Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 134
Date: Sunday, 14 March 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 134
Sunday, 14 March 1999
Today's Topics:
got my AV1 vinyl
potential singles ?
Another review of AV1
Play Misty for me
Spraying my butt...
Funk Pop A HMV/PonyCanyon: Dissapointed in Osaka
More Dictionaries.
Dan asked...
then out of nowhere invitation in gold pen
Seattle XTC Fans?
His Dictionary
XTC Apple Venus review
That's me
Question for Duncan
The Beauty of Imperfection
Question re; Phil's offer of AV1 T's to us interested parties...
Marvelous Frivolous
the eye of the beholder
IRC Chat
Re: Now dont get me wrong!!!
Apple Venus demos and Song Stories
Re: Albert/Victoria; Nelson/Hamilton
River of Orchids played in BBC2 documentary
Re: A Thought-Experiment in Nastiness
The trashing of Dave Gregory
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 01:12:17 -0800 (PST) From: Benjamin Lukoff <blukoff@alvord.com> Subject: got my AV1 vinyl Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.990313011118.20139C-100000@locutus.alvord.com> And I'm happy! Only $20 a pop from MusicMachine. Looks and sounds great. Ben
------------------------------ From: "john gray" <jt.gray@btinternet.com> Subject: potential singles ? Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 10:59:52 -0000 Message-Id: <E10Lm4K-0000Ub-00@carbon> I have been following the suggestions for possible singles from AV1 . And then I read a few people asking what had happened to some of the songs that never made it from the original demos to the finished album ( you know where this is going already, don't you ?). There seem also to be lots of people ( me included) whose copies of the demos include only the songs which did make it onto the album, so perhaps can't really comment . But those of you out there in possession of the complete demos - are there songs 'left over' which in your opinions would make a strong single ? Given the more than occasional Beatles comparisons, there is a grand tradition to follow . Remember 'Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields' was a completely freestanding single release ( at the time - future compilations being discounted). <jt.gray@btinternet.com>
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990313123557.007bbbd0@pop.xs4all.nl> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 12:35:57 +0100 From: jan bletz <jan@xs4all.nl> Subject: Another review of AV1 The Dutch music magazine OOR (ear') had a short but enthousiastic review of AV1 this week. The reviewer was glad XTC haven't forgotten how to write good songs'. He singled out Your Dictionary', a song with dark lyrics sounding like a Disney-tune'. AV1 entered at number six (of 10) of OOR's list of favourite new albums, behind Sebadoh (number 3). Jan Bletz
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36EA65E0.312A407A@erols.com> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 08:19:28 -0500 From: Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt <toddjenn@erols.com> Subject: Play Misty for me Howdy: Two (Too? Nah.) short replies: Misty said: > Gee, Andy can be bitter, but Elvis is a bonfide bitch, God love him. Just > look at This Year's Model, an album which people love, but which I think > gets very tiresome in its unremitting vitrol. I think that any bitterness > in Andy's songs is accompanied by this undertone of pain, whereas any such > pain in Elvis's songs is obscured by this masculine, tough guy, anger > thing. In short, Andy seems more *sensitive*, while Elvis is a crank! > This is why I like XTC more -- because Elvis just never seems to happy > with anything. For example, a simple Elvis Costello love song does not > exist (except for maybe the aptly named song "Uncomplicated"). You're right in your assessment of the two, I think, but you gotta love Elvis' crankiness. As for a simple, sad love song, I don't think you can do much better than Imperial Bedroom's "Almost Blue." One of those songs that has made me say, "Fuck, I wish I'd written that." I've certainly lived it. and, in a separate post, asked: > I have a question that is shallow and irrelevant and just symptomatic of > my voyeuristic desire to know 'bout the private lives of the band... > What happened between Aimee Mann and Dave? >From what I know, she dumped Dave -- and fired the rest of the band -- at >the end of the "Whatever" tour. As Dave himself has admitted, it was a >matter of "caveat emptor," so I guess she's well known for her, um, >pragmatic approach to love and career. Makes you wonder if any of the songs on "I'm With Stupid" were written about their relationship, don't it? --Todd
------------------------------
Message-ID: <36EA6AE8.788939D8@earthling.net>
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 07:40:56 -0600
From: John Voorhees <griffon@earthling.net>
Subject: Spraying my butt...
