Andy Partridge My Failed Songwriting Career: Volume Two 12" Vinyl EP

My Failed Songwriting Career - Volume Two presents four more gems resulting from Andy Partridge's post-XTC period as a songwriter for hire writing for other artists.

Containing four songs of love, longing and partnership - and if a song called "Seesaw" doesn't instantly appear to match that formula - think about it; like a tango, it's an activity that requires a partner. Songwriting by comparison can be done solo, in duos, or even greater numbers, but for Andy Partridge it's always been a solitary activity - giving him the space to conjure up characters, scenarios and to inhabit almost any style he wishes - while keeping one foot firmly in his beloved world of POP...

As with Volume One, these four songs were originally written with other performers in mind giving the writer even greater flexibility at the point of composition and, as with the first EP, Andy isn't saying who those performers were. However, as the songs have now been reclaimed and fine tuned to a Partridge sensibility, it's unlikely they sound similar to any interpretation or arrangement that other singers would have used.

So, for now at least, here are the definitive, composer authorized recordings of "Seesaw" et al. Who knows, perhaps with greater availability, other artists may wish to record one or more of these (or songs from the first or future planned volumes). Good songs welcome many interpretations.

My Failed Songwriting Career could easily be the roots of a new 21st Century XTC release. It has a raw beauty that recalls moments across XTC's many classic albums, from Nonsuch to Wasp Star and even on to the beloved Dukes of Stratosphear recordings (25 O'Clock, Psonic Psunspot).