Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 114
Date: Friday, 16 May 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 114
Friday, 16 May 1997
Today's Topics:
Re: Terry Sugarplastic
More on "Grass"
to the world where you live
Big Great Fire Debate (Take 2)
Re: Online Demos
Band suggestion & XTC songbook project
Yates' whine lodge (no XTC content)
That never-to-be collaboration
Just a small rant
Happy Family!
Re: Critics
Captain Sensible BOX SET
Uh oh...
Re: Terry Dragon
When did Barry Andrews leave the band?
Gold discs of Skylarking and Oranges and Lemons
Re: Dave & Aimee
Children and stuff . .
Re: Deflowering
Assorted remarks
Demo Broadcasts, Andy's Demise, etc
In Thanks
Two great albums
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <199705142213.AAA27628@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 23:19:57 +0000 Subject: Re: Terry Sugarplastic Dear Chalkers, > [...] he doesn't know if this Terry Chambers is the one from XTC, > but that he does think he was in a band called Dragon (or something similar). Terry Chambers from Dragon is the same Terry Chambers that used to play in XTC. Best drummer they ever had IMHO > Well, at least it's not a joke on > the webmaster's part, perhaps the Sugarplastic themselves? I think the sugarplastic is having us on here... If they are not, we can only congratulate them on their excellent choice of drummer. While we are on the subject of Mr Amazing Terry Chambers: does anyone know if he still has that rich Wiltshire accent or does he sound a bit more Oztralian now? bye, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello ===> Mark's Random XTC Quote <=== Hail mother motor, hail piston rotor, hail wheel!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=AETNA%l=HFD-EXCH003-970514221721Z-128519@aetna.aetna.com> From: "Witter, Karl F" <WitterKF@aetna.com> Subject: More on "Grass" Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 18:17:21 -0400 >[Brian Matthews ] Yuk... mayo-flavored ice cream?!? I thought I gave fair warning before I lobbed my cheap-shot at Virgin. Apologies to your gustatory sensibilities if otherwise. >[Harrison Sherwood] It's not...entirely...impossible to >occasionally indulge in druggy humor and surrealistic imagery >without...indulgence in drugs Here's a new adjective for "Grass": Frolicsome. I know nothing about the "whether or not", just that what's more cheeky and clever than a non-user writing it? It passes the acid test of "Can you enjoy it straight", unlike the dullardly drug humor and imagery that rather forgoes the...humor and imagery. >[Wes Wilson] Any MP fans here? Over here! I'm waiting for it along with several others. By strange coincidence, his last album was released in '92 also. Diet Coke with my senses bubbled (and does that tickle),
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970515014453.006825f0@mail.sonyinteractive.com> Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 18:44:53 -0700 From: Bob Estus <bestus@intergate.sonyinteractive.com> Subject: to the world where you live Hello All, Excuse the mesh, I'm crunching through a month of chalkings in rapid digestion after returning from a New Zealand honeymoon. Most noteworthy on the trip: a tour of Dunedin by resident chalkhillian James Dignan. We were led by our informative host through the scottish architecture of Otago University. We eavesdropped on a public demonstration in the town square. Took a drive scenic vantage points to glimpse Dunedin dressed in it's autumnal hues. James' voice had developed quite a tour guide swagger by now. We headed out on the Otago peninsula to search for the royal albatross. Then back to James' for tea and farewells. A fine time was had by all, thanks for the memorable visit James! We'll be back someday. Muttonbirds, Chills, and a fine New Zealand sampler tape courtesy James provided great road trip music for taking in the undescribable beauty of the South Island (North Isle equally stunning). Awfully gracious people those kiwis. Not to mention their good taste in music. Didn't XTC top the charts there once? One quick note: The week before our wedding our DJ asked us what type of music we liked and my bride-to-be blurted out "XTC and King Crimson" (bless her heart). XTC actually appeared on his sheet of bands to circle-select. This I gleefully did with a big fat marker and faxed it to him. Although on our big day, no XTC played. :^( He also succumbed to the mob's need to hear Cool 'n the Gang. I'd rather have the cake fall over (hrmph). -Bob believes in the right to a macarena free wedding
