Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 332
Date: Friday, 11 March 1994
Chalkhills, Number 332
Friday, 11 March 1994
Today's Topics:
Re: Chalkhills #330
Extrovert
not woody allen
Little Express
Swindon
Did someone say TRANSCRIPTIONS? WHERE?
Re: Gunbunnies (Chalkhills #331)
Madisonian XTC fans
Re: Chalkhills #331
The Great Chalkhills Demographic Survey
Kinks influence
hi
Need Help Finding XTC-Related
fox talbot's gel
You Really Got Me
Griboulage???
Colin Moulding's latest projects
Fox Talbot
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Date: Wed, 9 Mar 94 11:13:58 PST
From: relph@presto.ig.com (John Relph)
Subject: Re: Chalkhills #330
Joe Caparula <72600.3713@compuserve.com> asks:
>
>The only question I'd like to throw out is: has anyone heard Martin Newell's
>disc "The Greatest Living Englishman," and, if so, do you think it is as
>wonderful as I do?
Yes, and yes. I also just picked up The Cleaners From Venus' _Golden
Cleaners_ compilation, and there are some wonderful songs on that
album as well. E-mail for ordering information.
And Wesley (Wes) Van Kilgore <trout@pinn.net> asks:
>
>What's the new side project of Andy Partridge. (I think it was released
>about a month ago). also Will we hear any more of the Dukes?
That's _The Greatest Living Englishman_, which Andy produced (but he
doesn't sing or write songs on it). Buy or die.
Remember, the Dukes were killed in a bizarre kitchen accident a few
years back. But we may hear from The Lemon Dukes, a related band that
does bubblegum music. Don't hold your breath, it'll make you blue!
-- John
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From: "Thomas V. DelRosario" <tomtom@glue.umd.edu>
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 16:01:10 -0500
Subject: Extrovert
At the end of #330 the song "Extrovert" is quoted as :
Instead of quiet and shy I'm really dying to flirt.
It is also listed that way in the lyrics that I got from the archives.
I always heard it as:
Instead of quiet and shy, I'm really dying to blurt out:
I feel like someone else . . .
This way segues into the chorus much better.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 9 Mar 94 17:02:38 PST From: Jon Drukman <jdrukman@us.oracle.com> Subject: not woody allen >Gene "That is the most obscene abomination of a song that I- I- I- > That is trash, that is dirt, that is silt-- > What possessed you to write such a disgusting, degeneratized > song as that? > And I'm complimenting you by considering it a song." > --Woody Allen, or just an impersonator? this should be a FAQ or something... it's not woody. andy was in new york and he taped this show off the radio. the DJ played "go fuck yourself with your atom bomb." this aggrieved guy with a voice very similar to woody's phoned in to complain. andy liked the complaint so much that he used it on the Dukes EP. also, if you play the little burst of gibberish at the very end of "Mole from the Ministry" backwards and slowed down, it says "go fuck yourself with your atom bomb." Jon Drukman jdrukman%dlsun87@oracle.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence. [ It IS in the FAQ. -- John ]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: m.mccormick2@genie.geis.com Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 06:55:00 BST Subject: Little Express Okay, I assume everybody has their Winter '94 issue of Little Express by now. Whaddya think? First of all, it was great to see our very own Dean Zemel and Steve Reule showing their mugs (pg. 6). And I must say, looking very dapper in their new XTC shirts! Second, all the stuff most of us have heard already about Andy's divorce and move to NYC, and his appearance their with the Aimee & Dave show. The XTC song in the next Carmen Sandiego CD was news to me, though. I guess I can pretend I'm buying it for my five year old! Third, a great A.P. interview wherein he most heartily confirms the big Kinks influence among other things. Plus all the usual great reviews, convention coverage, letters, etc. Many thanks again to our Little Express friends!.... Mike
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From: jtl@mcs.com (Joe Lynn)
Subject: Swindon
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 07:43:35 -0600 (CST)
Steve Moore wrote:
> ...
> It's a Victorian industrial town originally based around the railway
> depot. When that closed, the town went into decline and has since
> re-invented itself as one of England's technology capitals.
> Basically, it's a boring medium-sized town that's seen better days
> (apologies to any *real* Swindonians on the net!).
As a side note, doesn't EMI have a huge CD manufacturing plant there?
