Chalkhills Digest Volume 11, Issue 36
Date: Sunday, 24 July 2005
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 11, Number 36
Sunday, 24 July 2005
Topics:
Right Wing Ironic Song Thread
Be a mensh. Squeeze a koala.
Great, now I'm going to sing "Frank Hill" to myself the rest of the day
Re: Elfman's "Charlie" songs
5/4, 4/4 etc.
Re: Danny Elfman
Rush&Co.
Re: TB
Tourette's
XTC items on eBay
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It's called talking / It's how they betray their friends and more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 05:23:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Versaci <michael_versaci@yahoo.com> Subject: Right Wing Ironic Song Thread Message-ID: <20050722122317.78807.qmail@web30913.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Folxtc, Regarding the Right-Wing-Ironic-Song Thread: http://byneddiejingo.blogspot.com/2005/05/back-to-peekskill.html Michael Versaci
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 08:44:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Ryan Anthony <hamsterranch@yahoo.com> Subject: Be a mensh. Squeeze a koala. Message-ID: <20050722154450.50802.qmail@web51109.mail.yahoo.com> Erratum: My previous post omitted a close-quote. I'd worry about being barred from admission to Shadetree Copyeditors's Heaven if I weren't jumping in Gomorrah, religion-free. The gist of said post, by the way, condensed to three words (which you're supposed to be able to do if you're a copyeditor): Be a mensh. If that's an insult or threat to any sane person with a three-digit IQ, I'll eat the Uffington Horse in a Pinot Noir reduction and Spam. Which Chalksibling recently invited us to name artists we didn't become aware of until after their deaths? In my case, Kevin Gilbert, the Great Person-of-Pallor Hope of progressive rock, but also a stand-up comedian named Mitch Hedberg, dubbed "comedy's Kurt Cobain" in a remarkably sympathetic tribute piece by Daniel Fierman in the Ides of July edition of *Entertainment Weekly*. (No, I don't subscribe to, or regularly read, *EW*. A good circle of friends doubles as a clipping service.) Two Hedberg riffs quoted in the magazine: "Alcoholism is a disease. But it's, like, the only disease you can get yelled at for havin'. Dammit, Otto! You're an alcoholic! Dammit, Otto, you have LUPUS!" "My apartment is infested with koala bears. It's the cutest infestation ever. Way better than cockroaches. When I turn on the light, a bunch of koala bears scatter. And I don't want 'em to. I'm like, Hey! Hold on, fellas. Let me hold one of you. And feed you a leaf." Alas, there will never be an album titled *Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In a Cave and Conversing With Mitch Hedberg*. Ryan Anthony An independent Internet content provider P.S.: Some of my fellow Grandpa Simpson-like progressive rockers out there may be interested to know that iTunes offers the 9-minute, 41-second studio version of Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer for ninety-nine cents plus tax. The equally-agreeable "Pirates," alas, is only available by buying an entire album.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 11:22:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Great, now I'm going to sing "Frank Hill" to myself the rest of the Message-ID: <20050722182237.30358.qmail@web32014.mail.mud.yahoo.com> day Hi: Whee! Chalkhills is *back*. Nothin' like a little controversy to increase the frequency of my fave musical newsdigestletterthingie. Speaking of controversy, Jeff Thomas said: > And Colin is superior to Andy in his innate > understanding of rhythm; I think Andy and a few producers would agree with > that. Although Andy is certainly no slouch, either. Ooh, careful there, son! Are you trying to ensure more-frequent newsletters through such blanket statements? Colin is, IMO, the finest pop bass player around (if you can count him as still being around), and the way that he locks-in with drummers is stunning. But one of the things that's always killed me about Andy's writing and playing is how intensely rhythmic he is, how he is able to play and sing parts that are completely different rhythmically, how he is able to find and exploit the rhythmic "holes" left by the other players, etc. If I had to say which one was better, I'd choose Andy without hesitation. But probably best not to choose, eh? They're