Colin Moulding and XTC generally...

[NancyJohnson]

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

[Turnaround]

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.

[RhysP]

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

[Twincam]

Was livid when youtube started taken down some good versions of there songs.

[TrevorR]

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...

[fleabag]

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

[BigRedX]

[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.

[fleabag]

Thanks Big Red

What an oddball

[Phil Adams]

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.

[fleabag]

Add a Danelectro during the Helium Kids era

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xlH9eyyZ0M

[fleabag]

30 years on and CM still has the oddball Newport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m46PUGCTV5I

[BassTractor]

[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]

[Cairobill]

Colin Moulding is a fantastic bass guitarist...I love XTC...and don't forget Dukes of Stratosphere!

[BassTractor]

Cairobill, thou shalt spelle it "Stratosphear", or Our wrathe willest rayne upon thou!

[Cairobill]

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

[silverfoxnik]

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

[spongebob]

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!

[TrevorR]

[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

[spongebob]

Thanks Trev - mystery solved!

[cytania]

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 😀

[RhysP]

[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.

[RhysP]

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.

[spongebob]

[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.

[doctorbass]

Go2 is one of my all time favourite albums

[lojo]

[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 !