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Title: XTC masters the studio sound
Review: ...sort of. They haven't progressed to making the shiny, flawless pop that would be shown on their later albums, but instead pounded out an abrasive, messy album that brings to mind a studio-based version of "Black Sea". And it RULES. The singles "Wake Up" and the gorgeous "This World Over" are two of my favorite XTC songs, and there's also some clunky, kickbutt material in "Seagulls Screaming," "Shake You Donkey Up," and the magnificent closer "Train Running Low On Soul Coal." The bonus tracks this time around are pretty weak, and most of the album doesn't gel at all, but I don't really care, because it RULES. Out of the 11 songs that make up the actual album, not one is a duffer, and all are nearly perfect. Buy it, even though no one else seems to like this one as much as I do.
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