Customer Reviews

Oranges & Lemons

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While conventional wisdom points to "Skylarking" as the best album in XTC's catalog, I find it overshadowed by its successor, 1989's "Oranges & Lemons". For me, it's the culmination of the band until now-- the high energy and excitement of the early albums (tempered nicely by the maturity of material like "Black Sea"), the carefully constructed arrangements of "Mummer" and "The Big Express", the unerring pop hooks and cohesiveness of "Skylarking", and a healthy dose of history and tribute drawn from the Dukes of Stratosphear culminate in a record that ended up being pretty much pop perfection.

As evidence of this, I submit the album's leadoff single-- "The Mayor of Simpleton". I've pretty much convinced myself it's the best song Andy Partridge ever wrote and it's got a bit of everything-- a hint at the old guitar skanks that dominated the old new wave efforts, a superb arrangement taking a couple guitar lines and intertwining them to create a full picture, and a series of two and three part vocal harmonies that provide a lovely swirl for Partridge's downright ecstatic lead vocal results in a piece that pretty much stops me in my tracks every time I hear it.

Still, as much as I rambled about one track, the truth is there's at least half a dozen absolutely superb tracks on here from Partridge's pen. Opener "Garden of Earthly Delights" with its cheeky lyric ("just don't hurt nobody / unless of course they ask you") and Middle-Eastern tinged pop hook delivered by another fantastic Partridge vocal sits comfortably alongside John Lennonesque sentiments (the absolutely lush "The Loving" sounds like a Brian Wilson arrangement of a Lennon sentiment), Carribbean-tinged "Poor Skeleton Steps Out", funky and fierce "Merely a MAn" (with some blazing lead guitars), totaly offbeat "Pink Thing" (grunts, groans and falsetto blended over a new wave backing track) and a pastoral take on Wilson (closer "Chalkhills and Children"). Interspersed between Partridge's writing, bassist Colin Moulding sneaks in some fantastic work, including a charming take on self deprecation ("One of the Millions", with a stunning bassline) and one of the most delicate and honest exposures of finding hop in hopeless ("Cynical Days").

The scary thing is-- the bad songs on here are still good-- the worst is gets is an irritating synth line on "Miniature Sun", but even that one is rescued by a syncopated vocal line at the end. That's it, that's as weak as it ever gets.

Add to this the reissue's fine sound courtesy of a healthy dose of remastering (no bonus tracks this time, the double album was squeezed nicely onto one disc though) and you end up with an album and a presentation that are pretty much as good as it gets in pop music. Any proof needed that Partridge and Moulding are the best pop songwriters of their generation can be found here. "Skylarking" may be a bit more digestable, but "Oranges & Lemons" is absolutely fantastic.

First, let me put the five star rating in context. Five stars are freely given in so many customer reviews that the five star rating has been devalued by overuse. In my opinion, XTC made some music I wouldn't bother to listen to all the way through even once. Less than one star for me. Some of their albums are worth three or four stars.

This album, however, stands at the pinnacle of anything any band has ever attempted or achieved. Not to say that it is better than Sgt. Pepper or other great records. But it holds its own. It must be considered one of the five or ten best albums of the 1980s.

I would call this music chamber pop. It quotes eloquently from sixties-style British pop, but adds elements of jazz, all produced and layered to perfection with XTC's inimitable style. All the elements here are precisely and deliberately placed, like a classical composition (with distorted guitars!). The thought and care with which these musical collages have been assembled created songs that are intensely interesting and musically involving. They stand up to repeated listening and analysis. As an experience, it is a marvel and a wonder to listen to these... I won't call them songs, I will call them compositions.

The recording is only fair, at best. One could only wish George Martin had been there to oversee the recording engineers. I have the remastered GOLD CD version, and really it is only slightly better than the original Geffen release. Since the old Geffen version can be purchased used for $1 or less, there is no excuse not to own a copy of this masterwork.

Andy Partridge was at the height of his lyrical powers, and his quirky harmonic ideas were harnessed and channeled into powerful, communicative, and anthemic songs. Colin Moulding's songs are melodic and beautiful, but his busy bass playing throughout rivals McCartney's work in the Beatles' best tunes. It is great entertainment to listen to this album all the way through, focusing only on the bass parts. Dave Gregory completed the tapestry with his always-appropriate guitars, and his presence was sorely missed on the last two XTC albums, as if both Partridge and Moulding had lost their right arms.

Other reviewers have praised the individual songs, so I won't belabor the point. And what is the point? Just this: if you love pop music, buy this CD.

