Part of my fondness for XTC is nostalgic coincidence.

The time when I first started listening to them heavily was also near the time I took my first international trip.

It was to England. The trip was wonderful; filled with the kind of eye-opening sites and places that really made you excited about the world. That world was filled with opportunities for me if I'd just plan for them in the future, and the sky would be the limit.

Even with the dark thread through all of the music, I connected it with the days of pure unrestrained pleasure of the second real vacation I'd ever taken. I guess it was more about the catchy pop melodies than the real substance of the songs.

Or maybe it's just that I listened to it incessantly before and after the trip.

And even now, as I've embraced and enjoyed the music with a greater understanding of much of it, I still can't help but be taken back to that more optimistic time.

I don't believe in anything I really thought then, and in fact I reject most of it totally now, but it's nice to at least have a reminder of those feelings once in a while.