Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 81
Date: Saturday, 6 February 1999

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 81

                Saturday, 6 February 1999

Today's Topics:

                       AV1 preview
                      Blur, TD, VH1
             Andy to appear on "World Cafe"!
       Shaun Cassidy's Producer Covered Tin Soldier
                    Those Pernice Bros
                   Golden XTC slumbers
                     Them Hillbillies
                  Apple Venus Promo CDs!
                     tower records...
      Re: The Spy Who Shagged Me/John Peel/AV title
            Please to pass by the Green Man...
                      Baxter Basics
                Hey Everyone! I've Got TB!
                    a serious question
                  APPLE VENUS VOLUME ONE
                        XTC on VH1
                      Boxed demos??
        The World Is Full Of Reactionary Young Men
                     Where To Start?
                   RE: Countdown to XTC
                     Re: Tin Soldier
                     River of Orchids
                       Re: Trousers
             I've only heard the demo, but...

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Say a sunflower I became.

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

Message-ID: <36B97488.1597@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 10:20:56 +0000
From: Joseph Ongie <jongie@earthlink.net>
Subject: AV1 preview

I'm proud to say that I'm one of the proud owners of an advance copy of
"Apple Venus volume 1" (A is for...).  A pal who's a manger of a local
record store came over a week ago and just handed the damn thing to me.  I
nearly fell over.  He said he knew what a XTC fanatic I am and thought I'd
enjoy it.  Duh!  Suffice to say I've been listening to it endlessly since
then, and it grows in magnitude each day.  At first I was disappointed with
Colin's offerings, but they've grown on me and now I can't "Fruit Nut" out
'o me head (...tending my fruit, tending my fruit...).  Andy's stuff runs
the gamut from the unmistakably XTC-ish (although unlike any XTC we've
heard before) "River of Orchids" to the sparce quietude of "Knights in
Shining Karma" and the bittersweet "I Can't Own Her".  Andy's wearing his
heart on his sleave like never before.  And the hooks are hear en masse -
"Green Man", "I'd Like That" etc.  The song they talk about the most in
"Song Stories" is "Easter Theatre" and although I wasn't getting it on the
first listen (scrunched as it is between two gems), I now see the errors of
my ways, and luv it.  I don't think there's anything on the record that
reaches the heights that "Rook" is perched upon, but not many songs can.
Finally(!), since they've left the "rockin'" stuff off for AV2 (I can't
wait!!!!), this is probably the most "of a piece" record they've ever done.
And don't worry, come late February, I'll be laying down my green for an
official copy (or 2) of AV1. 'cause we've got to support our boys over
seas.

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

Message-ID: <0325F31466C9D111A76D00A0C99DD2691BE7E3@MSXCHNY2>
From: "Amari, Richard" <RAmari@penguinputnam.com>
Subject: Blur, TD, VH1
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 13:31:11 -0500

Oy!

Some time ago, somebody here recommended Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish
album. Well, thank you! My big brother got it for me for Christmas and it
hasn't been out of my CD player for more than two days running. It reminds
me of the 1970's Buzzcocks -especially the vocals. Are these guys from
Manchester as well? Thanks for the recommendation, who ever you were! Any
other albums you could suggest?

Dominic Lawson said:

I heard Testimonial Dinner for
the first time recently (again, thanks Don!) and was pleasantly horrified by
the whole thing

I found it
all rather gruesome. Sterile, bland and dazzlingly unoriginal
interpretations of established classics, one and all.

Well, thank you, Dom! This album was, if I remember correctly, really played
up here at Chalkhills. It all sounded so good, that dispite my distaste to
pay the $18.00 for the few songs on the disc, I bought it. Dom, I gotta
agree with you. What a bore-fest. Did any of these bands actually rehearse
any of these songs? Or did they just show up at the studio with borrowed
guitars and say "How 'bout we do this one?" "Oh, OK. ...1-2-3 go" Sorry,
Yazbek, but it IS something of a snooze. But. . . Being the big fan of XTC
that I am, anyone could have told me it was the worst album to buy, and I'd
still get it. You figure it out.

Ok. Relax.

I saw our lads on Where Are They Now? the other night. Nothing new here, but
it was cool to see snippet's of their videos from the 80's as I've never
seen any of them before.  I have their  videos up to and including E.S.
Anybody know where I could get a hold of their stuff from Mummer to
present???