That is a wonderful misheard lyric, isn't it?
But I mostly wanted to express that I think I finally "got" Fruit Nut!
I loved Harrison's explication of the album structure a couple of days
back, and his summing up of the contradictions in Colin's songs. ("Fruit
Nut" saying "I don't need people at all" and "Frivolous Tonight" saying
"God, I really need people!") That's especially poignant given the
musical similarities between the two. I immediately enjoyed Frivolous,
but couldn't quite work up enthusiasm for Fruit Nut. I mean, it was
catchy and all, but there was something subtly... abrasive about it.
That little pipe solo that keeps coming back, the chords just dissonant
enough to make it vaguely unpleasant, the weird squeaky guitar on the
bridge, the glaring touches of reverb.
Okay, you can all virtually slap me for taking so long to realize it,
but THEY'RE THE WHOLE POINT!
Lyrically, the song is a mantra for a harried worker/husband. You can
almost literally hear him spraying his butt... I mean buds... in rhythm
to the song. He's singing in the shed, there can be little doubt of
that. BUTT! He is trying to drown out some serious tension and
frustration from the day, and that's being expressed musically all over
the damn place, including a slightly strained vocal performance on the
part of Messer Moulding. Frivolous Tonight is full of genuine enjoyment
at a stupid social gathering, but Fruit Nut is a man trying to convince
himself that none of the stuff outside can get to him while he's in his
shed. And he's WRONG! He's not really being kept entirely sane, now,
is he? You get the idea that the wife not complaining is a fairly rare
situation, don't you? You're afraid he's going to have himself a little
"episode" with those poisons he's mixing, now aren't you?
Honestly, I have yet to listen to this album without finding new stuff.
(About a dozen times now, I'd say, and I know you'll consider that
pretty lax, but give me a break. I'm a working man who rarely gets a
chance to go out and spray his butt.)
John Voorhees
griffon@earthling.net
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36EB6626.A1525C15@po.twin.ne.jp> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 23:32:52 -0800 From: michaelw <michaelw@po.twin.ne.jp> Subject: Funk Pop A HMV/PonyCanyon: Dissapointed in Osaka Hello Chalkers! Have immensely enjoyed the past few posts (especially Dom's age reference a la Colin's Dying? "We're getting older, too.." Hey, Dom, I'm 31, and when I listen to O & L I feel...well, 31! A young 31, of course!) A couple of weeks ago, I bought AV1 from Tower Records here in Osaka. We have TWO Towers here, and I guess I bought mine at the wrong one. Soon after buying it, I received a message from a Japanese friend of mine saying that XTC would be visiting both HMV and Tower on 3/13. As excited as when I first bought O & L some 10 years ago, I was looking forward to the visit. However, another friend cautioned me by saying there was a "policy" that one had to buy the CD at the store where Andy and Colin would be visiting. I went to HMV to check, sure enough the staff there said, if you didn't buy it here, and didn't send in the post card, and didn't call the special phone number beforehand, you wouldn't be able to join the signing line! Slightly aghast, I called Tower in Shinsaibashi, where I bought the CD. They said, "oh, the signing is at the OTHER Tower, you might want to call them." When I did, they told me that all the tickets for the "event" had been sold-out. When I asked what time the "event" started, they said point-blank, "oh, sorry, that's a SECRET". Huh?! What gives? Talk about egalitarian childishness and idiocy! Today I went to HMV around 1:20; Andy and Colin were due to show up at 2. The "event" was scheduled from 2-4. When I got there, only about 20 people were waiting. There was no line at that point. Then a few of the staff started putting these ropes along the counters; not for the ticket