Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 165
Date: Thursday, 8 April 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 165
Thursday, 8 April 1999
Today's Topics:
Re: Todd.. you KNOW how I'd answer this one!
xtc and YEs
The Beatles/Brian Wilson/Guilty Sonic Pleasures..
samples of pepper
HiFi Listening to AV1
back to inertia
music stuff
The Embarrasment Of Richess
Beachles
Re: Embarrassing songs...
Curses!
Most embarassing songs
Queen / Sgt. Pepper + The Who
Macca, Macca vs. Brian, Terry & The Lovemen
Embarrassing Songs (kinda long!)
More Oops and a Guillotine Question
Free as a bird
Interviews & stuff
Favorite embarrasing videos
L.A.'s Dictionary
Re: Most Ridiculous
Ridicule is nothing to be scared of...
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: RiknBkr@aol.com Message-ID: <1ea86c16.243cc424@aol.com> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 10:22:28 EDT Subject: Re: Todd.. you KNOW how I'd answer this one! >My question to you all is... What is the MOST RIDICULOUS song >you LOVE? My submission, obviously, is Mandy. Come on... embarrass >yourselves! The theme from "Nanny and the Professor". Great harpsichord and harmonies. Next would be "Burning Bridges" from Kelley's Heroes.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990407142411.19282.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "iain fisher" <iainfisher@hotmail.com> Subject: xtc and YEs Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 07:24:11 PDT Never really thought of yes and xtc as being comparable in anyway before but on thinking about it the song that sprang to mind in relation to ROO was the song from Fragile called "We are Heaven" where there is a multi layered vocal arrangement by Jon Anderson. Also just wanted to say that the last Balloon where Andy's vocals merge into solo at the end is simply exquisite. Anybody else think of any other songs where vocal s and instruments merge ? I've got a nagging thought that Rogers Waters has probably done it but i can't seem to figure out which Pink Floyd track it is ? Some non XTC sort of - XTC were out the picture for seven years due to record label battles - so what's Peter Gabriel's excuse then ? and even worse bloody Kraftwerk. Big fans of both but how long are folks meant to hang on ...........
------------------------------ From: music@telisphere.com Message-ID: <370B7273.4B3@telisphere.com> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 07:57:55 -0700 Subject: The Beatles/Brian Wilson/Guilty Sonic Pleasures.. KenL wrote: "My Sgt. Peppers? Hmm. If this thread is about albums that just blew your mind and led you into a realm of musical obsessions.." Very well put! On the Beatles vs Brian Wilson controversy (i.e. who is more of a genius): I think BW's reaction to hearing Sgt Pepper speaks volumes. He became a musical recluse, and almost destroyed his mind with the large amounts of LSD he took trying to "compete" musically with the Beatles. Funny how Brian could hear the musical genius that so many Beach Boy fan/Beatle-detractors cannot. btw, I am a Beach Boy fan myself, and Pet Sounds was great, but they werent' the Beatles by a long shot. Guilty sonic pleasures? The Monkees (I know many of you here like them and so do I), but my friends used to ridicule me for liking them). Someone mentioned Afternoon Delight....guilty. I love that song! Summertime,Summertime (think that's the name..sounds like acappella chipmunks). Shania Twain Savage Garden: Truly, Madly, Deeply. Backstreet Boys: As Long As You Love Me (imagining the looks on some faces right now :) Mariah Carey Many more I'm sure, as I like whatever moves me, regardless of the scorn of my fellow earlings, and have VERY eclectic tastes.. To Eddie O'Hare: Loved the massage evangelism story. As you say, one at a time... :) Michael Versaci (Organic Music/AV1) said: "..and yet I got chills because it felt like a memory." Yes! I actually get a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes at listening to Easter Theatre and Harvest Festival, and at the end of the CD I feel like I've been thru a "religious" experience.. "..during "The Last Balloon". My 9 year-old daughter came into the room and saw me sitting there listening to the end of "Harvest Festival". Without a question or even a word, she climbed into my lap and rested her head on my shoulder and shut her eyes. We listened to, or should I say, experienced "The Last Balloon" together. No words were exchanged, and yet we both fully understood that special moment. For a few minutes, we were one with each other and the music. The song ended and the moment passed, but the memory will remain forever- " A beautiful moment that touched us all I'm sure. Thanks for sharing with us. Imagine if all parents had this kind of connection with their kids. What a wonderful world it could be... And finally to all Chalkhillians: I really enjoy your insightful posts and sharing of yourselves. Thanks! - RF
