Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 50
Date: Saturday, 7 December 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 50
Saturday, 7 December 1996
Today's Topics:
re: love plus one
Squeeze This
Pride in the loud covers of crows, by The Beatles
I've Got Memory Now
Go2!
The Most Evil of all Cannadians
Favorite Touches
Oranges and Lemons
Re: Neil Young
Re: Robyn Hitchcock
Re: Animal Logic
Now it's time to change gears...
Drowning here in Chalkhills cauldron...eeeeeeyyyyyy!!!
Move-ing with Optimism's Beefheart
Ankle deep through someone else's Chalkhills digests
Where to Find Sympathy
Wanna hear 'Papersnow'?
Labelled with love
All of a sudden (I feel like a HUGE hypocrit)
just paper
Re: H To He Who Am The Only One
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You caught mum chasing daddy with a knife.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 12:46:03 -0700 (MST) From: J A White <J.A.White@m.cc.utah.edu> Subject: re: love plus one Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.961205123903.14136C-100000@gos-oz> buenos dias whoever was asking about "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100 is in for a real treat if they pick up the album "Pelican West." Any XTC fan will no doubt appreciate the similarities between the songwriting of Nick Heyward and Andy. As far as I know, the disc is made only in Canada, but is readily available to be ordered on import. Check it out, if possible! happy haunting jw
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612051935.MAA02028@access.tucson.org> From: "Jeff Smelser" <jsmelser@access.tucson.org> Organization: Access Tucson Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 12:42:27 -0700 Subject: Squeeze This Respondez-vous Chalkazoids: > Squeeze wasn't exactly in top form > either. they looked like they were on their last legs. I'm very sad to hear this. I saw them the first time on the Argybargy tour and 2 or 3 times since then and they were always fantastic. > Subject: A Rush to Geddy's Defense > I know that it is unfashionable to like Rush, and I'm the first to admit > that Neil Peart's lyrics leave a lot to be desired, but Geddy Lee is an > extremely talented musician, and he is definitely not evil. He's probably not an evil person. I just don't like his voice at all. And being one to give credit where credit is due...I think Neil Peart is an accomplished drummer and producer...but I never bought a Rush LP. Doesn't G.Lee's voice remind you of the vocalist who was with a band in the 70's called Pavlovs Dog? > While I am far from a Rush-o-phile,, there is some merit to their music. > "Roll The Bones" and "Distant Early Warning" are two of my favorites. Bytor and the Snow Dog! Fly by night away from here. Merry XMAS erry-buddy! Caio. SMX Jeff Smelser Video Engineer Access Tucson jsmelser@access.tucson.org
------------------------------ From: snsi@win.bright.net Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 13:03:29 -0600 (CST) Message-Id: <199612051903.NAA26232@bucky.win.bright.net> Subject: Pride in the loud covers of crows, by The Beatles Howdy Jasons, Davids, JHB, AMANDA of the caps and those one or two other people in ChalkHills. I trying to catch up so bear with me. First John E. Daley's post in 3-44: >Come now, there may be a bit of truth in such a statement. After all, look >at all the cool stuff we Americans have! Muscle cars, cheap gasoline, Jack >Daniels, handguns, the Playboy channel, California giant redwoods, M1A1 >Abrams tanks, Doritos, and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!!! They got any of >that stuff in France? No way, baby. America ROCKS! I love it! So close to the Tubes "I'm Proud To Be Am American" I could almost here Fee singing it. But didn't France get all that stuff with Euro-Disney? On playing XTC LOUD. It seems to me that playing XTC at any volume is great and past a certain point (four on my volume knob) it doesn't sound any better just louder (maybe it's time to get a new stereo?). On XTC covers (Hey way old but what the heck): Every Day Life of a Smalltown - Billy Bragg On The Reign of Crows: Here in northern Wisconsin we have snow every where, deer hunting season is past (no more blaze orange or gutted deer hanging in front of every shack, Darn!). From now until February the only animal of size is the crow. When I drive across town in the morning I'm usually able to count between 25 to 100 crows. And everyday when I see the first crow can hear AP singing "The reign of Croo-ooWS". Anyway, put the above on your "Things I wish I would have paged down past" list or hum a few bars next time you see a crow. On my wife's DI4: My wife is up to four, count them four, XTC songs she likes; Take This Town, The Train is Running Low on Soul Coal, Dear God and Thanks For Christmas. Four is better than none, I mean I've only been working on her for twelve years. By the time were 60 I think I might be able to get her up to