XTC...anyone?

[Dave]

Like Borneo, I got into XTC after catching the Generals & Majors video on Night Flight. Black Seas is an absolute classic with Drums & Wires not far behind.

It was the first band I got into that none of my friends has heard of... I think that was part of the appeal. After all, I think they were considered mainstream/pop in the UK, so pretty easy stuff to digest.

[BalesBub]

Without a doubt for me, "Dear God" is not only my favorite XTC song but one of my all around favorite songs. I simply love the venom in the song!!

[zom-zom]

I was fortunate to be able to see XTC live in '79, opening for The Police.

They were really tight and rocked out. I'm not much of a fan of the pre-Drums and Wires XTC stuff, too quirky for my tastes. I lost interest in them after Mummer.

[xtc-1957]

I was lucky enuf to see XTC when they came to Baltimore in 1980...to a little theatre that held about 500 people and they let about 30 kids jump on the stage & dance to "Love At The First Sight" (the encore).

Great memories!

[KYYX4ever]

Count me in!

Though i discovered them later, and I don't have a lot, I love their older stuff. [i]Skylarking[/i] is my fave by them. "...Nigel" is my other fave. Sometimes I still hear an old XTC tune and think "wow! I heard that on KJET! (Or KYYX)". This is a band I'd like to explore more.

[I. M. He]

Ahhh, a topic I can really sink my teeth into! Along with Elvis Costello, The Clash, The Jam and Siouxsie and the Banshees, XTC was there for me from my initial introduction to the New Wave back in '79 (and oddly enough, all of the above mentioned bands remain favourites to this very day).
But XTC is somehow diferent...
I picked up my first XTC album - Go2 - because I found the cover unique - it reminded me of a page from a Monty Pythons softcover I bought several years earlier. Now, for most fans, Go2 is a difficult listen - but for me (most likely because it was the first, nothing like virgin ears eh?) it was a revelation. I was well and truly bitten.
This is one of those bands that I happily keep forking out the dough for - you buy the original vinyl, then the original CD, then the Japanese Papersleeve Remasters... I've ordered Andy's 'Fuzzy Warbles' (signed of course) the moment I receive word from APE that they're available. Digital Downloads? Thank you PayPal! In our family room I have the album covers of Drums and Wires, Black Sea, English Settlement, Skylarking, Oranges and Lemons, (the Dukes) 25 O'Clock and the singles of Making Plans for Nigel (complete with gameboard), Generals and Majors and This World Over (with postcards) all framed and prominently displayed.
Hell, our youngest son (Nick - 19) is a total XTC fanatic also... was it brainwashing? I dunno... [:)]

For me, it doesn't get much better then XTC.

-mk-

[lundibleu]

Never got into this band. I only liked one or two songs (Generals & Majors and The Mayor Of Simpleton).

[General Boy]

[quote][i]Originally posted by MonkeyTrousers[/i]
<br>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. [/quote]

Yeah, that's when I got into them as well.

XTC are one of my ten favorite bands. In fact, I can't think of many artists who have such a consitent catalogue. I even like their oft-maligned albums like "White Music," "Go 2," "Mummer" and "The Big Express."

Ten years ago, my favorite album was "Oranges And Lemons," but for the last few years, it's been a definite tie between "Drums And Wires" and "Black Sea."

I subscribed to the Little Express newsletter for many years. Sadly, they stopped publishing it a few years back. I also met Andy and Colin in 1999 when they did an "Apple Venus" signing at the Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles. I waited for five hous to meet them! Andy was charming and very funny, joking around with people and drawing on people's albums and books.

xtc4u.org has several excellent live bootlegs for download.

[MAGICs]

I like XTC too - as in music and as in the energy drinks

[Surly]

I absolutely love them. I was extremely happy when the reissues came out in the mini-LP sleeves! I also love the Dukes Of Stratosphear stuff!

"Dear God" is one of my all-time favorite songs. There's too many other great XTC songs to list here, though!

"Words like conviction can turn into a sentence"

[design_femme]

[quote][i]Originally posted by General Boy[/i]
I also met Andy and Colin in 1999 when they did an "Apple Venus" signing at the Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles. I waited for five hous to meet them! Andy was charming and very funny, joking around with people and drawing on people's albums and books.
[/quote]

I saw an interview with Andy on MTV's 120 Minutes back in 1991 or 1992. He came across so articulate and so quick-witted. The one thing that he said that stood out was about his reluctance to tour. He said something along the lines of:

"You have my records, you've already seen a slice of my soul. Why would you want to see the whole pork wobbling before you on stage?" [:D]

[hubcity]

...and no mention of the Dukes Of Stratosphear? Interestingly, they regrouped (yes, all of 'em) to do a song for a benefit CD in 2003.

-Sean
Altrok Radio at Altrok.com

[tastyorange]

I wore an XTC Drum and Wires button back in HS in 1980!
We're Only Making Plans for Nigel...
Now that I think back... I was probably alot cooler than I thought!

[General Boy]

[quote][i]Originally posted by hubcity[/i]
<br>...and no mention of the Dukes Of Stratosphear? Interestingly, they regrouped (yes, all of 'em) to do a song for a benefit CD in 2003.

-Sean
Altrok Radio at Altrok.com
[/quote]

The Dukes regrouped?