I know there is a lot of love for XTC here (seems a lot of us have multiple copies of their albums per that particular thread). Well here is one more to add (maybe)….
Both Ape House (official XTC site) and Steven Wilson have highlighted this Pitchblack Premier of XTC’s “Big Express” in spatial audio (Atmos) in April (now sold out).,
Whilst there has not yet been an official announcement (to my knowledge anyway) it looks like they found the master tapes to Big Express and this will be the next reissue in the Surround series. I can’t wait.
And why not…..
Excellent news
The XTC 5.1 surround series are not only stunning to listen to, at not much over £20, they[re stunningly good value.
If only all AW faves took a leaf out of the Swindon boys’ book.
Fingers crossed they find the tapes for English Settlement soon!
I agree with everything you say (and hope for) @Jaygee
Cheers, Baron
Two minds united by but one thought as the saying goes
Unless it has been done in Peter Jackson’s AI de-mixer, but somehow I doubt XTC have the funds.
He’s a huge XTC fan* so he’ll do them for zilch.
*TBC
I’m waiting for his three-part, nine-hour box office blockbuster reimagining of the Generals and Majors video
I’m going to the pitch-black XTC thing. I can’t wait to hear the jazzy drum brushes on I Remember The Sun in surround sound.
I am officially jealous. Enjoy (and report back)
Quite an underrated XTC album this one I reckon as it sold bugger all originally but definitely worth a listen.
It’s got some great songs on it but for me it’s just a little too fussily produced. Might be better with a slight remix maybe. I much preferred the Dukes album from the following year.
My favourite bit of the ad – ‘No latecomers’
…oh don’t mind me, sorry mate didn’t see you there’ etc etc
Does this apply to people who pitch up late for the event or nouveau arrivistes who only got into the band long after true fans like us AWers?
People with erectile dysfunction. So yes, most AWers.
The only round album cover I own, but the first XTC album that disappointed me, at the time. I distinctly remember thinking it was “dad music”…I like it much better now, though not one of my favourites of theirs.
I thought Apple Venus was the next one up for this treatment. Been waiting a while now.
Yes, Apple Venus will be balm for the ears even though it sounded flawless in its original guise. Wonderful album.
When I met my (now) wife back in 2008 we had around 500 CD’s between us. Apple Venus was the only one we had in common. It was meant to be.
It was announced in 2021 that they had the multitracks and Steven Wilson was working on them for the next release in the series.
However, I recall hearing an interview with SW where he mentioned there were issues with the multitracks (can’t remember what) and so I guess it has been shelved.
A shame as it’s a album that would be glorious in surround.
@Chrisf
Incredibly sad as AV would have been just glorious in 5.1
Also incredibly frustrating.
Given what happened with the various source tapes for English Settlement, it literally beggars belief that the band and its management didn’t take a lot better care of them.
I found this…
“XTC fans including myself were disheartened to learn that there are difficulties gathering all the source elements for your upcoming remix of Apple Venus (1999). Can you say if there has been any progress on this front?
No, I’m afraid it’s not going to happen. There’s too much missing. I know Andy [Partridge] said it was gonna be the next one, but that was before I got all the multitracks and realized all the vocals were missing. A lot of the orchestration was missing too. It would have been an extremely unsatisfactory incomplete mix, I’m afraid.“
https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/qa-with-steven-wilson-musician-producer-grammy-award-winning-immersive-mix-engineer/
Well that really is tragic. The record company want shooting for that. Hang on a minute though, wasn’t it on XTC’s own label Idea Records, albeit leased to Cooking Vinyl? If memory serves anyway… given how much Andy P has moaned about Virgin’s treatment of the rest of XTC’s back catalogue you’d have thought he might have been more inclined to keep his own house in order with the raw materials.
The drums are just so loud!!
None-the-less ‘This World Over’ never fails to bring a lump.
Colin Moulding’s bass line is simply sublime.
If there’s one production trope that signifies the 80s, it is big drums. I played an INXS record the other day and the snare sound was painful. What were they thinking?
“How can we make it sound different from what it sounded like before?”
“Add some reverb and turn the drums up to eleven!”