Midnight Oil. My favorite XTC album by far is Black Sea - an epic collection of headbangers - "There Is No Language in Our Lungs" is at the top of my XTC playlist!
Justin, this one deserves a full-album listen and analysis. Please consider it. Great song! Fell in love with it the first time that I heard it too. Lots of fun watching your enthusiasm for it. Thanks!
So glad you did this one. I love how much enthusiasm and love you give to music! It's like hanging out with my brother Dylan, who was a drummer and singer, and died a few years back. It's really lovely watching your reactions because it's a hit of that feeling of "getting" music with someone who loves it. You seem like you must be a musician yourself. Thanks for this one, JP!
I also love this song. The message is clear and should be heard as a rebuttal to centuries of stifling control and oppression doled out by power hungry fear merchants who exploit the timid and superstitious among us for their own gain. Humanity needs the voice of reason to shake itself out of the crippling coma induced by the ongoing menace of organized religion. Before the defensive among you rail against this missive, don’t worry. The good people of the world will continue to do good works and spread love from outside of the realms of dogma and delusion.
Man! JP, you are hitting real good music lately. Out of all the reactors, your picks are the best (in my opinion, remember, it's all about opinions). Be Bop Deluxe and now XTC! Andy Partridge writes very witty lyrics. Skylarking is a great album. "Earn Enough for Us" will always remind me when my wife and I were just starting out. The album "English Settlement " is my favorite. Oranges & Lemons is excellent. So many of their albums are great. Keep up the good work! More XTC, Be Bop Deluxe, and other new wave greats!
THANK YOU, JUSTIN for doing this band... and this song. I absolutely adore this band (as I've mentioned before I've worked at record stores, DJ'd at college and professional radio stations, owned thousands of albums... and THIS is my favorite band of all-time...). Where to go from here? I'd try Harvest Festival, Green Man, Your Dictionary (or almost any other songs from Apple Venus)... Senses Working Overtime, Love On A Farmboy's Wages, Then She Appeared, Wrapped In Grey, Ugly Underneath,... or you could go back to their punkier pop roots with Complicated Game, Paper & Iron, Respectable Street.. There's a vast catalog of music out there... and they range from loud to soft, political, humorous, and slice of life observations on a ton of different topics. You've listened to three XTC songs so far, (Dear God, Making Plans For Nigel, and 25 O'Clock) and they're all so, so different. That gives you a great clue about how amazing they are. You could also explore more of their alter-egos: The Dukes Of Stratosphear... which is the best 60s homage ever done. I shared this video to a few XTC sites... so hopefully you'll get some love from there. Carry on and keep up the great work, Justin! Cheers!
Sorry I'm late to the party, but I whole-heartedly agree with James' comment below...."a criminally underrated band". And frankly, that doesn't begin to cut it. I truly believe they are one of the greatest bands ever. They started out a bit punky, but they grew into an unbelievable beast that defies description. If you listen to their catalog, you'll never be the same again. They write songs and paint pictures in your head. Three INSANELY smart and inventive musicians. It just doesn't get better than XTC.
XTC is a vast well of awesomess. Start anywhere after their first two albums... but how about starting with Love On a Farmboy's Wages, Earn Enough for Us, Books are Burning, Easter Theatre, Church of Women, Towers of London, Summer's Cauldron, Then She Appeared, Wheel and the Maypole, oh goodness I'm getting excited...
So funny I’m JUST getting into XTC like within the last week! Hadn’t heard this song yet and so far it’s the best song I’ve heard from them (making plans for Nigel is close tho)! Thanks dude cool timing!!
The progression from "I can't believe" to " I don't believe" to finally "I WON'T believe" is a journey of justified moral outrage.
Absolutely
Fun fact! My mom, Jasmine, is the kid singing both parts in the song. She was 8 years old at the time, and she got the opportunity to record this through a producer friend :)
Wow that's amazing dude
Ok if you have seen the music video you would know it’s a little boy
See for yourself
@@Anonymousmikey that’s tru! however it made more sense for them to cast a little boy in the music video bc it’s supposed to represent the lead singer as a little boy and wouldn’t have fit the message of the song and his pov if it were a little girl :)
@@leahgrant7471 ohhh ok makes sense
XTC are a criminally under-rated band. So many great songs: "Towers of London", "Senses Working Overtime", "Generals and Majors", "All You Pretty Girls", "Green Man".. Really glad to see someone reacting to their music!
