Chalkhills Digest Volume 4, Issue 116
Date: Tuesday, 21 July 1998
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 4, Number 116
Tuesday, 21 July 1998
Today's Topics:
Self-correction on XTC-Monkees thing
Dear God, a second helping please!
great posts
works on every level
Re: BNL
There is No Laptop in Our Lounge
You'd think that people would have had enough of Paul McCartney
Re: Hey Hey
Jules Verne's Sketchbook
Time signatures.
Why I'm not upset.
"Colin is a god"
WAR CRIMES
ER & other odd times
Tock and stuff
Re: Yoko
Joyce: personal request
No more doG talk please !
Ted Lee = SPIT!
Administrivia:
*** ATTENTION ***
Last issue I killed the "Dear God" meta-discussion. See that issue for
the why and wherefor. However, a few posts on that topic had already
been submitted but had not yet made it into the digest. So you'll find
them here. Sorry if that bums your cheese.
Also, the "Odd Metres" subject is now off-topic as well. It has
degenerated to pure listing, so it's dead. Dead as a ducat.
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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
Chalkhills is compiled using Digest 3.6 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>).
Will you sing about the missiles / As you dry odd numbered limbs?
---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "STEVE PERLEY" <steveandlauren@grolen.com> Subject: Self-correction on XTC-Monkees thing Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 16:27:15 -0400 Message-ID: <01bdb353$fd17e120$accbf7cd@steveandlauren.grolen.com> Hey! Remember when I wrote that thing about Davey Jones singing Vanishing Girl as an endorsement for Andy writing songs for the Monkees? Well, before you all jump on me, I DO know that Colin wrote that one. I was just trying to think of appropriate songs and kind of forgot for a minute. OK? Colin can write some too if he wants. Hey Mitch - run that one by the boys sometime, ok? (Boy, I bet Mitch gets real tired of people trying to get him to give messages to Andy...) Sorry! Steve
------------------------------
From: WillJ4comm@aol.com
Message-ID: <76f546f7.35b278fc@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 18:53:46 EDT
Subject: Dear God, a second helping please!
Attention all chalkhillers who don't want to discuss "Dear God" and God
anymore, that's what this entire post is about, so if you're not into it,
feel free to move on to the next message...
I've been loving the Dear God discussion immensely. God has been a
fascinating subject for me, from my days as a total atheist to my current
standing as a God loving (never God fearing) spirit.
I've decided to post a semi-short excerpt here from the books I mentioned
previously, "Conversations With God" as I think there's something in them
that everyone (atheists, fundamentalists, agnostics, whoever) will find
intriguing. This two, soon to be three, book series is a set of
conversations between the author, Neale Donald Walsch, and God. In the
books, God speaks in current, contemporary, friendly, sometimes humorous,
plain language about the great mysteries and questions of life with
incredible clarity and simplicity ("simplicity" as in simple, not
simplistic). The books offer up such ideas as:
1. You are created in the image and likeness of God, meaning, you are
Godlike; 1b. God already knows it is God, but God desires to experience
itself, not just know itself (you don't just want to be told about a great
XTC song and know you'd like it -- you want to EXPERIENCE (hear) it
yourself!) It's for this process of God desiring to experience itself that
you have been created;
2. God is not a judging, critical, petty, demanding being (none of which are
God-like qualities), just pure love, truth and joy -- in short, "The
Loving";
3. There is no hell or devil, just God (see love, truth, joy, and "The
Loving" above);
4. God doesn't care what you do, there are no rules or commandments to obey,
that goes against the free will you MUST have so that you may CHOOSE to
create who you really are, which is God (see excerpt below);
5. Every sinner and saint, even Hitler has gone to heaven, as will you,
without a doubt.
Would you agree that some of these ideas are pretty revolutionary and
challenging, and that all of them are intriguing in some way, no matter if
you're an atheist, Lutheran, Baptist, born again or skeptic?
Here's an excerpt. This particular passage picks up in the middle of a
discussion about prayer. "NDW" is the author, Neale Donald Walsch, and "God"
is... well, you get the picture, and italics in the book are in all caps
here:
NDW: So many people say that their prayers have gone unanswered.
God: No prayer-- and a prayer is nothing more than a fervent statement of
what is so-- goes unanswered. Every prayer-- every thought, every statement,
every feeling, is creative. To the degree that it is fervently held as
truth, to that degree will it be made manifest in your experience.
...[Snipping a few awesome paragraphs for time and space considerations]...
