Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 51
Date: Friday, 1 January 1999

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 51

                  Friday, 1 January 1999

Today's Topics:

                       XTC video FS
                  say the bells of what?
                       Straight Up
                     Neil Finn ROCKS!
             Taking a trip on the BIG EXPRESS
        It's my first time, so please be patient!
           Coupla Things From Rednecks For XTC
                 Streetlight illumination
                    best of 98 & jazz
                     Role reversal...
                    Holly up on Poppy
       re: 1998 in the Valley of the Chalkhills...
                Andy can cover for Dave???
                  re: Brand X (again)...
                     I'm OK You're OK
                Andy to be on Spin Online
                     Ring Out The Old
                  I just ordered AV1!!!
                Feeling Ecstacy in '99...
           Apple Venus already out in Japan????
            Re: Getting the hang of this now.
                A few Jazz recommendations

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Burn up the old / Ring in the new.

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

Message-ID: <368A4708.55033AAD@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 10:30:17 -0500
From: Ian C Stewart <autoreverse@hotmail.com>
Organization: http://come.to/autoreverse
Subject: XTC video FS

pretty much everything from 1977-1992....

wanna see the "Dear God" video? How about "Mayor Of Simpleton"? Or "All
Of A Sudden"????
How would you like to be a fly on the wall at the recording of "Towers
Of London"?
wanna see Andy Partridge stumble offstage, ending one of XTC's last-ever
gigs?
Ever wanted to see Andy Partridge call MTV's Dave Kendall a bitch?
How about XTC doing a puppet show of their careers?
Want to see the video portion of DISC 3 of the new TRANSISTOR BLAST box?

See XTC on the David Letterman show!
Interested in seeing XTC playing unreleased material in Andy's garden
studio?

http://www.netwalk.com/~stewart/xtcvideo.htm

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

Message-ID: <618F91505D89D21185330001FA6A495408229C@HFD-EXCH008>
From: "Witter, Karl F" <WitterKF@aetna.com>
Subject: say the bells of what?
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 14:26:48 -0500

Okay, I've got the concept of English church bells, "Oranges and
Lemons" and all that. That's a bit hard to imagine for a Yank whose
only auditory likenesses are the song "Winchester Cathedral" and the
round sung in "Sweeney Todd" (if those are both real). So, do the
bells over the end of "In Loving Memory of a Name" represent any
church in particular?

Not fly, even in the least, for a Caucasian male,
Karl

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

Message-ID: <368AB6CD.F50FC8D8@sprintmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 15:27:09 -0800
From: Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com>
Subject: Straight Up

Folxtc,

 "First thing I remember I was lying in my bed
   I couldn't been no more than one or two
   I remember there's a radio, comin' from the room next store
  And my mother laughed the way some ladies do."

  Paul Simon

A few issues back, someone posed a question that went something like
this:

"How could someone that likes the music of XTC also like the music of
`The Hosebags'?"  (insert your own favorite love-to-hate artist!)

I believe that I was born to love music.  My earliest memories are
musical: my mother folding laundry with "The Nutcracker Suite" softly
playing in the background; my older brother accompanying The Ventures
"Walk Don't Run" on his electric guitar; me identifying rock-and-roll
45's based on the label (because I hadn't yet learned to read)  and
playing them loud with the treble on 10 because they sounded "boss" that
way.
I loved music because of the way that it made me feel.  Fast songs were
for dancing, slow songs were for listening to quietly.  I craved the
chilling-tingly-rush that would wash over me when a particular passage
struck me, as I still do today.   As a child, I perceived the lyrics and
melody as a single entity; i.e., as an integral part of the song/record
and not as words alone.  Sometimes I could identify with the words.  I
remember feeling sorry for John as he sang  "I remember all the little
things we've done / Can't she see she'll always be the only one / lonely
one" and "You give back your ring to me / And I will set you free / Go
with him", but when Little Richard was yelling about "Tutti Fruity" and
"Miss Molly", I was running around the room like a maniac completely
oblivious to the overt sexual content of the lyrics; it was the music
that rocked me.

