Complicated Game: Inside The Songs Of XTC

Complicated Game offers a unique insight into the work of one of Britain's most original and influential songwriters--Andy Partridge. 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, the book explores in detail some thirty XTC songs--including well-known singles such as 'Senses Working Overtime' and the controversial 'Dear God'--from throughout the group's thirty-year career. It casts new light on the writing of lyrics, the construction of melodies and arrangements, the process of recording, and the workings of the music industry. But it is also filled with anecdotes about Partridge, his XTC bandmates, and their adventures around the world, all told with the songwriter's legendary humor.