This Weekâs Embedded Earworm Tune is a lesser-known track by XTC, not available on any of their proper albums. It can be found on their excellent B-Sides collection, Rag & Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers.
âThe World is Full of Angry Young Menâ was a b-side to âThe Loving,â the 3rd single from the bandâs great 1989 album Oranges & Lemons. The first two, âMayor of Simpletonâ and âKing For a Dayâ charted but âThe Lovingâ did not. It goes to show what a strong set of songs XTC had to choose from that ââŠAngry Young Menâ didnât make the cut.
The song was written by bassist/vocalist Colin Moulding, which might be one reason it didnât make the album. Andy Partridge was known for being a bit of a control freak, and Moulding already had three songs on the album - âKing For a Day,â âOne of the Millions,â and âCynical Days.â Though âAngry Young Menââs orchestral arrangement does feel more of a fit for their next album, Nonsuch (1992).
I find this song quite powerful, especially today, when so many âangry young menâ are being emboldened by the vitriol of certain bullying, angry old men across the globe.
Itâs a great counterpoint song as well, with the lush orchestration and gorgeous melodies couching its darkly poignant lyrics.
Let me know what you think of this song in the comments! Itâs not available on Spotify, but hereâs the song on YouTube.
Yeah, it's impressive when you go through each album and pick out the Moulding songs, how they are usually the highlights. Kind of like how Stewart Copeland wrote most of the best songs from The Police. (I jest -- just trying to kick the beehive...)
Here's a different take from what I guess you'll be getting: I've never heard this song before! First reaction....interestingly jazzy, the cymbal-tapping and the piano playing, in particular. For the record, while I was an XTC fan, I wasn't rabid, and missed a few LPs along the way. But, I certainly found them melodic and creative, and made it a point to, at least, keep up with what they were doing from album to album! BTW, I like you in short-form, Steve! Not INSTEAD OF your certainly-loved Earworm pieces, but this short form suits you as a sideline I'd like to see you pursue more frequently....as well as doing song reviews/dissections like this!đđâ
Thanks, Brad! I created the "TWEET"s just for this purpose! To have a short form offering to break up the longer pieces. Hence the semi-forced acronym! Also as a personal in-joke because I'm not a Twitter user.:)
And I would expect many of the readers not to have heard this song before. I would bet even some big XTC fans might not have heard it. I was playing all my XTC albums on shuffle and this one came on and I was reminded of what brilliant songwriters and musicians Andy, Colin, Dave, et al. are/were. Not that I needed a reminder at all, but as I hadn't heard this song in years it jumped out at me.
Haven't heard this one in years! So great! And yet another example of a lead songwriter/control freak holding down a great junior partner -- e.g. Lennon/McCartney and Harrison
Like, can anybody seriously argue that Lennon was writing better tunes around 1968/1969 than Harrison?
There's an alternate universe (in my mind, lol!) where the Beatles stay together, Lennon kinda leans out a bit, and they make a new album in 1970/71 filled with Harrison's best tunes from All Things Must Pass. But without the Phil Spector bombast. Man, that woulda been great.
Ira, I imagine you know that two years ago for the 50th anniversary of All Things Must Pass, a Spector-less (or reduced?) remix was included. So you now have that option. https://www.georgeharrison.com/atmp50/
"Phil Spector bombast": How many times has THAT phrase been written?! That third word almost became part of his name! Ira, you may have seen it, but in case I released it before you came aboard FR&B (and, I'm hoping Steve won't mind), here's my George take from a year ago, mainly focusing on "What is Life," Spector bombast and all, newly-freed from behind the dreaded paywall: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/beatle-royale-dont-bother-me-and
Well, yeah, but like anyone who "breaks free" from any previous musical endeavor (no matter how glorious, life-changing, and/or lucrative), the desire is strong to REALLY break free!
That's it Brad, detention for you after class! Bring your pencil and notebook and get ready to write 500 times, "I will not self-promote in the comment section of Steve's substack..." Okay, I'll allow it this one time!:) Or however many times you deem proper.
"Detention?! Aw, Mr. G, that's not FAIR! You're a meany!" As for writing on the blackboard, I think I saw Bart writing that very sentence on a "Simpsons" open, once! As Billy Shakespeare once wrote, "Hamlet, you're a prince!"đ
Long time XTC fan here! What a liquidy-smooth track, some tasty playing by Dave in the background. I adore Andy's work but Colin does get short shrift at times... he's the Paul to Andy's John in many ways. And it's a very timely message.