ten! On the fact that I "t'ain't a XTC fan at all": Eb posted 3-47: > Any XTC fan who isn't a Beatles fan t'ain't a XTC fan at all, if you >ask me Well Eb, didn't ask but since you brought it up. To say this is to minimize XTC, that XTC is some pale initiation of The Beatles or that The Beatles are some kind of Rosetta stone which XTC must be translated though. BTW It's not that I hate The Beatles its just that even today they are every where. Muzak covers of Yesterday or Strawberry Fields playing in the mall, once an hour every hour on oldies radio (Darn wife). I'm sure that if I started today and one XTC song (Say Yacht Dance) and listened to it five times a day that by the time I die I still would have spent more time listening to Hey Jude. The Beatles made truly great music that has been played, covered, replayed, remixed, reissued and plagiarized until I can't tell the difference between Sergeants Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Stars on 45 or Oasis. I guess if I wasn't force feed The Beatles for the last thirty years I would not only not have my Beatles complex but they'd be my second favorite band. Jeff (Boy I'm going to regret this one by 3-50) Smith Barnes, WI USA
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 14:16:11 -0800 Message-Id: <v01550100aecca03a2ee6@[146.6.72.26]> From: h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu (Insane Boy) Subject: I've Got Memory Now Hi all! Plug For the Day: ZIP disks. 100 MB! >Your Gold Dress: "the stupidest riff in the history of riffs" I had to laugh when I read this because, well, it is. "Love Plus One": >Anyone know where to find the album that song is on? Yeah? Anyone? Anyone? I like that song! >Clem Burke, drums. Geez, that name sounds soooooooo familiar. What else has he played on?!? >"if >all of your moments were put down in a book I could read it till I went >blind..." (well I called it a love letter didn't I?) Frighteningly true to life. I said: >>"friday is heaven" >Isn't that a Cure song? :) And Chris wrote: >No...the title is Just Like Heaven "That was a joke, son!" -Foghorn Leghorn (not a good one, but still) Playing on the combination of "Friday I'm in Love" and "Just Like Heaven". Didn't you notice the "smiley"? Ah, I LOVE explaining humor...(sarcasm) >And I'd bet XTC, especially Dave, at least have respect for [Rush], >although I have no proof. Good thing you don't, otherwise I might have to seriously reevaluate the universe (and not like what I find). >_dammit. I can't remember which song it is. One of the very early songs >sounds as though it's starting at the wrong speed and slowly speeding up. >An excellent piece of weirdness! Battery Brides. Love to all, The Never-Ending Paper Writer, Jason Garcia
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b01aeccb6ead066@[207.103.18.236]> Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 14:14:09 -0400 From: kevkelly@voicenet.com (Kevin P. Kelly) Subject: Go2! >_dammit. I can't remember which song it is. One of the very early songs >sounds as though it's starting at the wrong speed and slowly speeding up. >An excellent piece of weirdness! Battery Brides is the song that got me into XTC..... it is one of those songs that, whenever it is played, transports me back to the first time I heard it . I can remember exactly where I was, and my mood and reaction are recreated. Other XTC songs that do that to me: Respectable Street The entire first side of ES (first four songs for all you CD owners) Human Alchemy Another Satellite Don't ask me to explain this weird phenomonon or whether it has any significance... Put me in the Go2 fan club. Definitely in the top 3 for me. I have to give an incredible amount of thanks to everyone on this list for the music recommendations that I have cashed in on: Yazbek, Ron Sexsmith, Sugarplastic, Semisonic, etc. Let me continue the tradition.... I can't stop listening to... Anders Osborne "Which Way To Here" - great New Orleans soulfunk. Stereolab "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" - ambient with a fun attitude. Trip Shakespeare "Lulu" - pop at it's finest. By the way (I don't know if it's been done), I would be willing to organize an "English Sediment" tribute tape (I have a small studio). Haven't heard "Skylacking" but it sounds like a great idea. C ya, Kev =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you ever reach total enlightenment while you're drinking a beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 17:59:34 -0500
Message-Id: <v01510100aeccbdbf72ab@[128.122.161.36]>
From: vanvalnc@is2.nyu.edu (Chris Van Valen)
Subject: The Most Evil of all Cannadians
Hi
IT'S SHATNER, DAMMIT!!!!!!
Whew! Glad I got that out of my system. Now back to our regularly scheduled
program....
CV
If you have an unpleasant nature and dislike people
this is no obstacle to work.
--J.G. Bennett
Catch "Forever Knight" on the Sci-Fi Channel every Monday at 8PM and
midnight, EST.
