at a glance...

Hometown: Swindon, England
Formed: 1976

Members:
Andy Partridge -vocals, guitar, songwriting
Colin Moulding -vocals, bass, songwriting
Dave Gregory -guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals

Bands in the family :
The Dukes of Stratosphear, Thomas Dolby, Blur, The Tubes, Todd Rundgren, The League of Gentlemen, Shreikback, Martin Newell, Mark Owen, The Colonel, Aimee Mann

So we were all poised for Apple Venus Volume 2, which they said was going to be out this fall, and we got this album, which consists entirely of the 8-track demo versions of every song on AVV1. If these guys were any other band, I'd be first at the barricades, bandanna tied jauntily around my head, urging my rabid disciples to "Burn! Burn the exploiters! Let's show them what happens when you try to squeeze the record-buying public!" But, y'know, it's XTC, and y'know, they're like totally my favorite band sometimes. So it's cool. Plus, now that they're indie rockers, they can do lo-fi if they want to.

Sonically, Homespun isn't as good as AVV1; the vocals are weakly recorded and real violins sound better than synthesized ones. But what you get here goes beyond mere audiophilism; this album is a window into the creative process itself. You get to hear "I'd Like That" taped in mono the instant it was composed, and then the whole 8-track demo, which really sounds a whole lot like the song on the "real" album and actually carries more dramatic impact. "Your Dictionary" actually improves with underproduction, as the great coda's lyrics are finally intelligible: "Now your laughter has a hollow ring/and a hollow ring has no finger in/so let's close the book and let the day begin/and our marriage be undone." Now those are some damn good lyrics. Although some of the more hoity-toity numbers like "River of Orchids" and "Easter Theatre" are probably "technically" better on AVV1, I think the thrill of discovery heightens the Homespun versions of these orchestral compositions, even if they are played on a Proteus. And while the "Harvest Festival" on AVV1 is certainly immense, this rougher version made me cry like a freakin' baby while driving to Chicago one Sunday afternoon.

What makes Homespun great is the care that went into it: the handwritten lyric sheets with scribbles and cross-outs, the funny D.I.Y. art parodying the original album's, and above all else, the best liner notes ever written. Colin explains that he writes his songs in certain keys because he doesn't want his family to overhear him singing. Andy talks about his McCartney fixation and about how he wrote "Greenman" on his daughter's tiny Romanian-made school guitar. There's some really hilarious, touching stuff here, and it all turns Homespun into a great album in its own right rather than just a vanity project. I say that this is just as good an album as Apple Venus Volume 1, but you should buy both. Reward TVT for putting these albums out, and reward Andy and Colin for their stubborn brilliance.

If you like XTC, check out:
XTC Apple Venus Volume 1
XTC Skylarking
XTC Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)
XTC Transistor Blast
Todd Rundgren Something/Anything?
Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life
The Beatles Revolver
The Beach Boys Smile

-- Matt Cibula