Apple Venus Volume 1
| Apple Venus Volume 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by XTC | ||||
| Released | 17 February 1999 | |||
| Recorded | January–August 1998 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, folk, chamber pop | |||
| Length | 50:09 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Cooking Vinyl | |||
| Producer | Haydn Bendall, Nick Davis | |||
| XTC chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Apple Venus Volume 1 | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| NME | (7/10) [2] |
| Pitchfork | (8.2/10) [3] |
| PopMatters | favourable [4] |
| Q | |
| Robert Christgau | (B+) [6] |
| Rolling Stone | |
Apple Venus Volume 1 is the thirteenth studio album by the English band XTC, released in 1999. It was the first on the band's own Idea Records label through Cooking Vinyl and distributed in the United States by TVT Records. It reached #42 in the UK.[citation needed] As with the two previous albums, the album's title appears to have been taken from a verse from a song on Nonsuch ("Then She Appeared"):
Then she appeared
Apple Venus on a half open shell
In 2002 XTC released an instrumental version of the album entitled Instruvenus.
Apple Venus Volume 1 was the last XTC album to include Dave Gregory as a member of the band. He departed the band during the recording sessions.
Contents |
Track listing[edit]
UK CD: COOKCD 172[edit]
All songs written and composed by Andy Partridge, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "River of Orchids" | 5:53 | ||
| 2. | "I'd Like That" | 3:50 | ||
| 3. | "Easter Theatre" | 4:37 | ||
| 4. | "Knights in Shining Karma" | 3:39 | ||
| 5. | "Frivolous Tonight" | Colin Moulding | 3:10 | |
| 6. | "Greenman" | 6:17 | ||
| 7. | "Your Dictionary" | 3:14 | ||
| 8. | "Fruit Nut" | Moulding | 3:01 | |
| 9. | "I Can't Own Her" | 5:26 | ||
| 10. | "Harvest Festival" | 4:15 | ||
| 11. | "The Last Balloon" | 6:40 |
Personnel[edit]
- Dave Gregory – piano, keyboards, keyboard programming, guitars, backing vocals (Gregory left the band during recording)
- Colin Moulding – vocals, bass guitar
- Andy Partridge – vocals, guitars, keyboard programming
with:
- Mike Batt – orchestral arrangements for "Greenman" and "I Can't Own Her"
- Haydn Bendall – keyboards
- Guy Barker – trumpet and flugelhorn solo on "The Last Balloon"
- Nick Davis – keyboards
- Prairie Prince – drums, percussion
- Steve Sidwell – trumpet solo on "Easter Theatre"
- All arrangements played by The London Sessions Orchestra under their leader Gavin Wright
- Production
- Haydn Bendall – original production, engineering
- Nick Davis – additional production, engineering, mix
- Simon Dawson – mix assistance
- Alan Douglas – recording engineer
- Barry Hammond – recording engineer
- Tim Young – mastering
References[edit]
- ^ Cater, Evan. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". NME (IPC Media). Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ Hooker, Zach. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ Zupko, Sarah. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1 / Transistor Blast". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ Maconie, Stuart. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Q (Bauer Media Group). Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ Walters, Barry. "Review: XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1". Rolling Stone (Jann Wenner). Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2011.