Best XTC album for beginners

[M-K]

Skylarking!

I'm quite nosy how the Atmos mix (released this Friday) will sound.

 

[Kenneth Burns]

My intro was the "Senses Working Overtime" video on MTV ca. 1982. I was 11. It thrilled me. That was the brief early period when MTV played lots of British post-punk. I didn't buy any XTC music then, but I always remembered the clip.

A few years later, in ninth grade, I picked up "Mummer" on vinyl in a used record store. I was hooked. Why did I choose "Mummer"? No idea. Probably I liked the cover, and maybe I'd heard "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" on college radio. (Thank you, Vanderbilt's WRVU.)

"Skylarking" came out not long after that and I was enchanted. I snapped up everything XTC that I could. Still have several of those cool 12" singles.

 

[JediJoker]

That leaves "Drums and Wires" and "Black Sea." On "Black Sea" we see signs of the ambitious concepts to come, so it's tempting. But in the end I choose "Drums and Wires." There's something really pure about it, the songcraft, the lingering punk energy, the spare production. It's a wonderful collection of tunes and great place to start.

Plus, "Making Plans For Nigel" is one of the few songs an uninitiated XTC listener might be familiar with, or at least recognize.

And to that point, I'd actually recommend starting with the compilation Fossil Fuel. It collects all the singles from the band's formation through the Nonsuch era, providing an excellent overview of the diverse styles and evolution of their music. It was my self-imposed introduction to XTC once the Steven Wilson remixes were announced, and it immediately turned me into big fan.

If it must be an album proper, after having thoroughly digested all the albums Wilson has remixed save for The Big Express, my choice would be Black Sea. It rocks hard from the start and mostly throughout, remains fairly accessible till the closing track, and is more sophisticated than Drums and Wires but is still chock full of catchy tunes: "Respectable Street," "Generals and Majors," "Love At First Sight," "Towers of London," "Burning With Optimism's Flames," "Sgt. Rock Is Going To Help Me..." No wonder it spawned more singles than any other XTC album with five out of its eleven tracks. Of the albums I've heard, it's tied with Skylarking as my favorite. And as a bonus, the cover art is fun to look at:

 

[Albert Dagger]

Plus, "Making Plans For Nigel" is one of the few songs an uninitiated XTC listener might be familiar with, or at least recognize.

And to that point, I'd actually recommend starting with the compilation Fossil Fuel. It collects all the singles from the band's formation through the Nonsuch era, providing an excellent overview of the diverse styles and evolution of their music. It was my self-imposed introduction to XTC once the Steven Wilson remixes were announced, and it immediately turned me into big fan.

I agree. Starting with a compilation might be the best choice since it's difficult to predict which song will eventually lead to that 'click' in your mind. I remember listening to In the Court of the Crimson King many years ago, but I didn't like it. Then, I tried Discipline a few years later, and it clicked. Now KC is my favourite band ever. I know every detail of the studio albums, as well as many live performances, but this would have never happened without starting with the right album (right for me).