@@kennyjohnson7887 Interesting...I've heard that criticism of Todd many times and I agree in some cases (e.g. Remote Control by the Tubes, War Babies by Hall and Oates - Todd's all over them). But Skylarking is the example that I think best shows that it's not always true. I still can't hear/feel Todd's fingerprints on Skylarking after all these years. Just my $.02 worth.
DS S ... You’d love the stories Andy tells about the sessions. Look at Todd’s giant rectangular block of a head, trying to be offset w long hair. They said he looked like Herman Musnster ... every time they saw him clunking down his long grass slope leading to the studio, they’d quickly play (& try to finish) the Munsters theme song before he made it to the door! 😂😂😂😂
Andy has mellowed some while Todd clearly hasn't. From Wikipedia: In a promotional insert included with their album Nonsuch (1992), Partridge wrote "Musician and producer Todd Rundgren squeezed the XTC clay into its most complete/connected/cyclical record ever. Not an easy album to make for various ego reasons but time has humbled me into admitting that Todd conjured up some of the most magical production and arranging conceivable. A summer's day cooked into one cake."
Another Satellite is perfectly sequenced, it follows thematically from a wedding in Big Day to extramarital temptations. With the moon/tide lyric it pulls the imagery from space back down to earth and the ocean, setting the scene for Mermaid Smiled.
tigerlight430 and it's a fine song. Even if Mr Partridge was as awful to work with as Tod-boy says, he's still one if the most brilliant songwriters. Dear God might have sold more records but it's far from his best work.
Agreed. However, Todd’s instincts were correct, insofar as what’s gonna be a hit record. Andy is a musical genius, who only occasionally makes music for the masses. Probably by accident. His songs are quite rarified, full of modulation and rhythmic complexity. Kinda prog without the widdly widdly bits. My other half sez they sound like Gentle Giant. There’s truth in that.
Love both Todd and XTC. Skylarking for me was like the Beatles, "Sgt. Pepper's". Each song was a little story in it's own right. Skylarking was and still is just amazing to listen to over and over and over again. The detail put into each song is amazing. No other band besides the Beatles played such a diversity of music. - One of the greatest unrecognized bands in Rock and Roll history by mainstream media. When the topic of music comes up with kids in their 20's now I always try to steer them in the direction to listen to XTC. I like that they have also cleaned up the visual quality of some of their videos to HD. I am an old man who was a young man in university who followed them all the way thru their albums, cassettes, and cds. XTC? One of the greatest under celebrated genius's of Rock and Roll history!
you nailed it. Well said. I've also been preaching the genius of XTC for decades. One of the few bands that got better with time. Skylarking is a true work of art.
I'm not into XTC anymore, but Skylarking stands up time and time again. It will remain a classic for decades! I can't help thinking Todd was crucial to the whole thing.
Andy Partridge is a creative, linguistic, and harmonic genius. Skylarking was a departure from their roots, but the visual imagery in skylarking is unparalleled in music. Take it from All Along the Watchtower, on White Music, and Ballet for a Rainy Day…what creative and disparate styles! Andy may be quirky, but Andy is a genius!
Andy is an absolute genius and led a fabulous band of great musicians. Also, from watching hours of interviews with him I can tell he seems like a lovely person with incredible imagination, intelligence and insight into all kinds of art, plus a wonderful sense of humour. Todd is being really harsh describing him here
@@georgesonm1774 He might be all the things you say, but working with him might be a totally different story. It's not just Rundgren who's said this kind of stuff about him....he's fallen out with former bandmates who tell similar stories. Listen to the interview with Dave Gregory about the reasons he left XTC in 1999....it was all to do with how Partridge acted while they were recording a record and some of the things Rundgren says here happened again over a decade after Skylarking.
I really enjoy this interview, but it bothered me when Todd criticized XTC's preference to make very lush and dense music. I like that kind of music. I always find new things in it. As long as it's done correctly and serves the song completely it doesn't matter if it's dense or if it has breaks. But the thing that really struck a nerve with me was the cheap shot about Andy's affliction. Andy didn't choose to be addicted to Valium from the age of 12 'cuz his mom got put in an insane asylum. He didn't choose to go off it on his own. His girlfriend threw away his Valium and they decided for him to go cold turkey, which caused him mental and physical harm that went on for years on undiagnosed. That's just a cheap shot by Todd. That's jerky. I'll add at the end when Todd implied that XTC failed after Todd Rundgren walked away from them. That is vainglorious and completely false. XTC had greater chart success after Rundgren. Every album they made after Rundgren is also beautiful, and some of them are masterpieces. English Settlement is a masterpiece before Skylarking. It was just dishonest, tacky and petty assertion by him.
