First listen to XTC - Making Plans for Nigel (REACTION)

[@johnroberts1708]

You're lucky......you have just entered the wonderful world of XTC. The most underrated band in the world.

[@kathylecluyse7820]

Them, and Magazine.

[@maruad7577]

Justin has been covering them and I was amazed at how good they were.

[@StonefieldJim4]

There's no going back now.

[@dogstar7]

'Optimism's Flames' 'Generals And Majors' 'Mayor Of Simpleton' and of course 'Senses Working Overtime'

[@NigelUnleashed]

My name is Nigel and I was named after this song. I've always really loved it.

[@NigelUnleashed]

was born in 94 though

[@jimbliss8216]

...but is your future as good as sealed? :^)

[@Astravan63]

Did you end up working at British steel ..steel.. steel..steel ... 😁🎵👍

[@alan73795]

XTC were (and still are) WAY ahead of their time. This was one of their first big singles off the album, Drums and Wires, then kicked it into another gear on their next album, Black Sea (which rocks like mad ), followed by their masterpiece, English Settlement. Amazing writers, extremely talented musicians, and their records featured some of the most imaginative song production since the Beatles (whom they were often compared to). Check out "Respectable Street", "Love At First Sight" or "Towers of London" next.

[@Mike-rk8px]

In 1979 I was 13 and into Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, The Who, Bob Seger, Beatles, Eagles and mostly rock or country rock. This time period was when “New Wave” music was getting huge, after punk exploded in ‘76. I’d hear this song and other “New Wave” songs on the radio in Santa Barbara, California where I lived and I thought it was extremely weird, but it also grew on you because it was something totally unique. If you want a good example of weird the new wave was in the late 70’s, watch the video on KZbin of Lena Lovich singing “Lucky Number”. It was as if these people were from another planet.

[@sarahjane8146]

I adore XTC. Just adore them. I like the early odder stuff, and I love the lush later stuff. Truly great band.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

SO happy you're hitting XTC (pronounced letter by letter... X_T_C)... Their catalog is vast and filled with lyrical and musical gems. They run the gamut from lovely baroque pop ("Wrapped In Grey") to gentle acoustic ("Love On A Farmboy's Wages") to in your face loud ("Complicated Game" "Wake Up")... I've been listening to music for decades... I've worked as a DJ (college and pro), worked at record shops... and listened to thousands of albums... XTC is my all-time favorite band because they CONSTANTLY produced high-quality music filled with inventive lyrics on every subject under the sun. Religion: "Dear God", Violence "Melt The Guns", Emerging Love: "Then She Appeared" Indifference: "Snowman" Decaying Love: "Your Dictionary" Slavery "Human Alchemy" War: "Generals and Majors" "War Dance" War's tragic aftermath: "This World Over" Politics: "The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead" Division "Across This Antheap" ... it goes on and on... so many amazing songs. If I were to suggest where to go from here: "Senses Working Overtime" would be a good place to start. A hit for them back in the day... it's glorious with clever word play and a song that will be stuck in your head forever. Then: "Wrapped In Grey," "Love On A Farmboy's Wages" "Complicated Game" (unforgettable in an entirely different way), "Harvest Festival" (Gorgeous song)... ALSO: Don't sleep on their alter-ego band "The Dukes Of Stratosphear" The greatest homage to the 60s ever recorded. Brilliant original songs that sound like The Beatles, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Cream, etc... AMAZING! Enjoy the ride, Daniel. You'll love it!

[@RandyHall324]

So many great XTC tunes to choose from...I'd recommend Dear God, The Mayor of Simpleton, Senses working Overtime, and The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead to start...XTC's music can sometimes be a bit out there, but they're also capable of writing brilliant pop tunes. Their stuff is always interesting. Hope you dip your toe in the water!

[@Jim73]

It's not all great, but it was my first - Skylarking.

[@e.m.lumesound1070]

Generals & Majors also 👌🏻

[@jonathangilbert2456]

XTC, one of the great forgotten bands of the late 70s/80s. Check out their side project, The Dukes of Stratosphear for some great 60's style psychedelic.

