Following Go 2, keyboardist Barry Andrews left XTC and, rather than finding a replacement keyboard player, the band opted to recruit another guitarist (who could also play keyboards), Dave Gregory.
The album that followed the lineup change, Drums and Wires, marks a turning point for the band, with a more subdued set of songs that reflect an increasing songwriting proficiency.
The aimless energy of the first two albums is focused into a cohesive statement with a distinctive voice that retains their clever humor, quirky wordplay, and decidedly British flavor.
Musically, Drums and Wires, titled to reflect the big drum sound they developed for the album, is certainly driven by the powerful rhythms and angular, mainly minimalistic arrangements, but the addition of a second guitarist also allows for some inventive and interesting guitar work (the "wires") that made up for the lack of Andrews' odd flourishes -- the tension between the two sounds creates some truly inspired, nervy pop.
Colin Moulding also comes into his own as a songwriter, penning XTC's first substantial hit, the new wave classic "Making Plans for Nigel.".
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Making Plans for NigelColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 2 | HelicopterAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:54 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | Day In, Day OutAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:08 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 4 | When You're Near Me I Have DifficultyAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:22 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 5 | Ten Feet TallColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 03:11 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 6 | Roads Girdle the GlobeAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 04:52 | 11 MB | 28 MB |
| 7 | Life Begins at the HopColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 03:48 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 8 | Chain of CommandAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 02:34 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 9 | LimelightColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 02:25 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 10 | Real by ReelAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:48 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 11 | MillionsAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 05:35 | 12 MB | 30 MB |
| 12 | That Is the WayColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 13 | Outside WorldAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 02:41 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 14 | Scissor ManAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 15 | Complicated GameAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 04:47 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 55 mins | 126 MB | |||||
| 55 mins | 335 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terry Chambers | Drums |
| 2 | David Gregory | Guitar, Keyboards |
| 3 | Steve Lillywhite | Producer |
| 4 | Colin Moulding | Bass, Composer, Vocals |
| 5 | Jill Mumford | Illustrations |
| 6 | Andy Partridge | Composer, Design, Guitar, Vocals |
| 7 | XTC | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |