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| 2014 cover |
release date: Oct. 27, 1986
format: cd (2014 corrected polarity edition)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Todd Rundgren
label: Ape Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Summer's Cauldron" - 2. "Grass" - 4. "That's Really Super, Supergirl" - 8. "Earn Enough for Us" - 9. "Big Day" - 12. "Dear God"
8th studio album by XTC originally released by Virgin Records is produced by American producer Todd Rundgren. Stylistically, the band has made quite a daring move into more experimental neo-psychedelic pop / rock. The recording process wasn't a great success as Andy Partridge and Rundgren didn't communicate that well, and to make things really complicated an error in the recording process made the final release obscured, and only some 24 years later in 2010, as Partridge reissued the album on his own label, the album came out as intended in a corrected polarity edition.
My initial feelings towards the album was that it once again was a fine collection of songs, but at this point of my contemporary fascination for the band, and their music, I had simply grown tired of their style, and I kind of abandoned the band. I stopped buying and even listening to their new material. Duh! Only 20 years later or so, I returned and found that their progression still made sense, so I still enjoy their music and frankly, I don't think they have made a bad album ever, AND this one is definitely worth more than a listen 'cause it's one of the band's better ones. Despite the unintended sound difficulties the album is the first by XTC to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The original cover for the album, as drawn out by Partridge, was banned by Virgin and was replaced by another before being released; however, for the 2010 reissue (released by Andy Partridge's Ape House) of the album, the original cover was back and so was the intended sound [ story ]. Having heard both the 1986 album and the 2010 'corrected polarity edition', I must say that the album could only have received even broader acclaim, had the technical error been addressed back then. It's a must for XTC fans and most music lovers of early neo-psychedelia.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5, Uncut 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]
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| vinyl cover | 1986 cd cover |
