Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 393
Date: Tuesday, 15 November 1994
Chalkhills Digest, Number 393
Tuesday, 15 November 1994
Today's Topics:
King Crimson
Re: Seasons in the Sun
xtc's "drums and wireless
Oingo Boing & "boycott"
Where to buy Drums and Wireless?
Rarities CD and "Londonium"
Re: What to Collect NOW?
Re: Chalkhills Digest #392
I had a sandwich, it was good, thank you
Re: Chalkhills Digest # 392
mermaids . . .
The small things
Random questions and comments...
Some Reactions
Thomas Dolby
Re: Chalkhills Digest #392
Re: Chalkhills Digest #392
XTC for Christmas
Boycotts and Popularity
_Reverse_ boycott
Re: Chalkhills Digest #392
Re: "But it's never been as hot as this *f-ck*"
another fan climbing aboard
Administrivia:
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to:
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>
For all other administrative issues, send a message to:
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>
Chalkhills Archives not available using FTP.
World Wide Web home page: "http://chalkhills.org/"
The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
She grows tired, cab is hired, she goes round to see her friend
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 00:53:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Francis Owen McDonnell <fmcdonne@reed.edu>
Subject: King Crimson
I hate to take up the space with an out of context question, but I was
under the impression that Jerry Marrota was going to play with the new
incarnation of King Crimson?
I note another member from Portland, Or. has joined up. Glad to
know that I am not alone here! (hope I don't offend, Chris)
Speaking of Crimson, hows about a Fripp version of "Complicated
Game" or "Garden of Earthly Delights"?
Frank McDonnell
fmcdonne@reed.edu
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 10:36:07 +0100 From: d.flach@topos.ruu.nl (Dirk Paul Flach) Subject: Re: Seasons in the Sun To me, good music (as the music of XTC definitely is) doesn't remind me of seasons, but more of general things which were important at the time when I bought an album, or listened to it very often. This is why Nonsuch has a special place in my heart: it reminds me of my last 'workless' period, which I didn't like at the time, but becomes more special to me now I'm working... Dirk Paul PS - and to Benjamin Rubin: turn their records backwards... :)
------------------------------ From: "DELRUE STEPHAN" <CRS.DELRUE.S@alpha.ufsia.ac.be> Organization: University of Antwerp - UFSIA Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 16:15:44 +0100 Subject: xtc's "drums and wireless Hello, Can anyone give me the reference-number of the new album mentioned above. It doesn't seem to have been released in Belgium, so perhaps I can order it using import channels... Thanks! Stephane. Stephane Delrue. H. Conscience straat 28/8 3000 Leuven Belgium Tel.: (xx32) (16) 23.35.77. Office : University of Antwerp Prinsstraat 13 2000 Antwerpen Tel.: (xx32) (3) 220.43.49. CRS.DELRUE.S@alpha.ufsia.ac.be
------------------------------ From: "Phillips, Gary" <phillips@compex.com> Subject: Oingo Boing & "boycott" Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 09:23:00 est Various poster remarks about Oingo Boingo "...and it sounds like they're trying real hard to be XTC..." "...Andy Partridge could have built Danny Elfman in his garage..." Huh!? Flame Oingo Boingo all you like, they're certainly not everyone's cup of tea (neither is XTC). But this insinuation that Danny Elfman, in his heart of hearts, wants to be Andy Partridge is plain silly on the face of it. Ok, "Only a Lad" is thematically similar to "No Thugs..." but that's hardly proving the point. The concept of Andy or Colin screaming "Hey There Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!" at the end of a song is pretty funny. <Putting on sly grin> Besides, "Only a Lad" is a pretty old song (ca. 1980). Are you sure that Andy didn't lift the idea from Elfman...? The point is that XTC is certainly a better band than OB, IMHO. But if you want to use this forum to trash other bands, don't use some ludicrously thin tie back to the boys from Swindon to do it. And to the poster who said that he didn't have any albums by OB but he had heard singles (and then went on to trash the band)... Here is my definitive opinion on XTC, based on the fact that I've heard "Senses Working..." and "Dear God" several times, but none of their albums... In re boycott: IT WAS A JOKE! And if it wasn't intended as one it should at least be treated as one. As Audrey II said to Seymore "ah, come on, lighten up!" Gary B Phillips phillips@compex.com