I worshipped Todd in the 70s, but i don't think XTC's albums suffer from what he says. I'm not a producer, but to my ear, EVERY XTC LP sounds "right" for the era/genre in which it was created. Same for Skylarking FTM
@@philbrook5655 Not so much, I see it as a style--sort of Big Express wall of sound . I suppose one could argue that but I love many of the songs on the album. 🤪
a lot of people would say that All Things Must Pass is overproduced. And a lot of people would say that All Things Must Pass is the best ‘solo-Beatles’ album
The XTC fans dissing Todd should check out Andy's appearance on the Todd fan podcast Rundgren Radio. It's an hour long, and Andy actually gives Todd his due. For instance, he talks about Todd writing the arrangement for "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" - "He has the people skills of a Dalek, but is a God among arrangers."
I saw XTC live along with Oingo Boingo and The Police and it was great! Apples and Oranges is also a very good album. Rundgren is a pop music genius who was way ahead of the pack back in the 70's.
@@TheBritomart ~ Todd shaking things up yet again! Had a listen to both songs Lennon referred to, ‘I Saw the Light’ (TR) and ‘There’s a Place’ (Beatles) and I hear very little overlap, except very clearly the harmonica melody right at the end of the Beatles song, 9 years prior. Love that song by Todd, more so than the latter, but that’s just me. Anyway, thanks for the link!
My thoughts exactly. Only Americans would consider Dear God controversial. I agree with the A & R guy as well: kids on records are nauseous. I have Satellite in my top twenty XTC records.
Only SOME Americans would consider 'Dear God' controversial - and most of that some live in the southern bible-belt states. THINKING Americans know better, thank you.
Sorry...no. just no. Rundgren hits the nail on the head. This is by far the best album by xtc. Oranges and lemons would have been much better had Todd produced it.
Mark Maron. I am a HUGE fan of yours, why don't you have Andy Partridge on and get the other side of this story? Andy is absolutely hilarious and incredibly engaging in interviews.
I think Rundgren is still resentful about how ungrateful Partridge was after the album's release. I remember how Partridge went out of his way for years to bad mouth him in every interview. Rundgren may seem like an ass in this interview but he has his reasons. It was only after everyone declared Skylarking a masterpiece that he began to start giving Rundgren some small due. I'm saying all this as a huge XTC and Rundgren fan.
I'm a bit confused when Todd says Andy had a reputation for driving off producers. As far as I'm aware, before working with Todd the only producer he clashed with was Clive Langer. Just before English Settlement they recorded a single with him and Alan Winstanley that never got released at the time, and within hours of beginning the session Clive realised that Andy was de facto producing the session and so he walked out. Oh, and there was Mutt Lange, who produced the This Is Pop single and demanded take after take and drove the whole band nuts, but they went along with it. Anyway, as far as I know Andy didn't have any actual clashes with John Leckie, Steve Lillywhite, Hugh Padgham, Steve Nye or David Lord. So it sounds as much that the record label just wanted the band not to go over budget. However, although I do agree that The Big Express had a bit too much going on sonically, I still love it, more than Skylarking if I'm honest. Todd is talking some shit here too though. Both him and Andy could probably do with being a little more gracious to each other this long after the event.
Amazing how short sighted and ego filled this discussion is. I bet Andy is no angel but Todd is a tough personality, you would think that humility would enter the game because of the great gifts this man has been given.
