Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 275
Date: Tuesday, 5 October 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 275
Tuesday, 5 October 1999
Today's Topics:
Chalkhills Shirts / CD Auctions
Re: Music, Architecture and NYT
spam and idiots
Re: Upsy Daisy, Dom
the Uffington Horse used in a film backdrop?
Transistor Blast promo/Lilac Time
Apple Venus Demos to be released
garden shacks
Re: fruit nut
Few tings
I introduce myself
Chalkhills website
bees
BEFORE EVERYBODY GETS ON MY ASS
List stuff
Re: Mysteries / Bowie
RE: 90-min Sting Atrocity!!!
Re: Clarified Peaches
Bowie and basslines, but not both
Homespun - Why would you ?
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Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>).
He asked why you weren't home?
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19991004180932.00960560@pophost.micron.net> Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 18:09:32 -0600 From: Phil Corless <philco@micron.net> Subject: Chalkhills Shirts / CD Auctions I've been receiving lots of email asking "When are you going to do the new Chalkhills t-shirt?!" I'll be doing them in November. Watch Chalkhills for news of that. I'm not doing it sooner because for the next month I'm a little preoccupied with selling over 300 CDs on eBay. Several relatives and friends have handed over a bunch of CDs they want me to sell for them. Those, along with a big bunch of my own, will be placed on eBay all through October... I'll probably be listing 10 to 20 per day until they run out. What will you find? XTC, Martin Newell, Randy Newman, Squeeze, Traveling Wilburys, George Harrison, Danny Elfman, Housemartins, Blur, Suzanne Vega, The The, Matthew Sweet, The Specials, U2, Aimee Mann, Aztec Camera, The Grays, Jason Falkner, The Pogues, Oingo Boingo, Thomas Dolby, Eels, David Bowie, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Gabriel, all sorts of movie scores, and more! In other words, lots of GOOD stuff.... Very little crap. Check my eBay page frequently during the next 4 weeks: http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/philkar/ Thanks! And watch in November for the Chalkhills shirt information. - Phil C.
------------------------------ Message-id: <9989316@mailbox2.Hitchcock.ORG> Date: 19 Sep 1999 21:39:45 EDT From: John.J.Pinto@Hitchcock.ORG (John J. Pinto) Subject: Re: Music, Architecture and NYT The New York Times of 9/19/99 printed a letter (Section 2 pg.4) from a John Hynes that quotes without credit, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture". As this has been of some interest to Chalkhillians as of late it was remarkable to read it in the newspaper of record (no pun intended). I do not read the quote as implying that music is so greatly removed from words that writing about music is futile or pointless. In fact to "dance ABOUT architecture" might be a very challanging to choreograph. If therer is a need to further muddy the waters consider the German writer Goethe's remark. "I call architecture frozen music". Mr Hynes suggests the difficulty is in the fact that music and writing are processed by different parts of the brain. That seems to be a very silly explaination as music and movement are also processed by different parts of the brain.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 19:14:33 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199910050214.TAA95172@mando.engr.sgi.com> From: John Relph <relph@cthulhu> Subject: spam and idiots Todd asked: > >1) John, are you okay? No quote in the last issue (the first time >I've seen this in all my years here), spam slipping into another, >people attempting to start endless loops ... I'm getting >worried. Speak to me, laddie! SPEAK TO ME!! Well, I've been on vacation for two weeks. I put the list on auto-pilot. Obviously there have been some problems. The spam? Obviously my filters are not good enough. The idiot? The person in question did not post the ENTIRE digest back to the list, merely a very long section of it, in pieces small enough to get past my filters. I am sorry for both problems. And since I was not here, I couldn't put a lyric snippet in. But I had a nice vacation, so I suppose it was a small enough price to pay. I still have not figured out a way to get the website to update automatically, so I suppose I should work on that. -- John
