XTC - English Settlement (1982) - €10,00

English Settlement is the fifth studio album by the English band XTC, released on 12 February 1982, and their first double album. The album reached No. 5 on the UK Album Chart for an 11-week chart stay, and No. 48 on the Billboard 200 album chart for a 20-week stay. Its music style marked a turn toward more pastoral pop songs, with more use of acoustic guitar and fretless bass.  The record spawned three UK singles: "Senses Working Overtime" (No. 10); "Ball and Chain" (No. 58); and "No Thugs in Our House".

For English Settlement, XTC became their own producers. Bandleader Andy Partridge figured: "We did a couple of albums with Steve Lillywhite as producer and Hugh Padgham as engineer and we twigged that it was Hugh who was getting all the great sounds and we were making the music, so what did we need Lillywhite for?"
He also believed that "if I wrote an album with a sound less geared towards touring then maybe there would be less pressure to tour." Padgham was thus given a producer credit alongside XTC.

Compared to the band's previous albums, English Settlement showcased more complex and intricate arrangements. Song lengths were longer and subject matter covered broader social issues. Much of the new material featured acoustic instruments, a reflection of Partridge's newfound interest in 12-string guitar, Guitarist Dave Gregory also bought a Rickbenbacker 12-string and began contributing to the group as a keyboardist.
His first piano contribution was on the introduction of "Respectable Street" (from 1981's Black Sea), and for the English Settlement sessions, he played keyboards on the outtake "Blame the Weather", which was relegated to a B-side.
Some people think the song "English Roundabout" was inspired by a Swindon landmark known as The Magic Roundabout, but Colin has refuted this claim. It is a rare example of popular music written in the unusual 5/4 time signature.


Side A
A1.  Runaways   (4:33)  
A2.  Ball And Chain   (4:30)  
A3.  Senses Working Overtime   (4:50)  
A4.  Jason And The Argonauts   (6:05)  
A5.  Snowman   (5:12)

Side B
B1.  Melt The Guns   (6:31)  
B2.  No Thugs In Our House   (5:09)  
B3.  Yacht Dance   (3:54)  
B4.  English Roundabout   (3:48)  
B5.  All Of A Sudden (It’s Too Late)   (5:19)


XTC

• Colin Moulding – lead vocals, backing vocals, fretless bass, Fender bass, mini-Korg synthesizer, piano, percussion
• Andy Partridge – lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar, semi-acoustic electric 12-string guitar, semi-acoustic electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mini-Korg synthesizer, Prophet V synthesizer, anklung, alto saxophone, percussion, frog noises
• Dave Gregory – Prophet V synthesizer, electric 12-string guitar, mini-Korg synthesizer, backing vocals, percussion, electric guitar, nylon-string Spanish guitar, fuzz-boxed 12-string guitar, semi-acoustic electric 12-string guitar, piano
• Terry Chambers – drums, electronic drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Hugh Padgham – backing vocals on "Ball and Chain"
• Hans de Vente – backing vocals on "It's Nearly Africa"

Technical

• Hugh Padgham – producer, engineer, mixing
• XTC – producer, mixing
• Howard Gray – assistant engineer
• Ken Ansell – artwork
• Art Dragon – illustrations
• Allan Ballard – photography

Notes
Release: 1982
Genre:  New Wave
Format:  LP
Label:  Virgin Records
Catalog#  204446
Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  Very Good
Cover:  Very Good

http://www.ad-vinylrecords.com/product/xtc-english-settlement-lp/