GUITARISTS check out Andy Partridges guitar lessons here on you tube.... the guy is such an innovator playing with his own warm chord variations and scale transitions...
I know Colin never wants anything to do with music ever again, but surely if Jaz Coleman, Youth and Paul Ferguson can get back together with Geordie in Killing Joke, surely some hope remains this XTC line up could be brought back together again? I think they would sell out a larger venue 2 such is the depth of affection for them both sides of the Atlantic. Meanwhile why doesn't someone (Liverpool Scottish???) start an internet campaign to get this to the top of the charts. My fave XTC track
@CONSIDERABLYMORE1 There is the slight possibility that an XTC line-up of A. Partridge/C. Moulding/D. Gregory and I. Gregory could play again, but it depends on Colin. However, Colin has got back into playing music and David is still active with the Tin Spirits. Andy might tour provided he feels ok to do so (maybe not a long one, but enough shows to satisfy people) and I know that he misses Colin and David. Never say never, a reunion could well take place in 2012 or 2013.
My eyes might be deceiving me but it looks like a beautiful 65-67 ' Hoyer" Andy is playing there .The pick guard should ,if it is stock have a gold "H",which is not there btw The headstock appears to be the real Mccoy.if anyone knows ,by all means...?
Also. After the fantastic gig at the 'Kings Head', they played at 'Friars Aylesbury' soon after. Barry Andrews had put himself right at the front of the stage with his keys (maybe to offset Andy's stagefright) and a punter, at the front of the crowd, went and poured his pint into Barry's boot while he was playing, the punter was obscured from vision by the keyboards. You had to be there for it. Andrews didn't miss a note but went radio rental and, well, the look on his face was priceless!
I saw this lot at a pub called 'The Kings Head' at Aylesbury in the late 70's. One bloke pogoed so hard that his head went through the ceiling. I watched it happen! Happily, he was uninjured and you can see the repair work to this day. It was the best band they ever had there by a long stretch.
Altogether an uncommonly beautiful song. Previously, my favorite XTC song had been "The Wheel and the Maypole" off of Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2), but "Towers of London" has usurped it. It's amazing not only how long the band was together (specifically Andy & Colin), but how their music constantly evolved, yet still retained an XTC quality. True music gems.
@sugarandspice4815 I really like your comment. The song'Towers of London' is pretty unique in my opinion because you can't tell the difference between the verse or chorus! By That, I mean, (as a songwriter myself), there are no 'up' bits or 'down' bits. The song's dynamics are remarkable and this has to be their finest moment. The composition is perfection!
Have a read of the lyrics as well, google the song and have a look, they are remarkably beautiful. Doesn't even look like a 'pop tune'.
@alexandermorison I've been learning song structure lately and I've been paying more attention to XTC's song structure. You hit the nail on the head, XTC didn't follow rules set in song structure near as much as other songwriters. They reversed the roles of the chorus and verses a bit, Putting the song title in the verse instead of the chorus in many of their songs. And in Into The Atom Age they start with an intro then the chorus, not a verse!
@oldmusicrevisited "And in Into The Atom Age they start with an intro then the chorus, not a verse! " - I like XTC, but that's something that The Beatles already used to do in their time... So, it's hardly an innovation. But I repeat: I like XTC :-)
@tiramasopa That's something I didn't pick up on as I don't listen to The Beatles much despite that I have most of their albums. Kind of odd I didn't notice it in A Hard Day's Night and I'm A Loser. Then again I rarely listened to them in the last few months. I don't think I listened to any of their albums in full except Revolver.
@oldmusicrevisited The album "A Hard Day's Night" is probably the one where you find that trick more often - I'm thinking of songs like When I Get Home and I'll Be Back, for example. Are you saying you've never listened to any Beatles album in full, except Revolver? :-O Go and do it a.s.a.p., mate!
@tiramasopa Yeah, And Helter Skelter. I've listened to most Beatles albums in full, Just not recently. I wasn't very clear about that, I should have wrote "I haven't listened to any in full except for Revolver in recent months".
@alexandermorison played on an unaccompanied acoustic guitar it has a very sombre feel to it. Much the way Andy P said it sounded when he first wrote it, before it was speeded up. It is a deeply moving song and a typical XTC tribute to the working class underdogs who built the industrial world so that the upper and middle class pigs could gorge on the fat of the land. Little did any of us know back in September 1980 what carnage lay ahead for the British working class at the hands of Thatcher.
They would have been much huger if they had played live a bit more often (not that they weren't big anyway) but Andy P's stagefright was really kicking in and appearances became less and less. They had some fantastic songs...and not just the singles.
