Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 17
Date: Monday, 30 October 1995

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 17

                 Monday, 30 October 1995

Today's Topics:

               Re: Testimonial Dinner
               Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-16
                  Prefab Sprout Revealed
               Hungry for more dinner. . .
                          (none)
              RE: TD II - Electric Boogaloo
          Mummer, New Zealand and question marks
         sarah's "dear god" and robyn's producer
                  My first 2 cents worth
                    Testimonial Dinner
                     This World Over
              May I have some more, please?
                TD II - Electric Boogaloo
                         Watneys
                  What about the Kinks?

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And they just scream for more.

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

Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 19:31:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: glancaster@mecn.mass.edu
Subject: Re: Testimonial Dinner

for those who're still having trouble locating "Testimonial Dinner," try
cdnow - you can search for their web site, or telnet to cdnow.com;
they're reputable and, if an item is in stock (which TD is, as well as
being on sale just now), they deliver quickly.

if you find yourself tempted by their import items, in my experience,
that's another story - you wait a long time, and hear they can't get
'em.  they do notify you, and you're not charged till an item is shipped.

while i'm at it, hello to "Quincy!:

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

Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 18:26:05 -0600 (MDT)
From: Big Earl Sellar <splitred@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-16

Howdy!

David.Criddle@cinsycfs.rcc.org (David Criddle) suggested:

>         Shonen Knife - Love at First Sight

YES! That would be perfect! Although I would still prefer a new XTC
album, PERIOD. Oh well...Later...

EEEEEE Big Earl Sellar/splitred@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
EE    "There's a giant contest going on under every bottle cap/And one of
EEE    them's a winner/ And I wonder under which/And the rules are on the
EE     wrapper/And the wrapper's in the ditch"
EEEEEE 			     - Bob Snider, THEY OUTTA BOTTLE FRIDAY NIGHT
***To the people of Quebec: Consider this one open appeal for Unity.
Through Unity, we will *ALL* get the rights that we deserve. NON, s.v.p.***

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

Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 20:43:48 -0500
From: produce@magicnet.net (Arthur James Virgin)
Subject: Prefab Sprout Revealed

        In response to the post about Prefab Sprout...Paddy is NOT doing a
solo album.  The band actually completed a full album and submitted it to
their label Epic Records  (According to a source the album was much in the
vain of their dance hall single "If You Don't Love Me" from their greatest
hits album).  Epic told Paddy and Co. that they were interested in an album
as ambitious as "Jordan: The Comeback" (anyone who has heard this album
knows why!).  So it was back to the drawing board for Prefab.  A friend of
mine was supposed to get a few tracks from this unreleased Sprout album,
but nothing so far.
        If you are into the Grays or Jellyfish..Andy Sturmer is in the
middle of finishing his solo album (if he can find people that will not
quit because of his perfectionist attitudes).

Thats all for now,

AJ  :)

"How can I be pleased when I'm handed the keys
  to a town they call Misery" - Andy Partridge

Visit my Quality Music Page!    http://www.magicnet.net/~produce/

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

From: troy@pcc.com (Troy Peters)
Subject: Hungry for more dinner. . .
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 21:54:58 -0400 (EDT)

In the last issue, David Criddle began to dream about the sequel to
TESTIMONIAL DINNER. . .

For years and years (since around 1984), I have thought that the Cars would
do the ultimate cover of "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty."  I am not
even really a Cars fan, but this song seems to have been written for them.
Am I crazy?

By the way, David, thanks for picking up on my suggestion of Prince doing
"Pink Thing."  On the Prince tribute, I would like to see the Dukes do
"Paisley Park" and XTC do "1999."

Troy Peters

r

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

From: Joe_Jarrett@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Joe Jarrett)
Date: 27 Oct 1995 21:42:15 GMT
Organization: North York Board of Education

Once you forget about the fact that none of these covers are as good as the
originals by our favourite band, the TD CD is quite excellent. It is great
to hear other people paying tribute to THE most overlooked, creative pop
band ever. It is really quite pointless (IMHO) to compare these versions
with the originals, but rather to just enjoy them in their own
rite. Remember virtually all bands at some point cover other artists
material and mean it as a tribute, not as a replacement for the
original. Thank you David Yasbek!  Some more info on the plaques on TD: Jim
and Virginia Lovejoy and Jeff Day, the organizers of the Princeton Illinois
XTC Music and Friends Convention of 1993, presented these plaques to each
member of the band in the name of all XTC fans as a tangible Thank
You. Dean Zemel, the picture is not incorrectly identified. It was in fact
taken by Peter Dix with his daughter Amy in Andy's living room, June didn't
go to England that trip. The picture is also featured on the front cover of
issue 38 of The Little Express from August 1994. The British fan who was
awarded a plaque was Peter Kitchen from Darwen.

