Chalkhills Digest Volume 4, Issue 20
Date: Saturday, 1 November 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 4, Number 20
Saturday, 1 November 1997
Today's Topics:
My Dream Is You (and IDEA too)
Re: Senses and self deprecation and lack of XTC CDs
What Zoot Suits You
which demos for new album
XTC under investigation
From the John Linnell chat...
Re: ball 'n' chain and a couple of other things
They were a splendid live band
<no xtc> strong guitars
Bridge - Middle 8 - confused - you will be
RE: Don Quixote and Odyssey & Oracle
Punch and Judy - point of order
Hello Records songs
I'm getting stared at right now.....
Amazing Coincidences
A map to better bridgebuilding
drummer
Guitars Guet Guirls
French Trombone Solo
a little quickie
Boom-da-da-boom
New drummer
Andy's 95 demo tape anyone?
Turn Around
One hand washes the other
Administrivia:
In case you haven't noticed, the recent free-for-all in Chalkhills
has forced me to take a slightly more active role here.
To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command:
unsubscribe chalkhills
For all other administrative issues, send a message to:
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>
Please remember to send your Chalkhills postings to:
<chalkhills@chalkhills.org>
World Wide Web: <http://chalkhills.org/>
The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
Chalkhills is digested with Digest 3.5 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>).
And all the grownups try to drag her down.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <v03010d01b07eb294fbc6@[128.148.19.59]> Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 17:30:36 -0500 From: Gene Yoon <Gene_Yoon@brown.edu> Subject: My Dream Is You (and IDEA too) My monitor had a short and derived my computer (and email) completely useless for two months. It was blissful, but boy did I miss the big headlines! Along with my new A/V 15" I get news of the impending re-return of XTC. Nothing short of wonderful. I know this was probably mentioned, but can anyone tell me about the other musicians slated to be on the new IDEA label? Though my Mac was on vacation, the music did not stop. I've been very lucky. The last three CD's I bought, all extrememly different, were each purchased based on one song I heard on the radio (DANGEROUS!), but all three turned out to be hands-down winners: Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance", The Sundays "Static & Silence", and April Barrows "My Dream Is You". The last being the most obscure, I'd describe "My Dream Is You" (1996, Kokopelli Records) as modern-day romantic sentiments set to 30's/40's/50's-style jazz and blues, most songs originals penned by Barrows herself, who has a milky-sweet voice and an awesome band backing her up. If you're finding that "The Big Express" just doesn't muster the right atmosphere for a romantic post-date interlude, bring April home. You won't regret it. >A >M >A >N >D >A I'm no MD, but a few months of lithium or Zoloft is probably all it will take.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199710302135.NAA00005@mailsun2.us.oracle.com> Date: 30 Oct 97 12:35:52 -0800 From: "Ekrem Soylemez" <ESOYLEME@us.oracle.com> Subject: Re: Senses and self deprecation and lack of XTC CDs In Chalkhills Digest #4-18 Pete wrote >> The 'hey hey clouds are...' is definitely the verse bit. Duh. >> The 'and all the world is...' is what I would call the >> pre-chorus, >> with the '1-2-3-4-5' bit being the actual chorus. >> The 'And birds might fall from black skies' would be the >> bridge. That's how I always think of it, too, not that I am a songwriting heavy at all. But somehow your listing of the parts and mild allusions to the content made me rush over to the CD player for another listen. Ahhhh. And Catherine Sweeney wrote >> This is pretty piss poor XTC content. I do apologise. Not at all, Cath! It was one of the best reads I have had in a while! Beautifully written. :-) And on a note all my own... A friend recently lent me a bunch of CDs of hers, which I kept for about a month. Ok, maybe two. After that, it came time to return the favor. She, being a woman of good taste, asked for some XTC. In a ferver of zeal I lent her the whole lot (except UD, since all those songs are elsewhere, too). Ack! Now 3 weeks later I have not had a listen to any XTC besides UD... Maybe I should go repurchase them all. :-) -Ekrem
------------------------------ From: Cottard@aol.com Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 19:10:39 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <971030190853_-1863079412@emout08.mail.aol.com> Subject: What Zoot Suits You Rate the Zoot demos! Here's how: In an E-mail message to me, list the Zoot demos (i.e., the candidates for the next XTC album) which you have heard. Give your favorite demo a "10". Give your least favorite a "0". Then rate the in-betweeners. It's that simple! Comments: 1) Worry not about rating a demo "0" or "10"! We're ranking the new demos against one another, not against Hootie or earlier XTC. 2) Worry not if you haven't heard all the new demos. Just rate the ones you know. 3) Send me an E-mail within a week of this Chalkhills. I'll post the results in a week. Thanks! [ Please send your messages DIRECTLY to <Cottard@aol.com>. Do not send them to Chalkhills. Thank you. -- Ed. ]
