Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Hard to find an opinion on this one. Wavered between indifference to annoyance (that kid voice on Dear God). Something gimmicky about this band that I can’t quite parse out. But then I thought I sound curmudgeonly for no good reason. Straight down the middle but veering more toward 2.5
Honestly some great pop/new wave. I’m a fan of XTC. A fun listen :)
Not what I was expecting. I like a good concept album, but this isn't really working for me. I just feel like other bands have done this sound more effectively. The flow between songs was nice though, so it has that going for it.
..
Empieza bien. Pero por el medio se enrolla un poco.
A genuine question for the group: is 'Skylarking' anyone's favourite album? There are many things to enjoy and appreciate (chief among them: Todd Rundgren's production), but I have yet to encounter one person who would choose this - THIS - to accompany them on a desert island. Simply put: there are songs that work and work beautifully, and there are songs that don't work at all. A funny but delightful assorted bag of lush tunes with chintzy synth tones thrown in. A pastoral affair that seeks to recontextualize the spirit and sound of 60s psychedelia and chamber pop while using the technology of 80s musical production. The end result is the aforementioned cheap, ice-cream-truck-jingle synth at work with occasional harsh aesthetic contours. Still, I too am totally serene when I hear the birds chirp at the opening seconds of "Summer's Cauldron." I too deeply relate to a uniquely 30-year-old-person problem of wanting to settle down comfortably with your partner while staring down the grim reality that economic and social mobility will be nearly impossible to achieve ("Earn Enough For Us"). And I too feel heartened by the dewy clarity of the acoustic guitars in "Mermaid Smiled," probably the strongest track off the album. But when things go sideways, they certainly go. "That's Really Super, Supergirl" has a fumbling quality that echoes the protagonist's own awkwardness, sure, but I just can't abide the synth tones or the lyrics. You hear a song like "Season Cycle" and understand where Ben Folds Five comes from and I suppose that speaks to XTC's innovation. But there is a saccharine quality to this track in its attempt to rewrite and recreate some of Paul McCartney's worst musical impulses (the so-called "granny shit.") I think "Sacrificial Bonfire" is a fitting climax for the record with some wonderful bass from Colin Moulding (the real MVP of XTC) and beautiful strings but the way that Andy Partridge screeches out "sacrificial bonfiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIiiiiire" is just...I don't know...awful. I'll end with this: Sarah McLachlan's version of "Dear God" is better than the original. She is lightyears beyond a better vocalist than Andy Partridge and her artistic sensibility as a singer-songwriter behind the piano gives the song a needed gravitas and poignancy. As the song swells into its climax of "the father, the son, the holy ghost/is just somebody's unholy hoax," Sarah sounds legitimately pained and conflicted; Andy Partridge, once again, just sounds goofy as hell. My favourite thing about 'Skylarking' is the album art. It looks how the album sounds. A-
Kedeligt og ensformigt - kan ikke definerer musikgenre (meget blandet og ensformigt)
I love dear god, but otherwise a bit so so
3.5
It’s like The Beatles but bad…
Dear God is a staple on a lot of the rewind shows. And it's a powerful song. With the exception of Earn Enough for Us, the rest of the album is fairly uneventful. But overall a decent album.
I owned this album in college and certainly enjoyed XTC, so it is comfortable for me to ease back into this clearly british nerd alt rock. Earn Enough is truly pop and Dear God is pretty bold and creative, though the rest of the tracks do their own interesting exploration. Mermaid Smiled is the only skip for me, though Grass is a little boring. There is a ton of variety here that keeps the listening interesting.
Ballet for a Rainy Day was the only track I really liked, smoother and reminded me of something for a Sesame Street track.
If this isn't the most Brit-Pop album I have ever listened to... At times they almost felt like a Beatles cover/parody band and then at other times they sounded like a the most British Pop group ever, I kind of enjoyed it though, kept me intrigued for the next song.
I listened to this album so much in high school. Dear God and Grass are both amazing. They brought something new at the time and still sound fresh and different. But I can't deny at times it just seemed a bit much.
This is that album for me. This is that album that changed everything. I was around 13. I liked music but the only thing I listened to or bought on my own was the Beatles. They were everything. Then one day I’m listening to the radio, with little real interest, and I hear a song called Dear God. The subject blew me away, the music blew me away. You could sound Beatlesque yet modern and have doubts about the existence of God? I had to know more. Skylarking became the first non- Beatles related album I ever bought. I pretty much became a zealot overnight. I had to know everything I could about this band. Magazines, fanzines. To my amazement, holy $&!+, they’ve been around since I was 5? Okay then what did their other albums sound like? I bought the album of singles that was out at the time: Waxworks. The whole thing Blew. Me. Away. There was definitely a progression to how they sounded but I loved every one of those songs. As quickly as my ability to save up money would allow, I’d buy a new XTC album. Soon I had them all. XTC were easily my favorite band. And don’t get me started on The Dukes of Stratosphear. But it wasn’t enough. I needed more. Suddenly music was the best thing ever. What else was there. The Kinks? Yes. Ate them up. David Bowie? Delicious. I need more. Elvis Costello? Absolutely, it’s so brilliant. Sex Pistols? What the F#<% is this noise? It’s crazy awesome is what it is! Oh snap! There’s a super cool movie about the super cool, awful bass player? It has a soundtrack? Who are the Pogues? Punk is here to stay, man. Give, give, give, me more, more, more. Then the ultimate side quest to find out about Goth music. Thousands of records, tapes, cds, etc later it still comes back to Skylarking. I will still listen to this probably weekly? monthly?, more during the summer for sure. Every song is perfect. A story about the cycle of a day, a life, from the mundane daily life to metaphysical theoretical soul searching, to death and beyond. It’s the beauty of it all, the sadness of it all, the meaning of it all, the meaninglessness of it all. And for me, it was the start of it all.