As a sidebar, anyone out there know how to join the They Might Be Giants
mailing list? Please respond privately. Thanks.

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

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 01:16:41 -0500
From: jims@inlink.com (Jim S.)
Subject: RE: TD II - Electric Boogaloo

Dave Criidle gave us an incredibly inciteful list of artists and the songs
they should
cover on TD II. The following are comments on some of the choices:

>        Blur - Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)

EXCELLENT!

>        Tom Waits - Ladybird

NO NO NO!!! One of my all-time faves. As a songwriter, Waits is undeniably
a major talent. But that VOICE! UGH!

>        Paul McCartney - In Loving Memory of a Name

I can hear it now - and it's awesome. How about McCartney for "Ladybird" as
well?

>        Shonen Knife - Love at First Sight

Perfect choice. Would be fun as hell.

>        Prince - Pink Thing

He's not worthy.

>        Green Day - Outside World
>        Madness (Reunion Recording) - When Your Near Me I Have Difficulty
>        Squeeze - Merely a Man

These are also perfect matches. Well done, Dave and Jude.
One thing I was disappointed in was the song selection for TD.
SOOO many great songs were left off. And I could do without
remakes of certain songs, i.e. "Making Plans For Nigel."

>        Bono - Thanks for Christmas

Also unworthy, IMO.

>     ...Just in case Mr. Yazbek gets inspired for a sequel!!!

GREAT IDEA!!!

 Jim S.     <jims@inlink.com>

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

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 16:45:56 +1000 (GMT+1000)
From: Vzzzbx <h8hc035@wilbur.mbark.swin.oz.au>
Subject: Mummer, New Zealand and question marks

 AngryYngMn@aol.com writes...

 #> I decided, "Hey. I should listen to Mummer."  #> I'm
 #> almost addicted to it now.

Same thing happened to me.  I've got it on every day at the moment,
especially side 2 ['Human Alchemy' onwards'] and those B-sides they
whammed in the middle.

I don't think much of the flow of the album though.  It sounds like they
just recorded a pile of tracks and did their best to put them in a neat
order.  Anyway, who cares about the order, every track's a gem.  :)

 james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) writes...

 #> Australia shmaustralia... there are other places in the same
 #> general vicinity that are also longing to hear Joe Jackson sing
 #> Statue of Liberty.

When I went to New Zealand a couple of years ago, I couldn't believe how
much wider your choice is, compared to ours.  I found some things in
Auckland I'd never seen in my life.  Your country definitely has _much_
better taste than this pathetic excuse for a nation.  :)

Also, everything else in New Zealand was around 20% cheaper too, which is
odd considering most of it was made in Australia and exported...

One more thing... am I the only one who doesn't get question marks with
this list?  My guess it's something to do with this university, unless
it's happening to other people...

--
h8hc035@wilbur.mbark.swin.oz.au

'The music business is a hammer to keep you pegs in your holes, but please
 don't listen to me.  I've already been poisoned by this industry!'
                                                          -- Andy Partridge

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

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 12:20:06 -0400
From: deluxe transitive vampire <woj@remus.rutgers.edu>
Subject: sarah's "dear god" and robyn's producer

s.reule@genie.com sez:

>Enough about this, let's hear some other opinions on the Sarah Mclaughlin
>track.  My wife says it's better than XTC's version!  I wouldn't go that
>far but I think it's the best thing she's done as far as the intensity of
>the vocal.  Anyone else think so?

when andy says that he thinks sarah did the song better than xtc did, i
think he's really getting at sarah's voice being much more epxressive
than his. her vocals beat the pants off andy's, far as i'm concerned,
for "dear god".

as for the musical facet, i was surprised, though not unexpectedly, how
much she turned the song into her own. well, her band's, anwyays. the
song would have fit in so well musically with her other work that, if i
didn't know better, i'd've said it was her own tune.

as for "the best thing she's done as far as the intensity of the
vocal", i think her vocals on "hold on" from _fumbling towards ecstacy_
are more intense, even moreso when she performs that song live. i'd
like to hear her sing "dear god" live since her live performances are
much more stupefying than her studio work.

