Reviews (page 5 of 6)
Meh
Music for Beatles fans that think Maxwell’s Silver Hammer is a little too heavy
I liked some of their 80s output but this came out of nowhere late 90s and got big acclaim. It doesn't sound anything like their older stuff, seems quite ambitious in scope to be fair but the attempts at epics don't work. It's like the Beatles without the tunes. It isn't for me at all.
Playful and interesting is all I can really say about this album. There was a lot of experimental elements into this album and while I enjoyed some of them, at different points it felt too messy. 4/10, Favorite Song: I can't own her
Not my thing
Nothing special. I will forget this one in a couple of months
definitely a weirdo one every song is vastly different dont think id listen
Getting better
Lukewarm on this, sort of appreciated the folky-ness, mostly found it a bit bland plus the production is very of its time. The opening ten seconds of Greenman sound hilarious.
I thought they had broken up years before this album. Not sure how this is essential. Not sure how XTC is essential. I was around for somewhat of their heyday and they weren't essential then, let alone well beyond it.
Liking XTC is one of the most pretentious things you can do as a music listener
Not my vibe, some quality lines in the lyrics, entertaining at points, but generally quite dull
Gillar tidiga XTC men fattar ingenting av det här faktiskt
Var mycket tveksam efter första låten, men set tog sig och blev en någorlunda intressant blandning, men inget jag vill höra igen.
Lamest lyrics yet "really high like a really high thing" Lock in bro
Het begin leuk met dat gedruppel en die strijkers, maar het is eigenlijk jammer dat zodra er gezongen wordt de illusie van een bijzonder album als een plumpudding in elkaar zakt. Vanaf het moment dat er gezongen wordt krijg je een soort late 80s/vroege 90s album waar je anno nu niet heel erg meer op zit te wachten. Het is blijkbaar hun 13e studioalbum en zelfs de gitarist zelf merkte tijdens het opnemen dat ie er klaar mee was. Ze konden blijkbaar niet kiezen tussen de Middeleeuwen, het verre Oosten en generieke jaren 70/80 rock. Een ongelofelijk vergeetbaar album. Ik probeer nog te ontdekken of er verder iets speciaals te ontdekken valt, maar het zit er gewoon niet in. Dit album opnemen in deze lijst was een enorme miskleun.
Why does this sound so corny?
A bit boring Liked harvest festival ?
What the hell is this? Why not late 70's XTC? This is too lightweight and not nearly enough pay offs amongst the slow burners.
This was really weird. Not a huge fan.
Un disco de lo más extraño, parece world o folk
Not my jam
Nää det är lite för trist asså. Lyckas fånga mig i korta stunder men nästan aldrig en hel låt. Det här var kul: Gregory told Partridge that Apple Venus was not "the album we should be making after six years," calling it "the vegetarian alternative."
Jag gillar konceptet och det instrumentella, men sången klickar inte för mig, vilket tyvärr drar ner mycket.
jag är inte på humör så det blir en tvåa
F-U-C-K. Is that how you spell friend? Lite intressant i början men f-u-c-k vad jag tröttnade
Didn’t even finish idk what I was listening to.
I may be distinctly not in the mindset to listen to this album. I found almost every track difficult to get through. I couldn't wait for it to be over. This is a self indulgent fart sniffing marathon
I had never heard of this artist before and was pretty excited to listen! Overall, it was just OK and although it started strong, it all started to run together about halfway through. I didn't hate and would probably listen to a few songs here and there, but not the entire album again. And it wasn't enough for me to do any research to learn more about them, which I tend to do when I find something new I like. So, just, ya know, OK! Standout: "I'd Like That" 01-25-2026
Fine, just don’t know what to make of this band in general.
Never heard of this band before. This album wasn’t enjoyable for me. It’s a mish-mash of acoustic pop rock, folk, and a large amount of orchestral elements. It’s an interesting attempt at something different, so they get credit for that, but my musical tastes did not enjoy much. 2/5
Your dictionary is when it hit me: this writer sounds rather lame. The book quotes him as saying: "A lot of people think our music is just too damn baroque and too detailed." Nonsense. A lot of people just aren't as far up your ass as you'd like them to be.
They say you can't be hard to get if you're hard to want. AVV 1 is not a terrible album, but it's not super approachable. It has its moments. However, on a wider level, it's missing something, as if there's an instrument that should be there, but isn't. Feels Beatlesy sometimes.
WTF is this? XTC wasn't listenable in their heyday and they're still difficult. Very odd. They get an extra star for the multilayered sounds using strings and horns and everything.
Kinda annoyed me
Utterly forgettable
Nothing stood out here. Would I give it another chance? Maybe.
Really not my favorite. I'd start kinda liking a track and then it'd just keep repeating the same strain and I'd get annoyed with it again.
It was an OK album, not my type of music. I actually saw XTC in concert years ago as they opened for The Police.
2.5/10
Pretty grim. It's nonsensical and whimsical, but in a slightly annoying way. Two stars.
Production is okay, the vocals and lyrics are not Definitely could've died without listening to this album
Very hit or miss, the opening track was really promising. I loved all of the song with the orchestra on them, as well as your dictionary was a cool song and the closing song was really interesting. At worst, this album is just a bit bland, but at best it’s really interesting and brings together so many different instruments.
While I can hear some upbeat, happy and pop-centric ideas and execution here, this is really a one-trick pony underneath. It's unusually boring and barely tolerable overall.
Not for me. It feels pretentious and I feel like I've just come back from a renaissance fair
jesus christ, why do they sound like that. liked the instrumentals but vocals jesus christ they sound like Weird Al
I liked this more than I thought I would when it started, but I still did not love it. The singer sounds flat often. It is eh. Liked Songs: "I'd Like That" , "Easter Theater" , "Frivolous Tonight" , "Greenman" , "Your Dictionary"
It was definitely very interesting.i didn't finish it but it was very experimental and not like the small amount of xtcs other work I know. I'm not sure it's my cup of tea but it was very good
dont like vocals, but cool instrumentation
Didn’t really do it for me.
