Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 130
Date: Thursday, 11 March 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 130
Thursday, 11 March 1999
Today's Topics:
Re: Dave G.
Muzakal xtc: mall, airport, hardware store
hostage deal?
AV in Aussieland
some observations
Number One!
AV2 Drummer Info
Re: The Usual
Nelson's... arm
Peter Paul Weller
Re: Stage Left! Stage Right!
Re: davidoh & dom
Re: A bit of a shower
Re:Fruit Nut: The Misheard Lyric
Sampling Issues
bouncing off church walls
andy's bluff?
Re: shocking 5 digests
I'm Millenium Bugged
Re: Sampling
Chicago listees at attention! (Plus a riposte)
Keyboard concerns
Beauty & XTC
Xtc back catalog
demos and (non)such
Bass Player interview of Colin Moulding
APPLE VENUS VOLUME 1 & MY PRE-MIDLIFE CRISIS
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He's just a nut and he's cracking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <19990311045556.5586.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Amanda Owens" <daveizgod@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Dave G. Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 22:55:56 CST Hello der..... Philip Lawes did sayeth: >Although he's damning with faint praise a little he's not being entirely >negative about DG. Having said that, of course, you'll find no shortage >of AP slags off DG quotes in this and other interviews And you'll find no shortage of AO slags off AP in her furious brain. >putting part of >the blame on what he perceived as diabetically induced mood swings. Pardon my French, but RI-FUCKING-DICULOUS! > personally have great admiration for >anyone with diabetes who has the discipline to survive the >irregularities of the musicians lifestyle, let alone enjoying touring. Here here! >I can't believe that the split happened just because Dave had been half >an hour without a Mars Bar though. Try telling that to that spoiled brat. Belinda Blanchard did sayeth: >Good evening and welcome. >Mr Sherwood wrote "Dave Gregory, the only unmarried and childless >member of the band," Oh I can take care of that one. ;) Tis all for now, Amanda C. Owens "People will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with welcome written on it."-Andy Partridge XTC song of the day-Harvest Festival non-XTC song-From a Moving Train-America
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36E75A50.AD73C520@cruzio.com> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 21:53:20 -0800 From: Andy Kreyche <akreyche@cruzio.com> Subject: Muzakal xtc: mall, airport, hardware store Hey to all- I was amused to read about others' encountering xtc songs in public places. Finally some exposure! I was pleasantly surprised recently to hear King For A Day (the original version) while shopping for a doorknob at the hardware store. It took a few seconds to adjust to the odd surroundings and the tinny speakers, but it was great to have a spot of random xtc where one would least expect it. Go ahead Muzak: saturate the masses. Perhaps one day . . . Travels In Nihilon, played in the supermarket. Do you s'pose the boys make anything off this sort of airplay? It would be a shame if it's all going to Virgin. Oops. Gotta get back to lurking. -Andy K.