Last night, my lady and I were watching "Before They Were Stars" on
VH1.  Our musical tastes are very compatible, except she is much more
concerned with lyrics than I.  While I appreciate and admire great
lyrics, run-of-the-mill or even poor lyrics will usually not destroy a
record for me if I like the music.  Not so with her.  I agree with her
that Neal Peart's lyrics are silly, but I still like some of Rush's
records. "Distant Early Warning", for example.   She can't listen to
it.  And we've had many many  "discussions" about Sting!  She's coined a
term to describe his lyrics: "Aggressively Bad", as in they are not
content to just sit there and be ignored; they confront you  and insist
that you hate them. I  admit that his lyrics actually have ruined some
of his records for me.  The one that comes to mind right now is "History
Will Teach Us Nothing".

Well, they showed a clip of Paula Abdul in some low-budget obscure film
where she looks terrible and sings even worse.  I commented that I liked
her and thought that "Straight Up"  was a good record.  My lady  was
incredulous!  Her first inclination was that I liked Paula because I
thought  that she was hot.  The fact is, I do think that she's hot, but
I think that Shania Twain and Mariah Carey are WAY hot, and I don't care
for their records.  I can't explain why I like "Straight Up", I just do.

"Straight Up now tell me do you really wanna love me forever
    Oh Oh Oh
Or are you just having fun?"

My three favorite music-makers of all time are The Beatles, XTC and
Steely Dan.  Do they fit neatly into some category that says I should
also like Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello but dislike Rush and Sting?  That
I should appreciate James Taylor but loathe Duncan Sheik?  That I should
prefer John Coltrane but avoid Branford Marsalis?

The fact is, I like all sorts of music by many different artists.  The
thing about XTC is that I like them categorically.  They write beautiful
songs with well-crafted, literate and often poetic lyrics.  They make
brilliant records, with clever arrangements played flawlessly.  That is
why they remain at the top of a very_long_list.  I can't say the same
for The Clash for instance, but I love some their records nevertheless.

I don't know who said it first, but as the nearly famous, often witty,
sometimes shocking and always relevant Todd Bernhardt likes to point
out, "The more you like music, the more music you like."

Stormy Monday

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

Message-ID: <000b01be3437$5b235380$f06dcec0@t24806009694.DOA.STATE.LA.US>
From: "John Voorhees" <griffon@earthling.net>
Subject: Neil Finn ROCKS!
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 14:59:55 -0600

I'm not going to submit a full-fledged top 10 list for '98, but I did want
to put in one more vote for Neil Finn's excellent solo album, Try Whistling
This.  I'm a big Crowded House fan, but was a latecomer to Split Enz.  This
record is both a middle ground and an evolution of Finn's melodic style.
The amazing thing to me is how unified the disc sounds without a single
producer or backing group.  I mean, it's diverse and all, but it fits
together beautifully.  While Finn's lyrics tend to be more obscure, I rank
him as one of my favorite songwriters, right up there with Partsy and
Mouldy.  (Aha!  XTC content!)  Indeed, "She Will Have Her Way" reminds me,
stylistically, of "You're The Wish You Are I Had."
Do yourself a favor and get this, along with the whole CH catalog.  "Don't
Dream It's Over" doesn't even scratch the surface of this fascinating band.
-John Voorhees

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

Message-ID: <000101be346e$e859d1c0$755791d2@johnboud>
From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp>
Subject: Taking a trip on the BIG EXPRESS
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 12:36:52 +0900

Greetings Chalkhillians ,

Just spent 2 months in hospital with a hernia ( ouch ) or would have weighed
in sooner re: all this " trashing " of The Big Express and Nonsuch ...

I am sitting here in my " music room " on a sunny New Years Eve morning in
the Japanese countryside with a can of ice cold Suntory and The Big Express
on the turntable ...  Ummm,  I can certainly understand why many folks might
consider this their least favorite XTC album . The only GOOD ( by XTC
standards ) tunes in my opinion are ALL YOU PRETTY GIRLS , THIS WORLD OVER
and  I REMEMBER THE SUN .  Everybody is entitled to a clunker , right ?