------------------------------ Message-ID: <37F95FEC.D3A3ECB@pobox.com> Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 22:18:20 -0400 From: Jefferson Ogata <ogata@pobox.com> Organization: The Antibozo Subject: Re: Upsy Daisy, Dom Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt <toddjenn@erols.com> wrote: > My XTC-fan-in-training sister-in-law recently bought Upsy Daisy > Assortment, and was surprised that the actual song order on the CD varied > from the track listing on the jewel-case insert. Has anyone else come > across this? I wanted to check Chalkhills before posting this, but the > server's down (or so my browser sez). My jewel box matches your sister-in-law's. I've never noticed the songs being out of order before, so I think the CD matches the box too. I'll pop it in for a quick listen: yup. Same order. Are you sure she didn't have her CD player in shuffle mode? Hmm, but the listings are close. That's weird with a beard, man. This is an opportunity to point out something amusing about the Upsy Daisy Assortment box, however, that you may not have noticed. Look carefully at the track list on the back of the jewel case, in particular at the drop shadow on "8. LOVE ON A FARMBOY'S WAGES". You may note that the artist who put the text on it appears to have flubbed, and the evidence is in the way the drop shadow is rendered slightly differently on the "'S WAGES". In other words, it appears that the text was fixed after someone noticed (thankfully) an error: the title "LOVE ON A FARMBOY". I've often thought that's a rather charming title, but not for an XTC song. The Dukes could do it, perhaps. Naturally, I'll be present for the Festival of Lawson. Penny for the Dom? -- Jefferson Ogata. smtp: <ogata@pobox.com> http://www.pobox.com/~ogata/ finger: ogata@pobox.com ICQ: 19569681 whois: jo317@whois.internic.net
------------------------------
From: STakesh@aol.com
Message-ID: <477a361a.252ac149@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 22:49:45 EDT
Subject: the Uffington Horse used in a film backdrop?
Hi, Chalkers,
While reading the Salon "Table Talk" archived discussion
on the overlooked, obscure, worthwhile films (while watching
Monday Night Football at the same time, hey hey, so much
for narrow cultural stereotyping!), I came across this interesting
nugget:
"Another Canadian production that is worth the watch is
"Map of the Human Heart" a love story between a Yupik
Eskimo and a Cree Indian set in WWII London. Romantic,
great music, twisted story and one of the best love scenes
atop a ballon that floats over the White Horse earth sculpture."
Now, I haven't seen this movie, so don't kvetch to me if you
rent this and see, oh, another Iron Age earthwork of a horse,
O.K.? I only hope the lovers were safe in a gondola, rather
than perched precariously atop a hot-air balloon ("The Last
Balloon," indeed!).
Yipee-Ki-Yay, and go, Dolphins, go,
S. Takeshita
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199910050252.WAA08422@mail1.javanet.com> Subject: Transistor Blast promo/Lilac Time Date: Mon, 4 Oct 99 22:52:47 -0400 From: Max Germer <maxindu@javanet.com> If anyone needs the promo cd that was sent out in advance of the box, I have it up on ebay pretty cheap: >http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=174912921 I've fallen for the Lilac Time's "& Love For All" cd, which I recently found dirt cheap. Aside from producing the band, is there another Andy connection? Max http://www.themaggies.com/
------------------------------
From: "Bob Dunn" <rjd55@mindspring.com>
Subject: Apple Venus Demos to be released
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 11:18:54 -0400
Message-ID: <NDBBIGLKGKDAIOMNLDGGEENPCKAA.rjd55@mindspring.com>
XTC's Apple Venus Volume 2 won't hit stores until next year, but fans of
the English alternative pop band will get an early Christmas gift on Oct. 5
when TVT/Idea Records releases Homespun - The Apple Venus Volume One Home
Demos.
With the same track sequence as Apple Venus Volume 1, XTC's last studio
effort, the home demos features the original eight-track recordings of the
songs from the album as well as liner notes by the band and the lyrics,
which were missing from Apple Venus Volume 1 the first time out.
