h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank yopu Coelacanth. Hopefully to arrive on a front page near you sometime soon...

It has been alleged to me that one of the contestants on the current series of Mastermind has XTC as his specialist subject....maybe when that gets aired those clever people at H2G2 Towers might make the connection...?

RF

I wonder if it's worth mentioning Andy Partridge's... unusual vocal style early on which he called 'singing with holes in' I think he did it more when they played live than on record, and I don't have my copy of White Music to hand, but I think 'I'm Bugged' and 'All Along The Watchtower' might be good examples of it.

Which album was English Roundabout on? I ask this because I have a pending EG Entry at A2998452 that you might want to link to (I mention XTC in it).

English Roundabout is on English Settlement.

RF

And English Marmalade?

B

English Marmalade is found on English Toast.

Obviously.

RF

Great work, Readyfreddy, on a fine band very well worth an Edited Guide entry.

I am the proud owner of an excellent XTC compilation, 'Fossil Fuel - The Singles 1977-92'. Oddly, it includes 'Wrapped In Grey'. Might it have been released as a single eventually after all? In any case, 'Fossil Fuel' is a very fine 31-track double CD compilation (first released by Virgin in 1996, and still available) that makes a great introduction to XTC, and so might be worth a mention.

Apart from that, there's just a couple of Edited Guide style points. Album titles should be in italics, and decades go in figures and include the century - hence '1970s', not 'Seventies'. And you might as well put a space under the 'Psonic Psunspot' header.

Thanks Ormondroyd - I seem to recall discussing this with you (at some length!) at the last Christmas London meet! I'll incorporate those style points.

As far as the Wrapped In Grey controversy goes: yes, it is officially listed as an XTC single, hence its appearance on Fossil Fuel. But actual copies of the single are rarer than hen's teeth. In fact (and this has again surfaced recently), there are fakes of the acetates (remember them?), that used to be attached to the front of NME and similar magazines, being sold on eBay. If you see one - approach with caution. Something this rare is actually being faked now.

RF

Can you get cracking on incorporating these points? Some of us have picks to make, you know....

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

'I feel like I'm walking round ten feet tall...'

Congratulations Readyfreddy!

Man shining down like a Miniature Sun...

Congrats. This was one of my picks.

That's some nice pickin' there, boy!

Well done Frooddy Freddy

XTC were a specialist subject on Mastermind last night. So no tie-in there then.

A surprising number of the questions can be answered by reference to this entry!

RF

Well done