Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 98
Date: Wednesday, 10 April 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 98
Wednesday, 10 April 1996
Today's Topics:
cancon
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-97
XTC on the 'Net - NOT
XTC tribute tape.
Re: Lurking stars
gimme some Drums and Wires!
...on artists and their music...
Re: Racing to David Byrne's defense
Does humour belong on the net??
Misc.
Partridges, Chalkhills, and
Nonsuch posters
(none)
re: xtc new release
David "Jerk" Byrne, Bob Mould
White Music
Everything'll Be All Right
Urgh! More Lyrics.
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Sitting in the family trees and eating all the best fruits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 02:02:33 -0400 (EDT) From: "k.a. hehir" <angelo@mustang.uwo.ca> Subject: cancon Message-ID: <Pine.3.88.9604090102.A16078-0100000@mustang-a.uwo.ca> hey people, i've noticed an interest in barenaked ladies music. while i don't really dig them i have culled a tour schedule from alt.music canada. if you are american or canadian, and want this, please e me an i'll fire one off to you. it seems that they are playing everywhere. in response to an earlier post about canadian music. yes we do have a lot of power pop. maybe big earl can help me out here, but didn't drums and wires go gold here before it did in the states? lowest of the low, who now are defunked(SP?)may be another choice. rebecca west(from halifax) start one of their songs off with the same guitar riff as respectable street. although the music is "less pop and more rock" also, in response to a long lost post: my waxworks vinyl is no longer with me.. tears. hope all had a good long week-end. oh!! the subject of this post is a nod to a canadian n broadcasting law that dictated that radio stations played 30% canadian music, this has now been euphemistically regarded as the "cancon" regulations. thanks kevin -- who still can't afford all of the imports you talk about
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 23:32:09 -0700 (PDT) From: alizarine <jemiah@teleport.com> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-97 Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.92.960408232826.16683B-100000@linda.teleport.com> I was very sad to read about Andy's reaction to Chalkhills -- but I can't say I'm surprised. When I become huge and famous (yeah, sure), I won't be able to handle thousands of pages of nit-picky commentary about every little thing that I do. I totally revere XTC and think they're gods, but partially because they're not too famous, they remain human beings and Andy in particular has very delicate feelings. Oh well. Not to say "Lay off" -- this is a fan's forum and we have the right to say anything we like -- but we ought to leave poor Andy out of it. I have an interesting anecdote -- Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth used to post to SY's mailing list a lot, but no-one believed it was really him. Eventually he slunk away in disgust and has never posted again. Food for thought! Alizarine, Anointed Sister of the Unchristian Order of St. Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno jemiah@teleport.com http://www.teleport.com/~jemiah Oblique Strategy of the day: "infinitesmal gradations"
------------------------------ From: Johnpaul.Nicholls__Mr@att.com Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 09:23:06 +0100 Message-Id: <9604090823.AA18639@mlsmc.mlm.att.com.mlsmc> Subject: XTC on the 'Net - NOT > A friend of Dave Gregory's who is also a Chalkhillian sent Dave what > amounts to a phonebook sized printout of Chalkhills digests about 2 years > ago. Both Dave and Andy were very excited and interested to read it. But > when Andy started to work his way through discussions, he said he became > very depressed and a little angry too. [snip] > this was the last thing he needed. Shit, that was me. I showed a few digests to Dave back in March last year, in preparation for the _Chalkhills_ interview I did then (I think this is still in the archive somewhere?). He didn't say that Andy had been upset by reading those few digests, I guess to spare my own feelings. I feel really guilty now, although Andy's reaction doesn't surprise me at all. At the time Dave said that he didn't believe it would be a positive thing for himself or Andy to be involved in Chalkhills, since it's essential nature would be spoilt if we all knew that the band were "listening". Don't start shaking the Chalkhills Collection box just yet... JP Nicholls
