Apple Vinyls by XTC is “thirteen 7 inch singles compiling the 23 tracks from Apple Venus & Wasp Star plus three new songs.”

In 1999 and 2000, XTC released what would be their last two albums. Originally hoped to be a double album, Apple Venus and Wasp Star (Apple Venus, Vol 2) were released over a year apart and sound as different as two albums can.

The Apple Venus albums were my introduction to XTC. While I had heard other songs like “Making Plans for Nigel” and “Mayor of Simpleton,” I never really “got” XTC. That changed when my friend Brad loaned me some Andy Partridge bootlegged demos that eventually became the Apple Venus albums (some of which was eventually officially released as Homespun and Homegrown – both collections of demos).

The two CD-Rs, labeled “1996 Demos” and “1997 Demos” pretty well changed my life. I became fascinated with how one man could create such fascinatingly simple and yet complex songs. I still have and still listen to those demos (which include songs for the movie James and the Giant Peach that Disney refused, going with Phil Collins or that Randy Neuman asshole).

I eventually got around to buying the official releases and they were good. Amazing, really. Because I heard the demos first, I liked them better (still kind of do, funny how that is), but Apple Venus and Wasp Star thrill me to no end.

A couple years ago, XTC’s own label, Idea Records, released Apple Box, which contained CDs of both albums and their demo CDs. I passed on it because I already had them on CD. They also, however, recorded three new songs and included them as a digital download thing.

I did some searching and found them. While not quite on par with the rest of the Apple Venus stuff, they were good. Especially “Spiral,” which is almost bubble gum music.

Then, at the very end of 2006, they released Apple Vinyls. This was all 23 songs from the original Apple Venus albums plus the three new songs on 13 individual 7″s. They only made 1000 of them and I figured they’d sell out quick and that would be the end of it.

But no. I found one yesterday. Brand new, still in the shrink wrap. I bought it up and am now enjoying it immensely.

It’s odd how it’s laid out. Instead of putting Apple Venus Volume One’s songs on the first five and a half 7″’s and Wasp Star’s songs on the next six or so, they divided it up thusly: All of the A sides on 7″s 1 – 11 are the songs from Apple Venus, running in their original order. All of the B sides on 7″s 1-12 are mixed up in some order that makes little sense to me (4, 5, 6, 3, 10, 9, 7, 11, 8, 12, 2, 1). The extra A side on the 12th 7″ is for the new song “Where Did the Ordinary People Go?” while the 13th 7″ is for “Spiral” and “Say It,” two new songs.

Since this is obviously 99% about packaging, the covers of the 7″s, when put together, form two large pictures of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding (then, the two surviving members of XTC). The “Spiral” 7″ has its own cover.

The discs are encased in an all white box with a white peacock feather screen printed on the top. You can only see it when the light hits it just right.

While I can’t really recommend that you rush right out to buy this collection (since most of you don’t have turn tables and wouldn’t want to be bothered with thirteen 7″s), I do strongly suggest you find and enjoy Apple Venus and Wasp Star.

But to give you a taste of what you’re missing, here’s “Spiral.”

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I might be persuaded to upload the ‘96 and ‘97 demos if you like…

Related posts:

1. Yet another haul… XTC’s first nine on vinyl!
2. Valentines Day Mix CD – Tracing a Relationship Though the Songs of XTC
3. XTC, the Dub Mix, and What it Means to You.
4. Nobody has ever heard of Paddlefoot
5. Prema! (Krishnacore demos)