NDW: When you say that a prayer is a statement of what is so, are you saying
that God does nothing; that everything which happens after a prayer is a
result of the prayer's action?
God: If you believe that God is some omnipotent being who hears all prayers,
says "yes" to some, "no" to others, and "maybe, but not now" to the rest,
you are mistaken. By what rule of thumb would God decide?
If you believe that God is the CREATOR and DECIDER OF ALL THINGS in your
life, you are mistaken.
God is the observer, not the creator. And God stands ready to assist you in
living your life, but not in the way you might expect.
IT IS NOT GOD'S FUNCTION TO CREATE, OR UNCREATE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES OR
CONDITIONS OF YOUR LIFE. God created YOU, in the image and likeness of God.
YOU have created the rest, through the power God has given you. God created
the process of life and life itself as you know it. Yet God gave you free
choice, to do with life as you will.
In this sense, YOUR WILL FOR YOU IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU.
You are living your life the way you are living your life, and I HAVE NO
PREFERENCE IN THE MATTER.
This is the grand illusion in which you have engaged: that God cares one way
or the other what you do.
I do not care what you do, and that is hard for you to hear. Yet do you care
what your children do when you send them out to play? Is it a matter of
consequence to you whether they play tag, or hide and seek, or pretend? No
it is not, because you know they are perfectly safe. You have placed them in
an environment which you consider friendly and very okay.
Of course, you will always hope that they do not HURT themselves. And if
they do, you will be right there to help them, heal them, allow them to feel
safe again, to be happy again, to go and play again another day. But whether
they choose hide and seek or pretend will not matter to you the next day,
either.
You will tell them, of course, which games are dangerous to play. But you
cannot stop your children from doing dangerous things. Not always. Not
forever. Not in every moment from now until death. It is the wise parent who
knows this. Yet the parent never stops CARING about the OUTCOME. It is this
dichotomy-- not caring deeply about the process, but caring deeply about the
result-- that comes close to describing the dichotomy of God.
Yet God, in a sense, does not even care about the outcome. Not the ULTIMATE
OUTCOME. This is because the ultimate outcome is assured.
And this is the second great illusion of man: that the outcome of life is in
doubt.
It is this doubt about the ultimate outcome that has created your greatest
enemy, which is fear. For if you doubt outcome, then you must doubt
Creator-- you must DOUBT GOD. And if you doubt God, you must live in fear
and guilt all your life.
If you doubt God's intentions-- and God's ability to produce this ultimate
result, then how can you ever relax? How can you ever truly find peace?
Yet God has FULL power to match intentions with results. You cannot and will
not believe in this (even though you claim that God is all-powerful), and so
you have to create in your imagination a POWER EQUAL TO GOD, in order that
you may find a way for GOD'S WILL TO BE THWARTED. And so you have created in
your mythology the being you call "devil." You have even imagined a God at
WAR with this being (thinking that God solves problems the way you
do). Finally, you have actually imagined that God could lose this war.
ALL THIS VIOLATES EVERYTHING YOU SAY YOU KNOW ABOUT GOD, BUT THIS DOESN'T
MATTER. YOU LIVE YOUR ILLUSION, AND THUS FEEL YOUR FEAR, ALL OUT OF YOUR
DECISION TO DOUBT GOD.
But what if you made a new decision? What then would be the result?
I tell you this: you would live as Buddha did. As Jesus did. As did every
saint you have ever idolized.
Yet, as with most of these saints, people would not understand you. And when
you tried to explain your sense of peace, your joy in life, your inner
ecstasy, they would listen to your words, but not hear them. They would try
to repeat your words, but would add to them.
they would wonder how you could have what they cannot find. And then they
would grow jealous. Soon jealousy would turn to rage, and in their anger
they would try to convince you that it is YOU who do not understand God.
And if they were unsuccessful at tearing you from your joy, they would seek
to harm you, so enormous would be their rage. And when you told them it does
not matter, that even death cannot interrupt your joy, nor change your
truth, they would surely KILL you. Then, when they saw the peace with which
you accepted death, they would call you a saint, and love you again.
--
Echoes of Peter Pumpkinhead dancing in my head? These books are, in my
humble opinion, incredible and revolutionary. They remind me of Andy, John
Lennon, and many others. They effortlessly offer heaping helpings of
positive messages, inspiring thoughts, and challenging ideas, as hopefully
the above excerpt has illustrated in a tiny way.
