Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 148
Date: Thursday, 25 March 1999

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 148

                 Thursday, 25 March 1999

Today's Topics:

                   I'm mad, you're mad
                     MY 'Sgt Pepper'
     Felled oaks, choked streets and The Gltter Band
                      I would Hector
             River of Orchids winding my way
      Nonsuch, the Divorce, Song Stories, & Liarbird
             Sgt Pepper's - Imperial Bedroom
                      Hearing Voices
      RE: Questions of a feather and the LA signing
                   ok....my sgt pepper
             XTC is Buzzin' in Atlanta ?!?!?
                    Falkner/Launch #25
               Violent Pepper's Femmes Band
           My Sgt. Pepper, and other obsessions
                     More Falkner...
                 Thanks Andy and Colin!!
              My (personal) "Sgt. Pepper"...
                     another AV1 fan
            Fripp in Austin, Damned good show!
                    War Planes Go Over
                  And The Losers Are...
              Breeeeething (Wyatt/Partridge)
                          Apples
                    Delurking from SF
                       Re: Apology?

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I believe the printed word should be forgiven / Doesn't matter what it said.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: CCooli9575@aol.com
Message-ID: <845aed0a.36f8c9e3@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 06:17:55 EST
Subject: I'm mad, you're mad

>I loathe to jump in this dumb thread, but Amanda, do you think that
>these nut cases really thought about and planned the whole time that
>they were going to bring harm to the people they eventually did? What
>THEY perceived about themselves was probably a bit different than the
>reality the rest of us now know about them, and just because someone
>sits there and says "I'm not! I'm not" doesn't necessarily mean they're
>not... hey, I don't mean to imply anything here, but there's always room
>for other interpretations, other hypotheses, and I just dispensed my
>$.02 worth. ;-)
>XTC roolz!
>(misspelled for flair)

  Though I understand Amanda's horror at the very idea of even thinking of
doing harm to our boys, I can't resist pointing out that part of being
completely looney-tunes is having no clue you are. it's one of those things
others notice. But don't worry, I don't think any of us on this list has
anything to wory about. We're guilty of having bad tempers and having
diarrhea of the keyboard sometimes, but I haven't seen any Mark David
Chapmans on this list. I have seen at least one person like that on a
couple of other lists I'm on, though, who frightens me enough that I'm
hesitant to say anything to rub him the wrong way and let him know where I
live.(yes, it's a he, that's all I'll say)We're fortunate in that we're all
a sometimes cantankerous but reasonable bunch.

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

Chris

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990324135642.18846.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "kristi leigh siegel" <beatlebird@hotmail.com>
Subject: MY 'Sgt Pepper'
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 05:56:41 PST

tyler hewitt wrote:

>I'd have to say MY Sgt. Pepper was >Elvis Costello's Armed Forces. Blew
>my 15 year old rural mid-Michigan >mind wide open!

Ah, mine was either Squeeze's "East Side Story" or Talking Heads'
"Speaking in Tongues"....

--kristi
http://beatlemania.webjump.com

------------------------------

Message-Id: <s6f8f001.024@plextek.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:00:10 +0000
From: Philip Lawes <PJL@plextek.co.uk>
Subject: Felled oaks, choked streets and The Gltter Band

Mark Strijbos wrote:

>And it's a bit rich to blame XTC for cashing in: after all it was
>the Christian church that "absorbed" those old pagan rituals and
>symbols it couldn't eradicate. Hares, rabbits and eggs are age old
>fertility symbols predating any organized religion. And where did
>that Xmas tree come from? Bethlehem? i think not...

This was our old friend Prince Albert again.  Albert was the man widely
credited with both 'inventing' the Victorian Christmas and the
introduction of the Christmas Tree to Britain (he brought one to Windsor
Castle in 1834).  Prince Albert was German (as was Queen Victoria, as
near as makes no difference) and Christmas trees were a German
tradition.  I was brought up in Crediton, Devon, where St. Boniface was
born (in 680, I think). Legend has it that Boniface, who introduced
Christianity to what is now Germany, found one of the tribes that he'd
converted on a previous visit had returned to worshipping an oak tree.
So he, of course, chopped it down.  After a while a fir tree started to
grow from the stump of the old tree, so Boniface cannily got the tribe
to adopt this as the symbol of their new faith (presumably so they
didn't have to go completely cold-turkey on the tree worship).  All this
has resulted in us, via Albert, lopping down poor defenceless young fir
trees once a year, taking them into our houses and hanging stars, angels
and other pseudo-Christmas paraphernalia on them.  Keeps the kids amused
though.

