Reviews (page 6 of 6)
Well, I ploughed through this album; sluggish with rare sparks is a fitting description.
Day101 - a strange xtc album to choose when there’s at least two better ones.
Not bad for what it is, going for a late career resurgence with a "mature and sophisticated" art pop sound, but it's also goofy at times. Your Dictionary is shameful. I don't know, seems overrated to me.
It has some good songs, but most of this record is forgettable elevator music. Reminds me of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, some of Sting's solo work and especially They Might Be Giants. But not as good. Favorite song: river of orchids.
I generally like XTC but this one did not strike my fancy. Not convinced it belongs on this list, either.
New Wave Prince. But boring. If you told me this was the Hives I’d believe you.
Not even on Spotify at the moment, hard to find and I couldn't fuck with the singer's voice. British music has been taking a big L on this app the last week.
Album was uploaded by an user called cheese man to YouTube and it’s cheesy alright. I kind of enjoyed it but it’s ridiculously long and not for any good reason. The songs stay the same for 6 minutes long. The recording is not bad
Did not enjoy, i dig skylarking and drums and wires but this stirred nothing in me.
bit of a struggle, a couple of moments but not something I'll return to
I was bracing myself given other reviews but my first impression wasn't a bad one. Sure, the droplet sound effect on 'River of Orchids' is a little quirky but the strings are alright and the singer gives a good Paul McCartney impression. Then the Beatles impression turns into borderline copying with 'Easter Theater' giving huge 'She's Leaving Home' vibes, pings huge 'For the Benefit of Mr Kite' with 'Frivolous Tonight', and makes me wish it was an 'Always Sunny' sketch with 'Greenman.' Someone owes Oasis an apology because no one copied the Beatles harder with less success than this supremely subpar album.
Not what I expected, not something I would listen to again. I kept thinking it was maybe going to get awesome, but it didn’t.
Det her musik er alt for artsy fartsy til mig. Ikke videre essentielt 🤷
Meh. Self indulgent brit navel gazing. Also not available on any US streaming service. 2/5
Goofy and unoriginal
Where's the half-a-star option? I like XTC, always have, and always will, so that pushes me towards a 3, but this isn't where I'd start if introducing anyone to them, so it forces a more honest 2. One or two highlights, but wouldn't make it into my 1001 albums 2.5 stars for being XTC
vad är det här
Not on spotify!!
If albums had a smell, this one would smell weird. I don't know how to describe it, but I would not like its smell. Alls to say, I did not really enjoy this. It sounds pretty dated, and it's just not that good.
I'm not 100% sure that I know what they were trying to accomplish. It almost sounded like a poor attempt at replicating the aura for Pet Sounds but without the hits...or the Beach Boy touch...or redeeming qualities.
As Wikipedia correctly identifies, this is an eccentric one. If it's a great one is a very different question. The biggest issue is a lack of impactful songwriting, followed by a lack of fullness of sound. Everything sounds kind of tinny and weak. Come to think of it, it's interesting how a band can utilize a full orchestra and yet sound so low-budget.
I stopped writing notes for my reviews a while back and decided to start doing this again... unfortunately, for this album. This was... uh... not fun.
Too Beatlesque
Not on Spotify
Detta leder omedelbart tankarna till Stravinskys L'Histoire du soldat. Den påminner mig om "Nothing but Flowers" av The Talking Heads. Påminner mig om Ani DiFrancos "You Had Time" Om du lyssnar noga är melodin "band that bind you will unwind" från Wheel and the Maypole invävd i den här låten ... Det som gör Andy och Colin fantastiska är deras genuina fäste vid sina hedniska rötter! knight in shining karma
Pastoral. Some charm but excellence somehow always just out of reach. Didn't really resonate
This is certainly one the albums of all time
I consider Drums and Wires and (especially) English Settlement to be some of my favourite music. I can hear some of those pastoral sounds taken to their ultimate limit in this album. But this has all the worst excesses of a lot of British '60s psychedelia. It's like they have a big red button marked TWEE!!!! It should be tapped gently....occasionally. This sounds like they kept bashing it. TOO MUCH, GENTLEMEN! Too much.
Weird pop that's hard to define within a genre. I didn't especially like it.
XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1 Apparently this is not available on streaming. I had to find it on YouTube which was ok, but commercials took me out of the listening of this album. It's a beautiful acoustic album. Reminiscent of the Beatles and other 60s artists. I won't be able to listen to this more than once (due to availability), so this was a first impression listen. 2/5
Unavailable
The dreaded album that isn't on a streaming service. I only know XTC for the Nigel song. Overall, pretty forgettable.
I really liked the first song and then it all went downhill from there.
The sort of weird I couldn’t tune out nor engage with. Still had some elements I enjoyed but few.
If you're really into prog-rock, you'll like this.
Interesting but very hard to find.
Gillar XTC från tidiga 80-talet men det här var ju inget kul. Någon ljusglimt kanske.
