Needle Time

XTC - Grass [608 4983 GER 1986 24-Bit FLAC] It would shock you, the things we used to do on grass.... I was never one of the world's XTC biggest fans, I appreciated their output and bought just occasional singles and albums. To me, Swindon's finest were a band you could just dip in and out of - their repertoire is quite large as they were a singles band who matured and eventually became an albums band. Grass was only a limited hit when it came out in the mid-eighties (it only just broke the UK Top 100), from the excellent Skylarking album. The band had faltered with the previous The Big Express album and needed to find somebody to lift their sound and help the creative juices flow in the studio ....they chose Todd Rundgren and crazily it worked although it is said there were considerable disagreements in the studio between Andy Partridge and the producer. This is one of those singles where it is all about the b-side. Whereas Grass is a fine dreamy recollect...

XTC - English Settlement [2LP V2223 UK 1982 24-Bit FLAC] Here is my rip of English Settlement , the textured top-opening sleeve does not stand up to well to thirty five years in boxes and on shelves however the vinyl contained within remains in tip-top condition. This record should little introduction to most here, it was their turning point when they ceased to be cheeky punk-popsters and turned their hand to writing & producing (Steve Lillywhite was kicked into touch) fifteen well-crafted songs of britishness . Most of the rest of the world only got the abridged single album version, here it is in it’s full glory. A1 Runaways A2 Ball And Chain A3 Senses Working Overtime A4 Jason And The Argonauts B1 No Thugs In Our House B2 Yacht Dance B3 All Of A Sudden (It’s Too Late) C1 Melt The Guns C2 Leisure C3 It’s Nearly Africa C4 Knuckle Down D1 Fly On The Wall D2 Down In The Cockpit D3 English Roundabout D4 Snowman