XTC / Andy Partridge Interview

[Troy]

A must read for fans. Seems like he's going through a rough patch.

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/58367

[3-LockBox]

Well now, if that isn't a sad piece of news. To quote Charlie Daniels, They've "just plain ol' run slap outta things to say". To think one of the most ingenius bands ever have run into a creative empass, or to think that a mind like Andy Partridge's is 'finite' for ideas...

gee...thanx Troy

next thing you know, you'll be telling us Anna Nicole Smith is dead...

















oh...

[Bernd]

Thanks Troy, that was sobering reading. Shame that A.P. hit the creative brick wall. Always liked what they did, and fondly remember a great gig by XTC in Berlin on their English Settlement Tour. Even managed to get my hands on a tour poster that night.

[BradH]

Yeah, weird.

I've been keeping track of these guys. Moulding admits he doesn't play or listen to much music anymore but he also says Andy isn't interested in writing new music and is more interested in his Fuzzy Warbles series. Too true. But if "Frivolous Tonight" is any indication it's probably just as well that Moulding has given it up. His voice is shot anyway. Actually, I'm glad to hear his songs on Wasp Star were leftovers. I'd hate to think that's the best he can do. Ironically, Partridge and Dave Gregory have patched up their differences but I don't expect an XTC reunion any time soon - if at all. Partridge says he refuses to go on w/o Moulding. I think it's just another excuse like the so-called stage fright. The other guys didn't buy into that and wanted to tour as late as the 90's, especially Dave Gregory who didn't have songwriting and publishing royalties. And I think that's what a lot of this is about. Partridge wouldn't tour and kept pumping out those Fuzzy Warbles and none of that helped Moulding's income. No wonder he moved away and didn't call. Now, if Partridge's ears are hosed then that could be a problem. But Pete Townshend found a way to work around it.

Two albums since 1992's Nonsuch and now this? Yeah, it's probably over. It all comes down to Andy Partridge like it always did. If he wanted to make another XTC album this year then there would be another XTC album with all three members.

Don't hold your breath.

[Troy]

Yeah, what Brad said.

It's well known that Partridge is the center of the XTC universe. His uncompromising personality has always been alienating to those around him. It's well documented and easy to read between the lines.

He's always fancied himself to be like his hero, Brian Wlson. A slightly mad genius. It's sad to see him sink into depression like this, but it's also easy to see that it was self-induced. Andy doesn't work and play well with others and I don't think he will ever come around agian until he understands and changes this.

I agree about the Moulding songs too. His songs dropped off in quality on the Nonsuch album.

I'd love to see Gregory live some day touring with a good, big band. The guy can play anything. I always saw him as the unsung hero of XTC.

[BradH]

He always fancied himself to be like his hero, Brian Wlson. A slightly mad genius.

I'd have to differ on that score. He never listened to the BB's until after Mummer when he heard "God Only Knows" in Dave Gregory's car. That's shocking considering "Pale and Precious" was recorded a couple of years later. And he is slightly mad. He was prescribed valium by a family doctor when he was twelve. He says he was stressed out over his parents' violent fighting - involving a knife at one point. He was addicted until his wife threw his pills away on the English Settlement tour. Naturally, he started freaking out. Some shrink told him he was suffering anxiety attacks because of working so hard while getting royally screwed by Virgin. So, no more touring. Somehow that got translated by the music press as "stage fright". You can make your own conclusions about his wife. (Btw, he was writing about current flame Erica Wexler years before the divorce with "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her". When she heard "Another Satellite" she threw a bunch of furniture out the window of her NY high-rise apt.) Tons of crazy stories about this band. He was egotistical alright but he usually won through humor and wittiness, not pushiness and arrogance.


I agree about the Moulding songs too. His songs dropped off in quality on the Nonsuch album.

The demo of "Bungalow" makes more sense because it's sort of weird and psychedelic but something went wrong somewhere. And Partridge thinks it's the best song Moulding ever wrote! WTF? See, I think that's where they were headed after Wasp Star because they kept talking about possibly doing British music hall type songs like their parents listened to and cited "Frivolous Tonight" as an example. Partridge basically said it would never happen but it reminds me of the way they occasionally mentioned 60's psych in 1980 and eventually we got the Dukes of Stratosphere.


I'd love to see Gregory live some day touring with a good, big band. The guy can play anything. I always saw him as the unsung hero of XTC.

No doubt about it. If he had been on Wasp Star it would've been their best since Skylarking, don'cha think?

[Troy]

I'd have to differ on that score. He never listened to the BB's until after Mummer when he heard "God Only Knows" in Dave Gregory's car. That's shocking considering "Pale and Precious" was recorded a couple of years later.

Right, but since that day reletively early in the band's timeline, Partridges Beach Boys references come strong and often. Clearly, AP always felt a strong connection to Wilson after hearing his music for the first time.


