XTC - Apple Bite

[@vanishing_girl]

one of the least discussed things is how great both Colin and Andy's backing vocals are throughout this entire thing, they had such great chemistry

[@kelvinwilson9217]

The music of XTC is always magical, and such prolific song writers.

[@leejlogan]

@Seba Tarth Such a stupid comment. I suppose a profilic artist is no longer prolific once they die? 😂

[@leejlogan]

@Seba Tarth I think you need to have a good hard look at the definition of the word 😅

[@crazybunkum]

You’re both kind of right. 1977-1992 The Virgin years. They were pretty prolific. Let’s see now; 1978 White Music and Go 2, ‘79 Drums and Wires. ‘80 Black Sea, ‘82 English settlement (a double) ‘83 Mummer, ‘84 Big Express ‘85 Dukes of strat album, 86 Skylarking , ‘87 dukes Vol 2 ‘89 - Oranges and Lemons and 92 Nonsuch. After that they went on strike to sever their crappy deal with Virgin who played hardball with them so songs were being written - Check out Andy’s solo albums with their many tracks that didn’t get near any XTC album, My Failed Song writing career etc etc. Then the two albums around 2000, Venus 1& 2. Even with the strike years factored in it’s still prolific. Then after Waspstar they essentially call it quits. So from from 2002 they’re not unprolific they’re just a done deal. Although Andy I suspect has never stopped writing as his solo albums reveal. Film song projects and bubble gum pop albums etc etc. I wish I was as unprolific as him 😂

[@jamesmcenhill4037]

I love the musical roller-coaster they take you on you cant tell where their going next

[@heyoka9012]

They outplayed ALL of their teachers, each in their own terms, each in their own color palette and rhythm . . They outplayed each at his own game, one by one . . . Beautifully.

[@mattriggs7954]

The Beatles were the ice cream....XTC is all the toppings. Amazing!

[@dailyeaglenews]

Great opening track, never heard this before!

[@bigjoecarvajal5716]

me too..for them.all those fantabulous récords.honesty.creativity...my fab is english settlement..That.and catchy fly on the wall

[@trappistpreserves]

OMG, they are so good.

[@alclarke]

Col Moulding really is terrific!

[@kevcatnip7589]

is this everyone from the 80s era xtc?? who is missing?

[@thomaskwiatkowskiesq.328]

@@kevcatnip7589 Dave Gregory

[@thechristianhuey]

He’s such a treasure.

[@dec66.18]

Pugwash is on "say it".I knew this guy in the 80s in Dublin.I know he was a big XTC fan.I was too.Now He's collaborated with XTC.He has lived the dream,as they say.Fair play to him.

[@bigjoecarvajal5716]

the Best british band ever!!

[@MarkByrne1965]

I second that opinion. When I mention XTC to people and they say "Who?" It makes me sad. When music literally changes your life, you know it's good music. XTC changed mine for the better.

[@UKMikey]

They normally say to me "I liked that Making Plans For Nigel song. Are they still together?" When I play them Senses Working Overtime they didn't know it was the same band.

[@4darin5]

lol it's always making plans for nigel.

[@rafaelborgesdas]

Same here, since I first heard them they get straight to the top of my favorites bands and after ten years they are still there!

[@fatsgordon]

I must say that XTC is UNIVERSAL! I just wish their music will never ever stop playing in my head. At least I could teach my children to love XTC as much as I do. They changed my life the same way The Beatles did years before

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Beautiful. This is is a joy.

[@eduardoprieto5267]

Paul's timber is unmistakable here, loving the violin tone played on guitar. God bless.

[@scottandrewbrass]

What?!😂😂😂😂😂

[@brother0john]

I think he means timbre.@@scottandrewbrass

[@RaymondTVinyl]

Wow!!! I didn't know this existed!!! Thank you for sharing!! Brilliant as always with XTC

[@mr.davindick7503]

RaymondTVinyl I thought I had heard everything they ever did.

[@shelflife3867]

Greatest band since ...well...hmmmmmmm. Love XTC!

[@holgerpetersen9918]

Masterpiece!

[@westerling8436]

Thank you xtc

[@RealinDealer]

Simply genius.

[@robbo2357]

the wheel and the maypole is the greatest song in the history of the universe

[@krollpeter]

... yet only 0.001 % of people in the universe know about it.

[@tinfoilhatter]

it's so progressive, it's literally sickening, omg!

[@augustusbetucius1572]

It's a very touching song.

[@propaganmessiah388]

Yes I am A Pagan from Race Euro-pa and I will Not be Cursed to be As-Ham-ed of This, But the contrary But PROUD, and I admit Stupidly Happy!!!!!!

[@EnosEverything]

I love XTC but you are a cretin... It's not even the best XTC song.

[@amyth8121]

Going thru withdrawal and XTC makes me feel better. ❤️💪🐇

[@kw5021]

Stay strong it's worth it!

[@johnballantyne5110]

I don't know you my friend, but i'm with you. KW is right! Stay strong! My hopes go with you.