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 10:28:55 EST From: SISSK@CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU Organization: Columbia University Administrative Information Services Subject: Where to buy Drums and Wireless? I've been seeing alot of talk about the "Drums and Wireless" cd. Is this a legitimate issue or a bootleg? Could someone tell me where to find this? Also, what are the Drunken Studio sessions? Are they available? Thanks in advance, Steven ======================================================================== Steven Z. Koplin, Senior Programmer.......................1.212.854.1346 Academic Information Systems..........................SISSK@CUVMC.BITNET Columbia University in New York City.........sissk@cuvmc.cc.columbia.edu ========================================================================
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 11:23:18 -0600 From: "Bird Rendell H." <rhb@usl.edu> Subject: Rarities CD and "Londonium" Chalkers-- #1) Does anyone else remember a vague listing in ICE which mentioned an XTC's Greatest Hits 2 CD set with one whole CD comprised of previously hard-to-find stuff? Am I merely losing my mind (again)? #2) I FINALLY found the Partridge-ian pun in the song "Towers of London". (*Yes, I am THAT dense, sometimes*). I thought the song was about mixing the blood of Irishmen with the greed of Englishmen and getting a new metal -> Londonium. What I had not realized (until recently) is that London was called Londonium by the Romans when they occupied all that part of Europe (? 1800+ years ago ?). "Well D'uh!" --Rendell the Duffus
------------------------------
From: William Carroll <wcarroll@encore.com>
Subject: Re: What to Collect NOW?
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 13:19:02 -0500 (EST)
> But other CDs I like lately? Blur's _Parklife_. Yes, I know. The
> Auteurs' _Now I'm a Cowboy_, The Cleaners From Venus' _Golden
> Cleaners_, Meat Puppets _Too High To Die_ (or _Forbidden Places), Talk
> Talk's _Laughing Stock_, My Bloody Valentine's _Loveless_ (power and
> beauty). The list goes on and on, and if you want more, send me
> e-mail.
What about Robert Wegmann? He was mentioned some time ago and lately
I've been debating whether I should write off for "Down to the Sea
in Ships".
I've also considered "The Greatest Living Englishman", but of course
haven't seen it in any stores. And haven't taken the time to order it
>From anywhere.
I haven't heard anything from either of these, but my curiousity is
gradually chewing on me.
--
William R. Carroll wcarroll@encore.com
Have an out of car experience. Walk and bike, feel the wind,
meet friends, see wildlife, and be part of nature.
Cycling in South FL? CycleMobility can help. cycle@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 13:08:55 -0500 (EST) From: Tobin Leo Munsat <tobin@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #392 Does anyone know about a band called "Pooka"? A customer in the record store yesterday mentioned that he thought that XTC played on their album. Mind you, I have no idea if this is true or not, but does anyone else know? -Tobin.
------------------------------ From: KyleSk@aol.com Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 14:57:25 -0500 Subject: I had a sandwich, it was good, thank you Here's some covers I'd like to hear: Kenny Rogers:........"Earn Enough For Us" Dwight Yokum:........"Love On a Farmboys..." (country people seem to dig that poverty motif) Frank Sinatra:......."The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" The Shags: anything off the first album (now that I'd buy...) Abba:................"Season's Cycle" Michael Bolton or Billy Joel:......."Yacht Dance" (with a 60's sound, natch) The Association:....."Peter Pumpkinhead" Bette Midler or Tommy Tune:......."Scissor Man" Four None Blonds or Slim Whitman:...."Gonna Take This Town" (instead of the whistling melody part, the lead singer could yodel that melody) Of course, we should boycott ALL these singers until they pay such a tribute. Kyle
------------------------------
From: REXzGROOVI@aol.com
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 15:12:31 -0500
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest # 392
Greetings all :-}
This is my first offical posting, but i'm sure thier will be many
more........ I have an idea for a different type of cover songs cd.
call it "XTC IN ALL OF WE " a 2 cd set with XTC doing covers of songs and
those respective bands doing XTC covers ... not too novel but would sell alot
i'm sure........... my choices?
SONG BAND SONG
President gas Psych furs Great fire
End of world as we know it REM Dear God
Snoball Devo Snowman
Still in hollywood Concrete blonde statue of liberty
Long hair guys from eng. Too much joy no thugs
One step beyond Madness Funk pop a roll
Jeremy Pearl jam Crocodile
skidmarks on my heart Go Go's Senses working OT
O' superman L.Anderson Human Alchemy
99.9 * Susan Vega Grass
Sam Meat Puppets All you pretty G's
Cars Gary Numan Nigel
It's not unusual Tom Jones Love farmboy wages
Rock lobster B52's Mayor of Simpleton
Dirty deads done dirt cheap ACDC Fly on the wall
i decided to stop at 15 but would love to see others idea's or
comments..I've been a XTC fan ever since i heard "heavens paved with broken
glass" on local college radio..been quite attached since then...I'm quite
sure that i own at least 97 % (if not more) of all of thier recordings...
