Chalkhills Digest Volume 4, Issue 97
Date: Friday, 19 June 1998
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 4, Number 97
Friday, 19 June 1998
Today's Topics:
XTC for headbangers
All The Rain That Fell
Flip Flop
Live and Fame
Polotics (Just hitting it about a bit)
OLGA
New URL
Complicated Games!
Even later stats & drivel
You're pulling me out of lurk mode
XTC-linked memory
i eavesdropped
XTC bbc & airbags & stuff
Beware the Hip?
"just a housewife" stats
Change
Atlanta Bash Update
Mummer! Isn't it wonderful?
deliver us
Eerie coinky-dinks?
Re: Chalkhills Digest #4-96
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: MPadg@aol.com Message-ID: <90b5e1c2.35883047@aol.com> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 17:08:22 EDT Subject: XTC for headbangers Having passed initiation-by-flame, new member Dom wrote: >I am, helpfully, a massive XTC fan. Have been for years. Although I am >probably coming from a different musical angle to many of you, I am >sure I share your enthusiasm for the band. As you can probably guess, >my favourite XTC tunes are things like "Complicated Game", "Travels In >Nihilon" and "Train Running Low On Soul Coal"; perhaps a reflection of >my taste as a whole. Like most of us, I am evangelical about spreading the XTC gospel. I put significant thought into what cuts to play a potential convert. My younger brother is a headbanger first, but appreciates a wide variety of music - excluding any kind of tuneful pop. I was unable to get him to listen to any XTC until I recently tried a new tack. I started with The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul from Testimonial Dinner, which he was very impressed with. Then I played him the original - and he liked it. The bait had been taken. Next I went to Miniature Sun. Another score. Then I got overconfident and let the CD segue into Chalkhills and Children. He was gagging and lunging for the CD player within 10 seconds. Next time, I think I'll try Dom's favorites; maybe they will appeal to another headbanger. ***************** I read everything you folks write - except the recent treatises defending libertarianism. I've much to say on the subject, but let's take it outside.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199806172149.XAA18091@mail.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 23:51:22 +0000 Subject: All The Rain That Fell Dear Chalkers, Last issue Bilbo ( The Vanishing Boy? ) said: > This is probably a daft suggestion as, if I begin to think of the > logistics (labour, etc.), it could get ugly fast. Not daft at all but i think if you want to produce them games properly it would be quite an undertaking involving lots of trouble, time & money. Andy has tried to "sell"one of his ideas to a proper toy company once but they backed off. And one of his other game ideas was (almost) stolen by someone. Apparently this has made him a bit cautious and reluctant to even discuss or show them to "strangers" > But limited releases of some of those games might be a way to raise > some capitol. Not that they should stop making music to manufacture > board games, but they did look fun to play. Antheap surely looked > like a rollicking good time. Indeed it does and Tower Of Babel as well. I really liked the old-fashioned engravings used to illustrate the pieces on that one. And our friend Ed Miller baited me : > A Netherlands Tourist Board promo by Mark Strijbos? Why not? It's a nice, small & cosy country and if you like tulips, canals, draaiorgels, dikes, dykes and / or dope you'll love it. And you are all most welcome for a visit. Heck, i'd like you all to come and live here permanently; i haven't met an XTC fan i didn't like yet! yours in clogs, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse the XTC website @ http://come.to/xtc and http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello
