Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 138
Date: Thursday, 3 July 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 138
Thursday, 3 July 1997
Today's Topics:
Up The Apples 'N' Pears Guv'nor!!
A theme?
Natalie, Colin, Mastelotto, Lungs, Puns and outbursts!
Musings Here and There
TrentR covering XTC???
perspective
Colination
Always winter wonderland
CC 96 Applause
My Lungs and the Language Not In Them
De-lurking, sheetmuzik & XTCTWO
There is no muscle in our tongues
Wrapped in Grey
What did AP mean when he said...
Power Miniature Mac Sun
No Thugs in Our UN
Impotency of Speech in action
Singles Club
hello from London
Sakamoto & Partridge
UDA-Nice price
Box Set Recommendation
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <c=GB%a=_%p=Benfield_Group%l=BENEXCHG-970701163804Z-5777@benexchg.benfield.co.uk> From: Gary Minns <Gary.Minns@benfield.co.uk> Subject: Up The Apples 'N' Pears Guv'nor!! Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 17:38:04 +0100 >...and over the P.A. came the familiar strains of "Grass" >(pronounced "Graahs", for those from the Motherland)... That would very much depend on which region of "The Motherland" you come from (unless you mean "The Motherland" as referred to by Hitler, in which case, I think the pronunciation is different again). >...Then I heard Colin's voice and thought, "wait, that's not Michael >Stipe...that's Colin! Blimey!" (I would have said were I British)... Once again, only if you come from one certain region. Now where did I put me jellied eels?! Ta ta Gary Playing in my head: The Stereotypes - Blur
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970701195309.00676888@popmail.dircon.co.uk> Date: Tue, 01 Jul 1997 20:53:09 +0100 From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> Subject: A theme? Hi folks, I've just started work on an XTC Desktop Theme for Windows 95 - this will eventually expand to a set of system sounds, icons and maybe - if I can sort out the coding - a screen saver. So far all I have is a Windows wallpaper image which I have set up for download on Bungalow. Check out http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/theme.htm for the info. If anyone has any suggestions about icon designs and/or system sounds, please get in touch. Thanks, Simon -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Food for the thinkers...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33B992BD.3777@sprintmail.com> Date: Tue, 01 Jul 1997 16:29:01 -0700 From: Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> Subject: Natalie, Colin, Mastelotto, Lungs, Puns and outbursts! Folxtc, I spent last week in Detroit, MI. Chalkhills contributor Natalie Jacobs lives in the area, so we met for dinner. I'm convinced that being a decent intelligent person is almost a pre-requisite for liking XTC. We browsed "The Original Borders" bookstore, and I scooped up "Reelin In The Years" which is supposed to be the definitive biography of Steely Dan. We also spent some time in a few of the local record stores. Mostly we just talked about XTC. We didn't agree on everything, but we both love the band. Natalie mentioned that few songwriters can get away with using the word "Merely" in a rock song. I never thought about it, but when I mentioned it to my girlfriend, she immediately agreed. *** I'm sure that Andy is not shy about giving Colin ideas regarding bass parts, but I don't believe that Andy "writes" Colin's parts note for note. Besides, his parts are brilliant in his own songs. > whereas Mastelotto just assembles > collections of killer sounds and hopes they'll work. What? What? The drums on O&L are great. Few drummers ever attain the kind of chops that this guy has. Drums are one of the most difficult instruments to play. They are physically draining, they require intense concentration and a lot of natural ability. In my 25 some odd years of playing music with other musicians, it has always been a challenge finding competent drummers. So many people who call themselves drummers can't find the beat. They practice for years and years trying to play like Neal Peart, and they can't find the pocket. Much as I love Ringo, this is my only real complaint regarding the Beatles. Although his timing was impeccable, Ringo was not always on the beat. While I understand that some people my quarrel with Pat's taste, I can't imagine thinking that he "hopes they'll work". The man is a player. > >After 15 years or so of listening to "No language in our lungs" I > >suddenly realise that "I would have made this instrumental but the words > >got in the way" can be read as "I would have made this effective but...". > >I'd always thought this was one of the clumsiest lines in XTC's repertoire, > >but I've suddenly gained a lot more respect for it! > > Huh? That line is the most important part of the song! Without it, what is > the song other than a hypocritical attack? Andy is telling us that you > can't communicate using words, and yet here he is