Go2

The music scene moved quickly in 1978. Preceded by the band’s 4th single in a year (Are You Receiving Me?) in September, XTC’s second album released that year, “Go2”, 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 – Go2 built and expanded upon the band’s 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 album’s 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 England’s 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, Go2’s 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.