------------------------------ Message-ID: <35887A01.B1272A1C@erols.com> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 22:22:57 -0400 From: Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt <toddjenn@erols.com> Subject: Flip Flop Hi. Me again. This caught my eye. Dom flipped: > Apologies to those of you who have been offended by my misplaced assaults! < Good man. It takes balls to apologize. >For me, XTC fit in perfectly with many of my other favourite bands, whether it be Gang Of Four, Cardiacs, Primus or Iron Monkey. I love all the more tuneful, delicate XTC stuff as well, but I'm a bit of a headbanger at heart, so it was the delicious dischord at which the band once excelled which initially provoked my interest.< Me, too. The bands you mention are great, and I also was initially drawn to XTC's dissonant, aggressive stuff. But they kept me with the wide range of their writing and playing. We've been through this diversity-of-musical-tastes thang before, and some perceptive 'Hiller mentioned that one great thing about the band is this: If you own their catalog, then you have a pretty diverse collection right there. But then Dom flopped: >However, don't kid yourselves that I have been successfully put in my place. When one of you comes up with a decent argument, I'll be sure to respond. Until then, don't flatter yourselves. A fairly trivial issue has been greatly exaggerated thanks to a few snobby graduates. Good for you. I've got a degree too, but I rarely leave it hanging out of my trousers.< Well, you started this "fairly trivial issue" and pretty aggressively too, I might add. And IMO a decent argument to your original point has been made, by several 'Hillers, and it goes like this: This is a forum for discussion about XTC and things relating to the band, and so the discussion will rarely swerve into musical areas, such as metal and hip-hop, that are far from the core of XTC and its music. This doesn't mean we don't like or don't listen to music that may be only a distant cousin of intelligent pop (I, for one, do -- the more you love music, after all, the more music you love) -- _it just doesn't get brought up._ Respond away. --Todd
------------------------------ Message-ID: <8191BF798BAFD111817B0001FA0E3A572F7DF7@ZSCED004> From: "ARCHER-MAY,Mark" <Mark.ARCHER-MAY@deetya.gov.au> Subject: Live and Fame Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 15:02:52 +1000 In my constant reading of chalkhills I seem to come across two recurring themes. Playing live and fame lets consider these two options. Playing Live is an interesting concept. I must admit that I'm not a big one for attending concerts even in my youth I rarely dragged myself out to watch even my most favourite groups live. Hell XTC toured Australia and I didn't go to see them (Please don't stone me for that one). I find that the atmosphere is normally oppressive, in smaller venues being accidentally miss treated by your fellow fans, in the larger venues the alarming regimentation that is forced on you by the sheer scale of the concert or heavan forbid being so far away from the stage that you need binoculars to see anything. On top of that your usually at the mercy of the sound mixers who, if they care, quite often seem to have a preference for a particular band member (Hey the Drums were good tonight that was all I heard). I think I can count of one or maybe two hands the number of concerts where I could hear every member of the band clearly. But oddly enough I like live recording but only for different interpretations of a song. Example Yessongs has totally different versions of songs to those that they did in the studio (Yes my dark secret I'm a Yes fan, hope you won't drum me out of Chalkhills (rest assured I like XTC a hell of a lot more than Yes( As you can tell I'm not hip I just enjoy my music))). But different interpretation of songs brings up another interesting point. If a band does something different to their songs on stage people start crying that's not how they did it on the album, if they want what they get on the album why not listen to the album and not bother with the concert. So in the end I am with Mr Partridge, stay studio its much more comfortable for those making the music and those listening to the music. Fame:-Simon Deane's dream no 1 was XTC get global recognition on the scale of Michael Jackson or Celine Dion(This not a derogative statement regarding this dream, it's just thoughts that this dream raised in me). I personally shudder at that thought. Just how much fame do you think Messrs. Partridge and Moulding would want. For that matter how much would I want them to have, as much as they want is my answer. But if they got fame on the level ofMichael Jackson would we recognise the band and their music, would they have the freedom to create the music they want. I personally feel that money that is more than enough to fund their creativity and live an extremely comfortable life, fame I hope not, unless they've got a secret longing for it. Fame and Success does strange things to people, they get a hit a number one and most of their stuff starts to sound alarmingly the same. I'm sure we all