Meh
This was a weird one. Kinda like psychadelic dream pop with a backing orchestra. The orchestra gave the whole record a super ethereal quality to it. By times this sounded like Sgt Pepper era Beatles, by other times Pet Sounds era Beach Boys. It was ok, but isn't something I'd actively seek out. This is my second XTC album (The first being Skylarking). Similar to their first record I reviewed, this one fell flat about halfway through. Favourite songs: Greenman, Your Dictionary, River of Orchids Least favourite songs: Fruit Nut, I Can't Own Her, Harvest Festival, The Last Balloon 2/5
Bland and unremarkable. Not very good.
It's like if Brian Wilson's wax replica came to life and found a studio, and made music that fits in the same uncanny valley as its looks.
Tiresome to be honest
2.75
Premier League, corrupt as fuck
Interesting and quirky, I can see why it's on this list. Definitely original too, can't imagine many other bands have written a love song set at a harvest festival service. There's probably a reason for that, though. I probably won't listen again but I'll give it a extra star because at least I wasn't bored
This actually had some really interesting production and instrumentation, but the song writing didn't really do it for me. Meh.
Dan, it's funny that you mentioned Dirty Projectors the other day in your review of the Pentangle album because I hear their sound in this album too. Especially in the vocals and the layered production of the first track "River of Orchids." I like the line "The grass is always greener when it bursts up through concrete." I was just talking yesterday about this idea of taking a cliche phrase or saying and changing a part of it to freshen it up and make it new again. (There was a line in an Arctic Monkeys song that made me think of this concept: "I don't mean to rain on anybody's cabaret." What a fun writing trick!) The second track "I'd Like That" almost sounds like solo Paul McCartney. A lot of these songs sound influenced by the Beatles. I’m liking this less and less as it goes on. A lot of these songs are corny. The vocals frequently made me cringe. And aside from a good first impression, I don’t like the lyrics. “Your Dictionary” struck me as particularly clunky. This album started interesting but by the end, I was happy it was over.
XTC albums usually have a few catchy songs that carry the album for me. I didn't find the spark on this one. It didn't help that it wasn't on Spotify and I had to endure YouTubeMusic's commercials after every other song.
There’s no Nigel or Generals and Majors here, but Andy Partridge’s quirky voice is ever present. This one is for the die-hard XTC fans
It gives strong Beatles. A little more psychedelic, way more boring
What I really don't like about this album is that it's no fun at all. People can try to draw parallels to the Beatles or Beach Boys because there are some unique instrumentations and production choices, but this completely lacks the sense of humor and genuine soul of projects like Rubber Soul and Pet Sounds. It's not horrible in a vacuum but seeing it in this context made me like it a whole lot less than I otherwise would have. Your Dictionary is also utterly terrible. 4/10
It was the song where the frontman kept cheekily spelling out curse words in a hilariously unsubtle attempt to be cutting that reminded me of an episode earlier this year at the community radio station I volunteered at where a 30s-something man couldn't bring himself to say fuck, instead replacing every instance in the song title with a simple 'F.' It was a little sad, but mostly pathetic, an attempt to seem cool and hip well beyond one's prime or when they should have quit long ago. That sums up this album for me, an ending chapter for a band that had long since died an ungraceful death.
Your Dictionary might be the single worst song I've heard in my life. The rest of the album ranges from good to fine to bad, but Your Dictionary is horrific. Favorite track: Greenman
First song felt like something from yoshis island mixed with terraria, really repetitive, can't really understand what they are saying, lyric wise. First song is kinda strange, not my thing Second song has a nice intro, but the first words of the song being it's name just seems lazy for me, the songs are very mellow and calm, but repetitive I'm getting sleepy from hearing these songs, maybe if you like the beatles and those types of bands this one can bring some feeling of "something new" in regards to the calm rock style, but I just can't listen to it for an extended period of time.
Definitely not cool enough in 1999 for this one.
Yet another of way too many of the albums here that apply to the pretentious more than they do to the music lover.
Not even a hastily arranged orchestra could save this mid tier Beatles cover band of an album.
Varsin keskivertolevy. En pahemmin saanut otetta. 2/5
Green man jopa musikaalimainen kappale. Ylipäätään kyllä aika unohdettava levy vaikkakin ihan kiva. 2/5
Favorite Track[s]: Easter Theatre
The album was not that good. Unnoteworthy. I tolerated it.
Cant find on spoof :( 2
"Apple Venus Volume 1" by XTC is an album that marks a departure from the band's earlier work, moving toward a more orchestral and experimental sound. Released in 1999, it's a departure from the angular new wave and post-punk sound that defined much of their career. Tracks like "River of Orchids" and "Easter Theatre" showcase the band's ambition and desire to explore new musical territory. The album's production is lush and intricate, incorporating orchestral arrangements and intricate melodies. However, while "Apple Venus Volume 1" is a testament to the band's willingness to evolve, it may disappoint fans of their earlier, more guitar-driven sound. The album's complexity and departure from their signature style can make it a challenging listen for those seeking the XTC they knew and loved. In summary, "Apple Venus Volume 1" is a departure that might not resonate with fans of XTC's earlier work. While it showcases their artistic growth, its experimental nature may not appeal to a broader audience, warranting a 2/5 rating.
