Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 57
Date: Tuesday, 12 January 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 57
Tuesday, 12 January 1999
Today's Topics:
chalkhillz grammar
UCB (no XTC)
XT?
Re: Duncan Kimball's post
Re: To buy or not to buy that is the question
miscellaneous bile
Well now, its been a while.
Re: Subject: Pleazzz, give us a break!
Publicity
Re: Italian Book
Re: What's the Story, Morning Glory?
XTC Mouse Pads
Cotton Wool
FFB's best of 98
Re: Transistor Blast
Thanks for the kind words
JAPANESE AV LTD.ED.
A conversation w/Dave
Just about all I can take...!
Melt the vinyl
Just a little curious.
Re: Issues from the tissues
Christmas is over
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Adamette1@aol.com Message-ID: <2516679f.369a81c4@aol.com> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 17:57:08 EST Subject: chalkhillz grammar >Okay, David, let me put it to you straight: Do you not see that your style >of writing is so damn annoying to the majority of people reading it that you >could be writing the Great American Novel chapter by chapter in your posts >and no one would care because they couldn't bear to read on? Trust me -- it >may not be obvious to you, as I can only imagine that you think you're being >incredibly clever, but your posts are the best reasons to exercise the "Page >Down" option that I've seen in Chalkhills since the last round of the "Dear >God" debate! --Dave Gershman I second that emotion Patrick Go Go2
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 16:04:25 -0800 (PST) From: "J. Brown" <ringostr@u.washington.edu> Subject: UCB (no XTC) Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.05.9901111600110.32552-100000@dante42.u.washington.edu> Todd wrote: > Is it just me, or is the Upright Citizens Brigade (Wed. night at 10:30 > E/PST on Comedy Central) the funniest, most insidious sketch-comedy > show since SCTV? You are not alone Todd. I'd so far as to say i now look forward to Wednesdays for this show and not it's comparitvely pedistrian lead in South Park. Simply funniest show i've ever seen. The 'Little Donny' episode is a classic. Jason, currently contemplating getting my own "ass pennies" n.p. Rockpile- Seconds of pleasure
------------------------------ From: Aaron Pastula <apastula@pepperdine.edu> Message-Id: <199901120005.QAA04887@pepvax.pepperdine.edu> Subject: XT? Date: Mon, 11 Jan 99 16:05:25 PST > But if I cite a few examples of "splits": Elvis Costello w/o the > Attractions, Springsteen w/o E Street Band, Tom Petty w/o The Heartbreakers, > Mark Knopfler w/o Dire Straits, REM w/o Bill Berry, Robert Wilkinson w/o The > Flamin' Oh's... (Music that I never liked as much after the split, though > REM might be a bad example as they started to suck long before Berry > retired.) ...and there was a little band in the late 70's - early 80's that split with their keyboard player over creative differences. But the group that formed out of that breakup became the greatest band of all time... Yes, Dave Gregory is an integral part of the XTC sound. But he left - end of story. That sucks, but it could be the start of an amazing new time in their musical development that we could never have imagined with Dave on board. XTC is a band that has endured ENORMOUS, sometimes SEEMINGLY UNENDING HARDSHIP to get their music made - and the music has always survived. Call it whatever you want, but I firmly believe that in some way the glass is always half full for XTC. Personally, I can't wait to hear what comes next. A.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36996023.3F3FFD56@fastlink.com.au> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 13:21:26 +1100 From: "Joseph J. Ierano" <chierano@fastlink.com.au> Organization: chiropractic ierano Subject: Re: Duncan Kimball's post Re: Duncan Kimball's long essay of opinion Enjoyed it very much...lots of food for thought...but... He said Sinatra sucks and Molly Meldrum is a "hero"? Well that just about sums it up for people's opinions! (If you knew Molly Meldrum, you'd know what this comment means. joe