Extensive vinyl collection and vast cd collection....I also work as
buyer/manager for music store i do what i can for self promotion....... I
agree about new BLUR cd great stuff i also am fond of Weezer BadReligion
Judybats... buy buy buy....... Haven't gotten latest Little express but
allways slow here in the states...I've met some of my best friends via xtc
type gatherings....lets hope it continuees...... Love Peace & Coconuts - Rex
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 15:11:02 EST
From: Ayanna Gaines <AYANNA@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU>
Subject: mermaids . . .
two things, fellow chalkers:
1) does anyone else besides me find "mermaid smiled" a divine, scintilla-
ting little song? my original copy of _skylarking_ was taped from a
friend, and had that piece on it. badly copied, i'm sad to say, which
is why i've not listened to it in a while. and, of course, the u.s.
cd i bought has the deity's favorite piece (incidentally, i truly
offended a presbyterian friend of mine by playing that song for her).
2) is "mermaid" on any other disc besides whatever version of _skylarking_
it was on? probably _rag and bone_, but i haven't been actively search-
ing for it lately.
-- ayanna
------------------------------ From: CurtissH@aol.com Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 17:39:48 -0500 Subject: The small things Greetings all! Some of the keenest things about XTC songs are the small things. Has anyone ever noticed how Andy's vocals on Scissors Man become very slurred at a couple of points (this holds for both versions, as I recall), till he gets to the line "Maybe you are in his book of names"? At this point, you'd not know that's what he's singing without a lyric sheet. Then, suddenly, to drive the point home, he repeats the line with startling clarity, enunciating each word precisely, so there's no doubt what's being said. Am I the only one who thinks this is almost unbearably clever? Does anyone else have any examples? Curtiss Hammock, Atlanta, GA, USA
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 19:09:40 -0800 (PST) From: Anshuman Duneja <amduneja@ucdavis.edu> Subject: Random questions and comments... I need help locating an XTC song and I hopw someone might know anything of what I'm tlaking about...and I'm sure it's a popular song of theirs but I'm still a relatively new XTC fan (2 years)...I have it on an interview of Andy Partridge with a dj here. They introduced it just as "Mr Brown" but I can't find that on the discographies. All I know is that there's a middle-eastern ring to it and the chorus is "Are you sleeping Mr. Brown? Don't you know the world is spinnig round?" Or something like that...any help is great...thanks in advance. Also, I thought I'd add something about (Oingo) Boingo since I also happen to be a big Danny Elfman fan. If anyone has heard how their music has progressed you might say it's good or bad depending on how you liked the progression (Okay, maybe I shouldn't have added this) But you can't compare them to XTC, of course not. But saying that they have no musical talent just doesn't do his music justice. Their newest album (Boingo) is a violent change from their other works and persoally I consider it one of their best (even without the horn section) THere's a lot more emotion put into the album but still keeping some of the odd/dark humor of Boingo. The Beatles links are obvious, but even XTC was influenced by the Beatles...heck, lot's of bands were...anyway, I just hope judgements aren't made based on one song or album...you can't do that with XTC either.
------------------------------ From: d.zemel@genie.geis.com Date: Fri, 11 Nov 94 05:52:00 UTC Subject: Some Reactions Here are some reactions to things I read in 392... 1) What's with all this Boingo bashing. I, for one, think Danny Elfman is a genius and that includes his Oingo Boingo stuff. Who has heard the newest album, Boingo? It took a few listens to really get into it but after those listens...WOW! The opening song Insanity is sheer power. Listen to the music and read the lyrics. Very heavy. A multi faceted song and music. Very talented, indeed! 2) Does anyone know anything about the Martin Newell Let's Kiosk EP that was listed as being due for release a couple of weeks ago in ICE? My local store said that the relevant label switched distributors and he can't find who's distributing for that label now. Anyone...? 3) I got my Little Express, finally. I also got a sheet that infers that this is my last issue for this subscription. I think that the first issue I got was at the Princeton convention. Wouldn't this latest one be my third, then, or am I missing one? 4) Laurel---don't be afraid of being judged on the quality of your posts. 5) Jeffrey Langr---Indeed, the latest by Adrian Belew, HERE, is better than Inner Revolution. I should say EVEN better than Inner Revolution because I thought that IR was pretty damn good! 6) I'm listening to the new Thomas Dolby right now and it is quite the opposite of "an exercise in mediocrity". I think that the music is very enchanting and hypnotizing. I'm thinking of getting the video! Just one man's opinion....
