...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Skylarking (Music)
- 142 statements
- 26 feature instances
- 3 referencing feature instances
| Skylarking (Music) | type |
TVTItem | |
| Skylarking (Music) | label |
Skylarking (Music) | |
| Skylarking (Music) | page |
Skylarking | |
| Skylarking (Music) | comment |
Skylarking is the eighth studio album by Swindon-based New Wavers turned neo-psychedelic Alternative Rock band XTC, released in 1986 through Virgin Records in the UK and Geffen Records in the US.A kinda-sorta-Concept Album, the album was recorded in a bit of a Troubled Production in 1986 in Woodstock, New York, with Todd Rundgren serving as producer, while Prairie Prince's drums were recorded separately at a studio in San Francisco (XTC had not had a permanent drummer since 1982, but worked with different drummers in the studio). Andy Partridge's original idea for the cover was to depict a woman's pubic hair with flowers involved. Virgin said no, but somehow were convinced to use a cover that depicted a naked man and woman playing flutes. Partridge's original idea was used for the 2010 vinyl reissue. Its somewhat Baroque Pop-meets-Psychedelic Rock sound, heavily drawing from The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Kinks, gained praise from critics but barely crawled into the charts in both the USA and the band's native UK at first.However, this situation was reversed when "Dear God" was issued as a single, reviving the album's sales somewhat. Originally intended for inclusion on the album, it was taken off of the UK release due to concerns over its perceived blasphemous content. Virgin Records would be proven partly right when the song saw release as a non-album single in the US in 1987 (it was originally the B-side to "Grass"), prompting outcry from religious groups and at one point leading to a schoolboy holding the operators at his school's intercom by knifepoint and forcing them to air the song. However, despite (or perhaps because of) the controversy, the single was a massive success, becoming XTC's one hit in the United States and foreshadowing the emergence of alternative rock in the American mainstream over the remainder of the year. As a result, the US release added "Dear God" back to the tracklist, albeit at the cost of cutting "Mermaid Smiled"; more recent reissues of the album include both tracks.Skylarking was supported by three singles: "Grass" (in the UK only), "Dear God" (in the US only), and "The Meeting Place". | |
| Skylarking (Music) | fetched |
2023-07-30T00:00:03Z | |
| Skylarking (Music) | parsed |
2023-07-30T00:00:03Z | |
| Skylarking (Music) | processingComment |
Dropped link to JamesBond: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Skylarking (Music) | processingComment |
Dropped link to PetSounds: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Skylarking (Music) | processingComment |
Dropped link to StevenWilson: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Skylarking (Music) | processingComment |
Dropped link to TheAnimals: Not a Feature - IGNORE | |
| Skylarking (Music) | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_11ad560b | type |
Control Freak | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_11ad560b | comment |
Control Freak: Andy Partridge claims that Rundgren was one during the sessions, as he'd already picked out a tracklisting and a concept from the band's pile of demo tapes before they arrived in the studio. Rundgren, for his part, claims that Partridge was one — Rundgren was hired to be the producer and was simply doing his job, while Partridge whined, complained and loudly tried to override every decision Todd made. Rundgren eventually won, with Partridge grudgingly admitting that the album turned out as one of their very best due in large part to Rundgren's production work. But Rundgren and XTC never worked together again. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_11ad560b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_11ad560b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_11ad560b | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_18230131 | type |
Baroque Pop | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_18230131 | comment |
Violin-driven Baroque Pop ("1000 Umbrellas") | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_18230131 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_18230131 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_18230131 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_27690f66 | type |
Literary Allusion Title | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_27690f66 | comment |
Literary Allusion Title: The name of the album comes from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ode to a Skylark". | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_27690f66 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_27690f66 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_27690f66 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_3202a9b0 | type |
Money Song | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_3202a9b0 | comment |
Money Song: Or in "Earn Enough For Us"'s case, lack of money song. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_3202a9b0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_3202a9b0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_3202a9b0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_34f6774c | type |
Concept Album | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_34f6774c | comment |
Concept Album: Rundgren convinced the band that the songs they had demoed would work as a "life-in-a-day" type of concept album. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_34f6774c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_34f6774c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_34f6774c | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_38da8916 | type |
Uncommon Time | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_38da8916 | comment |
Uncommon Time: "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" includes some passages in 7/4. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_38da8916 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_38da8916 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_38da8916 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_40a533db | type |
Guest-Star Party Member | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_40a533db | comment |
Guest-Star Party Member: The drummer for this album was Prairie Prince from The Tubes. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_40a533db | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_40a533db | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_40a533db | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_4b1ca7d2 | type |
Genre Roulette | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_4b1ca7d2 | comment |
Genre Roulette: This album includes: Indian-influenced psychedelic pop ("Grass") Synth-heavy pop rock ("That's Really Super, Supergirl") Violin-driven Baroque Pop ("1000 Umbrellas") Soulful Sunshine Pop that sounds like a Pet Sounds out-take ("Season Cycle") Power Pop ("Earn Enough For Us") Droney synth-driven something ("Another Satellite") Jazz-rock ("Mermaid Smiled") Jazz-rock with what the liner notes call "ersatz Bond guitar" ("The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul") The Animals-influenced Folk Rock ("Dear God") Depressing folk balladry ("Dying") Something that almost sounds like an RPG soundtrack ("Sacrificial Bonfire") | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_4b1ca7d2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_4b1ca7d2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_4b1ca7d2 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5313c266 | type |
Bookends | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5313c266 | comment |
Book Ends: "Dear God" uses this to great effect; the song begins and ends with the narrator as a child singing the Title Drop. However, while the song opens with the phrase as a prayer, it ends with the phrase as a sarcastic condemnation. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5313c266 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5313c266 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_5313c266 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5df06b20 | type |
Religion Rant Song | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5df06b20 | comment |
Religion Rant Song/God Is Evil: "Dear God". | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5df06b20 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_5df06b20 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_5df06b20 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_6053dc28 | type |