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 16:21:53 -0800 (PST) From: "J. Brown" <ringostr@u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: To buy or not to buy that is the question Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.05.9901111609530.32552-100000@dante42.u.washington.edu> Molly Fanton" <mollyfa@hotmail.com> wrote > Some of you disappoint me. I mean you would rather buy a Japanese > import than the US version. I think most Japanese imports are too > expensive. I know yeah they would have extra tracks, but I can't afford > Japanese imports. Man, you people just don't get it. Huh, Well i guess it's too bad that some of us disappoint you Molly. What don't we get? that for $30 some one might get one more song than they could for $16? I probably wouldn't do that but who the hell cares if others do! Do i care if somebody goes and buys all their clothes at Abercrombie and Finch while i by very similar clothes at Eddie Bauer for half the price? No thats there money to blow! Let people spend there money how they want. i mean really there may be some people out there that want to buy every version of Apple venus (US, UK, Japan, Australia etc.) even though they maybe exactly te same except for a different logo. More power to them and their large ammonts of disposable income. And in any case it's likely that there is no actual bonus track. the Japanese pressings of both Elvis Costello's and Frank blacks most recent albums were advertised as having bonus tracks but when they acutally appeared on the shelves no bonus track. And molly if it really bugs you that you can't afford the Japnese pressing i'm sure you can scrape up an extra 15 bucks if you really want to. i know that's what'll do if Apple Venus has some bonus track that i just can't find elsewhere. jason
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990112003632.17290.rocketmail@send103.yahoomail.com> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 16:36:32 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Langr <jlangr@yahoo.com> Subject: miscellaneous bile > But if I cite a few examples of "splits": Elvis Costello w/o the > Attractions, Springsteen w/o E Street Band, Tom Petty w/o The Heartbreakers, Wham! without George Michaels, Milli Vanilli without Rob Pilatus... > I know yeah they would have extra tracks, but I can't afford > Japanese imports. Man, you people just don't get it. Get what? That we'd like to hear XTC tracks that others will get to? > I just acquired a copy (#27) and was wondering if it was an original. The original Jules Verne tape does have information printed on the cassette. > one thing that shines through their works to date is their humanity, > open-mindedness and, dare I say it, love for their fellow man. Not terribly > right-wing values, laden with cod-irony or otherwise. Ah, how sweet. Yes, all conservatives hate their fellow man and kill children. Very astute of you. > CAUTION: I feel as strongly about Elvis as Dom > does about Ozzy. That beer I was going to buy you, > Ken, might just end up on your head. We all love each other, don't we. This guy Elvis sounds OK, but if he provokes that sort of reaction, I don't know... > the big creative cheeses of that > hideous decade (XTC - natch - Smiths, Bunnymen, Jam, Clash, Dexys, Specials > etc etc) are being disgracefully overlooked. What, no Minutemen, Mission of Burma, Cramps, Husker Du, Butthole Surfers, etc etc? Not an American band in your list. The 80s had plenty of great music, not just the new wave bands that got the airplay (esp. in Britain -- we got very little of it here, except for the crap like Kajagoogoo). If you want to talk overlooked 80s, try Fingerprintz, the Fleshtones, Shriekback (that Barry Andrews guy), Martha & the Muffins, Hunters & Collectors. Try finding 80s CDs by any of these artists. -Jeff L.-
------------------------------ Message-Id: <4.1.19990111180426.01b1def0@worden.electric.net> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 18:43:11 -0800 From: David Hathaway <davidh@electric.net> Subject: Well now, its been a while. Well, its been a while since I have posted to the 'hills , so, I'll say "hi" once more and I have never stopped reading despite shaking my head over numerous arguments that have gone by in the last while... Transistor Blast Well, cool. Call me a sucker, I could not resist it when I saw it, I paid about 80 dollars Canadian for the privilege of being one of the first to have it here. And, I love it. I have yet to break my CD covers, thankfully, and I like the packaging. But, I do especially like the music...expensive, but a good buy even if I already had the Live At The BBC CD. Drummers I dunno, I like them all really. Other great Prairie Prince drumming can also be found on The Tubes "Completion Backwards Principle" and "Outside Looking In". Fine Tubes