This evening listening to SKYLARKING by XTC (of course) and FUTURISTIC DRAGON by T Rex....
I have a lot of friends who share my appreciation of XTC (and often exceed it) and for some of them SKYLARKING is their favorite XTC record. It’s also the only XTC record to appear on a lot of greatest album lists (including Rolling Stone top 100 records of the 1980's). As much as I like it, it’s never been my favorite by them as there are songs on it I don’t like (specifically Dying and Sacrificial Bonfire) as opposed to records like DRUMS AND WIRES/ENGLISH SETTLEMENT/NONSUCH/ORANGES AND LEMONS where I like every single song. Also I like the tune and the melody of Dear God and I agree with the message but it is far too strident – Talk about beating a dead (or born again) horse. I do like pretty much everything else – Season Cycle would easily rank in my top five favorite XTC tunes and Ballet for a Rainy Day, 1,000 Umbrellas, Earn Enough For Us, Another Satellite - Brilliant . I also like the idea of the record very much – a song cycle loosely connected by the seasons. The first time I heard it I immediately thought of two tunes from SOMETHING ELSE by The Kinks - Lazy Old Sun and End of the Season. Maybe Todd Rundgren shaved the edges off, I don’t know but it’s probably XTC’s most diverse record and I do for the most part still love it even now.
FUTURISTIC DRAGON is T Rex’s second to last record and it differs a bit from what came before with a slight almost disco undercurrent at times – the bass is more in front in some of the songs, strings are sharp and go in and out, a whiny synthesizer is sometimes present, background singers sound African -American. Marc Bolan has a little less effect in his voice and he is a bit more measured in his ridiculousness although still punctuates his musical points with chugging guitar. I think this is a pretty great record. The songs may not pack the sonic punch of ELECTRIC WARRIOR and THE SLIDER, less anthemic, more slyly pop but there are no bad songs here – Jupiter Liar, Chrome Sitar ,My Little Baby, Sensation Boulevard, Ride My Wheels, Casual Agent, Calling All Destroyers. The latest CD reissue adds London Boys and Life’s an Elevator which only make the record better.
FUTURISTIC DRAGON is T Rex’s second to last record and it differs a bit from what came before with a slight almost disco undercurrent at times – the bass is more in front in some of the songs, strings are sharp and go in and out, a whiny synthesizer is sometimes present, background singers sound African -American. Marc Bolan has a little less effect in his voice and he is a bit more measured in his ridiculousness although still punctuates his musical points with chugging guitar. I think this is a pretty great record. The songs may not pack the sonic punch of ELECTRIC WARRIOR and THE SLIDER, less anthemic, more slyly pop but there are no bad songs here – Jupiter Liar, Chrome Sitar ,My Little Baby, Sensation Boulevard, Ride My Wheels, Casual Agent, Calling All Destroyers. The latest CD reissue adds London Boys and Life’s an Elevator which only make the record better.
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