I’d been reading Bob Lefsetz the other day when he pontificated, “Can we bring Todd Rundgren back for a victory lap?”Fine by me, I thought at the time--the guy really needs to be given his due. (Ever see the (overly long) flash intro to his site displaying the records upon records he’s produced? One word: amazing.)
But at the same time I thought, “Well, there are quite a few others who are due a victory lap...” and just like that I was off on a theme and a graphic. Yes, sometimes these things just write themselves.
XTC! Oh, how long did it take me to embrace your full charms? How long did I wander alone out in the cold purposefully eschewing the warmth of your poppy/hooky/catchy hearth? F’n long I tell you.
Why, I may have even had a disparaging word or seven...’navel-gazing’, ‘too clever by half’, ‘fussy and tiresome’. Wrong I was however--and now in possession of the entire catalog (Thanks Rick!) those years out in the ether have ended.
Yet, MY XTC-switch aside, the band clearly has not garnered the acclaim they’re due. Oh sure, Trouser Press editors and be-specticle’d fan boys have swooned for ages, but today we’re righting a wrong SO wrong that we’re kicking off this week’s series of shout-outs and underscores with the best of the lot.
Ladies and gents: this is pop!
XTC - Making Plans For Nigel [Live on the BBC Dec 1980] (Mp3)
XTC - Generals And Majors (Mp3)
XTC - Senses Working Overtime (Mp3)
XTC - When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty (Mp3)
XTC - This Is Pop (Mp3)
10 comments:
I feel ashamed to admit this but this is one of those bands I've never really taken the time to fully get.
Are the mp3s you posted a pretty good intro to the group? What other stuff of theirs should I look for to get my feet wet?
Tell ya what -- start with these 5 and if you want suggestions after that, y' know where to come!
I recorded that whole BBC show off air and I've still got the tape nearly 30 years later (but nothing to play it on since my old deck died).
Hopefully this snippet brought back good memories for you, Mick...
Yes it did but here's a bad one. XTC played at my college in 1977 or 78 (they were a local-ish band) and I didn’t go because I was worried about getting home after the gig. I lived about 20 miles away and used to catch the train every day. I also hadn’t heard much of them and thought they might be a crappy punk band. I’ve regretted it ever since.
Crikey - that is unfortunate! But being local-ish, didn't you ever catch them again? (Barring AP's stage fright...?)
Ah, thank you. I finally found Drums & Wires on cassette years ago, then (like Mick) my tape deck died. Love those early XTC tunes!
Good stuff. I remember seeing the name XTC carved into the lab table in 10th grade biology class (probably by Shamus) and had to check them out. What took you so long, Jon?!
Noah
...the aforementioned XTC 'switch!'
Have always loved XTC. I've not been able to find my copy of This Is Pop for years! Thanks for the memories!
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