Customer Reviews

Skylarking

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

XTC has always forged an idosyncratic career path which has delighted their fans and left others puzzled. There is a perception that the band is essentially a studio creation of a group of gifted reclusive musicians who refuse to tour because they can't cut it as a live band. In the early 90s I saw Aimee Mann coax the nortoriously stage phobic Andy Partridge out to play a few songs and he turned out to be a riveting performer as he blazed through a half a dozen XTC songs and blew the roof off the joint. Still XTC refuses to tour in support of their releases and leaving them with a hand full of devotees who count their XTC albums among their most precious possessions. "Skylarking" is the Holy Grail of lost treasures of 1980s music. I've heard a lot of comparisons to "Sgt. Peppers", but folks, this is better than the Beatles tour de force. "Skylarking" is as close to high art as pop music will ever get.

"Skylarking" is a song cycle which depicts a young man's rite of passage through the seasons of love into heartbreak and eventually disillusionment. Todd Rundgren is the cement that keeps "Skylarking" from imploding under the weight of it's big ideas. Todd's studio brilliance begs the question of why he was never able to jump start his own career. The remastering has added even more clarity to what was a "crisp as an autumn morning" original master. Todd's separtion of the vocal tracking rivals some of Brian Wilson's most inspired harmony mixes of the "Pet Sounds/Smiley Smile" era. There are charming locaction sounds like chirping crickets and singing birds that capture the esessence of XTC's eccentric pantheistic vision. If you are reading this review, you are probably among the converted. If there was any justice in this world, "Skylarking" would be grounds enough for XTC to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I have a feeling Andy and Colin could care less, but I do.

This must be a classic album, otherwise why would I possess five versions of it on CD? There's the original UK and US presses, the Gold Ultradisc CD, the Japanese paper sleeve edition (remastered) and this latest remastered edition.

The original album as it appeared back in 1986 (it sure doesn't sound like an 80s album) does not include Dear God which was actually a B-side to the Grass single. Dear God became a college radio hit in the U.S. and that resulted in it being included in the U.S. album at the expense of Mermaid Smiled. The initial UK and US CD releases reflect this difference, with the Gold Ultradisc following the latter's track listing. It is only after remastering, that the latest releases (Japanese paper sleeve and this one) contain both songs with Dear God being tagged on at the end (the Japanese paper sleeve edition does not list the track). Sequence-wise, I prefer the latest incarnation as it offers the best of both worlds and generally sound better after the remastering (the Gold CD stills sounds superior but lacks Mermaid Smiled).

XTC play quirky and intelligent pop with shades of Squeeze and the Beatles. Early XTC sounded a little different, having more punk and new wave elements in them. The best albums pre-Skylarking include Black Sea and Drums & Wires. Notable post-Skylarking releases include Oranges & Lemons and their last studio album Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2). Skylarking stands out from all their other albums in that it follows a concept - pastoral meditation on the cycle of life and death. It is quite likely that this is down largely to Todd Rundgren's production and vision. If you study his other work (including his own albums) as well as other artistes he has produced (prime example being Hall & Oates' War Babies), you will see that unity and flow are the twin pillars of his production technique. This however should not detract from the writing skills of Partridge and Moulding, which turn up many gems here including Grass, Ballet For A Rainy Day and Dear God. Of course, there was the inevitable clash of egos between Partridge and Rundgren (an example being Partridge's annoyance that Rundgren chose almost, if not all of Moulding's offerings for the album - other XTC albums feature about 3 songs from Moulding; Skylarking has 5).

Reluctant concept album? XTC's Sgt. Pepper? Whatever the label, this is one fine album that has to be listened to from start to finish and then back again. It is another one of those 'cyclical' albums that deserve a wider audience, much like Love's Forever Changes and The Byrd's Notorious Byrd Brothers.

This, simply put, is a masterpiece. It is an album that feels like a single, organic whole, yet each song is a vital, essential piece. Start to finish, the songs one after another are a delight; continually surprising...
...and they haven't aged a millisecond. This thing sounds as great as it did almost 20 years ago!
I used the word "organic" intentionally, as there's sort of a thematic link between many of the songs...lyrical as well as in tone.
Acoustic instruments blended with synthetic insect noises and real (?) bird chirping lead one song into another.
Song titles include "Summer's Cauldron", "Season Cycle", "Ballet for a Rainy Day", "1000 Umbrellas".
XTC's sense of humor pops up here and there, especially with the giggle, "That's Really Super, Supergirl",
Midway through the album, the single "Earn Enough For Us" just explodes from your speakers/headphones. It's a great, simple song, and shows off the band's ability to go loud and uptempo.
"The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" is a finger-snapping jaunty tune that reminds me of the album Joe Jackson did AFTER his breakthrough, "Night and Day", called "Body and Soul". I recommend searching that one out if you particularly enjoy this song.
The album closer has to go on the list of the most dramatic and exhilarating pop songs ever. Not shying away from controversy, "Dear God" begins as a child "reads" a letter to God, questioning his presence.
Then Andy Partridge comes in, and he performs the song as if it's a dramatic scene in a stage play. Listen to his rage and frustration build through the verses, the band creating this ever-increasing wall of sound behind him, to the point where you can barely stand to listen...you feel despair, loss of hope, everything...
...until the shattering climax.
And to those who may be offended...you haven't listened to it yet. You won't be offended if you check it out. He may be explaining his doubt about God, but he's speaking directly to Him, isn't he?
I'm not religious at all, and I still think this is one of the more spectacular singles ever recorded...and a tremendous finale to one of the great albums of our time.

