Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 204
Date: Tuesday, 11 May 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 204
Tuesday, 11 May 1999
Today's Topics:
We are gathered here today...
Sidebar
Crank it up
Bonus Tracks
Re: I Saw Andy Partridge
Re: Nasal Bassoon? French Trombone?
Re: AV2
Oops!
AP on the list
Come on!
Come on Eileen!~
JOE JARRETT/HUW DAVIES/BILLY BRAGG
Cousins and Mummers, Nonsuch
Re: River of Berlin
Space Ghost
Harvest Festival Mystery
write a song about love? are you kidding?
Mea culpa, Episode 2785
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Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>).
They pull me whistle too hard me bound to scream.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Chauncy14@aol.com Message-ID: <94106265.24698ab9@aol.com> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:29:29 EDT Subject: We are gathered here today... Hello XTC Clan, Just thought I would pick up on the funeral - song - spin, of late. Since there are what 1500 Chalkies, you all get 1500th of my small, but modest estate! (And my debts...kidding!) This maybe too typical, or even on the sappie side, but I tried to hold back this one, having tried to resist the temptation of providing too much information about myself on this digest, but here goes. When my father passed away in 1994, the song that took me away to far away places, was *Hold Me My Daddy,* for obvious reasons. I was close to him, anyway, and was not *needing* to say I loved him, say after his passing. Luckily, I was one person who had a relatively close relationship with my father. You can never have enough opportunities to convey these sentiments to loved ones, I think. But that song, still to this day, chokes me up. It is a beautiful ballad, and has left an indelible mark on my soul. For it fills me nostalgically when I think of him. All the good things in life too! The music that brings me out of that tailspin is from Skylarking, for its rite of passage sentimentalities. Quoting Neal Buck: Unless this is the same song you were considering, there is, from the The Doors, *This is the end,* which hauntingly is probably too trippie for a funeral scenario. But I think most of Van Morrison's tunes are a somber and subtle reminder of life, given its lyrics and musical landscapes, perhaps giving rise to thought provoking memories for such a social gathering place. It seems to fit the mood best, from my vantage point at least. An even better mood producing scenario: I just want to have a party at my funeral! It would be required to play Van Morrison and the Chieftains, and have a Kegger of Guinness on hand for those paying respects...Drink and be merry! You know? My slogan in Life: *He had but only one political aspiration in life: Don't eat Grapes, the Pesticides don't wash out,* on the headstone. Sorry if I am morbid, but, its an honest approach to dealing with the unknown, and funny too (at least those who know me best would agree :O) [I have had a secondary boycott on Table Grapes since I met Cesar Chavez, the California Grape Growers President, in 1985. He was the one man who took on the crusade to stop employers in California from spraying those pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides on the plants and consequently, the migrant farmers, who have developed cancer, and whose children are/were born deformed as a result. Chavez died in 1994, I think, from the very thing he was attempting to blockade: the sprays, and the inevitable cancer.] *I forgot to say I love you!* - AP Have a great day all! John Gardner Chicago
------------------------------ From: Chauncy14@aol.com Message-ID: <d2a963cb.24699052@aol.com> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:53:22 EDT Subject: Sidebar Hello again, Just a sidebar to my last post. Having read Digest #5 - 202, and written my putrescent little number of my funeral, etc, now I cannot get *The Last Balloon* out my head. The ringing of the bells, the theme and the line: *The last balloon is leaving.* See how this works? Inevitably the subconscience takes you places you never intended upon going to. Toodles!
------------------------------
Message-Id: <s738032e.008@chemonics.com>
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 10:09:08 -0400
From: Todd Bernhardt <tbernhardt@chemonics.com>
Subject: Crank it up
Hi:
Feeling cranky this morning. A train ride plagued by technical
difficulties was compounded by Gene Yoon, who said:
>as a human being I don't have a rosey impression of Mr. P.
