Chalkhills Digest Volume 10, Issue 47
Date: Sunday, 17 October 2004
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 10, Number 47
Sunday, 17 October 2004
Topics:
XTC on Mastermind
One Word
More Todd
Smile....
SMiLe!
Re Fuzzy Warble 5 & 6
Who gains from that?
Fuzzy Warbles and quality control
Mastermind BBC2 8pm Monday 18th
I've started so I'll finish...
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 17:30:10 +0100 From: "Belinda" <b.blanchard@btinternet.com> Subject: XTC on Mastermind Message-ID: <007b01c4b078$be5cbf90$3c2a9b51@davidfoh4tm83a> Hi all Next MONDAY 18th October 2004 at 8.00pm on BBC2 (UK only!) the programme MASTERMIND is on and one of the specialist subjects is: "The band XTC". Altogether now: "PINK WARMTH" "HELIUM KIDZ" "BARRY ANDREWS" "BUSTER" "YES" "1980" "DEAR GOD" "NO" Well, they are some answers! Let's see if I got the questions right! Belinda x
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 14:09:41 EDT From: SnarleyCo@aol.com Subject: One Word Message-ID: <88.165c054e.2e9d77e5@aol.com> Chalkhillians- "SMILE" " 'Nuff said' " Carl Carl R Snow, Moss Hill Mastering www.jacop.net/CRS.html
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 19:00:00 EDT From: RMuRocks@aol.com Subject: More Todd Message-ID: <1f0.2c9940c4.2e9dbbf0@aol.com> All this Todd-talk, and not one mention of his EXCELLENT latest release, called "Liars" which has been getting regular play from me ever since it came out (it's not competing with Elvis Costello & Tom Waits among others, but no matter). Liars works all the way 'round for me; lyrically, musically, and whatever other -ly one would attach. The track "Stood Up" sounds like it came right from the Skylarking sessions. Bob
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 09:44:10 +1000 From: "Dominic Van Abbe" <domva@hotmail.com> Subject: Smile.... Message-ID: <BAY17-F9ozTIAw19DBq0004d485@hotmail.com> Tally-ho Chalksters, Word about Brian Wilson's "Smile" has gradually found its way onto these pages, and with very good reason. As one of those who has for a few years had a tape of the "Smile" album (a fan assembled compilation, cobbled from the assorted boots out there), it's always saddened me that this album never saw the light of day. Even worse, that some of the songs were later released in diluted form, as the twat that is Mike Love grappled for control of the Beach Boys. In short, you MUST hear this album. Yes, it's out-of-time. Yes, it could be conceived as the work of a Beach Boys cover-band who just happen to have Brian on lead vocals. But the songs within are absolutely sublime and ought to confirm Brian Wilson reputation!!! Surf's Up, Cabin Essence, Wonderful- I could go on. See where Andy has gotten a lot of his late-80's onwards touchstones from. I tell ya, if the release of this album doesn't prompt Andy to extract-the-digit, and get off his arse to create new XtC material, nothing will.... Dom
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 09:48:53 -0400 From: Steve Dockery <sdockery@mac.com> Subject: SMiLe! Message-ID: <C905E87A-1DE7-11D9-9C27-0003938AC4BC@mac.com> I went to guy buy the SMiLe! CD yesterday at a couple stores, and they were all sold out, so I went on the iTunes music store and grabbed it for $9.99. Remarkable. It's everything folks have been saying. As a musician, I feel like a guy who draws a comic strip looking the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel for the first time. One thing that's truly weird is hearing familiar songs (Good Vibrations) in a completely different context and a slightly altered form. Since the album is kind of a symphony, with one song flowing to the next, listening to it in electronic form has a serious drawback- there's always a slight pause between one track and the next. I understand it's not the player, it's part of how MP3's and similar formats store the song. If I burn it to a CD with no gaps between songs, that problem will go away, but I generally only listen to music on my iPod these days, so that's no solution. The other problem with the electronic version is there's no packaging. I was sitting on the Metro this morning listening to SMiLe! on my iPod, and looked over at the guy next to me, and was surprised to see he was listening to it as well, only he was playing it on his CD player, and was looking at the insert booklet. The booklet and the outside cover of the album are beautiful. I guess I'll still have to buy the real thing, but at least iTunes gave me instant gratification. :) Steve Dockery http://www.stevedockery.com
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 15:38:40 +0200 (CEST) From: Nick Brickell <member@brickcom.freeserve.co.uk> Subject: Re Fuzzy Warble 5 & 6 Message-ID: <28769024.1097847520572.JavaMail.www@wwinf3003> Delurking after several years OK I'm all for the guy(s) making some money, but I feel Andy's taking the p*** with the Laugh Track and welcome to volume 5. Its always interesting to here the sketch stuff like Dear God Skiffle version, Maror of Simpleton etc, but there are a few things that are scraping the barrel, then if you manage to listen to vol 6 before volume 5 like me you get right to the end and My land is burning and everthing is forgiven! However did that escape. I've no idea if Andy & Colin still look in from time to time, but couldn’t Colin manage just one fuzzy warble of his own, I'd love to have decent legal recordings of House full of mice, Where did the ordinary people go , mates etc and at 1 volume to 10 of Andy's that would be just right. I pass the Model shop in Bath every day but I've never seen Andy (Not that I'd know what to say) Back to the Background for another few years