[@foxandscout]

I love this band so much! Yes, X-T-C. Making Plans for Nigel was a big hit. They have so many different sounding songs album to album. There are many albums. Life Begjns at the Hop, and Ten Feet Tall are great and on the same album as Nigel-third studio album. 1979 Generals and Majors from fourth, 1980 Melt the Guns is from their fifth .1982 Dear God, and Earn Enough for us from 9th studio album, 1986 Mayor of Simpleton, 11th album, 1989 Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead, 12th 1992 Begin with those!!

[@frankpentangeli7945]

In my view, XTC's greatness really shines in their deep cuts and not as much in their hits (though I like those too). Their trio of albums: Black Sea, English Settlement and Mummer are really hard to beat in terms of creativity and depth of musicianship. Songs such as No Language In Our Lungs, Burning With Optimism's Flames, Living Through Another Cuba, Travels In Nihilon, Runaways, Jason and the Argonauts, Snowman, It's Nearly Africa, Ball and Chain, Beating of Hearts, Deliver Us From the Elements, Human Alchemy, In Loving Memory of a Name, Love on a Farmboy's Wages and Me and the Wind just put this band in the stratosphere of 80s music and rock music in general. The Big Express is another great XTC album, with pieces like Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, This World Over, Reign of Blows, I Remember the Sun and especially Train Running Low on Soul Coal being standouts for me. What a fantastic band!!!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I agree with you especially about the deep tracks, that’s where the good stuff is. One of the absolute best bands ever. Sad they never toured after early eighties. If they had they would have been huge because they had supreme chops and creativity.

[@emanonfox1709]

Mummer is easily in my top ten favorite albums of all time

[@markdrechsler5660]

Excellent comments, couldn’t agree more!

[@32INCHSTRIPER]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Andy told me that if they kept touring, they wouldn't have made it past 85 or 86.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@32INCHSTRIPER I believe it. Tours are grueling and Andy really didn’t like it. I just regret not seeing them when I had the chance.

[@emanonfox1709]

Just think, only another 21 years of progressively more brilliant XTC songs to go! (plus extras)

[@Johro66]

Always loved this tune..

[@OberonOZ]

This is a great song!! XTC (pronounced like the initial letters, not ecstasy) are a great English band and have a bunch of other classic tracks too. Love your work Daniel! Keep it up :) Been here for long time now

[@emanonfox1709]

FINALLY XTC, all the upvotes to you, my good man. XTC has an enormous catalog, you started with a Colin Moulding tune which is fantastic, but Andy Partridge is the mad genius of the group with his distinctive voice and musical brilliance. I recommend a few songs different from what I see already... Love on a Farmboy's Wages, River of Orchids, Great Fire, Another Satellite, and Mermaid Smiled. It's hard to pick a small handful but there you are.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Andy’s solo recordings post XTC are really wonderful.

[@emanonfox1709]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Was just talking to someone today about "Great Day" sounding like it was written by McCartney, Andy always delivers flawless pop. Personally can't wait for more "Failed Songwriting" and his collab with Robyn Hitchcock.

[@ganazby]

Great choices.

[@chacob3380]

A guy in a YES shirt listening to XTC - you are very much on the right track!

[@James-np8pu]

Your'e gonna love "Dear God"

[@wayne_twentyfive]

Wow, I'm so glad to hear you checking out this band, Daniel ! ( I wish more reactors would too ).. These guys were at the forefront of British New Wave in the late 70s, and they had heaps of catchy, quirky, innovative songs .. Please react to more of their work if you get the time .. You won't be disappointed .. Cheers, Wayne

[@lawrencekelli]

This is a banger of a song.

[@cherylreichardt]

I had friends who introduced me to their music. I really enjoyed them. It was a fun time for stuff like this!

[@grahamboffey457]

A GREAT pop song.

[@Bob.L.Shirley]

Welcome to XTC, Daniel! You've got a lot of great suggestions for other tracks of theirs in these comments, but unless I missed it, no one has brought up one of my favorites, Green Man, from their next-to-last album, Apple Venus Vol. 1. Please keep digging into this band - you have a wide variety of amazing songs and styles ahead of you. Great reaction!

