DISQUS

Michael · 5 months ago

Excellent interview! Andy was certainly in rare form. I love that he was so open to the questions from the masses. I asked mine in complete jest and he answered it anyway. Excellent! Jeff, Will deserves a raise!

jefito · 5 months ago

Believe me, after this interview, Will deserves battle pay.

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

Yeah, by the way, Jeff, when I submit my invoice, I'm putting in for triple my usual hourly Popdose rate on this piece. I'm sure you understand.

jefito · 5 months ago

I'm having Jason send you a fruit basket.

DavidMedsker · 5 months ago

This is a great piece, but I can't help but think that it's missing something...

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

I'm quite certain I can't imagine what you're talking about.

DwDunphy · 5 months ago

You know, I was thinking the same thing.

EightE1 · 5 months ago

... he says with a "wank" and a smile.

Russ · 5 months ago

Although the Poster Children did do a cover of "Complicated Game", the version Andy refers to is done by Moonshine Willy.

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

I stand gratefully corrected and will duly make the change above.

B, England · 5 months ago

Great interview, but this piece does not answer a question that I would of liked Mr. Partridge to have been asked and that question was "Why is he such a wanker?!"

I'm sure his response would of pleased the eyes of thousands of his fans as well shed some light on others that don't like him.

I'm sure Andy has a great sense of humor and is witty enough to fill us in on why he is a wanker and what happened to him in his life to make him that way.

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

Sorry, did he not answer that one...? Strange, I could have sworn...

Jack Feerick · 5 months ago

Maybe because "Why are you such a wanker" isn't actually a question at all, but simply a cheap shot from the sidelines, and it serves no real journalistic purpose except to fluster the subject and (you hope) make him look bad.

I understand that you and Will are friends, and we all try to indulge our friends in their little whims; but expecting license to be a smart-ass when somebody else’s credibility on the line – that’s bullshit, man. You want to play at being an Internet Tough Guy, do it on your own dime.

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

To be fair, I would've asked the question whether it was from a friend of mine or not. It was still a reader question. Maybe not the deepest one of the bunch, but...

And as Mr. England well knows (since he was literally the first person I called after the interview was concluded), I *did* pose the question...and Andy answered it as quickly and as wittily as everything else he'd been asked, tearing Mr. England's taste in music to ribbons in the process. Furthermore, when I told Mr. England of Andy's response, he laughed and said that he actually respected him more now than he had before.

Old_Davy · 5 months ago

If Mr. Partridge reads these comments...

Dear Andy,

Thank you for giving me so much joy and entertainment throughout the 25 years of XTC's existence. Your songs have provided me with many moments of happiness and a lot of contemplation. I could talk for hours about how brilliant "Easter Theatre" and "The Wheel and the Maypole" are.

I just purchased the Dukes re-releases (and have the buttons to prove it) and could not be happier with them.

Old Davy

Ted · 5 months ago

Wonderful interview, Will! I thought Andy's answers to your questions (and those from readers) were both funny and revealing.

revme · 5 months ago

AWESOME interview -- I love how long it is; Andy's a really great guy, and it's cool that he'd go through with all the questions, even the silly ones. So, yes! Hooray for Andy, and I'm glad the DVD is coming, even if XTC's videos aren't all that great...8)

Also -- I recently had the chance to do an interview with Andy's son, Harry (who also did "Saturday Morning Watchmen" among other things)... if'n anyone's interested:
http://kittysneezes.com/index.php?option=com_co...

Thanks!

BobCashill · 5 months ago

This is terrific. XTC was the soundtrack of my expat years; I all but wore out the CDs. Great fun and so enlightening to read all this.

Annie Logue · 5 months ago

Here's my question: what kind of deal does XTC have with WXRT to ensure that "Earn Enough for Us" is played at least once a day, every day, since 1985 or whatever? Chicagoans, you know what I mean.

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

I don't know, but whatever the deal is, I'm betting Andy's manager brokered it...and enforces it personally.

wendy · 5 months ago

Annie, I think the song "Earn Enough for Us" has a particular resonance in the midst of this current economy ;-)

Will, I absolutely love this interview, and Andy of course!

Charlotte Hatherley · 5 months ago

Can't tour, can't fly, can't swim, can't drive.

You're a pussy.

Bernard Purdie · 5 months ago

I played all the drums on them XTC albums, you know.

Daburcor · 5 months ago

That was so awesome! I wish I hadn't missed out on the question asking portion, but it looks like everything was well covered!

Stephen · 5 months ago

Argh, I'm so ticked I missed asking him a question by mere days! I recently discovered the post where we could ask a question, and I bookmarked it because I was too busy to focus on it. Britpop and everything British was very popular in the mid to late 90s. XTC released hardly anything during that decade after coming off an impressive streak of albums from the 80s. They were doing great and then suddenly stopped after 1992 and didn't release anything until 1999, and missed, I feel, a crucial era where their music would have been "in the right place at the right time". They were still in top form and a young act when the early 90s rolled along. My question to him was going to be, "Do you feel you (XTC) missed out on the (important) British fad of the 90s wherein the band could have been discovered by more young people, and do you regret not releasing a couple albums in that seven year dry spell?"

When I first discovered XTC years ago (through the song and video "This Is Pop") I thought they were so underrated, and I still think that today (perhaps they are getting their due through Youtube however). Their music videos from the 70s and 80s were so far ahead of their time. Every single I discovered along the way, I liked. I eventually bought some of their albums on vinyl and watched some of their live performances on Youtube, and I have to say that XTC is the UK's best kept secret. I was pretty bummed the day I found their Wikipedia entry and the "Years active" tab changed from "current" to "2005". You guys had a good run, and you will continue to influence people/bands in the years to come.

Aaron · 5 months ago

Great interview. I tried to reach Andy through e-mail and third parties, only to be told how busy he is. Well at least I linked you to my blog. www.powerpopaholic.com

Semolina Pilchard · 5 months ago

Miserable c**t as ever but I love him for it.

Get off your arse and release some new music Mr Partridge; even your semi-completed ditties are worth a hundred U2 dirges!!!


All the best, Semolina Pilchard.

WHarrisBullzEye · 5 months ago

Ms. Pilchard, are you writing from the top of the Eiffel Tower?

RLB · 5 months ago

Fantastic interview....

el bandito · 5 months ago

"I sort of think that if God had meant us to travel at those speeds, he would’ve given us wheels." Odd choice of wording seeing that he states he doesn't believe in God earlier...hmmm...