Reviews (page 2 of 8)
6/10… new wave / 80s pop / *1986
meh
1986, Alt Rock Standouts: Dear God 3.5
One of my very favorites by XTC. By and large Hardcore XTC fans don't like this one that much, but I do. There is a lot of talk about the band not getting along with producer, Todd Rundgren (dubbed Turd Runtgreen by none other than John Lennon himself!) but that is refuted by Andy Partridge. Great record start to finish. Possilby their best song, "Dear God" was added almost as an afterthought.
Dear God I liked, the rest, what's this album doing on this list.
1.5
I don’t understand why XTC are on this list they’re absolute shit
Pretty good album. I remember hearing that "Dear God" song about a million times on the radio back when I was young. The other songs are great too, good lyrics and music just not the same dramatic impact as the big hit one. I had never heard this whole thing before today but I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind listening to it again. Some of the songs like "Grass" were even kind of funny to me.
I dug this and should return to it. The arrangements were really hitting but I was not fully there with this melodies. It’s like if the Beach Boys were composing tracks about pastoral England instead of coastal California. I didn’t know XTC had it like that.
I’m not familiar with them, maybe I heard a few songs but not sure. This is alright I guess, a little lighter than my tastes. A few of the songs do get close to an REM sound that I like though.
Unfortunately I'm not that keen on brit-pop, but I can hear XTC are a talented punch of bowl cuts. Haha now I get it, XTC = ectacy, my brain giggles a wee bit!
It verges on being more British new wave rock slop but there are enough interesting thing happening to keep one engaged.
-this isn’t my first XTC album, but it’s definitely some of the best work i’ve heard from the band. really solid as a concept album with some great songs that really stuck out -a lot of it felt a bit corny and may be harder to enjoy outside of the context of the album, but it seemed rather self-aware and seems to be what this band does best -Favorites: Grass, That’s Really Super, Supergirl, Earn Enough For Us
Proper straddles the 80s and 90s British sound.
this was really good i liked all the songs i think ill rate it higher after more listens! very chill album
Not bad, some good tracks but it’s definitely not rock music by anyone’s standards
It’s pretty dang good, better than I thought it would be. It’s like a crossover of The Beatles and Tears for Fears. Definitely not perfect though, some of the songs are a little lackluster.
More 80s English pop, it really sucks that this is the only kind of pop music the author included on the list. This album sounded like the Beach Boys and the Pet Shop Boys got together and made a mediocre pop record. 15 tracks long and there were exactly 3 decent songs, the rest was filler of the highest degree. 2/5, please give me something decent to listen to tomorrow.
Didn’t blow me away, it was catchy and cute bops, I knew dear god and it’s a good closer.
This album just flows, nothing really stands out tho
This band sounds so goofy. Almost like it's a parody style. But it manages to stay just on the right side of "real" without going too far into that goofy style. It was fine.
I like XTC but not so much this album. To me it sounds over-engineered and saturated. Whatevs...
I don't know what this album is going on about but I sort of enjoy its innocent confusion and how it erratically changes my moods. Was gonna give it a 3 but then remembered this fucker might have bumped Blink 182 off the list so bitterly rating it a 2.
Pretty standard 80s pop. Not bad, but nothing really stands out. I won't remember this tomorrow.
Was thinking this was entirely new to me, then Dear God came on. An enjoyable listen overall
Compared to the other XTC album on here, this was much more interesting. I won't listen to it again but was fine. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
Dear God is a classic, but the rest of this album is boring.
Ehhhh
Very entertaining and whimsical. There’s some lulls here and there, but I still enjoyed it. It’s Beatley, but also bits of 10cc and Tears for Fears.
I really didn't like Apple Venus Vol. 1, but was looking forward to this one because I had a few friends really hyping it up. But yeah, it's just not for me. I will say better than Apple Venus. 1000 Umbrellas and The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul are decent enough. I can do experimental music. I can do happy music. Happy experimental music though I can't do. Because it always sounds like music for children or something to me. Like it belongs in some sort of kids show or movie. I don't know why it sounds like that to me, but it does. So yeah. Didn't really like it. Better than Apple Venus, but not enough to get more than a 2.
these lads know how to write songs
p558. 1986. 2 stars. Limp 60s pastiche that is far too knowing and clever for its own good. No standout songs on it either. There are good reasons it was ignored when it came out.
No idea why this made the list
The first time I heard XTC was at my best friend Tim’s house: He’d discovered something he wanted me to hear. Back then, in the summer of 1982, Tim had something most of us did not. Y’see, near the end of his senior year in high school, his parents moved about 30 minutes away to Springfield, Ohio, one of the first cable television markets in the country to get MTV. MTV was so new, there weren’t any ads yet, just breaks where the ads should be filled with moon-landing footage and the MTV logo in the corner. The music videos featured many Brit-pop bands, who apparently were ahead of the curve when it came to making music videos. (Coupled with a year of musical exposure at college, I bought 42 albums that summer.) Tim and I had the house to ourselves that day, so we settled into the family room, where the “good” record player was, and I spread out the album jacket and inner sleeves around me on the lush carpet. What first struck me was the beauty of the album cover: not glossy, but a textured dark green with aa outline of some type of animal (the Uffington Horse) and raised lettering in a very unusual, archaic font. The inner sleeves (with lyrics) were also textured paper in an orange parchment-like color. The first track “Runaways” faded up and we listened to side one of the U.K. import of XTC’s ENGLISH SETTLEMENT (1982). At first, it all sounded like a Brit-pop band had time-traveled to the middle ages to record a rock record. The tunes were interesting and well-produced (by Hugh Padgham and XTC) and by the third track — “Senses Working Overtime,” the song Tim had seen the video for on MTV — I knew I was going to buy this one. Then, of course, I got the four previous albums in their back catalog: THE WHITE ALBUM (1978), GO 2 (1978), DRUMS AND WIRES (1979), and BLACK SEA (1980). Listening to the latter, I realized I had heard XTC before; one of our local rock radio stations had played “Generals and Majors” when it came out. (At the time, I was probably put off by the chorus and title, not realizing the irony of the lyrics.) XTC was now my favorite pop band, and I was often buying their new stuff as U.K. imports because the U.S. releases often came later. I had no idea MUMMER (1983) and THE BIG EXPRESS (1984) didn’t do well commercially until now. The critics and I loved them, so I assumed the band was doing well, but apparently they only sold a little more than 30,000 copies each. “So [our record label Virgin] set their collective corporate eye on XXTC selling to the massive US market where the big money was and they made us a proposition we couldn’t refuse,” writes guitarist/songwriter Andy Partridge in the the notes to the 2016 Surround Sound Edition of SKYLARKING. “They figured that to do that we should have an American producer — someone who might find a starred and striped vein hidden deep within that most English of bands.” The band chose Todd Rundgren and “the irony was that we couldn’t have picked a bigger Anglophile.” “I would not say that Todd was particularly a people person,” writes bassist/songwriter Colin Moulding. “Todd was a pretty scary character….like the gunslinger who rides into town in the big Western — elusive, brooding, enigmatic. I didn’t know what to think….But there is no denying he is a very fine arranger. I don’t think I’ve met anyone with such on-the-spot musicality. He was a natural. And how wonderful to bring in outsiders who know what they’re doing and can take your little ditty to places you hadn’t thought of.”
Loved loved loved this fun upbeat album.
Some interesting ideas
Gaat
Poppy and upbeat. Not something I would listen to. But it did have some decent moments.
I liked a lot of the tracks here. Some were boring though, and none REALLY stood out.
'Meh.
Enjoyed more than i expected.