July 22, 2024 HL: "Summer's Cauldron/Grass", "The Meeting Place", "Season Cycle", "Another Satellite", "Mermaid Smiled", "Dying" Probably enjoyed this more, or faster, than Apple Venus, though I attribute that to Apple Venus opening the door on XTC's peculiar style. There's something uncanny about listening to Skylarking as a Beatles fan, since you can find similarities to the earlier bands at the surface level, but the more I pay attention to the songwriting those similarities vanish like smoke. Whose idea was it to put muted trumpets in “Mermaid Smiled”? They’re awesome!
Pretty catchy! Not something I'd pick to listen to but I wouldn't skip it on the radio. Earn Enough For Us, Summer's Cauldron stood out. Really Super, Supergirl was one of the tracks I liked least.
Very cohesive psychedelic pop, I love albums that have smooth transitions, and the first side of this album is some of the best I've heard. The B-side is a lot more inconsistent in both sound and quality, but it's still good enough to be one of my favourites.
Pleasant, but doubt I'll listen to it again
Pleasant but nothing really to write home about
I liked this album! In particular these tracks: Ballet for a Rainy Day, 1000 Umbrellas, Another Satellite, Dear God.
More tolerable than the other XTC album we listened to here. Still suffers from dopey lyrics, but they don't feel as belabored and it all has a Ren Faire vibe that feels more forgivable.
Utter shite that must only sound good to dildoes who missed the Beatles so much in the 80s that they settled for this garbage and tried to convince other people it was good.
Dear God is by dsr the best song from this album, and I've listened to it several times before. However, the rest of the album I am very unsure about. Sometimes I like the music, sometimes I don't. I think the vocals are always solid though. The themes of the songs are interesting and I like the thoughtful lyrics.
I wanted to listen to anything but this. Just felt too much like other, better artists.
Pleasantly Beatley. If I listened a few more times, could probably make it to four stars.
I really like the Beatles and creative music that escapes from the mainframe. Therefore, this album sounded like home.
Skylarking is a fine new wave album. Dear God is massively better than the rest though!
I only knew Dear God of XTC but man, what an album. Glad I've listened this.
Leaves me cold
I really vibed with a much later album by XTC on this list (Apple Venus Volume 1) but this kinda cynical 80's wave rock does it much less for me.
Love it!
Definitely got more into it as it progressed. Quite a pretty album with great sound.
MORE BRITISH MUSIC? The British haven't exported this much since Colonialism. This is significantly closer to what I like. The tempo changes pretty frequently with lulls and surges and it's equally hypnotic and reassuring, like the waves. I think they spent too much on the sound effects CD they bought, but the instruments seem to get what's up. This kinda hits the same vibe as the Alan Parsons project, which is actually very interesting. I think Partridge's voice is what does it, but I'm also getting a little bit of the Police in there too. I will not be listening to this again, but I like the concept behind it.
This band and album are completely new to me. I hate that spotify has this 1 sec gap between tracks when it's clearly an album that all flows together. It's super disruptive. Read that this is rock, but there's a lot of orchestral instruments, so I don't know how to categorize it. Reminds me of late Beatles maybe. I enjoyed the overall vibes. Highlights: sacrificial bonfire
It's fine, but feels mostly derivative of stuff I've heard a thousand times
I liked it better than the prince album, but not enough to give it 4 stars
Old soul
Ну попса и попса
I usually don't like when singers sound like this guy, but the rest of the music makes up for it. I'm a little enchanted. 4/5
Absolutely Charming with notes of both Fox Robinhood and 1960's. Amid the tense recording sessions, they were really able to make an incredibly charming project. The loose concept of the album encompassing the passing of time or an event is especially relevant as it is flexible.
Never heard this group. This album doesn't seem to fit neatly within a genre, which makes a change. But the songs just didn't seem memorable, quite dull. There are some but very few tracks I'd listen to again if they came on. Highlights: Ballet For A Rainy Day Season Cycle
exhaustingly unremarkable. it's like new wave without synths so it doesn't even feel like they're having fun. not the worst album on the list but certainly one of the most unnecessary albums ever been made
I liked this a lot.
Interesting album. I liked the title and the cover art. The only other place I’ve heard of skylarking is in the lonely island song Ras Trent. The songs all had parts I liked and parts I did not. It didn’t sound like a typical 80’s album.
hello what this is so fun. I think like a 8/10. was just a super enjoyable listen. idk how much id listen every day but I think as an album this is super duper great.
Really liked this! Especially Another Satellite and Dear God. 8.5/10
6/10 - These songs are super hit or miss to me, and there are more misses than hits. 1000 umbrellas was interesting to say the least. A few of the later songs were fun to listen to but nothing was amazing.
Usually like this kinda weird new wavey pop shit but I didn't think this was very good. I've tried may times to like XTC because they're always popping up in the related artists of groups I like but I never can
Inventive and catchy, albeit slightly unfocused.
For a band with such a boring name as XTC, this semi-conceptual, semi-psychedelic trip sure sounds like some of the member indulged in ecstasy while … Wait a minute?!
The choice of album name is exquisite. This is a somewhat pleasant but entirely pointless diversion. The music just tinkles along without going anywhere at all. The one track that has any kind of substance is Dear God - more of this and less of everything else and this could have been a pretty good album.
Enjoyed my two listens. Some great tracks on here, "Dear God", "Grass", "That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Ballet for a Rainy Day". 4/5!
Really chill but so lush. I love the variety of instrumentation. The vocals are super upbeat and pleasant as well. Good relaxation music!
I get the appeal but it wasn’t my vibe
Sounds like Echo and the Bunnymen.
Yli puolet levystä oli kuran puolella, joten ei tälle kovinkaan erikoista arviota voi antaa.
Vähän plaah, mut kuunteli tuon
Originally a 4, changing to a 5 because I genuinely listen to a bunch of these songs
British pop. Kinda ethereal and light, reminds me of tally hall which I like
Closer to 2.5 for me. Never really liked their sound.
