Your ten favorite.... XTC songs

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Who Shot Sam?
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Your ten favorite.... XTC songs

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

Per Otis' suggestion. Mine...

River of Orchids
No Language in Our Lungs
Life Begins at the Hop
No Thugs in Our House
Great Fire
Wrapped in Grey
Summer's Cauldron
Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her
Towers of London
Science Friction

Man it's hard! Could have included about 30 others, at least.
Last edited by Who Shot Sam? on Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Mike Boom
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Post by Mike Boom »

Beating Of Hearts
Spiral
Respectable Street
Senses Working Overtime
Life Begins At the Hop
The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead
Wrapped In Grey
Summer's Cauldron
Grass
Then She Appeared
Dear God
Are You Receiving Me?
The Wheel and the Maypole
Prince of Orange
Chalkhills and Children
River Of Orchids
Books Are Burning

Can't do ten, nope, tried, can't.
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
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Mr. Average
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Post by Mr. Average »

Top 14 I picked a while ago to make a CD for a friend at work. I could agonize over these after purchasing a few box sets and hearing various versions of other, well-deserving songs, but this is a good cross-section.

Jason And The Argonauts
Its Nearly Africa
Making Plans For Nigel
Across This Antheap
Scarecrow People
Love On A Farmboy's Wages
Melt The Guns
Generals And Majors
Towers Of London
When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty
River Of Orchids
My Bird Performs
Stupidly Happy
Train Running Low On Soul Coal
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Good to see Life Begins..., one of my faves ever (on clear 7" vinyl, of course). Mr A has my other two faves, Nigel (another all time classic single) and Farmboy's Wages.

I feel inadequate here, cos although I bought Oranges and Lemons, English Settlement and Skylarking, I can hardly think of a single song off them (apart from Senses, which I know backwards, and Dear God was good). They didn't grab me in the way Drums and Wires and Black Sea did when I was a teen, so I'll have to go for oldies:

Life Begins At The Hop
Making Plans For Nigel
Love On a Farmboy's Wages
Helicopter
Respectable Street
Sgt Rock
Senses Working Overtime
When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty
Ten Feet Tall
Generals and Majors

I need to play those newer 3 more (though they're hardly new!). I think I heard and liked bits of Mummer when it came out. Any good? Is that where Farmboy's Wages is from?
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Post by Mechanical Grace »

I really don't know enough of their work to do this, but I will anyway.

Aside from Peter Pumpkinhead, I liked all their U.S. singles (Making Plans For Nigel; Senses Working Overtime; Mayor of Simpleton; Generals and Majors; that's pretty much it, yes?).

Skylarking was one of those start-to-finish records, nearly all good. I especially liked Summer's Cauldron (had to look up the name of that one, I only remembered it was the first track) and Earn Enough For Us. And I remember Respectable Street, Love At First Sight, and Living Through Another Cuba even though I never had Black Sea, so they must have made some impression...
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Post by Mike Boom »

Mummer is indeed where "Love on a Farmboys Wages" is from and its actually my favourite XTC record.

It has the awesome "Beating of Hearts" ,"Wonderland", "Deliver Us From The Elements" all fantastic. Its a sort of old XTC meets new XTC record. Not as bonkers as "The Big Express", not as smooth as "Skylarking" not as folk/pastoral as "English Settlement", but has a little of all them mixed in with stuff like "Great Fire" and "Funk Pop A Roll" which sound like they could be off "Black Sea". Its the XTC record I play most.
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Seem to remember liking Wonderland a lot. Must check it out.
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Post by alexv »

Big, big fan of Oranges & Lemons, and of Nonsuch. Almost all the songs on heavy daily rotation on my I-Pod.

Wrapped in Grey
King for A Day
Earn Enough for Us
Rook
Garden of Earthly Delights
Dear Madam Barnum
Seagulls Screaming
The Disappointed
The Loving
Dear Madam Barnum

Can't stop at 10....

Mayor of Simpleton
Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
Love on a Farmboy's Wages
Holly up on Poppy
Dear God
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Post by ice nine »

I don't own the whole catalogue. I picked 14 tracks of what I do own......Sue me

The Dissappointed
Wrapped In Grey
Chalkhlls & Children
Miniature Sun
1000 Umbrellas
Dear God
All You Pretty Girls
This World Over
Your Dictionary
The Last Baloon
Wait 'Till Your Boat Goes Down
Making Plans For Nigel
Boarded Up
Stupidly Happy
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Post by Chrille »

Only own two albums (which I like alot), so this is based on them (guess which? ;) )

Making Plans For Nigel
Day-In Day-Out
Ten Feet Tall
Life Begins At The Hop
That's Really Super, Supergirl
Ballet For A Rainy Day
1000 Umbrellas
The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
Dying
Dear God
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Does that mean Drums and Wires has a MAIT/TYM-style reissue with what was only on a 7" (Life Begins) added to the 12"? Understandable business-wise, but as long as everyone knows that's not the way they planned it!
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Post by Who Shot Sam? »

I have the Japanese mini-sleeve reissues with extra tracks and "LIfe Begins..." is stuck on at the end, along with another track or two.
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Post by Chrille »

Both CDS are part of the 2001 remasters, the original album + some bonus tracks added at the end.
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Post by Mike Boom »

