Nonsuch

Description

Nonsuch (styled as NONSVCH.) is the 12th studio album by the English band XTC, released 27 April 1992 on Virgin Records. The follow-up to Oranges & Lemons (1989), Nonsuch is a relatively less immediate and more restrained sounding album, carrying the bands psychedelic influences into new musical styles, and displaying a particular interest in orchestral arrangements. The LP received critical acclaim, charted at number 28 in the UK Albums Chart, and number 97 on the US Billboard 200, as well as topping Rolling Stones College album chart.

Produced by Gus Dudgeon, 13 of the albums 17 tracks were written by guitarist/leader Andy Partridge, with the rest by bassist Colin Moulding, while Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention was recruited on drums. Unlike previous XTC albums, Partridge composed many of his songs using a keyboard. Due to the albums lyric content, which covers topics ranging from love and humanity to the Gulf War and P. T. Barnum, Nonsuch has been described as the bands darkest and most political album. The cover depicts an illustration of the former Nonsuch Palace, chosen after the band had settled on the title nonesuch, which Partridge felt summed up the albums variety of music. It was their third double album when issued on vinyl.

Lead single The Disappointed reached number 33 in the UK and was nominated for an Ivor Novello award, while The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead was the bands second single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks, later becoming a UK top 40 hit when covered by the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies. XTC soon left Virgin Records in the UK following a dispute over the cancelled third single, Wrapped in Grey. Nonsuch was also nominated for the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. In 2013, a remixed and expanded version of the album was released. Mixed by Steven Wilson, the edition included new stereo, surround sound and instrumental mixes of the original album along with various demos and outtakes.