All they had was Andy's genius and Colin's soulfulness. But it was more than enough to make everyone else look utterly monochromic by comparison. What they didn't have was the stupidity to compromise or a pathological desire to conquer the world.
So this is the second song I have ever heard from XTC (The first was Making Plans For Nigel).... And I have to agree with everyone else here, this band were ahead of their time! Very good song! I would never have discovered this band had Primus not covered one of their songs.
Was XTC considered punk~- I never thought so. Punk was annoying to listen to XTC on the other hand is not annoying to listen to... As a matter of fact the opposite of annoying.
No, I can't see why they would be considered Punk. Some of their early songs like Are You Receiving Me are a bit like Punk but they were never a Punk band.
@crapple009 - "Black Sea" was definitely the "Revolver" of its time, heck, of any time for that matter. XTC probably annoyed the punk bands because they kept all of the punk attitude and mixed it with intelligence and musical ability to create something unique that still sounds fresh today. I will always be a proud fan!
Other bands making similar "Revolver-easque" music the same year were The Jam (Sound Affects) and The Records (Crashes!). These bands still remain deep in my soul!
This is the band that all the punk bands loved to hate. I don't get it that you could like London Calling, for example but not this without being "harassed" for it.
Genius. My favourite band bar none. Every album in a roughly 22-year career an absolute killer.
When I have to hear all about the X-Factor shit EVERYWHERE - including the main news (!) - I just plug in my headphones spirit myself away to the land of XTC......
Many great structures put up like the Towers of London, many good men lost their lives. The "cities" bulding them did not give a tinkers damn, about how many might lose their lives in doing this. A Great tribute to the fallen ones not just for those that lost their lives building These London Tower-structures, but many structures as grand as The Towers of London, all over the world. A very powerful song. +Thanks Dear Friend for Sharing this great XRC tune. Love and Peace!!! :-)
gawd i wish i was old enough to have seen xtc!!! they r all i think about in lessons at school lol. i will be sat there chewing my pen and humming a tune they sang and everyone will be all like wtf?
Cool, Dave was playing a ES-335 or such styled guitar (1:57) I wonder if he played it in the album? I have an ES-335 style guitar so I may be able to get a similar tone if he played it on Black Sea!
I like blur (especially) and oasis a lot more. But XTC was a major influence for them and they made some really good songs. So I have to say that they are also a step in the good direction and yes, xtc is underrated.
@PAULLONDEN As Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' character used to say, "OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES, EVERYBODY'S GOT ONE!" You are welcome to yours & you know where you can stick it! :)
Absolute classic, with one of the coolest bridge sections ever in a song!! I wish musicians today would study this a bit more - then we might not be so saturated with so much crap ;)
I cant stand it anymore. Music stores today dont know what good music is. I went to try to find an XTC cd and they looked at me as if I were crazy or something. They never even heard of them.
yea,all these fucking kids at me school dont know who they hell they are.Hell they'v never heard of almost all the bands i listen too! Kinda makes me fell like an outsider sometimes...
As someone who grew up in the '80s, without the presence of XTC on my college radio, I would be force to go all "I don't like Mondays" as the top 40 stations force fed the population Michael Jackson and Madonna ad nauseum. Thank the powers that be for England and all of the great British bands like XTC that liberated us from boredom and banality!!!!! God save the Queen! Partiridge and Mouldign rule!!!!
I just discovered who xtc was a couple days ago.I was lisening to a They Might Be Giants song XCT vs Adam Ant and wanted to know what the song was about so thats how I found out who they were. I really like them! Thier AWESOME!!! So far I haven't found 1 song that I haven't liked!
Without a doubt one of the greatest songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. This band rules. I wish they were still making music, would be better than hearing most of the shitty pop we get nowadays.
This is my favorite XTC song. Am American, bite your tongue, laddies, love of good music overrides country of origin, but an Anglophile, and love the tale of TOL...if I ever get to "Londoninium" will play the cheesy tourist and visit the Tower and think about the navvies who died building the bridge "that doesn't go in the direction of Dublin." Saw them twice in the 80s here in USA, sigh...those were the good old days. Best pop band EVER!
Nobody with an ounce of credible music taste, gives a shit what you think, your oppinion became officialy invalid, when you confessed to "seraching for Towers of London,the band".
i was searching for the BAND towers of london and came across this crap, this music got flushed down the toilet with all the other crap at the end of the 60s!