Meanwhile, the band is currently holed up in a Swindon, England studio with
producer Nick Davis putting the finishing touches on the follow-up, Apple
Venus Volume 2, now set for a tentative release date of spring 2000.
Here is the track listing for Homespun - The Apple Venus Volume One Home
Demos:
1. "River of Orchids"
2. "I'd Like That"
3. "Easter Theatre"
4. "Knights in Shining Karma"
5. "Frivolous Tonight"
6. "Greenman"
7. "Your Dictionary"
8. "Fruit Nut"
9. "I Can't Own Her"
10. "Harvest Festival"
11. "The Last Balloon"
Bob
.*'|'*. | Bob Dunn
* /|\ * | rjd55@mindspring.com
`*,|,*` | http://www.mindspring.com/~rjd55>
| Page me: http://www.mirabilis.com/1475053
------------------------------ Message-ID: <37F98039.116E@gte.net> Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 21:36:10 -0700 From: "May O'Mahoney" <may5272@gte.net> Subject: garden shacks From Jill Oleson: "'Here in the late nineties, with all its multiplicity of choice, it's easy to forget how truly alternative those early programmes were.'" This statement made me feel grateful to have experienced this. I always tuned into our local Sunday night music show eagerly awaiting songs that would throw me into a world that was truly alternative. Music that made my parents queasy but didn't compel them to throw me into therapy or positive reinforcement sessions that included the whole family. Some random thoughts: Has anyone noticed that it is de riguer/in/blessed by the advert gods to be 'alternative' now? What? You don't repel down the side of mountains suspended by your nose ring? ************ I was watching TV before work the other day and they were using sex to sell oatmeal to fiftysomethings. Could I have a side of viagra with my forehead piercing? ************ Ok, I don't know where that came from but I will say this. I'm glad that I know about a time before slick packaging. I'm glad that I grew up in a time when you put together your punk posters with SCISSORS AND GLUE and a XEROX machine. My idea of a good time is a box of chocolates. My idea of great music is that that is made in garden shacks. Yours Truly, May AKA Nostalgia Girl
------------------------------ Message-ID: <37F98AA6.30D94065@bellatlantic.net> Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1999 01:20:38 -0400 From: Jim Slade <castells@bellatlantic.net> Subject: Re: fruit nut Huh???? I've been really busy lately, which has cut down on my time to concentrate on Chalkhills, but this thread has shaken me out of my stupor. Am I completely missing something, or are the "poisons" in question simply pesticides? The song is based on gardening imagery, isn't it? I've never thought of the poisons as anything but pesticides. I've never thought of the narrarator as anything but a *slightly* eccentric smalltown guy, like the character in every Colin song. Jim http://www.groovedisques.com > From: "garret harkawik" <funktaisia@hotmail.com> > > As you all know, there has been a lot of discussion about whether or not > the narratore in the song "Fruit Nut" is planning on poisoning his wife. > In my opinion, the man is planning to poison his friends because he > sounds like he is angry at someone when he sings "Some day they'll > seeeeeeee". Plus, I think that the wife is in on it too because he also > sings "I mix the poisons and the wife don't complain".
