Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 52
Date: Monday, 9 December 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 52
Monday, 9 December 1996
Today's Topics:
Songs that make me think of...
The Mayor of Muzak...
Know what I like...?
Re: Re: Re:
An XTC-related horror story (cover your ears children!)
I want to weep the tears of life...
Avoiding housework
Call and Response
Re: Scott and Cracker vs Camper Van Beethoven.
Moody Blues
Nobody has ever lived that has done
divers alarums
Short Andy Interview about the Heads
Mummerings
Just Say No
RE: Place of Hallucination
FW: The little things...
Bike Ride to Cherry Blossom Clinic
Re: Springsteen is Dead
Travis Bickle Melts the Guns
Anyone know anything about this?
breaking radio silence in more ways than one
More favorite XTC "touches"
Clem Burke ( a drummers drummer )
Strange Magic? (I think not)
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Dec 1996 19:56:21 -0000 Message-ID: <19961208195621.1513.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Ben Gott" <xtcfan@hotmail.com> Subject: Songs that make me think of... Ah, threads. A question for all Chalkies: do any of you have an XTC album that just drags you back to a certain place/memory/experience? I'm sure you do, but I was just thinking as such because Andy's new demos (and Tears for Fears' "Raoul and the Kings of Spain") remind me of shovelling snow, and give me kind of a warm, nostalgic "glow." Any takers? Also: does anyone remember exactly what they were doing the first time they heard XTC? My first listen, to "Nonsuch", occurred 19 November 1994, on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. (Has anyone ever listened to "My Bird Performs" at 1 AM on a beach?) Finally, to the "you can't be an XTC fan without being a Beatles fan" comment: bullshister. I own one Beatles album (on vinyl), and nothing else. After listening to XTC's incredible chord changes, lyrics, etc., and the music of others like Elvis Costello, the Beatles seem to me like white bread, compared to an XTC sandwich. PLEASE DON'T SEND FLAMES OVER THE LIST!! Send 'em directly to me, if you feel like flaming. And, if you have any suggestions as to how I can like the Beatles more, please send those before you dismiss me as a freak with no musical tastes. I don't *not* like the Beatles, I just don't think they're the greatest. neb XTC SONG OF THE DAY: "Dying" In my CD player: Steve Reich - "The Desert Music" * ------------------------------------------- Ben Gott http://www.wp.com/58596 The Hotchkiss School "I step on the brake to get out of her clutches..." -EC
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 14:30:56 -0600 Message-Id: <199612082030.OAA21064@tremont.dpc.net> From: Scott Anderson <scandcar@dpc.net> Subject: The Mayor of Muzak... Hi all, While on hold....for a good long while I might add... while calling a local hospital I was treated to a "oh so smooth" Muzak version of Mayor Of Simpleton...very soothing. ;) Lots of velvety sax sounds and a lovely flute doing the "please be upstanding for the mayor of simpleton" part.. Almost made me lose some of the anger I felt towards the billing department at the hospital... Almost... Scott.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <32ACB623.2C5A@3rddoor.com> Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 17:00:19 -0800 From: Daniel Ray Phipps <phipps@3rddoor.com> Organization: n/a Subject: Know what I like...? Hey Chalkies!! -- Got a question for you's all! Know what I like about XTC?? The answer's really simple -- EVERY-FUCKIN-THING!!!! Now you know... Peace - / Dan <phipps@3rddoor.com>
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b05aed0d9075cf9@[204.254.68.15]> Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 13:58:59 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: Re: Re: >From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> > >Well, nobody did AFAIK...and besides, who are you to pass judgment ? Uhh...I'm drawing a blank here. Expand that acronym. >And last issue Mark Fisher said: >> 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, >Incredible cheek... >Take note "Chalkie" : REAL XTC fans only want to hear about XTC and >things that are relevant to Their music on the OFFICIAL XTC mailing list. Every mailing list seems to have "Stick to the topic" whiners who pout and fume whenever a tangential thread comes up. This wouldn't be so annoying, if not for the fact that the whiners continue spewing long after the "offensive" thread is dead. I'd say the number of "XTC only...boo hoo hoo" posts have surpassed the long-over Anthology 3 posts by now.... And who are YOU to pass judgment on what a real XTC fan is? I'm not on any Beatles mailing lists, but jeez, I would hope there is SOME discussion of Beatle-descended music on those lists...perhaps even a few posts about XTC. Of course, those who post about XTC are probably instantly spanked and reprimanded, thus depriving the band of some much-needed new fans.... Eb
