Skylarking

Just a bit boring

Very pleasant listening experience

Ei tämäkään oikein ollut mistään kotoisin. ⭐️⭐️

This album doesn't resonate with me. It is hard listening

Un gigantesque meh des années 80.

Pretty good, but can be a bit repetitive.

Some good songs

Went into this one blind. I have heard the name XTC, but had no idea what they sounded like. Definitely expected some very, VERY, 80s shit a la The Human League or something, but this is some kind of (very 80s) psychedelia. Liked this way more than I expected. If you ignore the eyeroll inducing lyrics it's pretty fun.

Wrote a terrible review of this so trying to do it justice. One of weirdest pop/rock albums of its time. Without this, there is no MGMT in my eyes so I appreciate it for that alone. There is, to me, a punk attitude in the songwriting but expressed with really beautiful and off kilter instrumental choices. The closest to feeling like you're on the titular band drug without being on it.

Found this a bit pretentious but did enjoy some of the songs

The hell is this?

very interesting flavor of british pop from this era, i see the potential

9/10 I really like XTC. The flavor works for me, I like how pop it is while being calm. Dear God is the best song on the record and has made its way on every play list I make. 10-15-2025

It sounds great. Power 80’s rock pop at its finest. Makes for good workout music. It’s not a record that I feel like revisiting much, but it’s hard to find fault in its production or performance.

Yeah I liked this. Hadn't heard of them but I enjoyed it.

Can't give five stars to an album that has a song like Dear God on it. Shame, as the rest of the album is pretty excellent

this was a surprise. Always liked the hits of XTC but never really explored them any further. Therefore this was a worthwhile deep dive into this album which holds up well with some good tracks.

This is VERY scary! Last weekend I bought English Settlement on LP and now this beautiful record shows up. Having listened to this a few times now I can safely say I really enjoyed this record. XTC is one of the best unknown bands and deserve a hell of a lot more attention than they are getting. The story behind this album is very interesting too, and worth looking into, Pitchfork did a great piece on this. Lovely album cover, great music, great production. Yes this was very good!

A lot of interesting things going on (echoes of influences and influenced) and some high points (Dear God), but it's just a sound and result that doesn't do much for me.

I can't figure out XTC. They are talented and interesting songwriters, but they lack overall punch. I can't decide if it is their overt cynicism or the lack of quality to their artists claims. They are at least interesting to listen to, even if they don't quite connect.

Excellent production but the songs aren’t my thing

3.5

I'm always charmed by a b-side of a single taking over, the only song I knew was 'Dear God" and it's not on the original track list!

3.0 I liked XTC in the 80's I remember this album more favorably then than I do now. Just OK. I love some of their other radio hits. Probably would love it more in 1988 but my tastes have changed a lot since and a lot of people since have improved on this sound. Still a solid and fun album.

I fell asleep. I have no idea why this album is on the list. It wasn't super-irritating so 2 out of 5

It's like someone listened to The Beatles, The Beach Boys and some Bowie, and then decided to just do that, but worse in the 1980s.

Maravilhoso! Já faz parte da minha vida há tempos.

could have been a four if they skipped a bit of the latter part of the album. but i must say i like the overall sound. could absolutely listen again

I know XTC -kinda. Then I read a review that said XTC is the best. Listener rhapsodized about life after hearing XTC. I was sold so I listened carefully. Thanks to that listener I have a whole new appreciation for XTC. Yes-this is a sweet happy album. A great mood lift!

I liked this album. It had many interesting sounds and was pretty catchy as well. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul was a great song, and so was Dear God.

XTC is another of those bands that you'd think I'd like more than I do. Generally I think this is because I don't really like Partridge's vocals. Dear God is the strongest track here, though.

Bland and boring, and their “best song” was a completely different feel than the rest of the album

There were several tracks on this album. The songs were played by musicians. One guy sang the words.

I hated this. Maybe I'm missing something, but it was a chore to get through.

XTC is a strange band where I absolutely love 20% of their output and am indifferent to the other 80%. There’s a few songs on here that I adore, but the rest are just meh. Great production though!

Somewhere between the Beatles, mid 80s UK indie and Genesis. Not a mix of influences I'd go for 3*

yea sure its not awful Best Song: Earn Enough for Us Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2 Stars

producido por Todd Rundgren Con éxitos como Grass, The Meeting Place, Earn Enough For Us y sobre todo Dear God, no incluida en principio en el álbum pero que luego sí se introdujo parece impensable que no esté en un listado de discos a escuchar al menos una vez. Olvidando sus inicios punkies, y después de los formidables Drums and Wires (1979) o English Settlement (1982), y sobre todo Big Express (1984) . Este es considerado su mejor disco, y no sin razón. Ecos de psicodelia pop, de lo mejorcito de los 80 (junto con otros ilustres como Orange Juice o Aztec Camera, Prefab Sporut están a otro nivel ya). El trío inicial no hace otra cosa que confirmarlo. Ballet for a rainy day y 1000 umbrellas ya podías haberla grabado McCartney en esa época. Season Cycle, nos remite aún a tiempos más gloriosos. Rundgren mucho tuvo que disfrutar con el resultado de esta gema. Another Satellite la habrán escuchado The Beta Band como millones de veces. Dear God (con algunas melodías cercanas al Summer in the city) es un cierre magistral, imperdonable hubiera sido no haberla incluído. Esto en los 80 sonaba exquisito, aunque no terminaba de tener éxito masivo. De aquí cogieron muchas cosas gente como Blur, Franz Ferdinand o Porcupine Tree.

It pretty good

1. Summer's Cauldron - 5 Average rock song. Lyrically okay, instrumentally okay, vocally okay. There is nothing overly remarkable about this track. 2. Grass - 4 It's not great vocally. I think the sound of the vocals is what I take most issue with here. Instrumentally it's fine, and the outro fade is enjoyable but overall this is just a boring track. 3. The Meeting Place - 3 Vocally unpleasant. The guitar and drums sound very good but the lyrics seem so random. It is as if they're trying to paint a metaphoric scene but use too many metaphors in the process of doing so. 4. That's Really Super, Supergirl - 1 Absolute cheese. 5. Ballet For A Rainy Day - 1 Vocally and lyrically very poor and way too inconsistent. 6. 1000 Umbrellas - 2 A little bit stronger in the vocal performance but still littered with inconsistencies and underwhelming lyrics. 7. Season Cycle - 1 Like a very poor Beatles track, which there's over five albums of them in this challenge so I'm sure we'll get to those too. Still, it's bubblegum-like 80s pop rock with poor lyrics and uninspiring instrumentals. 8. Earn Enough For Us - 1 If hippies sung about working a 9 to 5. That's about all this song is in a nutshell. And no, it doesn't sound good. 9. Big Day - 1 Rough sounding track. Lyrics are all over the place. Vocally it doesn't sound great either. 10. Another Satellite - 0 It has the same problems as Big Day but it's even worse sounding. 11. Mermaid Smiled - 3 Vocally it doesn't sound good but it's lyrically better written than the last two tracks. The guitar on the track is quite enjoyable. 12. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul - 4 Much more fun track. It gets a little repetitive but it's still significantly better than a lot of the previous half of the album. 13. Dying - 2 Lyrically very repetitive. The pace is ok and is maintained well by the guitar but the track isn't particularly great. 14. Sacrificial Bonfire - 0 Just a random song with very random lyrics. The pace is all over the place and the insturments constantly come in, out, and stutter between with it. Also I don't know who the lead singer is but after fourteen tracks I think it's safe to say I think his voice is awful. 15. Dear God - 8 Lyrically this is miles better than anything else on the album. Really solid track and the instruments help the track and its theme magnificently. Average Rating: 2.40 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 1.20 Rounded Down: 1 Star