I HEARTILY disagree with everyone who feels NONSUCH is a crap album .
Pumpkinhead , My Bird , Dear Madam Barnum , Smartest Monkeys , Omnibus ,
Then She Appeared and  War Dance are bloody great , superbly crafted tunes
in the grand XTC tradition and would deserve space on any XTC release .
Mediocrity abounds , that is true . While definitely not XTC's best effort ,
it is far from being a " crap " album .  Take those 26 minutes of genius ,
throw in 15 minutes worth of decent fillers , and you have a top 50 album in
soon to be 1999 .

And Dave Mattacks ought to be XTC's " permanent  " drummer !

A healthy , happy and prosperous 1999 to all Chalkhill members !!!

Gonna have another beer ( wish it were a Theakston's Old Peculier ) ,

John

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

Message-ID: <19981231051102.8867.rocketmail@web4.rocketmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 21:11:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Jennifer Linnea Strom <jlinnea@rocketmail.com>
Subject: It's my first time, so please be patient!

Hi!

This is my first time posting, I have been reading for a while and
finally mustered up the courage to write something, so here it goes.

I have been a fan of XTC for 10 years or so now (thanks to the musical
education I received from my numerous older brothers), though for many
years (starting at about age 9) I had recurring nightmares about the
song 'Scissor Man' long before I knew who had recorded it or what it
was about. Saw them on Letterman doing 'King For A Day', thought they
sounded pretty cool and asked my oldest and wisest (at least as far as
music is concerned)brother about them and he loaned me his copy of
'Drums And Wires' and 'Black Sea' and well, little did he know what a
monster he had created. I was fortunate enough to receive 'Transistor
Blast' for Christmas, a good thing too. Many times while I was out
shopping, I would see it, drool a little and put it back realizing
that I might be getting it, especially since I had made it very clear
to my family what I really wanted this year.

So, the main reason why I am posting is because I am going to England
at the end of January to visit a friend in London. Curious as to
whether there were any cool XTC related things I could do while I'm
there. Lord knows when I'll make it over there again so I want to take
advantage of as much as possible while I'm there. Would also
appreciate any generally cool, not necessarily XTC related stuff I
should check out. I do need to keep in mind that the friend I am
visiting is not a fan and I want to respect that, even if she doesn't
know what she is missing.

Hands are freezing up, must stop typing now.

--Jennifer

===
Time is an illusion.  Lunchtime doubly so.
-- Douglas Adams

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

From: LincStax@aol.com
Message-ID: <59fb06df.368b143d@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 01:05:49 EST
Subject: Coupla Things From Rednecks For XTC

Howdy.

I'm new to Chalkhills, but I gotta tell ya, I'm diggin' it.  I've been into
XTC since about 1979, and I've always felt that XTC fans tend to be a little
smarter than your average bear.  The essay/conversation on jazz proves it.

My best friend got me TB for Christmas (funny how that sentence could just
look so utterly wrong if read out of context), and I just want to say this
about that:

RUN, DO NOT WALK, TO THE NEAREST STORE, SHOP, OR OTHER VENDOR THAT HAS THIS
ITEM IN STOCK AND PURCHASE IT IMMEDIATELY.

I don't care if the shopkeeper is asking for a hundred bucks and the pound of
flesh nearest your heart, or bizarre sexual favors, or if you are required to
join some sort of cult and spend the rest of your life passing out bumper
stickers in airports.  Just BUY the damn thing.  The fake little John Peel rap
at the beginning (hi-f***in'-LARious), followed up by the opening measures of
Terry Chambers beating the mortal SHIT out of "Life Begins At The Hop," are
EASILY worth a little internal bleeding or telling folks that nuclear power
plants are built better than Jane Fonda.  Hearing this stuff reminded me all
over again why I got into them in the first place.

-John Hartman
-Rednecks For XTC
-"Get Drunk, Shoot Squirrels, Listen To 'White Music' Fifty Times"

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

From: "Robert Triptow" <rtriptow@skyhouse.org>
Subject: Streetlight illumination
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:30:26 -0800
Message-ID: <000701be3487$14a1cd10$19eeb5cf@daedalus>

I don't know who else to sing these praises to, so I thought I'd inflict
them on all you Chalkhillians.