[@emanonfox1709]

Green Man is a masterpiece

[@disconsolatemoose6637]

XTC is the best band you've never heard of, and they have LOTS of tracks for you to catch up on. EDIT: Don't hop to Dear God, yet. I suggest Respectable Street, No Language in Our Lungs, Senses Working Overtime, Yacht Dance, Great Fire, Wake Up, I Remember the Sun, Summer's Cauldron/Grass, Another Satellite, THEN Dear God. Then you have lots of stuff to fill in, and several more later albums to get to. :-)

[@rogerpatton2242]

Agreed.. Dear God is a great song but they have so many more interesting songs.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I agree,

[@benoitdesmarais2948]

That was fun newwave XTC. Wait 'til you get to Skylarking...

[@stevenhaffner3299]

Right at the beginning of New wave music.

[@sylvanm4216]

Among British rock bands, only the Beatles are on a similar plane to XTC as far as the breadth and total quality of their discography. "Helicopter", the following track, is maybe even better, and although it's not about helicopter parenting per se it does kind of relate to the lyrical themes of "Nigel"....

[@thebrysmith3]

For an example of Andy Partridge's (their other songwriter) view on bad parenting, check out No Thugs In Our House.

[@emanonfox1709]

:Andy Partridge's (their other songwriter)"... I just died inside a little

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Or Love on a Farm boys wages

[@nessaseetah1805]

My fave, first taste of xtc in 82!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@emanonfox1709 Lol. no one likes to be the “other” guy.

[@thebrysmith3]

Well I guess that was unintentionaly harsh. At least I didn't say the better songwriter 😂

[@markdrechsler5660]

XTC are an exceptional band. This is an early hit. By the time of their fifth album, “Mummer,” they had stopped touring, and became increasingly dedicated to the possibilities of the studio. The membership of the band slowly dwindled from five to a duo at the end. Andy Partridge wrote probably 80% of the songs, with the balance by Colin Moulding. Both are excellent songwriters, and Partridge especially is an extremely clever lyricist. They range very far from their roots in punk, new wave, even some ska. I could recommend 50 songs (easily), but just for contrast to this early song, I’m going to suggest you listen to “River of Orchids” next, from their last record. It is lush and beautifully trancelike. Enjoy exploring one of my favorite bands!

[@emanonfox1709]

River of Orchids... yes, yes, yes

[@MarcWickens]

Technically “ river of orchids” is from their penultimate album, if you haven’t heard it yet, I recommend their final album Wasp Star. Sadly, not available on streaming.

[@markdrechsler5660]

@@MarcWickens yes, I know “Wasp Star.” It includes one of my very favorite XTC songs, “You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful.” Do you know the album “Wingbeat Fantastic” by Mike Keneally? He co-wrote most of the album with Andy Partridge, and although AP doesn’t perform on the record, it sounds very much like a lost XTC album. Here’s a link: kzbin.info/aero/OLAK5uy_mxy9y39ywpelw3okq19O96gP4HBxnM86M

[@MarcWickens]

@@markdrechsler5660 I’ll check that out!

[@janinebedfordl]

A song from my long distant youth! Loving your wide-ranging exploration of music - keep going

[@murdockreviews]

Hitting one of my favourite bands. This is a great new wave hit, but to be honest it doesn't give you any hint at the quirky quality of a lot of their other material.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Gotta ease em into it.

[@RobertPatchett]

Takes me straight back to memories of school in England.

[@RubesGoodBrainCoffee]

In 1989, XTC was creating some buzz with their new album Oranges and Lemons. Being curious about the band but not wanting to begin at their latest album, I began searching through their back catalogue in order to decide where to start. Looking at the credits to Drums and Wires, I recognized the producer and engineer -- Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham. Lillywhite I knew as one who produced Peter Gabriel, and Padgham I knew had engineered Genesis and Phil Collins. This album seemed to be the logical place for me to start. To this day, it's one of my favorite albums. Its perfectly titled, too. I hope you react to more from it soon.

