Coat of Many Cupboards [Box set]

XTC | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Caroline
• ASIN: B00005V94X
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,929 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #7 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave
  • #51 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > General

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Science Friction (CBS Demo)

2. Spinning Top (Live @ Eric's, Liverpool - 1977)

3. Traffic Light Rock (Live @ Eric's, Liverpool - 1977)

4. Radios In Motion (From White Music)

5. Let's Have Fun (White Music out take)

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Meccanik Dancing (Live @ The Marconi Club, Sydney,1979)

2. Atom Age/Hang Onto The Night/Neon Shuffle (medley) (Live @ The Marconi Club, Sydney,1979)

3. Life Begins At The Hop (Unused US single recording)

4. Reel By Real (Unused single recording)

5. When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty (Unused single recording)

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Punch and Judy (Unused single recording)

2. Fly On The Wall (From English Settlement)

3. Yacht Dance (Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test,1982)

4. Jason and The Argonauts (From English Settlement)

5. Love On A Farmboy's Wages (Demo)

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Brainiac's Daughter (from Psonic Psunspot version)

2. Vanishing Girl (from Psonic Psunspot version)

3. Terrorism (Home demo)=20

4. Find The Fox (Home demo)

5. Season Cycle (From Skylarking)

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Coat of Many Cupboards finishes the job that the 1990 collection Rag 'N' Bone Buffet started, unearthing a deluge of outtakes, demos, home recordings, acoustic versions, and rare live tracks from XTC's long, adventurous existence. Buffet and the band's other singles collections and box sets only scratched the surface of what's out there; any serious XTC collector knows about the mountains of material that have been recorded throughout the band's 26-year existence, living in third-generation tapes passed around from fan to fan. The four-disc Cupboards tracks an awful lot of it down, cleans it up, and puts it all together, showing off the overwhelming creativity and songcraft that XTC's Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding have displayed over the decades. In all, 41 of the 60 tracks here have never before been released, with lo-fi versions of favorites like "Dear God" turning this into an interesting journey for casual fans and a dream collection for die-hard fanatics.

Precious and rare live material pops up early on the first disc in the form of "Spinning Top" and "Traffic Light Rock," documenting a jagged, brash sound that seems a far cry from the meticulous approach and intricate layers of later records like 1989's Oranges and Lemons. The first two discs track that evolution in detail, exploring the band's early Clash-like pop-punk and the skewed social commentary of records like 1980's Black Sea, while offering up intriguing nuggets like a demo version of "Senses Working Overtime" from the amazing English Settlement. The last two discs comprise XTC's later incarnation as a studio band after Partridge's mid-'80s mental breakdown and subsequent retirement from the stage. Moving through the revolutionary Skylarking, including a stunning demo of "Grass," the music slowly morphs into the densely produced, late-Beatles sound of Oranges and 1992's Nonsuch.

The set also includes a 60-page booklet as well as track-by-track commentary from Partridge and Moulding, making this a must-have for collectors even if they have somehow tracked down all this stuff themselves. One final note: the band does leave off material from Apple Venus Pt. 1 and Wasp Star (Apple Venus Pt. 2), but only because it's already been well-documented with the outtake records Homespun and Homegrown. --Matthew Cooke

Product Description

The first ever box set devoted to XTC, 60 tracks covering XTC's 10 classic 1978-1989 period albums (including their Dukes Of Stratosphear side project). All tracks have been digitally remastered. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hidden tracks Notice!!!! Easter EGGING, January 31, 2005

By 

Wolfe Seacoast (Cardiff, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coat of Many Cupboards (Audio CD)

I've had this set for a while now, but recently discovered two hidden tracks.
The won't play automatically as most hidden tracks do as these are buried in the pre-roll BEFORE track 1. Insert disc 2, hit play, as the track begins to play, pause and rewind/review back past the beginning.
The First on is on disc 2. The next is on disc 3, and it is 9 minutes of live material.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Want real cheese in an age of Velveeta?, April 7, 2002

By 

Maine Writer "David" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Coat of Many Cupboards (Audio CD)

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best analogy. XTC can be a little bit cheesy now and again, but cheesy in the sense of a rich Stilton marbled with thin blue-green veins, a wrinkled rind, and a dense, complex flavor. Or maybe a Wensleydale with a fine curd and complex undertones?