------------------------------ Message-ID: <370B8C21.AB5B1DFE@gamespot.com> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 09:47:29 -0700 From: Jon Drukman <jsd@gamespot.com> Organization: GameSpot, Inc. Subject: samples of pepper although normally i'm an electronic kind of guy i suddenly find myself having to produce a bunch of pop music for a film score. so i've been out grabbing production tools, blasting "nonsuch" on the car stereo as i drive from store to store. i just got this drum sampling CD called "Popped, Volume 1" which is a bunch of drum loops and hits played by some Swedish studio musicians. on the CD there's a folder called XTC, full of supposedly "xtc-inspired" drum performances. personally i have no idea what in particular it's supposed to sound like, i guess it's somewhere between drums and wires and black sea. still, good sounds. (the other folders on the CD are: cream, blur, new order, costello, who, faces, and some others.) i also got a mellotron/chamberlin sample CD. it's fun to load up the flute and noodle around with it through a delay, sounds just like the interludey bits on Psonic Psunspot. i don't have a particular "sgt pepper" album. every few years something seems to come out that makes me go "hell, i didn't know music could be THAT!" a few milestones for me though are: wendy carlos - switched on bach art of noise - who's afraid of the art of noise? big audio dynamite - megatop phoenix public enemy - it takes a nation of millions to hold us back beastie boys - paul's boutique meat beat manifesto - storm the studio (and 10 years later: subliminal sandwich) o'rang - (they're both awesome, can't pick) xtc - the big express -jsd-
------------------------------ Message-ID: <002001be8088$765bfc40$a0f0abc3@vucqprlj> From: "David Seddon" <D.Seddon@btinternet.com> Subject: HiFi Listening to AV1 Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 00:51:58 +0100 As one of those human interest stories, that are quite fascinating, I really enjoyed the letter from the bloke who went on about massage clients getting into XTC. I've just had a most pleasurable afternoon myself, with a HI Fi shop owner-fiend of mine who is a big XTC fan, too. In fact he's into a lot of the same stuff I like. We've been listening to AV1, Nick Drake, Kate Bush etc, and chatting about the Beatles and the Elevators. Also listened to Beth Orton for first time and was greatly impressed. My system is pretty ok, I suppose, but this fellow has the mega expensive stuff of dreams (we're talking #5,000 + CD players etc!!). Anyway we listened to AV1 with all of this gear and lots of different pairs of speakers since I'm after another pair (not in the above price range...ouch!). Right, here comes the human interest stuff...he's been playing AV1 to a lot of people who are into totally undemanding stuff, and blowing their minds. A lot of his customers can be pretty undemanding. I mean fancy buying a decent system and listening to Brian Adams, Cher or stuff like all of those mid-America-"soft-rock"-MOR-bands that seem to be loved by so many people. On the strength of his intros, he's made several converts, who have gone and bought the record. Some personal comments from today's listening: APs singing on the album must be his best yet! We listened a lot to KISK and the strength of the vocals really impressed us. The line "of warming stars" followed by a finger cymbal, hits you right in the face. It is one of those celestial moments on the record, that others have referred to (eg last chords of TLB and certain chords). The diminished chord that ends this piece plus the cadence are pretty sublime too. I also love the inflection of the word pine in the line "oak and pine" on Gm. We were also well impressed by the arrangement of ICOH;some interesting textures there. We both love the original, but are both at one that this ought to be covered by someone who may just lift the tempo and jazz it a little. It could be a hit for someone, but probably not XTC. For what it's worth, if anyone has a spare afternoon, book into a HIFi shop (who cares if you want to buy anything!) and give AV1 a listen. New things will hit you for sure and it's a fun way to spend a few hours. Some miss heard lyrics from my first few listenings: Cold as fishes swum Enter Easter and she's dressed in yo-yos
