Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 242
Date: Thursday, 5 August 1999

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 242

                 Thursday, 5 August 1999

Today's Topics:

                    It's All Too Much
                        Mayonnaise
                      Prefab Sprout!
                   Schoolteacher Sting
                         Re: Prog
                   New Verve Pipe song
                        Re: Queen
                      More on bands
                 Chalkhorse Choker Charm
                Dave Gregory & The Divorce
                        Mr. Trivia
                         nonsuch
                       big takeover
        Small success story from an XTC missionary
                  Acne Phoenix, Vacuum 1
                    Free Song Stories!
                Most important 70's artist
                    a hellish victory
                    sting in the tail
                        mo' Momus
                  Sprout-Bears-Sakamoto
                    No Video For Vol 1
     Evil corporations or Your Friends & Neighbours?

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Want to walk into London on my hands one day.

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

Message-ID: <19990803004729.10108.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "Ralph Simpson DeMarco" <sawpit@hotmail.com>
Subject: It's All Too Much
Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 17:47:28 PDT

Greetings Affiliated Members:

I will keep this short.

The Police were a GREAT band. Each member integral to the group. When they
split, there was never a reason to consider Sting at all. He really does
suck solo. Andy P. sounds nothing like him, never did or will. Those who
say it are lacking in fine-ear tuning (and that's being kind).

By....

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

Message-ID: <37A656EA.2677@gte.net>
Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 19:41:46 -0700
From: "May O'Mahoney" <may5272@gte.net>
Subject: Mayonnaise

Harrison Sherwood writes:

> The result has been a terrible dilution of historical understanding of
> that decade, a horrible, reductionist oversimplification of the Sixties
> to a series of evocative but ultimately meaningless symbols, wrenched
> from context and pasted to crappy merchandise..

WOW!

That's all I can say.  Great job Harrison!  It's nice to know that I'm
not the only one who shares that opinion.

My question to the Chalkhills is this:

What on earth do overfed middle-class white kids have to riot over?
Perhaps they should be blowing up their own televisions and computers
while simultaneously setting their mommy-bought Lucky Brand jeans
ablaze.  They have only themselves to blame for their disgruntled
state.  Perhaps it's boredom due to overstimulation and lack of
identity?  I feel like sending up a blimp (appropriate) to travel across
America with the words GET A LIFE emblazoned in red across it's belly.

May the mayonnaise sandwich-eaters take a break to look up...

Yours Truly,
May

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

Message-ID: <389776789.933663970855.JavaMail.root@web03_mc.mail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 03:06:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Thorbjorn <1@post.com>
Subject: Prefab Sprout!

Hi!

May O'Mahoney wrote:
"Prefab Sprout! My goodness it's been a long time since I've heard anyone
utter those two words! It's even spelled right! (grin) They are delightful
and am disappointed that I haven't heard the '97 release."

Can't agree with you more!
Perhaps you should get a hold of the Andromeda Heights-album soon, since
it's one of the truly great albums of this decade.

Thorbjorn

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

From: CCooli9575@aol.com
Message-ID: <7c75b3c8.24d830e6@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 07:47:50 EDT
Subject: Schoolteacher Sting

>Chalkbedbuddies,

>Why are you all going so hard on Sting?  Apart from writing about
>subjects he knows nothing about, which is certainly not a heinous sin
>these days, he's a damn good songwriter.  Can someone tell me what the
>general problem with Sting is?

>Robin

  I can't speak for anyone else but myself, but the problem I have with
Sting is he's not as good a songwriter as he thinks he is and he tends to
fall flat on his face when he tries to make big statements. He must think
he's still a schoolteacher sometimes, which he used to be before The
Police. Sting works best when he just waxes poetic; when he does his
writing is actually quite good, such as "Fortress In Your Heart."
Unfortunately he tries to Say Something Important too often, in which case
I just want to raise my hand and ask if I can go to the bathroom. I also
find his voice annoying at times.

Chris

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

From: CCooli9575@aol.com
Message-ID: <83a85549.24d830e2@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 07:47:46 EDT
Subject: Re: Prog

>Hey, I like Yes and other progressive artists and groups of the 70s.  I
>don't see what's wrong with them.  Name me some artists and groups that
>top any of the progressive groups of the 70s.

