XTC "Transistor Blast" (1998)

Transistor Blast, [Archival] (compilation)
release date: Nov. 24, 1998
format: digital (4-disc box set)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: England, UK

A 4-disc box set with the subtitle "The Best of the BBC Sessions" containing 51 tracks released after the band was finally set free from Virgin Records. Disc 1 and 2 contain BBC sessions recorded for various BBC programs including John Peel Radio 1 Show recorded from 1977-79, but it also include BBC programs recorded up until 1989. Disc 3 and 4 contain early live recordings - CD 3 is the collection of recordings from two different concerts in London, in 1978 and '79, and CD 4 is exclusively the recordings from a specific concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, Dec. 1980.
Needless say, this is a collector's item as it's more about showcasing the band playing well-known songs in alternate and live versions. With the relatively long timespan found on the first two discs they represent the most varied material, and Disc 3 and 4 only document what a great live band XTC was.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 3 / 5, The Music Box 4 / 5 stars ]

XTC "Go 2" (1978)

Go 2
release date: Oct. 6, 1978
format: vinyl (1984 reissue) / cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: John Leckie
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)" - 2. "Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)" - 4. "Crowded Room" - 6. "Red" - 7. "Beatown" - 9. "Jumping in Gomorrah" - *13. "Are You Reciving Me?"
* Bonus track on 2001 remaster

2nd studio album by XTC released on Virgin and produced by John Leckie, who also produced the debut. Stylistically, this is already a big leap into something else despite being released only nine months after the debut album. This is a much more art rock and art punk release where the band really experiments in the writing process. The keyboards are given much stronger focus, and two songs are credited keyboardist Barry Andrews, who would leave the band at the end of the year. Although, sharing the same producer as on the debut, the album is clearly better balanced with a more dynamic result. In fact, Leckie harvested great appraisal for his dynamic production and became a bit of a shining producer-star after this.
I recall judging this as a rather poor follow-up to the splendid debut, as you may argue that in only contains about 3-4 fine tracks - with the majority of the remainders being somewhat below average. But this is on a mere superficial level. If you're looking for the strong and similar shaped album as the debut with its sharp and quirky new wave blasts, you will likely end up being disappointed. Like I was.
Go 2 really reflects the overall transition the band always found themselves in - never resting in a style, never on repeat, and always inspired by new ways of expression, trying something... else. The strong energetic and melodic new wave tracks are here replaced by experimental art rock, but if you're able to put ordinary song patterns aside and look at it as an innovative and original album with stylistic elements of zolo, which had its highs in the late 70s and early 1980s, you may consider this as a very strong and fascinating release.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 2 / 5 stars ]

XTC "White Music" (1978)

White Music [debut]
release date: Jan. 20, 1978
format: vinyl (V2095) / cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: John Leckie
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Radios in Motion" - 3. "This Is Pop" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Do What You Do" - 5. "Statue of Liberty" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Into the Atom Age" (5 / 5) - 6. "All Along the Watchtower" - 8. "I'll Set Myself on Fire" (4,5 / 5) - 10. "New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage" - 12. "Neon Shuffle" - *13. "Science Friction" - *16. "Hang on to the Night" (4,5 / 5) - *18. "Traffic Light Rock"
* bonus tracks on 2001 remaster containing an additional 7 tracks.

Studio album debut by British band XTC is in its original issue a 12 track album. The band was formed as Star Park in 1972 in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK by Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding and Terry Chambers, and around '73 they were renamed Helium Kidz with the addition of keyboardist Jonathan Perkins, and in '75, after considering the name The Dukes of Stratosphear [!], they settled with the name XTC. Shortly after, Perkins left and in '76 Barry Andrews joined the band.

With many musical influences this album is somewhat difficult to narrow in, stylistically. Partridge and Moulding grew up listening to psychedelic rock [which may explain the inclusion of the Hendrix cover, track #6], and they were apparently captivated by art rock, glam rock and proto-punk as new musical styles of the mid-70s. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Andy Partridge, bassist & vocalist, and (other) musical composer, Colin Moulding, Barry Andrews on piano & organ, and with Terry Chambers on drums.
White Music is rich on energy and was easy to categorise as punk rock or: new wave, which was by then nearly pseudonymous, although, the term new wave would be used to identify almost any new style that wasn't exactly punk rock but was just rich in energy and fell out on already established styles. The term zolo was much later (in the 1990s) often used when speaking of new wave artist - like Devo, Split Enz, Snakefinger, Sparks, The Residents as well as XTC - all playing "hyper jerky rhythms" and utilising cacophonous, yet harmonious bleeps and boings, one could add.
The album didn't catch my attention until years later. I heard it then but was probably just too young and naive to get it. I think, it's among the 10 best new wave, art pop, punk rock albums ever made. I was only 13 when this was released and I believe I must've been about 15 when I heard it for the first time. I always loved this specific album more than most new wave and punk releases way back then, although XTC was never my absolute favourites. Joy Division, The Clash, The Cure, The Jam, Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Elvis Costello, Stiff Little Fingers, The Skids - they all were ranked just a little bit higher on my personal list... back then, mind you. 'Cause when I hear them today, some 30 years later, they are one of just a handful of artists that I really still enjoy. All the aforementioned artists still have something to offer but they were also highly praised. In retrospect, XTC were the avantgarde, although most people weren't aware of it back then. Their music was already post-punk even long before punk was over - it had only just begun! I don't know for certain but it seems to me that they must've been highly influenced by Roxy Music, Eno, Bowie, New York Dolls, AND Beatles BUT being highly original, they sounded just like no one else. Lots of great new music was released in '78, which explains why this album is not among my favourite top 3 for this year. The Clash released their most significant album that year Give 'Em Enough Rope, The Jam also launched their best [?] album ever All Mod Cons, and Elvis Costello put it all together after his significant debut with This Year's Model - these are all albums I have played till my parents knew and hated every track by heart.
The music on White Music is much more than just a short exciting chapter of British punk - the album is (now) a cornerstone of modern music history and XTC has influenced generations of new artists, and to me this is no less than a stunning work of art that never has ceased to find its way to my current playlist, and it's an album that just doesn't seem to ever sound dated.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]