Gene (Sp00n) Yoon said:
> Gene "That is the most obscene abomination of a song that I- I- I-
> That is trash, that is dirt, that is silt--
^^^^^^^
"filth"
jtl
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 8:35:21 -0600 (CST)
From: VOORHEES@nsula.edu
Subject: Did someone say TRANSCRIPTIONS? WHERE?
"Wile E. Coyote" <BBHULSEY@life.uams.edu> sez:
>It wasn't until much later, when I saw a book of
>transcriptions of XTC stuff a college roommate brought back from London, that
>I saw how horribly wrong I'd been about some of the chords. And wonderfully
>twisted, odd chords they were, too. I remember there being some sort of
>forward to the book from Mr. Partridge himself talking about how most books
>you get with guitar notation (those goofy little box diagrams with dots where
>you're supposed to put your fingers) in them were done by piano players but
>that this particular book contained diagrams of the actual chords used.
AIGHHH! Where is this book?!? It was the search for official XTC sheet music
that got me on this list in the first place. You must help me. Someone.
_Anyone_! If this book is not just a pipe dream I _need_ it! :)
Oh, and also...
stacy@trc.com (Robert Stacy) asks the eternal question:
>* Anyone else nearly swallow their own larynx crooning along with
> "Melt the Guns"?
What do you mean "nearly"? That's why I type. :)
"Take the guns and (read these quotes "Melt them melt them melt them
maaaaahhhlt them" simultaneously) DOWWWWWWWWWWN"
"(indecipherable yodeling involving the word "melt")"
T H A N X M U C H L Y
* * * * * * * * * * * *
John Voorhees Owner/Operator
VOORHEES@nsula.edu Crustula Records
Rt. 6, Box 416-F "A tasty treat
Natchitoches, LA 71457 for your stereo"
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: mjm@cis.ufl.edu Subject: Re: Gunbunnies (Chalkhills #331) Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 10:53:00 EST > From: "Wile E. Coyote" <BBHULSEY@life.uams.edu> > Subject: Intro/XTC 'Simple' > > By way of introduction, my name is Bruce Hulsey. I'm 29 and currently a > systems analyst for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I am > also a musician, having played guitar for about 15 years (and, boy are my > hands tired!) and bass guitar for about 10 years. I was the original bassist > for, and a founding member of, the Gunbunnies (anybody remember them? I > didn't think so!). Uh, actually, yeah, *I* remember them. So there. I picked up one album (on a whim, no one i knew had ever heard of it before), and i thought it was pretty great, particularly the first side. I can't remember the album's title, but the first side ends with a tune called "The Killing Frost", i believe (also has "Can i Follow You?"). You guys ever put out anything else? Fellow XTC fans might like it, it's pretty good melodic pop/rock.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 10:18 CDT From: Lisa Grueneberg <GRUENEBE@polisci.wisc.edu> Subject: Madisonian XTC fans >d.zemel@genie.geis.com wrote: > >Not much this time around but I couldn't help but note the impressive number >of Chalkhillians from Madison, Wisconsin which obviously makes it the >cultural mecca of the midwest, if not the entire country. I have been absolutely quiet on this list for the last two years, so I figured it was time for me to speak up! I'm a native Madisonian, and I've not left yet. Yes, it is indeed the cultural mecca of the midwest. I think it would be a great place for the next XTC convention too.... ;) I never did an introduction either, so I think I'll do a belated one: I was introduced to the music of XTC by a friend (also a fellow Chalkhillian) my senior year of high school. In the 4 years since, I've bought every released CD I could get my hands on. My favs are English Settlement, Skylarking, and Oranges and Lemons. However, a mood pops up once in a while where only Go 2 will do. thanks, Lisa +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Lisa Grueneberg -- DoIT * gruenebe@polisci.wisc.edu | | UW Political Science Department * gruenebe@wiscps.bitnet | | 313 North Hall, phone: 263-9428 * gruenebe@macc.wisc.edu | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: "Ken Strayhorn Jr." <kes@acpub.duke.edu> Subject: Re: Chalkhills #331 Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 11:29:37 -0500 (EST) Howdy gang, here's a few answers, love letters, advice, etc: <OLIVER@slais.ubc.ca) sez: > It's time for another poll. How about this: > What's the best Dave Gregory guitar solo? Hmm, not really a solo, but I really like the crunching, air-raid quality of the quitar work on "Across this Antheap" > BTW, where is