Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 135
Date: Thursday, 11 July 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 135
Thursday, 11 July 1996
Today's Topics:
Re: Blur
Re: Eno
McCartney on "Taxman"
Drummer
Random Things
praise for Sarah's "Dear God"
Re: several Digests
actual record contract
Producer
Go 2, Colin's Hermits, Chills, and more Monkeys
it keeps me off the streets
Red
Gregory Sings but Martin can't hear
Re: Lame Heads
Re: The Producers
More Gold Discs...
Bears/Radiohead/Producers for xTc
I got Carmen!
mopping up
Enz, Eno & Exploding - together!
Video Petition
Martin the Off-White
Andy's Roundabout
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Well I don't need any cigarettes or beer from a jug.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <v01540b05ae091f329028@[199.171.191.113]> Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 02:04:51 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: Blur >In Chalkhills #2-132, varga@ferndown.ate.slb.com (Stephen Varga) writes: I think it does. For example, "Boys & Girls" by Blur reminds me of XTC in the Barry Andrews era, and some of the music from these bands have a sixties psychedelic sound, which of course is a regular XTC feature. ------- Blur definitely has a XTC influence, but from day#1, their "Boys & Girls" has reminded me most of Wire's "I Am The Fly." Did anyone else make that comparison? GB * ---------------------------------------------------------------- "Insanity is a blue St. Bernard, waiting patiently and faithfully by the door." - overheard (unfortunately) on an IRC channel
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b04ae091f2f8f67@[199.171.191.113]> Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 02:10:14 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: Eno >>I don't exactly take offense at this, but I'm confused -- just because >>it's Eno doesn't mean it's ambient or anything close. Have you heard the >>album he produced for James? or for the Talking Heads, perhaps? > >Or Devo's first(?) record? Not exactly ambient. In my local record store, >the placecard for the Eno section says "See also: everything cool". I >heartily agree. A couple of other "non-ambient" Eno-produced albums: the legendary "No New York" compilation and Ultravox's punky debut. GB * ---------------------------------------------------------------- "Insanity is a blue St. Bernard, waiting patiently and faithfully by the door." - overheard (unfortunately) on an IRC channel
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 05:20:07 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <199607101020.FAA21161@mail1.inlink.com>
From: jims@inlink.com (Jim S)
Subject: McCartney on "Taxman"
>From: "Bernhardt, Todd" <tbernhardt@aga.com>
>
> Howdee!
>
> Don't remember who said this, but did you say that McCARTNEY played
> the guitar solo on Taxman?!?
>
> I loved the stuff Pauly did on bass back then, but if this is true I
> have new-found respect for him ... that and the solo on Sympathy for
> the Devil are two of the most caustic guitar leads in late-'60s pop
> songs that I've heard.
This is DEFINITELY true. Paul is very proud of that solo. Actually,having
seen him live a couple of times, he is a surprisingly good guitarist. And
keyboardest. Oh, and he can play the bass a bit as well...
Jim S. <jims@inlink.com>
"I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous."
- Crow T. Robot
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 08:40:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Patte Zumbrun <pzumbrun@goucher.edu> Subject: Drummer Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960710083758.13217A-100000@rwd.goucher.edu> How about Ginger Baker or even Ringo to lay down the beat?
------------------------------
Message-Id: <s1e3710d.043@DICTAPHONE.COM>
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 08:51:25 -0400
From: Tim Kendrick <TKEN@DICTAPHONE.COM>
Subject: Random Things
A few random things:
"Deflowered" has already been used as an album title
by the band PANSY DIVISION. They are a gay-punk-rock
band from San Fransico. They have some great songs,
with great "pop" hooks, although their lyrics are mostly
about explicit gay sex. When I first heard them I thought
I noticed a big XTC influence (in the music, not lyrics)
and when I meet them last summer, it turns out I was right
- they are huge XTC fans !
My vote for album title would be "Emotional Action Painting",
although I also like "Nature's Sunken Wreck".
Regarding The Sugarplastic - I think they're kind of fun, but
in a Dukes way. I find myself playing "spot the influence".
Their biggest influences seem to be XTC, The Beatles, and
the Pixies.