I've seen on here where some people say, "Why don't you keep your beliefs to
your self, God and religion is a very personal thing." And my response as to
why I'm writing all this is because I think it's a kick-ass perspective, one
that stands in direct opposition to viewpoints (including, possibly your
own) that tell you 1) you can't be and do anything in life you desire; and
2) that you need to be fearful of what eternity holds in store for you.
I will gladly offer up opposition to these perspectives myself, but I'm
recommending the books because they do a great job of it, answer just about
every doubt or question I could think of concerning God and many that I've
never thought of, and they're already written, so you can go to your
bookstore and own them permanently for yourself so you don't have to listen
to me go on and on. I have a brain of my own and I'm in no way a blind
follower of anything. On the contrary, these books have been an extremely
pleasant and unusual experience -- a body of work that I can't really argue
with or find fault in, that I can't help but get very jazzed about and enjoy
completely -- like my greatest XTC records! That to me is info that's too
good to keep a secret (just as we recommend XTC to all our friends) so there
you go. Hope someone got some enjoyment out of this, I wish you all a
wonderful week, amigos. OK, got to do some other stuff, talk to you all
soon. Best, Will
NON "DEAR GOD" CHALKHILLERS, I'M DONE, YOU'RE SAFE TO RESUME READING HERE.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK.
For everyone: I have two new music shows up, both of which (of course)
feature XTC and other mighty, mighty music of many kinds in delicious,
melt-in-your- mouth mixes. The address remains:
http://come.to/theblissroad
Dig in and enjoy! Best, Will
------------------------------ From: WillJ4comm@aol.com Message-ID: <e99e14f.35b29393@aol.com> Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 20:47:14 EDT Subject: great posts Randy Hiatt wrote: >>Heres my approach to getting someone into XTC: After I have done a complete psychological evaluation I determine what "flavor" of music they perfer (XTC has something for anyone/any age). I start with the latest CD (NonSuch) and go backwards, because they are getting better with each release<< I snipped most of this, but just wanted to say thanks to Randy, this was a great read! Then if that wasn't enough, Harrison Sherwood contributed this bit of brilliance: >>Karl's citing of "No Language in Our Lungs" in #112 prompted me to dig out "Black Sea" and give it a spin. I had some thoughts. What can I say? I confess I've always misunderstood this song...<< Snipped again for space reasons, but what an insightful, intriguing, kick-ass post, I relished every moment of your dissection of NLIOL! One question: I missed the previous post about this, on what list (and what was the topic of the list) did the song appear? Thanks to everyone who keeps this list sooo good, its one of my favorite daily reads. Best, Will the internet music show of great music (which then, by definition, must feature xtc, of course!) http://come.to/theblissroad
------------------------------ From: MPadg@aol.com Message-ID: <5d7bb1f4.35b29a12@aol.com> Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 21:14:57 EDT Subject: works on every level "Stormy Monday" said: >We agreed that: >1) Andy may be the "Mozart" of the 20th century. >2) His songs are perfect. They work on every level. They are >simultaneously complex and simple. >3) He is a synthesis of Lennon and McCartney. He has it all. The >melody, the musicianship, the voice, the lyrics, the wit, all of it. I've been contemplating why I like XTC so much better than everything else, and I think the above statement captures it pretty well. XTC "works on every level" because you can sit back and enjoy the tune, or focus on any component and find interest. Their music has it "all". Here's my list of the components of "all". A wise man once told me that the secret to creating enjoyable music was striking the proper balance between the expected and the unexpected. You have to learn to like a challenging piece through repeated listening, whereas repeated listening of a trivial piece is torture (see previous post regarding Fly Like an Eagle 47 times). One of the appeals to pop music is that it provides a set of rules that makes it immediately familiar to the listener. The pop genius can create interest by departing from the standard. The magic of XTC is that they strike the balance so perfectly. The wise man's rule of thumb was that if you increase the