Skylarking (1986)

Skylarking is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 27 October 1986 on Virgin Records. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, it is a loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life. The title refers to a type of bird (skylark), as well as the Royal Navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around". It became one of XTC's best-known albums and is often regarded as one of their finest albums.

Like XTC's Dukes of Stratosphear side project, Skylarking was heavily influenced by the psychedelic music of the 1960s. Most of the album was recorded at Rundgren's Utopia Sound Studio in Woodstock, New York, with some work undertaken in San Francisco at the Tubes' studio; Tubes drummer Prairie Prince also drummed on the album. Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing the band with orchestral arrangements and an assortment of equipment. However, the sessions were fraught with tension, especially between Rundgren and bandleader Andy Partridge, and numerous disagreements arose over drum patterns, song selections, and other details.

Upon release, Skylarking was met with indifference in the UK, peaking in the album charts at number 90, while both of its lead singles "Grass" (backed with "Dear God") and "The Meeting Place" peaked at number 100. In the US, "Dear God" became a college radio hit, causing US distributor Geffen Records to recall and repress Skylarking with the track included, and propelling the album to number 70. Following the song's growth in popularity, it was the subject of controversy in the country, inspiring many angry phone calls to radio stations and at least one bomb threat.

Skylarking has been included on "100 greatest albums of the 1980s" lists by Rolling Stone (in 1989) and Pitchfork (in 2002). In 2010, it was discovered that a wiring error made during the mastering process caused the album to have a "thin" sound, and the problem was corrected on subsequent remasters. In 2016, an expanded reissue was released by Partridge's Ape House label with demos, outtakes, and new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes by Steven Wilson. In 2024, Wilson mixed the album in Dolby Atmos for an updated reissue.

Background

In the 1980s, XTC underwent a gradual transition in their sound and image. Their albums became increasingly complex, and after frontman and songwriter Andy Partridge suffered a panic attack before a concert, the band ceased touring. In 1984, they released The Big Express, which sold poorly and attracted little critical notice. According to Partridge, the group's psychedelic influences had begun "leaking out" through the use of Mellotron, phasing, and "backwards so-and-so". They paid further homage to these influences on the mini-album 25 O'Clock, released on April Fools' Day 1985 and credited to "the Dukes of Stratosphear". 25 O'Clock outsold The Big Express in the UK even before "the Dukes" were revealed to be XTC. Partridge remembered: "That was a bit upsetting to think that people preferred these pretend personalities to our own personalities ... they're trying to tell us something."

During a routine meeting in early 1986, Virgin Records executives threatened to drop the band from the label if their next album failed to sell more than 70,000 units. One reason why the group was not selling enough records, the label reportedly concluded, was that they sounded "too English". As was the case for their other records, the label refused to allow the band to act as their own producers, even though Partridge was already established as a producer of other artists. Given a list of American producers to choose from by the label, the only name they recognized was Todd Rundgren. To Virgin, he appeared to be ideal for XTC, as he had a reputation for completing troubled projects on schedule and under budget, such as Badfinger's Straight Up (1971) and Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell (1977). XTC was a rare example, he said, "where I was both familiar with the band's previous work and unnecessary as a 'songcraft' agitator." He had also attended an XTC show in Chicago during their 1980 Black Sea tour.