Music Review: The Fuzzy Warbles Collectors Album - Andy Partridge
Published September 30, 2006
The question remains though who is going to want to buy a nine CD box set of material from the lead songwriter for a group that was only ever really marginally successful in North America. The songs are fascinating enough to listen too, hearing the ones you know without the accompaniment that your expecting, or even listening to the songs that were never released. But there is only so much of that one person really wants to or needs to listen to.
Perhaps there are musicians and guitar players out there who this will appeal to, because of the insights it gives into the creative process that one of the great songwriters of the late twentieth century went through to make his finely crafted songs. I'm sure there are fanatical XTC fans out there who will also consider this package indispensable and be willing to fork out whatever money is requested for it, but I can't really see this appealing to just the general run of the mill fan.
To be perfectly blunt about the whole matter, you're looking at nine discs of demo tapes, and no matter how amazing the person is they aren't going to be the most interesting music to come down the pipe. There's no denying Andy Partridge's brilliance as a songwriter, but since all these discs have already come out independently of each other save the one nine-song add in, I'd think a person would be better off choosing among those titles already published with the tracks on them they are interested in, than investing in this whole kit and caboodle.
XTC was one of the premier pop bands of the late 1970's early 1980's. If you really want to listen to some of their music why not pick up an album from that era. The Fuzzy Warbles Collectors Album is likely to interest only either the serious musician or the aficionado of all things XTC. The rest of us will be perfectly content humming along to "Making Plans For Nigel" again.
Richard Marcus is a long-haired Canadian iconoclast who writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees it at Leap In The Dark and Epic India Magazine.
- Music Review: The Fuzzy Warbles Collectors Album - Andy Partridge
- Published: September 30, 2006
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Adult Alternative, Music: Alternative Rock, Music: Indie Rock, Music: New Wave, Music: Pop, Review
- Writer: Richard Marcus
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Comments on this articleComments
I bought a copy of "Black Sea" last year, and it it still as fresh, new, and brilliantly produced as I remember it being. No slam on bands like Kaiser Chiefs or Franz Ferdinand, but I hope they acknowledge XTC's obvious on their sound.
Personally, I liked the songs Colin Moulding sang more than Andy Partridge, but their is no deny Andy's songwriting ability.
To point out an innaccuracy, only FW 1 through 6 have been previously released. Vols. 7 and 8 plus the Hinges CD are brand new.
Huge XTC fan myself, I have all of their cd catalog already. Something like this though, definitely appeals to the collector in me...keep this mint "just because" and continue to listen to the 'regular' recordings as always.
Richard - Since you've had the chance to listen to all the disks, could you give us some insight into the best of the 9 to buy or maybe the top 10 songs (in your opinion) that would be worth getting when this all gets on iTunes (the Ape site says it's already up but I can't find it). That would be very helpful. Thanks.
Patrick
I hate to disapoint you but that was a while ago and I only had time to go through the whole package once. I couldn't sit down and give you a list like you ask for without listening to the whole kit and kaboodle at least three more times.
Since the only way I can listen to them is on a tinny cdrom on my laptop - I received MP3s of the set not the actual set electronic media didn't rate getting the actual goods- I'm not really inclined to do that.
What I would suggest, especially since you have the options of downloading through I-Tunes for your I-pods is take the songs you know first of all, maybe a couple from each album, to get an idea of what it is exactly your getting.
I don't know if I-Tunes will differentiate between which are previously unreleased and which are demos etc (you can check the ape records web site for that sort of info if I-Tunes doesn't provide it) but check out the stuff you won't be able to find anywhere else as well -"Hinges" for example might be one to completly download because it won't ever be released alone.
I do reccomend going to the site and reading Andy's comments about home recording. His stories are great, and it will give you a lot of insight into how he developed the sound that XTC was and is still famous for.
Sorry I can't be anymore help Patrick, but good luck with it.
Richard
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I love XTC! A few years ago they came out with a brilliant "comeback" album, Apple Venus Vol. 1, and they did release one follow up, Vol. 2. While only a studio project and with only two members left in the band, I still look forward to new material from them, but I don't know if I'm going to shell out the money for this boxed set. I know they didn't tour much after Partridge had stage fright, or something like that, but I wish they could find some tapes of old concerts for release.