|
The Dukes of Stratosphear (their original name was the
Dukes of Stratosphear Lawns) was an off shoot of cult band
XTC. As the band became increasingly obsessed with psychedelic
era rock’ n’ roll (perhaps influenced by Partridge’s admirable
of and collaboration with cult favorite Martin Newell founder
of the Cleaners from Venus and Brotherhood of the Lizards
as well as Dave Gregory’s obsession compulsive gem “Remoulds”
where he slavishly recreated songs from the past right down
to the production touches) particularly the music of the Beatles,
Jimi Hendrix, Cream, the Byrds, Love and the Hollies they
decided to record their own album by an imaginary band that
was ripped off by all these other more famous bands. The resulting
albums “25 O’Clock” (really an EP) and “Psnoic Psunspot” amazingly
found an audience and sold in record numbers (and, in fact,
outsold anything XTC had produced since “English Settlement”
and nearly matched t heir U.S. hit album “Skylarking” which
had the benefit of the controversial single “Dear God”). This
clearly is a labor of love and spot-the-influences as songwriters
Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding took original compositions,
put in hints of classic songs from the era and created this
rollercoaster of an album with former XTC member Dave Gregory
and his brother Ian. While the joke wore thin after the second
outing (the band elected to “retire” the band) they did do
one song for a benefit album in 2005 as the Dukes reuniting
with the Gregory brothers. Regardless, the compilation CD
“Chips from the Chocolate Fireball”which combines the two
albums is a fun sl ice of sunny day psychedelic rock (which
had a much different connotation in the UK). ***
Opening with the one-two punch of the Strawberry Alarm
Clock like “25 O’Clock” and “Bike Ride to the Moon” the CD
quickly moves into darker territory with “My Love Explodes”
which recalls Love’s “7 and 7 Is”. The EP closed with “The
Mole from the Ministry” which borrowed from “I Am the Walrus”.
This stuff was fun and funny (much funnier than even the Rutles).
The second “album” opened with the next track “Vanishing Girl”
a slice of psychedelic power pop heaven inspired by the Hollies’
“King Midas in Reverse”. “You’re My Drug” recalled the highs
(pardon the pun) of the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” with its
McGunnish guitar figure floating high above the percolating
percussion track. “Collideascope” crashed every psychedelic
cliché in the world into one 3 minute song. “Brainiac’s Daughter”
allowed Partridge to indulge his fetish for incorporating
comic book characters into his songs (this time from Superman).
The two closing tracks were considered so good that the band
almost didn’t want to waste them on an album by their alter
egos; “The Affiliated” is a slice of heaven from songwriter
ColinMoulding with a trilling guitar figure from DaveGregory
driving the main melody and a middle eight that wouldn’t have
sounded out of place out of a bad 60’s surf movie. “Pale and
Precious” allowed Partridge to express his love for Brian
Wilson and mid-60’s Beach Boys epics such as “God Only Knows”.
With cascading harmonies and a rich melody it closes the album
out on a high note. The production of John Leckie (who worked
with the band’s heroes as an engineer in the mid to late 60’s)
provided the perfect backdrop for the band’s more outrageous
ideas. ***
The psychedelic influences of the Dukes had expressed
itself on “Skylarking” and would find further expression on
“Oranges and Lemons” the next XTC album that featured the
minor hit singles “Mayor of Simpleton” and “King for a Day”.
Although the Dukes were gone they weren’t forgotten.
Highly recommended for fans of mid-60’s psychedelic rock.
|