Emotionally stunted man, by most
reports.<
How incredibly presumptuous -- and downright mean-spirited -- of you
to judge someone whom you've never met (and, even if you have, whom
you don't know) in a public forum. Whose "reports" are you basing your
judgement on? Are you balancing those reports by doing some research
and talking to people on the other side of the issue? How much exactly
do you know about the myriad, complex and interrelated factors that
led to Andy's "burned bridges"?
Idol speculation (yes, the pun is intended) like this is the reason
that I hope (and know) Andy is not on this list. After all, why would
he waste his time on the half-baked personality theories of a bunch of
nasty little trainspotters like us? He's got more important things to
do, like make music. Great music.
And yes, Gene, I know you tempered your comments with:
>who cares about the man if he makes music that we enjoy and appreciate?
his private life is none of our business, etc.etc. <snip> and Apple Venus
isn't any less brilliant because of Partridge's recurring
personnel/personality perversions. <
But that don't do it for me. Putting chocolate sprinkles on a dog-doo
snowcone ("perversions"?!?) may make it taste a little better, but
it's still shit underneath.
You ended with:
>In the end we still have the music, and it's all good.<
We agree there. Discussing his (and Colin's) music, after all, is why
we're here, IMO, rather than guessing at the reasons why Andy does the
things he does as he runs his band or his life.
Michael Davies chimed in with this charming and considered reply to
Harrison's musings on the origins of "morgasm":
>Of course that's it. Why would it be anything else? It's certainly
not a word.<
Well, I guess that settles it! Thanks for putting this issue to bed,
Michael, and I look forward to more of your sparkling wit and
well-researched replies.
And, on a more positive note -- actual insights relating to XTC's
music, courtesy of Kiwi James Dignan:
>anyone else see a similarity in chord structure and melody between
"Your
dictionary" and Patti Smith's classic "Dancing barefoot"?<
By James, George, you've got it! The whole "black on black, a
guidebook ..." part is definitely reminiscent of that song! (Off an
album, BTW, that Todd Rundgren produced...)
Finally, Tyler Hewitt talked about an article in the NY Times that
goes into why and how bands get reamed by record companies, a subject
near and dear to the parts of musicians and fans alike. I'd also point
people toward http://www.discipline.co.uk, where they can read about
how one eccentric, brilliant, frighteningly articulate English
guitarist is fighting the power and taking control of his art while
providing others with an opportunity to do the same.
Here I go and I don't know why,
Todd
------------------------------ From: Huw Davies <DaviesHPT@cardiff.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 15:40:28 GMT0BST Subject: Bonus Tracks Message-ID: <FBAE2CB7B26@PARKLA1S.CF.AC.UK> I just thought I'd give my views on the issue of bonus tracks on the CD reissues. I became a fan of XTC after the the CDs were released so I guess my attitude towards the albums is affected by the inclusion of the bonus tracks. A case in point is Mummer. I feel that some of the bonus tracks are better than the songs on the original album. "Wonderland" and "Deliver us from the Elements" are two of my least favourite XTC songs and I think that "Jump" and "Toys" are much more worthy of inclusion on the album. However I have a completely different attitude towards Black Sea and whenever I listen to it I program my CD player to miss out the bonus tracks. Black Sea works much better as a whole album. I do agree that the bonus tracks should have been put on the end of the CDs. The whole way the CDs were re-issued and re-packaged seems to show a complete lack of thought and care on Virgin's part. They didn't even reproduce the original artwork and I feel like I'm really missing out when it comes to the likes of English Settlement. I think I might even go out and buy the vinyl version of ES. There's a second hand record shop in Cardiff that I've seen it in, but at the moment I really don't have the money. Re: Songs for AV2 One song that I would really like to see on AV2 would be "Church of Women". Another would be "You and the Clouds Will Still be Beautiful" but I gather that it's not in the running which is a huge shame. Oh well. Cheers, Huw Davies