records, if you like the Tubes, and great drumming througout. And, in a similiar vein, I'd probably choose Skylarking as my favorite album of XTC drumming, and its odd, I have only recently developed a taste for most of that album. I also have a particular fondness for O&L though. Apple Venus I for one and damn glad I never succumbed to the aquiring of early demos. Its SOOO close and it will be a complete surprise for me when I slide it lovingly into my CD player for the first time. Personally, I'll buy a Canadian release, and if teh japanese one has a few extra tracks, well, heck, guess I'll just have to pick that up as well. Its not like this is some manner of new practice, japanese releases have long done this, so giving TVT a hard time about it helps nobody. ITS ALMOST HERE! and thats it for now, more ramblings later... |We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million |typewriters will eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare. |Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true. | http://www.monkey-boy.com |David Hathaway, CEO Of monkey-boy industries, davidh@monkey-boy.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.2.32.19990111230157.006b3288@mail.interlog.com> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 23:01:57 -0500 From: David Oh <davidoh@interlog.com> Subject: Re: Subject: Pleazzz, give us a break! you wrote: >From: Dave Gershman <dagersh@pobox.com> >Subject: Pleazzz, give us a break! > >>From: David Oh <davidoh@interlog.com> >>Subject: defending dave, praizing colin & 'tb' thoughtz > >Okay, David, let me put it to you straight: Do you not see that your style >of writing is so damn annoying... no, i don't see, me specz r all smudged... >you could be writing the Great American Novel chapter by chapter considering i'm not even an amerikan, me writing 'a novel' chapter by chapter would b quite difficult, what with me using only crayonz, & all... >it may not be obvious to you, nothing iz obvious 2 me, never haz been, never will b... >I can only imagine that you think you're being incredibly clever clever? moi? it wood take brainz 2 do that, anyway... (& anyway...) >your posts are the best reasons to exercise the "Page Down" option since >the last round of the "Dear God" debate! exercize away, i use that key 2 sumtimez. actually, quite a lot... sorry i missed the 'dear god' d'bait, i wooda luv'd 2 have annoyed people on that subject... ;-D btw, dave, byte me! davidoh
------------------------------ From: "Benjamin A. Gott" <bgott@Bowdoin.EDU> Message-Id: <199901120408.AA06770@polar.bowdoin.edu> Subject: Publicity Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 23:08:49 -0500 (EST) Chalkhillers, Because I'm e-mailing from a Telnet application, I can't reference the last Digest. However, someone commented that XTC should be featured on a VH-1 "Behind the Music" show. If that doesn't work, how about on... - VH-1's "Storytellers" series - A&E's "Biography" or "Live by Request" seriae (or whatever the plural of "series" is) - PBS's "Sessions at West 54th Street" (is that what it's called?) with a bluescreened audience - Jack Magee's Pub, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine - Ben Gott's house, Salisbury, Connecticut Did anyone see Elvis and Burt's performance on the otherwise crappy "American Music Awards"? They performed "Toledo," and it was wonderful. Everytime I hear "Painted from Memory," I like it more. Even my 64 year-old dad likes it, for goodness sakes! Can you feel the love tonight? -Ben
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 20:32:33 -0800 (PST) From: relph (John Relph) Message-Id: <9901112032.ZM33974@mando.engr.sgi.com> Subject: Re: Italian Book B Blanchard <b.blanchard@which.net> asked: > >I've just remembered something. Years ago I was in HMV in Oxford >Street London, and I remember seeing an Italian book on XTC, all >in Italian, except for the fact that it had the words i English >to every XTC song ever written (up to that time, and I can't >remember when it was, except years ago!) The book is "XTC: Testi con traduzione a fronte", ISBN 88-85859-87-G, distributed by Materiali Sonori Exports, Valdarno, San Giovanni, Italy, 1992. I don't know if it is possible to purchase this book new, as it is probably out of print. (I did a web search and turned up no matches.) But that's the book you want. -- John
