825. XTC--Oranges and Lemons (1989: #44) (3)

825. XTC--Oranges and Lemons (1989: #44) (3)

1. Garden of Earthly Delights (?) (2)
2. Mayor of Simpleton (7+)
3. King for a Day (7)
4. Here Comes President Kill Again (?) (2)
5. The Loving (?) (2)
6. Poor Skeleton Steps Out (?) (2)
7. One of the Millions (?) (2)
8. Scarecrow People (?) (2)
9. Merely a Man (?) (3)
10. Cynical Days (?) (2)
11. Across This Antheap (?) (2)
12. Hold Me My Daddy (?) (2)
13. Pink Thing (?) (2)
14. Miniature Sun (?) (2)
15. Chalkhills and Children (?) (3+) (Beach-Boyesque)

REVIEW: A couple of nice songs (Mayor, King) surrounded by the quirky, Beatle-influenced sounds of XTC. I give it a 3.

ED'S TAKE:

XTC - ORANGES AND LEMONS

1. Garden of Earthly Delights +++9
2. Mayor of Simpleton +++9
3. King for A day +++9
4. Here Comes President Kill Again +++8
5. The Loving +++8
6. Poor Skeleton Steps Out +++9
7. One of the Millions +++10
8. Scarecrow People +++9
9. Merely a Man +++9
10. Cynical Days +++8
11. Across the Antheap +++9
12. Hold Me My Daddy +++9
13. Pink Thing +++9
14. Miniature Sun +++8
15. Chalkhills and Children +++10

OVERALL RATING: 9

DISCUSSION: At the risk of sounding like I have a never ending list of favorites, I DO have great love for the pop sensibility of XTC and have collected their works since 1978's "White Music". This one, 1989, may have suffered a bit of initial downgrading because I was so in love with the one before it, "Skylarking" (1986), that I didn't give it its due. When one listens to XTC, the word that comes to mind is "catchy".....actually "catchy" and "intelligent". One thing I remember that was interesting to me. In watching/listening to the great post-punk film, "Urgh" (and who, may I ask, of my friends, borrowed "Urgh" and never returned it. I asked every possible lendee and everyone of you shrugged as if you never heard of it. I've been trying to replace it ever since but it is a bit on the expensive side and you know how frugile I try to be with such things.)....anyway, on "Urgh", XTC appears and does one of their great songs, "This Is Pop?" from that first album and it sounded so much "edgier" in approach than on the album. I wonder. Clearly, some groups either don't seem to be able to convey their edge on record or don't want to. The recording process seems to round off their edges somehow. Anway, I'm not complaining. I love XTC's "catchiness and intelligence" and never wanted them to keep repeating "Skylarking" anyway, as good as it was.