Chalkhills Digest, Volume 14, Number 18

                  Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Topics:

   1988 live XTC Radio Broadcast - anybody interested?
                    Cool Dukes Article
                      Genuine music
                  dusty like a lunar sea
                    Re: loudness wars
            Overworking of interns at the CDDB
                         Cryptic
           King For A Day MySpace page updated
                  Dave remembers "Rook"
                          ZZ Top

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

Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 19:01:13 -0500
From: "John Groves" <jgl@johngroves.net>
Subject: 1988 live XTC Radio Broadcast - anybody interested?
Message-ID: <b062d32b0805121701se84ad75ra38a607223a5f47c@mail.gmail.com>

Howdy folks.  This is my first post.  In 1988 XTC did a tour of sorts - of
live acoustic radio broadcasts.  In the process of archiving old studio
recordings, I rediscovered a recording I made of XTC (Andy, Colin and David)
on KLBJ in Austin.  I remember trying desperately to be "caller number 6" to
get in-studio tickets, but no luck.  I did make a very clean off the air
recording to VHS Hi-Fi, though, and I've done a very high quality digital
transfer from that tape.

If people are interested, I'm happy to make it available in whatever format,
from mp3 to 24 bit 96Khz (my archiving format).  For the hi-res stuff, we
would have to set up as tree, as downloading might be unwieldy for large
files.  Keep in mind that this is an FM broadcast recording (though a very
good one).  If there is a list-approved way of distributing this sort of
thing, enlighten me.

I'll wait to guage interest, and then go from there.

Cheers,
John

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

Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 17:36:14 -0700
From: Ken Leicht <ken_leicht@hotmail.com>
Subject: Cool Dukes Article
Message-ID: <BAY101-W362E5F5FF38BD7B92CCDE4EFCF0@phx.gbl>

Hey Chalhills.

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet...

I haven't posted in damn near forever.  I work at a movie memorabilia store
in Hollywood but we carry 60's music stuff because my boss is a big 60's
guy.  Anyway...we got the first four issues of this magazine from the UK
called SHINDIG which covers garage and psychadelic stuff.

Imagine my surprise when I see Andy Partridge on the cover lit in a very
pschadelic manner.  Inside is a great interview/article with Andy Partridge
and David Gregory about the whole history of the Dukes.  It's a great
interview with detailed breakdowns of all the songs in a similar manner to
the Myspace interviews.  Great stuff.  Definitely seek it out.

The only downer note was a passing reference to Colin which implies that
he's not getting along with Andy these days.  Maybe I read that bit wrong.
Hope I did.

Anyway...check out the magazine.  Has lots of lovely photos of the band I
don't remember seeing.

Cheers,  Ken

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

Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 00:36:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lee Owens <leenashville@yahoo.com>
Subject: Genuine music
Message-ID: <474801.61870.qm@web34307.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

This is regarding the current discussions of recording.

I believe one of the reasons the music business is in such a crappy
state is because there is absolutely nothing real about it any longer.
It is all about image and not about talent any longer.  I believe it
started with the Antares Auto Tune device (which is being used in live
applications now) and has contributed to the idea that music is
manufactured rather than "captured".  It has bred all manner of
Britneys and Ashlee Simpsons and Tim McGraws and many other people who
can't sing but look good enough.  They sing it two or three times half
in tune, then the engineer cuts and pastes the best inflections
together and then they tune it (bring it up to pitch) This is the way
it is done now!!!!!!!  It is one large photo op that is void of
substance....and no...it is not a tool that is like any other tool
that is merely being useful like punch-ins were in the days of tape to
correct mistakes.  It is the norm.  It is synthetic.  It is not real.
While I realize they do not call it show "art"...it is called show
"business", I believe we have sincerely reached a state of
de-evolution where even artists who don't need to be tuned are tuning
now (Elton John and others)...It is truly sad when people who can sing
in tune and don't need this thing are just too damned lazy to do it
any longer. I know some of the guys who tune this stuff for a living
and this is truly a sad time for music and musicians.  For God's sake,
even Scarlett Johansson has put out an album, if you can't hear the
pitch bending there....well, I do support anyone's right to try...but
come on aren't we getting a bit ridiculous here?  I have the
money...so I can be a singer now.....HMMMMMM!!!!!