[@fatovamingus]

I just rolled through KZbin and here you are listening to a song that I begged my old band to play. And we did ...but we kind of played it like the Buzzcocks. Still tho

[@TheProgCorner]

My three favorite bands are: Yes Genesis XTC

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Well there you go. When I heard Nigel on the radio I bought the album and then my whole musical world was forever altered.

[@ChristopherMmmm]

You might like Dear God.

[@rydelldownward7808]

Try “Generals and Majors”, “Respectable Street”, “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead”

[@jimled50jl49]

I have this as a single 7" vinyl I bought when it first appeared in the British charts on the tv programme Top Of The Pops - The cover shown in your video is the vinyl sleeve for this single I still have in my collection. This group had many hit records in the singles charts and appeared on Top Of The Pops many times.....Great songs inc' "Towers Of London" - " Senses Working Overtime" - "At The Hop" -" Generals & Majors" plus many more. Really great band to get into. Towers of London is among my favourite,,,,,along with this one and Senses Working Overtime - [ Ok not easy picking a favourite ]

[@CBGB_1977]

The opening drum track is too cool. FANTASTIC SONG!

[@carolhardin7397]

I had never heard of them until I was invited to hear them play at the Fox Theater in Atlanta (1980) Wow ! My favorite from Drums and Wires is A Complicated Game

[@bendancar]

"Mayor of Simpleton" is something like the perfect song. Check it out.

[@thegorn68]

XTC also played under another band name for two albums. The Dukes Of Stratosphear, their psychedelic counterpart. AWESOME stuff!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

She’s a little lighthouse just gets me.

[@disconsolatemoose6637]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Collideascope, for me

[@jameswarner5809]

XTC are one of the best pop groups ever. By turns melodic and angular and overridingly quirky. Check out King For A Day, Stupidly Happy, Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her, Reign Of Blows, Love At First Sight, Senses Working Overtime... the list is substantial. They also released two retro-psychedelic albums under the pseudonym of Dukes Of Stratosphere.

[@timwhitnell7145]

So different but catchy with pretty deep lyrics. I was not into this type of music in 1979 but even when it came out I recognized it was unique and ahead of its time sonically. Lyrically and thematically it now reminds me of The Beatles' She's Leaving Home.

[@berniemargolis4288]

The Mayor of Simpleton, Senses Working Overtime, and King for a Day are my favorites.

[@susanb.5807]

Love the song by XTC: Senses working overtime!!🎶♥️

[@rogerpatton2242]

Greatest band ever.. hopefully you'll dig deeper... Worth every note.

[@geoffw913]

King for a Day... is also excellent. Andy. P worked with a variety of other artists...My cousin was a massive XTC fan and borrowed my video cam back in the late 80's to interview him. In Swindon if I recall... a big catalogue of work!

[@FredGarnett]

Remember buying this when it came out in 79. xTc had grabbed my attention with their first record wher they deconstructed Hendrix "All Along The Watchtower" saying welcome to post-punk sound. There is a great cover of Nigel by the French combo Nouvelle Vague too...

[@tonybarruk2]

Oh wow, welcome to XTC! One of the few long-lasting bands whose output actually genuinely gets better year by year... their main songwriter was Andy Partridge, but they had a great second writer in Colin Moulding, whose songs (like Making Plans For Nigel, which he also sings lead on) tended to be chosen as singles, so can be more well-known... they also had a fantastic guitarist in Dave Gregory, and a total powerhouse drummer, Terry Chambers... if you're going to explore them further, I'd really recommend you go chronologically rather than back & forth across their discography... anyway, I love this track from their early new wave years, but as time goes on they get more & more ambitious and sophisticated... PS Don't forget their psychedelic alter-egos The Dukes of Stratosphear!!

[@AlanEricFan]

Ah, great song. The video is fun. Andy eats the microphone.

[@Yosef1952]

A band I've heard of but not heard. Very cool, very cheeky. My knowledge of popular music continues to expand.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Check em out.