Algae99@aol.com sez:

>Has anyone heard the rumor that perhaps Andy was producing the next effort
>from Robyn Hitchcock.  In the Kershaw Sessions, a Robyn import, there is
>mention that the two met and Andy offered to produce the next album.  It
>would be a very interesting pairing.

_the kershaw sessions_ are a collection of various appearances by robyn
and company on andy kershaw's radio program on the bbc. if i recall
correctly, the particular session that andy and robyn met on was
recorded in 1988. andy's offer was made mostly in jest - i transcribed
that particular dialogue for chalkhills years ago. so i think this
rumor is just a mix-up of time periods.

in any event, robyn is already recording his new album and andy's not
involved.

woj

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

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 09:47:31 -0700
From: mmbarton@scn.org (Michael Barton)
Subject: My first 2 cents worth

I'm feeling compelled to write after several months of enjoyable reading,
upon listening to Testimonial Dinner.  Allow me to be one of the first to
say that I didn't find Sarah McLachlan's version of Dear God to be nearly
as inspired as several other tracks on the album.  I don't know how to
say it, except too Sarah-ey (and I'm a great fan of her last album).
Maybe my expectations got a little built up.  On the other hand TMWSAHS
and Another Satellite really took the originals into a new orbit.

Are there any NPR programs broadcast nationally that would qualify for
rare XTC being played on them?  I'm envious of Canada...

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

From: ToddT8@aol.com
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 16:52:11 -0400
Subject: Testimonial Dinner

Okay, I thought I'd give my two cents, since I've been listening to this
baby since I bought it about a week ago.

I think that there are some highlights, the much mentioned version of Dear
God certainly is wonderful, but I have mixed feelings.  I think some of the
artists tried to stay close to the original and came up short.  I mean why
listen to a cover of Nigel when you can listen to XTC?  Joe Jackson and
Rueben Blades brought something of themselves to their versions and
succeeded in creating something new and interesting. I also like "Wake Up"
which is harder edged than the original and gives me a reason to listen to
it. Overall it just makes me appreciate the original songs more and
prompted me to dig out some older XTC disks (White Music and D & W).  Boy
do I love D & W!  BTW, does anybody else think that the songs added to the
CD sound like they belong on GO 2 more than D & W?

Peace

Todd

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

From: Bob Delavan <bobde@microsoft.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 95 16:05:22 TZ
Subject: This World Over

Hello everyone, I recently just got onto this list and I am ecstatic to
be on it.

Looking though the digest, I noticed a couple of things:

        1)      Without a doubt, if a band has enough talent -- they should do
                "This World Over".
                -- This has got be one of my favorite XTC songs of all time.
                -- It's also just a great song in general.

        2)      ATD II should also include "This World Over", I would
                suggest Tiffany :-)
                Actually I would love it if Sting covered this.  This
                would combine the best of both worlds for me.
                -- Something acoustic similar to "Message in a bottle"
                -- that Sting is famous for finishing up in a live show.

Anyhow, those are my first comments on this list...Take them in stride
and remember it's a
        "free thinking world."

                        -bob

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

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 21:53:57 -0500
From: shonniet@interaccess.com (LaShawn M. Taylor)
Subject: May I have some more, please?

Well, I finally broke down and brought the new CD, Friday, 'cause you all
keep talking about it so much.  So just for that, you're going to get a
sister's view of the CD.  So if you all take your seats:

Freedy Johnson:  He sounded like he was reading the lyrics from a billboard.
Otherwise, all right.

Spacehog:  couldn't make up their minds on tempo.  I did like the whistle
part, though.

CTD:  The pace was slowed a bit, but I could dig it.   However, it is still
startling to me to hear the lead singer's voice.  No voice should go that
low, IMHO.

Verve:  Before I got the CD, I called that 800 number to hear those 3
samples.  Did it 8'oclock in the morning.  Needless to say, I did not have
to buy my morning coffee.  It was brash.  It was crude.  It was snotty.  I
like it!

Rembrandts:  It's Nigel, Rembrandtish.

Sarah McLachlan:  A darker tone, almost haunting.  This being my least
favorite song since it clashes with my religious beliefs, Sarah's vocals
make the lyrics more poignant.