using words to tell us > that. That line admits that even the song in question can't get its meaning > across to everyone, and really solidifies its argument. Of course, the pun > helps, but it's not neccesary to appreciate the line... I've always liked the line in question, but I doubt very much that a pun exists, let alone an intentional one. First off, "effective" is not a synonym for "instrumental", it is a component of it. One might say, "Dave Gregory's contribution to XTC's music is instrumental to the success of the band". By definition, his contribution must also be effective. However, if I said that "The horn parts in 'Here Comes President Kill Again' were effective", it does not necessarily follow that the horns are instrumental (no pun intended, heh heh) to the success of that particular track, although they may be. Secondly, I don't agree that the line is "the most important part of the song", but that is a debatable point. It is a great line to be sure, but I take it at face value. It is a wonderful song, both musically and lyrically. But really, WHEN THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO GET A NEW XTC RECORD TO WRITE ABOUT? "NO LANGUAGE IN OUR LUNGS" WAS RECORDED ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO! Sorry for the outburst, but I'm an addict. The AP demos are OK, but I want a full fledged album with Colin's exquisite bass playing and Dave's brilliant instrumental contributions. I want CD quality sound, with printed lyrics and liner notes, not some nth generation cassette. Xtculater, Stormy Monday
------------------------------ Message-ID: <61DAF88638D2D011955900A024DED682AACD@kronos.wustl.edu> From: Bob Thomas <BobT@cait.wustl.edu> Subject: Musings Here and There Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 15:59:48 -0500 Dave White mentioned: >-- I didn't pick up Fossil Fuel -- how was the sound on that? I wouldn't know. I own the limited UK edition with the pumped up fossil deal, many thanks to the honest and agreeable Steven Reule at Obsessed With Music, who, once my check had cleared, sent the package at a price less than the going rate for a used copy of the non-limited edition at my local store! However, after reading all the chat about the fragility of the CD case, I was afraid to open the damn thing. Its still in the little plastic baggie thing. I guess that makes me a collector, eh? Limited Edition, original package, never played? My brain's a limited edition, too. And whobody I can't recall said: >I betcha Andy thought we were a buncha dorks. Read the chat >transcript. Tell me if you agree. Have I missed this transcript? I am really looking forward to it. Where on the Riff site might the transcript appear? Or has it made it to the Chalkhills site? I'm sure Chalkhillers weren't any more dorky than usual during the chat (punctuation face). And Mr. Karl F Witter was handing out: >A BIG WET SSSSSMEEERRRP to Phil, for the Chalkhills tee I >received a week and day ago! If he was as lazy shipping as I >am posting we'd all be waiting still. My carrier also thanks >you; I shall no longer stalk him for it, and the judge has >stopped the restraining order. I don't know, the size L was >a bit *bigger* than I thought (as compared to Mitch >Friedman's smaller-than-anticipated M), but still within >spec, as we engineers say. Yes, Phil has done it again. Another Chalkhills Hall Of Fame moment in our history. I now own 3, and my young son owns one. I plan to take the time with him to explain in great detail all the symbolism on the shirt, precisely how he should respond when someone asks about the shirt, and the entire history of this great community of correspondents. I hope this won't get him thrown out of school. BTW, Karl and Mitch aren't doing very much to dispel the lumbering-ignorant-male-who-can't-do-his-own-clothes-shopping myth we hear so much about. Read up on cotton fabrics, gents ( ;- )> Chris Spillios enjoined: >I suggest to those of you as yet CC '96-less, show tunes aside, to get >off your collective ass and order this most surprising and enjoyable >collection. It's not just for contributors and (obsessive) completists. My portion of the ass collective hadn't budged 'til I found Richard's post later in the digest. I rotated slightly in my chair to print the pertinent ordering info, slipped the note into my briefcase and have carried it around in there ever since. Each day I think, "now, I'm going to need an envelope, and a stamp. I shall write a check in the designated amount, and address the envelope according to the rules set down in Richard's note." I'm back in my chair now. The note is at my elbow. I have a stamp in my briefcase, but I'll have to find an envelope somewhere. Perhaps my wife has one at home. I will ask her tonight and send the thing out tomorrow. I wonder how many extras Richard has? Bet he's waiting patiently for my $5.55 to arrive. I should get out of this chair. Surely Richard Predretti-Allen belongs in the Chalkhills Hall Of Fame as well. Fondly, Bob Bob Thomas, Center for the Application of Information Technology Washington University, St. Louis "If all of my days are numbered, how many more do I have?" -- becki digregorio [Attachment omitted, unknown MIME type or encoding (application/ms-tnef)]
