XTC Album: “Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 1978-1980”

This compact disc (issued at the same time as Rag & Bone Buffet)

compiles the GO+ EP (initially issued with Go 2) and Mr. Partridge's Take Away/The Lure Of Salvage LP (issued in early 1980). Taking pre-existing tracks of songs (mainly from Drums & Wires) and re-processing them, either taking drum, keyboard parts and adding effects, slowing them down, turning them up/down, re-recording vocals, guitar, whathaveyou and giving them a whole new identity. The experiment surprisingly works most of the time. Partridge was obviously enjoying himself in the studio and it makes for a truly unique listening experience. If you're looking for an album of catchy singles of joyous XTC pop - don't look here. This is very much a "dub" album in the truest sense of it's original meaning. Which was very popular in reggae music in the second half of the 1970's in the UK punk scene (oddly enough).

"I Sit In The Snow" (over the bridge of "Roads Girdle The Globe")

is very interesting as is "Madhattan" (over "That is the way"). "Commerciality (Signal Ad)" is a great song (over the unreleased

"Refridgeration Blues"). This is a collection that truly deserves

repeated listens as there's always something else interesting on

the listening horizon. And it's not an easy listen given the very

empty nature and space of most of the material. It sounds like, in some cases, listening to the individual backing tracks in the studio and with added effects to them. Which is pretty cool given

the nature of the excellence that is XTC.

While it's entirely true that the uninitiated XTC afficionado should not start with 'Dub Experiments 78 - 80' in their sonic explorations, the collection remains a fascinating collage of sound sculptures, with various instrumental tracks lifted from XTC songs to make entirely new songs. One great example of this is 'The Rotary,' where Andy Partridge utilizes the rhythm bed of 'Helicopter' and takes a decidely left turn with the new melody.

If you have to have everything XTC has ever commercially released, you'll want to have this. If you're a casual listener, you might think twice.