Chalkhills Digest Volume 12, Issue 47
Date: Tuesday, 3 October 2006
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 12, Number 47
Tuesday, 3 October 2006
Topics:
Fuzzy Warbles Received
Fuzzy Arrival Dates
Wax On, Wax Off
FW#7-9: Ecstasy
Bulgariad
'The Grey Album', 'Sgt Petsounds', 'Love' and an Experiment
The Story of a Rock and Roll Band
Whoa! Nick Lowe?
Lynne Drum
New interview with Andy
Administrivia:
To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command:
unsubscribe
For all other administrative issues, send a message to:
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>
Please remember to send your Chalkhills postings to:
<chalkhills@chalkhills.org>
World Wide Web: <http://chalkhills.org/>
The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.8c (John Relph <relph@tmbg.org>).
Take my yardstick / Stir some lovely.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:43:08 +0100 (BST) From: PAUL RODGERS <pledge7@btinternet.com> Subject: Fuzzy Warbles Received Message-ID: <20060929174308.20884.qmail@web86403.mail.ird.yahoo.com> Hello, I'm a regular lurker who likes to pop out occasionally when I feel I have something to add. My first impressions on the collectors' box were that: 1) It is far bigger than I expected. 2) It really is beautifully packaged and I'm gonna take good care of it. 3) I worried there was a style over content problem, but I've only listened to each new disc once, so I'm still open. Can't wait to get them on my mp3 player and listen to vols 1-9 over a fair commuting period. 4) I'm Unbecome is in my humble opinion the gentlest most beautiful, heartfelt Andy Partridge vocal I can think of. Apparently Knights In Shining Karma got the nod over this. Knights is my least favourite AV1 track, although I still love it when in the right mood. I'm Unbecome could have made AV1 the perfect album I very nearly believe it is. I may have to swap the tracks on my mp3 player. 5) They posted fast and packaged well. If you get a knackered one, rip the courier to shreds! And yes like Paul Haines, I believe it was, I've put all my Warbles in the box. It looks lovely. Can we agree on an official position for the various discs in the album please? I never had the demo bootlegs, none of them, so this Coat of Many Cupboards and Fuzzy Warbles series has been one great adventure for me. One I'm very grateful to Andy for putting so much care into. Over to you Colin. Come on, let's hear your demos... Here's hoping Andy's finger gets better and Colin submits a few songs. If there's one thing we can be thankful about the lack of a new XTC album since Wasp Star is that Andy has not cashed in on the name by releasing a solo album as XTC. I'm done, happy warbling people. Pledge
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:53:37 +0200
From: "don device" <device@noos.fr>
Subject: Fuzzy Arrival Dates
Message-ID: <08c201c6e3f8$92bcf750$2a824251@computer>
Hiya,
In/re our friend from Nebraska's inquiry as to arrival dates, I can say it
took less time to get stateside than to hop the ponf here to Franche
(doubtless tyo the French's peerless reputation for efficiency ("Sure, I'm
supposed to get off at five, but if it's XTC, I can wait untilm 4:37 instead
of 4:30!")..
Quite looking forward to the new music, plus a place to hold together all my
shattered copies of the first 'Wobblies' er, 'Warbles'...
Dunno if any of you have had to deal with the Ape folks (I 'm still working
on getting my ring-tone from the last expenditure) but I must say, they are
unfailingly polite and seem to be trying their best. Unusual in this day and
age.
That said: Quality of materials seems to have been negotiated with the Bush
administration.
