Comments for XTC, The Big Express

Simply their best and higly recommendable

Sorry to say, The Big Express was the low point of XTC's otherwise brilliant career. It does have it's moments though and some of them are revived nicely on the recent ('95) 'A Testimonial Dinner'.

Big Express is XTC most powerful in it use of aural imaging, with songs like "All you pretty girls" and "Train running low..." and "Seagulls screaming..." I completely disagree with MereBrian's mere assessment of this work. I think MereBrian needs to do more than merely listen to this recording and have another look at the impressive illusions XTC has created. This is a well thought out collection of XTC's most impressive aural illustrations. A must have in any record collection.

When I read the inside of "A Testimonial Dinner" that a group of people in a car had sung The Big Express accapella from beginning to end, I knew I just had to hear this album. The only XTC albums I had owned at the time were Nonsuch and Rag and Bone Buffet. And I couldn't imagine how those albums would sound sung accapella. So I knew that the Big Express was something special that had really impressed these people. Now that I own it, I really like it.....but I still can't imagine accapella versions of those songs! Anyway....The Big Express is what made me an official XTC fan. In addition to the three I just mentioned I now own A Testimonial Dinner and Skylarking. Plus I borrowed Waxworks from a friend and I plan on buying another real soon. I'm thinking maybe Mummer or The Black Sea.

The group of people doing this album acapella as mentioned in the review above were the late San Fransisco band, Jellyfish. Slight detraction from "The Big Express", but if you check out "Bellybutton" and "Split Milk" by Jellyfish, you should have a clearer idea of where they''re coming from (also, they''re two of the best albums ever recorded, but I''m biased).

This Compact Disc Features Tracks 6,7,8 That Are Not On Album Or Cassette