Nonsuch

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Remastered reissue of 1992 album. Virgin Records. 2001. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead
My Bird Performs
Dear Madam Barnum
Humble Daisy
The Smartfelt Monkeys
The Disappointed
Holly Up On Poppy
Crocodile
Rook
Omnibus
That Wave
Then She Appeared
War Dance
Wrapped In Grey
The Ugly Underneath
Bungalow
Books Are Burning

Amazon.com

Patently incapable of making substandard records and equally hopeless at actually selling them, XTC's 10th studio album, Nonsuch (produced by Gus Dudgeon and benefiting from the crisp drum work of former Fairport Convention sticksman Dave Mattacks), was yet another sublime, literate and unpredictable Anglo-pop masterpiece, brimming with tuneful deviousness, intelligent arrangements and interesting subject matter but nevertheless avoided by the public as if it were an approaching tramp with a personal hygiene problem. That quirky Canadians Crash Test Dummies actually had a hit with an exact replica of "Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" can only be attributed to their choice of deodorant. A similar injustice befell single "The Disappointed" (Andy Partridge's anthem for the amorously disenfranchised and surely one of their best ever recordings), which narrowly failed to win an Ivor Novello Award. Still, typically for a band who've never enjoyed the full rub of the green, some of the finest moments on Nonsuch deal with either underachievement (as on Colin Moulding's "Smartest Monkeys", which questions how mankind can get to the moon but can't solve problems of hunger and homelessness); such anti-showbiz mundanity as walking the dog ("Humble Daisy"); or aspiring to a retirement home by the sea (another forlorn Moulding number fusing Noel Coward with the Beach Boys' pocket symphonies). Other than "The Disappointed", the real must-hear is the anti-censorship "Books are Burning", inspired by the Salman Rushdie affair and by German poet Heinrich Heine's famous quote, and musically pitched halfway between "Hey Jude" and Leo Sayer's "When I Need You", ascending to a climactic duel between the frying guitars of Partridge and Gregory. --Kevin Maidment

Album Description

Remastered reissue of 1992 album. Virgin Records. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

A TRUE MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-20

One or two weak songs, but a great album nevertheless. Why oh why did they make Apple Venus after this? They should have just folded the band after this album and they'd be legendary. i won;t dwell on th garbage that is Apple Venus 1 & 2. I have the original pressing. This album has been remastered and it probably sounds even better. Buy it!

One of the best XTC albums.......2007-05-07

This is a cd with some great songs on it but the three songs that stand out are "The ballad of peter pumpkinhead" "War dance" and "Books are burning". These songs alone are worth the buy.Many years have gone buy since this cd came out but its just as good now as it was back then.Give it a listen.

Without Equal.......2006-07-27

5+ stars

XTC's singer/guitarist, Andy Partridge, claims to have a brain "like an exotic dog which needs walking occasionally. The result of letting him out for his most recent run is the batch of 13 songs he's written for "Nonsuch" the band's long awaited tenth album. (bassist/singer, Colin Moulding contributes a further four tracks) Some of XTC's best ideas come from the remains of old records and Partridge will go too great lengths to fillet out promising scraps. The outside world is dreadful and wonderful says Partridge. When I cut it into bite-size chunks and make it personal, I 'm usually rather happy with it." From a 1992 BBC interview.

My best friend introduced me to "Nonsuch", one of his favorite CDs. He, the knowledgeable person about all music, tells me it is one of the best produced CD's. The producer, Gus Dudgeon forbade the band to record any more than the bare necessities, so what you have is a simpler sound and relatively straight forward production with XTC's trademark of a sardonic and celebratory nature.

The CD "Nonsuch" may also be called "Nonesvch". This is caused by XTC's decision to give the album cover a medieval look. The cover picture is a detail from a 1611 map of Surry and on the back each song is represented by a piece of that period' typical clip art.

XTC was formed in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, where the band is still based today. They came onto the scene in 1977 at the height of the punk explosion. The band impressed both critics and audiences with its humor, sharp intelligence, and vitality as well as it innovative rhythms and melodic twists. That is exactly what grabbed me, the melody, the harmony, the intelligent lyrics, the most wonderful guitars, bass and drums; and the combination of it all. It is a CD that wants you to think about your world, your life and the environs around you.

"Nonsuch" contains many beautiful songs that just delight me and the sharp, funny lyrics entertain my mind. The seventeen songs are perfect, just perfect, and need to be listened to over and over again.

"The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" is my friend's favorite song. Is it about every hero, every politician, and every religious leader who is far too good to be true? Is Peter Pumpkinhead Jesus or Buddha?

"Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on TV
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
And an awful lot like me!

"My Bird Performs "A happy song." The best melody that Paul Simon never wrote." Says Andy Partridge.

"Dear Madame Barnum": "a folk rock song about love gone wrong.A man scorned.

"Humble Daisy": "A poem to the person and the weed. There's a wonderful field where Andy walks his dog and overnight these big daisies came up. So the song's in praise of that glorious weed.

"The Smartest Monkeys": A piece of sarcasm- the human race can send a man to the moon but it's not able to put food in stomachs and roofs over heads.