------------------------------ Message-Id: <l03110705b330b6deabba@[206.173.240.35]> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 10:54:21 -0800 From: Eb <gondola@deltanet.com> Subject: back to inertia Ken L: >I then ruined the replacements. Funny, I coulda sworn it was Warner Brothers. >From: garyt@dna1.dnet.co.uk (Gary Thompson) > >Chris Vreeland wrote, in his otherwise very good post, The Beatles >(arguably, I'm sure) were the first recording artists to treat the magnetic >tape itself as a canvas, painting with sounds the way Jackson Pollack flung >paint. ' >I'm going to argue. Brian Wilson 'arguably' was the first rock musician to >do this with 'Pet Sounds' Paging Phil Spector...white courtesy telephone, please.... >From: Peter Mullin <pmullin@biocomp.unl.edu> >Subject: Review of AV1 in Daily Nebraskan > >And finally (and most egregiously): "On the flip side, however, 'Fruit Nut' >has spoiled and long-since gone bad and should have been struck from the >album long before it saw release" I've read and re-read that comment several times, and I still can't find anything objectionable about it. ;) Eb np: The Lonesome Organist/Collector of Cactus Echo Bags
------------------------------ From: Nudeants@aol.com Message-ID: <b0afcb66.243d0464@aol.com> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 14:56:36 EDT Subject: music stuff Regarding ROO, the phrases 'I heard...', 'just like...' and 'I had a dream...', 'Push your car from the road,' and 'River of Orchids,' are ALL on ONE, not on 2, 3, or 4. How it looks on paper or or works theoretically is irrelevant (and irrelevant never forgets). FEEL it this way, and you can't go wrong. To the person who asked about the final distant piano chord in Balloon (I apologize for forgetting your name), it's an F# triad over G in the bass, or a G diminished 7th chord with F# substituted for the E (or F flat for those who want to get technical about chord spelling). From the bottom up, the notes are G, A#, C#, and F#. It's tough to hear, considering it's voiced pretty low and mixed way far away, and especially considering the C# is as soundly struck as the other notes, but I'm about 90% sure that it's there. For supporting evidence, check out the beginning of the song, the 'harpsichords' (forgive me, I couldn't resist). The 4th chord is a straight up G diminished 7th chord. This is the same corresponding place as the chord in question, with just one note change. matt mitchell
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199904071949.VAA00893@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 22:02:11 +0200
Subject: The Embarrasment Of Richess
Dear Chalkers,
On the importance of being Pepper:
Don't you all think that perhaps one of the reasons why Pepper made
such an impact was that it's an album by the Beatles?
They were at the pinnacle of their career at that time and bigger
than any other name in showbusiness - including Elvis
BTW: Macca never made it any secret that he was very impressed with
Pet Sounds at the time of Pepper's "conception".
And now for something completely different:
> My question to you all is... What is the MOST RIDICULOUS song
> you LOVE? My submission, obviously, is Mandy. Come on...
> embarrass yourselves!
Well, the unforgettable "Mandy" is a hard act to follow, let alone
top but here's a personal fave of mine
- Little Girl, a classic 60's nugget by the Syndicate Of Sound
(and also very handsomely covered by our beloved Dave!)
This teen angst anthem is so ludicrously un-politically correct and
so incredible stoopid and that it's hard not to love it.
Plus those clumsily played jingly-jangly guitars and the drums that
sound like cardboard boxes due to the no-budget "production value".
Nope, they don't make 'm like that anymore... thank God!
