| XTC Reel by Real: XTC as The Dukes of Stratosphear: Psurroundabout Ride | |
| Last update: 25 July 2026 |
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Between 1980 (when they were still performing live) and 1989, XTC wrote, recorded and released a series of albums from Black Sea to Oranges & Lemons that cemented the band’s reputation as songwriters and recording artists almost without parallel in the UK. They may not be as famous as other bands of the era but, to many of those with discerning ears, they’re rated among the very best, the select few who rise above their contemporaries…
As if six stellar albums in ten years including two double LPs wasn’t enough, the band also issued two albums under completely different names as The Dukes of Stratosphear, an unashamedly psychedelic ensemble which phased and flanged in and out of existence in 1985 and 1987 respectively… (Though rumours continue to circulate of an earlier proto Merseybeat/Brit Blues incarnation of the band under yet another name…)
In 2019, Psurroundabout Ride was released on CD/Blu-ray gathering all of the Dukes’ material including the original stereo mixes, new 2019 Steven Wilson 5.1 and stereo mixes of the albums and the additional recordings of ‘Open a Can of Human Beans,’ ‘Black Jewelled Serpent of Sound (Radio Caroline Edit)’ and ‘Tin Toy Clockwork Train’ along with demos of 25 O’Clock and Psonic Psunspot.
Now in 2026 Steven Wilson has once again worked his magic to create a three-dimensional Atmos audio mix that brings out all the delightful intricacies in detail. While the original psychedelic era was born of the possibilities inherent in stereo but, ironically, mostly heard via mono radios at the time and XTC’s 80s return to that genre capitalised on all the studio progress made in stereo recording over the preceding two decades, The Dukes’ output proved very well suited to the 5.1 surround sound environment in 2019.
However, the combination of the strength of the original material/recordings and the possibilities of Atmos, combined with Steven Wilson’s love of the material and experience as a mixer of Atmos releases, take the material several trips further into the audio cosmos. The musical experimentation of the mid 1960s as reimagined by XTC in the 1980s, may finally have found its ultimate listening mode in the technology of the 2020s. As Jefferson Airplane put it: “Feed Your Head…”
Lyrics, Charts and More
25 O'Clock:
Psonic Psunspot:
Additional tracks:
Art
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