XTC's Andy Partridge Picks His Top Ten Songs

As told to Smash Hits Magazine for their Sept 20-Oct 3, 1979 issue ( via Like Punk Never Happened)

Andy made this list as XTC was promoting Drums and Wires.

1.The Who: Happy Jack-For the bit at the end when one of them says " I saw ya".
2. Desmond Dekker 007 (Shantytown) -I spent hours trying to work out the words to this around the youth club. Ah! memories...that's the week I stole my first guitar.
3. Danny Kaye: Mommy, Get Me A Drink Of Water-I used to have a nightmare when I was little that an airplane was flying around my room. So, it seems, did Danny Kaye.Mommy...get me a drink of Storyyyy!
4. The Beatles: Hello, Goodbye-The start of this song exhilarates me...aural Tizer.
5. Can: Babylonian Pearl-I believe that Mu existed. This song has a rude texture, twitches great. Read about Mu.
6. U Roy: Natty Rebel-Jump it up, skip it up.Rock it on over, skip it on over.yaaaaay.  Step it, step it ( Are you alright, Andy --ed.)
7. John Martyn: Solid Air-Ssssh...listen. Cut the air.
8. Philip Glass: River Run-If snowfall was orchestrated it would sound like this. That beautiful world when  you're half awake, half asleep
9. The Ramones: Blitzkrieg Bop-Hey ho, let's go.
10. Everyone: Everything That I've Liked-I have no favourite top ten. Don't ask me about this list as I already like ten different ones. All you need is love. Optimism, optimism.

Listen to the way "Babylonian Pearl" starts. It seems to point XTC in the direction they were heading with the forthcoming Black Sea and English Settlement.