Strongly Agree.
I dearly love "In Another Life" too.
AGREED! They are second (barely!!) for me only to The Beatles. ❤
Their entire album "Oranges and Lemons" is a masterpiece. Every song is a lyrical and musical treasure.
English Settlement
Hard agree, C C!
I love that album!
"Did you make mankind after we made you?" What a line. XTC was an awesome band. This is my favorite song by them. It's really well arranged, well played, and conceptually it is deep and yet simple. Really great song that made me sit up and take notice of XTC. Great analysis Justin! I'm glad that you are impressed with this song.
Ty Monte, it's a good one!
Love on a Farmboy’s Wages, Another Satellite, Making Plans for Nigel
@@sarahjane8146 Ladybird and Great Fire too
Andy Partridge did write the song. It starts a child's letter to God, progressing to the adult who never got a response and continued to see all those things as he got older with no change. Really is a fantastic song. Excellent reaction video
I’ve heard this song many, many times over the last 35 years and not once has it failed to give me goosebumps. Brilliant.
Its just that good!
@@JustJP Goosebumps for sure, FBodStudios.
We need more XTC, please listen to the whole Skylarking. It's a piece of art
Fabulous album!
Skylarking is brilliant!
Yes, it is.
Not to mention "Black Sea", "English Settlement", "Oranges and Lemons" or "Nonsuch", to name but a few.
I don't like using the phrase "at the end of the day" but at the end of the day, Skylarking is my fave
So happy to see you finally come back around to XTC. One of my favorite bands. Dear God was pretty controversial back in the day. Always interested to see how people react to it in the present times that we live in. I really hope that you come back to this band again in the very near future. I would recommend a couple of songs that are very different from this one. Mayor of Simpleton and King for a Day. The first is the song my wife describes as a perfect pop song. Although I think it's pretty good, I actually would rank King for a Day just a little bit higher in the "perfect pop song" category. The band wrote a lot of wonderful material back in the day and I think it holds up really well. More XTC please!!!
'Love on a Farmboy's Wages' and 'Senses Working Overtime'
I have Peter Pumkinhead on a cassingle.
"All You Pretty Girls" too, for me.
If you get to "Ballet For a Rainy Day" it goes right into "1000 Umbrellas". This was one my favorite albums of 1986. Just excellent proper English pop. The whole album is major ear candy.
I first heard the album in 1992. I rushed out and bought the current one, Nonsuch. Then bam, back to the record store to buy Black Sea, Drums & Wires, English Settlement and Dukes Of Stratosphear
Skylarking is alt-rock's Dark Side of the Moon. Very underrated.
My first songs that sold me were yacht dance (which blended into no thugs in our house) jason and the Argonauts (directly after yacht dance) this was in the time of vinyl with lyrics on the sleeves.
I initially didnt think much of the song, but i got high and started reading the lyrics.
" Ive seen acts of ever shades of terrible come from man like creatures and ive had the breath of liars blowing me off course in my sails".
Those words strunk me as a beautiful, clever, honest, and telling.
I was hooked.
One of the great groups of all time. Andy Partridge is a songwriting genius and you must hear more.
He sure is, my sentiments exactly.
Colin was damn good too. So good.
"Senses Working Overtime" is one of XTC's best songs and it was also a big hit for them.
While your delving into XTC be sure to check out their psychedelic side project The Dukes of The Stratosphere
2 great Albums that everyone should hear.
JP did do a Dukes song, and he did Making plans for Nigel, take a look at his older vids.
ooh ooh! Vanishing Girl! Little Lighthouse! You're My Drug!
It's not an exaggeration to say I've listened to this song thousands of times, and yet the hard staccato percussion drop to the stripped acoustic at the end gives me chills Every. Single. Time.
Its just that good
Andy Partridge is a marvelous songwriter. And guitarist Dave Gregory has played for Peter Gabriel and is now in Big Big Train.