holders, but to keep the "onlookers" back. What onlookers? I tried to explain my predicament, but they started to check everyone to see if they indeed had these tickets, and asked that I stand behind the rope, which was pushed to about 20 feet behind the table set up for Andy and Colin. Come 2:00, there was a sizable group who had tickets, I'd say about 100, while we "onlookers" numbered around 30. We were situated in 6 aisles, with one or two HMV staff at the head of each aisle, keeping us back the best they could. Most of the other people in the store didn't know what the heck was going on. I was in a row on the far right, which was pushed back even further so that Andy and Colin could come through a side entrance (unbeknownced to us). The "line" of people holding tickets was actually a "blob"; the first of many organizational glitches by our friends at HMV and/or Pony Canyon (PC). At around 2:15, Andy and Colin come striding quickly down an aisle at the side nearest to me. I was one aisle over, and shouted a "hello", whereupon they turned their heads slightly, and proceeded to shake a few hands. As they apporached the table, I noticed two mineral water bottles, but no bowls of fruit or any food/snacks whatsoever. Some people started taking pictures, but they were quickly reprimanded (as was myself, with several good "palm-in-lens" shots courtesy HMV/PC staff). An announcement that no photos would be allowed, nor would videos (I found this out, too). In addition, no Q & A session, it was just right to the signing! Surprisingly, for the first few minutes, Colin seemed in good spirits and fresh; Andy, on the other hand, seemed courteous but not his jovial self...he smiled politely, but whenever he tried to sign more than two things, a PC rep (there were no less than 3 Japanese staff up on that stage, at the table, with them, and they were constantly shaking their hands or head, saying, only one autograph, no, can't sign that too, etc I tried to shout in a semi-loud voice, "Andy, Colin, AV1 is spot-on magnificent, a great piece of art!" but I think my voice was drowned out by the LOUD stereo system (I think Greenman was playing at the time). Andy didn't seem to hear me, but Colin seemed to glance up a bit in my direction, and just as I made eye-contact with him, two HMV/PC staffers came over and, in not-so-bad English said, "Please, no shouting, keep quiet, or you leave the store, OK?" HUH?! Well, seeing that I didn't want to disturb those who had tickets and were waiting, I kept my mouth shut and watched...and waited....behind Andy and Colin were these video monitors, and periodically, I'd see shots of Andy and Colin signing stuff...Andy was still in his smile/handshake/polite words but no chuckle mode, while one guy shook Colin's hand/arm so hard, I thought he was going to fall off his chair! And I did notice one guy with 'The Loving' 12", which was cool. Around 3:30, after numerous attempts to get in the "blob ticket line group", I decided to leave; not because I wanted to (hell, I would've waited until 4:30 or 5) but because I had to return to work to interview a couple of applicants for our school. (I work about 10 minutes walking distance from HMV, and was taking an unusually long lunch break). It was time for Plan B--I had a thank-you-for visiting-Osaka fan/friend type note and some things for Andy and Colin to sign (just in case I didn't get to meet them) , but was wary of giving them to the HMV/PC staff, as I didn't see a bin/pile of things behind Andy and Colin's chairs (I guess giving gifts was forbidden- too). Regardless, I asked a young couple in front of me (the lucky ones who had tickets and weren't being harassed) if they would be so kind as to give this envelope to Andy and Colin. They smiled and I think they said, "sure, no worries!". With that, I left the store, and upon going out, saw a couple security guards walking toward the front..which, by that time, didn't surprise me a bit... Best