Psonic Psunspot
1987 studio album by the Dukes of Stratosphear
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Psonic Psunspot is the second album by the English rock band the Dukes of Stratosphear, released in 1987. Also counted as XTC's tenth studio album, it is a follow-up to 25 O'Clock (1985).
| Psonic Psunspot | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1987 | |||
| Recorded | June 1987 | |||
| Studios | Sawmills (Fowey, Cornwall) | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 35:44 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producers | John Leckie, The Dukes of Stratosphear | |||
| XTC chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Psonic Psunspot | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10[6] |
| Q | [7] |
In 2002, the website Pitchfork listed the album at 66 on their "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s", calling the songs "a surreal rock-opera of opaque, hallucinogenic wonder".[8]
Music
Some of its tracks were rejected XTC songs ("Shiny Cage", "Little Lighthouse", and "You're My Drug").[9] Like the previous album 25 O'Clock, this album is inspired by 1960s psychedelia.
Release
The album was released in its original form on vinyl and cassette, accompanied with the "You're A Good Man Albert Brown" single and the promotional-only "Vanishing Girl" single. A simultaneous CD release entitled Chips from the Chocolate Fireball incorporated all of the tracks from 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot with different packaging. Later, a remastered and expanded version of Psonic Psunspot was released on 20 April 2009 by Andy Partridge's Ape House record label. This edition is credited to "XTC as The Dukes of Stratosphear".
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Andy Partridge, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vanishing Girl" | Colin Moulding | 2:45 |
| 2. | "Have You Seen Jackie?" | 3:21 | |
| 3. | "Little Lighthouse" | 4:31 | |
| 4. | "You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)" | 3:39 | |
| 5. | "Collideascope" | 3:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You're My Drug" | 3:20 | |
| 2. | "Shiny Cage" | Moulding | 3:17 |
| 3. | "Brainiac's Daughter" | 4:04 | |
| 4. | "The Affiliated" | Moulding | 2:31 |
| 5. | "Pale and Precious" | 4:54 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "No One at Home (Vanishing Girl Demo)" | Moulding | 2:51 |
| 12. | "Little Lighthouse (Demo)" | 5:19 | |
| 13. | "Collideascope (Demo)" | 3:05 | |
| 14. | "Shiny Cage (Demo)" | Moulding | 3:13 |
| 15. | "Brainiacs Daughter (Demo)" | 1:49 | |
| 16. | "The Affiliated (Demo)" | Moulding | 2:30 |
Also includes the promotional video for "You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)" as a QuickTime file.
Personnel
- Sir John Johns (Andy Partridge) – vocals, guitar; bass guitar on "Vanishing Girl"; drums on "Pale and Precious"
- The Red Curtain (Colin Moulding) – bass guitar, vocals; rhythm guitar on "Vanishing Girl"
- Lord Cornelius Plum (Dave Gregory) – Mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
- E.I.E.I. Owen (Ian Gregory) – drums on all tracks except "Pale and Precious"
- Lily Fraser – narration
- Produced by John Leckie and The Dukes