A new song discussed each day with an emphasis on relatively obscure or under-appreciated music.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Ecstasy? No, XTC!
XTC
Album: Skylarking
Song: Dear God
"Dear God" not "Dear God". Just wanted to clear that up. It's not my favorite song by XTC -- that would be their great track, "Making Plans For Nigel," one of the best New Wave tunes ever. Thought the message would be appreciated, however, by those who read the blog regularly.
And leaving aside the amateurish pop-theology, it's still pretty damn good.
XTC is one of the most under-appreciated bands of the late-70s and early-80s. With every record they garnered raves in the music press yet failed time and again to find popular appeal. There's no denying that musically they are more interesting than the typical New Wave band. For example, "Sgt Rock" features a melodic line sung in d-minor while the guitar hook is in D-major, and it's that m2 f-sharp/f-natural crunch which gives an otherwise relatively simplistic pop song an appealing edge. Examples like this abound. They're also known for their willingness to explore political and religious themes -- listen to "Generals And Majors" for one of their typical efforts. (It's a banal tune, but Richard Branson appears in the video. So that's good. Oh, and once again we hear dissonance in a secondary line enlivening the song. So, ummm, that's good too.)
The band was at the height of its popularity in 1982 when the lead singer and guitarist, Andy Partridge, suffered a nervous breakdown onstage. The band never performed again, though they continued to make records for the next 20 years. If you like this track I strongly recommend listening to their album Skylarking, but their best record, in my opinion, is 1979's Drums And Wires.
When I first read about the f-nat/f-sharp pattern, I expected that it was going to just be a blues-inspired minor third in the melody, on top of possibly even a 12-bar blues pattern, in major... But no, you're definitely right, now I've listened to the chorus a few times. That melody line is definitely in minor. And, it's awesome. There's also something about the rhythm that makes it feel much more laid back than the rest of the song seems to be pretending to be... but, I can't put my finger on it. The hi-hat syncopation?
Re: rhythm Cool observation. You're absolutely right that there's...something interesting going on there. Not sure it's just the sync hi-hat though...if anything he's playing slightly ahead of the beat. But perhaps it's the interplay between the sync hi-hat and the rock steady drone bass? It's almost like the hi-hat is driving the piece forward while the bass is going Marley and insisting upon a more laid back groove.
Or not. :)
And yeah, Andy Partridge is a fantastic melodist. Listen to Skylarking for more awesome melodies.
When I first read about the f-nat/f-sharp pattern, I expected that it was going to just be a blues-inspired minor third in the melody, on top of possibly even a 12-bar blues pattern, in major... But no, you're definitely right, now I've listened to the chorus a few times. That melody line is definitely in minor. And, it's awesome. There's also something about the rhythm that makes it feel much more laid back than the rest of the song seems to be pretending to be... but, I can't put my finger on it. The hi-hat syncopation?
ReplyDeleteRe: rhythm Cool observation. You're absolutely right that there's...something interesting going on there. Not sure it's just the sync hi-hat though...if anything he's playing slightly ahead of the beat. But perhaps it's the interplay between the sync hi-hat and the rock steady drone bass? It's almost like the hi-hat is driving the piece forward while the bass is going Marley and insisting upon a more laid back groove.
ReplyDeleteOr not. :)
And yeah, Andy Partridge is a fantastic melodist. Listen to Skylarking for more awesome melodies.