------------------------------ From: KB305@aol.com Message-ID: <4f01be33.36e5ba11@aol.com> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1999 19:17:21 EST Subject: hostage deal? heeeeeeeeeeyyyyy! I'm going to make the chords for all of the Apple Venus songs (at least, those with chords in them). Probably do most of it tonight (3/9), in fact. I want those demos that are floating around for the rest of the Apple Venus music. I have nothing to trade, I don't generally collect tapes, I don't have any tapes, I don't tape things. But I can transcribe just about anything. Would it be fair to ask for a couple of cassettes in exchange for the couple of hours it will take me to figure out these tunes? I don't normally sound this greedy, but.... Kevin
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990311070528.26723.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "* Hobbes *" <hazchem25@hotmail.com> Subject: AV in Aussieland Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 23:05:27 PST Despite all claims to the contrary there is STILL no sign of Apple Venus on general release in Australia, so i'd opt for the date i was originally told by the company: March 27. All i can say is HOORAY FOR IMPORTS! I've lived with this album for a week now, and it's a corker. But we all knew that didn't we? ;-) No point reiterating what's been said over and over really.... Ok, just one thing: Colin's *amazing* bass on the "Green Man". All right, two things: All of "Easter Theatre". In a perfect world this would be a hit single and fund the next three xtc albums, but this is hardly a perfect world. Another gem that us priviliged few can share in the beauty of. Guess it makes it much more precious. This song makes my body shiver EVERY time i hear it. Make that three: There's only been two of the new demos that i've actively disliked. One being the turgid "Wounded Horse" (strikes me as a generic song, could be any band really) and the cheesy easy listening wimpfest of "I can't own her". So how on earth did the latter end up being one of my favourite songs on the album? What on earth happened? OK, Four: (a plea) BUT WHAT ABOUT "BUMPER CARS"???? HINT HINT Anyone else want to nominate singles? My picks: Easter Theatre, Green Man, Your Dictionary and Harvest Festival.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19990311014321.0069c5d8@icarus.cc.uic.edu> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 01:43:24 -0800 From: Daniel Marmer <dmarme1@uic.edu> Subject: some observations Hey, At the Borders Books signing in Chicago, someone brought an electric guitar for Andy to sign. It had a number of autographs on the back which Andy perused. He then put the guitar under his arm and took a few strums. I wasn't able to hear anything, but I intensely savored the vision of Andy playing a live guitar approximately 30 feet from my face. When I finally got to the front of the line for my autographs (approximately 3.5 hours after it started), Andy still seemed genuinely pleased that this many people showed up for the signing. Anyway, I've been seeing plenty of posters for AV I in record stores around Chicago. TVT seems to be putting some weight behind this album. Sincerely, Daniel Marmer <dmarme1@uic.edu>
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000b01be6b96$b83378c0$198742d8@compaq> From: "Ozium" <ozium@direct.ca> Subject: Number One! Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 00:11:07 -0800 Just thought everyone might like to know... I am a manager at a record store in Vancouver, Canada (one of a major chain of Canadian stores), and Apple Venus has gone to number ONE on our chart. The album has been the consistent best-seller in the store for the last two weeks and has sold completely out three times. As of this afternoon, actually, we've sold out again! Way to go... Do what you will but harm none.
------------------------------
From: ABro585@aol.com
Message-ID: <fce469f3.36e79a7f@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 05:27:11 EST
Subject: AV2 Drummer Info
First of all,I find the term "lurker"mildly unsettling;As a former
"lurker",am I required to register with local authorities now that I've
moved into your neighborhood,such as it is?
Anyway,I've enjoyed all the accounts of recent XTC encounters,but felt no
compulsion to relate my own experience(unspectacular as it was)until trying
to digest the gluttonous feast of recent Chalkhills postings.
Someone asked about likely drummers for the next album and since no one has
addressed it so far,altruism has forced my sweaty,hunting-and-pecking hand
to share the following:
I attended the arctic campout at the Tower Records in NYC hoping only to
be a fly on the wall for a Q&A session and,therefore,totally unprepared
w/questions of my own.The next day(or so it seemed),when my turn came,I was
struck by how much the event resembled the procession of children to meet a
department-store- Santa,so I rattled off my wish list to Colin & Andy.Colin
was(rightly)perplexed,while Andy(politely)laughed. I was bombing(you think
my hands are sweating NOW?)! Bravely soldiering on,I asked if they intended
to employ an additional guitarist for AV2(intending to cast my vote for the
brilliant multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion) but Andy assured me that both he
and Colin are each extremely competent guitarists and bassists! In my
stammering delirium,I neglected to ask if there will be any keyboards(Jon
Brion?).
When he mentioned re-cutting the existing AV2 tracks,I asked(hopefully) if
Prarie Prince would again be employed to which Andy replied that there's a
good chance that DAVE MATTACKS will do the drumming(there's your payoff for
wading through the proceeding verbal swamp.Sorry). Then I asked my heroes
to look awestruck as I pretended to autograph AV1 for them for the benefit
of my girlfriend's camera.They continued to humor me and complied.
