A selection of single reviews - Sources indicated where known.

King For A Day - Sounds

A rare (these days) song by bassist Colin Moulding. One reader has already written in this year to defend Moulding's "strengths" but this isn't even close to his best. And when you consider that "Oranges And Lemons" is packed with Partridge's flights of fancy, it's hard to know who thought this was an obvious single.

King For A Day - Melody Maker (reviewed jointly with Eardrum Buzz from Wire)

"You like this sort of thing, don't you Everett?" asked the Wingco kindly, as he generously pressed the latest Wire video into my trembling hands. "NO I BLOODY WELL DO NOT!" The video makes them appear akin to a poor XTC, or, even sadder, the Cardiacs. Fortunately, separated "Eardrum Buzz" is fine: a latter-day "I Am The Fly" or "Chairs Missing" escapade, complete with delightfully dry Newman vocalising and acerbic guitar. Quite groovy really.

Meanwhile XTC, who I always objected to as being a New Wave group for ex-Genesis fans (REM fulfil that role now), chip in with an inoffensive offering - backwards guitars, bland vocals, Beatles-esque leaning, the lot. Why must these groups reform and annoy us?

King For A Day - NME (reviewed jointly with Saint Saviour Square from China Crisis)

Two exponents of quirky, terribly-English-don't-you-know, pop. Such stuff is born in the studio and loathes to leave so secure a sanctuary. Layers upon layers of tracks are squished together in an attempt to tread into the territory that was left vacant by Ye Fabbe Foure. Sgt Pepper is what these guys want to create, tailored to fit their own particular design. You can hardly hear what is going on in this densely packed jungle of sound. China Crisis fail in their attempt to keep my attention, all that sky-high priced studio time has created an acute attack of aural indigestion. XTC fare little better, too messy and picky for my taste I'm afraid. I've got to admit it though, XTC are very clever and certainly deserve better recognition.

The Loving - Melody Maker (made Single of the Week by guest reviewers The Wonder Stuff)

Stuart (NME journalist): Now I could be very sneaky here. I could claim that this was nothing to do with me. I could claim that I wanted Captain LL Muthalover and his Ironing Board Crew to be single of the week thus upping my cred no end. But I can't. What happened was that we heard the intro and all began to gambol around the room like the studio audience in 1973 edition of "Top Of The Pops" In the midst of all this waste and futility, this monument to human folly, we had found a record whose tune we could whistle.

Miles Hunt: This is brilliant. It's like Mott The Hoople. This is how a pop records should sound. Choruses, fake crowd noises, brilliant guitar bits. We don't deserve XTC. Let's hope it does a bomb in America. The sort of record that makes you crank up the radio.

Martin Gilks: I have a real soft spot for XTC. This is classic stuff...real "Love On A Farmboy's Wages" stuff. The fact this record won't get played on the radio and won't be a hit just shows what a pathetic state we're in.

The Loving - Melody Maker

Would have gone straight in the bin except the chap who takes our garbage informed me that NME had made this Single Of The Week and handed it back to me, suggesting it might be worthy of consideration. Why? As bloody English as sponsored Silly Walks in aid of heart disease charities, "The Loving" sounds like the crappy 1972 Wings b-side that never was. Until now. Motley, regimented, ninth-hand powerchords are squashed by Partridge's Tears For Fears vocal, as overheated and gurgling out the pot of the post as almost everything else this week. Then bugger me if I didn't find out the chap who takes out our garbage wrote the review in NME.

The Loving - Sounds

From 'Oranges And Lemons' comes another of mock-Macca Andy Partridge's sugary little playthings. Not so much insidious as crushingly obvious, but there's warmth in the execution and some hard truths amid 'The Loving''s apparent wheezy idealism.

Mayor Of Simpleton - Melody Maker

Don't know much about learned degrees. Don't know much about university - same story as "Wonderful World" - the narrator either flunked out or slept through high school. "I may be the Mayor Of Simpleton, but I know one thing, that I love you." The guitars are straight out of Tom Petty's "Don't Have To Live Like A Refugee". The result? You don't really have to ask. Andy Partridge is one shrewd bird and this is a sharp, perfectly respectable peck on the cheek.

Mayor Of Simpleton - NME

Much as I hate to admit it, they're back and they're infuriatingly catchy. I really hate to admit that. I'm kicking myself, but on this evidence they could teach a lot of new pop farts a thing or two about simplicity and charm. You win this time, you bastards!

Mayor Of Simpleton - Sounds

Renowned for his pastiche projects as the Dukes of Stratosphear, Andy Partridge seems to have remained time-warped here.

Although the music is root in '80s - a bland pop/rock workout (whatever happened to Sgt. Rock?) - the lyrics are deeply indebted to Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World".

But while Cooke spent his schooldays trying to get "history" and "geography" to scan, Partridge gets educational with his reflections on never having "been to university" or "learnt a degree".

Both are adamant about one thing, though.

Cooke: "But I do know that I love you."

Partridge: "But I do know one thing, I love you."

Education in reverse and down the toilet pan

Senses Working Overtime - Smash Hits

When will the world put a comforting arm around XTC? They've certainly kept their part of the bargain by dealing out cartloads of invigorating music. This is no exception: a great, metallic sound full of lean energy and Andy Partridge's barking vocals.

Ball And Chain - Smash Hits

Now here's a good band...but a disappointing follow up to "Senses Working Overtime". It starts well but doesn't go anywhere much and ends up being the kind of song you admire but don't greatly enjoy.

Generals And Majors - Smash Hits

Two singles for the price of one - and the freebie isn't a flexi-disc or musically anything less than high quality. The first three songs are spirited dancing numbers, the fourth slow, deep and resonant, and the arrangements are tightly, neatly, interwoven and laced with cleverly constructed special effects throughout. Single(s) of the week

Respectable Street - Smash Hits

The most knockabout and, in a way, the most obvious track on the brilliant "Black Sea" (buy, buy, buy), this is Andy Partridge's broadside against suburbia and, even with insane toning down of the lyrics, it still packs a well observed punch. Frankly though, I think we fans deserve something newly recorded; something more than the two previously unreleased numbers on the flip.

Sgt Rock (Is Going To help Me)- Smash Hits

The first sons of the new vaudeville jazz it on up. Excellent; a hit' so what's new?

Towers Of London - Smash Hits

Andy Partridge must be one of the few rock songwriters who could get away with a single dedicated to Victorian city-building. From a recipe that includes a deliciously twangy guitar intro and an ever so tasty arrangement - listen for those little squeezes of synth decorating the chorus - "Towers Of London" is arguably the most audibly edible item on the menu this sitting. Bon Appetit!

Take This Town - Smash Hits

This is on the mighty RSO by virtue of the fact that the track fleetingly appears in the Stigwood backed movies "Times Square". Usual hiccoughing vocal from Partridge plus much whistling and whoh-ho-he-ing, the end result sounding like "Kaiser Bill's Batman" mated with the Seven Dwarf's "Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off To Work We Go." As such, a great single. Previously unreleased and with the Ruts' "Babylon's Burning" on the flip side this would be the ideal cheapo Christmas present for any juvenile delinquent relative.

Too Many Cooks (The Colonel) - Smash Hits

And talking of XTC, what's this? Swift detective work unmasks the Colonel as one Colin Moulding singing with a clothes peg on his conk, along with Terry Chambers on drums plus assorted madmen who jointly conspire to sound like a ska-based cross between a Walt Disney cartoon and the cast of Dad's Army on a three-week binge. And why the hell not?

All original work is acknowledged as being the copyright of the originator.