part of today was to watch Andy and Colin and see how genuinely polite, kind, considerate, and generous with their time they are with each and every person with whom they met (even though the time spent with each person seemed short-no photos, only one sign per person, etc). I didn't see them get up from their chairs, however, in the hour and a half I was there...bummer, they must've been tired! Worst part, of course, was the absolute shabby, disorganized, unprofessional way that both HMV and Pony Canyon staff handled today's event. The 30 or so people who were forced to wait 20 feet behind the ropes dwindled down to about 10 (including myself) by the time 3:30 hit...still, they forbade us to cross the line, and when we tried, we were pushed back or taken by the arm..not that many Japanese wanted to "rock the boat"-I sure didn't want Andy or Colin to be distracted, so I reluctantly gave in. Aargh! I was wondering, did any of you out there in Chalk-Land attend todays event? What time did Andy and Colin finish? I heard they had to go to Tower soon after, so maybe that's why everything was rushed. Sorry for the long post, but I just had to vent my frustration with the way the in-store event here in Osaka was handled, and was very glad/happy for my friend Naoyuki Isogai, who hinted that the Tokyo event ran much better...thanks Naoyuki! Michael Wicks P.S. I wanted to ask Andy a question, perhaps one of you (Yazbek?) know the answer: were the songs "Mississippi Honeymoon" and "The Go-Go Years" written and intended by Andy to be used on O & L, or did Andy write those specifically for/with Yazbek? Thank you and G'nite!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <01BE6D63.909D7260@robert> From: Robert Wood <wobbit@bigfoot.com> Subject: More Dictionaries. Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 15:03:28 -0000 Paul Culhane brought up the subject of Lyrics in "Your Dictionary". My friend Dave who I finally got into XTC a few months ago, after years of subjecting it to him, asked me an interesting question about it the other day. The conversation as I was driving along went something along the lines of... Dave: "I have a problem with the lyrics of Your Dictionary" Me: "What's that?" (As I thought he was going to suggest they were too vitriolic or something along those lines.) Dave: "When he sings 'S-H-I-T, is that how you spell me in your dictionary', is he saying that's how *she* spells me as in her, or is that how she refers to Andy?" Me: "Also, is that Andy asking Marianne the question, or Marianne asking Andy?" Dave: "Post it to Chalkhills and see what they say." Me: "OK" So, er, whaddayathink?
------------------------------ Message-ID: <01BE6D63.8F0D0E60@robert> From: Robert Wood <wobbit@bigfoot.com> Subject: Dan asked... Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 14:41:20 -0000 ...about Nonsuch and whether other people also loved it to bits. Count *me* in as a big, big fan of Nonsuch - and also note that this album is responsible for turning more friends of mine into XTC fans than all the rest of the albums put together. It's a much more accessible album than their others and I think that's what many people don't like. I reckon there's a kind of snobbery about Nonsuch *because* of its accessibilty. I even like The Smartest Monkeys, and Wardance is one of my favourites, sorry Dan! I played Nonsuch a couple of nights ago, as side four came on a friend came round to listen to a pair of speakers we were both thinking about buying, by the time we'd unpacked the speakers and were ready to listen to them we'd reached Books are Burning. It sounded just awesome - a fantastic track, to my mind the best closing track to any XTC album. Which reminds me of an incredibly fatuous comment someone made about The Last Balloon being the best album closer since Chalkhills and Children. Oh yeah, beats *all* those other album closers that have come since, like Books are Burning and er, er...
