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Originally posted by: ArrGee
"http://www.xtcidearecords.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard/topic.cgi?forum=36&topic=115 I must admit I really like English Settlement.  A Great Album.  Maybe we should invite these folks over here instead of the Clash fans Though they have their frivolus side (I remember this vote-off!) http://www.xtcidearecords.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard/topic.cgi?forum=34&topic=282"

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Yeah, I remember organising the TOTP2 vote-a-thon to ensure either XTC or the Rats won. It was neck & neck until some twat started running up multiple accounts at the BBC boards from work to vote for XTC - he nearly succeeded in having the vote disqualified as the BBC suspected there's only a finite number of possible XTC fans from the same IP!

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Originally posted by: fodleg
"XTC were (are)? a great band i like their cd oranges and lemons "

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Judging by Wasp Star, I think "were" is sadly the case. The sacking of Dave Gregory has proved to be a horrendous mistake, & they've lost both a certain edge and a counter to Andy Partridge's self-indulgence. Just now they (or rather Andy) seem to be reduced to flogging off endless demos again to make ends meet instead of releasing new stuff. I'm still convinced though that there is another big XTC hit due to happen sometime.

"Oranges And Lemons" is a class act - strangely, my favourite song is "Across This Antheap", I like the whole feel of the song of a world in chaos, & for the killer line:

"We're learning millions to learn to speak porpoise, when human loneliness is still a deafening noise!"

Beistovin wrote:

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Couldnt disagree with you more Mark . I think Wasp Star , Apple Venus 1 and Skylarking are Xtc's top three . I love all thought . Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding are wonderful songwriters .

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"Skylarking" was in 1986, Dave Gregory was still around then (ironically, he stopped the band from splitting then thanks to Todd Rundgren deliberately playing Partridge & Moulding off against each other for his own control freakery ends).

Dave Gregory was also in for "Apple Venus", but was sacked just before its release (& in what must go down as one of the s**tiest pieces of spite ever, was listed as just an "additional musician" in the credits when he'd been a full band member at the time of recording).

Yeah, "Wasp Star" had some good songs, ie. "Playground", "I'm The Man Who Murdered Love" (as featured in the US Comedy Drama "Gilmore Girls") & "Maypole". It also had the spectacularly dreadful "In Another Life", "Boarded Up" & the buttock clenchingly twee "Standing In For Joe", the rest were just average. They needed Gregory badly as a counterfoil to their tendancy for self-indulgence - "Wasp Star" only showed too well this. If there's to be another XTC album, Andy & Colin are gonna need to eat their umble pie & get Dave back on board. Either that or draft Holly in on a permenant basic.