It's literally not available anywhere. I considered buying it, but the other couple of albums were very average, so I elected not to.
Heb wel eens betere XTC gehad... dit is echt slap spul, of misschien moet ik nog een 'halfje' nemen.
Ehm.... ik kan dit niet echt duiden. Maar ik neig er toch wel naar dat dit te zoetsappige muzak is.
XTC is very dramatic. Every line is like a declaration against some thing.
Different, not what I was expecting. Does that mean I liked it? No, not really. I thought it was pretty boring overall. Favorite track: I'd Like That
Couldn’t find it. Listened to Skylarking instead and GODDAMN it was bloody awful
Interesting, but no. There's just too much going on and I really don't like it.
I was a big fan of XTC's 1989 Oranges and Lemons. This didn't have the vibrancy of that album or the sense of originality. I became bored quite quickly.
Honestly only one decently good song on the whole album in "I'd Like That", which funny enough reminded me of the movie "Me, Myself, & Irene" since it's part of the soundtrack. Outside of that it wasn't very good and thought the lyrics sucked ass in a few spots but hey, at least it compliments the crappy singing. 4/10
Sounds like every song was made for a pretentious film
Completely forgettable. Cannot remember a single thing. Utter shit.
No.
Awful. Just because you can sing doesn't mean you should sing. The was one of those albums I almost couldn't finish, where a couple times I stopped what I was doing to look at the stereo and exclaim "WTF?!"
en algún momento lo sentí como música de fondo en un juego de role play de roblox
Liked the first song, wanted to like the rest. Just too tongue in cheek and goofy. I tried.
So intensely corny I can hardly take it
S-H-I-T is how I spell this band in my dictionary. The only good part was listening to the song 'Greenman' and imagining Charlie from It's Always Sunny doing an interpretive dance to it. XTC stinks.
S-H-I-T is how I spell XTC in my dictionary.
I don't know man, I think I could die just fine having not heard this. The compositions are beautiful I suppose, but feel so generic. And these are some of the worst lyrics I've heard. Not sure why this was chose over something like Skylarking. Or maybe it's also on the list, I don't know, but this is unnessesary. I liked The Last Balloon. And maybe Greenman. Maybe.
Favorite Song: None
Hey guys, let's try to make our own Sgt. Pepper's, but let's fail miserably at it! And so Apple Venus Volume 1 was born.
Every time a song ended, I was disappointed that another one started
In a nutshell: "orchoustic" Andy Patridge described the album as "orchoustic"- an acoustic and orchestral composition. Interesting idea on paper but it doesn't work here. If XTC had more money and time to record this album, we would have something so much better. 2/10
What the fuck was that??
This was a terrible album. Boring and trying so hard to be quirky.
This was fucking awful. This shouldn't be an album. It shouldn't have been released.
This is, without hyperbole, one of the top 5 worst pieces of audio ever recorded. I think it’s nestled somewhere in between the toolbox murder tapes and Born in the USA. “Greenman” into “Your Dictionary” is a double attack strong enough to double over any reviewer. The pain that was caused to me by that chorus and those lyrics back to back is something that will elicit a visceral response upon remembering. K-I-L-L is that how you spell love?? I’ve got one for you H-I-R-E A G-H-O-S-T W-R-I-T-E-R I too would like to remove myself from this review as my “creative differences” with the untalented theatre kid are too strong. I believe he might have a lacklustre orchestra trapped in his basement. At least let the contrabassoon man free. Zeeeeeeero stars. 0 HIGHLIGHTS: The green man emerged from the brine, billowing with the rotted dregs of the undertow. Luminous hatred emanates from the finger that cracks into a point at the end of his fetid hand. A voice from below bellows “AMPLE BOTUM GENES.” You are cast to hell.
Aging punk/ new wave rockers try to stay relevant by releasing their "sophisticated" orchestrated rock album. Instead, they make shit from a butt and some pretentious Brit who grew up in the golden age of bands like XTC tries to convince me their swan song albums from the late 90s are actually awesome and I can't die satisfied without hearing it. Trust me, bro, the oompah horns are actually so good, bro.
Got bored five tracks in and gave up. Getting serious bargain basement McCartney wannabe feelings from this . Sorry XTC, but not for me.
Cant believe they are still going. I suppose there are enougg people around to get their stuff. Noe me. This was difgicult to listen all the way thtough.
Really really cheesy. Not great.
