I really really like Level 42, but only based on the first 5 1/2 albums. Those are some cool pop-funk records, my favorite is probably True Colours. The first two (Level 42 and The Early Tapes) have a lot of cool instrumental stuff and the bass is featured prominently. Standing In The Light and The Pursuit Of Accidents are also worth a listen. On World Machine only the first side is really good. From then on it's all downhill.
Ironically their biggest selling record (Running In The Family) is one I don't really like at all. They went full out pop on that one and lost the funk and that was what made them special imo.
Hmmm, I don't think I've ever heard a song by them other than Something About You, which is great, and features a killer bass line.
Okay, cool. I am likely to binge on XTC for a while now, but I have every intention on checking out plenty of the stuff being recommended here.
XTC is a great choice! I would probably recommend starting with Skylarking - an album that has been compared to Pet Sounds and Abbey Road and I think it's their best. But they have several great albums so you can't really go that wrong.
Yep. There's a Beatles-esque quality and sensibility to almost all of XTC music. To my ears, Andy Partridge was the Lennon to Colin Moulding's McCartney.
That is a bold statement.
I've checked out a little more XTC and I can tell this will be a very hit or miss band for me. I love English Settlement, but Mummer seems a little spotty; some really good songs and some blah songs. And I tried Drums and Wires, but that one annoyed the shit out of me and I gave up halfway through. I think going for the later artier stuff is the way to go, rather than going backwards for the more punk stuff, since punk is not my bag.
Kev, I like to throw into albums from a band that I really love. You should try Mr. Mister's Welcome To The Real World and their bold album after the huge commercial album, Go On...
I actually tried that one a few months back and ended up with a few more songs to add to my collection (I have no problem buying individual songs from iTunes after checking the album out). Broken Wings and Kyrie I already had (obviously), but I had forgotten about Is It Love, which I grabbed. I also liked Black/White and Don't Slow Down enough to get those songs as well.