"Making Plans for Nigel" is XTC's first English Top 20 hit and both it and the underground gem "Helicopter" introduce America's alternative pop fans to the band. Says Melody Maker: "XTC has broken cover and broken ground." New Music Express insists that the band's music "demands new adjectives." Andy: "Twang! Barry goes, Dave comes and the band is reborn. We revel in electric guitars, voodoo tom toms and the discovery of our song-writing muscle (which is becoming delightfully erect)." Andy: "Suddenly we were a three piece. The song-writing was starting to get half decent and we were revelling in two wiry sounding guitars, twanging bass and voodoo tom-toms." Originally released on 17 August 1979 in the U.K. Reached No. 34 on the U.K. album chart. Reached No. 176 on the Billboard album chart in the U.S.A.