Now where did i put that brassband version of Louie Louie?
yours in xtc,
Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ Message-ID: <370B66CB.4455@realtime.com> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 15:08:11 +0100 From: chris vreeland <vreecave@realtime.com> Organization: Vreeland Graphics Subject: Beachles Every day's another dawning Give the morning winds a chance Always catch your thunder yawning Lift your mind into the dance Sweep the shadows from your awning Shrink the four-fold circumstance That lies outside this house, don't pass it by - Thirteenth floor elevators Sound advice, I might add. Okay, having been successfully taken to task by Gary Thompson and Ben Lukoff, I choose to demur. I knew I was inviting argument with that statement, though a fruitful discourse is always welcome, because even I might learn something. I must admit I paid short shrift of the Beach Boys with my comments, and I must also admit it was due to ignorance and personal bias. I have allowed my distaste for their earlier work to cloud my judgment, and never have gotten around to picking up Pet Sounds, or paying any attention to it. I was unaware that it was released before Sgt. Peppers, or that the Beatles had cited it as an influence. I shall rectify this gaping hole in my collection with all due dispatch. Certainly, I couldn't discount the influences of the Beach Boys on Xtc. The Dukes album contains the most blatant example, but other examples of Beach Boyish harmonies abound. I Cant Own Her is a fine tribute. However (of course there's a however- Male Answer Syndrome has me in its grips) There are two things I see in Sgt. Peppers that I have never detected in the Beach Boys material that I've heard. One is the surrealism of the lyrics, and the other is the downright abstract nature of the noises the Beatles used to color the songs. I think it was a major leap from the world of 20th century visual art into the auditory world. It was only the flood gates swinging open, though, as the tide had been rising for a while. Lastly, let's avoid subjective comparisons, for the sake of keeping the vitriol down to a dull roar. There's no real reason WHY I should like the Beatles more than the Beach Boys, I just do. There's no logic to that fact at all and I can certainly understand other people feeling differently. At least we all have the good taste to like Xtc. Humbly, Chris "jed lynx appleprimitiveclothdwelling" Vreeland -(slightly silly party)
------------------------------ Message-ID: <370BCCAF.2CDD4C31@bellatlantic.net> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 17:22:56 -0400 From: Jim Slade <castells@bellatlantic.net> Subject: Re: Embarrassing songs... All right, all right..."Shilo" by Neil Diamond is not a song that I'm proud of liking a lot. That's got to be number one on my list. "Red Rubber Ball" by The Cyrkle is a close runner-up, especially since I trashed it 20 years ago, causing my best friend to change his originally positive view of the song. Whoops..."Heartbeat (It's a Love Beat)", by the DiFranco Family, is pretty shameful too, but history will prove me out on that one:) Jim http://www.groovedisques.com
------------------------------ From: Comicpub@aol.com Message-ID: <478ea143.243d2337@aol.com> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 17:08:07 EDT Subject: Curses! Your not Eric Mullenburg are you? No I'm:Baron von Richtofin ! ;-) Take Care Dan"My name ain't Eric!"R.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 13:45:36 -0600 From: Dominic <chaumontd@videotron.ca> Subject: Most embarassing songs Message-id: <37027B60.294C@videotron.ca> My question to you all is... What is the MOST RIDICULOUS song > you LOVE? My submission, obviously, is Mandy. Come on... embarrass > yourselves! Hi, well, let's say I'm quite embarrassed when I feel nostalgic and listen to some '80s music... A few examples : -"Don't You Want Me" by Human League -"Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran -"Fade To Grey" by Visage -"Send Me An Angel" by Real Life Have a nice day ! Dominic