Dit album bewijst voor mij weer hoe persoonlijk muzieksmaak is. Ik vond het een leuk album, zat goed in elkaar, maar de stem van de zanger... het lukt me niet om daar aan te wennen en het mooi te vinden. Geen match voor mij.
I am running out of things to say about all these random British albums that lack much of any musical relevance. Not that I ever had many to begin with, but it's seriously been overplayed at this point. Anyway, this is yet another pop/new wave album that thinks it's more clever than it actually is. Most of the song titles suggest an air of pretentiousness, but it's mostly just standard pop with new wave-sounding vocals and mediocre lyrics. I also feel like the drums are over mixed, as the snare is weirdly loud in most of the songs. Even the band hate the production, so I have no problem critiquing it. This probably isn't the most egregious example of British mediocrity on the list(so far, the Teardrop Explodes, Ash, and the Auteurs are my picks). However, it's still a mediocre British pop album. I could have happily left this earth without hearing this album, despite some catchy songs. This album is ranked #9 of 23 albums for 1986. Other 1986 albums rated by me: Graceland(1/23)-3 Licensed to Ill(4/23)-4 Raising Hell(6/23)-5 EVOL(20/23)-4 Guitar Town(21/23)-2
The title Skylarking might lead you to believe this was a reggae album rather than the 80s synth pop that it is. I think i'd have preferred some reggae, this really just didn't land with me at all musically making me sound nearly as depressing as the singer sounded most of the time.
English Pastoral Prague. Great having the two singers providing different colours.
I was happy to see this album come up and was really looking forward to it. XTC had a couple of popular songs growing up and I was hoping to discover several more. Listened to it twice and honestly did not favorite a single song; overall just felt mediocre. I know I say that a lot with this project and indeed it is hard to fall in love on just a few listens on a single day. But that is how it is and this didn’t really stand out for me. 3/5
Neat
XTC can change up a song in the middle. That didn’t happen enough on this album. Dear God is the real standout.
I don't know much XTC and didn't know this album at all. Just not an album I have strong feelings about.
There is an overall samenes to the 14 tunes, such that this album feels like it goes on longer than its stated running time. Not much melodic variation, and his voice isn’t great. It is clear to me that much craft and effort went into the making of this album, but in the end it makes me want to say, “You spent all that effort to make…THIS???!”
This is what I'm here for. What an unexpected fresh listen. I'd heard of XTC but couldn't place their sound on the map of music. This is the missing link between the Beatles and Blur to me - with sprinklings of Talk Talk, Ultravox, and Tears For Fears. It's worth a few listens just to hear the different textures being presented.
I have never really liked the pomposity and faux deep thinking of “Dear God” but I like XTC pretty well. Or I thought I did, but this album didn’t really hit me right. I found “Big Day” annoying. Honestly a lot of this kind of annoyed me and I like pop music. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood. I’ll just blame it on Todd Rundgren.
First 40 min are ok but a good last two songs
This album is quite different from what was being released in the 80s. It sounds like something transported from the 60s, only recorded in the 80s. I really liked the creativity of the arrangements and the vocal melodies are impeccable. It's an album that needs two or more listens to fully digest the message and connect with the music; there's no immediate connection. But it's really very good. 4 stars.
Pop-rock (but not broadly appealing, I expect) new wavey type stuff with extra tinges of weirdness, psychedelia, and progressive creativity. A summery album that captures a variety of life’s experiences. Very 60s inspired - particularly by some Beatles and Beach Boys. They can make a really good pop song, and indeed there are several here - but they also build it with a artfulness. Varied instruments, sounds, tones, arrangements. It’s all well thought out and put together. It’s got melodies for days. This is an album I constantly hear is a masterpiece and seems like it’d be up my alley. I revisit every once in a while and every time like it a little bit more, but it still doesn’t quite connect with me in that way. But I can see why it’s well loved and find it interesting enough to give a shot again.
Weird having "Dear God" added on here, it wasn't on the original release. Feel about the same now as when this dropped, its ok but the whimsy is mostly lost on me, I'd rather just have better songs.
not what I was expecting to hear. It wasnt bad but I sort of forgot it was on.
This was different. Didn't mind it at all.
I dunno man
Started out strong but went on a little long. There's some solid tracks but none that really blew me away. But it's a consistent and enjoyable album, so I won't complain about it. Favorite track: "Sacrificial Bonfire"
Fantastic album, produced by Todd Rundgren. My favorite xtc lp.
I’d always thought Skylarking was XTC’s psychedelic masterpiece. After spending a morning with it, I don’t think that’s quite right. I think it’s one of the most complete secular visions of the good life ever put on record. That sounds grandiose but, dear reader, stick with me through this. The first thing that struck me was how deeply English its imagination is. Not English in the nostalgic sense, but English in the literary sense. This is Blake, Lear, Carroll and Lennon sharing a village green. American psychedelia often seeks transcendence by escaping the ordinary. English psychedelia asks what happens if the ordinary turns out to be enchanted. The difference is surprisingly easy to illustrate. Ask yourself what sort of character Lovely Rita would be in each tradition. In the English version, she’s Rita. She has an inner life. She’s funny, lonely, exasperating, human. In the American version she’s more likely to become an archetype, an authority figure or a symbol. English psychedelia humanises. It gives personalities to rain, grass, traffic wardens and mermaids. That’s exactly what Skylarking does. Yet it isn’t really about psychedelia. It’s about how to live. That’s what gradually dawned on me as the album unfolded. Every song seemed to add another piece to an ethical vision. Not through sermons, but through ordinary experience. Teenagers meeting in fields. Someone worrying whether they’ll earn enough to build a life with another person. Marriage. Friendship. Mortality. Self-examination. Change. The revelation, for me, was Earn Enough for Us. I’d always loved it as a beautifully crafted pop song. This time I realised it sits at the moral centre of the album. It recognises something pop music rarely says out loud: before we can concern ourselves with transcendence, imagination and the soul, somebody has to earn enough to keep the lights on. That’s not anti-spiritual. It’s profoundly humanist. The practical and the visionary aren’t opponents. One enables the other. You don’t get to skip from unemployment to enlightenment. Once that thought occurred, the rest of the album reorganised itself. Grass isn’t simply nostalgic; it’s about the geography of first intimacy. The Meeting Place understands that young love creates its own territory, places where you can be seen without feeling watched. Big Day quietly dismantles romantic fantasy without dismantling marriage itself. Marriage, it suggests, exchanges excitement for friendship, and friendship turns out to be the deeper achievement. Another Satellite then asks whether companionship alone is enough. It isn’t really about jealousy. It’s about two competing ideas of intimacy. One accepts ordinary closeness. The other longs for those rare moments where two people seem to levitate together without abandoning ordinary life. Domesticity and transcendence are not opposites. The album insists on both. By the time Mermaid Smiled appears, it no longer feels whimsical. It feels inevitable. The imagination isn’t escaping reality; it’s revealing another dimension already present within it. Then comes Dying, perhaps the bravest song here. It isn’t simply about death. It’s about watching somebody you love die and thinking, “Please don’t let it happen to me like that.” The fear isn’t extinction so much as the loss of agency. It’s one of the few songs I know that confronts mortality without either sentimentality or false consolation. Which makes Sacrificial Bonfire such a remarkable ending. It left me with a phrase I’d happily have framed on the wall: Change must be earned. The song understands that renewal isn’t magic. It asks something of us. You have to decide what you’re prepared to throw into the fire. Oddly enough, it reminded me of Andy’s Man Club. A good meeting resembles a sacrificial bonfire. Men bring thoughts they’re tired of carrying and, if they’re fortunate, gradually become able to relinquish them. Speaking doesn’t magically solve anything, but it changes your relationship with the burden. If you arrive carrying exactly the same thing every week, perhaps the next question becomes: what are you still unwilling to throw into the flames? Musically, Todd Rundgren’s contribution is astonishing. This really is “American XTC”, but not because the songs become American. Rather, Rundgren hears them through a different musical grammar. The arrangements increasingly behave like jazz. Not jazz as mood music, nor as sophisticated decoration, but jazz as function. The ensemble gathers around Andy Partridge’s voice the way a great small jazz group gathers around a soloist. Instruments answer him, support him and breathe with him. It’s closer to Zappa’s understanding of jazz than to rock with a few seventh chords sprinkled on top. Dave Gregory deserves equal praise. His strings on 1000 Umbrellas don’t merely descend; they enact psychological collapse. His brass on The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul thinks like a jazz section while remaining perfectly at home inside English pastoral pop. Every arrangement advances the emotional argument of the song. I still think Dear God works better a couple of tracks earlier. Powerful though it is, it asks one of humanity’s oldest questions: if there’s an all-powerful God, why is the world like this? It’s a fine song, but by then I’d realised the album itself had been asking a different question all along. How should we live? Its answer is quietly extraordinary. Earn enough. Love well. Become friends. Keep your imagination alive. Face death honestly. Accept that change asks something of you. Find wonder in ordinary things. Whether or not anyone is listening from above almost becomes beside the point. I’d started the morning expecting one of the great psychedelic albums. I finished it convinced I’d been listening to one of the great humanist albums. One that argues ordinary human life, fully attended to, is already miraculous.
