Today we’re giving away Andy Partridge’s new Fuzzy Warbles boxed set. The 9 CD collection, available via the XTC frontman’s Ape label, is cleverly packaged like a children’s stamp album. And it comes with stickers. (How Beck!) More deets via Amazon:
The Fuzzy Warbles Collectors Album brings together over 100 songs from XTC frontman Andy Partridge’s songwriting archive. Recorded over the years whilst Andy and XTC were signed to Virgin Records and later to the Idea and Ape labels, the material is spread across eight volumes featuring songs and alternate versions of many XTC favorites that never made it onto the respective final albums or never made the cut when the final tracklistings were decided. There are also songs Andy never got to complete that he’s re-visited and finished off especially for this Fuzzy Warbles series.
We’re really digging the Nonesuch and Skylarking demos (ever hear the skiffle version of “Dear God”?!), but there are dozens of songs that should have been on XTC albums. Like this one:
If you want to win this lovely Collectors Album, just post in the comments your favorite XTC song by Monday 11/20 at 6 PM EST. (If you get blocked by our newly uncooperative spam filter, don’t worry, we’ll be finding and publishing the legit comments before the contest ends.) As always, we’ll randomly pick a winner, who will be the envy of all his or her bookish new wave friends.
Good luck!
P.S. XTC’s infamous Paris ’82 performance, in which Andy’s on-stage breakdown results in the band never playing another concert…
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Favorite song is deffinately “Grass”
Favorite song is deffinately “Grass”
“Dear Madam Barnum.”
(well, that’s just one of many favorite XTC songs. But I wanted to pick an uncommon one).
making plans for nigel
making plans for nigel
“making plans for nigel.” duh.
I would have to say, for the guitar solo alone, Life Begins at the Hop.
No Language in Our Lungs
“Knights in Shining Karma.”
And I’ll only post this once.
Garden of Earthly Delights
Earn Enough for Us.
Picking between favorite XTC songs is like picking a favorite child, really. I’ll go with Mayor of Simpleton today, but I’ll have a different answer tomorrow, I’m sure.
I would have to say, for the guitar solo alone, Life Begins at the Hop.
Tough to pick just one…but “Senses Working Overtime” comes to mind right away….
Guilty pleasure-”This Is Pop”
“Respectable Street”. Such a perfect hook.
Well, maybe a little obvious, but “Dear God” is my favoirite.
generals and majors
Tough to pick just one…but “Senses Working Overtime” comes to mind right away….
Guilty pleasure-”This Is Pop”
I could really just toss a dart at a list of everything they released from Skylarking on, so how about “Then She Appeared”?
Well, maybe a little obvious, but “Dear God” is my favorite.
Tough to pick just one…but “Senses Working Overtime” comes to mind right away….
Guilty pleasure-”This Is Pop”
“The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead”
Maybe an obvious choice, but it’s genius…..
Earn Enough for Us
It is virtually impossible to pick 1 song having been an avid XTC admirer since the very beginning of their career. But with the proverbial gun to my head here, I would have to say “Chalkhills and Children”
mayor of simpleton
senses working overtime.
Favorite song – “no thugs in our house”
how about “dying”? That “IdonwannadieIdonwannadie like you” bit towards the end gets stuck in my head for days sometimes.
I’d have to go with “The Disappointed”.
lately it’s This World Over
Favorite song – “no thugs in our house”
Dear God
Favorite song – “no thugs in our house”
hands down….”Im the man who murdered love”
Senses Working Overtime
anything from Black Sea…but Generals and Majors is pretty sweet
I’d have to say that version of “Respectable Street,” in the video. I’d never seen that before. So strange.
Secondly, “Your Dictionary,” which is one of the bitterest songs I’ve heard in my life.
Vanishing Girl, shit do the Dukes of Stratosphear count? guess, i gotta go with Grass if not!
anything from Black Sea…but “Generals and Majors” is pretty sweet
I’d have to say that version of “Respectable Street,” in the video. I’d never seen that before. So strange.
Secondly, “Your Dictionary,” which is one of the bitterest songs I’ve heard in my life.
Dear God
TJ
doppelgangers (at) hotmail (dot) com
This week it’s “Didn’t Hurt a Bit”. If it’s too much of a hipster move to pick an outtake, I’ll go with “Rocket From a Bottle”.
Making Plans For Nigel, but When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty is second, if not tied.