Finally(I swear),before I slither back into the shadows to lurk again:
Does the "Pentium" jingle/arpeggio trigger "Vanishing Girl" in anyone
else's mind?
Does the opening of "I Can't Own Her" evoke Conan O'Brien's "In the
Year 2000"?
If any of you are fortunate enough to own Bruford's mostly awesome
"Feels Good to Me",do the rotating goose honks/violins at 2:15 in AV1's
even-more-awesome "Easter Theatre"sound familiar?
Send demos-no,really,
Jim
------------------------------
Message-Id: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1021F14@MGMTM02>
From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk>
Subject: Re: The Usual
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 10:57:21 -0000
>>wow, dude, like, take a chill-pill, will ya?!? i mean, c'mon, dom do you
>>really have to make things _so_ personal? to disagree with someone's
>>opinion is one thing, but _must_ you take personal shots at other people?
No, not really. In fact, as far as I was aware I hadn't. OK, it might
feasibly read like a personal attack, that is if you completely suspend
your sense of humour and read all sorts of dark, menacing, psychological
significance into my every word, but yet again I was using hyperbole and
yet again you're getting excited over nothing. I've just re-read it, to
make sure I hadn't turned into Mussolini or something, and apart from a
couple of mild insults ("prize penis" which is hardly the rudest thing I've
ever heard, and "twat" which wouldn't even offend my mum) there's nothing
remotely offensive or even contentious.
I totally disagree with everything the "this album blows" guy said, and
wanted to express this in the list. Not terribly subtle, as per usual, but
it was meant to be funny. You didn't find it funny, so don't laugh. Simple.
If people are so sensitive that we can't even say "you're talking out of
your arse" occasionally then there's little point in discussing anything.
How about a thread along the lines of "XTC - are they any good?". That
would be nice and cozy for everyone wouldn't it?
Thanks for getting my entire post shown again though! Very kind.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s6e7a33b.075@plextek.co.uk> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 11:03:59 +0000 From: Philip Lawes <PJL@plextek.co.uk> Subject: Nelson's... arm I just spotted the 'joke' in 'I'd Like That'. >If I could row your heart and head >With you laid on one arm >I'd be your Nelson if you'd be my Hamilton, what fun Nelson - one arm, geddit? Ithangyou, thangyouverymuch. Alternative AV2 titles? How about 'Don't Complain'? Phil (You Lucky People*)
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <864f144.36e7a9bc@aol.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 06:32:12 EST Subject: Peter Paul Weller Thw mole said in 5-122 >>> If you start AV1 at the very same time that Paul Weller's name comes up >in the opening credits of Robocop << >I can just imagine him staggering around Detroit twatting every criminal in >site with hiw Rickenbacker singing "Down in a Tube Station at Midnight" as >he clears up the Underground. >Good to see that he managed to find another job once people realised The >Style Council was a sack of shite. Actually, the Robocop guy was Peter Weller, as far as I know no relation(he was also Buckaroo Banzai a few years earlier, one of the oddest movies I ever saw). I do agree that The Style Council was a sack of shite, though, aside from the occasional tossed-off raveup like "The Walls Come Tumbling Down." Paul Weller's more recent solo albums are a big improvement; not quite up to The Jam at their peak(Setting Sons, Sound Effects), but at least his pitiful attempts at being soulful are dispensed with for the most part. A guy with as limited a voice as his has no business trying to sound like a black R&B singer. No, Paul, no! Chris