--Lucien LaCroix
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 96 11:12:08 PST
From: "Sean Robison" <sean_robison@cpsmtp.CP.Disney.com>
Message-Id: <9611058498.AA849827319@cpsmtp.cp.disney.com>
Subject: Favorite Touches
I just wanted to chime in with some of my favorite touches...
(Warning: I'm a retard when it comes to song titles. No matter how
many times I listen to the songs, I can't seem to remember their
names...)
- The drumsticks being tossed like bones at the end of "Poor Skeleton
Steps Out"
- The bass-like droning accompanying "Louder than bombers in flight"
from "...Beating of Hearts" ( the first song off "Mummer" )
- The train-like opening to "Train Running Low on Soul Coul"
- Leeeei-eh-eh-sure...
- The middle part of "Snowman" - the one with the pretty (at least to
me) chord changes.
- "A History of Rock n' Roll" ( the last track on "Rag n' Bone Buffet"
). I'm curious what sound would be tagged to the '90s
Setanta, Setana, Santana, Septic, Santa Clause. WHATEVER!! Sign to a
label, make that double album and let's get some new music!! Hop to
it, soldier!
To whoever was asking about finding a copy of "Love Plus One," one
place to find it is the soundtrack to "Seven".
There! No politics. No flames. Almost no non-XTC content. No chord
progressions ( well... that's because my music theory knowledge could
fit on the head of a pin ). No Sting. All that and the proverbial bag
of chips ( from the chocolate fireball ? )
Sean Robison
------------------------------ Message-Id: <32A76910.1ED3@kgv1.bems.boeing.com> Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 16:30:08 -0800 From: John M Rader <jmr0244@kgv1.bems.boeing.com> Subject: Oranges and Lemons Hello all, Although I haven't posted for a while, I have been reading, and reading, and reading ... all the issues. What an incredible group of humanity reads and writes this list. XTC news: Latest from Mobile Fidelity is (drumroll) Oranges and Lemons will be released in late Feb early Mar. It is official and is catalog number UDCD 682. Speaking of MoFi: To add to the um-Bil-Like-al thread, one of the two tracks to benefit most on Skylarking from remastering is Season's Cycle. The increase in ambiance, improvement in attack and decay of notes, the natural feel of the instrumental and vocal overtones, and the additional clarity and layering of the vocal harmonies make this a must hear for any fan(atic) and may sway the purchase decision. After all, Season's Cycle is one of the essential XTC tracks. The other track, Sacrificial Bonfire, gains magnitudes in feel (vibe) from the remaster, and the drum is killer. It also features one of my favorite small touches: -the sound of meat grilling. Much has been said lately about politics. Skewering ideas, when imposed as absolutes, is a fair (but complicated) game for anyone, anywhere in the world. As absolutely the only super power, we do a large amount of imposition, good and bad for us, good and bad for the residents of other countries. The dividing line of good and evil is dependent on your point of view. It will always be that way. AMANDA's politics are skewed from my own, and my initial adolescent urge was similar to Hackney's; however, I'm thrice adolescence now. In the context of XTC fandom: From my point of view, a woman voting Republican is the act of a martyr. XTC as a band has displayed the same tendencies: No tours, infrequent albums, great tracks under pseudonyms, quirky singles, a 5 year strike after some success. Doesn't sound like they want mass popularity, and we've all thought that they might not exist from time to time (afer Mummer, before Mummer, after Nonsuch, before Chalkhills). Maybe there are more people who like them for similar reasons; think of the "I only like unpopular bands" thread. That said, if we didn't have AMANDA, who else would start threads, us boring old longtime fans? And her posts are entertaining to boot. To whomever reccommended Giles Smith's "Lost in Music" thanks. For an uproarious read, hurry to the college bookstore near you and order in time for gift giving. John
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 18:49:56 -0500 (EST) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Neil Young Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.961205184328.49270A-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> <And don't forget, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, and Geddy Lee. Huh? What's so evil about Neil Young? Anyone who has the audacity to put out a Metal Machine Music album for guitarists(Weld, an extra disk included with his live album of a few years ago; Arc, of course)is okay in my book. Besides, there's no such thing as an evil Canadian. That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Q: How do you get 200 Canadians out of a swimming pool? A: Ask them very nicely to please get out of the pool.