Regarding producers - Colin and Dave WANT someone else
to come in and produce. They don't want Andy running the
whole show. In fact, at the last XTC convention in Princeton,
Chris Towney (?spelling?) (author "CHALKHILLS...") said
that Andy has very little input on Colin's songs - it's basically
just Colin and the producer, with Andy only contributing
some guitar or backing vocals.
And finally, how do we get more info on FOSSIL FUELS ???
Is there a phone number we can call ???
Later !
Tim K.
XTC SONG OF THE DAY: That Wave
------------------------------ From: Martin_Monkman@fincc04.fin.gov.bc.ca Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 08:09:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: praise for Sarah's "Dear God" Message-id: <9606108370.AA837011203@FINSMTP1.FIN.GOV.BC.CA> We all know that Mr. Partridge likes Sarah McLachlan's rendition of "Dear God", but so does this reviewer (one Aaron E. Boles, writing in *Monday*) of her new "Rarities, B-sides, and Other Stuff" album: "A real gem is McLachlan's version of XTCs 'Dear God,' which features all the power of her voice but none of those showy -- and quickly annoying -- acrobatics. Plus, the song's unmitigated atheism of the lyrics will please some of us who've heard Joan Osborne's 'One Of Us' once too often." Martin Martin_Monkman@fincc04.fin.gov.bc.ca ******************************************** "I hate quotations" -- Ralph Waldo Emerson ********************************************
------------------------------
Message-Id: <2.2.16.19960710153126.251f746e@soapbox.lanl.gov>
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 09:31:26 -0600
From: DeWitt Henderson <dewitth@lanl.gov>
Subject: Re: several Digests
Hello to the world of Chalkdom! I return after merely perusing the
last several Digests. It's time for some comments.
* Sara Lee - didn't she make some good coffee cake? Hmmmmm...
* Monkeys - the last word. My theory is that those of you who don't
like the song are the type of people Colin is talking
about! (sorry, couldn't resist that)
* G. Martin - I think he'd be great to produce, but I'm sorry to hear
about his hearing problems.
* Eno - I agree with *some* of the other comments - that he's
a good producer, but not for the boys from Swindon
* "SO 60's derivative"? - I agree with the first person who responded
to that - XTC is one of the more original, inventive bands
in the "rock era", and although 60's pop "bits" creep in
now and then, I think they're far LESS derivative than
the majority of radio tripe that most of America listens to.
* Red-Red-Red - Who cares? I'm starting to see red from the number of
posts on the subject. Let's start a list of "Red" songs
like the Monkey lists?!? NO! NO! NO!
* Hitchcock references (as in Robyn). I've only got "Perspex Island",
which I realize is more "accessible" than most of his
work. Any recommendations from other R.H. fans out there??
* The Beer Lists - fabulous!
* Demos - many Chalksters seem to possess demo tapes of the sessions
which were to be a new CD until all the hassles with Virgin
cropped up. Where/how/??? did you get these tapes??
Any info?
* ------------------------------
DeWitt Henderson
CIC-13
Los Alamos National Laboratory
MS P223
505/665-1434
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 11:58:31 -0400 (EDT) From: kathryn lynne burda <klburda@umich.edu> Subject: actual record contract Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960710115246.23249B-100000@battlezone.rs.itd.umich.edu> Does anyone know the actual requirements of our boys' now-broken VIrgin contract? There was so much talk about it being bad; what made it so unbearable? Isn't a four or five-record deal pretty good for a band?
