Chalkhills Digest, Volume 13, Number 15

                 Saturday, 31 March 2007

Topics:

                Monstrance release on 4-3
                       Gott-Dom-It!
                     Least Favourite
                      Re:monstrance
                     RE: Band Madness
                  Obnoxious? Chill out.

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Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:34:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kzincat <kzincat98@yahoo.com>
Subject: Monstrance release on 4-3
Message-ID: <915833.8826.qm@web90506.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Dear Amazon.com Customer,

We've noticed that customers who have expressed
interest in music by XTC have also ordered Monstrance
by Monstrance.  For this reason, you might like to
know that Monstrance will be released on April 3,
2007.  You can pre-order your copy at a savings of
$3.01 by following the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NIIUOW?tag=chalkhills&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000NIIUOW

With Love,
Amazon.com Customer Dave

***************************************************
"It is not *who* is right, but *what* is right, that is of importance."
    -- Thomas Huxley

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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:18:30 +0200
From: don device <device@noos.fr>
Subject: Gott-Dom-It!
Message-ID: <6BA98886-F9F6-49E8-9832-DCBF807777F9@noos.fr>

Chalkers all,

First let me say I've only heard thre two donloaded Monstrance songs,
plus read Ben and Todd's conflicting opinions. I think I'll be
buyioing iyt however. I like the feeling of a more jagged Eno (Taking
Tiger Mountain's Blank Frank) Meeting the more Mellow 'Ambient'
version, plus I do like Andy's strange guitar sounds and have played
the Homo Safari Session as much as any other XTC record, even going
so far as to reconstruct them from the demo series... alos quite glad
to see the hatched between Barry and Andy buried which should give us
all hope! I'll give you my 2 euro cents when I have them (which is
all I'll have left after the purchase, most likely!

Secondly, let me second Dom's defense of the dead Kennedy's. Not only
did I grow up with them (Jello even went to my High School) and full
disclosure (I do know the guys a bit), I think they're a cracking
good band, an excellent rhythm section adn witty, incisive lyrics
that take no prisoners...even, dare I say quirky? I was honestly
saddened to vote agzaist them because I feel they're more than the
equal of pretty much any band up there besides our boys. I'd like to
see many bands hold that groove to 'Too Drunk to Fuck" together at
that tempo and it's perfeect! NO click and never wavers!

Also, for those of you who haven't heard the french 'Nouvelle Vague'
retro disc, with '80s songs redone as sort of lounge-music, it's no
chance that they cover both 'NIgel' and the forementioned four-letter
word song. Both are minor classics...

I ofetn wonder with all the prog-rock talk on this site, how ma y of
your chalkers came from which backgrounds. I grew up playing punk in
little bands before moving into Power-Pop later by way of Bowie and
Iggy and Eno and Reed, but for me, XTC was a rhythmically interesting
'punky' band and "GO2" (not everyone's fave, but I love it) fits in
quite nicely with 'Plastic Surgery disasters' or even Minor
Threat....  Dom seems to spring from the eternal hell-mouth of
metal...What about you others?

I love 'Skylarking ' and "Oranges and Lemons", but as the Clash say
"Oranges anad Lemons say the bells of St Clemons/ C'mon and show me,
say the words of old Bowie"...

So show me your stuff, mateys!

xo,
dd

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:00:47 -0400
From: "Ben Gott" <bgott@rectoryschool.org>
Subject: Least Favourite
Message-ID: <5D5C24A6F6FBA04F9C937B65A81EAE584AD796@INET.rectoryschool.org>

Hi gang,

I'm glad my "Monstrance" review is sparking discussion.  Discuss.  As I
wrote to Dom just moments ago, one of the most wonderful things about music
is that we can agree to disagree.  (Like, for example, I think that Scritti
Politti's album "Cupid and Psyche '85" is absolutely incredible.  Anybody
disagree?  Good.  That's what I thought.)  I still don't care for
"Monstrance," but I found Todd's review to be thoughtful, erudite, and
compelling.  Buy the album and see for yourself.  To paraphrase a wise man
named Culnane, isn't that what it's all about?

As for least favourite XTC songs, I can safely say that I don't have any.  I
used not to like "Fly on the Wall," but I've become enamoured with the
synths (see Scritti Politti above).  I also used not to like "Big Day," but
lately it's reminded me so much of "Wonderland" that it's actually moved
into my "Top Five Colin Moulding Songs" list.  And I too used to skip past
"Crocodile," but Dave's guitar playing is as enthralling as ever on that
track.

I'd say more, but I'm leading a four-day African drumming workshop, and we
must go load up the vans for a performance!  Catch y'all on the flipside.