Love (never stopped the flames, but why not try?),
d"
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:02:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Lee Owens <leenashville@yahoo.com> Subject: Wax On, Wax Off Message-ID: <20060929230220.81332.qmail@web34302.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Here's a chalkhills posting for you. Why all the musings about Lynne getting with them anyway? Wouldn't it be a bit like Todd....commercially viable but troublesome with Andy.....beside that it doesn't look like there will be a new album anytime soon anyway. Andy is content to recycle his old stuff and leave it at that. God knows what else is going on. It has been at least 5 years since the last album and I have begun to give up hope. It was really interesting for awhile but it is getting a bit old. Not that I am totally unappreciative....I just long for a couple of new CD's. There has been ample time for the writing of at least one seriously good album and all we got was a recycled from Nonsuch (once again) song.....NOT THAT IT WASN'T FANTASTIC! BUT WHERE IS THE NEW MATERIAL????????????????? WHERE IS THE NEW CD???????????????? Andy is one of the most talented guys on this planet and I can't help but wonder what is going on......I suppose that is what we all are wondering? With the changing times in the music business where children feel that music should be free.... and what it is affecting....labels and stores are closing everywhere....I truly don't like much of what is in the mainstream these days. It is littered with corporate flotsam. A new XTC CD would be a nice thing for those of us that still think. Admittedly...it is not cheap....especially in the U.K. to make a CD....I am certain they do not wish to return to the problems they had with Virgin. Survival depends on the success of FW and other things they can do to survive. Keeping the name alive is important though. It is a name that has become synonymous with integrity...the problem has been for them to turn that into record sales. I can't help but wonder if Mr. Gregory wouldn't come along for the ride, that wouldn't translate into quite a bit of press. Oh, well, I wax on this autumn afternoon....dreaming of the day when we hear another XTC CD................. Lee in Nashville, TN USA
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:02:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Jackson <jydson@yahoo.com> Subject: FW#7-9: Ecstasy Message-ID: <20060929200218.92610.qmail@web56805.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Chalkhills and Children, Got my Fuzzy Warbles 7,8 and 9 yesterday, I did'nt expect it so soon muchless the big bookcase binder for holding the other six FWs....very cool. 7&8 are i.m.o. the most polished of the series, nice booklets, and plenty of surprises, Geez, getting the big package, peeling off the cover....it almost feels like being (apologies to Janet Jackson)16 y.o. again. Too often on #s 1-6 it seemed I'd heard the bottleg or prefered the originals, these two (7,8) are different. Enough with the ELO/AP collabo already...happened to hear their ( or was it The move?) doyadoyawantmylove? for a monster.com commercial last night....to quote my grandmother "I'm sorry I'm just not interesting".... never quite connected with Jeff Lynn and can't fathom ELO as where the Beatles were headed, Wings is more likely....but Eno and McCartney...hmmmm. As for Mr. Partridge's latest, I'm re-invigorated and patiently anxious for what's new...next??? On that note, Thanks to the folks who brought the Nines to my attention ( http://www.ninespop.com/latest.php ) ...good stuff! Warmest regards, Jack
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 23:13:05 +0000 From: "Chris Mullin" <chrismullin@email.com> Subject: Bulgariad Message-ID: <20060929231305.AA498164278@ws1-4.us4.outblaze.com> Great postings - thanks for being active and witty. Just drop the Jeff Lynn hysteria, what next Yes with Buggles? I might buy the FW album but it's a secret and why tell others anyway. YouTube showing hidden depth by a great video by iandberg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF84pxjiELs ,give it a vote or comment, please We're buggering off to bulgaria soon, to live off my pension and a farm boys wages. Best luck for a new album folks, keep up the good work. i'll have to dig out my 56k modem again - technology eh! great going forward, shite going back. Kind regerds Chris Mullin ** something terribly witty - not said by me either ** chrismullin@email.com
