Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 442
Date: Wednesday, 31 May 1995
Chalkhills Digest, Number 442
Wednesday, 31 May 1995
Today's Topics:
Re: top 40
Re: Hollies & Poppies
Musical Threads...
Hail wheel...
Delurk and a proposal
Drums & Wires CD ('85 virgin pressing)
CD3 releases
Young Cleopatra lyrics
Earning respect from King Crimson
Re: re: producers and Beatles
H Sherwood's reply
Re: George Harrison's solid Gretsch.
Re: #1(2) Chalkhills Digest #434
Anything new?
Nonsuch before and after Gus
Then She Appeared demo
Re:searching 4 moony moony faces
Shreiking, producing and bad moves....
Van Dyke Parks as producer
Re: BEATLES!
Starless and Chunky
Re: Chalkhills Digest #440
Martin Newell page
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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
I got toys like the other boys.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: JEDLOE@aol.com Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 12:10:27 -0400 Subject: Re: top 40 Am a new fan having bought Nonsuch as my first album. Thought I may have wasted money after the first listen. After second time through I was thinking hummm. Interesting. By third go I was in xtc. I now have everything from D&W on.
------------------------------
From: mallende@Phoenix.kent.edu (mark allender - king of the universe)
Subject: Re: Hollies & Poppies
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 15:01:05 -0400 (EDT)
i always kinda figured "Holly Up On Poppy" was about a little girl --
perhaps a daughter. does Andy have a daughter? i seems to me to be
about a father telling a (bedtime) story to his little girl.
and it seems to me to be a sort of Andy thing to do.
--
-makotu
mallende@Phoenix.kent.edu
uh...
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 15:53:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: Derek Miner <ind00163@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu>
Subject: Musical Threads...
Going back a couple of digests to Relph's mention of The Pooh Sticks'
"Optimistic Fool" disc, I'd like to throw my vote in for that album, as
well as a couple others.
I'm a DJ at the radio station of the University of Central Florida, and
since summer began, I've been ripping through a lot of discs, and
listening to a lot of crap just to find the cream of the crop to put on
the air. Well, I've a couple recommendations to fellow Chalkhillians:
* I'm sure everyone's aware of Matthew Sweet's new disc, "100%
Fun," but I still must mention it. It's a little on the twee side, but I
like that, and the whole is (dare I say?) fun.
* The Dublin band A House has a new disc out as well, and they have
some moments when they sound like XTC. The band is most famous for their
"spoken word" songs like "Endless Art" (an overlooked masterpiece, IMHO).
The new album is called "Wide Eyed and Ignorant."
* There's also a Canadian band called Waltons (I don't know if it's
really THE Waltons or not) who just put out their second album, "Cock's
Crow." The disc is about half pop, half ballad, but all interesting.
Their sound is unique, but I hear some influence from Squeeze and Elvis
Costello, and possibly XTC.
Well, that's all for now. When I hear something I think XTCers will like,
I'll post it...
Also, I want to appologize for replying with the default subject header
two digests back. I know better than that. I'm banging my head on the
table right now over that.
And, finally, kudos to Harrison Sherwood for his insightful post about
XTC championing the "history" behind their music. I really enjoyed it.