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 18:59:04 -0500 (EST) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Robyn Hitchcock Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.961205185341.49270B-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> < On the other hand, Robyn Hitchcock, who normally sings about fish, sang one song with lyrics that go something like this: 'Sometimes I wish I was a pretty girl, so I can Wuohf! myself in the shower.' This offends my sensibilities, but I rationalise it by thinking that he's just jesting. I can't think that anyone would write such a crass song without intending it to be tongue-in-cheek. A bit like 'My Weapon'. No comparison; I read an interview with Robyn where he was asked about that song, and he remarked that it was a play on the shower scene in Hitchcock's "Psycho." The connection seems rather farfetched to me too, but that's what he said. I guess you'd have to have been inside his head when he was writing the thing. The creative leaps songwriters can take amaze me, including myself(having been in a few bands in my single days). Haven't heard what went through Barry's head when he was writing "My Weapon," though, one of the few XTC songs I come close to disliking.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 19:23:13 -0500 (EST) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Animal Logic Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.961205191415.49270C-100000@gnu.uvm.edu> <Someone on the list mentioned that they liked Animal Logic That would be me. I found what I heard of the first album pretty much as you describe, but I found the second album to be a big improvement; kind of like if King Crimson were fronted by a woman and emphasised rhythm section interplay over guitar <...well IMHO Animal Logic was total shit. I saw them open for Squeeze on their Frank tour (I think that was the album name). they were so dull. Nothing worse than BAD music WELL played. The playing was fine but the material was awful. Oddly enough they played a set as long as Squeeze's that night. Squeeze wasn't exactly in top form either. they looked like they were on their last legs. Perhaps they were; that would be just before Jools Holland left the band. It's quite possible his heart wasn't in it and the whole band was dragged down as a result. They were quite good when I saw them in '88, and the current lineup when I saw them last year(w Don Snow aka Paul Sabano on keys and Keith's brother Kevin on drums)was surprisingly good. I'm not ready to count them out just yet, though effectively they're just Difford & Tillbrook plus sidemen. They still sound like Squeeze, though.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 20:00:58 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199612060100.UAA14388@cyber1.servtech.com>
From: Joshua Hall-Bachner <particle@servtech.com>
Subject: Now it's time to change gears...
>JHB, about those "little bits" in XTC songs - hey, I like almost
>ALL their little touches.
Well, yeah, but anything in particular?
>Just out of curiosity here, does anyone
>else like "Reign of Blows" but dislike the distorted vocal treatment?
Personally, I quite like the vocal treatment. It works very well with the
subject matter and mood of the song, I think, especially with the drums
simulating the title (or it's otherwise-spelled equivalent) and the way that
in certain places, like "Far too many men dressed up as soldiers" the
guitars drop out and it's just the funky vocals for a line.
>Cheers Medears, Keith.
Am I the only one who's noticed that we have a lot of Keiths on this list?
At my last count, we had four. Hmmmm.
>And yes, I do have Andy on my answering machine (we don't say
>"ansaphone" in the U.S.).
Through much cajoling, I managed to get my parents to let me put it on ours,
and since they don't really care about changing it, it's stayed there. The
results? A few people say "Cool message!" A few people pause for about three
seconds, then say "Hello. I'm not sure I even have the right number..."
(etc.) And a lot of people hang up without leaving a message. :)
>Probably their two biggest acts are Edwyn Collins, whom you *might* have
>heard of
I would say that last year Edwyn had pretty major national recognition due
to "A Girl Like You." Now, though, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who
knew who he was.
>They get bonus points for being XTC fans of course.
It seems that bands which are XTC fans are *in general* pretty good, but
there are some duds.
>>>"friday is heaven"
>>Isn't that a Cure song? :)
>No...the title is Just Like Heaven
Isn't the title in question "Friday"? The scourge of Cure fans all over the
world? :)
>I saw that reference to former XTC guitarist and managed to suspend the
>shame of holding a CD by an ex-member of TAKE THAT
I only wish to point out the extreme oddity of the title of this guy's album
("Green Man"), since that is one of the songs Andy has demoed for the next
album.
>Joshua, I also must've missed something too, b/c I don't recall hearing from
>you on my politics. Maybe it's b/c my mail was erased on accident one day,
>I don't know.
You certainly did, because I still have a copy of your reply to my e-mail.
It dealt with both your political post and your comment about R.E.M.
"killing" Alternative music, and was entitled "Should we talk about the
government...?" (my attempt at subtly weaving the two threads of the e-mail
into one...)
>Johnette Napolisomethingorother.
That would be Johnette Neapolitano.
>on her debut The Kick Inside,
>he is given thanks as the guy "who rolled the ball first," or something
>like that (an allusion to a lyric on the album).
