"XTC - This Is Pop" (2017 release from the UK; 75 min.) is a rock documentary about the British band XTC. As the film opens, we see Andy Partridge egging on the viewer about how much he disdains "rockumentaries" in general (but then of course he goes on to fully participate in this one). We then go back in time to Partridge's upbringing in Swindon (80 mi. west of London) as an only child, leading him to entertain himself much of the time since Mum wouldn't allow other kids to the house. It eventually brings him to discover music: "I wasn't good enough to learn other people's music, so I starting writing my own songs", ha! It leads to the mid-70s punk-ish start of the Helium Kids, which then morphed into XTC...
Couple of comments: this documentary does a nice job of tracing the origins, and evolution, of "smart pop" band XTC. I grew up in Belgium and they've been a favorite of mine since their 1979 hit "Making Plans for Nigel". While there are lots of "talking heads" in the film (I particularly enjoyed the Police's Stewart Copeland's comments about their touring together in the early 80s--his brother Ian apparently was manager of both bands), it needs to be pointed out that the documentary is definitely Andy Partridge-centric. But in the end I mostly enjoyed this for the band members reminiscing on how great songs like "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" came about. Everyone has their favorite XTC album, and mine is 1986's "Skylarking". I had no idea how much Partridge butted heads with producer Todd Rundgren (as sis made clear in this documentary), but in the end it all worked out as it is a brilliant album and remains so now 30+ years later...
"XTC - This Is Pop" premiered on Showtime in 2018, and I completely missed it at that time. I finally stumbled on this and watched it on Showtime On Demand the other night. Whether you are a casual (?) or die-hard fan of XTC, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this documentary does a nice job of tracing the origins, and evolution, of "smart pop" band XTC. I grew up in Belgium and they've been a favorite of mine since their 1979 hit "Making Plans for Nigel". While there are lots of "talking heads" in the film (I particularly enjoyed the Police's Stewart Copeland's comments about their touring together in the early 80s--his brother Ian apparently was manager of both bands), it needs to be pointed out that the documentary is definitely Andy Partridge-centric. But in the end I mostly enjoyed this for the band members reminiscing on how great songs like "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" came about. Everyone has their favorite XTC album, and mine is 1986's "Skylarking". I had no idea how much Partridge butted heads with producer Todd Rundgren (as sis made clear in this documentary), but in the end it all worked out as it is a brilliant album and remains so now 30+ years later...
"XTC - This Is Pop" premiered on Showtime in 2018, and I completely missed it at that time. I finally stumbled on this and watched it on Showtime On Demand the other night. Whether you are a casual (?) or die-hard fan of XTC, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.