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36E7C422.7502F632@lex.infi.net> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 08:24:50 -0500 From: Raul Escudero Jr <ccbree@lex.infi.net> Subject: Re: Stage Left! Stage Right! Martin wrote: "My favorite AV1 stereophonic moment is on "Easter Theatre" when the backing vocals "Stage Left" and "Stage Right" come in through alternate channels of the stereo. BUT, "Stage Left" comes in through the right channel and vica versa. Are my headphones wired around the wrong way (no, I don't have them on back-to-front!)? Assuming they're OK then is this some theatrical convention in that what appears to the audience to actually be the left hand side of the stage is actually referred to as Stage Right, i.e is it the right hand side of the stage from the _actors'_ perspective??? If this is the case then is the stereo image designed to mimic what the audience is "seeing" in the theatre?" You are correct.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36E780D8.6FD@bhip.infi.net> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 08:37:55 +0000 From: Brian <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Subject: Re: davidoh & dom Tschalkgerz! Boys, boys! -- BRIAN THOMAS MATTHEWS * Digital & traditional illustration/animation * Caricaturist-for-hire * RENDERMAN ~ One-Man Band Ordinaire SAPRINGER CENTRAL ~ http://www.angelfire.com/fl/sapringer
------------------------------
From: hick@mojo.org (gARetH baBB)
Subject: Re: A bit of a shower
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 10:44:46 GMT
Message-ID: <19990311.104446.83@gink.mojo.org>
Organization: Gink
In message <199903090201_MC2-6D3B-A750@compuserve.com>,
Steve_Pitts@compuserve.com (Steve Pitts) wrote:
>
> In 5-118 Michael Davies asked:
>
> > what does "we're a bit of a shower" mean? <
>
> I would say a rabble, but I'll resort to the dictionary for an official
> definition:
>
> "shower n. 5. Brit. slang - a derogatory term applied to a person or group
> esp. to a group considered as being slack, untidy, etc."
"Shower of piss".
------------------------------ From: RiknBkr@aol.com Message-ID: <f94fd0b7.36e7ce64@aol.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 09:08:36 EST Subject: Re:Fruit Nut: The Misheard Lyric >Upon first listen, my girlfriend heard a line in Fruit Nut as: >Spraying my butt >Spraying my butt >Got to keep away diseases >It's now what we sing when the song comes on. Romantic, eh? >What are some of your better misheard lyrics from AV1? Ha, Ha, Ha LOL..... I thought I heard the "A man must have a shed to keep him sane" part as "a man must have a Shit to keep him sane." I'll go wipe now. Cheers, Phil
------------------------------
From: "Bill Curran" <bcurran@stelco.ca>
Subject: Sampling Issues
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 09:28:11 -0500
Message-ID: <007e01be6bcb$64650df0$c50014ac@anodic.stelco.ca>
On Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1999 17:14:12 -0600 (CST)
One Marshall Joseph Armintor <mojo@is.rice.edu> did say :
> ...snipped ...
> for any reason. Example: the firestorm over the Verve's using a
> symphonic Rolling Stones sample ("The Last Time") in "Bittersweet
> Symphony," which resulted in Mick and Keith appropriating ALL the
> songwriting royalties from that tune -- although they only used that
> strings loop, and the Glimmer Twins didn't have a thing to do with writing
> the words, melody, or anything else. More of a punishment for the
> Verve without having "properly" cleared it, I think.
Methinks you read this one wrong. The original song "Bittersweet
Symphony" was an instrumental piece on an album released by Andrew Loog
Oldham of Rolling Stones fame. The tune was composed by said Glimmer
Twins. I think the artist was listed as "The Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra"
or something, it was along time ago, and the mind is kinda fuzzy. Keith and
Mick could not take any credit for the words, but the music was pretty much
note for note.
XTC Content : Quick take on AV1 - it is the first XTC album that I
connected with every song on first listen, and I hope that doesn't mean
that they will fade quickly. All the other albums crept up on me, slowly,
to take firm root in my psyche. Colin's songs are very Harry Nilsson-ish in
a British sort of way, superb, simple, comfortable songs that feel like a
old friend. Andy's songs are brilliant. I can't come up with a better word,
or words, yet.
Bill Curran
------------------------------
Message-ID: <19990311135519.17254.rocketmail@web1.rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 05:55:19 -0800 (PST)
From: nross <phoenixyellowrose@rocketmail.com>
Subject: bouncing off church walls
THE PERFECT TITLE FOR AV2 IS:
AMPLIFY.
did someone already put this suggestion up?