complexity or "unexpectedness" of one musical componant, then you should simplify the others (this also applies to home decorating) so your end product is not a clutter. XTC manages to add complexity to each musical componant without creating the clutter, which allows the listener to sing along with a catchy pop tune or say "where the hell did they come up with that bass line". The other amazing thing is that each album is as "unexpected" as the last. The list: MELODY: This speaks for itself; The greatest genius in music is writing a catchy tune that doesn't become tiresome. Amazing that they do it with such consistency. HARMONY: meaning chord progressions. I love a good progression or a well placed chord. The climax of That Wave, just before the guitar solo, gives me chills. SONG STRUCTURE. That's what makes it pop. Can anyone name a song where they played the hook one too many times? ARRANGEMENT: This one's a little harder to define. It would include the instrumentation and voicings -what you might call the "parts" (the bass part, the drum part, etc). RHYTHM: I think there are two aspects to this. There is the intellectually interesting rhythm aspect and the make-you-want-to-shake-your-booty aspect. A song that has both shakes me donkey up. LYRICS: Obvious. Although I would enjoy the music even with mediocre lyrics. MUSICIANSHIP: It don't work if in ain't executed. Sometimes musicianship is enough in itself. I once saw Airto play an unaccompanied tambourine solo that was impressive in the same way that a really good juggler is. He was followed by Jaco, who makes my point double. I'm contemplating whether Sound Texture belongs with arrangement, musicianship or on it's own. A cheezy synth sound can kill a song. A beautiful violin sound can bring tears to my eyes. Adrian Belew's guitar sound on "Big Electric Cat" is astounding. I would listen to a recording of him just sustaining chords with that sound. Anyway, that's my how-do-I-love-XTC-let-me-count-the-ways. Marcus "the eagle has landed" Padgett <-> Click here to be saved <-> Click here for John sucks/Paul sucks <-> Click here for who really killed Peter Pumpkinhead <-> Click here for West Ham update <-> Click here to download AVI file of Harrison & Dom on celebrity wrestling. <-> Click here and a libertarian will explain to you why the US postal service should be privatized.
------------------------------ From: "Peter Dresslar" <pdresslar@worldnet.att.net> Subject: Re: BNL Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 22:56:15 -0400 Message-Id: <19980720024940.DINF17300@default> > From: "J & J Greaves" <jgreaves@rapidnet.net> > > Re: Ben Gott's post on Barenaked Ladies LP Stunt. > > Yes these boys are fans of XTC. I heard a CBC radio interview with Ed > Robertson , guitarist and songwriter, at the time their second lp Maybe You > Should Drive was released. Ed mentioned a song called Life in A Nutshell > and said the guitar part was an effort to emulate an XTC guitar style, and > that he'd recently discovered XTC and thought they were excellent. I have long been a BNL fan - they are fantastic live - but I feel compelled to mention that I am very disappointed (with occasional exceptions) with _Stunt_. Fans of XTC seeking to purchase like-minded music will be, I suspect, less than thrilled with _Stunt_. Sounds more like a Blues Traveler album than an XTC one. regards, peter
------------------------------
From: DBMEIER0@wcc.com
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 01:56:37 -0600
Message-Id: <000CAF29.1586@wcc.com>
Subject: There is No Laptop in Our Lounge
Harrison,
There may be no language in our lungs, or muscle in our tongues, but
you are blessed with boxcar loads of each in your fingers.
I fear I have already deleted the last issue, and I plain can't be
bothered to look it up in the archive so I will paraphrase from my
sieve-like (simile), rusty-steel-trap of a memory (hmm, metaphor?).
I believe you posed a question that went something like:
>When, and how did Andy get clobbered by the linguistic limp dick?
(no, really, I read your post just this afternoon, and I'm sure it
went something like that).
Well sir, I don't have the answer, but...
There is this book that I keep hearing about, a collaboration by the
group and renowned scholar Lord Nelson Ploughman, which, It's
publishers claim, goes over each xtc song in detail. Perhaps this
language mystery will be addressed. By the way Harrison, wouldn't this
make a succulent subject for your next Ph.D. dissertation (how many
degrees would that be now - surely more than any average pair of
trousers could contain).
