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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nonsuch, September 6, 2005
A whopping 17 songs on this effort, which would be XTC's last album for many years. It's a mature, well rounded work that combines the lush, orchestrated pop of "Skylarking" with the bright, bubblegum psychedelia of "Oranges & Lemons". Thus, more Beatlesque bliss for XTC.
Both Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding wear their influences on their sleeves big time; Lennon, McCartney, Wilson, Davies, even Burt Bacharach.
"Then She Appeared" is a major standout with spot-on Beach Boys-like harmonies, shimmering guitar lines, and all the like. A sunny, upbeat pop masterpiece. And it wasn't even released as a single!
Also pop perfect is "The Disappointed" which sounds like XTC doing Tears for Fears doing The Beatles. This album showcases a band who can obviously write beautiful hooks and melodies in their sleep at this point.
Partridge is also a great storyteller; witness "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead", a more guitar driven pop/rocker. Is it about JFK? Jesus? An actual pumpkin? Total lyrical mastery. The wonderful "Holly Up On Poppy" musically combines brooding psychedelia with bouncy pop in yet another wonderful song. Also worth noting is "Dear Madam Barnum", another guitar-driven pop number with great lyrics. Who writes lyrics this clever anymore? He really is one of the most gifted songwriters of all time..his wit even puts some of his idols to shame at time.
Partridge reaches a new level of sophistication on songs like "Rook" and "Wrapped in Grey". The former is a cryptic, downbeat piano-led poem (of sorts) which Partridge said reduced him to tears when he wrote it (as it just came out of nowhere). The latter showcases that Bacharach influence I eluded to before (as well as a heavy dose of Brian Wilson); like "Rook", it's also a piano/string section led chamber pop number. This one alternates from somber verses to a cheery, celebratory chorus. Both are among Partridge's best compositions.
Colin Moulding also turns in his most musically mature composition to date with "Bungalow"; The song travels from a cheesy organ-laden intro to rich, lush piano passages. It sounds like some long lost Tin Pan Alley classic.
Mouldings other tunes are also very good. "Smartest Monkeys" travels down a cliched lyrical path, but the music is strong and catchy. And Dave Gregory turns in an awesome solo (which sounds like a processed guitar, but is actually a synth I believe). "My Bird Performs" is sublime, and features some nice trumpet work.
Other album highlights include the lush, psychedelic "Humble Daisy" (think Lennon meets Brian Wilson), the tense "That Wave", the celebratory "Omnibus" (which sounds like something out of a musical), and the closer "Books Are Burning", a mid-tempo masterpiece which makes a common chord progression sound fresh.
XTC are so good at making sophisticated, smart pop music that it's depressing. Why? Because I can't find many other bands who can equal them. It's a shame that very few people have even heard of them.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievably rich and entertaining, October 8, 1998
I really can't find enough superlatives to describe this album. When so many groups seem to exhaust their creative abilities in one album, Partidge and Moulding continue to grow as songwriters, producing better melodies, arrangements and lyrics with every record.XTC started as a sort of punk band with "White Noise" but rapidly evolved into one of the best exponants of the melodic British Pop tradition that seems to have started with the Beatles and continues on through groups like 10CC, Squeeze and a few others. Nonesuch has an amazing range of styles, from the hard-rocking Peter Pumkinhead to the lyrical "My Bird Performs" and the dark "Rook". There's fiercely biting social commentary in "The Smartest Monkeys", traditional English ballad in "Wrapped in Grey" and many other delights. The more I listen to Nonesuch, the more I become absolutely enchanted with it. Certainly one my desert island albums, and maybe, just maybe the finest British Pop album ever.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most underappreciated album of the decade..., July 7, 1998
If you love rich lyrics, challenging yet sweeping arrangements, complex and addicting melodies, then look no further to this 1992 album of XTCs last work before they went on strike. From songs of loss to social jabs XTC lose none of their thrust and power, and wrap it all in the tastiest coating imaginable in the recording arts. Marvel at the production (drum sound on Peter Pumpkinhead), tremble at the intimacy (crawl inside Rook if you dare), air guitar along (Books are Burning, Smartest Monkeys), but you will love this album. And at under $7, what the heck have you got to lose? Listen to the piss and pathos of Andy's singing and let the magical XTC lift your spirit up and fire a few shots into your soul... you won't come away the same.
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