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612082230.JAA00168@warchives.riv.csu.edu.au.> From: "Simon Knight" <sknight@warchivegw.riv.csu.edu.au> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 08:19:18 +0000 Subject: An XTC-related horror story (cover your ears children!) Oh god, i've still got all my early 80's 7" singles, including "Love +1", "Mickey" and "Just can't get enough"! Does all this recent chalkhills discussion mean i can actually admit to liking them now? Do i no longer have to pull the curtains shut and make sure no-one's home to pretend i'm Nicholas Cage in "Valley Girl" as i bop around to "Our lips are sealed", "Burning Up" or "My own way"? Which leads me to tonight's little horror story. Those of you who value your XTC collections with your life might want to cover your ears. I was discussing early 80's singles with an art student friend at uni, and lamenting my lack of XTC, "Oliver's army", "I want Candy" and that Dracula-la-la song. My friend told me how much he used to be into XTC and had collected a huge amount of trashy 7" singles growing up. I offered to buy the lot off him, but this was when Nirvana and Pearl Jam had exploded and he'd decided he was "so daringly alternative" (since it was the in thing to be now) that he'd already made a statement with the records. He took me back to his garage and showed me this giant lump of melted plastic. For one of his pieces he'd taken all his singles, including all his XTC ones and melted them to a mannequin with a blowtorch. I've forgotten what the so-called artistic point of it was, but you could still make out half-charred labels of records like "Da da da" and "Golden Brown" on the torso. It got worse though, up near the head was half of "Generals and Majors" and an oddly shaped "Senses working overtime". (You can all scream now). I decided then and there are *two* things in life that can qualify you as a wanker. Now if i could just get my hands on some rare grunge single and wipe my.... Simon "I just love home movies, don't you?"
------------------------------ Date: 8 Dec 1996 23:24:08 -0000 Message-ID: <19961208232408.11131.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "G.M. Quinn" <lovechunks@hotmail.com> Subject: I want to weep the tears of life... Chalkchillunchitlin, Firstly a few little replies... >From: John M Rader: > >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. Are you talking about the cd release, or am I just ridiculously stupid? If the former, I have seen the cd of O&L before now. If the latter, I'm lying. And, sorry, I can't remember whose this was: >-=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. WRONG! I did, including a list of songs. And I definitely agree with your judgement of 'Time', although I think 'A New World Record' deserves a mention But this is my innocent and, dare I say it, wide-eyed contribution. I was pondering the wonders of XTC while listening to 'Jump' in my car and thought...hang on...I cannot think of a single XTC song that is REALLY heart-wrenchingly sad - the sort of song that would actually make me weep (not too easy to do). XTC material always has that humour that we admire, can be angry, bitter, fun, joyous, self-depricating... Even the 'sadder' songs are laced with a wry smile and a knowing wink. But there's always that unmistakeable positive passion about them. I know Elvis Costello gets brought up a lot here (not that I'm complaining!) but the best example that I can think of is 'The Birds Will Still Be Singing', or, indeed, many songs from 'The Juliet Letters'. Songs full of so much hopelessness that they are devoid of humour. Know what I mean? This is a subject that is very subjective, so please don't get hot under your communal collars about it, I just can't think of one example... Yours in (parentheses) The Lass who cried at the end of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' GM Quinn P.S. Add another belated Go2 adherent to your list.