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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Skylarking

XTC

1986

Skylarking

Album Summary

Skylarking is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 27 October 1986 on Virgin Records. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, it is a loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life. The title refers to a type of bird (skylark), as well as the Royal Navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around". It became one of XTC's best-known albums and is generally regarded as their finest work.Like XTC's previous Dukes of Stratosphear side project, Skylarking was heavily influenced by the music of the 1960s. Most of its recording was at Rundgren's Utopia Sound Studio in Woodstock, New York. Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing the band with orchestral arrangements and an assortment of gear. However, the sessions were fraught with tension, especially between Rundgren and bandleader Andy Partridge, and numerous disagreements arose over drum patterns, song selections, and other details. In 2010, it was discovered that a wiring error made during the mastering process caused the album to have a "thin" sound. The problem was corrected on subsequent remasters. Upon release, Skylarking was met with indifference in the UK, rising in the album charts to number 90, while both of its lead singles "Grass" (backed with "Dear God") and "The Meeting Place" peaked at number 100. Early sales of the album were hampered by the omission of "Dear God" from the album's original pressings. In the US, the song became a college radio hit, causing US distributor Geffen Records to recall and repress Skylarking with the track included, and propelling the album to number 70. Following the song's growth in popularity, it was the subject of controversy in the US, inspiring many angry phone calls to radio stations and at least one bomb threat. Skylarking was later listed on "100 greatest albums of the 1980s" lists by Rolling Stone in 1989 and Pitchfork in 2002.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.07

Votes

5659

Genres

  • Rock
  • Pop
Reviews
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Wed Mar 03 2021
5

An old friend of mine and his father were into XTC, but I never listened to them. Let me say: what a fucking album. It flows together incredibly, the sound is somewhere between Genesis, The Beatles, and Duran Duran, and this thing has hooks for days. Blown away, really. Favorite tracks: "That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Ballet for a Rainy Day", "Earn Enough for Us"

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Mon Sep 06 2021
2

For the longest time, XTC was "bad Tears For Fears" in my mind, and I never actually sought to listen to them outside of Dear God; listening to this has kind of reinforced that idea, and Dear God isn't even *great*.

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Fri Mar 12 2021
5

Everything pop could be. Amazing.

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Sun Dec 12 2021
5

incredible album, every song was banger after banger 10/10

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Wed Jan 12 2022
5

XTC released a lot of memorable records in the 80's and Skylarking might be their masterpiece. It's a lush sounding album that highlights the band at their height of creativity. Not a record full of hits, it's a consistent, solid album that flows beautifully and Dear God is one the most interesting (and greatest) songs the band has ever produced!

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Wed Feb 16 2022
5

This is one of the best pop albums I've ever heard. This kinda thing is why I do this 1001 album challenge; to find albums I'd never find otherwise. I don't ever listen to music like this, so I never would have found this alone. It's fascinating how so many songs are so catchy and yet so unpredictable; the melody often wanders to places you don't expect. It's quite refreshing to hear pop music that's actually interesting. reminds me of The Seeds Of Love by Tears for Fears

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Sun Feb 14 2021
4

Such an interesting and fun album about nature, love, and simpler times from 80z gems, XTC. I love GRASS! Multiple other favs on this cool album are The Meeting Place, Ballet For A Rainy Day, Season Cycle, Earn Enough For Us, Big Day, and Dying. I remember when single Dear God first got air play and I was like "wow!" and "what?" Still such a unique and thought-provoking song. XTC continues to be a band one can get deep into. Sometimes at first listen it's easy to miss something. Look at all of these 80z bands standing out from this list. So excellent!