[@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering]

Very unique band , great to hear their music again 👍

[@jtenaz]

XTC is my fave band, then Steely Dan. Easter Theatre and Wheel And The Maypole, are other two great songs.

[@garymcghee2249]

Same here. The conjunction between The Dan and XTC is very apt. Both are highly intelligent bands with a high level of artistry and musicianship. They were both masters of the art of the Bridge or Middle-8.

[@gerardmccavana4905]

Great Colin Moulding song....from a great album 'Drums and Wires'...my introduction to the band in 1979. Sounds as good today as it did then.

[@stephenulmer3781]

They have a few good songs that I love. My favorite is "Generals and Majors" ❤☺😀 They had a "Spin off" band called 3 Wise Men with that "Thanks for Christmas" song that i love also 😀

[@davidmaholchic6146]

The XTC rabbit hole can’t wait love you

[@karlkaefer7112]

Please check out more of XTC- they had a incredible journey in terms of style. For example, their last albums (Capple Venus 1 & 2) are so much different than where they started as a punk/post punk group. Nigel is from their second album. 1977-2003

[@a.k.1740]

Two suggestions for next XTC listening: "Wake Up" and "This World Over" from the album The Big Express (released in 1984).

[@richbowie76]

Your analysis of the "Black Sea" record by XTC is vital to your existence.

[@rydelldownward7808]

YES!

[@richardchilton7311]

I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but The Crash Test Dummies covered two of their songs. The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead and All You Pretty Girls. Their covers are quite nice. Dear God is a classic, with a wonderful video.

[@emanonfox1709]

Daniel, I think you personally would love Great Fire, and River of Orchids. Both songs showcase the musicianship, arrangements, production values, and pure creativity of XTC. Given your taste and the artists you seem to love, I'm earmarking those for you. You'll like Dear God and Mayor of Simpleton because they're flawlessly crafted but their best work was never showcased (Love on a Farmboy's Wages is Andy's song about his anger at the music industry). I hope one day you're in the mood for something new, just for yourself, and put on the album "Skylarking" from start to finish, it's about as perfect an album as you can find.. XTC will deliver the big landscape sounds like some of the more progressive artists you like, along with some of the pastoral vibes of Tull. Cheers.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I agree 100%.

[@emanonfox1709]

@@Hartlor_Tayley thanks, Great Fire in particular is like an anthology of all their musical styles, an amazing composition. Then again River of Orchids is sublime. Well, there it is.

[@dynodon9182]

Sometimes compared to the Beatles in songwriting. Lead guy Andy Partridge developed severe stage fright and the band stopped touring in the 80's. Keep it up kid. Your song choices are better than many.

[@rain7bow437]

Good choice! They were way ahead of their time.

[@sidecardog5244]

👍🐾

[@frugalseverin2282]

A post-punk band like The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Go-Go's, Talking Heads, etc. They were a very clever band that made some amazing albums. "Skylarking" was their most accessible album but I prefer the slightly darker "Mummer". Maybe you've heard their song 'Dear God'? My favorites are 'Beating of Hearts', 'Senses Working Overtime' and 'Funk Pop a Roll'. All are VERY different songs.

[@colinszakal3050]

Ya saw them on this tour lol.....I'm old

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

In the US ? Was that with the Police ? I couldn’t get tickets for their theater shows and then they quit touring.

[@mikenichols3965]

Awesome! Helicopter is also great. Dear God is nice. My recommendation is No Language in our Lungs. Give the tune Ballet for a Rainy Day/1,000 Umbrellas a try too. XTC are a treasure trove of pop gems. Almost any random song has interest. They're great. Their other US hit is Senses Working Overtime. You will love it.

[@MrSuperHappyPants]

Subscribed. Yeah man, you picked a good one. If you have about 17 hours I could rant, but... Many great tracks have already been recommended. There's a live clip of XTC performing 'Respectable Street" which is astounding: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKexcqprrtuKhq8 All of the recommendations I saw were great. But there's so much wonderful stuff in their discography. I didn't scroll through every comment, but I didn't see anyone mention "Earn Enough For Us", "We're All Light", "Dear Madam Barnum", or "Your Dictionary". Skylarking was the record that got me into them, and it's phenomenal. But when people ask me where they should start with XTC, I generally say that English Settlement is a good starting point. Hope you find more stuff you like. I'm going to scour your channel now. Thanks for the video.

