Apple Venus Volume 1

This album is so essential that you can’t listen to it in America on a streaming service. Instead you get to hear it as the artist intended: broken up by commercials for reverse mortgages and carb-cutting diet fads on YouTube. Real talk though, this album’s alright. If you like the corniest of all the Beatles’ psychedelic pop experiments from the late sixties, you’ll love this record.

I've never heard any XTC before, and I'm not sure this was the best place to start; sounds like a bunch of middle-aged men in a shed in Shropshire doing a Beatles-prog crossover on the weekend. It's fine, but not great.

Fun and quirky and melodic. I was going to go with 4 stars because this is very much my kind of music, but I need to drop 1 whole star for "Your Dictionary" which has some of the dumbest lyrics I have ever heard in my entire god-forsaken life.

Interesting for sure. But *essential*? I'm not even certain that *Skylarking* and *English Settlement* will be included in my own list (*Drums And Wire* will be in it, of course). So selecting this late-career album by XTC sounds a little dubious on paper. On paper at least, I'll grant that to Dimery and co. The orchestral arrangements are top-notch on quite a few tracks, for instance. It was surprising to read that those arrangements were all recorded in Abbey Road in a single day, and that the original sessions were somewhat botched. That protools software can work wonders, can't it? Pretty useful when you don't have the ressources to record an orchestra for a whole week. At times, there are strings arrangements that reminded me of Dead Can Dance or Michael Nyman. Gorgeous, gorgeous work. Thanks to those orchestrations, great compositions such as "River of Orchids", "Easter Theatre", "I Can't Own Her" and "Harvest Festival" shine on this record--to which you could maybe add single "I'd Like That" and closer "The Last Balloon". To be honest, I find those highlights even more endearing than the ones of *Skylarking*, that mid-eighties LP that saw XTC take a radical left turn towards more artsy landscapes. Maybe one of the issues pestering *Apple Venus Volume 1* is that it was released long after that initial left-turn-into-art-rock-thing, and even longer after the band's commercial peak. Which might be an unfair way to dismiss *Apple Venus...*, once again. If those songs had appeared on *Skylarking*, chances are that they would have been praised just like the tunes on that album were. Maybe even more so. That being said, I think that all the other cuts in this record are far less effective, and even annoying to an extent. As often with this band, said cuts go from unobtrusive to twee--a trend that often rubs me the wrong way during XTC's later albums. That reliance on lush layerings, soft textures, and an overabundance of major chords started with *Skylarking*, once again. The thing is, as talented as he is, Alan Partridge is no John Lennon, no Paul McCartney, and no 60s-era Brian Wilson. His tunes always *sound* nice, I agree. But some of them are way too naive. And most of them are not that memorable compared to the ones routinely written by the genius songwriters XTC fans often compare Partridge with. On top of that, there's the issue of overall dynamics. If you take away the post-punk energy of the band's early career, you actually end up taking away a lot of the stuff that made their compositions so remarkable in the first place. I agree that when they age, composers and songwriters should find ways to make the sound of their youth evolve with them. But doing so doesn't necessarily mean you have to lose a sense of youthful enthusiasm, so to speak. And early-XTC had *a lot* of those thrilling, enthusiastic moments. I'm OK with the idea of intellectualizing things a little. It's just that there are ways to do so and still remain straightforward once in a while. You can do this through a soaring chorus, basic chords at key points of a song, or anything that would make it a little catchier, Abbey-Road-recording-sessions-of-a full-blown-orchestra notwithstanding. Because, let's face it, this LP is a little stingy when it comes to catchy moments, isn't it? And this, even for its highlights. I haven't yet listened to *Apple Venus Volume 2* (not in Dimery's list, if my memory serves), but it sounds reasonable to assume that if Partridge and Moulding had at least gathered the highlights from both volumes into a single package--and dismissed the rest for B-sides and whatnot--you would have a stronger entry here. It's a story everyone has heard before. The talented leader of a band is such a victim of his own hubris that he botches his own desire for success when he becomes unable to self-edit so as to separate the whiff from the chaff--and this even when his entourage advised him to do so. Reading stories about Alan Partridge and his occasional temper tantrums with other band members, it seems that he is a character that could fit those shoes. Human makes mistake, I imagine. Number of albums left to review: 437 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 263 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 134 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 170 (including this one)

