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Colin Moulding and XTC generally...


NancyJohnson
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Precious few mentions of 'Black Sea'... an album I can listen to endlessly. Apple Venus, Wasp Star, Drums & Wires, Go 2 are all brilliant as well. English Settlement doesn't do it for me however, apart from the wonderful 'Senses Working Overtime'. Nonsuch is worth it for 'The Disappointed' on its own, as is Skylarking for 'Earn Enough For Us'. If I feel a little uninspired, I just have to listen to the bass line on "I'd Like That' from Apple Venus to perk myself up. The man's a genius.

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  • 2 months later...

XTC are one of my favourite bands and Moulding remains one of the best bassists I have ever heard. It is sad to think that because of his commitment to XTC - who were pretty much dormant at the time, due to their 7 year recording strike - he turned down the chance to play bass with Pink Floyd, which would have got his talent worldwide exposure, have put some money in his pocket instead of working for a car hire firm recovering hire cars (and possibly have done XTC a world of good too).

As for which period of XTC is 'the best', everybody will think differently. I got into them early on as soon as I heard 'Dance Band' and have appreciated them more and more as time went on. I think they have improved the longer they have been together. The album tracks on White Music Go2 never grabbed me as much as the singles, but when Dave Gregory came in, they became much more my kind of band. Now THERE is an unsung hero.

I think those three together were a band with utterly incredible potential.

Edited by 12stringbassist
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[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1465454332' post='3068279']
I was watching the Rockpalast show on YouTube last night...suprised to see how many of my preferred tracks were sung by Colin Moulding.
[/quote]

In terms of songwriting balance, Andy Partridge was Lennon/McCartney and Colon Moulding was Harrison!

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[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1465454332' post='3068279']
I was watching the Rockpalast show on YouTube last night...suprised to see how many of my preferred tracks were sung by Colin Moulding.
[/quote]

Took me by surprise too, when I finally discovered it after decades.

For a gig in Holland that's on some vid site, IMS they took turns: two songs each and then swapping. This went on for most or all of the gig.
Maybe they always did that, but I've never seen them live.

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[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1465457895' post='3068311']
In terms of songwriting balance, Andy Partridge was Lennon/McCartney and Colon Moulding was Harrison!
[/quote]

For dramatic effect, and to make this sentence better literature, just ditch the word "and", and use a semicolon instead:
[i]In terms of songwriting balance, Andy Partridge was Lennon/McCartney; Semicolon Moulding was Harrison![/i]
[i] ;)[/i]


Great notion!
...as in: I liked it.

Edited by BassTractor
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[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1465460718' post='3068339']
For dramatic effect, and to make this sentence better literature, just ditch the word "and", and use a semicolon instead:
[i]In terms of songwriting balance, Andy Partridge was Lennon/McCartney; Semicolon Moulding was Harrison![/i]
[i] ;)[/i]


Great notion!
...as in: I liked it.
[/quote]

Oops... I'll leave my post unedited for, er, posteriority.

(Isn't colon moulding an alternative therapy beloved by the likes of Gwyneth Galtrow?)

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One oft all time favourite band. I've been a fan from White Noise,and seeing them on TV doing Statue of Liberty, which we used to cover in one of my first school bands, probably very badly, to Apple Venus. I still have my vinyl copy of Go2 complete with Moulding's Street Plan of Swindon.

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[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1457720125' post='3001347']
The crucial 3 albums;
Skylarking
Apple Venus
Nonsuch

Followed by;
Wasp Star
English Settlement
Oranges and Lemons

Such a good group, I even have a soft spot for Mummer
[/quote]
[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1457720842' post='3001352']
Yeah, I'd pretty much agree with that.
[/quote]

As my knowledge of XTC lacks greatly, I was about to ask where I should start when it comes to listening pleasure and I am very pleased to see the question was answered before I asked! Spotify Playlist coming up ha ha!!

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1465832266' post='3071387']
Spotify Playlist coming up ha ha!!
[/quote]

While a few people here have suggested their favoured albums, I'd advocate putting a playlist together of everything in release order and just listen to the band evolve. You'll find your favourite period.

I'm a member of a closed member online blog...the guy who runs it is a huge XTC fan and he's been posting some rare stuff (ie the BBC/Transistor Blast 4CD and a bunch of great live shows). If anything, it all makes me wish it was 1980 again. Why did I waste so much time following Kiss in my teens and not homegrown stuff?

Sigh.

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  • 1 year later...

I'd forgotten about this thread. A year on, I'm still going through a big XTC phase; that I need to do periodic three hour car drives just gives me the opportunity to dial up a playlist and let it go.

For the fanboys out there, the XTC documentary, 'This Is Pop' airs on Sky Arts on 7/10/17. Maybe they'll do the right thing and give the band the credit it deserves and show some other stuff around it too, there has to be a ton of live footage.

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There are lots of nice shots of the Epi bass in this video of him playing with Anton Barbeau. I filled his shoes with Anton earlier this year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iZqZg0d_Q4

edit: looks like a Dimarzio Model one in the middle position has been added.

Edited by MoonBassAlpha
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  • 1 month later...

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