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 22:54:02 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jennifer L. Geese" <jlg@tardis.svsu.edu> Subject: Big Great Fire Debate (Take 2) Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.91.970514225034.29065A-100000@tardis.svsu.edu> Ok, realizing that we've already been through this debate, I *still* feel compelled to ad my two cents worth. Upon very careful, repeated listening to the section of the song in question, I, while not being able to clearly make out the beginning sound (it could be either 'sm' or 'f') *can* clearly hear a long 'o' sound rather than the short 'u' that one would hear if the word was not smoke. Jen, who is tucking this thread in for a long summer's nap "Life's like a jigsaw, you get the straight bits but there's something missing in the middle." - All of a Sudden (It's Too Late)
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 17:11:58 +1000 (EST) Message-Id: <l03102800afa04ba3514c@[203.111.95.117]> From: Eliot Fish <eliot@magna.com.au> Subject: Re: Online Demos Hey there, I just thought I'd de-cloak after a year or so to say THANKS SCOTT!! I'm a Chalkhills subscriber and owner of Jules Verne Sketchbook and The Bull With The Golden Guts and have been hanging out for new demos (considering the fact that we're all having to wait so dang long for a new album). It was great to be able to just point my browser over to Scott's and hear these *amazing* songs. I think Church of Women, Easter Theatre and You And The Clouds are just like wow. Church of Women sorta reminded me of English Settlement-era (Snowman?) and I just can't wait to hear these songs recorded. Yes, I'll be there first thing to "snatch" a copy of the new album - whenever the hell it comes out! (1998?) Ahhhh.... and please tell me it's not true, but a friend told me that Dave Gregory had left XTC recently?! NO!!! Eliot * ------------------------------------------- BIG HEAVY STUFF - ONLINE http://www.magna.com.au/~eliot/bhshome.html eliot@magna.com.au * -------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199705150812.BAA03833@sgi.sgi.com>
Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 00:11:55 -0700
From: hbmus047@email.csun.edu (Ian Dahlberg)
Subject: Band suggestion & XTC songbook project
Hello all,
While waiting for the next album-like offering from our
guys (before 2000 A.D. please?) I just wanted to offer a listening
suggestion as is sometimes done on this list. It may be hard to find but
Bourgeois Tagg's 1987 release, "Yoyo" has got some, well, 3 songs that I
think are pretty cool on it. Sure, it's '80's synth pop but "Best of All
Possible Worlds" is pretty catchy as is "Waiting For The Worm to Turn." "I
Don't Mind At All" I think was another single from the album and is also
good. The XTC-ish tie in? Todd Rundgren produced it and Lyle Workman (who
played on Jellyfish's 'Spilt Milk') plays guitar on it. It is Rundgren-ish
pop come to think of it. Find a used copy, though, for three or so songs
it may not be worth full price.
I think I mentioned this about a year ago on this list but
the project, daunting as it is, keeps haunting me. It seems most major
groups have transcription books out, put out by their publishers,
corresponding to their respective albums. There isn't (at least I haven't
seen any) any transcription-like song book, other than "11 Different
Animals," for XTC. Myself being a professional music copyist and devout
fan, feel I have a calling of some sort to do this. But having limited
guitar skills makes it tricky to do some of these songs, not to mention the
dense arrangements they come in. Of course, it would be easier if I had
the original 24-or-whatever-track recording of the songs to isolate each
part but those are probably buried in a vault at Virgin or something.
Anyway, I have already dug in on a couple of songs in score form that I
think look pretty good but I need more help, preferably from guitarists
with sharp ears. What I hope for someday is to create a concise, accurate,
comprehensive songbook based on an XTC album or two, for distribution to
interested parties for no more than the cost of materials and S & H. I got
the tools, I just need the notes!
note to dummyhead: Y'know, when you join a group of people for
conversation, you should first listen for awhile; get a feel for the level
of group. Then ask yourself, do I have anything to contribute that these
people might find worthwhile? Seriously ask yourself this. Merely
blabbing that you like this group or that isn't good content. You don't
have to post your age to tell us you're the youngest in the group. Your
first post revealed this. If someone mentions a group in passing, and you
happen to have their latest release, there's no need to get excited and
post all of the album info. There are web pages for that. Thoughts of
starting a Chalkhills Jr. come to mind reading your posts. Just calm down.
