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Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol.2)
 
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Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol.2)

~ XTC
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Audio CD (3 Mar 2003)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Cooking Vinyl
  • ASIN: B00004GLNE
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 48,298 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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1. Playground
2. Stupidly Happy
3. In Another Life
4. My Brown Guitar
5. Boarded Up
6. I'm The Man Who Murdered Love
7. We're All Light
8. Standing In For Joe
9. Wounded Horse
10. You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful
11. Church Of Women
12. The Wheel And The Maypole

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

The subtitle is perplexing: though apparently intended as a companion piece to XTC's 1999 comeback album Apple Venus Volume One, the songs on Wasp Star have little to do with the pastoral orchestrations of Apple Venus and much more in common with the XTC albums that preceded it, especially Oranges & Lemons and Skylarking. This is altogether welcome news, of course: though nothing XTC have ever put their name to has been dull, their greatest strength has always been fairly straightforward pop songs with subtle kinks in the musical and lyrical structure (think "Senses Working Overtime", "Love On A Farmboy's Wages"). The finest moments of Wasp Star--notably the epic pop hymn "The Wheel and The Maypole" and the spectacularly titled devotional "You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful"-- stand comparison with those or any other of XTC's many finest hours. That, in pop terms, makes the best moments of Wasp Star about as good as it gets. --Andrew Mueller

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A rolling voyage of great lyrics and masterful tunes. BUY!, 5 Jun 2000
By A Customer
What can I say? Well it's a review and I have to say something. It gladdens my heart to know that XTC are still there producing the kind of inspirational songs that make listening to music so worthwhile. In an age of ever-increasing pap-music, cynical marketing and till-ringing cover versions, XTC are still able to cut a swathe through all this dreariness with their creativity and true talent.

After losing many hours/days over the past year listening to 'Apple Venus Vol. 1', I am now facing the not unpleasant prospect of losing even more time in the coming months. 'Wasp Star' is an album full of blind curves that you negotiate at full speed, rounding them to discover yet another tune that grabs you by the head, heart and feet. I am already considering filing for compensation for excessive wear and tear to the carpet under my feet in front of my favourite armchair. RSI may result as your toes tap madly. Depression may set in as you realise you will never be able to write lyrics as well as Mr. Partridge and Mr. Moulding. But hey, your goldfish still loves you...... 'Wasp Star' has moments that make you recall the masterworks from earlier XTC albums; cooling, soothing reminders from a growing catalogue of treasures.

Listening to 'Wasp Star' will leave you with a profound sense that you have just been given privileged access to the creative pipelines that perforate the brains of the XTC boys. I am hard-pressed to name any other band that has been so consistently wonderful over the past 20+ years. What a way to start a new century (or have we?).

Buy the album. Your ears will fill with sweetness. Trust me, I'm not a doctor.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Who said nothing good ever came out of Swindon., 30 Oct 2000
By A Customer
Having bought, listened to, and consequently waxed lyrical over every XTC release since the early days of White Music, I am still constantly surprised at the sheer quality of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding songwriting.

Each CD they release takes the listener down new avenues that continually excite the ears with their brilliance.

Wasp Star is no exception and a must for anyone who enjoys music written to express feelings and entertain not purely to make a quick buck (which XTC are not particularly known for in the UK).

Each track exposes the listener to the talent that these boys have honed over the last 25 years into the most original and contrasting songwriters of the last 20 years.

Andy Partridge excels himself with the simplicity of the wonderful " Stupidly Happy" whilst Wooden Horse ranks along Your Dictionary from Apple Venus Vol 1 as a great to say it as it is. However please dont underestimate Colin Mouldings contributions - Standing in for Joe is one you willlisten to again and again a definite grower.

I plead with the British CD buying public to go out and treat yourself to the best Album of the Millenium. A good wine needs time to mature, XTC are a rare vintage matured and ready to be uncorked. Once you listen I guarantee you'll wished you'd had a taste along time ago.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars What do you think to that?, 5 Mar 2001
By knowledeayton (Hereford, England) - See all my reviews
Wasp Star features at least four great songs - the opening salvo of Playground and Stupidly Happy, the singalong I'm The Man Who Murdered Love and the closing The Wheel And The Maypole. The rest is good quality, wholesome XTC fare, although You And The Stars Will Still Be Beautful comes perilously close to sounding like Sting, while the allegorical Brown Guitar, in the same vein (pun not intended) as Pink Thing from Oranges And Lemons, isn't a patch on it. Sure, this isn't the best XTC album ever, but they could still teach a lot of younger, more successful bands a thing or two about songwriting.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Even now we hope for a swansong.....
Only 4 stars this time because this album has to compare with vol 1 and it loses out.Despite it's superbly crafted songs I feel the lush orchestral arrangements of vol 1 are... Read more
Published 17 months ago by bish

3.0 out of 5 stars XTC BOW OUT WITH GRACE
XTC's last original long player is a fine record full of big Beatlesque pop hooks and fully realised arrangements. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. Christopher J. Welch

5.0 out of 5 stars Impossible to dislike
When you consider the quality of his songwriting over the years, why is there not a statue to Andy Partridge in Trafalgar Square? Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2007 by Wowbagger the Infinite

3.0 out of 5 stars No Sting in the Tail!

After waiting the better part of a decade for a new XTC album to come along, two emerged in quick succession. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2006 by Mr. S. Anderson

4.0 out of 5 stars If you're new to XTC - start here!
"Wasp Star" was the first XTC album I heard and, needless to say, was very impressed.

Apparently, the album is merely an overspill of songs that didn't make it onto previous... Read more

Published on 3 April 2002 by Simon Slator

4.0 out of 5 stars Wasp Star- XTC aged to near perfection.
XTC are definately one of the world's most under-rated bands. In this age of electronic music and sugary overproduced teen pop, XTC have proven that talented songwriting and... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars The guitar sting of Wasp Star
Listening to Wasp Star (a reference to the Inca's name for Venus) I can't but help think that most of the songs are among the most infectious melodies Partridge and Moulding have... Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Good upon first listen; fabulous thereafter
XTC brought out the album I listened to more than any other last year (Apple Venus Volume One) and I would be very surprised if they don't make this two years running. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2000 by GoonMoon

4.0 out of 5 stars Jolly good but still no cigar
I suppose we should rejoice that XTC have given us another album of intelligent quirky pop unlike that made by anyone else. Read more
Published on 24 May 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars XTC at their most accessible, pop-tastical best!
Why are XTC always labelled "alternative"? This is a great pop album - you can see where Blur get their ideas from. Read more
Published on 23 May 2000 by Reddyfreddy

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