Knock off Beatles
I just don't get the appeal for this project. Some arrangements are nice enough, but I always fail to retain anything from their albums. Maybe some day it'll click with me.
A great mix of jangle kind of pop and psychedelic music. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did!
A surprising album with bursting and quite unique arrangements. I loved the overall mood and their solid take on 80s psychedelic music.
A funky blend of genres like jazz, pop, rock, and electronic music with an overall good sound. The album felt a bit too similar though, or maybe it’s that the middle of the album lost me, as did the end. The concept was good. The main singer is good but his lyrics never really grabbed me and were corny at times. The corniness got to me on the song Dying. Standouts: The Meeting Place, That’s Really Super, Supergirl, Mermaid Smiled, and The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul.
First few songs are a misophonic minefield. Dear God is lame and so is having multiple versions of the album with it at different places. Han Shot First.
Good
Tää oli parempi kun muistelin. Kivan pehmeä 3/5
Tykkäsin joskus enemmän, mutta edelleen ihan jees
Hieman keskimääräistä kiinnostavampaa poppista. 3/5
1.zummer - 0 2. grazz - 0 3. meeting - 0 4. zupergirl - 0 5. ballet - 0 6. umbrellaz - 0 7. cycle - 0 8. enough - 0 9. big day - 0 10. zatellite - 0 11. mermaid - 0 12. zoul - 0 13. dying - 0 14. bonfire - 0 15. god - 0
Langweilig
Very 80s. Distracting cricket music. but I'm glad someone likes em? Innocent enough music, i like some of the suggested songs but the base album is a 3.
Beautiful album. Andy Partridge is a beautiful human being. I love how Partridge creates a whole world you can live in.
This sounded like a lot of the music my dad likes so I felt quite comforted by that! The lyrics are a bit bizarre but musically and vocally I actually really enjoyed this, despite knowing nothing about the band or their sound.
Good bit of well produced pop. Has some stand out tracks like Earn Enough for Us and Dear God, which I feel still stand up today. Having said that there are a couple of tracks that borderline grate a bit
I hear some Tears for Fears and Men at Work.The album as a whole was ok. I do still enjoy Earn Enough for Is and Dear God. I looked at other songs and realized I know quite a few. I’m happy to be reunited with them but didn’t like most of the songs..
A classic. XTC is their own thing and worth the listen.
Was surprised to hear so much influence from Beatles and Beach Boys. A few innovative sound Experiments just don‘t make this record astounding but make me call this an interesting pop album.
It was good. I have heard all of the songs a lot.
Mumford & Sons cover Revolver. Not for me.
A little too twee for my liking. I felt like I should have been wearing full on tweed just to listen to it. It doesn't speak to me about the multi-cultural country I live in. Nature shit and Little England is overrated. The Kinks did this far better. The final Dear God track saved it for me.
Summers Cauldron Grass The Meeting Place That’s Really Super, Supergirl Earn Enough for Us The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul Dear God Feels like a hot summer day vibe. Funky and groovy. Nice change of beat. Something different. really enjoyed its upbeat catchy melodies.
Nothing special about this one, 2 stars
meh, pass
Probably another example of British bias, this is an album by XTC, an English rock band. The title, "Skylarking," is based on the Royal Navy term for "fooling around" which is basically what this album is. Lighthearted and somewhat jaunty, this album doesn't really do anything well and can be considered like a discount Beatles cover band trying to sell original works. As many others have pointed out, "Dear God" is probably the best track on the album, and, ironically, is the one song left off the original album .
could i write poetry to this? n
It was fine
Am I in a Barnes & Noble?
Prog punk - odd as a concept, but wonderful in practice. Not my favourite of their albums, and not quite flawless, but a great album to elevate a sunny Saturday
I was familiar with "Dear Hod,@ but not the rest. I enjoyed it.
A magnum opus life cycle concept album with no stinkers.
Pretty good stuff! There’s definitely a song or two in here I could see myself returning to. (That’s Really Super, Supergirl and Dear God) It’s a bit too 80s British cheese for me in some places.
1000 Umbrellas, Big Day, Sacrificial Bonfire are too slow; I especially like Grass, Earn Enough for Us, Dear God
Fuuuuuck... why? I love me some good 80s pop but this is not that. The *only* decent song on here is the one hit, Dear God and it's the only thing that saved this from a 1 star review.
3.1
I enjoyed this album
Beatles de l'Hacendado ELR: 3
I enjoyed listening to this.
That's not my taste in Musik.
Some great stuff here, I think I need to listen again to appreciate it though
Good and interesting but a little too oddball for my liking - happy to have heard but I don’t think I’ll go looking back for it.
80s goodness. Great to do a full album
Quite eclectic....lots of different styles, just nothing outstanding to my ear....
After the fist few review I was looking forward to this album. But what can I say: I got disappointed. Really nothing special there.
This is almost like steely Dan meets talking heads. Really cool album
Got better towards the end
Really enjoyed this. Great vocals, interesting vocal melodies and instrumentation, weird/funny lyrics. This just sounded good from start to finish. The last track was a standout
I love this album so much I literally found it last week when looking for psychedelic pop and now it’s here! It feels like it’s made for me
I think if i'd heard it at the time of release i would have liked it. The production is a bit thin sounding for an album that wants to be big, but the songs are well written . I'd prefer to listen to earlier XTC albums or Tears for Fears.
Wonky and complex psychedelia, which I really like. I knew Dukes of the Stratosfear who ate the same people but not this. Definitely coming back to it again.
Strangely fascinating album
Sans prétention, rassemble des influences jazz ou plus classiques dans des pièces réussies, au climat feutré sans être précieux
no estaba malo, buen sonido y econtre el sample de una rola
Weird.
I read other people's thoughts about this and I saw a lot of people saying it's like "Tears For Fears" and I can totally hear that. This was great value Tears for Fears. It arite.