Yeah, Colin is the Paul to Andy's John. I am imagining Colin a bit less willing to push back against Andy than Paul to John. But I could be wrong. He did have 5 songs on Skylarking, though I would bet that was more Rundgren's call. And Dave Gregory is the George Harrison, the secret sauce for many of their best songs.
This was a new one for me, and I loved it. That's not too surprising, since almost all of my favorite XTC songs are ones Moulding wrote.
Yeah, it's impressive when you go through each album and pick out the Moulding songs, how they are usually the highlights. Kind of like how Stewart Copeland wrote most of the best songs from The Police. (I jest -- just trying to kick the beehive...)
Lol.
Here's a different take from what I guess you'll be getting: I've never heard this song before! First reaction....interestingly jazzy, the cymbal-tapping and the piano playing, in particular. For the record, while I was an XTC fan, I wasn't rabid, and missed a few LPs along the way. But, I certainly found them melodic and creative, and made it a point to, at least, keep up with what they were doing from album to album! BTW, I like you in short-form, Steve! Not INSTEAD OF your certainly-loved Earworm pieces, but this short form suits you as a sideline I'd like to see you pursue more frequently....as well as doing song reviews/dissections like this!đđâ
Thanks, Brad! I created the "TWEET"s just for this purpose! To have a short form offering to break up the longer pieces. Hence the semi-forced acronym! Also as a personal in-joke because I'm not a Twitter user.:)
And I would expect many of the readers not to have heard this song before. I would bet even some big XTC fans might not have heard it. I was playing all my XTC albums on shuffle and this one came on and I was reminded of what brilliant songwriters and musicians Andy, Colin, Dave, et al. are/were. Not that I needed a reminder at all, but as I hadn't heard this song in years it jumped out at me.
Haven't heard this one in years! So great! And yet another example of a lead songwriter/control freak holding down a great junior partner -- e.g. Lennon/McCartney and Harrison
Like, can anybody seriously argue that Lennon was writing better tunes around 1968/1969 than Harrison?
There's an alternate universe (in my mind, lol!) where the Beatles stay together, Lennon kinda leans out a bit, and they make a new album in 1970/71 filled with Harrison's best tunes from All Things Must Pass. But without the Phil Spector bombast. Man, that woulda been great.
Ira, I imagine you know that two years ago for the 50th anniversary of All Things Must Pass, a Spector-less (or reduced?) remix was included. So you now have that option. https://www.georgeharrison.com/atmp50/
Really?!? đ€Ż
"Phil Spector bombast": How many times has THAT phrase been written?! That third word almost became part of his name! Ira, you may have seen it, but in case I released it before you came aboard FR&B (and, I'm hoping Steve won't mind), here's my George take from a year ago, mainly focusing on "What is Life," Spector bombast and all, newly-freed from behind the dreaded paywall: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/beatle-royale-dont-bother-me-and
Can you imagine John, Paul and Ringo supporting George on All Things Must Pass instead of Spector and the Schmaltz-ettes?!?
Well, yeah, but like anyone who "breaks free" from any previous musical endeavor (no matter how glorious, life-changing, and/or lucrative), the desire is strong to REALLY break free!
That's it Brad, detention for you after class! Bring your pencil and notebook and get ready to write 500 times, "I will not self-promote in the comment section of Steve's substack..." Okay, I'll allow it this one time!:) Or however many times you deem proper.
"Detention?! Aw, Mr. G, that's not FAIR! You're a meany!" As for writing on the blackboard, I think I saw Bart writing that very sentence on a "Simpsons" open, once! As Billy Shakespeare once wrote, "Hamlet, you're a prince!"đ
Long time XTC fan here! What a liquidy-smooth track, some tasty playing by Dave in the background. I adore Andy's work but Colin does get short shrift at times... he's the Paul to Andy's John in many ways. And it's a very timely message.
Yeah, Colin is the Paul to Andy's John. I am imagining Colin a bit less willing to push back against Andy than Paul to John. But I could be wrong. He did have 5 songs on Skylarking, though I would bet that was more Rundgren's call. And Dave Gregory is the George Harrison, the secret sauce for many of their best songs.