XTC threw us a curve ball with this record. After the lush Skylarking they decided to bring out the guitars and mine sixties pop psychedelic territory for Oranges And Lemons. They took a page from their sixties psych alter-egos The Dukes Of Stratosphere and modernized the sound, the result being one of their most joyful and fun recordings since Black Sea. The everything-but-the-kitchen-sink percussion of Pat Mastelloto, now of King Crimson, really adds quite a bit to these odd-ball pop tunes. Many of which rank among Andy Partridge's best: Garden of Earthly Delights (with the line "Don't hurt nobody, less of course they ask you"), Mayor of Simpleton, Poor Skeleton Steps Out, The Loving (totally joyful) and on and on. Colin Moulding also writes some gems with King For A Day and One Of The Millions, his homage to the ordinary bloke that "never seems to do anything". Dave Gregory is the guitar master as he always is and contributes quite a lot to the dense sound of Oranges And Lemons, and Colin Mouldings bass playing is fantastic. Check out his fluid Paul McCartney on steroids playing on the Mayor Of Simpleton.

What I love most about Oranges And Lemons is they brought back the guitars and the odd rhythms that made XTC such an interesting band back in the White Noise through English Settlement days while keeping their new melodic sophistication a la Skylarking. There's a lot of instrumental muscle on this album. The only real suprise for me is that Oranges And Lemons didn't get as huge as it should have.

For those who have forgotten what made popular music so exciting back in the 60s, let XTC reacquaint you. Sheer musical skill alone has made XTC one of only a handful of ground-breaking popular music artists making music in the 80s and 90s (and for those who think that Sting, Madonna, and Michael Jackson have been making innovative music during the same period, stop reading now).

For all pop music lovers who still believe that guitar- and vocal-oriented music can reach new highs, investigate three XTC CDs, in this order: 1987's "Skylarking"; 1989's "Oranges and Lemons"; and 1992's "Nonsuch." Beatle and Beach Boys comparisons have been stated before, and for the most part, they are apropos, though not exclusive. In short, any pop and rock music created in the U.S.A. and U.K. between 1965 - 8 has been an enormous influence on the sound of XTC, though to call them a retro band a la Oasis is incorrect (Oasis, oddly enough, seems to have been influenced by the Beatles as well--but only the "Let it Be" period, which XTC has wisely avoided, and with good reason).

Be prepared to spend a LOT of time listening to "Oranges and Lemons," since it is, like "Nonsuch," a long album, but with the dearth of intelligent and fun pop music around these days, listeners will be rewarded and kept happy for a long, long time.

XTC followed the 1986 classic Skylarking with the playful Oranges & Lemons (O&L), released in 1989. Band members Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, and Dave Gregory are in top form throughout this enjoyable offering. Starting off with the swirling, fast-paced "Gardens of Earthly Delights", O&L takes the listener through a smorgasboard of musical textures and tempos, ending with the gentle and beautiful "Chalkhills and Children". Boomers and GenXers who tuned in to late '80s MTV may recognize the minor hits "The Mayor of Simpleton" and "King for a Day", which should get your toes tapping from the start. Repeated listenings will reveal several other outstanding numbers that might have yielded significant airplay if either Virgin had marketed the album more aggressively or the band had toured to support it (XTC abandoned the road after singer/songwriter/resident-musical-genius Andy Partridge suffered a paralyzing bout o! ! f stagefright while touring in 1982).

Repeated listenings (keep the lyrics handy!) will be rewarded, as you'll probably find your favorite song changes after every 4 or 5 playings. With beautiful melodies, intelligent lyrics, and outstanding musicianship, Oranges & Lemons is a must-have for any fan of XTC, and an inexpensive ($6.27!) musical adventure for XTC newbies. If you like the Beatles, Squeeze, Gin Blossoms, Elvis Costello, Ben Folds Five, and other pop bands, you'll like XTC, and if you like XTC, you'll love Oranges and Lemons. BUY IT!