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Fri May 13 2022
3

Inoffensive very 60s but pretty bland

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Thu Jan 05 2023
3

This is a little too cutesy for me, but it reminds me of the first two Eno records in a way, so it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

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Thu Mar 25 2021
2

“Skylarking” by XTC (1986) First time listen for this album and group. The question is, which album am I listening to here? The original vinyl release (without “Dear God”), the updated release (with “Dear God” but without “Mermaid Smiled”), or one of several digital re-releases which have “Dear God” in various positions among the last four tracks (or simply tacked on at the very end in the Spotify version)? For a concept album, it makes a huge difference, especially since “Dear God”, “Mermaid Smiled”, and “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” are the three most interesting songs on the album. What we have here is twelve pathetic attempts to sound like the Beatles, supplemented by three works of genuine creativity. In terms of sound, this album lacks melody, coherence in chord progressions, and meaningful lyrics. It’s tough to make up for these huge deficiencies with innovative color, but they try. The end result is like a palette without a canvas. “Dear God”, despite all the “controversy”, is a sophomoric and self contradictory squeal about the problem of evil as evidence against the rationality of belief in God. There are much better treatments of this theme in contemporary music (John Lennon’s “God” on “Plastic Ono Band”, for argument-ending instance). I wonder if Virgin intentionally created the controversy as a marketing strategy. Now, “Mermaid Smiled” and “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” are definitely worth listening to, despite the extraordinarily weak vocals. But two tracks do not an album make. 2/5

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Thu May 06 2021
2

Shame, I really wanted to like this. XTC have done some brilliant stuff; 'Love on a farmboy's wages' is still one of my very favourite songs after 30 years and I play several of their other singles regularly. This album was entirely unknown to me and I'm disappointed - I was hoping to discover some new gems. Maybe it needs more time to grow but in comparison to the obvious immediacy of their other work, it seems pretty weak. Some occasional nice stuff, but only serving to highlight how poor the rest is.

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Tue Jul 06 2021
2

Moderately enjoyable but pretty forgettable

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Mon Sep 06 2021
2

basically every track on this album is "X but worse" whether it's the beatles, bowie, whatever. the only really good song wasn't even on the album at first.

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Thu Nov 10 2022
2

Honestly, they’re just kind of a mediocre Tears for Fears

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Sun Feb 14 2021
1

No. Just no. Please please no. NEVER AGAIN

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Wed Jun 30 2021
5

This album was awesome. It varied enough in style to keep me entertained the whole time, and had some really cool grandiose bits. Definitely will listen to this album again

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Fri May 14 2021
5

5* for Dear God alone, the rest is pretty sound too.

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Fri May 14 2021
5

Excellent start, just a couple of (slightly more than usual) weird tracks in the middle but still really really good.

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Mon Aug 23 2021
5

Mermaid Smiled is so good. Dear God is so great. Every song is different and kept the whole album very enjoyable to listen to

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Sat Sep 11 2021
5

An incredible combination of great songwriting with new wave/psychedelic sounds ingrained in the 80s. The lyrics are incredibly poignant and feel very fresh even almost 40 years later. Dear God is 80s equivalent of Pure Comedy from Father John Misty. Highlights: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, and 15.

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Thu Jan 06 2022
5

So fun and so 80s; absolutely incredible instrumentally

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Wed Feb 16 2022
5

I liked the creativity and variety

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Thu Feb 17 2022
5

q surpresa agradável

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Thu Feb 17 2022
5

Os tons verdes da capa desse álbum foram bem escolhidos - esse LP me dá vontade de fazer uma agradável caminhada no mato. Excelente introdução pra uma banda que eu nunca havia realmente parado pra escutar.

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Sun Mar 06 2022
5

I think this is the fourth or even fifth listen through of this one, and suddenly I like it, I like it a lot.

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Fri Mar 25 2022
5

Grass is my favorite.

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Wed Mar 30 2022
5

One of my all time favorites

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Wed Apr 13 2022
5

Delightful. Once again, I wonder why I wasn't in love with this band in college. They're great!

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Wed Apr 13 2022
5

I remember XTC being a band, but only recall hearing Dear God. The album sounds like one that I would have acquired back in the day had I known it. Kinda quirky with and upbeat happy vibe. I like it!

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Wed Apr 13 2022
5

Oh, this album was a breath of fresh air. I know for a fact that had I known it existed in 1986, it would have been a favorite. Why did it take this long? Interesting instrumentation, interesting lyrics, and all so enjoyable I listened to it four times today. "Umbilical" is much more fun to say when it rhymes with "cycle." Favorites are "Grass," "Ballet for a Rainy Day," "Season Cycle," "Mermaid Smiled," "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul," and "Dear God," but there's not a song I don't like. It's so much fun to get an album I've never heard before that I love so much!