A very 80’s indiepop sound, and not really taht exciting. The lyrics are interesting though, bringing a certain quality
I’ve had 2 albums in a row mentioning eclipses after the eclipse on Monday… interesting I guess? This is my 2nd listen of this album. This was one of the albums where I couldn’t decide between a 4 or a 5 before, but I’m pretty sure about a 4 now. It just really slows down at a certain point (after Earn Enough For Us) and doesn’t really pick up after that in my opinion. I still really enjoy the album and somehow didn’t really notice the obvious transitions before? They sound great and I don’t know how I missed that. I’ve listened to Black Sea and Drums & Wires and I don’t like them as much as this. Favorite song: 1000 Umbrellas. (Also, I was absolutely taken aback by the reviews saying that this is worse Tears For Fears, since I really like XTC but have always been the only person I know who dislikes Tears For Fears.)
Beatles inspired, though a bit more modern. It was well done. Stand-out: Another Satellite, Mermaid Smiled
I've never heard of this band at all. Interesting album. I did enjoy a few tracks and the music is unique and inspired. Nice use of synth. Dear God is a stand out and made my playlist. Glad to hear it but don't expect to revisit.
Okay album. Wasn't in love with any particular song.
Yeah it was good but their other earlier albums are better
3,5
I couldn’t really break into XTC and this just furthers that.
Pretty fly for some white guys. 4 stars.
Much better than expected! Well played and listenable. I wouldn’t buy the music but wouldn’t change the station if they came on.
Pretty good. Nice range of songs and an enjoyable listen
I imagine that if the Beatles had been a thing in the 80s, instead of the 60s, they would sound a bit like this. "Sound", mind you, as I don't think that the songwrighting is even remotely on the same level. Stilll, listening to this is somewhat relaxing, and for the obvious shortcomings regarding the material, I actually liked the final result somewhat. 3/5
I think I need another devoted listen, but I would say this is solid. Perhaps it suffers most from both “this walks so something else can run” and “grower, not a show-er,” but I think given its withstanding through time, despite being accidentally mishandled and rejected on release, I’d imagine I’ll come back to this occasionally in earnest excitement.
This wants to be a Beatles album sooooo badly. But it's not near good enough. The theme of the album is fun I guess.
I enjoyed this
never heard this band before. listened 2x. 2.7/5
Sounds like Depeche Mode did shroms
Every time i thought i was getting into this, they did something to really annoy me. Not for me.
This was a really wonderful album and had me entertained and engaged almost the entire album, there was only one song near the end that I didn't think was as good as the rest. Inventive lyrics and music throughout and I just enjoyed the style all around. While I had heard of this band, I never really gave them their due because the name kind of put me off. Big mistake. I really wish I had grown up with this band.
"summer's cauldron" and "dear god" were the main songs I paid attention to.
Not really a fan of their hits so didn't expect to enjoy this, but I was drawn in by the quirkiness and overall vibe, and I found it really satisfying as an album.
Loved this from the birdsong at the start to Dear God at the end, even though I know that’s not how it was planned. The first 3 tracks were especially evocative; growing up in an English village they really spoke to me. Will definitely be listening again.
Hooray! An album that I didn't know before, that I really enjoyed, and will listen to again. Thank you, 1001 heavy rock-leaning gods.
Shouldn’t be surprised that Skylarking is a playful album, but “dear God” sets a tone that suggests otherwise.
Kinda fun. Reminds me of a cross between talking heads and the Silverstein album “young mondern”.
6/10 Way better than the embarrassing mess that was the other XTC album I’ve heard on this list As a Blur fan I have found an obvious influence on the earlier part of their career Psychy chamber pop, very well produced with a nice mix of live and synth/electronic instrumentation Some nice harmonies and melodies Vibes of Beatles, Pink Floyd, Beach Boys But I can’t get past the vocals and lyrics, I just straight up don’t like them I think I just don’t much like what Partridge does Best: Another Satellite
Smart pop music. Dear God is the best song by far but as others have pointed out doesn't fit the album.
This wasn't a record I expected to struggle with. And yet, it took me 4 tries to get through this album. It's painfully bland in the absolute worst way possible. After every song I thought "why am I listening to this, there's countless thousands of better records out there". One star for the lack of *anything* noteworthy artistically.
Bit inconsistent for me. I somewhat enjoyed some of the songs, and I found this album to be at least kind of unique compared to boring generic rock/post-punk stuff, but I can't really go higher than a strong 2, close to a really weak 3.
Quirky sound, but catchy. I’m kind of into it.
Too whimsical and pastoral for my liking.
XTC is the subject of the only Trash Theory video I came out of with LESS of an appreciation for a band. Absolutely no surprise that their only good song was written by the bass player and not the nonce who started this whole pointless endeavor.
Not bad, but I kind of tuned it out often since it never really grabbed my attention. There were some good parts, but overall it just didn't do much for me. 2.5/5
Generally inoffensive synth and singer songwriter minimalism.
xtc's skylarking started off good, lost its way in the middle, but managed to find its footing by the end of the album. "dear god," a song that details letters to god asking why people that he created in his image are suffering, is exactly what saved this album. of course, i discovered after listening that the final song "dear god" was only a b side for the lead single and not even on the original pressing! so i cannot in good conscious include that in my review. the bulk of the album comes across as early beach boys but nowhere near as fun. no substance to be found and the songs mold together. the beginning of the album was definitely the most interesting. there are cute titles like "that's really super, supergirl" or included a multitude of outdoor evening insect noises in "summer's cauldron." but this wasn't enough to get the album up to a 3.
On one hand, I didn't find this album to be incredibly interesting. On the other hand, I was intrigued by the quirkiness of it -- an 80s new wave type album that is also dabbling in 60s psychedelic. Not quite a 3 for me.
A decent pop record when they dont try to be Genesis.
Can't say I really vibed with this. None of the tracks stood out for me and one or two I almost skipped because they just sounded...not good. Not for me.
This brand of poppy 80's rock is pretty hit or miss for me. XTC is a band I wasn't particularly familiar with, and their story is an interesting one. However, this album is just kind of a lot of bubblegum. I can't call any tracks bad, but I also didn't find any particularly good. It was like a greatest hits cover album or something.