------------------------------ From: JFeehan666@aol.com Message-ID: <39fdce10.24691764@aol.com> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 01:17:24 EDT Subject: Re: I Saw Andy Partridge Sighted... Saw Andy at the Arts '99 Chicago. Anybody else? I saw him only after a bunch of people were standing around him and he said quite clearly, "I'm here to enjoy the show. I have a friend at the exhibit." Anybody else see him (I haven't been keeping up with the mailing list lately...)???? Please respond. I'm a little puzzled that he was there as I want him to be working on the next album. Thanks, Jason
------------------------------ Message-ID: <001501be9bab$f56f2f50$1df1c4cc@ois-010783.DOA.STATE.LA.US> From: "John Voorhees" <griffon@earthling.net> Subject: Re: Nasal Bassoon? French Trombone? Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 07:44:07 -0500 James Dignan asked: > what is that weird 'nasal bassoon' instrument providing the rhythmic >motif in "Greenman"? Is it a crumhorn? I've seen this question pop up a few times, but has no one taken it on yet? To my ears, this nasal bassoon is in fact... a bassoon! Or rather, a bassoon and a contra-bassoon playing together. The contra is laying down the low drone note. John Voorhees
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:21:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Benjamin Lukoff <blukoff@alvord.com> Subject: Re: AV2 Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.990511092019.31099B-100000@locutus.alvord.com> > On Mon, 10 May 1999 10:11:14 -0700 (PDT) Misty Shock wrote: > > "My Brown Guitar" > "I Don't Want To Be Here" :( Sorry this won't be on > "We're All Light" Hard to think of an XTC song more instantly likable > These all sound like Paul McCartney, btw -- "My Brown Guitar" is Beatley, > "I Don't Want To Be Here" sounds like a 90s Macca b-side, and "We're All > Light" just because it sounds like something cheezy Paul would say > (Actually, look at Q's Cash For Questions). As Andy gets older, he's > becoming more and more like Paul McCartney. And come on, we all know that > Paul is the heart of the Beatles. ;) And Andy is a dead ringer for Paul in "How Easter Theatre Came To Be". Sounds like something out of Oobu Joobu! Benjamin Lukoff blukoff@alvord.com "She is by my side, and the sky is wide -- so let the sun shine bright" -- Ray Davies
------------------------------ Message-Id: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C10A3088@MGMTM02> From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: Oops! Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 18:01:58 +0100 Another day, another abusive post (sorry!) and another cowardly little e-mail from Ed Miller. No change there then. Yes, I know my reponse to Dunks was over the top. Apologies to anyone who was offended by the swearing etc etc I'm sorry for spoiling things for the fragile few, but Dunks' insulted me, my post and my favourite music, so I insulted him back. Yes, it was a bit nasty, but despite what the fool Miller seems to believe, I'm not actually a nasty person. You'll all make your own minds up, and quite right too, but don't assume I'm an asshole just because I choose to vehemently defend something I care about. Dom.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199905111725.NAA16811@hammurabi.nh.ultra.net> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 13:22:34 -0400 Subject: AP on the list From: "Duncan Watt" <kanuba@nh.ultranet.com> >And lastly, Andy, if >you're out there (and I know you are) why not completely cement this >obsession we have with XTCs' music and reveal yourself ? Maybe he IS here. Forest-for-the-trees, y'know? Give us a frickin' Sign already, will'ya? Waiting for the rap-ture, Duncan Watt
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990511182109.8552.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "kristi leigh siegel" <beatlebird@hotmail.com> Subject: Come on! Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 11:21:09 PDT Mike "Oh, behave!" Myers wrote: >>- It's been fun reading the last few issues of this digest because it >>seems to me that more females are posting on a regular basis than before >>and I for one appreciate their point of view and comments. This is a pick-up line, isn't it? ;-) --kristi http://www.apolloii.com http://beatlemania.webjump.com
