Tvt
1998
XTC
Transistor Blast: The Best Of The BBC Sessions
About This Album
XTC finally shook themselves loose of Virgin Records in early 1998, freeing themselves to finally begin recording and releasing records. The first album out the door was not the long-anticipated sequel to Nonsuch, but Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions, a four-disc set chronicling the majority of the group's BBC recordings, from White Music through Oranges and Lemons. There have been a handful of limited releases of this material, most notably on Drums and Wireless, but usually these tracks haven't been seen anywhere outside of bootlegs -- and a significant number of cuts on the collection haven't even appeared there. All of this makes Transistor Blast seem like an ideal release for collectors, and it is. However, it's a little more than that, since the performances here are often exhilerating. Essentially, the earliest material -- and much of this dates from the pre-stage fright years, meaning White Music to English Settlement -- boasts identical arrangements to the recorded versions, but quite a few live cuts crackle with nervous energy which is undeniably exciting. Similarly, the acoustic arrangments of latter-day songs from Skylarking and Oranges and Lemons aren't necessarily revelatory, but they do present familiar songs from a welcome, different angle. And that's what's neat about Transistor Blast -- nothing here is essential to understanding XTC, but it only enhances a dedicated fan's appreciation of the group. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 2,4,5,6 and 12)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 1,4,5,7 and 8)

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Disc 3 (try tracks 1,3,4,7 and 10)

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Disc 4 (try tracks 3,4,11,12 and 13)

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