XTC - English settlement [Japanese remaster Papersleeve Limited Edition / TOCP-65715] (1982/2005)

English Settlement (1982 Virgin). Released as a double album, this is XTC at the height of their powers. A stylistic triumph, where country/folk cheerfully rubs shoulders with anthemic pop.

Andy Partdridge:
“I gave away my acoustic guitar in a TV contest and had to buy a new one, suddenly all these new tunes flowed out! Colin gets fretless, Dave goes 12-string, Terry still ‘just 'its 'em’. This 15-track warehouse of songs sounds expansive, fresh, unfinished and vast. It was to become many people's favourite XTC album.”