Editing XTC (section)

===''Oranges & Lemons'' and ''Nonsuch''===
{{Listen
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|filename=Mayor of Simpleton - XTC.ogg
|title="Mayor of Simpleton" (1989)
|description= "[[Mayor of Simpleton]]", lead single from ''[[Oranges & Lemons (album)|Oranges & Lemons]]'', adopts a [[jangle pop]] style.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Oranges & Lemons – Geffon|magazine=CMJ New Music Report|date=24 February 1989|volume=164}}</ref> It became their highest charting single in the US.
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For their next album ''[[Oranges & Lemons (album)|Oranges & Lemons]]'', XTC traveled to Los Angeles to make use of a cheap studio rate arranged by [[Paul Fox (record producer)|Paul Fox]], who was recruited by the band for his first production gig.<ref name="Contrast1990" /> Another reason for recording in the US with an American producer, said Gregory, was that "America was our biggest market".<ref name="Filter2007"/> [[Mr. Mister]] (and later longtime [[King Crimson]]) member [[Pat Mastelotto]] was the drummer for the entire album. The album was released in February 1989 with music that was in a similar psychedelic vein as the Dukes.<ref name="XTCAMbio"/> In a retrospective review, ''[[The Quietus]]''{{'}} Nick Reed notes: "Nearly every instrument is mixed to the forefront; it's too well-arranged to be cacophonous, but there's a degree of sensory overload, especially given the band's newfound tendency to blast synthesizers in our faces. ... whether or not this album holds up for you depends on how much you like the band's boisterous side."<ref name="O&LQuietus"/> It became the highest album they had in the charts since 1982's ''English Settlement'', rising to number 28 in the UK<ref name="OCC" /> and number 44 in the US.<ref name="Billboard200" /> Additionally, it combined with ''Skylarking'' for the group's best-selling albums to date.<ref name="agony1992"/>  "[[Mayor of Simpleton]]" reached number 46 in the UK<ref name="O&LQuietus"/> and number 72 in the US, making it their only American single to chart.<ref name="XTCAMbio"/>

To support the album, XTC embarked on an acoustic-guitar American radio tour that lasted for two weeks in May.<ref name="Mojo1999" /> The shows were carried out without financial compensation for the band.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=xtcfans |last=Partridge |first=Andy |author-link=Andy Partridge |date=29 January 2019|number=1090257969634103296|title=WC-Re acoustic EU tour...|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507134004/https://twitter.com/xtcfans/status/1090257969634103296|archive-date=7 May 2019}}</ref> Gregory commented that it was an "interesting" style of promotion, but "incredibly hard work", as the band performed at about four radio stations a day for three weeks: "We also did a live acoustic set for MTV in front of an audience which worried Andy a bit but he got through it."<ref name="Ramon"/> This inspired the network to invite more artists to perform stripped-down sets, calling the series "[[MTV Unplugged|unplugged]]".<ref name="Mojo1999" /> XTC's performance of "[[King for a Day (XTC song)|King for a Day]]" on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' marked the first time the group played in front of a live audience in seven years.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gibbs|first1=Ryan|title=Favorite Letterman Music Moments|url=https://www.theyoungfolks.com/music/56185/favorite-letterman-music-moments/|website=[[The Young Folks]]|date=19 May 2015|access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref> A similar acoustic tour was planned for Europe, but cancelled when Partridge discovered that the Paris date would be broadcast from a sold-out 5,000 seater venue.<ref name="RB2002"/> After an unsuccessful attempt was made to coax Partridge back into regular touring,<ref name="Mojo1999" /> they took a short break. Partridge produced ''And Love for All'' (1990), the third album by [[the Lilac Time]], and compered for an unbroadcast children's [[game show]] named ''Matchmakers''.{{sfn|Farmer|1998|p=55}} Gregory played for [[Johnny Hates Jazz]], [[Marc Almond]] and [[Francesco Messina]] whilst producing for [[Cud (band)|Cud]]. Moulding performed a special event concert with David Marx and the Refugees, a Swindon-based band that reunited him with Barry Andrews.{{sfn|Farmer|1998|p=54}}

[[File:Nonsuch Palace - Speed's Map 1610 bigger.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A 17th-century map of [[Nonsuch Palace]] illustrated by cartographer [[John Speed]], which served as the basis of the album cover<ref>{{cite AV media notes| title = Nonsuch| others= XTC| year = 1992| type = liner| publisher = Virgin}}</ref>]]

