But, with the exception of Andy Partridge's ten-volume set of demo recordings, XTC hasn't released any new material since 2000. So, after putting Monstrance to the side, I figured that it would be time to remember why I loved XTC so much in the first place.
There are many good XTC albums and a few great ones; English Settlement fits very comfortably into the latter category. Produced and engineered by the legendary Hugh Padgham, the album marked a significant change of course for the band. Two years earlier, in 1980, they had released Black Sea, an album that merged their punk and new-wave styles. Now, for English Settlement, they scaled back the loud guitars and hiccuping vocals and replaced them with soft acoustics, electric 12-strings, and drums that seemed ready to take over the world. (Drummer Terry Chambers left the band after English Settlement, and this was a perfect note — no pun intented — for him to leave on.) From the psychedelic jangle that begins "Runaways" to the wintertime jingle that ends "Snowman," each song on this album is, simply, a masterpiece. Bass player Colin Moulding's contributions are the finest of his career; indeed, "Ball and Chain," the second cut on the first side, was one of English Settlement's early singles.
Despite Padgham's stellar production and the band's exceptional playing (see pretty much all of "Jason and the Argonauts" for an example of both), this album clearly belongs to lead singer and songwriter Andy Partridge. Although his songs on the band's previous efforts range from the stunning ("Complicated Game" and "Respectable Street") to the silly ("Sgt. Rock is Going to Help Me" and "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty"), English Settlement marks a significant breakthrough for both his music and his lyrics.
The biting social satire "No Thugs in Our House" fades into the airy, complicated "Yacht Dance." XTC fans will argue until the end of time about our favorite song on English Settlement, but my picks are both "Jason and the Argonauts" (seriously, go listen) and "All of a Sudden (It's Too Late)." (Yeah, I know it's a tie, but c'mon!) Both songs are perfect pieces of intelligent pop, each with a message and a melody unmatched by the output of most other songwriters of the era. As Dave and Andy weave lead guitar lines in and out, Colin keeps pace with the bass and Terry uses both acoustic and electric drums to create a foundation that is intriguing, unsettling, and absolutely perfect.
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Article comments
1 - Triniman
Excellent article.
XTC are one of my favorite bands. While it's a shame they never reached the global popularity that they should have, it's also nice that they remain a hidden gem for the serious pop fans to seek out and be rewarded with.
You never heard "Making Plans for Nigel" before "The Smartest Monkeys"?
2 - Reno Rambler
A nicely written piece on one of what I would consider to be the best albums that has ever been recorded. I've always wondered if Andy hadn't had that meltdown (or they had made better choices in singles) if they wouldn't be a household name and be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now. They deserve for the extraordinary output of quality material they've unleashed on the world. Regarding Monstrance, I don't believe it is a GREAT album. But it has some GREAT moments that make it worth the price of admission.
3 - Tom Johnson
I've always found it simultaneously humorous, frustrating, and insulting that just because you strongly dislike something by an artist (and a side-project in this case!) means that you aren't really a fan. Fine, then, I'm not a "real fan" and I don't want to be. I haven't bothered to buy Monstrance based on the clips available because, frankly, it sounded horrible. I was able to find a full song somewhere and it sounded just as your review describes - exactly what I don't want to hear, and I have a very open mind when it comes to music. Sorry, Andy, but this isn't good improv music, and I wish most rock musicians would stop doing this kind of stuff because 99% of them lack the chops to pull it off. Leave improv to the jazz guys, otherwise you end up looking like Spinal Tap Mark 2 performing their "jazz odyssey." But, I guess, don't tell the Chalkhills folks - they don't seem to take kindly to anything contrary.
Anyway, yes, English Settlement, one of my favorites! Glad to see another XTC fan around Blogcritics.