I hadn't been reading the newsletter because of the stresses of the holiday
season, and I didn't even know about 'Transistor Blast' until I went into
one of my favorite used-CD stores, the Streetlight Records outlet on Market
Street in San Francisco.  They have a display of staff recommendations which
included a copy of 'English Settlement' with a note, "Helped me through high
school.  Make it your friend.  Borrow money from it."  I laughed at that and
had to find out which store clerk was responsible.  He told me about
'Transistor Blast' and said they'd had it in the store but, alas, had just
sold their only copy.

A couple of days later I was on my way to the mega-music outlet, Tower
Records.  I had a Christmas gift certificate at Tower and had seen ONE copy
of 'Transistor Blast' there.  Streetlight was just a block away, so I
stopped by there first, out of habit.  The store clerk said, "I'm glad you
came in, I've got something for you," and pulled a copy of the XTC box from
under the counter.  He'd hidden it away just for me and sold it to me for a
very, very low price (I'd say how low, but it would only annoy all of you
and make me feel I was personally ripping off Andy and Colin).

The point of my message is:  Are XTC people wonderful or what?

What?

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

Message-ID: <01BE3448.02A65F20.monkman@coastnet.com>
From: Martin & Jamie Monkman <monkman@coastnet.com>
Subject: best of 98 & jazz
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:58:34 -0800

Killing two birds with one stone, I'd like to tell you all about Backbeat,
a new album review website that a buddy of mine and I have launched.  Thus
far we've got 14 reviews up, as well as (bird 2) our individual top picks
for 1998.  Check it out at
http://www.coastnet.com/~monkman/backbeat/backbeat.htm or
http://come.to/backbeat
Our intention is to add 8 or more recent albums a month, as well as
reviewing some older ones as well.

On the topic of jazz, one of the best albums of any genre I've ever heard
is Bill Frisell's "Have A Little Faith".  I really enjoy his albums of
original material (particularly "Nashville" and "Gone, Just Like A
Train"), but this is an album of covers--instrumental versions of Aaron
Copland, Stephen Foster, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Madonna, and many more.
 Compounding the perversity of the album is the instrumentation:
 Frisell's guitar, bass, drums (nothing weird so far), clarinet (and bass
clarinet) and accordian.  This album is so good I'm at a loss to put to
words my feelings about it.

And the folks who spoke highly of the late 60s Miles Davis band (Hancock,
Shorter, Carter, and Williams) are spot on.  My favourite of the lot is
"Nefertiti", but that's just personal preference.  Once you've got a feel
for the band's stuff, check out the VSOP album with the same band but
Freddie Hubbard on trumpet instead of Miles, recorded in the late 70s.
 And then move on to Wynton Marsalis's best album, "Black Codes From The
Underground", which apes the Miles band and makes a grand noise.

Martin

Our homepage:  http://www.coastnet.com/~monkman

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

Message-ID: <368B8BF1.36F3@schoollink.net>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 06:36:33 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: Role reversal...

Hey all! --

With all the talk lately about spouses
digging or not digging XTC, here's a
head-scratcher for ya'.  My wife turned
ME on to XTC!!

Yep, back on my 25th birthday (1982),
I was presented with the single vinyl
LP version of "English Settlement" and
have not been the same since!  I know
that each time I put the stylus down on
the lead-in groove to "Runaways," we'd
both stop what we were doing and LISTEN
tothe whole damned album!!  It was (and
still is) that good, people.

Just thought I'd let you know that there
ARE some exceptions to this thread about
spouses liking or not liking the band.
My Gin is one of the rare ones who'd heard
about the band from a friend and decided to
give them a try via ES!  Man, am I ever
glad that she did!!  (So, thanks, hon...)

Have all the legit (and some not-so-legit)
releases now and am nail-biting for the
eventual release of both "Apple Venus"
volumes!  They just keep getting better
and better with each new release...plain
and simple.

They can do no wrong at this point...

So, don't around thinking that all unions
are the same with re: to spouses and XTC!

Here's to much success and some deserving
recognition to Andy and Colin in 1999.

Cheers!  :-)

Onward and Upward --

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

"Imagination like a muscle will
 increase with exercise."
(Peter Blegvad)

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

Message-ID: <60EB7ACAF365D21192E400105A36E7B812F1C9@nt-mail2.sdl.co.uk>
From: Noriko Sadatsune <NSadatsune@sdlintl.com>
Subject: Holly up on Poppy
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 13:21:13 -0000

Dear Chalkers,

I wonder if someone is still working on New Years Eve...apart
from me.

