Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 151
Date: Monday, 11 August 1997

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 151

                  Monday, 11 August 1997

Today's Topics:

                           Runt
            Catching up on the digests:147-149
                    Regarding Rundgren
                Various schtuff and fluff.
                      All what fuss?
                        double CD?
                    The Dandy Warhols
            Recommendations?... Anyone?......
                  Re: Dukeish nonsense!
           I am the mole from the ministry.....
                       quote thing
                         Prophet
                  Robyn Hitchcock & XTC
                     Anklung Inkling
                   Re: New World Order
                  RE: Andy and Costello
                       fossil fuels
                          Zappa
                 When you're near me....
                        Mmmm Vinyl
                a buffalo with an anklung
           bmob mota ruoy htiw flesruoy kcuf oG
                       John and Ray
                      Picking Bones

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I feel now I am a happy man.

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

From: Matt_Kaden/CAM/Lotus@lotus.com
Message-Id: <852564EC.00527FCB.00@mta2.lotus.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 11:35:08 -0400
Subject: Runt

A good album. Seriously. I hate to make life more complicated for you, but
every one of Todd's records, solo or with Utopia, is worth hearing. All of
the Utopia albums have much weak material as well as outstanding, unique
magical songs. In addition to the three that John Murphy recommended -
1.)Deface the Music 2.)It just says Utopia on the cover and it is "white"
with a black border at the top and red U. 3.)Swing to the Right - I would
highly advocate the possession of a record called Oblivion, still the only
one I enjoy from start to finish. Unfortunately it was released with their
worst album as a 2CD set. If anyone is vaguely interested in the sounds of
this band, I could dub you a clever little mix I brewed up recently, in the
height of a 4 month XTC binge after not hearing Todd's music for about 8
years. It's a good tape; it includes a few solo Todd songs as well. You
might end up buying them all anyway - it's addictive you know. I hadn't
seen any Todd-bashing in here, which was refreshing. In fact, the most
extreme Todd-bashing I've ever seen was from Mr. Partridge directly after
their stay in Woodstock. These tirades were printed in many articles all
around, and since I've heard prominent Todd-influence in Andy's music.
Before Skylarking, Andy had not even heard of him (though Colin and Dave,
the soft-spoken ones, were already TR fans). My theory is that Andy started
to investigate Rundgren's catalogue and was deeply touched by the passion
and innovation he found there. I didn't read this, but I hear it in O&L,
Nonsvch and the '95 demos. I've always seen parallels between XTC and TR's
Utopia, and in '86 I was ecstatic to hear who would be producing the new
XTC album, even more so to finally hear it. It really is a beautiful
meshing of two worlds. By the way, Todd has declared bankruptcy.

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

Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 15:15:36 +1200 (NZST)
Message-Id: <v01540b07b010e90a2117@[139.80.228.166]>
From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)
Subject: Catching up on the digests:147-149

>I agree again. Those of us brought up in the UK of late 20s, early 30s age
>might recall the children's TV shows Captain Pugwash and Bill & Ben.

>All the characters in Captain Pugwash had oblique sexual references in
>their names: Seaman Staines, Master Bates and Captain Pugwash himself
>(plug wash, geddit?).

This, sadly, is an urban myth.

>Bill & Ben made strange "flub-a-lub" noises. The actors who did the
>voiceovers were, it is alleged, swearing all the time rather than saying
>polite little kiddywink phrases.

The truth on this one is weirder than you suggest, but no less wonderful.
"Flubadub" was a nonsense play word that was made up by the two year old
son (daughter?) of the writer to describe the noise he (she?) made when
farting in the bath.

Sugarhips Sherwood quoth:
>I am the very model of a modern Major-General, I've information vegetable,
>animal, and mineral, I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights
>historical From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical; I'm very well
>acquainted, too, with matters mathematical, I understand equations, both
>the simple and quadratical, About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot
>o' news, With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.

Personally, I prefer Tom Lehrer's version, although I wince whenever I sing
"Aluminum". Don't those yanks know how to spell anything??? ;)

>XTC was the only "punk" band in the late 70s that would suddenly throw in
>beautiful passages into otherwise fairly dissonant works. "Drums & Wires"
>is as full of such examples.

