Product Description

Though borne out of frustrating circumstances, SKYLARKING proved, upon its 1986 release, to be XTC's biggest seller. Attention was spurred along by "Dear God", which was originally issued only as a B-side and not even included on the album. Subsequent pressings quickly substituted the song (removing "Mermaid Smiled", which resurfaced on RAG & BONE BUFFET). At the time, Andy Partridge was extremely vocal about the band's dissatisfaction in working with producer Todd Rundgren.Intervening years have softened the memory of personal clashes and he now also embraces this as one of their finest hours (as had been the case with most of their fans all along).With hooks galore ("That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Season Cycle"), lush orchestrations ("1000 Umbrellas"), acoustic reveries ("Grass", "Sacrificial Bonfire"), and even some bigfat electric guitars and drums ("Earn Enough For Us"), thisis a perfect starting point for anyone unfamiliar with the fine XTC catalogue.

Track Listing

1. Summer's Cauldron
2. Grass
3. Meeting Place
4. That's Really Super Supergirl
5. Ballet For A Rainy Day
6. 1000 Umbrellas
7. Season Cycle
8. Earn Enough For Us
9. Big Day
10. Another Satellite
11. Mermaid Smiled
12. Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
13. Dying
14. Sacrificial Bonfire
15. Dear God

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39520 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-11
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Absolute Classic
I cannot really add much to the previous reviews accept to say that Skylarking is amazing album. Andy Partridge and Co obviously have a very good taste in music as the influence of the Beach Boys and the Beatles is very apparent in this album, which has to be XTC's finest. If this album is news to you, it is basically orchestrated pastoral psychedelia, and is very strong in the melody department. On a final note i generally don't buy albums made in the 80's (they have a clinical air about them which hasen't really gone out of pop music since, but that's another argument for another day....)but this in an exception. A must for fans of 'nice' music.

The General Public miss out again.......
It never ceases to amaze me how few people actually know XTC's music. They really are the greatest band that never were.
This is a really top,top album but, as with all XTC music, it is probably a bit too clever to be appreciated by the masses. The track 'That's really super Supergirl' is an example of this. The lyrics are brilliantly written about a guy who is losing the woman he loves and is powerless to do anything about it.
I suppose the conclusion I come to is that the public don't want to think about their music - shame, because with this band they have really missed out.

Hayley Loves This Too.........
It's late on a Saturday night, and my 11 year old daughter Hayley wants to tell you exactly why should this buy this beautiful album. Take it away Hayley........

wow theirs a lot to say about this ablum were should i start, i have to say my favourite song on the album is possbley Earn enough for us and Meeting place i think them to song are the best, but i wouldn't not give the whole album a miss i like all the songs it just them two i think are cool. In the album some of the songs are joined togther like the firsts song plays and it goes dircertey in to the second song i think that's very clever. how i got in to XTC is weird, my dad got this book called 1001 albums you should hear before you die and it had XTC in it their was two of the XCT albums in their, thier was skylarking and the reading on that was fantastic and their was apple venus witch had a really good coment to it, so my dad got apple venus and i listened to it and i said do XTC do any more albums and he said yes so i have listen to a couple of their albums but skylarking hits the top on my list of 1 to 10 and if you dont like or listen or buy skylarking than theirs no point buying the rest of the XTC albums!!

And because skylarking is the BEST I GIVE IT A 5 RATING!!

So there you go - a genuine untampered with review from Hayley. I want to review this album myself so badly, but I would trip up on the superlatives. It is a recording of very great beauty, and if an 11 year old feels moved to review, then that is surely to it's favour, 20 or more years after the original release. Listen, Learn And Love.