I bought an Action Man for my 5 year old nephew's Christmas.
When I gave that to him, he seemed very happy. Suddenly, I
just imagined how was Andy's daughter Holly pleased when she
saw a rocking horse on her 4th birthday long time ago. She named
it poppy.

Have a great new year to you all !

Noriko

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

Message-ID: <368BB3EF.434B@schoollink.net>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 09:27:11 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: re: 1998 in the Valley of the Chalkhills...

re: one particular verse to the very
artistic Jason Hauser's ode to Chalkhills
in #5-50...

> The machine's soft brain had a yellow belly stain,
> seeing weepy dreams of a burning Bob Crain,
> Oleson and Phipps drowning in champagne,
> Dom and Harrison ground into Chow Mein.

Going under the assumption that the Phipps
you're referring to is in fact ME, I'd like
to thank you for incorporating my last name
within your ode to the 'Hill!!  :-)  I'm
flattered... (although I no longer drink al-
cohol.)

But then again, could you also be referring
to Pete Phipps, XTC's drummer on the "Mummer"
album?  Hmmm...

Thanks anyway --

I've said it before and I'll say it again:
There are some damned cool people on this
mailing list!!!  :-)

Happy New Year, all!

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

"Imagination like a muscle will
 increase with exercise."
(Peter Blegvad)

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

Message-ID: <19981231133418.3241.rocketmail@send103.yahoomail.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 05:34:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Jon Rosenberger <wile1coyote@yahoo.com>
Subject: Andy can cover for Dave???

In Chalktalk # 50 Harry Said
"I have to say, though, this set will make me miss David Gregory's
contribution to the group's sound."

I agree I miss him already and I can't believe they are going to do a
guitar album without him. I believe most of the tracks he had
contributed to prior to leaving are on AV1. Is this correct? I have
refused to obtain the demo's. I am waiting for the finished version.

Harry then Said
"I'm sure Andy can handle all the guitar
bits, but there was definitely a Ying to Andy's Yang that David
poscessed.
In a much better way than Barry Andrews, (IMO)."

I gotta disagree with you here. Dave is a much more proficient and
talented guitarist than Andy and has a much wider guitar background
from which to draw ideas. The guy reconstructs clasic rock tunes for
fun. Pretty accuratly from what I have been told. Andy has immense
talent but he spreads it over a wider area. He has chosen to pursue
songwriting perfection while Dave has chosen to pursue supreme guitar
muscianship.

The departure of Dave will dimish the guitar aspect of XTC.

Andy can't cut Dave's cheese (This is my obligatory Big Inflamatory
remark designed to draw all Andy lovers into this debate).

Which brings an interesting idea to the forefront. Will XTC employ
session guitarists on AV2?  Who would they get? Post your Ideas.

IMNSVH,UOCM,O
(In My Not So Very Humble, Unlike Other Chalkhills Members, Opinion)
Jon Rosenberger

PS: I heard they are Colin is thinking about using Phil Collins as a
drummer on AV2 because of the firm recommendations of Chalkhills. Nice
going guys!

Just kidding about the PC thing ;-D

Have an XTCellent New Year!

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

Message-ID: <368BB786.3AD5@schoollink.net>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 09:42:30 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: re: Brand X (again)...

Hey all! --

re: Todd Bernhardt's reply to my amazement of
someone on the Hill actually mentioning Brand X --

> You bet -- the playing of all personnel is good,
> but Percy Jones especially is a muthafucka on
> bass. And yeah, it was probably Phil's phinest
> hour.

I agree, man!  Percy was (and still is) THE MAN
when it comes to the fretless bass!!  But, TBH,
Phil's just gotten downright lazy on drums lately
and evidently feels that regular 4/4 time signatures
are sufficient enough now to pay the bills, you
know?  Hmmm...sad.  But he was unmatched during
the Brand X years, that's for sure!

> Plus, you've got to respect any band that Michael
> Palin would like enough to write liner notes for.