I hate to say this, but I can think of several other bands that did this:
The Stranglers come to mind most rapidly - very Doorsy stuff: brash vocals
with little bubbly keyboard frills - have a listen to a song like "Grip".
XTC were never really that 'punk' though, any more than Elvis Costello or
Joe Jackson ever were. In fact, I'd regard XTC, Costello and Jackson as
some sort of British trinity of like-minded musical acts which really
grabbed my attention in the late 70s and have held it ever since. Sadly Joe
seems to have fallen away in recent years, and Elvis lost me for a while
around his country phase (although I'm a fan again now...) but XTC, 5 year
hiatus excluded, has never really lost me.

>P.S. Whoever mentioned the similarity between the Mac start-up chime and
>"Miniature Sun," thank you!
We use Power Macs in my office and every time someone turns theirs on, I
end up humming "Miniature Sun" all day. This is definitely a good thing.

every time I eject a diskette I end up humming "Summertime". It's a strange
world.

>Tom Slack wrote, in reference to the coda of Wrapped in Grey,
>>Then the coda came on at the very end of the song,
>>which seemed to me a complete departure from the
>>feel that had built up, and which just kind of leaves
>>you hanging. I really wished it had been left off..

>I always felt the coda was a direct tip of the hat to the Beatles. On Abbey
>Road, the "and in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you
>make.." coda goes into a similarly different feel and wraps the song with a
>similar quirky little epithet. Not that the two songs are similar, but the
>function of the tag/coda works the same, and knowing Andy's Beatles
>influence, it may have been a conscious reference.

strangely enough - the guitar duel at the end of "Books are Burning" always
reminds me of the Beatles "The End" (even more weirdly, I'm listening to
Anthology 3 as I type...)

>It bothers me a little to see all the Todd bashing here as well. I am a
>huge XTC fan but must admit to being an even bigger Todd fan.

Nah... in the eyes of many Chalkhillers today XTC are more popular than
Todd now. I don't know which'll go first really, XTC or Rundgren...

James

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

From: Matt_Kaden/CAM/Lotus@lotus.com
Message-Id: <852564ED.0051A2E0.00@mta2.lotus.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 11:00:58 -0400
Subject: Regarding Rundgren

Steer clear of all post-'87); they don't even count. You may want to avoid
Todd Rundgren's Utopia Another Live. An interesting note about Skylarking:
Todd said that "Skylarking will never be a perfect album for me until
Mermaid Smiled is on and Another Satellite is off". My sentiments exactly.
In a 1980 poster of Utopia, Todd is wearing a sweater with XTC on it. And
remember, you could very well be more uptight and critical than you think.
IN MY HUMBLE OPIUM.

Inflatably,

Matt Kaden

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

Message-ID: <33EB653F.D4A8C1A9@underworld.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 14:28:15 -0400
From: Kevin Keeler <insanity@underworld.net>
Organization: Masters of Reality
Subject: Various schtuff and fluff.

Howdy guys.  Welcome to my second post (yay! go kevin go!).  I spose I
only have three little things to discuss here.   (1) a few digests ago
someone (forgive me for not riffling through the archives) wrote
something along the lines of: (*very* rough paraphrase here) "i hate it
when you mention XTC and people say 'oh yeah, they did Dear God, or
Mayor of Simpleton or Making plans for Nigel etc.' I just want to yell
'dammitt, they've done other songs!"  I would just like to point out
that you (or if not *you*, then most (and definately me)) are a part of
this problem.  When i tell someone I like XTC they always ask "who's
that?" And what do I answer them with? You betcha: 'Oh, you've prolly
heard them they did Dear God and Mayor of Simpleton etc."  See the bind
here? theres now way I can say "yeah, they wrote Funk Pop a Roll...know
who I'm talking about?".  Anyway.... (2) I was listening to rag and bone
in the car the other day and I noticed that Thanks for Christmas sounds
a whole lot like Hold me my Daddy.  especially in some parts.  any one
else agree?  (3)  I have a work in progress hoping to be along the lines
of a collection of people's interpretations of XTC songs.  There are no
interps yet, but if anyone wants to check out the layout and possibly
submit (please oh please), feel free to do so.
http://www.siscom.net/~keeler/xtc      Eventually (soon) to be moved to
www.underworld.net/xtc.  hrm...thats all.  hope you enjoyed it.  Peace
out, f00's.