------------------------------ From: Chauncy14@aol.com Message-ID: <8a5256d1.2469d90c@aol.com> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 15:03:40 EDT Subject: Come on Eileen!~ Hey XTC Clan, In the U. S., Music Boulevard merged with CDNOW. I think it's been mentioned on the 'gest before. But, while visiting and enquiring about the XTC schtuff, I found an album, a compilation rather, entitled *1982-Cmj Year In Alternative Music * with the following song list: 01. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners 02. Our House - Madness 03. Sensed Working Overtime - XTC 04. A Town Called Malice - The Jam 05. Tainted Love - Soft Cell 06. Never Say Never - Romeo Void 07. I Know What Boys Like - Waitresses 08. Homosapien - Pete Shelley 09. The Look Of Love (Part One) - ABC 10. Love Plus One - Haircut One Hundred 11. Nick The Stripper - Birthday Party 12. Shoot Out The Lights - Richard And Linda Thompson This reminds me too much of the 80's, a period of music I would rather not remember. I will take Number 3 and 4 above, and that is it! John Gardner Chicago
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199905112014.QAA05782@sgi.com> Date: 11 May 99 16:14:05 -0400 From: Jennifer Ralston <jennifer_ralston@tbwachiat.com> Subject: JOE JARRETT/HUW DAVIES/BILLY BRAGG Sorry everyone, but... Joe! My replies to your note have been bounced back numerous times; any alternate addresses for me? Huw: My note to you was bounced back as well, but thanks for the Billy Bragg note. Thanks too to John Y in KC for the Billy Bragg lyrics. How silly that upon reading them, I find his song must have been about a different Mary. carry on... jennifer. Say a sunflower I became, I'd be growing in your brain...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <9D916278299FD111A7E100805FA7C2BA060C846A@cheetah.uits.iupui.edu> From: "Bennett, Kristen L." <klbennet@iupui.edu> Subject: Cousins and Mummers, Nonsuch Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 15:48:00 -0500 Chris Coolidge wrote: >I've found that more women than men I know are >XTC fans. I don't know why that is. No way! I've barely met any females who were into XTC...just several guys who were fanatics and several more who've heard of them. But I have few female friends who even know who XTC are. People here in Indiana seem to think XTC is the name of a rap group. and he wrote: >So if you're looking to settle down with an XTC fan, who knows, you >may get lucky. One can only hope. Like I said, help me out cousin. Tell Sue to keep her eyes open as well. <G> Todd Bernhardt wrote: >Do individual preferences (pro vs. con) about Mummer correlate with >whether the individual heard the album pre- or post-CD? Well, I heard it first a couple years ago on CD, and only last week did I find a vinyl copy for 50 cents. Silly me, I wondered where all the songs were! At least Ladybird was intact. But seriously, I LOVED that album on CD. I thought "Toys" and "Jump" were fantastic. The only one I didn't care for was "Procession..." -- Francis wrote: >The extra tracks in the middle of the CDs drive me batty on Mummer >and Black Sea. I'm sorry, they're just wrong, and they interrupt the flow >in the big way. I guess since I never heard it before CD, I didn't realize there WAS a flow. But, as I've mentioned before, I wondered why "No Thugs" was placed between "Jason" and "Yacht Dance." Then it was pointed out to me that it wasn't actually between them on the original vinyl. That's what I get for becoming an XTC fan A.C.D. (after CD) I guess. The original vision is lost on me. And I guess it's harder for me to get into any album before English Settlement....the older stuff just sounds so rough and messy. Oh, God, I just made all you "old-school" fans scream on the inside, didn't I? I'll just have to quantify that with a statement that I like SOME of the old stuff, just not as much of it. KT Coope wrote: >But it seems I'm the only person on this list who doesn't like 'that >wave'.. You're not the only one, baby! That song is Yuk. But I could listen to "The Disappointed" and "Holly" over and over and over ad nauseum. Obviously I prefer the overproduced tracks on Nonsvch, eh? Thanks to anyone taking the time to listen, and praise God for XTC, Kristen "Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench; I love her ten times more than e'er I did: O, how I long for a chat with her." W. Shakespeare