have bands that were really good then they made the mistake of having a really big hit and oddly the next single was a similar song. Fame on the Michael Jackson level, no chance of those Andy Partridge sightings in places everyone goes to, unless he was accompanied by several body guards. Fame on the Michael Jackson level, the huge house comes with the huge walls. In the end I have the dream of Messrs Moulding and Partridge making as much money as the want and living a long life making good music. I hope they never get as big as Michael Jackson or Celine Dion, what a waste of good talent, theirs of course. Anyway enough is enough. My current song association for XTC:- no thugs in our house (After the Queensland election I wish this was true, although the opening scream sums up my feelings) My current song association non XTC:-Journey of the Fool/Imbecile from Mike Batt's Tarot Suite.(I think this also reflects on that same election) Yours from the Garden of Earthly Delights. Mark
------------------------------ Message-ID: <8191BF798BAFD111817B0001FA0E3A572F7DF9@ZSCED004> From: "ARCHER-MAY,Mark" <Mark.ARCHER-MAY@deetya.gov.au> Subject: Polotics (Just hitting it about a bit) Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 15:53:46 +1000 Just a short note on Government involvement (re social Darwinism) has anyone noticed that when things are going right people say why can't the government leave us alone. When things go wrong people say the government should do something about it. There's no point to this statement of course I just felt like sharing it. Oh yes I always heard that the trains ran on time in fascist Italy. Remember no matter what government you've got you'll never escape the government. Yours burning in a Great Fire Mark
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3588B283.1375FAD6@ix.netcom.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 02:24:04 -0400 From: richard leighton <laydi2@ix.netcom.com> Subject: OLGA OLGA has been closed by the powers that be. Go there and see what you can do about it. www.olga.net Could this mean that the other guitar tab pages will be shut down also?
------------------------------ From: btm@ns1.mindmagic.com Message-ID: <3588C529.7B20@ns1.mindmagic.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 08:43:40 +0100 Subject: New URL Tschalkgerz! If I've already made this announcement to this list, my apologies. If not, then: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/sapringer/ This is my brand-spanking new Website, and it has a page devoted to all of the MIDI files that I myself have created (no others), including the three XTC MIDI's that are posted on the Chalkhills site. There will be more coming down the pike (how does "Living Through Another Cuba" and "It's Nearly Africa" sound?). You will find quite a few others that you won't find anywhere else on the Net (at least not for a while), so get thee on over there. There is also a link to the Chalkhills site, as well as a few others of possible interest to this group. See ya there! -Brian
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s588e0fb.054@BTA.ORG.UK> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 09:41:50 +0100 From: DAVID FATSCHER <dfatscher@BTA.ORG.UK> Subject: Complicated Games! William Stoner III (crazy name, crazy guy) suggests that Andy should sell his 'games' to raise some much-needed capital. I seem to remember he had a crack at this in the '80s (probably after they featured on 'Play at Home') but ran into 'difficulties'... ..."Babel" was rejected by one company as being too 'clever' (a label that must haunt the poor bugger) and then returned to him irreparably damaged, whilst the other one - "Damn & Blast"? - was almost the subject of an intellectual-copyright suit after someone tried to pinch the idea (my source for this is the '1989 UK Convention' Video Interview). And to those who still maintain the Boys are bedevilled by misfortune of their own making, I offer this tale of woe: Do you sometimes hear of long-forgotten pop-stars (and for the purposes of this point, let us call XTC 'long-forgotten') who are able to pay off their mortgages/ex-wives/dealers with the royalties gleaned by a timely b-side? So when Robbie 'Take That' Williams chooses to cover 'Nigel', does it grace the arse of the (saleswise) red-hot 'Angels' or the decidedly luke-warm 'Old Before I Die'? Crown rests... Finally, Ken Clinger asks if 'A Clockwork Orange' is banned in Britain. Technically 'Yes', but not because it was refused a certicate. The film was 'withdrawn' by Stanley Kubrick himself (shortly after release, I think, but not before someone of Andy's age could've seen it) following a number of copycat acts of violence. David Fatscher