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540a01ae099955f332@[168.121.126.30]> Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 12:32:15 -0500 From: mnick@mindspring.com (M W N) Subject: Producer >Name of possible producer I don't believe anyone's mentioned yet (yeah so >I'm an American): Mitch Easter.< Right On! Mitch is a friend of mine and produced our last CD and he would be great and I'm sure he'd do it and for a lot less than other "name" producers (though I don't want to sell him short). He truly has the gift of inspiring the right vibe and he knows when and when not to contribute to the artistic/creative process. His new studio (Brickhenge) has a wonderful ambience and fosters a creative working environment. He and Andy would get along great. Let's work on getting them hooked up! Mike http://www.mindspring.com/~mnick/BG1.html
------------------------------ From: JH3@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 12:40:07 -0400 Message-ID: <960710124006_234735951@emout16.mail.aol.com> Subject: Go 2, Colin's Hermits, Chills, and more Monkeys Dear Chalkies: I would have sent this in sooner, but I haven't been able to get to my e-mail for nearly three weeks, forcing me to use this AOL account just to stay on top of the latest XTC developments. Dave Gershman originally wrote this: >I have yet to hear anyone claim that "Go2" is their favorite XTC >album. Is there anyone out there who can say that it is? ...to which Adam Ostermann replied in Digest 2-130: >...yeah, ^Go2^ is bar-none their best album...<snip> ^Go2^ is the only XTC >album I can play front to back without even thinking of hitting the "FF" >button. In fact, I'd go as far to say it's one of my top ten fave albums >OF ALL TIME. ...and also later in Digest 2-133: >As Chalkhills' unoffical biggest ^Go2^ fan (is there any way I can get that >officiated? It would be quite a duff in my cap, or something...), I >sincerely hope that the immaculate genius of ^Go2^ is revealed to you. As do I, but sorry Adam, I don't mean to denegrate or one-up you here, but I'm afraid you've still got a long way to go. Go 2 is not only my favorite XTC album, but my favorite album by anyone, anywhere, any time, period. It has been for over 17 years now. It was the first XTC record I bought, and "Meccanik Dancing" was the first XTC song I ever heard -- that was 1979, and I've never looked back... I'll admit that my reasons for feeling this way are largely sentimental at this point -- if you threatened me with a red-hot branding iron I might admit that "Black Sea" is more cohesive, "Skylarking" more pleasant, and "Drums & Wires" more, you know, quintessential I guess. (But Mr. Gershman did say "favorite," didn't he?) Go2 is simply the most XTC-ish of all the XTC albums. I think it's the only album in their catalog that absolutely couldn't have been recorded by anyone else. The more Go 2 fans the better, of course, so keep up the good work, Adam -- but if you can listen to *any* XTC album and think about hitting the FF button, well, all I can say is may Andy have mercy upon you. (insert ASCII smiley-face here...) On to other subjects: That really is Dave Gregory singing lead vocals on Colin's Hermits' version of "I Am the Walrus", isn't it? It sounds like the same voice singing the refrain at the end of "King for a Day," but I've been wrong about this sort of thing before. Also: Why can't I find the new Chills album in the United States? Nobody seems to know it even exists here. Would anybody Down Under like to arrange a trade of some sort? I might be able to make it worth your while. And these days no Chalkhills post should conclude without a monkey-song-title reference, it seems. I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Monkeys" by Echo & the Bunnymen, and disappointed (but not surprised) that no one has mentioned "Monkeyland" by the Chameleons. Also I think the Comsat Angels did a song called "Monkey Pilot" but I'm on the road now so I can't check. Sorry. John Hedges Usually known as jh3@cencom.net
------------------------------ Message-ID: <31E3E513.7D9B@televar.com> Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 10:14:59 -0700 From: T Lewis <tlewis@televar.com> Subject: it keeps me off the streets Chalklettes: I popped my cd of Big Express into the pc and lifted the last 15 seconds of "Wake Up". Then, using a downloaded shareware sound workshop I segued the front and back of the snippet, saved it as a .wav file and assigned it as the default intro tune for Windows95. So now when I power up, instead of that cheesy trumpet fanfare supplied by Microsoft, I get a lush, billowy, dreamy angel chorus fading in, singing "waaake uuup...waaaake uuuup", then fading out with that harmonic synthesizer drone. Always makes me smile. [I also lifted a few seconds of "Dido's Lament" from Purcell's opera "Dido & Aeneas", so when I power down the pc, it eerily sings "...remeeeember me...."]. That is all. T "I DO TOO HAVE A LIFE!" Lewis Plug: Visit "Over the Hedge" (my strip), "Dilbert", "Robotman" et al: http://www.unitedmedia.com