This is how I'd always heard this saga between XTC and Todd...Todd felt it was "his" album, and obviously, Andy didn't agree with that idea. They had a power struggle. However, it was a great album in the end.....so no matter who was the biggest brat, it worked. I think both parties were eventually proud of the outcome. Rundgren is a genius, but XTC is unparalleled, in my humble opinion- One of the greatest bands of all time..... and Rundgren cannot take credit for that, or "I Remember the Sun", "Millions" "Great Fire" "Ten feet Tall" and so many brilliant songs and arrangements that XTC put out over the years. Therefore, the coming together of Rundgren and XTC for Skylarking was meant to be, ended up being a great album, and everyone should be happy. Anything great is full of strife. However, XTC is the creative force here, even though Todd did his thing very well....but the real greatness is in the songwriting, not the producer. The producer is wonderful, and influential, but XTC produced amazing music without Todd Rundgren for many many years. XTC was one of the last true, uniquely original art bands. Sometimes they missed, but when they hit it, it was worth the wait. Actually, when they sounded too poppy (Peter Pumpkin Head) is when I was waiting for something more like "Snowman." XTC is my all time favorite band. I must have bought Drums and Wires 5 times during my life. I never comment on these things, by the way....but I love this band. Listening to "River of Orchids." Next up, "Ladybird," and "Chalkhills and Children." It's musical heaven for me...their whole career.
Dude that rerelease of Skylarking unequivocally sounds better. I'm not an engineer so can't tell you why, but the bass is more defined and makes a huge difference to me. Probably not much to a casual listener, though. But all things said, that is XTC's best album and clearly Rundgren deserves some credit for that.
Sometimes it takes oil and water to make a great painting.. Todd did produced what I think is their best album and I frickin love it, but he seems a bit spiteful here. Dear God peaked on Billboard charts at #37, Mayor of Simpleton peaked at #15. Skylarking peaked at #70 Oranges and Lemons peaked at #44. So it's odd that Todd says "nothing has happened for the band in 30 years since Skylarking". Not to mention Apple Venus 1 and 2 are frickin incredible records. What they need to do is get over their petty shit and make Skylarking 2.0! The world needs a new XTC record!
Great record. About a year after it was released I was at the bar in a studio , and I asked Colin moulding about this. He told me he really liked the record . There you go...
Love Todd, but he’s as much a “brat” as Andy, who I also love. I love a lot of Todd’s music, and he really should be in the R&R Hall of Fame, for what that is worth, but I don’t think I’d want to go on a long car drive with him. Ditto Andy.
@@bulliboyz good point. I have a distaste for anyone publicly criticizing someone- they don’t know. If I ask a club to please tune a piano snd they call me a #^^* , they may or not be right. But one thing for sure- they have no idea. Ever hear Todd talk about the death threats he gets? Blame for Lennon assassin on and on? Would take his kids and wife’s opinion only. Seems to have done well raising a daughter Liv whose father split.
Wow, people are really hard on Rundgren. He's a legend in his own right and yes, very opinionated, but that's part of what makes him such a great producer. A lot of great producers and bands have had their quarrels. Devo talked shit about Eno, too, but they also made a great record together. Let the guy tell his story. And let people have their quarrels, it's OK. They're big kids.
One of the funniest things that occurred during the recording was: as Todd was arriving at the recording studio each morning the band would be playing the Munsters theme
Another Satellite is one of the best songs ever made, a highlight of the album, and it's perfectly in line with the conceptual theme of the album. Bizarre take from Todd here.
Skylarking is my favorite album by XTC. It feels like a continuation of the Dukes of Stratosphear 25 O'clock. XTC kind of stayed with the more psychedelic sound after their alter egos first release.....big fan of both bands
It's a great album and IMO the writer is King and Gatekeeper of the process. There are tracks however where the arrangements are so important that I'd argue the arranger should be co-credited e.g. Man Who Sailed Around His Soul. The Man From Uncle/Mission Impossible arrangement makes that track and I suspect Andy didn't have much to do with it (unlike his input on MIke Batt's beautiful work on the later I Can't Own Her). I like Todd's hard-nosed approach to organising the running and recording order, tempo mapping etc and his wisdom in seeking to avoid over-working and flattening the dynamics with clutter. However, his closing comments about them achieving nothing for the next thirty years is churlish. I think Oranges & Lemons and Apple Venus are both a step ahead.
He didn't say XTC achieved nothing; he was expressing his opinion that Andy is still mad about what happened back when even though nothing has changed about the album and there has been no contact between them for 30 years.