------------------------------ From: Jdmack01@aol.com Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 20:05:34 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <971030200533_2002708652@mrin41.mail.aol.com> Subject: which demos for new album Long time, no post! I've been reading everyone's opinion on which demos should make the new album and which shouldn't. I've been most surprised by the general consensus that "River Of Orchids" should make the cut. I actually like this song, but I don't think it's strong enough to be on the album, mainly because the backing music is so minimalistic. Andy sets up a cool orchestral pattern, and then repeats it over and over and over and over, with only slight variations. Also, I have a problem with the lyrics. Andy's sentiment is that the world would be a better place if we got rid of automobiles. While I will agree that this could produce a lot of positive benefits, there are other factors to take into consideration before you turn all the roads into gardens. One is that without roads, you can't have trucks, and without trucks, your life and my life would be VERY different. Andy would most likely not have the equipment to record his wonderful demos if a truck hadn't delivered it to his shed. I'll leave it up to your imaginations as to what you would have to do without in Andy's Utopia. The second surprise to me is the mass appeal of "Church Of Women." I can't help but smile when I hear this song, because on one shallow level, I can see a video for this song where Andy is on all fours with a dog collar on being whipped by a dominatrix. It does have a great guitar solo! Quick observation: the guitar break in "Wonder Annual" reminds me a lot of Adrian Belew, and the snare drum that follows sounds a bit like something Bill Bruford would do. In fact, the aforementioned guitar solo in "Church Of Women" has a disregard for standard rhythm that reminds me a lot of Robert Fripp. I know that Adrian and Pat visited Andy when King Crimson was touring in England. could there be a connection? The one song that I actually hope doesn't make the album is "I Can't Own Her." I'm not saying this song isn't beautiful, because it is, but Andy has already done "Pale & Precious" and "Chalkhills And Children." The critics would use this as an excuse to rip the whole album, in my opinion. The one song that seems to meet the absolutely positively standard is "Easter Theatre." I think everyone is in agreement on that one. No matter which songs amke the new album (and I'm going to call it "Fred"), I hope Andy puts out a companion CD of all the demos. He had planned on doing that for "Nonsuch," but as we all know, that fell through. It would make everyone on this list exceedingly happy, and would provide a second source of income for the lads. J.D. Mack visit http://members.aol.com/jdmack
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 17:51:02 +0000 Subject: XTC under investigation Message-ID: <19971030.175150.8678.8.adamette@juno.com> From: adamette@juno.com (Patrick M Adamek) In Chalkhills #4-18, Rob Hill wrote: > XTC as a live band is a great metaphor for their post-concert music. > They don't reach out to include you. You have to enter their world and > investigate, armed with headphones and a lyric sheet, and frequently an > encyclopedia. Thank you for this comment. I asked the question "Why is XTC not as popular as they should be?" (In relation to the underqualified and whiny Oasis) a few issues ago and really wanted a way to express my frustration in XTC not getting more respect (and...O.K.....money) that would equal what they have meant to me as a music fan. The above is actually quite good. As I have tried to turn on 100s of people to XTC over the past 8 years, they all pretty much had that same response...."You have to try too hard to understand what they're saying" (said with a whiny voice like someone with their nose plugged up). I can recall reaching for the CD booklet many times (and once a thesaurus) as my victim (?) strains to understand the lyrics. What I love about XTC is that yes...the lyrics are worth investigating and understanding, but the beat, the melody and the energy are simultaneaously enough to keep me listening! What I've concluded is that myself and other XTC fans care enough about the material to give that effort. I suppose others don't want that much out of their music. Go Go2 P
------------------------------
Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19971030223006.006a3d90@130.127.28.14>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 22:30:06 -0500
From: Adam Tyner <ctyner@clemson.edu>
Subject: From the John Linnell chat...