New wave. Talking Heads/Duran Duran vibes (heavier on the former). Not loving so far.
So good - I only knew their 1979 album this is a lot more refined and clean but they kept the energy and add some dissonant guitar and kinda nasty edgy synths. Feels like they're going full Bowie - like very committed to pop plus very committed to noise rock. Really like the transitions between songs I'm such a sucker for a suite. Not a lot of like slam dunk hits though - Drums and Wires belongs on this list!
Okay
oh nice well Started nice, ended less nice ::)
Though I second many of the comments about them being Great Value brand Tears for Fears, or Beatles, or Bowie, etc. I did enjoy the album. It's cohesion was impressive and it kept me interested the whole while. Dear God was a definite highlight.
It doesn't click as a concept, seems to me a random collection of songs. Not too impressed.
I could feel the alternative influences more on this album than I expected from XTC. I think they were wrongly labelled as a pop band. The pop influence is obviously really strong but I actually think their best sound is when they strayed from that. Totally expanding my conceptions of what this band, and this scene in general were all about.
Dear God is easily the best track on this album and it's wild that, while it was originally intended to be in the track list, it was pulled partially due to fears of repercussions from American audiences. Only to have it explode in popularity in the US through college radio play leading to a recall and repressing with the song added back in. Other than Dear God, there were a few other stand out tracks for me, like 1000 Umbrellas, Big Day, and Mermaid Smiled, but I was mostly indifferent to the rest of it. 1000 Umbrellas and Big Day in particular felt like they were paying homage to specific Beatles sounds.
Neat, more psychedelic 60's sounding than I expected. Favorite Track: Mermaid Smiled
XTC evolving towards lush psychedelia, lacking the angularity and sharp edges of their first ten years. Well worth a listen, though I prefer their previous work.
Good album with good songs, and not too-eighties sounding. 3.0/5.0: Good
ill give it to xtc, they swing for the fences. it doesnt always work out but i appreciate the effort they put into trying
I've only listened to one other XTC album because of this site. That one didn't really grab me, and otherwise, I don't think I recognize any of these tracks by title, so I'm mostly going into this blind. In my review for "Apple Venus Volume 1," I noted that it sounds like these guys do a lot of drugs, but not the kind that lead to making great music. I feel like this album reinforces that hypothesis. And again, the vocals are frequently sounding like the key is too high for the singer's range. This isn't bad, but I feel like I thoroughly don't get XTC's appeal.
This book is fast becoming the handful of albums you must hear before you die.
These guys have talent, no doubt about that. And I thought the record was decent. There just wasn’t that one song or group thereof that grabbed me. It was worth a listen, but not much more. 3 stars.
An artist I’ve shocked got one entry yet alone two???? Very nothing but 80’s. Much like their album 13 years later
What in the pretentious rubbish is this? I guess this album meets "fooling around" because it clearly fooled Robert Dimery into putting it and his other album on this list. His voice is so annoying, and like plastic, this album features the most annoying parts of 80s music. It's overly produced, a bit safe and very boring.
I really wanted to see the genius in Skylarking, especially with its reputation as a lush, Todd Rundgren-produced masterpiece. You can definitely hear them trying to channel The Beatles and The Beach Boys with all the nature-themed, conceptual stuff. Still, I couldn’t help but feel like a lot of it just turns into generic mid-80s alt-pop. The production feels a bit too twee and polite at times, almost like a discount Tears for Fears. There are definitely some cool moments where the band’s talent really shines through, like in "Grass" and "Earn Enough For Us." And "Dear God" is a total standout, even if it feels like a super cynical gut-punch tacked onto the end of an otherwise whimsical record.
4/10 Didn't really care for this but a full extra point for "Dear God" being apart of IT (2017)
Deat god!
Boooo 2/5
This is fine, but it's ultimately not for me.
I like XTC, but somehow this album doesn't slap like their older stuff. A shame really. This album was kinda weird, and maybe in needs a second listen, but still not their best work.
This is exactly what I picture the nerdy freshmen in Freaks and Geeks listening to
Thought I had never heard anything by this group until Dear God played at the end. Really enjoyable album, definitely want to explore XTC further. Favorite Track - That's Really Super, Supergirl (or Dear God, but not including since it wasn't part of the original album) Least Favorite Track - 1000 Umbrellas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I dunno. Sounds like if Barenaked Ladies were British and also heavily influenced by The Beatles. I understand XTC comes before B-Naked Ls, I'm just saying that's kinda what they.....whatever. Like, I don't hate it but it does bug me. I don't really want to listen to it.
Dreadful
This is my 2d XTC album. I enjoyed this a lot. I really enjoy the variety and can hear how other bands cribbed parts of their style. They can maybe be too all.over the place but still a really well done album.
one song I really liked ("Dear God"), mostly as expected slightly more than 3, can't justify 4.
Que chulo, es un disco que me alegra mucho haber descubierto porque no deja de ser indie alternativo de hoy en dia pero como con mucha experimentación.
XTC is a band that I know exists and really dig their hits Making plans for Nigel and Senses working overtime. But never listened to real albums (Except I recall a singles collection). Oh yes also Dear God I know but did not realize it was an XTC song. First impression is that it is heavy Beatles infused 80s pop. The album is a nice listen and introduction for me to learn more from the band. But i might need more listens to fully grasp the quality (As reading the reviews, this seems to be their best and magnus opus. But for now I stick at 3 stars. Might change later song picked for my playlist : 1000 umbrellas.
Flirted with “fuck these dorks” territory but not need up being catchy enough to save it.