> Anyway, say you're listening to AV1 in your car over and over again. And
> say every time you hear River of Orchids, all you can think is, "But I LIKE
> my car!" Does that make you a bad person?

Liking your car is perfectly alright.  If you live in a rural community
you likely as not depend on it for a reasonable quality of life and, hey
I'm a bloke so I salivate just looking at a Lotus Elan.  It's only when
this liking becomes an obsession, either on the part of individuals or
the planning authorities, that problems start to occur.  Cambridge,
where I live, is now so car-logged that average road speed is now 8mph
(in central London it's a respectable 11mph).  To make thing worse car
volumes in the city, if left unchecked, are predicted to increase by a
third over the next ten years.  I live in a typical British turn of the
century terraced street where everyone now owns a car and many people
run two.  To fit all of these vehicles in our cars are now bump parked
on the pavement (sidewalk to American readers) along both sides of the
road.  The net result of this is not enough pavement space for
pedestrians (especially the disabled, and if you're pushing a decent
sized pushchair you have to walk in the road) and too little road space
for the traffic (my wing mirror is taken off by a lorry about once a
year).

So, being thoroughly hacked off with all of this, some friends and
myself are starting a local car pool scheme.  We're going to lease cars
from a rental company, locate them in dedicated parking spaces and rent
them out by the hour (we reckon we can save a couple of grand a year off
the real cost of running a car as well).  My own personal dream where
the car is reduced to a fossil is a car-free street, but realistically
we'll probably only get rid of  the equivalent of a street full of
second cars.  If it all works I shall certainly push my personal car
from the road though.  Go on, you know you can do it.

Todd, thanks for enlightening me as to the drummer situation.  It'll be
interesting to see who ends up playing on what.  Perhaps they should
just go for two drummers per song and get Peter Phipps back - he should
be used to it from his Glitter Band days shouldn't he.

Phil
(choke choke)

------------------------------

From: christej@vrinet.com
Message-ID: <8525673E.004BA920.00@vrinet.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 09:00:15 -0500
Subject: I would Hector

Hey Chalkers,

Long time no post.  Like many of you, I think Apple Venus Vol. 1 is just
peachy... Quite possibly the shortest 50 minutes in recorded history.  And
when "Church of Women" appears on Vol. 2, my life will be nearly complete.

But the real reason I'm here:  I got this email and thought some of you
might enjoy it. Today's Word of the Day, brought to you by the good folks
at Merriam-Webster, is "Hector."   (I apologize if others have already
posted this.)

Enjoy,

Jasper
Ann Arbor, Michigan
____________________________________
The Word of the Day for March 24 is:

hector   \HECK-ter\   (verb)
         intransitive verb : to play the bully : swagger
        *transitive verb : to intimidate or harass by bluster or
         personal pressure

Example sentence:
         Before the tournament finals, Coach Thomson hectored his
         players, confident that the bullying would make them play
         with more fire and determination.

Did you know?
         Hector wasn't always a bully. In Homer's _Iliad_, the eldest
         son of King Priam of Troy was a model soldier, son, father,
         and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was
         killed by the Greek hero Achilles. How did the name of a
         Trojan paragon become a generic synonym of "bully"? That
         pejorative English use was likely influenced by gangs of
         rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and
         called themselves "Hectors." They may have thought themselves
         gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were
         merely swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and
         vandalized property. By 1660,"hector" was being used as both
         a noun and a verb for the sort of blustering braggarts who
         populated those gangs.

* Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Visit http://www.m-w.com/service/subinst.htm to subscribe to or
unsubscribe from the Word of the Day mailing list.

To subscribe to the list by email, send a blank email to
mw-wod-subscribe-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com.

(c)  1999 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990324140328.377.rocketmail@web1.rocketmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 06:03:28 -0800 (PST)
From: nross <phoenixyellowrose@rocketmail.com>
Subject: River of Orchids winding my way

A woman is not property, and husbands who think otherwise are living
in a dream world.
-- Robert Heinlein

A man is not property, and wives who think otherwise are living in
a dream world.
-- me... there is always a flip side!

To comment on a post by Charles, on March 23rd:
Subject: River of Orchids / push your car ...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Elizabeth wrote:
> Anyway, say you're listening to AV1 in your car over and over again. And
> say every time you hear River of Orchids, all you can think is, "But I LIKE
> my car!" Does that make you a bad person?

