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Label: Tvt
Release Date: 1999-10-05
List Price: $16.98
Buy Now: $1.96 - $16.98
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(Limited Edition)
Additional Info: Tracks Reviews
A peek inside the process. (4 stars)
First thing's first, "Homespun" is an album of demos for "Apple Venus". If you don't have that record, look there first (although if you're new to XTC, "Skylarking" is the usual recommendation).
So a collection of demos, what to expect? Essentially it's a track-by-track match for "Apple Venus". Sonically, you couldn't tell it's so much a set of demos except in a couple places ("Frivolous Tonight") because it sounds so complete, in fact to the point where some pieces sound virtually identical to their final takes-- even in places you wouldn't expect it like orchestral workouts "River of Orchids" and "Green Man".
Is it interesting? Yeah, extremely, and in a lot of places it can be as good or better than the original ("Knights in Shining Karma"), but truth to be told, unless you're a diehard, you probably don't need to hear the work versions of this material. More casual fans definitely want to check out "Apple Venus", it's a fine record. |  | | | wrong cover displayed... (4 stars)
(...the cover currently displayed belongs to the "parent" album, Apple Venus. Homespun's cover is similar, but is an embroidery of the peacock feather.)
I purchased both Apple Venus and Homespun the same day. It could be argued this is a little like buying two copies of the same album, but as has been stated elsewhere, Homespun's principle appeal is to people interested in the creative process of Mssrs. Partridge and Moulding.
For my tastes, I actually prefer the production decisions (or lack thereof) made for Homespun -- but then I am predisposed to liking rougher, rawer music. I prefer polaroids to digital photographs, for that matter.
There are tiny scraps of "raw acoustic demos" scattered here and there over the course of Homespun, but generally the songs are presented in fairly finished form. (The "single drop of water" that opens "River of Orchids" is missing, so every review of Homespun doesn't begin with some sort of reference to it!) Only a few songs are significantly different than how they appear on Apple Venus V.1.
Either version is a great purchase. If you like things lusher and more pristine, get Apple Venus. If you like mapping the songcrafting process, you'll enjoy Homespun. If you really like XTC anyway, you should just get them both. | | | | One of the most amazing records I've ever heard--bar none (5 stars)
I'm a big fan of the music of the New Wave era (Ultravox, Killing Joke, Nash the Slash, Daniel Amos, Joe Jackson, Television, would you like me to drop some more names?), but XTC is one of the big groups of the period that I never took the time to listen to, mainly because they had a huge body of work and I wanted to take the time to really get into it and appreciate it. I managed a band at one point who were big XTC fans, and they highly recommended "Apple Venus Vol. 1" to me, but as of this writing I haven't heard that record. Shameful, I know, but I didn't ask your opinion.
Well, the other day I was looking for a copy of "Hats" by The Blue Nile at a local record store that I remembered seeing for $4, but not finding it I went through the bargain bin and found "Homespun" by XTC for $3, so I bought that instead. I will admit it seemed a little odd at first that XTC would release a demo version of a previously released album, but hey, for $3, who cares?
But when I actually turned on the record and listened to it, a track-for-track demo version of "AV1" made complete sense, and I haven't been able to quit listening to it since. Let's put it this way: the week I purchased this I also bought "Abbey Road" by The Beatles, "Power Windows" by Rush, and "For Your Pleasure" by Roxy Music, and I've been listening to this more than all of those records. The only other record that I can think of that I've bought cheap and squeezed more pleasure out of was a $1 copy of "USA" by King Crimson on cassette that I found at a mall about ten years ago.
So enough of the name-dropping. What makes a so-called "cash-in" demo record so amazing? I think two things stand out and make this demo collection an amazing album in its own right:
1) Solid songwriting that transcends the lower quality and shoestring budget of the recordings. The band obviously love The Beatles and "Pet Sounds"-era Beach Boys and freely admit to ripping those influences off in the liner notes, but they take thirty years of musical progress and their own personalities and improve on those famous 1960's sounds. A great example of good songwriting is "Harvest Festival", where Andy makes you feel like you are there at a British middle school harvest festival with all these kids singing out of these hymnals and doing these dull processions while flirting with each other from across the room when you've never experienced such a thing in your life. Another great example of good songwriting on this is "Your Dictionary", which is apparently Andy's one and only divorce song. He shrouds his frustration with his ex-wife in clever humor that makes you want to spell words that have the opposite meaning in your own dictionary. (Try singing these along when you listen to the record: "K-I-L-L, is that how you spell 'life' in your dictionary; B-E-E-R pronounced as 'food'...C-R-A-P, is that how you spell "good" in your dictionary; you can have it, I'm not in the mood...")
2) A less-is-more minimalist approach to creating the tracks where the band is making good use of their limitations. The band uses string samples and well-chosen string synth sounds to make it sound like an orchestra is there when there is none. There's one track where there is no bass instrument at all and they tell you so in the liner notes, but you don't realize it at all, even when you listen to the track again! The lower quality of these demos add a shrouded quality and the lack of instruments allow the mind to fill in the blanks without one realizing that one is listening to less than he actually is, which shows that these guys really know what they're doing when they record music, even when they're making stuff for their own personal enjoyment or to sell their ideas to an A&R man at their record company. And it's this shrouded, minimalist lo-fi execution that makes this record worthwhile in its own right as a separate entity from "Apple Venus Vol. 1".
And keep in mind, all this gushing is from a former professional record reviewer who's listened to hundereds of records and can namedrop with the best of them, but who hasn't really listened to XTC yet. So you can say all you like about what a bad cash-in this is; meanwhile I'll soak in the haunting beauty that is the demo version of "Easter Theatre" and laugh at you. | | | | Demo's? I know, sounds strange, but well worth it! (5 stars)
Probably one of my favorite albums ever is Apple Venus pt. 1. Therefore, the demos were a welcome addition to my collection. Its great to see how the songs came into being, and how a studio mix, production, etc., can take wonderfully raw music and transform it into a masterpiece. Try it! | | | | Blueprint of Happiness (4 stars)
One of the biggest problems I have with XTC is that so few people realize that Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding are Britain's greatest gift to songwriting since Lennon and McCartney. But you see, you can't really tell people this without them reacting as if you just blasphemed God.That being stated, my reaction to those detractors who consider this release to be self indulgent would have to be something like, would you say something like that if The Beatles released a collection of rough demos of songs before being produced as polished albums? Imagine Abbey Road before the orchestral arrangements and segues were worked in. If anything, hearing the rough takes of these magnificent songs gives a deeper appreciation for each one, if you happen to adore the album as much as I do. Actually, before buying this version I was expecting a tad more rough edges; I wasn't aware that much of the "orchestral" arrangement on Apple Venus was sampled sound. So let the buyer beware ... this is not exactly the "unplugged" approach. Homespun could indeed be considered a for-fans-only release. Or maybe directed towards "limited edition" suckers like myself. I guess I just appreciate this album because it's sort of an invitation into the musical world of a songwriting team I happen to respect very highly, especially after such an admirable comeback effort as Apple Venus. I have already sung its praises in another review of that album. Hopefully THAT won't be considered too self-indulgent. | | | |
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