Thanx!
OK that's enuff,
Bye!
Ian Dahlberg
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 02:07:08 -0700 Message-Id: <v01510100afa07f0be4b1@[194.128.83.69]> From: fisher@easynet.co.uk (Mark Fisher) Subject: Yates' whine lodge (no XTC content) The Chalkie who hasn't heard anything about Paula Yates for ten years is clearly mercifully free from the British media. We have heard of little else. For anyone who cares, she's now shacked up with the lead singer of INXS, having split up with Bob Geldolf (who is believed to have tipped off the police that she was in possession of the drugs they uncovered in an early-morning raid), and allegations have just been made that she is really the illigitimate daughter of Hughie Green (recently deceased TV presenter of talent show Oppportunity Knocks), and not, as was previously supposed, TV religious man Jess Yates. (Paula has stayed in the public eye, incidentally, not only because of the famous men in her life, but also because she was a presenter on The Big Breakfast morning TV programme. Also because all her children have daft names.) Sorry for lowering the tone, but this kind of trash is considered headline news over here.
------------------------------ From: D.L.Wilson@business.salford.ac.uk Message-ID: <19970515102954.10337.qmail@metis.salford.ac.uk> Date: 15 May 97 11:28 Subject: That never-to-be collaboration I have heard that Andy was, at one stage, the likely candidate to produce Blur's 'Modern Life Is Rubbish'. I'd love to know whether he approves of the final product or whether he would have given it a different flavour. For me, it's their finest hour.
------------------------------ From: Cheryl <McGREGOC@regents.ac.uk> Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 11:56:28 GMT Subject: Just a small rant Message-ID: <2F2D8767B2@asdf011.regents.ac.uk> Hi! Okay, okay, okay. I could not resist putting this in. Now, with all these flavours of ice cream floating around out there we need a place to sell them....how about: One of the Millions Flavours Shop. Ooohh that was bad! Could not resist. Sorry Pete! Joshua says: >Really, though, without amanda, what would we talk about? Songs with >monkeys in them? You are kidding, right?! Come ON! This digest has been going for YEARS with out her and I'm sure the topics were just as good if not better! I, for one, would prefer the songs about monkeys then having to sift through some of the crap she has produced! I DO use the page down button whenever I see her name but there are times when I catch a snippet of that stuff I just sit in disbelief. I can't believe I got dragged into this! Your statement just did me in. I can only hope that when she returns that maybe she will learn some tact in how to handle the responses she gets to her posts. It's one thing to be out-spoken ( which I think is great) but it sure is another thing to have diarrhea ( the spelling may be wrong here, but you get my point) of the mouth. I apologize for all the negative vibes I have going in this post. I try to avoid it as much as possible. I guess the frustration is getting to me. Right! I need to end this on a positive note. To Jason Phelan, You are the king of clever! I liked your diary entry. You go guy! Robert MacDonald wrote a great story! I was leaning into the computer screen hanging on every word! I loved it! See, Joshua, there are plenty of things to write about without....her. This list will survive. There are tons of clever people on it to keep us THINKING and not fuming. AND lets not forget that even though we don't have new music from XTC, there are still a ton of things to discover in the songs we already have. All the little quirks that people find, suddenly brings new life to a song for me. Its the new things that I learn from people and not the shots taken that keep me reading this list. I think I have ranted enough. Again I apologize for the negative vibes but I just had to get this off my mind. Bye, Cheryl