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Wed Apr 13 2022
5

What a weird, varied, and fantastic album.

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Fri Apr 29 2022
5

Many would consider this unpopular pop but I love it the arrangements are beautifully presented and you can sense Todd Rudgrens production presence. A mix of genres like psychedelic rock and alternative pop, as well as a sound I can only describe as spacey, I love this record! My favs were Dear God and The meeting place!

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Wed Jun 01 2022
5

I have always loved this release. XTC has always defied categorization. Each song exists as stand alone gems. Smart pop? Chamber pop? Whatever we call it works for me. Also, Todd Rundgren as producer is a good match for the guys.

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Thu Jun 23 2022
5

New Wave megalith XTC takes a left turn after their last album, taking inspiration from late 60's psychedelic pop. This sound is a perfect fit the songwriting talents of Andy Partridge, who expertly weaves various different sounds in and out of each song. Listening to Skylarking feels like listening to something special, like what the Beach Boys' Smile was meant to be. It genuinely feels like there are no low points in this album. Excellence.

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Wed Aug 24 2022
5

cool

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Thu Sep 01 2022
5

Fantastic album! The first time it was okay, but the second time I listened to it was amazing. Can’t wait for the third try. The start of the album is the best and dear god is a good finish. Love the way some of the songs flow over into eachother. Favourite songs: - Summer’s cauldron - Grass - The meeting place - Dear God Honourable mention: ballet for a rainy day + 1000 umbrellas

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Sun Sep 04 2022
5

An awesome album and XTCs best in my book...and that's saying something. This album is legendary for the acrimony between band and producer, Todd Rundgren. Apparently Andy Partridge and Rundgren were at each other's throats throughout the sessions. I don't know what the source(s) of the conflict were, but if music this inspired is the result then it was well worth every hurt feeling and acrimonious gesture. This is the album where XTC picked up the gauntlet of best British Psychedelic Pop band since the Beatles threw it down oh so many years ago. And I feel like Rundgren plays no small part. Favourite songs; Grass, Supergirl, Ballet for a Rainy Day, the jazzy The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, the brilliant Dear God (which was not included on the original release and frankly seems a little out of place with the albums theme) and Sacrificial Bonfires. But really pointing out individual songs defeats the point of this album as every song is a little pop gem that deserves rapt attention. No brainer 5 stars.

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Sun Sep 04 2022
5

So I've straight up never heard of this band. Never heard of the album, never heard any of the singles. And it was terrific. It's like a Talking Heads sort of thing, with a lot of cool vocal harmonies. Like if the Beach Boys were an 80s new wave band. Anyhow, loved it.

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Fri Dec 09 2022
5

This is the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and bitter to me. It's got tons of that anxious, foot-tapping energy, mixed with a tiny bit of that Steely Dan cynicism, but plenty of wacky fun in the production. Lots of Beach boys backing vocals, funny early Fairlight sampling, just silly songs performed seriously. Sounds like an extremely contentious recording process, from reading the Wikipedia. On that page, there's a picture of Andy Patridge self-seriously belting into a mic while reading from a comic book, and I think that pretty much sums it up for me! So wacky and fun and also serious. Gets me in all the right ways.

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Fri Dec 09 2022
5

Lush. This is about the album I expect Brian Wilson might have made if his brilliant, 20-year-old self had lived sometime in the mid-1980s instead of the late 60s. Which is high praise. It's not without its musical associations with the mid-80s zaniness of, say, Oingo Boingo and Danny Elfman, which I could take or leave generally. But this also reminds me of a British work that distinctly predates Talk Talk’s post-rock turn as far as experimentalism, multi-instrumentalism, recording/editing process, production, and genre-bending. This is art pop at its best. And I quite like it. It's so bright and warm and has layers not just in its sonics but in its lyrical content as a concept album. I liked almost every song. Though, by the time we got round to “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” and “Dying,” I was feeling tired and maybe could have skipped those two. Perhaps it could have been shorter, but it really isn’t all that long. I think it’s just a lot to take in at once, especially given there isn’t much quite like it; ie, I’m not bringing anything to the table that might help me ease into this album. It’s a completely fresh sound and I think these songs will grow on me. I’m going 5 stars. I’ve listened to a few songs off this album before, but never really sat down with it. It’s pretty incredible. And I bet it sounds great on a hi-fi speaker system.