Superb musicians! Unfortunately, Dave announced his departure from BBT last year :(
Scarecrow People, Yacht Dance, Jason and the Argonauts, Little Lighthouse (as Dukes of Stratosphear)
I love this song and its message. It's resonating even today, some 30+ years later. FTR, I am an anti-theist. This song almost brings me to tears when I think of all those under the spell of religion, believing in an all-knowing, omnipresent and omnipotent entity that will only break their hearts when "prayer" doesn't work. Peace and love to all. And thank you for your thoughtful review. Love this!!
This term gets thrown around a lot, but Andy Partridge is a musical genius. I often thought of XTC as the Beatles of the 80's. This song still gives me goosebumps after hundreds of listens and learning to play it even. Andy did everything right on this one - like you said the words, music, and vocals all just work together perfectly to deliver a powerful message. The rest of the album is good, especially the more pop-ish "Earn Enough for Us" which I thought was a continuation of "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" from the excellent, but under appreciated album, "Mummer". My favorite XTC album though, is still 1982's "English Settlement". So many superb songs on there and it was especially refreshing at the time. Check the hit "Senses Working Overtime" or the excellent opener "Runaways". Some of the other greats on this album includes "Jason and the Argonauts", "Ball and Chain", "Melt the Guns", "No Thugs in Our House", and "Snowman". Thanks for listening and sharing! Keep going with XTC!
Peace from SF
The reference to 'I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer' isn't comedy, it's bitter sarcasm. A great song indeed.
It sounds like a "price of Meat:, to me
The Skylarking album has an intentional Beatles feel to it. This is an album to explore.
The track is #12 of 14 on the album.
My favorite XTC album. I hope you listen to all of it. Without the child's voice it may have seemed an angry barrage of compelling thoughts about religiosity, but the innocent vocal bookends is where the heart of it lies for me.
Truly, one of the greatest songs ever written. It is a musical and lyrical masterpiece. I could listen to this song on repeat for hours and probably not get sick of it. I also relate deeply to its message. I hope that for those of you who have never heard XTC before, this song will act as a gateway to their vast and greatly underappreciated catalog. There is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered!
One of the most creative bands of the 80s, and the best message in a song ever. This album was also produced by Todd Rundgren. Great pick and reaction!
Glad to see you do some XTC my all time favorite band.Deliver us from the Elements from Mummer blows my mind every time I hear it.
The song caused alot of uproar (read indignation and contempt) from believers of all stripes esp the religious right. The irony of course is that despite all Andy's protestations, questions and outrage, he is still writing a letter *to* God. Brilliant song from a brilliant songwriter.
Every word, every note, every song, every album that XTC put to tape is awesome.
I came across XTC when Nigel was born. Then I went backward. Then I went forward. Best band ever now that I am grown up.
Thank you for playing the track start to finish before discussing it- it shows a genuine respect for music and the artist. Listening is far better than just hearing to get the full impact, and that act alone had me sub to your channel. :-)
Absolutely Eldon, ty for watching!
Wow! Contender for the best song you've had on the channel.
This is my favorite album of the 80s - high praise for me. Pure pop masterpiece - front to back. Desert island disc for me.
I would have voted they cut "Big Day" to squeeze "Dear God" on. That track has always sorta felt to me like Skylarking's "Doctor Robert", if you know what I mean. The rest of it really is nearly perfect.
@@sylvanm4216 Ah not me. I love that song. Having been married thrice myself, Big Day resonates with me.
@@Jerlwayne Well, I can't argue with that! :)
Justin, I'm thrilled you chose to react to this one, and I'm equally thrilled with the reaction! This is one of my all time favorite tunes for all the reasons you cited. I majored in philosophy and have always been amazed at how well this song makes its "argument", especially since it's mostly asking questions (Socrates would agree with that method, I think). The music only adds to it. The album it's on, Skylarking, is a little masterpiece. It was produced by Todd Rundgren, and while I learned he and the band didn't get along all that well, you can't tell from the result. Both Todd in his own work and XTC in their's can manage to craft perfect pop music, but they're also both capable of stuff that's a whole lot more challenging. There's a lot of great XTC music out there, but I'll recommend The Mayor of Simpleton - it gets my vote (and I'm being serious here) for best (catchiest?) pop song ever, and has one of the best bass lines you'll ever hear. Enjoying your channel as always!
