Skylarking
| Skylarking | ||||
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| Studio album by XTC | ||||
| Released | 27 October 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Studio | Utopia Sound Studios (); The Sound Hole Studios (San Francisco) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:47 | |||
| Label | Virgin, Geffen | |||
| Producer | Todd Rundgren | |||
| XTC chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Skylarking | ||||
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| 2010 remaster cover | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| Chicago Tribune | |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Mojo | |
| Q |  |
| Record Collector | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Uncut | 9/10 |
| The Village Voice | A− |
Skylarking is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released on 27 October 1986. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, Skylarking is a loose concept album centered around various cycles in life, such as the seasons, days, and years. The title was chosen as a double entendre, referring to a type of bird (skylark), as well as the British navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around".Skylarking is generally regarded as XTC's finest work.
The album's music style reaches beyond the new wave/post-punk sound that XTC were associated with for years before, and similar to their previous album 25 O'Clock (1985), was influenced by elements of the 1960s psychedelic era. Most of its recording was at Rundgren's Utopia Sound Studio in . Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing the band with string and brass arrangements, as well as an assortment of gear. However, the sessions were fraught with tension, especially between Rundgren and bandleader Andy Partridge, and numerous disagreements arose over drum patterns, song selections, and other details. Partridge blamed Rundgren for improperly engineering the album with a reversed sound polarity, resulting in a "thin" mix. The problem was not addressed until 2014, when Partridge independently issued a remastered version of the album with corrected polarity.
Upon release, Skylarking was met with indifference in the UK, rising in the album charts to No. 90. In the US it was a college radio hit, peaking at No. 70 and selling roughly 250,000 units. Both of its lead singles "Grass" (backed with "Dear God") and "The Meeting Place" peaked at No. 100 in the UK. Early sales of the album were hampered by the omission of "Dear God" from the album's original pressings. Following the song's growth in popularity among American DJs, it was the subject of controversy in the US, inspiring many angry phone calls to radio stations and at least one bomb threat. Later, Skylarking was listed on "100 greatest albums of the 1980s" lists by Rolling Stone in 1989 and Pitchfork in 2002.
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