XTC

[Stratosphere]

Originally Posted by fretless

Agree BIG time. I got stuck in horrific traffic on the DC beltway on a recent work trip and this album blasting thru the speakers really helped. Moulding is a criminally underrated bassist.

My favorite bass part on the album comes at the end of 'Mayor of Simpleton' just after the last chorus as they go into the extended fade out of the song and he just kind of poly-rhythmically floats off. Where the hell did he come up with that?? And his timing on O&L is absolutely impeccable though out the album. He is SO on time. I'll put that up against any other bassist.

And I probably say this every time an XTC thread comes up here but I'll put the production of O&L up against anything the Beatles did. Layers upon layer upon layers.

[AlChuck]

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

My favorite bass part on the album comes at the end of 'Mayor of Simpleton' just after the last chorus as they go into the extended fade out of the song and he just kind of poly-rhythmically floats off. Where the hell did he come up with that?? And his timing on O&L is absolutely impeccable though out the album. He is SO on time. I'll put that up against any other bassist.

And I probably say this every time an XTC thread comes up here but I'll put the production of O&L up against anything the Beatles did. Layers upon layer upon layers.

[atquinn]

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

My favorite bass part on the album comes at the end of 'Mayor of Simpleton' just after the last chorus as they go into the extended fade out of the song and he just kind of poly-rhythmically floats off. Where the hell did he come up with that?? And his timing on O&L is absolutely impeccable though out the album. He is SO on time. I'll put that up against any other bassist.

And I probably say this every time an XTC thread comes up here but I'll put the production of O&L up against anything the Beatles did. Layers upon layer upon layers.

I love the bass throughout Mayor of Simpleton! It was my understanding that Partridge pretty much wrote the bass parts to his songs so I always attributed the composition to Andy and the execution to Colin.
-
Austin

[DarklordUK]

XTC - one of the best British bands in many years. Period.

BLUR pretty much picked up the gauntlet that Partridge and XTC left behind in the 90's and ran with it... and Blur went on to be a huge band (esp in UK). You can hear the influence all over Graham Coxon's playing.. another genius imho. Try listening to 'Girls and Boys' and 'Tracy Jacks' from the Parklife album... could have been lifted from 'Black Sea'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ940y2ggY0

[Neer]

Love their acoustic sets, too:

[VicAjax]

You guys need to go invade the "best album of 1986" thread. No love for Skylarking at all there!

[Neer]

Any thread that cites 5150 and Slippery When Wet as best albums and calls Paul Simon pretentious is not worth a second look.

[Cornholio]

did I read that someone thinks Andy Partridge not a good singer?

His voice is part of their unique sound and don't recall anything that sounded mediocre or bad.

[jammybastard]

Originally Posted by Neer

Any thread that cites 5150 and Slippery When Wet as best albums and calls Paul Simon pretentious is not worth a second look.

which is most threads on TGP!

[flume]

In a perfect world, I would see video footage of Damon Albarn carting a wheelbarrow full of cash to Andy and Colin and Dave Gregory for the priviledge of ripping off their entire careers.

Originally Posted by DarklordUK

XTC - one of the best British bands in many years. Period.

BLUR pretty much picked up the gauntlet that Partridge and XTC left behind in the 90's and ran with it... and Blur went on to be a huge band (esp in UK). You can hear the influence all over Graham Coxon's playing.. another genius imho. Try listening to 'Girls and Boys' and 'Tracy Jacks' from the Parklife album... could have been lifted from 'Black Sea'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ940y2ggY0

[vanguard]

Originally Posted by flume

In a perfect world, I would see video footage of Damon Albarn carting a wheelbarrow full of cash to Andy and Colin and Dave Gregory for the priviledge of ripping off their entire careers.

funny, Blur is one of my top 3 bands of all time, but i can't stand their early XTC-sounding stuff (up through Parklife-ish). thank god graham pushed them to american indie on the self titled record and we got Blur, 13, Think Tank, and the incredible singles "Under the Westway" and "Fool's Day". that three album run+singles is one of the greatest periods in music, IMO.

XTC is one of those bands (along with the stone roses) that add up in all the right ways, yet i still don't like it.

when i tell people how i love bands like super furry animals, blur, the beatles, the jam, REM, the smiths, etc. they're always like "you must love XTC" - but i don't. i find their songs messy, poppy without being catchy, expertly arranged and performed but without the "it" factor, etc. i just hear: new wave + the talking heads' most annoying moments + unmelodic pop.

this isn't a troll post at all. . .i find it bizarre i can't hear what so many others do considering my musical tastes. for me it's like: why listen to XTC when i've got super furry animals and Blur who do the same trick so so much better. perhaps one day it'll finally click, but i doubt it.

interestingly, i don't like primus either but apparently two wrongs make a right as i love this track. speaking of brilliant bass playing: