XTC's sixth album, Mummer was another turning point for the band as it marked their first release as a studio only band. Evolving from the brash, post-punk/pop of their first two albums White Music and Go2 into one of the most highly regarded of British bands of the era via a trio of essential albums - Drums And Wires, Black Sea, English Settlement - which showcased the increasing versatility of both band and the twin songwriters, Andy Partridge & Colin Moulding. But even the comparatively quieter/more considered English Settlement was very much an album of songs written with one ear for the studio and another for how they would work live. Mummer was different. Freed from the constraints of 'the road' this was XTC in widescreen - experimenting with songs, arrangements and the expanded sonic palette that studios can provide when there is no afterthought as to how to reproduce the material in a variety of theatres, university halls and other venues few, if any, of which were built with rock groups in mind. And, just as the Mummers' plays involve people travelling from place to place in a village enacting tales of the cycle of life (albeit in disguise), XTC travelled the best of the UK's studios recording, mixing and re-mixing their songs cycle to exacting standards. Released as the follow-up to their most successful UK album to date and with a new record label in America, band and record company hopes were high - three of the album's first four songs were issued as singles - but were to remain unfulfilled. Fans loved it, the press was positive but radio was changing, especially in the UK, and with no touring it failed, as sometimes happens with bands adopting a new approach, to cross over to that wider audience. As also happens with such records, it's reputation (and sales) have, over the years, grown far greater than it's initial reception indicated and it can now be seen, in retrospect, to have been an important first step towards the sort of expansive approach to writing and recording that would yield much greater commercial results later in the same decade with Skylarking and the albums that followed. Unavailable for decades on LP and with it's original, but never used, sleeve art restored, Mummer becomes the eleventh XTC studio album to be reissued on high grade audiophile 200gm vinyl. Album artwork restored to Andy Partridge's originally intended cover. The album has been mastered by Jason Mitchell at LOUD mastering with input from Andy Partridge and is fully approved by XTC.
Release date:
May 13, 2022
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Cartridges - Top Picks
A selection of turnatble cartridges that provide great performance and sound quality
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
The Hives The Hives Forever Forever The Hives
Play It Again Sam
August 29, 2025 -
Newton Faulkner OCTOPUS (White)
Cooking Vinyl
September 19, 2025 -
Guerilla Toss You're Weird Now (Yellow)
Sub Pop
September 12, 2025 -
Margo Price Hard Headed Woman
Loma Vista Recordings
August 29, 2025 -
Hanging Hearts Where's Your Head at
Ropeadope
July 11, 2025 -
Natalia Lafourcade Cancionera [2xLP]
Sony U.s. Latin
July 11, 2025 -
Deey & Leo Iwamura Lovers
Hungry Records
July 4, 2025 -
Craig David Commitment [2xLP]
Believe Recordings
August 8, 2025 -
Hayes Carll We're Only Human
Hwy 87 Records
August 8, 2025 -
Kesha . (Amazon Exclusive; Bend Over Baby Blue)
Kesha Records
July 4, 2025 -
Clipse Let God Sort Em' Out
Roc Nation
July 11, 2025 -
Lightheaded Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming! (Spring Green)
Slumberland Records
June 27, 2025 -
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard King Gizzard (Live In Los Angeles '24; Splatter) [4xLP]
Reverberation Appreciation Soc
June 27, 2025 -
Frankie Cosmos Different Talking (Red)
Sub Pop
June 27, 2025