BTW: Hey, Andy. What's with the bald man's skull cap on VH1? Show the skin,
Boy! Be proud!

S'long.
Richard

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

Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 13:34:58 -0600
From: LAG2471@ACS.TAMU.EDU
Message-Id: <990204133458.204f5042@ACS.TAMU.EDU>
Subject: Andy to appear on "World Cafe"!

Well, my previous message is already obsolete.  See below:
________________________________________________________

Although we do not yet have a specific date set, you'll be glad to know
that we do have Andy Partridge tentatively scheduled to appear as a
guest
on the show sometime in the next few months.  It probably won't be until

sometime in March or April, but keep checking back with the schedule on
our website (http://www.worldcafe.org) for the most up-to-date
information.  Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for listening!

-jeff, wc staff
__________________________________________________________

I'll watch the schedule and then let you all know when he'll be airing on
the PRI radio network.

Whoopee!

Lore

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

Message-Id: <199902042048.PAA36348@pimout3-int.prodigy.net>
From: "Noble K. Thomas" <moonsilver@prodigy.net>
Subject: Shaun Cassidy's Producer Covered Tin Soldier
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 14:45:53 -0600

>> it was asked, is DG the only artist to cover the SMALL FACES' Tin
Soldier?

furthermore,

there was a reference to a rocking song by Shaun Cassidy <<

I suggest to you that the man who produced a rocking song by Shaun Cassidy
also covered Tin Soldier...

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

Message-ID: <2D26BA632106D21192E100805FA7059B0116B135@xch-rtn-17.ca.boeing.com>
From: "Rader, John M" <John.Rader@PSS.Boeing.com>
Subject: Those Pernice Bros
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 13:47:50 -0800

Seb posts in #5-78:

I received a CD from a Canadian site the other day which, had I heard it
before I posted my 98 Top 10 late last year, would have gone right to the
top of the small yet significant heap...Pernice Brothers disc Overcome by
Happiness. This mellow, summer tinged piece of aching loss and deception has
some of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard on it, and even the
flirtation with slightly up-tempo country-style numbers (2 songs) work to my
tastes (which tend not to respond well to twang with hats). Understated
orchestrations, and an almost early Teenage Fanclub feel in its mid-tempo
loll of guitar and strings make for a superlative 38 mins. For anyone who's
interested, they used to be the Scud Mountain Boys, and put out I think 3
albums under that name. Slightly more folk/country infused than this new
one. Smashing.

Although I beat Seb to the punch by listing them in my list posted in #5-72,
(Heavy gloating for first mention of this non-mainstream act) Seb does a
great job of summarizing what makes the disc great.  The sound quality
and production are also first rate (It's the kind of disc to take along when
stereo shopping).

As opposed to the Scud Mountain Boys discs, the backing band on this
disc is none other than the highly regarded (on the Hills) Lily's.

I just saw the AV cover art at The Little Lighthouse.  Thanks Mark.

John

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

Message-ID: <36B8CE0E.AAD595FF@xpress.es>
Date: Wed, 03 Feb 1999 23:30:39 +0100
From: Imanol Ugarte <ix8494@xpress.es>
Subject: Golden XTC slumbers

Hi Chalkers,

Just want to share my XTC dreaming experience with you all.
It had  happened to me  long time ago (1984) .By this time
I was terribly obsessed -more than now, young days !- by
records like "English Settlement" and Mummer", and I just
felt myself like anxiously needing  more XTC stuff.

Then I used to dream about new album covers,which I could
see perfectly through those dreams, but the incrediblest and

wonderfulest thing was that I was really ABLE TO LISTEN to
unknown XTC songs. That's true ! I could hear perfectly
each and every part of these songs, Andy's and Colin's
voices, splendid guitar riffs, 12-string rickenbaker
arpegios, Terry drumming, etc, etc,..(I dreamt of XTC
covers and songs three or four times) When I awakened,
only a good taste remained, no tittles, no tunes,..

Having seen the new album cover at The Little Lighthouse
website (Thanx, Mark ) I have to say that it is
beautifully simple but as Mark Strijbos had described
here, it _smartly_ suggests a female body part.  I've got
a vinyl copy of the album called "The Silent Corner and
The Empty Stage"(1974) by Peter Hammill, if anyone of the
suscribers of this list has the possibility to give a look
at its inner cover,you will discover more details and
links between these cover drawings.  Just curious.