Hm, wel prima. Niet heel spetterend ofzo
Wel oke, vond ‘m een beetje saai
Ik vond deze toch wel echt suf, heb hem ook niet afgeluisterd. Normaal hou ik wel van gekke jaren 80 muziek, maar dit was hem niet
Mooi album, alleen niet echt mijn ding. Zat voor mij ook niet echt een banger tussen. Wel goeie naam hoor, maar zou het album vooral niet nog een keer opzetten. Dear god wel mooi nummer.
Wisselend album, begon erg leuk Werd daarna beetje raar Meh
Sólo ubicaba esta banda de nombre. Me sorprende lo adelantado de su sonido, similar a Tame Impala y a las bandas neopsicodélicas de estos años, pero en 1986. Ya desde la primera canción la percusión tiene protagonismo. Algunas guitarras suenan a math rock y tanto la música como las voces me recuerdan a Zappa y a The Beatles, particularmente Sgt. Pepper. Buen descubrimiento
proggy new wave for incels
Listened to it once and it's a 3 star album. Listened again and it's actually a 4 star album. Played some for my girlfriend. Nope, it's a 3 star album.
"Upon release, Skylarking was met with indifference in the UK" same same
I love xtc but this always seemed overthought and trying to be clever. The loose cycle concept seems like an afterthought. But still an enjoyable listen. God bless XTC and all who sail with them.
3.5
Perfectly pleasant, but about 3-4 songs too long and kinda lightweight.
Yet, another album I am sure I have never come across from a band I only have a vague recollection of. One of their later albums far removed from what I understand to be heir punk/new age roots. Thoughtful lyrics, good melody and nice arrangements/orchestration. A notable song is "Dear God". Reflects many thoughts I have had and I would like to write a song with this theme one day once I figure out a new way to present it.
I know others love this, but I just can't connect with it. It's not bad music, it just really isn't for me.
Been a while since I've listened to this one. Quirky vocalist, but really really strong core song writing and stellar production. This is some high quality 80s pop-rock. That's Really Super, Supergirl is a catchy AF jam. Love all the layered effects, as well as the supporting vocal harmonies. But at the core, it is just a really catchy, bright melody with a wonderfully blissful guitar solo. Really enjoy the log-running, seamless format of this album. Shows that some care was taken in sequencing to enable the transitions. In particular, the bleed from Ballet For a Rainy Day into 1000 Umbrellas is superb. Two very different songs both in tone and composition that work great as a pair. Love the string work on 1000 Umbrellas. Almost makes me think of The Beatles a la Elanor Rigbsy, but much darker feeling. Standout track for me. Love the guitar work on Mermaid Smiled. The cabaret jazzy shuffle on The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul was completely unexpected. What a jam this song is; that bass groove paired with some solid drum work and flute. Just wow. Man this is a great album that sounds so far ahead of its time. I can see where the vocals could be a bit polarizing, but the quality of production and songwriting cannot be discounted. In my eyes this is a very high 4.
Super, super girl song definitely sounds like old poppy radio hit, kind of an annoying song. The man who sailed around his soul is interesting, I like the flute. I liked the album overall, interesting band and sound quality is good, seems well produced. Some unique sounds and instruments in there. I give it a 3.5 stars
Skylarkbunting.
That album was very weird and I have no idea how to rate it. There were points where I would give it a 4 and also parts where it was a 2. So I will meet in the middle for a 3 That seems like an album that I should like but there was just something off with it.
This first song is a trip with the melodica/crickets/birds. Also has a great transition into Grass. Some pretty wild looping on The Meeting Place. Fun song! Super, Super Girl is a tricky one for me. Really love parts of it but then it feels cheesy af at others. Season Cycle is apparently influenced by the Beach Boys and you can hear it. One thing that really sticks out after the first side is the production. It sounds incredible and deserves a listen on headphones. I loved this album and was bouncing along the whole time. Debated giving this album a 5 but going to go with an extremely high 4 cuz it fell off in some songs. Downloaded the album though and will be back.
Good
3.3 summers cauldron the man who sailed around the world
Amazing! How I missed this in 88 is a wonder. The Dear Gid is the hit, but the other tines are wonderful.
Varies between lounge act and hymnal resonance.
Reminds me of They Might Be Giants a little bit. Very coo! This one was very playful in its sound. It creates this fun and happy tone throughout. Very cool &0s pop record!
Few good songs but didn’t care for 80% of this
It's a band everyone should know. His voice is not the most soothing but it's quite unique. like some of their other albums better but I get why this is on there.
4 - I really like the songs that I like off of this album. The transitions between tracks are awesome and flow very well, which is something I always like. The reason I'm leaving it at a 4 is because I don't care much about the tracks I don't have saved. They're not bad, just probably not songs I'll come back to unless I'm listening to the whole album. But, overall, it's a great album and I like the concept. The album's presentation is top notch.
Outdoorsy.
Everything I hate about 80s music. Dear God was the saving grace and the only song that stood out to me
Could not wait for this one to be over. Chord progressions are all over the place. Vocals are weak. Someone else described it as bad Tears for Fears and that's spot on. Couple of decent songs but overall, not for me.
This sounds like someone trying to rip off popular music from the 60s and try and make it cool again. Except they didn’t succeed. This album is kind of all over the place and is hard to enjoy. Don’t see this being revisited and not sure again why this album is on the list. 4.0/10
Good experimental 80s boosted by the awesome Dear God
Relistened and got it.
Not a fan. Lyrics seem pointless and not in sync with the rhythms. Move on. Cannot believe this album is highly rated.
Very cool sound
Classic British pop. Dear God kind of ruined it for me though.