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s588f089.078@parliament.uk> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 10:47:34 +0100 From: Dominic Lawson <LAWSOND@parliament.uk> Subject: Even later stats & drivel Now that my Satan status has been temporarily withheld.... Religion: Raised a Christian, and then I woke up. No crutch required, I'd rather fall over. Politics: Old Labour (or "socialist" if any Brits can remember what that used to mean...) Drugs: Music & Beer & Weed Job: Office clerk at the HoC Library Dream: West Ham win the Premiership, I develop powers of flight and x-ray vision. Ooh, and invisibility as well. That would be fun. Metallica Vs Slayer: Oh Slayer definitely. Metallica suck (huh huh huh). XTC Vs Slayer, now there's a thought. XTC Content: Has anyone heard Lizard Music? I've only got their first LP (I gather they've done a couple at least) but they sound very much like XTC (circa Black Sea/D&W) and even thanks the boys on the CD cover. The vocals are pure Partridge, except when they're not. Top stuff. "She's A Fat Fat Fat Weirdo" is a particular favourite of mine. And finally...... >Dom, congratulations on the degree man. Oh gee, thanks. I hate to tell you, but they give them away with cereal these days. Dom.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <01BD9AE5.64EBB880@h46.s253.ts32.hinet.net> From: Macgyver <tonikuo@ms10.hinet.net> Subject: You're pulling me out of lurk mode Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 18:17:00 +0800 Dear Chalkhills people: I love XTC, okay? I promise, I do... it just seems that whenever I post it's always about other things. And I hope I don't appear too nasty when I respond to other members' postings that stir me up. I've rather enjoyed the political/aesthetic debate going on. Sometimes, though, some of us (I included) tend to get a little condescending in our approaches. To wit, Bob O'Bannon wrote: > Dream: To be in the first respectable Christian band, and/or > teach/preach the Gospel to those with ears to hear (no, I'm not > kidding). Congratulations on your dreams of having the first respectable Christian band. However, couldn't the following phrase "to those with ears to hear" have been left out? I don't appreciate the implication that non-Christians are people who refuse to "hear the truth". But then, that's the maxim of Christianity, is it not? I'm a Canadian who's lived in Taiwan for the past five years, and I can vouch for how nice it is to wake up every day in a non-Christian country. Nobody hear knocks on your door and tells you why you should be "saved". And then.. > From: Steven Graff .... > Couldn't help noticing the well thought out and > lucid reply by Dom Lawson. Erm... did I miss something here? "Well thought out and lucid"??? I welcome Dom's views, and don't want anyone to think that I was hoping we'd all gang up behind Mr. Sherwood and attack him, but an intellectual blip has occured in the Chalkhills landscape. If you'll recall, Dom wrote: > Harrison's Soapbox was patronising, pompous, paranoid > and, as a result, mildly entertaining. He wishes to impress > us with his intellect. Fair enough, if a little juvenile. "Juvenile"? Forgive me for my own intellectual short-comings, but from my vantage point it seemed that Dom's original rantings about Andrew Lloyd Webber, heavy metal and hip-hop appeared juvenile. I don't deny that "Harrison's Soapbox" was patronizing, but I understood that to be deliberate in light of what he was responding to. Am I missing something here? If so, clue me in. > Furthermore, I was not complaining about Andrew Lloyd > Webber, or whoever, for not being "hip". I was complaining > because his music is dreadful and because he is a deeply > unpleasant individual. I couldn't care less whether you perceive > this as a "trendy" view or not. It's my view, and that's my business. This is a "lucid" response? Again, unless I'm missing something, a member of the list expressed an appreciation for Mr. Webber, and was summarily attacked by Dom because of it. Was that person's view then not his or her business? > I am entitled to this opinion, just as Harrison is entitled to > spout meaningless pseudo-intellectual nonsense. I must admit I enjoy Harrison's writing, but I am no acolyte. However, whenever people spitefully