Ruben Blades: Being a Brazilian music fan, I wasn't too sure reading some
earlier Chalkies comments on the song.  But now all I can say is LOVE IT!
He took the song and transformed it.  What a great version!  I especially
loved the flavor of horns and bongos.  Joe Lamy in the last Chalkhills
wrote it was like have two great songs.  Oh, I totally agree!

P. Hux: The great otherworldness of Satellite Andy conveyed in the
originial was utterly destroyed by the harsh, heavy guitars.  It simply did
not work.

TMBG:  Also being a TMBG fan, 25 o'clock was what I exactly expected from
them, seeing that the original was a bit goofy already.  Loved it.

Terry & the Lovemen:  Whether there's three of them, whether it's one of
them, whether it's none of them, I don't care.  I never heard the song
before but instantly feel in love with it.  Of course, maybe that was
because this was close to a new song I would ever get.  Sighhhh, if only I
had a little more. . .

Joe Jackson:  Somehow, he kept the spirit of XTC in the song while adding
his own stamp on it.  Loved the organ parts.

Ah, but such a short Dinner--is there anything for dessert?

LaShawn Taylor

*------------------------------
LaShawn's Reality Slap #2
Cream of Chicken and Mushroom
soup left in a pot overnight
will turn the kitchen
into a "foul mush" room.
*------------------------------

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

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 21:08:40 -0700
From: pinknoiz@ccnet.com (Bob Gonsalves)
Subject: TD II - Electric Boogaloo

>    P.P.S. Did anyone else notice that it sounds like Ruben Blades says "I
>     hate that XTC" in the last 10 seconds of his song?  WEIRD!

It's more like "la gente, si" (the people, yes). That last phrase, in
Spanish,  starts off with "Pero"  (but)...

Bob Gonsalves, Pink Noise Studios
home: http://www.pinknoiz.com/pinknoiz/
work: http://www.sinanet.com/iwinc/products/Lingraphica/Lingraphica.html

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

From: BugRoom@aol.com
Date: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 06:20:36 -0500
Subject: Watneys

For god sakes... OKAY!!!

I'll switch to Busch for subject matter.  I'm sure that's much more potent
and tasty.

Peace, love, VOODOO,

John  (apparently this year's "Jester-o'-the-Brits")

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

Date: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 14:11:03 -0800
From: mf@well.com (Mitch Friedman)
Subject: What about the Kinks?

Hey everyone,

I've been an XTC fan and friend for 15 years, and have been looking in on
recent posts to this here list. There's been a lot of discussion about
other bands that may be similar to XTC, but as far as I can remember, no
one has said too much about the Kinks.

First and foremost I was an enormous Kinks fan and only "discovered" XTC
while on my search for any bands that had some of the great elements of
what Ray Davies had. Upon hearing "Don't Lose Your Temper" I was was
instantly hooked.

Let's face it, there are lots of parallels between the two bands. Most
obvious is the pure Englishness of their bodies of work. Don't overlook the
concentra- tion and wry eloquence that both Andy and Ray employ to the
mundane aspects of real life in their songs. Not to mention the incredible
command of melody, lyrical prowess, humor, variety, prolificness, and
longevity. What about the fact that both bands burst onto the scene during
a British invasion and both went pastoral when all their contemporaries
took a different course. On the downside, both bands suffered from endless
touring and terrible music industry manipulation and abuse.

Andy has told me on several occassions that in his opinion, no single
songwriter has ever surpassed Ray Davies in his finest moments,
i.e. Waterloo Sunset, Shangri-la, Autumn Almanac, Mr. Pleasant, etc. In
fact, Andy even requested that I fax him the chords to Autumn Almanac so
that he could finally play the song.  For the Morgan-Fischer Miniatures
album that Andy eventually contributed his "The History of Rock and Roll"
piece, originally he was working on a 1 minute cover version of Waterloo
Sunset in which the bass line kept descending, long past the horizon.

Two weeks ago I got to see Ray Davies perform a solo acoustic one man show
here in San Francisco in which he told stories about the early years, sang
many classic and obscure 60's numbers and just made me so proud to be a
Kinks fan all these years. Since hearing my first XTC song in 1980, I have
never been so proud.

Thank you for the days,
Mitch

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #2-17
******************************

Go back to Volume 2.

30 October 1995 / Feedback