= Derek Miner =
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 14:07:36 +1200 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James) Subject: Hail wheel... DaKril@aol.com pondered: >Lots of my friends point to "Roads Girdle the Globe" as a masterpiece of >music and lyrics, a forlorn testament to modern transportation -- but I >just don't get it. Not only 'WHAT is he SAYING,' but also, 'WHAT is he >MEANING'? Some sections are clear, like in the middle, where he says, >"Hail, another motor/Hail, piston, motor/Hail wheel." But, at the >beginning, what does Andy mean when he sings, "Am I asleep/Or am I >fat?/Forever race/You first to fast" ? I mean, huh? Seems more like a fad >diet jingle... where's the transportation? Anyway, any help/discussion is >greatly appreciated. I'm sure this has been posted here before, but the lyrics are: Am I asleep, or am I fast, You every race, you first - you last Roads Girdle the Globe We all safe in your concrete robe Hail mother motor, hail piston rotor, hail wheel Roads Girdle the Globe An I tied in, or do I turn? Your sacred incense, you tyre burn Roads Girdle the Globe We all safe in your concrete robe Hail mother motor, hail piston rotor, hail wheel Roads Girdle the Globe Steer me Anna, Steer me Anna Am I get there? When is "A" "B"? Oil, iron, steel - you holy three Roads Girdle the Globe We all safe in your concrete robe Hail mother motor, hail piston rotor, hail wheel Roads Girdle the Globe Interestingly, these lyrics bear the same curious grammatical formation as as "I'm relax in the undertow" in Summer's Cauldron, that everyone was up in arms about a while back. Perhaps it's just a Partridge peculiarity... >"I am the audience, >there's no dog, no audience..." --Colin Moulding, GO2 make that "I am the audience - no doubt, no consequence" Do I take it from this that the lyric sheets weren't in every copy of Drums and Wires? A pity - they cover all the songs from the first three albums (and a couple of b-sides), and some pretty funny/silly liner notes (which I can copy out and post to Chalkhills if anyone's interested...). James James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago. Ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk St., St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand pixelphone james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz / steam megaphone NZ 03-455-7807 * You talk to me as if from a distance * and I reply with impressions chosen from another time, time, time, * from another time (Brian Eno)
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 21:49:31 -0700 From: vertigo@well.com (Giancarlo Cairella) Subject: Delurk and a proposal Hello everybody. This is the first time I write something here, although I've been linked to the mailing list for some time. I'll introduce myself (I hope I won't bore anyone with these details :-) I'm italian, 28 yrs. old, temporarily resident in California and I've been a XTC fan for years: back in 1980 I caught a glimpse of the video of "Generals and Majors" and was instantly hooked. From then on I've always bought every XTC recording I could lay my hands on: albums, singles, compilations, CD's, tapes and flexidiscs (I've even bought issue 16 of "Flexipop" magazine, the one with the green "Looking for footprints" flexidisc on the cover). I also managed to catch a XTC live show in Genoa (Italy) back in 1982. I have quite an extensive music collection and listen to a lots of artists but, needless to say, I think XTC are the greatest. After reading "Chalkhills" for some time, I've been wondering why there isn't an Usenet XTC newsgroup. There are plenty of alt.music.* and alt.fan.* groups devoted to less talented bands and individuals, so I think that getting a XTC newsgroup started shouldn't be too difficult. Is there a reason why this hasn't happened (like a voluntary decision to keep this a "elite" group)? I don't mind following a mailing list or a newsgroup: I just think that maybe the latter would spread the XTC word more easily. Of course if there already is a XTC newsgroups, please ignore my question. I didn't see it around but I might have missed it. -- "Ah, I see you've got a machine that goes PING!" Web Page: <http://www.well.com/user/vertigo>
------------------------------
From: Jim_Nichols@mgdmug.org
Date: Sun, 28 May 95 07:08:33 GMT
Subject: Drums & Wires CD ('85 virgin pressing)
Organization: MacGroup-Detroit USA, Detroit area's largest Mac users group
Hello all 1st posting for me. First of all ENOUGH ANAL-IZING of PP & JFK
you would think this is the only tune they did.
Ok now that thats out of my system, I've been listing to XTC since '83 and
haven't stopped yet.
What I was wondering about is the UK '85 pressing release of Drums & Wires
CD cat# CDV2129 the copy I have has incorrect track listings on it for
example; track 3 says it should be "life at the hop" this tune is nowhere
on the CD the song is(I don't know the actual title)"Day in Day out" also
track 7 a song (again I don't know the actual title) "Lime light" and track
14 is ( once again I don't know the actual title)"Chain of command" I've
never checked out the US release of this on Geffen does anyone know if the
tracks are correct on it.
Also regarding the gold pressing of Skylarking I had my girlfriend put both
the gold & the regular CD into my disc changer so I wouldn't know which one
was which and listened back and forth to various tracks & the one I picked
as sounding the best to me was the Gold one so yes $28.00 is worth it!