I compared the new remaster to the earlier Geffen CD release, which revealed some interesting differences.

The peak levels on both versions are the same. The new remaster (Caroline Records CAR50690) sounds louder, so average levels are bumped up. This means a compression of dynamic range between soft and loud, i.e. the loudest sounds stay the same, but the softer sounds are increased in volume. I generally prefer less compression, but this album was somewhat compressed to begin with.

The remaster is more forward -- the vocals and guitars and keyboards stand out more. The sound is generally cleaner and the timbre is more natural in the midrange and high frequencies. Vocals, cymbals, guitar strums, and tinkly things sound more real.

On the other hand, the bass and drums have more impact on the original Geffen release, while the midrange and high frequencies are less prominent, and the detail is a little smeared. This is a disappointment, because I love Colin Moulding's bass work, and I don't think the remastered version does it justice.

Colin Moulding also wrote five songs on Skylarking, better than the two or three he'd get to do on some other XTC records. I think it lends more balance to the album, with less domination of Andy Partridge's sometimes strident vocals and Partridge's generally weirder -- but still fun -- songs.

Skylarking is a great pop album. I love what Todd Rundgren did with these songs, except that he tends to mix things to sound good on the radio, and that means his recordings may sound a little bland on better equipment. Oranges and Lemons, XTC's follow-up to Skylarking, is quirkier and more to my liking, but the songs and arrangements on Skylarking are top-drawer XTC. I'd have to say they peaked with these two mid-career albums.

Despite my reservations about dynamic range compression and the diminishing of the bass frequencies, this is a pleasant-sounding remaster. Does the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs remaster have the best of both worlds? I don't know. I haven't heard it. I'm tempted to track down a copy, though. This is music that deserves the best audio presentation.

A final point about the liner notes. All the lyrics are there, on the center two pages of the booklet. But print is so ridiculously small that you may need a magnifier to read them, even if you're not an 80-year old grandma. I'm nearsighted, and if I take off my glasses and plant the booklet about 8 inches from my eyes, I can barely make the words out. Normal CD-booklet text is small enough, but this is absurd. And inexcusable. Whomever is responsible for the graphic design of the booklet needs his or her head examined. What were they thinking?! It is a sign they just didn't care, but I for one believe lyrics are an important part of the album, and when you pay extra money to get the physical product, it should be properly designed with some useful amenities -- like lyrics, of course. The CD booklet of the original Geffen has the lyrics, and the print is moderately small, but not microscopic.

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.

Arguably, this is XTC's best. XTC has used Andy Partridge's "strictly studio" mentality quite to their advantage--listen to the way "Summer's Cauldron" and "Grass" bleed right into one another, as well as "Ballet for a Rainy Day" and "1000 Umbrellas." This is really an album that works as a whole and still allows us to enjoy the songs individually. I'm really torn between this album and The Big Express--although, there really is no sense in arguing over which XTC album is the best....

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 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'm sure listeners' response to this song will vary, but 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.

"Skylarking" may be XTC's finest hour. It's the most cohesive, consistent, and focused of all their albums. That it came so deep into their lengthy career is a testament to the band's resourcefulness and ability to continually challenge themselves. The songs form a beautiful, seamless, melodic tapestry that covers amazingly diverse territory, yet still sounds focused. Along with the Beach Boys' "Smile," Love's "Forever Changes," Echo & the Bunnymen's "Ocean Rain," Skylarking" is an awesome example of "baroque pop," and was also constructed as a loose song-cycle.

Partridge and Moulding are in top form, and this time Moulding scores more points than he'd managed on the last few albums with his lazy, lush "Grass," the hook-filled "Meeting Place," the moody, gorgeous "Big Day," and the spare, melancholy "Dying." Meanwhile Partridge conjures up some truly effective, moody storms, like the powerfully dramatic, all-string "1000 Umbrellas," and the brooding, beautiful classic "Dear God." Elsewhere, Partridge exudes a more playful side with the Beach Boys-influenced "Season Cycle," the catchy "Supergirl," and the upbeat "Earn Enough for Us." The emotional depth and sheer beauty of these songs is unparalleled. Take Partridge's embittered delivery on "1000 Umbrellas": you can totally feel his agony, as if you were the one to have just been unceremoniously dumped.

