Their identity secret when the albums which comprise this anthology were released, this XTC alter-ego built of Partridge, Moulding and Gregory's love of 1960s psychedelia, brings together the Dukes' two albums 25 O'Clock (1985) and Psonic Psunspot (1987) on one CD.
The slight awkwardness of these cheaply produced side-project albums outselling XTC's own albums of the time only adds to the irony of the joke.
This was, I think, a birthday present from my wife, ordered from the long lost Soundhouse Records in Deal. The album opens with 25 O'Clock, a glorious piece of psych which owes more than a passing nod to CA Quintet's Trip Thru Hell, then the bouncy Bike Ride To The Moon (am I overthinking, or is there a lot of Syd Barrett here?), with My Love Explodes following in much the same vein. What In The World sounds a bit Sgt Pepper, with a hint of Zager & Evans, a lovely listen, and the only writing contribution on the first album by The Red Curtain (Moulding). Your Gold Dress has an Eastern sound, but for me is the weakest track on 25 O'Clock, still good, but the style seems to overpower the substance. The first album ends with The Mole From The Ministry, again very Sgt Pepper and a great singalong to finish.
The follow up, two years later (I don't think the XTC secret was yet out) is a longer album, opening with Vanishing Girl, which I think could easily have been an XTC song with slightly different production. It's a bright lively Sir John Johns (Partridge) composition, leading to Have You Seen Jackie, a jolly tale of gender fluidity, in a 1960s 'is that a boy or a girl' style. In Little Lighthouse, I can't help feeling that the overlap between Dukes and XTC becomes complete, and this could be a good song for either. You're A Good Man Albert Brown is a music hall pastiche, a great singalong, while Collideascope is a slower, laid-back song, with a very Lennonesque feel. You're My rug is a little lightweight and Shiny Cage a gentle observational narrative from Moulding. Braniac's Daughter is another that feels it was originally meant for XTC, but bounces along merrily, while The Affiliated is unexceptional - pleasant enough, but doesn't really fit the overall feel. There's a nice gentle ending with a Beach Boys interlude on Pale And Precious but it's decidedly XTC, not Dukes.
And that, kids, is why the Dukes were fated to die in a horrible sherbet accident. by the end of Psonic Psunspot, the Dukes' sound had merged with XTC's and the game was up. Nevertheless it was fun while it lasted, and the songs weren't bad, either.
4* - while the Dukes' original songs fare better than the XTC rejects, it's still a great listen.
Comments