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- XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles that ranged from angular guitar riffs to elaborately arranged pop.
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Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles that ranged from angular guitar riffs to elaborately arranged pop.
Dec 28, 2023 · XTC have spoken about the possibility of reuniting the band in the form of new music, with each member sharing varying perspectives.
- Go 2
- Mummer
- Wasp Star
- White Music
- Drums and Wires
- Oranges & Lemons
- English Settlement
- The Big Express
- Black Sea
- Nonsuch
1978 XTC’s first two albums sound like the work of an entirely different band. With keyboardist Barry Andrews in the band, they play quirky and frantic zolo music. Go2 was the group’s second album of 1978, and Partridge and Moulding’s material isn’t up to their usual standards. It is better than the two songs written by Barry Andrews – ‘My Weapon’ ...
1983 XTC’s first album as a three-piece is often tentative and low on energy. But even on a weaker XTC album, there are gems. Partridge’s ‘Love on a Farmboy’s Wages’ is a gorgeous pastoral song, and ‘In Loving Memory of a Name’ is a terrific Moulding song with its bouncy, McCartneyesque piano.
2000 XTC’s final album collects more of the songs written during their recording hiatus in the 1990s. It’s much weaker than the first volume. Without Dave Gregory the arrangements sound thin – promising songs like ‘Stupidly Happy’ and ‘I’m The Man Who Murdered Love’ don’t reach their potential. There is, however, a great stretch at the end of the r...
1978 XTC’s debut was recorded in two weeks – Andy Partridge describes it as “Captain Beefheart meets The Archies”. Partridge and Moulding would both hone their writing skills with subsequent releases, but their debut has its own charm. Partridge is the stronger writer at this point with songs like ‘Radios in Motion’ and ‘Statue of Liberty’, while t...
1979 XTC’s third album is their first to feature guitarist Dave Gregory and moves into more conventional new wave territory – the album title refers to the 2 guitars, bass, and drums lineup. The record boasts XTC’s first hit – Moulding’s ‘Making Plans for Nigel’, with its distinctive beat from Chambers. Drums and Wiressounds thin in places, and Mou...
1989 Oranges & Lemons covers some interesting territory, bringing the psychedelic 1960s sounds of side-project Dukes of Stratosphear to XTC. But after the succinct perfection of Skylarking, the hour-long Oranges & Lemonsfeels a little self-indulgent. There’s great stuff – Moulding’s ‘King for a Day’ is arguably a bit close to Tears For Fears’ ‘Ever...
1982 This double-LP was XTC’s most successful record and XTC’s last as a four-piece band. It reached the top 5 on the UK charts. With more emphasis on acoustic instruments, it’s often brilliant – songs like ‘Runaways’, ‘Senses Working Overtime’, and the 5/4 ‘English Roundabout’ are terrific. But it probably should have been trimmed to a single albu...
1984 The Big Expressis one of XTC’s odder records, with an industrial edge to tracks like ‘Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her’. It’s a concept album, about the band’s hometown of Swindon and its railway heritage. A couple of tracks on the back half don’t work, but most of it is terrific – ‘Wake Up’, with its stereo guitars, is a terrific opener, ...
1980 XTC’s fourth album is the strongest from their early era. The band opted for simple arrangements that they could play live, and it’s closer to The Beatles and power-pop than ever before. Moulding’s ‘Generals and Majors’ and Partridge’s ‘Towers of London’ sound like they should have been hits in a just world. Deep cuts like ‘Burning with Optimi...
1992 Andy Partridge wrote most of his compositions on piano for Nonsuch, resulting in an album of sombre and sophisticated songs. Nonsuch is seventeen tracks long and probably could have used a trim, but most of it’s great – the silly ‘Omnibus’, the elegant ‘Wrapped in Grey’, and ‘Books are Burning’ with its fading guitar duel between Partridge and...
- Drums And Wires (Virgin Records, 1979) Following the departure of Barry Andrews, XTC regrouped and recruited guitarist Dave Gregory to form what would become the classic XTC line up.
- Black Sea (Virgin Records, 1980) Kicking off with Respectable Street, a snarling slice of commentary on modern suburbia, Black Sea unleashes venom and beauty in equal measure.
- Skylarking (Virgin Records, 1986) Despite the conflict between Partridge and producer Todd Rundgren which plagued its creation, Skylarking is possibly the most realised vision of the “XTC sound” cut to tape.
- White Music (Virgin Records, 1978) Their early schooling as previous incarnation The Helium Kidz allowed XTC to burst onto the scene fully-formed and clutching a handful of incredible singles that fitted perfectly with the musical climate of the time.
Nov 10, 2023 · Melodic, sublime, and quintessentially English, the best XTC songs remain as resonant as ever. Here are just a few of them.
- Tim Peacock
Jan 19, 2024 · In 1986, I heard the song “Earn Enough for Us” on WLIR and felt immediately connected with the band XTC, the New Wave pop trio from Swindon, England that I now consider one of my top three artists of all time — next to Joe Jackson and Steely Dan. Here’s a list counting down my Top 10 favorite XTC songs.
About XTC. XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972 and active until 2006. Led by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, the band emerged from the late 1970s punk and new...
