Chalkhills, Number 302

                 Monday, 15 November 1993
Today's Topics:
        More on Explode Together [Chalkhills #301]
       _Greatest Living Englishman_ US availability
                   I think I've got it
                   Re: Chalkhills #301
                       Introduction
                          (none)
                         goldmine
                   Re: Chalkhills #301
              Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down
                    ask andy questions

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Date: Fri, 12 Nov 93 15:49:06 EST
From: robertk@lotatg.lotus.com (Robert Krajewski)
Subject: More on Explode Together [Chalkhills #301]

Oh yeah, there's another connection between XTC
and dub as well -- I should have mentioned Meat
Beat Manifesto as another heavily dub-influenced
group. MBM actually started as a diversion from
the Perennial Divide, for whom Andy Partridge did
some production work.

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Subject: _Greatest Living Englishman_ US availability
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 93 14:59:09 CST
From: Vince Layton <vince@austin.ibm.com>

I spoke with my local indy record store about getting this cd.
They had ordered some copies but hadn't received them yet. The
person I spoke with said that if the cd is on a label that has
US distribution, they may be unable to get them. Make of this what
you will.

Vince Layton
vince@austin.ibm.com

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Date: Fri, 12 Nov 93 17:43:34 EST
From: Jeff Rosedale <rosedale@columbia.edu>
Subject: I think I've got it

OK, there it is.  You've laid it out for me in plain English.  If you
like (or even love) Go + and Lure of Salvage/Take Away, re-released on
CD as "Explode Together"- or even any part of it- you're hopelessly
addicted.  I think.

I loved Kyle's quote about "going spastic" over The Rotary.  There's
something wrong with the music on those deconstructions, but it's a
mind-blowing blast to listen to them!  I remember drowning out an
offensively loud player of Linda Rhondstat's Blue Bayou (retch) with
The Rotary at top volume.  Work away Tokyo Day is a brillian twist on
the original Day in Day out, and the only thing the album makes me mad
about is I want to hear the original Refrigerator Blues (smashed and
rechristened Commerciality).

This music is... challenging!

I saw a Deadhead cringe when I tried to play him Mr. Partridge tracks.
I was sort of disappointed, hoping all those drugs had helped open his
mind, but he told me "that isn't music".  Perhaps it was a cynicalk
marketing device to label the whole compilation as the work of XTC- the
Lure of Salvage/Take Away LP was attributed to Mr. Partridge (and stuck
with one of those "don't pay more than 6.99 for this album" stickers),
which was a more honest approach to what the product represents.

Tell me you didn't smile the first time you heard Dictionary of Modern
Marriage.  I love this stuff because it's a combination of interesting
noises and a stronc indication that it wasn't being taken so tragically
seriously.  This is no small thing and represents a great departure
>from punk and post-punk balladeers like Morrissey.  We need some new
chords to sweep it all clean.

How do people feel about other remakes like Cockpit Dance Mixture?

                                                        --Jeff

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From: andyh@cogs.susx.ac.uk (Andy Holyer)
Subject: Re: Chalkhills #301
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 93 0:50:00 GMT

Recently, <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> said:
>
> Date: Wed, 10 Nov 93 11:13:26 PST
> From: david.duran@supermac.com (david duran)
> Subject: Re: Where to find Martin Newell
>
> > I picked up the "Greatest Living Englishman" CD yesterday, with the
> > limited edition (and hilarious!) live poetry CD. The sound/feel of
> > the album itself is _very_ Andy/Dukes. You can tell it was recorded
> > on Andy's 8-track digital in the shed at the bottom of the garden.
> > The whole feel of the thing is a state-of-the-art "demo". And I
> > mean that kindly. All I can say to Chalkhillians is: BUY THIS!
> >
> > And the CD sleeve says: "Featuring the new, improved Andy
> > Partridge". According to the notes, Andy does one guitar solo and
> > almost all drums/percussion, and some keyboard.
>
> OK great, now does anyone know where I can find this CD? I went to my
> local Tower Records and they told me they did not have it and it was
> only available on cassette tape.  Being very skeptical of this (:-/)
> I called Tower's 800 number in New York.  They could not get if for
> me either.  So how about a record label and ID or a cd store
> recommendation in the bay area? Anyone?

And also....

> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 93 14:16:36 PST
> From: "John Relph" <relph@presto.ig.com>
> Subject: Re: Martin Newell
>
> Toby Howard <toby@cs.man.ac.uk> writes:
> >
> >I picked up the "Greatest Living Englishman" CD yesterday, with the limited
> >edition (and hilarious!) live poetry CD. The sound/feel of the album itself
> >is _very_ Andy/Dukes. You can tell it was recorded on Andy's 8-track
> >digital in the shed at the bottom of the garden. The whole feel of the
> >thing is a state-of-the-art "demo". And I mean that kindly. All I can say
> >to Chalkhillians is: BUY THIS!
>
> I want this CD and I can't find it anywhere!  If you can find this
> (double) CD for me, I will trade you for something.  Let me know what
> this something should be.
>
I owe Martin a  phone call. The  last time I  saw him, he  said the US
release should have been out about a month ago. I'll try and find a US
catalogue number in the  next couple of days.  In the meantime, the UK
release is Humbug Records BAH10X, and Humbug are P.O. Box 2903, London
N1 3NE, UK (I have the dysk in front of me as I write. I feel strongly
that Humbug are the same as Tangerine who did the recent (dead spiffy)
Cleaners from Venus comilation, too.
Humbug ask for  an SAE (I  presume this  also  includes  an IRC) for a
catalogue.

Oh,  and I'm almost  sure that it was my   ex-lodger who recorded  the
poetry CD :-)

-&.

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Date: 12 Nov 1993 21:39:04 -0500 (EST)
From: WWWGPYA@grove.iup.edu
Subject: Introduction
Organization: Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Hi folks,

        Just thought I'd introduce myself and give a bit of background.
I first discovered XTC on a late night video show hosted by Twiggy,
I think it was called "Jukebox," in 1981 here in U.S.  The video was
"Making Plans for Nigel" and it blew me away as something so different
and counter to what I was being force fed on top-40 radio.  Since then
XTC has been my favorite band and has never ceased to entertain and
surprise me.
        From 1985-1990 I hosted a college radio show at Millersville
University of Pennsylvania so if anyone was wandering the farmlands
of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and happened upon an XTC song on the
radio, it was probably me behind the booth!
        Other bands I enjoy are Pere Ubu, Loud Family/Game Theory,
Kate Bush, R.E.M., and Leonard Cohen.
        On a quick note, it's taken me a decade (I was seventeen when
I bought it on vinyl) but I've grown to appreciate "Take Away/
The Lure of Salvage," now titled "Explode Together" (with the "Go+"
ep) on cd, as a sublime exploration of noise, rhythm and technology.
        Well, I don't want to babble on.  I've been enjoying the
replies thus far and look forward to actively participating in these
discussions.
        Keep on keepin' on.

        -Mr. Ed

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Date: Sat, 13 Nov 93 12:36:05 EST
From: mcjenkin <mcjenkin@taos.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: goldmine

chalkhillians interested in the "greatest living englishman" double
disc package w/poetry should probably pick up the latest issue of
goldmine (a record collectors magazine.)  @ least 1 mailorder
retailer offered this.  Also, there were a couple of places
advertising the "Dear God" maxi-single which i know a few of us are
looking for...

Kate.

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Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 11:21:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: The Eradicator!!! <MELINDA@delphi.com>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills #301

Kyle sez about Lure of Salvage/Take Away:

> It's not a technological marvel, nor is it throw-away whim. It's one
> of the best things they (Andy?) has ever produced! It's not pop, it's
> a sideways look at pop. So, if you're looking for pop here, well then,
> YOU JUST DON'T GET IT! It's a deconstructionist way to look at pop.

When I first got this album I was about 16, and I don't think I really
understood it.  I thought "Another 1950" was pretty interesting, but
the rest of it was over my head.  When I was in college, a friend made
me a tape that had "Dictionary of Modern Marriage" and "Dance With Me
Germany", which I'd not heard before, and those really made me go back
and listen to _Lure_of_Salvage_.  The songs those two are taken from
are more obvious than some of the ones on _LofS_, so I was intrigued
to try and figure the others out. I still don't listen to it all the
way through very often, but I enjoy it quite a lot mixed in with other
things.

> Besides, Rotary is a hilarious song! It makes me go spastic!

It makes me go spastic too.  Here in New England there are these
traffic circles all over the place and they all have these giant
black-and-white signs that say ROTARY on them, so my sister and I
are always forced to break into song when we go by them.

"Cairo" also makes me go spastic.  The mental images I get from this
song are so bizarre...those weird sound effects...

Melinda

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From: "Thomas V. DelRosario" <tomtom@glue.umd.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1993 13:33:21 -0500
Subject: Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down

Question number nine in the FAQ file asks, "Are the albums
'Waxworks' and 'Beeswax' available on CD.  The reply is that all
of the tracks are available on CD except for "Hang on to the
Night" and the original version of "Heaven is Paved With Broken
Glass."  Where is the track "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down available.
I have not seen it anywhere.  If anyone can help, please reply.

Thanks

Tom

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From: valerianne@aol.com
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 93 23:48:05 EST
Subject: ask andy questions

hey there.

i'm a music journalist in nyc, and i have the opportunity to have lunch with
and interview andy partridge later this week (11/17, i believe). xtc are in
town recording a track for a "where in the world is carmen sandiego" kids
album.

anyway, i was wondering if anyone had any questions for him that they're
dying to have answered. i promise to print all electronic queries and let him
have a go at them.

thanks.
valerie
(valerianne@aol.com)

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