Actually, based on the song which it is taken from, it would indicate to me
that he was the one who first nudged and encouraged her into music (the song
in question being about opening your mind to other ideas and philosophies,
and the lyric in question being "Rolling the ball...to me.")
>A rock critic once pointed out how many of his peers loved to bash Rush
>while lauding the virtues of bands like Living Color and King's X, even
>though those bands and many others often mention them as key influences.
On a point completely unrelated to Rush, I see absolutely no problem with
lauding a band while bashing their influences. There are some artists whom I
really like but who, IMHO, have pretty horrible tastes in music. The only
thing you should judge them on is how good *their* music is, not how good
the music of their influences is.
>To touch on another part of your post: Without music, most of us wouldn't
>have a life -- at least not one worth living.
Not to get all sappy or anything, but going home and putting on a CD I enjoy
is one of life's little pleasures that I really have trouble imagining doing
completely without.
>They're really the most interesting group since the Beatles, followed by
>R.E.M. (but I'll shut up now).
While I don't know whether they are the *most* interesting group since the
Beatles, they (and R.E.M.) are certainly up there as some of the most finely
crafted pop music of the past twenty years.
>There seems to be no way you can say "the older stuff is always better"
>about XTC, because they're always evolving.
And I am certainly glad that I have never seen a single "XTC suck now, all
their good material is their older stuff" post on this list. Most musical
discussion groups seem to be consumed with this argument. Personally, I
think in far too many cases it's a case of people refusing to accept musical
change, rather than dislike of the new music for a more valid reason.
>If that's the
>demo, I wonder what a "real" recording of that would sound like?
Since around 1990, all of Andy's and Colin's demos have been full-scale,
amazingly detailed affairs. Listen to Down a Peg, or the My Bird Performs
demo. If you didn't know those were demos, would you ever guess?
>And you're probably one of those who think John Lennon intended to
>spell "LSD" with "Lucy in the Sky".
While I'm sure John didn't sit down and think..."Hmmm, what words would
spell out 'LSD'?", I am certain that when he came across the name
(supposedly in one of Julian's drawings) he noticed the acronym; considering
the imagery of the title and the song, it's a very appropriate, subtle
inclusion.
Josh
Just like a mad doggie chasing your tail in a circle...
/---------------------------Joshua Hall-Bachner---------------------------\
| particle@servtech.com 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: <199612060312.DAA35234@mule1.mindspring.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 22:11:06 -0500
From: Jason NeSmith <jnesmith@atl.mindspring.com>
Subject: Drowning here in Chalkhills cauldron...eeeeeeyyyyyy!!!
I bid you good tidings, you good people who doth dwell in the hills of chalk.
gondola@deltanet.com (EB) did remark thusly...
>np: God Bless Tiny Tim!
God rest TinyTim.
The Tim is dead.
Long live the Tim!!!
It's good to hear about the possible deal with SETANTA. Never heard of them,
but if they're distributed by Bar/None in the US, then they should be available
in yer local so-big-we-stock-the-unpopular-records-too record store.
From: Ira Lieman <aym@axe.intercall.com>
>Whoever said "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100 sounds like XTC is SO right. :)
>Anyone know where to find the album that song is on?
The album is called Pelican West, or something like that. It's on Arista,
and you can probably find it for cheep in the above-mentioned type of store,
or used.
>From: Chris Clee <cmc@sanger.ac.uk>
>h.h.name@mail.utexas writes:
>>"friday is heaven"
>Isn't that a Cure song? :)
>
>No...the title is Just Like Heaven
Are you sure? I think both of you are wrong. I'm pretty sure it's called
"Friday I'm in Heaven" --==rub-rub-nyuk nyuk nyuk==--
C Browning did observe...
>Anyone else noticing [AMANDA] cries an awful lot??
Yes, sometimes I feel as if I know her better than I know myself.
>>> Here are listed three "Evil Canadians"
>>>
>>> 1) Savoir Faire
>>> 2) Snidely Whiplash
>>> 3) The Guy Who Decided To Release...
>
>>And don't forget, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, and Geddy Lee.
>Geddy Lee is an
>extremely talented musician, and he is definitely not evil.
Guilty by association, but a narrow escape due to his appearance
on the Bob & Doug McKenzie album.
Bryan Adams, however, must burn.
>From: h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu ...You May Call Me "Insane Boy"
Which brings up the _Jason_ problem. As one of the millions %{)
with that durned name, I will do my part to avoid confusion by being
hereafter known as Buffy, occasionaly as Bufflethorpe, sometimes as
Jason Nummer Drei, and in matters musical as Casper Fandango.