Enough about cheese, though. It's easy to forget what originality is all about. Even accomplished songwriters like Sting (who represents the high-end of the current mainstream pop spectrum) never throw a curveball at you, and seem more interested in preening their image than pushing the pop envelope and challenging their audience. XTC is nothing if not idiosyncratic, unexpectedly blending pop paradigms in new, original ways. Even when they expressly try to imitate a genre (like sixties psychedelia in "Chips from the Chocolate Fireball" or "Psychedelic Psunspot"), they bring a deftness and tone to the work that makes their songs become true originals.

I take some risks in saying this, but Coat of Many Cupboards may be as good a place as any for someone to start their XTC experience. It's risky for several reasons. First, if you start with Disc 1, you may be put off by the band's original, sparse sound and new wave sensibilities. You may ask yourself, "Does Joe Jackson sing for this band?" The answer is "No, no, a thousand time, no!" (But, as an aside, check out Joe's version of "Statue of Liberty" on the XTC tribute album "A Testimonial Dinner." Spooky.) But stick with it. I really think you need to walk with this band through the years to fully appreciate them and their musical development. (If you're tempted to throw the whole collection in the trash part way through Disk 1, at least listen to the demo version of Making Plans for Nigel ... ). Second, they've got some pretty crude demo versions sprinkled throughout. Some very rough gems, indeed. But, this is where Coat of Many Cupboards really shines. In the past, I get the sense that Andy Partridge's vanity kept him from releasing anything but the most polished "demos," and I can understand why. You don't like the world to realize that can actually sing off key sometimes. Finally, these four disks are a lot to cheese to bite off in one meal. You may need something to settle your head if you listen to all of it in one sitting.

All of which should give you some indication as to why I think that this set is necessary medication for all XTC fans. I, for one, have let XTC's early CDs gather dust for years. I can't tell you the last time I listened to Go2, White Music, or even Drums and Wires. After Coat of Many Cupboards, I'm ready to go back and savor those old vintages. I'm setting aside two full gigabytes of my iPod to XTC.

Of course, no review would be complete if it didn't include a mention of some of what I consider to be the highlights ... a previously unreleased version of When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty; a rejected single version of Towers of London; an early work tape of Senses Working Overtime; the live version of Yacht Dance (man these guys are good); a home demo for "All You Pretty Girls" (off-key singing and all); and Didn't Hurt a Bit (a Nonesuch out take).

And guess what? My copy is autographed!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Less than essential but still delightful, April 2, 2002

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Coat of Many Cupboards (Audio CD)

Xtc...big business finally figures out that they deserve a boxed set or two. That's just what we get--two. This second boxed set collects rarities, unreleased tracks, alternate versions and demos/bsides that never made the albums. Sadly, much of this material would have been better served on the appropriate original albums as bonus tracks.

The fact that they were even realized makes me a happy camper. I'm not going to complain too much. Cupboard is actually a better overview of the band than many of the compilations Virgin has put out over the years. Although missing a number of key b sides (most notably My Paint Heroes, The Good Things and Down A Peg), Cupboard is a pretty good mix of the band's material.

The sound quality on the bulk of the material included is far superior to the bootlegs that have been floating about for years. Andy Partridge's blunt Terrorism sounds like is could only have been written after 9/11. What's amazing is the fact that Partridge wrote and released the demo recording 16 years ago. What's truly fascintating is to evasdrop on the band's stylistic shifts via the unreleased tracks and rehearsal tapes.

The liner notes and booklet are very illuminating and compliment the set very well. The comments from Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding are frank, honest and occasionally funny as hell. Harrison Sherwood's delightful essay is the comic foil to the more serious songs. Sherwood manages to break through the collective Xtc psyche and twist out again with a number of thoughtful, insightful observations about why the band's music has with stood the test of time (something that can't be said about many of the band's contemporaries).

I'm pleased as punch that most of this material has been remixed and remastered for CD. The sad part is that it took so darn long for this to happen. Still, after XTC's 7 year strike I'm happy this fine collection is finally seeing the light of day. Although not essential for new fans, Coat adds to the luster and reputation of this terrific English band. Let's hope that they have fans on the board for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. If Talking Heads, The Ramones and other bands than began in the same era can be recognized, surely these talented and consistent guys from Swindon deserve recogition as well.