Fast forward to the 00!
please.
and this crap will nevr ever ever get near the top twenty,
aaron u spaz gd to see ur off halo for a bit at least these people can play guitar they have sold more records than u and ur nephew will ever y don`t u flush ur stubid comments down the toilet along with all the other crap
hypeG; you sound like an ignorant twat indeed. It's almost hard to believe that you're from the U.K to have made such a mindless statement. Idiots like you don't even know the richness of your nation's musical history. I wish that we could switch places and you come to the United States. Obviously you don't know how to appreciate what your nation has put out. And no, XTC is not from the 60's they were part of the post punk movement of the early 80's!
Serial internet abuser of others (especially children).. serial frequenter of prostitutes..aka PIERRE JOHNSON..aka PIER JOHNSON (see LinkedIn)..aka pier23ca (on youtube)..aka PJohnson23 (blog sites)..aka PikeyTynkerGyppo (on youtube).. works as venture catalyst..in... Ventura California..ex Syracuse University and SUNY..ex Washingtonville Senior HS. For more info on Pier just paste -- "pjohnson23" +"theeroticreview" into google; here he rates prostitutes out of 10. Get a life P.
Every time I hear the guys on Vinyl, CD, MP3, you name it, they restore my faith in modern music. The true successors to the Beatles, Beach Boys, Hollies and what was best of British pop music. Hurry back lads, there's a whole cult world out here waiting for you to return.
XTC was on the same playing field as the police, but went a different path (also lasted at least another decade as a whole). They are just a little less poppy, and usually a little more political (or sappy lovestruck). But the stuff is genius. 3 Musicians I would like to meet... M. Stipe, Bono, & Andy Partridge (in no particular order).
...i'm 41 years old...27 years was passed by, but i feel the same pleasure to listen XTC...a band that never tired my ear and disappoint my heart...IT'S BEAUTIFUL
GUITARISTS check out Andy Partridges guitar lessons here on you tube.... the guy is such an innovator playing with his own warm chord variations and scale transitions...
TheCapricornStrand 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
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joelavalo 5 months ago
@joelavalo FUCK YOU.
THIS IS XTC.
TakeThatSuckaz 1 month ago
i missed the guitar solo, removed from this version
sergiomng 6 months ago
I bought 'Black Sea' in 1980 when I was 15- 32 years later.and it's still amazing!
goofygirly2010 6 months ago
I know Colin never wants anything to do with music ever again, but surely if Jaz Coleman, Youth and Paul Ferguson can get back together with Geordie in Killing Joke, surely some hope remains this XTC line up could be brought back together again? I think they would sell out a larger venue 2 such is the depth of affection for them both sides of the Atlantic. Meanwhile why doesn't someone (Liverpool Scottish???) start an internet campaign to get this to the top of the charts. My fave XTC track
CONSIDERABLYMORE1 7 months ago 2
@CONSIDERABLYMORE1 There is the slight possibility that an XTC line-up of A. Partridge/C. Moulding/D. Gregory and I. Gregory could play again, but it depends on Colin. However, Colin has got back into playing music and David is still active with the Tin Spirits. Andy might tour provided he feels ok to do so (maybe not a long one, but enough shows to satisfy people) and I know that he misses Colin and David. Never say never, a reunion could well take place in 2012 or 2013.
GloucesterAdam 4 months ago
@GloucesterAdam great news - fingers crossed!!
CONSIDERABLYMORE1 4 months ago
XTC vs BLUR no contest when XTC came on and opened all my hairs stood on end.
Some of their music is classic and timeless.
Dave45582 7 months ago
Alan is a good Penhill boy from Swindon. Bravo Bravo
grandslam1998 7 months ago
My eyes might be deceiving me but it looks like a beautiful 65-67 ' Hoyer" Andy is playing there .The pick guard should ,if it is stock have a gold "H",which is not there btw The headstock appears to be the real Mccoy.if anyone knows ,by all means...?
TumbrelJockey 9 months ago 2
Yeah there's a height restriction in London. I love it!
shovel20 9 months ago
if you are an XTC fan, there is a new forum at xtcfansdotproboardsdotcom
GloucesterAdam 10 months ago
L A L A L O N D I N I U M !
mistomen 10 months ago
yep these fellas are masters of the craft...it's a damn shame they don't do shows...they'd be one of the biggest bands in the world if they did.
jimmythecreep 11 months ago
Over life performance!