I got my Christmas early, part of which is a new monitor with stereo speakers,
allowing me to simultaneously listen to and type about XtC.
And making it all too easy to pick out my own *favourite little touches:*
#The gated stereo-panned guitar chord before each chorus in Crocodile.
(Indeed this song is packed full of little touches.)
#The two-snare drum tracks in Omnibus, and those trumpets!
#The way that many of their songs throughout their recording career crossfade
in and out of eachother. F'rinstance, the way That Wave rushes out to the
ocean to give way to the psychedelic intro to Then She Appeared
It actually reminds me of the Moody Blues. Must be a Swindon
thing. (You know, Justing Hayward being from there and all)
And don't start with the Moodys. My first favorite record was This Is
the Moody Blues.
>From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com>
>>Another Satellite/Golden Boys (Godley & Creme). Different lyrics, same
>>music!
Yep, you're absolutely right. It's those blocky triads over a static drum
machine pattern. I love them both, but Another Satellite kicks Golden Boy's
butt.
>the Move (pre-Jeff L*n*e) were the only band who could hold a candle to
>The Be*tl*s IMHO)
-=sigh=-
It's *defend the fogeys* day. Darnit, I like Jeff Lynne, too. *Time* is a
beautiful album. He may be out of new ideas, but he was hot there for a
while. I've been holding out on this comment, but I haven't seen one person
speak up in his favor.
ha-nee-a-nee-aah-naah
wubba wubba wubba, Orange Hat
www.mindspting.com/~jnesmith
We're all made of Jello, Orange Hat
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 23:32:38 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199612060432.XAA17361@en.com> From: mikek@cleveplayhouse.org (Michael Kearns) Subject: Move-ing with Optimism's Beefheart I appreciate the supportive posts and email re my last moody missives and feel all is well in the state of Chalkdom and there are no hard feelings. Thanks. On to stuff: Pairings? How about "Cherry In Your Tree", and "Cherry Blossom Clinic" (The Move) Kind of weird I guess. Anyway, I really like the Move and I have Roy Wood's Boulders which came out on CD in 1994(?) - my Dad turned me on to that LP when I was a wee feller. It is by turns ornate, grotesque, charming, quirky, rocking.. and Roy plays everything on it. He also turned me onto Captain Beefheart too.. now I have an avenue to turn him onto XTC, thanks to Dave O'Connell who dubbed for me XTC's note-for-note replica of "Ella Guru". When I told my Dad he seemed very impressed. So I put it on a little tape and sent it to him with lyrics and brief info. The song list? You might well arsk.. "Ella Guru", "History of Rock and Roll", "Thanks for Christmas", "Mermaid Smiled", "Train Running Low on Soul Coal", "Humble Daisy", "Bungalow", "Desert Island", "I Remember The Sun". Wonder if he'll turn into a fan.. Any Procol Harum fans out there.. (any Chalky Dogs?) :-) I transcribed the intro to "Burning With Optimism's Flames" and the guitars play a syncopated riff of nifty triads and clustery thingies in 3/4 over the bass and drums in 4/4. So it takes four measures of 3/4 over three measures of 4/4 before both sections coincide on a "one" count and the phrase repeats. What a maddening pushme-pullyou effect it has on the ears! Also, I've been working out the guitar flourishes in the chorus as diatonic sixths fairly high up on strings 2 and 4, incorporating the open G string in a series of m-p-i fingerpicking rolls. Not sure if that's right but when my chops are up it sounds close.. Now if I could figure out those giant piano chords in the bridge.. Next on my agenda: work out the funky metrical shifts on the chorus of "Shake You Donkey Up".