Back around 2008, on the Amazon discussion boards, I was a part of a thread we called The Trainwreck. Most of us there became not only very good online friends, but a large number of us have met and had great concert get togethers (such as Clapton's Crossroads festival in Chicago) and "Trainwreck Reunions" (twice in NYC, once in Denver, once in Austin), as we called them. To this day I'm very close with quite a few of my fellow Wreckers.
We burned CDs for each other and did mass mailings of them, and other music related things, to each other. We knew each other's tastes in music. On the board, we did many fun activities. One of my favorites was each of us making a list of our 100 top songs.
On my list, "Dear God" is number 36. Considering I have over fourty-five thousand songs on my computer, #36 is quite high, don't cha know.
The Amazon boards have been shut down for a few years now, but I have numerous good friends and a ton of fun memories from riding that Trainwreck. One of the best things I have ever been a part of. And such good people, too.
Good times.
Real glad you liked the tune. Their song "The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead" is almost on a par with "Dear God", especially with the crucifixtion of Jesus and JFK assassination references.
Yeah, Andy Partridge is pretty deep.
That sounds like a lot of fun and a good community +
One of the all-time top atheists songs ever written. can't ever hear it enough!! Great choice. :)
XTC would be a good rabbit hole to go down.
Happy someone takes the time to share this brilliant band
XTC is one of my favourite bands and this song is powerful stuff to say the least. I like how you appraised the song itself rather than just the lyrics as it’s a well played and constructed song. Are you a teacher? Your critiques are so well done this can’t be just an accidental hobby?
Ty Warren, accidental hobby😅
@@JustJP JP it’s a rare gift few can do it like you do so effortlessly. Hope you get to use it on a bigger and bigger stage
Skylarking is a masterpiece. Great reaction to this song also
Seriously overlooked band with incredible songs. A wonderful rabbit hole if you want to take the leap.
"If God made us in his image, why are we not like, invisible?" - Father Guido Sarducci
Thank you for your reaction and intelligent analysis of one of the best pop song ever written.
Thank you Soup :)
That was good! Would definitely like to listen to more XTC.
Skylarking is a masterpiece that everyone should own.
My favorite album of all time.
Finally XTC !! Do yourself a favor & explore more. I guarantee you
will not be disappointed.
"You're always letting us humans down." - Andy Partridge is a genius.
English Settlement is my favorite XTC album. Skylarking took some time for me to digest , but. It’s a great album. I hope one or both can get into your rotation.
English Settlement is my favorite too. Can't beat the solid opening of "Runaways," "Ball and Chain" and "Senses Working Overtime."
Mine, too... I go back and forth between this and Apple Venus. So many great albums to choose from.
If you're up to it, try Level 42's "There's Something About You" or The Church's "Under The Milky Way" or Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" or "Flowers In December"
Are you Rob Gray from Modern English? 😂
Well, from The Church I recommend (plus Under the Milky Way) Destination, Reptile, No Explanation, Ripple
@@Ignatius1972 Unfortunately no. I sure wish I could play an instrument or even sing (lol - I've been asked many times by my wife to stop when I've had headphones on).
@@RGRG3232 oh man! We are all in a big brotherhood of "people without musical skills".... 😜
Unfortunately 😔
I love Mazzy Star too. Do you know Opal and Kendra Smith? Opal become MZ after the departure of Kendra and the arrival of Hope. I love all of them. And last, but not least, a teardrop for David Roback, one of the genius behind Opal and Mazzy Star...
Again, great analysis. You are really checking out some interesting excellent music on your channel. Enjoying it.
Thanks Michael 😄
Awesome song on many levels, many, many levels. Those strings haunt me still. Beautifully haunting.
Loved your faces in the pounding drum angry lyrics part! That's the spirit!! 💪🏽❤️
XTC - i was obsessed with this band for a while. Still massive favourites of mine, but haven't listened to a lot of their albums for some time.
This was their accidental college radio hit ;-)
Still, it is not really representative of their musical idiosyncracies.
The album from that time is really beautiful (and produced by Todd Rundgren).
If you enjoyed that do not overlook their earlier 'art-punk meets power pop' albums. There are some really quirky gems to be found before they turned to pop perfection ;-)
Great to see you covering XTC, Justin. I often think of them as the Swindon Beatles. I've never been crazy about this song though - not because of the controversy or anything but it just doesn't excite me that much. It's okay I guess. But there's a whole universe of XTC to explore: a whole bunch of albums, countless outtakes and demos and even side projects (most notably Dukes of Stratosphear). I would recommend starting with the Fossil Fuel singles compilation, as it covers the bulk of the band's career and demonstrates nicely their development over time (it was also what got me hooked on them - best £5 ever spent!). If I had to recommend one studio album to begin with I would probably go for Black Sea.