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 20:39:36 -0800 (PST) From: relph (John Relph) Message-Id: <9901112039.ZM34109@mando.engr.sgi.com> Subject: Re: What's the Story, Morning Glory? David Friel <davidjf@sirius.com> wants the bird's eye lowdown, whatever that means: > >I've been AWOL from Chalkhills for many months. Would someone please bring >me up to speed on the current status of the lads' forthcoming album??? It's recorded, mixed, mastered, and if reports are correct, pre-release promotional copies are circulating. It should be available in the USA on February 16, possibly available earlier in the UK. It will be called "Apple Venus Vol. 1", if reports are to be believed. Check the XTC discography for more information. >Judging from the most recent version of Chalkhills I read, it sounds as if >their plan to create their own label didn't come to fruition. XTC created a company, Idea Records, which licenses XTC product to manufactors/distributors in various countries. To TVT Records USA, Cooking Vinyl UK, and perhaps Pony Canyon Japan, among others. >Are there really going to be more tracks on the Japanese version of >the album? If so, are there any online outlets where this version >might be purchased when the album's released? Try http://www.sirencd.com/. No listing yet. > Please >fill me in on these questions and any other answers to the universe I may >have missed. Many thanks. Don't miss the San Francisco Bay Area XTC Gathering on January 27! (http://reality.sgi.com/chalkhills/gathering.html for more info.) >- Dave in San Francisco -- John in San Francisco
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990112004633.00862370@pophost.micron.net> Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 00:46:33 -0700 From: Phil Corless <philco@micron.net> Subject: XTC Mouse Pads Would you be interested in an XTC - Uffington Horse mouse pad? For around $8? Please let me know. If there is enough interest, I'll be printing up a batch with the help of another list member. These pads would be the highest quality fabric surface. philco@micron.net
------------------------------ Message-ID: <01BE3E0E.3CBB1370@e2c2p3.scotland.net> From: Robert Wood <wobbit@bigfoot.com> Subject: Cotton Wool Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 09:29:30 -0000 Dear Mr Chalkhill, Further to Mr Kimball's cry for help in 5-55: Don't worry, Dunc, mate, in the developed part of the world, we have this thing called digital audio and one day maybe you'll get these little silver beasts in your desert wastelands. Then if you take out the cotton wool mummy out in your dirty ears years ago, you'll wish you could go back to vinyl. Your Helpful ol' Audio Doctor, Robert.
------------------------------
Message-Id: <9901129161.AA916139650@ccmgate.carat.fr>
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 99 12:03:03 +0100
From: fsolans@carat.fr (SOLANS, Frederic)
Subject: FFB's best of 98
Hi all, and happy new year from France
Don't want to list all CD bouhgt or listened in 98, most of them have
been mentioned at least one time here. Not an iluminated year in
musical area, IMHO, and very few album will continue to turn in my CD
player this year. Here they are :
- "El oso" Soul Coughing (nobody has answered to my Yuval Gabay
mentions, but this album was present in numerous Tops...
it reasures me !!!!)
- "Sketches..." Jeff Buckley
- "There's something going on" Babybird
- "best of" Dodgy
- "When I was born..." Cornershop (but 97)
...and always "The Bends" and "OK Computer" Radiohead (always more the
first than the second, and both for ever).
Honorable mention : Beck, E. Smith, Belle & Seb, Kid Loco
Propellerheads, Tanya Donelly, Tortoise (you HAVE TO see them on
stage...they show how to play machines lines with human means !!
sterile, but fun)
3 not found in my country but very expected : Neil Finn, Jason
Faulkner, David Yazbek.
3 never mentioned here, but honorable IMO :
- "Prolonging the magic" Cake
- Black Box Recorder (Luke Haines, ex The Auteurs & Baader Meinhoff)
- "Reinventing ponctuation" Salako (very good !)
2 good froggies :
- "Clandestino" Manu Chao (leader of ex-Mano Negra, with funny South
American and salsa touch now)
- "Essence ordinaire" Zebda (hip-hop-funk-raggamuffin-etc band from
Toulouse, permanently in fight agaisnt french facists, with colorful
lyrics)
2 new releases from legends (genius ?) of music, not the best of their
career but very notable :
- "More Time" Linton Kwesi Johnson
- "Luzia" Paco de Lucia (the ONLY god of guitar playing)
2 "hors categorie" :
- TB (of course !!!)
