XTC in the Press: 1987

• “Andy Speaks to Simon Potter”, 1987
• Reviews of White Music, Black Sea and Mummer, Q, 1987
• “Exclusive: Interview with Swindon Guru Andy Partridge”, Sudden Apathy, XMAS 1987
• Reviews of Skylarking and Psonic Psunspot, Rolling Stone, December 1987
• “‘Dear God’ Starts a Stir”, The New York Times, July 15, 1987
• "Dear God", CMJ New Music Report, February 27, 1987

Rolling Stone
12/17/87-12/31/87
The Year in Records
David Fricke (individual synopses not credited)

Skylarking - XTC
Psonic Psunspot - The Dukes of Stratosphear

With these two dazzling son-of-Pepper platters, the English pop wags XTC beat the Summer of Love nostalgia peddlers at their own game. Produced by Todd Rundgren, Skylarking evoked the lush, bucolic allure of English springtime with earthy acoustic guitars, willow strings and a playful paisley surrealism, like a Beatlesque Barnyard Mystery Tour spiked with singer-guitarist Andy Partridge's bittersweet lyric musings. Psonic Psunspot, the work of XTC's acid alter ego, the Dukes of Stratosphear, was simply a loving mimicry of eccentric British post-Pepper pop, its campy parodies of bands like Pink Floyd and the Move authentically executed with all the tricks of the time - Mellotron, fun-house sound effects and daffy songs titles like "Collideascope," which just about says it all.

Go back to Chalkhills Articles.