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b04afdfbf719e3b@[139.80.100.151]> Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 15:19:25 +0700 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: TrentR covering XTC??? >>Maybe this has been mentioned but wouldn't Trent do a great version of >>"Complicated Game"? >I could definitely hear this, or perhaps "Travels in Nihilon". Now if he >could only be convinced to do "The Loving", that would be REALLY >interesting. Nah - get Trent to do Complicated Game, and ask Adrian to get King Crimson to do Travels in Nihilon! James
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 01:12:53 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <l03102801afdfae1b5d19@[146.6.72.31]> From: jason garcia <h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu> Subject: perspective A few questions- Ya ever think about the Eighties? Specifically, about how many XTC albums there were in the Eighties? Ya ever think about how XTC went from "English Settlement" to "Skylarking" in the same period between "Nonsuch" and now? If you've thought about that, did you remember that they did a whole Dukes album during that period as well? Not to alarm anyone, but WOW it's been a long time. Yours truly, Jason
------------------------------ From: Matt_Kaden/CAM/Lotus@lotus.com Message-Id: <852564C8.00684C22.00@mta2.lotus.com> Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 15:25:03 -0400 Subject: Colination Craig Olmstead captured so acutely my own sentiments regarding Colin's bass playing in the article "Colin don't Invent" found in the Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 136. For those of you who might have missed it, look through the backissues. For an extreme example, Omnibus would just fade into the "so what?" category without Colin's bass. And this is someone playing freely and whimsically... Oh what the hell. For those of you who missed it, here it is again. "I have been most dispiritted lately to be reading that Colin doesn't come up with those wonderful parts that he plays. You guys almost had me going on that one! I don't believe you. The thing that has convinced me otherwise is listening to the tail end of "You're My Drug" by the Dukes. Once he breaks free of the repetative two bar phrase that goes through most of the song he shifts to some upper register stuff that is played by somebody who really knows his instrument and how to contribute to a song. Given how fast the Dukes stuff was recorded and the fluidity with which this stuff was played, there is pretty much NO WAY that this stuff could have been dictated to him. This is not a bass player who would sit idly by and have his parts spoon-fed to him for 20 years. Get a grip, Chalkers: Andy Partridge contributes more than 1/3 to the XTC pie, but Dave Gregory and Colin Moulding make extremely critical contributions to the stew and steer the music in different directions. I'm sure Andy makes suggestions and has ideas for the bass parts, but I really think that Colin takes the ball and runs with it - he's too good a player to merely perform canned parts on less than 20 albums over a 20 year period. KO" But then from steve mcallister <steve.mcallister-next@attws.com> "As a 15 yr bass player, and one who studied/transcribe/researched Colin M as part of my senior project, I can attest that AP writes most of his own bass lines. I came to this conclusion after listening to Andy's demos as far back as Mummer." Alright, I want everyone who knows who is playing on the demos to stand up. My feeling is that the XTC demos are XTC and not ANDY. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Personably, Matt
------------------------------ From: Martin_Monkman@fincc04.fin.gov.bc.ca Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 13:44:02 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Always winter wonderland Message-id: <9706028678.AA867876030@FINSMTP1.FIN.GOV.BC.CA> Mark Fisher, on the subject of "Winter wonderland" writes: >An Australian XTC fan dropped by over the weekend _ <snip> >He pointed out that *Always Winter Never Christmas* is a chapter heading in >*The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe* by C.S. Lewis. A clarification: it isn't a chapter, it's just what the White Queen has done to Narnia. There's more details in "Your Dictionary", the glossary of XTC terms at Simon Sleightholm's Bungalow (http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm). >[Cue long and protracted flame war about whether refering to Lewis's >well-known religious allegory is conclusive proof that Andy is a closet >Christian after all.] I don't know if reading an allegory, and then turning a phrase from the book into a description of a bad marriage (as Andy has said, he now realizes what he was writing about), qualifies you as a closet Christian. Andy obviously reads a great deal, and then tosses all and sundry into the lyrical stew. Yum. Martin