Second album by these guys here, their THIRTEENTH overall. English (ofc), mostly just an orchestra with the singer waxing lyrical over the top. Pompous and overblown, ambitious but directionless. etc etc. As a general rule, albums 30 years into a band's career just shouldn't be here. I'm sure there are some exceptions, but not today. Wikipedia says the album was plagued by "personal conflict", and to hazard a guess: the singer wrote the whole thing by himself and rest of the band told him to stick this vanity project nonsense up his arse. Eventually the singer had it released anyway. Wiki also says it was "praised by critics" - I'm not gonna go looking for reviews, but.... I bet it wasn't. lol. 2/5.

Really great album. I had never heard a single song on it and it's not at all what I expected from XTC. A little bit mellower and more Beatles-y than what I'm used to, but it really hit the spot for me. I liked almost every song on first listen and the rest kind of grew on me after repeated listens. This was the first album that was not on Spotify that I wished was.

I listened to an XTC album for the first time only a few months ago and was seriously impressed. I love the blend of rock music with orchestra, and it made for such a nice experience. Today’s album seems hard to find as it isn’t on Apple Music, so I’m having to resort to streaming it on YouTube. Not ideal, but still excited to hear it. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Greenman, I’d Like That I’m happy to report that this album was just as lovely as the last one. Google and Wikipedia seem to indicate XTC are a post punk band, but this was much more folky than anything. Previous reviews of mine have expressed a joy for music that makes me want to run around naked in fairy circles, and this is no exception. The vocals and Melodie’s are very imaginative and creative, and it makes for a very lovely listening experience. I might have to add this to my record collection soon.

Surprenant. En voyant le nom du band et le nom de l'album, je ne m'attendais pas à grand chose. Un genre d'album de Jazz expérimentale probablement. Mais ce n'est pas du tout cela. J'ai beaucoup aimé les arrangements. La voix aussi est en harmonie avec le reste et il y a beaucoup de substances et de différents styles pour les chansons. Une très bonne écoute. 4.5

Never felt the urge to actively seek out XTC; like Squeeze (who I often confuse them with), their radio songs are pleasant enough but uninspiring. Now, having been forced to seek them out today (due to this being unavailable on Spotify), my opinion remains the same. Professional sounding but dull; dorky lyrics and clumsy song structures abound

Goofy lyrics, but some interesting melodies. Belongs on the "1001 albums it wouldn't kill you to listen to" list

Bleh.

[I've only recently realized that I can queue my reviews. I will have to use this here. First time I've heard of this band, I think(?) and this is certainly interesting, maybe more.] Nah, it's easy actually. My 5 star ratings here don't necessarily adhere to my usual musical preferences only but also to how much I enjoyed being shown a particular album. Like this one.

I was hugely surprised by just how great this album was. It has a shot at having the highest quality-to-popularity ratio on this list. The compositions and arrangements are little Beatlesque, or perhaps Brian-Wilsonian, especially in the slower, more string-oriented tracks. The strings are the album’s point of focus, along with the smooth, emotional vocals. Really, the only slightly weaker track is Your Dictionary, because of the horrendously goofy lyrics – but that can be overlooked. The rest of the album sounds really good, cementing its place as an obscure classic in the world of British baroque-pop. Key tracks: I Can’t Own Her – Beautiful shimmering strings and some sitar-like instrument in the back. Very cool. Takes a darker, more aggressive turn in the B-section halfway through the song. River of Orchids – Man, that orchestration is haunting. Cool, dark, nature-overgrown alleyway. A little haunting. Easter Theatre – Fun, poppy, well-produced. Greenman – Hard-to-place genre. Some quasi-medieval hints – possibly mode related? Again, great use of strings – adds so much colour. (This is a consistently strong theme throughout the album.)