[@cpoldunit2834]

Senses working overtime is a great place to visit, generals and majors. Pop in and visit World Party both bands noted for sharp lyrics. See ship of fools

[@emanonfox1709]

World Party! Is It Like Today?

[@dawnpatrol700]

This is one of the band's that broke in America late. Circa 87 ( like Midnight Oil), I had to go back and get all their older albums

[@paulhagger3895]

Dear God is a great song. Very controversial when it was released in the USA

[@tomvenner6030]

Complicated Game, Dear God and Travels in Nihilon are some of my favorites.

[@Katehowe3010]

A return to the charismatic beauty of Talk Talk? Daniel, my friend, believe me when i assure you that you need to discover this band, and not be content with a one song cursory listen. The spirit awaits you! Peace & Transcendence through sound. 🦋

[@DiconDissectionalReactions]

:) I actually recorded a reaction to "I don't believe in you" today. It will probably go up tomorrow.

[@Katehowe3010]

@@DiconDissectionalReactions The beauty of synchronicity! And kudos for picking up where you left off. Important with a band like Talk Talk! 👌

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@Katehowe3010 Talk Talk, funny I was talking about them.

[@steveowens2505]

Haven’t heard this for decades. The production is typical. Try Missing Persons. Zappa alumni meets New Wave. Miles Davis cited them as being one of the groups he liked. He wasn’t known to express favor to many. Now if you want different parentage methods, do Warren Zevon Excitable Boy

[@-davidolivares]

This World Over and It’s Nearly Africa are my choices but, there are so many great ones.

[@InsideSparta]

I knew some girls at college in the early '80's that owned cats, one of which wasn't very bright, so they named him Nigel, after this song.

[@reneelyons6836]

Nice!!!! now Dear God

[@daveking9393]

You're going to get a lot of comments on this one I think folks have been waiting for a while for you to dabble in this group...

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

XTC is must for budding songwriters.

[@daveking9393]

@@Hartlor_Tayley I'll take your word for it. I missed the wave with these guys. Not sure if it is really my style. I probably know their hits... Besides that I don't think I know anything about them except what I might have heard over on Justin's channel and I have to admit nothing's sticking out in my limited recall capabilities from those.... I'll have to go back and see if I left any comments under those to refresh my memory... Even though I was in high school and college during the '80s I was probably the world's youngest old fart then and mostly listen to groups from the 60s and 70s... Besides Rush of course... I listen to the radio and went to clubs so I heard all the music of that time, but if I didn't buy it and play it myself it generally didn't make a big impression in my pea brain...

[@daveking9393]

@@Hartlor_Tayley I just checked Justin's channel... I had myself a nice chuckle... He has about four or five XTC reactions only one of them showed I had watched it in the past and it was actually this same song posted a year ago and I looked under the comments and I was laughing again because I said "it was okay but I wasn't doing backflips probably won't listen to it again..." And that's the same way I felt about when I heard Daniel do his reaction... From the comments and the number of times Justin has reacted to them I guess I need to keep an open mind...

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@daveking9393 I had a similar experience. I was into the older stuff too but I loved the new wave songs and punk but XTC and Elvis Costello really motivated me to seek more newer music. I think both those artist are more firmly rooted in sixties rock which made it easier for me to catch up with it all.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@daveking9393 hey well at least you’re consistently honest. If you feel like it you could check out Andy Partridge song “Dame Fortune” sometime. It’s not XTC but has Andy’s wit in the lyrics

[@JB-up4pm]

XTC were brilliant

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Thank you for doing this song. Complicated Game is another great track from this album. The latest remasters and the steve wilson remixes are amazing. Also they also recorded under the name Dukes of Stratosphear where they reimagine themselves as a sixties psychedelic pop band. XTC the band pre-dates the drug. They never would have named the band after a drug, I’m sure the drug name really irked them a lot. That was a great reaction. Definatley go for steve Wilson mixes if you like this band. Thanks

[@steveconner1686]

Check out XTC (Extasy)'s alter ego, The Dukes of Stratosphear.. Check out 25 O'clock or Vanishing Girl.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Mole from the ministry is like a long lost beatle song. Great video for that one too

[@rogerpatton2242]

You chuckled at Helicopter but it's a kick ass song.