------------------------------ From: "Wesley Hanks" <whanks@earthlink.net> Subject: then out of nowhere invitation in gold pen Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 08:20:31 -0800 Message-ID: <000001be6d6d$6aadf200$181c1d26@wes> Friends, This is one lovely list! I want to express my deep gratitude to a number of outstanding folks; diabetics, page down: John Relph - What with the constant dumping of reviews, tabs, list postings, pictures, etc, etc. - well a man needs a hobby. bravo! Dave Gershman - This man spent part of his precious face time with Andy getting me a personalized autographed copy of AV1, gold pen indeed! (As well as selfishly sending me tapes.) Thanks Dave. Jill Olsen - A fellow artist who articulates so well the artist's mind. I am envious that you live in a cultural hot spot, quite different from my golden-age-of-plastic Las Vegas. Harrison Sherwood - My friend, you always leave me saying to myself - I think I was thinking about that, man this sharpie bloody nails it every time. Sit back and enjoy! Mark Stijbos - A fan's fan. You will never catch Mark dismissing any portion of XTC's work. He constantly points out things that add value and insight which adds to the enjoyment of XTC's music. Simon Sleightholm - A genuinely warm, patient and honest individual who extended a pleasant, reassuring welcome when I was a stumbling, fumbling newbie. Dominic Larson - Passion need not be dismissed. Taking the middle road is a boring existence folks. Stand for something and don't blink. Bottom line, music actually means something in these folk's lives. They contribute and share their lives, which in this increasingly ugly world, is a vulnerable and precious commodity. Naturally I can't list everyone on this list who's contributions are worthy of recognition. Heart on sleeve, Wes Hanks How about "Bursts Up Through Concrete"?
------------------------------ From: music@telisphere.com Message-ID: <36EA96EC.3A05@telisphere.com> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 08:48:44 -0800 Subject: Seattle XTC Fans? Recently discovered XTC, my only previous exposure being the Mayor Of Simpleton (one of my favs). First got the Upsy Daisy Assortment, and found myself liking the later stuff best. My expectations were well satisfied by AV1, Nonsuch, and Oranges & Lemons. Like another favorite band of mine, Squeeze, the earlier material that I've heard doesn't thrill and move me like the latter. (Thought you said it well in your recent post Dave (Robson). Colin's bass playing is exemplary, and for those who don't like his songs on AV1, I would say they are best enjoyed in a lighthearted mood (Arrive there as you will.. :) As a musician influenced by The Beatles, Todd Rundgren, The Beach Boys, etc, XTC has become one of my very favorite bands. Strangely enough, I haven't been able to find many XTC fans here in Seattle, Wa. Are you out there? Rich Frers (SeattleGuitar)
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 13:24:21 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <v03007800b31015a05081@[209.86.134.232]> From: Mitch Friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> Subject: His Dictionary Hello again, Welcome to yet another in a series of very short posts by me lately. If anyone was lucky enough to hear the great 3 hour radio show appearance that Andy and Colin made on Sunday Feb. 21st on Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight" show on WNEW-FM, then you'd have heard the definitive explanation behind "Your Dictionary" (and "Dear God" for that matter). Andy said "I wrote "Your Dictionary" to make myself feel better, not to hurt someone else". Etc. Mitch
------------------------------ Subject: XTC Apple Venus review Date: Sat, 13 Mar 99 19:40:25 +0100 From: Ludovic Patry <lpatry@vtx.ch> Message-ID: <7726CC16D57.AAB61BE@mail.vtx.ch> To complete your list of album reviews, a good one was published in the swiss daily "Le Temps" on march 13, 1999. Great website, XTCsely yours, L. Patry
------------------------------ From: mollyfa@juno.com Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 13:08:13 -0500 Subject: That's me Message-ID: <19990313.133543.2766.1.MollyFa@juno.com> Steve from TX mentioned this: <<1. People generally have the greatest affection for the recording that "flipped the switch" for them, and turned them into fanatic fans. Chalkhillians are die-hard fans, and die-hard fans are by definition, people who are fans of long standing. Therefore, they generally favor the earlier recordings.>> I think that defines me. I'm a diehard fan, well I don't have all their stuff yet, but I think I am one. I've listened to their music for about 10 years since I haerd Oranges & Lemons, I know that's not one of their early stuff, but that's the first album I ever bought from them. I do have Drums & Wires and that's my third fave after Skylarking and AV1. Molly
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 13:41:41 -0500 (EST) From: Funk Genie <keathvj9@salem.edu> Subject: Question for Duncan Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.990313133224.27376C-100000@sisters.salem.edu> Three cheers for Duncan Watt's last post on extensive sampling- My question to you Duncan is how much of a say does an artist have in whether or not someone covers his/her song. Could Zep, Sting, XTC have refused to allow the use of their songs? I've wondered about this since Puff Daddy started his tomfoolery and I am even more curious now that REM's "Superman", Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like and Eagle", and the Stones "Can't Always Get what you Want," have all been used in commercials. And if the artists do have a choice what is their motivation for allowing the use of their song?
