Chips From the Chocolate Fireball [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import]

Dukes Of Stratosphear | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: Virgin Int'l
• ASIN: B00005AV1R
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,611 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, December 8, 2005

By 

Sir George Martini "Verbalosity" (Fromage, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chips From the Chocolate Fireball (Audio CD)

The Dukes of Stratosphear aka XTC have somehow managed to make an almost perfect album of psychedelic music that most groups in the Sixties would have envied. This is much more than a tribute or parody in the mode of Spinal Tap or The Rutles. There is barely any filler and I like it the best of all XTC's releases. While never actually copying or sounding exactly like any particular group note for note, except for a few Syd Barret and Brian Wilson vocals, they recreate the original sound and feeling that made music so great in the Sixties.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely flabbergastingly spectacular, March 13, 2000

By 

Rich Bunnell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chips From Chocolate Fireball: Psonic / 25 O'Clock (Audio CD)

Too many people are giving this album only four stars. Stopdoing that. For my money, this is the absolute best album XTC ever made-- forget that they did it as the "Dukes." It even tops "Skylarking" and "Black Sea," two completely epochal XTC recordings. And why? Because it's fun! You have to be in a certain mood to listen to many of XTC's other albums, but this one can hit you any given time of the day anywhere. Sixteen songs, and all of them perfect in every way. The best of the best would be "You're My Drug," "Little Lighthouse," "25 O'Clock," "Bike Ride To The Moon," "The Mole From The Ministry," and "Vanishing Girl." Hell, they're all great. XTC's greatest album and one of my favorite albums of all time, no holds barred thank you very much. It's a shame that it's technically out of print, not that it's extremely hard to find it in stores because people are stupid and do not buy it.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can You Dig It?, May 2, 2001

By 

David Bradley "David Bradley" (Sterling, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chips From Chocolate Fireball: Psonic / 25 O'Clock (Audio CD)

This is where I realized that Andy Partridge was more than just a quirky English recluse: he is the British Brian Wilson.

Two magnificent albums, superbly orchestrated with sped up and slowed down tapes, layers of guitars and vocals, pianos spinning out of control, detuned guitars and and gongs and sonic booms from who knows where, all dripping from some of the wittiest lyrics this side of the Squeeze, and interspersed with an Alice In Wonderland-like story.

Ya just gotta dig it.

It's all genius, but if I had to pick highlights I'd go with "The Mole From The Ministry" and "Brainiac's Daughter," which echo, without parodying, the very best of English Pop-Psychedelia, circa Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour/early Pink Floyd.

"Brainiac's daughter talks like a Daily Planet reporter..."

This is the stuff you've been looking for.