recite the well-worn phrase "meaningless pseudo-intellectual nonsense" I become immediately suspicious of both their motives and their ideas. Dom, I admire the courage it took to return to this list and to admit you might not have approached it in the right way. But why the following attack upon Sherwood? It smacks of resentment and envy. Boring sentiments, both. > Anyway, I have received a few e-mails from people who agree > with me, and who recognize humour and mischief-making when > they see it. Thanks to them, for not joining the ranks of the > terminally self-satisfied. This is really pathetic double-speak, Dom! For, if your first posting to this list wasn't "terminally self-satisfied", then I don't know what is!! > However, don't kid yourselves that I have been successfully put > in my place. When one of you comes up with a decent argument, > I'll be sure to respond. Nobody gets put in one's place in an intellectual argument save for allowing it to happen!! Besides, this is a friendly list, isn't it? A discussion of ideas pertaining to XTC and other related topics (whoa... I guess I'm stretching that a bit!). Dom, you goofed with your opening posts to this list, and have owned up to it. That's remarkable, as not too many people would have done that. Perhaps Mr. Sherwood's response was a bit over the top, but then I felt that he was defending this haven of XTC lovers from the kind of aesthetic snobbery that you originally cloaked yourself in. > I've got a degree too, but I rarely leave it hanging out of my > trousers. Ah, another phallic metaphor. Very nice. There must be a collection of them somewhere. Anyhow, I suppose I must go back to lurk mode again. And I am hoping to hear more from Dom Lawson, on whatever subject. I like to think that my self-satisfaction isn't terminal. There are still a few new things left to learn yet! Don
------------------------------ From: "Lemoncurry" <dieling@hrz1.uni-oldenburg.de> Organization: University Of Oldenburg Comp.Center Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 11:57:57 MET-1METDST Subject: XTC-linked memory Message-ID: <424D3BD1450@hrz1.uni-oldenburg.de> Well, good day, fellow Chalkhillians, reading about Cheryl's favourite memory linked with XTC brought back to my mind my personal memories. I found out they are almost all placed in England, because that's where I go to know and love XTC, me as a German on a pupil exchange in Cornwall around 1988. My exchange partner and until today good friend Toby Wilson, who lived in Cornwall back then, introduced me to masterpieces like English Settlement and Skylarking. So, whenever I went back there, which took place about five times, I always listened to XTC excessively. Some highlights were sitting on a balcony on a hillside house towering over Looe, a Cornish seaside town, at about 3 a.m., looking down on the town through a heavy fog which had been lightened by orange street lights and listening to Skylarking, which is in itself more an album resembling summer noon on a cornfield, but, there's songs like Another Satellite, Mermaid Smiled, Dying and Sacrificial Bonfire which were perfect for the setting. Then another memory is that of wandering alone through the heights of Exmoor in Somerset, again foggy weather (well, it's England, so no surprise), getting soaked by walking through wet fern (?) for hours, listening to English Settlement, when all of a sudden the fog lightened a little and I could see a lupin field gleaming blue. That was when Yacht Dance (one of my all time favs) started, so I actually started to dance on Exmoor. Magic, I can tell you. Totally different is my reception of the Dub Experiments which I listened to over and over for weeks, while being basically sad, since my love was in New Zealand for four months, and stoned, since I had to try and and dismiss thoughts like: "What is she doing now and with whom ?" Explode Together hit my nerves then, being full of despair, sentimentality and an irrational joy on the other hand. Other XTC memories have to do with sex or hash-saturated nights with pals, which I'm not going to open to you.(Unless you beg me). Having recalled these memories I feel I have to go listening to Yacht Dance alone (and dancing), which I can't, as I'm in University, so I'll go have a coffee and a fag instead. (BTW, anyone knows the excellent short films called "Coffee and Cigarettes" ?) Lemoncurry residing in The Lemon Lounge at www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/9259 lemoncurry@geocities.