Not for me
Not really my thing at all, couldn't even finish it.
Really baffled by this... Almost uncannily retro, some melodies are nice but can't help but feel distant from the project as a whole
Meh
Good for the drive to the Renaissance Fair
Quite British and even more Beatles-y than their last record I listened to (‘Skylarking’). I also think I liked that one more than this - this isn’t quite as fresh and some of the production choices are annoying rather than charming. (“Greenman” and “Fruit Nut” are good examples.) Not to be too harsh, but it sounds like a group running out of ideas and trying too hard to be cute.
I just don't get it
Really didn’t do much for me. I was never a huge fan, but this felt a little meandering and unfocused.
respectfully gonna pass
Based on my prior listening of XTC this isn’t what I would’ve expected. I think the acoustic-heavy nature takes away from my enjoyment. The longer it goes on (and that's never a good thing to say about an album) the more brooding it sounds. The last track almost drove me to give this a single star. It was hard to get through this one, but I did.
2.5
It does sound interesting things for being from a rock artist but like if I’m not too fond of the Beatles and this is similar to them but 30 years later then yea…. Not the biggest fan
It's soooo boring and dull, I'm so done with his voice. The way that I'd describe the feeling is like listening to the music that your parents are playing in the car as a kid, like it doesn't connect with you at all and makes the time progress so slowly. Also, what is the songwriting? I never pay any attention to it, but my goodness, it is so bad, especially Your Dictionary and as well Fruit Nut.
Shitty shins meet shitty they might be giants. Did a humourless four year old write this?
This was kind of a weird album lol wasn't very good either lol it was very meh
This album bounced back and forth between "Hey, this is pretty good" and "Uh, this is kind of bad," but fortunately it's interesting even when it's goofy and not entirely put-together ("Your Dictionary"). I'll probably come back to a few tracks in the future, but the album as a whole doesn't work super well. Favorite track: "Greenman"
Lofty, posh, thematic and all somewhat boring and annoying. Feels like a feign attempt a Wings and or thr Beatles. But if you do want to hear a further progression of the genre that Paul McCartney birthed than look no further.
Apparently I can't really call myself a proper XTC fan (even though I love most of their stuff) having never heard this before! In my defense, I have had it in my amazon cart since probably 2007. After listening, though, I'll probably take it off. It feels a bit labored. Except for "Greenman" and the heartbreaking "Your Dictionary," XTC seem to be missing most of their usual edginess, their character, and wit. I think they set too high a bar early on. This lacks that energy. Still exquisitely executed.
I did not like this one, it was quite weird and felt dated.
An 80s band makes an 80s record in the late 90s. At least they’re consistent.
It is a mice band good music mellow like a paul mccartney copy which is good when done correctly like XTC. Gopd album to just push play but no specofic banggers on the album
Sounds like the Beatles so in theory I should like them, but I don't.
Sloooooooow.
2 XTC albums in 2 days. This one seemed to have garnered a lot of critical acclaim as well, although I never listened to it before. I didn't like it nearly as much as Skylarking though. The songs don't really go anywhere. They are experimental in nature, but there's no pop hit inside as there is with other XTC albums. It all flows nicely into each other, but it's just a collection of slightly too long meandering songs that aren't that enjoyable.
What if the Beatles were still going thirty years later?
This feels like a concept album that I missed finding out what the concept was. Heard worse things. This isn't mandatory listening.
This isn't bringing anything new or interesting. Since the time of the Beatles and The Beach Boys there have been bands making albums like this all over the world. This could just be replaced with a band doing the same thing in another language. And now I need to worry about the Greenman. That's something I didn't need to do before listening to this album.
About as "meh" as it gets.
It's fine, sort of catchy as you listen through but then pretty forgettable. Greenman is a banger.
Too pretty
I don't get it
OK.
I'm probably in the minority among true XTC devotees, but I've always preferred them at their least clever and most rock-oriented. And while they've always been artful songwriters, full of wit, pushing the craft forward (even evident on White Music and certainly on Drums and Wires), I've often been left thinking there's some additional artifice getting in the way of me connecting to the music on a more immediate level. In other words, the records I prefer from them are the opposite of this one. There are still plenty of moments that pull me in and that are frankly sublime, and yet here I am with another fine XTC record that doesn't fully speak to me. Alas, we are different creatures, and I'd fear to hear just what Andy Partridge would say about that if he had my ear.
bit much lads, gotta start curving these grades a little bit.
Recordatorio de ponerle 2 estrellas, perdóname álbum, no pude seguir, lmfao.
I liked this a lot more than I expected to. I wanted to give it a 3. But the lyrics are just. so. damn. bad. "Your Dictionary" is an actual crime against lyrics.
I didn’t really enjoy this. It was listenable I guess but I didn’t enjoy it. The vocals are unmistakably’like Paul McCartney’ but it just didn’t have anything that grabbed me as a fun melody or memorable part.
This is average at best, would have been better to just have Skylarking on the list and call it good. This album is padding to get to 1001.
No standouts
Started strong, then just annoying
2.5
Fatuous. That was the word that swirled up from my vocabulary and I had to look it up to make sure it fit. It does. So much dramatic orchestration for such Insipid writing. There's a horn riff that's pretty good.
I gave this record a serious, concerted attempt. But nah, dawg, this is not for me. Just another weird, cheesy early Britpop album of which there are dozens of on this list. 2/5 if I'm being generous.
I really like XTC but this definitely isnt the album I'd choose to put on this list.
