Go 2

Infobox Album |
Name = Go 2
Type = Album
Artist = XTC


Released = October 6, 1978
Recorded = August–September, 1978 at Abbey Road Studios, London, England
Genre = New Wave
Post-punk
Length = 38:09 (UK version),
43:26 (U.S. version),
55:38 (initial LP version including bonus disc Go+)
Label = Virgin Records
Producer = John Leckie
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hpfyxqq5ldke link]
*Pitchfork Media (6.9/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/23332-go-2-black-sea-and-english-settlement link]
*"Q" Rating|2|5 [http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.artist.review&fixture_review=138718&fixture_artist=145441 link]
*Robert Christgau (B-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=xtc link]
Last album = "White Music" (1978)
This album = "Go 2" (1978)
Next album = "Drums and Wires" (1979)

"Go 2" is XTC's second album. It was released on October 6 1978. The UK version contained no singles, however the US version included the single "Are You Receiving Me?" (released October 27 1978, the same month as the album's release).A promotional video was also made for the song. An earlier version of "Are You Receiving Me?" was recorded during the Go 2 sessions and was later released on the "Coat Of Many Cupboards" box-set. Other outtakes from Go 2 include "Sargasso Bar", "Us Being Us", "Instant Tunes", "Looking For Footprints", "Things Fall To Bits" and "Strange Tales, Strange Tails".

The album's full title is XTC's Go 2. The title was inspired by the Japanese strategy game "GO" and the fact that it was their second album.

Go + (see Trivia) was eventually re-released on the Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 78-80 CD.

Album cover

The album's cover was designed and executed by Hipgnosis.

The essay reads::"This is a [place album format here in all capitals] COVER. This writing is the DESIGN upon the [place album format here] cover. The DESIGN is to help SELL the [place album format here] . We hope to draw your attention to it and encourage you to pick it up. When you have done that maybe you'll be persuaded to listen to the music - in this case XTC's Go 2 album. Then we want you to BUY it. The idea being that the more of you that buy this [place album format here] the more money [place record company here] , the manager Ian Reid and XTC themselves will make. To the aforementioned this is known as PLEASURE. A good cover DESIGN is one that attracts more buyers and gives more pleasure. This writing is trying to pull you in much like an eye-catching picture. It is designed to get you to READ IT. This is called luring the VICTIM, and you are the VICTIM. But if you have a free mind you should STOP READING NOW! because all we are attempting to do is to get you to read on. Yet this is a DOUBLE BIND because if you indeed stop you'll be doing what we tell you, and if you read on you'll be doing what we've wanted all along. And the more you read on the more you're falling for this simple device of telling you exactly how a good commercial design works. They're TRICKS and this is the worst TRICK of all since it's describing the TRICK whilst trying to TRICK you, and if you've read this far then you're TRICKED but you wouldn't have known this unless you'd read this far. At least we're telling you directly instead of seducing you with a beautiful or haunting visual that may never tell you. We're letting you know that you ought to buy this [place album format here] because in essence it's a PRODUCT and PRODUCTS are to be consumed and you are a consumer and this is a good PRODUCT. We could have written the band's name in special lettering so that it stood out and you'd see it before you'd read any of this writing and possibly have bought it anyway. What we are really suggesting is that you are FOOLISH to buy or not buy an album merely as a consequence of the design on its cover. This is a con because if you agree then you'll probably like this writing - which is the cover design - and hence the album inside. But we've just warned you against that. The con is a con. A good cover design could be considered as one that gets you to buy the [place album format here] , but that never actually happens to YOU because YOU know it's just a design for the cover. And this is the [place album format here in all capitals] COVER."

On the actual cover artwork the labeling of the album's formats is used in place of the words " [place album format here in all capitals] " in its display of the essay on the album's various formats. The display of the essay on the LP started and ended with the words "This is a RECORD COVER", the display of the essay on the cassette started and ended with the words "This is a CASSETTE COVER" and the display of the essay on the CD started and ended with the words "This is a COMPACT DISC COVER".

On some editions of the album, some of the words are missing and appear only on a poster included inside the album. The poster must be aligned correctly with the cover to read the complete text. The poster featured a very unflattering group portrait, plus contributions from each of the group: a paean to his parents' kitchen by Andy Partridge, a series of 'roots' photographs by Barry Andrews, a smashed cardboard box used as a drum by Terry Chambers, and 'Mouldings' Street Plan of SWINDON' a map which noted various events in the bass player's life, including his loss of virginity (indicated by a golf flag with a '1')

Miscellanea

Initial pressings of the album came with a bonus disc of dub remixes entitled Go+.

The subtitle 'Andy Paints Brian' for the song 'Battery Brides' is a reference to Brian Eno, the bands original choice as producer for the album. Eno politely turned the band down, saying they didn't need him as they had enough good ideas of their own.

Track listing

All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

UK Version

#"Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)" – 2:34
#"Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)" – 4:35
#"Buzzcity Talking" (Colin Moulding) – 2:40
#"Crowded Room" (Moulding) – 2:53
#"The Rhythm" (Moulding) – 2:58
#"Red" – 3:01
#"Beatown" – 4:35
#"Life Is Good In The Greenhouse" – 4:41
#"Jumping In Gomorrah" – 2:03
#"My Weapon" (Barry Andrews) – 2:20
#"Super-Tuff" (Andrews) – 2:19
#"I Am The Audience" (Moulding) – 3:38

U.S. Version

#"Meccanic Dancing (Oh We Go!)" – 2:34 - note the different spelling
#"Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)" – 4:35
#"Buzzcity Talking" (Moulding) – 2:40
#"Crowded Room" (Moulding) – 2:53
#"The Rhythm" (Moulding) – 2:58
#"Are You Receiving Me?" – 3:04
#"Red" – 3:01
#"Beatown" – 4:35
#"Life Is Good In The Greenhouse" – 4:41
#"Jumping In Gomorrah" – 2:03
#"My Weapon" (Andrews) – 2:20
#"Super-Tuff" (Andrews) – 4:24
#"I Am The Audience" (Moulding) – 3:38

Go+ (Bonus disc included on initial pressing)

#"Dance With Me, Germany" [dub version of "Meccanic Dancing (Oh We Go!)"] – 3:17
#"Beat the Bible" [dub version of "Jumping in Gomorrah"] – 2:06
#"A Dictionary of Modern Marriage" [dub version of "Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)"] – 2:27
#"Clap Clap Clap" [dub version of "I am the Audience"] (Moulding) – 2:17
#"We Kill The Beast" [dub version of "The Rhythm"] (Moulding) – 2:05

Personnel

*Andy Partridge - guitars and vocals
*Colin Moulding - bass and vocals
*Barry Andrews - piano, organ, vocals and saxophone
*Terry Chambers - drums and vocals

Credits

John Leckie - producer/engineer

Martin Rushent - associate producer - (uncredited)

Haydn Bendall - assistant engineer (Abbey Road unit)

Pete James - assistant engineer (Abbey Road unit)

Andy Llewelyn - assistant engineer (Matrix unit)

Jess Sutcliffe - assistant engineer (Matrix unit)
Dave Eagle - photos

Hipgnosis - cover artwork

XTC