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b00aed0fa96ab1f@[207.15.170.9]> Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 17:34:23 -0600 From: kmarkman@netwestonline.com (Miss Piggy) Subject: Avoiding housework Hi folks! Instead of cleaning my very messy apt I am replying to Chalkhills posts. I am the queen of procrastination! >From: DeWitt Henderson <dewitth@lanl.gov> >Subject: On My Radio > >Kris, your long comments about radio/etc. were good. I've definitely >been one of the "radio sucks" people for a long time, but I also >understand the commercial reasons for a lot of it. I still just don't >like it sometimes. But good radio exists here and there. I started Thank you DeWitt, I have warm fuzzies all over again. Actually, I'm not overly fond of most commercial radio formats myself, which is why I chose a career path in public radio (shameless plug!). In the non-commmercial world we still have relative freedome to assess community needs and desires and program accordingly. Or at least we try! >How many of you Chalkies actually got your first good XTC exposure(s) >via radio also? Or did you only get exposed to them via a friend, I got hooked by hearing Dear God on the radio when I still lived in NY, probably, and again when O&L came out and received moderate airlplay on a station in Augusta, GA. Yet another move, this time to St.Louis, and I was occasionally able to hear some XTC on the modern rock station KPNT, though I'm not sure how much 80's music still survives in their format nowadays. They did highlight Testimonial Dinner as a CD of the week when it came out, however. Alas, now I live in West "we love Reba" Texas, so no more XTC radio experiences for a while, I'm afraid. >From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) >Born several albums into the Beatles' career, Named after a Beatles song (middle name - Michelle, mom's a big Paul fan). >Also, the true abomination is the TMBG remake of "25 o'clock". The Sigh...well, I would have to disagree, I happen rather to like it. If we're going to talk about TD, then let's talk about Spacehog, who didn't even have the decency to record the *whole* song, and one of my faves, at that. Bleh. pay for sex, stereo equipment or office supplies." -Henry Rollins >From: Natalie Jane Jacobs <gnat@umich.edu> >-In "Great Fire," the way he sings the line "eyes bring water" with >increasing force each time he repeats it, until by the third repetition >he's bellowing "WAAATERR!" like a man stuck in a desert for a month Yes! >-"Shilling for the fellow who milks the herrrrd..." (He sings the whole >song beautifully, but I like that bit the best) Yes! Yes! >-And the best bit of all... "They never thought he'd cause folks any >haaaAAAAARRRRRAAAAAHHH!!!!" YES YES YES!!!!! Oops, got just a little excited there, but Natalie, I have to agree completely. I too worship at the temple of Andy's voice. All of those growly-singy things he does just make me shiver and quake - whooohoo! Speaking of which, sorta, as far as loud XTC songs, All of ES and Skylarking, plus Garden of ED and Burning With OF, to name a few. Another nuance I like, which I don't think I've seen mentioned, is the intro to Toys - anybody know exactly *what* toys those are that you hear? >From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> >Dave, Mark and/or AMANDA if he's a girl. While there are many Chrises on this list, I think I'm the only "K"ris, and I'm a girl, too! >From: h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu (Insane Boy) >You know, I guess I've just never understood what "psychedelic" actually >means. To me it's nonsensical, drug-associated, "trippy" music and lyrics According to the dictionary, "psychedelic" means: of or producing hallucinations and similar experiences, full of vivid or luminous colors. I beleive it cmae in to usage as a musical term when a lot of bands in the San Francisco area started experimenting with the psychedlic drugs (like LSD) and incorporating those experiences into their music. That's what I've heard, anyway. It's probably more involved than that, but there you are. I guess I should go get my laundry now. XTC is just a lot more fun than housework, what can I say! Au revoir, Kris ################################################################# "Blues had a baby and they named it rock 'n' roll."--Muddy Waters
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01550100aed119acc802@[146.6.72.28]> Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 19:49:31 -0600 From: h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu (Insane Boy) Subject: Call and Response LET'S BEGIN! >materialistic snotball Jefferson/Airplane/Starship's new album? >How many of you Chalkies actually got your first good XTC exposure(s) >via radio also? XTC songs I've heard "on the radio" (--Van Morrison): "Season Cycle" probably "Dear God" when it came out "Generals and Majors" as part of a "flashback" End of story. I had already been into them for some time, so to hear them over the airwaves was/is always exciting. >The whole damn song of "Are You Recieving Me?" is filled with so many > nuances... My favorite part is simply the