------------------------------ From: DAMIAN FOULGER <SPXDLF@cardiff.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 09:42:43 GMT Subject: XTC tribute tape. Message-ID: <348A7C951CC@nrd2s.cf.ac.uk> This is just a reminder to everyone who hasn't voted on the tribute tape name. Don't forget that the first round of voting closes on friday. If you need the list of names again mail me or look at the archives (Chalkhills #96.) We've had a good response so far. Dames TWD P.s. I heard Ben Folds Five single on Radio 1 this morning. It's release date is next monday. (Life is good in the greenhouse:XTC) (You told me you saw Jesus, but I could only see a tree: Amber) (If people lived in Heaven, God would break their windows: Damian)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01530502ad8fe5e5ae1b@[199.171.191.8]> Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 03:20:48 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: Lurking stars >From: richard.pedrettiallen@octel.com > If I was somebody with a following, I might lurk or use a pseudonym > but I would never expose myself to such scrutiny. I think all the > mystique felt by the fans would be lost and the "star" would never get > time to sleep if they attempted to answer everything. > > Stars and figureheads only expose themselves to questions in > calculated timeslots and often (like on talk shows) provide a breifing > on acceptable questions. > > All of the speculation traffic that has centered around > interpretations would quickly fade if there was easy access to an > answer. That's kind of like painters explaining their paintings... > it would detract too much from your personal experience of the work > and, quite likely, spoil it for you. Richard and others might be interested in checking out the Byrds newgroup, alt.music.byrds. Despite being an inarguable music legend, Roger McGuinn is actually one of the more frequent posters! Go figure. Whatta guy. Once, I read a post from some guileless youth whose cover band wanted to play Eight Miles High but couldn't figure out the lyrics/chords. So Roger McGuinn -- Roger McGuinn, fer chrissakes! -- actually spent however many minutes typing up the lyrics and chords to the song! As I said before, whatta guy. Since I love both XTC and the Byrds, I figure there must be others of you who do also. (And after all, the Dukes Of Stratosphear are definitely Byrds fans!) However, with regard to the "painters explaining their paintings" comment, McGuinn is indeed reluctant to give definitive "This is what this song is about" statements, though he'll seemingly answer just about any other question. He checks the group a few times a week, as far as I can tell! GB
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 21:49:56 +0900 (JST)
Message-Id: <199604091249.VAA01810@gol1.gol.com>
From: mwicks@gol.com (Michael Wicks)
Subject: gimme some Drums and Wires!
Hello Fellow Chalkhillians!
Here in Japan, Spring has arrived and the cherry blossoms are out in full
bloom, slowly shedding their soft, pink petals for all to admire. And with
a new season comes a "new" album review, the third in a series of eleven.
The third installment brings us to a certain recording that caught the
fancy of those listeners fortunate enough to have either heard these songs
on the radio or at a friend's house and/or subsequently bought a copy soon
later. So, without any further ado, let us bring 1979 back (at least the
part we're interested in here at Chalkhills) and .... DRUMS AND WIRES!:
1) Making Plans for Nigel - An ode to all those out there whose parents
were pushing them into an occupational choice they had no choice of their
own to make; the helicopter sounding chords at the beginning seem to
suggest that our protagonist is ready to take off and leave home. As
anti-establishment, rebel-against-your-elders as it gets, and one of Mr.
Moulding's finest! A-
2) Helicopter - A.P. 's "rebellious daughter" answer to Colin's above
song, this might be called Nigelene! She's entered a convent, she's wild,
a "nice girl" gone bad. Very danceable, almost manicable in nature, one
wonders if Andy's subject was just a bit high, like "Dear Prudence" on
speed. Pre Hip-Hop? B
3)Life Begins At The Hop - Another Colin gem, this is what the Senior Prom
"should've" been! Outstanding middle eighth guitar solo by Andy (?-help!)