To me, Skylarking is one of the best albums ever put together, a top ten all-time contender. Even though Andy hated Todd, Todd performed miracles with that album. Sad that XTC never got the notoriety they so deserved, but Todd being a fan, having a great ear, and the ability to get it done, paid huge dividends for the band, even though they blew it in the longrun. Speaking of all-time great albums, if you haven't listened to Todd's Something/Anything, you're doing yourself a disservice. Other great albums he had a hand in producing are Bat Out of Hell, Remote Control and Love Bomb (masterpiece) by the Tubes.
You would think Moulding would be the objector in TR's production style. The bass was way down in the mix in the original and has been enhanced or cranked up a bit with each subsequent remaster or remix, including Steve Wilson's, either through compression or tweaking a knob. Todd loves a treble-laden sound. Also there was a polarity issue with the original release that was addressed along the way. Not sure if occurred after it left Todd's hands or not, but it was a big oversight. Also, I don't think of this album is all that thematic, many songs fall outside of the annual cyclical subject matter. Hats off to Todd for his arrogance, making it sound like "Dear God" was the only commercial success the band as ever had and it would have never happened without his eminent grace.
The "modern" tendency is to jack up the bass fairly high, not just the instrument but lower frequencies in general. That started in the 80's, BTW... I actually have to praise Rundgren for not being one of the trend setters in that regard.
This interview proves that Skylarking was a clash of two big egos (Todd, Andy), with Colin and Dave keeping their distance. It might have been a struggle but it produced XTC's best album and essentially revived their career. I only wish "Mermaid Smiled" was kept on the U.S. version of the album, beautiful song!
The unstoppable force vs immovable object, Andy and Todd. Its a good bet these two don't send each other Xmas cards.. tbh even Colin left XTC during the recording and had to be talked back down from the ledge by Andy to finish the LP ( at least there'll be a finished product to collect the royalties from). but the end result was pretty special. The APE reissue talks about corrected polarity from the original stereo vinyl mix off the master tapes. Funny but the UK edition never got Dear God . So..
@ArtMusic8 mermaid smiled is a great song, I agree. I don't know; Todd levels criticism at Another Satellite but that also is a pretty good song I think. Maybe just the circumstances made him hate that song or maybe he is right about that it did not fit the cycle of the album theme.
I have a lot of respect for Todd, but calling "Another Satellite" a "stupid song" is... well, stupid. It's one of the most memorable tracks on the album by my and many other XTC fans' estimations. And Todd says "nothing has happened in the 30 years since". What does that even mean? Oranges And Lemons charted much higher than Skylarking and had two big hits on the Modern Rock charts. Nonsuch and the Apple Venus albums also did well compared to Skylarking. I love Skylarking, and I believe Todd brought a lot to the table on that album, but he just sounds petty and bitter here.
This is very interesting. I had only heard Andy's side of it and a few written accounts, but never heard Todd interviewed about it. I love the album, it's beautiful.
Andy may have called the shots and sometimes being prolific not everything is gold, but without Colin Moulding I would have much less interest in the band and I appreciate Dave Gregory as well .
I heard this album while looking through the record bins at a record store in downtown Denver. I walked over to the cashier and asked for this CD, the third in my collection at that point.
Andy is a puss who wont tour. Hes fucking brilliant but Im sure he is a brat. Whos bigger.......uh hard to say. At least Todd is willing to take his talent and and energy to the people. Unlike Partridge who expects to be worshipped from affar.
I have no dog in the Rundgren/Partridge fight - what I take away from this is that the band and the producer don't have to get along, at all, for great art to be made. Ironically, Another Satellite and Dear God are my two favorite songs on the album.
Whoever this interviewer was, he sucked-up to TR in a pathetic way. And, Todd? After 30 years, you still take the low-road. Pathetic. Now, as 'artists' go, I like some of Todd's music (though his best days were with his Utopia friends)...but Andy Partridge has MUCH more musical/artistic talent than Todd Rundgren. We all have problems, and some (like Andy) have theirs thrown out in public for all to see and (at times) obsess over. Todd just aired his own problem. Very little respect for this guy now.
Absolutely agree. Todd was there to do a job. If Andy wants his songs (babies) to be/sound a certain way then It's Tod's job to facilitate. Of course he was there for his artistic input but can you imagine writing some tunes and someone stamping all over it then call you a prick when you contest? Tod (God) complex.