Light, orchestral, and very McCartney-esque. The main composer must be a Paul fan and a strawberry fool. Musically complex and I liked some of the clever rhymes, but Apple Venus (Vol 1) did not grab me. Started out OK but faded to a tough finish. Was kinda glad when it over. (2.2*s)
A nice "orchustic" work but gets a bit too dramatic at times. "Greenman" was great (shout out to Charlie Day) with it's Squeezy, far east sound. Did not like "Your Dictionary" but the rest of the album is decent. I'll take earlier XTC over this "beautiful woman"(?). If Part 2 doesn't make the list, I will still check it out. Volume 1 gets 2.22 stars.
I need to stop giving myself a false sense of excitement after the first song on an album. River of Orchids was a pretty good entry and had a decent hook to open the album. It turns out I like the idea of Orchustic (orchestral acoustic) genre better than the reality. Despite some of the shortcomings I can't write off the full album as there a couple nuggets buried in there (Greenman especially) and the album is unique enough to be worth a listen. There's some good strings, vocals and synth lines mixed in that even though I can't give it a great review I was at least interested in what XTC was doing. The good stuff is pretty good, the bad stuff is pretty bad especially on the back half of the album that really lingers too long. It all adds to up a middle of the pack album, but not a listen I'm regretting. If anything my curiosity is piqued for Volume 2 (Wasp Star) and I'd like to see what they do with a more rock-oriented approach. Hoping it makes an appearance despite the lack luster marks for Volume 1. 1.93 stars
Very meh for my taste.
I always liked that Generals and Majors song.
< the Beatles
Disappointed to find an ear-catching moment or two along the way. I really wanted to hate every pretentious, self-gratifying instant of this.
I expected to enjoy this but it just didn’t work for me. I’m not sure it’s bad, but I’m not here for it
I can see getting into these guys in the right setting or at the right time. But didn't do it for me right now. Update - About halfway through the album now and I'm definitely tired of it. Update - Almost done! Can't wait!
I love "Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" and "Mayor of Simpleton," and I like "Dear God"...too bad none of those songs are on this. I wouldn't expect XTC to be making their best music in 1999, and it doesn't look like they were! I respect their iconoclasm even if I don't really want to listen to it. And the Beatles-aping "Frivolous Tonight" and "Fruit Nut" feel out of place on here.
Ok but nothing exciting.
First song has vocals that are vaguely reminiscent of Sting's Police-era vocals. After that, it's more like a bunch of okay-ish psychedelic-era Beatles outtakes, with some Beach Boys harmonies thrown in occasionally. Honestky not an essential listen. The band history is more interesting than this album, I'm afraid.
So we mean to say that there is a "more rock-oriented" album from this band, and I got this one? Not that I have faith in their rock after this😭 (I guess I'll see if that one also made the cut for this list one day). But WOW was I bored😭 Started off bizarre with what sounded like Toad (the mario character)-esque 8 bit trumpets and some pizz strings straight out of fruityloops oh god. Then we started comparing this guy's love to Victoria and Albert?? Is that... good? This track did have me bopping the most out of all of them, but the lyric of the day negated that: "high really high like a really high thing." Ok. If you're going to be weird at least let me have some fun listening to it </3
The nicest thing I can say about this is that there is real effort and character in this album. Other than that, I hated most of the songs. A 2 but man is this close to a 1
This falls into the “good” category for me. Not “very good”, not “meh.”, but just good. I like it but I don’t love it, I enjoyed most of it well enough, but I’ll probably never go back to it… essentially, there was nothing wrong with it but it didn’t reallly strike me or leave any kind of lasting impression.
meh...
Generic, bland Brit pop.
not very good and i didn't appreciate this autoplaying for my alarm at 6 this morning
Pop.
British bias strikes again. There is no reasonable argument for including this album on this list. The orchestral arrangements do add a whimsical element to an otherwise very pedestrian album.
Very avant garde, maybe a little too much so for my liking. Favorite track: I'd Like That
Psychedelic to the point of naval gazing
Like weird al got together with sufjan and tried to imitate the worst parts of the Beatles.
I like XTC, but can’t understand why this album made the list. It’s just boring.
eh
Very listenable but far from outstanding. Dubious this is their best work must be better albums from that era. Surely? As a band definitely would have a higher score but this just doesn't hang as a piece of coherent album nor a pop classic
Couldn’t listen. Not on any streaming service. Probably a 3 given what I know about XTC. But I’ll deduct a point for them being cunts and making it hard to listen.
Uninspired, Unremarkable, Uninteresting, out of its decade.
I wasn't sure if I was on the same wavelength of what Andy Partridge was doing on here but eventually I sunk into the rich orchestral sound. Unfortunately, then I heard the lyric "F U C K/is that how you spell friend in your dictionary?"
My daughter hijacked my headphones on her way to school, so I had to listen to this album through the tiny office speakers, at a volume far too polite to do justice to this ultimate British band. To make things trickier, the record isn’t even on most streaming platforms, despite being one of the 1001 most influential in music history. All I got from it was a faint whiff of the Beatles or Phoenix, and honestly, I should probably refrain from giving it a score. I think 2 is fair since I heard some nice harmonies here and there
An irrelevant album released by a famous 80s band in 1999. Top song on here has 32k plays on Spotify. Why?
slow
Critics really do like to glob onto anything that is even remotely different & act like it's the best thing ever. When really it's just artists recording their own farts. That's what this feels like. Musically the compositions are fine. The lyrics are quirky, odd & awkward. The only accessible song is I'd Like That, which I'd had Heard the song before & it's a decent song. 2
Not my jam.
2/5
I didn’t enjoy this
This is the XTC album that makes it to the list?! Eccentric, orchestral, and ambitious, but not one track on this record vibes with me. It sounds like old musicians trying to their best experimental, psychedelic Beatles impression way too sober and late in life. The extra star is for the great orchestral instrumentation, and I love Andy Partridge's voice. "Your Dictionary" might be the funniest, worst attempt at a meaningful song.
It's ok. A little too soft and over-produced. I don't get a vibe or feeling of authenticity from any of it. While none if it is annoying, it's almost elevator music for me. I hear the second part rocks a little more. I might try that later. Won't be listening to this one again, though
Ok 2/5
No, no y no!!
This was unusual. I had no idea what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect this. There was nothing on the album that was difficult to listen to, or had me reaching for the stop button. There was also nothing on there that was exciting. It was just bland, boring, uninspiring etc. I'd imagine there are 1000's of albums very similar to this. Maybe this is the pinnacle of middle-of-the-road pop to a lot of people???? If it is then I am not one of those.
Not looking forward to Volume 2
“XTC slowly evolved into the Steely Dan of alternative pop, as its quest for the perfect catchy hook was superseded only by its desire to fashion the perfect collective sound. ” Explains a lot. TWO!
Fine enough but another one of those albums I wonder why it made the list
The first track was very annoying and repetitive. Then it became a clone of early Beatles.
This was ok but I can't imagine how they decided they needed to record a volume 2.
Not bad, didn’t connect with it entirely, but I enjoyed parts of it for sure
2 - trash except for green man
In theory, I should like this, but I just don't. I only liked one song from Skylarking and I didn't like any from this. At times I thought this sounded Beatles-esque which I should especially like, but this was a steaming pile of meh to me.
Not that keen
Found it on YouTube. It’s ok. Nothing more.
2.3 Not really my thing. At their best it was a pale imitation of Beatles, Beach Boys. At their worst it was a bit of a rambling mess. Don't think they blended the orchestral side into pop very well. Numerous bands/artists have done it better.
I get what they were trying to do but it just didn't resonate with me. All the songs sounded too similar to make an impact
Instrumentally this was alright, possibly good. Vocal tune wise it was ok, the lines felt slow and the timing of them stressed the lyrics so much... Then there were the lyrics. No. They were so corny and naff. It felt like listening to someone who thought they were a poet but hadn't grasped any of the subtleties of the art form. When you take those words and write a vocal tune/rhythm that brings it all to the forefront I couldn't hack it.
Labcoaty.
The good news is this is on Spotify unlike previous reviews mentioned. That about ends the good news.
Didn't love, sounded like a beatles/animal collective crossover
Second XTC in less than a week. I just cannot with this "music in search of a musical" drivel.
Well that sucks this album isn't on spotify. Let's try youtube. Uhhh this is interesting...
While I love their earlier stuff…..this is not it. There are a couple of decent songs….but overall not memorable.
I was into the start of this album, but then he started singing.
This was... a lot. Was it supposed to be serious? Funny? Whatever it was, it didn't work for me. By the time I got to "Greenman" I was pretty over the album. If the whole album was like "Your Dictionary" or "Fruit Nut" I might have enjoyed it more. The second half of the album seemed very unserious, which actually made me like it more. But whatever was going on with the first half really dragged it down. It seems like they couldn't decide if they wanted this to be a funny record or not, and if they had full on committed either way, I think it would have been better. Not much better, but somewhat better.
well...it barely registered as I was listening to this while working. So...perfectly fine background music? The parts I listened to more closely just weren't my cup of tea.
Innocuous enough but rather bland. Not memorable at all to my mind.
Budget Beatles. Even at 49 minutes, it's too long. 2/5
The Beatles exist. There's no need for this bloated, boring record. 2 stars.
Pound shop White Album. Nice cover.
this lays to rest any question about whether or not this list was actually randomized because this was the second day in a row i got an XTC album. the first one i talked about how boringly mediocre it was and i can’t say the same about this one! unfortunately that’s because this one is outwardly bad. it’s at least interesting which the other one wasn’t but aside from some cool, big cinematic moments i didn’t like very much of it at all. just not enjoyable to listen to most of the time.
While I like XTC, this one is not my thing.
My senses were NOT working overtime listening to this.
I was a fan of XTC going into this album. I love Making Plans For Nigel. I own their greatest hits on vinyl. And for the first half of this album, I was very open to the direction they were going in… but then the song Greenman hit and they lost me. In 30 seconds my opinion soured like 3 month old milk that had been left on the surface of the sun. That song then proceeded to play for 5 and a half more minutes, which felt like an eternity. Then the Dictionary song hit and that was another piece of shit, but at least it had the curtesy to be only 3 minutes long, so I guess it was an improvement. I’m not sure if the rest of the album was as bad as those 2 tracks, but mentally I had checked out after those 9 minutes of hell. Why was the Greenman song so bad? I will get to that. Why was the dictionary song so bad? I’ll give you some lyrics and you can decide for yourself: “H-A-T-E Is that how you spell love in your dictionary? K-I-C-K Pronounced as kind F-U-C-K Is that how you spell friend in your dictionary? Black on black A guidebook for the blind” And that’s only verse one. I rest my case. This album did have some promise though. And I did enjoy the first 5 tracks overall. In general, it has a really intriguing mix of time periods. This is an 80s new wave band writing songs that are a mix of Pet sounds-era Beach Boys and late Beatles McCartney (think Maxwell’s Silver Hammer or Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da or When I’m Sixty-Four) with a glossy 90s production style. I love all of those things, except for the production. I wouldn’t say any of the first 5 tracks were spectacular, but they were fun, weird, a little catchy. There was variety and some cinematic string work. I wasn’t mad at it. I was intrigued. I will say though the production style didn’t do even the best songs any favours. When you filter off-brand beach boys and the Beatles through that production, turns out you get something that borders on adult contemporary. I think a shaggier 60s/70s psychedelic rock production would do these songs a lot of good. So anyways I’m bopping along, having a good time, minding my own business and then fucking Greenman hits and my world was flipped turned upside down. It validated my Beatles comparison in the worst way. It feels like XTC are really into those Beatles songs with the Indian music influences, think Norwegian wood, Within you without you and tomorrow never knows. And they thought to themselves “we can totally pull that off in the late 90s” and boy were they wrong. What an ugly, never-ending, boring, cheesy mess of a track that’s borderline cultural appropriation. Sure you could argue the Beatles also appropriated Indian culture but at least they had the decency to turn it into great fucking songs. This track is an abomination. It’s embarrassing. Once it was over and the dictionary song was done, I sorta blacked out the rest of the album. I was done with it. I don’t know if it was good. And I didn’t give this album a second listen. And I likely never will. I’m gonna pretend XTC broke up at the end of the 80s and live in that version of reality… where this thing doesn’t exist.