------------------------------ Message-Id: <l03010900aecd5d4036c2@[206.15.131.105]> Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 01:42:02 -0500 From: Gene <isksa@ziplink.net> Subject: Ankle deep through someone else's Chalkhills digests >From: Herne <herne@earthlink.net> > >Geez my Chalkhills disappears for like 6 days and then I start getting >messages from last week. Weird. Is this just happening to me? Hey, me too! except my digests simply disappeared for weeks, no warning, no explanation... frightening thoughts regarding John Relph's well-being flashed through my mind, but then I tried the web site and found this was probably not the case. So I simply resubscribed. I now think maybe someone did the favor of unsubscribing for me, perhaps a good way to keep my annoying trap shut, but NEIN, I CANNOT BE SILENCED *THAT* easily. I think this is a good time to comment on the setup of the digest archives, since that's how I got my fill of Chalkhills whilst this forced fasting. I think it would be a good idea to divide up the back digests into subgroups, perhaps by every fifty, or by year or volume number. That way a viewer wouldn't have to wait an eternity for all 600-some-odd digest links to appear before doing a search on a topic, or if she just wants to view a particular post from 1990 or something. Now is also a good time to add that Chalkhills is the best band/music-related web site I've seen, anywhere, period. >I know I've previously raised an eyebrow at people's odd attempts to >reinterpret songs that are perfectly intelligible in the first place, but I >do feel Paper Snow needs a little clarification. > >Any clues? I think of it as simply a paean to paper--wonderment about how we "attach" so many precious parts of our lives to what's merely flattened tree pulp. "Everyday a billion dollars", "Kleenex where the guy's been crying", "Letters that I meant to send you"--all just leafs of paper, really, but they are laden with meaning and emotion, depending on who you are. It's as if Andy's saying: paper--the stuff is just everywhere, littered about, blowing away in the street, but some of the most important aspects of our being our put on the backs of it, wow. Nothing especially profound, IMO, just a concept put to song. I can imagine Chris, Tina, and Jerry of the Heads posting a tape of their melody to AP, saying, "here, this is the music, now put your mouth on it." And he heard the percussive, droning, spacey tune and thought of a windy city street or the march of a weird parade, and he had these random phrases of wordplay in his notebook, and used some of them to throw together the lyrics. They read like a list. And this song is just that, a list. A laundry list that exploded, if you will. A wonderfully vivid list, at that, much more imaginative than that Billy Joel list-of-a-song about fire or whatnot. (;-), aym) And before signing off I want to second one list members' suggestion from a couple weeks back to check out the Cardigans. If you appreciate the sixties bent of XTC (how can you not and call yourself a fan?) and don't mind cute girly vocals, you might be a ringer for this Swedish quintet. (aside: how is it that all these *Swedish* singers seem to enunciate English so much better than a lot of *American* singers? i'll never know) If the Dukes did a 60's lounge/pop number, it would probably sound a lot like the Cardigans. Cool, relaxing music, but with infectious melodies and a danceable beat. "First Band on the Moon" is their current album, absolutely fabu, and "Life" is their previous release, just as good, with an unabashed retro look that any Dukes lover would smile at. Looking forward with bated breath to the Northeast Chalkhills Party this Saturday!!! Thank you, TIM KENDRICK!!! (And thanks for the directions from Providence) Gene
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 05:49:11 -0600 Message-Id: <v01530505aecd6028279f@[204.153.64.136]> From: musicvil@idir.net (John Yuelkenbeck) Subject: Where to Find Sympathy BTW, I thought I would mention that an articulate, dispassionate response to someone with whom you disagree (or even just getting pissed off and writing about it) is to me more preferable than claiming you're going to take your ball (and chain) and go home. This is an anonymous enough forum for people to raise issues and risk getting flamed that we shouldn't have to take things personally and unsubscribe--or worse, THREATEN to unsubscribe--because another subscriber spoils it all by saying something stupid. I just got off of jury duty and I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to eventually come to a unanimous decision. During deliberation there was plenty of dissent in opinion, but no one ever threatened to leave the courthouse. The world is full of 12 angry young men and women! Oh, yeah. The answer to my subject line: between "shit" and "syphilis" in the dictionary.
