artist of the day - xtc.

Hailing from Swindon, England, XTC is one of those great bands with fantastic tunes, a storied history, critical acclaim, influential for many bands (including me), yet seem to be 'known' and simultaneously 'not known.' Reasons are varied. However, it all begins and ends with Andy Partridge, the lead singer and primary songwriter. By the early 1980s, XTC was gaining moderate success (especially in the UK; per usual, the US was behind the musical times). They were frequently touring and even garnered a number one album in Australia. All this came crashing down when Andy Partridge developed a severe case of 'stage fright' and suffered a massive nervous breakdown. It was reported that this event was precipitated by Andy's wife throwing away his supply of Valium (apparently, he was prescribed the medication as a teenager during his parents' divorce and eventually became addicted). The band abruptly ceased touring after this. However, XTC did continue producing great music. In fact, some great albums followed post-breakdown: Mummer (featuring the awesome tune, 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages'), Skylarking (produced by Todd Rundgren), Oranges and Lemons (featuring such great songs as 'The Mayor of Simpleton,' 'King for a Day,' 'Poor Skeleton Steps Out'). With all these great records post-breakdown, I believe that XTC's 1980 release, Black Sea, is their best album. This record is a great combination of New Wave, post-Beatles Pop sprinkled with very astute social and political commentary. The big 'hits' off this record are 'Generals and Majors' and 'Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me).' However, I have chosen to post the video for my favorite tune, 'Respectable Street' (as a side note: my other favorite tune from Black Sea is 'Living Through Another Cuba;' however, I couldn't find a good video for it :-). Do yourself a favor and check out XTC's catalog of fantastic albums & phenomenal tunes. ENJOY!