REVIEW: XTC – English Settlement (Virgin)
At the time of writing I am going through a massive XTC adoration period. I have had a few of their records in my possession for what must have been years but never gave them much play time. Then I recently purchased a pair of speakers that really does this band the justice they deserve. None of the bands records are instant favourites, they take time to love but English Settlement in particular being a double was a bit of a mental place for me to start, being a double album. But would you believe that from all the band’s output (up to 1992 anyway) this record is currently the one that just makes my day when those oddball Andy Partridge vocals begin.
He has such an unusual and distinctive voice. At places he sounds quite thuggish in his delivery such as on tracks like Knuckle Down and Ball and Chain, which is crazily at odds with the way he looks and his proper English speaking tones. He also possesses the clever vocal ticks that separate great singers from good, he is not afraid to stretch syllables for overly long periods simply for no other reason except to sound nice, Yacht Dance is particularly guilty of this trait but it makes the song stronger rather than detracting from it.
Add to this lots of woe’s and oooh’s and you would this that the guy is targeting a teen market. But why would a teen be interested in Swindon’s ridiculous and terrifying Magic Roundabout and potential traffic death trap? English Roundabout justifies its inclusion on here not because it’s an oddball lyrical theme but because it’s so damn clever. The guitars are terribly busy and the “round and round and round” ending is an accurate lyrical description that invites the listener to travel the gauntlet with the band. Anyone who has experienced the roundabout knows exactly what I mean. The only time I have felt more threatened by a traffic system was driving endlessly around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as a child. Nuts.
As with all classic albums there is no filler and every song is memorable, from the hit single Senses Working Overtime to the thumping drums that puncture Leisure and No Thugs In Our House. In fact the only part of the album that disappoints me is the fade in intro of the first track, Runaway. It’s such a wimpy entrance for a great record. Why work on a record so hard only to announce the thing with a whimper. It’s not like they were vying for Simon and Garfunkel’s audience.
The great shame about English Settlement though is that with only a handful of shows played on the Settlement Tour the band decided, probably due to Partridge’s stage fight (depending on the source you read) to no longer play live again. The footage available on the internet shows them to be a tight and feisty band. He just takes off his guitar and leaves the stage during the first song of the show. But I would have been way to young to see them anyway but there was some great records still to spurt from this groups talented loins, it would have been a delight to see the likes of later tracks such as Wonderland and Grass performed on massive stages. Luckily with XTC, just having the records is enough.
Below is the moment Andy walked off the stage. Amazing footage.