------------------------------ Message-ID: <002301bf0f57$f7cad5e0$1284b3d1@oemcomputer> From: "Aaron Pastula" <apastula@earthlink.net> Subject: Few tings Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 10:34:25 -0700 >with all the musicians who (seemingly) partake in this digest, i was >wondering if we could do an instrument/equipment inventory. what do you own >& what is your favourite instrument? (try to keep it clean for the innocent >among us!) A dark red, five-string Ernie Ball Musicman bass. Best purchase I ever made. She even has her own side of the bed. And I keep her as innocently clean as possible, changing the strings on a schedule that coincides with my dental appointments. >Figured out the mysterious albums. 1 of them were the Dub album which had >the song "Beat the Bible." Thanks for no help. Real nice list that no one >wants ot help other fans. Hey, you're quite welcome for no help! Glad to know we could be of no service. Here at XTC central, we're all just a bunch of self-centered trekkies who aim to not please, and we always appreciate your suggestions on how to be less helpful and effective. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Excuse me while I check this message for errors in grammar, spelling, taste or humor. AP
------------------------------ From: Wuellig@aol.com Message-ID: <846768c6.252b9e07@aol.com> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 14:31:35 EDT Subject: I introduce myself Hi ! I'm 18, French, and I've become a big XTC fan at the beginning of this summer. In fact I had listened previously tu Drums and Wires but it hadn't really pleased me at first after 2 listenings ; neither did "Fossil Fuel". But one day I realized that I hadn't even listened til the end of the record ! How silly of me ! Cos when I heard "Complicated Game" I understood that my fate was sealed... I remember that the same thing happened when I saw an (oh so short) extract of a live version of "Alcohol" by the Kinks : the feeling that you will need your whole life to explore and understand someone's genius (or sometwo's, in the case of XTC, not to forget Colin's marvelous songwriting skills)... And so I've been listening passionately to XTC for about three months ; nonetheless I don't know all their records, but I'm gonna reach this goal soon. My favourites must be "Oranges and Lemons", "Nonsuch" and many many of their singles, above all the very first ones (but the albums of this period disappointed me a bit). At first, while I listened to D&W and Fossil Fuel, I thought (I still don't know why) that Andy was the bass player and this made me very proud because I play bass and I'm a beginning songwriter (I play and sing in a band called Pillows E.T ; we rehearse in a very very small basement in Versailles but we carry on !), so I felt Andy was kind of a leader to me because I told myself "Wow, this guy plays bass and besides writes beautiful songs, this is quite unusual" (if we except Sir McCartney). But when I read English Settlement's notes, I understood that Colin was the bassist. I was a bit disappointed because in those days I didn't hold Colin for a very good songwriter and above all he wrote so little compared to Andy ; but now I hold "Wonderland", "My bird performs" and "Frivolous tonight" among others for XTC's masterpieces. I don't know if Andy and Colin read the list, but I'd like to say here that XTC made my summer a wonderful time, and if that goes on, well I'm about to reach perfect happiness ! Besides, to go on with my introduction, I like roleplaying games, science fiction, I'm a litterature student and in matter of rock I also love The Kinks, Roxy Music, Bowie, Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa, The Sparks, Spirit, Led Zeppelin, Siouxsie and Pulp. But I like many others ! See you soon ! Martin
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v04210100b4200b6cfa6c@[137.216.83.139]> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 14:16:38 -0600 From: Duane Hanson <Duane_Hanson@sdstate.edu> Subject: Chalkhills website Hello, I just wanted to say thank you for maintaining an excellent and informative web site. I've been stopping off at Chalkhills regularly for a couple of years now, and always find something to make the trip worthwhile. And (also important) I am impressed with the clear, uncluttered design of your site, with how easy the site is to navigate, and with how quickly it loads. I check on the websites of several other musicians, and none of them is as clear and informative as Chalkhills. (I wish the Dave Gregory website would take some cues from this--I've tried to access the site three times. The first time I was informed that I needed a newer browser. The second and third times it just kept loading, and loading, and never getting anywhere...) Anyway, thank you for keeping me up-to-date with one of my favorite bands! Duane Hanson Off somewhere in South Dakota