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 18:14:36 +0400 (EDT) From: Thomas Slack <tgs@telerama.lm.com> Subject: CC 96 Applause Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9707021740.A18795-0100000@defender.lm.com> Howdy Chalksters, Mitch's post convinced me to "loosen up" and post my appreciation for the effort put into the CC 96 disc/tape. I was quite impressed upon first listening at the professionalism displayed by the contributors, and more importantly, it has grown on me immensely! I honestly feel that each track is worthy of airplay, and some really should be heard outside our little community. Having said that, I would like to list some of my personal favourites - appreciation of music is such a subjective thing after all, as evidenced by the completely opposing opinions about the same XTC song on this very list. (This is why I ignore music critics.) Anyway, my hit list: Battery Brides - cool keyboards, sort of like Windwood does XTC Making Plans for Nigel - great guitars, vocals, and arrangement All of a Sudden - really nice production, instrumentation It's Nearly Africa - it's nearly better than the original! Sacrificial Bonfire - I like this version a whole lot Collideascope - really wierd and great, grows on you Living in a Haunted Heart - truly inventive arrangement and nice vocals, treble enhanced and all :) :( !@#$*&%^? (sorry, personal joke) I really do like every song on the compilation. I would like to offer a special congratulations and thanks to Richard P-A, who maintained an air of complete professionalism about the whole project, and who has been a pleasure to deal with. Also, thanks to Peter F. for the special pressing! Kudos, Tom (mine didn't merit a comment from Andy) Slack
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=BTG._Inc.%l=EXCH_SERVER-970702222237Z-26119@exchserver.btg.com> From: "Sherwood, Harrison" <hsherwood@btg.com> Subject: My Lungs and the Language Not In Them Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 18:22:37 -0400 Just found this at the Opcode web site (http://www.opcode.com/): ------ Top Story: The New XTC Digital Sync Box You may be tempted to have a garage sale after you see Opcode's new Studio 64 XTC Digital Sync Processor because you won't want your old gear anymore. And just to get you started, enter theOpcode lava lamp contest (you can't have a garage sale without a lava lamp). ------ For you non-musos, Opcode makes Pretty Darned Good MIDI and studio gear and software. The Studio 64 XTC Digital Sync Processor makes synthesizers and recording devices work together--in sync. Ho Ho Ho Laughter is the Language of International Harmony and Good Will. >Mitch Friedman alerted us: > >I for one have >received absolutely zero reviews, negative or positive. Well, _I_ got one from several leggy international fashion models who lurk on Chalkhills. Would you believe a former cooch dancer who thinks Colin Moulding is cute? An Idaho housefrau who was once scandalized by "Dear God"? Oh, all right, you got me...it was from my mom. She said I was flat in the second chorus. She was, as usual, right. > Could we all loosen >up a bit and tell each other what tracks we like and why and if someone has >something negative to say, then do it privately or not at all. We could all >use a little slap on the back from our friends every now and then. Mitch, would it help if I said that I caught my four-year-old son humming "Barum, barum, barum-dubba-dubba-dubba-dubba-dubba-dum..."? You've got a fan, man! Make that _two,_ actually. [Attribution lost...sorry!]: > >>>After 15 years or so of listening to "No language in our lungs" I >>>suddenly realise that "I would have made this instrumental but the words >>>got in the way" can be read as "I would have made this effective but...". >>>I'd always thought this was one of the clumsiest lines in XTC's repertoire, >>>but I've suddenly gained a lot more respect for it! Listening to the song, I could swear he's singing, "I *wrote this out* as instrumental, but the words got in the way." Am I just mishearing it? (Wouldn't be the first time.) The mental image I get is of Andy trying to write an instrumental down on paper that would express the rather postmodern notion of the uselessness of language, but becoming frustrated and using language to express the idea. I thought it was a rather neat circular trope, myself. Harrison