For years only had "Nonsuch" on tape.. solid album, I liked it at the time of release, but it is overkill and not the best starting point. Drums and Wires, Black Sea, English Settlement, Skylarking are all clear 5-star albums for different reasons. Skylarking is full of great pop songs, one of these albums with songs that require several listens and then becomes very addictive, as it is so melodic and works on different levels. score: 10/10. side note: "Dear God" is no fit with the other songs and makes the album worse overall. As it was only added to the album later on, I excluded it.
This was hard to listen to until the end.
Not for me 1/5
Some nice bits... overall not bad...
This was pretty good. Enjoyed listening to it.
I love albums that have a strong, relaxing vibe. I read online this is a concept albums about the stages of life told through the movement of the seasons. This is clear in the music. The first songs like "Grass" feel like summer. Then there are songs about rain, they're a little more melancholy as the album moves into autumn. I love the sound of this album and it makes me happy that I endeavored to listen to all 1001 albums.
Gran pop psicodelico, influenciado por los beatles con un concepto orquestal y arreglos exquisitos de cuerdas y otros instrumentos. Gran trabajo del productor Todd
Underwhelming
Surprisingly catchy album. I had never hear of it even though I was somewhat familiar of XTC as a band.
i quite liked this the second time round
Didn't understand the Beatles comparisons routinely associated with *Skylarking* when I first got aware of the latter's "reputation", but I have to admit that I had only browsed through this album before, and now that I gave it a proper listen, I can see where so many people (and critics) drew that comparison from. With their lush string sections, sophisticated-yet-airy myxoldian chord sequences, and catchy vocal harmonies, "Ballet For A Rainy Day", "1000 Umbrellas", "Season Cycle", "Big Day" or "Dear God" sure have a Lennon/McCartney flavor to them. Just as I wrote it for my previous review of later half-succesful XTC LP *Apple Venus vol.1*, that doesn't mean Partridge and Moulding are exactly in the same league as the Beatles' legendary songwriters. Yet you would have to be tone-deaf not to hear the connection here. Apart from that, you have an interesting string of songs opening the album, namely "Summer's Cauldron", "Grass" and "The Meeting Place" (the two latter being singles for the album)--with a few moments in them rather recalling Brian Eno's pre-ambient-era pop rock experiments than anything Beatles (and maybe also reminding of album producer Todd Rundgren's own off-kilter endeavors in a somewhat similar pop experimental mode). Weird-yet-hypnotic short cut "Another Satellite" also made me think of circa-*I Love You* Beach Boys, when Brian Wilson's late seventies insanity brought him to unwittingly foretell synthpop shenanigans that didn't really exist before the eighties. And somehow, that endearing cut reminded me of Animal Collective as well. Evidence enough that there is something truly timeless in some of the songs displayed in this LP. Unfortunately, you also have a fistful of naff songs in it that are heavily indebted to far more overblown eighties aesthetics, such as "That's Really Super, Supergirl" or "Earn Enough For Us", in spite of rather groundbreaking production values elsewhere which conversely aged quite well. Worse, those sorts of tracks are just a pretext for XTC to exert their muscle memory and rehash their earlier pop-rock-by-way-of-post-punk highlights. Except that this particular rehash is nowhere as good as most of the tunes from *Drums And Wire* or *English Settlement*. And they don't really fit with the rest anyway. Add a couple of fillers into the mix, and that's one point taken away from the whole thing. Because beyond the letdown that those individual songs are, they also hurt the album's momentum in several crucial points of the tracklisting. That said, I admit I was still pleasantly surprised by this record overall, contrary to the earlier admittedly superficial listens I had given it. Turns out I pushed the "like button" for some of the 2-star and 3-star reviews on this app before I got the chance to revisit the album myself. It's something I shouldn't have done. Hence why I won't hesitate to give at least four stars to this thing, to make up for that blunder. So if you want to help me repair my mistake, please push the "like" button as well for my own review, ha ha. 😉 A few words about "Dear God" to end my tentative blurb now: once again, this complaint about organized religions is not really up to the level of John Lennon's own gem about the same topic from *Plastic Ono Band*, as another reviewer estimated in here. But c'mon, it's still a great song, both lyrically and musically (that final climax!). I've just read on Wikipedia that this tune--missing from the first version of this LP, and then quickly added to it thanks to its success as a single stateside--has been placed between "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" and "Dying" for the 2016 release. And honestly, it's right where it should go, instead of the last slot, as on the Spotify link given in this app (and also in the previous releases). Having it at the very end made it look like a last-minute addition that stuck out like a sore thumb. Now you feel like "Dear God" is truly part of the overall "program" offered by this loosely conceptual album. Not sure if such a concept about "cycles" is that deep or enlightening in the long run. But as long as the music supporting it goes from decent to excellent, I see no reason to complain here. 4/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 9/10 grade for more general purposes (5+4). Number of albums left to review: 290 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 312 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 171 (including this one, and I swear I will try hard to place it in a high position in my own sublist) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 230
Paljon toivoa oli mutta pimputteluksi meni.. Pamauttelia olisi kiva.. Olisikohan huomisen albumissa.. Lytiikat lieköhöb world classm. jaksa meikä poika.. Vaikka aika hyvin selvää noista sai...
Балдёжные лёгкие, я б сказал даже летние треки. Приятный вокал, движовые ритмы, очень приятно слушается. Первый раз слышу про эту группу, но звучит приятно. Четвёрочка )
Eerste 3 nummers leken een redelijke potentie te hebben, maar het ging toch ook tamelijk snel vervelen. Tweede helft van het album is nietszeggende stront
Niet per se mijn type muziek, maar moet eerlijk zeggen dat het verder wel oké wegluisterde
Wel weer aardig vreemde tonen. Niet echt prettig om te luisteren
Interesting blend of sound 3
The production value is high, and so is the quirkiness. Obviously heavily Beatles-inspired. I thing it hits the mark in several cases with strong songs, but also gets muddy in other areas. Great arrangements and you can’t knock em for trying some new things.
2.5
I have a couple of XTC songs in my Liked playlist (and thought they were in my Wrapped too but they were not, which surprised me). I enjoyed the album and will listen to more of their stuff.