- Gekko (french band, not signed yet)
Hopes for 1999 : AV1&2 (of course too !!), Gekko signature, Kim Fahy
(The Mabuses) Lee Mavers (The La's) and DC Basehead come back (I can
dream, no ?), a new Radiohead, a big issue for my friend Philippe
Bihan's book (about our lads, of course again !) happiness and love
for everybody.
hasta pronto
Fredo Fat Bassman
PS : about the jazz debate, I'm not a specialist, but one of the best
(and close to XTC on the dissonance front) is the french gipsy
guitarist Django Reinhart.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 06:20:15 -0500 From: Cooking Vinyl <Cooking_Vinyl@compuserve.com> Subject: Re: Transistor Blast Message-ID: <199901120620_MC2-6656-964@compuserve.com> >Now my question is: are all the "american" box sets made in the UK ?< yes
------------------------------ Message-ID: <369B52FE.F170442C@post.bsnet.com.br> Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 11:49:51 -0200 From: "Alexandre de Alcbntara Ferraz" <alexandre.ferraz@lead.bsnet.com.br> Subject: Thanks for the kind words Hi Everybody I would like to thank you all for the kind welcome. I would also like to thank Mike Keneally for letting me know of XTC and playing some beautiful music ! I am very interested in getting XTC videos. Are they available anywhere? Are there officially released videos ? I will be very glad with your help. Thanks. Rogerio Brazil
------------------------------ Message-ID: <001501be3e35$7b7b0080$695791d2@johnboud> From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: JAPANESE AV LTD.ED. Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 22:02:16 +0900 I got so many requests for this that I called and ordered 10 more copies. Figure $ 40 including AIR MAIL postage. All orders will be packed with care. John in Japan
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990112141258.27713.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Amanda Owens" <daveizgod@hotmail.com> Subject: A conversation w/Dave Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 06:12:58 PST Talked to Dave again a few nights ago, and he said that yes indeed, the Transistor Blast version of This World Over is the same one from The Big Express. He's not exactly sure what happened, but he thinks it might have something to do with their recorded track being lost. He also has heard Apple Venus, and said as much as he wanted to hate the album he couldn't. And he said who knows, amybe by the time the second record comes out he'll have finished ONE song of his own! And our dear Ms. Belinda Blanchard, I even mentioned you had joined the list. Dave says "Hello, how are you!" Thought I'd pass that on to you. Tis all for now, Amanda C. Owens "People will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with welcome written on it."-Andy Partridge XTC song of the day-Red Brick Dream non XTC song-Blue Jay Way-The Beatles
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s69b18f5.009@snm.org> Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 09:41:46 -0500 From: Marie Davis <MDAVIS@snm.org> Subject: Just about all I can take...! First off, I'm a year-long subscriber, first-time poster. I'm not the type to do this, but I've had it up to my eyeballs and must say something. I got on this list to learn about what the band are up to. Since I've been subscribing, I've gotten about 5% actual interesting band info, and about 95% petty crap. I'm adding my name to the list of people who want a news-only XTC newsletter. Enough bickering and name-calling already!! This is not enjoyable to me. Please let's find a forum where we can simply catch up on NEWS about the band. It's gotten to the point where I see Chalkhills come up on my e-mail and I absolutely dread it because I know I've got to scroll through a ton of garbage to maybe find that one morsel of interesting information. And while I'm at it, STOP PICKING ON DAVIDOH. Chris W. writes: >PS message to David Oh: Dude please find the "s" key and stop using the "z" key. The content of your post sounds intelligent, but with the bad punctuation and grammar, you come across like a 15-yr-old hacker. Just a thought. and David R. writes: >(PPS. David Oh, I see you've used up your quota of the letter Z for '99.) and Dave G. writes: >Okay, David, let me put it to you straight: Do you not see that your style of writing is so damn annoying to the majority of people reading it that you could be writing the Great American Novel chapter by chapter in your posts and no one would care because they couldn't bear to read on? Trust me -- it may not be obvious to you, as I can only imagine that you think you're being incredibly clever, but your posts are the best reasons to exercise the "Page Down" option that I've seen in Chalkhills since the last round of the "Dear God" debate! and Jon R. writes: >I agree! David O. Find the shift key, and spell them out. This isn't first grade. In case you didn't read several digests ago, Davidoh is missing several digits and is thus hindered from typing in the manner that you all would like him to, so give it a rest already! If we were in English class here, I could go through any given Chalkhills with my red pen and most of you would get about a C+, but here's some news for you--WE'RE NOT IN ENGLISH CLASS. Could we all perhaps find a little more kindness and acceptance and bring that to Chalkhills instead of all the negativity and vitriol? I've said my peace now; carry on.
