NancyJohnson Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 I've been (un)fortunate enough to spend hours in the car schelpping to Cambridge and back for work. Decided to create a playlist of everything by XTC on Spotify and let it play in chronological order. I wasn't a fan of XTC at all, it's been a recent thing, sure I knew the singles, but that was about it. I'll tell you, listening to Colin Mouldings progress through the albums has been enlightening. From the quirky/angular stuff at the start to the smooth (and in parts Mick Karn-esque) stuff in the mid-section. The only damning endictment for me was that while musicianship got better and better, it was to the detriment of the songs. To my ears they peaked with Drums and Wires. Don't really know how to wind up this post, but I suppose if you've never given XTC a listen, do it! P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnaround Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Agree re Drums and Wires.......White Music less accessible but still love it. I lost interest with the latter records......Didn't CM use an Epiphone short scale bass of some sort? Dave Gregory is well known for his guitar collection I wonder what Colin played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) Colin Moulding used an Epiphone Newport & a Wal. I can only take their earlier stuff in small doses before it starts to irritate me. Skylarking, however, is one of my favourite albums ever. Edited March 10, 2016 by RhysP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Was livid when youtube started taken down some good versions of there songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Seen Colin using a range of basses over the years. The following spring to mind... Dennis Fano Custom, Epiphone Newport, Vox Apollo, Wal Pro Bass, Jazz Bass, Fender Musicmaster Bass, Rickenbacker, Ibanez Musician... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Yup, Ibanez Musician definately and fretless http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Fp-omNXCw Wal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amx5CK7vdoc Fendery looking plank http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH3IByibTpM Weird looking plank http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We2ORbOVFuw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 [quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1457627587' post='3000387'] Weird looking plank [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We2ORbOVFuw[/media] [/quote] That will be the Epiphone Newport mentioned earlier in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Thanks Big Red What an oddball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Adams Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 I like a lot of different music, and I'm a blues rocker at heart. But if you listen to XTC, and see how they evolved from punk to writing some of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard it's breathtaking and rather Beatles like 20 years on. Mere words cannot express how highly I rate XTC, both as musicians and writers. Kings for a Day? Naw, Kings for life. If you've got time, look on YouTube for Andy Partridge guitar lesson, (or similar). 2 separate 10 minute videos of some American guitat shredding magazine staff writer trying to talk on level terms with English Oddball AP, both hilarious and enlightening at the same time, also it shows AP as a gifted guitarist who plays odd things because he's odd, not because he hadn't learned properly like I suspected before I saw the videos. He ends the second video with paper across the strings by the bridge to mute them playing "Any Old Iron". I kid you not. In short, I love 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Add a Danelectro during the Helium Kids era http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xlH9eyyZ0M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 30 years on and CM still has the oddball Newport http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m46PUGCTV5I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1457600869' post='2999943'] while musicianship got better and better, it was to the detriment of the songs. To my ears they peaked with Drums and Wires. [/quote] You're in good company with that assessment. ...and as a consequence: not with me. Whilst "Making Plans for Nigel" got me interested, and D&W was the first album of theirs I bought, I do think they almost only got better through the years. I think even Apple Venus and Wasp Star are... erm... stellar, but to my ears, they probably peaked with Oranges & Lemons and with Nonsuch. Great band, at any rate. Love them to bits. [i][sub]Obligatory disclaimer: [/sub][/i] [i][sub]Venus is a planet.[/sub][/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Colin Moulding is a fantastic bass guitarist...I love XTC...and don't forget Dukes of Stratosphere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Cairobill, thou shalt spelle it "Stratosphear", or Our wrathe willest rayne upon thou! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) Argh my psychedelic spelle check clearly has the pox... ...a triv point about the Dukes is that Radiohead got Leckie in on the basis of the Dukes albums, not just the obvious stuff...awesome band... Edited March 10, 2016 by Cairobill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) As well as the other basses mentioned above, there's a YouTube clip somewhere of Colin Moulding playing a Hayman 40 40 as well.. Great band, quintessentially English/British and all the better for it IMO.. Edited March 11, 2016 by silverfoxnik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I had no idea that CM ever played a Ric (Trevor in post #5) - would love to know when that was, and what for...I think he had a good tone for good while. My peak for them would be 'Black Sea'/'English Settlement'. Think they were unstoppable around that time. Losing Terry Chambers on drums definitely changed the band - whist not, for me, as interesting, but they followed a different and still creatively interesting path.....fairplay to them for that. Nothing worse than bands making the same records time and time again. I was directed on here to Andy Partidge's Twitter page - it's informative, and I've since had a couple of exchanges with him. Directed him towards Fender Flatwounds for his P-bass, which he said he'd check out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1457711610' post='3001239'] I had no idea that CM ever played a Ric (Trevor in post #5) - would love to know when that was, and what for...I think he had a good tone for good while. [/quote] To be fair, I don't know if CM has ever [i][b]played[/b][/i] a Rick. I do know he's mimed with one... http://youtu.be/9t2j8NcVpW4 Probably my fave XTC track... Edited March 11, 2016 by TrevorR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Thanks Trev - mystery solved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 [quote name='cytania' timestamp='1457720125' post='3001347'] The crucial 3 albums; Skylarking Apple Venus Nonsuch Followed by; Wasp Star English Settlement Oranges and Lemons [/quote] Yeah, I'd pretty much agree with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Back in 2003 I went to see (ex Zappa guitarist) Mike Keneally play a solo show in a little club in Cardiff. During the first half I noticed a guy standing to one side of the small crowd who looked familiar. When the interval came I could contain my curiosity no longer and went up to the guy & said "Excuse me, are you Dave Gregory?" It was indeed. Had a brief chat to him about Skylarking as I'm a massive Todd Rundgren fan & I knew he was too. A really lovely bloke. He got up & played a few songs with Keneally at the end of his second set & he really is a bloody great guitarist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 [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] I'm pretty much in reverse of that! I'd start with 'English Settlement', and work backwards to 'White Music'. All pretty essential in my book....I think they got better and better with each release. ....but I reckon 'Black Sea' would just clinch it....'Living Through Another Cuba' is just sooooo good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorbass Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Go2 is one of my all time favourite albums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 [quote name='Cairobill' timestamp='1457636177' post='3000529'] Colin Moulding is a fantastic bass guitarist...I love XTC...and don't forget Dukes of Stratosphere! [/quote] That's right , 25 o'clock ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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