This album isn't all that bad, in fact it sounds very competently put together. It does, however, seem to lack any real hook, instead it feels a bit on the sterile side. Not bad as such, but there's nothing here that'll blow you away.

Love this album bought it when it came out in 1986. Played dear god a million times

I don’t get it. Like, what’s with the overdramatized singing about non-dramatic topics with non-dramatic backing music? I actively did not like this — it’s like listening to a self-absorbed self-important version of Squeeze. Or like Joe Jackson (who I like) trying out for his high school play. A 1.

It's the type of album where I have nothing bad to say because I enjoyed all of the songs but there's no way it could ever go above a 3. It's a harmless album.

This is all over the place. Parts sound like Tears for Fears if they were insane.

Still not a fan of partridge’s voice

I own this, but may never have listened before! Cool bombastic pop, 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Some Owned: Yes 14/1001, 14/53 (26%) Will I get? Already have

Some pretty cool stuff happening here, but musically, all the people saying "worse version of tears for fears" are on the money. Clever lyrics, and interesting composition and sounds can't save it. Sometimes you hear the Beach Boys, and then you immediately hear the intro to a sitcom and then you get this dry talk-singing. Frankly, I don't care for the singer's voice - acquired taste, I guess, because I just gave Johnny Rotten props for his inadequacies, just here it feels like a choice. Everything about this album feels like very conscious choices and it didn't make something I like, so there we go. Every time I think we're picking up steam, we don't. Missed opportunity cancels out interesting ideas.

Pretty good but I wouldn't listen to this again.

Interesting but OK.

Pretty bland Britpop album. The concept aspect was pretty much lost on me. Not bad, but probably wouldn't reach for this one again. Best tracks: That's Really Super, Supergirl, Earn Enough For Us. Dear God was kinda catchy too.

Not very exciting. Its okay background noise

XTC is a band that I always felt I *ought* to like more than I do, even from their early albums. I have several of their albums in my collection, including Skylarking. Skylarking seems well constructed and produced, but sadly doesn't really grip my attention. I think the closing track 'Dear God' was the track I noted most.

1986 England. Pop, rock, psychedelic. *****

# Album Name: Skylarking # Artist: XTC # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: This is what i would call a very safe, mid album. Doesnt really take the safety belt off. Its not bad. Couple of decent tracks ive added into my playlist. Nothing on nigel though. # Top Tunes: Grass / Meeting place / supergirl / earn enough # Would I listen to it again? Just the singles

A new one for me, and that's always exciting. First impression: I never would have guessed this was from the mid 80s. This is straight out of 1964. I get the Beatles comparison but I don't think I agree. I get more of a Donovan vibe from this. As it goes on it gets maybe a little more 80s but still clings to the 60s sound. It's a really interesting blend. I like that it's kind of silly - like the lyrics are sort of serious but it's done in a playful way. It kind of transitions to a 'what if Huey Lewis was a 60s psychedelic band?'. I'm not sure I'd really listen to this again or seek out anything else from them but I did really enjoy this play through. I might buy this in the record shop if I came across it there and didn't find anything else that day. 3.5/5 but rounding down because it's just not a 4 for me.

Excellent album that I've listened to many times. The last track doesn't belong on it though.

Alright. Not sure if I'd revisit.

Solid eighties album. I’ve skimmed through this one before but hadn’t given it a focused listen until now. I love it!

I've always liked Making Plans for Nigel, but for some reason have never listened to anything else from these blokes. I'm really enjoying this album, and now I'm interested in hearing the rest of their catalog. This is a quirky, yet palatable album. No doubt, this is a unique sounding album for 1986. Great instrumentation and cool vocals. Ballet For A Rainy Day stood out to me. It had it all, and I liked how it flowed into the next song, which was a nice song with strings. Season Cycle sounds like a Self song. Hell, so does the next song. I can hear their influence on Mahaffey. This was such a wonderful album. I'm having a difficult time finding anything wrong with it, and it aroused my sensibilities throughout. I guess the first couple of songs weren't as good as the rest of the album, so I'm giving this a 4.

I like his voice. Not quite what I was expecting though.

Didn’t really engage me, no hooks, no singles, I think I went to sleep.

I’ve always loved the harmonies on this album.

3.5

After the god-awful mess that was Apple Venus Volume I, I was pretty scared of what I would have to sit through this time but thankfully this was actually listenable. Kind of diet Beatles but there were some good songs here and there.

Great album honestly had a retro vibe and I loved it

It was good, and well executed, but doesn't seem remarkable.

Poor

Seemed like a continuation of The Beach Boys, but with new wave tech and expanded sensibilities. The jazzy moments aren’t my favorite, but the playful instrumentation is fun. The last track “dear god” was my favorite. More social commentary please!

3,3

Had some Beatlesque moments and nice symphonic elements Solid concept piece and flows as an album

I am pretty indifferent I don't like or hate this group. They definitely had that sound of the era as well as the band drama 🙂 However I would not consider this Rock!! I

Okay, I like a lot of music. I LOVE XTC. They gotta be at least a top 5 for me. “That’s really super, supergirl” is a favorite for me. I love the subject matter, very witty story telling, and overall the chorus’s melancholic tone ties the whole song together. “Don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t feel super. Supergirl”. Amazing stuff, love it. Grass, and ballad for a rainy day are also great songs. Gotta be a close first pick album from XTC for me.

After enduring listening to this album my only hope is that the algorithm for Apple music won't serve it up to me again.

TLDR: 3 Stars for an interesting album concept and history, thoughtful (albeit goofy) lyrics, and one song I could take away. My first impression of this album is goofy and strange to say the least. Don’t love the singing or music. Feels very earthy/hippie with the crickets and background noise and funny/creative lyrics throughout. From ‘That’s Really Super, Supergirl’ and ‘1000 Umbrellas’ sounds like somebody went through a rough break up…. I can see what they tried to do with the seasonality theme of the album and songs throughout, but overall this was too goofy for me. ‘Dear God’ was quite the statement and the standout to close the album.