I realize we are seeing great change but you also have to realize that
not only are we seeing the death of recorded music for a truly
inferior form (CDA files are vastly superior to MP3's sonically) but
copyright law is being spat upon. How are people going to be paid with
all the stupid people believing that music should be free and
literally giving it away with rationalities like "they are already
famous!" or "they should be glad their name is getting out there!"  It
makes me sad.  No wonder people are walking away from the business and
we are seeing more and more inferior music.  I don't know about you
but finding anything decent is getting harder and harder.  But what
does one do?  We have to have music to survive.  For me it is like
breathing itself.  So I continue to look....and I continue to hope for
pictures of water in a vast desert.

Please ANDY PARTRIDGE put out a CD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?  We need some
substance!!!!!  And I know you will really sing it!!

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

Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 06:15:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kzincat <kzincat98@yahoo.com>
Subject: dusty like a lunar sea
Message-ID: <750366.59199.qm@web90506.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

>Martin, if you ever read this, you know why the
coffee tasted funny."

This just made me re-listen to "Everything", the
ultimate Andy divorce song... confetti is everywhere
now.

On the recording process thread, I have to admit I am
enjoying the Beatles Revolver album torrent I
downloaded that is a direct digitizing of the vinyl
album version.
There is just this very, uh, warm extra smooth clean
running tape feel. Yeah, that's it....

Dave in Detroit

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

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

Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 22:24:06 -0400
From: John Relph <relph@tmbg.org>
Subject: Re: loudness wars
Message-ID: <18482.13894.304392.870977@seedbed.idiot-dog.com>

On Saturday, 2008, Derek Miner streamed bitwise:
>
> Believe me, I absolutely hate the way that audio is maximized to
> death before being sold to the public, and it needs to stop. Going
> back to vinyl can give you a respite and let you enjoy something from
> the past, but it doesn't help the future generations.

Here's a little quote from Poi Dog Pondering regarding their new album
"7":

  NOTES ON THE MASTERING:
  You will notice that "7" is a little quieter than most pop
  recordings these days. That was intentional. There is a volume war
  going on in modern music, because everyone wants to appear louder.
  This has lead to seriously compressed... even distorted recordings,
  that frankly sound bad. We put too much into the quality of
  recording to let this happen at the final stage, so we found a
  mastering house (Chicago Mastering Services) who feel the same way
  and they did a fantastic job preserving the integrity of the
  recording and let it blossom.

So, for those of you watching the progress of the loudness wars from
your perch on your easy chair, here's a blow struck for the good side.

	-- John

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

Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 00:47:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ryan Anthony <hamsterranch@yahoo.com>
Subject: Overworking of interns at the CDDB
Message-ID: <378463.81619.qm@web51411.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

With my hand on my vinyl copy of *Black Sea* with the green sleeve --
thereby (1) saluting that great set, (2) demonstrating that I've been
helping to enrich Our Heroes for nearly 30 years, and (3) getting the
obligatory XTC reference out of the way early -- I affirm this
actually happened.

I'm importing *Flatpicking Guitar Festival*, a compilation released by
Shanachie in 1990, into my iTunes library. CDDB, the online CD
Database, recognizes the disc and displays the song titles. Track
No. 14 leaps out at me: "Indian Killed At Woodstock."

Oh, no, I'm thinking. Is this some hippie-dippy protest anthem to
commemorate an upstate New York civil rights violation I'd never heard
of?

So I look at the CD. The actual name of the song is "Indian Killed A
Woodcock."

I'd say the civil rights violation in need of a hippie-dippy protest
anthem is the all-too-evident overworking of interns at the CDDB.

