Skylarking |
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Released: October 27, 1986 Peak: 70 US, 90 UK, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: new wave |
Tracks:Click on a song title for more details.
Total Running Time: 46:50 The Players:
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Rating: 4.444 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)
Quotable:“A pop masterpiece…that has great ambitions and fulfills them with ease.” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic.comAwards:(Click on award to learn more).
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A New Direction for XTC“Working with producer Todd Rundgren didn’t necessarily bring XTC a sense of sonic cohesion – after all, every record since English Settlement followed its own interior logic – but it did help the group sharpen its focus, making Skylarking its tightest record since Drums and Wires.” AM“Ironically, Skylarking had little to do with new wave and everything to do with the lush, post-psychedelic pop of the Beatles and Beach Boys. Combining the charming pastoral feel of Mummer with the classicist English pop of The Big Express, XTC expand their signature sound by enhancing their intelligently melodic pop with graceful, lyrical arrangements and sweeping, detailed instrumentation.” AM The Beatles’ Influence“In the crowded pantheon of post-Beatles pop, XTC looms as one of the few bands to not simply learn from the Fab Four, but to take the inspiration into significant new realms. The British outfit built around singer-songwriter Andy Partridge and bassist-songwiter Colin Moulding started out in 1977 as a New Wave guitar band.” TM By the time of Skylarking nearly a decade later, the band’s “sound resembled Abbey Road” TM delivered with lyrics that have “a cynical New Wave smirk.” TMThe ConceptWith Skylarking, the band set out to “create a concept album that covers growing up, dawning sexuality, getting married, facing old age, and fading away, all set within the framework of a single day.” RD Certainly we see songs devoted to love (Grass), work (Earn Enough for Us), marriage (Big Day, religion (Dear God, and ultimately death (Dying). However, there are also songs about the cycle of seasons such as in “Summer’s Cauldron,” “Season Cycle,” and “Sacrificial Bonfire.”“Concept albums usually run aground” RD because the obligation to the narrative “often outstrips the artist’s songwriting skills. But the move from summer into fall and on to winter is seamless.” RDRundgren “may have devised the sequencing, helping the record feel like a song cycle” AM He also borrowed the idea from Sgt. Pepper’s of having one track flow straight into the next. AD The Strength of the Songs“What really impresses is the consistency and depth of Andy Partridge’s and Colin Moulding’s songs. Each song is a small gem, marrying sweet, catchy melodies to decidedly adult lyrical themes.” AM“Moulding’s songs complement Partridge’s songs better than before, and each writer is at a melodic and lyrical peak, which Rundgren helps convey with his supple production. The result is a pop masterpiece – an album that has great ambitions and fulfills them with ease.” AM NotesThe original version of Skylarking featured the song “Mermaid Smile,” later replaced by “Dear God,” which was originally the B-side of “Grass.” Some versions of the album feature the original track listing plus “Dear God” tacked on to the end of the album.The SongsHere’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs. |
Summer’s CauldronXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 19 CO, 23 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.95 streaming About the Song:“Crickets announce the coming of Summer, birds twitter – you can almost see the heat rising in the air, you can see the sun and bees buzzing past your ear. The melody begins, the singing opens and it breaks your heart.” AD “There is no obvious…melody running through it, which helps ultimately. It’s a shifting song and very evocative. You really can SEE the song in the air in front of you!” AD |
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GrassXTC |
Writer(s): Colin Moulding Released: 8/16/86 (single), Skylarking (1986) B Side: “Dear God” Peak: 35 CO, 100 UK, 9 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.48 streaming About the Song:“The way ‘Summer Cauldron’ ends and floats dreamily into Colin Moulding’s dreamy enough already ‘Grass’ is a thing to behold.” AD The song offers “moments of reflection and idyllic late-afternoon frolics.” TM This “isn’t a song that hits you in the face. It’s an elegant song, a romantic song that once again impresses images in your mind. A wonderfully relaxed melody that ends by returning to the opening of ‘Summers Cauldron’ and then moves into a clockwork sound to announce the start of a working day. Shifting mechanical sounds, sounding wonderful. Fabulous production and attention to detail.” AD |
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The Meeting PlaceXTC |
Writer(s): Colin Moulding Released: 2/2/87 (single), Skylarking (1986) B side: “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” Peak: 35 CO, 100 UK, 22 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.41 streaming About the Song:“The Meeting Place” “reveals itself to be a brilliant pop song with a chorus that sticks in your brain, lovely little piano sections and everything is correct. A wonderfully structured song and a piece of Colin Moulding brilliance.” AD |
That’s Really Super, SupergirlXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 20 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.74 streaming About the Song:“That’s Really Super, Supergirl” “is sunshine itself, so very happy and uplifting.” AD |
Ballet for a Rainy DayXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 18 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.24 streaming About the Song:“‘Ballet for a Rainy Day’: The name itself has a certain magic and poetry about it. A wonderful vocal performance from Andy is a highlight of this and the Piano returns too. Very good lyrics and little Beach Boys style harmonies.” AD |
