We Love the Beatles: "Brainiac's Daughter" by the Dukes of Stratosphear

Photo by Gabriel Moulin of the Court of Pacifica at the San Francisco World Fair, 1940

I think you can make the argument that Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding of XTC understand the British Invasion and UK psychedelia better than anyone. For evidence, you don't have to look any further than 25 O'Clock and Psionic Psunspot, the recordings they made under the name Dukes of Stratosphear. These releases were composed primarily of songs that the XTC boys deemed to be too derivative to be released under the band's name, but the Dukes' songs taken all together (as on the collection Chips of the Chocolate Fireball) reveal an intimate knowledge of the songwriting and production of '60s psych-rock. They pull off impressive rip-offs of Pink Floyd, the Hollies, the Yardbirds, the Move, Manfred Mann, and even some non-UK bands like Love and the Beach Boys. And even though the songs were treated as cast-offs by the band, they represent some of XTC's best work. I think XTC understands this, as they have just released deluxe versions of both 25 O'Clock and Psionic Psunspot.

The Dukes' recordings include a lot of "We Love the Beatles" material - in fact, you could argue that each of the Beatles is represented in the Dukes oeuvre. "The Mole from the Ministry" is the Lennon song - it's a sludgy, dark "I Am the Walrus" remake. George Harrison can be found in Moulding's "Shiny Cage", with its Revolver-esque Eastern touches and guitar solo. And there's at least a little corny Ringo in the pub-psych "You're a Good Man Albert Brown", mixed with a Kinks delivery and a loping tempo taken from the Small Faces' "The Universal". And then there's "Brainiac's Daughter", the Paul song.

One of the great things about the Dukes is that they are so obviously homages to XTC's favorites, but they are still very XTC. There's nothing really McCartney in the lyric to "Brainiac's Daughter" - that is all Partridge's comic-book obsession. But with its references to Superman, his nemesis Brainiac, the Daily Planet, and the Bottled City of Kandor, it's a great topic for a psych-rock song, and they've paired the lyric with a melody and arrangement that is pure "Yellow Submarine"-era McCartney, down to the bubbling sound effects on the bridge. The little-girl spoken intro is actually derived from Traffic's early single "A Hole in My Shoe", but the rest of the arrangement has the key elements of McCartney psych-pop.

Partridge said, "Banana fingers piano, descending chord changes, falsetto vocals, nonsensical lyrics . . . it's got the lot! We tried to make a McCartney psychedelic soup." The proof of the Beatles love is in the caring recreation of the sound, especially the bass sound and melodic borrowing, which never rises to the level of all-out theft. If you love the Beatles and haven't heard the Dukes, track down the new re-releases or Chips from the Chocolate Fireball ASAP.

"Brainiac's Daughter" by the Dukes of Stratosphear