Not necessarily.

But it does suggest you're spending too much time in your car.

I "pushed my car from the road" some 20 years ago.

You may not be ready to do that yet ... but do listen to what
Andy is saying:
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I get what you are saying... and I understand, I think, the meaning of
Andy's words.
However, if we look deeper in to Elizabeth's "But, I like my car"
maybe we'll find what she really is saying is "But, I like my
technology".

When I get frustrated I often wonder if it would be better if we all
were farmers or traders, etc . and families all lived near each other,
and life was simpler, etc. But, then I'd be without air conditioning.
I wouldn't have a freezer... and I'd have to make food for that day and
throw away the leftovers, I guess. We'd sure be burning a lot of
candles. There'd be no electric musical instruments... there'd be no
CD players.... AARRRRGGGH!  Worse, I'd be less likely to have a job,
since what I research is fairly new and pretty much requires a lot
of technology. So... I like my car, too! Sometimes, I just have to
remind myself I like it.

Charles, what an interesting point! Thank you for bringing it up on
the digest!

-Nicole

------------------------------

From: Chauncy14@aol.com
Message-ID: <74821baf.36f8f8cf@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 09:38:07 EST
Subject: Nonsuch, the Divorce, Song Stories, & Liarbird

Hello all.

I've only been a subscriber for 5 weeks.  I only just finished reading my
copy of "Song Stories" and am confused about a few things.

First, it is said that it was during the 7 year strike that Andy got
divorced; according AV1 reviews, the book and individuals on this list.

However, after listening to Nonsuch, and reading lyrics, it occurs to me
that many songs, dear I say "most" songs, are symbolic of a breakup or a
divorce.

For example, "Dear Madam Barnum" suggests an ultimatum between Andy and his
wife (??).  "The Disappointed" has Andy being the keyholder to the broken
hearted with a line out his front door.  "The Ugly Underneath" has manic
all over it, suggesting his own marriage was contrived.

And, yes, I only just learned recently of that divorce.  Reading Song
Stories also introduces Andy's depression to mine eyes for the first time.
Things make sense now.

So, is Nonsuch just simply the penultimate moment where Andy realizes that
his marriage is done?  And, then goes through the process?  And, is AV1 the
left over baggage of the un-doing?

Add to that AV1 songs and lyrics.  If AV1 was written at the time Nonsuch,
or sometime thereafter (I don't know, because Song Stories doesn't really
say when AV1 was written), then the two combined would make sense as a
"breakup album."  ROO suggests to me that Andy's needs of springtime as a
"rejuvenation" are forthwith.  Spring is life renewed, growth, and mating
season.  AV1 is for the giving to his bachelorhood a new life?  "Your
Dictionary" may just be the song that should have followed " Madam Barnum"
or "The Disappointed."

Or am I totally off?  AV1 cannot be solely the result of the divorce.  But,
could be solely the work of the emotion feeding from the Divorce. in
disguise.

Lastly, could someone tell me the story behind why XTC cannot discuss the
lyrics of "Liarbird?"  Song Stories has a one liner - claiming XTC cannot
talk of the lyrics due to a lawsuit with Ian(?), their first Band Manager.

Someone help, I'm dying to know..............

Yours faithfully in XTC
-John in Chicago

------------------------------

Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990324103722.00c2a7a0@pophost.micron.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 10:37:22 -0700
From: Phil Corless <philco@micron.net>
Subject: Sgt Pepper's - Imperial Bedroom

My Sgt. Pepper's was Elvis Costello's "Imperial Bedroom"....
It opened up to me a whole new world of melodic, intelligent
pop music.   "English Settlement" came next and introduced
me to XTC, but EC got there first.

Phil Corless
philco@micron.net
http://netnow.micron.net/~philco/
MY EBAY AUCTIONS:
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/philkar/

"We're all so ridiculous."
       - Colin Moulding

------------------------------

Message-Id: <4.1.19990324113705.0093ac10@pop-2.iastate.edu>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 11:41:55 -0600
From: John A Lane <jal@iastate.edu>
Subject: Hearing Voices

At 08:25 AM 3/24/99 -0800, David Seddon wrote:
>It's no wonder that people in that pub in Kansas City keep thinking that
>ROO is Sting.  I've always thought he had a similar voice to AP.  In my
>opinion, they both have the timbre of a trumpet.  This is interesting
>because APs voice in TLB segues into a trumpet.  Has anyone ever heard of
>Yargo?  An excellent live band I once saw live in Bath?  Well, their lead
>singer had the most remarkable voice.  It really did sound like a trumpet!!