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007800afa0708a1bf4@[198.53.5.85]> Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 09:24:52 +0100 From: Erich Walther <enrico@fox.nstn.ca> Subject: Happy Family! Number 113 was a delight! No rancour for a change, just a bunch of happy gushings from all - have we lost our edge? It must be spring in the air... I usually read our musings first thing in the morning with a cuppa jo, a smoke, (yeah, bad habit) and always The Lads in the CD-ROM slot (today is Mummer again -BOH just seems to get the day pulsing, pulsing). It's my 'coffee circle' (get a life). Thanks, Peter, for Andy's review of the Children; now I have yet another CD to save up for (becki's on the top of the list). Once I get some lucre (and a job) I'll be ordering up. Congrats to all who went to the effort of this labour of love and esp to Richard for pulling it together (I'll be in touch soon to order) I don't know if a postcard from Ottawa will influence LA radio, but I'll put one in the mail today... Mr. Yazbek: glad to hear things have cleared up; have you tried changing your blades more often (it WAS your face you were mentioning ;-) ) I hope you're not postponing your release pending an XTC issue.... Where do 13 year-old Mexicans hear XTC? They sure as Hell don't get any play up Canada way. Dave's a musician, which is far scarier and more subversive than being any preference sexual. It would be a scary world indeed if all musicians came 'out of the garage' and tried to stamp their melodic lifestyle on the straight (read 4/4) world. We'd be forced to listen to polyrhythms, counterpoint, and other 'forbidden' aural assaults. And who gives a hoot about sexual preference anyway? Some of my best friends are hetero - So's my wife (standard disclaimer). I've had 'That Wave' on the turntable a lot lately, jaw-dropping to the 'impossible' guitar solo. Is there a better example of a 'Parker' chord deconstruction in the ouvre? Let's hear your views on the most outrageous guitar solo in the catalogue (FPAR, LOFS, TIN, TRSOSC). Pax upon all! Erich in Ottawa (not the other one)
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 10:19:29 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Critics Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.970515100342.576978A-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> Most critics, I agree, are professional rock and roll fans who don't have the talent to perform so instead they write about it. Those who can, do, those who can't, review. There are a few who are quite brilliant, though, and in some cases have been involved in the creative end of the music business as well. The most obvious example would be the late Lester Bangs, who I still miss fifteen years after his death. Besides being a brilliant commentator on horrible noise(his phrase), he made a couple albums and a few singles of his own. To say he didn't have much of a voice would be kind, but his songwriting ideas anticipated similar stuff by Tom Waits by a few years, sort of Beefheartesque ranting and rasping. He probably would have considered XTC too poppy for his taste, knowing his weakness for The Stooges and The Velvet Underground. He probably would have liked The Big Express if he'd lived to hear it. There's also musicians who started out as critics; Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde, Steve Wynn, Patti Smith. Others have dabbled in music here and there; Nick Kent(early member of Adam And The Ants!), Brett Milano, Charles M. Young(his NYC punk band of a few years ago, Iron Prostate, had moments of sheer genius- "Bring Me The Head Of Jerry Garcia" has to be heard to be believed), and many others. I've done a bit of both myself, and it's much more satisfying being on stage. But that's me. Christopher R. Coolidge Eleventh Hour Cauldron Publications I heal with magnets. Ask me how!
