XTC
"Oranges And Lemons"
© Virgin Records
December 09 - 15, 2007
Year of Release: 0
Rating:
Garden Of Earthly Delights
The Mayor Of Simpleton
King For A Day
Here Comes President Kill Again
The Loving
Success
Turn Blue
Neighborhood Threat
Fall In Love With Me
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XTC returns to WSVNRadio this week, with their 1989 release, Lemons And
Oranges. "Unusual Pop" describes this album, as XTC's music blends Pop with a
cutting edge. Two hits from this album, "The Mayor Of Simpleton" and "King
For A Day" should bring back memories for some who listened to album-oriented
radio. XTC may have been ahead of its time, but their music is great to listen to,
as they are compared to the later years of The Beatles. And speaking of music from
the 1960s, the album cover of Oranges And Lemons has a slight resemblance of
a cartoon album cover done by another '60s group, The Yardbirds. (I just can't seem
to remember that album now.)
Starting off the album is the track "Garden Of Earthly Delights," a song
that can be compared to the Talking Heads, yet with a cutting edge Pop flavor. "Here
Comes President Kill Again" is a bit moody, but it has the recognizable Pop style
XTC provides. The standard XTC Pop works well with tracks such as "The Loving"
and "Poor Skeleton Steps Out." The latter song has a different XTC Pop sound,
but in general, it's still good XTC Pop.
Talking Heads with a more Pop style, as heard through Peter Gabriel has "One Of
The Millions" as another good XTC Pop song. "Scarecrow People" another
somewhat moody Pop sounding song. "Merely A Man" is a very good rocking Pop track,
where a laid back Pop style is heard on "Cynical Days." Bouncy, energetic Pop (and
another impressive tune) is the next track, "Across This Antheap." The cutting
edge/unusual pop style has "Hold Me My Daddy" in its grasps. The cutting edge
continues with "Pink Thing," a song that the Beach Boys could have sounded like
if they continued making music throughout the 1960s through the 1980s. (The Beach Boys
sound is clearly evident on the last track, "Chalkhills And Children.")
The Beatles have been heavily compared to XTC's music. The last two songs,
"Miniature Sin" and "Chalkhills And Children" fits this mode, as in
the Fab Four's later albums, as say, Magical Mystery Tour. However, when I
listen to XTC, and try to distinguish the Beatle comparison, I don't really hear it,
although I do hear a much mature sound, which is what The Beatles did with their own
music in their later years.
A mature, grown-up Pop atmosphere has Oranges And Lemons as a very good
album to listen to. Andy Partridge and XTC have achieved some incredible Pop music,
with a cutting edge, making their music different and unique to other popular bands
of the times. Some may say their music could have been ahead of its time, but the
outcome has always been the same: XTC's music is highly worth looking into.
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