        Kevin Keeler
insanity@underworld.net
    Master of Reality
"We always knew that talking
about television was like dancing
    about architecture..."
 -- Suck, august 07, 1997
  (no credit givento source)

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

Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 12:42:25 -0600 (MDT)
From: Eric Muller <EMULLER@UWYO.EDU>
Subject: All what fuss?
Message-id: <01IM744ZP17A001DGQ@PLAINS.UWYO.EDU>

Peter wrote that after listening to "The Greatest Living Englishman," he
now know what all the fuss was about.
Well, I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  I think TGLE was an
embarrassment.  When I first heard it, I thought it sounded like a dumb
Beatles tribute album.  On a second listening, though, I decided that that
was too kind an assessment.  It's actually a dumb Rutles tribute album.

Eric Muller
emuller@uwyo.edu

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

Message-ID: <33EB6FB8.C3B88882@MCI.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 13:12:56 -0600
From: "Jeffrey Langr" <Jeffrey.Langr@MCI.Com>
Subject: double CD?

Stephen Varga typed:
>Andy is still keen on the double CD idea despite others saying it
>may make more sense to release an album now and another 6-12 months
>down the line in order to keep the momentum going.

Oh let's hope it's not a double CD.  They have virtually no momentum to
start with; I would suspect considerably more people (non die-hard fans)
would be willing to shell out the money for a single CD.

>Sometimes I think the Kinks are often just..well..better than the
>Beatles  - which is very, very difficult for me to admit.

XTC has lots more in common with the Kinks than they do with the
Beatles.  Most obvious one to start at is the fact that they both get
overlooked more often than not.  Better than the Beatles?  Why compare?
They both have their merits, but 30 years later (give or take), Sgt.
Pepper sounds pretty damn dated while Village Green Preservation Society
remains near timeless.

Jeff L.

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

Message-Id: <v03010d00b01137e281b6@[128.148.19.25]>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 15:59:20 -0500
From: Gene Yoon <Gene_Yoon@brown.edu>
Subject: The Dandy Warhols

I was tuning into WBRU the other day when I heard this very catchy 60's-ish
song called "Not If You Were the Last Junkee on Earth" by a group aptly
named the Dandy Warhols.  In case anyone else might have heard it, it's the
song with the chorus "I never thought you were a junkee/because heroine is
so passe."  Anyone heard of them?  I want to know if their album is worth
getting.

advance in thanks,
Gene

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

Message-ID: <33EBAF07.7270@gate.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 19:43:03 -0400
From: Pandrea <pann@gate.net>
Subject: Recommendations?... Anyone?......

How-do Chalkies,

   Lately there has been a lot of postings mentioning the
songwriting talents of the Kinks. These have all been re-enforcing
a nagging feeling of mine, that I should have some Kink stuff, but
unfortunately do not (yet). I know all their hits, but beyond that
not much else. Does anyone have any "essential" Kinks albums they would
recommend to me to rush out and get? You can email me privately, that
way we won't muck up the works here.
  Gratuitous XTC content- Ain't they still cool?

Ta Ta,
  Perry

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

Message-Id: <v01540b00b01186476358@[132.170.24.50]>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 21:31:53 -0500
From: minerwerks@usa.net (Derek Miner)
Subject: Re: Dukeish nonsense!

In Chalkhills #3-150 Mike Wood wrote:

>annyone else noticed the words etched between the fade-out grooves on the
>Psonic Psunspot LP? They're REALLY hard to see... i only first saw them by
>accident when the light coming through the window hit the album at a certain
>angle. Side A (the "In Side") says "LOOSELY FROM THE STIFF BEACH...", while
>Side B (the "Out Side") says "WITH PINK WARMTH". Any meaning, or just pure
>Dukeish nonsense?
>
>(the LP sleeve also thanks "Lilly Fraser, whatever you are"... heh!)

I'm not sure about the Stiff Beach comment, but I believe Pink Warmth was a
name either considered for XTC (as was Dukes of Stratosphear) or the
Dukes...