------------------------------ Message-ID: <370BDC13.3A7E@heraldonline.com> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 18:28:45 -0400 From: BPeschel@heraldonline.com (Bill Peschel) Organization: The Herald Subject: Queen / Sgt. Pepper + The Who Greetings; I can't believe someone else remembers Queen's Black side on Queen II. I played that exclusively. "Night at the Opera" as well. Remember the scene in "Wayne's World" where the boys were in the car, rocking their heads spastically during the bridge just prior to the finale? Yep, that was me, in my Maverick, circa 1976. Ah, those golden years. The talk about Sgt. Pepper reminds me of a story Pete Townsend told about his earlier foray to what became known as "Rock Opera." Back in their earlier days, someone -- I think it was his producer -- suggested to him that he try to write a song with a little more meat on its bones. He asked how the hell he could do that when he's used to writing songs no longer than 3:03. The producer suggested he write a bunch of 3:03 songs and mash them together. Thus was born "A Quick One, While He's Away." -- Bill Peschel Book page editor, Rock Hill (S.C.) Herald
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 15:28:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Benjamin Lukoff <blukoff@alvord.com> Subject: Macca, Macca vs. Brian, Terry & The Lovemen Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.990407151754.18244A-100000@locutus.alvord.com> > From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) > Fruit nut... same bouncy-jokey feel as FT. At the risk of a B**tles > analogy, this may be Colin's equivalent of McCartney's Maxwell's silver > hammer period. I just hope he doesn't go downhill from here in the way > Macca did. Hey, if Colin can turn out a "Maybe I'm Amazed", "Band on the Run", "My Brave Face" or "Hope of Deliverance" after this, I wouldn't mind! Though I, too, hope he doesn't go downhill from here, I really liked his AV1 contributions. > From: mollyfa@juno.com > I copied some songs from my friend's copy of Testimonial Dinner, and I > loved Sarah McLauchlin's version of Dear God. She does an amazing job. > I also loved TMBG version of 25 O'Clock and Spacehog's version of Senses > Working Overtime, what ever happened to them (Spacehog I mean)? I also > heard XTC mad cameos on the album what did they do, or was this a rumour? XTC performed on the album as Terry and the Lovemen doing "The Good Things". > From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> > > Yes, Brian Wilson probably did beat McCartney to the tape for the "ooh, pop > music with brains" trophy, but then you can also argue that The Beach Boys > are best remembered for "I Get Around" and "Surfin' USA" and that it's only > journalists and anal music fans who rate "Pet Sounds" so highly. None of The Beach Boys *are* best remembered for "I Get Around" and "Surfin' USA", but I wasn't saying Brian beat Paul in terms of "pop music with brains". I was merely saying that Sgt. Pepper was more of a cultural milestone than an engineering one. > them have done anything worthwhile in the last three decades anyway (and the > first person to mention Wings gets a bullet through the temple) and both > albums have had both a positive AND negative effect on pop music during that > time (Ahhhh! Deal with that one smart-arses!). Oh, and "Reign In Blood" (by Guess you'd better shoot me, then :) Actually I wouldn't claim Wings was groundbreaking in any way, but I do like some of the stuff Paul's done on his own. Same goes for the Beach Boys' 70's output. About one full album's worth of good stuff there, but it would have been a great album! Ben
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 19:50:29 -0400 Subject: Embarrassing Songs (kinda long!) Message-ID: <19990407.195112.-188989.0.skybar80@juno.com> From: Ken A! <skybar80@juno.com> Hi Chalkers... I would have to say that the songs tied for first on my mental list of embarrassing songs that I love to death would be... Ministry's "Revenge", from my guilty pleasure of all Ministry albums, With Sympathy. The song just _screams_ 1983 soap opera, but that's what is so charming about it! It's such an angry song and it's so creepy if you think about it while listening to the words. ALSO..... KMFDM's "Me I Funk", from What Do You Know, Deutchsland? It pretty much sounds as if Sascha Konietzko brought out a Casio and screamed the lyrics with it, but still, I find it so loveable and catchy. Especially the little part that's "sung" about 50 times...the whole "C'mon baby, let's press our luck..." e(x)tc, etc. Or, maybe even...KMFDM's "No Meat - No Man", from Don't Blow Your Top? Damn, that entire Don't blow Your Top album is a guilty pleasure! Even if most pof the songs are just samples and such, it's all fun! Take "Oh Look" or "No News". Yeah, they may be kinda corny and dumb, but they're fun to listen to! Oh, but I feel no guilt or silliness about my love for Go2! Ha! XTC Content? : Well, this is going to sound so stupid, but my Sgt. Pepper was an XTC album...well, a collection of songs from various albums anyway. That would be the Upsy Daisy Assortment! I