LukasFin 11 months ago
Also. After the fantastic gig at the 'Kings Head', they played at 'Friars Aylesbury' soon after. Barry Andrews had put himself right at the front of the stage with his keys (maybe to offset Andy's stagefright) and a punter, at the front of the crowd, went and poured his pint into Barry's boot while he was playing, the punter was obscured from vision by the keyboards. You had to be there for it. Andrews didn't miss a note but went radio rental and, well, the look on his face was priceless!
alexandermorison 11 months ago
I saw this lot at a pub called 'The Kings Head' at Aylesbury in the late 70's. One bloke pogoed so hard that his head went through the ceiling. I watched it happen! Happily, he was uninjured and you can see the repair work to this day. It was the best band they ever had there by a long stretch.
alexandermorison 11 months ago 2
Is that an Eko ranger 6 guitar?
baconland 11 months ago
Altogether an uncommonly beautiful song. Previously, my favorite XTC song had been "The Wheel and the Maypole" off of Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2), but "Towers of London" has usurped it. It's amazing not only how long the band was together (specifically Andy & Colin), but how their music constantly evolved, yet still retained an XTC quality. True music gems.
sugarandspice4815 11 months ago
@sugarandspice4815 I really like your comment. The song'Towers of London' is pretty unique in my opinion because you can't tell the difference between the verse or chorus! By That, I mean, (as a songwriter myself), there are no 'up' bits or 'down' bits. The song's dynamics are remarkable and this has to be their finest moment. The composition is perfection!
Have a read of the lyrics as well, google the song and have a look, they are remarkably beautiful. Doesn't even look like a 'pop tune'.
alexandermorison 11 months ago
@alexandermorison I've been learning song structure lately and I've been paying more attention to XTC's song structure. You hit the nail on the head, XTC didn't follow rules set in song structure near as much as other songwriters. They reversed the roles of the chorus and verses a bit, Putting the song title in the verse instead of the chorus in many of their songs. And in Into The Atom Age they start with an intro then the chorus, not a verse!
oldmusicrevisited 11 months ago
@oldmusicrevisited "And in Into The Atom Age they start with an intro then the chorus, not a verse! " - I like XTC, but that's something that The Beatles already used to do in their time... So, it's hardly an innovation. But I repeat: I like XTC :-)
tiramasopa 10 months ago
@tiramasopa That's something I didn't pick up on as I don't listen to The Beatles much despite that I have most of their albums. Kind of odd I didn't notice it in A Hard Day's Night and I'm A Loser. Then again I rarely listened to them in the last few months. I don't think I listened to any of their albums in full except Revolver.
oldmusicrevisited 10 months ago
@oldmusicrevisited The album "A Hard Day's Night" is probably the one where you find that trick more often - I'm thinking of songs like When I Get Home and I'll Be Back, for example. Are you saying you've never listened to any Beatles album in full, except Revolver? :-O Go and do it a.s.a.p., mate!
tiramasopa 10 months ago
@tiramasopa Yeah, And Helter Skelter. I've listened to most Beatles albums in full, Just not recently. I wasn't very clear about that, I should have wrote "I haven't listened to any in full except for Revolver in recent months".
oldmusicrevisited 10 months ago
@oldmusicrevisited OK, no problem :-)
tiramasopa 10 months ago
@alexandermorison played on an unaccompanied acoustic guitar it has a very sombre feel to it. Much the way Andy P said it sounded when he first wrote it, before it was speeded up. It is a deeply moving song and a typical XTC tribute to the working class underdogs who built the industrial world so that the upper and middle class pigs could gorge on the fat of the land. Little did any of us know back in September 1980 what carnage lay ahead for the British working class at the hands of Thatcher.
CONSIDERABLYMORE1 7 months ago 2
Goddamn this is the good stuff. Andy, Colin, XTC 4ever!!!!!
hmbldzy 1 year ago
power pop gods...
davidp158 1 year ago
Comment removed
sugarandspice4815 1 year ago
Eminently sing-a-long-able! Cmon, do it now!
creamcheese65 1 year ago
awwwwwww.....a video for this song......awwwwwwww
macxtc 1 year ago
second only to the beatles
captainbeyond51 1 year ago
i saw em in san diego in their LAST US concert appearance--awesome band!!!
paulgila22 1 year ago
@paulgila22 Is that you, Daryl? ;-)
kettlezone 1 year ago
I <3 XTC
charlie7891000 1 year ago 2
They would have been much huger if they had played live a bit more often (not that they weren't big anyway) but Andy P's stagefright was really kicking in and appearances became less and less. They had some fantastic songs...and not just the singles.
exproggo 1 year ago
Catchy tune...if only these dudes had a little more charisma like "that other band".
They were a blueprint for all these bands today that have a severe chronic case of charisma underload.
'Poor' Branson is still fuming over the million he lost on this lot,his personal hobby.