It's my kind of music, being full of catchy pop songs mixed with experimentation, sound effects , studio/production tricks and plenty of colour/spice spice in the sounds. The music arrangements are top notch as are the vocal harmonies and the lyrics are evocative, often humourous. There's a bit of late summer/autumnal vibe throughout. And even though I didn't hear it as a kid in the 80s, I have this strange feeling of 80s nostalgia listening to it. I think it's a brilliant, evocative record although Andy Partridge's vocals are an acquired taste, I find it quite appealing.

Moany

Like a poor pastiche of so many other bands and influences but never really pulls it off. Bit of a miss really.

Barely noticed it, TBH.

Skylarking is an okay album, though I have a soft spot for Dear God. But recently found out that it wasn't included in the original release, so now I'm overthinking "which version of the album is worthy?", yup, who cares?! Dear God is still a great closer.

It's very typical of 80s alternative music. It's very pop-y and even though it can be a little catchy at times, it's always at least a little cheesy. It's moody, but you can never fully enjoy it out of the fear that your music taste would get worse.

crazy that a shitty album from 1972 came out in 1986

Standouts Dear God

Crazy showing from Dave Grohl. Writing and recording all instruments while being a pivotal member of Nirvana.

80er indiepop?? merci sache glöscht. find die erste paar song easy aber ehner dünn. sie sind sehr e 80er bri'ish alternative band. ballet for a rainy day cooli hook cooli gitarreparts und so. gute. 1000 umbrellas macht gsd wiiter super cools arrangement. season cycle sehr cute. another satellite chli mid wnl.

han glaub s letschte album vo ihne nöd gad guet gfunde? summer's cauldron und grass hani na lustig gfunde aber s isch halt scho nöd mini musig hahahah supergirl isch mega lustig aber au blööd d 80er perkussion isch najaa chli too much hmm jaa alles gaht chli ah mier verbii, aber finds nöd schlecht d striicher simmer chli too much dear god isch cool!!! joo sie mached ihres ding und ziehnds durre und das isch so kinda cool, aber au nöd meh

Very Cool

Ok, only some songs good

This started out good. I really connected with that song “Grass”. But I think the album is 3 or 4 songs too long and it starts to rely too heavily on its inspirations.

Другий альбом цього гурту. Цей сподобався трохи менше. Друга половина об'єктивно гірше. Сильно не сподобалася пісня Another Satellite. Але загалом класний гурт, коли буде наснага послухати якусь дискографію, то я до цього гурту би звернувся обов'язково. 3.5. з нахилом до 4.

Dear God одна з найкращих поп-пісень евер з погляду тексту. Втім, як на мене, всі інші треки на альбомі навіть близько не дотягують до неї.

2/5

Some good. Some forgettable.

This one barely holds the rails for me. There's enough interesting elements to it to keep me engaged, and a few "let's move on" moments as well. I can say this: it isn't something you're going to find a lot of comparisons to.

fast 80s

Not my favorite XTC. I’ve always enjoyed them and only loved a couple songs, and this was right on par with that.

2.6

Skylarking’s songs all sound pretty similar (except Dear God which is by far the best song.) L = (1.0*s) Maybe l need to be on XTC to enjoy this album, but that’s not gonna happen. J = (2.4*s) Dear God is controversial enough and good enough to draw attention. When it was left of the US version of the album, it created even more controversy. When it got played on radio stations, bible thumpers protested creating even more controversy- hence it makes the 1001 Must Hear List.

Only ever heard of "Making Plans for (R)igel" from XTC. This one is an intriguing album. The band was more than just Skylarking on this project as it is well put together. Liked the theme and introduction of nature sounds throughout. Def glad they put the song "Dear God" back on since it is one of the top tracks...what is wrong with management? And why such controversy in the US over the release? Gotta be the uptight religious extremers pissed that the band can't believe in God...what a bunch of whiners. Not sure what we got on the album cover. Maybe some nudists flutists frolicking through the lands? Like the band name to boot. 3.14 stars.

Pretty good entry for 1001. I'd never heard of XTC previously and was pleased to be met with something pretty original. They've got a unique whimsical sound and I can't say I've heard another band quite like them previously. Nothing really blew me away, but it's got some decent tracks. The album mainly just coasts along as something easy to consume that has an approachable sound. Something about this sounded more contemporary than something that was released in 1986. Didn't love, didn't hate it. 2.65 stars

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🪈👩🥬 Production (2001 Remaster): 📻📉🔪 Music: 🎻☔🌈 Rating: 🐦🐦/5

I liked this album. It had a Beatles kind of vibe.

Not exciting and derivative. Bonus review: I've always wanted to listen to this group's album "Drums and Wires" as Danny Elfman said it was an inspiration for his band Oingo Boingo's album "Only a Lad". I decided to listen to that album first, before "Skylarking". It's really good, and I can hear where Elfman got some ideas from. He improved on it massively - really, there's little reason to listen to "Drums and Wires" when one can listen to "Only a Lad" - but it's still a great record. 5/5.

Wow! I loved this one! I couldn't believe this was a rock album from the 80s; I think XTC was going for a 60s rock sound and they nailed it. I think the theme revolves around stages in life? The songs seem to follow someone's life from childhood to death, but I might be a bit off on that. Regardless, I know I'll be listening to Skylarking again, soon!

Wasn't horrible but very forgettable and was just flat.

This was great. Nothing standout - probs won't listen again but enjoyed.

Another OK album

Classic

420/1001

Not as interesting as I thought it was going to be, boarderline jangly annoying in places (weak start), pretty average for me in general but suspect it might grow on me, would probably seek a physical copy ⭐⭐⭐

Proto Brit Pop nonsense. Very pleasant listen, but not what I was in the mood for this morning.

They kind of sound like the Beatles, but also kind of sound like little kids music? Cutesy for my taste, but still fun to listen to. Doubt I’ll come back to it, although I did like “Dear God”.

quite a fun listen. a bunch of little weirdo pop songs that are certainly indebted to the psychedelic 60s but are never derivative and unoriginal. certainly a product of its time, but never overwhelmingly tacky and gross deserves to be one of the 1001? yeah!

Very enjoyable record, though I wish it was more organic and stripped of the mid '80s production. And I kinda don't like the vocals too much (just don't like their voices personally). The melodies, arrangements, and songwriting are all excellent. Listened to it twice today which is a first (about 50 albums in).

Dear God carries this album so hard

From only knowing this album from its single, I liked it more than I was expecting. Great production with the machine precision fun typical of the 80’s. While each song was unique unto itself, the album still came together as a cohesive whole. 4/5

I did not need to listen to this before I died.

Definitely sounds a bit dated, but ultimately unique for its time. From the various sound effects to the perfectly transitioning tracks, the mix of multiple genres and different styles of instruments, this album offers a time capsule to the various different timely sounds from almost 40 years ago.

