One of my absolute favorite XTC tracks -- I like how poppy and yet slightly "off" the music sounds, like the Scarecrow People are trying to make the same kind of music we do and just don't... quite... manage.
@SeansMusicVault
2 жыл бұрын
What a clever way to hear this track! It would explain Colin's odd bass line, which doesn't quite fit tonally (and yet sounds so amazing).
@ramblerandy2397
2 жыл бұрын
XTC song structures are often surprising. When you expect the next notes to flow in a direction, they flow the other way. It doesn't sell records because people like songs they can easily read, but instead of paling almost instantly, like the vast majority of those easily read pop tunes do, XTC songs, once appreciated and loved, stick around in the loving memory for decades. Indeed, they more often than not, become best friends.
@eximusic
3 жыл бұрын
I love the dissonance and how it all comes together harmonically in the chorus
@eboethrasher
2 жыл бұрын
Andy Partridge is a gift to us all, his social commentary always slices right through with a healthy dose of sardonic wit. Sometimes far more than the recommended daily dose, haha. That's why we love him! I remember hearing this in high school and I'm certain that at least 50% or more of it still went right over my head.
@kevinmottram9491
3 жыл бұрын
Amazing.. Only last night I was trying to think what was next for you to listen to from Oranges & Lemons, and worked out it was... Scarecrow People! It's listening to songs like this again that remind me why XTC are my favourite group of all time, and always will be!
@-davidolivares
3 жыл бұрын
GOAT, baaaaaa.
@JustJP
3 жыл бұрын
I was reading your mind ;)
@-davidolivares
3 жыл бұрын
Love that warped rockabilly thru the Beatles intro. Matchbox, Honey Don’t, and Act Naturally on corn silk. Really hadn’t read the lyrics or figured out what the song was really about, so thank you for that. Yeah, these guys are philosopher comedians whom can rock your socks off. Where are mine… Another of many already mentioned: This World Over It’s Nearly Africa Extrovert (Skylarking B-side) Hope you get better quicker! Peace and healing Music
@mariosandri4010
3 жыл бұрын
Out-of-the-box Pop perfection.
@teamorozuk6819
2 жыл бұрын
I love your channel. It gratifies me to see a younger person embracing this excellent music the way I did a third of a century ago when it was new and I was younger too. Clearly you get it and this demonstrates the timeless quality of XTC. They are the technically refined evolution of the pop sensibilities that were introduced to us by the Beatles twenty years earlier. Pure genius with songwriting on a par with Lennon and McCartney. Their facility for melody, lyrics and technique is actually beyond that of the Fab Four. Meanwhile they remain comparatively unrecognized by mainstream audiences. That is until someone like you reminds us that there was a lot of great music made that rarely found itself in the spotlight of radio airplay. Thank you for this gift to humanity. Given the state of today’s popular music, obviously this world needs it.
@JustJP
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much Orozok
@kato0828
3 жыл бұрын
Don’t know where that much younger me would be without Skylarking. Let’s go.
@voodooxtc
3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant JP. Great review yet again! This song features one of the greatest counter runs in popular music with guitar running up whilst the bass runs down beyond what most musicians would consider normal limits.
@andrewlaitres9080
3 жыл бұрын
The drummer is Pat Mastellato of Mr. Mr. and King Crimson
@johnmavroudis2054
3 жыл бұрын
Best trips to KZitem are being greeted by Justin XTC reactions... so THANKS for that!! LOVE this song... and it's not in my top 3 songs on the album. Plenty of good stuff to come! Andy's turn of a phrase keeps their songs in the upper tier of music time after time. I TOTALLY get what you mean by Pop and Stay. These songs linger and are always awesome to return to.
@jayburdification
3 жыл бұрын
Some of my favorite lyrics from Andy Partridge. Love those arpeggios in the middle.
@sylvanm4216
3 жыл бұрын
Justin, you've completed the first disc of the original vinyl double-LP! Disc 1 is great and has all the pop singles on it, but I think disc 2 might even be a little better...