------------------------------ From: Jim_Nichols@mgdmug.org Date: Sun, 28 May 95 07:08:44 GMT Subject: CD3 releases Organization: MacGroup-Detroit USA, Detroit area's largest Mac users group I have the following XTC 3" CD's and was wondering if there are any other titles out there that i may be missing Senses Working Overtime The Loving The Mayor of Simpleton King for a day(crown package) Oranges & Lemons (3 disc set) Also does anyone know if "Look Look" is available on Laserdisc or VHS in NTSC
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 16:20:34 +0200
From: sellheim@zfn.uni-bremen.de (Erich Sellheim)
Subject: Young Cleopatra lyrics
Hi everyone,
when I recently had a look at the FTP archive,I noticed the lyrics
of Young Cleopatra,one of my favourite songs,being quite incomplete
and partially wrong.
After having listened to both the Jules Verne and the outtake version
for quite some time,I managed to get nearly all of the words:
I see them offering you gum
I hear the swarming schoolkids' hum
A tribe of polyester warriors spellbound
They bring you offerings to please
Like cigarettes or new LP's
You'll have them on their knees and begging
Just to play with your comb
One glance from those two eyes
Will seal your playground empire
My oh my,...............,young Cleopatra-a-a-a
My oh my,what a wonderful prize,young Cleopatra-a-a-a
You'll never be a queen unless you do as you're told
You wouldn't understand it being fourteen years old
Don't ever get your love for free
But then again,don't ever let it be so
You have your teachers in a trap
There's no age limit or no gap
To who you set alight with fire............
I'm glad your father is my friend
And now that school is at an end
He's only an excuse for me
To wait here at your palace gates
One glance from those two eyes
Will seal your playground empire
Your school uniform looks grey on others and silver on you
Your yellow wooden rule,a golden sceptre to prove it's true
You're at the youth club near the drums
The young guitarist buzzer strums
Anything his royal majesty wishes
Your borrowed perfume fills the air
Pale nostrils start to flare
It's more than some can bear
But this is your court and they are your dogs
One glance from those two eyes
Will seal your playground empire
Any corrections or suggestions for the two missing passages are
very welcome as well as help for the following two lyrical passages
that aren't in the FTP archive and that I don't understand(I'm giving
you a time indication within the song and my rough idea of what it
vaguely sounds like):
Statue of Liberty:-during piano solo(1:57)("pop me"?)
Living through another Cuba:-at the end(4:17)("I think I love you"?)
Thanks a lot in advance,
Erich
P.S.:I would love to see Van Dyke Parks producing the next XTC album.
------------------------------ From: Hae007@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 19:17:22 -0400 Subject: Earning respect from King Crimson The July issue of Guitar Player has an interesting quote from Trey Gunn (current Chapman stick player for King Crimson )... "My ultimate jam session realized itself last year when Crimson was recording in England. Pat's [Mastelotto] done a record with XTC - one of my favorite bands - so we went over to Andy Partridge's house. Andy, Adrian [Belew], and I all had a jam together. That was my dream come true." Hope the DAT was rolling....
------------------------------ From: FINB@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 21:24:35 -0400 Subject: Re: re: producers and Beatles I've been one of those who joined in the Beatle's side-bar where it concerned XTC, and I say (to clarify my stance) -XTC CANNOT be called a carbon copy of the Beatles - they sound as if they had the same influences as the Beatles, and they should have had the same - maybe greater - level of success as them. But... XTC is a phenomena all its (their) own. Producers.... Mitchell Froom would be GREAT. Daniel Lanois would be neat also - but probably would dull the band's sense of humor. DIK \:)
------------------------------ From: FINB@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 21:35:43 -0400 Subject: H Sherwood's reply Good call - "No language in our lungs!" It's these kind of items that occur to me from time to time when I've got the time - then they fade from memory - leaving only the impression of what I figured out. OK - I quit diving into the Beatles discussion from this point forward. DIK \:)
------------------------------
From: "Louis Barfe's new IbMePdErRoIoAmL" <L.Barfe@lancaster.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: George Harrison's solid Gretsch.
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 02:37:31 +0100 (BST)
I believe the solid body Gretsch that George Harrison used in the early
Beatles years was called something like a Duo Jet.
Louis.
--
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In every little Honda,
There may lurk a Peter Fonda. Oooooh.
-------*-------
Car Song-Elastica
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Barfe-the slacker generation personified.