Dan - what the hell is my last na.. oh yeah! - Semaphore
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <596ade23.35b32540@aol.com> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 07:08:47 EDT Subject: You'd think that people would have had enough of Paul McCartney >(sung to the tune of Silly Love Songs) >verse >You think that people would have had enough of Paul MCCartney >But I look around me and I see it isn't so (OH, NO!) >Some people want to fill the world with Paul McCartney >What's wrong with them, I'd like to know, 'cause there he goes again! >chorus >I hate Paul... I hate Paul >bridge >He writes his songs in a minute. >Sometimes he doesn't write at all. >If Chapman understood "A Bullet" >He would have blown away Paul. ====== >...kindly respond privately about how you can't take a joke. >Cheers, Richard Hilarious and irreverent, except a band from Boston called The Swinging Erudites came up with that about ten years ago. It starts off the same way as yours, then it veers crazily into a parody of the B-52's "Rock Lobster" with lines like "Look, it's Linda/She's a dog with wings!"(huh?)From there they go on to skewer John with "Picture yourself killing time in a studio/Trying to stretch this album to LP size/Somebody calls you, says you're out of money/Did I mention Vanna White's thighs?" Their one album is worth checking out, if you don't offend easily; kind of what Weird Al Yankovic would be like if he were more like Howard Stern. They also take the piss out of Jon Bon Jovi(richly deserved), The Bangles, The Shangri-Las, yuppies, New York City, surf music and Frankie and Annette and Jim and Tammi Bakker(all in the same song!), and a "Yesterday" medley that's worth the price of the album by itself. Chris
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <33701008.35b3253c@aol.com> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 07:08:43 EDT Subject: Re: Hey Hey >Here's something new: who was a better songwriter - Micky Dolenz >or Davy Jones??? Peter Tork or Michael Nesmith??? I guess my point is, who >cares who was a better songwriter - didn't they, as a group, turn out some >of the greatest pop music ever?!?!?!?!? Actually(I'll assume this is a serious question, though I suspect it's not), Mike Nesmith was quite a good songwriter; at least 90% of the band's originals were written by him. None of them were hits, I don't think, but the Stone Poneys (fronted by a very young and pretty Linda Ronstadt) had a top 20 hit with his song "Different Drum," and he recorded about six solo albums in the 70's that were very well-written country rock type stuff, sort of similar to The Byrds circa Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. As for the rest, Peter Tork was a folkie who played in short-lived folk-rock bands with future members of The Mamas And The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful, but was at best mediocre as a songwriter(as evidenced by his lackluster contributions to Monkees reunion albums(one of which I picked up for a couple of dollars in a garage sale, so I know of which I speak). Davy Jones wrote a couple of sort of show-tuney things for the Monkees that are even lamer. Mickey had the sense to not try to be a writer as far as I know; he just played drums on much the Monkees stuff, sang most of their best rockers, and acquited himself quite well as an actor in their rather odd movie "Head." He also is responsible for the only listenable moments on the reunion album I have (from 1987; it's called Pool It, and Nesmith wisely chose not to participate); he drums and sings on a quite good cover of Wreckless Eric's "I'd Go The Whole Wide World," along with a couple of ordinary but not disgraceful rockers by unknown professional songwriters. Chris
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 08:10:51 -0500 From: Rick Avard <avari@internetmci.com> Subject: Jules Verne's Sketchbook Message-id: <000701bdb3e0$4999bbe0$1a2b37a6@ricka> Hey folks, I've got an original copy of Jules Verne's Sketchbook that I'd like to sell or trade. It's tape #36. Please e-mail me privately if you're interested. Also, have there been any details put out about the 4-CD box set of BBC sessions, like a track listing or anything??? What is the exact release date??? If anyone knows any specifics about the box set, please post them!!!! THANKS.
------------------------------ From: "Damian Foulger" <damian@ceolasers.com> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 08:31:06 -0500 Subject: Time signatures. Message-Id: <19980720082609.fc0975c0.in@ceo.ceolasers.com> Can some knowledgable Chalkhillian ( and I know that there are a lot out there ) inform me about tie signatures. I know what 4/4 and 3/4 are ( accentented beat every 4 and 3 notes ), but 5/4, 13/8, 28/4.5 really confuse me. Please email me PRIVATELY (damian@ceolasers.com) and I will summerise and post the result because I'm sure that others would like to know too. Dames tWd * ------------------------------------------------ 'People will always wipe their feet on anything with welcome written on it.' - AP
------------------------------
Message-ID: <35B34530.91AE5870@yha.att.ne.jp>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 22:25:04 +0900
From: Colin Seditas <cseditas@yha.att.ne.jp>
Subject: Why I'm not upset.
Regarding Olof Hellman's question:
how do you feel when, for example, in "Deliver us from the Elements", a
deity is addressed straightforwardly. Does that song mean any less to you
because you don't believe in God?
For better or worse, most of the artistic and legal /governmental
institutions and achievements in the 'western world' over the past two
thousand years have had something to do with the god thing (in it's
'roman' and reaction vs. the roman guises).
It follows, that regardless of whether a person believes in the
substance of that kind of thing, these are metaphors and stories that
are shared and used by believers and non-believers alike.