------------------------------ From: CMGNM@aol.com Message-ID: <8183dd0e.36eab681@aol.com> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 14:03:29 EST Subject: The Beauty of Imperfection Greetings, This is my first time de-lurking here....... Regarding some of you folks who feel "Your Dictionary" does not fit in with the overall beauty of Apple Venus 1. I understand in some Eastern religions there are rugs that are made with perfect precision, yet a small imperfection is eventually included to convey that humans are not as perfect as God. Also in the symbol of Yin & Yang, there is a small white dot within the larger black swirl, just as there is also a small black dot within the larger white swirl. The idea here being that there are no pure absolutes; that there is little of "the other" in everything. To me "Your Dictionary" is a wonderfully powerful song that fits in beautifully with the rest of the album. Tom Albuquerque, NM, USA
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36EAE376.5560@schoollink.net> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 14:15:18 -0800 From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> Organization: CIC Subject: Question re; Phil's offer of AV1 T's to us interested parties... Hi all, Anyone else heard anything from PC re: these AV1 shirts? Good God!! These things look GOOD, too! Just wondering if maybe I was being impatient or something. Probably... Can't wait to get mine!!!!! :-) -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> The two rules of Life: 1. Don't sweat the small stuff. 2. It's ALL small stuff! (Anon)
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3509782A.C74A17DF@mnsi.net> Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 14:17:25 -0400 From: Micheal Stone <nedrise@MNSi.Net> Subject: Marvelous Frivolous Chalklodytes Another big Nonsuch fan here. I love it, and up until the arrival of AV1, was my most played XTC album of the last few years. A flawed masterpiece, great songs and not so great songs >>Then She Appeared(for me-as good a song as there ever was), followed by Wardance(the less said the better). Take off 4 tunes(ah, but which 4 tunes? -we'll never agree on that!) and you got their best album ever. In #132, Tim Lovegrove said: - initially wasn't impressed with Frivolous either but the damn thing just doesn't give up and I love it now. Yeah! I think Frivolous Tonight just may be the best thing on AV1. Alot of people are calling it "light", and of little consequence. Think again people. Just because it has a light and merry sentiment does not make it a light weight song! I played Frivolous for a musician friend of mine, and besides the obvious Bealtes reference, it made him think of Kurt Weil. Not too shabby! Way to go Colin!!!!! And, having nothing whatsoever to do with anything: A rejected Hallmark Card verse: My tire was thumping I thought it was flat when I looked at the tire I noticed your cat........Sorry! Mike
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990313194806.16702.rocketmail@send1e.yahoomail.com> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 11:48:06 -0800 (PST) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: the eye of the beholder Lots of interesting comments on beauty. I have to play Devil's advocate a little, and bring up a couple of points: 1. Who decides just what is beautiful? There are not only major cultural differences in what is considered beautiful, but there are personal differences as well. While I agree that a lot of today's art is unattractive, others may not think so. I for one think that Joel-Peter Witkin's work is beautiful. It's grotesque, and very disturbing, but for me there is also an undenyable beauty in much of his work. Maybe there's some sort of difference between visually beautiful and morally or conceptually beautiful. I don't even know if that makes sense, -what do you think? 2. My cynnical self fears that if there is a return to beauty in the arts, it will be a smirking, self-aware, insincere beauty. Postmodernism has made everyone very self-aware, and you can't ignore that knowleedge. I don't necessarily like this much, but I can't change it.