------------------------------ From: Jeff.Stoffel@outokumpu.com Message-Id: <C22566F7.0055C6BB.00@espox006.okno.outokumpu.com> Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 09:36:09 -0600 Subject: Melt the vinyl I agree that there is nothing quite like the sound of analog. But I have discovered a designer/manufacturer who has almost entirely bridged the gap between vinyl and CD sound quality. He is Yves-Bernard Andre and his equipment bears the brand name YBA. His CD players utilize something called a blue laser. I can't explain how it works, but it has caused even the stodgiest of high-end vinyl proponents to admit that in many blind tests, they can't tell whether they're hearing a record or a CD. And it caused me to liquidate a retirement account in order to purchase one of his systems. Once in a while, I miss the sound of analog. I do not miss endless searches for my favorite music on vinyl. And I don't miss my retirement account at all. But most importantly, my CD's now render the closest sound to a live performance I have ever heard. I don't know how difficult it may be to find YBA products throughout the world. If anyone wants help, I could probably find out from the dealer here in Chicago. Thanks, Jeff
------------------------------ Message-ID: <EB3FE924F73DD11187E400805FEA8E81010A6770@bcbcmail.bcbc.bc.ca> From: "Macdonald, Robert " <RMacdonald@bcbc.bc.ca> Subject: Just a little curious. Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 09:26:35 -0800 I've just been reading all these posts about the Japanese release of Apple Venus and it makes me curious and maybe a little furious. Are people out there really planning to buy Japanese pressings in order to getting a couple of bonus tracks (probably demo's) rather than buying the domestic release when it is available knowing full well that if enough of us buy the local release there will be some chance of the band making it onto the all important sales charts (Billboard or whatever your local charts are). What happened to all the talk about how we can help the band? Pathetic! Rob.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990112054634.24926.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Issues from the tissues Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 21:46:32 PST Steve wrote: >I liken XTC to a three-person >corporation consisting of the Entrepreneur, the Engineer, and the >Administrative Assistant. Take away any of the three and you don't >do business. Each performs a different, but vital function. No offence Steve, but something tells me Andy and Colin would probably REALLY hate that comparison. I do wonder how the new record will sound, but I'm not into second-guessing Mr Partridge. As far as I'm concerned he could sing the phone book and I'd probably buy it. (Actually didn't Lou Reed try something like that once?) I don't think Vol. I will be much of a departure, since I'm assuming there'll be bits of Dave all over it (and Vol. II). But as for how the band will sound in the future? Well, future recordings may not have all the nice spangly jangly bits we have come to know and love from dear old Squinty Two Strats, but Partsy isn't exactly unskilled, he's had plenty of time down the shed practicing ... and I personally really love with his angular guitar style. I'm sure there will be no shortage of queue-members outside the studio when Andy and Colin call for help on forthcoming albums. Given their association with Mike Keneally, I'm sure (and fervently hope) that we can expect to see him in the credits sometime soon. God knows, in a perfect world he might even "join" the "band"?! >I hope I'm proven a fool for doubting Andy and Colin, >yet I can't help but wonder if ego(s) have ruined a good thing. >It might just be a different sound in the future. Yes, you will be; no; and yes, in that order >But if I cite a few examples of "splits": >Elvis Costello w/o the Attractions With or without them, Elvis is the man. Have you not heard the new album yet??? There is a certain 'frisson' associated with those earlier recordings, but I for one do not subscribe to the notion that members/leaders of groups who go solo never better their group work. Peter Gabriel is perfect evidence for my case. (And how I would love to see him collaborate with Andy and Colin some time!) >Springsteen w/o E Street Band I don't want to comment, not being a huge Bruce fan, but still respecting the guy - but I'm sure the E-street band's bank managers would agree with you. >Tom Petty w/o The Heartbreakers hmmm, there *was* a definite magic there, and I'm almost inclined to agree ... but TP is one dude I wouldn't wanna cross >Mark Knopfler w/o Dire Straits Pass the airsick bag. With or without