If not, what's the point in being modest...
I must come up with EVERYONE'S album titles...
Today the record business... tomorrow the world ;-)
-xtc rules, there's my obligatory xtc content.
-nicole
------------------------------ From: KB305@aol.com Message-ID: <38caed43.36e7d894@aol.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 09:52:04 EST Subject: andy's bluff? Read the transcript of the online chat, in which Andy said: Question: Thank you for "Apple Venus"! Why is there no XTC sheet music in print? A complete songbook would help all of us struggling musicians decode your secret chords! Please consider it! Andy Partridge: There was a book called "11 Different Animals" that had 11 of our singles. I've heard you have to pay these music book companies to get these books into circulation. I don't know how it works, but if there is somebody out there that wants to spend the time with us working it out, I'm sure we'll do it. Colin Moulding: I'm sure Virgin would have done it. Andy Partridge: But if there's somebody out there who wants to help, get in touch with TVT Records. ****************Here I am. Kevin
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 07:46:50 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <199903111546.HAA11041@mando.engr.sgi.com> From: John Relph <relph@engr.sgi.com> Subject: Re: shocking 5 digests Mitch Friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> wrote: > >Just some reponses to comments and questions from today's shocking 5 >digests! Actually, there have never been more than three digests sent out on any given day. Don't you read your email over the weekend? :-) -- John
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199903111549.QAA21991@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 17:00:41 +0000
Subject: I'm Millenium Bugged
Dear Chalkers,
Jill Oleson said:
> My personal observation is that as we move closer to the coming
> century, we are as a group allowing more beauty in our lives. I'd
> like to think that "Apple Venus, Volume 1" is emblematic of that
> notion. What do you think?
A very interesting idea...
Perhaps this is the hidden concept we've been looking for!
I'm sure the dawn of a new millenium must be bugging good old pagan
Andy, even if he is a powerful warlock or indeed the Greenman
incarnate.
Maybe Volume I contains hidden clues and messages to help us and
guide us through to the year 2000; the year when all will be revealed
on Volume II. Like maybe we should all start tending our fruits
because the global fruit distribution network will grind to a halt.
"failing crops and exams", "leave our stocks and invoices to rot"
Oh my god, it's all starting to make sense now! And the grand finale
The Last Balloon makes it perfect clear : we have to get out of here,
and fast!
PS: please do not point out that the new millenium doesn't start
until the year 2001... i know, but the rest of the world just doesn't
understand.
yours in xtc,
Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <4a8bc8c6.36e7a9c1@aol.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 06:32:17 EST Subject: Re: Sampling >Tyler, who exactly gets to decide whether a sample has been adequately >recontextualized? And if it's not, who should get paid? and how much? >Example: should Jimmy Page have been paid for the sample of Led Zeppelin's >"Kashmir" that Puff Daddy used to fashion the Godzilla movie theme? Was it >unfair that Zep had to pay Willie Dixon for their version of his song, or >was it just a collage? > >This is a very, very important topic. Please reply My understanding of the laws concerning sampling is that technically you can sample up to a certain number of bars of a song without getting permission.(I'm not sure how many, but I'd be surprised if it's more than four) This doesn't concern sampling specifically but I believe stems from folksingers borrowing portions of other songwriter's songs to "write" their own. The smart ones would change the key and feel slightly and they'd be able to pass it off as their own. As for sampling, you can also get away with as much as you want as long as you render it so unrecognisable that the writer of the original song doesn't recognise it. Obviously there's a lot of grey area and room for playing fast and loose with the rules, and if you're a penniless street musician stealing from Paul McCartney probably you'd get away with it. I'm only dredging up dusty old memories from old issues of Keyboard Magazine, which has done articles on the subject. As for Jimmy Page, he doesn't have a leg to stand on, just ask Robert Johnson(if you can find him at the crossroads), Jake Holmes, and Bert Jansch, to name but three of the talented songwriters he's stolen whole songs and compositions from and claimed them as his own. Holmes and Jansch are very much alive, and would probably tell you what they think of Jimmy Page. Holmes has a song called :"Dazed And Confused" that's THE SAME SONG as the Led Zeppelin song of the same name, but the feel is just different enough that it's obvious Page liked the song, changed just a little bit of it so he couldn't get sued, and figured Holmes was obscure enough that nobody would notice. Chris
