Customer Reviews

Chips From the Chocolate Fireball

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

To best describe this, I think back to a sunny summer afternoon many years ago when my girlfriend and I were riding in the car listening to The Move, and she started going on about how many soundalike 60s garage bands there are, and that "nobody has the balls to have a go at the GOOD 60s stuff, like THIS"(referring to the Move music).

Of course, that inspired me to introduce her to the Dukes of Stratospear. The Dukes not only took on the good stuff, but often went one better. This plays like the "greatest hits" album of an exceptional late 60s psychedelic pop band.

It's all here: catchy, memorable tunes and absolutely stunning musicianship and production. I bet these guys had a BLAST doing this. Too much fun!

Lots of successful bands record tributes to their musical influences, full of cover versions or pastiches. XTC did something quite different - they created an alter ego, and released a tribute album so convincing it could pass for an authentic relic from 1967. Mind you, although psychedelic, these songs are far closer in spirit to songs by the Move, the Nice, and the Zombies than to contemporary American garage or heavy rock bands.

There are many, many standouts here. "Your Gold Dress" recalls ambitious pre-prog pop similar to the type Steve Howe used to record before joining Yes. "The Mole from the Ministry" almost sounds like an alternate version of "I Am the Walrus." "Vanishing Girl" is beautiful Byrds-like pop, and "Pale and Precious" neatly references the Beach Boys in their prime. Part of the fun is catching as many tips-of-the-hat as you can. One minute there's a riff taken from "She's a Rainbow," the next we hear Mellotron flutes just like "Strawberry Fields," followed by Hendrixy guitar tricks, followed by some Yardbirds-like raving, followed by Pink Floyd references. Throughout, the melodic basslines are particularly impressive, and Andy Partridge does a fine job of singing in a nasal late-1960s British style without openly aping John Lennon or Donovan.

Simply put, I love this CD. I'm not a huge fan of XTC as a rule, but even a doubter like myself has to stand back and simply admire the tremendous amount of sincerity, artistry, and fun that must have went into the recording of these 16 songs. This CD holds up to many repeated listenings and never stops being fun.

This is absolutely one of the sharpest, wittiest, funnest, and most inventive albums that I have ever heard. These guys are great musicians with an amazing penchant for writing catchy and crafty songs, and Andy Partridge is an extremely intelligent and imaginative lyricist(The bassist Colin Moulding more than holds his own as a songwriter too). I really wish that the label would have included the lyrics in the album sleeve. Much of this album is like a long, sharp, witty and hilarious sarcastic remark. They pay homage to 60's psychadelia while actually outdoing much of it. This album is a wild and zany ride with well written and tightly constructed songs all througout. These guys' rhythm section is especially excellent. Colin Moulding must have really been inspired by The Beatles "Rubber Soul" because his bass guitar playing is very McCartney-esque and that is a huge compliment. And speaking of McCartney, I had to double check the credits to make sure that he didn't actually write 'Braniac's Daughter':-). It sounds like signature McCartney in his prime. Also noteworthy are the band's very convincing and skillfully done pseudo John Lennon & Beach Boys tracks, 'Collideascope' & 'Pale & Precious'. As striking and clever as the band's takes on other artists are, their other material is just as good ('Vanishing Girl', 'Little Lighthouse'). This is a very busy and highly energetic album. They make good use of many different elements and sounds; from simply great piano and guitar playing to fantasy movie-like vocal samples and sound effects. This extremely clever album is higly impressive in many ways. Don't expect to fully grasp it on the first listen because there is a lot to absorb. Once you absorb it though, you'll likely grow to love it as much as I do!

This is worth it just for "Mole From The Ministry". The whole album pays a loving tribute to the best of 60's psychedelic music without mocking it. One of XTC's best albums.

As funny as it is beautiful.

And its really really...both.

I own thousands of CD's, but if I could only own one, this would be it. I love XTC, but to my ears this surpasses even their greatest works. I first heard "25 O'Clock" back in the mid 1980's and I enjoyed it. "Psonic Sunspot" came out a couple of years later, and I loved it even more. As I learned more about psychedelic music and the bands that defined that style, I came to appreciate more and more what The Dukes accomplished with these two stellar releases (eventually combined into this great CD). Pale and Precious is so perfect, even Brian Wilson himself probably thinks he wrote and misplaced it. I have recommended this CD to many over the years and it never fails to impress. If you are a fan of psychedelic pop/rock, you simply must have this CD in your life. It's note perfect all the way through, and it will bring a smile to the listeners face. I pray The Dukes will make another one...please.

Fans of 60's psychadelia and XTC get two for the price of one.Both 80's "DUKES" lp's on one disc.The other favourable reviews of this disc are absolutely right.This homage to the music that Andy & Co. grew up with is sooooooo dead on target it's almost frightening.A contemporary aural time capsule-a great disc.