While Some Nonsuch Net Holds Me Aloft
The next step in our tour of XTC albums is Nonsuch, which has a special place in my heart, as it's the first XTC album I heard all the way through.
The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead - Andy has said he based this story on a jack o'lantern that he ended up nailing to a fence post or something. The song transfers this pumpkin into a Jesus-like figure, persecuted because he promotes peace and tells the truth. The name sounds like a combination of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Jack Pumpkinhead, which might well have been intentional. We know Andy Partridge has an interest in nursery rhymes and at least some level of familiarity with Oz.
My Bird Performs - Colin Moulding's first contribution to this album is...okay. Not a bad song, but hardly spectacular either.
Dear Madam Barnum - One of Andy's all-too-common songs about being cuckolded. He must have had some idea that his marriage was going wrong around this point. The songs pretty much always employ some interesting metaphors, though, and this time it's a circus theme, featuring producer Gus Dudgeon as the ringmaster.
Humble Daisy - I guess this is Andy's foray into the world of flower power, since it refers to a daisy being potentially more powerful than battleships and such. Sort of the same theme as "Beating of Hearts," I suppose, although with a totally different sort of sound.
The Smartest Monkeys - I've seen this song compared to the similarly-themed Phil Collins number "Another Day in Paradise," and the reviewer preferred Colin Moulding's blatantly sarcastic take on homelessness. I think I would have to agree.
The Disappointed - I believe this one was a single, and it deserved that status, even though I'm not sure mainstream radio was still playing XTC by the early nineties. Catchy tune, clever rhymes, and good metaphors.
Holly Up on Poppy - The last song ends with another immediate fade-in to the next song, and what a next song it is! It's about Andy's daughter Holly riding a rocking horse, and makes for a very pretty number.
Crocodile - I love the beginning of this song, and the rest isn't bad either. {g} It's another breakup song (I guess you can tell where Andy's mind was at the time), with the crocodile representing jealousy. Not a metaphor I've come across before, but it works. I've read that the sound of the crocodile is actually a sample of a grunting pig.
Rook - Pairing up two songs with animals in the title is a nice touch, and I quite like this song. I've also heard it's one of Andy's favorites, and that he broke out crying when recording the demo. It's basically about a recurring dream of a rook who holds the secrets of death. I appreciate the sing-song quality to the chorus.
Omnibus - A fun song containing some amusing erection metaphors. Kind of cheesy (and perhaps even offensive) when taken on their own, but they work within the context of the song.
That Wave - Not one of my favorites (hey, they can't ALL be favorites, can they?), but I like the ocean-evoking sound of the whole thing. I also have to say I'm intrigued by the concept of "morgasm," a term that reminds me of the French term for an orgasm literally translating to "little death." There's also apparently a drink called a Captain Morgasm. Or am I mishearing Andy's lyric? If so, I'm not the only one.
Then She Appeared - Andy first wrote and recorded this one as a fake track by some other band, but it was deemed good enough to be an XTC song. The lyrics are somewhat different between versions, but always show a good amount of Andy's skill with wordplay. "All Edward leered, then she appeared." Come on, you have to admit that's clever!
War Dance - A widely disliked song, and I can see why. I don't totally hate it, as it's kind of catchy, and I can't help thinking of the line "everyone wants a slice of the jingoistic cake" whenever I hear about jingoism. Still, definitely one of the lesser songs on the record.
Wrapped in Grey - This was originally a single, but Virgin pulled it after only a very small number had been pressed. This greatly upset Andy, who saw it as one of his best, and I can't disagree with him. It's a beautiful ode to creativity.
The Ugly Underneath - I like the arrangement of this one, going from noisy tongue-twisters in the verses to a soft chorus. Sort of the opposite of the quiet verse/loud chorus thing that the Pixies are sometimes credited with creating. I actually once quoted this song in a research paper for college, and it turned out that my professor was an XTC fan. Cool how that kind of thing sometimes works out, huh? There are elements to this song that remind me of Billy Joel's "The Stranger," although the XTC song is better.
Bungalow - Colin uses the same easy-listening sort of voice on this one that he would later put to good use on the Apple Venus records. I think the song is a bit overrated, but it is pretty.
Books Are Burning - The message is perhaps a bit trite (how many creative types do you think actually FAVOR book-burning?), but I appreciate the colorful way Andy makes his point. And the whole thing ends up with dueling guitar solos from Andy and Dave Gregory.
Looks like I still have the Apple Venus albums to cover, after which I'll probably take a break from this album-reviewing for a while. As much as I like the opportunity to listen to these albums again, trying to come up with something for every single song can get a bit tedious. Until next time, at the very least, you can stand up naked and grin.
