Black Sea was my introduction to XTC and it will always top my list. Beginning to end it is an absolute blast. After that my favourites tend to move about. The one album I always feel is the most underrated is Big Express. Next to Black Sea it is the LP I listen to the most. I agree with you about the drum machine but I love the heavy industrial sound and the closing track "Train Running Low On Soul Coal" is so emotionally intense it is my absolute favourite XTC track believe it or not. It packs such an enormous punch at least for me. Skylarking is also a great album and arguably their most stylistically diverse which is part of its charm. I like Nonsuch a lot but I have always felt they were deliberately softening the jagged edges a bit too much presumably to make it more "accessible" with that one and the opening and closing tracks for example are a bit pedestrian to my ears. I still love Oranges and Lemons and it is arguably their best sounding album-I love the big fat slick production. I actually find English Settlement the most problematic in some ways. It is so front loaded with the best tracks the first disc but very hit and miss on the 2nd disc. I actually find the follow up Mummer much stronger. I used to love the first 2 albums but they really haven't aged that well - probably me getting old- and even Drums and Wires while still sounding great and boasting so many catchy songs is so much an album of its time. Anyway enough waffling-these are my top 5 albums 1.Black Sea 2.Big Express 3.Skylarking 4.Oranges and Lemons 5.Mummer Honourable mention -Waxworks- yeah I know it's a compilation but it comprises their classic early singles.
Thanks for the review! Greetings from Kazakhstan. It's nice to know that there's a lot of consensus on what XTC's best album is. Nonsuch is a masterpiece. Wrapped in Gray is one of the best songs ever. My list: 12. Go 2 11. White Music 10. Wasp Star 9. Apple Venus 8. Black Sea 7. Orange and Lemons 6. Drums & Wires 5. Mummer 4. Big Express 3. English Settlement 2. Skylarking 1. Nonsuch
greetings from canada on this chilly day.......drums and wires was my intro, wore the grooves out on english settlement.......just an awesome unique band.....love your band selections
Great list. I love Drums & Wires, Black Sea, English Settlement, Mummer, and Skylarking. But I don't get Nonsuch. I've tried to listen to it a few times, but could never make it through - sounded so cold and sterile. But I will keep trying!
Hello, great XTC ranking! Hard to argue with Nonsuch fantastic album. Wrapped in Grey one of my favorite XTC songs! I would rank Skylarking #1 definitely a desert island disc for me. If you take requests, I'd like to see Elvis Costello and REM rankings. Cheers! / Matt
I’d like to do REM at some stage. Elvis Costello would probably have to be a top 10 like my David Bowie video, or it would be an hour long! He has a huge catalogue.
Caught you on the Contrarians so I had to check this out. I agree that ranking XTC albums is a tough chore and any of my top four could be my number one. Something else I find interesting is that because their albums are so close in quality, when you compare XTC album ranking lists, there are some consistent showings (Black Sea almost always seems to be near the top) but usually a lot of variety. A lot of people's #10 is also a lot of people's #3. At least we all agree there are no stinkers. That said, here's my list which deviates quite a bit from your order: 12. Wasp Star 11. White Music 10. English Settlement 9. Go 2 8. Drums and Wires 7. Skylarking 6. Mummer 5. Nonsuch 4. Apple Venus Vol. 1 3. Black Sea 2. The Big Express 1. Oranges and Lemons The "shiny" 80s production and drum machines aren't enough to overcome what I think are their two strongest sets of songs. While XTC is my favorite band, I'm a big power pop fan so it shouldn't be a surprise that (in my opinion) their three loudest and liveliest albums rank as my top 3.
Not an order that i'd put the albums in (i'd have put Oranges and Lemons much higher, Skylarking at #1) BUT that's not a criticism by any stretch. I've never seen an XTC ranking exactly the same for the same reason i've never seen XTC fans grumbling about rankings - because they're all bangers - even my favourite XTC tracks change all the time, my top 10 today will be vastly different to my top ten next week - though they'll probably all feature Knuckle Down, Great Fire and Respectable Street. Wonderful video, and I love the passion for this remarkable band!