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199705151428.KAB46534@mime3.prodigy.com> From: Moonsilver@prodigy.com (MR NOBLE K THOMAS) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 10:28:27, -0500 Subject: Captain Sensible BOX SET I have three extra copies of the CAPTAIN SENSIBLE Limited Edition box set priced at $33.95 plus $3 P&H. It contains 3 CDs (one a double disc set): Meathead / a slice of Captain Sensible. Also includes a doll of some sorts. Released by Humbug Records UK. I also have the becki diGregorio CD at $12.95 and assorted Martin Newell CDs as well as Drums and Wireless (BBC), Testimonial Dinner and the Yazbek CD. Sothereyago... also... We all know that Colin and Andy record their demos as the spirit moves them. What about Dave Gregory? Has he been writing any material? I always assumed that Dave helped tweak and mold the others' songs while in the studio but am curious as to whether he's ever introduced songs himself?... Toby at SILVER MOON ====================================================================== http://home.earthlink.net/~moonsilver/Moonsilver.html ======================================================================
------------------------------ Message-ID: <8CB2D82F01291300@ametsoc.org> Date: Thu, 15 May 97 10:52:00 -0500 From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org> Organization: AMS Subject: Uh oh... >From Tatyanna: >Christopher, did you say something about Jars of Clay? Here is the general scoop about them: . . . >Their CD named Jars of Clay produced by them includes this songs... Ummm, Tatyanna? "Dummyhead"? Maybe the more important question to ask is did he ASK for a track listing for Jars of Clay? You'll find that your stay on Chalkhills will be greatly enhanced (as will the rest of ours) if you drop the excess CTD references, album track listings of other groups, and a list in every post of all the bands you think "rock." Don't believe me? Well, I guess you'll find out soon enough. Don't say I didn't warn you! Dave P.S. And that would be "rules," not "rulz"...
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 10:44:22 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Terry Dragon Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.970515103650.576978C-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> >I read on the Sugarplastic Web Site today, I noticed that they have a new >drummer -- a certain TERRY CHAMBERS.. I thought, "No, he's surely being a >recluse off in Australia, or something like that." I wrote to the author >of the web page and wrote back, saying he doesn't know if this Terry >Chambers is the one from XTC, but that he does think he was in a band >called Dragon (or something similar). Well, at least it's not a joke on >the webmaster's part, perhaps the Sugarplastic themselves? I mean, Terry >Chambers isn't exactly a common American name... I believe this IS the Terry Chambers we all know. I remember reading somewhere about him joining an Australian band called Dragon after moving to Australia. I seem to recall he had no definite plans to stay in the music business, but they needed a drummer and made the offer based on his XTC experience, and he decided "What the hell- it's a paycheck." I don't know how long he stayed with them. What's he doing with Sugarplastic, though; the guy's old enough to be their father. Also, if he's back in England, what's stopping him from taking a job with his old mates? (I do recall him saying to Andy as he packed up his gear during the Mummer sessions(reportedly)"Your songs are getting weirder and weirder...") Christopher R. Coolidge Eleventh Hour Cauldron Publications I heal with magnets. Ask me how!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 97 9:52:05 CDT
Message-ID: <vines.pL06+PXlSnA@bangate.compaq.com>
From: "james dupuy" <James=Dupuy%SPD=Mainstream%Sys=Hou@bangate.compaq.com>
Subject: When did Barry Andrews leave the band?
Hello Chalkhill People,
I was recalling the XTC concert I went to in 11/13/80 and I remember
seeing Andy, Colin, and Terry but there was a fourth guy roaming about the
stage adjusting equipement. Really poor stage theatrics when he walked to
the front of the stage and wipped the swet off of his head with a rag. He
seemed to be a short (maybe when compared to Andy) chubby guy. I was
wondering if this was Barry Andrews or was he gone by then? I don't recall
him playing anything but I was so focussed on Andy's guitar and singing work
that I wasn't paying that much attention to him. Just to describe a little
of the show, they started it out I believe with Helicopter. They also had
this film projector being play while using the band as a screen. I couln't
tell exactly what the images were but they looked like those squiggley lines
that you used to see at the begining of old projector films. I know that
there are people on this digest that have seen them about this time
frame. Could you tell me if the show you saw was similar to the one I saw
and who was that guy?
I have achieved a major breakthrough with my mom. Her engine blew up
a couple of weeks ago and she stay with me while her car was being repaired
so I could drop here of at work. Well I decided to gradually, at a low
volume level, expose her to NONSVCH. By the end of the week I caught her
humming to Wrapped In Grey. I know that this may seem trivial but I have to
explain my mothers attitude towards XTC. Her first exposure was from me
blasting the house night and day with Drums and Wires. She hated the band. I
can't blame her, being a Niel Young and Pink Floyd fan, listening to When
Your Near Me I Have Difficulty through the walls can be some what of a
shock. So when I heard her humming WIG I told her I thought I would never
see the day. She replied that "you get used to them" and that she was
humming War Dance at work earlier that day. I think she would be a Colin
type. Latley I have been wearing out my Go2 cd. Is this a sign of
withdralls?