[@brittonparnell2168]

Dear God is so good

[@bobangell1679]

Dear God, Senses Working Overtime, Mayor of Simpleton, Generals and Majors

[@robertheckman8013]

"Dear God" is an awesome song. A great next choice!

[@RobtBlond]

My favorite XTC songs would have to be Respectable Street, Senses Working Overtime, and Optimism's Flame. Dear God is a good one, too. If you like XTC, you should check out the Damned, specifically Neat Neat Neat, New Rose, Smash it Up, and Alone Again, Or.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Alone again or is a a great cover of a song by Love. I had Smash it up on cassette and we would crank it up at work on Friday afternoon to scare away anyone bring in more work. The Damned were exellent

[@marciv2964]

XTC is great. "No Guns in Our House" is a good one to check out. Very punk. Or a more friendly "Senses Working Overtime" ❤

[@emanonfox1709]

Thugs, my friend

[@disconsolatemoose6637]

@@emanonfox1709 Melt the Thugs

[@bensteckler6698]

I always felt like the percussion sounded like factory machines, and Andy's guitar was tuned to sound like a factory whistle. Nigel is an ordinary boy, with no special abilities and shortcomings, and The teachers and Parents discussing plans for his future, in a Britain of the 70s rife with teenagers on the dole.

[@albertagibinik3436]

Another steel industry song is, china crisis-working With fire and steel, I imagine some that steel was made into delorean cars. Not paper clips.

[@maruad7577]

Brilliant song. You have something to look forward to as they have some better (imo) albums for you to explore..

[@Lwize]

Primus does a wicked cover of this song.

[@sopyleecrypt6899]

Suggestion for further new wave/punk from this era: The Specials. Ghost Town with the video would be my suggestion to start with.

[@dolf370]

Dear God and Grass are definitely two tunes worth listening too. Don't think XTC has any connection with the drug, as they, as far as I can tell, took the name in the 70s but the drug didn't become an item until in the 80s. (According to wikipedia, they chose it as an typographically interesting version of extasy, but it relates to someones exclamation of having found extasy, not related to the drug.)

[@32INCHSTRIPER]

Andy heard Jimmy Durante exclaim in one of his movies, after finding a lost musical chord "I've found it! I'm in ex-ta-see!

[@rdumontdebeque]

❤❤

[@markbevan1805]

You should do a reaction to The The, try Armageddon Days (are here again), or The Beat(en) Generation, or Sweet Bird of Truth. An amazing band.

[@steevenfrost]

This is a song i bought when it came out. it's about a young man having is life mapped out for him and being wrapped up in cotton wool to shield him from the world .I hate it when people speak up on behalf of people when they haven't been asked their views. So sad when this happens. The jerky musical style suits the uneasy subject. the riif is great as are the drums. Maybe contrast with Beatles "She's Leaving Home".

[@ericjohnson2137]

It's funny that they kept flashing 70s because this song basically killed the 70s

[@nessaseetah1805]

No Thugs hooked me, fell in love with English Settlement... then Skylarking... if you could listen to an album, you'll see they were highly intellectual humanists on the same level with Pink Floyd. Which flew in the face of my otherwise deistic conservative views. ;)

[@pica6888]

Lead singer Andy Partridge had terrible stage fright. That's why the band almost never toured. Made some great records though back in the day.

[@emanonfox1709]

he was addicted to Valium since he was young, it was absolutely a trauma he was dealing with

[@32INCHSTRIPER]

Stopped touring after five years.. And it was withdrawal from quitting valium cold turkey that stopped him.. if you have ever seen them, you know stage fright is the last thing he suffers from.