[[Tarquin Gotch]], who served as XTC's manager for a short time, helped the band reach a legal settlement with Ian Reid in 1989.<ref name="Mojo1999" /> However, they were again left with a six-figure debt. Virgin Records advanced the group enough money to cover their debt in exchange for the promise of four additional albums.<ref name="Filter2007"/> Having written more than two dozen songs by 1991, some difficulties prolonged the start of recording sessions for the next album. Initially, the band had issue with the musical director of Virgin, who, after seeing the songs, was convinced the band "could do better" and asked them to write more material.<ref name="Fevret">{{cite journal|last1=Fevret|first1=Christian|title=XTC – Quality Sweet|journal=Les Inrockuptibles|date=1992}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Jeremy Lascelles: "I said, Andy, you've written this song before, it's another Beach Boys song, another Beatles song ... He wasn't really stretching himself – it was good but a bit comfortable. He didn't like me saying that and I didn't play them to anyone else, which he took to be a great slight."<ref name="Mojo1999" /> In Partridge's recollection, the director threatened that Virgin would drop the band if the band don't write an album "of twelve Top Ten guaranteed singles," and noted that this attitude held the band up in recording the album, which they refused to rewrite, believing its songs to be among the greatest they had written.<ref name="Skene"/>}} With the band sitting on the material, the director left the label a year later, and his replacement liked the band's content, hurrying them to record the album.<ref name="Skene">{{cite web|last1=Skene|first1=Gordon|title=A Chat With Andy Partridge Of XTC – 1992 – Past Daily Weekend Pop Chronicles|url=http://pastdaily.com/2016/08/21/chat-andy-partridge-xtc-1992/|website=Past Daily|access-date=25 September 2017|date=21 August 2016}}</ref> [[Gus Dudgeon]] produced, even though Partridge felt he was the wrong choice, and [[Fairport Convention]]'s [[Dave Mattacks]] was brought in as drummer.{{sfn|Farmer|1998|pp=58–59}}

''[[Nonsuch (album)|Nonsuch]]'' was received with critical acclaim when released in April 1992,<ref name="Orch99">{{cite magazine|last1=Swenson|first1=Kyle|title=Orchestral XTC|date=April 1999|magazine=[[Guitar Player]]}}</ref><ref name="O&LQuietus">{{cite web|last1=Reed|first1=Nick|title=25 Years On: XTC's Oranges & Lemons Revisited|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/14404-xtc-oranges-and-lemons|website=The Quietus|access-date=25 September 2017|date=11 February 2014}}</ref> and like ''Oranges & Lemons'', peaked at number 28 in the UK, becoming their second consecutive and final Top 40 album.<ref name="OCC" /> ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s [[Michael Azerrad]] reviewed: "Emphasizing wonder and wit in opposition to the rage of most [[college rock]], XTC makes alternative music for people who don't like '[[Alternative rock|alternative music]]'."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/xtc/albums/album/174538/rid/5943455/ |title=XTC: ''Nonsuch'' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=28 May 1992 |access-date=18 June 2011 |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Azerrad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817201411/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/xtc/albums/album/174538/review/5943455 |archive-date=17 August 2007}}</ref> Lead single "[[The Disappointed]]" reached number 33 in the UK<ref name="OCC">{{cite web|title=XTC|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17667/xtc/|website=Official Charts|access-date=25 September 2017}}</ref> and was nominated for an [[Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello Award]].{{sfn|Rachel|2014|p=203}} Its follow-up "[[The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead]]" reached number 71.<ref name="OCC" /> "[[Wrapped in Grey]]" was intended as the third single, and about 5,000 copies were pressed before being withdrawn from sale. Partridge remembered thinking, "that's it, they've suffocated one of our kids in the cot, they've murdered the album, basically through ignorance."<ref name="Mojo1999" /> In 1993, the album was nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album]], but lost to [[Tom Waits]]' ''[[Bone Machine]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zt4RAAAAIBAJ&pg=4985,6642121&dq|title=One critic handicaps tonight's Grammys|date=23 February 1993|access-date=29 April 2010|newspaper=[[The Gainesville Sun]]|first=Bill|last=DeYoung}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>