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 19:08:08 +0200 From: jeffrey.thomas@bayercropscience.com Subject: Who gains from that? Message-ID: <OFB1D26EB2.95D27FB4-ONC1256F2E.005CBF6E@bayer.de> Hi people of the collines de la craie, Months of silence and then 2 posts in a short span -- one might get the impression I am returning from the world of lurk to the world of the participation. But I'm not. Nevertheless: David Edwards opined/asked: >>Ideally, the whole band would have come together and listened to +all+ the songs available and chosen them on merit rather than authorship. If they had, Nonsuch could have been, not just great, but out of this world, and things could have turned out very differently. You can't cast out musical pearls from one of the great creative talents of our time just because he's already had his allotted share of songs! Who gains from that?<< Honestly, and no offense to all those people out there who hate all of Colin's songs on Nonsuch (except maybe "Bungalow", which is okay to like because Andy told them it was okay to like that one), I think the band does get together and make a decision of that nature. And Colin, as a member of the band, has been given a share of the songs. You may think they're worse, but then, that's your opinion. If you ask me, Lennon and McCartney made the same judgement on Harrison and continued to long after they were writing songs like "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", while George was sitting on gems like "All Things Must Pass". (You may agree with my implicit statement here, but there are plenty of people I know who think Maxwell is better than anything on ATMP. Well, there you go -- and I think I have to leave it to the Beatles to decide what they want on their records, whether I like it or not.) Nothing is stopping Andy from taking his songs and recording solo. Nothing... except he likes the concept of XTC. And that concept includes Colin, and Andy seems happy with that. So when they decided Nonsuch was going to be one CD and not two, they cut songs. As far as I'm concerned, they could have cut "Peter Pumpkinhead", "Books are Burning", and a couple of others of Andy's, as well as "War Dance" by Colin. Please don't tell me how great those Andy songs are, I know you believe it. I don't. But who cares? I still like the album and I respect XTC's choices, even when I don't agree with them. Sorry, had to vent - - Jeff * * * * * PS - "The Stinking Rich Song" is my favorite "Peach" track yet! Fantastic! I still think Andy cut off his own nose to spite his face on that one. Be humble once, sell a million records, and then go for the throat! But c'est la vie.
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 04:02:45 +0000 From: "WAYNE KLEIN" <wtdk12@msn.com> Subject: Fuzzy Warbles and quality control Message-ID: <BAY3-F19ljWwY0VnkB40000b979@hotmail.com> I hate to sound like an XTC heretic here but is it just my imagination or as we continue on in the "Fuzzy Warbles" series does the material get thinner and thinner? I've noticed that all of them have had their share of filler but #6 seems like the weakest of the lot yet. On the other hand, the best songs such as "Prince of Orange" (which I had before on a bootleg) and the incredible "My Land is Burning" are among the best that I've heard. It's a pity that "My Land is Burning probably won't get a proper recording. As Andy points out, it would have fit quite well on "Apple Venus". Perhaps it will still receive full blown recording although it's pretty darn powerful as it is. I noticed mention of Andy as ex-member of XTC in an article at the Chalkhills website. Maybe I've missed something of late but does that mean the "group" is offically dissolved? Off the XTC subject--I like Elvis Costello's latest CD very much and same with the Finn Brothers recent release. I don't recall who posted questioning the Finn's musical quality (or that of Crowded House, Split Endz, Tim and Neil's solo efforts) and while everyone's due their informed opinion, I don't know that whomever it was has taken the effort to listen to all of their material. It would be akin to making a judgement on XTC's worthiness based on one or two listenings to "White Music" and/or "Mummer". There's more than meets the ear on both those albums event though they aren't my particular favorites. I realize this was many posts back (I haven't been staying up on reading all the posts of late). Certainly Neil and Tim Finn's music wouldn't be to everyone's taste...
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:35:55 +0100 From: "Stephen Jackson" <planet_skaro@btopenworld.com> Subject: Mastermind BBC2 8pm Monday 18th Message-ID: <000b01c4b478$2503d5a0$b9868351@default> I don't know whether this will make a digest in time, but one of the contestants specialist subjects is XTC. Who is it, I wonder? Must be somebody here. Steve
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 20:21:35 +0100 From: Jason Witcher <jason@etceterate.net> Subject: I've started so I'll finish... Message-ID: <4172C63F.5080108@etceterate.net> Not sure if this has been mentioned as my email's been on the blink and I've missed a few digests, but one of the contestants on Mastermind (UK quiz show) has chosen XTC as his/her specialist subject. It's on BBC2 tomorrow (i.e. Monday the 18th, so hopefully this'll appear before the digest comes out) at 8pm. Jason
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #10-47 *******************************
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