Straight from John Linnell (of TMBG)'s chat on People Online:
Bentrumble presents the speakers with question #107 from Mike_wood:
Have you gotten any feedback from Andy Partridge regarding the song "XTC
Vs. Adam Ant"?
John_linnell says, "I haven't heard anything. Flans was in touch with him
when he contributed his "Hello" CD. I hope he took it the right way."
/----=========================================================----\
http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/
The home of He-Man, "Weird Al", Yoo-Hoo, Killer Tomatoes, and more!
ctyner@awod.com O- MiSTie #67,326
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 00:05:57 -0600 (CST) From: Marshall Joseph Armintor <mojo@owlnet.rice.edu> Subject: Re: ball 'n' chain and a couple of other things Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.971030233513.12083A-100000@long-eared.owlnet.rice.edu> ](Anybody ever comment on the similarity between the opening strains of ]"Getting Better" and "Ball and Chain"? I'm sure it's a "quote" thing, ]not a "ripoff" thing.) Yes -- I did, about five months ago. Nobody seemed to find this particularly interesting, or not at least as interesting as I do. Everytime I hear it, I'm brought back to my first XTC experience, listening to ES while cleaning dorm rooms for shitty wages in '89. I don't get the beef with Oasis. Their songs, if derivative, fill a void on the radio left by, say, The Outfield. I also like the fact that the brothers Gallagher can't play a show without getting into fisticuffs, kinda like the Kinks tour of America in the mid-60's. If it brings more people TO the Beatles, great...as long as Whitney Houston, the most wretched singer in the Western world, isn't flooding the airwaves, and Paul Simon, someone I despise for no good reason at all, sticks to writing Broadway musicals I'll never attend, things are okay with the world in my book. marshall n.p. Guided By Voices, _Alien Lanes_ ___________________________________________________________________ Marshall Armintor/mojo@rice.edu/Grad.English Dept. Rice University/ Fondren IT Student Guy x5338 <<Je fixais des vertiges. - Rimbaud>> ____________________________________________________________________
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19971030223120.00688b1c@mcn.org> Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 22:31:20 -0800 From: Jason Kirkman__Carol Kawase <jkirk@mcn.org> Subject: They were a splendid live band Hi, everybody, This is not a flame, but I just had to say something. Rob Hill suggested that maybe: >They were a cruddy live band. (Hold it, put down that brick and >listen for a sec.) Judging from live footage, Andy is spastic and the >others are constipated. I saw XTC perform live twice. Cruddy they were not. I remember their performances as energetic. I saw them open for the Police, and XTC definitely did not pale in comparison. Musically, I remember them playing fabulously. Again, no flame intended. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion. Mine's based on firsthand observation of the genuine article. Others on the list have seen the band live--what have you got to say? Jason K.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <31510B652669CF11BA1D00805F38219E033F8747@DUB-04-MSG> From: Peter Fitzpatrick <peterfit@MICROSOFT.com> Subject: <no xtc> strong guitars Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 01:58:58 -0800 Mr. Relph our wonderful moderator spake thus : >>I must admit that in 25 years of playing guitar I have, in fact, used >>my musical instrument to try to pick up women. John, that's some strong guitar. . . . . Peter