1.9 Im knocking off a half point because I thought I had a bird stuck in the grill of my car while I was driving, listening to Summers Cauldron. It should be illegal to sample animal sounds and police sirens in a song,
Imagine music written by bowie, but with 80s overproduction and lyrics written by a five year old
Like the vibe, would check out more from this band. Kind of new wave/pop mix. More on the poppy side. 3.5
#989. This is a big bowl of nothing. The only one that's even mildly interesting really is this pretty cringe edgelord anti-religion song, the rest is bland as shit. 2/5: weak
I got into XTC in 92 when their Nonsuch album came out and The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead was getting a lot of radio play on the alternative station, and some of their previous hits were getting some play. I bought the Nonsuch and Skylarking CDs on the same day and they immediately became two favorites in my collection. Both albums impressed me with their catchy melodies, creative harmonies and clever lyrics. But Skylarking stands out as a particularly cohesive album thematically. Collectively the songs are about the seasons of nature (Summer Cauldon, Season Cycle, Ballet for a Rainy Day)woven in with the seasons of human life. Grass is a beautifully pastoral song about young romance, Dear God covers teenage angst, Big Day is the wedding day. Earn Enough For Us is relatable to anyone who has been a financially struggling newlywed. Another Satellite seems to be about Andy Partridge's own midlife crisis… and Dying has the end of life covered. This is definitely a top five no skip album for me.
I’ve seen alot of love and praise for this album before but It struggled to connect with it much this first time through. It is, admittedly, not something I’d normally gravitate towards but it’s starting to grow on me as I’m appreciating the lyrics and many of the musical passages more. The vocals are hit or miss for me at times, often offering what I wouldn’t expect, but Partridge’s talent is clear. This is a genre I don’t have much familiarity with so I’m curious to see how this album compares to others like it. I’m finding the majority of tracks here to be more enoyable the more I hear them. The seasons theme is pretty cool, I’m looking forward to exploring it more thoroughly. 2 listens Favorite Tracks: Ballet For A Rainy Day, Grass, Dear God
Expectation: -> Guessing this is obscure. After listening: -> Took two full days to listen and evaluate. Despite this, opinion didn't change much from my first impression. Light, fun. Spring/summery with birds chirping at the start. Enjoyed this but I wouldn't say it really hit for me or that I truly connected with it. 3 pushing 4. Track ranking: Ballet Grass Summer Season Super Earn Meeting The Man God Satellite Big Day Bonfire Mermaid Dying 1000
I was all back and forth between 3 and 4 on this as I was listening to it. Some of the songs I really liked and some were really mediocre. Landed on a 4
4 out of 5. This album was a pleasant surprise.
This is a very boring yet inoffensive record. I’ve forgotten it already.
In 2018 I picked up the album "World In Crisis" by Ugandan rapper Tshila. Neat album. Amongst the tracks of cutting social commentary, challenge and hope, was a haunting lament called "Dear God". Instantly one of my favorites. On this day in the year of our lord 2026, I've learned that song is a cover. And the original is amazing. Tshila's version is sorrowful, the original somewhat more angry but both work so well. When I get handed stuff that's described as "pastoral" or "lush" or "baroque" I get a little worried. It's kinda' a crap shoot if I like it or not. The odds were in my favor today. This album is great. 'Psychedelic pop' you say? That probably explains why I like it.
Ok. Too slow for my natural rhythms. ★★★
2.8
I appreciate on one hand that they've made a record influenced by 60s psychedelia, a genre which yields the occasional gem, but on the other hand, it didn't grab me and I can't remember a single track. Won't return to it
Probably an album I will come back to, I quite enjoyed the tracks 'That's Really Super, Supergirl' and 'Dear God'. It's got that 80s sound that I enjoy. Will have to listen to some more XTC
Summery BritPop
better than their other album, pleasant
Last track gave me blew me away after most of the album was so mid
I came to XTC because I fell in love with their early-'80s new wave and jangly pop albums, and I still prefer that energetic, quirky sound to the lush chamber-pop and baroque-pop direction of Skylarking. Even so, it's impossible not to admire what the band accomplished here. The songwriting is astonishingly clever, packed with inventive melodies, sophisticated arrangements, and lyrics that reward repeated listens. While this isn't my favorite era of XTC, the craftsmanship is undeniable from start to finish. It may not match my personal taste, but it's still a masterpiece deserving of a full five-star rating.
To complain about this 'artsy' power pop record being too polished and sterile seems like complaining about Barney The Dinosaur being too slow and repetitive. (Do kids still watch Barney? Should've said Ms. Rachael.) This feels like an album a younger me would've loved, but all of the songs seem to be about marriage / divorce, so (like now) I am reserving my praise for the hookiness of it all. It all kind of comes and goes, and with how many of these songs piggy-back off of each other it's hard to break the songs up in my mind. But I was tapping my toes making dinner to this album, and that seems like the point. It may not be Genesis, but at least it's not Genesis. (Do kids still listen to Genesis? Should've said Muse.)
Pleasant enough. Not sure i needed the extended crickets (?) to ‘Grass’. I knew ‘Dear God’ from the film ‘It’ and constant TikTok videos from my daughter so have a lot of affection to that track and it is an outstanding track on its own merits.
Today I learned that “Dear God” is by XTC and is the unmistakeable star of this album. The rest, however, is perfectly acceptable middle of the road that I didn’t at all mind.
I really, really enjoyed this. It reminded me of all sorts of artists I like, like Blur, Barenaked Ladies and The Dear Hunter, all for really different reasons. I knew nothing going into it and listened to it multiple times the same day. I will definitely listen again. Not sure I can quite stretch to a 5, but... 4/5
Yes, it is odd, but not particularly good in any overarching way.
This was not good at all. A poor example of not a great era in music.
Really didn’t enjoy this
I’m sure the lyrics have some deep meaning given it’s supposed to be a “concept” album (usually code for inaccessible). But the melodies and production were spot on. Never listened to XTC before (was expecting them to be a US all female hip-hop trio - pleased they were not). May dig out more.
I'm trying to be more considered with dishing out the stars after some early exuberant ratings but damn it if I didn't enjoy the hell out this and immediately re-listen. Didn't know they were the band behind Making Plans For Nigel. Sounds remarkably fresh given its age. This is was 1001 Albums is all about.
Started like Tears for Fears, went Beach Boys for a minute then got interesting..
Meh
Interesting but didn't really enjoy it, maybe 2.5/5.
Some interesting bits here and there, the controversy around "Dear God" was interesting to read about but the song itself is not that novel. Overall a decent 80s pop-rock effort, nothing all that special.
the music is really cool, but it’s such a same the vocalist has that voice. listened to a couple tracks without vocals and it’s much better
it's alright, a bit forgettable
Each and every song was beautiful.
I will carry on the trend of meeting this album with indifference.
Not a bad album. This feels like the transition from post punk/new wave to britpop, while calling back to The Beatles era
A few of the earlier songs were ok and interesting but did not enjoy overall.
I like XTC and this album is good, but I think it needs more listens. Probably 3.5 for me, but bumping for the all timer Dear God.
Skylarking was much more melodic and pop-oriented than I expected, as I had always assumed XTC were a more punk-oriented band. The standout track for me was easily Dear God, whose direct and provocative lyrics left the biggest impression, even though it felt somewhat distinct from the album’s overall warm and melodic atmosphere.
Making Plans for Nigel band? Great. But no this was an 80s offering, while I quite liked this concept album at the beginning, it wore thin and sounded less innovative and more like the weak tea style of 80s pop by the second half.
“XTC wasn’t around in the 80s” (Puts on album) “Oh. I was thinking TLC. This isn’t that.” My ex liked these guys. I always thought they were dorky. I was right. They’re very dorky.
Enjoyed this enough. Has years for fears vibes. Will check out more
Haven’t listened to XTC for a while but this is a very good album that gets better with repeat listening. The concept seems to hang together well and all songs are strong.
Love XTC. Is it their finest album? Depends on my mood, but it’s up there. Superb album all round. One of my all time favourites. Easy 5.
A bit conflicted on this, it's a lot of pastiche of different artists, but kind of ends up sounding as lost excerpts form Tears For Fears's "Songs From The Big Chair" sessions. That said, "Dear God" and "That's Really Super, Supergirl" are darned good songs.
