| features in: Album Chart of 1978 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s |
Their second album - and their second of 1978 - arrived in October, fronted by a wonderfully sarcastic mini-essay on the cover, pouring scorn on the cynical world of the marketeer who would try to seduce YOU, the record buyer, with alluring imagery to secure the sale. The Swindon four line-up: Andy Partridge (24, guitars, vocals), Colin Moulding (23, bass, vocals), Barry Andrews (22, organs, synths, clavinet, grand piano, saxophone, vocals) and Terry Chambers (23, drums, vocals). Evidence of the quirkiness in store is immediately apparent on the jerky opener “Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)” described by Partridge as “A song about kids in England going to dance halls. People would get very drunk and then attempt to dance like robots to stuff like Kraftwerk.” Vivid! Hypnosis is the next play via the woozy and repetitive “Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)”, written in tribute to Brian Eno, which makes perfect sense. Flirtations with punk-ska serve up side one surprises on “Crowded Room” and “Red”, which went down very well as raucous set closers in their live gigs at the time. The Jamaican flirtation continues on side two with a great many of the dubbeat variety. Coming across like Perry-in-the-Black-Ark, “Life Is Good In The Greenhouse” has allsorts of little effects and synth twinkles bubbling away, with a suitably strange story to go with it: “Life is good in the greenhouse, Rather be a plant than be your Mickey Mouse”. “Go 2” was well received by the UK press and, although artistic and personal tensions between Partridge and Andrews would soon see the latter depart, XTC continued to move forward purposefully.
The Jukebox Rebel
14–Jan–2008
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [02:34]  XTC - Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!) (Andy Partridge) New Wave |
| A2 | [04:35]  XTC - Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian) (Andy Partridge) Trance Rock |
| A3 | [02:40]  XTC - Buzzcity Talking (Colin Moulding) Post-Punk |
| A4 | [02:53]  XTC - Crowded Room (Colin Moulding) Post-Punk |
| A5 | [02:58]  XTC - The Rhythm (Colin Moulding) New Wave |
| A6 | [03:01]  XTC - Red (Andy Partridge) Ska / Rocksteady |
| B1 | [04:35]  XTC - Beatown (Andy Partridge) New Wave |
| B2 | [04:41]  XTC - Life Is Good In The Greenhouse (Colin Moulding) Dubbeat |
| B3 | [02:03]  XTC - Jumping In Gomorrah (Andy Partridge) Ska / Rocksteady |
| B4 | [02:20]  XTC - My Weapon (Barry Andrews) New Wave |
| B5 | [04:24] XTC - Supertuff (Barry Andrews) Dubbeat |
| B6 | [03:38] XTC - I Am The Audience (Colin Moulding) Dubbeat |