any of his flaccid "group" this man is the epitome of boring middle-class white music, and is surpassed in his prissy milksop tepid whiteness by the King of White Guitar Music, Mr Brian May. I suggest that Knopfler be killed and his skin be tanned and used to line Buddy Guy's guitar case. That would be the closest Knopfler could ever hope to get to black music. >REM w/o Bill Berry Ah, good riddance. Pity they didn't ALL leave. God almighty, when are people going to realise that REM are the most ORDINARY band in the world? Anyway, Berry was only the drummer for god's sake ... and he's certainly no Terry Chambers ... >REM might be a bad example as they started to suck long before Berry >retired.) Oh, good call! What? you mean there was a time when they *didn't* suck?? Christ, the only way this band could get any duller is if Tony Bennett joined. Oh, and Stipey, if yo're reading this - for crissakes lose tha bloody eye makeup OK? It's not "rock" - it's STUPID and you look like a dick! ------- Constantine Pappas <locp@clark.net> wrote >re: Elvis and Burt > >I saw Elvis and Burt play live (they said it was only their 2nd live >show ever) here in Washington DC. I was shocked at how empty >Constitution Hall was. I'd say the auditorium was only 1/2 to 2/3 >full. Half of the people that did show, came late and had the nerve >to talk and move around while Elvis was singing. They eventually did >settle down, but I was just furious. It was a great concert and I >must say that before hearing the songs live, they really hadn't >'clicked' for me. But that VOICE. For those of you that do have the >Painted From Memory album, but haven't had the privlege of hearing it >performed live, listen to 'Tears At The Birthday Party'. Hearing him >hit the high note of that song live was one of the most amazing >musical experiences of my life. Con - delighted that you had such a great experience at the concert, and dead envious that you actually got to see it, (although I consoel myself with the knowledge that one of the shows has been video-ed, and that Elvis will be here in a few short weeks!) but I almost wept with anger at the thought of empty seats and - sacrilege! - people talking and moving about during the show?? There would have been some black eyes and loose teeth if I had been there. I REALLY hate that. >However, my favorite jazz CD (if you can call it jazz...it's more >swing or easy listening/pop) is also on the Verve label. It's >Blossom Dearie - Jazz Masters 51. Any other Blossom Dearie fans out >there? Yeah, Blossom is the coolest - I really like that song she does called "Bruce" - very droll! ------- >My name is Rogerio. I'm 24 and live in Brazil. I have recently been >into XTC music as I was surfing through the Mike Keneally website. >I became very curious to listen to that band that Mike was talking about Welcome Rogiero!! Just agree with everything I say and we'll get on fine! OK? ------- David Friel <davidjf@sirius.com>: >Subject: What's the story? > >I've been AWOL from Chalkhills for many months. [snip] >Please fill me in on these questions and any other answers to the >universe I may have missed. Many thanks. OK here it is in a nutshell: - Apple Venus Vol. I is due sometime this century ... maybe - Dave's left the group, but he'll be on the album - there WILL be life after Dave - Phil Collins is a wanker That's about it really. Life's so simple when you know how to approach it, eh? ------- Dave Gershman <dagersh@pobox.com>: >Subject: Pleazzz, give us a break! Dave - thanks! It needed to be said, and you said it well. Letz hope he getz the mezzage. For the time being Davidoh can wear the special new version of the Colonel C*** hat that I have made, featuring pictures of Phil Collins and Mark Knopfler. ------- Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com>: > >WARNING: Denigrating Elvis Presley --THE KING-- >especially on his birthday, will be hazardous to your >health! Do your worst Jill! I'm with Ken. Along with from REM and Sinatra, Elvis has to be the most overrated act in the history of music. OK - the Sun records gear was pretty cool, but none of them were his songs - he just knew how to sell 'em, and to his credit he did it pretty well for a while. But let's face it - he only succeeded because he was white and cute. Little Richard had ten times the talent Elvis had, but of course he wasn't a marketable colour, was he? Then the Big E got the hard word from Uncle Sam (and Uncle Tom), pulled his head in and took the easy way out. With the brief exception of the '68 special, it was downhill all the way to the doughnut shop. He got boring, got bloated, drugged himself into oblivion, and died the ignominious death he deserved for being such