Besides, non-believers would often say that God (and other gods) are
just metaphors and symbols for various other things in life. For a song,
or poem, or painting (or whatever) to key in to these metaphors is no
problem. When I say "God help me!", I am not on my knees with my hands
clasped together.
Colin S.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <304D2C3DF164D111827200600837841F28EB39@einstein.moneystar.com> From: Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com> Subject: "Colin is a god" Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 09:15:13 -0500 If "Colin is a god" as Randy Hiatt stated in Chalkhills #4-114, was Andy penning a letter to his own bandmate when he wrote "Dear God"? Let's consider this for a moment... perhaps that explains why Dave Gregory left the band. Jill Oleson oleson@moneystar.com Austin, Texas
------------------------------ Message-Id: <TFSLKHYU@ubk.net>> From: Jonathan Monnickendam <monnickj@ubk.net> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 14:26:36 +0000 Subject: WAR CRIMES Yes, the Specials' very wonderful War Crimes is in 5/4, the first, last and best 10" single (?). As well as most of the output of East Europe, especially the Balkans where they use even wierder time signatures so remember that before you ask someone out. All this God stuff I always think that the key about any religion/set of religious beliefs is how it deals with evil. This is more telling than the awe for a supreme being. As an example, what input did God have in ending the lives of those 3 Quinn boys in N Ireland. Always beats me For a historical slant you might want to read Peter Stansford's the Devil. What ever Supreme being is I am sure he/she/it must be chuffed to be share Chalkhills with talk about the dualist issue about the supreme group, Lennon and McCartney. Religion & JLBorges Get happy ? No, get Labyrnths because there are great short stories on the importance of heresy and on the various interpretations of Judas, ultimate shit or ultimate inside trader, the only guy who understood. Ian Dahlberg & Collecting Collab tracks My e-mails to you were returned. It sounds good to me to me. I have the Cathy Dennnis, Tony Hall and Slapp Happy varities so if you want to swap them for the Nicky Holland let me know. The chalkhill man visits Australia Anyone like RogerOz want to claim responsibility for the outline of a massive man recently drawn and spotted in the outback ? adeus jon In the cd player the bbc sessions by Can * --------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed are of the individual, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The United Bank of Kuwait PLC. * ---------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 18:17:23 +0100 Message-Id: <VA.0000012b.01e217b9@champies400.empire-interactive.com> Subject: ER & other odd times From: Richard Horrocks <champie@fat.compulink.co.uk> Organization: Cunning Developments Nobody's (yet) mentioned the Lalo Sciffren Mission Impossible theme, which is kind of in 5/4, though it seems to break down into 3/8, 3/8, 2/4. BTW, To Todd: Are you suggesting the only difference between n/4 and n/8 songs are the speed? (Sorry if that sounds like a slur, it's a genuine question.) As well as having quite a few odd/mixed time signatures, how about songs that wrong-foot you over the main beat, such as the drum intro to "Mayor of Simpleton" and the most of "Millions"?
------------------------------ Message-ID: <7792192DE506D2119A6100A024F0274A02C1BF@PIMAIL> From: Paul <Paul@pi-design.com> Subject: Tock and stuff Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 18:59:52 +0100 In #4-115 Joseph Ierano said: >Regarding the album "Tock": Someone mentioned it was "xtc with a >Californian accent" Mmmmm... Me! Thanks for reading my paltry comment. >Yes, Tock is about as similar to XTC as White Music is to Nonsuch. Er, what? I understand what you're trying to say there but as you may (but I doubt) remember from posts passim I like the "newer" stuff more than the punk era machinations... are you proclaiming White Music as a superior product? Have at you, Sir! >ie: sorry cant agree. I dont think Tock comes near any XTC disc I didn't say that. Tock's good but *not* XTC. Most of the tracks satisfied my particular thirst for subtle and quirky music and I felt that it would appeal to a large section of C'hillians. I started to right a big rant against religions to "contribute" to the Dear God cause, but I changed my mind as all it would do was: a. Give the christians something to feel more smug about as they think up nice circular logics to negate any arguments I may have. Remember atheists, you'll never win an argument against a belief system because a sufficiently evolved system, such as Judeo-christianism, always allows for the existence of non-believers. b. Piss off everyone else who has strong feelings but enough presence to keep quiet Paul "I want a job in the mountains" Stratford
------------------------------
From: btm@ns1.mindmagic.com
Message-ID: <35B34D0A.6A97@ns1.mindmagic.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 14:58:37 +0100
Subject: Re: Yoko
Tschalkgerz!