Holding my breath,
_.o0o._
&
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 08:18:16 -0700 Message-Id: <199705151518.IAA05554@sgi.sgi.com> From: Mitchell Harding <mitcharf@mail.utexas.edu> Subject: Gold discs of Skylarking and Oranges and Lemons >part of the "group building" process. I'm at the stage right now where I've >actually bought the gold discs of "Oranges and Lemons" AND "Skylarking." Sad. I've toyed with the idea of purchasing these. Are they noticably different from their standard CD counterparts? What would you reccomend? Thanks, Mitch
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 11:18:04 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Dave & Aimee Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.970515111259.576978E-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> To Amanda: You don't need to worry about Dave being gay; it's common knowledge to anybody who paid attention to Aimee Mann's first solo album Whatever that not only was Dave's guitar all over the album, but she and Dave were an item for the better part of that year. Unfortunately(or fortunately for you!)Aimee has a reputation for being flighty when it comes to men. Just ask another of her exes, Jules Shear, who she immortalised on "J for Jules" on the last Til Tuesday album. I take it she was not being complimentary. Mind you, Dave might go both ways for all I know, but that's his business. Christopher R. Coolidge Eleventh Hour Cauldron Publications I heal with magnets. Ask me how!
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 10:25:23 +0000 Subject: Children and stuff . . From: Tom Keekley <keeks@maroon.tc.umn.edu> Message-Id: <337b2a1f2a4b002@mhub2.tc.umn.edu> I have long been a subscriber but its been nearly as long since I posted. Last night my friend, Gary, and I sat down with the tab for Senses from OLGA and figured some stuff out. The original tab helped but there are some unusual chord voicings throughout, but I believe we got 'em, so I hope to post this for others to enjoy. It really got me in a summer mood which for me means Skylarking, O&L, and Black Sea. A summers day baked into one cake indeed! Tom
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 11:34:51 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Deflowering Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.970515112242.576978F-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> I loved that long missive from Rob MacDonald. Got me thinking about my own situation. I first heard XTC when I was in high school in Montreal; Drums And Wires had just come out and CHOM-FM was interviewing Colin to the strains of "Making Plans For Nigel." I initially rejected them as one of those poppy bands that were watering down punk and all it stood for. How wrong I was. Blame that on The Knack. When I went to college in Western Mass. I became friends with a young woman who had everything XTC had released to that point(even the 3D and 5 Senses EP's!), and one listen to Black Sea changed my mind; I recalled that somebody on my hall had been playing it a lot and "Living Through Another Cuba" had made enough of an impression on me that I remember thinking, "Oh, must be the new Joe Jackson album. Sounds good." I had a circle of friends by that point who were seriously into XTC, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Squeeze, etc. some of which formed a band that eventually turned into the aforementioned Malarians. My woman friend eventually got married and settled down, and the rest scattered around the country in their various endeavors; one's on this list, as it turns out, another's promoting bands in Northampton, MA, another committed suicide a while back, another ended up playing guitar in the last lineup of Arthur Lee's Love, and others I have no idea what they're doing. Christopher R. Coolidge Eleventh Hour Cauldron Publications I heal with magnets. Ask me how!