True, true.  Or also the fact that the actual members
of the band themselves enjoyed watching "Fawlty Towers,"
the British comedy created by John Cleese of Monty
Python.  (Not too shabby, IMHO.)

>> Alan Holdsworth is pretty worthy of holding a
>> guitar, as well.  His work with the first "edition"
>> of the supergroup UK (Eddie Jobson, Bill Bruford,
>> and John Wetton) was awesome, too!!  Good show!!

> Check out Bruford's first two solo albums ("Feels
> Good to Me" -- co-produced by Brand X's Robin
> Lumley -- or "One of a Kind") for even better
> examples of Holdworth's playing. Or find "Believe
> It" or "Million Dollar Legs" by Tony Williams' New
> Lifetime. Beware of Holdsworth's solo stuff, though
> -- he's a better player than writer, IMO.

Yep, I'm fully aware of Bruford's solo stuff (being a
YES fan and all), esp. FGTM and OOAK.  OOAK is the
better (and best) of the two, but that's my $0.02.
Holdsworth's playing on "...Kind" though is superb!!
So, yeah, I agree.  He's the master within his genre.

I also agree that Holdsworth's solo stuff does
indeed leave a bit to be desired.  I've had his
"Sand" album on cassette for what seems like ages
and have yet to hear it all the way through.  )Am
I missing something or what?)  He's much better
with people like Bruford and UK back then.  Hmmm...

Sorry 'bout the non-XTC content this time out, ya'll.
But hey!  That can be changed right now:

XTC RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (sounds almost "teenaged"
coming from a 41-year-old fan, eh?)

Thanks Todd, and here's to the hopeful release of
AV1 in '99!  (fingers crossed)

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

"Imagination like a muscle will
 increase with exercise."
(Peter Blegvad)

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

Message-Id: <199812311641.LAA23423@fs.IConNet.NET>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 11:41:38 -0500
Subject: I'm OK You're OK
From: "John Irvine" <jirvine@bellatlantic.net>

Sebastien Maury wrote:
>After John Irvine posted a few weeks ago
that he was "burned by OK Computer", I was so shocked I got it out and wrote
down all the things I liked about each song.  There was much writing. It
ranked as one of my favourite albums of last year if not the last 5. But
there you go. Flawed admittedly, but I feel partly because it aimed so
high. Actually, I'd be interested to hear which song it was that you liked<

I too was mightily impressed with every song on OK computer, but didn't
actually like any of them except Karma Police: love the Lennon in an Ono
band mood thing.  The rest of the album had too much of a Wall-era Pink
Floyd vibe going on - I wanted to send the band a Hallmark card: "Cheer up
lads, it's not so bad. Turn your frowns upside down".  I sat down and
listened to the disc a dozen times and really actively tried, I WANTED to
like it, I really did (very similar to my O&L experience), but there is
something to songwriting that is more than the sum of it's very impressive
parts that either clicks or it doesn't.  OK Computer just did not click fer
me.

Clicking up a storm for me, however, is TransBlast:  I have fallen in love
with D&W all over again:  Difficulty, Ten Feet, Roads, and the unbeleivably
good Scissor Man.  This very generous helping only makes me want more.  Who
has further live D&W and Black Sea material they would be willing to send my
way?  Name yer price for CDR's.  I need em.  I also rediscovered what a
wonderful tune You're the Wish is:  Love the way the bizarro-jazz verse
elides into the singalong pop chorus:  neat trick Andy.

The only drawback to the box set is those damn skip-button-special O&L
songs.  Sorry to beat a dead lemon, but it's got nothing to do with the
production: the sum of the parts just don't add up fer me, but everyone has
their own personal calculator.

John Irvine
"Some folk'll never beat a dead horse,
then agin some folk'll,
like Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokell"

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

Message-Id: <TFSRESTQ@paraengr.com>
From: David J Arnold <darnold@paraengr.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 11:38:43 -0600
Subject: Andy to be on Spin Online

According to the February 1999 issue of Spin, an interview with Andy will be
posted on Spin Online (part of AOL) on January 22.

- David in Houston

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Message-Id: <199812311925.UAA13166@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 20:33:13 +0000
Subject: Ring Out The Old

Dear Chalkers,

It's that time of year again when we want to look back and...
OH DO SHUT UP, ENOUGH ALREADY!