>Okay, bring on the flames, but here are my opinions:
1) I love Yoko. (Anybody out there who seriously likes Trout Mask
Replica should give Yoko's solo albums a listen.)
2) Paul blows.
3) John was shot. I don't think he had a say in that.
4) George still owns "The Best Beatle Solo Album" award. (All Things
Must Pass, of course.)
BUT PLEASE BEAR IN MIND all of this is irrelevant anyway, since XTC is
the REAL reason God/Mermaids gave us ears.
-Brian<
OK, let's just remember that I'm the Brian who uses the headache-causing
opening line as you see above ("Tschalkgerz"), and not this fella here
who's liable to cause trouble, and get me blamed for it. :-)
Same name spelling, and all that... ;-)
I may have caused some commotion here before, but I won't go near the
Beatles.
And I've heard Yoko's stuff... is that spelled T-R-O-U-T M-A-S-K R-E...
-Tschalkger Brian, Bradenton Brian, WHATever...
------------------------------ From: Melsta@aol.com Message-ID: <3ca9a7f9.35b395c8@aol.com> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 15:08:55 EDT Subject: Joyce: personal request >From: Robert Wood <wobbit@bigfoot.com> > >No need to spend a hundred bucks if it's not released in the States. If >anyone wanted a copy I'm sure there would be many of us Brits who would >accept a cheque from you and then post it over to you. I know i'd be more >than happy to help out. Well, that's a mighty big statement, might nice of you, you woscally wobbit, but are there any Irish-folk out there who would help me get the currency note with James Joyce on it? My husband is both a collector of foreign paper and iron (and none too pleased about this euro business, I can tell you!) and an eminent Joyce scholar whose eminence is in no way diminished by the fact that he's never had a damn thing published!! I'd thought to e-mail directly a known Irish person, but maybe there's someone out there, and I have no way of judging who, so I'll just bug you all at once, who would actually LIKE to get US currency in return (I'll send you a twenty, tho Garfield's not much of a looker), or who has a particular commodity in mind from the US of A that he or she would value at the 10 pounds I believe contain the visage of the bespectaled Lark of the Liffey. I prithee e-mail me privately, as I do believe I've taken up more than enough bandwidth now as it is. Yes, yes, I said yes I have, yes. --Melissa (or should that be Mollyssa??) Reaves
------------------------------ From: R.Crawford@mgn.co.uk Message-ID: <80256647.0065748A.00@mgnmail3.mgn.co.uk> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 20:44:06 +0100 Subject: No more doG talk please ! Hmm, I ain't said anything for a while so: Non XTC news is that The Church (seem to be running a parallel course to XTC career wise) have also teamed up with Cooking Vinyl for their next release. XTC Stuff: All this talk of off time signatures, it's worth wondering when they first turned up on XTC tracks. Along with the un-usual time sigs, the odd notes (particularly bass lines)that wouldn't normally be normally associated with key that the song is in. Also the parallel of Andy and Colins writing styles. Nope theres no realy point at all though the 1st 2 points seems to appear around D&W and Dave G's appearence in the lineup. As for 3 possibly Colin left in 79 and the Colin we know is simply an actor wheeled in as required (it's all a bit too John & Paul isn't it). Possibly Colin wrote Dear doG in 79 and God wiped his songwriting ability in retribution. Dave Gregory seems to look younger now than he did in 79/80, anybody else agree ? It's all very strange really. On another point (how can there be another when I havn't made one in the 1st place): XTC made use of alter egos, I most of the stuff released was a bit too XTC like (too clever basically) and the example of Vindaloo (basically by Blur) hitting no 2 in the UK charts is a prime example of being able to earn cash under an assumed name, and most of the buyers would never have considered buying a Blur single because the song was real dumb. Thanks for Christmas (for example) was way too classy to ever be a hit single. Theres parts of the song around; "It's nearer, children's eyes shine clearer now" and also "It's dawning, Santa's reindeer yawning now" That to me sum up the way that christmas used to feel as a child. I remember AP was interviewed at the time and stated that he loved christmas time but disliked the commerciality and the Jesus bit. After all the christians mugged the pagans for most of the festival dates, christmas, new year, easter and a few others. The Celtic cross is also another example to convert us Celts (AP has the right accent to be included as one of us by us big hearted Celts as one of our own) Well they worship the moon why don't we strap a moon onto a cross and see if they will follow that (and what's worse they bloody well did eventually). However most people would rather hear Slade or Band Aid at christmas while getting pissed as farts at the office party. Wrapped in Grey is another song it took a long time for me to like. But it's perfect (along with the demo version of