"The Disappointed": My favorite song, lyrically and musically. "It's about people who've been neglected in affairs of the heart, and they band together to form an organization of the disappointed. Then they all congregate round this guy's house and declare him their king. It's in memory of morose teenage incapacity with the opposite sex." Says Andy Partridge

"Holly Up On Poppy" : "Andy Partridge praise for his daughter and her rocking horse Poppy."

"Crocodile": "The most basic thing on the album -- a noisy song about jealousy. It's about putting a shape to an emotion that we've all felt, the shape of a crocodile. The croc comes to live with you, and then devours you if you're not careful.

"Rook": "Andy Partridge had writers block and this song suddenly came out. He said" I was really frightened. I mean, I couldn't even finish the demo because I was in tears. It felt like seeing yourself in a mirror and recognizing your mortality.

"Omnibus": In praise of women. Lovely sexual lyrics.

"That Wave": Falling in love. Love too is frightening - and marvelous.

"War Dance": "The words were originally prompted by the Falklands War in 1982. But it was too much on one piece of history. Then along came the Persian Gulf War and I put the revised lyrics to a new piece of music. It was time to bring war out of the closet again." says Colin.O

Wrapped in Grey" Life doesn't have to be grey. If you tap into your own emotions, you can experience a rainbow..

"The Ugly Underneath" Be prepared to take off the mask. You must see the ugly to be beautiful.

"Bungalow": "Very seaside and cheesy organ, like something a cruddy trio in holiday camp might play." Says Colin.

"Books are Burning "I'm intensely proud of this song. I love books, they're sacred objects, and anyone who destroys them is scum. Usually it's frightened regimes, their way of saying we're in control. But what they stand for doesn't have a hope in hell. To destroy thoughts, dreams, and an attempt to communicate is a crime." Andy's thoughts and reflects my own thinking.

This is a CD to be loved and savored. Andy Partridge says" We don't want to be praised and idolized, we want our songs to be well-regarded. Love our songs, don't love us." We can and will do both. So, wonderfully written. so harmoniously sung and played and so Very Highly Recommended. Thank you sweetie for giving me such pleasure. prisrob 7-25-06

2 1/2 stars-- ok, but a bit overproduced........2006-07-24

"Nonsuch" is one of those records that I think was doomed to failure-- having constructed (with a little help from Todd Rundgren) a thematic song cycle ("Skylarking") and an album of perhaps the best pop music in two decades ("Oranges & Lemons"), the bar was set pretty high for XTC, and in an attempt to reach it, they seemed to have overreached a bit. It's not that the album is bad per se, it's just so carefully arranged and produced to have lost the edge that made its predecessors so great.

The band seems to have distilled themselves down to midtempo numbers, occasionally finding a bit of a driving electric sound (opener "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead"), but largely sticking to a quieter, balladry style, often primarily piano driven. Sometimes it works out quite nicely, the lovely, chirping staccato guitars on "Humble Daisy" provide ample support for a simply fantastic lead vocal by Andy Partridge, and certainly the lilting off-rhythm of "Then She Appeared" is downright captivating, but more likely than not, the pieces end up blending one into another as pretty much unmemorable pop songs that are inoffensive and ok but just not attention getting (Colin Moulding's "My Bird Performs", Partridge's "The Disappointed"). To cap things off, the album stretches over an hour long, and by the end of the record, even the more intriguing material ("The Ugly Underneath") seems to blend in with the rest.

It's tough though, becaue none of it is particularly bad, and in fact, all sorts of neat stuff is going on throughout-- great three part harmonies (Brian Wilson style with a falsetto over the top) catch the ear on "Dear Madam Barnum", "Wrapped in Grey" twists and turns every which way, "War Dance" features an intriguing clarinet opening that leads into a set of reeds providing support for Moulding's venomous lyrics... it goes on. In fact, with such detailed arrangements, everything's guaranteed to be interesting in some regard, but what it lacks is that feeling of spontaneity and energy. One nice thing is that at least with this reissue and its remastered sound, you can make out the subtleties of the record nicely.

Bottom line, there's a lot better by XTC-- "Nonsuch" is an ok record, but they've done a whole lot more.

Like the Bible of rock/pop/psych.......2006-04-05

Short review to highlight XTC's excellent achievement on this record. Despite the melodies flowing oh so easily and the production silky and engrossing, this album was quite difficult to get into. Theres lots of tracks and each one follows a different scheme, 'Peter Pumpkinhead' and 'Then she appeared' are among the most melodic things I've ever heard, 'Wrapped in Grey', 'Books are burning' more thoughtful, 'Rook' and 'Holly up on Poppy' swirls of gorgeous, dense psychedelia. But XTC bring it all together and careful listening reveals an absolute TRUCKLOAD of nuances, subtle instrumental ideas and well conceived intentions. A dense, sprawling masterwork which, on finally coming to appreciate, i am forced to liken to finding a treasure trove full of beer and candy after a deadly trip to the bottom of the ocean.....worth buying anyway, this band is unstoppable!

