Album of the Week

Well, I wasnt going to put this one up as “Album of the Week” since I think its my favorite album of all time. This is the album I would take to a desserted Island if I could only pick one. That is how much I love this. It has surpassed all of my favorite albums that I thought would never be passed up such as the “White Album”, “Smile”, and “Darkside of the Moon”. Yes, you heard me, thats how strong this album is to me. The “Chips From the Chocolate Fireball” is actually two albums combined released in 1985 and 1987, the first being “25 o’Clock” and followed by “Psonic Psunspot”. I would also like to mention that the “Dukes” are actually made up of all the members of the band XTC. You know, some people would call this album a spoof, call it what you will, but either way there was some very serious work put on to this album. You just have to listen yourself. Below I posted the AllMusic Biography for the album.

“In 1985, the British pop band XTC recorded an EP of affectionate parodies of ’60s psychedelia and guitar-pop called 25 O’Clock. Instead of releasing the EP under their own name, they released the record under the name the Dukes of Stratosphear. Working with producer John Leckie, all three members of the group adopted pseudonyms — Andy Partridge was Sir John Johns, Colin Moulding was the Red Curtain and David Gregory was Lord Cornelius Plum. For this one project Gregory’s brother Ian joined the band under the name Ian E.I.E.I. Owen. The EP was released without mention of XTC’s name anywhere on the record, and the group claimed they had nothing to do with the project.
Two years after the appearance of 25 O’Clock, the Dukes of Stratosphear released a full album, Psonic Psunspot. By the time Psonic Psunspot appeared in 1987, XTC were beginning to admit in interviews that they were indeed the Dukes of Stratosphear. Later in 1987, both the EP and album were released on a single compact disc, Chips from the Chocolate Fireball.”