Floaty

Fue un poco como los Smiths o los Beatles, pero hay somos elementos que me paracen mas modernos. Muy fantástico. El album es bonito. Un poco repetivo, un poco menos canciones fureis sufficamente. 7.5/10

First impression pre listen: I've been meaning to check this band out for a while. They belong to an era of music I generally appreciate. The cover does look a bit bland, though I'm hopeful that there's more to it than it appears. Individual track notes: Summer's Cauldron Don't love the effects. They're mixed really loudly which is pretty distracting. Very typical 80's new wave vocals. I like how the main vocal melody resolves. A bit formless. Fine. 3/5 Grass Great transition. I like the eastern motifs. Decent chorus, like the subtle psychedelia of it. Very pleasant. Decent. 3.5/5 The Meeting Place Don't love the vocals. Sounds at times kinda shrill. Has some decent synth effects, but otherwise kind of forgetable. The world's most boring bassline. Dislike. 2/5 That's Really Super, Supergirl Fun title. A bit too in your face for my liking. Really campy, kinda fun. Honestly a bit irritating with the very busy instrumental. Average. 2.5/5 Ballet For A Rainy Day Kinda weird. It's a lot. Nothing ever gets any time to breathe, it just moves onto the next thing. Messy and difficult to process. Dislike. 2/5 1000 Umbrellas Really cool transition. Interesting premise. I kinda like the string heavy instrumental. Pretty creative, but not entirely pleasant. Fine. 3/5 Season Cycle Kinda quirky. I like the backing vocals, fun harmonies. Has some catchy moments. Okay premise. Fine. 3/5 Earn Enough For Us Blends into the background. Doesn't really do anything for me. The vocals are kinda annoying. Dislike. 2/5 Big Day I like the reverby eastern inspired sound. Has some really cool psychedelic moments. Interesting atmosphere. Decent. 3.5/5 Another Satellite Can't really tell what that watery mechanical effect is supposed to be, but it's pretty cool. Fits with the space theme. Wish it did more with it. Really don't like the vocals despite the fun presentation. Average. 2.5/5 Mermaid Smiled Really like the instrumental. Very unique composition and structure. Ebbs and flows really satsfyingly. Decent. 3.5/5 The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul Has some fun jazzy progression which really makes it stick out on the album. Love the flute. Surprisingly catchy. Instrumentally varied with a lot of fresh and fulfilling ideas. Great. 4.5/5 Dying Cool harmonies. Pleasant sound. Lovely break from all the chaos. Fine. 3/5 Sacrificial Bonfire. Fun percussion in the intro. Don't like the vocals here at all. He has some strange inflections that kinda throw me off. I like the violin a lot. Solid ending. Fine. 3/5 Dear God Interesting change of vocals, the lyrics are really interesting coming from what sounds like a child. Love the simple guitar riff. The religious critisism is a bit on the nose, but it's nice to have something that's easy to follow along to for once. Catchy and concise. Striking changeup with powerful rhythm. Good. 4/5 Final review: It's really creative and different from a lot of stuff I associate with that particular era, but it's just so much. I really like the risky, diverse and ambitious instrumental choices. Love how they go from eastern inspired motifs, to classical violins, to weird jazzy progression and finally to more contemporary synths. What I don't always love is how overbearing and busy it can get, frontloading the songs with so many different elements that they end up a bit all over the place. Another minor complaint I have is that the vocals don't always sound great to me, which combined with the often times busy instrumentals leads to the songs not always sounding too pleasant. I appreciate the effort to sound different and diverse, but the album never really finds its footing because of it. It's never able to explore a sound concisely to the fullest, leaving me a bit unfulfilled. That being said it's good moments are really good, and even some of the bad have a solid amount of charm to them. I've heard plenty worse and will hear plenty better, but at least it was interesting. 3/5

good, but not for me. i heard the last song before and i like "dying" but it didnt quite call out to me

Interesting

Interesting listen. Nice musicality, rich organic sound, but not 100% sold on the vocals. Does seem a bit like a less stereotypically-80s Tears for Fears. Will revisit to see if it grows on me.

This is #day363 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is already my second XTC album. I remember I wasn't that impressed with the first one I got on my #day216 and gave it a 2. This one? It's like Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper got married in the mid-'80s. "A loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life." Honestly, "nonspecific" is a fitting word to describe how I feel about this band/album. "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" is a standout, though. A very The The, Talk Talk circa The Colour Of Spring sounding piece. And then there was "Dear God," which rang a bell instantly. Let it be a loose 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day364.

Fun for a little bit, but I lost interest halfway through listening.

I appreciate the album’s concept and the way it moves through different moods and styles. It’s diverse, detailed, and pleasant to listen to, but it didn’t grab me enough to make me want to return. More of an interesting one-time experience than a future favourite.

Não é meu estilo favorito, mas é um álbum ok. Moondrop May.

Surprisingly good. Never heard of them before.

I enjoyed this a lot more than is expected to. The flow from song to song was smooth and the hooks were catchy. It also made me think of "Secret Tunnel" from Avatar the Last Airbender. Just the voice and the instrumentation reminded me. Wouldn't have been surprised if it was a track on this album. 4/5 stars

eh, a bit jangly, on the walrus side of beetles. Not my jam

I did not care for any song on this entire album

Fine, but unremarkable 3.5 stars.

Like eating dry toast while watching a powerpoint presentation on paperclip sales

Love this album so much already. Dreamy, summery and just wonderful

Who doesn't love doing this?

One stunner of a song - Dear God - and a lot of perfectly fine English, bookish pop. Fascinating band and, like many others on this list, I'm impressed they built a whole career out of this even if it's not something I would regularly put on.

Definitely one of the better XTC albums. I really like all the themes of nature throughout this album and the religious commentary on "Dear God". Favorite track: Dear God

Fine

I found their previous album at the library in the high school so I had a familiarity with them when "Dear God" was released. That song blew my rebellious teenage mind, I never connected with nor understood religion so it felt like an anthem for my younger self. This is likely my first time consuming the entire album, but I did buy the "Dear God" 45 the week it came out. "Summer's Cauldron" was a nice opener. But from there everything just felt average to me, nothing that would justify being on the Top 1001 list outside of the aforementioned "Dear God". Some of it got a bit annoying I must say. I felt like I was dying as I was suffering through "Dying".

Pretty good.

love the vibe of this album!!

Weird and wacky album that was fun and creative

Yes, that's what pop music should sound like...despite the difficulties surrounding the producer/musician. It contains an incredible number of ideas that initially make the album seem unwieldy. However, the melody never gets lost. And it's a typically British pop album. And that's where I tend to go with pop anyway. However, since I first discovered XTC through "Nonsuch," this one means even more to me. It's a shame the two aren't releasing any more music together.

