The reason why XTC has been fortunate enough to continue to release records is because of their exceedingly dedicated following who snaps up anything that the songwriting team of guitarist Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding have released. Whether their ravenous faction will purchase the 54 track box set Apple Box is not clear, since the tracks come from the previously released Apple Venus, Wasp Star, Homespun, and Homegrown, four albums aficionados undoubtedly have.
The abridgement of the 4 CD collecection, the eight track sampler Apple Bite contains two brand new XTC songs. The first track is “Spiral,” a flighty dazzling jovial riff-crispy tribute to Partridge’s vinyl collection that recalls the band’s Oranges & Lemons period. The gentle and tender song “Say It” is just as exciting as “Spiral,” but its stimulation comes from the clever word play and soothing vocals. The remaining six tracks include the orchestral “Easter Theatre,” the jovial “Frivolous Tonight,” and the unnecessary “Stupidly Happy,” which will give new listeners a sweet sliver of what the Apple tastes like, but the devotees will have heard it all before.
