Oranges & Lemons by XTC

Oranges & Lemons, XTC's 11th studio album and their second double, came out on Virgin on 27 February 1989 as the follow-up to Skylarking, and it's a gloriously overstuffed thing: '60s psychedelia repainted in late-'80s day-glo. The title, borrowed from the nursery rhyme, was a sour joke about the band's empty pockets. They cut it in Los Angeles from June to September 1988 with Paul Fox, in his first major production job, and Mr. Mister drummer Pat Mastelotto, while Virgin, watching the bill head toward £180,000, kept threatening to pull the plug.

Andy Partridge wrote 12 of the 15 songs and Colin Moulding the rest, and the record raids jazz, reggae, hard rock, Middle Eastern music and Zairean soukous without losing the pop hooks. It's brighter and punchier than Skylarking, with songs about parents and children and the state of the world. "The Mayor of Simpleton" jangles, "King For A Day" glides, and an acoustic radio tour, MTV set included, helped spark the network's unplugged idea.

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