Andy wanted 'Dear God' off Skylarking because he thought he failed at addressing the subject matter and, being a perfectionist, he removed it because he wasn't satisfied. 'Another Satellite' is also a great song and fit into the original running order of the album just fine. Todd is extremely talented but a notorious prick.
Ive known and heard alot Dear God for about 20 years but only just come across Sky.... and I now think its a masterpiece of works, fantastic concept but I do feel Dear God doesnt fit in and that Sac Bon feels like the end of the album to me.
@@gaskellr44 Sacrificial Bonfire is the end. But Dear God fits well placed before Dying, both musically and thematically, which is how I originally heard the album.
I loved XTC madly, especially the first phase (WM and D&W) but also records like ES, Mummer and Skylarking, they have a repertoire that makes britpop pale, but .. I think that when someone called Todd Rundgren knocks on your studio and comes to produce a record for you, you have the right /duty to be silent and learn everything he can teach you. I mean .. Todd isn't just a musician, he's a giant, a innovator, the man behind great success and sales (Bat out of hell for example), he has shown widely that he can do everything with great talent. He use to release a buch of Lp performing EVERY single instrument and singing, composing legendary tunes too. I repeat .. I love Partridge sw and those C.Moulding pop pearls ..But .... there is a scale of values.
Todd was an adventure that was waiting to happen, many happy accidents make fluffy clouds ⛅ in the big picture. Having a song about cross could lead to crossed wires. 😊
Ugh! Todd is good at what he does, but I couldn't agree less with his assessment of Andy's skills. Obviously the interviewer didn't know much about XTC, and let Todd run away with his diatribe. Boring...
I have loved both Todd Rundren and XTC/Andy Partridge for many years. Saw Utopia live at least 7 times and XTC live in NYC 5 or 6 times. I always thought that many of Todd's records sounded crappy, whereas XTC's were vibrant. Never really cared that much for Skylarking. Hated DEAR GOD and thought MERMAID SMILED and ANOTHER SATELLITE were great songs, so I'd have to disagree with Todd's thoughts on those. My fave XTC album was Oranges and Lemons; Drums and Wires and now Apple Venus. I think Andy's FUZZY WARBLES series is fantastic, even though they're demos! XTC is such an underrated band that it's a crying shame. Maybe one day they'll garner the notariety they deserve.
I love Another Satellite but the fact that it was almost exactly Andy’s demo checks out to me. It feels unfinished/empty compared to the rest of the album, Andy’s vocals save it
Is anybody here going to mention the guy who is interviewing Todd? Hmmm? It's Mark Maron on the WTF Podcast. There's probably 45 more minutes out there.
Very interesting insights from Todd, about what was ailing XTC's albums at the time, and it sounds about right. Sharp analysis. About their conflict: In the XTC documentary "This Is Pop", Andy does admit he has a "problem with authority", specifically with people telling him what to do. Which of course is what a producer is hired to do. But it's somewhat heartening that Andy at least sees the error of his ways, even if he ultimately is unable to change them. Good thing he found Colin and Dave, who put up with it through all those years.
Actually Dear God was replaced with Mermaid Smile. Plus, XTC made more good records afterward like Apple Venus Volume One although Dave Gregory might disagree.
He can laugh off the polarity issue, but the corrected polarity version of Skylarking is a massively-improved album. The old version is on him, whether he wants to admit it or not.
Nice interview I'll admit, but I disagree about Dear God being the better song, it may be a more radio friendly song, but XTC is not about being radio friendly, XTC is anything but pop. I bought the original version of Skylarking and definitely believe it is great album, Todd got a great sound out of them, but I love Another Satellite, I wore out my 1st album when I re bought it and found out that they replaced Another satellite with Dear God I was totally bummed. It wasn't till about 10 years later that I was able to find a copy where they put Another Satellite back on, but it was a different recording, still a little bummed but oh well. I think the interviewer should have done his homework. Before Skylarking, XTC had already established themselves as one of the Greatest bands on Earth! In my opinion greater songwriters than Todd could ever hope to be. No doubt Todd is a great producer, but XTC put out exceptional music before Todd, and definitely after Todd. Just for the record XTC is one of my favorite bands, so I am partial to them.
