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RARE PHOTOS: Xtc - The Real Truth

“When Squeeze were first successful, we essentially had to dumb down to fit in with what was going on”: Glenn Tilbrook on the sounds that gave Squeeze a push, and the resurrection of the English rock legends' early recordings

The Squeeze frontman, songwriter, and guitarist shares the story behind Trixies, a new album that unearths demos from decades ago, and brings them gloriously back to life

Guitar World

“People phoned in, saying, ‘If you play that song again, I’m going to firebomb your station!’” How XTC battled the “rottweiler” Todd Rundgren and their record label to make their breakthrough

Andy Partridge reflects on Skylarking, a change of direction for XTC that was the most difficult of births under producer Todd Rundgren's direction and the label’s interference

Guitar World

On the shoulders of giants: roaming among England’s famous chalk figures

Ancient hill carvings of horses, giants and gods have fascinated artists, writers and travellers for centuries. I went in search of their stories

The Guardian - UK

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"How would anyone feel when one is the principal songwriter in the band and along comes this upstart and spoils everything?" What happens when your bass player accidentally writes your first big hit

Making Plans for Nigel established XTC as the intelligent arm of the post-punk movement – and it's still being directed at current Nigels

Louder

“Some might wonder why Steven Wilson was brought in. But the art-rock credentials are never in doubt and its songs are progressive in an anarchic way”: XTC’s Drums And Wires returns

Their 1979 commercial breakthrough benefits from Wilson’s finesse, while Steve Lillywhite’s original mix remains daisy-fresh

Louder

Pop-rock wizard Todd Rundgren: ‘When I met John Lennon, he was a bundle of rags with nothing to say’

As he tours the UK, the musician answers your questions on making Bat Out of Hell with Meat Loaf, squabbles with XTC and the Band, and wiring his studio while high

The Guardian - UK

“People saw us setting up and thought we were a ska band. Then we’d start playing and they’d just get more confused”: How nerd septet Thank You Scientist made the Oops! … I Did It Again of prog rock

Tom Monda explains the importance of humour, the nature of genres and how he plays his band like a piano

Louder

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“We were working on Oranges And Lemons. I was putting on a bass part. You don’t want Chris Squire walking in, do you?” XTC’s Colin Moulding on meeting his hero, declining to join Pink Floyd, and working on Billy Sherwood’s Dark Side tribute

Jethro Tull and Atomic Rooster endured a difficult return from the breakup with Andy Partridge, but it led to a happy reunion with drummer Terry Chambers

Louder

Making Plans for Nigel: How Labour's British Steel gambit will boost Reform UK

LABOUR made a huge song and dance about taking over British Steel in Scunthorpe.

The National (Scotland)

“All over the shop… The template for The Rutles is clearly there, and there’s a bridge between The Goons and Monty Python”: The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band’s Still Barking

17 CDs and three DVDs provide everything you need to know about a counterculture band many have heard of, but fewer have listened to

Louder

"The Red Hot Chili Peppers might have based their entire career on it": Steven Wilson's 20 favourite British rock albums

Porcupine Tree mainman, solo star and prog remix king Steven Wilson on 20 British albums that blew his mind

Louder

“I loved Yes – but for me every eight-minute Yes song could have been four two-minute singles!” It might have taken a while to admit it, but XTC know they were prog

Emerging in the punk era, they were described as “too clever, “too quirky” and even as “prunk,” but Andy Partridge’s account of the band’s inspiration and motivation makes the truth crystal clear

Louder

XTC announce Skylarking reissue with new Dolby Atmos mix from Steven Wilson

XTC's most commercially successful album Skylarking will be reissued on vinyl and CD/Blu-ray in September

Louder

“I wanted to be XTC or Talking Heads… the Haircut One Hundred album had Genesis at its heart, and Chris Squire got me into bass”: Nick Heyward’s passion for prog

Singer-songwriter recalls feeling like he was reading a book when he discovered A Trick Of The Tail, and that’s why his solo work has become more progressive over the years

Louder

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Guitar World

“I think someone should – or I hope someone will – take a genre of music that isn’t known for guitar and apply guitar to it”: Andy Partridge thinks you can be a great player or a great writer, but not both

The XTC icon, who believes he owns the very best Japanese Telecaster ever built, is comfortable with coming from the “school of adequate” as a guitarist

Louder

"I was diagnosed with an ulcer on my 21st birthday. The doctor asked me: 'What's the problem, kid? Is there something or someone…' I said: 'Let me stop you right there. There is indeed someone'": the tumultuous story of Jellyfish

Power-pop princelings Jellyfish were the new Beatles, ELO and Queen all in one – until bad vibes and psychic turmoil snatched defeat from the jaws of victory

Louder

"The whole thing sounds like it was carved out of caramel and boiled in a pot with gunpowder, sunshine and jazz – mad and lovely and addictive": Was The 3 Clubmen EP the best record you missed in 2023?

XTC's Andy Partridge and friends released an overlooked EP of luminous alt.pop in 2023. But it's not too late to join the club...

Louder

"I did Bat Out Of Hell thinking it was a comedy record. I did it as a spoof of Springsteen": What a career in music has taught Todd Rundgren

The man who had a public spat with John Lennon and made David Bowie cry says he’s a hard-worker more than a genius, and that music has been devalued

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Louder

“Genesis was the key to everything really, and also Yes." How Tin Spirits made second album Scorch

The story of the criminally short-loved Swindon prog quartet Tin Spirits' second album, 2014's Scorch

Louder

“There’s a tendency for people to cherry-pick tracks or create playlists… we prefer our music to be listened to from the opening track to the final notes”: Downes Braide Association on the album as art form

Geoff Downes and Chris Braide argue the case for storytelling, collaborating, and carrying on the legacies of John Wetton, Greg Lake, Chris Squire and Keith Emerson

Louder

"I had a phone call from Dave Gilmour and he said, 'Would you be interested in coming down?'. Former XTC man Colin Moulding on how he almost joined Pink Floyd!

Revelations from former XTC bassist, singer and songwriter Colin Moulding when he released his TC&I EP Great Aspirations with old band mate Terry Chambers

Guitar World

“For me, a power chord is laziness”: Rolling Stones, U2 and XTC producer Steve Lillywhite explains why certain uses of power chords are “not art”

They're used in many of music's most famous songs and form the bedrock of numerous styles, but super-producer Lillywhite isn't overly keen on power chords – here's why

MusicRadar

Producer Steve Lillywhite: "For me, a powerchord is laziness", explains why The Edge only used them for one U2 song

A pet hate for the iconic XTC, Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, Killers, Dave Matthews Band and Simple Minds producer – "You can get that power from something else"

Louder

11 brilliant albums that aren’t on Spotify

The classic studio albums by Black Sabbath, Neil Young, AC/DC, Judas Priest and more that aren’t on the world’s biggest streaming service

Louder

XTC's second album Go2 to be reissued on vinyl

XTC's 1978 album Go2 has been remastered and will be reissued on heavyweight vinyl in May

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