I usually listen to classical and jazz, but one of the rock bands I really enjoy is XTC. I just found a cover album (A Testimonial Dinner) with such luminaries of the day as Verve Pipe, Crash Test Dummies, Spacehog (Who?) and even that is good.
Any other XTC fans out there?

Favorite songs include

1,000 Umbrellas
That's This World Over
Mayor of Simpleton
Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
Dear God
Poor Skeleton Steps Out
Plans for Nigel

Yes, I have a little spare time on my hands and I'm frittering it away in a fit of euphoria on CSFMB. I'm that lame.

_________________
Stupidity irritates the crap outta me... and yes, I irritate myself far too often.

Most of it is essential. If you should ever need them, i have a few earlier live shows (circa 80) that are pretty awesome

One of the worst bands ever formed. The hype/quality ratio is alarmingly out of wack. I recently heard the song "It's Nearly Africa" in a mix and honestly thought it was a sample of an Andy Samberg bit from SNL.

_________________

OK then....

No kidding? I'd be very interested in that. I'll PM you later and see what I can do to return the favor.

Suckers, that's why it's great to discuss music. Some love it and some hate it. I think most rock music is overrated, but that's the beauty of it. I'm glad we have MBs to exchange views and ideas though.
An example. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premiered in Paris in 1911 (I think that was the year). The audience had such diametrically opposed views as to the quality of the music, that fights broke out during it's performance. Imagine that happening today in Orchestra Hall.
I appreciate the comment.

_________________
Stupidity irritates the crap outta me... and yes, I irritate myself far too often.

I feel about XTC how some people feel about The Smiths. So much talk and yet there's so little there. I got interested at a very young age due to one of my favorite bands at the time doing a pretty ok cover of "Plans for Nigel," and I did get into them for a short while somewhere in my teenage years, English Settlement being the only disc I could really hang with. As it is, though, I just see very little reason for how revered they are. Terrible production on their LPs, too, which annoys me even further.

_________________

I hear you. My dislike for the band is sincere, but I also thought it would be humorous to write that post after Bagels' comment re: "essential." No harm intended, and while I may not be open to having my mind changed re: XTC, I do respect the complex subjectivity of personal tastes in music.

_________________

That wasn't Primus, was it?

Don't tell me you feel the same way about the Smiths??? I see the way you worded it so I'm not sure. In all seriousness they (XTC) have a ton of material so there's bound to be some filler and toss-aways, especially later on. But they are indeed great and Andy Partridge is a great songwriter

Oh no worries. If you want them I can put them up on my divshare page (allegedly the links are good forever) tomorrow and you can just d/l from there. I have two of them for sure, I'll bring them with me to work tomorrow as my u/l speed at home is shitty

I would add Generals and Majors, Love on a Farmboy's Wages, King For a Day. There is a greatest hits type CD out there somewhere. Good band.

Right alphabetical stack, but wrong band. Can't decide if it's more or less embarrassing than it would have been if it were Primus...

Don't feel the same way, personally, about the Smiths, but I definitely understand how/why people do feel that way.

_________________

Re: XTC - I'm no authority on their early material, but I like a lot of
what I've heard from Skylarking and beyond.

My Bird Performs
Senses Working Overtime
Earn Enough For Us
Merely A Man
Garden Of Earthly Delights

SP - I can't really comment on your opinion that the production
sucks on their albums, but if you haven't already, give
"Easter Theatre" a listen. Truly gorgeous. My favorite XTC song.
It's off Apple Venus #1.

_________________
Just chillin' like Garret Quillin.

Skylarking is close to a perfect CD, especially on a summer day. I wish "Dear God" hadn't been included on it, though, as I think that song is obvious and bad--and it is stylistically misplaced on that CD.

_________________

Listening to Skylarking as you're jogging along the lakeshore and "Earn Enough For Us" comes up and the sun sparkles on the water OH GOD

I don't care for English Settlement

_________________