..
1.73
great layers, great melodies, fun instrumentation.
I got an earlier XTC album sometime ago, but I probably couldn't recall anything from it if you asked me. This does NOT sound like it was released in 1999. Very whimsical and symphonic. Obvious inspirations taken from the Beatles and maybe Brian Wilson too from a production and conceptual standpoint. The comparisons should stop there, though. People in the YouTube comments (it's pretty difficult to find this album elsewhere, unfortunately) were saying that this record parallels works like Sgt. Pepper's and Pet Sounds, which is delusional quite frankly. Maybe from a production standpoint, but from a lyrical standpoint, not even close. Too cheesy to be taken seriously. I won't remember much of this after today.
What a slog. It's one thing to try and use the Beatles for inspiration, and another to just rip off their songwriting for the 90s. A few tracks in I started to wonder if I was actually listening to the right album because I could not understand anything that made this essential listening.
I will not be sticking around for Volume 2; too much of this bloated album is cloying at best, insufferable at worst.
if someone would like to explain why this is good I would be happy to hear, cause I couldnt figure it out on my own
Lo mejor es la carátula. Tuve que escucharlo en Youtube.
Bit apprehensive about this one, obviously I know, and very much like the famous three. But I'd heard somewhere that their usual stuff was a lot weirder. Now that can either be a very good thing or a very bad thing. This, was neither. It was to be honest uninteresting mush. Except for 2 tracks. Green Man was brilliant, and Your Dictionary was ok, but even those couldn't raise it above a
Whilst there are some nice arrangements and orchestration in places, the whole thing is underwhelming. Vocals drone on and on, and spoil any pleasure in the musicians. And I had to listen to it on YouTube which annoyed me. What’s that about? Do they think they’ve created such a masterpiece that it’s too good for music streaming services? Twats.
Groupe connu par son tube 'Making Plans for Nigel' (que j'apprécie toujours) dans les années 1980, et complètement perdu de vue depuis. XTC en 1999 ? Une grande déception. Le choix d'un accompagnement orchestral m'a rebuté dès le premier morceau, très répétitif. Et les morceaux acoustiques n'ont vraiment pas d’intérêt particulier. L'album évite la note minimale (il n'est pas désagréable à écouter en fond sonore), mais ... je suis vraiment déçu. =>2/5
Started well but tailed off
I felt like I was listening to a bunch of middle age guys doing covers of Beatles b sides. It was kinda bad but I couldn’t bring myself to hate it
Can't find this album. Gets a 2
Had to go all the way to youtube for this. “Your dictionary” is a silly gem, Olivia Rodrigo should cover it.
Every song starts off like it's going to sound great but ends up sucking.
I think that this was definitely different than what I am used to, but it still didn’t show me why it qualifies to be on this list. It was interesting but just not enough.
Never been able to get into XTC. There were a couple here I enjoyed but mostly meh
This is a moody album that just kinda drones on. It's good atmospheric music, but the vocals lack the early XTC that I enjoy and sound too Paul McCartney-esque
I thought it was interesting, very Beatles and Beach boy reminiscent. A lot of Baroque pop, strange that it came out in 1999. Not sure if it was anything that stood out for me, but I thought it was pretty decent. Two out of five seems fair for this list
XTC has always seemed to me an acquired taste, and I've simply never acquired the taste (due partly to Andy Partridge's voice). This album of lushly arranged chamber pop is clearly well done, yet like everything else I've heard from the band, I simply fail to connect with their very off-kilter British vibe. This album draws comparisons to Sgt. Pepper's and the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," and I can see why. But I don't see how this one really advances on their sonic or cultural accomplishments.
Kinda boring and 1-dimensional (sorry).
first time hearing xtc...it's okayish.
This is XTC's penultimate album. I have no idea how it got on this list. "Apple Venus" doesn't even remotely resemble XTC. I guess Nigel's parents cancelled their plans for him. At least the album's listenable. 2 stars for "Apple Venus Volume 1".
For the most of the album I thought it was pretty good. Your Dictionary is SO BAD though, good lord what a shit song! Tanked the album for me. Wow.
Liked the initial sound and got pretty tired of it by the end. Not adding any to my playlists
The orchestra was the only good part of this album and why this won't get one star but two stars instead. The singer was god-awful, and the lyrics for "Your Dictionary" are probably some of the dumbest I've heard in a while, and the other songs aren't much better in that regard either. This is for people that think they're cool and who think they "go against the grain" when it comes to their music taste, but just come off as elitist assholes that will listen to anything but actually good music to seem different.
Good melody, but weird lyrics.
The Beatles, but if they weren't as good.
30 seconds in, I thought, hmm, maybe I'll like this. I didn't.
Made it to the 20-minute mark before shutting it off. No thanks.
This is #day216 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... my first time listening to XTC. I’ve seen one of their album covers with those letters on it before—Drums and Wires, I guess, yeah, that’s gotta be it. Now, Apple Venus Volume 1... There’s nothing harmful about it, but the album isn’t available on Spotify, and that's always annoying. I had to dig through YouTube Music, as it's not officially up there, and I ended up listening to a random track video from the channel SonyaTheSquirrel. As for the record itself, well, it’s orchestral pop... What else is there to say? Not something I feel like revisiting soon, if ever. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day217.