This was a really great album. Shame it’s not on Spotify because there’s multiple songs I really enjoy. River of Orchids, Easter Theater, and Your Dictionary were all really solid listens. 10/10

9.5/10

This album is not on Spotify and after reading comments on YouTube, this album is apparently really hard to find. Which is a shame because it's well crafted. This parallels The Beatles. This is my favorite albums off this list of albums I have not heard before. I wish this was so spotify for my convenience. I have added this album to the list of albums that I would like to add to my vinyl collection. I've heard it's difficult to find.. But I'm hopeful because it's a fantastic record. The song Your Dictionary was, to my surprise, really good. I'm a lyrics guy and the lyrics come off a bit cheesy.. But it's the first time I have heard a song with that style of lyrics - it was really well done. I listened to it 4 times before I moved on to the next song.... Which is one of my favourites off the album: Fruit Nut. To me, this sounds like it could have been written by one of my favourite artists, Ween. It's whimsical and almost goofy but done in a serious and purposeful. It's contrasting styles blended beautifully. I wonder if the brothers' Ween took inspiration from XTC? The final song has a slow trumpet build up that accompanies the rest of the instruments really well and it ends with a fantastic solo but the trumpet. Loved every second of that. What a gem. This record makes me want to explore XTC further. I will definitely listen to this again and again.

Listened to this while playing Aeon's End with my partner against Magus of Cloaks. We lost twice. What an unexpected joy this album was! I had seen the groups name before, but had no idea what kind of music they performed. As an instrumentalist, I lived for all the creative orchestrations. There was an occasional cringe lyric here and there...but the dictionary song was super clever and had me laughing. I kept waiting for things to get less interesting, but each song was like a little auditory gem. I would absolutely come back to this for inspiration in my own compositions. Was not expecting to have a 5 album out of the blue...but I loved this!

Incredible from start to finish. "River of Orchids" sets the tone for an acoustic yet diverse and intense musical experience. "I Can't Own Her" was another highlight, although I think every song is worth listening to.

This is what The Beatles (and the Davies brothers and Brian Wilson) would sound like if they had been born a hundred years later. The same old pop motifs re-interpolated a thousands times into banality but also looping back into sensory overload and euphoria and surreal half truths. You can't really handle the tremendous weight of it whether you've heard the classics or not.

What a phenomenal album. It deviates from earlier XTC not only because of the other instruments used and the use of The London Sessions Orchestra, but also the song structures. Don't expect the cynical wave rock from the 80's but great atmospheric arrangements, often in an orchestral guise, but never over the top or bombastic. Apparently the creation of this album and the songs on it took years. Years of exploration, of contention, of separation. And that is audible. And palpable. It's not a full 5* album though, because the 2 songs that Mouldin contributed to the album (Frivolous Tonight and Fruit Nut) are not up to the level of Andy Partridge's songs. It might not be an innovative album, but how much beauty do you want on an album? Standout tracks are Easter Theatre, Greenman, Your Dictionary and the absolute incredible ending of The Last Balloon. 4,5*.

Apple Venus Volume 1 I do quite like XTC, but am only really familiar with Drums and Wires because of Making Plans for Nigel, so this was a new one on me. It’s a genuinely fascinating listen. And in fact I think it’s a bit of a gem, with some undoubted high points, and a very singular and engaging sensibility. You can hear echoes of people like Vaughan Williams and Elgar, and The Beatles and Brian Wilson in the orchestral arrangements and ambition. I really like the folklore-ish themes running through it, and it feels very connected to its Englishness, similar to Let England Shake, although obviously musically very different. I guess one sticking point might be the thin, nasally tone of the vocals on some tracks. It feels like sometimes a richer, fuller voice might work better with the themes and ideas here. River of Orchids has a bit of that - I love the almost pizzicato strings and the horns, the melody is great and the overall feel is very English and idiosyncratic, however that nasal quality is a bit distracting in parts. I’d Like That is a very nice bit of acoustic folkiness, building on the pastoral theme with an added touch of romantic excitement. Easter Theatre is excellent, a great example of combining a paganistic sense of Englishness with those orchestral arrangements. The horns are superb, very George Martin-eque Knights in Shining Karma has some strong White Album vibes, particularly in the intro, evoking Dear Prudence and Julia with its folk guitar pattern, but I really like the atmosphere of gentle melancholy it conjures. Frivolous Tonight, although the upbeatness is welcome it does have a strong 80s TV sitcom theme feel to it, and it’s one of the weaker tracks for me. Greenman, however, is my highlight, the eastern-esque strings with the folkish triplets and flute, and the lyric about one of the cornerstones of folklore is very evocative and overall it’s a superb song. Your Dictionary is a great bit of caustic bitterness tacked onto a spare and thoughtful arrangement of guitar, piano and strings, before blossoming into that fully fleshed out outro. It’s a nice contrast to some of the more outward looking and pastoral themes and lyrics elsewhere. A lot of Sgt Pepper era vibes to Fruit Nut, and a great track, the upbeat nature working really well, in the way Frivolous Tonight’s doesn’t. I Can’t Own Her really does suffer from the nasal vocal thing, even if musically it’s good, with an interesting layering of instruments. Harvest Festival perhaps falls a bit close to being something you’d have to sing at a primary school Harvest Festival, because your slightly hippy-ish teacher loves XTC and because it’s very literally about going to a school Harvest Festival. I’m not as keen on The Last Balloon’s melody, even if it does cast a suitably atmospheric climax to the album. It’s a bit annoying having to listen on YouTube with adverts disrupting the flow, and if this was on streaming properly I’d put it into rotation as I thought it was a great album and a real grower. Musically and thematically ambitious with a strong sense of its own vision, but it does have a bit of unevenness in places, and the nasal vocals do just nag away - I can’t quite help but think the album is diminished somewhat by them. It’s close to a 5, but I’ll settle on a solid 4. 🍎🍎🍎🍎 Playlist submission: Green Man