------------------------------ From: dan@gge.com Message-ID: <37389408.AFD868A7@gge.com> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 13:33:41 -0700 Subject: Re: River of Berlin anyone ever noticed how the beginning of 'river of orchids' sounds just like the beginning of lou reed's 'berlin' album? i'm talking about the loud sound of machinery(?) (anyone know what that sound is?) giving way to slow piano playing in the intro of the song. * ----------------------------------------------- why do the longest posts on chalkhills have the least xtc content? * ----------------------------------------------- now that my body is quite used to a steady diet of av1, i find myself skipping over 'i can't own her' and 'last balloon' all the time. so sue me. * ------------------------------------------------ the best of xtc, tue., may 11,1999: 1. the cover of 'white music' (andy's white trousers) 2. "....layyourhead, layyourhead, layyourhead, layyourhead..." 3. harvest festival 4. "waxworks, the singles" 5. andy singing "neh-NEH-neh-ne-neh-ne-neh...etc." in his shed on the ET single. 6. the uffington horse the best of everything else: 1. olivia tremor control "black foliage - animation music" for those of you who haven't heard it, i.m.o. it's the best thing to come out this year. sgt. rock is going to help me, dan
------------------------------ From: mollyfa@juno.com Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 17:56:56 -0400 Subject: Space Ghost Message-ID: <19990511.175657.3430.0.MollyFa@juno.com> Does anybody else know when the Space Ghost with Andy will be on? I would love to know. I get Cartoon Network and I'm planning on taping the show, even though I don't usually watch Coast to Coast. Molly http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/index.html
------------------------------ Message-ID: <37399B66.B7168461@po.twin.ne.jp> Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 07:16:54 -0800 From: michaelw <michaelw@po.twin.ne.jp> Subject: Harvest Festival Mystery Chalkies, Does anyone know where the sound sample at the very beginning of the song (what sounds like a school classroom, and all the kids moving their chairs? or standing up) came from? It introduces the song quite nicely, but has been bugging me ever since I heard the CD (as the demo doesn't have it). Also, what do you think are the chances of seeing a Moulding/Gregory composition and/or collaboration in the near future? Film at 11! MW
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990511222152.11927.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Jason Garcia" <hhname@hotmail.com> Subject: write a song about love? are you kidding? Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 15:21:51 PDT re: "All You Need Is Love" >The song is simply a rather careless distillation of a mood that had >been >pervasive throughout society, and particularly the >counterculture, for at >least the preceding few months. John didn't >make peace and love fashionable with this song: he was conforming to > >fashion. Yeah, but that wasn't the Beatles' fault. BBC comes to them and says, "hey, we're doing this satellite link thing, we want you to represent Britain, write a song or something, but keep it simple." So literally one or two weeks before the airing, John scribbles some bullshit about love, they record some harpsichord, they gather up Mick Jagger and a bunch of other hippie children, and voila, they're on the air and everyone loves the message. It was a written-to-order song, definitely. I love the Beatles, and I think one of the reasons is because they were the kings of bullshit. They were always in the right place at the right time to make deep meaningful statements with simple "well, duh" ideas. And now, back to lurking... Jason
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990512001323.77457.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com> Subject: Mea culpa, Episode 2785 Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 17:13:23 PDT Dear Chalkers A sincere 'sorry' to Dom for my snide and wise-ass dig at Metal. I WAS joking of course, but as usual I forgot that :) thingy. And please don't flame the poor guy OK? He was having a bad day. We all have them - God knows I've had my share recently. I'm a big boy - I can take a serve, and I did probably earn that one to some extent. Let's save the bandwidth for something more useful - like picking on Molly :) Dom and I have kissed and made up and the engagement will be announced in the Times soon. (Watch for our photo on a forthcoming cover of Country Life. Dom loks just dishy in his Slayer-inspired codpiece, and I think my pink silk gown looks thimply divine. Should I shave off the beard though?) :P Dunks
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-204 *******************************
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