And he is slightly mad. He was prescribed valium by a family doctor when he was twelve. He says he was stressed out over his parents' violent fighting - involving a knife at one point. He was addicted until his wife threw his pills away on the English Settlement tour. Naturally, he started freaking out. Some shrink told him he was suffering anxiety attacks because of working so hard while getting royally screwed by Virgin. So, no more touring. Somehow that got translated by the music press as "stage fright". You can make your own conclusions about his wife.

Right, and Wilson was self-prescribing his own medication from a very early age too. Both of them suffered from anxieity disorders. Both have superiority/god complexes which were fed in destructive ways from a very early age. They are both mad geniuses. The paralells continue. The doctor is in . . .


He was egotistical alright but he usually won through humor and wittiness, not pushiness and arrogance.

Partridge has always had a snarky mean-streak. Witty, but at others expense. I've seen it in interviews from very early on. Smug. I always had a sense of that from Wilson too. Yes, in his recent resurgence he puts forth a very humble face, but I saw it bubbling under the surface in that "Smile" documentary.


They kept talking about possibly doing British music hall type songs like their parents listened to and cited "Frivolous Tonight" as an example.

A whole album of "Frivolous Tonight" and "The Affilliated?" That would have sucked.


No doubt about it. If he had been on Wasp Star it would've been their best since Skylarking, don'cha think?

It's funny, but I still think that album is top 5 all-time XTC as it is. And yes, the Moulding tracks are weak, but the Partridge material is really strong and I like the way it sounds. Yes, it would have been even better with Gregory.

[BradH]

Right, but since that day reletively early in the band's timeline, Partridges Beach Boys references come strong and often. Clearly, AP always felt a strong connection to Wilson after hearing his music for the first time.

Hmmm, could be. But it's not as if there are any lack of eccentric egos in the entertainment/art world. I think the similarities are just coincidence. Partridge is a major smar@ass but I don't think he's personally vindictive. I probably give him more of a pass because, unlike the equally snarky Ian Anderson, Partridge is actually funny and he's the eternal optimist as opposed to Dave Gregory's eternal pessimism. Not sure I can blame Gregory though, he's got his own issues. Ultimately, Partridge can't grow up out of his tired anti-American schtick so, yeah, he can bite me. I just don't see him living out the rock star cliche like so many others, more of an eccentric artist. And that's fine with me but my original point was this has cost him his band. And that sucks in XTC's case. But it's been a long slow death so it's not such a surprise, really.


Both have superiority/god complexes which were fed in destructive ways from a very early age.

God complexes at an early age? I don't see it. Wilson has to control his environment because he hears voices when he's stressed. You think he chooses to be that way? And nobody in XTC had lived anything resembling a rock star life since they left the road.


A whole album of "Frivolous Tonight" and "The Affilliated?" That would have sucked.

"The Affiliated". Ha! I never thought of that. Yeah, take out that fast Doors/McQuinn section in the middle and there you have it. An album like that, indeed, would have provided an oral vacuum for our collective members.


It's funny, but I still think that album is top 5 all-time XTC as it is. And yes, the Moulding tracks are weak, but the Partridge material is really strong and I like the way it sounds. Yes, it would have been even better with Gregory.

Yeah, that was a stripped down guitar & drums album and wasn't overproduced, PERFECT for Gregory. That was mostly recorded in Moulding's garage studio that I'm assuming he left behind.

[Troy]

God Complexes?

You bet. With Wilson it's obvious because the band hit big when they were all still in their teens. With Partridge (and Wilson) it's been constant adulation, being told how great you are for all those years. People telling you that you're a genius for 30 years, it's going to leave a mark on you. Sometimes it can be hard to live that down and keep perspective.

[BradH]

People telling you that you're a genius for 30 years, it's going to leave a mark on you. Sometimes it can be hard to live that down and keep perspective.

Maybe in Wilson's case. But there's nothing like a f*cked up career to bring you down to earth. Moulding's and Partridge's egos got their workout on the road in the early days. Andy is a helluva lot more humble than you're portraying. He doesn't even hold a grudge against Virgin and maintains a sense of humor about what happened. Compare that with Badfinger and their spiralling depression. Compare that with Fripp & Zappa and their dour, constant airing of gripes and complaints. And sure, Partridge has people telling him he's a genius but he only has to walk out the door to be unrecognized, even in Swindon. It's not as if he's constantly whoring for the celebrity spotlight with stupid behavior and mini-scandals.

There's a lot of bs that comes out of the mouths of celebrities and artists. I just phase that out because, at the end of the day, you've usually got to go to people who are out of the ordinary if you want to hear music that is out of the ordinary. I'll take that over a bunch of "nice guys" singing some variation of "Like A Rock" from here to eternity.

Having said that, the hostile comments and antics between Partridge and Rundgren that I've read were hilarious. I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear that particular round of bs.