Psonic Psunspot

Psonic Psunspot is the second album by English rock band the Dukes of Stratosphear, a side project of XTC, released in 1987. Also counted as XTC's tenth studio album, it is a follow-up to 25 O'Clock (1985).

Psonic Psunspot
Studio album by
The Dukes of Stratosphear
ReleasedAugust 1987
RecordedSawmills Studios, Fowey, Cornwall, in June 1987
GenreAvant-pop[1]
Length35:44
LabelVirgin
ProducerJohn Leckie, The Dukes
XTC chronology
Skylarking
(1986)		 Psonic Psunspot
(1987)		 Oranges & Lemons
(1989)
Singles from Psonic Psunspot
  1. "You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)/Vanishing Girl"
    Released: July 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Pitchfork8.4/10[3]
Q[4]
Robert ChristgauB+[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]

In 2002, the website Pitchfork listed the album at 66 on their "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s", calling the songs "a surreal rock-opera of opaque, hallucinogenic wonder".[7]

Music

Some of its tracks were rejected XTC songs ("Shiny Cage", "Little Lighthouse", and "You're My Drug").[8] Like the previous album 25 O'Clock, this album is inspired by 1960s psychedelia.

Release

The album was released in its original form on vinyl and cassette, accompanied with the "You're A Good Man Albert Brown" single and the promotional-only "Vanishing Girl" single. A simultaneous CD release entitled Chips from the Chocolate Fireball incorporated all of the tracks from 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot with different packaging. Later, a remastered and expanded version of Psonic Psunspot was released on 20 April 2009 by Andy Partridge's Ape House record label. This edition is credited to "XTC as The Dukes of Stratosphear".

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

Side A ("In Side")
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Vanishing Girl"Colin Moulding2:45
2."Have You Seen Jackie?" 3:21
3."Little Lighthouse" 4:31
4."You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)" 3:39
5."Collideascope" 3:22
Side B ("Out Side")
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You're My Drug" 3:20
2."Shiny Cage"Moulding3:17
3."Brainiac's Daughter" 4:04
4."The Affiliated"Moulding2:31
5."Pale and Precious" 4:54
2009 CD bonus tracks (APECD024)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."No One at Home (Vanishing Girl Demo)"Moulding2:51
12."Little Lighthouse (Demo)" 5:19
13."Collideascope (Demo)" 3:05
14."Shiny Cage (Demo)"Moulding3:13
15."Brainiacs Daughter (Demo)" 1:49
16."The Affiliated (Demo)"Moulding2:30

Also includes the promotional video for "You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)" as a QuickTime file.

Personnel
  • Sir John Johns – vocals, guitar, bass on "Vanishing Girl"
  • The Red Curtain – electric bass, vocals, rhythm guitar on "Vanishing Girl"
  • Lord Cornelius Plum – mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
  • E.I.E.I. Owen – drum set
  • Lily Fraser – narration
gollark: There must be daydream dragons about.
gollark: Byegood.
gollark: Here in the United UK Kingdom of England, it's still somethingorother.
gollark: Well, that should make space travel easier, we can just send cars to bits of the US.
gollark: Huh, the Moon has an atmosphere and human-habitable temperature. Guess we can get them to colonise that instead of Mars then.

References
  1. Grimstad, Paul. "What is Avant-Pop?". Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. Cater, Evan. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  3. Dahlen, Chris. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  4. Cranna, Ian. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Q. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  5. Christgau, Robert. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  6. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  7. Tangari, Joe. "Staff Lists: "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  8. Williams, Harvey S. (1988). "Strange Things Are Happening". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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