>Molly

Aw man, better than ALL of them? Do I HAVE to? Seriously, though, I
personally dislike Yes, but I like King Crimson, Genesis and Van Der Graaf
Generator. I take what I like from many different genres of music, though
there's some genres of music I have little use for(practically everything
on the Billboard top 40 these days, for example). Progressive rock isn't
one of them, though, and I don't think the point was to diss all
progressive rock of the 70's, just Yes. I personally don't think Yes was a
benchmark of commercial and creative greatness in the 70's; has anyone
besides diehard Yes fans managed to sit through all of Tales From
Topgraphical Oceans?(I certainly haven't)Not that they don't have talent,
though I still haven't forgiven Steve Howe for Asia.

  Personally I'd pick Pink Floyd or Elton John as more representative of
the spirit of the 70's on a musical level, they certainly graced more
college and high school turntables than Yes anyway.

Chris(the other one)

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

Message-ID: <19990804034132.23235.rocketmail@web126.yahoomail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 20:41:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Veronica Kyle Robertson <veronicakr@yahoo.com>
Subject: New Verve Pipe song

  So, we know that Andy collaborated with the Verve
Pipe for the Avengers soundtrack. A few months ago,
someone posted about how the Verve Pipe was in the
studio and they were hoping to get Andy to work with
them again (as well as Kate Bush).  Now the new album
is out. Does anyone know if Andy (or Kate) actually
participated?  And has anyone heard their new single
"Hero"?  It certainly SOUNDS XTC-influenced!  C'mon,
there's got to be a few Verve Pipe/XTC fans in the
know.
  On a different subject, does anyone see the humor in
using a Smiths song to advertise a car with leather
upholstry?  Oh, Moz, did ya really need the money THAT
bad?

Veronica

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

From: mollyfa@juno.com
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 23:53:58 -0400
Subject: Re: Queen
Message-ID: <19990803.235949.3638.0.MollyFa@juno.com>

Tyler wrote:
<<g changes:
1.. Leave Queen off (or put them on the 70's list. at least they were
good in the 70's).
2.  Replace Queen with New Order (I'm not a fan, really, but they were
very influential in merging new wave and dance music)
3. Remove Happy Mondays, replace with the Smiths.
4.  Move REM from the 90's list, put them on the 80's list (for the
same reason I moved Queen to the 70's list)
5.  Add Los Lobos and Lucinda Williams to the '90's list.>>

I don't see what was wrong with Queen in the 80s?  I love Queen in any
era, but I have really bad tastes in music since I like Genesis and other
progressive rock groups.  And if anybody "suggests" other bands to my
list I will comment.  Nobody's going to say, "Oh put this group in this
ara, because they were better."  Quit judging people's musical tastes.

Molly

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

Message-ID: <000001bede70$aadd8420$07ffabc3@default>
From: "David Seddon" <D.Seddon@btinternet.com>
Subject: More on bands
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 12:22:24 +0100

Thanks, John.
Decent of you.  I was expecting a bit worse from Cobain fans!
Afraid I just can't see the Cobain greatness thing.  Perhaps this helps to
explain:
I don't think he wrote any music people are going to want to cover in 10
years time and he wasn't that great a musician.  The Nirvana albums bored
the life out of me and I found it very hard to discern any sort of melody
thru' the noise.  I can't agree that he stopped rock from being boring.
It's been getting more boring for at least 10 years.  In my opinion, he
added to this tendancy.  What exactly was it that he or his music are deemed
to have done that was fresh, interesting or musically new?  I can see that
he and his band had energy, but so what.  We could all name a hundred bands
with that quality.
Finally, he also became 100 times more important after his death and that
gives the game away for me!

Incidentally, I left a few errors in my first post...
the 5th 70s star was supposed to be Bob Marley
and I crossed off Cat Stevens, hence the comment at the end, and put in
Jimmi Hendrix (mainly for his virtuosity).
I thought I'd changed all of that before I sent it, but the change didn't
stick!  Still getting used to this Explorer 5 thing I've installed!