Ryan Anthony
An independent Internet content provider

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

Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 15:53:57 +0100
From: "Darryl Bullock" <dwbullock@blueyonder.co.uk>
Subject: Cryptic
Message-ID: <000c01c8b82d$d5f17770$81d46650$@co.uk>

Odd little one liner lurking in the bottom of the latest email news release
from Idea/Ape:

>Watch out for news coming very soon on XTC and Dukes

Hmm.

Still, I'm quietly excited (almost stupidly happy) to hear of the new
Dukes-esque tune Andy has penned for Eurostar.

D

Darryl W. Bullock
www.writesight.com/writers/thisispop
www.worldsworstrecords.blogspot.com
P please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

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

Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 13:11:02 -0500
From: Richard <rjpa1@tx.rr.com>
Subject: King For A Day MySpace page updated
Message-ID: <482F1FB6.3050807@tx.rr.com>

I have been updating the King For A Day MySpace page monthly
(http://www.myspace.com/kingforadayxtctribute) just in case you didn't
know.  I have also been including tracks not on KFAD but I have run
out.  If you have any non-KFAD covers that you'd like put up on the
page, let me know.

I just posted Gantry's cover of 'Beating of Hearts' and Neon Green
Aura's interpretation of 'Rook' but I have no links for them.

Chris Vreeland/Other The Cat's beatle-ization of 'My Train Is Coming" is
posted with a link to the Dukes of Simpleton website and McKinley's
stunning a capella cover of 'Rook' is there with a link to the "Dirty
Martini" page (her band, not her solo work).

Check it out, link up and clue me in if you know any websites for Gantry
or Neon Green Aura/Jennifer Geese.

Cheers,
Richard

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

Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 19:41:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com>
Subject: Dave remembers "Rook"
Message-ID: <957819.21669.qm@web32007.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Hi:

Over at the XTCfans MySpace site (http://www.myspace.com/xtcfans), the
song of the week is the demo of "Rook," which Andy talked about last
week and can be found on FW5.

But of course that's not all. Dave Gregory looks back on the writing,
rehearsing and recording of the song, and even provides images of his
score for the piano part! (Yes, that merits an exclamation point.)
Check it out at the XTCfans blog site at
http://blog.myspace.com/xtcfans.

Rook, rook, read from your book
Who murders who and where is the treasure hid?

-Todd

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

Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 11:19:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Versaci <michael_versaci@yahoo.com>
Subject: ZZ Top
Message-ID: <956941.30361.qm@web30903.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Folxtc,

I fuckin'  hate ZZ Top.  I love The Allman Brothers Band.  If you see any
sort of contradiction there then that's your problem.

The other day I was out for a drive in my new ride with the top down and the
radio tuned to the classic rock station, and "Tush" reared its ugly ass,
stinkin' up the otherwise delightful afternoon with that dopey, obnoxious
in-your-face slide part.

Punt!

I turned to my wife and I said, "I Fuckin' hate ZZ Top."

She responded with, "Well, I don't really like them, but why to you hate
them so much?"

I said, "For many reasons, including one irrational one."

"Okayyyy."

In the meantime I had switched over to the DVD player and Donald Fagen was
telling us "What a Beautiful World This Will (won't) Be..." but that's
another story.

"Well, I hate their stupid 'Hatfield and McCoy' cartoon beards.  I despise
the way the two guys up front do their inane little dance and shake their
heads when they sing and they play.  I think their 'music' is vulgar and
obvious.  They used to have a reputation of being mean to their groupies,
often kicking them out of their van on the highway once they were tired of
them. ( I doubt they still have groupies.)  They ripped off John Lee Hooker.
Mostly they just suck."

"Oh, I see.  More than ELO?"

"Yes, absolutely more than ELO!"

"More than JOURNEY????"

"Too close to call."

"Okay, so what's the 'irrational' reason for hating them?"

"Some time ago, I think it was around the time of 'Oranges and Lemons,' one
of the suits over at Virgin told Andy that XTC ought to be more like ZZ
Top."

After a pause she looked at me and said...

"That's like saying ice cream ought to be more like cat shit."

- Michael Versaci

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #14-18
*******************************

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