I've been following you since your videos on early Genesis (which I was getting into around the same time). Keep up the good work!
Ty so much (and for watching and enjoying for so long!😃) definitely 0lanning more XTC
So many perfect pop songs: They got better end better: River of Orchids, Harvest Festival, Wrapped in Grey, Easter Theater, Mayor of Simpleton and many more ....
You need to add to that, the aptly named "This Is Pop"
XTC is a band which was never on my radar but then I hear a track like this and I don't know why, they are amazing.
Amen.
This song hit me hard when it first came out and it stands true to me today! Just pure power in his questioning. Partridge is a lyrical genius. If you listen to certain songs by Ren, his delivery and cadence could be influenced in the same way. Thanks for giving it a listen and bringing it back to old guys like me. Be well!
This was the first song I ever heard from XTC. It was on a new wave show on a Detroit radio station. I went to a record store and bought Skylarking (on vinyl!) and was extremely disappointed when I realized Dear God wasn't on it (I eventually got the Grass single that had Dear God on the B-side). But when I listened to the album, I was struck by how amazing the album was. It's still one of my all-time favorite albums and I love every single one of the tracks on it. They are my favorite band.
Nice Ronald! This would definitely be a great song to be introduced to the band by
Have you heard Complicated Game? That's an incredible XTC song.
Haven't heard that one!
@@JustJP I highly recommend it then! :)
LOVE that song. It's got a pretty dark edge. :)
The whole Drums and Wires album is genius. White Music and Go2 before it were fabulous also.
I've always loved this song from when it first come out.
Underrated great band ,this is a Classic Album from start to finish ( Produced by Todd Rundgren ) Some of my other personal favorite Albums are Oranges & lemons ,Nonsuch, Waspstar , Apple Venus ,Big express ,Mummer ..ps. watch the official video for " "Dear God" it great !!
So happy to see you react to this marvelous band!
XTC the finest pop band to come from the Uk post Beatles genius is to smaller a word thanks for doing this one
Locate "No Language in Our Lungs" on the album Black Sea. A song I could not stop playing back in 1980. Powerful stuff.
XTC were INCREDIBLE...unique, quirky, cynical, poppy, genius. So much good stuff there. This album was produced by Todd Rundgren...and almost resulted in the band breaking up as Todd and Andy Partridge butted heads the whole time (and after). When the album first got released this song was NOT on it. Todd wanted on there but the record company and Andy thought it would be too controversial. Afterwards some college radio picked up on it and it took off...album was re-released including the single. Anyway...XTC. So many great songs...my favorite ‘no language in our lungs’
A documentary about XTC called This Is Pop is hilarious and very entertaining, Andy Partridge is very funny, well worth a watch
I want to see that. It was once on showtime, but can’t find it anywhere now.
Justin, you should consider reacting to The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul also on Skylarking. It has a '50s Jazz feel to it and Rundgren's arrangement was based on the music of 1960's spy films. The lyrics are great too, but what would you expect with a title like this, as are all of XTC's stuff.
Yes! A great song.
Oooh! Yes! That song is AMAZING. All of Skylarking is so great, but that song in particular gets me. Along with Summer's Cauldron... that drum fill by, I think it was, Prairie Prince from the Tubes who drummed on that? Anyway. Such a great album.
The time-bending atmospheric masterpiece "Sacrificial Bonfire" is oft overlooked when discussing Skylarking
This is third of the last track, the song that follows "Dying", and closes with "Sacrificial Bonfire". Todd Rundgren was the producer and delivered their most coherent concept album.
Yes - XTC! I'm going to limit my comments to the song itself, apart from the lyrics. You nailed it Justin - it is passionate and compelling in the production, arrangement, and delivery. You cannot deny its power.
I prefer Skylarking in its original release, it was fantastic and it does not suffer from "Dear God" being absent from the cycle. I get the suits saw $$$ and wanted it added, despite the controversy (controversy sells, just ask Madonna).