Usually, when an album I’m looking for isn’t available on streaming, it’s either so underground or extreme that no one wants to be associated with it, or it’s a really old recording whose rights have lapsed. So, it raised some red flags to discover Apple Venus, Vol. 1—an album released as recently as 1999 by XTC, a band with notable commercial and critical acclaim—was missing from all the major streaming services. In this case, the extra effort to track it down was worth it. I was familiar with XTC before, particularly their single "Making Plans For Nigel" (which I relentlessly sang at a co-worker for a full year—sorry, Nige!), but Apple Venus, Vol. 1 caught me totally unprepared. Expecting New Wave and Post-Punk leanings, I found lush orchestrations and layered arrangements instead. The music marks a dramatic shift from their earlier sound, leaning heavily on orchestral elements like strings, woodwinds, and brass. Tracks like “River of Orchids” open with sparse, percussive plucking before blossoming into a rich tapestry of overlapping instruments, while “Easter Theatre” is a baroque pop number that feels like a celebration of renewal and nature. There's an underlying pastoral quality to much of the album, with songs like “Greenman” blending mysticism and whimsy. The orchestral arrangements on Apple Venus, Vol. 1 feel integral to the songs, not just decorative. The result is an album that feels focused and deliberate, with XTC returning from their seven-year break with a clear and cohesive vision. Also gone is the band's previous cynicism. This album feels upbeat and optimistic, which is surprising considering its recording was marked by turmoil within the band. Dave Gregory, their longtime guitarist, left during the sessions due to frustrations with the heavy use of orchestration, and tensions between Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding grew increasingly strained. Despite this discord, Apple Venus, Vol. 1 emerges as a cohesive record that showed the band moving forward artistically. The end result combines Paul McCartney's melodic sensibilities, Peter Gabriel’s adventurous arrangements, and a touch of Tears For Fears' grandeur. It must have sounded completely out of place in 1999, especially when contrasted with the era's dominant musical trends. • Did/Do I own this release? No. • Does this release belong on the list? Skylarking feels more essential, but this album has plenty of captivating qualities. • Would this release make my personal list? Frankly, no. • Will I be listening to it again? Despite the effort it took to find it, it was an enjoyable experience with some clear highs.

Not too bad!

Aika hauskaa ja leikkisää poppia. Tosi progressiivistä, kuin hidastempoista Yes:iä. Kappaleiden sanat aika humoristisia, mutta ei silti mitään vitsimusiikkia. Parhaat: River Of Orchids, Your Dictionary, The Last Balloon, I'd Like That

The one playthrough I’ve allowed myself confused me. This has the aroma of inspired personal statement and is weird, reminding me of theme tunes from 90’s British TV shows, or The Beatles, but a The Beatles as interpreted by a stranger in a pub coming up to one and saying hey, listen to these new The Beatles tracks I’ve just written. And he sings them to you, in front of everyone. And you can’t move.

Meh

Awesome off-centre music.

Right up my alley. Need to listen more

An album full of imagery and inspiration, which could only have been made by an experienced band with a firm hand behind the desk.

I went into this with zero expectations and left feeling like I truly experienced something.