intro...always gets me jumping. > The Dukes are hands down the better parody/tribute act of the two. Of course. XTC are awesome. >I'm pretty doggone certain that they're saying "Take a hundred and >three" just before they kick off Towers of London. I've always thought that, as well. >Most critics agree that Rush are bad, and The Ramones are good. Most critics are right! :) (Sorry, just HAD to get that one in) I'm not a big Ramones fan, either. >calling the sounds that TMBG make "music" is a gross overstatement. Comments like this make me wonder...how much of their so-called "music" have you actually heard? They're far removed from the Ramones... >-the little turn on the word "well" in "Season Cycle" I think The Beatles invented that. :) >-And the best bit of all... "They never thought he'd cause folks any >haaaAAAAARRRRRAAAAAHHH!!!!" I'd never found that amusing, but written out it makes me laugh. I'm the Master Procrastinator (and being on Chalkhills doesn't help). Jason Garcia (aka Mike Mills aka Insane Boy)
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=AU%a=_%p=JDEAUNZ%l=MEL_SERVER-961209025036Z-69@mel_server.jde.com.au> From: Paul Haines <Hainesp@melbourne.jde.com.au> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 12:50:36 +1000 Subject: Re: Scott and Cracker vs Camper Van Beethoven. Hey up.. Don't worry, I agree. I do enjoy Cracker though, but they sound like a 'normal' Camper Van, if 'normal' was a word you could ever apply to them. CVB were better! Haines, kiwi in Oz
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=AU%a=_%p=JDEAUNZ%l=MEL_SERVER-961209025934Z-71@mel_server.jde.com.au> From: Paul Haines <Hainesp@melbourne.jde.com.au> Subject: Moody Blues Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 12:59:34 +1000 Hey up.. Re Jason and Moody Blues, Mum was a Beatles fan, Dad a Moody Blues. What chance did i have? (Moodys up to and including The Seventh Sojourn, because then synths sounded like synths and not moogs sounding like orchestras. Although I do like Long Distance Voyager.) And now for something from a social leper... Haines, kiwi in Oz
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 22:00:58 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199612090300.WAA00149@cyber1.servtech.com> From: Joshua Hall-Bachner <particle@servtech.com> Subject: Nobody has ever lived that has done >I for one, would be severely disappointed if Andy and the boys >ever collaborated with "The Johns", as some have suggested. and >calling the sounds that TMBG make "music" is a gross overstatement. Please try to at least *listen* to something else the band has done before you make such ridiculous statements. Of all the possible complaints about TMBG (they're annoying, they're smart asses, their lyrics are too silly or too meaningless, etc.) lack of *musical* content doesn't even make the list. >I'd just as soon see them make TV commercials. I'd *like* to see our lads do TV commercials. >****Least Muzak adaptable XTC song**** Do Explode Together tracks count? :) >Seems to me every Chalker is called Jason unless he's called Keith, >Dave, Mark and/or AMANDA if he's a girl. Or Josh if he's secretly a bot maintained by a team of scientists in Rochester. :) >So do I. If the music doesn't grab me, I'm going to have a hard time >liking the song. Generally, if the music's good (unless it has really >stupid lyrics) I'll like it. Stupid music and lyrics tend to go together >(Green Day) so there's usually no confusion there. I basically agree with that except for one thing. There's been more than one song I liked that got ruined for me when I discovered how awful the lyrics really were. But, yeah, I'd rather permit great music and okay lyrics than great lyrics but poor music. Josh I remember days at school... /---------------------------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: <v01540b05aed1585e5658@[139.80.228.167]> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 16:48:44 +1100 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: divers alarums >>Regarding David Gilmour on Kate Bush's The Sensual World: He also is >>often credited as the one who "discovered" her -- 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). << his vocals also grace Kate's "Pull out the pin", on the patchy but intriguing "The Dreaming" album. rabbiting on as usual, I said: >>_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!<< 'twas, of course, "Battery Brides". Thanks to the people who reminded me. hey, who's dat dissing Neil Young??? If you weren't an XTC fan, I'd have to question your musical taste! James