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2006 10:28:54 +1000 From: "Simon Knight" <homefrontradio@hotmail.com> Subject: 'The Grey Album', 'Sgt Petsounds', 'Love' and an Experiment Message-ID: <BAY109-F524A2D22DDCC1ECAFF5C0D01E0@phx.gbl> Jamie brought up 'The Grey Album' by DJ Danger Mouse: >I managed to locate a copy of said album and while it is >very interesting its really not that sonically >brilliant, I listened to it a few times and pretty >much got bored. I've always been fascinated with the concept of mashups, before such a thing really had a name. Many years ago my sister and I did a primitive, pre-digital attempt of this concept on one of the Chalkhills Children's releases with the first three songs from 'Skylarking'. 'The Grey Album': It was an interesting concept, dull execution. Others out there might be aware of another one called 'Sgt.Petsounds', a mashup of the two albums by the Beatles and the Beach Boys. This is also much better imagined than heard. Reading about 'Love', which has apparantly been in the works for two years, I can understand why EMI cracked down so hard on these two records - they don't want the negative associations from what they'd consider inferior and illegal works to scare consumers away before their official release of, what in all actuality, will probably be much the same thing, just hopefully with a bit more harmonic and rhythmic knowledge used. ----- >From an interview with Giles and George Martin: "Strawberry Fields" begins with John Lennon's original demo tape, and Harrison's "Within You Without You" is played to the drum-track of "Tomorrow Never Knows." Giles Martin was apprehensive when he showed Starr their version of "Octopus's Garden." "It has strings of 'Good Night,' drums from 'Rita Meter Maid,' percussion section from 'Polythene Pam' then into 'Helter Skelter' and then goes into 'Sun King,"' said Giles Martin. "Meanwhile there's 'Baby I'm a Rich Man' percussion going on in the middle lane. Really the kitchen sink is thrown at that one," he said. "It absolutely floored him (Ringo)." Digital technology allowed the Martins to experiment in a way undreamt of in the 1960s when Martin had a four-track tape recorder and "used to edit with razor blades." Martin said the only track in the show that he wished he had 40 years ago was his son's treatment of "Within You Without You" which "I think is fantastic and it should have been on the original Pepper. But Giles wasn't born at the time." ----- I'll wait to pass judgement on this until I hear it. The Martin's may think they're doing something ground-breaking, but if you'd ever heard 'Plunderphonics', or Negativeland, (who used part of XTC's 'Poor Skeleton Steps Out in one work), or even the "Go+ EP" and 'Takeaway: The Lure Of Salvage" you'll know the basic concepts are nothing new, (if definitely falling into the 'art' category), and I find it funny that EMI whips out the lawsuits to punish people for doing much the same thing the Beatles frequently did. (Was the BBC compensated for their useage of 'King Lear' in 'I Am The Walrus'? What about the brass band record used on 'Yellow Submarine'? The audience recording on 'Sgt Pepper'? The classical records used on 'Revolution 9'?). The Martin's are in a privileged position since the rest of the great unwashed simply don't have access through the vast wall of lawyers and management to be able to experiment with music in this fashion, and if the results therefore aren't incredibly stellar, I'm going to be the first to voice my contempt. I really hope it's not going to be a case of Grandpa buying a pair of Reeboks and mistakenly thinking he's young and cool, then breaking his hip whilst hopping on a skateboard to impress the grandkids. If you have some grounded harmonic knowledge, and a good ear for the similarities between songs, you'd know how easy this is: - Am I the only one who wonders if Squeeze's 'Take Me I'm Yours' inspired the Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams'? - Long ago on this list, I pointed out the melodic similarity between Bach's 'Jesu' and XTC's 'the Green Man'. - Ade from the list recently pointed out the fact that the verses of Split Enz's "History Never Repeats" and XTC's "General and Majors" are indentical. I've long wondered about 'Red' and 'I See Red' too, but I heard Neil Finn covering 'Making Plans For Nigel' recently, so they must have been fans. - The other day I'd been playing 'Nothing But Flowers' by Talking Heads, and laughed to myself with the basic realisation that for all their critically-applauded worldbeat appropriations, they'd simply gotten no futher than Malcolm McClaren had with 'Double Dutch' from 'Duck Rock' in 1982. At heart, they're the same song. - I've recently come to think there's a very scary possibility that the Beatles 'All Together Now' may have been in/directly inspired by the ghastly 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport' by Rolf Harris. (Beatleologists might know enough of their common interactions to give them pause for thought here). So, theoretically, if someone happened be facing the realistion that arthritis and failing health means they might not be able to play their instruments or sing for very much longer, yet still felt the desire to try and create *some* kind of music, and had noticed the similarities in parts of 22 records in their collection, and