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Sun Dec 25 2022
5

Wow, I was worried at first, but as thw album just went on I loved it more and more, then I went back and I loved the songs I was initially questioning, and the whole album really clicked for me. It's really interesting, as I hear the 60's sound people say they here, but I also hear some music that would come from the 90's britpop era, but like, not bad? It's hard to explain, but I encourage if you think this album was close to clicking with you, listen again, it was really lovely, and I think this album is great. Can be a tad whiney at times in the vocals, but it doesn't detract past a small part of a song near the beginning.

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Thu Dec 08 2022
5

Shout out to Charles for bringing this one over to spin. I really enjoyed this record. A lot of records take several spins before I start to “get” it but there is something about “Skylarking” that just speaks to me. Every single song was filled to the brim with stuff that made me just say “wow”. The drum programming, the guitar tone, the vocal harmonies, the HOOKS (“Ballet for a raaaainy daaaaay // Silent film of melting miracle plaaaaay”). Oh! Also! The transitions between songs are so seamless that when we were spinning the thing I didn’t even realize a new song started, just thought it was a long bridge! I loved every bit of this album. It is so fun to listen to even with darker tracks like “Dying” and “Dear God” (speaking of which, Partridge’s delivery of why he can’t believe in God in the final verse is an incredible performance). This is most definitely going to be an album I return to again and again and so, thusly, verily, it is a 5/5 from me. Favorite track: “Earn for Us” with “Dear God” as a very close runner up.

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Wed Jan 25 2023
5

My favourite XTC album. Each track is a unique masterpiece, and I never got tired listening to them over all those years since I buyed this record.

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Wed Feb 01 2023
5

This is another fave album of all times. I enjoyed the linked version of the album that included Dear God at the end. It's a great song but it breaks up the continuity of the album. For those not aware, it was added at the last minute and was not initially in the set roster. It's a great song, again, but does not fit the flow of the rest of the album.

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Wed Feb 08 2023
5

Es como si hubiera viajado a una realidad paralela y estos la hubieran pegado en serio en vez de los Beatles o alguno más conocido que haga brit-pop

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Fri Mar 10 2023
5

production/arrangements. yacht rock

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Wed Mar 15 2023
5

Extraordinary. A concept album that sounds utterly of it's time, but also has smudges of ELO, Joe Jackson and 1960s pop in there. It all comes together brilliantly. This is squarely in pop rock territory, but occupies the more questing, ambitious end of the spectrum. Why am I not surprised that Todd Rundgren had a hand in it? Regardless, for music of this ilk, this is about as good as things get.

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Mon Mar 20 2023
5

So, a confession. Another XTC album (The Big Express) is, for personal reasons, my most listened to album. And yet I'd never listened to their most successful album. Here I am, so thank you. So, many of us know 'Dear God' (make sure you listen to an album version that includes it), but this is just a luscious, expansive album that sounds like nothing else, yet sounds so... Swindon? I loved it, but will jump into the reviews now to find out what my non-English cousins make of it.

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Sat Dec 19 2020
4

this was kinda cool, soft rock-ish stuff meets soft jazz kinda like mr bungle does in parts (for want of a better frame of reference). would listen again 4/5.

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Fri Apr 16 2021
4

i like this

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Thu Feb 11 2021
4

leuk maar beetje ouwe lullen muziek

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Fri May 28 2021
4

Super good. Never really listened to them much before.

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Tue Jun 22 2021
4

This was way ahead of its time

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Thu Mar 18 2021
4

Groovy, pool vibes

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Tue Mar 23 2021
4

Surprisingly good.

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Wed Jun 02 2021
4

Not bad. interesting and weird style

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Mon Jun 07 2021
4

Summers Cauldron and Grass feel like a part 1 & 2 of the same mellow opening. The Meeting Place takes the next step in the journey. Ballet For A Rainy Day into 1000 Umbrellas is a fun counter point to the front of the album, though i like Ballet as a song better than 1000 Umbrellas. Then the album takes this really weird psychadelic space turn culminating in Another Satellite. Mermaid Smile has a great guitar intro. Cool concept album overall, one worth revisiting but first blush is a meh. Yea without Dear God as the final track, how does this album wrap itself up?