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 13:49:54 -0400 (EDT) From: Karthik Swaminathan <kqs7816@is4.NYU.EDU> Subject: Red Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.93.960709164605.18209A-100000@is4.NYU.EDU> ....and....and.... did you ever notice how XTC's Red has a sudden abrubt ending very similar to King Crimson's Red? K.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 14:35:33 -0400 (EDT) From: Karthik Swaminathan <kqs7816@is4.NYU.EDU> Subject: Gregory Sings but Martin can't hear Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.93.960710141137.22075A-100000@is4.NYU.EDU> Constantine Pappas, Esq. wrote: >Oh yeah, I was also wondering what XTC songs and exactly which >lyrics does Dave Gregory sing? I was shocked to hear mention of >it in a recent post, as I'd never noticed before. There are a couple of lines in the middle section of the song Liesure off of English Settlement that Dave Gregory sings. I've wondered if he sings a line on Wait Till your Boat Comes Down since the first line of the middle section sounds like a completely different voice from the second. Considering George Martin as a producer for XTC is completely unthinkable. Not only is his hearing going bad (which is definetly sad, for someone who made such a big impact in pop music production) but I am not so sure he is up to date with modern recording techniques which have changed considerably in the last 5-10 years. My other quip with it is that since Skylarking (or even the Dukes, but that was for a good reason) XTC are sounding *too much* like the Beatles and losing some of their original flare. I'm not keen on a 60's revival unless it's done with a post-structuralist cut & paste dissemination or as a Satire (but anymore Dukes would be overkill--just a bigger version of the monkey thread). I think XTC should be making music for NOW or even better, music for the future or else just be another revival band catering to everyones nostalgic needs. They have developed a sound all their own and the best producer for them ( and it could be themselves) would be one that doesn't water it down anymore than it has been for the last 2 records before Nonsuch. K.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 11:39:40 -0700 (PDT) From: alizarine <jemiah@teleport.com> Subject: Re: Lame Heads Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.92.960710113650.20012C-100000@zoe.teleport.com> Hey Chalkholios Myke said - And what's this about Talking Heads being "lame"??? Oops, the net-posting equivalent of split infinitive. No indeed, Talking Heads is one of the most important bands of the 20th Century and I love 'em to death. "Seen And Not Seen" (from Remain in Light) ISN'T AMBIENT though. Ambient is music you don't have to listen to. Atmospheric music is something else entirely! Bitch, whine, moan... Alizarine, Eno academe, professional dilettante
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 13:18:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Stephen Mahoney <stephenm@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us> Subject: Re: The Producers Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960710111516.23978B-100000@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us> Hi, Hi, Hi there, my Calkhillians, Sorry to hear that George Martin's hearing is failing. Next, to the gentleman who hasn't heard much of Flood's production, he has worked with a small band from Ireland named after a spy plane, and most recently with the Charlatans(UK ?) and Polly Jean Harvey and of coarse The Smashing Pumpkins. Come to think of it, Flood would be an excellent choice for engineer since I am now convinced that the boys from Swindon can handle the task of production, themselves. Robyn Hitchcock would be an excellent colaborator adding some surreal imagery to Andy's lyrics , however, it would no longer be Xtc but more like the Dukes. And finally, how about different guest drummers/percussionists on their future album. -steve"I'm only dreaming shiny cages"M.( Portland, Or.)
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 96 13:48:16 PST From: "Sean Robison" <sean_robison@studio.disney.com> Message-Id: <9606108370.AA837031777@ccmsmtp2.wds.disney.com> Subject: More Gold Discs... Since we'd had a brief discussion of the benefits (or detriments) of the Gold CD of "Skylarking", I thought I'd just toss in this little piece I'd found on the Web. I was tooling around various music publication sites, when I came across an interview with the head of Mobile Fidelity. This question was included: -Cosmik: What are we looking at in the near future as far as -releases go? - -JB: We're looking at R.E.M., XTC, Bernard Herrmann, some real -great jazz. A lot more jazz than we've done in the past, at least one -title a month. -(http://www.greatgig.com/cosmikdebris/july/index.html) [giving credit where -credit is due...] The article made no mention of WHICH XTC title(s) are gonna get the Gold treatment, but it looks like something is in the pipeline. Sean