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612090324.OAA00779@warchives.riv.csu.edu.au.> From: "Simon Knight" <sknight@warchivegw.riv.csu.edu.au> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 13:12:56 +0000 Subject: Short Andy Interview about the Heads I don't know if this has been posted before, but here goes. It's a short interview with Andy about No Talking, Just Head from the Heads website: Q: As far as the old band goes, what is your favourite Talking Heads song? A: Don't Worry About The Government Q: All of their album covers were great. Do you have a favourite? A: Fear of music. Q: How did you meet Chris, Tina and Jerry? A: I met them in the late seventies. Our bands toured Europe together. Then, after nearly twenty years of life happening to us, Chris Frantz rings me up. Bingo, Bango, Bongo! Q: How has creating lyrics and vocals to the Heads' backing tracks differed from your usual creative process? A: Usually, I grow songs, music and lyrics together organically. With them it was more like crucifying bits of heretical poetry onto an already extant cross. Q: What inspired the lyrics? A: Litter/love gone wrong/bitternerness/big band swing/too much knowledge. Q: Which dead format should No Talking, Just Head be released on? A: A 16 RPM LP wwith a holograph of an overburdened donkey looking out of an old hat. One of those old postcard records with the grooves pressed onto the varnish, cut into a shamrock. Q: Any suggestions for design and placement of the pricecode? A: Add a disclaimer below it, "Warning! This record contains an Englishman whistling!" Q: If this album were a boardgame, which age groups would you suggest? A: It would be the equivalent of nude Twister for those of 350 lbs. or older.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <32AB88A6.36A2@paonline.com> Date: Sun, 08 Dec 1996 22:33:58 -0500 From: Patrick Adamek <Padamek9@paonline.com> Subject: Mummerings In chalkhills #3-50, Jeff (Boy I'm going to regret this one by 3-50) Smith Barnes, WI USA wrote: #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. I wanted to thank Jeff first of all for writing the above. The Beatles have been my "first favorite" group since I can remember, and with the Anthologies coming out recently and VH1 having the whole weekend dedicated to The Beatles and John Lennon (who was assasinated 16 years ago today), I was faced again with the prospect of being over-stimulated with Beatles-related info. I think that you are right when you say that they are everywhere. This would be a problem for me too if I didn't think they are the closest to perfection of any rock act. I have heard Hey Jude five times in one day, and listened through to the end of each one! I guess radio stations and other forms of media (muzak, etc.) simply stay close to what has worked in the past to achieve that entertainment goal. In this way (as far as my ears are concerned), XTC is not unlike the Beatles. What I mean is that I've come dangerously close to over-saturation with XTC (particularly when I don't play them for a few months and I spin the discs incessantly), but never too far. When the music is THAT well done, repetition doesn't ruin it. Apparently all of the sources you referred to (regarding how they play Beatles all of the time) agree with me. When people ask me who my favorite rock group is I usually say, "The Beatles...I'm still waiting for a better band." Bryan Adams, however, must burn. ...I'll help light the fire... #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 ....I second that.... As for an un-muzak-able XTC song... Super-Tuff I am the Audience Funk Pop A Roll Washaway Train Running Low on Soul Coul The Somnambulist Travels in Nihilon Snowman Peace, Patrick "There isn't anywhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be." --Lennon/McCartney
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612090750.IAA06659@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 08:52:21 +0000 Subject: Just Say No Hi Chalkers, Last issue Jason Nesmith said this about XTC's "drug use" : > Well, Moulding's Map of Swindon in Go 2 lists the location of the > 'place of hallucination'. Either Colin experienced a supernatural > apperition, or he was tripping. I'd put my money on the latter. Well, some people do hallucinate without drugs... And what about alcohol? Surely if you "suck piss" in large amounts you can get hallucinations and/or a delirium? I don't think LSD was/is readily available in Swindon which is a very small provincial town in every way... > And wasn't Andy taking prescribed valium (or something) Please...we were clearly talking illegal substances here, not prescribed drugs. Otherwise you might also claim that Dave is a "drug user" because he has to inject himself with insulin. I do know Terry tried 'something' (presumably speed) once and flipped out - Andy has always been "too afraid" (his words) to try anything! So to claim any connection between drug (ab)use and XTC is really stretching it IMHO. Final word on this matter must go to A.P. of course : "go tell false prophets and drug traffickers not to try to push our bodies any faster" yours euphorically, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello/ ===> Mark's Random XTC Quote <== Snipping, snipping, snipping goes the scissor man