It must be hard ranking your top favourite albums, I struggle with which Level 42 albums I prefer (“Level 42”, “The Pursuit of Accidents” and “True Colours”) as they’re all perfect albums. 😅👍
I'll go by your rules - no Dukes 12. White Music 11. Go 2 10. The Big Express 9. Apple Venus 8. Mummer 7. Oranges And Lemons 6. Wasp Star 5. Nonsuch 4. Black Sea 3. English Settlement 2. Drums And Wires 1. Skylarking *I hope you're doing alright, given all the tyranny happening in your country
12 White music 11 Mummer 10 Go 2 9 The big express 8 Apple venus 7 Oranges & lemons 6 Wasp star 5 Nonsuch 4 Drums & wires 3 English settlement 2 Black sea 1 Skylarking But I want to mention that one of the best XTC songs -"Take this town"- is not included in any of these 3. 3
It is all about opinions. But Wasp Star at 12? The best way to rank the quality of XTC albums is to basically go by the order they were released - each one was better than the previous and the final two (Apple Venus and Wasp Star are their masterpieces.
I also prefer Mermaid Smile over Dear God. Not even close... In fact, Mermaid happens to be one of my alltime favorite XTC tracks.
Black Sea was my introduction to XTC and it will always top my list. Beginning to end it is an absolute blast. After that my favourites tend to move about. The one album I always feel is the most underrated is Big Express. Next to Black Sea it is the LP I listen to the most. I agree with you about the drum machine but I love the heavy industrial sound and the closing track "Train Running Low On Soul Coal" is so emotionally intense it is my absolute favourite XTC track believe it or not. It packs such an enormous punch at least for me. Skylarking is also a great album and arguably their most stylistically diverse which is part of its charm. I like Nonsuch a lot but I have always felt they were deliberately softening the jagged edges a bit too much presumably to make it more "accessible" with that one and the opening and closing tracks for example are a bit pedestrian to my ears. I still love Oranges and Lemons and it is arguably their best sounding album-I love the big fat slick production. I actually find English Settlement the most problematic in some ways. It is so front loaded with the best tracks the first disc but very hit and miss on the 2nd disc. I actually find the follow up Mummer much stronger. I used to love the first 2 albums but they really haven't aged that well - probably me getting old- and even Drums and Wires while still sounding great and boasting so many catchy songs is so much an album of its time. Anyway enough waffling-these are my top 5 albums
1.Black Sea
2.Big Express
3.Skylarking
4.Oranges and Lemons
5.Mummer
Honourable mention -Waxworks- yeah I know it's a compilation but it comprises their classic early singles.
Thanks! Good list.
Thanks for the review! Greetings from Kazakhstan. It's nice to know that there's a lot of consensus on what XTC's best album is. Nonsuch is a masterpiece.
Wrapped in Gray is one of the best songs ever.
My list:
12. Go 2
11. White Music
10. Wasp Star
9. Apple Venus
8. Black Sea
7. Orange and Lemons
6. Drums & Wires
5. Mummer
4. Big Express
3. English Settlement
2. Skylarking
1. Nonsuch
Thanks for your ranking!
Great XTC ranking video. Awesome pick for number 1. I enjoy your input on the contrarians.
Thank you!
greetings from canada on this chilly day.......drums and wires was my intro, wore the grooves out on english settlement.......just an awesome unique band.....love your band selections
Thanks!
Finally You, who listed "Nonsuch" as high as You. XTC never made one bad album, but for me "Nonsuch" was the zenith of their work. Thank You!
Good to see Nonsuch getting some love in the comments! Thanks!
Totally agree with your order, and as you say never made a bad album. Good review
Great list. I love Drums & Wires, Black Sea, English Settlement, Mummer, and Skylarking. But I don't get Nonsuch. I've tried to listen to it a few times, but could never make it through - sounded so cold and sterile. But I will keep trying!
I highly recommend Third Stone From The Sun by David Dreams...(XTC in disguise.) Perhaps the best Hendrix cover version ever.