This album really surprised me. It feels like I'm listening to a stage play. While the songs may sound very "unorthodox", every song has a unique theme in it's lyrics paired with distinct and catchy instrumentals. Really good album.

XTC seems to be one of those bands that all my favorite musicians love and adore but I've never gotten into. I'm not sure why either. The albums I've heard are really enjoyable, and this one is no exception. The instrumentation and vocal arrangements are strong throughout. The person playing the horns on The Last Balloon are a highlight for me. I listened to the YT upload by SonyTheSquirrel with no interruptions. This album really is a work of art.

This album has been constantly on my mind for the last few days, as with each re-listen I became more and more entranced in what it had set out to do, and if it succeeded in that fact. I've been, what I consider, a fan of XTC for about a year-and-a-half now, and never has an album of theirs made me want to explore their catalog and their lives more than this album. The instrumentals are methodical and calculated, yet oddly rhythmic. Very similar to the sounds of post-punk acts from the late 70s, everything feels off and strange, but the pleasant instrumentals and "running through a field of flowers"-esque vocals allow the once sterile and cold rhythms to instead make me cling to a brighter future. There's an air of sadness throughout the album, but a hope at the end of the tunnel keeps things bouncy and Summer-y, and even the more nocturnal tracks feel like getting ready for the forever sleep, but being satisfied. Of course, Andy Partridge's vocals are still comedic and light, but the melancholic nature of the whole album just makes it, quite contradictory, becalmed and floaty. This album is not a stereotypical slice of Heaven, but it just feels like this is XTC's view take on it, and I'm at peace with the idea. Light-hearted, yet the weight of the world on its shoulders, I can't imagine a better swan song and depiction of the band's situation at the time. Seeing this album as the true finale of the band, and Volume 2 as a bonus encore makes everything just make sense, and while I don't adore every song on this album, I think it is good enough to be considered one of the band's best.

Love you Andy.

NICE

Phenomenal pop album. Atmospheric, optimistic, beautiful. I was instantly hooked and they didn't lose me. Stand-out: Easter Theatre, Greenman

Such a shame this isn't on spotify, this needs to be heard by more people. The melodies are endlessly beautiful and there are plenty of them scattered throughout every song especially it's choruses. The lush arrangements are also incredible

I really enjoyed this album. It's string heavy baroque pop album that ends with a melancholic call to adventure. Some tracks seem a bit too long and it takes a momet to get into it but it's quite something.

Whoaaa I knew of a few XTC songs but this was something else! Really whisked me away on adventure.

A beautiful, beautiful album.

If I could give it more than 5, I would.

What?! Where did these Beatles-like bliss come from? The blend of orchestral, psychedelic rock and pop is George Martin adjacent for sure. A delightful surprise.

Es magico. Me dejó hipnotizado. It's an amazing and well written, produced and beautifully made project. 10/10.

Tuvo bien en fucking bomba

A very interesting journey on this one. I didn't always love it, but I loved the ride it took me on.

It's a playful album with plenty of musicality, being chock full of nifty chord changes, complex arrangements (with plenty of orchestrations) and superb vocal harmonies. I really like the song titles as well. It benefits from a modern crisp production and this sounds like the sort of music the Beach Boys could've made in the nineties or noughties if they could have been bothered. In fact, I think secretly Andy Partridge would like to join the Beach Boys. XTC made some highly esoteric music but probably were just a bit to odd to ever break the mainstream in a big way, despite the obvious quality of their catchy songs (my own personal favorite being the autumnal Skylarking).

slet ikke hvad jeg havde regnet med. Chokerende godt imho! Brian Wilson med Peter Gabriel-vokal. Syntes Your Dictionary var ret fjollet men alle de andre numre var fantastiske

Ecstasy it is.