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199710311100.LAA15217@pip.maires.co.uk> From: "Stephen Clarke" <S.Clarke@nopres.co.uk> Organization: NOP Research Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 10:58:11 +0000 Subject: Bridge - Middle 8 - confused - you will be All this talk of song structures has gently nudged me with a large hammer into forwarding my own observations on the subject. Andy P. is a master of songwriting structure. He toys devillishly with the medium. As a songwriter myself of more modest abilites, I have on countless occasions slapped myself on the cranium after listening to an XTC song uttering "Damn I wish I'd thought of that particular melody / lyric / instrumentation / middle 8 / guitar chord I have to break my fingers to play / etc etc". this became more apparent to me recently after I'd spent weeks writing the MIDI file for "chalkhills and children". Usually with most songs, if you pull them to pieces and reconstruct them using computer software, the first thing you notice is how simple they are. with "chalkhills"the reverse was true. There was layer upon layer of musical and structural subtlety. That particular excercise was a truly humbling experience. Back onto the topic of middle 8s - A favourite 'trick' I've noticed AP using is to slow the middle 8 down to half speed and use it as an intro. Two songs that use this device are "respectable street" and "across the antheap". for 'prechorus' or 'build' I've always used 'verse b' (after using 'verse a' for the verse proper. My favourite build / prechorus / verse b is the 'jason and the argonauts' - "seems the more I travel" bit. now back to months of lurking toodle pip Steve C.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199710311026.KAA20218@sys4.cambridge.uk.psi.net> From: Jonathan Monnickendam <monnickj@ubk.net> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 10:24:25 +0000 Subject: RE: Don Quixote and Odyssey & Oracle O what joy ! First we have the 450th anniversary of Miguel Cervantes birth ; what a man, what a book. Then we have the news of a Zombies box set with all sorts of stuff. Their masterpiece, 'odyssey and oracle' is a beaut and similar in feel to petsounds. The earlier stuff has the same sweet gaucheness as gene clark's early stuff such as 'you showed me'. Yippee As for oasis and the beatles i always think of glam rockers (mott the hoople) whenever i hear an oasis anthem. I don't think the beatles were worried about writing that sort of stuff. Noel & Patsy will be doing 'music for two virgins' ? over and out jon PS my babble about BAB and those guitar solos. I think that guitar stuff at the end is not very interesting but sounds worse than it need to because of the unhappy/leaden sound of BAB which is exacerbated by the choice of drummer, a man of no subtlety and whose heavy handed directness adds to the 'so what feeling'. As for following Jerrry Garcia on guitar I think these days it is best done in a canoe. Even easier is on a banjo as JG was a so-so banjo player using a hallucigenic guitar, ironic then that the best selling bluegrass album, old & in the way, has features a banjo player who clutches at the notes rather than going with the flow. Sorry if some of this is is a bit out of date but i am catching up. *---------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed are of the individual, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The United Bank of Kuwait PLC. *----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ From: andy.miller@waterstones.co.uk Message-Id: <TFSJUHVS@waterstones.co.uk> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 12:24:56 +0000 Subject: Punch and Judy - point of order Go and find your copy of Punch and Judy. Play it. After the line "Cos who do we know dear who acts like that?" does Andy sing "Oh-oh-oh-oh!" or "No-wo-wo-one!"? Yours, TOTALLY relevant for once, Andy PS. I know it says "oh-oh-oh-oh!" (or something) in the lyric archive, but I'm not convinced.
------------------------------
Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19971030225148.006a0738@130.127.28.14>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 22:51:48 -0500
From: Adam Tyner <ctyner@clemson.edu>
Subject: Hello Records songs
I recently got a CD in the mail with Andy's 4 songs on Hello Records, and I
was wondering what all of you think about them. :)
TTYL,
-Adam
/----=========================================================----\
http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/
The home of He-Man, "Weird Al", Yoo-Hoo, Killer Tomatoes, and more!