know, it sounds dumb to say that. But here's why I can call it "My Sgt Pepper". It opened my eyes! It was playing at a Sam Goody the day I bought Cool For August's Grand World. I was about to leave, but then I heard this ultra-catchy stuff a-blastin' (Life begins At The Hop), and I was just like, "Wow! What the hell is this? This is fucking amazing!" So I stuck around the store and pretended to look around the store just so I could stick around and listen to the whole thing. It was amazng, at least I thought so. I bought Upsy daisy a week later when I had the cash, and bruthas and sistas...I saw the light! XTC became (and remains) my favorite band in the world! After that I picked up Skylarking (Summer of 1997), then Drums and Wires (November of 1997). Then I got my grubby hands on Go2, White Music (Xmas of 1997), The Big Express, Black Sea (June of 1998), Rag N' Bone (August 1998), then finally for Xmas of 1998, Oranges and Lemons and Nonsuch, as well as TB. Then of course, AV1. And you know damn well I';ll be getting Fuzzy Warbles, AV2...and so on... Ken "Haiku's not my form for I lack the proper skills to write as I wish." ----Tacky----
------------------------------ Message-ID: <370C0413.64B9DDD2@earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 18:19:16 -0700 From: KenL <herne@earthlink.net> Subject: More Oops and a Guillotine Question Just got the new digest. Boy only I could screw up a post where I was correcting my other mistake: > D'Oh! Well here's proof that you should never completely check spell > checkers to do all your proofing for you. > Ahem....you should never completely TRUST spell checkers to do all your proofreading for you. On to more important matters. On the Guillotine compilation, there's a little pop item I always really liked called "Do the Standing Still" by a band called THE TABLE. Does anybody know anything about this band? Do they have any albums? Are they any good? Anyone? Anyone? Also I read somewhere in the archives that there are different versions of Traffic Light Rock and that one version isn't on cd. If I didn't image this and I actually did read this, could someone clear this up for me? I have it on Guillotine and the White Music CD and I didn't notice anything different before. I could go back and check but that would mean having to FIND Guillotine, which is somewhere in my hellacious(spelling?) archives. Somebody please post the scoop. Cheers KL NP---Out of Our Idiot by Elvis Costello and his various aliases.
------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 99 09:28:48 AES From: Paul.Culnane@dcita.gov.au Subject: Free as a bird Message-ID: <0000cuukquqm.0000bdrlhxpv@dcita.gov.au> To Dom Lawson: WINGS ...is your revolver cocked? ~p@ul
------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 99 10:10:42 AES From: Paul.Culnane@dcita.gov.au Subject: Interviews & stuff Message-ID: <0001ecaiiwwk.0001dlxjzzvt@dcita.gov.au> I've been collecting the various major interviews that our boys (mainly Andy of course) have given recently to promote Apple Venus etc. The one that Don alerted us to, at www.consumableonline.com, is another in a long line of fascinating insights to Andy's thoughts - not just on the band's music, but many other matters besides. Seems to me that it doesn't particularly matter whether the interviewer is skilled, or even au fait with the more train-spotterly aspects of XtC; if you throw Andy the flimsiest of bones, he will eagerly seize it and sink his intellectual teeth into it with gusto. You've only got to read my interview with him (available at The Little Lighthouse - http://come.to/xtc) to witness how the man patiently bears with a gushy, scatter-brained interlocutor and still comes up with a wealth of interesting information - all served up with that irrepressible "junior Robin Williams" humour. Another example of a very informative and entertaining interview is the one our esteemed Todd Bernhardt did with Andy for Modern Drummer magazine (abridged version in the Chalkhills archives). I wonder whether there would be sufficient interest among XtC enthusiasts for the best of these interviews to be gathered into some sort of compendium (a la those "in their own words" books)? Sure, I know that the Chalkhills archives are chock-a-bloc with this sorta stuff, but not everybody has access to the net. And how many times have list members posed questions, the answers to which, from the man himself, can be found in these various interviews? Methinx it would be 'andy to have a book of the juiciest quotes all together in one place. Mind you, I wouldn't touch such a project with a