1000 UmbrellasXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 34 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.09 streaming About the Song:“Another brilliant transition marks the arrival of ‘1000 Umbrellas.’ A sick sounding string section creates the illusion of rain, the melody jumps around in support of this. The whole song is very orchestral sounding.” AD |
Season CycleXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 25 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.00 streaming About the Song:“The finest song arrives slap bang in the middle, a fine place to put the finest song. Here XTC manage almost to outdo The Beach Boys themselves – you’ve just got to love the ‘Summer chased by autumn....’ vocal section” AD in XTC’s version of “Brian Wilson refracted through rural Britain.” RD |
Earn Enough for UsXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: March 1987 (single in Australia and Canada), Skylarking (1986) Peak: 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.68 streaming About the Song:“The first nosier guitar track arrives with ‘Earn Enough for Us.’ Not many guitar led songs on this Skylarking album so this is most welcome.” AD This sounds like the best bet on the album for a single. It was eventually released as the fourth single from the album, but only in Canada and Australia. |
Big DayXTC |
Writer(s): Colin Moulding Released: 6/1/87 (B side of “Dear God”), Skylarking (1986) Peak: 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.72 streaming About the Song:“Big Day” offers “tales of weddings, great bass playing and fine Colin Moulding song writing ability!” AD |
Another SatelliteXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 25 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.91 streaming About the Song:“Things suddenly get serious for ‘Another Satellite’ which puts XTC back up into space – a place they hadn’t been since their first two comic book styled albums. This is a far more serious composition than those early efforts though, however charming and fun they may have been. This is a touching love song and a plea of devotion.” AD |
Mermaid SmiledXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.80 streaming About the Song:“The guitar that opens ‘Mermaid Smiled’…is as good a piece of Andy Patridge brilliance as he's ever created.” AD This song got bumped from later editions of Skylarking in favor of “Dear God,” a song which was originally the B-side of “Grass.” Still later, both songs were included on the album. |
The Man Who Sailed Around His SoulXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.92 streaming About the Song:“The finger-clicking jazzy of ‘The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul’” RD “helps add variety to the record as well as managing to be very accomplished within its jazz influenced style.” AD |
DyingXTC |
Writer(s): Colin Moulding Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 8 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.62 streaming About the Song:“‘Dying’ is another heartbreaker – the sound of a clock ticking, a guitar, occasional bass and Colin Moulding. Little else is present and little else needs to be. The vocal harmonies that end again recall The Beach Boys of Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys at their very finest.” AD |
Sacrificial BonfireXTC |
Writer(s): Colin Moulding Released: Skylarking (1986) Peak: 24 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.59 streaming About the Song:“The rustic lament of ‘Sacrificial Bonfire’” RD “closes the album and closes the circle that begun with ‘Summers Cauldron.’” AD It gives “that sense of this record being whole, being thoughtful in concept and being complete.” AD |
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Dear GodXTC |
Writer(s): Andy Partridge (see lyrics here) Released: 8/16/86 (B side of “Grass”), 6/1/87 (single), Skylarking (1986) B Side: “Big Day” First Charted: 4/4/87 Peak: 37 AR, 1 CO, 99 UK, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.60 video, 43.14 streaming |
Awards:(Click on award to learn more).
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About the Song:XTC’s “Dear God” was originally released as the B-side of “Grass,” the lead single for the new wave band’s ninth album, Skylarking. “Dear God” was initially left off the album because Virgin Records was concerned about the effect of its agnostic message. Andy Partridge, the songwriter and XTC’s lead singer, was also dissatisfied with the lyrics and didn’t think the song represented his views on religion. WK He eventually became an atheist, but was, as he said, “wrestling with the tail end of my belief” when he wrote this. SFAfter college DJs started playing the song, listeners started contacting Geffen Records (the U.S. distributer) to ask how they could get the song. Geffen added it to the Skylarking album, bumping the song “Mermaid Smiles.” SF It was then also released as a single on its own. The song was inspired by a series of books with the same title which Partridge considered exploitive of children. The song is built on the idea of an agnostic writing letters to God questioning his existence. Partridge saw it as a commentary on “the need for humans to believe the stuff they do…I’d struggled with the concept of God and Man…since I was a kid.” WK Producer Todd Rundgren had the idea to bring in eight-year-old Jasmine Veillette to sing the opening verse and closing line. WK The anti-religious message provoked hostile reactions, including a bomb threat to a Florida radio station and a student who held a faculty member hostage at knife-point at Binghampton High School in New York and forced the school to play the song over its public address system. Partridge also received lots of hate mail because of the song. He said he felt sorry for the people he upset, but that “if you can’t have a different opinion without them wanting to firebomb your house, then that’s their problem.” WK Sarah McLachlan covered the song on a 1995 XTC tribute album (A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC) and Rundgren recorded his version for his 2011 (re)Production album. |
Resources/References:
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First posted 3/25/2008; last updated 7/20/2026. |
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