PAULLONDEN 1 year ago
@PAULLONDEN Wow, you aren't terribly bright are you?
Nigelxman 1 year ago
@Nigelxman
Wash me clothes with dark protection.
Don't wanna be ☼
PAULLONDEN 1 year ago
Love these guys. Saw em at the palladium in Hollywood circa 1980 (with wall of Voodoo of all things)- give em their due
MrSilmat 1 year ago
All they had was Andy's genius and Colin's soulfulness. But it was more than enough to make everyone else look utterly monochromic by comparison. What they didn't have was the stupidity to compromise or a pathological desire to conquer the world.
bobocounty 1 year ago 5
Can someone get the other Senses Working Overtime uploaded also? I like the live one but the original is best.
dahger7 1 year ago
Saw XTC years ago at Chelmsford Odeon, great band.
bananasplitsable 1 year ago
If you don't like XTC, you don't like music.
biffDipstick 1 year ago 5
Terry Chambers is God....
garymacmillan 1 year ago
So this is the second song I have ever heard from XTC (The first was Making Plans For Nigel).... And I have to agree with everyone else here, this band were ahead of their time! Very good song! I would never have discovered this band had Primus not covered one of their songs.
retnuHDJ 1 year ago
@retnuHDJ
Stay with it brother. Look up their Dukes material. Album over album, Partridge influenced many artists. The Big Express was the peak, imho
captcold1 1 year ago
Nice band!
Pmls1972 1 year ago
Sounds Like Joe Jackson's music
ninelivecat 1 year ago
@ninelivecat Coincidentally Joe Jackson covered XTC's "Statue Of Liberty". I haven't listened to his cover yet.
101Volts 1 year ago
Sounds like Joe Jacksons music
ninelivecat 1 year ago
There is a one hour documentary of XTC recording this song.
101Volts 1 year ago
@101Volts
where?
psychobollox 1 year ago
@psychobollox xtc4u (Dawt) org is where you can see the documentary.
101Volts 1 year ago
@101Volts
#
psychobollox @psychobollox
great!
many thanks
psychobollox 1 year ago
Comment removed
psychobollox 1 year ago
Amazing tune by a great band. I can definitely hear the Beatles influence in this one.
therealsoulproduct 1 year ago
2:36 That ES-335 guitar is beautiful. Maybe I'll change my 335 copy to look a bit like that.
101Volts 1 year ago
Spectacular!
HarryLeeds1 1 year ago
it has quite a Beatles-flavor to it, in my little opinion...maybe it's the bass
treadley 2 years ago 3
Was XTC considered punk~- I never thought so. Punk was annoying to listen to XTC on the other hand is not annoying to listen to... As a matter of fact the opposite of annoying.
malangmann 2 years ago
they were classed as punk in the early years but changed , punk is not everybodys type mate but i loved it and still do
punk1977lev 2 years ago 2
andy partridge always said what they did was pop. hence the song "this is pop"
kappoka 2 years ago 2
No, I can't see why they would be considered Punk. Some of their early songs like Are You Receiving Me are a bit like Punk but they were never a Punk band.
101Volts 1 year ago
I love this song! Black Sea is the best :D This video makes me homesick.
designerxvoodoo 2 years ago
One of my XTC faves! Along with King for a Day, Summer's Cauldron, Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead. Hugh Padgham and the drums are awesome!!
SIE44TAR 2 years ago
Trippy/ Beatley feel!!
crapple009 2 years ago
@crapple009 - "Black Sea" was definitely the "Revolver" of its time, heck, of any time for that matter. XTC probably annoyed the punk bands because they kept all of the punk attitude and mixed it with intelligence and musical ability to create something unique that still sounds fresh today. I will always be a proud fan!
mantarayZ7 2 years ago 4
@mantarayZ7 - Right on- I agree.
Other bands making similar "Revolver-easque" music the same year were The Jam (Sound Affects) and The Records (Crashes!). These bands still remain deep in my soul!
crapple009 2 years ago
This is the band that all the punk bands loved to hate. I don't get it that you could like London Calling, for example but not this without being "harassed" for it.
This is really smart tasty RnR music.
crapple009 2 years ago
The new Field Music song sounds like this.
usernam3 2 years ago
Genius. My favourite band bar none. Every album in a roughly 22-year career an absolute killer.
When I have to hear all about the X-Factor shit EVERYWHERE - including the main news (!) - I just plug in my headphones spirit myself away to the land of XTC......