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 94 12:14:29 EST
From: Peter Ermey <ST002436@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU>
Subject: Thomas Dolby
Hello - I've been lurking out here for awhile but my recent experience with the
new Thomas Dolby record compels me to give up my silence. I've been a Thomas
Dolby enthusiast since "Golden Age Of Wireless" and though his last record "As-
tronauts and Heretics" had some rough moments, songs like "I Love You Goodbye"
and "Cruel" showed that his head was still screwed on well. In the last few
months I re-discovered the Prefab Sprout record "Jordan: The Comeback" which he
produced and have fallen head over heels for it. If you like pure pop songs
exqusitely arranged you should check it out. Anyway, I knew that Dolby had a
new record coming out and I was going to delay getting it because I figured I
could get it cheaper used in a month or so but then I read the post that Andy
might be on it I had to go get it. Damn ! Curses ! Duped Again ! The album is a
soundtrack for a computer graphics video and it is an abomination against God.
It is evil. It is so bad that I am afraid it will taint whatever goes in my CD
player after it.
Perhaps I am being too harsh...no, I really don't think I am. Rather than
exploring sounds which might add a new, more human element to the harshness of
computer graphics, Dolby has decided to rehash the same annoying sounds one
always associates with video games. It's like listening to the music from
Q-bert only with this weird Italian astrophysicict/ opera singer whining about
her car while Dolby moans in the background about Barbarella. At least Q-bert
had a melody. It sounds like Dolby hit the drum machine key and couldn't figure
out how to turn it off. Oh the horror ! Please do not support this kind of
unimaginative computer farting. These machines are capable of much more than
most people realize and Dolby should know better than to accept this kind of
work from himself.
Forward in all directions !
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 1994 17:52:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: AEWATTS@steffi.uncg.edu
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #392
Organization: University of NC at Greensboro
Hello all Chalkhillians!
I am a new subscriber and new XTC fanatic, so I really didn't know what
to expect from "Chalkhills", but was nevertheless pleasantly surprised two days
ago when I read my first two chalk-digests! Wow! What a brilliant exchange of
criticisms/praises, ideas and other miscellaneous goodies to read!! Well, let
me introduce myself without further adu! I am Amiee Watts (yes, it is really
spelled a-m-i-e-e!) and I am a 22 yr. old junior at Univ. of N.Carolina at
Greensboro (Chapel Hill is too big and overrated! :-) I am studying German and
International Business. The first XTC song I heard was "The Smartest Monkeys"
(Can you believe that?!!?), my boyfriend is an XTC fan and had rushed out to
get their latest release, and I loved the entire "NONSUCH" CD so much that I
went out and bought it right up. That was two years ago and I have tried to
buy any XTC music I can find since then. I still don't have White Music and a
couple of others, and I don't have any "rare" singles at all, but I am tryng!
Anyway, I did find their biography, -Chalkhills and Children-, recently,
and read it in two days in between classes, bumping into people all over the
place:-). The greatest thing about living on a college campus is that most
people are very open during this time and I am trying my hardest to spread the
joy that XTC music makes me feel, by forcing XTC onto all of my friends'
stereos. I meet so many people that haven't heard of these geniuses!
I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but as far as covers are concerned, I
can imagine (with glee) the Cure covering Snowman, not Prince. I'd love to see
Prince do " Burning with Optimisisms Flames ". Does anyone know anything about
Johnny Japes and his Jesticles Single "Bags of Fun with Buster"? If anyone has
a recording of this....tell me what I have to do to get it!:-). Also I just
heard that Andy and Marianne recently got divorced. When did this happen? And
I wonder what kind of avenues that will open for Andy, musically. OK, I have
babbled enough for today!............