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007600ae09decb51a4@[206.104.201.177]> Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 17:46:52 -0500 From: arthur james virgin <produce@magicnet.net> Subject: Bears/Radiohead/Producers for xTc >From: Dik LeDoux <dik@ICON-INC.NET> >Subject: Bears/Live or not/the group as a whole > >HideeHO Chalkholios... > >Many thanks to those who know who the Bears were and are. I actually hit >upon the idea of searching for Psychodots and found they're page! Now >that I've got a laptop with sound, maybe I can get the audio from it as >well. > >Even though the Bears is not-so-XTC related, it's nice checking into a >group with such simultaneously similar and different tastes. Living in Cincinnati for 26 years afforded me the opportunity to see The Raisins/Psychodots over 100 times EASILY...Though I dont see the XTC connection, the boys from Cincy do put on a hell of show (Psychodots). To other matters: >From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk> >Subject: misc >Personally I think that 'The Bends', whilst it has moments of brilliance, >is not as great as people make out. Don't get me wrong, I've been a >Radiohead fan since *that* song, and 'Anyone Can Play Guitar' proved even >then that there was more to them than *that* song, but I don't think 'The >Bends' was as good as it could have been. I'm not necessarily blaming >Leckie, but it does wear off. I hardly ever play it now. Couldnt disagree more...Album couldnt have been any greater..Easily the most thought-out and brilliant album of 95. To each their own I guess. I reserve my vote for "not all it was cracked up to be" for Sugarplastic, so many wonderful little hooks that seem to go to waste in a maze of noise...Oh well... >Butch would be interesting, though he might be a bit too straight-rock >for XTC. Stephen Street would be a complete disaster - Blur's 'The >Great Escape' sounds like a major rush-job, littered with production >mistakes (seriously - a fine album, but the production is sorely >lacking). I suspect Andy would fire him before they'd done 2 tracks. Once again, I heartily disagree. "The Great Escape" was beautifully produced (BTW, all the "production mistakes" werent mistakes at all, thats what makes it interesting) The album sounds beautiful, barely compressed at all, clear concise with excellent songs. >As for Flood, the only thing of his I've heard is Crowded House's >"Together Alone". Sounds like he'd be OK if XTC make 'Nonsuch II', >but I somehow can't see them doing that at this stage... ;-) "Together Alone" was produced by Youth, not Flood. Flood has had his hands in plenty of engineering, but not that much producing. The best thing I've heard of his (producing and engineering wise) is the Charlatans UK album "Between 10th and 11th". Which turned out to be the best thing they ever did. I'll throw the name out again for producer of XTC: "Mitchell Froom" AJ http://www.magicnet.net/~produce/ "But you're only as good as the last great thing you did" - Paddy McAloon - Prefab Sprout
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 17:58:15 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <v01530503ae099e167032@[207.77.25.108]>
From: aym@intercall.com (Ira Lieman)
Subject: I got Carmen!
Aah. I just opened up my BRAND SPANKIN' NEW copy of "Out Of This World" --
the Carmen Sandiego Album.
It only took like 10 days from the time I mailed in my check...and I'm
quite a happy camper. Haven't listened to it yet, but that's irrelevant. I
just *KNOW* I'm going to like it.
Well, I ordered it from "Obsessed With Music" in Sacramento, California.
For more information, or to order it yourself, write
steven@obsessed-with-music.com -- he'll be happy to help, and he's already
gotten 3 orders from *THIS LIST* for *THAT ALBUM!* He's prompt and
reasonable, so go for it!
Very happy to have a cherry in my tree.
---
One other question, I don't know if I heard this correctly: is Fossil Fuels
going to be available in the US also on 27 August? Or is this only a UK
release?
Any further details on it? How did we hear about this? I'm getting over a
cold -- I don't know which end is up.
Later!
-ira
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ Ira Lieman | Visualize
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Angry Young Man | Whirled
_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ aym@intercall.com | Peas.
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ www.intercall.com/~aym | Stop the Violins!