ctyner@awod.com O- MiSTie #67,326
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 08:55:07 -0600 (CST) From: AMANDA CARYL OWENS <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Subject: I'm getting stared at right now..... Message-id: <01IPG8FQ00CO8ZMVZ1@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Maybe it's because I'm the only girl in the library dressed in all black and wearing blue lipstick. Don't ya just love Halloween? Anyhoo, enough of that... Drum roll please....RESPONSE TIME! First off, where did some of my last post go? Some of it was missing, part of the discussion about Colin's bass playing on Letterman, and damnit I can't remember what I said!!!! Simon-Apology gratefully accepted, no harm done. And if XTC ever played in the back of the truck, I think I'd be right on there with them, trying to get my hands on You Know Who. (Yeah, they'd carry me off to the loony bin.) Per-I'm throwing in a short two cents on the vinyl thing....Black Sea sounds better on vinyl, but that's all I'm gonna say. Speaking of that, let me ask a quick question....I recently got English Settlement on vinyl, and was actually a bit puzzled by the running order. The cd's running order made it sound much more..not necessarily coherent, but.... a bit more pieced together. Ending on Snowman was a good idea. But the record ends on All of a Sudden, which was very anti-climactic, IMNSHO. Comments? Charlie-Great idea about XTC being on Sessions. I would LOVE to see that happen.I don't think Andy would have any objections...at least I HOPE he wouldn't. Ben-I'd rather the smell of new MAGIC cards than new cd's. It takes so damn longto get the wrapper off that by the time you're done all you want to do is pop it in the cd player. I think the ending to Hold Me My Daddy sort of sucked a bit...too much of a change to me. I also think the best album opener is Runaways-the guitar, keyboards and cymbals mixed together like they are are great. Worst-Peter Pumpkinhead. There's nothing as uninteresting as hearing a guy plugging a guitar in. (Even if it is Dave.) Till next time, have a ghoulsih Halloween. I'm looking very forward to going to work dressed as the Grim Reaper. Ciao, Amanda XTC song of the day-Runaways non XTC song-Radio Radio-Elvis Costello
------------------------------
From: btm@ns1.mindmagic.com
Message-ID: <3459A939.62CE@ns1.mindmagic.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 09:47:41 +0000
Subject: Amazing Coincidences
Tschalkgerz!
So, has anyone come up with a flick that an XTC album syncs up to (he
said, trying to start up a potentially non-destructive thread)?
Someone on here asked what 'Chalkhills' means... I don't know if this
was a serious request, or if they got the answer if it was, but it
refers to the geography of certain parts of England; there are hills
that are made up of a kind of soft rock, what basically looks like chalk
(hence the name); at least one of these hills has the shape of a running
horse carved out of the grass(?) covering the hill, something done long
ago (see the 'English Settlement' album cover), called the Uffington
Horse.
Sorry for taking up bandwidth, Tschalkgerz... I know about
99.99999999999999999999999999999999999% of you know all this, but I
hadn't seen a response to this question posted here. My apologies if
it's all for naught.
I just had a "DUH!!" alert, here... the Genesis album 'Abacab'... is
this song structure stuff what this title is all about? (DUH!!) Go
ahead, razz me - it just dawned on me... ROFCMAO ('C' for 'cringing')
>>Dave in San Francisco, re: "Bumper Cars":
>>>I'm at a loss to understand why no one, besides the two of us,
seems to like it.<<<
>>Do I make that three of us?<<
>At least four of us.<
Do I hear five?
>I've also just found out that my favourite country singer
George Jones doesn't write his own songs.<
I think a fair number of artists don't write all of their stuff... ever
heard of a guy named Bernie Taupin? :-)
>I saw XTC at the Oasis in about 1980...<
There's a scary cross-connection...
> There's keyboardists who are equally guilty of being "masturbatory".<
Yeah - ever heard of 'tinkling' the keys? HO-HO! HA-HA!
Sorry. :-]
-Brian
Eating future and shitting past...
[ See question #8 in the Chalkhills/XTC FAQ. -- Ed. ]
------------------------------ Message-ID: <345A1623.737B@umich.edu> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 12:32:19 -0500 From: Rob Hill <rhill@umich.edu> Subject: A map to better bridgebuilding >"And all the world..."would be the pre-chorus. The bridge never >precedes the chorus. The bridge would be the part with the >infamous line "And busses might skid on black ice." It >almost always comes in after at least two verses and choruses >and provides contrast and variety. I have nothing to back me up on this, but wouldn't a bridge be anything which BRIDGES? A pre-chorus could be considered a bridge if it wasn't strong enough to stand on its own were it not sandwiched between a hefty chorus and verse. The middle eight, on ze other hund, rarely bridges anything. Its purpose is usually to alleviate potential monotony. Andy's been known to introduce songs with (pre-)echoes of the middle eight (Across this Antheap, for one). Would music linguists (those fiends!) allow a bridge to open a song? Leave it to Andy to build a bridge with a steep drop at one end. Rob Psst. Zoot suits me, but would it suit Andy? (Well someone had to say it)
