Psonic Psunspot

Psonic Psunspot is the second album by English rock band the Dukes of Stratosphear, a side project of XTC, released in 1987. Also counted as XTC's tenth studio album, it is a follow-up to 25 O'Clock (1985).

Psonic Psunspot
Studio album by The Dukes of Stratosphear
Released	August 1987
Recorded	Sawmills Studios, Fowey, Cornwall, in June 1987
Genre	Avant-pop[1]
Length	35:44
Label	Virgin
Producer	John Leckie, The Dukes
XTC chronology
Skylarking (1986) Psonic Psunspot (1987) Oranges & Lemons (1989)
Singles from Psonic Psunspot
"You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)/Vanishing Girl" Released: July 1987

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[3]
Q	[4]
Robert Christgau	B+[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[6]

In 2002, the website Pitchfork listed the album at 66 on their "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s", calling the songs "a surreal rock-opera of opaque, hallucinogenic wonder".[7]

Music

Some of its tracks were rejected XTC songs ("Shiny Cage", "Little Lighthouse", and "You're My Drug").[8] Like the previous album 25 O'Clock, this album is inspired by 1960s psychedelia.

Release

The album was released in its original form on vinyl and cassette, accompanied with the "You're A Good Man Albert Brown" single and the promotional-only "Vanishing Girl" single. A simultaneous CD release entitled Chips from the Chocolate Fireball incorporated all of the tracks from 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot with different packaging. Later, a remastered and expanded version of Psonic Psunspot was released on 20 April 2009 by Andy Partridge's Ape House record label. This edition is credited to "XTC as The Dukes of Stratosphear".

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

Side A ("In Side")

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Vanishing Girl"	Colin Moulding	2:45
2.	"Have You Seen Jackie?"		3:21
3.	"Little Lighthouse"		4:31
4.	"You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)"		3:39
5.	"Collideascope"		3:22

Side B ("Out Side")

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"You're My Drug"		3:20
2.	"Shiny Cage"	Moulding	3:17
3.	"Brainiac's Daughter"		4:04
4.	"The Affiliated"	Moulding	2:31
5.	"Pale and Precious"		4:54

2009 CD bonus tracks (APECD024)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"No One at Home (Vanishing Girl Demo)"	Moulding	2:51
12.	"Little Lighthouse (Demo)"		5:19
13.	"Collideascope (Demo)"		3:05
14.	"Shiny Cage (Demo)"	Moulding	3:13
15.	"Brainiacs Daughter (Demo)"		1:49
16.	"The Affiliated (Demo)"	Moulding	2:30

Also includes the promotional video for "You're a Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)" as a QuickTime file.

Personnel

• Sir John Johns – vocals, guitar, bass on "Vanishing Girl"
• The Red Curtain – electric bass, vocals, rhythm guitar on "Vanishing Girl"
• Lord Cornelius Plum – mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
• E.I.E.I. Owen – drum set
• Lily Fraser – narration
• Produced by John Leckie and The Dukes

References

1. Grimstad, Paul. "What is Avant-Pop?". Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
2. Cater, Evan. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
3. Dahlen, Chris. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
4. Cranna, Ian. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Q. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
5. Christgau, Robert. "Review: The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
6. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
7. Tangari, Joe. "Staff Lists: "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
8. Williams, Harvey S. (1988). "Strange Things Are Happening". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)