Psonic Psunspot
| Psonic Psunspot | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Dukes of Stratosphear | ||||
| Released | August 1987 | |||
| Recorded | Sawmills Studios, Fowey, Cornwall, in June 1987 | |||
| Genre | Avant-pop[1] | |||
| Length | 35:44 | |||
| Label | Virgin Records | |||
| Producer | John Leckie and The Dukes | |||
| XTC chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Psonic Psunspot | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Pitchfork | (8.4/10) [3] |
| Q | [4] |
| Robert Christgau | (B+) [5] |
Psonic Psunspot is the tenth studio album by the English band XTC which was released under their pseudonym The Dukes of Stratosphear in 1987.
Like the previous album 25 O'Clock, this album is inspired by 1960s psychedelia. It showcases a variety of songs meant to evoke specific groups of that period (for instance, the Hollies on "Vanishing Girl", the Byrds on "You're My Drug", The Kinks on "You're a Good Man, Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)", Paul McCartney on "Brainiac's Daughter", and the Beach Boys on "Pale and Precious"). During this time, another song entitled "Martian Enslavement 1970" was written for the album but never recorded. Some critics, such as Pitchfork Media in their review of Chips from the Chocolate Fireball, argue that the members of XTC, free from the pressures of writing "serious" songs, turn in tunes superior to those on official XTC albums of the period.
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".
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." [6]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Sir John Johns, except where noted.
UK LP: VP 2440 (Limited edition of 5000 copies in multi-coloured vinyl)
| Side A ("In Side") | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Vanishing Girl" | The Red Curtain | 2:45 |
| 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. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "You're My Drug" | 3:20 | |
| 2. | "Shiny Cage" | Curtain | 3:17 |
| 3. | "Brainiac's Daughter" | 4:04 | |
| 4. | "The Affiliated" | Curtain | 2:31 |
| 5. | "Pale and Precious" | 4:54 | |
CD: APECD024
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vanishing Girl" | The Red Curtain | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Have You Seen Jackie?" | 3:20 | |
| 3. | "Little Lighthouse" | 4:30 | |
| 4. | "You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)" | 3:37 | |
| 5. | "Collideascope" | 3:22 | |
| 6. | "You're My Drug" | 3:17 | |
| 7. | "Shiny Cage" | Curtain | 3:16 |
| 8. | "Brainiac's Daughter" | 3:58 | |
| 9. | "The Affiliated" | Curtain | 2:30 |
| 10. | "Pale and Precious" | 4:55 | |
| 11. | "No One at Home (Vanishing Girl Demo)" | Curtain | 2:51 |
| 12. | "Little Lighthouse (Demo)" | 5:19 | |
| 13. | "Collideascope (Demo)" | 3:05 | |
| 14. | "Shiny Cage (Demo)" | Curtain | 3:13 |
| 15. | "Brainiacs Daughter (Demo)" | 1:49 | |
| 16. | "The Affiliated (Demo)" | Curtain | 2:30 |
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 - singing, guitar, brain buds
- The Red Curtain - electric bass, song stuff
- Lord Cornelius Plum - mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
- E.I.E.I. Owen - drum set
- Lily Fraser - narration
Credits
- Produced by John Leckie and The Dukes
References
- ↑ Grimstad, Paul. "What is Avant-Pop?". Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ↑ Cater, Evan. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ↑ Dahlen, Chris. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ↑ Cranna, Ian. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Q. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ↑ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5882-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/4/