Since Skylarking, each XTC album was carefully composed and crafted, and Nonsuch is no different.
Working with producer Gus Dudgeon (Elton John), XTC crafted their most immaculate album to date with Nonsuch.
A measured and reflective record, recalling the Beach Boys more than the Beatles, the album retains some of their late-'80s psychedelic flourishes, but those have been integrated into an elaborate, lush pop setting that falls somewhere between Skylarking and Oranges & Lemons.
While it lacks the thematic unity of Skylarking, as well as the grandstanding eclecticism of Oranges & Lemons, Nonsuch is in many ways more musically consistent, presenting a set of 17 wonderfully detailed and immediately catchy pop songs, ranging from the relatively rocking "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" to the sweet "Holly Up on Poppy." Occasionally, the album dips slightly lyrically -- Colin Moulding's "The Smartest Monkeys" and "War Dance" are a little too preachy -- but never musically, making Nonsuch a modest, minor masterpiece.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ballad of Peter PumpkinheadAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 05:00 | 0 MB | 36 MB |
| 2 | My Bird PerformsColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 03:50 | 0 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | Dear Madam BarnumAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 02:53 | 0 MB | 20 MB |
| 4 | Humble DaisyAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:39 | 0 MB | 22 MB |
| 5 | The Smartest MonkeysColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 04:17 | 0 MB | 26 MB |
| 6 | The DisappointedAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:23 | 0 MB | 23 MB |
| 7 | Holly Up on PoppyAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:04 | 0 MB | 21 MB |
| 8 | CrocodileAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:56 | 0 MB | 25 MB |
| 9 | RookAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:47 | 0 MB | 22 MB |
| 10 | OmnibusAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:20 | 0 MB | 24 MB |
| 11 | That WaveAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:33 | 0 MB | 24 MB |
| 12 | Then She AppearedAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:52 | 0 MB | 25 MB |
| 13 | War DanceColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 03:22 | 0 MB | 24 MB |
| 14 | Wrapped in GreyAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:46 | 0 MB | 24 MB |
| 15 | The Ugly UnderneathAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 03:55 | 0 MB | 23 MB |
| 16 | BungalowColin Moulding | XTC | Play | 02:49 | 0 MB | 16 MB |
| 17 | Books Are BurningAndy Partridge | XTC | Play | 04:50 | 0 MB | 32 MB |
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| 63 mins | 419 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guy Barker | Flugelhorn, Trumpet |
| 2 | Ian Cooper | Digital Remastering |
| 3 | Nick Davis | Mixing |
| 4 | David Dragon | Sleeve Art |
| 5 | Gus Dudgeon | Arranger, End Chorus, Percussion, Producer, Talking, Tambourine, Trumpet, Vocals (Background), Voices |
| 6 | Stuart Gordon | Violin |
| 7 | David Gregory | Band, Bells, Brass Arrangement, Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (12 String Electric), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Percussion, Piano, String Arrangements, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background), Voices |
| 8 | Gina Griffin | Violin |
| 9 | Barry Hammond | Engineer |
| 10 | Rose Hull | Cello |
| 11 | Florence Lovegrove | Viola |
| 12 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 13 | Dave Mattacks | Drums, Drum Samples, Percussion, Sampling, Shaker, Sitar, Talking, Tambourine |
| 14 | Colin Moulding | Bass, Brass Arrangement, Composer, Guitar (Bass), Guitar (Electric), String Arrangements, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 15 | Andy Partridge | Band, Bells, Bell Tree, Brass Arrangement, Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Keyboard Programming, Keyboards, Percussion, Shaker, String Arrangements, Synthesizer, Talking, Tambourine, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Voices |
| 16 | Kevin Westenberg | Photography |
| 17 | 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). |