@maximuskhan2100
11 ай бұрын
This is my favorite XTC track.
@the_proteus_void
3 жыл бұрын
I got a definite Beatles/Paul McCartney feel in the vocal cadence and note progression. The music, just awesome. XTC was always in my periphery but unfortunately not in my ears. I dig it. Thanks!
@davidguilfoyle
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Justin, I have enjoyed your reviews of the songs on Oranges & Lemons. The album is absolutely cram packed with musical ideas and variety. I love this song, so discordant and dissonant but so catchy, addictive and intriguing. It will not surprise you that many people have covered the bass line on KZitem. Can you do a review of my other favourite UK band from the 80's, Prefab Sprout (Langley Park to Memphis or Steve McQueen)?
@Hartlor_Tayley
3 жыл бұрын
That’s a Halloween Hoedown of a song. Thanks JP
@JustJP
3 жыл бұрын
Halloween Hoedown, I like that :D
@bri1042
3 жыл бұрын
The best Halloween Hoedowns come from Oingo Boingo, though.
@Hartlor_Tayley
3 жыл бұрын
@@bri1042 you have a definite point there.
@bri1042
3 жыл бұрын
I think JP needs to hear "No One Lives Forever"...or "Private Life". Or "Insanity".
@Hartlor_Tayley
3 жыл бұрын
@@bri1042 I may not be familiar with those songs, so yeah.
@delllittle5692
2 жыл бұрын
Yep, your XTC journey is just starting! not much to go wrong not matter the path you take.
@leashacarey9106
3 жыл бұрын
Scarecrow people are exactly that, humanly and emotionally vacuous!
@gaiaeternal5131
3 жыл бұрын
Evening, Justin. Dave here, In Old England Town. I wonder if Andy was influenced by Worzel Gummidge, a scarecrow who comes to life and tells off humans (and other scarecrows) for damaging their environment. It's recently been revived on British TV and stars Mackenzie Crook (from The Office and Pirates of the Caribbean). A guitar that sounds like farms and barns? Great stuff as usual, JP!
@-davidolivares
3 жыл бұрын
Tha little Graham…
@stlmopoet
3 жыл бұрын
New song to me. I like it. Thanks for the review and bringing more XTC to my attention.
@richardhorky3717
2 жыл бұрын
He does that dip in Dear God. Watch “This Is Pop”, if you haven’t already.
As you say, the song pretty much speaks for itself. And they know exactly where to turn a thing or two upside down so you can see what's underneath it. In another vein, you might enjoy seeing how Sparky transforms on piano (by the very man behind the 180Gs, no less) kzitem.info/news/bejne/wmiAtGSnoneFlJg (some more pop, that's all.) And one day you might even enjoy seeing what four years of devotion led to, in his a capella cover of the entire album.
@jamesdignanmusic2765
3 жыл бұрын
The great thing about these reaction videos is that it makes me (and presumably others watching) re-evaluate songs we've known for years. I'd forgotten what a beauty this song is. By the way - have you been told of XTC's alter egos The Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC under an alias performing pastiches of sixties-style music). Well worth a listen.
@JustJP
3 жыл бұрын
Ty! Funnily enough, my first XTC relates reaction was from Dukes, its an old one lol
@jamesdignanmusic2765
3 жыл бұрын
@@JustJP I'll have to hunt for it in your videos! :)
@michaelakkerman407
3 жыл бұрын
Another great XTC- song is Are you Receiving Me... from their earlier works.
@disconsolatemoose6637
3 жыл бұрын
Looking forward to more XTC!
@robertjewell9727
3 жыл бұрын
Sharing. Good comments and a song that everyone should hear.
@JustJP
3 жыл бұрын
Ty!
@brucer2152
3 жыл бұрын
Can hardly wait for you to get to English Settlement...
@a.k.1740
3 жыл бұрын
Their very best to me !