"Psychedelic Confection!" would describe the impression that I had after looking at this album's cover for the first time, and it turned out to be a pretty accurate idea of what I could expect from the album. Although I was a bit fooled by those soft pastel colors; this album really punches and kicks for the most part (not quite as much as most of their earlier work for example, just more than I expected it to). Colin's bass playing is brought to the forefront here (Moulding could very well be the greatest rock bassist of his era) and many of these songs have some of the hardest grooves that I've ever heard from the group ("Poor Skeleton Steps Out", "Scarecrow People"). This is a pretty interesting album, both sonically and thematically, and most of these songs are extremely busy, with so many little sonic details that you'll likely notice something new with each repeated listen for quite a while (something that it has in common with "Chips from the Chocolate Fireball" although I would have to say that "Chips..." is even busier). As you probably know, the band has used different drummers for most of their releases since Terry Chambers left after "English Settlement", and the drummer this time around is Pat Mastelotto, who was from the group "Mr. Mister"--don't hold that against him though, he contributes some fine work throughout this album :-). Andy Partridge, in his usual sharp and humorously clever style, describes his contributions here as being "aggressively optimistic...like jolly sandpaper!" The album is apparently named after an old English nursery rhyme, and nursery rhymes are said to be the main inspiration for his songs. Partridge (personally my favorite lyricist ever) says that his songs are mainly either entertainment or messages for his kids (the brilliantly arranged "Chalkhills and Children" is basically about his relationship with his kids and his grounded lifestyle which they greatly contribute to). This is why there are several "Wizard of Oz" references throughout the album--it happened to be his kids' favorite movie while it was being made. But, his songs are still abundantly witty, thoughtful, and clever (his kids must be pretty sophisticated with great taste in music :-). The only low point is "Hold Me My Daddy" which makes a great point about love between fathers and sons, and fraternity amongst men in general, but as sharp as Andy is, he could have easily found a more clever way to say it. "Scarecrow People", which is typically brilliant Partridge in top form, takes a sardonic stab at human beings by describing another species' pursuit to be just like them. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" and "Across This Antheap" (which has the most brilliant orchestral string coda at the end) are also quite brilliant both lyrically and conceptually. The darkest and most biting songs come from the usually bouyant Moulding this time around. I've heard very few modern social critiques that are any where near as honest and insightful as "King for a Day". This song is extremely effective as a clever summary of certain values that are largely embraced by the masses: ruthless greed and cutthroat competition, which people accept with the expectation that "THEY" will be one of the ones that make it to the top. Colin surely didn't seem to be writing songs with small children in mind here, all of his songs are dark and incisive with pretty complex concepts. The fast pace and almost claustrophobic nature of much of the material can make this album seem a bit daunting at first, but it's unbelievably rich with ideas, and proves to be monumentally rewarding over time. This is a solid and highly energetic piece of smart pop/rock that you likely won't be sorry that you added to your collection.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think this album is easily as good as Skylarking. Songs like The Garden of Earthly Delights, One of the Millions, and Miniature Sun are fantastic. The people who don't like this as much as the band's previous album are the same ones who think Sgt. Pepper is the Beatles' best album. You should buy this if you like good music.

It took 11 years for people to finally learn who XTC was, and 1989's ORANGES AND LEMONS provided a very mainstream Beatles/Beach Boys sound with a little bit of Tears For Fears similarities on track 2 (King for a Day). I don't know if the band was feeling the pressure to sell more albums, or the record company proposed a more radio-friendly mainstream sound to generate more sales, but whatever the case, this release was absolutely NOTHING like the previous offering, SKYLARKING. Up until 1989, XTC was in obscurity for the most part, due to them being slightly out of sync with what was going on in music at any given time, coupled with their lack of touring as a result of Andy Partridge's stagefright that started in 1982. It's a shame, because they are extremely talented, yet not too many people know who they are. That changed slightly with ORANGES AND LEMONS, a sort of breakthrough release that appealed to a younger crowd. Two rock-solid singles were released, "The Mayor of Simpleton", and "King for a Day", which got good airplay. This album is very upbeat and bubblegum. Even the cover suggests that it's something a little simpler than previous albums, and Beatlesque. However, there are a lot of jazz lines featured in songs, and it gives the album a little more texture. Standout tracks include The Mayor of Simpleton, King for a Day, Here Comes President Kill Again, Garden of Earthly Delights, Poor Skeleton Steps Out, Scarecrow People, and Chalkhills and Children. This album is a must-have for any fan, but probably not where you want to start your collection. Instead, start with DRUMS AND WIRES, ENGLISH SETTLEMENT or BLACK SEA.

First Off I would like to say that normally for anyone else this would be a five-star but I hold XTC to a different standard than all other artists because they are so brilliant. Of course brilliant doesn't sell records but this one almost made it. I can remember hearing "Mayor of Simpleton" and "King For A Day" quite frequently on the local Top 40 radio station here and thinking how much more wonderful they sounded amid all the other dreck that was being played. Following the brilliance of "Skylarking" had to be difficult and what a great job XTC did. From the Middle-eastern flavor of "Garden of Earthly Delights" ,the pure-pop sensibilities of "Mayor of Simpleton" and "King For A Day", the live sounding rock gem "The Loving", the slyly funky "Skeleton Steps Out", the folk-tinged "One of The Millions" and On and On and On and On (as quoted in "Across This Antheap"), this has something for everyone. Put it in, kick back and enjoy.

There will be some songs you skip. but when I first had this album I can honestly say I listened to it in its entirety for months every day. In fact, when songs from it ended up on the radio, I was shocked to not hear the next song on the album. this album will never bore you.

This Album needs a long time to appreciate, but if you have the time, savor it. I recommend putting some headphones on and close our eyes...