Virgin | UK | 7″ | 1980 | VS 365
XTC: Generals + Majors UK 7″ [1980]
- Generals + Majors
- Don’t Lose Your Temper
I must admit; I was somewhat late to the XTC game! The first time I heard the band was while watching Rockworld on TV in 1979. Possibly early 1980. This was the only outlet in those pre-MTV days to see new-fangled “rock videos” and of course, the lure there was that 98% of these were from contemporary UK bands during the New Wave period! I saw the video for “Making Plans For Nigel” and I have to admit that I didn’t “get it” on that single showing. I was familiar with XTC from reading about them, but didn’t make any moves to obtain their “Drums + Wires” album.
It was later in 1980 when I chanced to hear the song “Generals + Majors” on one of my hometown’s two “FM rock” stations, in a freak mishap that wouldn’t be repeated again. Actually, now that I think about it, it had to have been on WORJ-FM since I called up the station that had request night to hear the song again. WORJ was the one with request night, but of course, they didn’t play my request! That possibly single airing of the song was all it may have gotten there!
With the memory of the song stuck in my cranium, I made the leap to buying a US copy of XTC’s “Black Sea” album. I hasten to admit that on first listen, I was unmoved by all of that amazing album with the exception of the single I’d heard! Fortunately, within three more plays, the coin dropped and I became a dyed-in-the-wool XTC fan, lasting through the next dozen years or so before finally falling out with the band’s tepid “Nonesuch” album in the early 90s.
It was sometime later, that I began collecting the XTC singles, and a friend of mine gifted me with the single in its single disc format. There also exists a 2×7″ version with three non-LP B-sides. While the band is now inextricably linked with the mercurial Andy Partridge, it bears mentioning that the bend’s most successful singles that made their name during their early period were all tunes written by Colin Moulding, the band’s much more even-keeled bass player.
“Generals + Majors” is to this day a top notch XTC track; driven by drummer Terry Chambers’ tight urgent rhythms contrasting with Andy Partridge’s claxon synthesizers. Colin sings lead and the song reflects the lighter side of the nuclear anxiety that was so prevalent in the period. The track is another feather in producer Steve Lillywhite’s cap. He was certainly on fire that year with classic albums by XTC, The Psychedelic Furs and not to mention Peter Gabriel under his belt!
The B-side was an Andy Partridge song that was a tuneful, if slight little ditty, that was clearly at odds with the flow of the album, hence its appearance here. XTC were definitely a connoisseur’s band when it came to B-sides. They were generous with them and the level of quality was well in advance of most bands’ efforts. Two years later, they would release a compilation of them called “Beeswax” that also featured “Don’t Lose Your Temper.” When the CD era began several years later, XTC albums were out in front for also including B-sides of the time period as bonus tracks even on the first CD masterings.
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Post-Punk Monk 
Funny I was just listening to Black Sea yesterday! Generals & Majors is the stand out track on an album full of great music. I caught up with XTC from Drums & Wires, quickly bought White Music and Go2, and have never looked back. I will agree that Nonesuch is their most difficult album to enjoy. Oranges & Lemons initially annoyed me, but then it was the follow up to Skylarking and the Dukes of Stratosphere releases and that’s a lot to live up to. I feel you should, if you haven’t already, give a good listen to Apple Venus Vol. 1 and Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2). I feel they fit right in with the best of their English Settlement – Skylarking period.
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Echorich – I do have the great “Wasp Star” but I’m still waiting on a cheap used copy if “Apple Venus!” Did I mention that I’m cheap and capable of waiting decades to buy an album? On the other hand, I find it kind of charming to be a fan of a band and to never hear one of their albums. There have been a number of those over the years.
I think that Andy was an idiot to “strike” for so long following a weak album. It meant that by the time that XTC got their act together I was really past caring. See also: Spandau Ballet
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I have to agree that Andy’s “issues” got in the way of XTC the last decade of their career. I doubt he would ever back track and admit to his errors. His post XTC output has been spotty at best. The album with Harold Budd was interesting but not an easy listen.
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Echorich – Andy doesn’t make errors! Didn’t you know? He’s a genius! Having two books on XTC on my shelves [“Chalkhills + Children” as well as “Songs + Stories”] after reading them, one is left with a profound sense of pity for Colin Mouding and Dave Gregory! Andy Partridge’s self-centered immaturity would in no way be compensated by his talents if I were in a band with him! Andy has some talent, but he was not the alpha and omega of the band; as much as he would like to think so. The way he rode roughshod over the other members was reprehensible, though especially Colin was complicit in this. I can’t help but think that many Colin Moulding XTC classics were squelched by Andy’s tantrums and emotional blackmail. To the point where he lost all self-confidence, sadly. In retrospect, Terry Chambers was the smart one!
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Spot on Monk. The dynamic was much more evenly distributed through English Settlement – Barry Andrews leaving probably less to do with Partridge and more to do his own personal direction. Starting with Mummer though, you can see the pull of AP in the studio. Moulding’s songs began to get buried a bit in the album. But you are right, Moulding allowed things to play out the way they did. It would take him until the dawn of the new millennium for Moulding to call it a day in the partnership. I wonder how much of this was the product of Partridge’s breakdown around English Settlement which would see them retire from live work.
XTC still remains one of my favorite pop groups and for me one of the greatest. Having no affinity for anything Beatles, except to recognize their influence on pop music in the last 50 yrs, bands like XTC and Squeeze (yes I know this band can annoy as much as inspire joy) were my touchstones and standard for good pop music.
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The British 2 track version of “Generals & Majors” is a lot harder to find than the double pack, at least around here. It was the domestic 45, so an RSO 2 track seems more likely than a Virgin Records one. Don’t forget “Live & More” (1981) with picture labels from Virgin Japan – best sounding pressing of “Don’t Lose Your Temper”!
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ronkanefiles – Yeah, I have the Virgin 1×7″. I’ve never seen the RSO 45. I was just looking at that nice pic label JPN 12″ of “Live + More” but it’s not a disc in the Record Cell, sadly.
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I love Black Sea. Side 1 on the vinyl (which I own) is near flawless. IMO, Black Sea and English Settlement are all the XTC one really needs to get through life. I like some of their other albums, but don’t find them essential.
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zoo – In spite of loving “Senses Working Overtime” I always found “English Settlement” a little diffuse. Maybe I would have preferred the US edited version of that opus? I think that all of XTC’s “double albums” could use a little trimming. Single albums too, in the case if “Nonesuch.”
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I love so much about English Settlement. Runaways and Jason and the Argonauts are essential XTC for me.
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Echorich – I always loved that Thompson Twins and XTC both had a great, moody song called “Runaway” at exactly the same time.
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