barge pole, given the nightmare of getting clearances, etc from the various copyright owners, but it's just a thought... Er, FWIW, some of my guilty pleasures in song include: "It Might As Well Rain Until September" by Carole King, "Wolverton Mountain" by Claude King (no relation) and the delicious "What Becomes Of The Broken-Hearted" by either Garfunkel or Dave Stewart with Colin Blunstone. I'm just a big old sook I guess... My Sgt Pepper? Well, Sgt Pepper! (got a mono copy when it came out and I've still got it). That, The Who Sell Out and Ogden's Nut Gone Flake were my first "own" albums, and nostalgia aside, they've each stood the test of time IMO. Prefer Revolver or the White Album as best of Beatles though. Finally, James Dignan's post in 'Hills #164 about his initial impressions of AV1 was a fascinating read - many of the things he pointed out were pretty congruent with my own first reactions to this magnificent album - thanks for articulating it so well James. Why is my boss looking sternly at me while I type this? Better go... ~p@ul
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990408043328.19561.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Amanda Owens" <daveizgod@hotmail.com> Subject: Favorite embarrasing videos Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 23:33:27 CDT Right-o, I'll bite on the whole thread.... Dunno a lot of these band names, but here's MY embarrasing guilty pleasures when it comes to songs: "I've Got a Brand New Pair of Roller Skates", "Make It With You", "Afternoon Delight", anything by ABBA, and the piece de resistance, "Disco Duck"! Fave XTC vid-Funk Pop a Roll (Any vid where you can catch glimpses of Dav'es underwear is Ok by me.) Besides which, it's a kewl vid to begin with. Least fave-Ball and Chain. BLECCH! 100% GRADE A C-R-A-P!!!!!! Tis all for now, Amanda C. Owens "It seems the thinkers you call greatest are the sort who often fall ill young or pine away. how can they help but drag the species down?"- Brad Roberts XTC song of the day-Green Man non XTC song-Song Without End-The Chieftains
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990408060702.96557.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Bill Machock" <bmachock@hotmail.com> Subject: L.A.'s Dictionary Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 23:07:02 PDT I've heard "Your Dictionary" on KLYY (Y107) in Los Angeles a couple of times over the past week on the afternoon drive time show, each time the DJ talked excitedly about the song. Today, he introduced the song before a commercial break, even saying we would soon be hearing the song everywhere, "even on Country radio!" and made some comparison to "Dear God". He also said that each time he plays it he gets tons of calls from listeners asking about it. I certainly hope it catches on here. He's got my attention!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000901be8192$b710ea60$6eb794d1@compaq> From: "Drude" <drude@sprint.ca> Subject: Re: Most Ridiculous Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 00:37:52 -0700 Ok, here goes... my most ridiculous favourites: -Antmusic - Adam and the Ants -Africa - Toto -McArthur Park - Richard Harris -All of the original Jesus Christ Superstar -That "Capital I" song from Sesame Street! (some of you must remember...) Do what you will but harm nuns. Drude
------------------------------ Message-Id: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1022029@MGMTM02> From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: Ridicule is nothing to be scared of... Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 12:15:15 +0100 >>Let's see...It has to be:"Surfin' Bird" - The Cramps Calling all Cramps/Trashmen fans! There's a really cool compilation on Big Beat/Ace Records called "Rockabilly Psychosis & The Garage Disease" which features The Trashmen, alongside other deranged greats like "Love Me" by The Phantom, "She Said" by Hasil Adkins and the classic "Paralysed" by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy (a big influence on David Bowie, apparently...). Highly recommended! >>'Goo Goo Muck' by the Cramps? Well I realize that The Cramps are funny, but I fail to see what's embarrassing about them! Any grown man who wears stilettoes and blows pink chunks on stage is OK with me.... >>There are whole genres of music I love which are embarassing. Rememberpower pop in the early '80's? That stuff still makes me smile. Forgive my English senses of humour, but what the lightly-poached arse is "power pop"? Is that the same as "new wave" (English meaning) or "new wave" (bizarre US interpretation) or "post