and some great rhythm by Terry and Colin both. I can't help but to tap my
feet and hum along, it's that good! Cheezy video, especially the cardboard
car! B+
4)Roads Girdle the Globe - Rhythmic, pulsing, tribal, almost in a marching
style. Images of superhighways interserped with demonstrations. The jungle
is out there, in front of your yard. Be careful crossing the street,
though! B
5)When You're Near Me... - XTC do "Don't Stand So Close..." in this
take-off of Sting&Co. hit single. IMHO, a better song, too! Very raw,
erotic in nature. B
6)Ten Feet Tall - One of the first XTC songs I ever heard (in 1985), I
never knew who it was by! Imagine my pleasant shock in 1989 when I bought
this album and WHAM! finding out it's by...needless to say, a very catchy
tune! And those sly guitar solos! Proves my theory that this album has
Colin's best! B+
7)Real by Reel - Must confess bias on this one! Having done some flickery
16-millimeter stuff for this one band in high school, I just can't resist
thinking about those times and images. My absolute favorite Gregory solo,
whew!
Also, the only song (?-help!) that the group's name is part of the lyrics,
and also one word from a future Duke's song title! Outstanding song!
A-
8)Millions - Frightening imagery of what could be the Chinese Revolution
and Mao Zedong (but don't quote me on this!). Could be about any dictator
rallying his people into a frenzy, or the beginnings of an uprising.
Stunning lyrics. A-
9)That Is The Way - Not a bad Moulding song, but nothing more than a light,
pop-y effort. I do love the background chanting, "Do this, do that!" Jazzy!
B-
10)Outside World - Could've been a Go2 reject...the "six swans singing in
her sauna" tells us that, right off the bat, this is either an
aristocratic nympho, or a high-priced call-girl. Talk about decadence! I
wanna be in that sauna! B
11)Scissor Man - Jammin'! Another early Partridge masterpiece! Fun, with
drums from Terry that just kick! And, after reading the recent posts about
the possible origin of the "scissor man", I've stopped biting my nails
completely, therby ending years of pain and embarassment. Thank you,
Scissor Man! B+
12)Complicated Game - And a complicated song, too! But one that I just
can't get enough of, what with the hypnotic way it drills right through the
listener. Nice reverb, and, man, what cryptic lyrics. Pre-Dear God, even!
A-
13)Day In Day Out - Lyrically, a simple enough diddy about the routine of
work, and one that everyone can relate to. Thank God for Sunday (not
Friday!) B-
14)Limelight - Before getting my hands on the newsletter "Limelight", I
thought this was the perfect song for those MegaSuperRockStars! Now, I just
think of those damn people who wrote in/were featured in Limelight!
B+
15)Chain of Command - One more in a series of fantastic album-ending songs.
The predecessor to Generals and Majors, Wardance. How bright, indeed... B
Overall, looks like a grade of : B/B+ And one more thing on D&W: The
CD liner notes mentioned (tongue in cheek?) that it was recorded at the
Townhouse Studios "against all odds-complaining Ian Andersons from next
door...". Could that be Jethro Tull's Mr. Anderson, about the time of
their recording the album 'A' (my favorite Jethro Tull album). Perhaps
there was karma at those studios. And I didn't know that Georgie Chambers
was an "Airline Stewardess"! : - )
Next month: XTC set sail for the BLACK SEA
As to the opportunity to invest in an Internet hookup for AP, count me in!
And, yes, Through the Hill is worth the $13.47...if for the AP-penned
poems/lyrics alone! The music is stark in some places, yes, but quite
moving and somewhat mysterious nonetheless. Finally, some words of
appreciation:
Many thanks must go to John Relph for keeping Chalkhills in running order!
And thanks to Mark Fisher for that Andy/XTC update...that was great!
See ya later this month!
Michael Wicks (mwicks@gol.com)
ps: keep those Skylarking video clips/ideas coming in! Thanks!
