Another double album. Is everyone... sure about this? Again, the lure of the Ginsters pasty is dismissed in favour of the studio experience, with none of that pesky other business to worry about. Mayor of Simpleton is a familiar one, and the sixties influences from the Dukes of Stratosphear are clearly still in full effect. It feels interesting to me that this is being hailed as the pop masterpiece, crazy riffs and hooks in every song, etc, when at first listen... I don't know. I feel as though it may be washing over me a little. I don't doubt it will grown on me, however.

I'm just listening to a bit of Guided by Voices to see how it stacks up. I am a sucker for a descending chord structure, so GBV are winning this heat against XTC I'm afraid.

In fact, I've just flicked back to Love on a Farmboy's Wages, and to be honest that has something that seems to be lacking from Oranges and Lemons. I think this is one I need to quiz Paul Wright about. It might be that it's just me. But it's back to the same thing again, isn't it? Are they really fixated on having a hit, being in the charts, all that razzle dazzle? Or are they just doing it because it's what they do, what they've always done? There's no harm in that, I don't think.

AP: “Oranges and Lemons is all about the compact craftings of the psychedelic single. Dedicated to all the bands who made my school days so very purple.”