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Tue Mar 30 2021
4

Sounded like the Beatles.

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Sun Mar 21 2021
4

Quite pleasant. Would listen again.

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Thu Jun 17 2021
4

gostei, daora

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Wed Mar 31 2021
4

really enjoyed this group all though I had never heard them before. Putting them on my play list.

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Tue Mar 30 2021
4

Good albumm.

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Thu Apr 22 2021
4

Atmospheric post-pop landscapes punctuated by gorgeous storytelling.

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Tue Jun 08 2021
4

Interesting album. At times it sounds very modern (especially the production) and at other times they invoke the Beatles or the doors. Lyrics are a bit weak at points but the majority of songs are clever and catchy. Probably a 3.5 but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt because it's different enough.

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Wed Apr 28 2021
4

Sounds like something I get recommended by a Twitter mutual and end up liking. 'Dear God' is my favorite.

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Sat May 15 2021
4

I feel a bit let down by the end of this album. It just went on a few tracks too too long. That's preventing me from giving it 5 stars. But I still loved it. 1. Crickets... Become fun 80s thumps... Becomes foot-tappin' pop! 2. Smooth transition to another pleasant ditty. Eno/Byrne vibe. Crickets out. 3. Another similar vibe---this one like a machine made of pleasant and well-fit cogs. I am loving this 4. And it keeps getting better. There's this video-game organ sound in the background which I love, but it's disguised in the mix so that the whole song just sounds goofy and fun. Oh my GOODGod that guitar solo slipped in. I'm drooling. 5. Slowing it down a minute. Makes sense, because that last song was a very tough act to follow. 6. Smooth transition to this song which is somehow miserable and goofy at once, kind of a masterpiece. I love the descending riffs and violins, which remind me of gentle giant. 7. Beach Boys?! by the way, Every once in a while this album surprises you with a disgustingly pretty jazz chord, and it's just the best. 8. Woah, straight up 80s guitar pop. Still stuff to love here, but it's comparatively a bit generic here. 9. The comparative slump did not last long. Love the opening here. This song is a whole different vibe---something a bit "Revolver". 10. Space song! 11. High energy space-pastoral 12. Weird change of pace: noir to funky jazz, partially in 7. This one felt a bit out of place. 13. Ballad... Might be about death? A weaker track 14. Funny orchestral piece 15. Starts with a child singing (meh). Kind of an atheist anthem---seems a bit preachy (lol).

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Thu May 13 2021
4

Really interesting production on this album. Pushes boundaries just enough not to reach pretentiousness all while keeping a level of character and charm.

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Thu Jul 15 2021
4

Todd Rundgren helps this album. As a thematic piece, it has a Beatles Sgt Peppers vibe that finishes weaker than it started. Dear God feels thrown in at the end - which of course it is and while it's a good song, it doesn't feel connected to the album. 3.5/5

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Tue Jul 27 2021
4

Enjoyed this. Not heard of this band before and was pleasantly surprised.

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Sun Aug 22 2021
4

Slow to start but all comes together nicely post 1000 umbrellas. Ballet for a Rainy Day and The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul were my highlights. Also loved the string arrangement in 1000 umbrellas. Get around that Todd Rungren production.

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Tue Sep 21 2021
4

I actually really like the sound of this

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Wed Nov 17 2021
4

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: That’s really super,Supergirl, Earn enough for us, Dear god

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Fri Nov 19 2021
4

First time listener - new fan of this album. I feel like this album would have held up in any of the decades that followed its release in '86. It sounds very 80s, but - at the same time - very current. If the right bands covered these songs today, they'd be huge commercial success, IMO. Plus, the vocal remind me of Ben Folds.