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 12:41:39 -0500 (EST) From: Ted Harms <tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca> Subject: drummer Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.95q.971031124059.24791A-100000@library.uwaterloo.ca> Hey, maybe the band should dump Prarie Prince and bring on Bill Berry instead... Ted Harms Library, Univ. of Waterloo tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca 519.888.4567 x3761 "I am human and nothing human is foreign to me." Terence
------------------------------ From: "JH3" <jh3@netins.net> Subject: Guitars Guet Guirls Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 12:15:07 -0600 Message-ID: <01bce628$eb43ca20$034ad4cd@JH3.alternatech.net> To my earlier posting about guitarists (including members of XTC) treating their instruments as sex objects, both Mssrs. Relph and Sleightholm correctly pointed out that Andy P. and many others (including myself, natch) throughout the history of the instrument have used guitars to get girls. (I wonder if female players ever use them to get guys? Or girls, for that matter...) What I really meant was that normally people don't treat the guitar *itself* as an object of gratification -- in other words, sure, guitar players might use the instrument the same way you'd use a nice aftershave or an expensive haircut, as an attractant; but generally you wouldn't achieve orgasm just by picking one up and playing it. If that happened you'd have to leave the stage after every long solo and change your trousers, which would make the audience restless and bored. Not to mention the public reaction if photographic evidence of your "problem" (i.e., the trousers) were to be published in a major media outlet. And if you use "Guitar Player" magazine the way most guys would use "Penthouse," then you have a problem. It's sort of interesting because I have a taped interview in which Andy P. was talking about a tour of Japan, and his being struck by the intense fascination the Japanese seemed to have with their guitars -- taking photos of them at all sorts of angles, etc. He called it "guitar pornography," and the way he said it led me to believe that he thought it was kind of weird. Kinky, even. But who knows, maybe it gave him some ideas. I don't really know why I'm prolonging this thread by writing about this, but it does seem that some people have this preconceived image of "wanker" guitarists who are all full of themselves, and I don't think that's fair. Certainly Dave Gregory represents the very essence of decency and humility. --John H. Hedges
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 13:55:04 -0500 (EST) From: Kevin Keeler <insanity@underworld.net> Subject: French Trombone Solo Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.971031133330.7955D-100000@uwns.underworld.net> Loquacious (prolly spelled *that* wrong) Music wrote: > I've also always liked the trumpet solo at the end of "My >Bird Performs." Actually, it's a trombone solo. I remeber those things cuz I used to play trombone. As ugly as it can be, I't's a great instrument when done well. I havent posted in a couple weeks. I've sorta been trying to hold back in order to prevent myself from inadvertantly throwing some acetylene on the fire. I refuse to mention any names (cept the one above) To keep from angering anyone This whole state is a larger metaphor for something...I just don't know what... Aie. Also. in response to anyone recieving demos from me. The payments have begun arriving in the mail, and will be shipped asap. School has been veryhectic for me lately and my dad stole my RAM (note: *my* RAM, not HIS RAM bought for me), So I've been doing the burning at a friends house And a note to JHussa: youre _.-=~ 3 ~=-._ CD's will be going out in the mail late tonite or tomorrow in the morning If anyone is still interested in getting themselves a copy (final production cost with shipping and packaging: $6), mail me and I'll see what I can do. If you have a good trade to offer in exchange (i suppose that is what a trade is for, by nature), you can mail me with tha too. I still think I get the award for youngest member on the list: 15 when I first joined and posted, 16 now. HA! beat that! heck, maybe someone can and I think i havent even been an arse yet. hmmm That is all from me. I think. off Kevin
------------------------------
From: "KIMBERLY MARTIN" <KMAR0971@Mercury.GC.PeachNet.EDU>
Organization: Gainesville College, Univ Sys of GA
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 14:19:25 EST5EDT
Subject: a little quickie
Message-ID: <575A8911DA@Mercury.GC.PeachNet.EDU>
(enter greeting here)-
I really don't even have time for this post, I really need to be
getting into my Halloween get-up and haven't even bought my black
hair spray (in case yer wondering, I'm dressing up at work as a
killer clown), I'm a bit pinched for time as it is, but ahh, I'll
forget what I want to post if I wait til monday; I just read the
latest digest and it's fresh in me mind...
age vs IQ: it was really cool, 1st of all, reading Mr. Relph's
post, probably the longest one I've seen from him since I've been on
this list. That's a good idea about multiplying age by IQ, but
actually this still reinforces my point that AGE should not be the
primary factor in determining why someone says the things they do.