Record Producer | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_6053dc28 | comment |
Record Producer: Todd Rundgren. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_6053dc28 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_6053dc28 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_6053dc28 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_79b5677 | type |
Belief Makes You Stupid | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_79b5677 | comment |
Belief Makes You Stupid: "Dear God" | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_79b5677 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_79b5677 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_79b5677 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_854d7cdc | type |
EmphasisOnTheWrongSyllable | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_854d7cdc | comment |
EmPHAsis On The Wrong SylLAble: Americans think Partridge is outrageously mispronouncing "umbilical" as "um-bil-LIKE-al" in order to rhyme with the words "Season Cycle". Although Americans pronounce the word "um-BILL-ical", "um-bil-LIKE-al" is the usual UK pronunciation. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_854d7cdc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_854d7cdc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_854d7cdc | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_868409c | type |
Broken Pedestal | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_868409c | comment |
Broken Pedestal: Before he produced the album, Todd Rundgren was a fan of XTC. In interviews since, it's clear that he's just as bitter toward Andy Partridge as Partridge was toward Rundgren, largely over what he saw as Partridge's attempts to assert creative control of the project. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_868409c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_868409c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_868409c | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_973d220f | type |
Never My Fault | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_973d220f | comment |
Never My Fault: Rundgren and Partridge pointed fingers at each other in separate interviews over Skylarking's polarity problems, likely due to the acrimonious recording sessions. Rundgren blamed Partridge for dropping "Dear God" from the initial tracklisting, leading to the need for a new master which Rundgren says introduced the polarity problems, while Partridge blamed an improperly wired mixing console in Rundgren's studio. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_973d220f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_973d220f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_973d220f | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_b28a8d0a | type |
Break-Up Song | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_b28a8d0a | comment |
Break-Up Song: "That's Really Super, Supergirl" and "1000 Umbrellas" are both about breakups. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_b28a8d0a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_b28a8d0a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_b28a8d0a | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_bc46a33a | type |
Remaster | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_bc46a33a | comment |
Remaster: The 2010 vinyl release, notably averting the Loudness War. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_bc46a33a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_bc46a33a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_bc46a33a | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_c75df49a | type |
Shout-Out | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_c75df49a | comment |
Shout-Out: "That's really super, Supergirl" refers to Supergirl and namedrops kryptonite, the only thing Superman can't fight against. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_c75df49a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_c75df49a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_c75df49a | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d0f0a80d | type |
One-Word Title | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d0f0a80d | comment |
One-Word Title: "Grass", "Dying" and the album's title. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d0f0a80d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d0f0a80d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_d0f0a80d | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d3f33049 | type |
Blasphemous Boast | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d3f33049 | comment |
Blasphemous Boast: "Dear God" ends each verse with the narrator affirming their disbelief in God, eventually leading up to this trope at the very end of the song. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d3f33049 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_d3f33049 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_d3f33049 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_df1793de | type |
Updated Re-release | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_df1793de | comment |
Updated Re-release: A non-video game example of this. The album was first issued in 1986 with "Mermaid Smiled" on its tracklist, but the success of "Dear God" led Geffen to re-press the album for the USA, shunting "Mermaid" and replacing it with "Dear God" A 2001 reissue included "Mermaid Smiled" and "Dear God", the latter as a "bonus track" after "Sacrificial Bonfire". A 2010 remaster by John Dent was released to vinyl by Andy Partridge's APE House company. This attracted attention because Dent announced he had discovered that a mistake during the original's mastering had reversed the sound polarity and made it sound more thin and bass-less, but had managed to restore the original sound quality. This one includes both "Mermaid Smiled" and "Dear God", but changes the order slightly, placing "Dear God" right before "Dying". It also restores the intended cover for the album. This was released on CD in 2014. Steven Wilson remixed the album from the original multitrack tapes in 2016. This version includes the original "reversed polarity" mix, the original "corrected polarity" mix, Wilson's stereo mix, Wilson's 5.1-channel surround sound mix, instrumental versions of Wilson's mixes, demo versions of the entire album, numerous demos and outtakes from the album sessions, and promo films for "Dear God" and "Grass". | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_df1793de | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_df1793de | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_df1793de | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e120925b | type |
NippledAndDimed | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e120925b | comment |
Nipple and Dimed: Both nude figures on the finalized cover lack visible nipples. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e120925b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e120925b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_e120925b | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e680af6f | type |
Grief Song | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e680af6f | comment |
Grief Song: "Dying". | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e680af6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_e680af6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_e680af6f | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_eca73f1 | type |
Power Pop | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_eca73f1 | comment |
Power Pop ("Earn Enough For Us") | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_eca73f1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_eca73f1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_eca73f1 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_f3cf057b | type |
Fading into the Next Song | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_f3cf057b | comment |
Fading into the Next Song: This is a gapless album. | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_f3cf057b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_f3cf057b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_f3cf057b | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_name | comment |
||
| Skylarking (Music) / int_name | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Skylarking (Music) / int_name | |
| Skylarking (Music) / int_name | itemName |
Skylarking (Music) |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
British Music / int_19a4592e | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
New Wave Music / int_19a4592e | |
| Skylarking (Music) | hasFeature |
Rage Against the Heavens / int_19a4592e |
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.