TheMightyHartley 2 years ago 2
Many great structures put up like the Towers of London, many good men lost their lives. The "cities" bulding them did not give a tinkers damn, about how many might lose their lives in doing this. A Great tribute to the fallen ones not just for those that lost their lives building These London Tower-structures, but many structures as grand as The Towers of London, all over the world. A very powerful song. +Thanks Dear Friend for Sharing this great XRC tune. Love and Peace!!! :-)
nancyl2 2 years ago
Black Sea is such a great album!
guitarman7asat 2 years ago 10
Best British band of the eighties and one of the best period.
Darrylizer1 2 years ago 6
I'm too anglophiliac not to dig this band.
dnggitg 2 years ago 2
gawd i wish i was old enough to have seen xtc!!! they r all i think about in lessons at school lol. i will be sat there chewing my pen and humming a tune they sang and everyone will be all like wtf?
shadouge4eva97 2 years ago 4
Saw them around 1980-81 in at Poole Art Centre Drums and Wires period.
rdbilly 2 years ago
Most under rated band of all time.
Andy is a songwriting genius.
Sircornflakes 2 years ago 8
Cool, Dave was playing a ES-335 or such styled guitar (1:57) I wonder if he played it in the album? I have an ES-335 style guitar so I may be able to get a similar tone if he played it on Black Sea!
101Volts 2 years ago 2
@101Volts
any idea what bass Colin plays here?
psychobollox 1 year ago
@psychobollox Its an Epiphone bass of some kind. I can't remember the model.
101Volts 1 year ago
@101Volts
Epiphone Newport bass!!!
psychobollox 1 year ago
Ultrarare XTC merch just listed on ebay, check it out
mgr4463 2 years ago
looks like a music vid the jam would have done
jamezpackerfan 2 years ago
CLICK THE THUMBS UP IF YOU THINK XTC WOULD ANNIHILATE ANY OF THE BRITPOP BANDS FROM THE 1990'S!!
XTC were years ahead of their time-this sounds like it could have originated in the late 90's! Superb.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago 171
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH
I like blur (especially) and oasis a lot more. But XTC was a major influence for them and they made some really good songs. So I have to say that they are also a step in the good direction and yes, xtc is underrated.
x9x8x7x61 1 year ago
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH I'd say any except for Pulp. But Pulp were around in the 80s before they got famous, so I don't think they count. :)
anmaree 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTIS
And,what have these Bietel wannabees got to show for it ?
Too fucking clever for their own bloody good they were.
After spending months of money draining hours in Abbey Road,this lot began to believe they were heir apparent to "that other band".
Thumb down ▼
PAULLONDEN 1 year ago
@PAULLONDEN As Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' character used to say, "OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES, EVERYBODY'S GOT ONE!" You are welcome to yours & you know where you can stick it! :)
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 1 year ago
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH except Echo and the Bunnymen. It's a tie .
cheddah1918 1 year ago
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH
I love Blur too, but every time I listen to Park Life all I can hear is XTC :)
Like others here I reckon XTC is one of the greatest British pop bands ever, wholly uner-rated but with a legion of fans still.
taxus750 11 months ago
@taxus750
And especially "Tracy Jacks" - if that's not a rip-off of an XTC riff I dunno what is.
taxus750 11 months ago
@taxus750 naw not a rip-off. it does 'indeed' show you how much of an influence XTC has had, that's for sure....
BagpipeHustler 10 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@taxus750
And especially "Tracy Jacks" - if that's not a rip-off of an XTC riff I dunno what is.
taxus750 11 months ago
@taxus750
very perceptive, good point. I'm hearing "park life".
brigadabutifara 10 months ago
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 90s brit-pop = XTC. they had a big influence on Kurt Cobain and Les Claypool too.
BagpipeHustler 10 months ago
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH no such thing as being ahead of ur time? modern musics shit
ZiggyStardust49 3 months ago
Young Andy is so charming!
lordlacolith 2 years ago 2
Always found these guy's very interesting. Great writers as well as musicians.
Patrickhenry23 2 years ago 4
vastly underated arent they?
locorojo25 2 years ago 6
I know! Because the music is so good people sometimes overlook the brilliant songwriting. Dear Madam Barnum includes such clever metaphors!
ibazookajoe 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Its shit
HotNCold 2 years ago
you've got shit for brains
eliezerberry 2 years ago
You really shouldn't talk about your mum that way......
HotNCold 2 years ago
Fantastic track from a beluvd album!
giorgosdimitriadis 2 years ago
Absolute classic, with one of the coolest bridge sections ever in a song!! I wish musicians today would study this a bit more - then we might not be so saturated with so much crap ;)
prayforsilence 2 years ago 8
I LOVE this band!!!
