release date: Aug. 30, 1983
format: vinyl (reissue - OVED 142) / cd (2014 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Steve Nye and XTC
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 2. "Wonderland" - 3. "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" - 4. "Great Fire" - 6. "Human Alchemy" - 7. "Ladybird" - 8. "In Loving Memory of a Name" - 9. "Me and the Wind"
6th studio album by XTC introducing new producer Steve Nye (and with Bob Sargeant producing two tracks). Founding member drummer Terry Chambers left the band during the recordings and is only credited on the first two tracks, although, he remains credited as band member on the album, but his decision left the band to continue as a trio consisting of Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding and Dave Gregory. For the remaining drum parts, Peter Phipps was brought in as additional personnel.
Almost as usual, a new album signals a change of style when it comes to this band. The album reflects a progression into a more polished pop / rock style, despite it being classic melody-founded with a specific experimental art pop style to distinguish their music from all other expressions of 'pop'. The production is again in the high-end compared to what was released at the time.
Mummer soothes of super blue-eyed positive sensation and really takes you into a Swindon country-side of a long-forgotten England. It's far from being boring once you enter the Partridge / Moulding lyrical and musical universe. The latter is responsible for three of the original album's ten tracks - Partridge having written the remainders and the 5 bonus tracks on the 2014 remaster.
In general, I always felt that it lacked really great songs 'though in retrospect, I find it a much better work than I did then. It's a near-conceptual work of art with songs telling stories of everyday life and elements that touch it in a certain part of England just as it once was. Almost like a peek into a storybook.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Smash Hits 4,5 / 5 stars ]
 |
| 2014 remaster |