"If you like cheesecake, you don't like it because it reminds you of some
other form of cake so you'll put up with the cheese element. You like it
because it's cheesecake." A.Partridge
amiee
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 18:30 EST From: Jeffrey Langr <0005392548@mcimail.com> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #392 from Benjamin J. Rubin: BJR> in the song "Great Fire", I am convinced that Andy(or someone) says BJR> "fuck" under their breath right after the line "but it's never been as BJR> hot as this." I also heard the "Mike don't play with yourself" line in BJR> "Bike Ride to the Moon" after reading about it. Does anyone know of any BJR> other "subliminal" XTC messages in their songs? Without listening and making sure, I think the line after "it's never been as hot as this" is "smoke curling round the door"; as I remember I had a hard time figuring it out until I read the lyrics when I finally got Mummer on CD. And, I think I remember the Bike Ride to the Moon line you're talking about but I also think it's a mis-listen... I'll have to check though.
------------------------------
From: lsprague@crater.ma02.bull.com (Lindley Sprague)
Subject: XTC for Christmas
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 94 13:31:22 EST
I've come to realize as I get older, that my basic musical taste
was formed very early. I remember listening to Broadway musicals and
'40s swing music when I was a little kid, but it was the Beatles that
really made me the musical madman I am. Anyway, I decided to make a tape
to give to my 11 year old nephew for Christmas, in order to, perhaps,
broaden his musical mind, which runs too much to the rap crud that he is
force-fed by the radio. He's an open-minded kid, and I think he would like
XTC. I thought that a 60-minute cassette would be enough for a start.
Here is what I came up with:
Side 1: Respectable Street Side 2: Wake Up
Generals and Majors Senses Working Overtime
All You Pretty Girls Love on A Farmboy's Wages
Snowman Earn Enough for Us
Vanishing Girl Making Plans for Nigel
Mayor of Simpleton No Thugs in Our House
This World Over Wrapped in Gray
It was very hard to keep it down to 60 minutes. I doubt I would choose
the same songs tomorrow, but I think I like what I came up with. I hope
he does, too.
A couple of things struck me as I was listening back to the tape:
1) I think that "Wake Up" is Colin's best song ever, as good as anything
Andy ever wrote, and one of my all-time favorites by anyone. Dear God,
does it sound great cranked way up! Yowsah!
2) "Wrapped in Gray" is an incredibly beautiful song - the melody
actually made tears come to my eyes -really! It just tugged at my
heart a certain way, and out they came!
May I be the first to wish everyone "Merry Christmas"?
--
...Lin Sprague...
lsprague@crater.ma02.bull.com
------------------------------ From: BSHIPKIN@cornell-iowa.edu Date: Tue, 11 Oct 1994 18:03:05 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Boycotts and Popularity Okay, a couple of issues ago I expressed annoyance at the general music-listening public with respect to the disregard for XTC's collective genius. Let me set the record straight. I do not wish for XTC to become the next Pearl Jam; Andy and Colin and Dave, their faces plastered on lunchboxes or the like. No. But when bringing up the exoskeleton (sp?) of pop music it is impossible not to mention XTC, yet most people seem in the dark about them. Of course, Offspring has national attention, and Candlebox, and Stone Temple Pilots, and a lot of curious one-hit-wonders, but XTC are still, in my opinion, "underground." I revel in the fact that XTC and I have a secret love affair, but I would like to talk to someone about said affair every once in a while. That is all on that topic. Boycotts, shmoycotts. That is the silliest damned thing I have heard in a long long time. What right is it of anyone to force a band to tour: the grueling hours, bad food, poor accomodations, lack of sleep, et.al. Andy has a problem with touring...a psychological problem that may be frustrating for his fans, yet infinitely more frustrating for him, I am certain. And besides, they have definitely evolved (or _de_volved, depending on your point of view) into a studio band. Can you really envision "Summer's Cauldron" or "Humble Daisy" done live, without that quintessential studio edge. Enjoy them for what they are, not what they used to be. Merely a thought or two. Brian "And how they'll be jealous of both of us..." -A. Partridge "Yacht Dance"
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 09:49:20 -0500 From: bj835@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Tim Connors) Subject: _Reverse_ boycott I'm not nuts about the idea of a boycott or the idea of trying to coerce our boys to tour if they're (orshould I say "he's") not so inclined. But for those of you who are, may I make a suggestion? It's still coercive, but it's more carrot and less stick. Everyone go ahead and buy the new XTC right away, as they would have in any event. This way, the labels don't get another excuse to drop the band. Then, if the band tours, you would promise to buy a _second_ copy if and when they come to your fair city, and furthermore, that you will give the second copy as a gift to someone who doesn't know the band's music but might like them. Under this scheme the band has a positive, supportive reason for touring, plus the promise of a substantial sales increase if not a doubling, plus the prospect of garnering a slew of new fans. Now that I think of it, we could promise to buy the second copy as soon as the date is announced, in the hopes that the beneficiary of the free album will also come to the concert. A win/win/win/win situation for band, label, old fans and new. -- TJC Ceci n'est pas une sig.file. bj835@cleveland.freenet.edu