DeadMansPartyFilms 2 years ago 6
This was always my FAVE by them - my Sister was into them in a big way - conjures up so many memories.lol
rockchick80s 2 years ago 2
Great german guy who loves xtc got it from my father!! He really knew good music!
Normank666 2 years ago 2
One of the most under rated bands ever..I love xtc
sporky212009 2 years ago 45
wow nice!
uktah 2 years ago 2
Not accordingly to the video I saw ages ago they used an anvil and hit it with a hammmer.
dawnyfred 2 years ago
The guys used a fire extinguisher to get the hammer sound on the snare beat to replicate the working hammers of the navvies....awesome
kangaroocomedy 2 years ago 2
iggy stooge threw his microphone in a blender in detroit 1968 . What a ASSHOLE !!!
backstcrawler 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Towers of New York,
when you were struck down,
by verminous scum
from some Islamic Hell..
Hey, you try and rhyme 'Islamofacist', eh?
Scans well, though.
gfterp 2 years ago
Too many syllables to even try. Here's a go though. . . Damn fanaticist!!
pbonney 2 years ago
from the album 'black sea' i think...awesome album,every track is good.
lerxt42 2 years ago
what underground station is that?
maida1982a 2 years ago
looks like westminster
eliezerberry 2 years ago
first record I bought. Love it. Brought back memories. Thanks
stevejohnplatt 2 years ago
They really are a great band that not enough people even know exists
Animsteve 2 years ago 3
This song is awesome, this is probably one of the most underrated british bands, they were awesome, thanks for posting this.
FerGilmore 3 years ago 5
Such a great song. Yes, that middle 8 is awesome. So Beatle-y. I'm a metal musician but I know great music.
amsedelm 3 years ago 5
Love the middle eight on this, btw.
TitanFind 3 years ago 2
where at? id like to knw
TerribleFLY 3 years ago
2.35 to 2.54.
TitanFind 3 years ago
Agreed! The first time I heard that, I couldn't believe it, it's so brilliant, driving my parents nuts because I played it over and over (on Vinyl).
Pure beauty!
Hemimod 3 years ago 3
Super guitars, great riddum section, cool lyrics, great song.
Amazing band, and a band that makes me proud of British music.
fripouille69 3 years ago 4
One of the twenty greatest British bands imo, yet hardly known in the mainstream.
TitanFind 3 years ago 2
I cant stand it anymore. Music stores today dont know what good music is. I went to try to find an XTC cd and they looked at me as if I were crazy or something. They never even heard of them.
stink505 3 years ago 3
The sad truth is they never even knew what good music was.
zweiosterei 3 years ago 3
yea,all these fucking kids at me school dont know who they hell they are.Hell they'v never heard of almost all the bands i listen too! Kinda makes me fell like an outsider sometimes...
OpaqueMoonlight 2 years ago 5
You're not an outsider, Opaque. You're cool as shit.
JoeyJoeJoe1970 2 years ago 7
I'm 14 and XTC are my favourite band, I know exactly how you feel. :)
ibazookajoe 2 years ago 8
Brilliant - still sounds fresh as most of their songs do. Great band! xx
TheBeltane 3 years ago 3
I wish there was a video for River Of Orchids, it's my favourie. :6
Flatlegs 3 years ago
As someone who grew up in the '80s, without the presence of XTC on my college radio, I would be force to go all "I don't like Mondays" as the top 40 stations force fed the population Michael Jackson and Madonna ad nauseum. Thank the powers that be for England and all of the great British bands like XTC that liberated us from boredom and banality!!!!! God save the Queen! Partiridge and Mouldign rule!!!!
Anonevyl 3 years ago 6
It would also be nice if I spelled Partridge and Moulding correctly, huh?
Anonevyl 3 years ago 2
Nah, Partregig and mudling is fine :)
Flatlegs 3 years ago 3
Wow!
spottedliver 3 years ago 2
Im living in London at the mo
and my gf works next to tower bridge
can't help but sing this whenever I go near there
anfooclock 3 years ago 2
las time i've been there 6 years ago and... still singing... :)
great band... pure english spirit...
sheloshim 3 years ago 2
good song, my favourite albums are white music, go 2 and black sea. i like the earlier, quirky stuff.
jackator 3 years ago
I just discovered who xtc was a couple days ago.I was lisening to a They Might Be Giants song XCT vs Adam Ant and wanted to know what the song was about so thats how I found out who they were. I really like them! Thier AWESOME!!! So far I haven't found 1 song that I haven't liked!