Your Dictionary). However the only way to XTC would ever have had a hit with Wrapped in Grey was to get Elton John or Celene Dion to fucking murder the song, then the great unwashed would buy it. Ditch the subtle bits, coat it in schmaltz (summed up so well by Crowded House on the track Chocolate Cake), and get a music biz personality to over play the sentiment the in the foreground and instant hit. >From: "goldwing" <goldwing@clara.net> >Subject: The world is full of angry young men >I`ve recently bought Rag & Bone Buffet and I`m really enjoying it but I cant >help noticing the similarity between `the world is full of angry young men` >and Steely Dan circa Katy Lied/Countdown to ecstasy. I dont remember >reading that Colin or Andy said they were ever influenced by Steely Dan, but >then maybe I got it all wrong! Dave G was (and I assume still is) a big Steely Dan fan, he certainly stated that the intro to Towers of London was directly influenced by them. Though I havn't noticed the van Halen influences ;) >From: Peter Fitzpatrick <peterfit@MICROSOFT.com> >Subject: Idea for Box Set... >(geddit ? "idea for box set" ??) Unfortunitly yes ! ;) >Do any of our UK based Chalkheads know where chart-return music-stores are? >If so : if any of you want to volunteer to purchase CDs on behalf of US >Chalkheads and mail them... >then surely the returns will register and hopefully create a bit of movement >for the Box Set in the UK charts ? Yeah I know a couple in town. >Anyone volunteering ??? I'd be prepared to buy from the UK if I thought it >would make a difference at all. (even though it'll be widely available here >in the metropolis that is Dublin..) Well if the release date coinsides to any installs I have to do in Dublin no problem! >From: Mitch Friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> >Subject: Dave's cut of the new album >Dave told me that he decided he does not want any royalties or payment for >what he did on the new album(s) but will be receiving royalties from the >entire back catalog that he played on. From Daves comment about the lack of his contribution that was used it's no real surprise I suppose. Still I suppose it let's us know where the chances of everybody kissing & making up really stands :( I suppose it means that next years alternative 12th of July concert in Belfast I hoped for is now sinking fast. Lineup (XTC, Penn & Teller, NIN, Maralyn Manson and The Dukes (their 1st ever gig)), surely even AP would have appeared onstage to annoy so many bigots and fundamentalist hypocrites.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <72EDB966944AD1118DC90080D820748847C200@ex-campus2> From: "Pedretti-Allen, Richard (Richard)" Subject: Ted Lee = SPIT! Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 12:55:26 -0700 Chuckies, As promised, the person who signs up to contribute to a Chalkhills' Children tribute and bags out with nary a notice or even a post-deadline apology gets hung out to dry on the digest. I'm not happy about doing this... I'm don't get pleasure in dissing someone... I also don't find many redeeming qualities in people that I count on to be good on their word and then flake out. I need to show that I am serious about this project and if you're going to bail out without notice (thereby preventing anyone else from getting in), you'd better be prepared for me and anyone else who feels the urge to peel your skin off and roll you in rock salt. There are a lot of people who would have loved to get the chance to contribute to CC98. When someone simply doesn't supply their tape nor tell me that they won't be able to contribute, they effectively cheat those who stood a chance to get on. In the future, with the use of a "lottery" system for selecting contributors, EVERYONE who doesn't get on was potentially screwed by the likes of some well-intentioned divot who didn't bother to say, "I can't get it done." or "I need a little more time." Even with ONE DAY notice, I could have worked it out by posting that any Chalkhillbilly that already has a track done could FedEx it to me and get it on the tribute. Two days after the tape was due, I sent an email. This particular dud sent back unrelated email garbage. I replied clarifying my position. The next email I received (13 days later) is one advertising his band's gig! Here is a brave man! With logic like, "Hey, I jerked you around via the impartial medium of email, so come to my gig and meet me in person!", who can argue? The person who did this to CC98 was Ted Lee. Ted's band "The Flinch" has some pretty lofty reviews on their website about the great pop their producing. This only made me want his contribution more. Ted did nothing productive. The tape will be shorter due to Ted. Ted's email address is "racerwholesale@mindspring.com" just in case you have an opinion that you'd like to share with him personally. Ted, you have done us a disservice... but as they say in show business, "Break A Leg!" Some of us may mean it. Richard
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #4-116 *******************************
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