#The Dukes of Stratosphear

[jt1674]

[bandcampsnoop]

11/1/24.

Apparently, Planet Gong "Live Floating Anarchy 1977" is something of a "cult classic". Originally issued in 1978 on Charly Records, it is now being lovingly reissued by the same label.

Any fan of prog or the Canterbury sound take note. This definitely primarily fits those labels. But there are elements of krautrock, pop, and punk ("Opium for the People") here as well. I was bowled over by how catchy this was. At the same time, it's challenging in places.

I would say Godcaster, David Bowie, and The Dukes of Stratosphear most immediately come to my mind.

By the way, this is a live album. Two of the main movers behind Planet Gong were Daevid Allen (co-founder of The Soft Machine) and Gilli Smyth.

[texasthrillbilly]

Time!

[nedison]

Andy Partridge’s illustration for 25 O'Clock, part of a series of custom book sleeves he made for a limited run of the Complicated Game book in 2016.

[musickickztoo]

Andy Partridge *November 11, 1953

[spilladabalia]

The Dukes of Stratosphear-The Mole from the Ministry - Full Video

[maquina-semiotica]

“ Bike Ride To The Moon - 2001 Mix”, The Dukes Of Stratosphear

[new-albums-daily]

The Dukes of Stratosphear – 25 O'Clock (1985)

6 tracks, 26 min 48 sec

Rating: 7/10

Top Track: Bike Ride to the Moon

So here's an interesting album that I think deserves some explanation in the first paragraph for those unfamiliar. This is actually a mini-album, hence the short length, but I've been known to bend the rules of this blog that I made up when it benefits me, and if I want to listen to a mini-album then I will listen to a mini-album. This is also the first repeat, though it doesn't look like it at first glance; The Dukes of Stratosphear is actually good ol' XTC under a pseudonym used for this album and a follow-up, both in an entirely different, psychedelic genre compared to their other work. Upon it's April Fools' Day release, the album was promoted as a rediscovery of a 60s band's work, with the connection to XTC only being revealed some time later. Suffice it to say, despite only knowing a cover of the title track, this entire album is very interesting to me and I would say worth reading about, and I've been looking forward to it for some time.

One would think with all this hype that a 7/10 would be underwhelming, but I really don't see it that way. Going into this I was mostly just curious as to how the band that did Skylarking would tackle psychedelia, and I really thought they did it quite well. They're not going to be the best in the genre, especially not with the process of this album's recording, but I didn't expect that of this. Overall just a very enjoyable listen, if not a masterpiece. Tracks that stood out (on a 6-track album!) included 25 O'Clock and The Mole from the Ministry.

[jt1674]

[bandcampsnoop]

10/17/24.

I'd never heard of The Aerovons (St. Louis, Missouri) until seeing a Grapefruit Records compilation reviewed by Tim Sendra. I looked on Grapefruit to find the release but couldn't find it, so I started to do some Bandcamp searching. I found this compilation on CD, but on Discogs I noticed there was an original test pressing of "Resurrection" on The Beatles own label, Parlophone in 1969. It was never issued until 2003. In 2016, Euclid Records reissued it for Record Store Day.

Yes, this sounds like The Beatles, but it also has traces of The Beach Boys, Jeff Lynne/ELO, Badfinger, and The Dukes of Stratosphear. And there were times I thought I was listening to a new release from The Lemon Twigs. This just doesn't sound like something that would have come out of St. Louis, Missouri in 1969.

[art--harridan]

[Image description: A digital drawing based on the film Saw. It shows Adam Faulkner-Stanheight and Lawrence Gordon's hands reaching towards one another, styled after the painting The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. Adam is in Adam's position, and Lawrence is in God's. Both of the hands are bloodied. A bunch of items surround, each with a red circle around them, and a note written next to that in the same colour. Each item has some blood on it. At the top, there's a short cigarette and a pistol, with the words "the omens". There's also a tape recorder that says "the beginning and the end". Below the hands, there's a very bloody saw next to a length of chains. The chains state "the ties that bind;" while the saw continues "the ones that don't". Near them, there's Lawrence's severed foot, with the note "the leftovers". Adam's hand also has this note, but capitalised. There's a trail of blood between their hands which is noted as "the promise". Lawrence's hand has the continued note "broken". The background for the piece is dark blue, with a faded picture of the bathroom.]

Inktober - Day 21 (Chains)

Film - Saw (James Wan, 2004)

[mellotronmkll]

I keep thinking about how tmbg wanted to cover this for that XTC tribute album but they said it was too hard so they did 25 o'clock instead and as much as I LOVEEEEE their version of that song I think all the time about what a cover of this would be like I would love to hear it so bad

[bigender2]

that is the most .obsceeeene. abominationnn of a song.. that i-i that is trash, that is dirt. that is filth. what possessed you to write such a . disgusting, degeneratized song as that? and im complimenting you by considering it a song.

[moralmortal]

compilation of me serving whimsical cunt this weekend

[mortifiedandawesome]

They Might Be Giants - 25 O'Clock