You really need to tackle "Senses Working Overtime" from XTC if you haven't. Another masterpiece.
Having the kids singing, about the age a rational person would be when he or she realizes the whole religion racket is BS is sheer brilliance. I feel a need to quote the master satirist Terry Pratchett: “I was walking along the bank of a stream when I saw a mother otter with her cubs, a very endearing sight, I'm sure you'll agree. And even as I watched, the mother otter dived into the water and came up with a plump salmon, which she subdued and dragged onto a half submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters, who scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy. One of nature's wonders, gentlemen. Mother and children dining upon mother and children. And that is when I first learned about evil. It is built into the very nature of the universe. Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being, I told myself, it is up to all of us to become his moral superior.”
As soon as my middle school took me to church for Easter and Harvest Festival, walking in that church freaked me out. I couldn't understand why we were looking at a fucking guy hammered to a cross...
Could never take it seriously, even at that age (5/6years old) cos I couldn't understand why anyone would want to look at that!!!
Still don't. Too much hocus pocus involved.
Check out "Complicated Game", also by XTC. Easily on par with "Dear God" as far as musical intensity and lyrical brilliance (probably more so, actually). You will not be disappointed.
They’ve been in my ‘handful of fave bands’ since I got Mummer... then English Settlement. Then when they melded strengths with all-time fave Todd, it became magical. XTC was on thin ice with their label, which mandated they use a US-based producer... Rundgren became the choice, and both are the richer for it.
Dear God became the trigger for great success for the album... and the album seemed to re-fuel the band... which roared forward with several absolutely great albums, and even some tunes that got mainstream airplay. They finished on a creative peak with Apple Venus & Wasp Star.
The band always seemed to me like what would have happened if the Beatles had kept going.
They had a way of merging genres - punk/rock/prog/ska/power pop/pastoral - and making it seem right.
Great song, it wasn't on the UK album. Todd and the band didn't really get on but still a great production and a great album. Summer Cauldron and Grass must be played together. Great reaction JP, it's cool that you liked it so much.
Wets finger and draws a 1 in the air.
He’s on the right album, Markie Mark! One down.
@@-davidolivares Fingers crossed.
XTC is one of my favorite bands. Have fun down the XTC rabbit hole :)
Fun Down The Rabbit Hole sounds like a great lost XTC song.
Excellent sound quality and reaction! Loved the song since I heard it back in the 80's.
Thanks Stricken!
Summer's Cauldron/Grass from the same album, two songs that need to be heard as one song, and then One of the Millions from their Oranges and Lemons album.
Also, anything by their side project called The Dukes of Stratosphear, they are all totally awesome 1960's style songs.
Jump into XTC with Skylarking, yes. But the real deal is in my opinion Drums & Wires, Black Sea and English Settlement.
Also: check the awesome sleeve of the Dear God single.
"Skylarking" is XTC's masterpiece. It's a shame Producer Todd Rundgren and Andy Partridge hated one another, and the two never worked together again. The opening tracks, "Summer's Cauldron" and "Grass" have to be listened to together. I bought this album when it first came out, and my vinyl copy has "Mermaid Smiled", rather than "Dear God". I later bought the album on cd, which included "Dear God".
Love this song and XTC. I stopped believing in God around the same time as I lost my faith in Father Christmas.
Feel a bit guilty bobbing my head to this song. But the words are so powerful and so catchy. Another 80's song that doesn't suck. Your face near the end cracked me up J.P!
My fave LP by XTC is "Nonsuch". "Skylarking" is just OK for me, but this song is their classic.
Harry Shearer of Simpson’s and Spinal Tap fame, he rates XTC as one of his all time favourite groups.
It's not the last track, but it was replaced with Mermaid Smiles, which is also a REALLY COOL song!
Interesting song - I first heard it when the video was playing on MTV - it was probably competing with all of those Australian rock bands at the time, like Midnight Oil. My favorite XTC album by far is Black Sea - an epic collection of headbangers - "There Is No Language in Our Lungs" is at the top of my XTC playlist!
Travels in Nihilon is mine.
I loved this song since I heard it in the late 80s; was ground breaking for the times
Justin, this one deserves a full-album listen and analysis. Please consider it.
Great song! Fell in love with it the first time that I heard it too. Lots of fun watching your enthusiasm for it. Thanks!