------------------------------ Message-ID: <697A4CA51395D111A658AA00040058069DA039@NT6> From: "Wiencek, Dan" <wiencek@aaos.org> Subject: Chicago listees at attention! (Plus a riposte) Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 10:33:28 -0600 To all Chicago-area listees: Tomorrow, WXRT will be Friday-Featuring XTC along with Sting/The Police. They will also be re-running Tom Marker's interview with Andy at around 7:30-7:45 in the evening. If you missed this, you really must try to catch it; Andy provides a great explanation (w/ acoustic guitar) of how he wrote Easter Theatre. Mitch, bringer of many good things, wrote in response to my post: First of all, Andy was not fibbing about there not being enough songs for AV2 but if you read what I said he said a bit closer you'd see that what he told me was that he didn't think the songs they had chosen were quite good enough and wanted to round up a few more good ones for the album. There are reasons why they chose not to record some of the ones from the '95 demos. Those reasons being that he didn't think they were good enough and he didn't want to record them. No, I understand that. Perhaps I should've asked Andy if it were true there weren't enough *good* songs for AV2, but I didn't want to sound insulting and I kinda figured he'd know what I meant. He obviously didn't. It's not a big deal; I was just having fun and have no desire whatsoever to give Andy a wedgie, a wet willie, a titty twister, a hertz donut, or any other childish form of punishment, and I happily expunge his demerits from the record. And if I'm remembering my egotistical prick comments correctly, the listee who posted that was quoting someone else (I believe his sig-o), not his own opinion. It unfortunately confirms Andy's judgment that the comments reproduced in Song Stories serve to make him look bad. Makes me wonder if all is still well between the band and Neville. Au revoir, and don't forget to tune in tomorrow ... Dan
------------------------------ Message-Id: <TFSAIQCT@paraengr.com> From: David J Arnold <darnold@paraengr.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 10:51:49 -0600 Subject: Keyboard concerns I know everyone has been lamenting the loss of Dave Gregory on guitar, but what about Dave Gregory, master keyboardist? His keyboard work, especially from 1983 onwards, has been wonderful, and I don't think Andy or Colin is nearly as gifted in that area. Do you think they might bring someone else in (or, maybe, find a piano-playing producer)? - David in Houston
------------------------------ Message-ID: <65B793F0016DD11196E800A0C96034360FEC94@FS_1> From: Sheridan Zabel <SZabel@rawnarch.com> Subject: Beauty & XTC Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 11:22:37 -0500 Hello all Chalkers: I am writing in response to Jill Oleson's post regarding the 1990's view of beauty. I am also baffled by people's obsession with ugliness. As an art historian, I have studied the most beautiful artwork in the world. I pride myself on having cultivated an excellent aesthetic sense. Yet I feel completely detached from most people in today's world, even today's art world. But especially the music world. I hear the absolute grating, and frankly quite frightening, voices of people like Rob Zombie getting a ton of airplay and I wonder why this has become the more acceptable art. Why is the world listening to something like this when they could be listening to XTC or something comparable. I hear the haunting melodies and beautiful orchestration of people like Andy and Colin and I wonder why more people aren't listening to these inspiring bands. So here's my advice to all of us out there who appreciate beauty and good music: keep trying to spread the word of good music and good art to all. Perhaps we can all change this scary trend!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990311171718.18358.rocketmail@send102.yahoomail.