With fondness and respect to all on the list,
-Ben

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:28:52 +0000 (GMT)
From: Dom Lawson <britishsteel666@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Re:monstrance
Message-ID: <209212.28404.qm@web27111.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>

His Royal Highness, Fred 'Lord Of All Fever & Plague' Weaver wrote:

"This is my review of the inane "Monstrance," "review"  written for
kevchino.com. ( whatever the hell that is )  It
speaks for itself."

"Well", "Fred", that's a little bit "patronising", isn't "it". And
you've only just "started".

HRH FW goes on:

"Anyway, aside from that, if you actually bothered to read his
"review" of Monstrance, you'd have been treated to this fine example
of his prose:"

Oooh, "Fred". Feel the acerbic lash of your knowing tongue!! Ouch!!!
Oh, do it "again".

And, yes, there is more from the Weave-meister:

"I guess the ignorant and offensive statement above " speaks for
itself "."

We'll be the judge of what's ignorant and offensive, you pompous
oaf. Thanks for playing!

And finally, the money shot...

Inaniac writes:

"Those who can't do
teach
Those who can't make music
review it"

And those who think they're smarter than the rest spout cliches,
blissfully unaware that the majority of us can spot a self-satisfied
shitwit when we see one...

For the record, dimbo, many Chalkhillians write about music, either
for a living or for pleasure (or both), and many of those self-same
people also have a great deal of musical skill. I can't believe anyone
needs to point that out. Still, I'm sure Ben "I'm a teacher and a
talented musician" Gott feels chastened and duly instructed by your
wise words. Dickhead.

Sorry folks. I love a smart-arse as much as the next smart-arse, but
it only works when the smart-arse is smart. And not just an arse.

And on a more XTC-related note...well kinda...there's a new band
called Tiny Dancers that I highly recommend. Their new album was
produced by John Leckie. You're welcome.

Salut!

Dom

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:25:39 +0100
From: "David Smith" <smudgeboy99@btinternet.com>
Subject: RE: Band Madness
Message-ID: <000901c7720e$2a0ea560$4001a8c0@Dave1>

Hey opp, long time no post, hope everyone's peachy.

Re: Ned Frey's link to Band Madness, sorry Ned, by the time I got there the
DK's had already knocked our boys out and were engaged in a second round
battle against the Foo Fighters (who, incidentally, beat Warren Zevon in the
previous round).

Of course, I'm now totally hooked on this wonderful game! Hooked mostly (of
course) because it's so much fun to scream at the screen!

"Whaaaaaat? Phish beat King Crimson? Are you mad?"

"Huh? Ben Folds vs Steely Dan in round two? How can this be?"

And, mostly:

"Hmph - these are the sort of results you get when you open it up to
Americans and kids!"

Only kidding - but no self-respecting Englishman would allow the currently
evolving round two travesty of Weezer knocking out Thin Lizzy for pity's
sake!

And Modest Mouse beating the Manic Street Preachers!

AND Gnarls Barklay beating Pulp . . . for the love of God!

Never mind - it's not too late to get over there and help Jeff Buckley
eliminate Oasis. You know it makes sense!

Smudge Out.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:24:27 -0500
From: "Xteve X" <xteve@hotmail.com>
Subject: Obnoxious? Chill out.
Message-ID: <BAY132-F210271248768859E514478B56C0@phx.gbl>

In last issue, Fred Weaver blew a gasket:

"Gang,

This is my review of the inane "Monstrance," "review"  written for
kevchino.com. ( whatever the hell that is )  It
speaks for itself ...
<snip>
I guess the ignorant and offensive statement above " speaks for itself ".

Those who can't do
teach
Those who can't make music
review it

etc."

Hey Fred, crank the rhetoric down...it's not good for the blood pressure. I
hardly think expressing one's opinion about an album that even AP said some
people won't like is musical heresy or warrants  calling a fellow fan
ignorant or offensive...in fact, my first comment on reading your post was
"Hi Pot! I'm Kettle! Pleased to meet ya!"

For the record I too found Monstrance mostly uninteresting, and I'm a fan of
ambient Eno, Steve Reich-ish stuff and early Crimson. If it was to your
tastes, cheers. Some people like Mummer or Nonsuch, some don't. It's the
beauty of XTC that they have a catalog as varied as they do, from the pure
pop of Skylarking to the dub experiments and Monstrance. There's something
in it for everyone.

Calling Ben ignorant is tantamount to saying he has no musical taste and if
that was true, he wouldn't like XTC in the first place. Ben is a teacher (at
least as far as I know he still is, having never met the guy in person) so
if your final comment was intended as a personal slam it was both out of
line and reflected very poorly on yourself, IMO.

Let's all get along.

Best,

Steve

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End of Chalkhills Digest #13-15
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