"Mermaid Smiled" was bumped off US pressings and replaced by "Dear God" when the latter became a surprise hit. "Dear God" is a polarizing tune (some diehards adamantly dismiss versions of "Skylarking" with "Dear God") but I quite like it and don't mind its presence on the record at all. However, "Mermaid Smiled" has to be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard: a lush, rich, manic, and surging rush that sends chills up my spine whenever I hear it. I would highly recommend finding a version that contains both "Dear God" and "Mermaid Smiled."

One complaint: Todd Rundgren's production is a bit plastic-y in places, especially on "Supergirl" and a few others, and I prefer the fuller, more organic sounds of "Mummer" and "English Settlement." Despite that, the guitars still sparkle and shimmer, while the string sections make for some deeply moving listening. "Skylarking's" songs are mostly top-notch, and sadly, XTC couldn't repeat the same level of quality on their next album, the flawed "Oranges and Lemons." It's a close call, but to me "Skylarking" just takes the lead over the rest of their output.

What a difference the crisp and clear sounds make when a record you've heard on vinyl is remastered to compact disc. Yes, the sounds of the needle digging down on the vinyl grooves are lacking, but for an album that has been played over and over, it is a pleasure to hear, for the first time, on cd. XTC's finest album, SKYLARKING, is by far their best effort.

XTC carries a Sgt. Pepper influence with a little new age and jazz on SKYLARKING. This is the type of album that when you hear more than five tracks, you know you've got a winner on your hands. Thanks to Todd Rungren's production and XTC's love for Sixties pop, there are more than enough songs on this album that hum a memorable tune, such as "Earn Enough For Us", "Season Cycle", and "That's Really Super, Supergirl." Also, there are songs that will soothe the soul, "Ballet For a Rainy Day", "Another Satellite", and "Mermaid Smiled."

When SKYLARKING was released back in 1986 there was a bit of controversy over the song "Dear God". The song and video was banned from being shown on television for a short period because it appeared to possess blasphemous lyrics. Despite the sign of the times, the flurry of evangelicalism during the 1980s, the song is now interesting to hear some twenty years later and why the censorship?

The only flaw about having the cd is the artwork and the printed lyrics for the album. Unfortunately, one needs a magnifying glass to read the exceptional songwriting of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding. Otherwise, enjoy these great tunes.

I can scarcely think of a more perfect album than "Skylarking".A song cycle of dazzling surety and shimmering imagery, XTC's masterpiece blew in like a summer wind in 1987, and to those who discovered it then, will always evoke some memory of that time, as if it were the summer love that got away; it has that kind of magic. Perfectly starting with chirping crickets and a mellow heatwave synth, "Summer's Cauldron" begins things. It is summer in music; just that. "Grass" continues the summer love affair, as Andy Partridge wryly sings of "things we used to do on grass". This sunny love continues with "Meeting Place", and then there is rain. First, as caressing as the summer sun in the lovely, lilting "Ballet For A Rainy Day', but next comes the deluge of "1000 Umbrellas". This is not weather as metaphor, it's simply the imagery of the natural, and it's the cruelty of love reflected in nature that is the simple core of these first songs. These reflect the organic beginnings of love, and Partridge and company weave them together so effortlessly, they seem to have always been there. "Season Cycle" only reinforces this. Then brilliantly the tone changes as the structure of modern life imposes itself on this garden. "Earn Enough For Us" kick starts this change with its bracing opening, and goes on to create a modern prayer of hope "at home, at work, and on the bus" that this now harried man in love can become the work-a-day husband he thinks he should be. The song's fear tinged optimism is real and endearing. Marriage follows with "Big Day", but then love begins to wane, however, and suffocation and sarcasm suffuse "Another Satellite". "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" is a jazzy rondelay of a man seeking freedom and then all of a sudden we're faced with God. "Dear God", of course, doesn't neatly fit in to this cycle; or does it? The very humanness that causes us to struggle with our inner demons in relationships translates quite naturally to an antipathy towards our maker. The rage of impotence in the face of cruelty, natural or unnatural, is the same rage, whether directed towards a failed love, or what we perceive as a failed God. Even without any cyclical connection, "Dear God" stands as an honest, heartwrenching rant that even a Christian, such as myself, can empathize with; anger at what we don't understand. "Dying" and "Sacrificial Bonfire" offer resignation to the fate of all nature and close "Skylarking" with a strange peace. Whether they realized it or not, XTC created something very special, and very rare with "Skylarking"; a complete, compelling and beautiful portrait of the human condition, warts and all. Once heard, you will never forget it.