The Compact XTC

The Compact XTC: The Singles 1978-1985
Greatest hits album by XTC
Released	1985
Recorded	1977-1985
Genre	Rock
Length	68:33
Label	Virgin
Producer	John Leckie (tracks 1-2), Robert Lange (track 3), Martin Rushent (track 4), Steve Lillywhite (tracks 5-6, 8-10), Phil Wainman (track 7), Hugh Padgham and XTC (tracks 11-12), Bob Sargeant (track 13), XTC and Steve Nye (tracks 14-15), David Lord and XTC (tracks 16-18)
XTC other chronology
Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977–1982' (1982) The Compact XTC (1987) Chips from the Chocolate Fireball (1987)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The Compact XTC: The Singles 1978-1985 is a singles compilation album by XTC originally issued in 1985. It replaced Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982 as a Greatest Hits album (and, bizarrely, used the same catalogue number in the UK and some other countries), adding six singles issued between English Settlement and The Big Express. It took advantage of the compact disc's greater storage capacity to limit it to a single disc. It was superseded by the double-disc set Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992, on which all eighteen tracks appear.

Two UK Virgin Records singles are missing from this compilation: "Respectable Street" (1981) and "No Thugs in Our House" (1982), as well as "Take This Town" (1980) - an RSO Records released single issued from the soundtrack of the film "Times Square". 'International' singles missing are the re-recorded version of "Ten Feet Tall" (1980, North America) and "Love at First Sight" (1981, Canada).

Track listing

UK CD: CDV 2251

All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

1. "Science Friction" – 3:14 (1977)
2. "Statue of Liberty" – 2:52 (1978)
3. "This Is Pop?" – 2:40 [re-recorded single version] (1978)
4. "Are You Receiving Me?" – 3:04 (1978)
5. "Life Begins at the Hop" (Colin Moulding) – 3:47 (1979)
6. "Making Plans for Nigel" (Moulding) – 3:54 [single edit/fade used in some countries] (1979)
7. "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down" – 4:35 [long version; some 10 seconds longer than the edited single mix] (1980)
8. "Generals and Majors" (Moulding) – 3:41 [single edit] (1980)
9. "Towers of London" – 4:38 [single edit] (1980)
10. "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" – 3:36 [single edit] (1980)
11. "Senses Working Overtime" – 4:34 [single edit] (1982)
12. "Ball and Chain" (Moulding) – 4:29 (1982)
13. "Great Fire" – 3:50 (1983)
14. "Wonderland (Moulding) – 4:15 [single edit] (1983)
15. "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" – 3:59 (1983)
16. "All You Pretty Girls" – 3:59 [long version; some 20 seconds longer than the album version] (1983)
17. "This World Over" – 4:45 [single edit] (1984)
18. "Wake Up" (Moulding) – 3:40 [single edit/fade] (1985)

References

1. Mason, Stewart. The Compact XTC at AllMusic

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