@jamesdignanmusic2765
3 жыл бұрын
...and Black Sea, for that matter.
@a.k.1740
3 жыл бұрын
@@jamesdignanmusic2765 I totally agree! English Settlement, Black Sea plus Drums & Wires are my favorites, of course thanks to the great songs they contain, but also probably because of my favorite XTC line-up: Partridge, Moulding, Gregory, Chambers.
@edwardmeradith2419
3 жыл бұрын
Partridge is fairly unique in the ‘pop’ field in that he really writes a lot in Poly-tonal ways (for instance a triad in one key over laid with - at least an implied- triad, in a unrelated key.) Stravinsky did that a lot🎧😳
@O_Towne_Bear
3 жыл бұрын
This is my fave XTC song, hands down. "No Thugs In Our House" and "Life Begins At The Hop"
@markspooner1224
3 жыл бұрын
Very enjoyable reaction to a favourite.
@jfergs.3302
3 жыл бұрын
Not bad. Another more 'normal' sounding track for XTC. I really like the guitar, partic the staccato picking that went with, and behind the chorus. Reminded me very much of Stump, another excellent band.
@jfergs.3302
3 жыл бұрын
@@HippoYnYGlaw Aye, that's them. Ahhh, they don't write them like that anymore eh... Here's another fave of mine of there's: kzitem.info/news/bejne/xmer0WejqJlyY34
@jfergs.3302
3 жыл бұрын
@@HippoYnYGlaw Cheers. Aye, i've suggested Stump in the past, but there seems to be a long waiting list for him to review. All good things come to he who wait's though... so they say :)
@Lwize
3 жыл бұрын
Well-produced percussion on that track. Kudos to the engineers.
@steenengel2882
3 жыл бұрын
This song, alongside The Mayor of Simpleton, Poor Skeleton Steps Out, I'll Set Myself On Fire and This Is Pop, was my introduction to the quirky world of XTC - no-one else quite made tunes like they did back in the day. Look forward to the point in time where you react to Stupidly Happy - cheers from an island dude, stay healthy!!! ...
@GatheringMoss
3 жыл бұрын
I absolutely love everything about this brilliant song.
@michaelbochnia5686
3 жыл бұрын
This is a killa track by XTC.... Sweet. Still think you would go bonkers for The Jam. Ya gotta, I mean gotta try Down in the Tube Station at Midnight. The bass line will hook ya totally. The lyrics are great as well. Nice pick on this vid though.
@courtneywallace871
3 жыл бұрын
Another great track. As I might have said, this could be my favorite XTC album if for no other reason it’s got a third side of extra XTC goodness. I’m sure a lot of people have said you need to do Skylarking next. Coincidentally produced by my favorite artist that you’ve been avoiding, Todd Rundgren (hint, hint). Also waiting for you to come back to Peter Gabriel’s first album.
@victorhawkins3461
3 жыл бұрын
You aren't the only one who's been hint-hinting for JP to tackle TR!!! Let's gang up on him! (And it freaked me out the other day to hear Solsbury Hill on the Muzak system at my local supermarket...sigh...)
@courtneywallace871
3 жыл бұрын
@@victorhawkins3461 I’m all in!
@trondsatre8615
3 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite songs from the album. Andy Partridge had a knack for delivering dark and serious messages in a humorous way. The lesser known XTC song "Toys" had the same message illustrated with toys behaving like people.
@jamespaivapaiva4460
3 жыл бұрын
"We're not in Kansas,Toto!
@jeremyb5640
3 жыл бұрын
Excellent review of a fantastic track, Justin. Brilliant social commentary in those lyrics for sure.
@JustJP
3 жыл бұрын
Ty! :D
@InsideBilderberg
3 жыл бұрын
Great song, but I still think Runaways from English Settlement is their best one, it´s quite underrated as many great songs, but I hope you get to it one day, have no doubt you will dig it bigtime.
