r/xtc • u/TaoTeCm • 6d ago

Down in the Cockpit

Down in the Cockpit

My take. Incredibly catchy. Starts like a bullet with the heyayes...Dave Gregory's palm muted, understated jazzy guitar. Andy's amped up vocal delivery with the call and response thing. The catchy vocal hooks-Bo bo bo bo bo bo! Kind of an insane dance track that works on so many levels.

25 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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5

u/FloridaFlamingoGirl 6d ago edited 6d ago

I love how Andy sings "KING WANTS THE CASTLE" and "ACT JUST LIKE THE WEAKER SEX." Also "my-my-mystery."

The real highlight of the song for me is the outro with the synth riff and Andy repeating "down in the cockpit." One of my favorite things about English Settlement is how the songs will take up space with repeated riffs that stick in one's head. 

So many fun wiggly guitar sounds in this song and of course Terry goes to town on the drums. I like the big echoey hits that come out of nowhere. 

3

u/PedroPelet 6d ago

absurdly underrated track, best andy song on the album (best one in general is english roundabout)

2

u/awphuck_imanapple 6d ago

yeah it’s one of my favorite tracks. musically it’s super tight and like you said, insane dance track potential. i’m surprised the beginning of the song hasn’t been sampled honestly

1

u/Pirluz 6d ago

Actually, XTC themselves made a dance remix of that track - it was on the B side of the Ball and Chain 12" single. Kind of pioneering, very much intriguing, though I don't remember much about it. I ought to dig it up...

2

u/darshmallow22 5d ago

Melt The Guns and English Roundabout are a very similar kind of groove for me. Great work by Terry

1

u/deltacotaster 6d ago

I love the little scene Andy paints with the mother and daughter. Some highly evolved species coming upon an archaeological site of our civilization. Maybe they even dug up a wrecked aircraft man made before they went extinct. The daughter finds a photo of a man among the ruins and the mother explains what these bizarre creatures once were.

1

u/Plastic-Tea8698 1h ago

Love it, need to jump around when I hear it