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33BAF96F.5894@bhip.infi.net> Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 20:59:58 -0400 From: gregory <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Organization: InfiNet Subject: De-lurking, sheetmuzik & XTCTWO Tzchalkgherz! Lurking lately, now not: >Recently I attempted to find XTC sheet music. My attempts were fruitless. In fact I was told that XTc sheet music is out of print. Does anyone know where to find any. Please help me!< Yes, please... if anyone has knowledge of outlets for obscure music transcriptions (i.e., The Tubes, Oingo Boingo, Bill Nelson, you name it), give it up! You know, something has occured to me... I've asked ya'll to go to http://www.mindmagic.com for an XTC treasure hunt, and I realized, after having worked on these projects, that there is at least one other XTC thread that runs throughout all the titles - can anyone figure it out? It involves a song from 'Oranges & Lemons'... -Brian Eating future and shitting past
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.1.16.19970702163341.2bdf0a72@cyber1.servtech.com> Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 16:33:41 From: Chaos Harlequin <harlequin@tmbg.org> Subject: There is no muscle in our tongues >Doesn't surprise me... do you think they'd be all that into getting >back the band that put them into a lawsuit? To the best of my knowledge, the extent of the relationship between Virgin and V2 is that both were founded by Richard Branson. They're not part of the same organization, they're not owned or run by the same people, and they don't run their businesses the same way. >I think Boat is the only track that has never been on an album even >as a bonus track... Well, not the only track, but it's one of the only pre-1992 studio XTC songs not available on the Virgin CDs; the others are Goodnight Sucker (not really a song) and Homo Safari 1-4 (available on the Dear God EP). Of course, there are several post-92 tracks which haven't made it to an album (Cherry In Your Tree, The Good Things) plus several covers, which I'm not including here... >Kind of like R.E.M. Would YOU buy a Michael Stipe solo album? "All mumbles, all the time." >>What's the opera about a crazy clown? >Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" (1892). Gee, 100 years before Nonsvch. How convenient. :) >How about "Into the Atom Age", "This is Pop", "When You're Near Me...", >"Roads Girdle the Globe"...I guess I could go on. But, hardly a problem >with me...it's still great music. I can't think of any other examples of bad XTC bridges right now, though I know they exist. I've had NLiOL stuck in my head, and it's certainly got a nice bridge. Speaking of which... >the more obvious meaning, one that is central to the impact of the song. >I really can't see how this line is clumsy at all. Forgetting any discussion of the punnish nature of "instrumental" in this song (actually, I agree, I don't think there really is a pun...) I agree completely with this statement. Without this line, Andy's rhetoric seems a bit empty -- he's here telling us that words can't really express a feeling or an idea, and using words to do it! The irony of this position would be completely lost. With "I would have made this instrumental/ but the words got in the way," Andy lets us know that he sees the futility of expressing his message this way, but that he'll keep doing it -- what else can he do? Brilliant, brilliant line. And brilliant, brilliant song. Josh /---------------------------Joshua Hall-Bachner---------------------------\ | harlequin@tmbg.org http://www.servtech.com/public/particle/ | | "We all have our idiosyncracies -- maybe thinning hair, or gum disease."| \---- Kowanko, "Will You Come To?" ------ Thank You, And Goodnight. ------/
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199707030518.WAA11242@mail.eskimo.com>
From: "Matt Keeley" <mrme@eskimo.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 22:17:41 +0000
Subject: Wrapped in Grey
Hello... nothing much to say, except that I thought I'd share with
you that I've been listening to Wrapped in Grey for 3 hours straight,
and still counting... which breaks my previous record of 2 1/2 hours
with the They Might Be Giants cover of "We've Got a World that
Swings"... BTW, I think I might even go to 4 hours with WiG.... and
I'm still not sick of it... and I say it's got to be one of the most
beautiful songs ever written, by XTC or anyone... and I think Richard
Branson is lucky I'm not Andy... and Andy probably is too, because
when Virgin recalled the single for it, I probably would have gone
into the Virgin offices with a shotgun, a la Doom.... which is sort
of ironic... going and doing something so violent over such a
beautiful song, but I'd have to say that Wrapped in Grey warrants it
as much as any song I've heard in a while...
BTW, on the parody front, I've yet to write down the Dear Monsieur
Branson one, but I'm also sort of working on a parody of the dub
track "Signal Ad" about Denistry (ahh... there's some uncovered
territory!)... and maybe another one of Segulls Screaming, which I'm
not sure what it's about... although, as I write them, unless
there's too much public outcry, I'll probably end up posting them,
unless they're unfit for human consumption...