Imanol.

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

Message-ID: <36BA1A24.2A317EFF@averstar.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 18:08:23 -0400
From: Harrison Sherwood <sherwood@averstar.com>
Organization: Averstar, Inc.
Subject: Them Hillbillies

> From: Olof Hellman <hellman@ksan.ms.nwu.edu>

> And, I've got to say that the bluegrass version of "Crocodile" from Modern
> Time Neros is a gem (not to disparage the other Children...), ranking well
> above most of Testimonial Dinner.  kudos to Harrison Sherwood (it was
> Harrison, right?) and his band.

Well, thanks olofally, Olof, but I must frantically point out that calling
The White Horse Hillbillies "Harrison and his band" is not entirely unlike
calling XTC "Dave Cartner and...some other guys." Yeah, I put my name
first in the j-card credits, but that's because, well, I _typed_ the
damned j-card credits.

I must give props to Todd Bernhardt, who first suggested that Crocodile
would make a good bluegrass number, and in so doing read Andy Partridge's
mind (according to certain reports we hear, anyway). Todd also played bass
(not his natural instrument, folks, as he possesses only one hand--and
that sticking out the middle of his forehead!) and arranged and sang the
lion's share of the background vocals.

And without a doubt the finest instrumental contribution came from our
very own Johnny-boy "High, Wide and Lonesome" Relph, whose mandolin
picking stands as an inspiration to us all. Imagine it, folks, he
contributed that _killer_ mandie solo--*from the other side of the
continent!* The technical impediments alone are staggering to contemplate!
How did he *do* it, from 3000 miles away?  Only he and Mrs. Relph know for
sure, but we're betting that tessaracts and Bell's Theorem weren't far
away!

Harrison "The singer slaps upon his adipose flab/Accompanied by thimbles
scratched on Richie's washboard abs" Sherwood

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

Message-ID: <36BA2B2E.B1FEB04D@blueskystudios.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 18:20:14 -0500
From: David Mei <mei@blueskystudios.com>
Organization: Bluesky Studios
Subject: Apple Venus Promo CDs!

I was searching on Ebay for XTC stuff and saw about a half dozen promo
CDs of Apple Venus.

If anyone's interested go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/aw/search.html

and do a search for XTC.

D

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

Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 15:23:42 -0800 (PST)
From: "Halsted : \"the apple-polisher's friend\"" <halsted@lucasdigital.com>
Message-Id: <199902042323.PAA27002@brak.lucasdigital.com>
Subject: tower records...

Tower records actually buys on a store by store basis
from label representatives and only on special occasions
do they do a bulk buy for the whole chain  (when I worked
there, they did a bulk buy of Guns & Roses "Use your Illusion"
and from what I can remember, it did only OK).  I think Tower
and the other larger chains get basically the same price
except for special "label month" deals when a label's
product is on sale.  They sometimes also get penalized for
returns of bulk items and won't get the full value.

Most smaller stores go through a one-stop and the prices
get a bump from that.

========================
Michael J. Halsted : ILM
halsted@lucasdigital.com
========================

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

Message-Id: <v01540b03b2dff833c0ee@[192.168.0.72]>
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 14:34:26 +1300
From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)
Subject: Re: The Spy Who Shagged Me/John Peel/AV title

>We note with anticipatory pleasure that the Austin Powers sequel, due out
>later this year, is to be named "The Spy Who Shagged Me." Could someone
>please explain to me--what does that mean?

Shag - vti. To engage in mutually enjoyable coital contact for the purposes
of recreation or reproduction. To engage in the horizontal lambada. To
bonk, get one's leg over, have it away (with), have a naughty (with)

'nuff said?

---

>I may be a culturally inferior Kraut-eating twat for not knowing this,
>but is it John Peel speaking on Opening Speech on TB or is it an
>impersonation ?

'tis Andy inpersonating the redoubtable Mr Peel

James

PS - I've finally figured out why the second album is being referred to as
"Apple Venus II" - they don't want to reveal any lyrics from Apple Venus I
before its release - and where else would they get the REAL title for AV2?