realised they could be layered 7 or 8 samples thick without harmonically clashing, to the extent that people might think that they're only one or two samples, and somehow managed to create a harmonically valid backing track out of this to the extent that were inspired that their creative life wasn't necessarily over, and to write a new song about not giving into despair over the top of it, which didn't use melodic lifts from *any* of the original songs, then you could have something that actually transcended the simple concept of 'mashup' and it's 'art / noise terrorism' connotations and just simply became a somewhat dreamy, psychedelic Pop Song, which, untheoretically, can be heard here: http://www.4shared.com/file/4116988/c5238748/unexpected.html Basically, he'd just have been following the example The Beatles showed him as a small child, when he heard 'Tomorrow Never Knows' and thought it was fantastic, world-creating stuff, and would just *vanish* inside their songs, the best evidence he's seen that you shouldn't patronise kids with dumbed down Disney Channel songs, (though he'd eagerly point to the pre-Sherman Brothers harmonic sophistication of the Disney legacy). He'd hope the artists would realise they were being sampled because the songs were the soundtrack to a life, and deeply loved, and in their own very different ways through simplicity or complexity had stuck earworms deep, deep inside his head that are hard to shake out, especially when the song was an experiment and NOT INTENDED FOR SALE, now or ever. He'd hope Andy could see the recontextualisation of 'Then She Appeared' as simply an extension of the ideas and desire to experiment that led to 'Takeaway', without having the privilege or the luxury of access to the original tracks. He'd also thank the singer, Bobby Lightfoot, who leant him his amazing voice when his own had failed, and supplied an incredibly accomplished, harmonically-exciting bass line, and whose own solo work, which i find to be on a genius level along the lines of an Andy Partridge, Andy Sturmer (especially the voice - listen to 'Like Dying'), Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson (who harmonic work Bobby beats hands-down in terms of complexity and sophistication), can be found here: http://www.broadjam.com/artists/artistindex.asp?artistID=27874 In my opinion, he's the only reason the experiment has any validity. So, roll on 'Love', i'm very, very curious.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 22:01:14 -0400 From: Christopher Coolidge <cauldron@together.net> Subject: The Story of a Rock and Roll Band Message-ID: <91F79E0D-4B3D-4AD0-B3BF-320828E8633D@together.net> Harrison "No accounting for taste" Sherwood wrote: > The Aged P. reaches out, intoning laconically "Well, *I* can." *Snap.* > > Blissful silence. He had some taste, did old Dad. > > On Sep 25, 2006, at 10:20 AM, Coolidge wrote: > >> The Move were a better band after [Jeff Lynne] joined, > > IN WHAT FLIPPIN' UNIVERSE???? > > Now, granted, times change, fashions mutate, and 1967 was an > altogether lighter and happier year than 1970, when suddenly > everybody felt the need to turn in dreadful sludgey-drudgey "heavy" > blooze wankage, so some consideration has to be granted for the > times, but I'm damned if I'm going to concede that the guys who did > "Blackberry Way" were *improved" when they put out the utterly > unlistenable "Looking On." > > Also, The Move kicked The Idle Race's ass all over the field. > > And -- all cards on the table -- I love "Mr. Blue Sky." I'll defer to Harrison for writing the liner notes to Coat of Many Cupboards and being related to my old school acquaintance Bob(who I shared a stage with once as an extra keyboardist with his band The Malarians). I don't know Looking On very well; I know their earliest stuff with Roy Wood as primary songwriter and their last album Message From The Country best, and in my humble opinion Wood was pretty much improved as a songwriter to have a strong second songwriter. Also in my opinion, Lynne's songwriting was never better than on Message From The Country, not even in ELO or even the Idle Race(whose first album I used to have on vinyl and it was lost during a move sometime in the early 80's, sniff...). Something about having another songwriter to kick you in the butt, worked for Andy and Colin, dinnit? Having said that, I'd have killed to have written a song as good as "Brontosaurus." The Move's earliest stuff was definitely more powerful and immediate, but the variety provided by two strong songwriters on their later stuff certainly doesn't hurt(Bev Bevan's two jokey throwaways don't really count, he makes Ringo seem like a songwriter by comparison), and great singles like "Do Ya," "California Man" and "Tonight" certainly help too. My opinion only, it's a matter of personal preference I suppose, and I certainly don't want to rain on Jeff's parade either. Different strokes for different folks.