Feels sm longer than it actually is
Forgettable concept album.
The Good: We get to fool around! The Bad: It’s not the kind of fooling around we’d hoped for… The Ugly: Another XTC fail… So the previous XTC album I had to rate got a 1* and I mentioned in that rating that I was looking forward to listening to this album as, according to the intrawebs, this album #9 was a real favorite with those people who know about music… I know nothing about music… 1* PS the Dear God song, all at the end of the album, is the only descent song on the damn album… and it was originally not even on the album… I should subtract points for that...
Perfectly odd and an imprint of 80’s counter culture, or so I I imagine
Solid enough but idk if it’s worth the library addition
extremely mid
Back half kinda falls a bit from perfect. Would say it's damn near a 4.5
Skylarking is seeped in bombastic drums, sparkly piano, and Partridge's vocals are quintessentially 1980s chamber pop. This album reminisces on the small moments of life, like the summer sun, teenage sex, admiration and religious speculation, all set to the backdrop of birds and ozone. The record becomes a sort of texture; pampas grass, mineral, the smell of hydrocortisone, promenade walking, patchwork, cigarettes, and the promise of a forever life.
I don't think I'll be putting this on for fun. It's okay though but why wouldn't I just listen to the Beatles?
10/10 no notes
I have this record. Not my favorite XTC record but still some good songs.
3.5 Definitely reminds me of tears for fears but that's not a bad thing, listened on the way to my sisters wedding so big day was definitely appropriate
Favorite Song: Dear God
Something very every day British. If Squeeze were dulled by merging with Spandau Ballet this would be it. Coronation St & Only Fools in music. Dear God is the nearest to a stand out & would have been better if they’d just kept to the opening / closing vocalist. Unfortunately other than that I couldn’t really recall a single track.
This album is just flat-out fun to listen to. It’s like a blend of Sgt. Pepper’s, Pet Sounds, and a splash of Selling England by the Pound. What really makes it special is the flow.. each song moves seamlessly into the next, as if the whole record were one coherent composition. 4⭐️
bien, es raro pq tiene flow cool pero se me hizo aburridito
Day 296 I got into XTC and this album especialky in a slightly unusual way, I was obsessed with the US TV show 24 at one point and read an interview with Kiefer Sutherland where he named Dear God as his favourite song ever which made me download it on Limewire (sorry Lars Ultich). Fell in love with that song and still had it in regular rotation since. Rest of the album doesn’t quite hit the heights of the final song, still plenty to enjoy though. Highlights Season cycle Another satellite Dear god.
I didn't get much from this album, tbh. I also couldn't quite give it enough attention.
Damn, is this garbage ever hot. The plans for Nigel clearly fell through.
Yeah nothing special. Infeel this band is very overrated
I thought I knew who XTC was when I first saw they were the album for today, but I then realized I was mistaking them for the punk band X. This album came out in 1986, and I’m going to guess XTC is from the United Kingdom and is a new wave band. Okay, according to our good friend Wikipedia, XTC is a rock band coming out of the punk and new wave scene in the U.K., but for Skylarking, the genre is listed as pop, psychedelic, and rock. Color me intrigued. The album is also a concept album of sorts with Todd Rundgren as producer. Now I’m really getting excited about listening to this album. Skylarking is often looked upon as XTC’s best album and was heavily influenced by the 1960s, according to Wikipedia. The band was fronted by Andy Partridge, who sang and played guitar, and Colin Moulding, who sang and played bass. Both were the primary songwriters of the group. Of the 15 songs on the album, Moulding wrote five. Track 1 is Summers Cauldron. The song starts with what sounds like robotic crickets and frogs on a summer night. Then what sounds like a recorder begins playing a simple melody. This is already giving me 80s new wave vibes. Synths are the music makers for the first verse, then bass, guitar, and piano come in. It's definitely new wave 80s now. I'll admit music like this doesn't really do it for me. I find it bland. But I can appreciate the songcraft. It's a good song. Partridge wrote and sang it. Track 2 is Grass. The immediate change from Summer’s Cauldron to the beginning of Grass is very subtle. There's less recorder sound and more guitars and strings. The lead singer sounds different. Moulding wrote this one, so I assume he's singing. I hear the psychedelic sounds bubbling up in the song. There's a sitar or at least a guitar made to sound like one. I like this song. It's got a fun, breezy feel to it. It feels like a summer song. It was the first single off the album. The robotic crickets and frogs are back. This is a concept album, or loosely is. The songs weren't written to be a concept album, but producer Rundgren kind of talked the band into it. It's kind of a day in the life or days throughout a season. I'm not sure the band even knows for sure Track 3 is The Meeting Place, and it starts with a bit of Pink Floyd’s Money-type noise, but there’s a familiarity to this song. It sounds like it could have been made in the 90s. Yes, it reminds me a bit of Jane’s Addiction. I really like this song. It’s another Moulding song. So at this point I seem to like Moulding’s songs more than Partridge's’s. Track 4 is That’s Really Super, Supergirl and I could tell it’s Partridge immediately, as I didn’t dig it right off the bat. It’s not bad, but I just don’t connect with it. It almost sounds like something I’d hear on a Steve Vai album, without all the guitar wankery, of course. Track 5 is Ballad for a Rainy Day and this song sounds like it could have come out in the mid-90s. Wikipedia said XTC proved an influence on the Britpop and power pop revival in the 90s. I can see why with this song. It’s very poppy, but it still has these odd motifs that sound sad. The title says it's a ballad, and most ballads aren’t happy. So, I shouldn't be surprised, I guess. It’s the first Partridge song I’ve enjoyed. Track 6 is 1000 Umbrellas, and these songs just kind of bleed into one another. I wasn't sure another song had started, really. I just noticed a slight change. This song has a beautiful string section. I think I’m starting to buy into the concept, as all the songs are different but include slight similarities. Track 8 is Earn Enough for Us and it’s more of a power pop song. I really like it. It’s the first song that kind of sounds different from the other songs. It’s another Partridge song. It’s fun, and though the lyrics are a bit dark, the singer is praying he can earn enough wages to take care of himself and his significant other. My favorite song on the album, so far. Track 10 is Another Satellite, and it’s a little slower than most of the songs. It’s about a fan who once came between Partridge and his wife. Partridge’s singing is very soulful. It’s got those jangly pre-Britpop guitars in the background. It’s odd because it’s in between the new wave that was dominating radio at the time, with definite shades of where modern rock would go in about 10 years or so. Track 12 is The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul. This song sounds like the free-form jazz or rock that someone would play behind a beat poet doing avant-garde poetry in the 60s. However, it doesn’t sound corny. I like it. It’s got that swinging 60s sound mixed with spy music. Track 11 Mermaid Smiled was also kind of 60s jazzish. I really like this song. I’m not sure this is an all-time album, but XTC is slowly winning me over with each song. This album is eclectic, but it all works. Track 13 is Dying, and it’s about an older neighbor of Moulding’s who passed away. Moulding grapples with his getting older and not wanting to die like his neighbor did, sick, heartbroken, and alone. It’s a sad song. Now I’m bummed out because I’m older now than Moulding was when he wrote this song. Track 15 is Dear God and it was a B-side to the first single off the album, Grass. Dear God wasn't even on the album in the US. However, college radio started playing it, and it became a bit of a hit on campuses across the country. So the song was added to later pressings of the album. Oh yeah! I remember this song. It’s got a kid singing the first verse before Moulding takes over. The song is an agnostic writing a letter to God, challenging His existence. The song, of course, caused some controversy in the U.S., with Christians being upset about the lyrics. Some “Christians” threatened to blow up a radio station, while a “heathen” held a college DJ at knife point, forcing him to play the song over and over. It’s nice to see how we can all come together over an issue violently. As usual, the song didn’t bring about the end of Christianity or welcome the kingdom of satan, and it was essentially forgotten about. Much like all these silly little “controversies” and dumb issues that keep us fighting amongst ourselves rather than focusing on the real issues and… You know, I. Digress. Dear God may be the best song on the album. As a whole, I liked the album, but nothing really blew me away. I can see how they were about 10 to 15 years ahead of their time, though. It’s just a fun rock album to listen to if you liked new wave in the 80s and Britpop in the 90s.
