This is Respectable Street!

I grew up on the MTV Video generation and once in a while I would turn it on to see if there is any eye catching videos of a band or artist that I might like. If we all remember the presentation of a music video would make you buy their music. Thriller by Michael Jackson was the standard which all had to strive too. Some bands or artists tried to make things similar to that and some bands just went crazy and made you want to see the video again.

One such band was XTC. A wonderful product of the 1980's sound without being the 1980's sound. They were quirky and full of fun and always different. I sadly got into them late in my life but I caught on quick. What was great about their it was quirky and not your typical 1980's video.

XTC was British, they started in the 1976 and ended in 2003. In there time, they made some of the most interesting music in that time. Their albums were full fun and excitement and of course the singles. Not many made the US chart, but in England they were hits.



The album that had a hit among 4 other singles and I am talking about is Black Sea. Black Sea was a great album. It included the hit "General and Majors" it also included " Respectable Street" which is one of my favorite songs of XTC. Another song that was a hit for them on this album was "Towers of London." Most of these songs were hits for them in their home in England. They were uniquely British and very guitar pop sounding feeling like mid-60's Beatles or Kinks.

What I love about XTC is that British sound. It was unique enough to give them a cult following and catch my attention. I got into them kind of late in 1989, but I liked what I heard and wanted more. I always picked up their albums at the record store and always found 12 inch singles and bought those too. On most of the singles there was always true B-sides.

While at college I would always play records on my show and I would always find a way on my Indie/Modern Rock show to play an XTC song. I even found them covering Captain Beefheart. I was surprised a band of 80's musical lore would do such a cover.

Bands like XTC don't come around much and their unique and great sound made them a great catch for me. They even tried a side project called Dukes of Stratosphear. This side project was a one off idea of reliving the 1960's. Using the sounds of psychedelic Beach Boys, The Hollies, and Syd Barrett The Dukes of Stratosphear proved to me and some other people that XTC are a true band.



XTC is a wonderful joy to any one's collection. You could do okay with a greatest hits collection, but I assure you that would not help. The true gems are on the albums themselves. If you need to start with anything I would start with Black Sea and go on from there. There is so much material of theirs it is amazing. They have 4 box sets at least of just unreleased material. So I add my second 1980's pick with XTC. I am sure I will add others from the 80's, but this is from 1980 and might as well start with the first year of the 80's. Drink up and enjoy!