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 22:11:19 -0500 (CDT) From: "Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey" <jenor@csd.uwm.edu> Subject: mopping up Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.960710220336.28953B-100000@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu> Re Beatles (I'm brave enough to write it out in full): yes, McCartney did the guitar solo in "Taxman"; no, Lennon didn't play bass on it. McCartney also did the solo in "Good Morning, Good Morning" (another great, ripping solo), and likely came up with (though didn't play) the drum patterns in "Ticket to Ride" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" (which features the "Taxman" solo cut up, reversed, and sped up). Can you tell I've just reread the _Abbey Road Recording Sessions_ book as well as Ian McDonald's _Revolution int he Head_? Re Eno (the anti-mop, I guess): those aren't *Tarot* cards; they're *Oblique Strategies* cards (as James from NZ is no doubt about to point out as well). Very different. Here are a couple, drawn at random from my cyberdeck (found it on the web - use yr search engines, sorry no URL convenient): State the problem in words as clearly as possible. (Organic) machinery. Give the name away. Reverse. To this mind, much more useful (because, well, oblique - yet oddly specific) than Tarot cards. (Now the Tarot-readers will be jumping on my back like...sorry, John Relph - won't mention it) *A*ndy *P*artridge *E*nthusiast, --Jeff Jeffrey J. Norman <jenor@csd.uwm.edu> <http://www.uwm.edu/~jenor/> Dept. of English & Comp. Lit. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ::Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat :: ::Never drive a car when you're dead::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Tom Waits::
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01530500ae0a2b909cf1@[139.80.100.154]> Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 16:02:48 +1200 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Enz, Eno & Exploding - together! Gene Yoon talked about the Enz, saying: >On a side note, both bands eventually matured into a neo-Beatlesque >melodic/orchestated route, Split Enz becoming Crowded House. well, half of them did. The other half became a much-ignored Australian band called Schnell Fenster, whose first album "The sound of trees" is wwll worth a listen. A little quirkier than CH, but very listenable-to. dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org> preached the gospel of St. Andy thus :) >In the midst of extended defense of the Indigo Girls, Andrew Bissaro >blasphemed: ;-) >>...xTc are incredible songsmiths and arrangers, but they're not, NOT >>redefining pop music, like say, Talking Heads; they haven't sent the >>music world spinning off, like Nirvana, for example. ...from "White Music" through the early '80s, they truly sounded like no one else out there (other than their imitators). Don't confuse my saying that they are still very "adventurous" (my word) with saying they're currently "innovative blockbusters" (yours). The songwriting continues to distinguish them, but for several years, so did their innovative style -- as innovative, I would argue, as Talking Heads. For all that was made of Devo's innovative style, where would they have been without "White Music" and "Go 2"? well, "Battery Brides (Andy paints Brian)" was influenced by Brian. Brian Eno, that is - the same Brian Eno who produced both Devo and Talking Heads. I think that XTC, Devo and Talking Heads were all being influenced by the same musical innovator here... Talking of whom, Charles <6500mull@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu> opened his mouth and let the wind blow his tongue around thus: >Dear God, please do not let Eno produce XTC. Eno destroyed my interest in >U2, and I feel confident that he could similarly work his ambient magic >with XTC. not like the things produced by Eno???? Who said that? Heretic! :) You say that you don't like the things that U2 have done since Eno started producing them. Well, sure, prior to that time they were an adequate band a little long on pomposity capable of banging out a few reasonable hits and some listenable music, but it was all so... safe. The fact that the were still capable of attracting mass appeal from the less well-charted (pun intended) territory that they moved into with Eno will testify to their abilities. Yet they are one of very few bands around who have in recent years done what the Beatles were renowned for - leaving the guaranteed hit territory and moving forward in unexpected directions whilst still releasing top-grossing records. What do you want, a band that plays it safe, or one that goes for the more adventurous territory? I'd love to have heard what Mummer would have sounded like produced by Eno, for example. Eno is capable of bringing out the hidden potential for new sounds and new abilities in artists. He did the same for Talking Heads and for Bowie, and he's currently doing the same for several other artists, notably James (the band, that is). Similarly the album "Bright Red", by Laurie Anderson, which was produced by Eno, is the scariest album I've heard in the last few years. The point I'm trying to make (somewhat badly...) is that Eno doesn't grab an album and say "we'll do it MY way", like Todd Rundgren and some others. He is somehow able to act as a catalyst and channel for artists own ideas in a way that few other producers can. And when he does add something of himself to someone else's tracks (like on the backing chorus at the end of James's "Sometimes (Lester Piggott)") it can be magical. As for a producer for XTC, what about Jim Steinman ;) <- please note the smileyface!!! And while I'm in the pulpit :) Brookes McKenzie <RMCKENZI@smith.smith.edu> wrote: >re: _explode together_ - i think it's definitely worth it if you're at all >intrigued by the "ambient" (before there even was such a thing!) side of >AP erm, well, no... The "Go+" tracks came out the year after Eno's "Ambient 1: Music for Airports", and the term Ambient used to mean a form of intellectual muzak, although popularised by Eno, predates him by about half a century. I think it was Erik Satie who first used the term in about 1910. However, you're right about it being worthwhile if you like that side of Andy's work. Just don't expect it to be another "English Settlement"! >drowning here in summer's (bizarrely cold) cauldron I sit in the snow, James PS: forget Blur and Oasis. Listen to Ocean Colour Scene! PPS: how about Crocodile Beer? For a brew with extra bite!