both good at it, as is Dave, which is why they all played so well together. Andrew Gowans: To get all pedantic on yo' ass, ain't no such thing as 7/5, even for Steve Vai. The bottom number refers to the kind of note that constitutes a beat, while the top number refers to how many beats are in a measure. Typically, the lower number is a 4, 8, or 16. So, in 7/4, it's 7 quarter notes to a measure; in 7/8, it's 7 eighth notes; etc. Ain't no such thing as a fifth note (that I'm aware of, anyhow). John Relph once again recommended Veda Hille's "Return of the Kildeer," and I once again concur wholeheartedly. This is the best album from APE that Andy has not been directly involved in. Plus, it's got "Frank Hill" from the musical "Hair" on it, and that's a Good Thing. Ben: The band would never choose Elfman to be their producer. He's too expensive for Colin. :^) Right on, Mike Versaci! Testify!! -Todd "The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth." H.L. Mencken
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 13:53:26 -1000 From: David Gershman <d.gershman@comcast.net> Subject: Re: Elfman's "Charlie" songs Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.0.20050722135146.031f6e20@mail.comcast.net> At 03:57 AM 7/22/2005, Ben Gott wrote: >Wouldn't Danny Elfman be a perfect choice to produce the new XTC album? >This occurred to me as I was watching "Charlie and the Chocolate >Factory" which contains Elfman's most magnificent score to date. Just >check out the "Main Title" -- it's magical. His little songs for the >Oompa Loompas (which he both wrote and sung) are cute little pop >confections. The movie is classic Tim Burton (the set and production >design is especially good), but Elfman cinches the deal. Just a small clarification: Yes, Elfman did write the tunes to those catchy Oompa Loompa pop confections, but the lyrics were written by Roadl Dahl himself -- that is (seeing as he's dead), they're direct from the book itself, set to Elfman's music. Dave Gershman
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:27:15 -0700 From: idahlberg@verizon.net Subject: 5/4, 4/4 etc. Message-ID: <ce200628138e8d3c589b775f3b1ea4b0@verizon.net> I like chiming in on music theory matters. "Wake Up" has both guitars in 4/4, just different patterns. If one were in a 5/4 pattern, then the overall phrase would 'reset' itself every 4 bars (or 20 beats). "Wake Up" resets every bar. I'm guessing the 5/4-4/4 tune in question might be "Day In Day Out" toward the end, where Andy plays triplets grouped in 5. This overall pattern rights itself every 5 bars (or 30 triplets). The riff is a variation on the one he plays at the top of the tune. Kinda 5/4 over 4/4. Quirky stuff. Other similar examples: Dave plays an offset figure in "Helicopter", during the 'I object to all the airmail...' part, but rights itself at the end of that section. "Ten Feet Tall" Dave solo starts off with a little offset figure action. "Really Super, Supergirl" Dave's solo has an ascending five note pattern that could be thought of as 3/8 against 4/4. "Humble Daisy" solo....etc "Optimism's Flames" main riff is an offset phrase that resets every 3 bars. A small example, in "Meeting Place" the chorus melody is the same 4 note group repeated but offset. The bridge in "No Thugs" has the bass and drums playing a pattern that could also be a 3/8 against 4/4 example. End of "Mayor of Simpleton" is all wacky offset stuff. I don't think musicians (myself included) think about one time sig against another, but just notice an offset pattern. I was trying to find a term for this, but found that polyrhythmic, polymetric, and hemiola don't exactly apply here. Anyone have a term? Ian #11-34 Dave wrote > >> Or is this akin to one of the XTC songs... can't recall which >> one.... where one guitar plays in 5/4 and the other is in 4/4. >> Only Andy could come up with that one. > #11-35 Jeff wrote > I'm not sure, but you're not by any chance talking about "Wake Up", are > you? If so: Colin came up with that one. (Of course, with the > arranging > aid of Dave and Andy.) And Colin is superior to Andy in his innate > understanding of rhythm; I think Andy and a few producers would agree > with > that. Although Andy is certainly no slouch, either.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 00:03:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Steve <ste7phen@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Danny Elfman Message-ID: <20050723070322.3325.qmail@unknown-206-190-39-12.yahoo.com> Benjamin Gott said: > > Wouldn't Danny Elfman be a perfect choice to produce the new XTC > album? You mean because it will never happen? Another Steve
