Possibly My Favourite Options

[Andy Partridge]

How about you?

[Jeff Truzzi]

I've had the great fortune to hear every XTC album since (and including) Drums & Wires hot off the presses, right as they was released. And I clearly and fondly remember the circumstances when first listening to each one. But this album has a particularly special place in all of those, because I'd heard about the 'strike' but had heard absolutely nothing about XTC since the mid 90s. And then one day in early 1999 I was browsing the bins at a CD store (an experience I'm sad our younger readers will never experience) and just happened to see this unfamiliar disc in the X section. Jesus it couldn't be...it IS...new XTC! I had NO warning whatsoever. I couldn't wait to hear it and had no CD player in the truck, and the studio was on my way home and there was no session that day, so I CRANKED it on the big monitors. The first thing I heard was water drops in reverb and this string orchestra pitz bass note followed by a faint touch of click leakage - the biggest issue recording strings, and showing how loudly and closely I was listening. It kept building and building, and then the brass came in, and then the vocals. By this time I was DANCING in the control room with my arms failing wildly and the biggest stupid grin imaginable SHOUTING out loud: "FUCK YEAH!!! XTC!!!" That was absolutely one of the best moments of my life, right up there with the best sex I've ever had and hearing XTC for the first time with Simp. (I'm SO glad nobody walked in on me, I would have been mortified!) I played that song 4 or 5 times before I even went on to "I'd Like That" which was totally different and totally cool and I loved as well. And then "Easter Theater" came on and completely blew me away again! I thought: Jesus, this is one of the best fucking songs ANYBODY has ever written. I played that a whole bunch of times too, and by then I was totally exhausted in the best way possible. I wanted to savor each song, so after over an hour I drove home having just listened to the first three songs, but knowing I had all the other ones to look forward to. I was the kid in the candy store.

A few days later a friend said they'd heard a new XTC song on the radio. I played "I'd Like That" and he said yup that was it, great isn't it? I said indeed it is - and there's even better ones on the album.

I played the first two AV songs blind to various people to get their impressions. Many were totally confused by "River of Orchids." Some thought it was the weirdest Sting song they'd ever heard. Most preferred "I'd Like That" saying it was the best new McCartney song they could remember. A few of the more sophisticated ones were intrigued enough to buy the album for themselves.

[simpleton01]

That was absolutely one of the best moments of my life, right up there with the best sex I've ever had and hearing XTC for the first time with Simp.

Just a slight clarification, Dear Readers. The above events were completely unrelated. Completely. Unrelated.

Thank you.

[Jeff Truzzi]

Just a slight clarification, Dear Readers. The above events were completely unrelated. Completely. Unrelated.

Thank you.

They weren't even in the same state.
Or the same decade.
Or the same millennium.
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