------------------------------ From: mollyfa@juno.com Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 15:14:33 -0500 Subject: IRC Chat Message-ID: <19990313.151433.3454.0.MollyFa@juno.com> Well, I tried to hold another IRC chat, and nobody showed up. I waited about 10 minutes. I thought I mentioned that I changed the date, because last week I had a few computer problems. I even said to look at my web site. I wanted people who weren't on AOL to have an opportunity to get together and discuss AV1, but I guess people are more busy. I will never hold another IRC chat again for a while. I don't understand why people won't come to my chats. It was at 3pm EST (8pm GMT). Oh well. Molly
------------------------------ From: joel@kenlaw.com (Joel Flaxman) Message-Id: <9903131751.ZM492@custer> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 17:51:41 -0600 Subject: Re: Now dont get me wrong!!! Steve Oleson wrote: >People generally have the greatest affection for the recording that >"flipped the switch" for them [snip] Therefore, they generally favor >the earlier recordings. I disagree. I was turned onto XTC through Nonsuch and these days I can barely stomach it (flame away). I like the older releases because I find them musically superior and far more interesting to listen to. Yes, I even like Go 2 (White Music has it's moments, but well it is White Music). (The following should be read as a whisper) And speaking of Go 2, would anyone be willing to trade me demos of the Barry Andrews song that didn't make the record? (end whisper) Joel
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b03b3107b322687@[209.86.35.4]> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 17:54:14 -0400 From: ebubier@mindspring.com (bruce bubier) Subject: Apple Venus demos and Song Stories Hi I've just finisthed reading Neville Farmer's XTC book It was quite good and I recommend it. In it was mention of demos for Apple Venus that were readily available. Now, it's been several years since I've been in XTC tape trading circles but if anyone could help me track down some these demos I sure would appreciate it. I have lots of XTC (and others) to trade. Please write to me directly at ebubier@mindspring.com Can't wait for Volume 2. Thanks mucho, Bruce Bubier You can have art without even doing it. All you have to do is change your mind. -John Cage
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000301be6db3$db51d760$6aebabc3@xonwjikf> From: "Ballentyne" <Ballentyne@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: Albert/Victoria; Nelson/Hamilton Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 00:43:58 -0000 In Chalkhills Digest # 5-132, Steve Sims wrote: "... can someone explain the significance of Albert/Victoria and Nelson/Hamilton?" Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria; and Emma Hamilton was paramour of the great naval hero, Admiral Lord Nelson. It's little moments that these that make us British fans realize just how exotic some aspects of XTC must seem to fans in other parts of the world! Orrabest, orratime! George Ballentyne
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000201be6db3$dab19fc0$6aebabc3@xonwjikf> From: "Ballentyne" <Ballentyne@btinternet.com> Subject: River of Orchids played in BBC2 documentary Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 22:01:16 -0000 Saturday 13th March, between 9 and 10 pm, BBC2 showed a documentary, "Twenty Four Hours in Las Vegas". Included among the incidental music (during a section on the life of a professional drag artist), was the intro to River of Orchids ... from the first "plop" to just before Andy's "Hey!". And very appropriate it was too, played over reflections of the neon lights in puddles. Nice surprise, that was! *s* Orrabest, orratime! George M. Ballentyne
------------------------------
Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19990313180700.006a84c4@pop.napanet.net>
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 18:07:00 -0800
From: "Elena F. Sirignano" <nycelena@napanet.net>
Subject: Re: A Thought-Experiment in Nastiness
Fellow Chalkheads,
In response to Marshal's writing about "My Dictionary"
being the most nasty to date, I'd have to say Yes and No.Generaly Andy does
not seem like the type, in so far as I can hear/see in his lyrics, to come
right out and say somthing derogatory to a specific person in his songs.
His has a very eloquent way of conveying a message. But listen to "No Thugs
In Our House". There is nothing indirect about that song. It comes right
out to punch you like a biggoted little skin-head.And while we are at it
what about "Funk, Pop A Roll", he is saying "Bye Bye" to all of us because
he believed that after that song and album (and not touring) that Virgin
would surely can them. Elvis Costello has always been a little more direct
in most of his songs, but let's face it divorce will piss anyone off. So
Andy can be harsh and funny all at the same time, but he has never held
back his ability to show who and what he is angry towords.