Life Begins was on my original vinyl copy of Drums and Wires back in 79, track 3, I think, so its always been on the album as far as Im concerned.
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Ah ha! Another US/UK release difference. I wonder how many LPs it applies to from that era. Needless to say I always take the view that if it's a UK artist, the release here was how they conceived it and anything in the US was at the insistence of the record company to shift units, but that's not how you'll see it! So how many songs on your vinyl? 13, or 12 like mine, but with Life Begins replacing another song? Day In Day Out is my track 3. I was thinking it had a ref in the liner notes to making toast, but I can only see one to tea stirring. The lyrics sheet continued the lyrics for all of the first two LPs and singles up until that point in the gatefold spread (with LBATH the last item) and the D&W lyrics are on the back, with Chain of Command and Limelight added and the note 'Sometime available as a free single with D&W'. Got that? Among the bonus tracks, Chrille? I can't recall if I have this! If I do, it's not insside the LP. Will ned to check. I sense a weekend of XTC 1979-1981 vinyl playing coming on.
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Post by senior_service »

Making Plans for Nigel
Dear God
Generals and Majors
Helicopter
Grass
That's Really Super, Supergirl
Senses Working Overtime
No Thugs In Our House
Vanishing Girl (Do the Dukes of Stratosphear count???)
Towers of London
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Post by Mike Boom »

Otis
Well I cant remember the details , my vinyl version has long since vanished, though I remember it was definitely part of the album, not tacked on the end, Im pretty sure it was track three - and it was the NZ/Australian version I would have had at that stage, or perhaps the US version was shipped downunder too, not sure.

Oh and Dukes of the Strastophear not allowed surely!!! FOUL!! Yellow Card!!
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
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Post by Who Shot Sam? »

This is the original track order for Drums and Wires, according to Chalkhills, which is the mother of all XTC fan sites...

UK: LP, Virgin UK, 17 August 1979. Track order: Making Plans for Nigel; Helicopter; Day In Day Out; When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty; Ten Feet Tall; Roads Girdle the Globe; Real by Reel; Millions; That is the Way; Outside World; Scissor Man; Complicated Game.

US: LP, Virgin International USA (Atlantic), VA 13134, October 1979. Track order: Life Begins at the Hop; Helicopter; Making Plans for Nigel; Ten Feet Tall; When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty; That is the Way; Real by Reel; Millions; Outside World; Roads Girdle the Globe; Scissor Man; Complicated Game.

AUS/NZ: LP, Virgin Australia (Festival), Virgin New Zealand (RTC), 1979. Track order: Making Plans for Nigel; Helicopter; Life Begins at the Hop; When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty; Ten Feet Tall; Roads Girdle the Globe; Real by Reel; Millions; That is the Way; Outside World; Scissor Man; Complicated Game.

Quite a good memory Mike! "Life Begins...", as it turns out, was track #1 on the US version and #3 on the AUS/NZ version. "Day in Day Out" was only on the UK version. "Chain of Command" and "Limelight" were on a bonus single that was included with the original LP.

At least they left the single alone. According to "Song Stories," an XTC book/discography that I have:
The band was happy with the single, but the American label decided that a re-recording was in order to suit their market. Cameron Allen was recruited for the sessions at Wessex Studios. Even Sting and his then wife, Frances Tomelty, were dragged in from the next studio to add handclaps, but it was a humorless disaster. "I felt really sorry for him. He just couldn't get anything different out of it that was going to please us," says Andy. The version remains in the vaults.
Andy mentioned recently that they were in discussions with Virgin about reissues of their back catalogue - so maybe it will see the light of day at some point.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Not sure I want to hear it! I'll have to check for that bonus single. Do you know the songs? Do you not know Day In Day Out then? 'Friday is heaven'. Very true! Or do you have on CD?
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Post by Who Shot Sam? »

I know it, since it has been included on all of the recent CD versions, along with the extra tracks.
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Post by Mike Boom »

I know not this "Day In Day Out" track. Drums and Wires is about the only XTC record I dont have on CD.
Must get it ,
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
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Post by Richard »

A little predictable I am afraid. I need to hear more.


Senses Working Overtime
Grass
Making Plans For Nigel
Generals And Majors
I Can't Own Her
Respectable Street
Life Begins At The Hop
Towers Of London
Love On A Farm Boy's Wages
Are You Receiving Me?
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Post by battered old bird »

Chalkhills & Children
Season Cycle
I'm Bugged
Green Man
Funk Pop A Roll
Wake Up
Mayor Of Simpleton
My Bird Performs
Jason & The Argonauts
The Good Things
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Post by Chrille »

In case you want to know, Otis, the 2001 remasters version consists of:

1. Nigel...
2. Helicopter
3. Day-In...
4. When You're Near...
5. Ten Feet Tall
6. Roads Girdle...
7. Real By Reel
8. Millions
9. That Is The Way
10. Outside World
11. Scissor Man
12. Complicated Game
13. Life Begins...
14. Chain...
15. Limelight

The lyrics are horribly shrunk to fit one page, the lyrics for 'Life Begins At The Hop' are not included though. Last text, the one for Limelight, ends in 'Sometime available as a free single with Drums & Wires'.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

... as quoted by me above. This was obviously their policy on all the reissues - to shrink type that was probably OK as 9 or 10pt or so lyrics on a 12" LP to the equivalent of 4pt on CD size. Cheapskates. They are absurdly unreadable, especially for those of us who are finding small type in anything other than very good light a big challenge.

That reissue sounds a bit thin on bonus songs. What about b-sides? Who can name the b-side of LBATH withyout checking?
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