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19991005193855.13372.rocketmail@web2901.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 12:38:55 -0700 (PDT) From: nross <PhoenixYellowRose@rocketmail.com> Subject: bees In response to: Subject: STING, BITE ME! From: "Diamond" <arnos@nantucket.net> >>Do you know that VH1's Behind The Music gave Sting an HOUR AND A HALF to tell his story? An hour and a half? Does he really deserve all this time?<< Biased here, I LOVE The Police. (I know, boos and hisses from the lot of ya'... well, go romp with a friggin telletubbie then) I hadn't watched the whole deal, I didn't realize it was an hour and a half. I was more appalled that the show was based upon Sting, and not The Police... I mean, without The Police, I'd doubt Sting would have become so darn popular. Of course, without Sting, The Police may have been as annoying as a siren, who knows. But, really, admit it folks, you liked them once, and now ya'll jus dis em cause its cool to steponthetantricbee... >>Well, while I was pondering this over, I started thinking about how cool it would be if XTC was on Behind the Music.<< :-) Fat chance... but hey, if the Redskins can win from 21 pts down, anythings possible. Yeah! D.C. Woo Woo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to throw this nice quote out to you all: "Its really a wonder I haven't lost all my ideals, for they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet, I keep them because, in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." -Anne Frank have a very nice day ya'll. peace. ===== Nicole's internet music station: http://www.imagineradio.com/mymusiclisten.asp?name=phoenixyellowrose
------------------------------ Message-ID: <37FA4899.9D0DE076@averstar.com> Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1999 14:51:34 -0400 From: Harrison Sherwood <sherwood@averstar.com> Organization: Averstar, Inc. Subject: BEFORE EVERYBODY GETS ON MY ASS ...I know, I know... I fucked up. Yes, I basically forgot an entire Beatles album. Not even in the brain-damaged fantasies of the most STP-addled Sixties casualty could "Magical Mystery Tour" be considered "brutally honest and free of artifice." I meant the White Album. I will do a penance of twenty consecutive repetitions of "Blue Jay Way" through headphones while smoking three clove cigarettes and drinking tea made from morning-glory seeds and nutmeg. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. My, as they say, bad. Harrison "Fear of 'Flying'" Sherwood
------------------------------ From: Bob.Muller@fluor.com Message-ID: <85256801.006A7747.00@fdlnata10.fdnet.com> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 15:41:13 -0400 Subject: List stuff Charlie said: <<Figured out the mysterious albums. 1 of them were the Dub album which had the song "Beat the Bible." Thanks for no help. Real nice list that no one wants to help other fans. >> Like almost everyone here, I read your original request but was unable to offer any help because you didn't give enough to go on...if I recall, SEVERAL folks asked for more details to try and help you - your complaint is very unjustified imo. Speaking for myself, I was given several nice welcomes when I recently joined up, especially commendable given that this is a digest-only, and not a single-message list. Takes extra effort to send a personal welcome, and I appreciated it! << I would have never thought early on that groups like Elvis Costello or Sting would turn out so lame. >> Elvis' "Painted From Memory" had some of the best songs of any release in '98 (Bettered only by "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road"). Likewise, Sting is a little overhyped but I don't feel he's released a turkey yet. Given your need for "consistency", maybe you don't feel that artists should experiment and grow. I would think this would be a very limiting point of view. Bob
------------------------------ From: dan@gge.com Message-ID: <37FA54AB.7FDAEF06@gge.com> Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1999 12:42:39 -0700 Subject: Re: Mysteries / Bowie charlie wrote: >Another thing, it would be a nice gestrue for XTC to maybe tell me >what possible albums it could have been. several people responded to your post when you were trying to figure out what "mysterious" xtc albums you had seen, but no one could help you b/c you didn't describe the albums at all. how are we (you know, the people ganging up and conspiring against you) supposed to know? also, chalkhills has an extensive discography with pictures and everything for you to look up stuff like that. ------------------------- and while i can't write or present an argument as well as mr. sherwood (of the shire sherwoods) i will respond to >I insist Bowie was the first major rocker to elevate the Image over >the Real, and to make this elevation central to his art by saying: little richard. -dan "i might also say liberace, but i won't" duncan