L.Barfe@lancaster.ac.uk
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ From: HShea@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 22:03:18 -0400 Subject: Re: #1(2) Chalkhills Digest #434 hello.. does anyone know how i can get my hands on an xtc merchandise catalog?? Specifically, i am looking for the "LOOK LOOK" video and t-shirts =) Thank you much
------------------------------ From: thom@stjohn.sju.ac.th Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 09:32:12 +0700 (TST) Subject: Anything new? Being stuck in Thailand, it's very diffiult to get hold of XTC material. We do have a Tower Records, with a fairly comprehensive stock of older releases (of which I have all). I really need to know what's going on with Andy and the gang...HELP!!!
------------------------------ From: GYMnIF@aol.com Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 00:50:28 -0400 Subject: Nonsuch before and after Gus Hello! (insert favorite nickname) I finally found one of the Demos CD boots (Demos 2 Nonsuch Sessions) and it answers a lot of questions about what kind of job Dudgeon did on Nonsuch. The only question I have is whether Dudgeon had any hand in the making of the demo versions of the songs, because if he did, then the points I hope to make won't work. Anyways, Demos2 contains 9 Nonsuch demos (Books are Burning, Wrapped in Grey, That Wave, Ugly Underneath, Crocodile, Holly up on Poppy, Then She Appeared, Rook, and Omnibus) plus 7 songs that never? made it to finished form (Goosy Goosy, Goodbye Humanosaurus, I'm the man who murdered love, Where did all the ordinary people go, It didn't hurt a bit, It's snowing angels) After listening to the Demos, then the final versions, it is my opinion that none of the songs were made worse by Dudgeon. The only song that was radically changed was 'Then She Appeared' which went through an almost complete rewrite. The others were polished into their final forms. So Dudgeon , IMO, didn't blandify good songs.. for those who say that the final product is bland, I say that they started out that way. (I liked Nonsuch overall) I am not up on arguing the technical points and differences, but I welcome more debate on this... For those who've heard 'Its snowing angels,' who is that doing the singing? To me, it doesn't sound like either Andy or Colin, but the song is way out there anyways.. any info would be appreciated. I can see why 'goodbye Humanosaurus' didn't make it to a final version. Several of the hooks from 'Then She Appeared' are in 'Goodbye...' and it makes me wonder which came first. -Jim
------------------------------
From: GYMnIF@aol.com
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 00:56:40 -0400
Subject: Then She Appeared demo
The biggest shock on the Demos2 Nonsuch sessions CD was hearing the demo
version of 'Then She Appeared.' If this demo version had made it intact to
the album, It would not have had the impact that the real album version had.
For those who have not heard the demo, here are the lyrics.. the melodies
and the hooks are the same, but the lyrics have been almost totally redone
Then she appeared
Like a note struck from the Liberty Bell
Then she appeared
Like a wish from out of somebody's well
I was a little frightened
Looking with my senses heightened
Cherubim cheered
Then she appeared
And the sun which normally hung
In the clearest summer sky
Suddenly just changed address
And shone from her blue eyes
When she appeared
With a smiling lamb that sat on her lap
When she appeared
With a ?mola? feather stuck in her cap
I was a little dazzled
melting with my senses frazzled
know it sounds weird
then she appeared
Chorus
Then she appeared
Then she appeared
Glad Andy redid it!
-Jim
------------------------------ From: SHEINY@aol.com Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 01:06:17 -0400 Subject: Re:searching 4 moony moony faces Fellow Chalkers: This is my first time writing in to Chalkhills, although I have been an XTC fan for many years (which in some cases has made me too many enemies). Anyway, I have most of their U.S. released albums, including the Newell/Partridge "englishman" gem.... Does anyone know when the next XTC recording is due? I think it is time Andy, Colin and David do something about our waiting... Merely a Man from New York
------------------------------ From: "J.A.Harkness" <J.A.Harkness@sheffield.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 09:25:27 +0100 Subject: Shreiking, producing and bad moves.... Hey Joe Turner! > > As a new subscriber to "Chalkhills" (and a novice at the computer, I must > > admit), I was delighted to find this service. My question is brief. What > > happened to Barry Andrews? I have one friend who informed me that he died, > > Physically, no. Musically, yes. :-) That's rather uncharitable! "Go Bang!" May be a crock, but otherwise, Shreikback are a damned fine band! Check out "Oil and Gold", "Sacred City", "Tench", "Care".......okay, just about everything bar "Go Bang!" As for a new XTC producer.......Pascal Gabriel! Anyone, who can transform The Dylans from slightly wet post-baggy nonsense to VERITABLE GODS......is worth a listen....he certainly has a way with guitars.....and he even made Claudia Brucken listenable.....that's some feat! Imagine what he could do with someone who's bloody good in the first place.......... Actually, the Dylans tried to get our Andy P. to produce their first album purely beacause of the Dukes.......sadly the record company thought it'd be a bad move......and just look at that album now.....sigh! See ya soon..... Will Yum!