It was a charming album. I enjoyed it
Dear God is a cool song but the rest is just mediocre for me.
Really unremarkable.
boring
Entre al album con cariño porque conoci Earn Enough For Us por Gilmore Girls, pero ningun tema esta a la altura de ese dentro del album y por mas que esta entretenido no se si volvere 7/10
pretty easy to listen to but i wouldn’t seek it out.
Dit is voor mij heel erg van die aanstellerige muziek van die ene guy die zichzelf zoveel beter vind dan iedereen en daarom muziek maakt die wij gewone mensen "Toch niet begrijpen". Want dat dit moeilijk is om te spelen, dat geloof ik meteen. Maar is het dan goed? En ook heb ik gewoon een beetje het idee alsof dit muziek is die andere artiesten al gedaan hebben, en vaak ook beter. Heb dit echt geprobeerd, en buiten The Man who sailed around his soul heb ik me eigenlijk vooral zitten vervelen. Dit is nogal filmische muziek, gemaakt voor en door mensen die vast een stuk intelligenter zijn dan dat ik ben. Althans wel op het gebied van muziektheorie, wat natuurlijk helemaal prima is, maar wel een beetje jammer dat ik zo sterk het idee krijg dat ze het me continue in mn gezicht moeten wrijven. Dit is denk ik de minste ervaring die ik ooit met XTC gehad heb. In elk geval heb ik me nog nooit zo verveeld als deze keer... FAVO: The man who sailed around his soul
ну норм, но не вот чтобы сильно впечатлило в 1000 зонтиков прикольно используют оркестр
не знаю вроде норм но чет не зацепило
a bit beatles-like at times, I enjoyed it
1.67
very fun sound #MUSICSKY #ALBUMSKY
I don’t know. XTC clearly have written some great pop songs but they’re not on this album, which sounds like Bo Burnham signing Elvis Costello. There are some standouts but does Dear God warrant inclusion on this list? Earn Enough For Us is also good
I was annoyed to get this (because didn’t I just get an XTC album?) and now I’m even more annoyed because I’m really enjoying it so far. …and then I got to the last song. I fucking hate this song.
Dear God is a fantastic song that really reflects my own musings on religion as a young man wrote. Another Satellite is Another highlight. The rest of the album is decent. 3.5/5 rounded to 4 mostly on the strength of Dear God.
"Dear God" saved the day...
what if we would try to be eclectic like queen, but fail miserably. +1 star for dear god
NEEDS A REVISIT..
Summer’s Cauldron - 3.5/5 Grass - 3.5/5 The Meeting Place - 3/5 That’s Really Super, Supergirl - 4/5 Ballet For A Rainy Day - 3/5 1000 Umbrellas - 3/5 Season Cycle - 4/5 Earn Enough For Us -4/5 Big Day - 3/5 Another Satellite - 3/5 Mermaid Smiled - 3.5/5 The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul - 4.5/5 Dying - 3.5/5 Sacrificial Bonfire - 3/5 Dear God - 4/5
A very nice sound but the back half drags a bit.
Low key album. Pretty good
An average album from the 80s.
Couldn’t ever get into it, which is a shame because it has a lot of the things I’m into. Back to making plans for Nigel, for me. RYM: Y (#835) Saved a song: N
Quite like Crowded House, not bad in parts
Kinda meh, it's all over the place (Also, who tf starts an album with 30 seconds of silence?)
Like a worse Duran Duran. Couldn’t stand it.
Decent album. It had a sound I couldn’t put my finger on.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a pop/rock album with some ambient elements. The instrumentation is kind of off-putting for me and even some of the vocals I don't care for either. I would not come back to this one.
Not exceptional but interesting
lowkey good vibes 7.5/10
Weird but in a good way. I'd revisit. 3.5
So apparently "Dear God" was left off the original release. What a mistake. Great album.
Completely faded into the background for me. Wholly unremarkable sadly
Nej för mig. Inget som fångade, tyckte inte heller om sångarens röst. Kniven mot strupen så tyckte jag att sista låten Dear God var ok. Albumtiteln gillade jag också förresten.
I really enjoyed listening to this and I don't think there's a song I dislike on it. The type of lyrics I can find appreciation for and connect with. definitely my kind of album, almost a 5 grass supergirl season cycle the man who sailed around his soul dying dear god
Nothing really notable here. Not offensive either. 3 stars!
charming, but nothing wowed me. saved: dear god.
Pretty average, will not remember this at all.
A lot of nature references and comparisons. I felt confused listening to this. What do you mean by "like childrens' umbilical"?
Forestmaxxing
65
Album 187. Skylarking (https://open.spotify.com/album/3FVsJiQMI7dp0RfTBdWtMW?si=NurvtbgERGyEtGMXbF2nIw) — XTC (1986) idk, I feel nothing about this album. Some pop rock mediocre music. Correct title of the album — Forgettable. I already forgot the album and nothing has changed in my life. It's even shitty for background, some whining voices there. 2/5 No liked songs
Masterly. XTC base the music and lyrics on pastoral 60s pop, and then thread every manner of musical style through the album — psychedelia, folk, orchestral. jazz, rock — with a broad concept of “How England Lives.” Could have been silly and twee, but it’s captivating. Andy Partridge’s baritone is unmistakable, I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s like musical theater. In fact, that’s the album: a thousand-tales production of class, dreams, love, the struggle. And the curtain comes down with a bleak coda (“Dear God”) that sounds like nothing else on the record. It leaves you a bit breathless. Faves: Grass That’s Really Super, Supergirl Season Cycle Earn Enough For Us Dear God
Great stuff. Another high 3.
A little bit more interesting than another XTC album I listened to on this list. Their embrace of Beatles-style psychedelia seems to prefigure Britpop by a few years, and “The Meeting Place” sounds like it could be a decent Roxy Music b-side. But then they come up with dissonant pop melodies like “Supergirl” that seem specially designed to annoy me. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Rubbish I tell ya, XTC is rubbish. I thought they were a fun band before this project, but after listening to their albums in full I realize I was naive.
Weird like off beetles shit
468/1089 - Thank you XTC and Todd Rundgren. So many surprises. Incredible instrumentation and production. I don't know how to describe how much I liked this album. While it isn't my favorite album but it's up there, and I think it's compositionally a perfect album.