Couple quick responses on those thoughts, David:
1) The only time I've thought Andy sounded remotely like Sting
was on "This World Over"...it sounds very Police-ish to me.
And Andy, if you reading this: I'm sorry. Truly.
2) Re Trumpet-Mouth: for some reason I keep thinking of that quote,
"She had a face like Louis Armstrong's voice."
Later,
John
Wipe That SMILE On Your Face
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jal/smile.html

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 11:42:23 -0600 (CST)
From: vince <vince@io.com>
Subject: RE: Questions of a feather and the LA signing
Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9903241140060.21111-100000@dillinger.io.com>

> From: "Gerardo Tellez" <gtellez@access1.net>

> -Some guy behind me had a Go 2 with a different cover. Has anyone else seen
> this? It had (if I remember correctly) a picture of Colin and Barry in the

My Go 2 is like that. It's a French pressing.

vince

------------------------------

Message-Id: <v0311070bb31ed30ea165@[18.156.0.43]>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 12:42:13 -0500
From: josh getman <jgetman@MIT.EDU>
Subject: ok....my sgt pepper

I like this thread.  My Sgt. Pepper changed over the years.  Here's the
timeline:
childhood:  Steely Dan's "Aja"
early teens:  ACDC's "Back in Black" and Cheap Trick's "Dream Police"
late teens:  Sting's "...Nothing Like the Sun"
college:  King Crimson's "Discipline'
Most Recently:  Jeff Buckley's "Grace"

----------
Josh Getman
Technology Review -
	Nominated for The 1999 National Magazine Award for General Excellence

------------------------------

Message-ID: <000801be7621$916a1740$ab0145cf@mabrey>
From: "Andisheh Nouraee" <mabrey@mindspring.com>
Subject: XTC is Buzzin' in Atlanta ?!?!?
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 13:10:13 -0500

Last week, Tower Records in Atlanta has AV1 ranked as their #13 bestseller.
It is also selling well at a couple of our local independent stores.

XTC is on the cover of a local music magazine called Stomp & Stammer.  The
article is not radically different from others that we've seen on XTC
recently, but S&S is a fan and the interview is good.  The article is on
their web site at www.stompandstammer.com  Careful readers of Stomp &
Stammer's credits (print edition) will notice that Martin Newell is credited
as the magazine's UK Bureau reporter.  Newell wrote last year's review of
High Llamas "Cold And Bouncy" CD.

Later,
Andisheh

------------------------------

From: WWi8064839@aol.com
Message-ID: <99a1bcef.36f93770@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:05:20 EST
Subject: Falkner/Launch #25

Thanks to Todd for posting the info. about Jason Falkner. My request for
the free Falkner sampler is...how do you say? Ah yes...in the mail.

I have the "Holiday" 7-inch (Lovitt Records) and it includes a bonus track
not on the "Can You Still Feel" CD. The bonus track, "Down by the Lake,"
describe Jason being influenced as a kid by Elvis Costello's "Armed
Forces." I like it.

Also wanted to mention that XTC fans will be able to get Launch #25 as a
back issue from their site (www.launch.com); it's not available just _yet_,
but should be soon so keep checking back.

Wes (Wilson)

P.S. Play "Green Man" backwards and someone (Andy?) in the background says,
"The Walrus was Paul..." (just kidding)

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199903241905.OAA14974@mail.bna.bellsouth.net>
From: "RoadKill" <csberry@mail.bna.bellsouth.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 13:12:37 +0000
Subject: Violent Pepper's Femmes Band

	I had to share how Violent Femmes's debut album was undoubtedly the
big shake up of my life.  Before my sophomore year in high school, I
listened to the usual pop dredge that Casey Casem and Rick Dee's
serve every week.  Then one day I am cast in a high school play and I
am introduced to a new world.
	Normality took a back seat to the people that I met.  I had never
spent quality time with a bunch of other teens sitting in an
abandoned concrete building in the middle of a field drinking strong
cider and playing the (I'm serious, it's a real game) Martin Luther
King, Jr. Board Game.  The soundtrack to this event was The Violent
Femmes.  My virgin ears had heard nothing like them before.  I had
heard the irritating scary metal of the bands at the time, but
rebelling in this musical direction was new to me.  Within a few
weeks, I had a copy of the tape and it stayed w/ me whenever I needed
around.  "Blister In the Sun," "Kiss Off," "Add It Up," "Please Don't
Go," and "Good Feeling" were songs that I instantly memorized.  I
have worn out several tape copies in my life.  I finally broke down
and got it on CD after all of these years (I had avoided it because I
considered the bonus tracks as sullying the beauty of the original).
There is no other album that has been so essential to the evolution
of my personsality and life than this great collection of songs.

