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Post by Introvertigroo on Jun 18, 2021 19:25:27 GMT
Great--you'll be our first mayor to be impeached.
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Post by bluedemon25 on Jun 21, 2021 3:33:02 GMT
Any other non-lurker bots care to chime in? I'm genuinely interested to hear about this from the forum members. I understand some are rare visitors.
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Post by donavan on Jun 21, 2021 6:20:19 GMT
blu you got to a second page with this thread. That is a success story in these parts. GO+ was a jolly good listen too.
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Post by Introvertigroo on Jul 9, 2022 15:17:57 GMT
The real sign of a success story around here is when someone makes another thread with the exact same name (please don't take this as an invitation or a challenge).
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Post by donavan on Jul 9, 2022 15:36:53 GMT
Appreciated.
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Post by Introvertigroo on Jul 9, 2022 20:27:24 GMT
Happy Don Day.
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Post by donavan on Jul 9, 2022 23:24:58 GMT
Thank you and you too, intro. ๐
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Post by peggs on Jul 11, 2022 2:04:11 GMT
Thanks for the thread, bluedemon25. I like learning about other fans introduction to XTC and so will now add my origin story to the list. Ned and Introvertigo's mention of 120 Minutes brought back fond memories (I liked Headbangers Ball too - even had the t-shirt!). I don't recall seeing the band on 120 Minutes but do remember the Mayor of Simpleton video - 1989, right? What a perfect pop song! I saw/heard Dear God as well but don't recall if it was before or after Mayor. So Oranges & Lemons was my first purchase and there wasn't a clunker on the entire album.
As a bonus or an aside, check out Rick Beato's video about the song. (great channel all around)
Purchase wise, Skylarking and Nonsuch soon followed and then in 2001(?) I learned about and joined the Idea forum and eventually bought the rest of the studio albums and a couple of Fuzzy Warbles (they didn't do much for me).
I never saw the band perform but did get to see XStatic (tribute band) in London in 2005. What a show!
Skylarking is perhaps my favorite album from start to finish, with Ballet For a Rainy Day/1000 Umbrellas a friggin' masterpiece. Nonsuch and Oranges & Lemons are just as brilliant - Chalkhills and Children is approaching musical omnipotence in my book.
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Post by donavan on Jul 11, 2022 6:54:17 GMT
I have no Fuzzies. Did get to sample a few and there is the odd stand out track. But didn't bother. Too many fillers. At one time I would listen to albums until I eventually liked every track. Haven't got the patience these days. So I don't bother with AP's stuff. That level of fandom has long gone.
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Post by bimble on Jul 13, 2022 12:28:22 GMT
I first encountered XTC around Go2. My friend's older brother had it, and I liked it! Worked back to White Music and the 3D EP. Honourable mention for GO+. First I bought when it came out was Drums and Wires (I recall it came in a green paper bag, or was that Black Sea? It was many many years ago and I've drunk a lot since then), which for that reason has to be my favourite. Saw them just the once at the then Southampton Gaumont on the English Settlement tour. Great noise, and don is right, they were bloody fantastic live. I'm one of those people who change my opinion of XTC songs and albums regularly, though I think Big Express is probably my least favourite overall: Linn drums, yuck, unless you're Human League. Of the later stuff, Oranges and Lemons is likely my fave, but it does suffer a bit from that 1980's production IMHO (and Colin should have had that fretless bass forcibly removed)..... There are standout tracks on all the albums, so I'd have to say unequivocally that my favourite XTC album would be "The Best Of" triple as compiled by me. As with don, I don't care for the Fuzzy Warbles. Just seems like barrel-scraping to me. Ow! Who threw that?
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Post by donavan on Jul 13, 2022 14:13:43 GMT
Probably Partridge.
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Post by Dr Hugbine on Jul 19, 2022 10:23:58 GMT
I became aware of XTC in a slightly backward way via the excellent and indispensable "Take Away / The Lure of Salvage" (introduced to me at the time of release by odd make-up wearing friend-of-a-friend Dave, who was going out with lovely Canadian Nina, who I had a tragic and ultimately futile crush on), which I found unbelievably exciting, despite being largely unaware of the origin tracks (other than the ubiquitous Nigel, which of course I loved - especially the dubby bits - despite ignorance of wider context). Then I came across "Black Sea" by way of a song which I thought was called something like "Life In Another Cube" which I assumed was some sort of inter-dimensional musing; and simultaneously being greatly enthused by listening to John Peel's 10pm-midnight Radio 1 programme on a school night, where he would sometimes play "Travels in Nihilon" in its entirely, with me dropping off to the shower bit at the end. When the BBC broadcast the concert from the Hammersmith Palais in 1980, I recorded it, and played the surprisingly high quality (off FM radio, natch) cassette to death until it snapped about 3 years later, though I did attempt some splicing which gave it a particularly distressed quality in a couple of places. I was delighted when this turned up on CD years later, though greatly disturbed to discover that the terrific "Reel By Real" (with its astonishing rapid pitch-perfect Dave solo) had been dropped from its perfect place after "Scissor Man". More recently, a regular and assiduous internet search has unearthed the original, which I properly listen to 20 times a month. In later years I kept a watchful eye on the 'TC but frankly didn't care for "Senses Working Overtime" when it came out, and didn't buy another album after Black Sea until Skylarking, which was and remains an essential part of my life, never long off constant rotation by me and Mrs Dr Hug (who prefers the Colin tracks on this and O+L). Then after becoming quite obsessive, pursued every subsequent and previous release and eventually participated - perhaps too intensely, sometimes - on the IDEA site until its regrettable closure. I developed an unhealthy obsession with the Dukes of Stratosphear in 2005 after being made redundant, and for a while (three months!) listened to absolutely nothing except the 'Strats, much to Mrs Dr Hug's vast annoyance. I had tickets for the Gathering in (?) 2004 but couldn't attend due to family issues, and this year's Event coincides with my Silver Wedding Anniversary - for some unfathomable reason, Mrs Dr H says she would prefer to go to New York than Swindon. Urgh.
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Post by markorbit on Apr 11, 2023 23:43:11 GMT
Hello, my first post. I've been loosely familiar with XTC starting when I bought the single "Making Plans For Nigel" in 79. The same year Smash Hits had a flexidisc with 'Ten Feet Tall' and I liked that too. I remember buying 'Towers Of London' (wasn't there a limited edition with maybe a fold-out poster or something?) but I never went further with XTC and they slowly disappeared off my radar during the 80s. Fast-forward to 1989 and I'm working in a London record shop when 'Oranges and Lemons' is released. It seemed a good time to see what they're up to and the cover is cool. Wow, they've progressed! Some good tracks here and I absolutely loved (and still do) 'King For A Day'. The whole arrangement, accents, middle eight, backing vox... excellent. Unfortunately 'Nonsuch' passed me by and although I was vaguely aware that there were some late albums I wasn't sure if they were classed as 'proper' albums or not.
I don't recall what triggered my new-found interest in XTC more recently. I think it was hearing some later stuff and marvelling at how Beatle-esque or Beach Boys it was... in a good way. I'm currently catching up with what I've missed. I'm also interested in hearing the Steven Wilson remixes and the first one I have just ordered is indeed O&L. Skylarking next...
Oh yeah, I see Colin's two songs from Apple Venus V1 don't seem to go down that well with some folk. I like them. They both have that old-time charm. I think 'When I'm 64' is an essential part of Sgt. Pepper too!
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Post by donavan on Apr 12, 2023 1:55:33 GMT
Hello. And nice to see your journey. This is popยก
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