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On Apple Venus, Vol.1

XTC is one of my favorite bands and I had been waiting patiently as the next fan for them to release their next album. When Apple Venus, Vol. 1 was finally out, I ran to Tower Records to buy it, only to find they didn't get any copies. Thanks to some work complications, several weeks passed before I was finally able to get a copy. It was completely worth the wait.

On the first listen, I wasn't that impressed. I thought the album had a nice lyrical quality and the lyrics themselves were pretty good. I just wasn't "grabbed" right off. I resigned myself to the fact that, after waiting 7 years, my expectations had been set too high. After all, the passage of time seems to erase the low points and failings of most things while focusing and expanding the successes.

However, I took the CD to work with me and placed it on auto-repeat. I found that the more I listened to the songs, the more they grew on me. After the 3rd listen, Apple Venus, Vol 1 had become one of my favorite XTC albums.

The songs are lush - perhaps too lush in some places, as you can begin to feel overwhelmed by the music at times. The style is quite reminiscent of Skylarking. I'm sure the pastoral quality of many of the songs helps to fuel this comparison.

There's a wide range of musical expression and emotion on this CD. I know that XTC albums tend to run the gamut of emotions - especially concerning relationships - but you can really feel the turmoil that Andy Partridge's divorce caused in his life. Songs like "Your Dictionary' are memorable if for no other reason than they are painfully brutal. In fact, I think "Your Dictionary" is probably the coarsest XTC song I've ever heard. I found myself being confronted with the feeling that I was listening in at someone's door, eavesdropping on this I shouldn't be.

Other songs like "Harvest Festival" are of a more contented, pastoral feel and are much more comfortable to listen to. They have that sort of lazy, Sunday afternoon atmosphere to them that makes them a bit fuzzy from warmth.

This album reminded me of why it is that I love XTC. Lyrically and musically, they are perhaps one of the last, great (dare I say: intellectual?) pop bands.