Grass Dear God

Decent. Worst Song: 1000 Umbrellas Best Song: Summer's Cauldron Added to Liked Songs: Grass, Ballet For A Rainy Day, Earn Enough For Us, Another Satellite

Heard it before. The problem with this album is that while it is kind of interesting it also basically has no songs that you can go back to other than Dear God. It stands out from the rest and feels like it belongs on a different album 2/5

Эта группа не дается мне от слова совсем. Очень сильное влияние многих любимых групп, но вместе совсем не работает. Лучшая песня - That’s Really Super, Supergirl.

Meh. It had its moments but dipped its toe a little too deeply into the prog rock vibe for my tastes. My favorite song was the one that played by Spotify after the album ended...which was a song from an earlier album "All of a Sudden" and follows my pattern of preferring a bands earlier work over their later stuff.

81/100. A smooth, sun-dappled blend of psychedelic pop, gentle orchestration, and British eccentricity. Vocally and lyrically, there’s a mix of whimsy, melancholy, and pointed reflection. XTC navigate love, nostalgia, mortality, and nature with cleverness and light surrealism.

***An ok album, easy listening

I liked one of the songs but the rest weren't so great

Very varied with cool sounds. psychedelic rock/UK vibes.

A weird mess with the exception of Dear God. That song felt like a treat at the end of the album for getting through the rest of it.

Pop like 80’s

70’s / 80’s British pop rock

Solid album - and more accessible than "Apple Venus Volume 1" - but I think XTC should have only one seat at this table, and it should have been reserved for "Oranges & Lemons".

This was ok. Like the last XTC album we had there were a few hooks that drew me in. But they all lacked something to push it into being interesting. And I can’t stand the vocals. XTC is just not for me.

I wouldn't put this on a list like this, but it's listenable. 2.5.

I always forget I kind of like XTC. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

I liked dear god, but didn’t find the rest of the album particularly compelling

I enjoyed this during listening but very little stood out afterwards. Maybe I had this one while really absorbed in writing, maybe it's a forgettable album - and I kind of lean to the second because I did that with 'Heaven or Las Vegas' but came back to it.

Pretty decent

Nope

Not unenjoyable but not super enjoyable

I thought this was decent, opening tracks particularly. Pretty upbeat, summery feel and fresh sound. Pleasant listen

Like a not quite alternate 80s tasting menu. some of it good, nothing really bad but nothing I’ve added to relisten lists so pretty much the definition of a 3/5

Struggled to connect with this - it's quite diverse in vibe, but feels important somehow. Bits of it are like a proto-Alt-J (I hear it most in Sacrificial Bonfire, which somehow reminds me of 3WW). The singer sounds a bit like Kermit the Frog at times as well; it kind of feels like the vocal melodies were being felt out rather than landed on with authority which gives the whole thing a slightly in progress vibe, which is weird given how much production there is in it.

Pretty front-loaded but the front isn’t great to begin with. “Dear God” is a great closer but it is a bonus track so I can’t factor that in too much.

1985. I'm going to go ahead and hit it with the 5. This is one of the all time greats and the album I may have listened to more than any other. XTC at their prime

Something very European about this 1001 album list

Didn't listen, but have heard before. It ight.

I'm good, 3/10

Drums and Wires is much better from these guys, and Mayor of Simpleton from the following record is one of the better songs to exist. This one is just kinda fine.

Appreciate the ambitious approach on this album, but for some reason it doesn't really work for me. Kind of ok album for me.

yeah sure

I wanted to like this, and I think I would have more if I'd discovered it when I was sixteen and living in the 80s. As for now? Meh.

I have heard of this specific album by this band, so it must be one that people really like. This was not what I was expecting as far as 80s music goes. Pretty fun and interesting music. Listed to this a few times, and really liked it.

I liked Supergirl and the instrumentals in Mermaid Smiled. A lot of different styles and most didn't really hook me

Silly? I dont know

Great album. Ome of the best albums I've ever heard where the band is trying to sound like the Beatles. Great melodies and very crisp sound

Annoyingly pleasant and upbeat. Too much so that I didn’t really care for it.

I think they created new major chords for this fucking album. It's so obscenely saccharin and gross to listen to that I can't go any more than 2 for it.

Jazzy, interesting, not for me

Didn't know much about them but a pleasant listen...just not great

I enjoyed how the album flows together and the sense of life and colour emanating from it. But I’d struggle to name one track I really love, despite all that. From the two XTC albums I’ve heard now I conclude that I generally like their ideas, but not necessarily their execution. Or maybe I like their style, but not their substance?

I am absolutely fascinated by Skylarking. I can see why so many artists I like who seem off-kilter can point to XTC.

I didn't mind it but it made zero impression on me, it's a good background album more than anything else.

Just like the other XTC album I listened to, it starts off promising, and eventually just blends in to the point I'm forgetting I'm listening to an album. Favorite Track: "Summer's Cauldron".

XTC’s sound is just not for me

Quite simply....Crap

Actually amazing

I found it quite nice, easy listening. I liked the concept. Felt that it fell a little bit flat and got a bit boring/didn’t have my attention the whole time listening.

Some classic XTC tracks on this one. Still sounds great.

no saves or standouts

This was a solid listen. Do I think it was revolutionary? No. Is it something I’m probably going to listen to again? Also no. But for an hour it was a pleasant soundtrack to my work day.

I love Dear God. The rest is not bad. There are some interesting arrangements, and it does not get boring, but then, nothing I remember was outstanding.

A dreamy breeze back to the good old days.

Absolutely love this band and this album is one of their best.

Dreadfully mundane. I really hoped for more from this. Track after track left me gobsmacked that they found *yet another* novel sequence of chords to blandly ring out and lackadaisically sing to. Boggles the mind, really.

Dear God, a single dies not make an entire album.

Very weird album, I wouldn’t call it bad but I don’t know what I would call it

A brilliant album and so pleased it came up here. Very experimental and easy song unique but blend together. Reminds me of Pet Sounds. Favourites include, 1000 umbrellas and Dear God. But could pick any as a favourite really.

Interesting; good variance; easy to listen to

Interesting to hear an 80s album that sounds like it’s out of the 60s.

Not bad, but too comicky

For 46 minutes of this album I was unbelievably bored and it had 1 star written all over it. Then the final track Dear God came on and it is bloody brilliant. Why the hell couldn’t the rest of the album be like that?

Jeez, this was annoying

Beatles-vibes. Koringa kunne hatt lengre toner, så det ble mer polyfonisk og harmonisk. Gøy overganger mellom låtene - føles ut som albumet henger sammen og er en kjempelang låt. - var visst bare mellom første og andre låt. nei, det var det faktisk ikke. høres ut som sitar, så beatles-vibes fra mer 70-80-tallet - da lucy in the skys with diamonds kom ut. Pianolyden også er miksa funky. ikke helt honky tonk, men ligner litt. leker mye med reverbs og effekter - sikkert rundt nå de har oppdaget dette som en effekt og gøy? uuh, strykere og cello! fortsatt beatles-vibes. spor nr. 12: ble plutselig veldig jazzete i forhold til resten. alt annet er mer 70-80-talls rock, men så ble det jazz med kontrabass og tverrfløyte som improviserer over? også litt sting-aktig over det.

