Cool subby, but "King for a Day" would clearly have been a better choice, don't you think?

I think "Mayor of Simpleton" or "The Smartest Monkeys".

I've always thought "Senses Working Overtime" had one of the most interesting bass parts. And a damn good song, the bass parts make it great.

What a fantastic tune. Love me some XTC.

Something off of English Settlement would always be appreciated. Great post none the less sub.

one of the millions is probably the most colin song IMHO.

Sorry - didnt mean to dispariage the post. any xtc is a very good thing. thnks for posting!

Oddly, Colin Moulding has been MIA for about a year now. Andy doesn't know how to find him!

Best CM song: Wonderland

So good it makes me cry (new window)

I'll give 'em credit, and they do have some incredibly cool songs, but darned if they don't always sound like they're being played on a tape machine with a bad speed control.

A criminally underappreciated band. I was sad to read where Colin and Andy had parted ways.

"We thought we would drink some beer, meet some girls and make some money. Well, we've drunk some beer . . . "

Andy, on XTC's career. He once told an interviewer a story about him and Colin collecting rental cars from the airport and returning them to the agency for 5 pounds a trip to make gas money for their next gig.

Justin Timberlake continues to draw a paycheck and XTC comes to a sad end. As Mark Twain said, sometimes the actions of the Almighty are open to public criticism.

1980? Man, I'm old.

/loves me some xtc

Not XTC (precisely,) but I dig "Vanishing Girl" as one of Colin's best songs.

Hell, all his work for the Dukes is golden. "What in the World?" "Shiny Cage" even "The Affiliated" is cool.

More votes for Dukes !

Marla Singer's Laundry: So good it makes me cry (new window)

This song makes me want to play bass, and I've played bass for like 20 years now. Sheesh. First band was back in '88? Crap, we are getting old.

But, seriously, nice choice of notes, nice slides, nice use of octave runs, very melodic, driving. He lays into it at the pre-chorus --- he's hitting like one note ... then it's got this "country bass" vibe in the chorus. This is a great study in "what makes for a great bass part" that's also an integral part of the song. Some of the vocal melody parts and the bass parts are doing some very nice counterparts, too: "and the church bell softly chimes." And the chanting that follows the bass around 1:26 -- epic.

Thanks for making this thread subby.

Making Plans for Nigel rocked, too. And Primus did a real good cover of it, as well as Scissor Hands....

Making Plans for Nigel, first xtc, then primus ...

Link

Link (new window)

Making Plans for Nigel = Bonus Points because Colin sings the lead vocal

Dear God (popilicious)

Generals and Majors is pretty good too.

Moulding is a highly underrated bassist. Seems like he's decided he's done with music, tho. Can't blame him, I mean, he barely made a dime from it.

Marla Singer's Laundry: So good it makes me cry (new window)


Looky what I found: a live version!

bugenhagen: Cool subby, but "King for a Day" would clearly have been a better choice, don't you think?

Take Five: I think "Mayor of Simpleton" or "The Smartest Monkeys".

between these and 'towers of london' we have some of the worst examples of colin mouldings playing. good work!

im with you dukes fans, thats the best work xtc ever did although the only album id say thats more lame than cool is their last one.

mahavishnunj:

bugenhagen: Cool subby, but "King for a Day" would clearly have been a better choice, don't you think?

Take Five: I think "Mayor of Simpleton" or "The Smartest Monkeys".

between these and 'towers of london' we have some of the worst examples of colin mouldings playing. good work!


In bugenhagen's defense, I'm guessing that he noted "King for a Day" because:

1) That's one that he himself wrote

and

2) It is his birthday, after all.

OldManDownDRoad: A criminally underappreciated band. I was sad to read where Colin and Andy had parted ways.

"We thought we would drink some beer, meet some girls and make some money. Well, we've drunk some beer . . . "

Andy, on XTC's career. He once told an interviewer a story about him and Colin collecting rental cars from the airport and returning them to the agency for 5 pounds a trip to make gas money for their next gig.