I’m somewhat comforted by the fact that I like other XTC stuff. The beginning started off well with the orchestral accompaniments. But as this album progressed, it started triggering a deeply visceral feeling within me. They say art is supposed to evoke something within you and connect to your emotions, will this album did it in the form of irk, shock, horror, grimace. NO NO NO. If you were a musical theatre kid in school, into nerd rock, have an unhealthy relationship to Disney soundtracks, then maybe this is the perfect album to start your day with. For me, it felt like an audio khole that I am sure will haunt my nightmares for days to come.
Meh
Some of this was good. Too much of it felt off, though... almost more similar to children's music. Kind of like Talking Heads and the Beatles made a Kids Bop-esque album, all the while considering it sophisticated art. Just a weird product overall, and not really in a good way. It managed to get worse as it went, which unfortunately lasted 50 minutes. To repurpose some of the lyrics: s-h-i-t, is that how you spell Apple Venus? Ok, I wouldn't go that far. There's definitely worse on this list. But also not sure what would make this an essential listen. I won't be coming back to this one, or really remember it at all. Overall: 1.4/5
I don't even know what this is meant to be.
Sounds like Swindon
We don't need any "thirteenth studio album by..." in this household, thank you very much
Ehhh. “Greenman” was super exciting for the first bit and then the lyrics kicked in. I think this would be a fun album if I was blitzed out of my gourd. I am unfortunately not. “Your Dictionary” was… cringey. Only didn’t skip because I needed to know how bad it would get. Had to start skipping songs after that.
Pretentious rubbish. Nothing but a self congratulatory ego project. They made this for themselves, not for music fans. Boring and irritating.
Awful. An assault upon my ears,
This was the corniest thing on the list so far
"Your Dictionary" may be one of the worst songs I've ever heard
Just sounded like dads in a pub
not for me
Why is this on the list? Is there something about it I don't know? Lines like "high so high like a really high thing" make me think they are fucking with me. Ok so after listening I have decided they were trying for boring. There is no other reason they made this album. Technically it's fine, it's not like they made a bad album. It's just very boring.
Ogillade verkligen rösten och texterna. Jobbigt att lyssna på.
En sak jag gillar med det här lilla projektet är att mötas av band man aldrig hört men ändå har en bild av hur det ska låta. XTC är ett sådant band för mig, men det var verkligen inte såhär jag trodde XTC lät. Jag trodde det ändå skulle vara ganska bra, men det här föll mig verkligen inte i smaken. Enerverande musik.
Lite skamlös Beatles-kopia emellanåt va? Nä det här säger mig ingenting alls. Kommer aldrig lyssna på detta igen. Riktigt sjukt att den här smörjan finns med på listan.
Nö!
Pretty weird and off putting with some of the dumbest lyrics I’ve ever heard in my life. I never want to hear this again.
The first song was alright and I really like the second half of the last song. Apart from that it was complete ass
Sekasoppa joka on kovin viimeistelty ja täydellistä. On afrikkalaista U2 meininkiä ja liian täydellisen kuuloista jousta sekä pianoa.
🤮
Fucking terrible. I gave up at Dictionary. Just couldn't do it anymore. Listening to this album reminded me of Dewey Cox calling for "TEN THOUSAND DIDGERIDOOS!!!" while goats wander through a studio with 200 confused and exasperated musicians. This was an amateur hackjob piece of shit and has absolutely no place on a list of essential albums. On a positive note, I have some time that I won't be listening to this that is available for good music. So, thanks for that, I guess ⭐.5
Awful. Just not great Bob.
Boring. Hard to get past the third song.
Sounds like very boring Beatles
So far this sounds like Wings. Or a Paul McCartney side project. Easter Theater. Fuck it, I’m not correcting it. I fucking hate having fat fingers. has a dab of the Beach Boys sound. Oh look at that, there’s an autocorrect built into this thing. Cool. Temper at zero now. Fuck it again. This is not good. Boring I can’t believe these are the same people that put out Dear God. It should be Lord help us all after hearing this album.
Ehm no thanka
- You just, like, don’t get it man - K
Do you know the amazing thing about this album? It's a bigger load of shit than what I dropped in the dunny this morning.That was a giant load of crap, so much so I was impressed with myself, and this album out did that.
The lyrics were corny and not as deep as the singer thought they were. Music was fine, just nothing that really captivated me. First album that I was getting annoyed with while listening to.
Sorry for the upcoming violent thought, but more and more I want to beat the author of 1001 to a bloody pulp. This shit sucks donkey farts.
Local pub karaoke cooks harder. Pretty poor choice
Nigel has no plans to work his senses overtime on this.
"I'd smile so much my face would crack, then you could fix it with your kissing glue." This album is when a horny dad thinks he's McCartney and Wilson
This was actually just shit
This did absolutely nothing for me. Felt like experimenting for experimentation's sake, not like a cohesive or thought-out project.