Shite

well, I had one XTC track on my liked songs playlist already (not on this album) so wasn't completely unfamiliar with what I was getting in to - though this album is definitely more on the artpop side of things you can hear some Spandau Ballet in tracks like Super Girl and Ballet for a Rainy Day its approachable, inoffensive and catchy tho.

This is a beautifully-done record with oodles of melodic invention and immaculate arrangements. The songwriting on this album is uniformly very good, though a few of the tracks (like the jazzy number "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul") are stylistic outliers that, while solid on their own, sit strangely next to the more pastoral cuts that dominate this record. However, as good as this album is, the lack of percussive punch on this record keeps it from attaining the heights of other XTC albums like *Black Sea* and *English Settlement*, both of which paired acoustic guitars and powerhouse drums to better effect. *Skylarking* is like a pleasant stroll in the garden, but lacks the thrills and intensity of the busy world outside the garden walls.

This is the second of XTC's albums that I've heard here - and it's the second disappointing one. Nothing at all here was even slightly interesting.

This has really held up well for me. Listened to this a ton as a young teen. When I saw it was my album today I was worried it would seem really dated or cheesy, but to my surprise I really remembered and enjoyed it all. Almost a 4 for me. Almost. 3.90

The album has its moments, with "Dear God" being a standout track, but overall, I find it a bit bland. It just doesn’t grab me the way I hoped it would.

I really like the Dear God & Senses Working Overtime. So I wanted to like this album, but I did not.

This is another example of why some bands on this list don’t need more than one album on here frankly

Kind of dig it. It's not the XTC that I remember of the 80s. Kinda felt like this was way better. More of that 60s/70s Strawberry Alarm Clock kinda feel.

Not what I expected in a good way….

Dear God is a fabulous song. Otherwise, I find this album just pleasant pop and a bit bland. Andy Partridge's voice is distinctive and good.

This band is a true discovery for me, amazing album, and it sounds like it's been recorded much later than in 1986

Skipped most of it, but liked some. 2 star that wouldn't go higher to 3 even if I did listen to the whole thing

Rather a timely selection today. XTC were never a favourite of mine but I never listened to them intently. This album came to my notice a year or so ago. It was mentioned by Steven Wilson in his and Tim Bowness’s Album Years podcast which I have followed religiously and as a result have discovered a treasure trove of previously unknown albums. This particular XTC album was one that they both raved about so I made a mental note to give it a listen but then immediately forgot about it. That is until getting this reminder today. It is a good album and one which I shouldn’t have ignored but still screams 1980 vibes. So being children of the 80’s I can understand why Steven and Tim relate to this but I’m not and don’t. 3/5 14/5/25

Rating: 8.5/10

Цей альбом вийшов після доволі непоганого пост-панк/нью-вейв періоду XTC. І саме в цьому завжди й була проблема цього гурту: вони просто були «непогані», але чогось видатного зробити так і не змогли. Той самий Black Sea (1980) - це дуже гарний альбом із цікавими та веселими поп-рок аранжуваннями, які приємно слухати, але коли в той самий час існували інші гурти, що просто перевертали музичну індустрію своїми роботами, робити «дуже гарну музику» було недостатньо. Сам гурт, принаймні його фронтмен Енді Партрідж, здається, цього не дуже розумів. Борючись із залежністю від валіуму з 1981 року та зловивши панічну атаку у 1982-му, він перетворив XTC на студійний гурт і, напевно, не дуже прагнув «успішного успіху». Проте продюсер Тодд Рандгрен розумів це дуже й дуже добре. В інтернеті можна знайти чимало суперечок щодо впливу продюсера на успіх Skylarking, але те, що саме він перетворив набір ідей на чітку концепцію та вибудував наратив цього альбому - це просто факт. Музично Skylarking став найвишуканішим альбомом гурту. Він набув легкої пасторальної атмосфери, підкресленої чудовими струнними та, часом психоделічними, клавішними партіями. Мелодії з купою дрібних деталей ніжно огортають з самого першого треку, який починається зі «співу пташок», що потім майстерно вплітаються в композицію. І далі на нас чекає ще 14 ідеально впорядкованих треків, що з кожною наступною піснею все глибше й глибше занурюють у ніби «заміську подорож» своїми медитативними ритмами. Саме завдяки бездоганній синергії пісень цей альбом, напевно, і вважають геніальним.А якщо ви фанат психоделічного періоду The Beatles та The Beach Boys, але з якоїсь причини пропустили цю річ - це неодмінно варто виправити.

This was a fun record. It’s cool how they deviate from the pop conventions and get a little showtune-y at times.

The album is good in places, but not great, and boring in some places.

this is a great example of an album that i don’t think deserves to be on this list. not because it’s bad, but because it’s just so middle-of-the-road uninteresting. admittedly the last two songs are at a higher level than the rest of it and that’s why it gets 3 stars instead of 2

Kind of Beatles vibes

Boring

Boring inoffensive New Wave,which seems to be "fooling around".

Banda em 1980 fazendo uma progressivo chaterrimo dos anos 70. A band from 1980s doing a boring progressive rock from 70s. Unpleasant to hear, sorry.

I saw that this album was an alt record from the 80s, and I didn’t have my hopes up. But it was much better than I expected! There are definitely some sounds in this album that were influential to later bands.

Good stuff. Not offensive.

Well this is awful.

XTC's reimagining of the 60s. Dat Andrew Partridge altijd al de aantrekkingskracht voelde van de 'Summer of Love' en psychedelic pop was merkbaar, maar met dit album komt dat in al zijn glorie tot leven. Rond deze tijd had hij ook al een zijproject opgestart genaamd 'The Dukes of Stratosphear', dat de bekende new wave handvatten volledig los liet en zich onderdompelen in psychedelia. Het checken waard, een nummer als 'The Vanishing Girl' is powerpop van het hoogste niveau. Maar genoeg daarover. Dit album is denk ik hun piekwerk, in een discografie met vooral veel leuke maar niet al te consistente platen. De vibe is uniek voor een plaat uit 1986, en die retrostijl in combinatie met de catchy new wave van XTC levert wel echt. Door de dromerige productie van Rundgren, en Partridge die misschien wel zijn beste songwriting aflevert sinds het debuut, schaal ik deze plaat hoog in binnen hun carrière. Maar het is dan vooral door de unieke sound, en minder door de échte hoogtepunten, want die missen op 'Dear God' na wel een beetje. 7,5/10 Highlights: Summer's Cauldron Ballet For A Rainy Day Dear God

Had best veel zin in deze plaat, maar hij viel me eerlijk gezegd een beetje tegen. Met Summers Cauldron begint de plaat nog goed, en de overgang naar Grass vond ik erg verrassend. Maar later op de plaat zitten er ook wat mindere tracks en heb ik zin hier en daar wat door te klikken. Dear God heb ik wel gehaald. Gelukkig, want dat is een pareltje. 7/10 Highlights Summers Cauldron Dear God

I'll level with you: I didn't much fancy this today. It started ok but I found the overall experience a bit too twee. I'm rating it a 3 just now as I suspect there might be stuff that's worth revisiting - but I didn't really feel I 'got it' on today's playback.