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 8:21:05 -0500 (EST) From: J_ARTECONA@rcmad.upr.clu.edu Message-Id: <961209082105.2040fc52@rcmad.upr.clu.edu> Subject: RE: Place of Hallucination I read someine say that XTC does not use drugs......I personally do not use them but what about the "thanks for the cactii" in the liner notes in Skylarking. I assumed cactii was Peyote, a powerful hallucinogen. I also read grass as also meaning marihuana in the song of the same name by Colin. I would love to hear what people have to say about that.....I kind of picture XTC as pot smokers with an occasional escapade into hallucinogens. They certainly don't seem like cocaine users...I wouldn't be surprised if Dave was an abstainer, what with his delicate health and all. Again, all of this is probably projection, the fate of the fan, but then again I did work in the field of addiction treatment for about 9 years so I do know a little something about characteristics of derug users.....oh well . It's not a big deal and XYC is still my favorite band, drug use or not is really a minor issue in their case......by the way, I love hearing from all of you chalkhillians....great list.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612091353.IAA08122@gate3.fmr.com> Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 08:46:00 -0500 From: "Sawyer, Keith" <keith.sawyer@FMR.Com> Subject: FW: The little things... JHB volunteered his favorite XTC touches, so here are some of mine: - The burst of crickets in Grass (after the 1st and 3rd time Colin sings 'grass') - The bassline in Real by Reel - "Awaken you dreamers..." (especially the 2nd time) - The buzzy synth and muted vocals in Fly on the Wall - The way Andy rolls the 'r' in 'write' at the beginning of All You Pretty Girls... - ...and that wooden clanking (what is that?) that first chimes in during the whistle solo ambiguously, keith "Lazarus wasn't grateful for his second wind" -American Music Club, 'I've Been a Mess'
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 14:36:56 +0100 From: sellheim@alf.zfn.uni-bremen.de (Erich Sellheim) Message-Id: <9612091336.AA52088@alf.zfn.uni-bremen.de> Subject: Bike Ride to Cherry Blossom Clinic Hi everyone, someone mentioned a possible pairing of Cherry in Your Tree and The Move's Cherry Blossom Clinic; in fact, there's another connection: in the Move song, there's a line that goes something like this: "I could ride my bike around the moon". And while I'm at it, did anybody notice that, apart from Shiny Cage bearing a strong resemblance to I'm Only Sleeping by the Beatles, The Good Things begins with the same melody as The Beatles' It's Only Love? The chords are different, but the first eight notes of the melody are exactly the same. I think this is interesting, as both Beatles songs are by John Lennon who often gets compared to Andy Partridge while Colin Moulding is said to be the Paul McCartney of the group (at least some critics claim this). Finally, I wanted to mention that Jarmusic (a German label) has released a 5-singles box by The Cleaners from Venus which contains a cover of the unreleased Andy Partridge demo Pearl. Best wishes to all of you, Erich
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 10:41:20 -0500 Message-Id: <v01510102aed19bd4182b@[128.122.161.36]> From: vanvalnc@is2.nyu.edu (Chris Van Valen) Subject: Re: Springsteen is Dead Hi ho! Mike<stormymonday@sprintmail.com> posted: >I know many people were surprised when they learned that Elvis Costello liked >the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. I'm kinda surprised by this. But not as much as when I read that Peter Gabriel is a big fan of Springsteen. That was the beginning of the end of life on Earth as we know it. Cheers, CV(one of the few people on the list not named Jason) Cuurently on the CD changer: "Sometimes God Hides: A Young Person's Guide to Discipline" "Costello & Nieve"
------------------------------
From: jason.phelan@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 96 09:51:19 CST
Message-Id: <9611098501.AA850153870@in2.mcmail.vanderbilt.edu>
Subject: Travis Bickle Melts the Guns
And All the media
Defeating while Rome burns
Acting like Robert Deniro
You talking to me?