------------------------------ From: jrsnipp@interserv.com Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 07:22:10 -0700 Message-Id: <199604091422.AA27341@relay.interserv.com> Subject: ...on artists and their music... > From: "Tom X. Chao" <tqc8542@is.nyu.edu> > > David Byrne called a jerk!? In the XTC mailing list!? I DON'T THINK SO. > > YOU co-write "77," "More Songs," "Fear of Music," "Remain In > Light," "Speaking In Tongues," and "True Stories," THEN you rip on David > Byrne. At the risk of restarting the "artist/art" thread, I must say that just because DB writes fantastic songs (and he does) does not mean he can't be a jerk. History is full of awesome artists who are also assholes. I love all those albums too, and if DB is a jerk I guess I wouldn't want to have dinner with him. But I will still listen to the albums.... Joe
------------------------------ From: patty@gdb.org Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 11:00:37 -0400 Message-Id: <9604091500.AA13304@musichead.gdb.org> Subject: Re: Racing to David Byrne's defense From Tom Chao: > > Even in anticipation of what new light may be shed on his weird antics: > > David Byrne called a jerk!? In the XTC mailing list!? I DON'T THINK SO. > > YOU co-write "77," "More Songs," "Fear of Music," "Remain In > Light," "Speaking In Tongues," and "True Stories," THEN you rip on David > Byrne. I'll say it again: David Byrne is a jerk. A person's jerk factor has nothing to do with their talent. (I've never been a fan, anyway, but that still has nothing to do with my comment here.) It's been said that there are plenty of not-so-good people out there making good tunes, and I agree. It's always doubly swell when good music is made by good people. I admire XTC for their artistry, but they're by all accounts down-to-earth and kind to their fans, and good on 'em. I have yet to hear anything negative about the way they treat their fans--remember I reported that my friend had wandered backstage to try to get the band's autographs for his friend in the hospital recovering from a car accident, and that when Andy found out about it he graciously invited my friend into the dressing room and made sure the other members of the band signed my friend's program. A damn nice thing to do, and it made one unhappy-to-have-missed-the-concert fan much happier when he got it. I've heard lots of less-than-laudatory comments about DB's personality. I don't remember if Andy had mentioned anything about DB's attitude towards XTC, though, in all fairness. The Andy story about DB's backstage habits sure did nothing to change my mind. I spoke a few weeks ago with someone whose band opened up for a well-known band last year. He walked up to Mr. Lead Singer and Songwriter of said well-known band, said hello, and was not even given a cursory nod in recognition of his greeting. Now, Mr. Lead Singer and Songwriter still writes fine songs, and his band put on a fine show that night, but he's a jerk. I was thinking about buying said band's latest release. After hearing that story, I did not do so. I would rather spend my money on bands that are courteous to their fans. XTC's artistry and graciousness are equally deserving. -Patty P.S. By the way, that was DB's nose I accidentally omitted from the last post, which I did not cut off to spite his face.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 11:29:08 -0400 Message-Id: <199604091529.LAA12964@freenet3.carleton.ca> From: am352@freenet.carleton.ca (Erich Walther) Subject: Does humour belong on the net?? My tongue-in-cheeky post re internetting Andy was taken a little too seriously by some. My apologies. Next time I'll be sure to add <joke>. Still, I like the idea of him lurking out there and scratching his head at some of the musings that appear here.