Cory

"Words to memorize / words hypnotize / words make my mouth exercise"
- "Add It Up"

------------------------------

Message-ID: <C4D3F9980FD4D111892B00805FBBF5D101B85F0A@mailsvr1.lernerny.com>
From: "Lieman, Ira" <ilieman@lernerny.com>
Subject: My Sgt. Pepper, and other obsessions
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:11:38 -0500

Chalk-o-rama,

I love the thread that's going around about our "coming out" records. But
there's a little bit of background I must give to explain my own.

When I was, uh, about 6 or so, my uncle (then 28) introduced me to Billy
Joel. I had been a precocious little tyke and was playing piano for about a
year at that point. So, of course, I was drawn to the artists who could
make a really big splash with that instrument. I have to say, then, my Sgt.
Pepper must have been Billy's "Songs In The Attic" when I was about 8. That
guy was AMAZING until Christie Brinkley musically castrated him and he grew
a beard.

In other news, Apple Venus kept me sane while working on the minutiae of my
company's Data Warehouse project the last few weeks. You haven't lived
until you're trying to solve small problems with the line "Just like a mad
dog I'm chasing my tail in a circle" in your head and it's THEN that you
realize you're not looking in the right place for a solution. Strange how
Apple Venus is so smart! :)

-ira, dressed in Yellow Yolk.

------------------------------

Message-Id: <v01540b01b31ee858ebdd@[158.152.74.66]>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 19:15:44 +0000
From: yung@orgone.demon.co.uk (yukio yung)
Subject: More Falkner...

Just wanted to concur fully with Todd Bernhardt's Jason Falkner
recommendation...

I think the Grays album is one of the finest of the decade and am
completely baffled that JF has enjoyed such minimal success. I would have
thought that any XTC fan would find something worthwhile in any of his
albums. Go buy the new one (and then track down its pre-release incarnation
"17a", which was even better IMHO).

Yukio Yung

------------------------------

Message-ID: <36F96C91.4836@schoollink.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:52:01 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: Thanks Andy and Colin!!

Wow, ya'll! --
Have you guys and gals checked out the
neato Hallmark electronic greeting card
that Andy & Colin sent to us all here???
Man, this is GREAT!!

Now I *know* that these guys occasionally
check in to see what's going on in
Chalkville!!  ALRIGHT!!!!

Thanks Andy & Colin for a cool electronic
message!!

You're THE BEST!!!  :-)

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/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: <36F96D57.1123@schoollink.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:55:19 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: My (personal) "Sgt. Pepper"...

For anyone interested --

My personal "Sgt. Pepper" is (amazingly
enough) XTC's "English Settlement."  That
one DID IT for me...plain and simple!!

Later --

--
/Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990324195841.16722.rocketmail@send205.yahoomail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 11:58:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: another AV1 fan

After hounding my brother-in-law to buy AV1 for a few weeks, he finally
picked it up. He e-mailed me this message, which I hought you all might
enjoy:

Picked up the new XTC you recomended and am enjoying it greatly (right
now, matter of fact). It's much more "beautiful" sounding that the
others but super-good. Their best or second best? I think you're right.
There are no low spots. I was kinda surprised to see it was on the TVT
label.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <900822C71730D2118D8C00805F65765C48198E@EINSTEIN>
From: Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com>
Subject: Fripp in Austin, Damned good show!
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 15:35:34 -0600

Hey, speaking of Robert Fripp... I saw him play with
Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto last night at the University
of Texas Cactus Cafe. (Pat lives in here in Austin).  The
band, called ProjeKct Three, is the latest iteration of King
Crimson (thus the capital K in the name).  Okay, well arguably
it's not King Crimson at all, but that's beside the point.

The point is that Robert Fripp is an amazing guitarist--some
say the very best mankind has ever produced.  I tend to agree.
But, come to think of it, that's not the point at all.