Lilly Fraser was the girl who read the Lewis Carroll-y nonsense between the
songs.

= Derek Miner =

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

From: "Lee Lovingood" <lvngoods@beachlink.com>
Subject: I am the mole from the ministry.....
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 22:48:13 -0400
Message-Id: <19970808224416.3b99cc40.in@mail.beachlink.com>

(sniff) Hello all,
Just three word's, Chalkies.....

Belle
And
Sebastian

Go to your record shop and find it. Buy it, too.
I demand you!
                             ||||||||||
You will obey me!  (=0-0=)
                                ~
                               ----

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

Date: 9 Aug 97 02:07:15 +0000
Subject: quote thing
From: "David vanWert" <mcknife@xsite.net>
Message-Id: <B0118164-C18F3@206.126.254.182>

On Mon, Aug 4, 1997 8:09 PM, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org>
<mailto:<owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> wrote:
> Harrison Sherwood's excellent description of the reasons why "The Mayor
> Of Simpleton" is a pop gem makes me wonder how much truth there is in
> the line 'Writing about music is like dancing to architecture'... I
> thought there were a couple of buildings in Chicago I could have gotten
> down in front of under the right circumstances.

I believe it was Goethe who said (or probably wrote, actually):
"Architecture is frozen music."

Not that it's got jack to do with XTC, but ever since the whole "dancing to
architecture" thing started, I've been reminded of that quote. So maybe
writing about music is actually like ice skating to architecture.

Or maybe not.

Okay, bye.

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

Message-Id: <l03110703b012ad3992b8@[205.231.217.114]>
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 1997 18:35:18 -0500
From: Ben Gott <gott@li.com>
Subject: Prophet

Could someone point out the Prophet V bits on "English Settlement" to me
(send an e-mail to me personally so we don't clutter up the list.)

I, too, have had "The Disappointed" in my head for weeks at a time. I also
get "She's So Square" stuck on an endless loop sometimes.

I was listening to the Live at the BBC (1980) concert in the car today, and
I realized how great it would be to see XTC live again (or to have seen
them live in 1980, I suppose. I don't think an up-tempo version of "Grass"
would be the same as a speedy "Towers of London.") I'm always impressed
with the energy level of these concerts - just made me want to open all the
windows and sing at the top of my lungs (which I did.)

Been updating my Smiths collection; just received Mike Oldfield's
"Orchestral Tubular Bells" in the mail. Some great stuff. David Bedford
arranged it for orchestra (he also worked with Elvis on the string
arrangements for "Punch the Clock," I believe.)

I'm not a huge Todd fan, but I like "Healing" (the album) and "Love Thing
1.0" (the song) very much. Saw him in concert last summer - he looked old,
and a little eccentric, but still good.

I'm going to see James Taylor at Tanglewood on the 19th (?) If anyone else
from Chalkhills is going, e-mail me personally. I'll wear my Chalkhills
t-shirt, or we can meet up somewhere. Hope it doesn't rain (like last year).

Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself...

Ben

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B  e  n     G  o  t  t   ::   Bowdoin College  ::  Brunswick, Maine
Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.

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

Date: Sat, 9 Aug 1997 22:44:51 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <199708100344.WAA01900@sky.net>
From: Scott Taylor <staylor@sky.net>
Subject: Robyn Hitchcock & XTC

Seeing all the recent Robyn Hitchcock references here got me to wondering
about something...  Do I hear a tip-of-the-hat to XTC in "Ride" from the
_Perspex Island_ CD (another fine production from XTC-alum Paul Fox)?  About
four minutes into the song he sings "sitting in a carriage in the pouring
rain.... in Swindon."  Or does he?  Am I mishearing this?  And if not, does
it seem too coincidental that a Paul Fox production, coming so close on the
heels of _O&L_, should contain this reference?  Some of you fegs enlighten
me if you would.

Re: cheap Geffen CDs:  Somebody mentioned seeing XTC stuff at Circuit City
for $4.99.  My local Best Buys are carrying all the Geffen Goldline stuff in
their throwaway $1.99 bin, including _O&L_, _Big Express_, _Rag & Bone
Buffet_, & _Nonsvch_.  Such a shame.  I did pick up the Soft Boys' _Can of
Bees_ and the Undertones _Hypnotised_ from that bin though.