------------------------------ From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk> Message-Id: <18721.9604091556@molnir.brunel.ac.uk> Subject: Misc. Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 16:56:55 +0100 (BST) # From: Gene_Yoon@brown.edu # Subject: Crass # # I will *pounce* on you I'm sure I'm not the first to say so, but... that one's right! :) Funny, I've never misheard any of Grass. Must be an English accent thing. I admit I'd never really have expected it to be so tricky... but then again, if I listen to American stuff (Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" springs to mind), I get words wrong all over the place. e.g. in that song he says "Dylan ... Berlin ..." and Dylan sounds to me like "building". Oh well. # From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk> # Subject: Virgin deal # # I think that given Virgin's persistent refusal to refuse XTC's albums over ^^^^^^ Couple of typos in my last message, that should have said release. The others were obvious enough I think. # From: mf@well.com (Mitch Friedman) # Subject: A Partridge in a Chalkhill # # I've known Andy for a while and in recent months have presented him with # the idea of being online and/or working on a CD-ROM project. It seems that # the only thing he likes using a computer for is music. When I mentioned # something to him about Chalkhills he audibly cringed on the phone. I asked # him about his reaction and this is my version of what he told me: This doesn't susprise me in the slightest - the thought of seeing people tear my songs apart - quite obviously putting a lot of effort into getting it wrong - would drive me mad. Personally I say, keep Andy off the internet, he's more useful to us writing songs and we don't want to take any time off him. :) # As far as getting on the internet; he says that the only people he knows # who have email are David Yazbeck, me and a few others, but practically no # one in England. Ah well. Lu Edmonds (current member of Shriekback) has email, but Andy probably doesn't know him; Barry Andrews was always bigger mates with Colin anyway, I think. Incidently, although Barry doesn't have his own account, Lu has shown him some stuff on the net and Barry definitely takes a passing interest. And no you can't have Lu's address. :-p # From: "Tom X. Chao" <tqc8542@is.nyu.edu> # Subject: Racing to David Byrne's defense # # Even in anticipation of what new light may be shed on his weird antics: # David Byrne called a jerk!? In the XTC mailing list!? I DON'T THINK SO. Got to agree with this. I'm sure there are people here who have hated everything that David Byrne has put his name to, but personally I think that, when on form, he's *almost* the equal of Andy. (He's not as consistent though IMHO). Besides, "The Forest" is a work of pure genius. 'Nuff said. Who cares if he's completely strange in real life? Just listen to the music... # From: ZITTEL@aol.com # Subject: All I Dream Of Is A Friend # # Here is an attempt to decipher the lyrics to one of the songs written by # Andy and rejected for James And The Giant Peach. # # All I Dream Of Is A Friend <snip> That was *rejected*??????????????????? It had better be on the new album then, that's all. # From: Gene_Yoon@brown.edu # Subject: Andy in the Beehive # # Does anyone know more about the Voice of the Beehive? I'm assuming (by # accent) that they're American, although the lyrics have British spellings. # They recorded their first album, "Let it Bee" (that one's a gem, a bit # B-52-like) in California as a five piece (two women and three men), but on # this one it appears the group is just Tracey and Melissa Belland, the lead # singer. Their old label was London Records, but now they're on Warner # Music UK. What's the story? They are definitely English. Saw them live (they played at our uni) just over 3 years ago - not bad, but I think they were just disappearing into oblivion at the time. They had a big-ish hit over here some time in the 80s, the name of which escapes me. Can't tell you any more really, I'm not a fan. Still, hope it helps a bit. That's about it. ttfn Phil _ |_)|_ *| | | )|| http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~ee92pmh/ ========
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199604091618.MAA00210@rohan.btg.com> Date: 9 Apr 1996 12:17:52 U From: "Sherwood, Harrison" <hsherwood@btg.com> Subject: Partridges, Chalkhills, and Please, somebody, tell me I'm a hopeless paranoid.... It's just that I'm getting this strange, lizard-brained thought.... "Mitch Friedman" IS Andy Partridge! Think about it! "I've known Andy for a while"... Yeah, like 42 years! C'mon out, Andy! You're nicked, mate! I'm only surprised you're not posting as "terry@lovemen.com" or something! (The foregoing is, of course, a JOKE. Plaster smileys and winkies and other brainless emoticons all over it. Parrots and lemurs. We appreciate you mightily here, Mitch. Keep those cards & letters coming!) I understand and sympathize