New Wave Outpost Forum

by **MonkeyTrousers** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 8:24 pm

Although calling them NEW WAVE is limiting (esp if you're of the thinking of new wave being an era as opposed to a sound which I am)
I'd consider them one of the best bands of all time.
Classic "New Wave" era singles abound: "Statue Of Liberty", "This Is Pop", "...Nigel", "Life Begins At The Hop", "Generals & Majors", "Love At First Sight", "Towers Of London", "Sergeant Rock (Is Goin To Help Me)", Respectable Street", "Senses Working Overtime", "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down", "Ball And Chain", "No Thugs In Our House", "Great Fire", "Love On A Farmboy's Wages" and the beautiful "Wonderland".
Whew!!
Later post-new-wave (sorry I'm in the thinking that the initial wave was no longer "NEW" by 1984...I mean who you call The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (1985) New Wave?) truimphs include:
"All You Pretty Girls", "Grass", "Dear God", "The Mayor Of Simpleton" and "King For A Day".
Am I alone here or is everone who visits this board deeply in love with the laughable (but enjoyable) fluff like Spandau Ballet?

by **kola** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:47 pm

...i'll never understand why XTC were never as big as the kinks!
great pop songs!

by **2Nu** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:48 pm

I didn't really catch on to their greatness until the mid 80's and then played 'catch up'

'Generals and Majors' will always be my fave from them.

Plus all those you mentioned plus 'Earn Enough For Us' including the 'Dukes of The Stratosphear' material. BRILLIANT![8D]

by **Panorama** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 10:16 pm

Summer's Caldren and Grass are amazing -- the whole Skylarking album is just fantastic.

---------------------------
"Photography with a Vision"
http://www.cooganphoto.com

by **firefall** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 10:23 pm

I'm a huge fan of XTC,both with their early quirky period, as with the second more psychedelic oriented.I believe,im not the only one who considers''Skylarking'', as one of the pop masterpieces of the eightees.Always believed that Partridge and his mates were out of their time,million miles away from the typical english group.Thats what i loved to them-experimentalism,early maturity,overtones in their songs,sense of humour,their alter ego(Dukes of stratosphere).And what I hated-The dissapearing from the music scene and concerts since 1982.Anyway,I still love 'em as the first time.

by **zill** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 1:25 am

I agree with the Skylarking comment. I played that CD so many times I'm surprised it didn't melt. Although I am choked to this day that the early copy I bought does not include Dear God. They must have re-released the CD after that song became a college radio hit.

In terms of their earlier work, I still love "Science Friction" and "Are You Receiving Me?".

by **MonkeyTrousers** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:03 am

A big Whew! I too Love Skylarking as well as Black Sea and English Settlement! Yes yes yes what a great band!

I got into XTC rather late. January of 1989. The world premiere
of "The Mayor Of Simpleton" video on MTV to be exact.
I rememeber I couldn't believe the quality of the song (and that MTV
was playing such a quality thing). Who were these guys? How could I not know about this band?! I needed to hear more right away.
I first came across a one song promo copy of the "The Mayor Of Simpleton" as Oranges & Lemons was not yet released. Within one
weeks time I had all their (vinyl) albums (Dukes included) plus a large amount of singles. I then soon turned into an XTC junkie.

As it turned out after listening to the records I realized I already knew about a dozen of their songs already (but didn't know they were XTC) such as: "Ball And Chain", "Senses Working Overtime", "Dear God", "Generals & Majors" (what a great song), "Sgt. Rock (is going to help me)", "Making Plans For Nigel", and "Statue Of Liberty" from either my brother who happened to be an XTC fan or from WLIR (the then local alternative station).
Keep the comments coming I'd love to hear more.

by **schwenko** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:34 am

Ten Foot Tall was what first turned me onto XTC.
What has their most recent stuff been like (Apple Venus Wasp or something)?
And what't the deal with Chalkhills, the name of their website (what does it mean?).

by **MonkeyTrousers** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:44 am

Chalkhills & Children is a song from 1989's Oranges & Lemons. The song
is about a hill in Swindon (where the band live) that has a prehistoric horse carved in/out of chalk (a symbol of home) and Andy's children (another grounding image...it's a song about not getting carried away and having these real things ground you and humble you). Ala Chalkhills & Children. To see the horse of chalk check out XTC's 1982 English Settlement album cover. That's it on the cover.

by **MonkeyTrousers** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:48 am

Apple Venus Volume One is primarily Orchistral/acoustic based. It's a great album just as you don't expect "Respectable Street".
Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume Two) is more back-to-basics guitar album.
Again, don't expect "Respectable Street". They're not as young as they used to be so a really rocking song to them now is in the eyes of anyone else a tad Middle-Of-The-Road.

by **schwenko** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:58 am

[quote][i]Originally posted by MonkeyTrousers[/i]
<br>Apple Venus Volume One is primarily Orchistral/acoustic based. It's a great album just as you don't expect "Respectable Street".
Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume Two) is more back-to-basics guitar album.
Again, don't expect "Respectable Street". They're not as young as they used to be so a really rocking song to them now is in the eyes of anyone else a tad Middle-Of-The-Road.

[/quote]

Just checked my cd collection; I have Apple Venus Volume One-never played it, and nothing you have said seems likely to change that[:D]

by **egg-roger** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:13 am

XTC? Count me in!
I cannot list all the XTC songs I like but such a list must include
Love On A Farmboy's Wages, Punch And Judy and all the Dukes stuff. As "The Three Wise Men" they did the holiday favorite "Thank's For Christmas".

by **Borneojimy** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:10 pm

I discovered XTC by catching vids of "Making Plans For Nigel" & something else "Scissor Man" maybe? on late night TV & went out & picked up Drums & Wires right away. I remember having a hell of a time finding the first two on import, but I love those as well. I kinda lost interest after English Settlement, but I do still like some songs here & there from the later LPs.

by **italianwave** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:44 pm

I'm a fan since I was 12 (Black sea -era). If you want to meet other xtc enthusiast:

http://www.xtcthemeetingplace2005.co.uk/

ps: apple venus vol 1 is a long awaited masterpiece.

by **design_femme** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 11:16 pm

Yet another XTC fan. Don't have a lot of their stuff, but I do think they're amazing.

"All You Pretty Girls" makes me giddy.

"Summer's Cauldron" and "Grass" are must plays for every start of summer. Gorgeous.

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