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2006 21:45:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Ryan Anthony <hamsterranch@yahoo.com> Subject: Whoa! Nick Lowe? Message-ID: <20061002044517.86167.qmail@web51105.mail.yahoo.com> Taking his turn at chewing on the question of whether Jeff Lynne should produce the next (aren't we all burning with optimism's flames!) XTC album, Ben of XTCGoPlus writes: "I just wonder if Nick Lowe would be available when Andy and Colin are ready." >From your QWERTY, Ben, to the eyes of the deity of your choice. Does anyone on this list know, or claim to be an expert on, the most famous member of Rockpile not named Dave? Am I correct in presuming that he would MAKE himself available? Could Colin be wooed away from his poison-mixing bench, or the drawing board where he keeps the blueprints for his new-and-improved back-shaving device, and persuaded to write a couple of three-minute songs? He could even take a shortcut ... the Messrs. Becker and Fagen would be cool about it again, right? Ryan Anthony An independent Internet content provider P.S.: Hernia! Cracked foundation! Andy's stamp album has arrived. Counting Colin's contributions, it includes nine CDs.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 06:04:03 +0100 (BST) From: Paul Culnane <paulculnane@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Lynne Drum Message-ID: <20061003050403.81755.qmail@web86910.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Oh Crikey I had a feeling my "ELO ELO ELO, what's all this then" might stir up a few hornets. How I laughed. Mole: of COURSE I'm nuts - certifiable. Men in white coats are lurking. But I largely agree with your list of choice Orch tunes. I made a disc for a friend, pretty similar to yours Mole, no wuckas. Suppose having something different to talk about is sorta refreshing compared with "when are XTC gonna get back in the studio?" and all that, huh? "Blackberry Way" is right up there. And Luke Haines is a singularly genius divine comedian. And nice to see you clocking in Haines. I didn't realise you were such an enthusiastic philatelist! Thanks for the fun, folks. Oh, a certain Mr Chambers sent me this link. Thought some of you might enjoy it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEftTzuxVGo Culnane the insane.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 06:21:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com>
Subject: New interview with Andy
Message-ID: <20061003132113.82523.qmail@web32005.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Hi:
How is Andy's finger doing? When is "Monstrance" (featuring Mr. Barry
Andrews*) coming out? How did Phil Spector end up "arse over apex"
while trying to intimidate a band by shooting his ever-present
revolver into their studio ceiling?
To find out, check out this interview, conducted by Jeff Barringer of
Club Kingsnake fame:
http://club.kingsnake.com/index.php?/archives/199-Podcast-Interview-with-Andy-Partridge-of-XTC.html
(Shorter link: http://snipurl.com/wu54)
Jeff first interviewed Andy and the boys in 1980, when they were on
tour supporting Drums and Wires, and the rapport he built with Andy
back then is still going strong 26 years later.
The interview's available in streaming format, or you can download the
MP3 and listen when and where you want.
-Todd
* Did I mention Barry's on MySpace? He is. Here:
http://www.myspace.com/barryandrewsmusic
Club Kingsnake is on MySpace, too ... check it out here:
http://www.myspace.com/clubkingsnake
And, of course, XTC's there:
http://www.myspace.com/xtcfans
"Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge."
-Alfred North Whitehead, mathematician and philosopher (1861-1947)
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #12-47 *******************************
Go back to Volume 12.
3 October 2006 / Feedback