Ty J3B, definitely considered!
This song made me a fan of XTC
So glad you did this one. I love how much enthusiasm and love you give to music! It's like hanging out with my brother Dylan, who was a drummer and singer, and died a few years back. It's really lovely watching your reactions because it's a hit of that feeling of "getting" music with someone who loves it. You seem like you must be a musician yourself. Thanks for this one, JP!
Thank you so much slb :)
I also love this song. The message is clear and should be heard as a rebuttal to centuries of stifling control and oppression doled out by power hungry fear merchants who exploit the timid and superstitious among us for their own gain. Humanity needs the voice of reason to shake itself out of the crippling coma induced by the ongoing menace of organized religion. Before the defensive among you rail against this missive, don’t worry. The good people of the world will continue to do good works and spread love from outside of the realms of dogma and delusion.
Xtc is the best band I`ve listen. Creative, amazing, unpredictables. Marvelous.
Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful analysis. Subscribed.
Man! JP, you are hitting real good music lately. Out of all the reactors, your picks are the best (in my opinion, remember, it's all about opinions). Be Bop Deluxe and now XTC! Andy Partridge writes very witty lyrics. Skylarking is a great album. "Earn Enough for Us" will always remind me when my wife and I were just starting out. The album "English Settlement " is my favorite. Oranges & Lemons is excellent. So many of their albums are great. Keep up the good work! More XTC, Be Bop Deluxe, and other new wave greats!
Aw ty Phillip! I'm trying to have a decent amount of variety 😄
I love this sound and XTC
THANK YOU, JUSTIN for doing this band... and this song. I absolutely adore this band (as I've mentioned before I've worked at record stores, DJ'd at college and professional radio stations, owned thousands of albums... and THIS is my favorite band of all-time...).
Where to go from here? I'd try Harvest Festival, Green Man, Your Dictionary (or almost any other songs from Apple Venus)... Senses Working Overtime, Love On A Farmboy's Wages, Then She Appeared, Wrapped In Grey, Ugly Underneath,... or you could go back to their punkier pop roots with Complicated Game, Paper & Iron, Respectable Street.. There's a vast catalog of music out there... and they range from loud to soft, political, humorous, and slice of life observations on a ton of different topics.
You've listened to three XTC songs so far, (Dear God, Making Plans For Nigel, and 25 O'Clock) and they're all so, so different. That gives you a great clue about how amazing they are.
You could also explore more of their alter-egos: The Dukes Of Stratosphear... which is the best 60s homage ever done.
I shared this video to a few XTC sites... so hopefully you'll get some love from there.
Carry on and keep up the great work, Justin! Cheers!
Ty so much John, glad you enjoyed this one! Ty for the recs and for sharing!
Great review JP. This is one of my fav songs of all time, which is wild considering Im a prog head and a believer. Go figure!
Sorry I'm late to the party, but I whole-heartedly agree with James' comment below...."a criminally underrated band". And frankly, that doesn't begin to cut it. I truly believe they are one of the greatest bands ever. They started out a bit punky, but they grew into an unbelievable beast that defies description. If you listen to their catalog, you'll never be the same again. They write songs and paint pictures in your head. Three INSANELY smart and inventive musicians. It just doesn't get better than XTC.
Never late of the party never ends! Ty, ill definitely have more from em
XTC is a vast well of awesomess. Start anywhere after their first two albums... but how about starting with Love On a Farmboy's Wages, Earn Enough for Us, Books are Burning, Easter Theatre, Church of Women, Towers of London, Summer's Cauldron, Then She Appeared, Wheel and the Maypole, oh goodness I'm getting excited...
So funny I’m JUST getting into XTC like within the last week! Hadn’t heard this song yet and so far it’s the best song I’ve heard from them (making plans for Nigel is close tho)! Thanks dude cool timing!!
Haha gotta love the timing! Glad youre enjoying them
Both Tricky and Sarah MacLachlan have done amazing covers of this song that would both be worth covering.
Great thorough review of a classic! Thanks so much! Liked and subbed.
Appreciate that CZ!
I can strongly recommend Respectable Street & No thugs in our house. Both great musically and lyrically brilliant.
Also, the removed "Mermaid smiled" (for the US version) is a gorgeous song.