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 11:32:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Natalie Jane Jacobs <gnat@umich.edu> Subject: Assorted remarks Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.970515102507.10988A-100000@tempest.rs.itd.umich.edu> By the powers vested in me by... um... nobody in particular, I hereby dub "Ewan McPhelan" the Satire God of Chalkhills. Revel in your greatness! (My portrait bust of Terry Chambers carved from kitty chow is proceeding quite nicely, why do you ask?) Yazbeck seems like a nice guy. I wish I liked his album more. I know it's hard to come by, so if anyone wants my copy, I'm willing to strike a bargain. This is his album called "The Laughing Man," by the way, with some Andy input (produced one song, played guitar on another). I didn't care for it, but someone else might. Re. Andy and the tribute tape, now I'm more relieved than ever that I withdrew my hideous mangling of "Rook" - the idea of Andy hearing that atrocity makes shivers run up and down my spine, and would probably produce similar shivers in his intestinal region. My preparations for my trip to England continue. I will be bringing a camera and the resulting pictures (blurry and adorned with thumb-prints) will be scanned and posted on Perdix. Convention-goers will be able to recognize me by my glasses, cropped hair, short stature, and ungodly nasal Midwestern twang. Feel free to come up to me and offer your homage, or your abuse, whichever you prefer. Finally, I really liked Rob Macdonald's account of his introduction to XTC. It brought me back to high school when my friends were just introducing this narrow-minded person to the joys of obscure music... when we were all into the Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, Robyn Hitchcock, early REM, all of that good stuff... and XTC, of course. All of those people still love that music, as far as I know, but they're all gone, moved away, and I'm still here. I once remarked to the estimable Mr. Sleightholm that it's really amazing the way the same band can have such an effect on two such different people (him and me) - we were raised 2,000 miles apart, in two very disparate cultures, yet XTC's music has played an important part in both our lives. Rob's post is another example of that. He's from another country, probably older than me, probably doesn't even like the same XTC songs that I like, yet there's that common experience of loving the band. I guess I could spout some claptrap about the universal power of music, but I won't. I just think it's cool. Natalie Jacobs Perdix: The Andy Partridge Appreciation Page Sorry, no rubber sharks. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gnat/perdix.html
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970515155715.006aa484@popmail.dircon.co.uk> Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 16:57:15 +0100 From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> Subject: Demo Broadcasts, Andy's Demise, etc >From -Scott >I think that one of the many people that emailed me thanking me, etc. put >it perfectly: "There seems to be some elitism from the "haves" though, >because now they aren't the only ones with access to the demos." This may be so, though I'd hate to think that it was. I toyed with a similar idea a while back for Bungalow when my page space went up tenfold, but I brought myself up short for a couple of reasons. The main reason, for me personally - I'm not telling you YOUR business here - was that I was worried about escalation. Andy gave these demos to certain people, some of whom taped them for people who taped them and so on, this initially caused Andy a great deal of upset but he finally accepted that as long as they were kept in check and people kept quiet (because these songs 'belonged' to Virgin at the time) he was okay with it. Not happy, just okay - it was the best of a bad situation that he could do little about. Putting them on a web page, for *me*, seemed like a bit of a distortion of the spirit of his wishes. Okay, so putting them on a web page for XTC fans seems like minimal exposure but then so would playing them on a late night XTC special on local radio, but I'm sure we'd question anyone who did that. What worries me is that if the envelope of Andy's wishes is pushed too hard then we could find ourselves with a total clampdown by the band on outtakes and demos from here on in. And most search engine don't require you to register these days, they send out "spiders" to look for new pages and add them anyway. I think knowing that my friend Becki is counting on a return from her "Seven Worthies..." CD has altered my view on the ease in which the fabric of someone's art is traded (and believe me I know that, coming from someone whose web page must break several copyright laws, this sounds pretty pathetic). I just think we need to be careful with where this all goes, what the NEXT stage is, and the next one, and the next one, until something happens with these demos that will really upset the band. And anyway, since the announcement last year from the band's management company that there could be some sort of official web page, I'm just waiting for the cease and desist email to arrive... It's a tricky issue to be sure - I love the demos and have dubbed the tapes for people and would continue to do so if I hadn't workd on a ratio system