>From: Natalie Jacobs <gnat@umich.edu>
>Re. new album action - I'm also of the opinion that XTC should release some
>sort of teaser or appetizer before the album proper in order to let the
>universe know they're still alive.

I'm in total agreement... how about "Don't Get Your Panties In a Wad, This
is Still Not The New Album"?
/ Scott M. Taylor --  staylor@sky.net  --  http://www.sky.net/~staylor \
|  "There are still taboos, of course, but their nature has changed.   |
|   For example, when I was in college, there were certain words you   |
|   couldn't say in front of a girl.  Now you can say them, but you    |
\   can't say 'girl.'" -- Tom Lehrer                                   /

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

Message-Id: <199708101528.RAA08474@utrecht.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Organization: The Little Lighthouse
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 17:33:42 +0000
Subject: Anklung Inkling

Dear Chalkers,

Our friend Natalie Jacobs (who runs the most excellent PERDIX site)
asked this question :

> what the heck ramsey is an "anklung" (as used in "Yacht
> Dance")?  A new species of fish?  A type of African jewelry?  Do tell.

Nope. It's a traditional tuned percussion instrument from Indonesia
that's used mainly in the 'krontjong' and 'gamelan' music form Java
and Bali.
It looks like a rack filled with hollow bamboo tubes and
it produces a kling klang klung type of sound - so now you know why
it's called an anklung ;)

In Indonesian music this instrument is not "hit" but the musician
moves the tubes so they strike each other (like windchimes)
As far as I can tell it was hit with a drumstick or mallet on XTC's
Yacht Dance.

yours percussively,

Mark Strijbos
at The Little Lighthouse; the XTC website @ http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello
===> The Random XTC Quote <===
Love's not a product you can hoard
or pack a suitcase with

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

Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 14:54:24 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <199708101854.OAA27906@marquis.netinc.ca>
From: John Leith <jleith@marquis.netinc.ca>
Subject: Re: New World Order

Hi!
I totally disagree with this view! While it took at least 10 listens before
I started to "get it", I now feel that N.W.O stands with Todd's best work.
Just read these great lyrics & maybe listen with a more open mind.
Cheers;
John

No World Order 1.1
Composer: Todd Rundgren
Duration: 6:21

Let me tell you 'bout the new world order
Not the kind to make you run for the border
It's a new religion wrapped in a revolution
With a proven solution for your mental pollution

Cars and gold bars and chains and diamond rings
These are the symbols, we want the real things
Peace in the soul and a natural insight
Things that please the mind and make the body feel right

Don't let no one tell you that god ain't got a sense of humor
Someone said he's pissed off, but that was just a rumor
I know he's laughin' when the preacher starts to scream about
How trippin' is evil, and sex is unclean

Nature wants your life to go on long and on strong
To have children and show them where you went wrong
So if your life style leads you into hell or into prison
Wake up and listen, this is what you're missing

Free will, we can't seem to get our fill
We are beggers, we are choosers drunk on a lack of power
I believe in understanding, I've got to know where we're landing
I'm takin' my survey now, hands up if you're with me
Do you want different choices? Can't hear the quiet voices
Got to dim all the lights, turn down the volume
Put on a little more forgiveness, who's gonna be my witness?
If we must endure this trial, someone is bound to touch us

Do you want more sex, more comforting
A little more foreplay and afterglow, let my people go
Everybody wants peace on the earth, children sheltering
Calling every man, every woman
We're gonna take control of our own bodies

Peace breaks out in the battle of the sexes
We start to learn what the other one expects is
We stay away from what the other one rejects is
And have respect for individual perspectives

We're gonna break out of this cycle of dependency
And liberate each other from a hopeless life of drudgery
And face up to the truth as we dispel all of this secrecy
And simplify the situation when we learn to speak plainly

We're gonna take control of the machinery
Bad little actors that chew up the scenery
Job number one is gonna be findin' a way
That we can rave all night and meditate all day