------------------------------
Date: 29 May 95 21:22:41 EDT
From: Jon Johnson <76614.3063@compuserve.com>
Subject: Van Dyke Parks as producer
In all of the discussion of possible producers for XTC I'm
surprised that I haven't heard Van Dyke Parks' name pop up. Brian
Wilson's collaborator on "Smile" and the upcoming "Orange Crate Art."
Creator of five marvelous solo albums since 1968. Master string
arranger. Producer for Randy Newman, Syd Straw, and countless others.
And, almost incidently, writer of movie scores and occasional actor
("The Two Jakes" and "Twin Peaks"--as a lawyer in both, if you're
looking). Let's face it--he's perfect! He doesn't seem to have taken
on any full album projects aside from his own in quite a few years (he
seems to be a slow worker) but I maintain that he's perfect for XTC.
Any comments?
Jon Johnson
76614,3063@compuserve.com
------------------------------ Subject: Re: BEATLES! From: Nicholas.Deakin@bbc.co.uk (Nicolas Deakin) Date: 30 May 95 16:38:27 EDT One final word on The Beatles! When the albums were digital re-mastered (1987) there were a lot of arguments about which mix to use (MONO or STEREO) In the end to it was decided to release the first four albums with the MONO mixes and the rest with the STEREO ones! So most of the albums on CD (Cassette and Vinyl) in the shops today have the poorer of the two mixes! Why couldn't they have released both, on CD, and let us decide! Still the good news is a lot of the MONO mixes can be heard on The Beatles CD singles and CD E.P.'s Nicky D.
------------------------------
From: richard.pedrettiallen@octel.com
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 10:39:30 -0700
Subject: Starless and Chunky
>>humming "Starless and Bible Black"
That was me... Great Deceiver, too.
Hey, at least I wasn't reciting Saturday Night Live and Monty Python
skits!
>>And all the people that you made in your image
>>Still beleive in that junky soup
That's "Chunky Soup"
My last word on the Beatles (I promise)
I see a great diversity of stylistic influence in the works of XTC.
Looking back on the careers of The Who and The Kinks, I just don't see a
breadth of styles integrated or explored in the way that XTC or the
Beatles have. The span of styles that Stones/Kinks/Who/Beach Boys/Etc.
covered in a career, XTC and The Beatles did in one album. My only hope
is that, many years from now, we can read interviews with musicians
siting XTC as an influence. It is inevitable though, that if they become
immensely popular without comprimising their music, there will be people
who slag them for their success.
Richard Pedretti-Allen
"Ice blue silver sky fades into gray
to a gray hope that ammends to be
Starless and Bible Black."
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 15:30:48 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@moose.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #440 Regarding Matt Hiner's post: since you're new, I'll mention that Barry An- drews joined Robert Fripp's League of Gentlemen, played on Iggy Pop's Soldier album, then formed Shriekback in '83. They released six albums I know of with various personnel changes; by the last (and the only one I haven't heard) An- drews was the only original member left. I don't know if they're still toget- her or what else he's doing now. They sound nothing like XTC; they remind me more of Can playing more or less structured songs. '85's Oil And Gold is their best, probably; all their others are worth checking out except their fifth album, Go Bang! which is to be avoided: the best song on the album is a cover of "Get Down Tonight" by KC and The Sunshine Band. The rest of the album sounds a bit like Dead Or Alive. If you like Dead Or Alive, go for it.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 00:52:41 -0700
From: John Relph <relph>
Subject: Martin Newell page
Hey Hey Hey, fellow Jangleurs,
There is now a Web page for Martin Newell and the Brotherhood of
Lizards. Check out "http://monsterbit.com/longplay/bol.html".
If you haven't heard Martin Newell, you should.
-- John
--
http://idiot-dog.com/~relph/
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #442 *****************************
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