Not great!
They lost me at “really high, really high like a really high thing”
It was ok. The songs sounded like the experimental songs that Beatles put out, the ones that didn't make much sense, but when an album is full of those, it starts making sense. I didn't enjoy it that much though. Also, hard to find.
Its...ok. More British soft rock, yay. River Of Orchids had a great intro, but then the singing started and it was just a random jumble. Easter Theater was kinda fun. Frivolous Tonight rolled along nicely. Greenman had a nice Indian beat with some good flute music. Your Dictionary was an interesting concept, and it had some nice music. The rest of the album kinda falls after that. There are a few good songs on here, but the album as a whole seems to be less than the sum of its parts. Not really something I'd listen to more of. Best song: Greenman
Definitely respect the artistic direction here. It didn't really pull me in, but I am impressed by the amount of work to create this.
This was nice (especially compared to all the not readily available albums on this list), but I'm not sure it's anything special. More anglocentric crap.
Not very exciting, but inoffensive and mellow. Not something I'd listen to again.
Did not vibe unfortunately
It was okay but nothing made me want to hit repeat.
🎧Here’s a portmanteau: “sucktastic”
meh..
all around meh
Thoughts before listening: I feel like XTC is one of those bands that I probably should be really into, but I know very little about. 80s power pop I think is their general sound. I'm excited to give them a listen. Review: Well I had the pop part right, but this is not power pop at all. The sound of this album is mainly orchestral pop ditties similar in vibe to something the Beatles might have done late in their career. I'm trying to like this, but I'm pretty bored. 2-stars
Trying to be the Beatles and Beach Boys. Be XTC!
I had never heard of XTC before. Honestly I was positive it was 90s dance. It certainly is not that. What is it though? I don’t really know. I bet they have a cult following that will hate this…. Apple Venus Vol 1 sounds like The Beatles just fucking around. They even threw in sitar. 4.6/10
Talvez num outro momento eu fosse gostar mais da coisa orquestral, mas achei muito qualquer coisa
não fede nem cheira honestamente mas prefiro a fase new wave
My initial thoughts before the first song has ended is that this would be tight to see in person with an orchestra. Extremely layered it's almost like someone was able to use an orchestra like it's a synth. After having a go at some of the other songs...I kind of like the "Greenman," "Fruit Nut," "Your Dictionary" the most of the album. The vocalist reminds me of Paul McCartney in some ways. I don't think I will return to anything from this album however, although it's not a bad listen.
Það var snúið að finna þessa plötu. Þurfti að nota YouTube. Eflaust vegna höfundarréttarmála og það þýðir bara eitt. Að ég mun lækka hana í stjörnugjöf af þeirri ástæðu einni saman því ég er í mótþróakasti. Það er synd því þetta er virkilega góð plata. Þannig að ég fer ekki neðar en tvær stjörnur
Disappointed with this one. Drums and Wires should be in the book. Not this. Expected more. Was let down.
Pourquoi ce band est si important au point d'être mentionné deux fois dans cette liste. C'est tellement ordinaire. Il n'y a qu'une seule chanson qui m'a vraiment intéressé et tout le reste sonnait comme si cet album aurait du sortir 20 ans plus tôt. Considérant l'histoire derrière l'album, la production est surprenament bonne, mais j'ai aucune misère à croire que ce LP soit un "vanity project". 4/10
As far as brit pop goes, this honestly isn't that bad. It was fine for some background music, but I wish I had listened to the lyrics a bit more closely. That would probably bump this up a bit, but for now its gonna sit at a two.
I can’t explain it, but Greenman makes me feel like I’m listening to every theme song to every 90s and 2000s PBS kids tv show all at once. Quite catchy, but nothing groundbreaking or notable for me. One of those that you question how it made the list.
Another album that isn't bad, but isn't memorable. I'm starting to wonder if these middle of the road albums should be rated as a 3 like I have been, or a 2 because they are so mediocre.
XTC, dat is toch zo'n band uit de jaren 80? Juist. En dit is een plaat uit 1999, toen er een complete muziekrevolutie had plaatsgevonden. Maar XTC is niet echt met de tijd mee gegaan. Het is meer een band uit de jaren 80, die saaie 60s en 70s muziek maakt (en in die tijd werd er al spannender muziek gemaakt). Af en toe komt er een 80s synth voorbij, verder heb ik niet het idee dat ze ook maar iets van geluid uit de moderne tijd hebben toegevoegd. Nu hoeft dat ook niet altijd om goede muziek te maken, maar dit voegt mijns inziens echt helemaal niks toe aan de muziekgeschiedenis. Een album dat je absoluut NIET hoeft te luisteren voordat je een tuintje op je buik hebt. Omdat het nu ook weer niet per se enorm slecht is, wil ik er nog wel 2 sterren voor uitdelen. Maar wat is dit ongelooflijk overbodige muziek.
I do not understand why Dimery included _this_ XTC album on the list. I think it is a mixture of his love of over-produced chamber pop and reclaiming his lost youth in the late 70s early 80s when XTC where a viable and relevant pop band. But this admittedly finely crafted pop album is smart and cleverly arranged and produced, but it is, in the words of departing keyboard player Dave Gregory, "the vegetarian alternative". Well constructed and melodic, but without real visceral pop hooks. There just isn't a sense of a real band. Andy Partrdige admitted that XTC was now a "brand" covering his and Colin Mouldering's music. And it sounds like a brand instead of a band. Don't get me wrong; I love XTC's work from the first decade or so of their career. They wrote smart, catchy, energetic and enjoyable pop music that you didn't feel like an idiot for listening to. But this album has crossed the line into Steely Dan territory. As Robert Christgau noted "Studio rats being studio rats, the lyrics aren't as deep as Andy and Colin think they are, but at least irrelevant doesn't equal obscure, humorless, or lachrymose." They do verge into twee-ness and whimsy a lot, which is boring, and I hate 'Your Dictionary', which is as bitter and unpleasant a song as I have heard in a long time -- it's possibly even more bitter than a typical Steely Dan song. And I don't mean that in a good way. Listening all the way through, I am both bored and slightly nauseated. I admire the craftsmanship, but am left unmoved by the songs. Do not like, would not buy.
