XTC - Skylarking

Skylarking was produced by Todd Rundgren, the American musician and producer known for his work with Utopia and his solo catalog. The production sessions at Rundgren's studio in Woodstock, New York were famously contentious between Rundgren and XTC's Andy Partridge, yet resulted in what many consider the band's masterpiece.

Skylarking was released in 1986, not in 1978 as sometimes misattributed. The album was recorded during a productive period for XTC that also included their Dukes of Stratosphear side project, and it represents a high point of their psychedelic-inflected art-pop sound.

Yes, Dear God is one of the most well-known tracks associated with Skylarking, though it was originally released as a B-side rather than a main album track. The song's provocative questioning of religion generated significant controversy and airplay on American college radio, eventually leading to its inclusion on later pressings of the album.

Skylarking is a cohesive blend of art-pop, psychedelic pop, and pastoral English pop with layered instrumentation and sophisticated melodic arrangements. The album's song-cycle structure and lush production give it a warmer, more organic feel than the band's earlier new-wave-influenced records like Drums and Wires (1979).