not songwriters and received a much smaller share of publishing royalties. Style and production With English Settlement, Partridge decided to move XTC in a "more pastoral, more acoustic direction". He believed that if he "wrote an album with a sound less geared towards touring then maybe there would be less pressure to tour." Compared to the band's previous albums, English Settlement showcased more complex and intricate arrangements, lengthier songs, lyrics that covered broader social issues, and a wider range of music styles. According to music journalist Annie Zaleski, the album rests "stubbornly in between genres and resists pigeonholing." She adds that the styles range from "caterwauling mod-pop" ("Leisure") to "buzzing synthpunk" ("Fly on the Wall") and "full-on ska-pop" ("Down in the Cockpit"). Most of the English Settlement material was written and rehearsed during the summer of 1981 at Terry "Fatty" Alderton's Tudor Rehearsal Studio. Moulding responded to the new acoustic direction by purchasing an Ibanez fretless bass, while Gregory bought a Rickenbacker 12-string and began contributing more as a keyboardist. Since Partridge recently gave away his acoustic guitar during an appearance on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, he bought a new one for the record. He also convinced Chambers to buy a new assortment of drums and a timbale. Music critic Chris Woodstra wrote that Gregory, Partridge and Moulding's new instruments, plus Chambers' new drum synthesiser, "set the tone" for the record. Moulding also used his Fender Precision Bass on a few tracks. English Settlement was recorded in six weeks at The Manor Studio in Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire. The album was self-produced by the band with Hugh Padgham, who engineered their previous two LPs. Padgham's partner Steve Lillywhite, who produced the last two albums, did not return as the band felt Padgham was the one who assisted with finding interesting sounds. In Padgham's recollection, "I just let the band be themselves. I've always been that kind of producer. ... they had quite a clear idea of what they wanted and I just made sure that this could be translated as easily and as clearly as possible." The recordings were performed live and then treated with overdubs and occasional edits. The band recorded about 30 songs. When they could not decide on a track listing, it was decided to expand the LP to two discs. Songs Disc one "Ball and Chain" was written as a response to the economic policies of Margaret Thatcher. Moulding