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Oranges & Lemons

XTC - Oranges & Lemons Audio CD

A fair review of the XTC "Oranges & Lemons" 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.

Band: XTC
Title: Oranges & Lemons
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-05-14
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Garden of Earthly Delights 2: Mayor of Simpleton 3: King for a Day 4: Here Comes President Kill Again 5: Loving 6: Poor Skeleton Steps Out 7: One of the Millions 8: Scarecrow People 9: Merely a Man 10: Cynical Days 11: Across This Antheap 12: Hold Me My Daddy 13: Pink Thing 14: Miniature Sun 15: Chalkhills and Children

Finally Noticed
I don't know if the band was feeling the pressure to sell more albums, or the record company proposed a more radio-friendly mainstream sound to generate more sales, but whatever the case, this release was absolutely NOTHING like the previous offering, SKYLARKING. It took 11 years for people to finally learn who XTC was, and 1989's ORANGES AND LEMONS provided a very mainstream Beatles/Beach Boys sound with a little bit of Tears For Fears similarities on track 2 (King for a Day). Up until 1989, XTC was in obscurity for the most part, due to them being slightly out of sync with what was going on in music at any given time, coupled with their lack of touring as a result of Andy Partridge's stagefright that strated in 1982. It's a shame, because they are extremely talented, yet not too many people know who they are. That changed slightly with ORANGES AND LEMONS, a sort of breakthrough release that appealed to a younger crowd. Two rock-solid singles were released, "The Mayor of Simpleton", and "King for a Day", which got good airplay. This album is very upbeat and bubblegum. Even the cover suggests that it's something a little simpler than previous albums, and Beatlesque. However, there are a lot of jazz lines featured in songs, and it gives the album a little more texture. Standout tracks include The Mayor of Simpleton, King for a Day, Here Comes President Kill Again, Garden of Earthly Delights, Poor Skeleton Steps Out, Scarecrow People, and Chalkhills and Children. This album is a must-have for any fan, but probably not where you want to start your collection. Instead, start with SKYLARKING, ENGLISH SETTLEMENT or BLACK SEA. .

I won't bore you with a long review...
An incredible melodic rock album from the 80's. What they all say is true. If you like Squeeze's "Babylon and on" or Jellyfish's "Spilt Milk", you'll love this. Enjoy.

College Station Gem
However, "Oranges and Lemons" was my introduction to the group, with the college radio station playing it liberally during the late spring/early summer of 1989. XTC had already acquired a cult following with previous albums, including "English Settlement" and the much acclaimed "Skylarking". I was entranced from the moment I heard them.

Part of my birthday money was spent to purchase the TAPE of this album, which spoke volumes of its importance. The record does not disappoint. From the far Eastern come hither of the opening track ( "Garden of Earthly Delights) to the swing-sway of the final song ( "Chalkhills and Children") the listener is treated to a variety of thoughts, moods, and musical expressions.

Among the best are " Mayor of Simpleton" a genius craft of pure pop enjoyment. The lyrics are so freshly arranged, it's just a fun, yet sharp song. " The Loving" has a great message, one that was, and will forever be, relevant. "Skeleton Steps Out" will put a bounce in your step, even though the lyrics make one question how deceptive the melody may be. "Across this Antheap" pokes a hole directly through societal facades. . . . "Still segregating cause we insects are too proud. . . . " Definetely a call-out, but a fun one!

Anyone who enjoys pop-art rock should make this a part of their collection. I loved it at 14, I still love it today. . . . . therefore, in my mind, it holds up. .

A modern pop masterpiece!
No qualifications or descriptions can do it justice. This is a truly "GREAT" album. The songs are all top-notch, but it is the arrangements and production that nudge this one up to another plane. The band's previous LP "Skylarking" was a remarkable display of what Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding could do as songwriters. They let their Beatle-freak flag fly high and proud, and unleashed an album with depth, maturity and, most importantly, Style. Their next one is definitely the "White Album" to "Skylarking's" "Sgt Pepper. " The song structures are more complex, the harmonic language is far more challenging, the playing (especially Moulding's cerebrally meandering bass) is far more involved. All of these traits are good things. When combined with Paul Fox's sparkly, imaginative production, XTC ends up with an album that aims as high as any more well known modern pop masterpieces, and which comes so damn close to sheer perfection, that its' minor flaws (one or two weaker songs) only render "Oranges and Lemons" more endearing. This is a contemporary classic if ever there was one.

Mostly Oranges-Maybe Lemons -You Decide...
Yes. Yes. What can I say about "Oranges and Lemons" that you haven't already heard from the reviews on this page? ALOT! Seers are not known to shirk their appointed duties from the Eternal Force of the Universe you know. Not that their take is any more or less valid than my own. I never profess to be omnipotent --- but I am getting closer! And that, after all, is important!

This selection presented itself at a time in my life when all the doors (previously known that were locked) were suddenly flung open. Yes. Your beloved Metamorpho was fresh from the battle with evil and, unfortunately, it had depleted my mind, heart and soul. No folks. I was nothing like the carefree spirit that all my fans know and love today. Very depressing. But, even though evil won (in some sense), I also won for I morphed into Metamopho, who helps humanity (in some way) move towards a spiritual better tomorrow. And, in even that, evil, ironically, helped something good move through the universe. Do you know what I'm talking about? Probably not. Does it even matter? Probably not!

I have hard work ahead of me. I have to try to explain "Oranges and Lemons" and that daunting task is going to be incredibly hard. Why you ask? How bold. That is because the main impetus behind all this is Andy Partridge - and his musical excursions are equal that of your Metamorpho on his more manic days of writing. No. Scratch that. Metamorpho must use his energy left over supply just to keep up. But, you see me complaining?

XTC's vast song paintings move you over plains. Delightful at times, psychedelic at times, but with a mind mania strictly their own. In this, you could move to a song like "Garden of Earthly Delights", with it's off kilter-rubber band Hieronymous Bosch time drift message of "you'll be alright" to a shifted melodic melody like "Scarecrow People", that warns you all to forget your prejudices lest you wind up like scarecrow people too. Ingenius and. . . . . perhaps genius. A band like XTC never lets you rest on your laurels.

I can not negate the talent here. However, that said, some of these tunes hit, and some do not. Possibly because that all are experimental in their own right. I do not mean to suggest that there isn't some coherence to the compositions here. There definitely is. But,your mind has to be opened to the shifts and changes that present themselves. Some are easy. Some take work. Thus, the listening experience impels you to take a detour of what your mind has, thus far, taken of what musical sense, or evolution, should take. In essence, their are sometimes pleasant turns in the road, and some not so pleasant. So, be forewarned.

For the most part though - we have the pleasant pop tune of "Mayor of Simpleton", the regal military march of "Here Comes President Kill Again" (a politcal observation?), "The Loving", a universal observation and the horn filled lament of "Cynical Days". The naughty, spritely ode to "Pink Thing" is an extra added laugh. Just one of the things that make this such an interesting overall selection.

In closing - XTC, I feel, is an entity all of it's own. They will not appeal to certain segments of listeners such as Sinatra would not. I am in that rare class that can listen to both. Well, I'm a Seer- what do you want? XTC went through a phase whereby they could out psychedelicize the psychedelics of the past. And, that meant really doing it! In some ways - yes. In others - overkill. So this has some things that are great- and others that miss as well. But, in the final analysis, this was an album that made me forget about the evil I dealt with and gave me some hope for the future. I cannot argue with that. And the creativity here is formidable. Very formidable! If your mind can shift like continental shifts - give it a listen. There are things here worth hearing.

Chalkhills and Metamorphos. . . . . . . . ;)

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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.