Very nice album. It's as if the Beatles got interested in progressive rock and weren't so upbeat. The vocals were great. Like most good music, it'll take me a few listens before I really understand the

Já fiquei puto que não tem no spotify... No começo fiquei "que porra é essa...", aí do nada gostei do que veio, as gotinhas de água, a música com ritmos diferenciado, gosto dessas paradas mais experimentais que fogem um pouco do padrão. Gostei. I'd Like That: Orra, to gostando da música, violãozinho da hora, baixo caminhando legal. Vibe massa, carai. Até fiquei triste que não dá pra adicionar no Spotify. Easter Theatre: mano, que porra é essa, eu realmente to curtindo essas músicas, tão me tocando, que interessante... não sei se lembra algumas músicas da época psicodélica dos Beatles, mas orras... Fui ler os comentários, as pessoas comentaram dos Beatles também huahuahua. Agora tá fazendo sentido... Knights In Shining Karma: cacete, mais uma música da hora, gosto dessa vibe, ainda tá lembrando um pouco de blackbird, com kansas, sound of silence, curto essa vibe. Frivolous Tonight: mais uma vibe Beatles, estilo Maxwell Silver Hammer, parece muito as músicas hippies psicodélicas felizes do Paul. Não teve uma música que não gostei até agora... Greenman: os caras são muito criativos, parece muito uma música de tribo feliz da Disney. Your Dictionary: que isso, começou "F U" pensei "ah não" HUAHUAUH, que musiquinha massa cara. I Can't Own Her: A voz do back vocal é muito vibe Paul mesmo, os caras devem ter uma inspiração forte nos Beatles, vou pesquisar. Pesquisei, a galera até comparou vários álbums dessa banda com os dos Beatles em diferentes épocas, me interessou pra ouvir depois. Esse foi o primeiro álbum desse rolê que me fez parar tudo pra ir pesquisar sobre a banda, era o que eu esperava desde o início. Que foda isso, e como eu to avaliando isso aqui por sentimento, vou dar 5 estrelas pelo que me fez sentir. Acho que nenhuma outra banda vai criar o sentimento que tive ouvindo toda a discografia dos Beatles na adolescência (The Who chegou muito perto), mas essa banda me fez lembrar daquele momento.

10/17/23. Never listened to XTC before this album but wow was I blown away with what I heard. Did not expect such a vast, art like journey. Really surprised and had a pleasant listen, just wish this album was more accessible!

Stunning amazing album.

Beautiful Album. Highlights: River of Orchids, Easter Theatre, Your Dictionary, and Greenman

Infinitely better than their other entry on this list. Even the couple of tracks with corny lyrics sound incredible. Triumphant. Best track: Easter Theatre

I always get annoyed when albums aren't available on Apple Music. The link to me to the album, but every track was greyed out/unavailable. I ended up spending $10 to buy the digital album, which is always a risk. Luckily this was an enjoyable album that I'll probably revisit, even though its a little over the top and ultimately more silly than substantive. Some scattered thoughts after the initial listen. "River of Orchids" is a stunning album opener, "I'd Like That" sounds like a lost Paul McCartney song, "Easter Theatre" has a middle section that is stunning (and carries on the McCartney vibes). "Knights In Shining Karma", "Frivolous Tongiht", and "Greenman" aren't as immediately rewarding, but continue irreverant experimentation with orchestral textures. "Your Dictionary" and "Fruit Nut" are both silly, funny songs. "I Can't Own Her" is a solid ballad. " Harvest Festival" is another decent track, while the close "The Last Balloon" is a killer way to end things. Solid overall, its a really interesting vibe and sonic experience. I'm a big fan of the Beatles and didn't find the McCartney sounding vocals and influences offputting.

What a pleasant surprise this album was! I like XTC and know a couple of albums (Skylarking is outstanding), but hadn't heard of this before. Usually "YouTube" albums are bad here, but not this one. I definitely want to hear it again.

I don't think I had ever heard this album before, and I liked it, but I generally like XTC.

Solid album. Doesn't sound like it was released in 1999, 70's psych with 90's production. It's like a more modern version of The Beatles' psych sound. Shame it's not on streaming services.

Really quite good.

I was not expecting an album like this from a band called XTC, but I liked it!

It started to lose me the last few songs but honestly surprised how much I was enjoying it. Lots of fun effects and melodies. A shame I can’t add some of those to my library. Rating: 4.0

I enjoyed what I heard, but listening on YouTube was terrible. I ordered the CDs because I liked what I heard enough and will circle back when the album has arrived.