This album reminded me of ELO, I liked it overall
I thought I'd like this. I did not.
Very enjoyable. I listened to it in the evening while I was working and it kept me going.
Terribly boring. Probably was never going to connect with this as 80s British pop isn't exactly my cuppa tea. I'm not convinced I'm hearing 15 distinct songs here. It all kinda blended together with the same sort of ideas but that's probably worsened by me getting bored of attentively listening due to the dullness. Production is good I can tell these guys care about the presentation of their sound but damn is 15 songs probably 10 too many tracks for me.
It was ok
Interesting 80's alternative / New Wave. Worth a listen.
01) Summer's Cauldron - 8,0 02) Grass - 8,5 03) The Meeting Place - 8,5 04) That's Really Super, Supergirl - 8,0 05) Ballet for a Rainy Day - 7,5 06) 1000 Umbrellas - 7,0 07) Season Cycle - 6,5 08) Earn Enough for Us - 7,5 09) Big Day - 7,0 10) Another Satellite - 7,0 11) Mermaid Smiled - 7,5 12) The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul - 7,0 13) Dying - 7,0 14) Sacrificial Bonfire - 7,5 15) Dear God - 8,5 TOTAL: 7,53 (75/100) I've heard of XTC but never actually listened to them. I couldn't name a single song of theirs even if my life depends on it. This album actually sounds better than I thought it will.
perfection.
Some good cuts but overall not a lot of different music in the songs
Mundane
A disappointment to me, lifeless songwriting. Having grown up on Black Sea and English Settlement, and even the wildly inconsistent Mummer, I remember being let down by Skylarking upon its release. For a release by a beloved band, this is one I will continue to avoid.
Not my favorite album of theirs but I’ve always loved XTC… Dear God is Epic!!
Have Always Loved XTC!! This album was new to me Dear God is an EPIC CLASSIC!! Loved it so very much. They have other albums I appreciate more than this one but it was nice to hear things I had not heard before, so good all the way around!
I remember liking them in the 80s. I even bought on of their cds. Not this one though. They weren’t typical of my music collection. I went for edgier. They seemed more cheesy. Listening now I heard their musicality. Somewhat beatle-esque. It was like listening to an old friend.
Brilliant. Absolutely loved this. First XTC album heard all way through. Kept thinking of the Beatles.
Easy to listen to. Not exciting but also not annoying.
This album is decent pop music and just fine for what it is. Todd Rundgren could have done them a favor and left his melodica at home. Has anyone, anywhere ever said, “Wow, that tune really had some jammin’ melodica?” “Big Day,” has excellent bass work. “Dear God,” is a good tune. We need more songs mocking the idea of imaginary space buddies. No wonder it was left off the first pressing, it hits too close to reality for some people.
I listened to this album all the way through twice, and it somehow made no impression on me, either good or bad. The music is pleasant enough, but it has an unbelievable ability to fade into the background 3/5
Tjah
Nice sound.
Summer's Cauldron Earn Enough For Us Dear God
Some interesting songs but nothing I'd revisit in a hurry
I liked the last song. The rest I could live without hearing. Boring pop but hey, the songs transitions nicely.
Not very special. I could not stand the whole record
I like XTC and this is a great album. The production is really quite amazing. I'll admit that the album I'm most familiar with is "The Big Express" with only passing familiarities with some of the other records. I'll need to find the time to revisit and dig in a bit more. I enjoyed this more than I expected.
1st and last songs are powerful! but the rest, honestly terrible and not to my taste at all 2/5
It wasn't good. It got boring and at times I just wanted it to end. The album seemed to improve some but not much. No need to revisit and it is on par with the other XTC album on the list.
Upbeat, chill music. Great for background music in the backyard playin’ cornhole. Won’t interrupt conversation. (Not meant as an insult… sometimes you want to groove, but not get interrupted by a fan favourite tune) Solid 3
It’s an interesting album to be sure. Never really listened to XTC so didn’t know what to expect other than assuming it was going to sound like music from the 80’s. It was decent
There are quite a few good songs, and enough variation that you don’t feel like you’re listening to the same few ideas over and over again.
It’s giving Beatles, but make it 80s. I think I’d have to look into the concept a bit more to really appreciate the album, but it really wasn’t bad.
I love their album, English Settlement. This album was OK.
Every song added to the playlist. Was about to write a long review singing its praises and then the last song dear god came on and I was like oh it’s that fuckass animatic song! It blindsided me! But it is still a good song. Need to listen to the rest now…
Truly excellent song transitions, truly okay songs.
Crazy that I got the 2 XTC albums so close to each other. I liked it, but there was something that felt unfinished about it that did drag it down for me.
I happened to listen immediately following Queen of Denmark. Mistake. They were similar. Each one has beautiful melodies and musicianship, but the lyrics are far too random and juvenile sounding. I’m certain that fans would disagree and tell me that they are merely satirical or ironic, but they just don’t find their way into my lyrical lockbox.
pretty good, some real bangers, XTC certainly has better albums though
I was unimpressed and all ready to give a 2 and then a favorite 80s song comes up as the last track: “Dear God.” Then I was all confused and not sure what to do! I’m sticking with my 2 but it’s really 2.5 for it’s fantastic ending.
I am learning that I don't like New Wave very much, with a few exceptions. Still, it was fortunate to get XTC and Devo in quick succession so I can compare them. I would describe XTC as more earnest and serious, while Devo is absurdist, sarcastic, playful. I think the latter tone suits the genre so much more naturally.
I was not expecting to be blown away by this, and yet the flow, the poetic lyrics, it all works. The rerelease which adds “Dear God” as the final track only improves it.
They sound like a weird blend of every 80's band you can think of. Not a bad ride though!
I wanted to like this more than I did, it's aight though. Feels like a pretty solid 3.