@michaelbedford8017
3 жыл бұрын
You should play 'World wrapped in grey'. It's a beautiful half-way house, more accessible to people new to the band.
@duncantanguay4820
Жыл бұрын
Swindon works 4 me
@victorhawkins3461
3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, Colin Moulding is one bitchin' bass player. I love this album...out-of-the-box add on the station I programmed at the time. Fortunate enough to still have the promo release as a box set the size of a deck of playing cards with three 3-inch CDs. Love me some XTC.
@duncantanguay4820
Жыл бұрын
Unfortunately it's bad but I'm from Swindon area worked in the factory swindon
@92scamps
3 жыл бұрын
Great song! Great LP! By the way, David Gregory moved on to BigBigTrain. One of the best progressive bands of all time. Keep up the good work!
@timcardona9962
3 жыл бұрын
Such a wonderfully off-kilter song almost sounds like it couldve been on Skylarking
@damonhines8187
3 жыл бұрын
In 1980 I thought Partridge and Moulding would be the new Lennon/ McCartney! Lololol. Hadn't heard Gifford/Tillbrook yet. Literate and loopy! Sounds like home I never had. Just where I lived: between my ears. 'Roads Girdle the Globe'? 😂 'Respectable Street'? Time to relearn that one, loved playing at my old Kensington Market(Toronto) haunt in raucous protest of the gentrifying/NIMBY numb nuts/newbies who object to live music on a patio in a long established Bohemian enclave/ tourist destination in the middle of summer, ffs!
@1nelsondj
3 жыл бұрын
Lol, I thought you were calling is barmy which is English slang. I have no problem with well crafted pop songs, whether it's Abba, The Beatles or the sometimes too-clever-for-their-own-good XTC. This band should have been huge, they released one masterpiece album after another, catchy, memorable and insightful. The Kinks is similar, Ray wrote several concept albums in the last '60s and '70s.
@davidstobie2751
2 жыл бұрын
bouncy and malicious
@andyjames6300
3 жыл бұрын
Can you please do ,statue of libery by them,or this is pop ,excellent early singles ,77 to 78 . Really are brilliant. Please.
@palantir135
3 жыл бұрын
It’s a good pop song but it’s totally not within the types of music I like.
@murdockreviews
3 жыл бұрын
Just when I thought "Will Justin ever return to XTC?" there it is 🙂
@JustJP
3 жыл бұрын
😉
@maruad7577
3 жыл бұрын
Let's throw 3 or 4 four musical genres into a blender and give it a spin. Hmmmm... not bad at all. edited to say that if they give pop a fresh sound, it can be called... popping fresh? Doh boy, what a half baked remark. second edit... for some reason this makes me think of the cargo cults that sprang up, in Papau New Guinea, after WWII. Probably no relation to the song.
@-davidolivares
3 жыл бұрын
What a turnover.
@maruad7577
3 жыл бұрын
@@-davidolivares Nothing says lovin like something in the oven though DS does a pretty good job.
@vdggmouse9512
3 жыл бұрын
I guess I'm in the minority again - just don't like it. I could just start with the vocals - but why bother. Just not what I like.
@ludolamot1043
3 жыл бұрын
Beatles may be the best, but XTC comfortably second. So many wonderful songs...
@teamorozuk6819
2 жыл бұрын
I love your channel. It gratifies me to see a younger person embracing this excellent music the way I did a third of a century ago when it was new and I was younger too. Clearly you get it and this demonstrates the timeless quality of XTC. They are the technically refined evolution of the pop sensibilities that were introduced to us by the Beatles twenty years earlier. Pure genius with songwriting on a par with Lennon and McCartney. Their facility for melody, lyrics and technique is actually beyond that of the Fab Four. Meanwhile they remain comparatively unrecognized by mainstream audiences. That is until someone like you reminds us that there was a lot of great music made that rarely found itself in the spotlight of radio airplay. Thank you for this gift to humanity. Given the state of today’s popular music, obviously this world needs it.
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