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XTC - Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 1978-1980 Audio CD

A fair review of the XTC "Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 1978-1980" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all XTC reviews here, or go back to the XTC tabs.

XTC Band: XTC
Title: Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 1978-1980
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-08-06
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Dance with Me, Germany 2: Beat the Bible 3: Dictionary of Modern Marriage 4: Clap Clap Clap 5: We Kill the Beast 6: Commerciality 7: Day They Pulled the North Pole Down 8: Forgotten Language of Light 9: Steam Fist Futurist 10: Shore Leave Ornithology (Another 1950) 11: Cairo 12: Rotary 13: Madhattan 14: I Sit in the Snow 15: Work Away Tokyo Day 16: New Broom

For completionists only.
I've got some dub stuff in my collection, so while I'm by no means an expert, I think I can discuss this was some authority. "Explode Together" collects two dub recordings made of XTC material-- the "Go+" EP and Andy Partridge's solo dub release, "Take AWay / The Lure of Salvage". The idea behind the music is to essentially create remixes by cutting and pasting elements of a song to emphasize the rhythm parts and remixing to get a fatter bass sound. Most dub, particularly the less well formed stuff, ends up sounding like a programmed drum beat, a big bassline, and what sounds like occasional samples from something. At its best, it can be highly engaging, at its worst, it can be mind numbingly dull.

Unfortunately, this one tends to drift closer to the latter than the former, particularly the material on "Go+". Mostly its drum beats that detracted from their originals sound rather dull ("Beat the Bible") and largely uninspired arrangements ("We Kill the Beast"). The only piece that's remotely salvagable on here is "Clap Clap Clap", where Partridge clearly had a field day in the studio, laying all sorts of effects on the lilting rhythm track. "Take Away / The Lure of Salvage" is slightly (SLIGHTLY) better, covering a much wider range of sounds, unfortunately some of them qualify as dull a listen, just in a different way ("Shore Leave Ornithology" sticks way out, and at nearly six minutes long, it can drive you mad, even if the honking sax at the end is intriguing enough). Some of the pieces do pick up some interesting elements (the freak guitar noise on "Steam Fist Futurist" for example and most of "Rotary"), but by and large, even these pieces are pretty forgettable.

I realize a lot of XTC fans find a way to love these recordings, but quite honestly, this is one that stays filed away in the collection-- it's not good enough to justify repeated listens. If you're a completionist, you probably already have it or will get it regardless of what I'm saying, if you really love dub, maybe it's worthwhile, but anyone else would be well advised to steer clear.


Unlike other XTC, but nonetheless compelling
However, I find them compelling and enjoyable. Unlike the rich sonic texture of most XTC albums, the arrangements on the album are rather sparse. .


Interesting, but not essential experimental album from xtc
This album, while interesting, isn't a very compelling addition to the XTC canon. Not all experiments have good results. Really, for all intends and purposes, this is an Andy solo album reworking some key XTC tracks from various albums.

As such, it probably should have been released on cd as an Andy Partridge side project(akin to the Lennon/Ono TWO VIRGINS and Harrison's ELECTRONIC SOUNDS lps/Cds). Has some interesting moments.


You can see a complete list of all XTC discography, or go back to the XTC tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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