XTC - Skylarking
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Free Music Notes for Skylarking
Free Music Review: Summer Cauldron
Hit: 5 Stars
Just a great album-I bought it based on the raves here and was not disappointed! I have kept it in my CD player since it arrived: evocative, moody and grand.
I love it.
Free Music Review: Brilliant, lush, pop masterpiece!
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, I can not stress enough what a clever and intelligent songwriter that Andy Partridge is. This intricate story of the cycle of life that he and the band have crafted here is one of the most well written albums ever made. This outstanding effort is catchy, clever, intelligent and thought-provoking all throughout. It easily competes for the title of greatest album of the 80's, and it makes for more effective use of distinctly 80's production techniques than most albums of the decade even come close to. The music can be mostly described as organic lush pop but it ranges from that to the brilliantly spare and desolate production on "Another Satellite", to the jazzy finger-snappin' "The man who sailed around his soul". Upon first impression, on its face, "Skylarking" does as many reviewers have mentioned appear to be bright and sunny. But, that's simply a testament to how sharp and clever that Partridge and the other songwriter Colin Moulding are because most of the songs are overflowing with bitterness and cynical sarcasm (the dose is heaviest in many of the "brightest" sounding songs; "That's really super, supergirl", "Earn Enough For Us"). This album is really about them questioning and even challenging this very cycle. "Summer's Cauldron" is an excellent introduction that does a good job of prepping you for the story. This intro perfectly captures the disenchanted mindstate of the writer as he ponders upon the stages of and our very process of living throughout this album. He sings, "Drowning here in Summer's Cauldron, Under mats of flower lava, Please don't pull me out, this is how I would want to go...Please don't heed my shout, I'm relaxed in the undertow" perfectly setting the tone for the rest of this masterpiece. "Grass" is where the story really starts off in earnest. This highly clever and humorous track is basically about adolescent romps, so this is the stage of life where the story begins. My favorite line is when he sings, "Over and over we flatten the clover!" I can't think of a more clever way of saying what he is saying within the song's context. "The Meeting Place" is basically another humorous song about adolescent relationships. The next three songs seem to basically be about heartbreak. "That's really super, supergirl" seems to be about a guy being hurt by this girl that he was into, while she callously brushes it off as being no big deal. This witty track is full of sarcastic jabs. Then the emotions go from sadness (Ballet for a Rainy Day), to hurt and anger (1000 Umbrellas). "Season Cycle" is the closest thing to a title track on this album. On this song, Partridge takes a break from telling the story and assumes the roll of the outside observer. This song's chorus contains the album's most singularly defining moment when he sings, "who's pushing the pedals on this season cycle?" The next two songs take place in the early adulthood, young serious couple stage in life and are probably the two most sarcastic songs on this album. "Earn enough for us" is pretty much about what the title suggests, but this song is so clever, insightful, and deeply incisive that it would require a lot more space than I have available here to really dig into it. "Big Day" is basically about marriage, and the best part of this sharp and cutting song is when he sings, "Are you deafened by the bells? (sound of wedding bells ringing in the background), Could be heaven, Could be hell in a cell for two-oo-ooo"! You don't hear that sort of plain and sober honesty in songs very often. The rest of the album is a lot more straight-faced. The remaining songs are about the fall and winter of life and mainly deal with man's mortality...except for "Mermaid Smiled" that is. "Mermaid Smiled" seems to basically be about the re-discovery of innocence lost or at least a new found appreciation for that innocence, and within the disenchanted context of this album, it actually makes a pretty powerful statement. They end the album off with "Dear God" which is the most effective and compelling capturing of a crisis of faith that I've ever heard. The song is most effective as he sarcastically and scathingly tells God all about the people that are made in his image. I share many of the same sentiments but they don't cause me to not believe in God, they do however often cause me to not believe in people. Whatever your position, this revealing and incisive track driven by that brilliant interplay between the bass and acoustic guitar is bound to leave an indelible impression. This is not just one of the greatest albums of the 80's but one of the greatest albums ever made period, and you'd be hard pressed to find an album that makes for a more compelling and invigorating listen. Free Music Review: Dazzling
Hit: 5 Stars
A hugely entertaining slice of psychedelic,pagan,pop rock that's also XTC's most consistent and fluid set of songs to date.
XTC had been an outstanding band from go time(1977's "White Music")but for 86's "Skylarking" the atmosphere surroundind the band was ripe for a masterpiece.
At the time the band was starting to cope better with their studio bound status while being crucially re energized by the Dukes of Stratosphere experience.And they needed some level of success(the two previous albums had flopped,even by their standards)if they were to continue as a band.
Todd Rundgren,as is his trademark,gave the record a brighter sound further expandind Partridge's already widescreen songwriting.
The record is available in two different versions,one with the sea shanty"Mermaid Smiled"and the other with "Dear God"(which became a surprise hit in the US' college radio and sparked a level of sales they had never known before)but while the first is terrific song "Dear God"is still the better one(if you can get the version which has both tracks that's been issued recently).
An extra word of praise deserves"Another Satellite"-my favorite XTC song in its cool sparsness and surges of melody.
A desert island priority indeed.
Free Music Review: up there with the best
Hit: 5 Stars
this bittersweet collection of tunes about youth, love, age and loss could be one of the greatest pop/rock records ever made.
and yes, Todd's influence is very heavy, but for the fellow who asked "where are the guitars?"--listen a little closer, plenty of guitar feedback and flourishes here.
bottom line--i don't know anyone who doesn't like this, no matter what kind of stuff they usually listen to. get it!
Free Music Review: Masterpiece start to finish
Hit: 5 Stars
I was fortunate enough to be introduced to XTC and Skylarking by a co-worker in 1995, having never heard of them before. After one listen, I knew that this would become one of my favorite albums of all time, which it remains to this day. XTC and Skylarking completely changed my musical tastes from that one moment onwards. How many times can a person say that in his/her life?
The production of each song and their placement within the album is so well crafted that they should be listened to in sequence, where the rich melodies flow from one song to the next. Each element of every song is superb.
The thing that continues to amaze me is how each song is so unique and surprising. For example, the first minute of '1000 Umbrellas' is almost off-key and uncomfortable to listen to. It then changes to an upbeat melody with beautiful keyboard and violin accompaniment, and continues to switch back and forth through the duration of the song. The first track, Summer's Cauldron, starts off with a growing crescendo of birds chirping, bees buzzing, and insect noise. It merges into one of the best tracks on the album. Likewise, the last song, Sacrificial Bonfire, remains one of my favorites. The soaring strings and pounding drums blend into a fantastic voyage of sound and words that evokes imagination and visualization of the song itself. Very few artists can pull off these feats and make the music not only palatable, but enjoyable to listen to time and again.
Every time someone asks me if they can borrow a CD that they haven't heard yet, I always ask them if they have ever heard of or listened to XTC. Skylarking is one of the first albums I recommend. Any serious music listener will not be disappointed.
My only disappointment with XTC is that I have yet to find another album of theirs that tops Skylarking. I enjoy all of their music and I find that each album is unique, surprising, and worthwhile. However, for me personally, this album represents the high point of their music.
Final word-- If you don't have this, buy it.