I discovered XTC first through Oranges and Lemons, which I couldn't go a day without listening to for about a month. Soon after was Skylarking, which took a bit longer to gel with me, though now I look at it as a prime example of concise tightly-woven superb pop craftmanship. Later I discovered the older material, and while not liking it as much as the latter two albums, still enjoy it tremendously.
It's unfortunate that their lack of touring has hampered their fame and fortune. Or maybe it's fortunate for us, as they are still a bit of a hidden treasure to enjoy, our own little secret. Looking at one of the YouTube videos above, you'd never know that Andy Partridge would suffer from...er...performance anxiety.
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