Mankind's strugglin' hard to see the light
To hear the voice of the spirit in the night
To lay down his heavy burden and pick up his soul power
And build a heaven on earth hour by hour by hour

Child protection, more careful mate selection
Everyone wants to be wanted by a natural father and mother
Lookin' for a sense of wonder, don't let your faith go under
This is a beautiful world, if we could only give up fighting
The answer is surrender, every race, every gender
Beat our swords into plowshares on the anvil of a pure heart
We gotta have honest answers and the courage to take our chances
Opportunity's knockin' loud, give me your attention

>My two cents on TR:  his New World Order was a piece of garbage.  There
>should have been a warning sticker on the front.
>All the best
>Bill Green

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

From: J_ARTECONA@RCMACA.UPR.CLU.EDU
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 18:36:01 -0400
Message-Id: <970810183601.2120d561@RCMACA.UPR.CLU.EDU>
Subject: RE: Andy and Costello

Hey all,

I see there are lots of XTC and Costello fans out there, myself included.

Does anyone know how EC feels about AP and viceversa?....they are both great
songwriters but seem to come from totally different points of reference. Any
info would be great.

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

Message-Id: <v01510103b014170baa23@[205.210.52.147]>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 20:12:04 -0500
From: bartok@adan.kingston.net (steady eddy)
Subject: fossil fuels

i don't know about anyone else but i thought that fossils fuel was a bit of
a rip. why the hell couldn't they have put some sort of rarities on it or
something to entice those of us who have all of those songs anyway? there
must be some more stuff/outtakes lying around.

ed

********************************************
Sunward  I've  climbed   and   joined   the
tumbling  mirth  of  sun-split clouds...and
done  a  hundred  things  you   have   not
dreamed   of...wheeled   and  soared  and
swung    high    in    the     sunlit     silence.
********************************************

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

Message-ID: <c=AU%a=_%p=DPIEXCH%l=DPIEXCH/MHOEXCH/001D4655@pibcrmexh001.pib.dpi.qld.gov.au>
From: "McDonald, Roger" <McDonaRF@prose.dpi.qld.gov.au>
Subject: Zappa
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 11:49:00 +1000

Dear Todzilla,
Why did Frank Zappa produce Grand Funk Railroad?
I read an article at the time that the album (Born to Die?) came out and
I quote (yes, I have a photographic memory), "I like 'em 'cos they're
not stardom struck and all fucked up! Shit, these guys fart on each
other!" And that's the truth.
As for XTC vs Zappa - weeeeell, I'm a bit of a late starter with Uncle
Frank. I mean I sniggered all the way through Apostrophe when in high
school but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I was introduced
to the stunning Hot Rats via a Rycodisc reissue. Whoa! (as you Americans
say!). I've just heard Bongo Fury for the first time this week and
although I'm told it's dismissed by most Zappa freaks as 'flat' I like
it a lot! Helios!!
I like Zappa for playing jazz rock (the 'I can play faster than you can'
style of music that should be carried out at dawn at twenty paces) with
the humour it so richly deserves but Zappa can't make me cry like XTC
can. Mind you, Uncle Remus is kinda emotional I suppose...
I also like One Size Fits All but it doesn't do it for me like English
Settlement. Although there is a similar musical thread running through
Zappa and XTC comparing these works is like comparing cheese and chalk -
or comparing English and American and that's one flame war I'm not about
to start!!!
So as Dennis Hopper said to Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now!, "And with
that I am fuckin' splitting!!!"
RogerFromOz

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

Date: 11 AUG 97 15:59:53 AST
From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au
Subject: When you're near me....
Message-ID: <0000ftnbjbzv.0000eckcaeye@dca.gov.au>

Chalksters,
Those of us who file our CD collections alphabetically may have noticed that
David Yazbek albums will always nestle alongside those of XtC on the shelf.
Just one of those strange things in life. Yazbek would no doubt be pleased
about that!