everybody? This list is getting really quiet. Spring break, everybody but me is at the beach. and then our humble moderator "John Relph" <relph@presto.ig.com> sez: > I just picked up the new Mike Keneally album _Hat_, and I quote thusly > from the liner notes: <deletia of album liner peans to XTC> BTW, I ran down to the local independent record store and picked up Sam Phillips new album, the one that Colin helped out on. WHOA! Great stuff! I liked Sam to begin with, but I have become hooked on this album. You can *really* hear the Beatles and XTC on this, including the fact that there's a John Lennon cover tune. And, since you will never hear this on the radio, hopefully you have someone you can borrow it from to check it out. Sam is an acquired taste, but most folks I get to listen to her turn out to really like her stuff. T-Bone Burnette is her husband/producer. And then "Wile E. Coyote" <BBHULSEY@life.uams.edu> sez: > I must take exception to Kyle Skrinak's assertion that 'early XTC (prior to > English Settlement) is a piece of cake'. I remember trying to learn > 'Respectable Street' a few years back...I thought it was pretty > straightforward. It wasn't until much later, when I saw a book of > transcriptions of XTC stuff a college roommate brought back from London, that > I saw how horribly wrong I'd been about some of the chords. And wonderfully > twisted, odd chords they were, too. Not to mention the key/time shift in the *middle* of the guitar break on "Rocket from a bottle" on "Black Sea". First time I heard this I flipped. As Wile E mentioned, there is a ton of difficult guitar work on "Black Sea". Just try to repeat, bar after bar, the string bends on "Towers of London" and you'll see what I mean. Getting that precise pitch on the top of each bend, time after time, is quite a bit harder than most people think. Only Jeff Beck is the master of the bend. Karen <AP201155@brownvm.brown.edu> then sez: > And for the person who asked if The Beatles could have created a "You > Really Got Me," what about "I'm Down"? I think that comes close to the > excitement level of "YRGM" although I must admit NO ONE could have come > up with that guitar attack but Dave Davies. True, true, but Paul McCartney was never better as a vocalist than when he sang his version of "Long Tall Sally". WOW! Try imitating this some day and you will be hoarse for days, I gay-ron-tee it. I hear this in the wonderful vocals to "Melt the Guns". And, finally, Marshall Pierce sez: > Unfortunately, Colorado Springs has lost it's alternative radio station, > so I'm reduced to MTV and the local NPR station's free form program, which > is on during business hours - of course, for new music or snatches of good > music. Marshall, I feel your pain (or some other New Age twaddle) The only decent radio station in the NC Triangle area recently changed formats to country music (!) and we are left with college station that are too wrapped in their own coolness and/or commercial rock stations that play Boston and Led Zepplin incessantly. It's only thanks to lists like this that I find out about new music. I quit reading pubs like Rolling Stone *years* ago and gave up on MTV about 1982 or so. So, thanks to all for their suggestions and tips. Ken Strayhorn
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From: schrey@vfl.paramax.com
Subject: The Great Chalkhills Demographic Survey
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 17:02:09 -0500 (EST)
OK -- That's It!!
What with Dean claiming that Madison, Wisconsin is the XTC fan capital
of the U.S., and Steve complaining that he lives too close to Swindon,
I've had enough and I'm finally going to do this...
Although our diligent leader, John, still does the Chalkhills pseudo-
annual reader's poll of favorite songs, albums, other groups, etc.,
I'd like to collect a snapshot of the people who make up this
burgeoning forum. Please take the moment to fill out and send
my little survey back. When completing the survey, remember that
partial information is fine and all but one question (your pick)
is optional.
Waiting eagerly to correlate,
Tim
--
Timothy M. Schreyer schrey@vfl.paramax.com
Software Technology R&D (215) 648-2475
Unisys Government Systems Group FAX: (215) 648-2288
PO Box 517, Paoli, PA 19301
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THE GREAT CHALKHILLS DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY
March 10, 1994
1. What is your name, computer handle, what you prefer to be called, etc.?
2. How old are you (go for accuracy here if you think you might be the
oldest or youngest, otherwise, feel free to estimate:-)?