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19991005210157.15210.rocketmail@web219.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 14:01:57 -0700 (PDT) From: "Lisa G." <devilgirlchocolate@yahoo.com> Subject: RE: 90-min Sting Atrocity!!! I heartily agree with Kevin Diamond that there should not have been a 90-min "Behind The Music" on Sting. Urrgh!!! It REALLY should have been 90-min on THE POLICE! But, anyhoo... Yes, we should all band together and see if we can't get XTC's story told. I'd love to see it on the screen, even though I love reading it frequently. Egads, they even had a BTM on GLEN CAMPBELL. Shite! Enjoying "Easter Theater" from "Homespun" as I write, Lisa (aka The Devil Girl) ===== "I am the girl who wanted to be God."-- Manic Street Preachers
------------------------------ From: WTDK@aol.com Message-ID: <aed9e5b4.252bc639@aol.com> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 17:23:05 EDT Subject: Re: Clarified Peaches Forgot who clarified the James and The Giant Peach issue but I stand corrected. Thanks for clearing up misinformation (I had heard that story a while back from someone I met who worked at Disney about Andy's songs being rejected). I had heard the $30,000 bit before but in a bit different context favorable to Disney as well. On another note ... Charlie Buck's note about receiving an email from a Chalkhills subscriber about his grammar. Charlie, don't take it personally, they just need to get a life (or have kids--there that'll take up their time). I personally couldn't care less about misspellings and the like as long as the message gets through... My favorite discovery of the day...I called Rasputin's Records (they're in the SF bay area) and asked if they had any copies of Homespun in stock. The response was that they had a CD by XTC called Homespam...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19991005234936.60270.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Megan Heller" <hellerm@hotmail.com> Subject: Bowie and basslines, but not both Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1999 16:49:36 PDT Harrison Sherwood demonstrates-- >Bowie certainly >had his antecedents--no artist is absolutely without influences--but >I >insist Bowie was the first major rocker to elevate the Image over >the >Real, and to make this elevation central to his art. Bowie's >public image >was that he *was* a public image; I found this interesting to read today, just after seeing the cover of Bowie's new album-- if you haven't seen it, it's Bowie kneeling (with his new look of longer hair and looser clothing), holding the head of Bowie as he looked two years ago (short, spiky hair, angular) in his lap, as if the latter is dying. Hm, probably a bit overstated, dramatic, pretentious for those who don't go for Bowie, but I'm a sucker for just about anything he does. (Except the late 1980s.) This discussion also makes me think about how truly disturbing I find this recent Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines thing. And now he's on the R&B charts... (between that and the hurricanes and earthquakes, I am starting to wonder about the armageddon...) ON ANOTHER TOPIC... I was listening to AV1 yesterday, and had it turned up rather louder than normal because I was doing housework. It occurred to me that I'd never noticed Colin's bassline in "The Last Balloon". It actually sort of changed the dynamic of the song for me-- it's played down so much in the mix (at least on my cd player), but I think it adds another dimension to the song. m.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <37FA9AB9.4CC4@Virgin.net>
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 01:41:29 +0100
From: Peter Wright <Peter.Wright2@Virgin.net>
Subject: Homespun - Why would you ?
Hi All,
So 'Homespun' is a CD of the AV1 demos. Purely out of curiousity
I ask : Why ? Having owned a copy of the demos for ages before AV1 was
released I was struck by how close the 'finished' songs were to the
demos. Apart from the obviously better production values they were
pretty much carbon copies of the 'shed' songs.
Only completists could possibly want 'Homespun' . Why on Earth didn't
they include the 'lost' songs on there? Like 'Prince of Orange' and the
others that didn't make the cut. It wouldn't have cost them anymore as a
CD has lots of room on it ! I would most certainly have bought it then.
For a cheaper way to have 'Homespun' , follow these instructions :
1) Record AV1 onto a well used audio cassette , preferably bought at a
boot sale.
2) Dub it from tape to tape til you have a 5th generation copy complete
with hiss and disgusting EQ.
Voila ! Saved yourself #10 !!
Pete.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-275 *******************************
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