Oh, hang on.  I just realised that some clever-clogs is likely to write in
and claim to be a big collector of Xymox!  Rats, there goes another
half-baked cosmic theory......

p@ul-of-oz

"now i've got a beautiful plan
now i've got a beautiful IDEA"

- Big Heavy Stuff "Beautiful Scenario"

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

From: gravity@loop.com
Message-Id: <3.0.32.19970810235143.00690adc@pop.loop.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 23:51:45 -0700
Subject: Mmmm Vinyl

Hello fellow Chalkmarks!
Reading the latest.
The bit about cd's and vinyl caught my eye.
Recently and for no apparent reason I have purchased
the entire XTC catalog on vinyl.Dukes included.Mostly UK versions.
Ah yes the very excellent English Settlement 2 lp's!
Just the albums mind you not all of the EP's. although a couple of those
slipped in. The "experimental records" Mr. Partridge seems so fond of
making were left in the bin as well. I like songs,call me daft and old
fashioned,but it's my hard earned cash!
These "vinyl versions" are far superior to the cd versions I have been
listening too for a few years now.
The drums on Black Sea are a standout,just as an example.
In fact everything sounds "better" on these discs.
Listening to the cd's is now an experience equal
to seeing a movie that was filmed in black and white suddenly "colorized".
Listen to a "mono" Sgt. Pepper sometime,on vinyl of course,
you will enjoy the music as it was "supposed to sound".
You will find artists and their producers have the right IDEA to begin with.
Let's not forget all the cool things that accompany the
vinyl packaging.I can easily read all the liner notes as well!
Cd's have their place and all the new formats will too I'm sure.
I like the "compactness"obviously.The sound isn't awful.
However, try a vinyl version of your favorite record from a time when vinyl
was the technology.See how good it still is!
Corporate scam or not digital technology is here to stay.
Have a guilty pleasure and sneek some VINYL into your audio diet!
"I'm the bad thoughts inside your head"    john murphy

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

Message-Id: <199708111028.LAA07242@pip.maires.co.uk>
From: "Stephen Clarke" <S.Clarke@nopres.co.uk>
Organization: NOP Research
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 11:30:31 +0000
Subject: a buffalo with an anklung

Natalie wrote:

> Re. the Prophet V (Prophet Vic?  Prophet Vinnie?  A new book of the Bible
> is discovered, the Prophecies of Vinnie. . .)  - so now we all know it's a
> synthesizer, but what the heck ramsey is an "anklung" (as used in "Yacht
> Dance")?  A new species of fish?  A type of African jewelry?  Do tell.

er.. that's V as in five note polyphonic  - but hey, the prophecies
of vinnie. the gospel according to our favourite wimbledon footballer
sounds plausible to me.

according to the random house disctionary
an.klung (ang'klung), n. a southeast Asian rhythm instrument
consisting of a set of bamboo tubes that are tuned in octaves and
slide in the grooves of a frame shaken by the performer. [< Javanese
angklung]

Steve Clarke

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

Message-ID: <c=GB%a=_%p=Benfield_Group%l=BENEXCHG-970811110010Z-7569@benexchg.benfield.co.uk>
From: Gary Minns <Gary.Minns@benfield.co.uk>
Subject: bmob mota ruoy htiw flesruoy kcuf oG
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 12:00:10 +0100

>"LOOSELY FROM THE STIFF BEACH..."
>"WITH PINK WARMTH"
>Any meaning, or just pure Dukeish nonsense?

Yeah I never quite got to the bottom of that.  It always struck me as
sexual but, then again, most things do!  Can any experts out there lend
a hand?

The bit that got me was the back-masking on 25 O'clock.  It's fine on
the vinyl coz you can twizzle your turntable backwards and make out what
is being said but I upgraded to the Chips CD a while back and it made me
chuckle that Virgin had transcribed the back-masking to the CD as well.
I tried to twist my CD backwards with the lid up but the laser kept
burning my fingers.

It got me thinking whether it was standard form for CDs and cassettes to
contain back-masking even though it's pretty much impossible to make any
sense of it on these formats.  Once again, can anyone shed some light?

Gary

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

Message-ID: <33EF5C10.3B0A@sprintmail.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 11:38:08 -0700
From: Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com>
Subject: John and Ray

Folxtc,

Our good friend Ralph states:

> Sometimes I think the Kinks are often just..well..better than
> the Beatles  - which is very, very difficult for me to
> admit.  And, yes...they have been overlooked way, way too much! In
> regards to lyrical themes - Ray Davies is the true working class hero -
> not John Lennon (with all do respect to John).