3. Are you male, or one of the supposedly few female Chalkhillians?
4. Where do you live? (Please only your home town, not your address!)
What's the closest city to where you live that anyone's heard of?
5. Where do you work, for who, and doing what?
6. What is your approximate distance from Swindon? (Use London if you like.)
(Some help:
New York-London ~= 3471 mi. San Francisco-London ~= 5367 mi.
Tokyo-London ~= 5954 mi. Rome-London ~= 890 mi. )
7. What is your approximate distance from a member of XTC (your pick)?
8. How long have you been listening to XTC? What was your first XTC
album/CD/tape? When did you hear your first XTC song and when?
Please return your however-much completed survey to
schrey@vfl.paramax.com
Stand up and be counted!
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[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 19:29:38 -0600 (CST) From: GOOSENMK@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu Subject: Kinks influence Thanks to the several people who have commented on my earlier post on the Kinks influence on XTC. I'm glad other people notice it. To clarify my position a bit, I didn't mean to imply that the Kinks were a GREATER influence on XTC than the Beatles (actually, I think they're about even) but that people (esp. the American press) had overlooked the Kinks as an XTC influence. I'd be a fool to argue that the Beatles weren't part of the XTC mix; as the person in the last Chalkhills said, XTC give you the biting satire of classic Ray Davies with the melodic gifts of the Beatles, i.e., the best of both worlds. And--not to start a flame war or anything, God forbid--does anyone else not care for the Dukes? As a loyal XTC fan, I bought all the Dukes' stuff but found it (aside from a certain amusement value) to be lacking. I much preferred straight-out XTC albums. Besides, the Dukes come from the period of XTC's career which I like the least (Mummer-Big Express-Skylarking), so I consider the Dukes to be part of that mini-slump in XTC-land. BTW, those aforementioned albums are all quite good; they suffer only in comparison to the albums which preceded and followed them... Later, Miles Goosens
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 19:42:03 -0600 (CST) From: Christopher G Kasic-2 <kasic001@maroon.tc.umn.edu> Subject: hi well, i've sat in the back row long enough. I'm a relatively new fan to xtc, and contrary to popular chalkhill conversation, my favorit album is skylarking, in all its overproduced glory. Funny enough, I was introduced to xtc via skylarking, and i absolutely couldn't stand it. It grew on me. As is the case with most of my favorite artists, I catch them somewhere in the middle (or later) and enjoy backfilling to their old stuff. English Settlement is definitely moving up the list after hearing all the comments here. I apologize if this is FAQ material, but I'm interested to know about the xtc /Dukes connection. They're my latest find via a in-tune friend, and I'm impressed. The Beatle-esque finally hit me after hearing PS and 25'O. Funny, that's what the folks on the crowded house list say about crowdies, too. BTW, I'm 26, transplanted to Moneyapolis from Ann Arbor, and finishing grad school. Just to compare w/ the list, other music faves include the above CH, Beautiful South/Housemartins, Johnny Clegg, the Waterboys, and 10000 Maniacs. Oh, and the Grapes of Wrath, too. I've mumbled too long already...) cheers, chris Graduate Student Dept. of Rhetoric University of Minnesota
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: sull0020@gold.tc.umn.edu Subject: Need Help Finding XTC-Related Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 06:36:44 -0600 (CST) If anyone can help me find any CDs by the Cleaners From Venus, the Brotherhood of Lizards, or Captain Sensible (before _The_Universe _of_Geoffrey_Brown_, particularly anything involving Robyn Hitchcock), I would greatly appreciate it. I can offer money, a _The_Naked_Shakespeare_ CD by Peter Blegvad (produced by Andy Partridge), and gratitude in return. Thanks. --Ira Rosenblatt (sull0020@gold.tc.umn.edu)
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 09:56:54 -0500 (cdt) From: "my world is spinning..." <LEACH@ac.grin.edu> (Arlo B Leach) Subject: fox talbot's gel hey, somebody asked about fox talbot's gel. somebody told me once, now let's see if i can remember: it's where the tail connects with the fox. but then somebody ELSE told me that fox talbot was one of the first guys (french i think) to make photographic film work. his very early photographic papers were called "gels". and when he put the gels in the right chemical, a picture would gradually appear. so i guess the joke is that this person is appearing everywhere, and when fox talbot developed his first picture, there she was. i'm so glad you asked, i LOVE "then she appeared". i first heard it last summer, and for a couple of weeks i listened to it over and over again, just sitting on my floor between the speakers with the sun shining in and soaking it in (the music AND the sun!). so now whenever i hear it, i feel that summer feeling. it sure helped me get through the winter! now, can someone tell me the symbolic significance (if any) of "tricolour and phrygian cap"? -arlo