a fat old wanker. American Trilogy? ... blech ... retch ... heave ... where did I put that airsick bag?? ------- Ken Herbst <ken@bamadvertising.com>: >Subject: A little clarification about Andy's "stage fright"? > >While I've seen no reference to Andy experiencing symptoms like >these, everything I've read about his episodes points to extreme >fatigue rather than some kind of phobia. Well Ken, I think you're on the right track, but I would suggest that in terms of Andy's "stage fright", today's secret word is "Valium". If I recall correctly from my reading of Chalkhills, the onset of Andy's panic attacks/stagefright/whatever 'coincided' almost exactly with the suddenly cesssation of his years-long use of tranqillisers, prescribed to him during his teens, at the time of his parents' breakup. Amazingly, it seems it never occurred to him, or anyone else that he should stop taking them ... until ... you guessed it ... 1982! As someone who has witnessed the dramatic and drastic effects on a person withdrawing from long-term tranqilliser use, I can vouchsafe that it would, when exacerbated by the other factors Ken mentions, be sufficient to send any and all of you running naked down the street with pies on your head, screaming the theme song from "Laverne and Shirley" until your lungs burst. They are not nice drugs, they are INCREDIBLY powerful, and they really F*** people up. Now wonder Andy went off the rails. Yet no-one at the time seemed to make that connection. (Reminds of the Beach Boys, in a way. I mean, didn't it occur to *anyone* to tell Brian that staying bed for six months was just a little bit *too* wierd? Evidently not.) Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Dunks has just left the building
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990112181525.28745.rocketmail@web4.rocketmail.com> Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 10:15:25 -0800 (PST) From: Jennifer Linnea Strom <jlinnea@rocketmail.com> Subject: Christmas is over You know Christmas is finally over when the breeze coming from the Somerville Department Of Public Works smells like pine trees. Just for argument's sake, here are my favorite albums of last year, in no particular order. If it seems to be lacking a few things like the Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach or Billy Bragg/Wilco albums, that is because I really haven't had a chance to hear them yet. I'm sure they are quite good and look forward to hearing them. XTC-Transistor Blast This one goes without saying. The Kinks-Muswell Hillbillies(re-issue) Quite possibly my favorite album of theirs at the moment. Bill Fox-Transit Byzantium This hardly left my CD player all summer, and when it did, it was so I could bring it to my friends' houses and play it for them. Sounds a lot like early Dylan and he has a remarkable ability for writing good melodies. Bill Fox-Shelter From The Smoke (re-issue) This one hardly left my CD player all autumn. Ray Davies-Storyteller I bought this on the day it came out, and a week later had the pleasure of seeing him play at the Old South Meeting House in downtown Boston. The Revelers-Hard Times, Sunday Spirits I have been told that they are much better live and that this doesn't do them justice, but it's still pretty good anyway. Tom Freund-North American Long Weekend Jazz organist Jimmy Smith plays on this and called it 'stinky folk'. I think that's supposed to be good. One of the main reasons this is a short list is because I spent most of the year building up my collection of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams (and there is only one Hank Williams worth mentioning), The Jam, Guided by Voices and Ella Fitzgerald. In fact it is probably safe to say that these are the only current releases I bought this year, but I do like all of them and would recommend them to anyone. Further commentary on Dave leaving XTC. As most of us, if not all of us, will agree, we will miss his contributions to the band, but we must all move on at some point and after reading the Raygun article, it doesn't seem too likely that he will be working with Andy and Colin again any time in the near future. I just hope that he continues to perform in some capacity as he is a remarkable talent and that this all works out for the best for all of them. I do have great faith in the abilities of Colin and Andy, and I am looking forward to Apple Venus, and take heart in the fact that Dave does appear on some of it. Hang ten for justice! --Jennifer === Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want. -- Clive Barnes
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-57 ******************************
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