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: #7694 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-11
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Less than the sum of its parts
I was keen to listen to this well reviewed record, having been a big fan of XTC from their earliest singles although I hadn't heard anything since English Settlement. I was left a bit underwhelmed. As always the songwriting is above average, notably Andy Partridge's songs, but despite the Eleanor Rigby like `1,000 Umbrellas`, some interesting forays into a range of styles, and the impassioned 'Dear God', the record doesn't seem to have a coherent feel and direction, and is a bit bland. The standout track to me is one of the simplest- `Earn Enough For Us` a great Rickenbacker style belter about low earners. On the whole listening to this made me realise that XTC, always a band with a refined pop sensibility, benefitted from having to squeeze that into the slightly more acerbic new wave style, of their first three records.

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.