The Dukes Of Stratosphear - 25 O'Clock [Original UK Vinyl] 24bit 96kHz

In 1985, the British pop band XTC recorded an EP of affectionate parodies of '60s psychedelia and guitar pop called 25 O'Clock. The EP was released without mention of XTC's name anywhere on the record, and the group members claimed they had nothing to do with the project.

For those well-versed in '60s rock, it's irresistible to draw parallels to the Beatles, the Yardbirds, the Move, and Pink Floyd, but 25 O'Clock practically begs listeners to connect the dots through its swirling kaleidoscope of phased tapes, fuzz guitars, murmured voices, and burbling Mellotrons – and that's not even taking into account lyrical allusions, like how "Bike Ride to the Moon" twists around Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle." All this makes 25 O'Clock something closer to pop art than mere homage, but what makes it enduring – even strangely timeless – pop music is how XTC's reinvigorated creativity extends far beyond the mere form to the songs themselves.

The six songs on the EP are XTC at their very best, their braininess tempered by the discipline of writing six songs that could have been legitimately seen as forgotten gems from the late '60s (which indeed this EP was initially presented as upon its April Fools Day release in 1985). Although there is certainly considerable pleasure in peeling back the layers of the production to puzzle out the references or simply revel in its sound, what is striking about 25 O'Clock is how joyous and immediate it feels, a trait it shares with the very best pop music – which it certainly is - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Label: Virgin Records
Source: LP
Country: UK
Year Pressed: 1985
Catalog #: WOW 1
Format: Flac
Resolution: 24bit 96kHz

side 1
Matrix = WOW 1 A 2U 1 : '' X! To Be Taken Twice Dali
01. 25 O'Clock
02. Bike Ride To The Moon
03. My Love Explodes
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YOM5HCG7


Side Two
Matrix = WOW 1 B 2U 1 : '' X! I Can See Four Moles Townhouse
04. What In The World
05. Your Gold Dress
06. The Mole From The Ministry
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z5B3ZGOO






Tubert says: Time to break out the Strawberry Flats and Blueberry double domes!