I've never really been an XTC fan, but after listening to the albums they have on this list, I'm coming around. :) Standouts: Dear God, That's Really Super Supergirl. Others: Ballet for a Rainy Day, Season Cycle, Big Day, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, Grass, Dying
This had a lot of interesting elements, and the production has aged very well. The closing track is a showstopper.
Just ok.
Not bad
Hellish
For there to be above average music some music must be below average. This band makes the normal distribution work. Not bad music, but the singer sounds like being rick rolled for 49 minutes, the instruments, especially the piano have some fun riffs, but its not enough to save it.
Some parts of "Dying" remind me of early Floyd (I think?) especially with the vocals being quite dragged out and with the whiny/minor tones. Overall quite unremarkable. I guess it tries to go for a psychedelic sound but dosen't quite get there in my opinion. Feels quite constipated throughout, lots of tension built up without too much resolution. (Just realised this is the band Karims friend, Lucy, suggested).
I really liked it again! I will probably also listen to some of these songs again
I have already listened to this album and enjoyed it hehe.
regular
DNF. not for me and i’ve tried a thousand times to listen to this record. white flag.
Vocally, there's some hint of the same back-of-the-mouth-bounce-from-the-roof Curt Smith (which can be traced back to the Beatles) but musically this album is everywhere in both good and bad ways. Starting with the good, the mix of instruments and callback to the rock of the 60s make for a 'modern' take on the genre, which is great for 1986. "Season Cycle" is a fair example in a song that one could expect to hear from the B-sides of a Beatles album, or a forgotten Paul McCartney experiment. As far as interesting songs, "1000 Umbrellas" takes the podium for this. Bright, a bit funky, it stands out and prevents the album from being monotonous or held prisoner by a decade. The bad, and this is subjective of course, is that the album is quite literally everywhere. There is not really a theme, or any kind of pattern that an album can usually convey. It is quite literally an album of songs, rather than a cover to cover story. Maybe this is where XTC only enjoyed moderate success here, in that the album just lacked something to really grab onto. Unless a song is particularly exceptional, it is hard to buy an album without at least one or two non-negotiable songs. Objectively, this is album is really good work and if listened to as a compilation, could even be called excellent. The problem is that realizing this could be too little too late for a lot of listeners. "Another Satellite" is a great song and probably the most identifiable as being an 80s sound consistent with the British offerings the world would get a la Tears for Fears, arguably the reason why XTC gets undeservedly, yet understandably overlooked. Until we get to "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" which seems to rudely interrupt the non-existent monotony by introducing a tone change entirely. The best news is that this album scores 3/5 in that it makes a case for being on this list, but the not so great news is that should it ever get bumped in favor of some other album the protest would probably be minimal.
I wasn't as familiar with this album, but I still enjoyed. And of course I adore the song 'Dear God'.
Amusing lyrics, fun music
It was not the XTC I am familiar with, but enjoyed the folkiness
Kind of has a Beatles-like sound (in a Modern style). Standouts: Dear God, Grass Others: Bullet For A Rainy Day, That's Really Super Supergirl, The Meeting Place, Big Day, Another Satellite, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, Dying 3.5
Aware of some of their work, and although I think they have made better albums, still a decent listen.
Hypnotizing
Generic ‘80s music. Not horrendous, but I’ve heard way better versions.
Tears for Fears meets the Lion King meets Elbow. Had me humming along.
This is one of my favorite albums. I listen to it often. Todd Rundgren was the man producing this. Its perfect. Not a bad second on the whole album. Andy gobbled up all The Beatles albums, digested them and gave us the Skylarking masterpiece.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from XTC. They’re one of those bands that I know definitely exist, and the sort of period they worked in … but that’s it. Cure-y. Less poppy. I quite like the feel, I like the vocals, some interesting lyrics. It’s not super 80s. There are a lot of ideas going on, at times I found it a complicated listen. I reckon it would be a grower. With a bit of time it would probably give a lot back. Alas, I’m not sure I can’t see myself choosing to listen to it ever again.
Inoffensive 80s pop/rock. Nothing really stands out but wasn't desperate for it to end. Not in the right mood for it but probably won't listen again.
Ruim demais, credo kkkkkk
i fell in love with this album well over a decade ago when i heard "earn enough for us" on the radio. i went out and bought the album immediately. the songwriting is very fun, very beatle-esque at times, and of course, we love a todd rundgren production. to me, the todd production pushes it over the edge and gives it a great energy.
Удивительно лёгкий по звучанию альбом. Ничего лишнего. А ещё и с концепцией
Lourd
jai bien aimé !!!!! 🙀
Really stale with a couple of good moments
It’s just not for me
Delightful
More like a 3.5 since the album sort of falls off after Earn Enough For Us
Horrible. Pure garbage. Worst album on this list so far.
Eh
I love XTC, and I like Skylarking, but I really prefer their more energetic and quirky earlier stuff. This album in my opinion, is a solid album, but is overrated in the end. If you are someone who listened to Skylarking and found it to be too twee and gave this album a low rating, be advised that it is only representative of their later work. I encourage you to go back and listen to English Settlement, Drums and Wires, and my personal favorite album of theirs - Black Sea. Those three albums are almost perfect. If those aren't energetic enough for you, go back to their first two albums - White Music and Go 2, which are pretty frenetic.
Overall, it was a fine album but I didn't hear anything truly special about this one. At times it sounded like if the Talking Heads took a less weird direction. Overall, it was mediocre. Everything was played well but nothing really stood out to me. Standout tracks: Mermaid Smiled, Dear God
Sa sonne comme un centre d’achat
Sleepy daydream album - not really my cup of tea. The outlier was "Dear God" which is a much heavier track than the rest of the album. Musically solid, probably will only listen to "Dear God" again.
Cool
This was actually a good album
Not into it
ganske chill, men ikke noen woaw faktor
Heb zelf goede herinneringen aan XTC in de jaren 90, maar die waren toch stukken indrukwekkender dan deze softe shit!
Dit vind ik tof! Fijne eighties vibe en goeie songs
Ik ken betere dingen van XTC dan deze plaat.