XTC: the Story (Pt 1: 1977-1984) on JazzRockSoul.com

The Story of XTC (pt 1). Live read-through, edits, and commentary on the JazzRockSoul article on XTC:
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Zaragon is a music writer, rock historian, former radio DJ, erstwhile musician/composer (w/ perfect pitch), founder and Chief Content Creator of 60s-70s-80s music database JazzRockSoul.com, and creator of the most exhaustive set of 1967-85 album directories (annotated) on RYM.
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#XTC #AndyPartridge #ColinMoulding #Biography
XTC White Music, XTC Go 2, XTC Drums and Wires, XTC Black Sea, XTC English Settlement, XTC Mummer, XTC The Big Express, XTC 3D, Andy Partridge, XTC Are You Receiving Me, XTC Making Plans for Nigel, XTC Life Begins at the Hop, XTC This Is Pop, XTC Statue of Liberty, XTC Science Friction, XTC Helicopter, XTC Generals and Majors, XTC Towers of London, XTC Respectable Street, XTC Ten Feet Tall, XTC Complicated Game, XTC Sgt Rock, XTC Wait Till Your Boat Goes DOwn, XTC When You're Near Me, XTC Battery Brdes, XTC I Am the Audience, XTC 1977, XTC 1978, XTC Senses WOrking Overtime, XTC Ball and Chain, XTC Love On a Farmboys Wages, XTC Funk Pop a Roll, XTC Wonderland, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews, Dave Gregory, XTC White Music, XTC Go 2, XTC Drums and Wires, XTC Black Sea, XTC English Settlement, XTC Mummer, XTC The Big Express, XTC 3D, Andy Partridge, XTC Are You Receiving Me, XTC Making Plans for Nigel, XTC Life Begins at the Hop, XTC This Is Pop, XTC Statue of Liberty, XTC Science Friction, XTC Helicopter, XTC Generals and Majors, XTC Towers of London, XTC Respectable Street, XTC Ten Feet Tall, XTC Complicated Game, XTC Sgt Rock, XTC Wait Till Your Boat Goes DOwn, XTC When You're Near Me, XTC Battery Brdes, XTC I Am the Audience, XTC 1977, XTC 1978, XTC Senses WOrking Overtime, XTC Ball and Chain, XTC Love On a Farmboys Wages, XTC Funk Pop a Roll, XTC Wonderland, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews, Dave Gregory, XTC White Music, XTC Go 2, XTC Drums and Wires, XTC Black Sea, XTC English Settlement, XTC Mummer, XTC The Big Express, XTC 3D, Andy Partridge, XTC Are You Receiving Me, XTC Making Plans for Nigel, XTC Life Begins at the Hop, XTC This Is Pop, XTC Statue of Liberty, XTC Science Friction, XTC Helicopter, XTC Generals and Majors, XTC Towers of London, XTC Respectable Street, XTC Ten Feet Tall, XTC Complicated Game, XTC Sgt Rock, XTC Wait Till Your Boat Goes DOwn, XTC When You're Near Me, XTC Battery Brdes, XTC I Am the Audience, XTC 1977, XTC 1978, XTC Senses WOrking Overtime, XTC Ball and Chain, XTC Love On a Farmboys Wages, XTC Funk Pop a Roll, XTC Wonderland, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews, Dave Gregory, XTC White Music, XTC Go 2, XTC Drums and Wires, XTC Black Sea, XTC English Settlement, XTC Mummer, XTC The Big Express, XTC 3D, Andy Partridge, XTC Are You Receiving Me, XTC Making Plans for Nigel, XTC Life Begins at the Hop, XTC This Is Pop, XTC Statue of Liberty, XTC Science Friction, XTC Helicopter, XTC Generals and Majors, XTC Towers of London, XTC Respectable Street, XTC Ten Feet Tall, XTC Complicated Game, XTC Sgt Rock, XTC Wait Till Your Boat Goes DOwn, XTC When You're Near Me, XTC Battery Brdes, XTC I Am the Audience, XTC 1977, XTC 1978, XTC Senses WOrking Overtime, XTC Ball and Chain, XTC Love On a Farmboys Wages, XTC Funk Pop a Roll, XTC Wonderland, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews, Dave Gregory, XTC White Music, XTC Go 2, XTC Drums and Wires, XTC Black Sea, XTC English Settlement, XTC Mummer, XTC The Big Express, XTC 3D, Andy Partridge, XTC Are You Receiving Me, XTC Making Plans for Nigel, XTC Life Begins at the Hop, XTC This Is Pop, XTC Statue of Liberty, XTC Science Friction, XTC Helicopter, XTC Generals and Majors, XTC Towers of London, XTC Respectable Street, XTC Ten Feet Tall, XTC Complicated Game, XTC Sgt Rock, XTC Wait Till Your Boat Goes DOwn, XTC When You're Near Me, XTC Battery Brdes, XTC I Am the Audience, XTC 1977, XTC 1978, XTC Senses WOrking Overtime, XTC Ball and Chain, XTC Love On a Farmboys Wages, XTC Funk Pop a Roll, XTC Wonderland, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews, Dave Gregory,

