The Giant Panther

Back there when I was in seminary school, there was a person there who put forth the proposition that you can petition the lord with prayer...sorry Jim. I just meant that many moons to the south I was a twenty something music junkie and I was listening to XTC early and often. The first time I heard Making Plans For Nigel I was hooked no questions asked. Then came Senses Working Overtime. Life Begins at The Hop. Generals and Majors. Sgt Rock (is Going To Help Me). Not in any particular order mind you; I was just soaking them in via my post college crappy restaurant job network of music lovers. XTC was sort of presented to us then as the UK Steely Dan. Say no more I said. You didn't often see their photos. They didn't tour (at least by time I was aware of them). They were different. Drums and Wires had a cool color sketch on the album cover. I wanted in. They were mysterious. They were cool. I was a big fan in what seemed like five notes. That just didn't seem to happen often to me.

Around 1984 the hits stopped coming for some reason. The Big Express was a commercial flop (though it is critically acclaimed in some circles) and the record company wanted more radio friendly singles. Enter Todd Rundgren. The Eclectic Wizard; A True Star. Andy Partridge wanted no part of him if the rumors are true, but off to Woodstock the lot of them went. I've never been to Woodstock, but I'd love to see the site of Max Yasgur's Farm or the land where Music From Big Pink was recorded. I know Bob Dylan and others found refuge there, but the mystic of the place is legend. During the sessions Colin Moulding allegedly quit and came back the next day. Suffice to say there was tension. The result, for me anyway, was stupendous. If memory serves XTC's alter ego, The Dukes of Stratosphere, were shortly pushing their own CD around the same time as Skylarking. I believe that took some of the edge off because some of the band members were able to express other ideas separately in another forum. By the way, if you like The Beatles, like 97% of everyone who ever lived, check out The Duke's Chips From The Chocolate Fireball. In fact go download The Mole From The Ministry right now. What a great track that is...anyway, to put a bow on Skylarking...this record is fantastic. I know many of you will only know the throwaway track "Dear God" that really catapulted this CD into the fore, but "Mermaid Smiled (the track removed and replaced with Dear God when Virgin/Geffen records figured out Dear God had sales potential)" or any other track on this CD is just as good. Skylarking is one of those CDs where you have to listen to it end to end. In theory you could swoop in and grab "Earn Enough For Us" or "That's Really Super, Super Girl" and feel like you've grabbed the best tracks on this CD, but that would be a mistake. People might complain about Todd Rundgren's heavy production on this recording, but I'm not one of them. It's just gorgeous. 21 years later it still finds it's way into my CD player. Hopefully you'll agree. Oranges and Lemons is terrific as well, but Skylarking is XTC's masterwork.