Some highs here

Ah great, youtube ass balls. River of Orchids is splendid as an opener, and I haven't been hit with an ad yet. this could be enjoyable. I really liked some bits of Skylarking but not really the whole album. I'm open to XTC though. Green Man is nice enough but feels the most turn of the century dated, makes me think of the Levellers' This Garden. OK if I'm honest a few tracks later I've a little bit lost interest halfway through and not been pulled back in by any particular track. I Can't Own Her came closest. It's all decent and interesting but not, you know... Ah you know, The Last Balloon is a fitting closer. Whimsical yet melancholic, impressive. Fell like this album would reward repeat listens. Whether it will get them from me due to access and pissing about I don't know. Going to rate it highly. Plus point, not a single advert. Suck it, Youtube.

Not their best music but good regardless

Great album 4.5 very Beatles esque

I liked this more than the other XTC album that I got from this list (assuming there's only 2) there's some interesting sounds to be found here. A little long but pretty enjoyable overall.

Gave some Beatles vibes with the orchestra. Wish this were on Spotify because it’s a cool album.

On salue Peter Gabriel, McCartney et les Beatles, Tom Waits et peut-être même Elton. Bien renseigné, bien réussi

This album is tricky to rate because I loved the orchestral components. The use of repetition, layering, building, and dissonance was magical and so indulgent because bands rarely spring for the whole orchestra, let alone know how to compose for it. It was the standout feature of this album for *sure*. Some of the songs and lyrics were really, reallllly cringey (I'm looking at you, "Your Dictionary"), so I was a bit let down by the lyric writing. That being said, I enjoyed the orchestra so much that I can see myself listening to this one often (but maybe I'll just remove "Your Dictionary" from the playlist first).

First commute in two weeks and I get an album I can't even listen to! This is actually great, interesting stuff.

Just as you start to get into it it gets weird, like if The Beach Boys went even further during Pet Sounds and had kicked Mike Love out of the group. Not a relaxing listen, but it is very interesting. It grew on me.

Kind of like an icecream truck hitting a jelly bean filled van with the Beach Boys explaining how it all went down.

Creative, well-crafted, intemporal, some of it similar to Electric Light Orchestra. No bangers but overall love it 4

Cool weird album with funny lyrics

00:20 after the album starts: It starts with a Beatlesque with no novelty, but ok, it's good enough. 18:00: I am listening to the "Greenman," which has slightly changed my opinion; it's nicer. 19:00: Let me fav some of their other albums, just in case. 20:00: Is this the real life?® 24:00: Thank you 1001albumsgenerator.com

Just the perfect amount of weird. I loved it. Wish it was on Apple Music. I always liked the song they had about Nigel

Gotta admit, not actually super familiar with XTC beyond the occasional "Making Plans for Nigel" from time to time. To that end, I feel like I'm working backwards a bit, not having deep dove into any of their OG albums. There's something very compelling about what a musician does after their glory days dry up, however, and I've always been very interested in that. What do you do artistically after the kids stop lining up and your aesthetics no longer symbolize the cutting edge? Do you dye your hair, stock up on botox and try to stay young forever? Or do you continue your artist journey, unbothered, while you cater to your smaller, but more unshakable fanbase that remains loyal to you and where your journey leads to? It's really commendable that they chose the latter approach, honing in on a robustly produced sound that really uplifts where their songwriting has landed. They are certainly doing anything but trying to fit in on anything edgey, but in that appeal their sound as elderstatesmen is perfectly mature for who they are. Beyond that, they are very unique and individualistic. The track "Greenman" for instance, really landing in it's own territory. Just look at them go with that flute! If your band doesn't rhyme with "Deathrow Skull", using a flute that much throughout the album is real ballsy.... and then arguably even then could be overload for some, but I'll be damned if XTC didn't pull it off. Nice work, gents!

A really solid tho a tad synthetic piece of chamber pop, though the highs make it worth it.

Unfortunately, the album is not available from my streaming provider. Instead, I listened to a collection of other tracks by XTC. I already knew the band and I like their music. I probably would have liked the album too. 4/5

this honestly really surprised me. the first song i thought was really annoying and your dictionary has some of the stupidest fucking lyrics i’ve ever heard in my life, but other than that, this creates a totally unique soundscape (sometimes for better, sometimes for worse) there are very few times when an album allows me to perk up and think that i’ve just heard something new, so thank you to this paul mccartney-meets-tears-for-fears! 1.) easter theatre 2.) i can’t own her 3.) knights in shining karma

This was fun, and I'll probably listen to more of this band. I only knew of them from They Might Be Giants song XTC vs Adam Ant.

first listen very interesting

Some good ones! I love greenman. Very zen. I wish it was easier to find! Not on spotify.

