A-Side: Ball And Chain
B-Side: Punch And Judy | Heaven Is Paved With Broken Glass

Record label: Virgin Records VS 482
Producer: Hugh Padgham

Released: 19/03/82
Purchased: 14/04/82

• Colin Moulding (lead and backing vocals, fretless bass
• Andy Partridge (electric guitar, synthesizers, lead and backing vocals)
• Dave Gregory (electric 6 and 12-string guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals)
• Terry Chambers (drums and percussion, backing vocals)
• Hugh Padgham (vocal support)

XTC | Ball And Chain (Virgin) 1982 | I’ll admit I was surprised by the success of the comparatively complex ‘Senses’, and this un’s a complete departure yet again – a Sgt. Peppery singalonga chant that gives Colin Moulding his go on vocals (and songwriting).

Simpler hook, more basic all round, but features a delightful understated synthy bit, loving loping drumbeat and much warmth. It soon grows on the brain like a friendly fungus – specially if enhanced by excellent new OTT-debuted video.

One has a fondness for this lot rather like one does for one’s oldest bestest teddy bear. (Sounds, 20/03/82)

There seems to be a severe danger right now of XTC becoming socially acceptable. Right, lets put a stop to that straight away. Here they express concern for our environment, but the music is the same as it’s always been – clever, beaty and rigid and utterly devoid of warmth, grace, style, beauty or real humanity.

Hollow. This is not a personal vendetta – you tell me they’re nice blokes and I’ll believe you. The record stinks. (Record Mirror, 20/03/82)

XTC undergo a brief seizure by one of these social THEMES. “Don’t want demolition, Don’t want your compensation, / It’s not just bricks and mortar, We are lambs to slaughter.”

This one’s penned by mouldy Moulding rather than perky Partridge, and guess what but it’s just a rewrite of “Sergeant Rock”. Not that Andy P doesn’t get his way with the EP’s remaining three ditties – “Heaven Is Paved With Broken Glass”, “Punch And Judy”, and “Cockpit Dance Mixture”, all of them well-crafted, witty, and above all knowing, sung with that tireless drudgery we’ve come to know and detest so well. (NME, 20/03/82)