completely with Andy's (and Colin's and Dave's) reluctance to wade through nearly daily dissections of the XTC oeuvre. This sort of flagellation would be pretty damned rough on even the thickest of skins; nobody needs to witness his own soul being minutely examined--and sometimes found wanting--by a faceless Inquisition. It's a pretty high-heat kitchen he's staying out of. Besides that, I can easily see them wanting to answer every criticism and wrongheaded speculation (leading to an absurd scenario: "I _wrote_ 'Dear Madam Barnum'; I _think_ I know what it's about!"). Besides being emotionally wrenching, this sort of activity would be enormously time-consuming--time that could be much better spent, oh, writing new songs or getting free of Virgin or something. (I spent an inordinate amount of time back in my teenage years trying to get free of Virgin myself; I know how difficult it can be.) But Mitch, the next time you talk to Andy (in the mirror!), perhaps you could tell him this: Chalkhills, by _any_ yardstick, is far and away the most civilized and gentle thing of its kind on the whole danged Internet. I think he can be very proud of the fact that XTC attracts a very high grade of hopeless, drooling fan-boy and -girl. Have him compare Chalkhills to alt.fan.madonna (today's high-volume topic: "Hi, FAGS!") and he'll see what I mean. If we sometimes rake him over the coals, it's because we expect great things out of him. And the coal-raking is pretty damned rare; most of the stuff posted here is pretty adulatory--and deservedly so. Andy! We love you, ma-a-a-n! (Cigarette lighters held overhead, rhythmic stomping on the floor, etc.) (Self-congratulatory back-patting done with, on to another topic): T. Lewis <tlewis@televar.com> sez: >...check out my strip "Over the Hedge" appearing in a newspaper >near you. I've been wondering about ways to include some >obscure XTC references. God, I missed this entirely! (Skimming again--smack! smack!) Wow, this is purty cool! "Over the Hedge" replaced "Calvin & Hobbes" in the Washington Post a couple of months ago. I usually just sorta skim the funnies, getting my daily omens & portents from Zippy the Pinhead, but I'll have to start reading more carefully. Shoot, man, why not go all the way and just one day scrawl "XTC RULES" in the corner of a strip? (Oh. Maybe not. Drug reference. Hmm.) Harrison "...and so does Crystal Meth!" Sherwood
------------------------------ From: Keith Hanlon <ad180@seorf.ohiou.edu> Message-Id: <199604092308.TAA12993@ra.cs.ohiou.edu> Subject: Nonsuch posters Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 19:08:16 -0400 (EDT) Hello friends! I have some promotional posters from Geffen's release of Nonsuch. It's a cool black & white photo of the fab three. I'd love to trade for the any of the following: 1) a cassette copy of the new XTC demos 2) a Little Express "This is Pop" guitar pick 3) Anything I don't have - which is a lot. Email me if your interested. Also- "Urgh! A Music War" was released on CD - they left off a few tracks that were on the double LP so it could fit on one CD. I'm almost positive that it's out of print. Thanks, Keith
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01530500ad906232f17a@[192.168.1.96]> Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 17:03:55 -0700 From: timr@creativemm.com (timothy renner) >> Is it worth it for me to buy "Through the Hill" for $13.47? Someone, please >> advise. I just got 'Through The Hill' myself, and have only given it one listen, but I can tell for myself that it will be enjoyable for a long, long time. I think this comment says a lot: > It's so mysterious shivering work. To me the work might be seen as a much more realized extension of AP's Homo Safari experiments, with a greater pallette of colors, and some underlying/overall intention that is really not spelled out anywhere. The booklet comes out as a great mystery, with oblique diagrams illustrating every piece, and lots of white space. You know, the album reminds me of Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (a beautiful book, BTW). There's an architecture about the work that binds the segments together, and the individual pieces are quite engaging on their own. I am not familiar with Harold Budd's body of work. But I'd put this somewhere close to Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, etc. In short, it's very worth it if you like slow moving, patient music that develops over an extended period and creates a landscape all its own. This music rewards deep listening, if that's your cup o' tea. _____________ Tim Renner Sound Designer timr@creativemm.com
------------------------------
From: rookon@cruznet2.cruznet.net
Message-Id: <199604100652.XAA13849@cruznet2.cruznet.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 22:43:57 +0000
Subject: re: xtc new release
Hi:
Contacted Duff at the RAFT/Virgin Records about XTC new release.
He said nothing is official but looking at the end of this year.