This article explains how the polarity was fucked on skylarking and Andy was right. It sounded thin! www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/06/30/xtc-skylarking-reissue-vinyl-corrected/
I adore Skylarking, and know Todd was a huge part it. They had already done the first Dukes of Stratosphere album. The Tubes' Prairie Prince played drums on it.
I think it only fair that people should look up what Andy Partridge had to say about these exact criticisms. I love Skylarking. It's a great album, but I don't think you are getting the full story here. Just saying.
I bought the original Skylarking, sans Dear God, in Belgium in December, 1987 while in the Air Force. I thought it was stunning and it remains one of my all time favorite albums. A few months later I was discharged and returned to the U.S. about the same time Dear God was causing an uproar in certain parts of the South. I listened to it, considered it kind of a cornball novelty tune, and haven't changed my mind about it since. I understand the economic reasons for putting it on the album, but in my opinion, Skylarking was much better off without it. Still I give kudos to Rundgren for producing a classic work.
I like the song, and it has great production values, but I think it has one of the dumbest lyrics at the start of the song: "Dear God...I pray you make it better down here, and I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer..." I think the rest of the lyrics are great, but those first lines, I think Andy Partridge should have revised them. Sounds like a pretentious 12 year old wrote them.
@@thehighllama8101 Thanks for your reply. I just listened to Dear God again and agree that it was very well produced. It also features some solid musicianship. Still, those opening lines, along with the child singing, just sets the wrong tone for me. That's just my own taste. In my opinion, Another Satellite is a much stronger track and fits in more organically with the rest of the album. Of course, though, I am strongly influenced by the way I originally heard the album plus the fact that Skylarking or Dear God was not my introduction to the band. I had been listening to XTC for quite some time before they were released..
Todd’s observations, when listening thru the obvious hyperbole are probably still spot on, but his opinion on “Another Satellite” sellls it way short and (listening right now to the DVD) the track fits just fine in the sequence and hardly sounds “forced” or “jammed” into the tracklist. Todd clearly doesn’t like his failure to get the last word on this subject, and the album lives on as XTC’s masterpiece, not his.
It's very interesting hearing this story from Todd's perspective. As an audio guy, I was always skeptical of the whole 'out of phase' thing. This explains a lot and I tend to agree with Todd that it was all BS. Maybe I could be proven wrong if I heard the 'out of phase' masters but I haven't been able to track down digital versions anywhere. The bad blood is too bad but sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.
Uh, I have to disagree with Todd about “Another Satellite”. It’s one of the most brilliant songs on the album lyrically with its scathing lyrics about romantic interest from a jaundiced recipient who was already in a relationship, and it fits perfectly into the song cycle and is captures the main character in the Fall stage of life in a unique and incisive way. That being said, the entire album is brilliant and is one of the most perfect sounding albums I’ve ever heard.
I think Rundgren is mixing things up when he states that ‘Another Satellite’ replaced ‘Dear God’ on the original pressing. From what I’ve read ‘Dear God’ was replaced with ‘Mermaid Smiled’, which is one of the best things Partridge’s ever written, imo. Rundgren’s statement also doesn’t make sense because, contrary to his comment, ‘Another Satellite's’ lyrical content fits in perfectly within the album’s “cycle,” whereas ‘Mermaid Smiled’ only does so tangentially. And Maron… “So they’d done what, like 3 records [before ‘Skylarking’]?” Fuck off! For someone who seems to think he’s in the know about good music - at least that’s the impression I’ve gotten, his knowledge is lacking. He seems so eager to look cool in the eyes of Rundgren throughout this interview.
There was no way Todd and Andy were going to get along. Todd is an exceptional songwriter and producer, but his engineering and mixing skills have always been questionable, at least to my ears. All of his 70's and 80's albums sound thin and punchless. He crams too much music onto his albums (maybe an outside producer could have helped with some editing, but Todd's ego would never allow for that). The drum sound on his Utopia albums is abysmal. I even thought Skylarking sounded thin (which could have been the mastering). That said, Skylarking is a masterpiece and Todd played no small role in that.