------------------------------ From: Elf Power <elfpower@athens.net> Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 09:30:00 EST Message-ID: <yam6914.22.135008264@athens.net> Organization: Elf Power Worldwide, Inc. Subject: Wanna hear 'Papersnow'? Hey All! For anybody who wants to hear a 45 second snippet of the song that Andy Partridge sings on the new Heads record, just direct your web browser to: http://www.athens.net/~elfpower/bhsound.html Also, has anybody picked up the new Olivia Tremor Control record? Its called 'Dusk at Cubist Castle' and if you like Beach Boys' Smile, Dukes of Stratosphear, Sgt Pepper, etc you'll absolutely flip on this record! Easily the best record of 1996. Oh yeah, its a double album to boot. Its a bit lo-fi, but this in no way impedes its greatness - it actually increases the value. Just like a good Andy Partridge demo. :) The record is on FlyDaddy in the US and on Blue Rose in Europe. Seriously, you won't be disappointed. OK. No more pestering! :) Good day! Bryan Helium - elfpower@athens.net
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 15:19:05 GMT Message-Id: <v01510100aecde3b1befb@[194.128.83.69]> From: fisher@easynet.co.uk (Mark Fisher) Subject: Labelled with love I know nothing about the Setanta record label (to be honest, I know nothing about any record label), but if, as John Hedges says, its artists include Edwin Collins and The Divine Comedy, then it's been enjoying quite a lot of success in the UK recently. Edwin Collins (formerly of Orange Juice) had a big hit last summer with *With a Girl Like You* (I think that's its title), and the Divine Comedy, a trendy easy-listening band, has recently had a hit with the rather wonderful *Frog Princess*. The Christmas songs album, *Just Say Noel*, that features *Thanks for Christmas* was reviewed favourably in today's Guardian as "an almost-credible Xmas disc", describing the XTC song as "a neat Beach Boys pastiche". On the same page, the Mark Owen album *Green Man* is reviewed rather less favourably. Oh, and for the Chalkie who reckons it's legit to waffle on about Fab Four trivia, on the basis that most XTC fans like The Beatles, I'll soon be posting recipes for making omlettes, on the basis that most XTC fans like eggs. Hope that's OK. - Mark http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~fisher/
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 09:36:07 -0600 (CST) From: AMANDA OWENS <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Subject: All of a sudden (I feel like a HUGE hypocrit) Message-id: <01ICOO38PQ1U8WZ6FO@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Whilst ruminating on anything that came to mind in my room last night on a study break, I remembered back to when I was using America Online. Anyways, I was a regular poster to alt.music-canada, and one time a huge kerfuffle started when some American said something about "I wish we would nuke all Canadians' asses out of the water, we're cooler, we're better, blah blah blah". Then the Americans kicked in standing up for themselves, then the Canadians shouted right back, and so forth and so on. I jumped in and basically neutralised the whole thing, saying something to the extent that no country is better than the other, we've both had to rely on each other at one point or another, why do I feel like I'm the most mature person around here and I'm only 16, etc., etc. Anyways to make along story short (too late), I concluded my postings by saying that political discussions had no place on a music board, and we should just stick to the music. And THAT'S why I feel very sheepish right now. I just don't know how to practise what I preach, do I? (Mind you, of the numerous personal emails I got from people saying I was spot on, I did get one from some guy who said that we could talk about whatever we wanted to and I was the one causing all the mess...but I told him where he could go, so we left it at that.) Once again, apologies for the non-XTC content, but I had to get that off my chest. Later, AMANDA
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19961206155037.006af768@mail.sonyinteractive.com> Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 07:50:37 -0800 From: Bob Estus <bestus@sonyinteractive.com> Subject: just paper hello, Mark Fisher of fisher@easynet.co.uk pressed: >There have been a couple of interesting insights into the references that >crop up in Paper Snow, but would anyone care to hazard an explanation >about what the song as a whole is actually going on about. Director cues fake snow. Audience yawns as another thankless armchair interpretation begins. Ahem...The main binding theme of the song "Paper Snow" is, roadway litter. It can't be you say. There are all these references to warfare, heroes, commerce, love lost etc. Yes that's true. Records of all these transactions are to be found blowing in the wind down your very street. More than likely these were picked up and mused over by an introspective walker wondering who's parade am I wading through. The rut plowing work day traffic makes ankle deep drifts on either side of the parade route. The attentive pedestrian sees a discarded wall street journal folding into an F-14 that could defeat any Colonel. Other anthropological finds include: confetti, Kleenex, shredded documents, advertisements, and pocket lint. I say pocket lint because tickets (and especially business cards) explode when left in to be laundered clothes. I for one shovel snow out of my pockets year round. There is some irony in that loose waste paper, a waste in and of itself, also records waste and loss. The most telling records of our work, love, commerce, and war are destine to become insignificant documents by the roadside. that's all, cut fake snow. -Bob
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 10:12:40 -0800 (PST) From: A Sattler <ahs@nevada.edu> Subject: Re: H To He Who Am The Only One Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.961206095225.6239A-100000@pioneer.nevada.edu> Thank you, Dawn at Studio Seventeen Productions, for the helpful response to my query about the H promo, and Dave G's involvement with "Ice Cream Genius" (which went something like this): > Not a group but simply Steve Hogarth (hence "H"...pretty clever huh!), lead > singer of Marillion (previously of The Europeans and How We Live) > One and the same Dave, just helping out. From what I understand Steve H. > chose session musicians who would add a different flavour on this album > (his 1st solo - he's still with Marillion) thus steering away from the > "progressive rock' genre. Anyone wanting more conclusive information, check out the Steve Hogarth page (at the Marillion site): http://www.let.ruu.nl/~jeroen/web/hogarth.html. Enjoy the music, Annie
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-50 ******************************
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