I’ll have to check that out. Thanks!
Really enjoyed this one.. a band I’ll def dig deeper into.. thank you..
Thanks!
Hello, great XTC ranking! Hard to argue with Nonsuch fantastic album. Wrapped in Grey one of my favorite XTC songs! I would rank Skylarking #1 definitely a desert island disc for me. If you take requests, I'd like to see Elvis Costello and REM rankings. Cheers! / Matt
I’d like to do REM at some stage. Elvis Costello would probably have to be a top 10 like my David Bowie video, or it would be an hour long! He has a huge catalogue.
Caught you on the Contrarians so I had to check this out. I agree that ranking XTC albums is a tough chore and any of my top four could be my number one.
Something else I find interesting is that because their albums are so close in quality, when you compare XTC album ranking lists, there are some consistent showings (Black Sea almost always seems to be near the top) but usually a lot of variety. A lot of people's #10 is also a lot of people's #3. At least we all agree there are no stinkers.
That said, here's my list which deviates quite a bit from your order:
12. Wasp Star
11. White Music
10. English Settlement
9. Go 2
8. Drums and Wires
7. Skylarking
6. Mummer
5. Nonsuch
4. Apple Venus Vol. 1
3. Black Sea
2. The Big Express
1. Oranges and Lemons
The "shiny" 80s production and drum machines aren't enough to overcome what I think are their two strongest sets of songs. While XTC is my favorite band, I'm a big power pop fan so it shouldn't be a surprise that (in my opinion) their three loudest and liveliest albums rank as my top 3.
Thanks!
Not an order that i'd put the albums in (i'd have put Oranges and Lemons much higher, Skylarking at #1) BUT that's not a criticism by any stretch. I've never seen an XTC ranking exactly the same for the same reason i've never seen XTC fans grumbling about rankings - because they're all bangers - even my favourite XTC tracks change all the time, my top 10 today will be vastly different to my top ten next week - though they'll probably all feature Knuckle Down, Great Fire and Respectable Street. Wonderful video, and I love the passion for this remarkable band!
Thank you! And you’re right, it’s such a strong catalogue that any ranking could be valid. There’s no right or wrong answers!
@@bicyclelegsmusic Absolutely. To my mind, they never made a bad album, and I can't say that about any other band, not even The Beatles!
Well done!!!
Thank you!
It must be hard ranking your top favourite albums, I struggle with which Level 42 albums I prefer (“Level 42”, “The Pursuit of Accidents” and “True Colours”) as they’re all perfect albums. 😅👍
Love XTC!
That’s cos they’re great!
Always been a big Drums and Wires fan
It’s a great album!
I've been into XTC since White Music was released... and I'm unable to rank their albums.
Understandable, they’re all really good!
I'll go by your rules - no Dukes
12. White Music
11. Go 2
10. The Big Express
9. Apple Venus
8. Mummer
7. Oranges And Lemons
6. Wasp Star
5. Nonsuch
4. Black Sea
3. English Settlement
2. Drums And Wires
1. Skylarking
*I hope you're doing alright, given all the tyranny happening in your country
12 White music
11 Mummer
10 Go 2
9 The big express
8 Apple venus
7 Oranges & lemons
6 Wasp star
5 Nonsuch
4 Drums & wires
3 English settlement
2 Black sea
1 Skylarking
But I want to mention that one of the best XTC songs -"Take this town"- is not included in any of these
3.
3
Take This Town is a great song, and the Times Square soundtrack album it appears on is excellent too.
It is all about opinions. But Wasp Star at 12? The best way to rank the quality of XTC albums is to basically go by the order they were released - each one was better than the previous and the final two (Apple Venus and Wasp Star are their masterpieces.
That’s one way of looking at it. There is no right or wrong, as you say it’s all about opinions.
Totally agree with your top two picks, except that Dear God puts Skylarking over the top (IMHO).
I still think of Dear God as a bonus track to that album, cos it wasn’t on the original pressing. But they’re really close, both 10/10 albums for me.