Wecatz 3 years ago 6
Without a doubt one of the greatest songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. This band rules. I wish they were still making music, would be better than hearing most of the shitty pop we get nowadays.
Vanschaick 3 years ago 6
One of the most creative bands of the eighties.
mancsmoveseast 3 years ago 7
I grew up with XTC an awsome band one of my favorits ! :) Unfortunatly I was too young to go to their concerts in the 80's ! :(
Bumblebee303 3 years ago 4
This is my favorite XTC song. Am American, bite your tongue, laddies, love of good music overrides country of origin, but an Anglophile, and love the tale of TOL...if I ever get to "Londoninium" will play the cheesy tourist and visit the Tower and think about the navvies who died building the bridge "that doesn't go in the direction of Dublin." Saw them twice in the 80s here in USA, sigh...those were the good old days. Best pop band EVER!
XOXOhugznkissszXOXO 3 years ago 7
This is the first time ive ever heard this song. I like it alot!!!
erosar10 3 years ago 2
XTC were one of the best unsung bands of the 1980s. I still love this song...
wiggles63 3 years ago 4
awesome
HighSeasons 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I just watched some of their other songs.
it turns out they're pretty good but i think this song sucks
hypeG 3 years ago
Don't be an idiot just because you know shit about music! This guy is the man!!
jm2244 3 years ago
Nobody with an ounce of credible music taste, gives a shit what you think, your oppinion became officialy invalid, when you confessed to "seraching for Towers of London,the band".
MG3AEH 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
SICK NEW UK RAPPER!!
CHECK THIS MUSIC VIDEO 'LONDONER'!!
/watch?v=HGIMpmOTAVo
/watch?v=HGIMpmOTAVo
/watch?v=HGIMpmOTAVo
sykoatthetube 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
pfahahahahahahaaa!
i was searching for the BAND towers of london and came across this crap, this music got flushed down the toilet with all the other crap at the end of the 60s!
Fast forward to the 00!
please.
and this crap will nevr ever ever get near the top twenty,
ever!
hypeG 3 years ago
idiot,you'll learn,on second thoughts
you probably don't have the brain power
wiggleboggle 3 years ago 5
aaron u spaz gd to see ur off halo for a bit at least these people can play guitar they have sold more records than u and ur nephew will ever y don`t u flush ur stubid comments down the toilet along with all the other crap
wilburgeo 3 years ago 2
Same. Bloc party is also good.
McNugget94 3 years ago
hypeG; you sound like an ignorant twat indeed. It's almost hard to believe that you're from the U.K to have made such a mindless statement. Idiots like you don't even know the richness of your nation's musical history. I wish that we could switch places and you come to the United States. Obviously you don't know how to appreciate what your nation has put out. And no, XTC is not from the 60's they were part of the post punk movement of the early 80's!
Lunatic4Bizcas 3 years ago
Dude, you're a dumbass, XYC owns.
Listen to "Respectable Street" best song ever.
ubergossen 3 years ago 2
Bring them back!!! :(
bungalowbill969 3 years ago 3
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rachelknappert 3 years ago 2
Solid British music as only the Brits can do it. because no one else can get near to them when they put there mind to it
robmac20062006 3 years ago
im with depechevery, they really were the true successors to the beatles. fantastic
lennymullett 3 years ago
Every time I hear the guys on Vinyl, CD, MP3, you name it, they restore my faith in modern music. The true successors to the Beatles, Beach Boys, Hollies and what was best of British pop music. Hurry back lads, there's a whole cult world out here waiting for you to return.
TheSecondStain 4 years ago
XTC was on the same playing field as the police, but went a different path (also lasted at least another decade as a whole). They are just a little less poppy, and usually a little more political (or sappy lovestruck). But the stuff is genius. 3 Musicians I would like to meet... M. Stipe, Bono, & Andy Partridge (in no particular order).
135wt 4 years ago
Aren't we the few who know better than the lot of them--- Chaswick of Boston--- I'll bump into them in Swindon.
poswe 4 years ago
What I would give to have a cup of tea with Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding!
christiemarie27 4 years ago
...i'm 41 years old...27 years was passed by, but i feel the same pleasure to listen XTC...a band that never tired my ear and disappoint my heart...IT'S BEAUTIFUL
archigraf 4 years ago 8
it sounds so banal to say "OMG, me, too!" but well.....without waxing rhapsodic about my boys from swindon town....i do so very much agree...
my senses are still working overtime and i will always be burning with optimism's flames!
redgrrl 3 years ago 3
I'm so used to playing this album that I'M always waiting for the transition to "paper and iron".
p717 4 years ago 4