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19980618082442.006a6c48@pop-2.iastate.edu> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 08:24:42 -0500 From: John A Lane <jal@iastate.edu> Subject: i eavesdropped In Chalkhills Digest #4-96, Eric Rosen wrote, "Ira: You're the token East coast Jew. I'm the West coast token (although I used to live in Madhattan. :)" And I have a silly question regarding this innocent banter, so bear with me. I have been in the company of several Jewish friends at different times and invariably, if one of them finds themselves to be the only Jewish person in the crowd, they will utter *just* that! This happened last during December, and a mutual friend in a group of 4 of us said, "I'm the token Jew." Now for my question: I'm honestly wondering if this is something of an 'inside joke'. I find it to be a recurring personal observation that I have yet to encounter from any other friends (e.g. "I'm the token Presbyterian", "I guess I'm the token Buddhist", etc.). Any insight into this 'phenomenon' (?) would be appreciated from any Jewish Chalksters! Sorry for the lack of XTC-related content -- er, does anyone know when Farmer's book is due out??? --John
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 07:12:31 -0700
From: "Jeff Langr" <jlangr@zdnetmail.com>
Message-ID: <JLNJNCLAHHKGAAAA@zdnetmail.com>
Subject: XTC bbc & airbags & stuff
Organization: ZDNet Mail (http://www.zdnetmail.com:80)
Is there anyone else who dreads paying for a 4-CD
An XTC BBC set? What new will come out of this --
are there any new songs, never-before-heard-live
songs, etc? I'd be more willing to plunk out my
$40US+ if there were something new in it. Is there
a track listing available yet?
religion: ?
politics: far left ultra conservative libertarian
constitutionalist with a nihilistic bent
drugs: some beer & occasional caffeine
job: software developer
dream: XTC had put out a CD per year in the 90s
>From: CCooli9575@aol.com
>Advocates of government intrusion into our lives tend to rationalise it by
>assuming that the government is mostly, if not always, sensible and truly
>looking out for our best interests. A seat belt or crash helmet law may be
>in itself, but what comes next if we allow that?
Good question. Hm, lemme think what could come next. How about a federal
law mandating extremely powerful airbags that could (and do) decapitate
young children? I'll spare the gory details; point being is that "the
government" does not necessarily know any better than the rest of us.
And a timely point to be made: I hate smoking, but it's pretty disgusting
the way the current US administration has decided it wants to tax cigarettes
out of existence. Offering a not-too-preposterous idea -- remember Tipper
Gore and the PMRC -- what if the gov't decided that rock music was harmful
to children and chose to tax your XTC records so that you paid $50 a pop
(while innocuous Andrewww Llloyd Webbbber albums went for $12)?
J
------------------------------ Message-ID: <EB3FE924F73DD11187E400805FEA8E81010A66B5@BCBCMAIL.bcbc.bc.ca> From: "Macdonald, Robert" <RMacdonald@bcbc.bc.ca> Subject: Beware the Hip? Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 10:05:16 -0700 Don't bother to fear the hip. Know the hip. Delight in the hip. Embrace the hip. Love the hip. Face it. XTC are so "un-hip" that they are actually _totally_ "hip". All the true hipsters out there know this already. Why do you think that all those bands out there are spouting the name XTC as an influence. It's cause they are obscure enough that young kids reading the interview will go...."Who is this XTC that my hip idol speaks of?" Now all of you, being hip already, will of course know exactly of who they speak. Don't try and avoid being hip. Play with the hip. Make the hip your friend. Know when to take the hip home and know when to leave it at the record shop. Hip can be fun. It doesn't _have_ to control you. Come on I know you can all do it. Just say after me..... My name is Rob. I'm 33 and I'm HIP. ps...now I'm not saying anything against the whole "anti-hip" culture. It can be pretty cool too!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <358948D2.E651F6F@concentric.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 13:05:22 -0400 From: DonSueP <DonSueP@concentric.net> Subject: "just a housewife" stats I'll take a break from reading over Don's shoulder to post my stats- Religion: Jewish. Hmmm...a Jew married to a devout atheist? Works for me. (Eric and Ira - you're not the only ones out there.) Politics: Democrat. Yes, I naively like to believe that my vote can make a difference. (Locally, I think it does. Nationally, I guess I do know that it doesn't, but please don't burst my bubble). Job: Very busy raising physically healthy, emotionally stable, socially and morally responsible children. (Accountant in a former life). Drugs: Peace and quiet. Once OD'd on pre-natal vitamins. Dream: To have a day off. Song of the Day: Blue's Clues' "The Mail's Here" song. (Actually it's the song-of-every-day). Sue "the quieter half of donsuep" Parker