I like a lot of XTC, and I do think they were something special, but I have a hard time giving any of their albums 5 stars. I think they have mostly 4 star albums, but they never feel strong enough throughout the entire album. I do love the more expansive sound and songwriting on this album compared to some of their others, but it still didn't hold up 100% through the entire thing. So, I think a 4 or 4.5 is about as high as I could go, personally.

That was essentially a waste of a part of my morning. The album isn’t even terrible, as it is just boring as hell. I think a single song caught my attention briefly, then I went back to not really caring and letting this album just drone on in the background. Definitely not worth a spot on this list or the 50 minutes it took from my day.

I knew the name of the band and the album cover. But not the music on the album. I associated a different genre with the name of the group. But I was wrong. I found the album quite enjoyable in parts. However, nothing really impressed me and so it droned on in the background, not disturbing, but not inspiring me either. 3/5

Complex concept album with orchestral support.

3.5 round up

Wow. So easy to let this be background sound.

Best song is last song. The album flows very well as others have noted. It’s just not a great album, but there really aren’t any bad songs.

Lidt gammelt poprock, et sjat gode numre

Meh

What a disappointment. I was familiar with some of XTC's work, but outside of the final track, this is an entirely forgettable album.

Knew Dear God ofc but the rest was a pleasant surprise. Liked this a lot!

the US version w Dear God is the superior sequenced album.

Hell yeah. The second XTC in the last couple of weeks. If the best thing that comes out of this is that a bunch of people learn about or remember XTC, then it was a worthy endeavor. I will admit that this is not my favorite XTC album, but like sex and pizza, there’s no bad XTC album. Thoroughly enjoyed.

This took me some time to warm up too, though ultimately I still wasn't crazy about it. A lot of Beatlesesque songs and a few that felt more like new wave. Sometimes the lead vocals reminded me of a singer I love, Joe Jackson, but a lot of the times the vocals annoyed me. I think too often the music is a little too cute or something. "Earn Enough for Us" is my favorite song here. The lyrics on "Dear God" are really strong too. That 'Hey, God, what are you doing up there while we suffer?' sort of theme is something I think about it a lot.

This was an enjoyable listen, even if I had remembered that XTC was on this list already but I totally forgot what their sound was like. "Earn Enough For Us" is probably my favorite on the record, and it reminds me of older Weezer (even though it should be Weezer sounding like this), which is great. Solid melody with a ton of catchiness, and fun bop-around drum beats. I really enjoyed the chamber strings on the chamber pop track "1000 Umbrellas" too. Really unique song here that pulled me in. Unfortunately I'm pretty conflicted with this rating album. The instrumentation is cool and I like the vocalist most of the time, but not all of the time. I think it's a high 3, but not quite enough for a 4.

Mid 3s for me, very few bands sound like XTC in their prime.

enjoyed the first 30 secs with birdsong, then quickly went downhill

I enjoyed it but it hasn’t stuck in my head so I’ll be unlikely to revisit

In my top 10. If not top 5.

Pleasantly surprised! Loved the chamber pop melodies here. Mermaid Smiled is so so beautiful. Will listen again

I find Skylarking to be a major accomplishment and for someone like me who missed it the first time around an amazing gem I feel thankful for discovering all these years later. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-skylarking-by-xtc?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

One of the bands that defined the New Wave of British Pop/Rock in the post-punk era. Not my fav album from XTC, still afine effort.

Ничего особенного

Mediocre album, but I enjoyed listening to it.

The whole album feels very surreal. Like... you're listening along, and it's weird, but it keeps pulling you along like you wanna see the weirdness around the corner, and it answers you with MORE weirdness.

I absolutely hated this album. Something about the vocals and the lyrics combined with overwhelmingly boring music made it hard not to hit the skip button on every track.

What a funny album. My first reaction was that it was a little too chipper. There are some bad songs on here and there are some astoundingly bad songs on here. Super girl is so bad I can’t even bring myself to skip it. It’s like a train wreck. It’s a work of art to create something that corny and intolerable. It was the first song that grabbed my attention in the initial play though and formed my first impression. Then there's that last song that is relentless in condemning god and the whole religious right for kidding themselves when there's awful shit happening in the world all the time. Couple of listens later I realize there's a lot of dark stuff in this album. It’s one of the things that I think is interesting and makes this worthy of paying a little more attention. There’s a heavy gloss of commercial pop with a lot of trouble going on under the surface: Summer's Cauldron - Don't try and rescue me, I'm just going to lay here in this lava flow Earn Enough for Us - We're broke and now you're pregnant? Dying - they wrote a song called 'dying.' Dear god - when I asked my wife if this was the band that plays "don't change" she told me no they wrote this song. True, a lot of this is pretty cliche, but it is present and that's worth something. Songs I liked: -The meeting place. -Ballet for a rainy day (reminds me of One Tin Soldier by Mad Parade) -Season Cycle -Earn enough for us What I think each of these songs do is temper some of the more obnoxious aspects of songs like Supergirl and the Man Who Sailed Around His Soul. All of these have a characteristic sound. Bright, cheery pop music. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like music you would put into an ad for furniture or play at the mall. It's a very 80's sound. Vocals somewhere between Depeche Mode and Echo and the Bunnymen. Sunday church music. I donno. It's working for me. Songs I really liked: -Another Satellite is my favorite song on the album. It’s almost a really good song. Reminds me of Invisible Sun by the Police. Another standout song on an album I can't entirely get behind. -Sacrificial Bonfire. I've thought a lot about ritual sacrifice. There's nothing about that that's part of my culture so it's entirely exotic. I've read about contemporary accounts that are less religious and more communal, but still with some ritualistic aspects. I worked with a lady whose relatives in Mexico would slaughter goats. Read about a family slaughtering a bull in Syria. In either case the whole community gets involved. Neighbors, friends, everybody. Grab your slice. Build a fire. We're feasting. It sounds great. In ancient contexts, I'm sure that was certainly an element. But then supercharge that with the presence of the divine. Greek temples are bone white today, but imagine them back then - brightly painted, the sounds of prayer and chanting, the smell of smoke and blood, the electric feeling of animal fear and death. There's also the fact that the religious feeling that would have been the most powerful element of that experience is utterly incomprehensible to us. The gulf is too great. Time has obliterated it. All we can do is imagine. So is that what this song is engaged in? Maybe. I have no idea. But this song is good. I think the piano and vocals go really well together. It conjures a really clear image. I think I'm giving this a three. If you make a playlist of only the good songs on this album, it's pretty listenable. Do they rehabilitate the truly bad stuff that's all over this album? Probably not. But I do think there's something unique and listenable about the good stuff that makes this worthy of a listen.