The point is that seeing Fripp play live is so completely different
from just hearing the music from a recording.  When I see him
play, I also get to see him think.  In other words, I become
privy to his creative process.  I don't just appreciate the results
of his music, I get insight into how and why he is creating.
I get insight into what instruments he's using, how he works
with the other members of the band, and most importantly,
what he's aiming for.

With most musicians, I think it's fair to say that they're aiming
for a big hit record, or at least something that other people will
appreciate.  Okay, well maybe that isn't fair at all, but I don't think
this is an issue for Fripp on any level.  I think musical exploration
may be his only goal.  His work contrasts complex structure
with untamed improvisation.  What I heard last night had more in
common with Miles Davis and John Cage than anything rock
and roll.

It is for this reason that I wish that Andy and Colin would play
again in public.  I know that Andy says that playing live is
essentially the bastard child to the fully realized, finished recording.

But for me, it is just a piece of an otherwise incomplete puzzle.
I learned so much about music last night--especially talking with
other musicians after the show, like Dick Ross from
Poi Dog Pondering, who kindly explained a few technicalities
to me.  I'm a painter, not a musician, but I still want to learn.

Other XTC content:  One of Pat Mastelotto's friends, who was
acting as a roadie last night, said that most of Apple Venus,
Volume 2 was "in the can" and that Prairie Prince had done
most, if not all, of the drumming.  I don't know if this guy is really
in a position to know, but I thought it was gossip worthy of
passing on to the group.

Jill Oleson
Austin, Texas
(still have The Damned on vinyl... love it!)

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199903242147.WAA05702@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 22:59:34 +0000
Subject: War Planes Go Over

Dear Chalkers,

Now what's all this then?
How come all the personal "Sgt Peppers" posted so far are not by XTC?

In my life it happened to be English Settlement* but i'd say there
are quite a number of potential ear openers in the XTC discography.
And are we not supposed to be XTC fans ?

* i remember very clearly how this album lured me in during the long
cold winter of 82/83. I was at an all-time personal low at that time
and flat broke but somehow i managed to buy the expensive imported UK
double album. And it was just what the doctor ordered: it really
lifted my spirits when i needed it most.

Within days i was playing nothing but this brilliant album and within
weeks i was hooked and knew that i had found my musical home. Within
a couple of months i bought all the other albums and life has never
been the same again...

English Settlement will always remain my personal fave because of
that. Of course i know it's by no means as perfect as Apple Venus or
as consistent as Black Sea but it just happens to be the one i fell
in love with. And i'd give my right arm for a proper, remastered CD
re-release.

Speaking of releases: I understand Andy P. is not going to include
the complete fanclub tape demos in the Fuzzy Warbles box.
What's the point of putting them on CD if you leave out a
couple of tracks from each tape? IMHO the potential market for
a boxset like this will be completists & collectors and they
won't like this at all

yours in xtc,

Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
 http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
     or http://come.to/xtc

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199903242148.WAA05866@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 22:59:34 +0000
Subject: And The Losers Are...

Dear Chalkers,

Dave Rutherford asked:
> >Fourthly: Mark, in your recent contest, nine people got
> >perfect scores; I'd be interested in the names of the four who
> >didn't win,
Well, i decided not to publish those names, they know who they are.
Would you like to read here that you just missed out on something you
would really really love to have? i think not...

> >as well as a statistical breakdown on the rest of
> >the entrants...
>
> And I thought *I* had a little too much time on my hands ...?
Indeed!
Once again, I think not... i have no time nor the desire to process
all those entries once again.

here's just a little more information:
9 people scored 19 points
14 people scored 18 points
12 people scored 17 points
13 people scored 16 points
86 people scored 15 points or less...

(sorry to everybody else for this extremely boring bit)

yours in xtc,

Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
 http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
     or http://come.to/xtc

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990324202315.21493.rocketmail@send205.yahoomail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 12:23:15 -0800 (PST)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: Breeeeething (Wyatt/Partridge)

someone posted:
my favorite thing of this type is on rock bottem by robert wyatt.  on
"alife," he is heard breathing al-if-ee over and over.  it almost sounds
like percussion (which is what i thought it was for about 6 months.)
its a damn fine album too.

