Transistor Blast: Best of BBC Sessions
"XTC live" has been an oxymoron ever since the band's stage-fright-stricken frontman, Andy Partridge, collapsed during a U.S. tour in 1982. Freed of the burden of touringandreproducing their material live, XTC spent their next five recordings gussying-up their sound--layering piano, strings, and ethereal harmonies where herky-jerky chord changes and caterwauling vocals used to reside.Transistor Blastis a heavy dose of early XTC, the Swindon, England, postpunk quartet who couldn't even spell "cello." Disc 3 features 1978 and '79 live takes of early singles such as "Life Begins at the Hop" and "This is Pop," as well as less-recognizable--and often less-listenable--album tracks along the lines of "Danceband" and "Neon Shuffle." Disc 4, a re-release of the band's legendary 1980 Hammersmith Palais show (previously only available as an import), best illustrates the dynamic, hyperkinetic live band that was once XTC. Discs 1 and 2 erect a bridge between the band's early and later material. Recorded live for BBC Radio, the 25 tracks are jumbled chronologically but still flow. Devoid of their elaborate arrangements and syrupy production, songs such as 1986's "Another Satellite" fit nicely after the likes of 1978's "I'm Bugged."--Bill Crandall