Apple Venus Volume 1
| Apple Venus Volume 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by XTC | ||||
| Released | 17 February 1999 | |||
| Recorded | January–August 1998 | |||
| Length | 50:09 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Cooking Vinyl | |||
| Producer | Haydn Bendall, Nick Davis | |||
| XTC chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Apple Venus Volume 1 | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A- [2] |
| NME | (7/10) [3] |
| Pitchfork | (8.2/10) [4] |
| PopMatters | favourable [5] |
| Q |  [6] |
| Robert Christgau | (B+) [7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
Apple Venus Volume 1 is the thirteenth studio album by the English band XTC, released in 1999. It was the first on the band's own Idea Records label through Cooking Vinyl and distributed in the United States by TVT Records. It reached #42 in the UK. As with the two previous albums, the album's title appears to have been taken from the lyrics of a song on the previous album, in this case "Then She Appeared" from Nonsuch:
Then she appeared
Apple Venus on a half open shell
The album was the first time the band had released anything since going "on strike" against their label Virgin Records. Originally Apple Venus Volume 1 was supposed to be a double album but Partridge and Moulding were convinced to break the album up into two with the orchestral material on Apple Venus Volume 1 and the other material released on Wasp Star. The material for both albums was largely written in the aftermath of Nonsuch. While Partridge continued to write new material all of Colin Moulding's material was older songs that were submitted for earlier projects and rejected.[9]
In 2002, XTC released an instrumental version of the album entitled Instruvenus.
Apple Venus Volume 1 was the last XTC album to include Dave Gregory as a member of the band. He departed the band during the recording sessions.
In 2003, Mojo ranked the album at number 47 in its list of the "Top 50 Eccentric Albums".[10]
Track listing
UK CD: COOKCD 172
All songs written and composed by Andy Partridge, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "River of Orchids" | 5:53 | |
| 2. | "I'd Like That" | 3:50 | |
| 3. | "Easter Theatre" | 4:37 | |
| 4. | "Knights in Shining Karma" | 3:39 | |
| 5. | "Frivolous Tonight" | Colin Moulding | 3:10 |
| 6. | "Greenman" | 6:17 | |
| 7. | "Your Dictionary" | 3:14 | |
| 8. | "Fruit Nut" | Moulding | 3:01 |
| 9. | "I Can't Own Her" | 5:26 | |
| 10. | "Harvest Festival" | 4:15 | |
| 11. | "The Last Balloon" | 6:40 |
Personnel
- Dave Gregory – piano, keyboards, keyboard programming, guitars, backing vocals
- Colin Moulding – vocals, bass guitar
- Andy Partridge – vocals, guitars, keyboard programming
with:
- Mike Batt – orchestral arrangements for "Greenman" and "I Can't Own Her"
- Haydn Bendall – keyboards
- Guy Barker – trumpet and flugelhorn solo on "The Last Balloon"
- Nick Davis – keyboards
- Prairie Prince – drums, percussion
- Steve Sidwell – trumpet solo on "Easter Theatre"
- All arrangements played by The London Sessions Orchestra under their leader Gavin Wright
- Production
- Haydn Bendall – original production, engineering
- Nick Davis – additional production, engineering, mix
- Simon Dawson – mix assistance
- Alan Douglas – recording engineer
- Barry Hammond – recording engineer
- Tim Young – mastering
- Leonard B. Johnson - A&R Coordination
References
- ↑ Cater, Evan. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Schinder, Simon. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus, Volume 1". Entertainment Weekly (Time Inc.). Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ↑ "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". NME (IPC Media). Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Hooker, Zach. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Zupko, Sarah. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1 / Transistor Blast". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Maconie, Stuart. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Q (Bauer Media Group). Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Walters, Barry. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Rolling Stone (Jann Wenner). Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ↑ Farmer, Neville XTC Song Stories, Hyperion, September 1998
- ↑ http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/Mojotop50eccentricalbums.htm