Justin Timberlake continues to draw a paycheck and XTC comes to a sad end. As Mark Twain said, sometimes the actions of the Almighty are open to public criticism.

I think it's because most of the music loving public is too farking stupid to know the difference between "good" and "sucks." The stupid record labels don't help matters much either.

Colin is so my mancrush.

I read somewhere that Colin Moulding hasn't technically left XTC, but he has disappeared from Andy Partridge. He says he hasn't seen or heard from Moulding in about two or three years, and the last he said was that he wasn't so interested in making music anymore.

DrBenway: mahavishnunj:

bugenhagen: Cool subby, but "King for a Day" would clearly have been a better choice, don't you think?

Take Five: I think "Mayor of Simpleton" or "The Smartest Monkeys".

between these and 'towers of london' we have some of the worst examples of colin mouldings playing. good work!


In bugenhagen's defense, I'm guessing that he noted "King for a Day" because:

1) That's one that he himself wrote

and

2) It is his birthday, after all.

Well, at least one person got it!

bugenhagen: DrBenway: mahavishnunj:

bugenhagen: Cool subby, but "King for a Day" would clearly have been a better choice, don't you think?

Take Five: I think "Mayor of Simpleton" or "The Smartest Monkeys".

between these and 'towers of london' we have some of the worst examples of colin mouldings playing. good work!


In bugenhagen's defense, I'm guessing that he noted "King for a Day" because:

1) That's one that he himself wrote

and

2) It is his birthday, after all.

Well, at least one person got it!

p.s. Thanks! And I used to live in Hendersonville.

bugenhagen:

Well, at least one person got it!

p.s. Thanks! And I used to live in Hendersonville.


Once I saw you mention it, it seemed pretty obvious, and I'm not even a "Colin guy" generally. Great call really.

Almost took a place in Fletcher at one point, but I'm pretty happy in Asheville proper -- weather's hard to complain about, nice place in general.

XTC was fabulous, especially when Terry Chambers was still involved. I was on board up to Nonsuch (WTF?). Colin's songs really helped balance out Andy's. I admire them both, but if I was starting a band, I'd take Colin.

It's bad enough when the record company rips you off (somewhat expected), but really sucks when your management does, too. Most of the 90s were spent in a stalemate. After twenty years, a band is pretty much done artistically, with few exceptions. We were robbed of years 16-20; probably not their prime, but still better than most out there.

/I second the vote for "One of the Millions"; can't argue with any of the other choices though.

Gangway Fathead: one of the millions is probably the most colin song IMHO.

Depressing song, tho. Maybe that's the point.

Unhip1: Oddly, Colin Moulding has been MIA for about a year now. Andy doesn't know how to find him!

Andy has said that he could easily find Moulding if he wanted to, but since Colin obviously wants to be left along, Andy is respectfully keeping his distance.

But, Andy has rekindled his friendship with Dave Gregory, which can only lead to good things.

Standing in For Joe is a great one for him as well.

This is pretty funny: a history of the band. Done as a puppet show.

XTC would have been more popular had Andy Partridge got over his stage-fright so that the band could tour.

I_Love_Cheesecake:

XTC would have been more popular had Andy Partridge got over his stage-fright so that the band could tour.


Probably could've actually made some money, too.

tabula_rasta: XTC was fabulous, especially when Terry Chambers was still involved. I was on board up to Nonsuch (WTF?).


I know there are quite a few long-time fans who share your opinion, but I actually like Nonsuch a lot. It probably helps that I've been partial to Dave Mattacks for a pretty good while (saw him play with Richard Thompson once... that was a remarkable show -- Danny Thompson and Pete Zorn made up the rest of the band). And Gus Dudgeon may not have been so great to work with, but he got what to my ears was a very good sound from the band, particularly out of the drums. For example, I'm not sure if I've ever heard a kick drum sound better than when it comes in at the beginning of Peter Pumpkinhead -- not that you can tell from hearing it off of this on YouTube, mind you, but crank it up on a decent hi-fi and give it a listen.