+: I'd Like That, Frivolous Tonight, Fruit Nut, I Can't Own Her +-: River of Orchids, Knights in Shining Karma, Greenman, Your Dictionary, Harvest Festival, The Last Balloon -: Easter Theatre 3,3/10
Wow, what a horrible album, I hope there was never a volume 2. 0/5
XTC, man. I find their older stuff appealing, so why did this have to be in here? This, the penultimate album in their discography, came at a time where the band was not the same XTC most people know of. My question today is that out of all other albums, why was this put in the list for the 1001 albums you must hear before you kick the can? Is it because of the complete leap into orchestral and acoustic pop songs? Maybe it is. It's a big change from the angular guitar tunes of then. But for me, what makes an album get a low rating is if that album is a complete slog to get through. During the entirety of this project, I wondered what was the point. Almost none of the songs left an impression on me and lacked something to dig. There's parts that I think interested me; certain melodies and such. But as it went on, it felt like there was nothing spectacular about what I was getting myself into. An orchestra in music tells me that what I'm hearing is meant to be grandiose. There's supposed to be something climatic or wondrous about the song to have an additional arrangement attached to it. This wasn't that. What was the point today? (3/10, 1/5 on this scale) (Update: 2/10)
I really did not enjoy this. Not sure who this album is for. Seems well liked by critics, but I pretty much hated it.
This album combines two sounds that I hate. Water droplets and inoffensive soft padded drums that are like a laptop keyboard. How is this album supposed to make me feel? Like a preteen girl watching Dawson's Creek?
Had to double chech whether I was really listening to the right album because what the hell.
Okay so far it sounds like mariachi at the start. OH WAIT THEY STARTED SINGING. Yeah no this is corny and idk how they have 13 albums lol. Dictionary has got to be the most childish song I’ve ever heard grown men sing… stop it.
I go to this band's Spotify page and not a single song from this album is in their top 20 songs played. Now, I know this list isn't a popularity contest. It's just weird that they have music dating back to the 70s, and this album from the late 90s (that's a complete departure from their usual sound) is the choice. I gave it a shot but I genuinely could not finish the album. I just couldn't get into it. It feels like Magical Mystery Tour or Sgt. Peppers, but if they were made for an educational kid's show. It aims to be whimsical, which it kind of succeeds in, but the magic just isn't there. I think a big reason, honestly, is the lyrics and vocals. Every time I was starting to vibe with a song, the vocals would come in and feel so far removed from everything else. I wouldn't call it a bad album in an objective sense, but I just really didn't like it.
Not my fav. I may just start to do number ratings.
Skip
un poco pesado
what is this ! they could have called themselves THC.... I see touches of beatles, the smiths, ewan mcgregor.... mixed to make something that has little sense to me.
I like xtc but not this
There really were not any songs on here I would ever go back and listen to, I probably won’t ever listen to this artist again unless I’m forced to on this website. Some of the orchestral parts were quite good, but that was really the only diamond in the rough for this album. It was just too grand and corny for my liking, and some of the lyrics were quite bad, like in “I’d Like That” it has a lyric that goes: “Really high, really high like a really high thing.” Like a really high thing might be the worst lyric I’ve ever heard. Thank god I never have to listen to this album again.
Listened to this while I was stuck working at the computer. River of Orchids drove me nuts- this was unnecessary noise I’d Like that was at least tolerable, but still didn’t make much sense. Shockingly the song that stood out to me was Greenman Rating: ⭐️
This is not the most obviously bad album we have had on this list, but it's an album that I kept going "what?" to, and "that surely can't be the lyrics..." So yeah, easy 1. It felt like listening to the Wiggles at times, but with more adult themes I guess.
undignified
Klingt wie Beatles meet Beach Boys. Hätte vielleicht Mitte der 60er für Aufsehen gesorgt. Sorgt heute nur für Kopfschütteln bei mir.
"high, really high, like a really high thing" is certainly a lyrical decision
wow! it's the combination of new wave and musical theater i always knew i never wanted!
if The Beatles' kids were forced to start a band together with the album recorded and produced by The Beatles, you'd get this. They'd then split up, disown their parents and start a revolt for mass burning of their parents records, tapes, CDs and DVDs, with all remaining royalties given to The Rolling Stones. Medicore, barely listenable in my opinion.
Late 90's XTC?! Grow up. We get it, you're British and probably wear a funny hat. Drums & Wires, job done.
Unable to listen on spotify
First one on this list that is a skip for me...don't think this is one you NEED to hear. Don't know anything about XTC except 'Making Plans For Nigel', which I like. Easter Theatre & Last Balloon are highlights, but overall found the orchestral production and vibe like a low budget musical stage play. Didn't vibe with me! But certainly unique.
Do not like this
Heard a different XTC album before. The first song felt like like David Byrne singing over demo tunes on a Casio keyboard. It got a bit better later on but still I was absolutely baffled 1/5
It sounds okay just boring for most of the album. First song has this voice overlap which gave me a headache.
Horrible
I assume an album sucks when I have to go to fucking Youtube.com to listen to it. And yeah, it did.
So good you can't get a copy anywhere
Not showing up on Apple or on Spotify as playable; maybe it’s a location error? I live in the US. Edit: found on YouTube.