------------------------------ Message-ID: <EB3FE924F73DD11187E400805FEA8E81010A66B6@BCBCMAIL.bcbc.bc.ca> From: "Macdonald, Robert" <RMacdonald@bcbc.bc.ca> Subject: Change Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 10:57:15 -0700 Have you ever really thought about how much you've changed since Nonsuch came out back in 1992. I've moved across country. I've got a job. I've bought a car. I've got married. I've bought a house. Yep, I've grown up. ....how many novels have you read that change the way you think? 30, 40....50? ....how many records and CD's have you bought that change the way you hear? 300...400? ....how many people have you met? ....how many new friends do you have? ....how many trips have you taken? You get the point.....and people gripe all the time about bands changing. It's only natural, everyone does. Re: The Survey I'll have a go as well. Religion: raised United Church (sort of liberal Protestant) now fully agnostic until someone can prove otherwise. Politics: Left of centre, but please don't tax me to death Profession: Interior Architect for Government Corp. Drugs: Music...I used to have a three record a week habit back in university, but then CD's came along and put a stop to that. Currently....Wine. Tea, Coffee, Coke. ..but back when I was..... Dreams: To release an album in my life-time. To travel the world. To live to old age with my wonderful wife. Cheers Bob "you can call me hip if you want to" Macdonald Victoria, B.C.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3589670C.3116@sprintmail.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 15:14:20 -0400 From: Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> Organization: Stormy Monday Enterprises Subject: Atlanta Bash Update Folxtc, I wanted to get this out before our narrator and true friend goes on vacation... The second annual Atlanta Bash In Honor Of XTC is scheduled to happen in Marietta, GA. on Saturday, the 8th of August. It will probably begin in the late afternoon or early evening. Food will be provided. If you are interested, please e-mail me (stormymonday@sprintmail.com) or Pete, (pete_srd@mindspring.com) and we will add you to the list. If you have already responded with interest, you do not need to respond again. Stormy Monday
------------------------------ Message-ID: <9008165AB825D1118A1600A024A1661947D67A@CHOWAN> From: "Martin, Alan" <Alan.Martin@ncxix.hcg.eds.com> Subject: Mummer! Isn't it wonderful? Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:02:37 -0400 Hi Chalkies, I'm a first time poster. Iv'e spent the last few years reading the list and enjoying the posts here. I do, however, feel compelled to provide the breakdown on my personals: Religion: Nothing organized, everything beautiful Politics: Not worth the effort Drugs: Love and music and of course, tequila! Dreams: To be 1/1000000 of the musician/writer AP is! Job: Business Computer Analyst Marriage Status: Yes! I thought my first post could deal with something I've seen mentioned several times. Mummer. What a wonderful album. It is one of XTC's most underrated. I find it hard to believe that any Chalkie on this list could not become completely lost, given the time to put forward the listening effort, in such classic tracks as "Great Fire" or "Love on a Farmboy's Wages". "Ladybird" is classic AP ala Paul McCartney (Uh oh, the flames are headed my way). "Toys" hardly ever gets mentioned by any fan, yet I believe it to be one of the single best tracks by any musician period, let alone an XTC masterpiece. "Jump Jump" or is it just "Jump"?, has an infectious melody and hook throughout the song that can drive you NUTS until you hear another melody to get it out of your head. Now, I'm not necessarily comparing Mummer to say "O&L" which is a completely different album in my mind to say it's better or worse than others. I just find myself spinning Mummer more than "Big Express" or "English Settlement". And I do admit the album has a quieter..(is that a word?), more what I call "Carpeted" sound. So, I say to all Mummer fans out there... UNITE!!! let's hear some more praises, opinions, expressions about XTC's greatest "Sleeper" album! Alan J. Martin ECS x3076 Alan.Martin@ncxix.hcg.eds.com