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 09:17:18 -0800 (PST) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: Xtc back catalog Re: Is Idea going to buy up the back catalogue and do a ripper job of re-releasing the original albums with bonus tracks? I myself am hoping that Virgin will give the rights to the back catalog to XTC, and that XTC releases them to Rykodisc. Ryko has a proven track record with back catalog reissues-check out the Elvis Costello and David Bowie reissues for proof. Digital remastering, bonus tracks, extensive liner notes, great packaging, lots of artist control through the entire process-its exactly what XTC need for the back catalog. on a different topic: lots of mention has been made here about the U.S. and British chart positions of AV1. Does anyone have access to sales charts from other countries? I would be interested to see how its doing in other markets.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36E7FA42.F5694842@gge.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 09:15:51 -0800 From: Dan Duncan <dan@gge.com> Subject: demos and (non)such i'm new to chalkhills, but have been an xtc fan since the release of english settlement (1982), when i was about 13. my question is this: where are you people getting hold of all these demos? lots of people are comparing the album AV1 to the demos they heard before its release. where did you get them and how do i get them? put me down for one set of AV2 demos as soon as they are "available". my favorite song from the new album (this minute) is 'greenman' with 'easter theatre' a close second. one other thing i'd like to toss out there: with the exception of one or two songs 'nonsuch' is one of my favorite albums of all time. when i go through my stacks and rediscover xtc (about every 3-4 months) 'nonsuch' is the album that gets played and fawned over the most. i wish 'smartest monkeys' had been shunted off to some scrapheap release like 'rag & bone..' and 'wardance' i often skip over, but every other song on the album is an emotional, artistic feast for me. i'm only saying this b/c i hear the album getting bashed alot and i see it in the bins for $6.95 new, and it burns me up. i feel like the album is being overlooked by xtc fans the same way xtc is overlooked by people this world over. i welcome anyone's thoughts on the subject. skylarking on company time, dan
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36E822F1.1C4B@inforamp.net> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 12:11:03 -0800 From: Peter Murray <pmurray@inforamp.net> Organization: Thermidor Music Subject: Bass Player interview of Colin Moulding XTC fans (and Colin Moulding fans especially) should know that there's a feature on Colin in this month's Bass Player magazine (Apr. '99), written by yours truly. It was a fantastic interview, conducted on October 9, '98 in Colin's home. Tape was rolling for three-and-a-half hours, and this may well be the most in-depth interview to date about Colin's playing, writing, his working relationship with Andy, his methods, favourite music, and much more. The "out-takes" (there are many) of the interview will be published in the upcoming Little Express XTC fanzine published by Pete and June Dix (write to L.E. Box 1072, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4M 5E1 to order -- it's a GREAT publication) After that, I will put the interview online. In the meantime, buy Bass Player and order the Little Express! www.synapse.ca/thermidor Cheers, Peter Murray
------------------------------ Message-Id: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1BA0C@MGMTM02> From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: APPLE VENUS VOLUME 1 & MY PRE-MIDLIFE CRISIS Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 17:53:32 -0000 I'm getting old. Not sitting-in-plastic-pants-full-of-three-week-old-poop old, but old nonetheless. It crept up on me, like bad wind, and threatens to trample on all my adolescent dreams. Where once I was lithe, lean and many other things beginning with 'l' I am now increasingly flabby, woefully unfit and losing my few remaining marbles with alarming speed. And I'm only twenty six. "Apple Venus Vol.1" doesn't bloody help much either. It suddenly dawned on me when some oily cove remarked that "River Of Orchids" was rather reminiscent of "Orinoco Flow" by that talentless Celtic purveyor of poop, Enya. A ghastly piece of crap at the best of times, but so far removed from the spirit of XTC's new works of genius that I could feel the testosterone and moral fury surging through my veins......IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE BLOODY ENYA! Or at least that's what I said, knowing full well that the comparison was not entirely unreasonable. Herein lies my dilemma. Many of the songs on AV1 could quite conceivably be covered by all manner of ageing MOR shitbags; artists and bands for whom the days of sparkling creativity are long gone, their once proud talents a shabby and somewhat pathetic abyss of self-parody. Even though there are countless reasons why XTC are so much more intriguing, exciting and rewarding to listen to