XTC Back Porch

Bill Wikstrom · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:

I'm sorry - I was an infrequent poster on the Idea site but never really touched on the subject before. And let's face it - not a whole lot has happened on the XTC-front in the past few years. So it's still somewhat relevant.

Check it out (as per...Per)

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mark kirk · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:11 pm Post subject:

Being the XTC packrat that I am, I did save all of 'Andy & Colin Reply' before the Idea site went down...

9:48 am on Aug. 6, 2003
The Last Word On Those Digital Pops
For all those people who claim their audio enjoyment of Fuzzy Warbles 3 and 4 is marred by digital ‘pops’ and indeed find them ‘unlistenable’, I have a message. You’re fooling yourselves, there are NO digital ‘pops’ on these discs.
You’ll hear tape distortion, drop outs, noise gates banging open and closed, crackles from faulty guitar cables and crud from dirty control pots. No doubt you’ll detect ‘p’s and ‘b’s banging, mains clicks from the fridge kicking in, kids yelling, birds tweeting and the odd ambulance passing by. The sharp eared among you may even make out static ticks arcing across the playback heads of a clapped out portastudio, the majority of which were edited out, at great expense, by Mr Ian Cooper.
But you won’t hear any digital ‘pops’.
Thank you.

And I, for one, don't mind the crossfading at all.
So there.

-mk-

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Spastic Minnow · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject:

Terra Incognita wrote:

Bill Wikstrom wrote:

Wow. One thing's for sure - never confuse the artist with the art because from what you say - I'd think he was nothing more than a defensive, paranoid and bitter...shady businessman.

That point -- among many others -- was debated at length, and with great acrimony from both sides, when the Fuzzy Box came out. I wonder if the threads are still accessible somewhere or whether anyone has saved some copies? (Looks at Shaky Fishy)

alright, alright, I see if anything survived...

The first two pages were archived:

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and all of the Q&A replies are also saved here:

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Patrick_Henry · Star Park Joined: 07 Mar 2009 Posts: 7

xyzman wrote:

Hello everyone.

Not sure if anyone has seen this yet but there is an exclusive interview with Andy in Mojo Magazine regarding the forthcoming XTC reissues.

To summarise, the EMI reissue campaign starts in April with expanded 2 disc versions of English Settlement, Skylarking and Oranges And Lemons.

ES is likely to include Orange Dust on the bonus whilst it seems that Todd Rungren has been assisting on the Skylarking stuff (it may also feature the original artwork).

It goes on to say that APE will be releasing in March expanded versions of the Dukes material with Rag And Bone Buffet, Explode Together and Beeswax to follow later along with vinyl versions of the expanded XTC LP's.

All three have been involved with sleevenotes and it goes on to quote Andy saying that there is no chance of a new XTC record although he wants to repair his relationship with Colin as "it's worse than divorce when members of the old gang fall out".

Hope this helps - sorry I haven't got a scanner so I can't post it but any more info that you guys have got re tracklisting etc will be really interesting!

Liam.

This is a little disheartening to me. I am brand new to XTC (They are absolutely amazing!) and have just recently purchased everything besides a few compilations, Go+, and Take Away. In fact, I am so new to these guys, I am still waiting for the majority of the ordered discs to arrive. Oh well. Like another poster stated, I too am a fool and will no undoubtedly purchase these.

Spastic Minnow · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject:

Per Aronsson wrote:

Alright, here is some cool information about the re-issues:

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Bill Wikstrom · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:13 pm Post subject:

Wow, just read all of the Q & A from Andy and Colin.

Very cool! Thank you!!!

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futurist · Star Park Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 1

At

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and

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if you read the respective tracklists it says:

"VIDEO Mole From The Ministry" and "VIDEO You're A Good Man Albert Brown"

which is not mentioned at any other site. Is this an error or an so far undisclosed bonus? This would be great.

kinch · Star Park Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 8

futurist wrote:

"VIDEO Mole From The Ministry" and "VIDEO You're A Good Man Albert Brown"

which is not mentioned at any other site. Is this an error or an so far undisclosed bonus? This would be great.

No mistake. It's true.

Gentleman S. Twitch · Drums and Wires Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 81

Sadly it is a mistake... sort of. The videos were supposed to be included but Virgin did not supply them by the time that the promo discs went into production (the covers had been done already). The video info was kept on the commercial release right up until the last possible minute but Virgin still didn't come up with the goods. So they'll have to wait for another project I guess... which is a shame - I was looking forward to seeing them in better-than-YouTube quality.

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mark kirk · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:39 am Post subject:

Gentleman S. Twitch wrote:

Sadly it is a mistake... sort of. The videos were supposed to be included but Virgin did not supply them by the time that the promo discs went into production (the covers had been done already). The video info was kept on the commercial release right up until the last possible minute but Virgin still didn't come up with the goods. So they'll have to wait for another project I guess... which is a shame - I was looking forward to seeing them in better-than-YouTube quality.

Could be a blessing in disguise really... I'd rather they appear with all XTC videos on an officially released DVD. The fact that Virgin was going to supply them for these releases gives us hope that it just might happen one day after all!

-mk-

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Bill Wikstrom · Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:43 pm Post subject:

It'd be nice seeing them crystal-clear for once. However - I'll gladly wait for an official DVD with EVERYTHING (don't mean to shout). Who even likes CD-ROM videos anyhow (very much the technology of twelve years ago in any case)? And who wants all these videos peppered on various discs? I'm actually glad that it's not on the CDs. It's a good excuse for them to finally put out a video compilation with all the promo video clips. The Look Look/Best Hits VHS came out in '84 (even though it stops at '82). That was twenty-five years ago!

But I'm confused about something - you mean they didn't bother to correct the error on the cover art?

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Gentleman S. Twitch · Drums and Wires Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 81

Basically Bill there was no time. The sleeves went off to the printers with the expectation that the videos were arriving imminently at the pressing plant to go on the discs... it didn't happen so the vids were dropped. As it was a promo release, reprinting the sleeves was impractical... so it wasn't really a case of "didn't bother"... if it was the commercial release that would have been a very different matter.

I agree that I'd like to have them in top DVD quality but as a little bonus on the discs I think it's a shame they never made it. I don't think their exclusion either increases or decreases the liklihood of any other release for the XTC videos though.

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Jeff Truzzi · Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

Virgin screws XTC.
Again.

Bill Wikstrom · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:08 am Post subject:

Gentleman S. Twitch:

Quote:

I agree that I'd like to have them in top DVD quality but as a little bonus on the discs I think it's a shame they never made it. I don't think their exclusion either increases or decreases the liklihood of any other release for the XTC videos though.

It would make little sense if it did.

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ScienceFriction · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:59 pm Post subject:

I pre-ordered the Duke's reissues, but has anyone actually heard any of the tracks in full? I've seen the promos a couple times on ebay, but I'm not buying those! I'll be honest, I mostly bought them for Black Jewelled Serpent Of Sound, Nicely Nicely Jane, Susan Revoling, and Colin's Demos. Anyway, I'd really like to hear more about Black Jewelled Serpend Of Sound. Like, why is it an edit? Does that mean a different, or longer version exists? Is it Andy solo, or does it include the other guys? I guess I'll learn this when I get the reissue, but I hope no one is upset with me for asking.