Can't disagree particularly with your comments, Tyler.  They're fair
points.

D.Seddon writes

> Here's my pick of who will still be important and what will still be
> listened to and analysed in 50 years time, either because they were
> excellent creators, inovators or both...

> I'm not sure who else yet, but not Kurt Cobain!!... a wastrel who didn't
> deserve much credit at all, but got it due to hype (and) bullshit...

and the small act of saving rock (from dying of boredom, for one thing).

Other than that it was a decent list, which makes your railing at
Cobain all the more confusing.

Cheers, John.

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

Message-Id: <B195726DB50AD2118E880008C7FAA6FC4310A7@newman.partech.com>
From: Janis VanCourt <Janis_VanCourt@partech.com>
Subject: Chalkhorse Choker Charm
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 08:57:57 -0400

I was browsing an online catalog of eclectic merchandise when I came upon
this interesting item:

http://www.mailordercentral.com/azuregreen/prodinfo.asp?number=JWHIH&variation=&aitem=348&mitem=358

It's a pewter pendant depicting a familiar equine.

I've never ordered from AzureGreen before, so I can't vouch for their
service/reliability, bur I've been getting their snail-mail catalogs for a
quite a while now.  I just may be placing an order soon.

-Janis
http://members.aol.com/starlingv/starling.htm

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

Message-ID: <19990804134529.33291.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "jonathan monnickendam" <monnickj@hotmail.com>
Subject: Dave Gregory & The Divorce
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 06:45:29 PDT

UK readers ; get hold of the Independent 3/8/99 p8 which talks about band
break ups and reforms, the Bay City Rollers, teh Eagles and Yes
(topical).But in amongst all these super stars is our very own Dave G, no
chance of a kiss and make up.
The article is too long to type and I don't have a scanner.

jon

	[ http://chalkhills.org/articles/Independent9908.html ]

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

Message-ID: <000c01bedea4$2113c860$fc0698cf@tedist>
From: "Rick Buist" <rbuist@tedist.com>
Subject: Mr. Trivia
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 11:06:38 -0700

>As for Owsley, I also have his debut and it is pure pop heaven. If I have
>my facts down correctly, he played guitar with Shania Twain or someone
>like that. From Nashville.

He played guitar for Amy Grant.  You are correct in that it is a great
album.  (Not Amy Grant's; Owsley's)

XTC content:

The lazy brown fo X jumps over T he qui C k dogs.

Rick

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

From: Jeffie.Barbour@bmge.com
Message-ID: <3B626B707EA4D111A72C00805F0DAD9A3A8933@USBAGE28>
Subject: nonsuch
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 10:57:06 -0500

just a quick note...
my horse's show name is "nonsuch". he went to his very first show this
weekend, and not only behaved like a superstar, but also placed in his
pre-green class. it was really cool to hear "nonsuch" being called out.
alas, i was hoping for a gasp of recognition from some other fanatical xtc
fan, but no such luck.
maybe next time.
jeffie

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

From: dan@gge.com
Message-ID: <37A866C0.5926694B@gge.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 09:13:58 -0700
Subject: big takeover

thanks to all who mentioned the current issue of 'the big takeover'
(cover: two gawky guys from swindon). i would've never found it on my
own. as a rule, i hate music magazines (except 'no depression' the
alt.country mag). but after finishing the nice, long xtc interview i
started looking thru the rest of it and discovered that this a music
magazine i can actually read! very intelligent editorials and tons of
info/reviews/etc, on bands i know by name only and others i've never
heard of but look interesting.
will anyone here admit if you were one of the people who paid $350 for
an advance copy of av1? come on! i want to meet you!

dan

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

From: JEFFREY.THOMAS.JT@bayer-ag.de
Subject: Small success story from an XTC missionary
Message-Id: <0006800013837192000002L022*@MHS>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 18:37:22 +0200

Hi "Kreideberger",

I've read about others converting the unbelievers, but I have never really
had any success trying to preach the XTC gospel over the years.  Some
people would recognize "Nigel", "G&M", "SWOT", or even "Mayor of Simpleton"
-- they'd say they'd heard that, it was nice, but that was that.  No
requests for advice on which records to buy, no albums lent to copy.  But a
miracle has come to pass (and close to home, too).  Hallelujah!