Sinerely
NYC Elena
ps RE:Who's Who. Victoria was Queen, Albert was her consort, but I don't
know the Hamilton reference. Any other takers?
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 21:59:44 -0500 (EST) From: BEAULAC MARIO <d246274@er.uqam.ca> Subject: The trashing of Dave Gregory Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.95.990313201649.22975A-100000@nobel.si.uqam.ca> Hi Chalkhillians, as an XTC enthusiast for the last seventeen years, I quite evidently share in the general ecstasy surrounding Apple Venus' release (even though the very low threshold for even the mildest criticism of it on this list is more than a tad annoying, though to be somewhat expected, I suppose). Amidst all the warranted praise and the sometimes overstated hoopla that the release of the loooonng-awaited album has generated, however, one aspect of songmeister Partridge's promotion of his and Moulding's latest gem that grates me in the worst possible way is the wholesale thrashing of former compadre Dave Gregory. To wit, this latest outburst in the New York Daily News, from Feb. 28 (thanks to the fellow Chalkhillian who sent in the URL to this list): "Dave is such a complex person," Partridge says. "He's a famous diabetic and, when you mix extreme chemical mood swings with being a grumpy bastard in any case, he started to become more and more difficult to deal with. He didn't want to do anything. He didn't want to work with the orchestra because it was too expensive. He didn't want us to sign with TVT [the band's current American record company]. He became jealous of me as a songwriter and musician. And I resented carrying him. "After we stopped touring, he didn't have too much to do in the band. He came up with little solos - after I bullied him. He sees me as evil. But I took him from being a van driver and stuck him in a famous group." The bad blood was already much in evidence in the RayGun article, to mention just one widely available article; here, the bile really boils over, and even though one grows accustomed as an XTC follower to Mr. Partridge's often venomous diatribes -- laced with the usual brilliantly witty repartee as a mitigating factor --, this belittling of his former bandmate's "little solos" reeks of the worst possible egomania and lack of basic courtesy, not to mention self-restraint. Now, I know this point, and many others about Partridge's "genius" excesses and tantrums, have been raised in previous digests, inevitably to be followed by almost sycophantic rebuffs as to creative genius' claim to immunity in such matters. These particular comments of Partridge's might even have been commented upon in recent digests which I have yet to read (the current flood of postings makes it hard to catch up!). To hopefully make my point a bit clearer, as i'm reacting quite spontaneously to the Daily News article, I must add that I do appreciate the idiosyncrasies of Mr. Partridge and the fact that only out of the whole cloth, stains and all, can come his particularly layered brand of songsmithing. I'm also conversant with the peculiar ways in which journalism can often bend interviews to shape a more dramatic narrative out of a more unstructured outpouring of words (and feelings); one need only look at the quotes patched out of the Mojo article as attention-grabbing teasers in bold type to get the idea. My point is just that even though much tweaking can be done on the rough interview material, the gist of too many articles amounts to a deliberate and vindictive smearing of Dave Gregory to make one fully comfortable with Partridge's attitude during the current promotional tour. Maybe I'm too mindful of the whole thing and my knee-jerk reaction only points implicitly to the depth of my respect for Andy Partridge's intelligence and sensibilities, as evidenced in his body of work; after all, one's idols can only fall from their pedestal if one put them there in the first place. I guess I wanted to vent my anger at the slighting of Dave Gregory's contributions to the XTC mixture, and ended up displaying by the same token much disappointment in Andy Partridge, the man (who is absolutely entitled to his opinion, and revels nakedly in them no matter the forum, it seems; no wonder there is an accompanying "pink thing" fixation to booth). Just my two cents, as they say (which is substantially less as it is in Canadian currency, to be sarcastic about it)... Mario Beaulac
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-134 *******************************
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