I, of course, never meant any disrespect for "old fogeys" :)
Actually, being my age and listening to XTC and other related music
can very easily isolate one from current popular musical trends
embraced by most teenagers. I just can't "get" techno (repetetive
and a bit nerve-grating), or the gloom-n-doom, or all the anger and
hate so common in many of today's chart-toppers. Why wallow in
misery? Korn (tool, deftones, any band with overly-heavy guitars who
scream a lot about their pain) just makes me feel miserable. the
mood of the music affects my OWN mood, and I don't ever WANT to be
unhappy, thus I don't intentionally listen to music which will damper
my mood. XTC, to me, are "happy," as are a lot of the other bands I
like, and my generation seems to have an aversion to
anything you can't "mosh" to. Admittedly, my generation does have
to deal with many problems not faced by previous generations, or
at least not to the same degree. But, I live in a sub-suburban
small town in north georgia and as a result am a bit sheltered from
some of the problems that are out there. which is why I don't see
how all these white kids here who live in subdivisions or on
farms (and probably go to church, since I'm in the bible belt) can
possibly identify with gangsta rap. Or how these same spoiled kids
can be so angry at the world, and express this thru above-mentioned
"heavy" angry music. actually, I find most of this stuff whiny--if
yer depressed, get help, get happy--I can't stand to hear Trent
Reznor's sniveling--he makes billions, why, he oughta give ME (or
XTC) some of that money, he's gonna be miserable regardless.
but, standard disclaimer, this is just my opinion. I can say
these things, though, as a formerly very depressed person who DID get
help for it, altho I've always been into "happy" music for its
uplifting qualities, its celebration of sheer existence in all its
many facets. Plus, life just can't be taken TOO seriously, a cliche,
but so so true. (ulcers, anyone?)
damn, this wasn't short after all.
uggh, i'm running late for work as usual...
QUICK XTC CONTENT:
even though the fellow's entire post was dripping with sarcasm
(which I noticed before Mr. Relph's disclaimer, but maybe it was
needed for some who may take these posts, along with life, too
seriously), I liked the idea about the top 10 WORST XTC songs. it'll
be sure to start many new flame wars, leading to philosophy about
what's good and bad until the yin-yang concept no longer bears any
meaning, but I still think it'll be fun. I can't even think of 10
right off the top of my head, but here are some (in no particular
order) that still make me hit the skip button most times I get to
them--
1. shake your donkey up-- uggghhhh....
2. melt the guns; altho the song itself isn't that bad, I do find
the lyrics a bit preachy and the entire end of the song where andy is
whelping and whining always just makes my heart rate accelerate (not
in a good, exciting, way mind you).
3. speaking of song endings, I never listen to SCISSOR MAN all the
way thru either, altho I am quite fond of the first 3 minutes or so
of it.
4. It's Nearly Africa-- I like it much better than I used to, but
for some reason it just sounds like something from Paul Simon's
"Graceland" album; I'm all for experimentation with different styles
of music from many different cultures, but there's just something
about the "african- ness" of this song that clashes strangely with
the very "anglo-saxon-ness" of XTC that makes it, TO ME, fall flat.
I always imagine white, pasty Andy dancing around in tribal gear
amongst African tribe members, all of them shaking their various
wooden instruments. the image is so ridiculous it makes me laugh,
but sometimes (not to get into racial issue territory here, BUT--)
when white musicians attempt a very black style of music it just
SOUNDS a little ridiculous to me. let me try again--the SOUL of the
original, ethnic musical style seems to be lost when attempted by
white musicians. It seems to me that someone who's lived in, say,
England their entire life could not fully comprehend the power and
intensity of tribal, "jungle" rhythms, music inherent to a particular
people, culture, even climate; therefore the style may be intact but
the feeling is not.
well, I think that that EXPLANATION just fell flat. which is
where I'M gonna be (flat, on my ass that is) if I don't get out of
here already and go put on my clown makeup...