During our holiday in England, and while exploring the strange
stone/bronze/iron age sites down in Cornwall, something unusual occurred --
it must have been those ley lines.  My girlfriend, who generally tolerates
my XTC (and other group) manic phases with a smile, actually started
*singing XTC music*!!!  Of her own volition!  Yes, at one stone circle, it
was "The Meeting Place".  Then at another site, she sang "Sacrificial
Bonfire".  And then, while we were in Boscastle, she started singing
"Greenman"!!  I didn't even know she knew the songs!

To top it off, two days ago I came home from work and what did I hear
playing?  "AV1".  And *I* wasn't anywhere *near* that stereo!!!  I am
totally amazed by this development.  Oh, I know she's not really converted
yet, but *the word has been heard*.  I'm going to have to do my best to get
the rest of the job done now.

I'm not sure what's happening here, but I smiled so much my face almost
cracked in two!

- Jeff

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

Message-ID: <204640794C39D211A21700805FA73521037559B7@ahqex1.rei.com>
From: Steve Sims <ssims@rei.com>
Subject: Acne Phoenix, Vacuum 1
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 09:43:17 -0700

Now that the smoke has cleared and most of our emotional attachments to AV1
have dissolved...  Where do folks see it in relation to the rest of the
discography?  I kind of see it like this: Black Sea, English Settlement,
Oranges & Lemons, Skylarking, and AV1.  I feel AV1 is a bit too uneven to
be considered with their best.

-Sssssssssssss

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

Date: 04 Aug 1999 10:13:42 -0700
From: "Henson, Mary Beth" <Mary.Beth.Henson@disney.com>
Subject: Free Song Stories!

     Chalkfriends:

     Working for Disney isn't always a breeze, but it does have it's
     privileges.  For example, I've got an extra, absolutely free copy of
     Song Stories.  Our adult book publishing arm - Hyperion - produced
     this book, in case you've forgotten.  Anyhow, as I've already got a
     copy of my own, so this one is free to the first person who e-mails me
     and asks for it.  Free postage too!

     First come, first served!

     MB

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

Message-ID: <000701bedeec$d9fc6ec0$3e68fed0@oemcomputer>
From: "Chauffefamily" <delia1999@email.msn.com>
Subject: Most important 70's artist
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 19:47:24 -0700

In response to Mark Strybos' of 7/30, I think you answered your own
question. The 70's had so many off-shoot styles of 'rock' it is simply
impossible to say who was the biggest as to importance, influence, etc.  I
agree with you that Bob Marley, for one, was a big influence on a lot of
artists. I was glad I had a chance to see him before he died. Re: Reggae,
for example, an arguement could be made that a lot of the current rap,
hip-hop acts (No, this time I am not critizing them!) were influenced by
the dance hall DJ style from Jamaica.  There is also no question that Led
Zeppelin and Black Sabbath influenced hundreds of metal/rock/grunge bands
just like Roxy Music did to early new wave and alternative bands.  The same
could be said for Yes, EL&P, even Hawkwind for more progressive sounds and
spacy music, or what about Traffic to a more jazzy rock sound?  The point
being there are simply too many branches of rock music to name one single
artist as the most influencial. And what about purely from a fan popularity
standpoint? The 70's saw a lot of changes from the beginning to the end, I
am sure if we had a poll for 1 or even our 5 best artist of the 70's, we
would have an endless number of artists listed! I will skip mentioning the
80's for now, but I really think the biggest or most influencial artist of
the 90's was Kurt Cobain for a number of reasons. But I may be opening up
pandora's box...

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

Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 15:49:15 +1100
From: Sebastien Maury 02 9950 3315 <maury.sebastien@a2.abc.net.au>
Subject: a hellish victory
Message-Id: <E1441IAT3FHHY*/R=A1/R=ABCNET/U=MAURYS6G/@MHS>

Can I just say to Janis VanCourt that I haven't laughed so much reading the
subject line "Oh, Sting/Where is thy death?" in a long time. Then again, I
really should get out more...
Seb.

