Chalkhills Digest Volume 10, Issue 60
Date: Thursday, 23 December 2004
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 10, Number 60
Thursday, 23 December 2004
Topics:
Re: Editorial Decisions
Re: the whole music experience in general
Everything Unchanging
24 years
CNN front page article
OT - a wish
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 11:12:28 -0500 From: "Jason Damas" <jason.damas@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Editorial Decisions Message-ID: <005f01c4e38a$0c475550$4a02a8c0@JASON> <<> Which leads me to my problem with my album: it has been written as a > song cycle. 18 songs, about 58 minutes. I believe great albums are > generally around the vinyl length (40-45 minutes). Unfortunately I'm > too close to the material to think any of it is particularly weak, as I > know how much effort writing, rewriting and editing went into each song. > They also tell a story and removing one seems to remove a link in the > chain. So if I am ruthless and cut it down, since the single or EP are If it's really the case that removing songs will remove links from the chain and diminish the album, I say leave it at 58 minutes.>> Personally I don't think 58 minutes is too long, especially if the songs are all there for a reason. If you have a complete concept, and there isn't any real filler, I'd say go for it. I have a lot of friends--all of us are young enough that we started buying music in the post-vinyl cassette era, but most of our acquisitions have been firmly within the CD era--who actually enjoy or prefer those longer discs. It seems that a lot of us who enjoy classic pop albums seem to be the holdouts for 45 minute albums, and I agree that tight and snappy is definitely better than long and saggy. But if you have the material, go for it! I remember being extremely happy when the last Fountains of Wayne album came out and it was 16 tracks, since I adore them and would be perfectly happy to hear anything they had to throw out. --Jason
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 09:06:06 -0500 From: "I." <ian@greathugethings.com> Subject: Re: the whole music experience in general Message-ID: <BDE851FE.7F26%ian@greathugethings.com> on 12.5.04 10.33 PM, Hobbes wrote: > So if I am ruthless and cut it down, since the single or EP are pretty much > dead in the water, what do I do with the extra tracks? I like: Cut yr album down to below 44 minutes, and put the remaining tracks on the outside of the multisession CD as MP3s. If the album is available on the www, stick 'em up as free downloads.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 09:07:22 -0000 From: Adrian Ransome <Adrian.Ransome@tsi-ltd.co.uk> Subject: Everything Unchanging Message-ID: <497FEA72C392D3118AE700508B7311770D3113BF@nt4server03.tsi-ltd.co.uk> Folks; I'm in a bit of a conundrum and I think it can only be really solved by somebody with an unbiased view on things; a bit of perspective, if you like. The Mrs and I are contemplating re-decorating the sitting room as it's been a particularly violent shade of puce for the last seventeen years. After the animated discourses we had whilst watching last week's Changing Rooms; the many heated discussions whilst poring over the Dulux and Crown Paint swatches; not to mention the embarrassingly protracted and loud argument we had in the Matt Emulsion aisle of Focus D.I.Y. it's clear that the two of us cannot come to an agreement about the choice of wall colouring or even our preferred style of interior decor. So I turn to you, good people of the Hill, for a bit of advice. I'm quite partial to three walls of "Autumn Sunrise" in Silk Emulsion and a feature wall of Matt Emulsion "Plum Duff", the skirting, the door and radiator would remain "Brilliant White" gloss whilst keeping the ceiling "Magnolia" to cover up the missus' 60-a-day habit. However, my good lady wife - in her infinite wisdom - prefers a more *adventurous* approach; top half of the walls in "Golden Showers" and the bottom half "Willy's Jeep Khaki" - separated by a border of "Cobalt Blue" all skirting; the door and radiator in "Celestial Dusk" (a posh term for Gunmetal Grey) and the ceiling in "Boudoir Cerise". Naturally, I am aghast as - using our 3D Interior Room Decorating software on our old 486 - I can see that it looks akin to how I imagine a prison cell belonging to the hardest homosexual - the "Daddy" if you will - on D-Wing would look (minus the missus' favourite lace curtains of course, although you can't be too sure). All attempts to dissuade her from deploying this potentially disastrous colour clash upon our cosy little sitting room have been pooh-poohed and I find myself increasingly retreating to my garden shed as the arguments are becoming a little too heated for my liking. Given that both myself and my good wife are big fans of the oeuvre of Xtc and - as long term readers of this digest - agree (we actually agree on a lot of things, interior design is our Achilles' Tendon) that the people on this list are as erudite and enlightened a bunch of folk as you're ever likely to meet, we've agreed to put our dilemma forward to the folks on the Hill to cogitate upon over the Christmas (or holiday, for you politically correct folk) period. How should we paint our sitting room? With best wishes for the Christmas "holidays" if I'm not too late, adrian Trade Service Information Ltd. - Confidentiality Notice The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and is intended for the addressee only. If you are not the intended recipient, please return this message to the sender and delete it from your mailbox.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 20:39:05 -0600 From: "James Lowe" <jamielowe@msn.com> Subject: 24 years Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV718DABD884AE245964458BEA30@phx.gbl> Chalkholders; It was 24 years ago today in 1980 that one of my favorite live albums came to be called XTC BBC 1 Live in Concert. What a rocking bit of joy it is too. The band is just back home in England at the end of a long tour and the playing was particularly tight. I recommend you treat yourself to a listen to celebrate the season it surely will get you in the spirit. And consider this; do you know a music lover that's unfamiliar with our favorite band XTC? Then burn them a copy of Nonsvch or whatever XTC album they might like.... You never know you might bring incalculable joy to them with the discovery of XTC. At least you tried. Seasons Greeting to all, Jamie Lowe Purveyor of the worlds finest XTC bumper stickers www.billsherlock.org/xtc/<http://www.billsherlock.org/xtc/> www.jamielowe.net<http://www.jamielowe.net/> Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, loudly proclaiming - WOW! - What a Ride!
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:38:47 -0700 From: "Thomas Vest" <tvtwo@hotmail.com> Subject: CNN front page article Message-ID: <BAY18-F293A33E2FAC62903EBD67BA1A40@phx.gbl> Hello XTC friends I was browsing CNN's website this evening when I came across an article concerning the "Best of the Best's"... a list of the 50 best single cd editions of greatest hits cd's. A subjective ranking is the underlying statement. Our friends came in at #46, but I really don't care about that. My thinking is: How many people got to read this article and saw XTC in the top 50? Who cares if I have not heard of these two people who composed the list or their obvious love of English artists that are represented (I am not complaining). I like to think that millions of people will have seen this and maybe some of them pondered over the listing at #46. Hopefully the link will work. If, not please email me and I will email the article to you in a word doc. Happy Holidays. Thom http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/19/bestofs.one/index.html
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:14:11 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: Danny Phipps <phipps117@earthlink.net>
Subject: OT - a wish
Message-ID: <28277766.1103807651423.JavaMail.root@grover.psp.pas.earthlink.net>
Merry Christmas, everyone!
**********
"Belief makes things real ..."
~ Gavin DeGraw
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