than any ostensibly mainstream or "adult" artist (and I'm hovering above the Sting/Phil Collins/Rod Stewart ballpark here), I can't help thinking that ten years ago I would have been less than complimentary about the new XTC album. Maybe that's not the case - after all, I would have been listening to The Smiths, Tom Waits and plenty of Beatles records, for example, at around that time - but at the age of 26 I no longer feel that youthful urge to throw bricks through the windows of Dire Straits fans' houses and find myself becoming increasingly amenable to the idea of a nice Van Morrison box set. Thankfully I still can't bear the thought that I might be wimping out and turning into a Crowded House fan, or, even worse, a Bob Dylan admirer. I feel comforted by the fact that the last CD I bought was by a band my parents would never have heard of (Cobra Killer, in case you were wondering), and yet despite these small consolations even my predilection for Heavy Metal has taken a significant turn away from what I can only refer to as "the hard stuff". It used to be all Death Metal and satanic shrieking around these parts. These days I'm much more your mellow 70s groove kinda guy - a pint of Sabbath, a hefty slice of Atomic Rooster and a Pink Floyd blancmange for afters, yummy! - and terrifyingly enough, I hear the Allman Brothers calling me from somewhere deep in my subconscious. It's not yet reached the stage where I sell all my grindcore and gabba records because they give me a headache, but the urge to get into jazz is becoming overwhelming and I quite fancy owning a pair of slippers. I've got the mortgage, the lovely fiancee and the three cats (superb substitute for children, if anyone's interested - far quieter and the overall stench-factor compares favourably with anything that comes out of a human arse) and even though I steadfastly refuse to get my hair cut (I'm not receding so I can still feel smug around all my recently shorn and/or rapidly balding pals) I can't help resenting the fact that pop music (and to some extent, pop culture generally) simply isn't aimed at me anymore, daft old hippy that I seem to be. OK, so Napalm Death are still one of my favourite bands, and I would still take great pleasure from seeing Celine Dion's head on a stick, but the downward spiral has undoubtedly begun. It happened to most of my friends years ago. When once they cheered as I slapped another Godflesh album on the stereo, one by one they wussed out large-style, turning to the alleged wonders of so-called "indie" music and insipid sub-disco drivel. And how I laughed. How I sneered (albeit with affection - ah, how sweet!) and proudly proclaimed "Not I!". But it's starting...............it's really sodding well starting... I absolutely adore the new XTC album. This much is, frankly, a bit obvious, but it needs stating, if only to confirm my own fears. I've loved all of XTC's records, and this new one is one of the best, if not the best ever. However, I have always preferred the more guitar-orientated, angular, squawky stuff - particularly "Drums & Wires" and "Black Sea" - and broadly speaking I have never been a member of the "I like a nice tune" school of thought. How things change! I keep saying to people, "Hey, have you heard the new XTC album? Fucking brilliant! The tunes, my friend, the tunes!!!" and even worse, "They're better than the bloody Beatles you know. It's a perfect example of songwriting as a craft! It bloody is!" and other such you-might-as-well-bury-me-next-to-my-credibility remarks which really should enrage the Morbid Angel fanatic inside me. But no, I love a good tune and I love "Apple Venus Vol.1" with all my mean-spirited and belligerent heart. I love a nice cuppa and I can't see the attraction in night clubs and I'd rather see a live band than listen to some spotty 'erbert playing records and I never refer to myself as a socialist anymore and I mutter under my breath when teenagers misbehave on the bus and I wear a shirt and tie to work (and I don't mind!) and I don't play my music too loud in case I offend the neighbours (who are all alcoholic students who probably don't even realise they have neighbours) and I do the Guardian cryptic crossword every day and I'm really quite responsible and I worry about smoking too much and how little exercise I get and I own at least two Bruce Springsteen records and I feel more at home discussing XTC with a bunch of middle-aged Americans than I do at Metal gigs and I'm only twenty fucking six and IT'S NOT BASTARD FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks. I feel better now. Dom.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-130 *******************************
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