Nonsuch (styled as NONSVCH.) is the 12th studio album by the English band XTC, released 27 April 1992 on Virgin Records. The follow-up to Oranges & Lemons (1989), Nonsuch is a relatively less immediate and more restrained sounding album, carrying the band’s psychedelic influences into new musical styles, and displaying a particular interest in orchestral arrangements. The LP received critical acclaim, charted at number 28 in the UK Albums Chart, and number 97 on the US Billboard 200, as well as topping Rolling Stone’s College album chart. Produced by Gus Dudgeon, 13 of the album’s 17 tracks were written by guitarist/leader Andy Partridge, with the rest by bassist Colin Moulding, while Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention was recruited on drums. Unlike previous XTC albums, Partridge composed many of his songs using a keyboard. Due to the album’s lyric content, which covers topics ranging from love and humanity to the Gulf War and P. T. Barnum, Nonsuch has been described as the band’s darkest and most political album. The cover depicts an illustration of the former Nonsuch Palace, chosen after the band had settled on the title “nonesuch”, which Partridge felt summed up the album’s variety of music. It was their third double album when issued on vinyl. Lead single “The Disappointed” reached number 33 in the UK and was nominated for an Ivor Novello award, while “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” was the band’s second single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks, later becoming a UK top 40 hit when covered by the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies. XTC soon left Virgin Records in the UK following a dispute over the cancelled third single, “Wrapped in Grey”. Nonsuch was also nominated for the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. In 2013, a remixed and expanded version of the album was released. Mixed by Steven Wilson, the edition included new stereo, surround sound and instrumental mixes of the original album along with various demos and outtakes.

Tracklisting

1. The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (5:00)
2. My Bird Performs (3:51)
3. Dear Madam Barnum (2:53)
4. Humble Daisy (3:36)
5. The Smartest Monkeys (4:18)
6. The Disappointed (3:23)
7. Holly Up On Poppy (3:04)
8. Crocodile (3:56)
9. Rook (3:45)
10. Omnibus (3:20)
11. That Wave (3:34)
12. Then She Appeared (3:52)
13. War Dance (3:23)
14. Wrapped In Grey (3:46)
15. The Ugly Underneath (3:54)
16. Bungalow (2:49)
17. Books Are Burning (4:51)

Apple Music

Videos

XTC - The Disappointed

More Videos

• XTC-The Disappointed -Official Promo Video
• XTC-Then She Appeared- Nonsuch 1992
• My Bird Performs (2001 Remaster)
• XTC - Wrapped in Grey - Steven Wilson 2013 Stereo Mix
• Dear Madam Barnum (2001 Remaster)
• Xtc - The Ugly Underneath
• Humble Daisy (2001 Remaster)
• Wrapped In Grey (2001 Remaster)
• XTC- War Dance home demo -Nonsuch-
• That Wave (2001 Remaster)
• The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead / XTC

Release Images

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Release Information