Loved it. Hurrah for English countryside pagan vibes. Like Skylarking it’s one to listen to again, if only I can find it somewhere other than YouTube….

This was very cool

Album indisponible mais le groupe est chouette

Fíla þetta. Hef ekki hlustað nóg á XTC, þarf greinilega að gera meira af því.

Я не знаю чем меня это цепляет, но мне нравится. Оригинальный мужской вокал, разнообразная музыка, ритм чувствуется, подпевать можно, ну вот есть в этом что-то!

River of Orchids creates a soundscape like a rain shower. I like the vocal panning done during the stage directions of Easter Theatre. Overall quirky set of songs. Wish I could add some of these to my Spotify playlists. Very glad I listened. Not a fan of Fruit Nut. Favorite songs were River of Orchids, Easter Theatre, Greenman, and I Can’t Own Her.

"Apple Venus Volume 1" is the 13th studio album by English rock band XTC. The band used more strings, acoustic guitars and keyboards expanding on their orchestral approach uesd on their last album, 1992's "Nonsuch." Lead singer and guitarist Andy Partridge coined the music "Orchustric." It took seven years between album releases due to personal conflicts, lack of money, false starts and a strike against their former label Virgin Records. They recorded enough songs for a double album but decided to have two volumes/albums with volume 1 being more acoustic and baroque and volume 2 more rockin.' The album did receive critical acclaim and had moderate commercial success reaching #42 in the UK and #106 on the US. Water dripping and strings open "River of Orchids." This sort of has a prancing feel to it with a cello. Partridge vocals come in and a layered chorus as well. There's a lot going on. It's eccentric. They switch over to an acoustic guitar in "I'd Like That." This song rolls along. Patridge is apparently rekindling a relationship. And, they go back to strings in their single "Easter Theatre." More vocal harmonies, really going Beach Boys on us. We get an electric guitar solo. It's a celebration of spring and a pretty good song. "Greenman" starts out with strings and a Middle Eastern vibe. There's a flute; this is really lush. Patridge said this song was about the masculine side of Mother Nature. Hmmmm. The album ends with "The Last Balloon." Strings, acoustic guitar and a flugelorn. It's jazzy and melancholic/bittersweet. I like the lyrics but I'm not sure if it's a song of hope or hopelessness for mankind. Maybe both. The album bounces between strings and acoustic guitar songs. There's songs about Mother Nature, middle age symbolism, relationships, season cycles and the harvest. The vocal harmonization and the lyrics are solid. They cover the emotional spectrum being happy, sad, hopeful and spiteful. This is a decent album. The more rockin' volume 2 is also pretty good. I'd have to say that I like some of their 80's albums more ("Skylarking", "Black Sea") but this is solid; I'd imagine most XTC fans would like this.

Too bad it's not on Spotify. I would listen to this more often, really interesting music.

great XTC, one whole record

I wasn't exactly present when I began listening. I found the first track interesting and wondered what would come next. Well, I found the next track very good...I was grooving! Then another cool track came on next, and I was really taken by the album thinking that this was my thing. About halfway through that third track (or maybe it was even the fourth), I began thinking how surprised I was to hear XTC performing this type of music. It was more hip-hop than alternative...then I slowly awakened to the fact that after the first track, my player had switched to a Doja Cat album. So, although I found this interesting, it paled in comparison to Doja Cat for me.

I was nowhere near as taken with this one as I was with Skylarking many hundreds of albums ago. Some fun lyrics here and there.

This was an interesting listen for sure… I’m still not sure how much I like this as a whole but the orchestral vibe was interesting, the lyrics kept me on my toes, and several songs I liked immediately. Not bad and I’m happy to have this appear on this list.

XTC have made a fascinating record and jt is interesting to see how the band evolved from spiky guitars to these lush orchestral acoustic sounds.

XTC is one of my favorite bands, so i’ve to this one before, but i liked the album a lot more on this listen. really wish it was on streaming, but happy to own it on CD. 3.5

The production values and quality of singing are not up to the high and ambitious standard of songwriting. I enjoyed the variety of songs and the content of the lyrics very much though. I would love to hear a modern cover of this, it done genius had nothing better to do with their time.

3.5/5