I agree!
Robert Wyatt is one of my heroes. 'Rock Bottom'  and 'Ruth is Stranger
Than Richard' are two must-have albums. I fantasise about what a
Partridge/Wyatt colaboration would sound like (Wyatt has worked with
Fripp, Eno, Paul Weller, Elvis Costello, etc. so working with andy would
seem to fit in nicely).
Thwy might get along well, too. Both Andy Partridge and Robert Wyatt
cultivate an anti-pop star persona, are vaguely misanthropic, follow
their own muses to the bitter end, and record all too sporadicaly. And
that's why we love them so! (well, except for the sporadic recording
thing. Both of them could release twice as many records and it would
make me twice as happy).

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199903242355.SAA14571@mail1.discovernet.net>
Subject: Apples
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 99 19:01:38 -0400
From: Ben Gott <gott@tmbg.org>

Hi, everybody...

I've been on vacation for the past few days (and will be on vacation
until 05 April), but I've been keeping up on those Chalkhills things!
Yee hah!  College is fun.

My friend Bob and I played "AV1" for our friend Anne -- she loves it.
Actually, we played it while we were driving Anne home in Bob's dad's car
-- an Audi A4 with a Bose sound system.  That thing kicks!  Woah!  It was
great.

As for the new Jason Falkner:  eh.  It seems kinda middle-of-the-road to
me.  I'll give it a few more listens, though.  The new Crash Test Dummies
album, however, is absolutely spectacular (Look!  It's not Amanda
talking!), and you should buy it NOW.  It's a drum-bass, Stereolabbish,
urban, sampled mess o' fun.  Apparently, Brad Roberts has been living in
Harlem and has been soaking in the music there.  It shows, at least in
the instrumentation.  This is a really, really good thing -- even if
you've hated former CTD albums, you should get this.  Dom, you should,
too...get in touch with me, and I'll send you a tape.  It's kinda like
that "hip-hop" stuff you keep referring to, whatever that is.  ;-)  The
new Blur album seems disappointing on first listen, but you never
know......

Thanks for all the Richard Thompson recommendations.  I've bought
"Shooting Out The Lights," and I agree that it's unbelievable.

If I could have Andy and Colin perform a song for me (just me!) in my
living room, I'd choose "Yacht Dance."

-Vacationing Ben

------------------------------

Message-ID: <50DB5A137E82D2119B6300805FA60326046DA3@uoponlex1.apollogrp.edu>
From: Travis Graham <tpgraham@apollogrp.edu>
Subject: Delurking from SF
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 13:39:23 -0700

Hello!

I saw a post where someone reported that Harry Shearer played Greenman on
his show a couple of weeks ago.  Well, on last Sunday's, 3/21 show he played
Harvest Festival.  We've emailed him asking him to play the whole album, a
song each Sunday.  It would be especially nice to hear Easter Theatre on
Easter Sunday (or is that somehow reverse sacrilege?)  He must be a fan,
because I remember hearing the Upsy Daisy version of Love on a Farmboy's
wages awhile ago.  Here's the Le Show URL if you want to find a radio
station near you that carries it:

http://www.timecast.com/channels/comedy/shearer/

And you can email Harry at:  lemail@interworld.net

Cheers,
Travis

------------------------------

From: mollyfa@juno.com
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:19:36 -0500
Subject: Re: Apology?
Message-ID: <19990324.141937.2862.1.MollyFa@juno.com>

Dom said:
<<Similarly I would like to apologise on behalf of the countless
people who have used swear-words and terms of abuse in their posts
since I have been taking part. I didn't realise quite how fragile and
innocent many of us are, and I deeply regret excercising my right to
freedom of speech by using the language which comes naturally to
me. From now on I promise to only use vocabulary that has been
approved by Tipper Gore, Ed Meece and anyone else who seeks to protect
us from gratuitous filth and linguistic Satanism.  Thank you for
listening.>>

Well, you have to remember there are kids that read this list, and even
though they've heard this stuff before, but we have to remember that some
of the language is offensive.  I'm sorry you're offended by some of us
being "thin skinned", but I find swearing very inappropriate.  There are
better ways of saying stuff without swearing.  You can do whatever you
want privately, but when you're in a public forum you have to use some
discrssion, because you don't know whose reading this.  And I don't think
this is censorship.  It's just showing some discression, so we can prtect
the innocent kids that read this.  If you had a child would you want him
or her to read swear words or some of the other things that go on here?
I don't like censorship either, but we have to be a little careful.

Molly

------------------------------

End of Chalkhills Digest #5-148
*******************************

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25 March 1999 / Feedback