punk"? Sounds like one of those meaningless, vapid examples of journo-speak to me! I want examples, and I want them now!!! >>Some friends have suggested that I should be embarassed at how I loveJoni Mitchell, but she's too damn good to get embarassed over. ...thus one of the major differences between you and I is exposed for all to see. The Cramps are embarrassing but Joni Mitchell ain't? The tears are streaming down my leg as we "speak". >>Should I try to convert my parents to like XTC, or just leavealone. They do like different stuff from Clannad to Rod Stewart. All the way from Clannad to Rod Stewart eh? Wow. If you want my opinion Molly - and I'm willing to bet you'd rather have your head nailed to a wall - it's well worth making sure that your parents NEVER like the same music as you. Firstly, we owe it to the spirit of rock'n'roll and the whole teenager phenomenon to keep as big a generation gap as possible between "us" and "them". NB - This is not a matter of age, but a matter of "those who believe" and "those who don't". Secondly, there's nothing more sickening than trendy parents, and I thank Our Ozzy (who art in Buckinghamshire or LA depending on what time of year it is) that mine are hopelessly and gladly out of touch with what "the kids" are listening to. First they start liking your music, then they'll insist that you call them by their first names, then they'll want to come drinking with you.......THEN THEY MOVE IN!!!!! Well, that's my paranoid nightmare anyway. Fortunately for me, my Dad heard me listening to "Psychocandy" in about 1987 and thought I'd started shaving.... >>The Dukes version is definitely without a doubt more inherentlypsychadelic (someone tell me that Andy's "FIVE!!!" at the beginningdoesn't sound straight out of the 60's), A minor point, I'll grant you, but since The Dukes' material is pure pastiche and a pastiche of psychedelia at that, it's not exactly surprising that they would sound more "inherently psychadelic" (sic) than They Might Be Canadians. And what are "sly" vocals? No, I know, don't be horrid - but I'm just curious!!! >>I don't care for much of the rest of Testimonial Dinner myself Well, you got that right. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Testimonial Dinner sucks the poop from a badger's arse. And an ugly badger at that. >>That would probably be "Ogre Battle" by Queen. Actually, all of FreddieMercury's side on Queen II (The Black Side) is pretty ridiculous Todd, you are a fine figure of a fink at the best of times, but my opinion of you just soared. I grew up with Queen in one ear and Abba in the other (enough to warp the strongest of young minds, especially since Brian May's poodle wig weighed so much. I was leaning to the left for months...) and I have to agree 100% about "Queen II". In fact, a lot of Queen stuff deserves the "ridiculous" tag, if only for their unashamed over-the-topness at a time when everyone was being over-the-top anyway, and you had to really push the proverbial envelope to get noticed. If only Gary Glitter had adopted a similar approach, rather than investing rather too heavily in the sphere of photography (ahem). ...and speaking of reproduction, I received the AV2 demos from Don "Don" Parker recently and have been playing them ever since (but not "non-stop" as people often say - yeah, right!). I have a funny feeling that if I had heard the AV1 stuff in demo form it may have spoilt the surprise and delight of hearing the new album, but the AV2 stuff sounds pretty sparse and under-developed to me, so I doubt it the same thing applies. My only other observation so far is that it sounds to me as if Andy has regressed musically for these songs, (back to the 60s apparently - was it really that great?), and seems to be churning out irresistible nuggets of poppery again. I suppose this is a good thing, but given the choice I would vote for a "River Of Orchids" over a "Sugar Sugar" every time. Still, I've never bought an XTC record that I didn't like so I'd be amazed if AV2 was any kind of disappointment.... If anyone has any inspired thoughts on this then speak up, I'm a bit deaf. No, I really am. Dom "Still no witty signature file, but while I'm here, isn't it bloody outrageous that West Ham won't get to play in the UEFA Cup next season even if they finish 5th in the League? It's a disgrace, especially since sodding Newcastle will qualify, even if they lose in a Cup semi-final!!!! It's a stitch-up, I'm telling you..."
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-165 *******************************
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