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

Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 15:57:14 +1100
From: Sebastien Maury 02 9950 3315 <maury.sebastien@a2.abc.net.au>
Subject: sting in the tail
Message-Id: <E1444IAT3HHG0*/R=A1/R=ABCNET/U=MAURYS6G/@MHS>

Oh and for fuck's sake, if you don't detect Sting similarities in parts of
ROO or in I Can't Own Her around the word "money", then you really haven't
heard much Sting (not necessarily a crime) or more culpably, you don't know
AV very well...

Mind you this is no "Sting impersonation" as someone suggested; it's more
about the odd similarity in vocal inflection and occasional melodic echoes
(ie "money").

This is *not* the end of the world! For God's sake the Police and XTC
aren't exactly strangers.

There, I feel better now.
Seb.

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

Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 16:28:42 +1100
From: Sebastien Maury 02 9950 3315 <maury.sebastien@a2.abc.net.au>
Subject: mo' Momus
Message-Id: <E1446IAT3JS2G*/R=A1/R=ABCNET/U=MAURYS6G/@MHS>

Megan Heller, may I have the honour of being the first?
Seb.

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

Message-ID: <19990805180304.68410.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "rob allen" <prefab11@hotmail.com>
Subject: Sprout-Bears-Sakamoto
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 11:03:03 PDT

Well, I guess there are plenty of XTC fans who also enjoy Prefab Sprout.
Thanks for all the responses.

As for the Sprouts's "Andromeda Heights".... it really has some brilliant
moments: "Electric Guitars", "The Mystery Of Love" and "Swans". I would
agree it's not their best CD, but it's still much better than most things I
hear nowadays.

O.K. Chalkhillers.... help me out here. Anybody remember Adrian Belew's
80's pop band the Bears? I've read nothing but great things about 'em. I
know their CD's are out-of-print. Anybody heard them? Any plans for
re-release?

I have been a big fan of YMO and Ryuichi Sakamoto for 20 years (same as
XTC!). Andy Partridge plays on Sakamoto's 1980 "B-2 Unit" CD. What DOES he
play? The liner notes just mention his name. That's all. This oddball CD is
worth seeking out.

Later.

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

Message-ID: <37A9F189.6EB1@gte.net>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 16:18:17 -0400
From: george toledo <guitarc@gte.net>
Organization: home
Subject: No Video For Vol 1

A TVT rep emailed me and said that there would be no video off of vol 1,
but to expect one off of vol 2.
This brings up two questions- what happened to the greenman video, and
which song will be the video off of the second release?

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

Message-Id: <l03130300b3cfc84c6b61@[153.37.163.28]>
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 19:10:41 -0400
From: MinerWerks <dminer@gte.net>
Subject: Evil corporations or Your Friends & Neighbours?

Hi all.. just back from my jaunt to Mexico in an old jalopy of a van and I
came in to find a new corporate adjustment taking place.

If you recall, I posted a couple weeks ago about the "Universal
Entertainment Group" and their slashing of hundreds of artists from their
rosters? Well, now big corporations are going to drive RADIO further into
the ground than it already is. The FCC is now allowing companies to own up
to SEVEN radio stations in one market. I don't even LISTEN to seven
stations in my market. I've seen the rise of this trend in the last few
years. If you ask me, when the FCC relaxed regulations and allowed
companies to own FOUR stations, programming creativity dropped
dramatically, and so did jobs.

Now think about one program director creating the public image for not one,
but SEVEN different radio stations. And I don't say that because it's a
worst-case scenario, I say that because it's the foregone conclusion of
this whole consolidation trip.

I know a lot of us are not "radio" fans, but I've got some good memories of
when radio was at least decent and willing to try some new stuff - I could
live with it. I might as well just throw that out the window now - and you
might as well kiss the chance of EVER hearing new XTC music on the radio
again goodbye.

Raging Mad with Caffeine,
= Derek =

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #5-242
*******************************

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