> I thought I had read somewhere (Paul's Andy Interview?) that
> there weren't going to be any singles. What is the scoop?
You're right, Andy did talk about this with Paul C....

There won't be any singles whatsoever UNLESS there is an overwhelming
response from radio stations for one particular song of the album;
more or less forcing the band & company to release a single.
It costs a lot of money to release, distribute and promote a single
and that money is probably better spend on Volume Two.
BTW: I guess this also means no more XTC vinyl (arrrrrrghghg!!!!)

So we know what we have to do, right?
As soon as the album hits the streets we have to start harrassing our
local radio stations and demand they play that song. Only trouble is:
how are _we_ going to agree on a song? or anything else for that
matter... ;)

yours in xtc,

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

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

Message-ID: <19981231193531.15831.rocketmail@send102.yahoomail.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 11:35:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Jon Rosenberger <wile1coyote@yahoo.com>
Subject: I just ordered AV1!!!

Let me be the first to announce that I just reserved a copy of AV1. A
record store that I deal with in the UK just listed it as available
Mid-February and they are taking reservations.

The Long Long Wait is almost over.

Thank the Lord (Wait a minute if Andy doesn't believe in the Gman then
who do I thank?)

Also does anyone else find it humourous that the band that did "Thanks
for Christmas" also did "Dear God".

No? OK Probably just me then.

A Very Very Happy New Year Indeed.

Jon Rosenberger

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

Message-ID: <368C6247.3F52@schoollink.net>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 21:51:03 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: Feeling Ecstacy in '99...

To all on the Hill:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Here's to some new music from
"The Swindon Two!!!"

(fingers crossed)

Peace --

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

"Imagination like a muscle will
 increase with exercise."
(Peter Blegvad)

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

Message-ID: <368CA158.78062F12@dlr.de>
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 11:20:08 +0100
From: "paul hosken" <paul.hosken@dlr.de>
Subject: Apple Venus already out in Japan????

Hi,

  First of all let me wish everyone here on the list a very happy
New Year.

  I've just seen this in the latest email update from Esprit:

> XTC Apple Venus (Ltd Edn Japanese CD album includes extra bonus
>    track[s] comes in a lavish shaped CD package with p/s due mid Feb!)
>    UK 23.99 / $ 39.00

'bonus tracks' - hmmmm - I hope they issue these as extra tracks on
singles.

Paul

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

Message-ID: <ACrI+BAKfpi2EwBc@demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 21:14:50 +0000
From: Jon Holden-Dye <jon@jhd-designs.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Getting the hang of this now.

In article <3684FDE6.3702FE80@which.net>, B Blanchard
<b.blanchard@which.net> writes
>But I piggin' HATE JAZZ.

Mmmmmmmmmm. Nice.
--
Jon Holden-Dye
"I like to keep an open mind - but
not so open my brain falls out." (Anon.)

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

Message-ID: <009601be3590$0956d180$635791d2@johnboud>
From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp>
Subject: A few Jazz recommendations
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 12:41:01 +0900

 XTC fans seeking some " jazz " ought to pick up the following :

MILES DAVIS : KIND OF BLUE -- Group improvisation at its finest w/ John
Coltrane and Bill Evans on board .

WEATHER REPORT : MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER -- In my opinion Joe Zawinul and Wayne
Shorter's best .

SUN RA : ANGELS & DEMONS / NUBIANS --  Two on one disc of vintage Ra from
1956-60 period .  Next stop Jupiter ...

PAUL DESMOND : FEELIN' BLUE -- Dave Brubeck Quartet's star soloist in superb
form .

JOHN SCOFIELD : A GO GO -- Backed by Medeski , Martin and Wood . Cooks .

WAYNE HORVITZ : MIRACLE MILE -- Keyboardist Horvitz explores the boundaries
of jazz/fusion/avant garde/rock  .  Bill Frisell on guitar .

LOUNGE LIZARDS : VOICE OF CHUNK -- John Lurie and Co. recorded in 1989 .

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End of Chalkhills Digest #5-51
******************************

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2 January 1999 / Feedback