Duff/The Raft/Virgin Records can be reached via E-MaIL: pyg@vmg.co.uk
Lets pressure thes boys................robert
rookon@cruznet.net
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 02:31:10 -0700
Message-Id: <199604100931.CAA14362@scn.org>
From: bc263@scn.org (Byron Keathe Wright)
Subject: David "Jerk" Byrne, Bob Mould
In digest #2-97 (? The one before this one, at any rate), Tom X. Chao wrote:
>David Byrne called a jerk!? In the XTC mailing list!? I DON'T THINK SO.
>YOU co-write "77," "More Songs," "Fear of Music," "Remain In Light,"
>"Speaking In Tongues," and "True Stories," THEN you rip on David Byrne.
Okay. As a precocious grade-schooler, I began co-writing albums with Mr.
Byrne. I thought Uncle Dave and I had a good working relationship on the
first four, too, doing quite well for ourselves and producing New Pop with
Pride until David went and penned that piece of crap "Speaking In Tongues"
one night on a coke-induced ego burn. No lie - the Jerk's schnozz was DUST
the next morning. On my way to school I found Byrne in the studio
wallowing in his own saliva, greedily clutching tapes mired in a paste of
damp toot and dripped drool. Needless to say my mom insisted that I
dissolve the partnership pronto, and Talking Heads went on to prostitute
themselves $ royal(t)y $.
Stupid me, I went on to college.
------------------------------
Ben Gott wrote in the same Digest:
>as I've never heard... Bob Mould!).
If you truly love music, Ben, then you owe it to yourself at least to
listen to Mould and his "old" band Husker Du, whose 1984 album "Zen Arcade"
lowered the limbo so to say on powerful pop music. It was a staggering
achievement in a genre (punk subgenre American "hardcore") not known for
expressions of vulnerability or more sophisticated tunage replete with
musical nuance and personal lyrical themes. The supersonic pace was only
half the fun, as there were honest anguished pop songs underneath the
whoosh and roar. Nearly anything by Husker is great, but "Zen Arcade" in
particular is absolute brilliance that would appear in any "Top 10" or DID
list of mine should I ever bother to compile such.
The little Alternative-By-Numbers soundalike bands trying so desperately to
impress everyone with their affected insouciant bombast on "alternative"
radio of late prove insipid in comparison with the immediacy of Mould's
and, to a lesser degree, fellow songwriter Grant Hart's obviously pained
perspectives. Husker was the genuine article, the bombast had meaning.
They were indeed "trailblazers." In my estimation no band before or since
has even come close to using bombast so effectively, with the possible
exception of Robert Fripp's more controlled deployment most notably on his
1979 non-KC masterpiece Opus of Ominous and definite Top Tenner itself,
"Exposure" (Fripp fans unfamiliar with Husker will discover a horse of
quite a different feather, mixed metaphor intended). Husker Du eventually
helped inspire the substantially more lighthearted noise of Pixies, and we
all know how incredible they were (revisionists be damned - Pixies was
Frank Black's baby, not Kim Deal's).
Mould's 1989 solo effort "Workbook: Songs and Stories" is spirited as well,
yet brooding, contemplative, and relatively quiet compared to Husker Du.
In the early '90's, after recording his second solo album "Black Sheets of
Rain," Mould returned to the trio format and released music under the name
Sugar, most of which is listenable power pop, but somewhat paternal
sounding and tired by comparison to his first band. Mould has been
producing other bands during the '90's as well, perhaps most notably
Magnapop. I believe Sugar has just recently disbanded, with Mould
currently at work on yet another solo collection.
Enough.
--
- Keathe { bkwright@garnet.acns.fsu.edu }
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 16:07:23 +0100
Message-Id: <199604101507.QAA17787@lix.intercom.es>
From: Luc Haasnoot <andpe@lix.intercom.es>
Subject: White Music
Dear All,
Looking at the huge pile of top 10 lists recently submitted,
I was surprised to only find 2 albums by black artists: Marvin
Gaye and Albert Collins (excellent choices!). OK, maybe I
overlooked one or two, but may I conclude that XTC fans only
like "white music"? In terms other than black/white, are R&B,
blues and soul genres that do not fit in with the taste of the
regular XTC-fan?
