XTC – Go 2 (Remastered and Expanded w/ Go+ EP) – 2LP – Gatefold 200g Vinyl

2LP – Limited Edition Gatefold Double Vinyl Edition on 200g Black Vinyl. Newly cut from masters by Jason Mitchell at Loud mastering and approved by Andy Partridge. Once this pressing has sold out, the album will revert to a Single LP/Single sleeve edition.

The 1978 classic album, newly cut from masters by Jason Mitchell at Loud mastering and approved by Andy Partridge. Available on vinyl for the first time in decades as a 2-disc set complete with: the Go+ Dub EP on 200 gram vinyl. Once this pressing has sold out, the album will revert to a single LP/single sleeve edition.

The music scene moved quickly in 1978. Preceded by the bands 4th single in a year (are you receiving me?) in September, XTCs second album released that year, Go 2, was issued in October and landed in the UK top 30 albums chart at no. 21, helped via a limited edition 2-disc package that also included the Go+ 12 EP.

Recorded in August/September 1978 at Abbey Road with John Leckie returning as producer Brian Eno reputedly having declined to produce as he felt the band was good enough to self-produce Go 2 built and expanded upon the bands impossible to label white music debut from the start of the year with smatterings of Post-Punk, Sci-fi Pop from another dimension, sharp lyrics and, frequently, even sharper tunes, now joined by a fascination with dub music that merited an additional 5 track 12 EP to accompany the initial release.

In addition to the growing strengths of twin songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, the album also featured the emergence of Barry Andrews as a third songwriter though this became a catalyst, in part, for Andrews departure soon after the albums release. With positive reviews for the album from the British music press in NME, Sounds and Melody Maker, a run of singles that was as good as any of the competition in an already great year for the 7, an incessant touring schedule and two top 40 albums, XTC was well on its way to its destiny as one of englands most revered bands.

Andy Partridge recalls: After the big bang of white music, the rapidly expanding jagged, black and white universe of XTC grew apace. Colin was writing more, even Barry was writing, before he jumped swiftly into a parallel dimension, and left to join Robert Fripp‘s League Of Gentlemen. We became gently besotted with dub techniques and allowing more and more colour onto our palette. This album is where our future started.

Contrary to popular myth, Go 2s distinctive sleeve was not specifically commissioned for the band. It had been pre-designed by third partner at Hipgnosis (co-founder of Throbbing Gristle and Industrial Records) Peter Christopherson and simply awaited a client/band willing to choose it.

The album is being reissued as a limited edition 2-disc set, in a Gatefold sleeve maintaining all of the original artwork, featuring the album and the Go+ EP, both pressed on 200 gram vinyl. As with the initial 1978 release, once this pressing has sold out, the album will revert to a single LP/single sleeve edition.

Tracklist:

Go 2 (Original Album Newly Mastered):
Side A
1. Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)
2. Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)
3. Buzzcity Talking
4. Crowded Room
5. The Rhythm
6. Red

Side B
1. Beatown
2. Life Is Good In The Greenhouse
3. Jumping In Gomorrah
4. My Weapon
5. Super-Tuff
6. I Am The Audience

Go+ EP:
Side C
1. Dance With Me Germany
2. Beat The Bible

Side D
1. A Dictionary Of Modern Marriage
2. Clap Clap Clap
3. We Kill The Beast