Cough cough, AHEMMMMMMMMMM!   Gasp gasp, (sigh) hack hack!

Stop... Hold on, stay in control...

Stormy Monday

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

Message-Id: <s3ef05ee.000@elsevier.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 12:30:04 -0400
From: Ralph DeMarco <r.demarco@elsevier.com>
Subject: Picking Bones

Dear One Armed Bandits and Affiliated Members:

Bryan Gillespie & Brian Matthews both have questioned whether
Skylarking ever included 'Dear God' and 'Mermaid Smiled' together.  They
mentioned cassette versions possibly containing both tracks.  Now, I
understand that Virgin replaced 'Mermaid Smiled' with 'Dear God' after
the first vinyl pressings due to Dear God's radio popularity...but, what I
don't understand (something I find myself saying every time I mention
Virgin/Geffen) is why the hell didn't they include both tracks on the CD
version??? - There is room on CDs for that sort of thing.  Ahh just
another XTC fan bitching away.

Erich Walther wrote:
>The only bone I have to pick with TR is his tendency to OVER-produce;
>seems to abhor (sp) a vacuum and has to fill every little space. Still, 'A
>Wizard, A True Star' (he's soo humble), 'Something/Anything' and
>'Swing to The Right' are must-haves.

I know I already responded to this post before but must say that 'A
Wizard a True Star's over production is quite annoying to me.  Instead, I
recommend 1978's 'Hermit of Mink Hollow' very, very highly.  It does not
suffer from too much over-production and  is chock full o' catchy-clever
pop-rock  tunes and simply beautiful ballads.  Those who don't care for
TR should try a bit of 'Hermit..' and of course, the masterpiece
'Something/Anything?'

From: pawnee q
>Question: What's the deal with the missing line in most later releases of
>"Life Begins At the Hop" ?

What are you talking about specifically?  Are you referring to the edit
version as opposed to the long version?

I just picked up (used) the Virgin (Atlantic) USA October 1979 'Drums and
Wires' and noticed that it does included 'Making Plans for Nigel' which the
Virgin (Epic) July 1982 US re-issue does not - though all the other tracks
are the same.  What's the deal?  Did the boys decide they didn't like the
song anymore?  And how come some of the CDs contain 'Life Begins at
the Hop?' and others don't - which I feel is a great song and a perfect
opener for a great album.  Silly, silly silly...

From: The Village Green
Subject: New Guy

>Greetings, this is a long one so skip if it you don't want to hear from the
>new guy. I am, if my E-mail name gives any clue, a *big* Kinks fan.

Ray Davies is ... well ... an living legend.  Watch out for Dave's solo tour
and new solo album which should be out soon.

Re: XTC

>Starting with Drums & Wires they just got better and better.  I'm not
>partial to any one album, but as a whole like The Big Express,
>Skylarking, Oranges & Lemons, and Nonsuch.

What about Mummer???!!!! (Original song line-up of course).

>What I have found most annoying about the general response from
>critics has been that the band have been their own worst enemies with
>smart-alecky, nonsensical lyrics and quirky, inaccesible, all over the
>place melodies.  (I've never used all those words in the same place
>before, never mind the same sentence).

Nonsensical lyrics?  Perhaps for those who don't want to have to THINK
when they listen to rock lyrics - they can always listen to Hootie and the
Blowfish!!!  Artists should not compromise their craft if they are true
artists.  XTC, and others like Frank Zappa and Richard Thompson, do not
like to compromise for the sake of commercial success - and that is why
they will be respected as artists long after other pop stars have been
written off as pandering lapdogs - ie: U2, Elton John... etc.   History
almost always vindicates.  If you don't believe me, read some of the
reviews of Bob Dylan's first album and for that matter, book reviews that
panned books now considered literary classics.  Critics can't separate
'art' from a pre-conceived notion of a 'product' made to sell.  Sometimes
'art' and 'product' work together and we get a popular song that is
intelligent and catchy and critically acclaimed (but that's not very common
in my experience).

"Gone are the days when hate filled my heart..."

Ralphie

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #3-151
*******************************

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12 August 1997 / Feedback