Nice album
A lovely throwback to the 60's psychedelic sound. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 10. It’s just that good. I liked XTC from what I heard on “Apple Venus Volume 1”. I think Todd Rundgren, between his albums & his production work on this list, is one of my favorite discoveries of this whole thing. What happens when you put their sensibilities together? Something that REALLY elevates both together, my goodness. Todd Rundgren’s production work with the more refined technologies of 1986 is fantastic here – he was already pushing things 13 years prior on “A Wizard, A True Star”, so finding a band that can marry his sense of showmanship with well-composed & well-written tracks feels like a natural step to take. XTC is that band. Their lyricism here is evocative of so many things, & the running theme of the cycling seasons & how weather shapes the world being a direct mirror to the life cycle & how relationships shape a person’s character is brilliantly done. Every track here has at least one killer line that sums everything up in a way that makes everything click, and as a top-to-bottom 45 minutes, it’s tight as hell, both in its pacing & how cool it is. I don’t want to go track by track here; some tracks earn more praise than others (in particular, “That's Really Super, Supergirl”, “1000 Umbrellas”, “Earn Enough for Us”, “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” & “Dear God”, at least for me), but the entire package is just killer. Genuinely, a no-skip album, between some of the great transitions & the consistent thematics. Going track-by-track here undermines the soundscapes of everything, and while I could ramble on & on about Todd’s production work, Andy Partridge’s vocals, the fantastic push & pull to everything, and the near-perfect pacing of the album… it’s just one you gotta hear before you die. I was at a “slightly above a 5” when I started writing this, but hearing the album over again whilst writing it, I’m realizing that even some of the plain, flowery or repetitive parts of the album carry their own space in terms of helping the album flow. “The Meeting Place” is a little plain, but it works as a nice cooldown after the 1-2 punch of the opener. Same thing for “Big Day”’s repetition & “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul”’s flowery lyricism. They all flow cohesively, and it’s just a delight to hear. Hence, a 10. I talked myself into it, and I think it earns it. It’s a really captivating album, and at least for my musical sensibilities, one of the best albums of the 1980s we’ve gotten on the list. I know I keep giving Todd Rundgren flowers, and he’ll probably more than earn them by the time we get “Bat Out Of Hell”, but he really does deserve them. I cannot understate XTC’s contributions as the primary visionaries behind this album, as their songwriting elevates the whole thing. I’m talking in circles at this point – just go listen to it. It’s REALLY fucking good.
I reckon this is a grower. I like the vocals. It's a bit quirky. And I want to listen to it again (after 2 goes already) but can't quite figure out why...yet. For now a 2 because nothing is really hitting the mark but I feel like it will at some point...
I actually really like XTC but somehow had never listened to this album through. Its pretty good, but definitely not my favourite of theirs.
Quite dreary. Would I listen again? No.
I really liked this. It has a very 60s sound (for an album from the 80s) and a nature theme running through the album that I dig. Going into it I had no expectations and the album won me over pretty well. Recommend!
Oh hey it’s New Wave.
Dear God was intense. By far the standout track on the record. The rest was acceptable but not incredible.
This one is not my favourite. “Earn enough for us” is a big highlight but the rest just falls flat for me.
Overall did not leave an impression unfortunately
Ah, that thin, mild, mediocre sound. This is just a band I don't get. I know so many seem to think they're one of the greatest British bands, but I always feel they are lacking something. It's all a bit flat. Songs seem to fit everything I would like, clever lyrics, humour, pop hooks, experimental at times but it never hits the mark. Considering they were meant to be a studio band, why is it so wet and bland? Where's the passion? Best Tracks: Grass; Ballet for a Rainy Day; 1000 Umbrellas
I can't say the 600 series is off to a roaring start. Unremarkable.
Gets 2-stars only because it wasn’t as bad as Shitti Politti
This is pretty good. I like XTC. I have and like a few of their albums. Some of their songs are great. But for some reason I never thought of XTC as an album band. I thought of them more as whatever killer track or two or three happened to be on whatever album. That is a long way of saying XTC seems to be more of a “best of” band to me instead.
Really fun! I need to devote more energy on XTC.
I enjoyed this, and need to thank this project for forcing me to give XTC a chance. In my youth, I always wrote them off as just a generic pop group, but I’m realizing I had serious misconceptions.
soirée à la campagne au milieu de l'été aaaah (surtout le début)
5/10 - it's alright, sometimes too try hard but pleasant
Okay easy listening
Kind of weird and not in the best way. Dear God is a radio staple.
Nothing special
Enjoyed this, can see how it inspired britpop. Needed to do more for 4
fine
The lyrics are terrible. Some of the corniest lyrics I've ever heard, vocals are just as bad.
It was a pleasant listen, but also utterly forgettable. Not a single song stuck
Je ne connaissais pas ce groupe et ça m'a semblé pas mal oubliable, même s'il y avait de temps en temps un peu des passages qui m'ont semblé un peu plus expérimentaux et ambitieux. Dans l'ensemble, ça ne me semble pas être un mauvais album, mais je ne crois pas non plus que c'est quelque chose sur lequel je reviendrais.
Another English alternative band that left no foot print? This is getting ridiculous. I have to listen to these guys, but I’ve only listened to one Rolling Stones Album on this entire list.
Great album. Didn't know this was so good!
2,5 Highlights: Grass, Season Cycle
I wavered on this one a bit but ended up enjoying it in the end. Dear God was a solid album closer, if a little on the nose. The super theatrical tracks weren't really my favorite, but they were interesting. The drums on a few tracks really had me hooked in.
This is the kind of music I like generally - good hooks and harmonies, lots of jaunt-y beats in the tradition of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Zombies (like "Season Cycle"). Produced by Todd Rundgren, has some of his feel in there with the mix of pop and synth experimentation...I'd like to spend more time with this album but Idk if I will. "Ballet for a Rainy Day" is a very McCartney-esque tune....3.5 stars and I'll round up
It was Ok I guess. Pop with a little bit of punk influence, not as bad as the horrendous cover made me think. Go look up the cover originally planned if you are interested..
No private session used for Spotify as I have definitely listened to this album before. I like this album, nice pleasant rock. I like the entire feel of the album and how it flows together. Notable exception in that is "Dear God", but it's a great song so I give its poignant anger a pass.
First one I've genuinely never heard of. Sounds like fairly straightforward quirky pop, although quite early and therefore maybe influential. I can hear parts that sound like Grant Lee Phillips, You Am I, and Neil Finn. It's quite enjoyable, but not revelatory and doesn't seem like the best example of its type
Average at best.
Some really bright songs, a lot better than expected. They remind me of an 80's Weezer for some reason, I think it's the clever composition and simple sounding playing, but it's devilish in parts and harder than you think.
Inoffensive yet somehow simultaneously dreary
Weird pop and also slightly trad? 3.4
Didn't love it, didn't hate it
Once we get into the 80s, I'm kind off done with this pop-rock genre. Either be psychedelic like in the 70s or be heavy as other bands were in the 80s. This one is not for me
I hate this so fucking much.
Cool album, awesome production and songwriting. Last song leaves a bad taste in my mouth
i got my laundry DONE listening to this album, you feel me???? i was grooving with it. this was pretty enjoyable. immediate standout to me was "the man who sailed around his soul" which was a great track, but on the whole this is fun and engaging album. it's aggressively mid 80s in a way that feels almost like they're borrowing from tears for fears, but i think they're doing enough with the psychedelic elements that i don't have complaint. if anything i think it's just a little uneven as some of the tracks feel closer to filler than they do thoughtful entries, but the loose concept of the album itself is amusing. perfectly solid album to get laundry done to.
I saw the reviews of this and was expecting a very middling new wave album but I like, enjoyed this? Like really quite enjoyed it. It's not perfect, its a little monotonous in places, but this album sounds great and I love the use of instruments throughout. Maybe this album just hits with some people and doesn't with others? I really like the more jazzy and psychedelic side to some of the strongs, Mermaid Smiled being the biggest example probably. Not everything hits, the writing is a little too "trying to say something but actually being very blunt" like Another Satellite feeling like a metaphor that was just entirely lost. But like, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul? Absolutely Incredible. It's a light 4, pretty uneven but when it hits it's really enjoyable.
Just no. Very samey. Not interesting. Didn’t like this.
4/5
Meh. Very British and very 80s. 2.5/10 Top song Dear god
This is very English! All over the place. Horrible 80's production. Yet I can hear so many bands that took inspiration from this sound. Field Music, Jellyfish, The Decemberists and Ben Folds Five for example.