But don't let the loveless ones sell you a world wrapped in grey...
Matt
(And in the very least, you can stand up naked and grin!)
-=>Matt Keeley mrme@eskimo.com<=-
Living Through | Visit my home page
Another | http://www.eskimo.com/~mrme
Cuba -- XTC | I used to be temporarily insane!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now I'm just stupid! -- Brak
(ICQ UIN: 1455267, Name: MrMe)
Yeah.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33BB426A.234C@ix.netcom.com> Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 23:10:50 -0700 From: Eric Rosen <rimshot3@ix.netcom.com> Organization: Eat, Sleep, & Breathe Interactive Training Subject: What did AP mean when he said... Hey, Mark F... >Cue long and protracted flame war about whether refering to Lewis's >well-known religious allegory is conclusive proof that Andy is a closet >Christian after all. I think you're on to something :> At Command Performance in Toronto '89, AP recounts how he changed the speed and key of "Mayor" and wound up with something far better than what he started with. He adds the quip, "somebody up there must like me!"
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33BB42FF.18D5@ix.netcom.com> Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 23:13:19 -0700 From: Eric Rosen <rimshot3@ix.netcom.com> Organization: Eat, Sleep, & Breathe Interactive Training Subject: Power Miniature Mac Sun It's reassuring to discover that I'm not othe only one experiencing the triggering of MSun horns when PMacs power up. Any of you "perfect pitch" people figured out what chord that is? Ian D?
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33BB4BEA.72AB@ix.netcom.com> Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 23:51:22 -0700 From: Eric Rosen <rimshot3@ix.netcom.com> Organization: Eat, Sleep, & Breathe Interactive Training Subject: No Thugs in Our UN I know the connection to XTC here is a bit of a stretch but why deny the social activist streak that runs throughout their lyrical history? Surely this is more real than any connection between Dear Madam Barnum and Maggie Thatched Hut (not that I dismiss that out of hand)... It's more likely European chalxters heard about this and I couldn't help thinking of No Thugs when I heard it... In '93, two Belgian soldiers acting as UN peacekeepers(?!) in Somalia photographed themselves roasting a young Somali boy over an open fire! Yesterday, a Belgian judge acquitted them and spoke of this in terms of "horsing around" (as opposed to serious mayhem?). As the song goes, "his dad's a judge and knows exactly what the job of judging's all about." If you have RealAudio installed, hear for yourself... http://www.webactive.com/webactive/pacifica/demnow.html OR http://www.webactive.com/webactive/pacifica/demnow/dn970702.html
------------------------------ Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19970703074834.0067c340@pop.mindspring.com> Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 03:48:34 -0400 From: "Jason 'Buffy' NeSmith" <jnesmith@mindspring.com> Subject: Impotency of Speech in action Dumb tenuous connection: Pere Ubu leader David Thomas (not, I repeat, NOT the Wendy's guy) has a Beach Boys fixation. He quotes Sloop John B in at least a couple of songs I know of, and does a re-interpretation of 'Surfer Girl'. He also has a song called 'Beach Boys' on Pere Ubu's latest album, Ray Gun Suitcase, which sounds nothing like their 80's stuff (which I liked, but had little to do with their 70's material). Whew! I love the packaging of Upsy. I love the lamb picture, the chocolate box concept, the picture of the band, and the songs as individual pieces or within the context of their respective albums. However, listening to UDA all the way through didn't have the effect I thought it would. Given the scope of Xtc's output, these songs all sound the same. Of course, they don't REALLY sound the same, but they don't flow very well. If this was the only thing I ever heard from them, I would think they were a rock band that dabbled in keyboards and acoustic guitars. I was spouting off about xtc to one of the young guys at work. He expressed interest in hearing them, so I bought UDA with the intention of letting him borrow it. After listening to it, I opted to bring him Oranges and Lemons. I think he thought it was okay, but apparently his roommate went nuts for it. Bully for him! And doesn't that picture of Dave in UDA make him look rather, erm, sweet in the pants? Like a french trombone? I didn't say that. Concerning Andy's bridges: Yeah, I'm occasionally dissappointed by them. Total agreement with whomever said 'I can't Own Her' falls flat there. Lots of those Mummer bonus tracks and O&L songs do that, too. They're often