XTC "Apple Venus vol.1" (1999) - got it
It had been 7 years since the previous XTC album. The band had been
arguing with their record label Virgin and essentially went on strike
until they were allowed the freedom to do things their way. Eventually
the band left the label and were able to move forward with their music.
Songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding had amassed over 40 songs
and at first had planned to release a double album, but changed this to
release two volumes. The second Apple Venus volume "Wasp Star" would consist of
more straight ahead rock/guitar songs. Volume one though is a
masterpiece of baroque pop mostly consisting of orchestral instruments
and acoustic guitars. Due to budgetary restrictions the album's
orchestral parts were all recorded in one day.
From the opening pizzicato strings and dripping sounds of "River of
Orchids" that build to a swirl of strings and layered vocals, the album
is a gorgeous journey with hints of Beatles, Bacharach and Beach Boys
while still being totally XTC.
There are a couple of more
light-hearted tracks ("Frivolous Tonight" and "Fruit Nut") courtesy of
Moulding, but the bulk of the album is Partridge's with a McCartney-eqsue
upbeat acoustic track "I'd like that". A bitter reflection on the end of his marriage with "Your Dictionary". Album-closer "The Last Balloon"
is an appropriately elegant melodic journey with its slow keys
and strings with choirs building to booming percussive accents and
sailing the album away on a mournful lilting trumpet solo.
XTC are one of those musical oversights for me. I liked and bought
this album when I first skimmed through the 1001 albums book and have
since bought two other of their albums... but given they have 14, I
could probably delve deeper.
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