Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)

Infobox Album |
Name = Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)
Type = Album
Artist = XTC


Released = May 23 2000
Genre = Pop rock
Length = 50:54
Label = Cooking Vinyl
Producer = Nick Davis
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:1gq7g4a9tv1z link]
*Fretplay Rating|4|5 [http://www.fretplay.com/review/x/xtc/discography-CD-B00004SWHU-Wasp-Star-Apple-Venus-Volume-2.shtml link]
* Music Box Rating|4|5 [http://www.musicbox-online.com/xtc-av2.html link]
*NME (7/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/xtc/2361 link]
*Pitchfork Media (8.0/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/23329-wasp-star-apple-venus-vol-2 link]
*PopMatters (9/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/29683/xtc-wasp/ link]
*"Q" Rating|3|5 [http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.artist.review&fixture_review=136605&resource=136605&fixture_artist=145441 link]
*Robert Christgau (**) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=xtc link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/xtc/albums/album/135673/review/5942469/wasp_star_apple_venus_vol_2 link]
Last album = "Apple Venus Volume 1"
(1999)
This album = "Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)"
(2000)
Next album =

"Wasp Star" is an album by XTC. It is the second volume of the "Apple Venus" set. This volume is a return to the classic XTC sound, while the first volume had more of a big orchestral sound. It was recorded from April - December 1999 at Idea Studios, Wiltshire, and Chipping Norton Studios, Oxfordshire, England. It was released on Cooking Vinyl/Idea Records on May 222000.

It reached No. 108 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, No. 2 on the CMJ Adult Album Alternative chart in the U.S.A. and No. 6 on the Indie Albums chart in the UK

"I'm The Man Who Murdered Love" was the single released from the album. It can be heard briefly in an episode of the WB series Gilmore Girls. It was originallyproposed for the 1992 album "Nonsuch". "Playground" was released as a single only in Japan and "Stupidly Happy" was a promotional-only single in the U.S.

To date, "Wasp Star" is the last studio album released by the group.

Track listing

UK CD: COOKCD 194

All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.
# "Playground" – 4:17
# "Stupidly Happy" – 4:13
# "In Another Life" (Colin Moulding) – 3:35
# "My Brown Guitar" – 3:51
# "Boarded Up" (Moulding) – 3:23
# "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" – 3:44
# "We're All Light" – 4:39
# "Standing in for Joe" (Moulding) – 3:42
# "Wounded Horse" – 4:11
# "You and the Clouds Will Still be Beautiful" – 4:18
# "Church of Women" – 5:06
# "The Wheel and the Maypole" – 5:55

Personnel

Musicians

*Andy Partridge - vocals, guitar
*Colin Moulding - vocals, bass.

Additional musicians

*Chuck Sabo - drums (1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
*Prairie Prince - drums (2, 3, 4, 12)
*Matt Vaughn - programming
*Nick Davis - the more complicated keyboard parts
*Kate St. John - oboe
*Simon Gardner - flugelhorn
*Gavin Wright - 1st violin
*Patrick Kiernan - 2nd violin
*Peter Lale - viola
*Caroline Dale - cello
*Holly Partridge - backing vocals on "Playground"

Production

*Nick Davis - producer, mix
*Nick Davis, Alan Douglas, Barry Hammond, Haydn Bendall - recording engineers
*Simon Dawson - mix engineer
*Bob Ludwig - mastering

Trivia

*Andy's daughter, Holly Partridge, made her singing debut on record singing backup vocals in the song "Playground"; she now sings and plays guitar in the English pop-rock group The SheBeats.
*This album was the first album featuring only Andy and Colin as XTC.