------------------------------ Date: 11 JUL 96 16:05:13 EST From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au Subject: Video Petition Message-ID: <0000gkiagyqu.0000ecccoeom@dca.gov.au> Quite a few of we Chalkies; relishing with anticipation the forthcoming 'best of' CD, "Fossil Fuels"; have indicated a desire for a companion video, gathering all their promos together for the first time. Well, why don't we lobby Virgin UK to produce such a thing? Do you think if we raised a petition and sent it off to Virgin, that it might carry more weight than just individuals applying pressure? Strength in numbers and all that? I'm prepared to co-ordinate such a petition. If you're interested, please do the following: E-mail me at PCulnane@dca.gov.au, giving "XTC Petition" in the subject heading. Please spell out your name, city and country in the body of your message. And please don't add any other comments at this stage. I will then compile all the names into a petition format and forward it to Virgin. I'll report back thru Chalkhills on progress and any replies I get. I look forward to your reponses IN THE ABOVE FORMAT ONLY. Let's see if we can shake some action in those dusty Virgin corridors of power!! Then again, if somebody's got a better suggestion for tackling this IMPORTANT ISSUE, please suggest it to us. Paul-of-Oz
------------------------------ Message-ID: <D9FBD62F01291300@ametsoc.org> Date: Thu, 11 Jul 96 09:23:00 -0500 From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org> Organization: AMS Subject: Martin the Off-White Hey, Chalkhillbillies, I was recently fortunate enough to obtain a tape of Martin Newell's "The Off-White Album." A say "fortunate" because it's a GREAT album...very possibly the equal of "The Greatest Living Englishman," in fact. "Ursula in a Waiting Room" is one of my favorites off of it. Does anyone else know what Louis Philippe has produced, by the way? At the risk of upsetting a few of you, I'm listening to his production on the album now and thinking that it sounds more full than Andy's production on "Englishman." But then again, I guess I should listen to them side by side before I make any further judgments about it. In any case, it's a fine album all-around. Get it if you can. Dave Gershman
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Message-Id: <2.2.32.19960711232256.0067728c@mail.sonyinteractive.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 16:22:56 -0700
From: Bob Estus <bestus@sonyinteractive.com>
Subject: Andy's Roundabout
Hail Chalkiem,
In #2-133 Olof Hellman requeried:
>And another question that somebody posted a while
>back which needs repeating: Who is Anna? and why
>should she be doing any steering.
The main street of "Roads Girdle the Globe" seems to be
our car as god/emperor:
The song is an obvious salute to roman style domination, from
where all roads hail from.
Hail mother motor
Hail piston rotor
Hail wheel
Oil, iron, steel
You holy three
But enter Anna to put a dangerous curve on it all.
Anna as Woman/mother:
Roads GIRDLE the globe
We all safe in your concrete robe
Andy seems to be handing over the wheel to womankind as in
"Down in the Cockpit" to pull us out of our drive.
As opposed to the man in "It's Nearly Africa"
our civilization car is running wild who did you give
the wheel to? the fat man driving us over the edge of
the nearest cliff-face is he the same god that I've seen
you kneel to?"
This is a direct reference back to the car god of "Roads Girdle
the Globe".
Anna as palindrome:
Steer me Anna
Am I get there
When is A, B
Andy creates irony in handing the wheel to someone that lacks
direction. Fowards and backward the same. When is A, B, suggests
the looping, never ending qualities of Anna. Or as Colin would
later write:
I'm so dizzy I'm neither here nor there,
In conclusion I would say that Anna is just Andy's roundabout.
-Bob
Another loopy roadway lyric:
"go under bridges over rainy roads" (Yazbek)
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-135 *******************************
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