The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead - Andy has said he based this story on a jack o'lantern that he ended up nailing to a fence post or something. The song transfers this pumpkin into a Jesus-like figure, persecuted because he promotes peace and tells the truth. The name sounds like a combination of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Jack Pumpkinhead, which might well have been intentional. We know Andy Partridge has an interest in nursery rhymes and at least some level of familiarity with Oz.
My Bird Performs - Colin Moulding's first contribution to this album is...okay. Not a bad song, but hardly spectacular either.
Dear Madam Barnum - One of Andy's all-too-common songs about being cuckolded. He must have had some idea that his marriage was going wrong around this point. The songs pretty much always employ some interesting metaphors, though, and this time it's a circus theme, featuring producer Gus Dudgeon as the ringmaster.
Humble Daisy - I guess this is Andy's foray into the world of flower power, since it refers to a daisy being potentially more powerful than battleships and such. Sort of the same theme as "Beating of Hearts," I suppose, although with a totally different sort of sound.
The Smartest Monkeys - I've seen this song compared to the similarly-themed Phil Collins number "Another Day in Paradise," and the reviewer preferred Colin Moulding's blatantly sarcastic take on homelessness. I think I would have to agree.
The Disappointed - I believe this one was a single, and it deserved that status, even though I'm not sure mainstream radio was still playing XTC by the early nineties. Catchy tune, clever rhymes, and good metaphors.
Holly Up on Poppy - The last song ends with another immediate fade-in to the next song, and what a next song it is! It's about Andy's daughter Holly riding a rocking horse, and makes for a very pretty number.
Crocodile - I love the beginning of this song, and the rest isn't bad either. {g} It's another breakup song (I guess you can tell where Andy's mind was at the time), with the crocodile representing jealousy. Not a metaphor I've come across before, but it works. I've read that the sound of the crocodile is actually a sample of a grunting pig.
Rook - Pairing up two songs with animals in the title is a nice touch, and I quite like this song. I've also heard it's one of Andy's favorites, and that he broke out crying when recording the demo. It's basically about a recurring dream of a rook who holds the secrets of death. I appreciate the sing-song quality to the chorus.
Omnibus - A fun song containing some amusing erection metaphors. Kind of cheesy (and perhaps even offensive) when taken on their own, but they work within the context of the song.
That Wave - Not one of my favorites (hey, they can't ALL be favorites, can they?), but I like the ocean-evoking sound of the whole thing. I also have to say I'm intrigued by the concept of "morgasm," a term that reminds me of the French term for an orgasm literally translating to "little death." There's also apparently a drink called a Captain Morgasm. Or am I mishearing Andy's lyric? If so, I'm not the only one.
Then She Appeared - Andy first wrote and recorded this one as a fake track by some other band, but it was deemed good enough to be an XTC song. The lyrics are somewhat different between versions, but always show a good amount of Andy's skill with wordplay. "All Edward leered, then she appeared." Come on, you have to admit that's clever!
War Dance - A widely disliked song, and I can see why. I don't totally hate it, as it's kind of catchy, and I can't help thinking of the line "everyone wants a slice of the jingoistic cake" whenever I hear about jingoism. Still, definitely one of the lesser songs on the record.
Wrapped in Grey - This was originally a single, but Virgin pulled it after only a very small number had been pressed. This greatly upset Andy, who saw it as one of his best, and I can't disagree with him. It's a beautiful ode to creativity.
The Ugly Underneath - I like the arrangement of this one, going from noisy tongue-twisters in the verses to a soft chorus. Sort of the opposite of the quiet verse/loud chorus thing that the Pixies are sometimes credited with creating. I actually once quoted this song in a research paper for college, and it turned out that my professor was an XTC fan. Cool how that kind of thing sometimes works out, huh? There are elements to this song that remind me of Billy Joel's "The Stranger," although the XTC song is better.
Bungalow - Colin uses the same easy-listening sort of voice on this one that he would later put to good use on the Apple Venus records. I think the song is a bit overrated, but it is pretty.
Books Are Burning - The message is perhaps a bit trite (how many creative types do you think actually FAVOR book-burning?), but I appreciate the colorful way Andy makes his point. And the whole thing ends up with dueling guitar solos from Andy and Dave Gregory.
Looks like I still have the Apple Venus albums to cover, after which I'll probably take a break from this album-reviewing for a while. As much as I like the opportunity to listen to these albums again, trying to come up with something for every single song can get a bit tedious. Until next time, at the very least, you can stand up naked and grin.