au revoir
Kimberlina
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19971031203335.0067f434@popmail.dircon.co.uk> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 20:33:35 +0000 From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> Subject: Boom-da-da-boom Hi, Just spoke with Neville Farmer again and passed on the few photo contacts I had. He should be getting in touch with those who submitted stuff in a few days. There wasn't much news to report:- The guys are in the studio and, though the main interviews are done for the book, there are still chats needed to cover the various side projects; as the deadline for the book draws close you can imagine it was a vaguely harassed Neville I was talking to. The album is reportedly now scheduled for a release around September next year, and the book (almost definitely available world wide through Hyperion) will be released shortly before it. There are NO extant recordings of "Terry Fuckwit's Christmas Song". Neville gave me another insight into the book's typical style of content when he passed on the following info:- Drums and Wires was almost called "Boom-da-da-doom" (Andy was heavily into the Dada movement at that time) because, while flicking through an issue of UK comic The Beano, Andy stumbled across a picture of Gnasher the dog playing the drums with the sound of the playing represented by the phrase "Boom-da-da-boom". This nearly became the cover art for the album! Neville issued a challenge for someone to unearth that particular issue and behold for themselves the rejected cover art... Also, anyone who holds precious the notion of XTC being some humble rustic collective, happy to play their merrie tunes in return for a wink from the squire, ever pure in art and mind, may find some of the book's "farts and all" revelations a little disquieting. It's the full Marti diBergi experience - "the sights, sounds and smells of a rock group..." Although the end of October was "officially" the closing date for picture submissions, Neville is still keen to hear from anyone who may have material... Bye for now, Simon -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm (http://come.to./bungalow) -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- An XTC resource - "Saving it all up for you..."
------------------------------ From: mmyers@notes.cc.bellcore.com Message-ID: <85256541.00609EEA.00@notes950.cc.bellcore.com> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 12:38:16 -0500 Subject: New drummer Chalkies and Chalkettes; Yesterday, Bill Berry announced he was quiting REM, leaving to "find out what else is out there". Well, heck, we know a band that could use a drummer, right? :-) :-) :-) Mike
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007800b07f9a59cb7f@[38.227.118.4]> From: david@connors.com (David Friel) Subject: Andy's 95 demo tape anyone? Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 17:29:02 -0500 Greetings Chalkers - Is there anyone out there who would like to trade a copy of Andy's '95 demo tape (which includes Green Men, Church of Women, Dame Fortune, Wonder Annual and other songs which, hopefully, will find their way onto the next XTC album) for a videotape copy of the lad's appearance on Letterman in '89 doing "King for a Day"???? As the videotape is probably more expensive, I'm happy to throw something else in to sweeten the deal (perhaps my personal copy of a very rare recording of John Denver whistling Generals & Majors in his experimental aircraft just moments before...well, you know - truly tasteless, I know). Please let me know. - Dave in San Francisco
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 22:33:22 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <971031223128_1245238165@mrin40.mail.aol.com> Subject: Turn Around >Any songwriting heavies out there?? My questions are: >- Is there any other (more correct?) term than pre-chorus? >- What would you call the 'doo doo doo doo...' bit? The turnaround? You mean the bit after the other bit? -Nick Lowe
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 1997 09:42:11 -0400 (AST)
Message-Id: <v03007803b08097fc88c2@[198.53.5.196]>
From: Erich Walther <enrico@fox.nstn.ca>
Subject: One hand washes the other
Well John, it depends on if your left or right handed, I suppose. I was
just wondering what the other hand was doing at the time - diddling dials?
The best opening track (or sound): 'Towers' is good, but what about the
sound of the jack being inserted just before "Let's begin!" on Nonsvch?
Although it's not my favorite album in the catalogue, I always get a kick
out of that CHK.
Seasonal songs: Fall is 'Bonfire' (some latent Guy Fawlkesian image?)
Winter is 1,2,3,4,5 (with black ice)
Spring would be 'Wake up'
Summer is cauldron
And grass is anytime you want
I seem to recall a Moody Blues album ('To Our Children's Children' or
somesvch) having as a second song something called "The Middle Eight" which
actually ran for over three minutes before going back to the main theme;
and didn't John P. Soussa write a MiddleMarch?
Erich in Ottawa, the sleeping city of civil servants
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #4-20 ******************************
Go back to Volume 4.
1 November 1997 / Feedback