Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)

XTC

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 23, 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Tvt
• ASIN: B00004SWHU
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,378 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2000
Who's the Brian Wilson of tomorrow? If this elector's vote counts, it'll be XTC's Andy Partridge, whose studio genius and crafty pop prowess is unparalleled over a career spanning four decades and 13 studio albums (XTC even does an impressive Beach Boys impression as their alter egos, the Dukes of Stratosphear). Wasp Star: Apple Venus, Vol. 2 does the first volume one better, adding XTC's penchant for perplexing pop to their gorgeous pastoral inclinations. --Tod Nelson

Product Description
'Wasp Star' is the eclectic follow up to the critically acclaimed 'Apple Venus Volume 1', featuring the return to the incisive guitar pop that made XTC legends. 2000 TVT release.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Andy's finally happy - aren't you?, May 26, 2000

By	Alaina K. Graves (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Anyone who would have the Uffington Horse (English Settlement cover art) tattooed over her heart has to be some kind of demented, rabid, XTC fan. (not to mention that I've a HUGE crush on the retiring Mr. Partridge.) You're right. But, that doesn't mean that I give every XTC album glowing praise. I personally was never all that happy with Nonsuch, though it had its moments. Wasp Star fills a spot left empty since the Oranges and Lemons days. Andy's happy again, and the music shows it in tracks like "We're All Light" and "My Brown Guitar". And who could miss his joy in "Stupidly Happy"? I found myself cranking up the volume up and singing along, almost in spite of myself, especially to "The Man Who Murdered Love". After one listen, I'm hooked - literally. The songs won't get out of my head! Colin's "In Another Life" is one of the sweetest spots of the album, and one of the most touching, as he tries to cheer his wife. Who could resist? What do you say - let's turn on the CD player, push play and get stupidly happy together. You'll be glad you did.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars XTC inspires with Wasp Star, June 17, 2000

By	Scott Wheatley (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

It's inspiring that a couple guys in their mid-40s can deliver material that lives up to the consistent quality of their career, spanning a dozen or so albums going back over 20 years. Though Wasp Star is laden with many excellent songs, I'd give this album 4 stars in the context of XTC's catalog, but I gave it 5 stars since it far outshines must of the pop/rock out there these days. (Of course I'm a biased life-long XTC fan.) My fave tunes after a few listens are "Playground", "Standing in for Joe","We're All Light", "You and the Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful" and "Wheel and the Maypole".

The main criticism I have is that most of this material is really nothing new for XTC, nothing they haven't done before, musically or lyrically, except now they've got their production & arrangement technique down to a fine art, not over-producing like they've sometimes done on albums like Orange & Lemons or Nonesuch. To be fair, at least Colin's three songs here show a new songwriting direction for him.

I'd rate their last year's album Apple Venus 1 better over all, simply because of the more expiremental, more acoustic canvas they were working on, and so confidently.

As for the departure of guitarist Dave Gregory, he doesn't seem to be missed all that much, surprisingly. In fact, Andy's "looser" guitar style makes the music feel more spontaneous and not so anal, not like every single note and nuance had been worked out. However, I did read where Dave Gregory said that if they'd put Apple Venus 1 and 2 (Wasp Star) together into one album, as he'd wanted, and left out the weaker songs, that it would have been "XTC's finest hour." That very well may be true, but then, who can blame the boys for wanting to put out two albums in succession, after having to wait 7-odd years to get out of their stinky Virgin Records contract.

The bottom line is that I know I can rely on a consistently high quality of music coming from these guys for the next couple decades. And that's inspiring.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must buy this now, May 25, 2000

By A Customer

"Wasp Star" is XTC's most direct and accessible work yet, but don't let those crunchy guitars and booming drums fool you -- this is anything but a "simple" record. These songs bear repeated listening. I know, because I've been pushing "repeat" on my CD player ever since I bought it. The production on this album is astounding -- from the stomping-on-the-floor percussion in "In Another Life" to the theremin flourishes in "We're All Light" to the magnificent harmony vocals everywhere (the vocals on this album are enough to make Brian Wilson bury his head in the sandbox and weep) -- "Wasp Star" is one of those rare albums that sounds just as good blasting out of your car stereo as it does while lying on your back on the living room rug with the headphones clamped on.

Most bands reach their creative peak around album number three, but somehow XTC managed to put out a record as good as anything they've ever done some twenty-odd years into their career. For that, they deserve a room in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a spot on Hollywood Blvd., a VH-1 "Behind the Music" special, and their own line of action figures.

Noel Gallagher just quit the Oasis tour, and I think I know why: he heard "Wasp Star" and realized how much work he has to do.