I am interested to hear what you all think about this.
Best wishes,
Lucas
PS: Just a little test, does the name STAX ring a bell?
____________________________________________________________________
A N D AND Publicaciones Electronicas, S.L.
Caspe, 127-135, Esc. B, 4o-4a
Lucas Haasnoot 08013 Barcelona
ESPANA
t +34 3 265 77 03
andpe@lix.intercom.es f +34 3 265 81 26
____________________________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 09:21:21 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <199604101421.JAA20218@is.rice.edu>
From: kimw@rice.edu (Kim E. Williams)
Subject: Everything'll Be All Right
Hi!
Thanks to Jim Zittel for the tape, I thought I'd try my hand at the
lyrics of another of the James and the Giant Peach rejects. This one is
called "Everything'll Be All Right." Thanks again, Jim!
EVERYTHING'LL BE ALL RIGHT
Everything'll be all right
Be all right day and night-time
Everything'll be all right
Be all right now we are all here
If you want to know what the grasshopper thinks
The grasshopper thinks life is jumping
Use your legs Mr. Grasshopper begs
And jump right over the down-in-the-dumps thing
So that...
Everything'll be all right
Be all right day and night-time
Everything'll be all right
Be all right now we are all here
If you want to know what the centipede thinks
The centipede thinks life's for walking
There are no kinks in how the centipede thinks
Just walk yourself away when there is bad luck stalking
So that...
Everything'll be all right
Be all right day and night-time
Everything'll be all right
Be all right now we are all here
If you want to know what the glow-worm thinks
The glow-worm thinks life is shining
The glooms won't grow if you turn on a glow
And knit yourself a jacket with a silver lining
So that...
Everything'll be all right
Be all right day and night-time
Everything'll be all right
Be all right now we are all here
If you want to know what the lady-bug thinks
The lady-bug thinks life has good spots
If the rain comes down push a pencil around
And draw a funny face by simply joining up the big dots
You know...
Everything'll be all right
Be all right, day and night-time
Everything'll be all right
Be all right now we are all here
It's all right now we are all here
It's all right now we are all here!
-------------------
Take care all!
Kim
"Life is a state of mind." - Wolfgang Press - Mother Valentine
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 10:21:42 -0700
From: relph (John Relph)
Message-Id: <199604101721.KAA07117@mando.engr.sgi.com>
Subject: Urgh! More Lyrics.
Randy Posynick <posynick@netcom.com> asks:
>
>Does anyone know if the soundtrack from "Urgh! A Music War" (featuring
>our boys on their respectable street) was ever released on CD?
Yes, it definitely is (or was) available on CD. However, the CD
version omitted some songs from the original (the song by Toyah, for
example). Here's the information from the discography:
URGH! A Music War
live compilation soundtrack album and video includes XTC:
Respectable Street (live) (3'08).
+ CD, A&M USA, CD 6019, 1989. longbox, fewer tracks than
original LP.
Jim <ZITTEL@aol.com> writes:
>
>Here is an attempt to decipher the lyrics to one of the songs written by
>Andy and rejected for James And The Giant Peach.
I've added these lyrics to the Chalkhills XTC lyrics archives.
Gene_Yoon@brown.edu adds:
>
>I got the new Voice of the Beehive CD, "Sex & Misery", which has a song
>co-written by Andy Partridge called 'Blue in Paradise'.
And these lyrics, too!
-- John
--
GCS/MU d(-) s a C++(---) UIS+ P+++ !L E++ W++ N+ !o K- w--- !O M+ V--
PS++ PE Y PGP- t+(--) 5 !X R- tv-(--) b++ DI- D G+ e++ h--- r+++ y+++*
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-98 ******************************
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