Making Plans For Nigel, but When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty is second, if not tied.
Making Plans For Nigel, but When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty is second, if not tied.
Scissor Man
Vanishing Girl, shit do the Dukes of Stratosphear count? guess, i gotta go with Grass if not!
respectable street
The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead has always been my favorite. Love the video too.
“Mayor of Simpleton,” since learning AP wrote it for his child.
Senses working overtime
I was sitting at a friend’s house and they just got cable TV and we were watching this crazy station that just played music vidoes: MTV. Talking Heads, Devo, U2, Joe Jackson, and then they played something unlike anything I had heard before: Senses Working Overtime by XTC. It changed my life. From that moment on I delved deep into music, and soon became the only punk rocker in my entire town. Thanks Andy!
My favorite song is “That’s Really Super, Super Girl”
dear god
science friction of course. but scarecrow and green man from later period.
Summer’s Cauldron.
Pick a favorite XTC song, he says.
I have sentimental attachment to “1000 Umbrellas” from Skylarking.
“Grass” is the pick for me!
Let’s toss Colin Moulding a bone and say “Fly on the Wall.” Settlement is full of songs that could qualify as their best, and is probably the only album that doesn’t have at least one Moulding song that’s utter crap.
making plans for nigel.
Who doesn’t love “Dear God”?
“grass” . you can’t deny how great skylarking is.
My favorite XTC song is definately Respectable Street…especially the live version from “Urgh! A Music War”
Ouch that’s tough…but today, I’ll say “Generals & Majors.”
dear god. can’t beat that song.
i’m gonna have to go with “King For A Day.”
Favorite song: Senses Working Overtime
I think I’m going to go with Dukes of Stratosphear and say, Vanishing Girl or Brianiac’s Daughter. For XTC, Senses probably takes it.
Senses Working Overtime
oh couldn’t pick, but iTunes tells me I love the Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead best.
Who won the Marie Antoinette contest?
Senses Working Overtime!
The underrated “Playground”.
I recently had a son and I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this angry world to him, so I’m going with “Hold Me My Daddy”.
Senses Working Overtime!
my favorite xtc song is “your dictionary”. so bitter, such a great melody…it’s got it all!
The b-side “Ten Feet Tall,” though lately, “Love On A Farmboy’s Wages” has been getting a lot of play as well…
grassssssssssss
There are so many – almost too many – but I think I have to go with “Mayor of Simpleton”, which is in my top 20 songs of all time ANYWAY. Impeccable production, fantastic lyrics, and a really groovy outro/fadeout. When I think of the XTC “sound”, this song immediately leaps to mind.
I know this contest is centered around Andy Partridge. but I have to say that my favorite XTC song is ?Sacrificial Bonfire? from the Skylarking album. The song is almost cinematic in how it evokes the titular pagan rite. One would normally expect the previously mentioned Partridge to craft a paean to paganism, but it is actually Colin Moulding who wrote and sang this tiny epic. If forced to name a Partridge song, I’ll go with “Prince of Orange.” I love how the song’s bounciness is paired with what sounds like A.P. breaking down and actually sobbing.
‘then she appears’
It’s got to be King For A Day for me. I love listening to the shimmering chorus-drenched guitars in the intro alone.
Jason and the Argonauts
LIFE BEGINS AT THE HOP.
LOCK COMMENTING…CAUSE IT IS THE BEST.
yacht dance
King for a Day
Hold Me My Daddy. The short guitar break is perfection.
King for a Day
No Thugs in Our House. Could listen to that every day. Wait, I did, when I was 15. Awesome.
Earn Enough For Us — the best song about being young, poor and in love that has ever been written IMHO.
Dear God
That cheerful little number, 1000 Umbrellas…
“Now I’m crawling the wallpaper
That’s looking more like a roadmap
To misery oh oh misery”
That cheerful little number, 1000 Umbrellas…
“Now I’m crawling the wallpaper
That’s looking more like a roadmap
To misery oh oh misery”
That cheerful little number, 1000 Umbrellas…
“Now I’m crawling the wallpaper
That’s looking more like a roadmap
To misery oh oh misery”
grass…from Skylarking…
oh oh XTC..!
‘science friction’ burns my fingers.
Dear God…
grass…from Skylarking…
oh oh XTC..!
‘science friction’ burns my fingers.
“fly on the wall”
All are wonderful, but EASTER THEATER is really special!