COMPLICATED GAME: INSIDE THE SONGS OF XTC

Book ID/图书代码： 05793016B87679

English Summary/英文概要： “I LIKE ACCIDENTS. I LIKE TO PUT MYSELF IN THE WAY OF MUSICAL HARM. I LIKE BEING AT THE WHEEL OF THAT MUSICAL CAR, AND AIMING IT AT THE WALL, JUST TO SEE WHAT SHAPE THE CAR’S GOING TO COME OUT. IT MIGHT COME OUT AN INTERESTING SHAPE THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME FOREVER TO DECIDE ON OTHERWISE.” Andy Partridge

Complicated Game offers unique insight into the work of XTC founder Andy Partridge, one of Britain’s most original and influential songwriters. It is also an unprecedentedly revealing and instructive guide to how songs and records are made.

Developed from a series of interviews conducted over many months, it explores in detail some thirty of Partridge’s songs—including such well-known singles as ‘Senses Working Overtime’ and the controversial ‘Dear God’—from throughout XTC’s thirty-year career, as well as an extensive interview dedicated solely to the art and craft of songwriting.

While the interviews cast new light on the writing of lyrics, the construction of melodies and arrangements, the process of recording, and the workings of the music industry, they are also filled with anecdotes about Partridge, his XTC bandmates, and their adventures around the world— all told with the songwriter’s legendary humour.

This fascinating book also includes pages from Partridge’s songwriting notebooks and reproductions of his original artwork designs; a guided tour of his hometown of Swindon; and a foreword by Steven Wilson, the guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founder and leader of Porcupine Tree.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 本书以独特视角带给读者有关XTC乐队创始人Andy Partridge的故事，他是英国最有原创精神、也是最有影响力的歌曲作者之一。本书也能为读者带来前所未有的启迪和指导，告诉他们歌曲和专辑是如何制造的。

本书包括了历经很长时间才完成的一系列采访，详细探讨了Partridge笔下的大约三十首歌曲，包括知名单曲“Senses Working Overtime”以及颇有争议的“‘Dear God ’，既描绘了XTC逾三十年的过往，也有针对歌曲创作艺术和手法的专题参访。

所有有关歌词写作、旋律构建和安排、录音顺序、音乐产业运作等等的采访中都能找到有关Partridge本人、他的XTC乐队成员、他们的世界巡演等等的趣闻轶事。

这本令人着迷的书中还收录了Partridge写歌的笔记、以及他原创艺术设计作品的复印页等等，也包含了他的家乡Swindon的导览，前言由创建并带领着Porcupine Tree乐队的吉他手、歌曲作者、制作人Steven Wilson撰写。(LYR)

Awards/获奖情况：传递了来自这个时代最优秀的歌曲作者之一的思想。没有人成就了Partridge成就了的一切。而这本书告诉我们他是如何获得了这样的成功。《Adrian Belew，曾组乐队KING CRIMSON、DAVID BOWIE、TALKING HEADS》

本书挖掘历史、过程、和声、节奏和歌词，我也希望书中这些生动而颇有见地的对话能够发生在我和Partridge之间。他和Todd Bernhardt给我们带来了这座宝库，是每一个XTC粉丝的终极追求。《GREGG BENDIAN，ORNETTE COLEMAN, TODD RUNDGREN, ZOOT HORN ROLLO》

Chock full of fascinating information from the mind of one of the most brilliant songwriters of our time. No one else does what Master Partridge does. This book tells us why. ADRIAN BELEW (KING CRIMSON, DAVID BOWIE, TALKING HEADS)

Delving deeply into history, process, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics, this vivid and insightful tome contains the very conversation I wish I could have with Supreme Musical Strategist Partridge. He and Todd Bernhardt have handed us a treasure trove of juicy detail that is easily the ultimate XTC geek-fest! GREGG BENDIAN (ORNETTE COLEMAN, TODD RUNDGREN, ZOOT HORN ROLLO)

A phenomenal blow-by-blow account of the behemoth that is the XTC scrapbook. As a teenager, I was knocked out from note one by Andy Partridge & Co. From the blistering, amphetamine-paced early records, to the slanted perfection of Black Sea, Mummer, The Big Express, and so on—these records illustrate the endless possibilities of recorded music. The exceptional song craft and emotional range rarely give you what you expect, which is something I always appreciated. I owe a tremendous debt to Andy for his lead-by-example definition of a true maverick. Read this book. JASON FALKNER (JELLYFISH, THE GRAYS, BECK)

If you think you know what makes Andy Partridge tick—and if you believe you’re read, heard and/or gleaned everything there is to know about the music of XTC—prepare to have that belief system blown to smithereens. Every one of these gloriously comprehensive interviews is loaded with valuable information that will deepen and enhance your understanding of this fascinating man and his unremittingly beautiful, inspiring music—and give you a thousand hearty belly laughs in the process. And all hail Todd Bernhardt for a constant line of well-informed questioning—representing well the hardcore XTC fandom without stepping over into sycophancy, he knows precisely how to elicit the kind of priceless nuggets of information fans are starving for. MIKE KENEALLY (FRANK ZAPPA, SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS, ANDY PARTRIDGE)

Like Todd, I LOVE XTC! I had the pleasure of seeing the band twice in 1980, and later had the unique opportunity of spending weeks with them in the studio. (Dare I say, it was almost like being in the band!) I know rst-hand how obscenely brilliant these gents are, and take great delight in reading the details of songs that meant so much to me. This great reference book is going on the shelf next to my dictionary. Vive la XTC!!!! PAT MASTELOTTO (MR. MISTER, KING CRIMSON, XTC)

Todd’s book has gone into some serious detail here—it is indeed a ‘good read’. Recording Nonsuch was a career highlight for me; I’d have to have been an idiot to screw up material as great as that! A big ‘thank you’ to XTC for asking me to play with them—’twas a real pleasure. DAVE MATTACKS (FAIRPORT CONVENTION, NICK DRAKE, XTC)

About the Author/作者介绍： Andy Partridge出生于马耳他，但在英国的Swinton长大，现在仍住在那里。他是一个歌手、歌曲作者、吉他手。他是国际知名的新浪潮乐队XTC的建立者，并和这个乐队一起在四十年间录制了共计十四张广受好评的专辑。 Todd Bernhardt与华盛顿地区的一些乐队一起演出、录制专辑和旅行。他还有多年企业公关和自由写作的经历，曾为Modern Drummer杂志以及音乐相关的出版物写过稿。他有两个孩子和一个美丽的爱人，是Andy Partridge的朋友。

Born in Malta but raised in Swindon, England, where he still lives, Andy Partridge is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the founder of the internationally renowned new-wave group XTC, with whom he recorded fourteen widely acclaimed albums—among them English Settlement, Drums & Wires, and Skylarking—during a career spanning four decades.

Todd Bernhardt has played, recorded, and toured with a number of bands based in the Washington DC area. He also has years of experience in corporate communications and freelance writing, having created pieces for Modern Drummer magazine and a number of other music-related publications. He’s proud to be the father of two wonderful children, lover of a beautiful woman, and friend of Andy Partridge.

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Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

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