------------------------------ From: john%elsouth@ncren.net Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #392 Date: Mon, 14 Nov 94 9:20:55 EST > I was wondering whether anyone knew of a collection of XTC videos available > for sale. I've never found any in any catalog--is anything available outside > the US? Or does anyone out there have their own _private_ recording they'd > be willing to copy for me? I'll bite. Send me email with your land address. I bought a compilation of XTC videos and was disappointed. It was hard to finish. It was all early stuff - very punk - very abrasive - not what I like about XTC. Now that I've sold it so strongly, I'm sure I'll get a response. I got mine at a record show for $15. Are there any good compilations I ought to look for? Something later and more mellow (post Black Sea era.) Does anyone know where I can pickup an XTC shirt? - John White CIS Manager Electrical South Inc. john%elsouth@concert.net "Failure is not falling down... Failure is staying down." - Ken Morganstern
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Nov 94 16:16:50 EST From: Pete <PDRESSL@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU> Subject: Re: "But it's never been as hot as this *f-ck*" Following the advice given in the last digest, I played Great Fire on my way home from work the other night, and, by god, it's there! I was so surprised I nearly drove off the road while stabbing for the rewind button. It sure sounds like the magical F word to me, but I can't be sure, and I don't really see the context for it, at least not at that point in the song. Mind you I am not one of those who gets offended at this sort of thing, but I didn't the point. Still, thanks for pointing it out... this wasn't in the FAQ, was it? :-) =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ -pete in detroit, mi, usa pdressl@cms.wayne.cc.edu "What's the message that's written under the base of clouds?"
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 15:47:02 -0500 (EST) From: michael alan rose <marose@indiana.edu> Subject: another fan climbing aboard I'm interested in finding out more on XTC, no matter how trivial the information. My name is Michael and I'm a graduate student at IU-Bloomington. Thanks first to John Relph, wherever you are, for running this service. In addition, I would like to receive a copy of the FAQ list. My first experience with XTC? That would be the Skylarking album - or I may have heard "Dear God" at a kegger my first go-round at college about 1986-87. Anyway, I'm sure there are some of you that have heard all of their recorded material - that's not me. So far, only "Skylarking", "Rag and Bone Buffett", "Oranges and Lemons" and the album that has "Books Are Burning" at the end of the CD. As I used to work at a college radio station in N.C., I heard some of their other singles which were probably older. I found out about Chalkhills through my girlfriend back home. I enjoyed the most recent issue (was it #387?). Why XTC? Well, there just isn't a lot of exposure or airtime for bands that combine wit, sophisticated yet restrained instrumentation, and a deep love of melody. Their numbers are getting smaller by the year- or so it seems. I play guitar and bass, and can fake several things on keyboards. So the band's multi-instrumental capability is inpressive to me. Other favorites - the late, great Chills (where is their fanzine?), the late, great Let's Active, Chris Stamey, early db's, Big Star, Eugenius, Hoodoo-Goorus, Richard Thompson (he just keeps getting better - even his jokes between songs!), Adrian Belew, The Church, Glen Phillips (experimental/improv guitarist from Atlanta), Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead, and lots of little local N.C. bands that put out one album and dissapeared. As for the question "why doesn't this very nervous, very eccentric, very English band tour?", its' not my right to demand XTC hit the road. Bands that have to cross the oceans, and can only play medium-sized theatres/halls and clubs have a tendency to lose money. And after all, the Beatles made some of their best recordings after touring ceased. I'm just a fan - the band's quality of life is their decision, not mine. How nervous is nervous, Andy? If the band is just going to stand there (like the Eagles), I would rather just stay at home and enjoy a good Stout with dinner. I'm interested in any information on XTC recording and songwriting processes - and the technical details of putting the music down on tape. Of special interest are the instruments of the band, and special recording locations. Well, I'll shut up and look forward to some answers.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #393 *****************************
Go back to Volume 1.
16 November 1994 / Feedback