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 08:50:45 -0400 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Rush&Co. Message-ID: <a06110403bf07e8bbf76b@[64.91.163.22]> I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh when Bill Clinton was in office, because I found him more interesting and entertaining when someone he violently disagreed with was in office. Now that GW Bush is in office, Rush is his personal lapdog and about as fun to listen to as chasing parked cars. Rush chose The Pretenders' "My City Was Gone" as the intro to his show(I believe it still is, haven't listened in quite a while, more than a year) simply because he liked the song's intro and thought it was catchy. He was also using intros from several songs from Utopia's last two albums from the mid-80's, which are out of print and thus less likely to have prickly licensing problems. It was weird hearing them on his show, it was like he'd snuck into my house and made off with a few of my LPs. (let him try it, my twenty pound gully cat Spike would claw him to death) I'd find Rush Limbaugh so much more interesting if he didn't think GW Bush's shit doesn't stink. Brings to mind Bill Hicks' "Rush Limbaugh is a scatmuncher" routine, which has to be heard to be believed; I think Hicks knew he was dying when he recorded that album(he died of pancreatic cancer at just 33 back in '94) and figured that if he took a few sacred cows with him they wouldn't be able to sue a dead man.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 08:52:52 -0400 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Re: TB Message-ID: <a06110404bf07eb6f9a11@[64.91.163.22]> At 9:57 AM -0400 7/22/05, Chalkhills wrote: >Best drummer of all time: Terry Bozzio. Don't fight it, give in to the >force of nature that is Terry Bozzio. Which leads me to a great album >title: "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar" - how freeing! I've met Terry, he was in my town to record a trio project with Mick Karn and Stuart Hamm sometime in the early 90's and he was this guy who just happened to be talking to a couple of my local musician friends. I joined in the conversation, not knowing who this guy was, just knew he was mentioning the above musicians(I knew of Karn from Japan) and even said "I've played in a number of other bands too, some of which you've probably heard of." It wasn't until he was walking away that his profile bought back memories of an old Missing Persons video. Very talented guy who can play real complicated(Zappa, UK) or real simple(Missing Persons, The Knack- yes, he was with The Knack for a while in the 90's).
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 18:18:24 -0700 From: "Pastula Aaron" <pastula12@hotmail.com> Subject: Tourette's Message-ID: <BAY24-F14DEA09CF838CE97421BCBA2CB0@phx.gbl> Sheesh...I'm just happy when I hear XTC on the radio in ANY context, because it almost certainly means a few more pennies in the jar for the greatest band in the history of the human race. Nevertheless, it is fun to see people on this list rear up on their hind legs once in a while... Just remember, folks, even we right-wing savages enjoy the sweet, dulcet tones of perfect pop on a regular basis...and I bet even Andy can appreciate that. Peace through music (and superior firepower!), Aaron.
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 14:44:10 +0100 From: Toby Howard <gakochan@gmail.com> Subject: XTC items on eBay Message-ID: <c0f4aa01050724064421212413@mail.gmail.com> Hi, I thought people might be interested in a couple of XTC items I have on eBay right now: * Peter Pumpkinhead CD single, also includes Wardance/Down a peg (demo)/Peter Pumpkinhead (demo) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4750870764 * XTC Interview cassette, recored at Andy's home for the 1989 XTC Fan Convention in Manchester, UK http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4750870778 Happy holidays! --gakochan
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #11-36 *******************************
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