It sounded thin, according to the remaster engineer who tipped Andy Partridge off, because of a polarity mismatch at the output of Todd's mixing board. The result was that the two stereo channels of the original master were slightly out-of-phase so it sounded kind of thin and hollow. The remaster guy shifted the channels back into phase, did an A-B comparison for Andy, which led to the correction. And the proof's in the latest remaster, which does sound fuller and richer. So Andy isn't implicitly dissing Greg Calbi, as Todd suggests, because he was just mastering a defective mix-down. And let's not forget, Todd even managed to make Levon Helm's drums sound like shit - quite an achievement. But anyway... Skylarking isn't XTC's masterpiece, Apple Venus is.
+AndyQ I'll offer an equally controversial choice for second place - Oranges & Lemons. Never understood why so many people write it off as self-indulgent.
Gotta disagree with Rundgren's blanket dismissal of the production quality of the albums preceding 'Skylarking'. I have no problem picking out the various elements of XTC's intricate soundscapes, and find Rundgren's observations on psychoacoustics to be misapplied. The recording quality remains high across the vast majority of the band's discography. Also, it is absurd to claim that the tyrannical Andy Partridge was destroying the band's popularity by forcing a fundamentally flawed production ideology on his bandmates. It's very rare for a band to be both artistically and commercially viable (as the former so often excludes the latter), and XTC's insistence on thought-provoking music tended to yield material less palatable for dumbed-down mainstream audiences. It's career arc seems perfectly normal to me. Not everyone gets the long glide-out of U2 or Radiohead, and what matters for XTC is how good its discography ultimately was. In my opinion they started and finished strong.
You are right when you say that Todd doesn't properly know psychoacoustics. It is when sonic phenomenon is audible that is not actually in the mix. For instance, when several elements in a mix combine to form an element not actually present, Combination tones are an example of this. Where say, if you play two piano notes together, the summing of them can at times produce a third note which was not actually played.
+Aaron Solomon: In total agreement with Mad Joe, but then he was talking from a position of long experience gained in top studios recording all kinds of acts - he still knew how to capture the basic 'guts' of a band's sound, even though his productions were eccentric. XTC were a great-sounding live unit and I (and it seems most others here) would say that their records which sound best are those which capture that in all its depth and fullness. Skylarking, for all it's brilliant and creative arrangements and sound treatments, doesn't really do that. To me it sounds kind of thin and clonky - even the remaster doesn't totally salvage it. Still, there's always Steven Wilson's remix to check out...
Skylarking is a really impressive work. It was the closest thing I'd heard to a late stage McCartney produced Beatles LP. If I have a criticism, it was almost too perfect. Not enough of an edge.
I think we can forgive TR some bitterness over how things played out with Skylarking and Andy's later release of a remastered version. But Andy has given Rundgren plenty of credit for the album's sound as well as for being the one who chose which songs appeared on Skylarking - in the "Apple Venus" demos, Andy notes that Rundgren chose all the "summery" songs they had at the time and so basically came up with the record's seasonal/pastoral concept. Andy says Rundgren could easily have chosen other songs they had ready at the time, like "Little Lighthouse," and assembled a much harder-rocking mix, but he didn't. Rundgren's a bit over-the-top to tell Mark Maron that XTC hasn't done anything for the 30 years following Skylarking - um, Nonsuch? Oranges & Lemons? Apple Venus? or "Psonic Psunspot" in 1987? He wants you to believe XTC's (i.e. Andy's) weirdness and seclusion in Swindon left them obscure after "Skylarking," but obviously that isn't true. Maybe he's measuring by record sales, who knows, but certainly they made important and excellent records after that.
Oranges & Lemons was recorded in LA with a bigger budget and apparently sold just as healthily as Skylarking though. TR was being factitious there to say the least
Sorry, but Another Satellite is a freaking great song and makes the record. I’m hoping Todd was just having a bad day when he made these comments. He really is an amazing talent and I don’t doubt that he and Andy clashed about Dear God and that Todd was right insisting on it. But Another Satellite is just brilliant.
So circling we'll orbit another year Two worlds that won't collide So circling we'll orbit another year Moon still tries to steal the tide away Don't need another satellite
Todd is talented in many ways... Andy is eclectic and probably not the easiest person to work with. BUT Todd has confirmed his douchebaggery with this interview. You are paid good money to work as a pro, Todd. Act like one! So many great XTC songs, and Another Satellite is a great example!
When was this interview recorded? If recently, then Todd still seems to be hanging onto some deep seated resentment after all these years. I believe that Andy has tempered his vitriol.