Favorite Track: Greenman
For some reason i thought XTC were a punk band - so I was a little surprised by this. Unfortunately it was not a pleasant surprise. I like the strings and the arrangements but unfortunately the lyrics are head bangingly awful: "Really high, really high like a really high thing" or rhyming festival with best of all. Could possibly forgive this if the songs were catchy - but sadly were highly forgettable.
Pareceu-me alguma derivação dos Beatles até que bem feita.
This was a really unorthodox listen. The songs are very intricate and layered with overlapping looped voices which is cool, but I feel like it turns into a gimmick by the third song. The album itself is unique, but the songs are all too similar which just makes for a mixed listen that veers into almost overwhelming and unappealing at worst, and kind of corny at best. Top tracks: River of Orchids, Greenman
Aburrido
Pretty eclectic sound. Spans an odd range of genres and does none of them justice.
Didn't like this one. It felt very genre-less; some songs had an orchestral Beatles wannabe sound while others had a random world vibe. There didn't seem to be cohesion throughout the album. This was hovering between a 1 or 2 star rating for me, but decided to round up.
Hmmm.
Not really my kinda thing. Some interesting sounds though.
Found it deeply uninteresting
Yeah definitely not for me.
Okay I wasn’t hating it as much as Emilia when I started listening, like it was a bit theatrical for me but not completely offensive. Then I got to “Your Dictionary” where he says “H A T E, is that how you spell love in your dictionary?” and I was like ohhh okay. ”F U C K, is that how you spell friend in your dictionary?” sounds like something you’d repost from a generic meme page on facebook in 2012 to subtweet your friend you were fighting with. The music isn’t completely awful, but this was very difficult to enjoy.
Early 2000s British children show music core. To a normal persons ear, it’s off key, strangely composed with the singing style, but to a little British child from early 2000s this is like a lullaby. Too bad I am not an early 2000s British child. 4/10
Interesting and not what I'm used to from XTC. Much more orchestral and cinematic. Sort of a weird odd musical type of album.
I think you have to be British to appreciate XTC.
By their 13th album, XTC doesn’t seem to know what they want to be? That far in and still so all over the place? “Apple Venus vol. 1” alternates between terrible and tolerable. I don’t need to come back for volume 2.
They sing, "there are no words for me inside Your Dictionary", but sure there are, u-n-b-e-a-r-a-b-l-e for one.
My first album here that wasn't on Spotify. Started out good but quickly felt like a Bettles ripoff, and also a song where the singer talks about being a fruit nut, and threatening (?) to blow someone a Raspberry. IDK. 5/10
Idk what it is about XTC that this list loves so much, but I don't feel the same.
The weird thing about this record is there are some interesting musical things going on, but the lyrics were written by an untalented child.
This really wasn't worth going out of the way to find. Feels like a product of its time trying and failing to be experimental
River of orchids
This was from 1999? Damn. Felt like it was way past the due date. Your Dictionary has some of the stupidest lyrics I've heard. Also frustrating it's not on spotify.
I like XTC. I don't like this album. Sure there are a couple of decent tracks, but it's not enough for me, and it just has me hankering for their earlier, more punky stuff.
It's interesting. Not really my thing, though. Seemed a little bit like a musical, kind of talking-music
I’m not sure what I just listened to, so it’s hard for me to rate. For prog, it was better than average. As an essential album, less than that. It’s just odd, but not in a great way.
meh
I had to hunt this down on Youtube since it's not on Spotify (though the rest of the XTC albums are...). Pretty disappointing overall. Not sure what elevates this above other generic sounding pop rock.
Still not feeling this band---thanks to the reviewer who reminded me Squeeze exists tho. They are cool for cats.
Not available, not rly interested
Seemed... fine. I found myself cringing at the lyrics pretty often. "Really high really high like a really high thing, say a sunflower"... "F U * * is that how you spell friend in your dictionary"... and the entirety of I Can't Own Her stand out as eye-roll worthy. How am I supposed to take this album seriously when that's what XTC is offering. Album review focused on the avant garde approach to pop music. I take their point this isn't just cookie cutter radio pop, but it's nothing to write home about for me.
Weird hearing this right after Sparks because it’s kind of the same thing except obnoxious and lame. “Your Dictionary” is worth listening to just for the cringe. Some of the harmonic arrangements are nice though.
No creía en las reviews xq acá la gente es bastante hater, si es verdad. Un poco whimsical como los Beatles pero no hay nada resultante
There were a few ideas here that I liked. But overall I just didn't enjoy listening to most of it. The first song was really unpleasant and chaotic. A lot of the lyrics were cheesy.
Yeah but nah, it’s alright if you’re stuck in traffic and have absolutely nothing else to listen to
sat with this for a long while, but no, it's not doing anything for me. might give skylarking a spin, tho...
Unremarkable.
I just don't understand why people like this band?
If I go to jail for getting this off Soulseek I will be furious
Meh, couldn’t really get through it, but some of the songs were fine.