Average customer rating:

A TRUE MASTERPIECE!
One of the best XTC albums
Without Equal
2 1/2 stars-- ok, but a bit overproduced.
Like the Bible of rock/pop/psych

Nonsuch
XTC
Manufacturer: Geffen Gold Line Sp.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Oranges & Lemons
Skylarking
Mummer
English Settlement
Black Sea

ASIN: B000000P0E
Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead
My Bird Performs
Dear Madam Barnum
Humble Daisy
The Smartest Monkeys
The Disappointed
Holly Up On Poppy
Crocodile
Rook
Omnibus
That Wave
Then She Appeared
War Dance
Wrapped In Grey
The Ugly Underneath
Bungalow
Books Are Burning

Amazon.com

Album Description

Remastered reissue of 1992 album. Virgin Records. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

A TRUE MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-20

One of the best XTC albums.......2007-05-07

Without Equal.......2006-07-27

2 1/2 stars-- ok, but a bit overproduced........2006-07-24

Like the Bible of rock/pop/psych.......2006-04-05

Average customer rating:

Nonsuch
XTC
Manufacturer: Toshiba EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Oranges & Lemons
Skylarking

ASIN: B000AU1OAU
Release Date: 2005-10-10

Tracks:

Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
My Bird Performs
Dear Madam Barnum
Humble Daisy
Smartest Monkeys
Disappointed
Holly Up on Poppy
Crocodile
Rook
Omnibus
That Wave
Then She Appeared
War Dance
Wrapped in Grey
Ugly Underneath
Bungalow
Books Are Burning

Album Description

Japanese pressing featuring a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. To. 2005.

Album Details

24bit Digitally Remastered Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Nonsuch
XTC
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005V8A9
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
My Bird Performs
Dear Madam Barnum
Humble Daisy
Smartest Monkeys
Disappointed
Holly Up on Poppy
Crocodile
Rook
Omnibus
That Wave
Then She Appeared
War Dance
Wrapped in Grey
Ugly Underneath
Bungalow
Books Are Burning

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Japanese limited Edition Version of their 1992 Release in a Limited LP Style Slipcase. Includes No Bonus Tracks.

Average customer rating:

Nonsuch

Manufacturer: Geffen
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000BODB
Release Date: 1991-10-01

Tracks:

The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead
My Bird Performs
Dear Madam Barnum
Humble Daisy
The Smartest Monkeys
The Disappointed
Holly Up On Poppy
Crocodile
Rook
Omnibus
That Wave
Then She Appeared
War Dance
Wrapped In Grey
The Ugly Underneath
Bungalow
Books Are Burning

Average customer rating:

Strong follow up to Oranges and Lemons almost a Skylarking

Nonsuch
XTC
Manufacturer: Virgin
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005ATE9
Release Date: 1992-04-08

Tracks:

The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead
My Bird Performs
Dear Madam Barnum
Humble Daisy
The Smartest Monkeys
The Disappointed
Holly Up On Poppy
Crocodile
Rook
Omnibus
That Wave
Then She Appeared
War Dance
Wrapped In Grey
The Ugly Underneath
Bungalow
Books Are Burning

Album Description

Japanese 24-bit remastered reissue of 1992 album. Packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. 17 tracks including 'The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead'.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Japanese Version in a Limited LP Style Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Strong follow up to Oranges and Lemons almost a Skylarking.......2001-05-26

Although it lacks the cohesive theme of Skylarking, Nonsuch is a strong contender for best XTC album. There are a number of reoccuring themes throughout the album and the best work here measures up to Skylarking, The Big Express, Drums & Wires and Black Sea. Like English Settlement Nonsuch could have used a bit of pruning here and there to improve the quality of the album. Still, this terrific album is quite a step up from the merely average Oranges & Lemons.

Partridge's Then She Appeared, Holly Up On Poppy, Dear Madam Barnum and That Wave are among his strongest songs. That Wave demonstrates an intricacy and depth only hinted at on the first XTC album long ago.

Colin Moulding turns in a couple of classics (My Bird Performs has one of the sweetest melodies Colin's ever come up with) but he has a couple of clunkers on here. I believe that the b side Down A Peg (on the single of Rook another Andy Partridge classic) is actually superior to Bungalow (a song that has never grown on me and I've liked less and less with time) and the heavy handed metaphor of The Smartest Monkeys. Still, I do like the music for The Smartest Monkeys and the performance manages to transcent the lyrics. Even War Dance (which revisits the same territory as Generals and Majors) is lyrically flawed although the structure and performance of the song salvages it.

Nonsuch is much more Andy Partridge's album than Colin's (unlike Skylarking where it was more of a joint effort). The jazz tinged The World Is Full Of Angry Young Men or the underrated gem Didn't Hurt A Bit would have fit far better than Bungalow in my opinion and raised the quality of Colin's song writing on the album. Still, despite it's minor flaws, there isn't much ugly underneath the rich musical surface of this strong effort. Why this album didn't sell more than O&L or Skylarking is beyond me. The Disappointed and The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead (the latter a bit heavy handed lyrically but saved by the strong arrangement and Andy's r&b flavored harmonica playing).