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: mikem%uk.ac.brad.admin@bradford.ac.uk (Mike Mooney) Subject: You Really Got Me Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 11:21:25 gmt Sorry this isn't a direct XTC ref, but... Karen <AP201155@brownvm.brown.edu> wrote: >And for the person who asked if The Beatles could have created a "You >Really Got Me," what about "I'm Down"? I think that comes close to >the >excitement level of "YRGM" although I must admit NO ONE could have >come up with that guitar attack but Dave Davies. According to recieved wisdom, Jimmy Page played that solo (as - more controversially - he is alleged to have done on the Who's 'I Can't Explain', and about 60% of all British rock singles in the mid 60's). DD played on 'All Day and All of the Night' and all subsequent Kinks stuff though. Just for the record: my favourite XTC album is Skylarking (by a street) - how come people don't like Todd's production? I wish he'd do *all* their albums! And finally... Let's see some attempts at identifying the original band/record inspiring *each track* on the Dukes albums (some are much easier to spot than others...) Mike Mooney University of Bradford (UK)
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: d.zemel@genie.geis.com Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 02:43:00 BST Subject: Griboulage??? To Derek Miner (or anyone else): What is "Griboulage"? You mentioned this as one of the places where some of the unreleased Nonsuch-era demos have popped up? By the way, I'd be interested in an original Window Box or Jules Verne's Sketchbook if anyone has an extra! And a "Griboulage" too, I think...! Dean
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 06:53:37 PST From: Chris Cahill <ccahill@xis.xerox.com> Subject: Colin Moulding's latest projects Just in case you might have missed it, Colin Moulding most recently turned up on the new Sam Phillips cd -- "Martinis and Bikinis." For those of you are not familiar with Sam Phillips, she is a former christian rock (?) singer/songwriter that has converted (if that is the right term) to very compelling Beatle-esque pop. She is also married to songwriter/producer T Bone Burnett (who produced most of the album). Martinis is her third album, and is the most successful of three strong albums. "The Indescribable Wow" was her first, but I can't think of the title of her second album right now. The album features a large cast of supporting characters, including; Peter Buck, Van Dyke Parks, Marc Ribot and Benmont Tench. Colin Moulding is listed as one of the band members and his bass-lines are unmistakable. He also co- produced the song "Baby I Can't Please You" which sounds as if it had been lifted directly from Oranges and Lemons. A great track, and a fantastic album. cbc
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: 11 Mar 94 12:17:38 EST From: John.J.Pinto@dartmouth.edu (John J. Pinto) Subject: Fox Talbot William Henry Fox Talbot was an Englishman who claimed to have invented a photographic process using paper negatives. This discovery (1840?) was overshadowed by the simultaneous and independent discovery by Daguerre who found a process using highly polished, silver coated copper plates on which the latent image was developed using mercury vapour. A process that proved deadly for photographers. Daguerre's images had a remakable definition that made them breathtakingly beautiful. Magic mirrors in the truest sense of the word. Talbot's system allowed multiple prints to be made but his process required relatively bright sun and the images were somewhat indistinct when compared to Daguerre's. His early experiments were limited to contact "Sunprints" that were very unstable and fleeting requiring that the prints be viewed by candlelight. What made Talbot interesting beyond his discovery was his vision. He was "to the Manor born" with many of his images taken in and around his estate. Their "softness" makes them appear somewhat dreamlike. On viewing them it is very easy to see how Mr Partridge would find in them a wonderful window to a lost time.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Please send your postings directly to: <chalkhills@chalkhills.org> For all administrative issues, such as change of address, withdrawal from the list, fan club addresses, discography requests (last update 3 March), back issues, FAQ list, etc., send a message to the following address: <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> The Chalkhills archives are available at "http://chalkhills.org/". The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. I'd miss the sight of all the honey strolling by.
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