Jason
------------------------------ From: Ira.Lieman@ogilvy.com Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 12:23:45 -0500 Subject: Anyone know anything about this? Message-Id: <"MSMAIL PC */PRMD=OGILVY/ADMD=IBMX400/C=US/"@MHS> I don't know, I just decided to surf on over to mrshowbiz.com to see if they had a review of the new Costello & Nieve box set (5 cds! Yikes!) and they did (they got an 85 out of 100), and then I did my famous "hey, let's search for XTC in the articles!" Well, I found this: Musical Notes: Summer is over, the new albums from Pearl Jam and R.E.M. are finally in stores, and as far as we're concerned, it's time to look forward to the Christmas releases. The hippest of the holiday bunch looks to be Geffen Records' Just Say Noel, which features contributions by Aimee Mann with Michael Penn, Southern Culture on the Skids, Elastica, Wild Colonials, XTC, and other funky Geffen acts. Two tracks in particular have our interest piqued: Sonic Youth's take on the old Martin Mull comedy bit "Santa Don't Cop Out on Dope"; and Beck's apropos "The Little Drum Machine Boy," which he's recording this week. Proceeds from Just Say Noel benefit the Witness Program, an organization (spearheaded by Peter Gabriel) that arms human-rights advocates in third-world countries with camcorders, fax machines, and other technology to help document abuses. The album is scheduled to hit stores October 29 . . . Anyone hear of it? -ira
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612091737.RAA07538@aoife.indigo.ie> From: "Daniel Prendiville" <modjp@indigo.ie> Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 18:32:17 +0000 Subject: breaking radio silence in more ways than one 'Ullo, I was driving up to Dublin yesterday afternoon to act as godfather to my mate's baby daughter, and I happened to be listening to RTE Radio 1's rather fine ON BALFE STREET. My wife and I were chatting just as we were pulling out of Nenagh when I heard a somewhat familiar introduction to a familiar song, but I didn't recognise it out of context... What was it, you might ask? THANKS FOR CHRISTMAS! I gave a mild yahoo in the car and smirked from ear to ear. After the song was played, the presenter, the rather fine Brendan Balfe, announced that the song was off the JUST SAY NOEL album and was performed by *XTC*. Two thoughts occured:- - is the track actually credited to XTC on the album, or, - was Brendan iompressing me withe depth of his musical knowledge? Hmmm... Anyway, what I really wanted to say here is that the stature of that song improves immeasurably when you take it out of the context of R&BB and listen to it, just as a song at Christmastime. And then you realise how brilliantly simple and effective it is. A *classic* it ain't, yet, but then maybe JUST SAY NOEL will improve things in that respect. Coincidentally, just two songs afterwards. Mr. Balfe played a track from the new Mark Owen album. On the assumption that Mr. Gregory was playing on the track, I can assure you that he's in fine fingering fettle, playing in a style that is somewhat similar to his XTC recordings. I'm off to drop RTE a thank-you note, prompto-sharpish... Signing off now, possibly permanently..... Daniel Prendiville Daniel's Den - http://indigo.ie/~modjp
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=Tencor%l=EXCHANGE/HUB/00028AC2@milxbh01.tencor.com> From: "OEHLER, ALAN" <ALAN.OEHLER@tencor.com> Subject: More favorite XTC "touches" Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 08:47:00 -0800 More favorite XTC "touches:" Andy's howl at the beginning of "No Thugs in Our House" The sequenced percussive backbone of "It's Only Africa" The banjo-y guitar lick in "Scarecrow People" -- a cliched blues lick that becomes incredibly fresh and inventive used in a totally different context. The bass part in "Mayor of Simpleton" (*and* the drum shot that starts the song off *and* the way the chorus repeats and then hangs on that *incredible* chord at the end... -- this song gives me little goose bumps every time I hear it.) The storm of voices and noise that ends "Oh Lord Deliver Us from the Elements." The guitar solos at the end of "Books are Burning" Mark Isham's trumpet on "Miniature Sun" I'm sure there's tons more... these kind of details are one of the things I love about XTC . --alan oehler
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612091811.LAA16407@access.tucson.org> From: "Jeff Smelser" <jsmelser@access.tucson.org> Organization: Access Tucson Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 11:18:51 -0700 Subject: Clem Burke ( a drummers drummer ) > >Clem Burke, drums. > > Geez, that name sounds soooooooo familiar. What else has he played > on?!? He was the drummer in Blondie. The only time I ever saw them was when they opened for Iggy Pop on the Idiot tour featuring David Bowie on piano. I came away from that show with a deep respect for Clem Burke. His drumming was so powerful and precise I've never gotten over it. It reminded me of the drummer in Deep Purple. He's the same way, i.e Burn. SMX Jeff Smelser Video Engineer Access Tucson jsmelser@access.tucson.org
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199612091840.LAA16638@access.tucson.org> From: "Jeff Smelser" <jsmelser@access.tucson.org> Organization: Access Tucson Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 11:48:05 -0700 Subject: Strange Magic? (I think not) Greetings Hillables, Near the end of the last Chalkhills someone listed their favorite ELO songs. I noticed Strange Magic was missing. Could it be that when the song is playing it sounds like he's saying, " Gotta, strain my dick."? Check it out. You'll never hear that song without laughing again. The same with Jet Airliner by Steve Miller.."Bingo Jed had a light on." Yuks on me. SMX Jeff Smelser Video Engineer Access Tucson jsmelser@access.tucson.org
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-52 ******************************
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