Really weird, not feeling this album at all.
Not my sort of thing
I hate this. Send it to the dungeon, 10 years Will I listen to again: 0%
Nope. Would probably need to love drugs to sit through this album. I get it’s experimental but just sounds like a toddler plinking and plonking through a keyboard and adding random music loops at times
Explosé smr
This did not do anything for me at all. Their heyday had definitely passed by this point in their career. All soft edges and very little quirkiness.
Absolutely not for me. I can’t believe people heard this album and then wanted to listen to it on purpose.
Waste of my time tracking this down and then listening to it. What a shame.
Nope. These folksy medieval albums by British progressive bands are awful.
1.5 - Bad
The orchestrations are actually pretty nice here and there but the vocal and structuring sounds like a mix between beach boys and a musical. From other comments this was the singers solo project which makes sense. I wouldn't say XTC is a amazing band and not worth 2 albums on this list but this was pretty mediocre compared to the last (i think, most albums on this list are either: obvious picks, Insufferable or extremely forgettable).
1/10
I groaned after every song saying “this sucks”
As others have mentioned, it's not a very important, essential, or good album if you can't find it anywhere. 👎
I hope this wasn't part of the plan for Nigel because it really sucks. 1 star or F-.
Was so not my thing
I cannot listen to this in spotify. Therefore they are disqualified.
Ok, this is weird. It sounds like a more modern version of Sgt. Pepper era Beatles. The instrumentation is interesting, but the vocals just throw me off. I'm not hooked by any of it. Nothing is pulling me in to make me want to listen to it again. "Greenman" and "Your Dictionary" had some decent lyrics, but nothing that made me want to listen to them again. My Rating: 1/5
Daaaaaa effffff????
No.
Can’t imagine a setting I could be arsed to listen to any more of this characterless tripe.
I hated every moment of this Best Song: N/A Rating: 1 /10 1 Stars; I would put 0 stars if I could
An album not on Spotify always have me suspicious. This time I'm positive we're better off without it. When listening through the record I always had a feeling in the back of my head that not only was the music pretentious, but the people behind it as well. And boy was I correct. The lead singer, Andy Partridge, seems like quite a distasteful person when reading about the band on Wikipedia. The guitarist basically quit because he singer spent all of their budget on a 1-day Abbey Road studio session, and was overall extremely hard to work with. And when it comes to the music, it really just doesn't work for me. In addition to the record feeling extremely pretentious, as I mentioned earlier, the singing feels quite laboured on some tracks ('Easter Theatre', 'River of Orchids'), and borderline false sometimes. The orchestral additions is also not for me at all. Thoroughly didn't enjoy this.
What the hell was that? It was annoying, boring, pretentious all at the same time. I can't even really explain the genre. I have really nothing nice to say about this album. Felt like a bunch of demos with an orchestra.
What the hell is this?
Wow I always thought XTC was really cool and this is making me reconsider that. Meandering baroque pop shit that goes shamelessly deep into some Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney worship more than I'd ever care to hear (but with cornier lyrics). Never listened to this shit until now. I don't know, man. Of all the two XTC records to put, why have this be the one that isn't Skylarking. Such a random choice. Am I missing something? Was this really influential or or significant to someone back then? Who was listening to this in 1999? Why is this on the list but Drums and Wires isn't. Drums and Wires is one of of the best records ever made. I am confused. Who even listens to this. What is this National Geographic documentary midlife crisis music. What is going on.
There was the one song where they would spell bad words and relate them to something else. Pretty cringe. Going to one star.
If you look in my dictionary, you’ll find this album under the word S-U-C-K-S. I’d never heard anything from XTC other than the song Making Plans for Nigel, which bops, even with its weird lyrics. Like, just let Nigel be Nigel. Do something for yourself, dammit. But, with that song in mind, and when initially confronted with this album’s pretty cool cover art, I expected I’d be in for a treat. This is the first album generated for me in 2025, after all, so it should’ve been ceremonious! It seemed like it could be a fresh, new-to-me, gem. What I got was hot shit. Like my dog’s diarrhea squeezed through my fingers, shit. I hated this. There are bad albums on this list, but in a way, they’re a calculated bad. They’re unique. Like Junk Yard, Trout Mask Replica, or that Napalm Death album. This one actually thinks it’s good though, and good for everyone, not just a small niche, which makes it by far the worst album I’ve confronted so far on this site. Through conventionality, it actually seems to have convinced people that it’s good too, which is the weird part. Maybe others already had a deeper context with XTC to work from? Fond memories and such? Since I come from a place of supreme objectivity, I’ll ask anyone who loves this album to defend its quality, which aside from the orchestral moments, is as bad as my friend’s dad’s garage band. I implore you to attempt saying any of these lyrics aloud while keeping a straight face. I urge you to consider the song where he laments about not being able to own a woman, and then halfway through the song, tries to explain what he really means by that (just use a different word than ownership, man). We need to erase this album from the heritage of humankind, because frankly, it’s embarrassing. Future archaeologists will laugh at us.
absolutely not
No thanks.