[@slo5283]

I hope you have a complete recovery.

[@WhoBeSilly]

HANG IN THERE!! LOVE RIGHT NOW FOR YOU!!!

[@davelafave6678]

Pop in on "We're All Light"!

[@101Volts]

I hope I can buy this on a future re-release.

[@ericbriglia5136]

Great shit man!!

[@tonyh6951]

Encapsulating the intricacies, I'd say ... Simply fuckin' marvellous.

[@homerco213]

Sargent rock has helped me.

[@gaskellr44]

I can't make my mind up whether this is too near what The Beatles were doing in the late 60s, but their album Skylarking is an original Masterpiece for me.

[@Mindermaniac]

Todd Rundgren produced Skylarking - This made it a must have album for me.

[@gaskellr44]

@@Mindermaniac Wait till you hear Nonsuch if you haven't already...another M P IMO

[@Mindermaniac]

@@gaskellr44 I have most all of XTC albums, My copy of Skylarking came with a separate single of Dear God after it became a huge hit video on MTV. Love both Dukes Of Stratosphere LPS, Rags and Bones Buffet 2 CD set of out-takes, The 2 Beeswax LPs and Take It Away, Andy's solo LP from 1980. Nonsuch is also one of my faves. I have a signed copy of Big Express - Andy, Colin and Dave, found in a used record store from a local DJ - after they stopped touring live they did radio promotional tours - it is my prized XTC collectible. Great band!

[@gaskellr44]

@@Mindermaniac Great stuff, you most likely have more knowledge of them than me, but it took me a lot of time for Nonsuch to have the impact it did on me as after overdosing on Sky, I gave O & LO a go and was fairly impressed with it and then soon after, Nonsuch, but it did nothing for me, then a year later, instead of binning the CD, I gave it another try and after about 3 run-throughs, I was hooked, each song being brilliant for me(strange) But also, arguably their best song is on that album, which in turn made them go on hiatus for I think 7 or so years due to Virgin withdrawing it(Wrapped in Grey) an absolute fabulous song.

[@Mindermaniac]

@@gaskellr44 My 1st XTC album purchase was Drums and Wires. Complicated Game really got to me as well as Helicopter and Scissor Man. It was a gold record only in Canada, After Nonsuch, the band stopped working with Virgin and were in a fight with them for most of the 1990's. I found a Canadian band for great pop rock to fill the void. a 4 piece band with 4 singer songwriter multi-instrumentalists called Sloan. I started with their 2nd LP Twice Removed and their single Coax Me. They started in 1986 and they are still together today. WIth 4 songwriters, there is much more variety in the sounds of their songs. When the drummer sings his songs, he straps on an electric guitar and the bass player plays drums on his tracks live. Start with the album Money City Maniacs.

[@bigjoecarvajal5716]

many excelent récords...honesty.creativity.. my fab. english settlement..and fly on the wall.

[@TheMaceman6]

This is a group that should re-form immediately and cash in on all the pent-up adminration - I'm going to contact AP directly on such mission!

[@dannoall8427]

You haven't met Andy, have you?

[@dwalkmusick]

@@dannoall8427 ha-ha!

[@georgewilliams1470]

Good luck with that excuse me if I don't hold my breath waiting.Great Aspirations is freaking awesome though Collin and Terry back together!

[@scottbing8201]

I know what your saying.

[@mattheweldredge9880]

The Apple Venus stuff is soooooo amazing. I love the two albums and I don't understand why people even entertain the idea that they were better when they were younger. Just not even close. Fine Wine my fellow mammals.

[@Eldudereno1]

Agreed. From Skylarking onwards they progressed with every album, as Andy once rather immodestly if justly asserted of their entire career graph. My favourite song of theirs is one of the last they recorded, We're All Light.

[@jeffg7478]

Agreed, Apple Venus was the culmination of everything that came before. I can’t listen to the two albums without the elucidation of copious tears. It’s been 20 years.... I’ve longed for new material but I’ll take their swan song with gratefulness. Simply the best.

[@youbetyourwrasse]

Thank you Master Rock.

[@jeffg7478]

Give it up for Stupidly Happy. A perfect pop song. And if the devil pulls up with his business card out I’d tear it to confetti with a grin I’d shout!

[@Pinkertonsurly]

What was, was could have been, and what might be. I love complicated tenses.

[@racketman2u]

well as a former (unwilling) latin scholar, you know where you can stick your past pluperfect subjunctive.

[@thechristianhuey]

Good collection, but if the intention was to sum up the post Dave Gregory period within the span of one LP's length, they really should've included The Man Who Murdered Love.

[@Twyfall]

The defining sound of English springtime in the noughties.

[@radioplastica2010]

Why this band still not disclosed? they still beibng impressive this days.

[@tinfoilhatter]

superb! tell those guys not to record another buncha songs together, please!!! dang!

[@athhar3643]

She said, I know what it's like to be dead...

[@WonkaScott-q5r]

I found out ~10 years ago!

[@WonkaScott-q5r]

And Colin is a sublime bassist.