This is a groovy Psychedelic pop album with a surprisingly powerful ballad about doubt of faith
9/10
suena bien pero no me parecio tan interesante su musica 7/10
07/04/2026 It's a strong contender for 3 stars, I just didn't connect with it like I hoped for. Spotify listeners: 751.9k
Another British record where I go "Yeah it was decent, but I'm not sure I NEEDED to hear that".
Really enjoyed it. Knew of them but didn’t know them and some songs I liked, Grass, Meeting Place. Very listenable and can see how they influenced a lot of bands/sound that I like.
Dear God is fantastic, the rest of the album is ok but not much stood out
Thought it was kind of interesting at first, but after 45 more minutes of almost, I was more annoyed and bored. The only GOOD song on here, isn't even on the original album.
Other than 1 or 2 songs, I rather enjoyed this. I'll have to check out more XTC because I enjoyed the only other album I heard from them as well.
New Wave Synths, keyboards and chorus-pedal guitars combine with a high, almost falsetto, vocal and lots of poppy arrangements and an art-rock approach to songwriting. At it’s best (Earn Enough for Us), it’s bright and upbeat power pop that presages a lot of 90s Brit-Pop. Other good bits head for the weirder artsy end of New Wave, with spacious deconstructed songs like Another Satellite, based on bizarre sparse soundscapes. But there are also some over-elaborate fussy songs with lots of strings that give have a bloated, annoying feel, like bad Sgt Peppers imitators. Some jazzy stuff that mostly sounds out of tune.
Parts of it reminds me of the Beatles. It started off kinda eh but then it gets better. I like the tracks that sounded very orchestral I love it.
If I hadn't been in my alt-goth 80s emo phase, I may never had heard of them and this would just be an interesting synth pop throw back to the 60s... but I was and so it has a least a little more value to me. 3.
Pretty good, didn't blow me away
I was familiar with Dear God and Earn Enough For Us but had not listened to this album before though it's considered among XTC's best. I l9ve singles like Nigel and Senses Working Overtime and also many of the bands that cite them as an influence and yet somehow I just find I don't really connect with them over the course of an album. This was better than the turn of the century album of theirs on the list, but it was still a bit underwhelming given I think they can at times be brilliant.
I had a poor impression heading in and after listening to it it didn't even meet that low expectation.
Very forgettable album.
Felt… boring. Never heard of this group and might not again (sorry).
An enjoyable listen, but it didn’t really stick with me. The only song I recognized was “Earn Enough For Us.” 7/10 Quite Likeable
найс
3.5
This is definitely one of those bands that by all means I should really like but always strikes me as good but underwhelming. To me they are a bit of a cross between Elvis Costello, the Beatles (more specifically when McCartney and Martin are left to their own devices), and a touch of the Beach Boys harmonies. And all that seems like it should at least fit in my ballpark, with the exception of Elvis Costello, which I think is the biggest sticking point for me. There is a certain thread of nerd Rock, I think starts with Costello continues through XTC and moves on to Weezer, that for some reason just doesn't really fit my feel, even though all the sonic elements are there. This album is definitely in full force of that type of songcraft. And although there are some songs that I did enjoy , for the most part this album just didn't do much for me . Quite honestly my favorite song in the album was one that's not even on the original album, and that's "Dear God". (even that does something I typically dislike which is using a child vocal for emotional effect, but when Andy takes over it's a fkin great song) (7.25) ★★★½
At times very good songwriting, and a delightful sound. 4 stars
I'm not a fan of this band outside of a few songs. I kind of feel like they want to be the Beatles, but Partridge and Moulding are no Lennon and McCartney. Or even a Ringo. Todd Rundgren's production makes me think he was trying to goof on *Revolver* the same way he was trying to goof on *Born to Run* with *Bat Out of Hell*. There's a few decent songs here, but other songs, like "That's Really Super, Supergirl" are the musical equivalent of waterboarding. If not for "Dear God", which isn't technically part of the tracklist, this would be in sub-3 territory, but I'll count it and go with a light 3 stars.
I don’t know if I am much of an XTC fan but I am a Todd Rundgren fan and as producer he sure does wrangle a good album out of these Swindon lads. Sure, their voices are a bit goofy but the album as a whole is LUSH in historiated capital letters. The first half particularly is so feverishly sweltering from all the gorgeous sonic splendour. Melodically it’s so divine like sweet nectar from the gods. How does someone listen to a song like Summer’s Cauldron and not doff their cap in bedazzlement by the end by the geniosity and vividness of it? Arrangement-wise it has all of the best traditions of late sixties Beatles but also future echoes of Blur. As well as Skylarking this has huge hints of Parklarking and Great Escape-larking as well. Ultimately a 4.5 because the second half is a bit patchier and it does fade away to a low ebb by the time of Dying and Sacrificial Bonfire which is why original non-album MTV hit Dear God at the end is a necessity.
vraiment sympa, musicalement bon et ça chante ok
C'est intéressant mais un peu plat
Not my thing
Based on the title I thought I was in for a Ska or Reggae album. I got the Todd Rundgren album a few days ago so that was a neat point of interest. Not Kid Rock levels of bad.
capa legal FAVS (top 3): grass, 1000 unbrellas, dying mençoes honrosas: summers cauldron; thats really super, supergirl; season cycle; mermaid smiled; sacrificial bonfire UM OTIMO album minha gente merece estar na lista eu love nota final: 4.5/5
I did not care one bit
More like this please. I little happy-go-lucky at times but all in all such a pleasant surprise!
I was not liking this at first, I’m not huge on that 80s rock sound and the songwriting was pretty wierd. As the album went on it reminded me more of late era Beatles and beach boys but with 80s production. Complex songs and sounds, but I really enjoyed the back half. I think this album deserved a few more listens through.
Mostly forgettable. Not necessarily bad, just another UK post punk album on this list that doesn't really impress much. 2.5/5 Won't listen again.
I’ve never listened past their earlier stuff so this was a welcome surprise. It definitely sounds like the 80s but not in a way I disliked. The first half was excellent, the second half was pretty good. It got better on a second listen as well. Rating: 4.3
Very slow start but last 5 songs really shine through, very enjoyable listen!
Att detta band fick två album?! Det är var väl inte riktigt lika kasst som det förra i alla fall. Svag 2a
Fortfarande lack sen förra gången xtc var uppe och presenterade en av de sämsta skivorna hittills, så de har uppförsbacke. De får lite revansch ändå. Efter en första lyssning är det mycket jag gillar. Vissa saker, exempelvis dear god, är väl ett steg för gymnasiepretto möjligen, men det mesta är trevligt. Kanske är det toddans närvaro som gör det? Smålyssnar en andra gång och tycker de två första låtarna är röva. Tar sig från och med the meeting place. Knapp 3a får det bli.
Ooh en till remaster från Steven Wilson. Stackars Todd gjorde inte sitt jobb... Ah, jag gillar det här. Så konstigt att jag aldrig hade hört talas om dom. Påminner om typ Flying Colors men kan vara bara sångaren.
åh inte det här bandet igen… marginellt bättre än förra
Stark trea med fyrapotential. Lyssnar jag en gång till är det nog en helgjuten fyra. Man kan ju ifrågasätta varför deras dåliga album var med, men är listan mer byggd på att berätta något om rockhistorien har vi nu lärt oss att det gick utför för XTC.
A fine new wave pop album, some interesting compositions and some annoying ones. Overall not bad, but not something I’ll return to.
Kind of special. Sometimes interesting, sometimes weird. Mostly just meh. 2.5/5