Ok band from the early 2000’s. Not a lot a top songs, besides Dear God.
Cannot find the album on any streaming service. I assume, this is a sign for the importance of this album.
Pari kuunneltavaa biisiä, mutta se ei pelastanut kokonaisuutta, joka päällisin puolin oli musiikillisesti perverssiä hiplailua.
Wasn’t on Spotify.
Not sure why an album should be on this list if it isn't available for everyone to listen to. Apple music says it can't play in my region. I wonder if I'm being saved from something.
Not on Apple Music or Spotify in my country (small little place called the United States of America). Found it on youtube, British album that sounds quirky as hell. I liked one song, most of it was tolerable, some of it was downright terrible. How about the song that starts with "H-A-T-E, is that how you spell 'love' in your dictionary?" My eyes almost rolled out of my head. Lame album. Favorite tracks: I'd Like That. Album art: Looks to be a peacock feather, and that's about it. It's fine I guess. 1.5/5
More like 1001 albums to NOT listen to. Stinks like my pussay
Didn't work
Unavailable in my country
Well, this is something I would not have found on my own, but it’s also something I will not be looking to find again.
En tiedä, onko minulla liikaa vai liian vähän huumorintajua tähän. Ei skulaa.
I wasn't in the mood for whatever this was. Miss for me
Not on Spotify
This wasn't available on any streaming service, unfortunately.
Couldn’t get access to it
Tries so hard to be avant garde that it is boring at times. There are times it is trying to recreate the magic of Sgt. Peppers but comes across bland and lackluster. Would not listen to again.
Not my thing
Really did not enjoy listening to this at all
Nasti
This was difficult to listen to at times. It seemed like they wanted to be the Beatles, but in a pretentious way. I made it through but I won’t be listening again.
Not available
No disponible en Costa Rica
wth
Couldn't listen. Not available on Apple in the US
Didnt really do it for me, didnt like the vocals or the sound, just no
Not available on spotify
There is something about that whole album that feels like "children's music for adults." Lyrics like "F. U. C. K. Is that how you spell friend?" Songs about loading kids into balloon and harvest time. I can hang with sincerity and songs about paganism... but this just was a bridge too far.
A bit tedious
3/10 What a confounding album. Genuinely baffling that this is anywhere near a top 1000 list, but one of the most I retesting so far Well accomplished musically, big Beatles, Kinks, even ELO influences Interesting how little electric bass/guitar and drums there were String arrangements excellent, but they were Mike Batt But the lyrics and vocals ruined this completely Maybe half the songs were almost comedically bad lyrically, you’d give a 13yo a funny look if they wrote “your dictionary” Lyrics are a bizarre mix of twee nonsense and pagan/folk Didn’t like the vocals very much either This is musically quite interesting but is a bad album Best: I Can’t Own Her
3/10
Yeah...as much as I would like XTC just doesn't do it for me. Would rather have that hour of listening back. 1.5/5
tOTAL sHITE
Another irritating album from these chumps
Not available on Spotify
This band is the shitty knockoff of Oasis which is already the shitty knockoff of the Beatles
Unable to listen on Spotify
Y'all already gave me an XTC album like 3 days ago and I didn't give it a good rating then or any of the other times you suggested it. I'm starting to think this whole thing is an elaborate plan to get me to listen to XTC. PLEASE STOP.
Booooringgg tis alsof ik naar een matige beatles coverband zit te luisteren die dacht oh maar wij kunnen ook wel schrijven Your dictionary staat stipt op 1 in mijn lijst van grootste zeiknummers ooit.
scheiss isch nienets streambar son dreck. River of Orchids. funny comedy pizzicato und tropfe? oke nocher ischs en song mit chli avantgarde polyrhythmik. meh. Id Like that. ouuh gitarre und e melodie? besser. sehr cool mit de klatscher. mmh und d bgv sind super. seeehr beatles. und sehr beach boys. scheiss youtube werbig. easter theatre. irgendwie au sehr sgt pepper aber atonaler. gfallt mer, erinneret mi a she's leaving home. knights in shining karma. guete titel, intressanti melodie und si. frivolous. jo oke cute song aber s macht absolut nüt mit mir. Greenman. haha hollywood im mittlere oste time. Your dictionary. "H.A.T.E. is that how you spell love in your dictionary" sorry für die line gits en ganze stern abzug egal wie genial de rest theoretisch isch. ou shit sie mached wiiter ou nai. fruit nut. wie son funny beatles song? I can't own her. jo hoffentli au nöd alte. orchester arrangement huere schön. nothing to do with money aha okay nöd? ah hesch sie afoch gern? harvest festival checki etz no, au sehr nüt neus findi.