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Message-Id: <v01540b02b1af1ebc1fae@[209.69.164.177]>
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 15:05:21 -0500
From: hellman@ksan.ms.nwu.edu (Olof Hellman)
Subject: deliver us
I've always been very interested in the way XTC approach religion, because
I think they are way ahead of their time. I've been interested in seeing
the poll results because of the religion line. {Please, John, don't
deliver us from this topic just yet, OK?}
Anyway, I consider very religious, but not very conventional. I'm on the
church council at St.Paul's in Evanston, and I really really like 'Dear
God'. Most people seem to equate religion with conventionality (including
a lot of the people who consider themselves religious), and a common
thinking is that what is unconventional must be anti-religion. I can't
think of anything so wrong, both theologically and practically. Anyway,
I'll throw out the following challenge (in a partial attempt to avoid a
flame war over 'Dear God'): I'll bet most of you who answer
'ex-catholic/luthan/anglican' or 'agnostic' on the religion question are
more religious than you think. How do you feel about 'deliver us from the
elements': is that "lord" word in there just as a placeholder, or is that
a real prayer in there, or are they just thying to show that if they want
to they can fake it really, really well?. What other band would record
such a dissonant, dismal-sounding droner of brilliant song. Ain't XTC
great?
Anyway, I feel like I ought to contribute to this one, just because I've
been reading with so much interest
Religion: Lutheran (and XTC might qualify as phophets)
Profession: Materials Scientist
Job: electron hustler. (currently at MacHack) I write simulation software.
Drugs: Legalize and tax, but don't smoke 'em in my house.
Age: 31
------------------------------
From: Joel Reamer <reamerj@stu.beloit.edu>
Message-Id: <199806190039.TAA26010@stu.beloit.edu>
Subject: Eerie coinky-dinks?
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 19:39:01 -0500 (CDT)
Chalkhillerettes.
I just recently started subscribing to Chalkhills, and it's been quite
the pasttime thus far. I'd like to thank the fellow who posted about his
"Vanishing Girl" memories. It has allowed me to really rediscover this gem.
However, I couldn't help but notice the strong similarities between
"Vanishing Girl," and Belle and Sebastian's "Seeing Other People." Firstly,
the opening piano/guitar riffs are more closely related than Alabama
cousins. And the second part of "Seeing Other People"'s verse structure is
almost note-for-note the second part of "Vanishing Girl"'s chorus. Hmmm...
Sounds like B&S has been indulging in a little Dukes of Stratosphear. I've
also noticed similarities to XTC in Eric Matthews' "Yes, Everyone" to "The
Good Things," and to the Style Council's "Come to Milton Keynes" to almost
all of Psonic Psunspot.
Also, with almost two years behind it, I was wondering what everyone
thought were the best and the worst interpretations of XTC on A Testimonial
Banquet (besides Terry and the Lovemen)? Maybe this has been threaded before
(almost certainly), but could we have another go?
Myself?
Best: Freedy Johnston-Earn Enough For Us : Really breathes new life
into the song, and I can't get enough of the steel pedal.
Worst: (Tie) The Rembrandts-Making Plans for Nigel : I've never been a
big "Nigel" fan (heresy!), but the Rembrandts just turn it into an
irony-free stale biscuit.
Spacehog-Senses Working Overtime : Spacehog is just way
out of their league here. Sounds too cartoonish.
Thanks for allowing me to waste some time (yours and mine).
Joel.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3589BAA3.55E4@bhip.infi.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 21:11:01 -0400 From: gregory <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Organization: InfiNet Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #4-96 Tschalkgerz! This'll keep me out of trouble, since no one'll know what I'm sayin it about... Oh, please, for crying out loud. There. I feel better. -Brian Oh, uhh... XTC!
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #4-97 ******************************
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