so NOT subtle. Sometime, though, they pitch the song into another realm, like 'No Language in Our Lungs.' Just got Dukes on CD today at that bastion of hipness, Record Town at the mall. I figured they would file it under 'D', and I was right. One thing: did the vinyl version have the Tuli Kupferberg 'Atom Bomb' sample on it? I've owned it for years and never caught it. Is it the very last thing on 'Mole' right before 'Vanishing Girl?' Well, enough verbal durchfall, gotta go rock. love and cosmic flat tires, Buffy visit the Orange Hat Cyberhose Page, or I KEEL YOU! http://www.mindspring.com/~jnesmith See the latest review of the new Orange Hat 7": http://www.babysue.com/Reviews-July-97.html#anchor10449
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=GB%a=_%p=Benfield_Group%l=BENEXCHG-970703093831Z-6221@benexchg.benfield.co.uk> From: Gary Minns <Gary.Minns@benfield.co.uk> Subject: Singles Club Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 10:38:31 +0100 >>...Is this [Science Friction] the only XTC single to date that >>never appeared on an album... > >...Boat is the only track that has never been on an album... With the myriad variations of each release in each country there are quite a few tracks that could count in this category. For UK releases: Are You Receiving Me? never appeared on Go2 and Dear God never made it to Skylarking. The single version of Ten Feet Tall also never got to an album. Perhaps the best example is Take This Town which never appeared on any proper albums. ---------- One thing I really hope for from a new XTC record deal is some genuine new B-sides. They have so much material stored up that it is about time we were treated to new tracks when we splash out for a CD single. The last proper B-sides I remember were Extrovert and The World Is Full Of Angry Young Men. Gary
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199707031229.FAA13308@f54.hotmail.com> From: "Katrina_and_ Scott" <kajustin@hotmail.com> Subject: hello from London Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 05:29:28 PDT hello chalkies, I am getting settled here in London finally. I am at a library close to home in North London with Internet access. I was surprised to find a copy of Fossil Fuel on the shelf of 'new stock'! You have to pay 30 pence a day to rent though. Also, many of the buses here have ads for Virgin radio and XTC is one of the bands that they advertise. Someone else is waiting for the computer, so I have to go. I hope to visit Swindon soon and will report about my journey here. Bye, -Scott _______________________________________________________ Get Private Web-Based Email Free http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <9707031309.AA07920@Air.akita-u.ac.jp> Subject: Sakamoto & Partridge Date: Thu, 3 Jul 97 22:15:47 +0900 From: A&M Mackenzie <mackenzi@Air.akita-u.ac.jp> Greetings from Japan! My wife recently picked up a CD copy of Ryuichi Sakamoto's B-2 Unit (Alfa records, ALCA-9070). It's quite an old recording (from 1980) and It sounds fairly typical of his post Yellow Magic Orchestra stuff, i.e. almost unlistenable. What will be of interest to Chalkhills subscribers however, is that the only non-Japanese musician credited on the album is one Andy Partridge. Does anyone out there know anything more about this record? It's hard to tell exactly the extent of Andy's contribution as every track is electronic. There are no sleevenotes either, which is why I'm curious to find out a little more about this record. sayonara, chaps, Mike Mackenzie.
------------------------------ From: vince <vince@io.com> Message-Id: <199707031446.JAA15295@xanadu.io.com> Subject: UDA-Nice price Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 09:46:24 -0500 (CDT) I was pleasently surprised to see that Upsy Daisy is only $10US. Of course, Nonesuch can be had for $5. Anyway, I bought a copy for the jukebox at my local watering hole, Waterloo Brewing Co. in Austin. vince
------------------------------ Subject: Box Set Recommendation From: wwilson@mail07.mitre.org (Wesley H. Wilson) Message-Id: <970703113719.30170@mail07.mitre.org.0> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 97 11:37:20 -0400 If you like a band that touts its Englishness, writes incredibly catchy songs, and vied with XTC during the "Great Punk Wars of 1977" you've got to check out the new box set by The Jam. Five discs: all of the albums, rare tracks and b-sides, a groovy book, all of the music remastered. The melodies on these CDs will be bouncing around in your heads like a penny in a six-year-old's piggy bank.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-138 *******************************
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