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Fri Nov 19 2021
4

What a brilliant idea. Start a record with summer cricket/bird songs. That way, every listener comes into the music with a happy feeling. And then, deliver with some good 80s pop music. I like this music a lot. I'm really pleased with the amount of British pop music on this list. Makes it worth the list's Janes Addition addiction. I have always heard about XTC but the name made me think they were goth or glam or something. Nope! They sort of sit nicely between Psychedelic Furs and the early 90s Britpop movement for me. There are so many sounds on this record that sound like they significantly influenced...wait for it...I say it all the time............Blur! Who cares? I do say it all the time. But, it's true and it feels like I found a new Blur record. "That's Really Super, Supergirl" sounds like it could be on The Great Escape. XTC is a band that will be in rotation for me. For sure.

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Mon Nov 22 2021
4

Rather enjoyable.

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Fri Dec 03 2021
4

4/5

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Sun Dec 05 2021
4

Classic

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Sun Jan 09 2022
4

Pop-rock suavecín. Me ha gustado.

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Sat Jan 22 2022
4

Enjoyed this. I just want nice rhythmic jangle pop that chugs along at a good pace. I don't want my ears blown off with guitar wankery or stupid drumming. Maybe a bit pedestrian at sometimes but couldn't ask for more from a jangle pop band

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Fri Feb 11 2022
4

Ekalla kierroksella kuulosti aika peruskamalta, mutta kun tokalla kertaa kuunteli keskittyneemmin, niin biisitkin tuntuivat paremmilta ja tuli noteerattua taustalla hiljaisempiakin instrumentteja. Loppujen lopuksi päädyin tykkäämään!

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Thu Feb 17 2022
4

gostar

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Wed Feb 23 2022
4

Nada a ver com que eu costumo escutar, mas gostosinho demais

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Wed Mar 09 2022
4

The album is neurotic and baroque at the same time, like 1000 Umbrellas, and which will remain one of the milestones of pop. …Produced by Todd Rundgren.(7/10) FT: Dear God, 1000 Umbrellas

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Wed Mar 09 2022
4

Rocked! Really enjoyed it

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Wed Mar 23 2022
4

Perhaps the best Beatles record not made by the Beatles, this is maximalist chamber pop that veers into overindulgence now and then. Partridge sings like McCartney and writes songs like Lennon. There’s real joy and some pathos, and the quality is sustained at a high level across the record even it’s occasionally too clever by half. 4.2 for 4.

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Wed Mar 30 2022
4

XTC is one of those bands that I enjoy when I hear them, but have never heard more than a handful of songs. So, I was glad to have the chance to listen to an entire album. I thought it was excellent. 4 stars.

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Fri Apr 08 2022
4

A decently catchy album. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable.

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Wed Apr 20 2022
4

I had no idea what to expect from this album but it was pretty good. I really liked 1000 umbrellas and the rest of the songs were enjoyable too

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Thu Apr 21 2022
4

Solid and enjoyable album with some Britpop and 60s pop elements. I can't tell you why I like it specifically but I can tell you that I do!

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Thu Apr 21 2022
4

Really intriguing album!

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Wed May 18 2022
4

This album is lush and complex. It foreshadows quirky, witty and nuanced indie groups like Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, The Antlers etc. XTC was definitely ahead of their time.

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Sun May 29 2022
4

Probably my favorite XTC album. Never realized Todd Rundgren produced it, but it makes sense that he'd be the perfect fit for their unique arrangements and structures. Too bad he and Andy Partridge didn't get along, but they ended up making great work together.

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Sun Jun 05 2022
4

I know a good amount of XTC but the only track I knew from this one is Dear God, which I've never been a fan of. Happily the rest of the album was much better to my ears, it's all quite smooth and poppy compared to their earlier post punk work but the tunes are great.

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Wed Jun 29 2022
4

Actually really enjoyed this one

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Thu Jun 30 2022
4

May downgrade later but really enjoyed this yesterday

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Thu Jun 30 2022
4

I liked this one! Reminded me a bit of the Flaming Lips.

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Thu Jun 30 2022
4

I quite enjoyed this. The vocals weren’t amazing, but the instrumentation was cool.

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Thu Jul 14 2022
4

Probably my favorite XTC album

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Wed Jul 20 2022
4

This is the real indie, very weird and relatively unsuccessful in its time. I liked it, it seemed like a genuine product of unique individuals.

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Wed Jul 27 2022
4

I like this a lot. Very eclectic with interesting arrangements and great melodies.

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