[@BaccarWozat]

"Spiral" and "Say It" were not the last recordings of XTC, "Where Did The Ordinary People Go?" was.

[@101Volts]

On a different subject, "Where Did The Ordinary People Go?" was written in the 80s or early 90s. "Spiral" and "Say It" were written later.

[@stickymoan]

"Where Did The Ordinary People Go?" was written around (or slightly ahead of) the time of Nonsuch. It didn't make it onto the album at that time (1992) but was eventually recorded and released in 2004.

[@hellzapoppinx]

Wow...Erm..Wow...

[@keithburgess1567]

Spiral very McCartney

[@kennyjohnson7887]

Without the Beatles, there would be no XTC. I prefer to think that XTC picked it up where the Beatles left it.

[@BeatlesBowieKrimson]

I recall a comment that said XTC is God's apology for the breakup of The Beatles.

[@crasnayae.wainwright3212]

I agree totally. Gods and demigods

[@Eldudereno1]

What a superb way of putting it.

[@markfornek]

And the Beatles wouldn't be the Beatles without Chuck Berry & Cole Porter & Smokey Robinson / Motown &Bob Dylan, etc... this is how it works. We learn and acquire the knowledge from our predecessors. There's a phrase that musicians use and understand... "We are standing on the shoulders of giants"

[@markfornek]

BTW, XTC has certainly and beautifully, for a long time, been an accomplished practitioner of taking and learning their influences and making it their own.

[@ヂョーヂ1号]

音色の選び方がXTCぽいですね。レンジファインダーとか、レザークラフトの味わいみたいな、ホッとする感じがある。

[@CRUNCHYBABY]

❤

[@turntapzap]

In 400 years, scientists will discover that XTC were better than the Beatles.

[@krollpeter]

I know what you mean, but I have to say the Beatles were the first in so many aspects. How Moulding/Partidge can be so "un-famous" is a mystery.

[@DrTomoculus]

Because it's a culture that raised McCartney up to be the most successful musician on the planet, where he put out some absolutely vapid pieces of music (unless you want to introduce your friends to Morse Moose & The Grey Goose and say "this is the greatest song ever"). So it's not a mystery, because the culture allowed McCartney to put any old dross he could come up with, a majority bought it and said "yes, we're ok with that, give us more." So it's not a mystery. Artists who actually care about what they produce, that it means something to them what they create are put in a pile of "struggling, unrecognised, underrated" and the culture is infiltrated by marketeers who learned that you can release Bip Bop and Mary Had a Little Lamb and get away with it. Mystery solved.

[@williamgibson4053]

Andy Partridge would be appalled with the comment that XTC were better than The Beatles. I do agree that they were more consistent. There was some distressing "filler" with The Beatles, mostly McCartney tracks, but on the whole their reputation is secure. XTC existed because The Beatles broke all those barriers and made British music pre-eminent in the world.

[@robertvanhals2652]

Yes! And at some point mathematicians will come up with a weird, complex algorithm that shows the relationship between creative talent and commercial success.

[@seanoconnell7027]

To me, their music is unmistakable . I hear them and I know who it is. I know that seems simple, but that's how it is for me.

[@mikehersh6192]

More

[@vzuljevic]

saint vincent¡¡

[@-dimitris]

I suppose this is without Gregory.

[@lavitroladeldiablo]

sadly, yes

[@teddydog6229]

If you mean the Monkees I was talking about then yeah. I suppose those commenting on an XTC would be among the most likely to be aware of it. I plead guilty to temporary bloviating.

[@bigjoecarvajal5716]

the most strange is no one of all english tourist around here Who i speak with. Knows about xct.imagen spanish and around here only likes j.iglesias

[@juanignaciofernandezasensi1989]

???

[@NurseryTheBand]

Reminds me of The Cardiacs

[@BlackWhirlies]

I can hear that too.

[@kevcatnip7589]

t c i anyone,,,, ??? ws it wort hit?

[@ItsRainingDonuts]

Yep!

[@somedaynow1128]

@@ItsRainingDonuts go Kenny. Yes.

[@ariestacrat848]

test

[@jennysops100]

Interesting this album coincides with the european pirating of Control Data Computer Heads in the 80's that my father was resposible for investigating. Lets get creative, counterfiet IP from the Norris family could have started Apple Inc.....one never knows. lol. I want to be clear, I have much respect for my former boss Collin P (wink wink).....so I will say there is no connection with XTC. @TheCurrent

[@rallokkcaz]

jenny sops what does this even mean

[@josepniubo]

Per a fans nostàlgics de Beatles...

[@jamiewesson6606]

i love xtc but only a fool would say they are better than the beatles

[@jtenaz]

Better i don't know, but i love xtc more. Love The Beatles too

[@lukerogers151]

Much better than The Beatles.

[@rohansask9638]

Which Beatles? Real Paul or the replacement?

[@rundoetx]

A "Fool On The Hill" that's just "Stupidly Happy".

[@kevcatnip7589]

@@rohansask9638 dirk mcuiggly