"got anything that leans into mccartney's worst instincts? sometimes sounds like the beach boys but bad? maybe a little cute and camp?" buddy, have i got an album for you. tolerable: summer's cauldron/grass big day "elaborate pop arrangements" only go so far. toyed with the idea of a 1.

I wrote a whole thing and it didn’t save. Here’s the bullets Weird album. Dug it, but probably need to listen again. The band hops genres like no other

I do not like this. It's unique, but just not my vibe. I don't think I have the energy today to make lemonade, so it's a 2. I listened to it again and it's still pretty meh to me. EARN ENOUGH FOR US is pretty catchy 2. I like the production and I want to like it more and I dont.

this album might grow on me a lot but yeah this is rlly damn good

Meh. Kind of like the British version of Steely Dan.

Very good album (better this listen) The album can be defined as a summery 60s psychedelic feel using 80s instruments/recording practices 4/5

Okayish muzak-style rock pop that is easy and fun to listen to. Vocals are very overbearing, feels like barely any of the songs have space for the music to actually breathe and develop. Simple listen, inoffensive

Season Cycle predates much of Jellyfish, which I'd much rather listen to. A lot of the backing instrumentation is campy in a bad way, particularly the synths. I'm not immediately hearing the cohesion within the album, though it may manifest on how I don't have strong opinions about any particular part of the album. The exception is the initial vocals on Dear God are extremely annoying. I see why this was popular but I really don't like this song. Favorite track: Ballet for a Rainy Day or The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul

Dear God and nothing else.....not sure why this one was included.

This was quite weird but I really liked it. I can't really say why either, and I don't think any tracks really stood out to me. But the whole thing just comes together really well

Bleh

Kuuneltavaa osittaista konemeinkiä. Hauskoja saundeja ja laulukin ihan siedettävää mölinää

What if it was cheesy 80's music but also on some drugs 3/10

Meh, one good song

clocked that this was the "Super Supergirl" band right away, love that one this did not feel like a 1986 album but what do I know? Def liked this one but not really special

Some nice acid/psychedelic touches to pop songs; felt a bit tentative in their approach, if only they went all out.

Fun British pop. Really dug it.

Album 752 of 1089 XTC - Skylarking (1986) Rating : 3 / 5 Enjoyable enough album but one that I likely won't think about again.

An unusual record, hard to characterise, I will listen again, tuneful but eclectic, not what I was expecting more experimental in many ways, they were obviously a band not focussed on hits.

Favorite song: summers cauldron. Overall score: 7/10

Oh, this was lovely! I didn't expect it to love the sound so much and I'll definitely be checking out more of XTC's discography. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it through the whole album due to lack of time, but having listened through the first half, I really enjoyed the whimsy of the overall tone. My favourite song from the ones I managed to get through was Ballet For A Rainy Day!

I like XTC but have never really connected with any of their full albums. My immediate thought on getting this album today was a slight disappointment that this one doesn't include my favorite track "Making Plans for Nigel". But taking the time to explore "Skylarking" was well worth it. A concept album about the stages of life seen through the lens of a single day, the whole thing works. There aren't many strong singles, aside from "Dear God" (tacked on after the initial release due to some success from American college radio stations), but as a whole it's a really good album. The background makes it seem pretty unlikely. Lead singer Andy Patridge was a perfectionist who had dominated the band's previous producers to get the sound he wanted. But "Skylarking" saw Todd Rundgren in the role and his trademark was getting things done quickly and cheaply. Whether that was a genuine belief in embracing imperfections, or a cost-saving technique at the expense of artistic vision, it's clear that Patridge and Rundgren were at one another's throats. Remarkably, none of that comes through in the album, which does seem to merge the post-punk XTC with Rundgren's style of eclecticism and quick takes. It's obvious that the pair were never going to work together again but lucky for us that they managed to complete the album. It's definitely one I'll return to.

This album feels like a joke I’m just not getting. Music is well-executed. Vocals are the 80s-est 80s that ever 80s-ed.

It sounds a little too grunge to me, but I really really loved the man who sailed around his soul and summer cauldron

Decent listen. Dear God is a classic and somewhat fitting in today's times. Still think Drums and Wires is their best album.

Bad bad bad

They have one good song and it isnt on this album. Rosie and Jim level songwriting.

Interesting instrumentation but very mixed lyrics and vocal delivery. Did not care much for Grasa, but That’s Really Super, Supergirl was a fun 80’s pop song. Earn Enough For Us feels 10 years ahead of its time. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul was very surprising, but quite enjoyable. Dear God has a fun pattern and catchy tune.

it’s hard to be objective about an album i love so much! XTC is one of my favorite bands, and this was the album that really made me a fan. Black Sea has surpassed it as my favorite album of theirs, but i’ll always hold Skylarking close to my heart.

Not great. Kind of sounds like bad 2000s indies bands, so I guess they were ahead of their time.

Czasami brzmią jak słabsi, mniej utalentowani Beatlesi z lat 80. Chwytliwe kawałki pozbawione duszy i oryginalności. Słucha się przyjemnie, ale wielkich emocji raczej nie dostarcza. 2-3 dobre kawałki, do których można wrocic, ale niewiele więcej. 6.5/10 równane w dół, bo nie lubię aż tak oczywistych inspiracji Wielkimi.

I feel like I've been getting repetitive with how I start my reviews. There's only so many times I can just start reviewing a great album with "dude" or "wow" before I have to do something different. What I want to say is that Skylarking is amazing. I really like this album. I'd definitely heard of XTC before today, but I really didn't expect to love Skylarking as much as I do. This album's fairly different from what I've gotten before, yet still somewhat familiar. I feel like most of the 80s albums I've gotten fit under a label like punk, new wave, or post-punk. Skylarking isn't either of those though. It's more of a pop rock album than anything, and I love it. The vibes are nice and they really appeal to me. Andy Partridge's singing isn't my favorite, but I think it fits the vibes well. The production here is great. It came from Todd Rundgren, and seeing as I really enjoyed his album Something/Anything?, I guess it's not that surprising that I like Skylarking too. I do like Skylarking more though. The writing is strong too. Skylarking is apparently a loose concept album about cycles, which is pretty cool. The songs here are great. I think my personal favorite might be the one song that wasn't actually included on the album originally, but was included in reissues after it gained traction despite being cut from the album due to label concerns. That song, of course, is "Dear God," which is a really thought-provoking song about challenging the existence of God. Every song here has things to love. The hooks are catchy, the melodies are fun, and the overall presentation of the album is clean in a way that I really like. Skylarking is just an excellent pop rock affair that I can't get enough of. Light 5/5.

Jammy in spots, but overall just ok. Standout is probably “dear god” and “earn enough for us”

Ich weiß nicht, hat mich irgendwie nicht umgehauen.

🎧Decent enough