The first song is the "strangest" song in the album. The most interesting songs for me are I'd like that and Your Dictionary. The album gives light atmosphere and calm "major key" mood. Funny orchestral support. Unusual harmonies sometimes (like in Easter Theater). In general: flegmatic
I wouldn't feel bad if I missed this one!
nicht gefunden
grrrr it's not on Spotify river of orchids - I was not expecting that but like slay? I like it 6/10 I'd like that - I thought I chose rock/metal???? this shit ain't EITHER this sounds like something outta a musical. not bad, just not my thing. 4/10 easter theatre - OHHHH I think it's pairing it with like the Beatles. it reminds me of the Beatles. 5/10 knights in shining karma - I don't mind it but it's still meh 5/10 💀 again, not my thing Frivolous Tonight - this literally sounds like something out of a musical why were these dudes not on Broadway what the hell 4/10 greenman - this kinda slays. I wanna hippie dance to it. 6/10 your dictionary - 'f u c k' is that how you spell friend in your dictionary SLAY BRO I hate this song it sounds like imagination by Shawn mendes but that line had me shitting so bonus points 5/10 Fruit Nut - WHY WASNT THIS DUDE ON BROADWAY WHAT THE HELL GET THIS MAN ON BROADWAY 3/10 i can't own her - is xtc a Broadway musical or some shit I'm SAYING this sounds like it's from a musical 4/10 harvest festival - sims music meets the Beatles 5/10 last balloon - GET THESE FUCKINF DUDES ON BROADWAY OH MY GODDDDDDDDDD 5/10 overall: BROADWAY BEATLES. not for me, Beatles fans though...
Got as far as Your Dictionary and decided it wasn't worth having to cop YouTube ads before every track. What a horrid album.
Meh. British art / prog rock that sounds like it should be out of the 70s not the 90s. And having to use YouTube and listen to adds really hurts the experience.
Missing from Spotify Unfortunately.
Weird minimalisme med stygg elektroblås. Litt småkjedelig prog. Noen helt ok instrumenteringer men han synger jævlig kjedelig og presser så jævlig på høytonene. Og HVORFOR må han bruke de stygge jævla el-saks aktige blåserekkene når han også har ekte blås wtf. Kjedelige tradd pop-melodier som prøver å være eksperimentelle men å gjøre rare ting er ikke det samme som å være nyskapende. Teksten er også sånn... hæ? "knights in shining karma wash your feet" assa kom igjen dude... Nei men hælvete nå er det en engelsk drikkelåt inni her. Orker ikke mer av dette albumet eller de shtøgge el-blås lydene...
1. river of orchidz - 0 2. id like that - 1 3. eazter theater - 0 4. knightz in karma - 0 5. frivolouz tonight - 0 6. greenman - 0 7. your dictionary - 0 8. fruit nut - 0 9. i cant ouun her - 0 10. harvezt feztival - 0 11. the lazt balloon - 0
It’s just bad
This record was "meh" to me, which is sad because I can't forgive boring records.
2/10
this album leaves me pretty far away from being ecstatic.
No esta en Spotify
Cheesy
Dne
Not on Spotify. Will circle back to check out later.
Not for me. Minstrel music for people in ecstasy.
Not my cup of tea sorry
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Realizing I've confused XTC with INXS in my mind; wasn't jazzed to hear INXS either, but this feels somehow worse & less interesting. So many artists credit Bowie when discussing their sound but the connection isn't always clear to me. Connections here seem clear but not in a good way. This sounds like the corniest of Bowie to me - very dated/of a certain time to my ears. This style of pompous masculine vocals triggers a reaction in me that's probably how some men get SO irritated by young women's vocal fry. It's just...grating. I'm trying to temper my takes by recognizing that I'm pre-annoyed because I had to use Youtube music for this, yet I don't feel optimistic 2 songs in. AFTER LISTENING: Although I was worried it would be a marker that the rest of the album would be plodding, I liked "Knights In Shining Armor"'s Simon & Garfunkel- like vocals (it helps when you stay within your range, I think...) & gentle but subtly unique instruments. Most of the rest sounded distinctively UK-based (derogatory.) "Your Dictionary" was uniquely embarrassing to listen to in 2024 but maybe it was fun and quirky in the 80's or whenever this came out. I'm interested to learn why this album might belong on this list because it's not apparent from listening. AFTER LEARNING MORE: I guess art rock just isn't a genre for me. I'm stunned by how many people really liked this. RECCOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Spandau Ballet/Squeeze/The Outfield bands in that genre/of that time, musical theater, men trying really hard
This is unavailable on Spotify or Apple Music ‘in my region’ so F off
Doesn't belong on this list. This is like B grade Pixar soundtrack stuff. Repetitive in a bad way, gets on my nerves.
Spotify doesn't have this album.
What is this? NO! No. Stop. This is the worst. This is as generic as it gets and should have been elevator music when it was NEW.
Miese Vocals Babies first orchestral sample library Ein weiteres "britisches Meisterwerk" dieser Liste
could not find on spotify
Not available on Spotify
Simply did not enjoy anything here
Tedium