to keep my sanity and evenings relatively stable (I have made six copies and will probably do no more, this is not 'elitism' it's simply a case of not having the time, resources or inclination to spend my whole life dubbing tapes - those I have sent them on to are welcome to dub more copies for people and so on) and it's a symptom, especially in this forum, of a certain schizophrenia that comes about from many of us being fans AND musicians/artists. Witness the recent post from a Chalky fretting about the unknown whearabouts of one of his very OWN private-personal-intellectual-property songs and then, in the very next paragraph, chasing copies of Andy's demos. It's something we all have to wrestle with inside ourselves - I think, on a removed and impartial level, that trading in unauthourised releases that contribute nothing to the band's finances is a bit suspect, but as a FAN I *need* these things. I hate myself for it, but I can just about live with it. Horribly, I can see both sides of this argument very clearly and would fight tigers to defend both views - I'd love to have done what Scott suggests, but my own (notably confused, ill-considered and twisted) morality caused me to think again. I _do_ think it's an exciting project though, even if just from a technical point of view and I'll certainly be checking it with interest when/if it comes through. Oh, and to Rob Macdonald, thanks for the name check and your kind words; you managed to pass the mood and feeling across prefectly in your post. I have been there too. I'm hoping for a little of that joy and spirit in Basingstoke (Danger, danger, Will Robinson! Using "Joy" and "Basingstoke" in the same sentence denies the very fabric of existence...) >Andy Is Dead brouhaha, to lift us out of our petty >backbiting and angst-engendered doldrums: I have a old issue of 12 Testing magazine from the early 80s which had an article about a nifty device for removing the vocal tracks from records. I think the technology behind this was thrashed out in this list a long time ago, but they tested the gadget on "Senses..." and the only words they could make out were a rather ghostly phrase which sounded like "Striking me." We, of course, all know this to be "striking beauty", but the guy writing the article suspected (whimsically) that the band had killed Andy during the making of the record. Perhaps he's right... There've been two compilation albums released (posthumous cash-in?), and this link up with Microsoft is ominous; perhaps Andy now only exists as an Excel spreadsheet project (one with a whole heap of zeroes and red figues) and a Powerpoint presentation - a little digital Andy (extrapolated from data in interviews and songs) kept in a holo-suite at Microsoft (they have transporters and phasers there too, you know. Gates is from the Delta Quadrant). If you look at the back of Andy's neck there's a little tattoo - it says, "Best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer." It's all true, I swear it. This Has Been A Mercury Production For Chalkhills, Simon +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ XTC? Are they still going? Follow me and find out..
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199705151556.LAA23708@ngw2.hns.com> From: Fritz Stolzenbach/HNS <Fritz_Stolzenbach@notesgw.hns.com> Date: 15 May 97 12:54:16 EDT Subject: In Thanks Folks: You remember me -- the guy who's (very) slowly but surely putting the chalkies originals tape together. You may also remember my last missive, in which I wrung my hands in despair over my insane work situation, which (among many other important things) has kept me from fulfilling my obligations to fellow XTC lovers across the globe. Well, nothing has changed, and I actually have no business sitting down to write this note -- especially at work! But Mr. MacDonald's touching story in the last Chalkhills moved me to say "Fuck this job anyway -- I've just read something that moved me deeply. I'm going to spend 10 minutes of the company's time to shout a great 'thank you' to Robert for sharing his story." I dunno; maybe I'm overreacting. I just thought there was something simple, pure, bittersweet and familiar about Robert's coming-of-age account, and in the ugly cycle of people/band/philosophy-bashing we've been struggling through, I felt like I had been hurled out of the swamp to soar above the clouds, if only for a moment. So, thanks. -- Fritz
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199705151601.MAA24386@ngw2.hns.com> From: Fritz Stolzenbach/HNS <Fritz_Stolzenbach@notesgw.hns.com> Date: 15 May 97 12:59:24 EDT Subject: Two great albums By the way, here are a couple of really good albums to look for: Gideon Gaye by the High Llamas, and In It For the Money by Supergrass. The former is like an experimental blend of Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson and Steely Dan, while the latter (which I've only gotten half-way through) is refreshing evidence that Supergrass actually had the capability to grow and mature after their (still pretty damn good) first album, which was very Green Day-ish. Anyway, cheers. I'm hoping (I say HOPING) to get some of the chalkies originals tape duped this weekend. I'll keep you posted. -- Fritz
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-114 *******************************
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