Look, this was perhaps the hardest album to get through on the entire list thus far. First off where the fuck did they even find this? I had trouble simply trying to locate this album to give it a listen. Secondly, once I found it and commenced to listening, I was subjected to the most amateur sounding music in every way shape and form. The production is nauseating, the vocals are obnoxious, and the instrumentation is somehow pretentious. Don’t get me started on the fucking lyrics. Thirdly, the genre of this album seems to change from track to track. I can’t keep up with it and it gives the album a derelict quality in that the project feels as though it has no place to call home. Therefore, subjecting the listener to a “world tour” of music in the worst, most exhausting way possible. Not all of the ideas on this were atrocious, though. I think if they had focused in on one style and used the whole album to expand on it, they could have had a more consistent album that wouldn’t be such a pain to get through. On the whole—deliriously below average. 2/5
Skylarking was one of my first albums on this list nearly three years ago and I remember that one being pretty forgettable too but at least it was on Spotify.
No on Amazon Music 😕
Not on streaming. Had to listen on YouTube. That in itself knocked it down a star. The music didn't do much for me either. One of those bands where I feel you had to be there at the time to get it.
Got off to an interesting start, got my hopes up - but failed to hold my attention all the way through.
I've never heard of XTC before, and I'm not sure this was the best place to start
Fairly uninteresting.
hard work listening on YouTube, not worth it
This is a weird album to have come out in 1999... it feels like it should've been from like 20 years prior, so I guess this band didn't really progress musically in all their time as a band. It wasnt awful, but I don't understand who this album is for, or why it's on the list.
Not bad, but the last couple of songs bored me. Enjoyable enough Zombies-ish pop.
Occasionally I'd find myself enjoying a moment or two, but overall the whole thing sounded incredibly derivative and pretentious, and the lyrics were often terrible (eg. My Dictionary)
A difficult to stream average album. If they put in the effort and lost it completely it might get another star.
cicatydidn't
Had to watch this album on YouTube as it is no longer streaming.... I'm not really finding anything about this album groundbreaking or mind blowing. Sounds like another pop-rock British band. Just not for me.
Not sure what hipstery subgenre they were going for but it didn't work. Can't really figure out who this is for. Not the most offensive thing I've ever heard, just a head scratcher
Andy Partridge's style is clearly rooted in McCartney sensibilities (which mostly can be a good thing) but for whatever reason to my ear there's always been something weird & unappealing about it. Especially on this album. That said & to be fair, there's some early XTC I like.
idk man. bizarre
bit weird, sadly
Reminds me of Laurie Anderson. I like Laurie Anderson way more, though. I know this band is classic and has a cult following but I couldn’t get into this album. There’s inspiration here but also a lot of stressful repetition.
The guy sounds like Weird Al sometimes - this is meh.
2.4/5. listened 2x - a few good tracks but i wouldn't go back to listen to this. (youtube music)
Я не знаю. С одной стороны это все мило и в целом сойдет, но с другой меня просто раздражали эти завывания под The Beach Boys. Лучшая песня - I Can't Own Her.
ganz ok
Best Song: Greenman. Ooh, fuck me Papa Greenman. Worst Song: Your Dictionary. Easy contender for corniest song on this entire list. Jesus. Overall: What if a Beatles cover band adopted 90s alt-rock sensibilities. I'm sure this really slapped for a single afternoon in 1999, but beyond that it really doesn't carry much weight.
The music is nice but lyrically it is just far too goofy for my taste. I mean, “Your Dictionary” sounds like a joke song from Documentary Now or something.
An album where they were no longer a band but a "brand". Orchestral whimsical songs that seem to make no real impact whatsoever. I know this album got a huge critical lovefest but I can't see it myself. Don't bother. Best Tracks: Frivolous Tonight; Greenman; Your Dictionary
Keep it in the 80s lads. Pleasant enough middle aged Beatles wannabes. Not really worth digging about YouTube for a definitely not deserving of a place on the list.
it’s not on spotify and i can’t be f#@ked to look for it anywhere else, knowing xtc is probably give it a 3 but i’m taking off a star for making me hunt for it
Not on Spotify- listened to Making Plans for Nigel and bounced
This was a pretty nice use of classical instruments in an album but overall it dragged on a bit and the styles varied so much it didn’t feel very cohesive. At first it sounded like a Beatles impression and as it went on it felt more new wave and sounded like the smiths. Overall it was okay, artistically pretty solid but entertainment wise there are just better options and this didn’t have too much revisit appeal. 5.5/10
First song, David Byrne (MicroMobility), second song, early Kinks Beatles offspring, third song pleasant enough Sgt, Pepper outtake. Fourth song, why am I listening to this drivel? Fifth song, We're all so frivolous tonight, indeed, the Mrs. says it's interesting but an album I must hear? Nah. Sixth song, you get the impression that every Brit has some history of fondly listening to folk albums of knights and shit and want to do their own version of one. Greenman is my favorite cut so far. 7. Ho hum 8. Couldn't end soon enough. 9.How did this album get on the list, it is mediocre at best. 10 Out of key. 11, At least it's over.
- Not available on Deezer and Shopify. Listened to some random youtube upload. - The opening track is atrocious, but it gets better. -1 star. - The rest of the album is... ok. - Not bad, but not good enough to make me go back for another listen.
In the mood?
No está en Spotify
In between filtering out all the YouTube ads it felt like there might be some ok stuff hidden away, but to be honest I wasn't that motivated to keep looking for it and it definitely tails off towards the end. I know and like some XTC stuff, but this isn't it.
It took a little while to track this one down, and it was a bit anticlimactic when I did manage to give it a listen. XTC are great and there are some really good songs on here (more than you’d usually find on any band’s ELEVENTH album) but this is by no means one of their best. Your Dictionary is the only song that I’d say is outright bad, but most of it just feels like lesser versions of their own catalogue and those of their contemporaries - and frankly, by 1999, I don’t think we needed another album that sounded like this
A reminder that some people REALLY love Paul McCartney.