[@ZaragonTrimaximalist]

Commentary on XTC - "Helicopter" (1979)
ua-cam.com/video/2mZcLfn_G7o/v-deo.html
Commentary on XTC - "The Somnambulist" (1980)
ua-cam.com/video/eqboXDYy_4I/v-deo.html
Commentary on XTC - "Living Through Another Cuba" / "Paper and Iron" (1980)
ua-cam.com/video/qIjWC-gMteY/v-deo.html

[@gerardmccavana4905]

Looking forward to listening to this. XTC were one of the best bands that came out of Enhland. Partridge just blessed with such a songwriting talent

[@djeekuzi5573]

I first heard XTC in 1982 when MTV played "Senses Working Overtime" but wasn't exposed to anything else until the "Dear God" publicity. I bought Skylarking and loved it but didn't become a true fan until I bought Waxworks, which inspired me to buy all the Chambers-era albums. Drums and Wires is my favorite.

[@armsusc2599]

XTC mix so many layers and stylistic elements. They were an island unto themselves. None of their songs scream a certain genre. Some of their songs might combine Eastern folk and reggae (or ska, psych and music hall), but none are simple genre exercises. You have to listen close to describe their music.

[@vikramdelgado8740]

Andy's preoccupation with trains is interesting. I read somewhere that he owned a train set as a kid and this correlated to his creative mind.

[@dayleroze3192]

I read something to that effect, not with Andy but in an interview with Bill Nelson where Andy was mentioned. Bill was asked about his musical individualism and compared to Partridge, Gabriel, Hammill, etc. Bill said that he knows Andy and added "I think we must have all had train sets as kids."

[@ankhsligated2815]

Barry Andrews sounded like no one else. Because of him, they were never punk, not even in 1977 when everyone else (including Squeeze, The Police and Ultravox) were doing punk. While punk was straight and spiky, XTC was jagged and boingy. Zolo (z for zany, zigzagged) is a good name for the long unidentified style that XTC and few other bands played.

[@soyuzzero6730]

XTC actually made 11 albums by 1984 when you add up the b-sides and side projects (Take Away, Colonel) and the fact that English Settlement is a double album.

[@rogerpatton2242]

Colin sings Dance Band and Smokeless Zone

[@jasperrhodes7674]

XTC would have been a lot bigger had they continued touring. The albums that often get overlooked (Mummer, The Big Express) are as good as anything they did but get dismissed because they "underperformed" - a consequence of not touring.

[@doroleggy1529]

But Andy was coming undone on the road. When you watch XTC in URGH a Music War, you can tell he's not happy.

[@beconkedfuji5079]

@@doroleggy1529 His weight gain in that clip alarmed me; I didn't recognize him at first.

[@beconkedfuji5079]

It was alright for them to stop touring, but they could have made up for it with videos. They could have made video albums to accompany every song on English Settlement, Mummer, and The Big Express. Each song is worthy. That would have been a powerful promotions tool.

[@painevenice5030]

@@beconkedfuji5079 Trouble is, video albums would have cost them money, whereas touring would have earned them money. Videos could have boosted their commercial profile but the upfront costs would have exasperated Virgin's patience.

[@huisalas4699]

@@painevenice5030 They would have also needed a better team of directors and storyboard writers for such an undertaking. Most of XTCs videos (apart from "Senses" and the beautiful "Wonderland") were lackluster.

[@cowleymowgli272]

English Settlement is the best album of the 80s. Tin Drum is the second best.

[@ignatiuskhan]

Tin Drum is by Japan