 James Dignan___________________________________               You talk to me
 Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University               As if from a distance
 ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street               And I reply. . . . . . . . . .
 Dunedin, New Zealand               with impressions chosen from another time
 steam megaphone (03) 455-7807               (Brian Eno - "By this River")

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

Message-ID: <19990205020716.2090.rocketmail@web1.rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 18:07:16 -0800 (PST)
From: Cheryl <cxtc@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Please to pass by the Green Man...

Well hello again,

Couldn't resist adding to this statement by Chris Clee;

>got a few pubs 'round here named after the fabled
>green man, cool or what

Very cool, in my opinion.  There was not a day that
went by that the song would not ring in my head.  As
I would round the corner to the bus stop in Muswell
Hill, there was the Green Man.  As I crossed
Marylebone going to Regent's Park...there it was.  I
miss this!  I really liked having XTC running through
my head everyday.  I always told myself I would get
up the nerve to go in for a pint but I never did.  I
guess I will have to do that when I return.

Wouldn't it be interesting to do a pub crawl to all
pubs with some sort of XTC connection.  I can only
think of two but perhaps there are more.  Of course
there is the Green Man but there is also Punch and
Judy's.  Any others out there?

It's late for me and I'm just rambling.  Excuse me
for the rambling thoughts.

Take care,
Cheryl

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

From: "Michael Versaci" <stormymonday@sprintmail.com>
Subject: Baxter Basics
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 21:07:16 -0500
Message-ID: <000401be50af$47112f40$04062499@laptop-mversaci.mtwconsulting.com>

Folxtc,

Harrison Sherwood told me ...

>Mike V.: The mid-Seventies departure of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter from Steely
>Dan to the Doobie Brothers, attended as it was with public contract
>disputes, desolated fans, and "Will-he-turn-them-around?" editorials,
>resembled nothing other than the trading of a star reliever for a
>shortstop to be named later.  It was a culmination of a long line of
>events that convinced the fifteen-year-old whose zits I used to squeeze
>that mainstream rock music was finally indistinguishable from
>professional sports, and that it might be time to start casting about
>for something new. That something came in the form of Patti Smith's
>"Horses," and I for one have never regretted it.

I thought that Michael McDonald was much better as a Steely Dan sideman (I
loved his background vocals) than a Doobie Bros. Frontman.
As far as the "Skunk" is concerned, he gave me a reason to like Donna
Summers.  It must have been around 1978.   I'd be in a smoke filled bar in
my faded Levi's and my Blue Oyster Cult T-shirt watching coked up guys
pointing their fingers high in the air  with moussed-up girls in Jordache
designer jeans doing the "Bump"  to the Eunuchs, (or was it The Bee Gees?)
high pitched battle cry "Ahh ha ha ha  Stayin alive!", wishing that Disco
had never been invented and then the DJ would crank up Donna Summers' "Hot
Stuff" and I would celebrate good times c'mon because "Skunk's" cross-over
guitar solo screaming through the Cerwin Vegas would remind me that even the
devil's music could have a silver lining.
For me, it took XTC's Black Sea (specifically "Respectable Street" into
"Generals and Majors" into "Living Through Another Cuba") to wake me up to
the fact that yes, there was actually something else after "Aja"...

Stormy "I saw XTC in a small club in NYC called 'Privates' in 1981 and they
f-king kicked ass like no other band I'd ever seen live before or since and
Terry Chambers ROCKED and Dave Gregory RIPPED and Colin Moulding AMAZED and
Andy Partridge was the most DYNAMIC, MANIC, FRENETIC performer that ever
played in a rock band who made David Byrne seem more like Perry Como" Monday
PS.  I have a feeling that our well kept secret is about to be unleashed
upon the world.  Just a hunch...

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

Message-ID: <36BA141A.2C75798F@erols.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 21:41:51 +0000
From: "Neal H. Buck" <nealhbuck@erols.com>
Subject: Hey Everyone! I've Got TB!

Chalks,

Where else but on this list could I yell out that statement and people
gather (electronically) to congratulate me? What a world! But yes, I do
got TB! I know I paid too much for this muffler, but I bought the first
copy I saw in person, at the new Bibelot bookstore in the American Can
Bldg. in Baltimore (near Canton). They actually had about 5 copies! I'm
glad I had the warnings of you folks (tho' some paid a terrible price)
on the packaging - cool, but flimsy & "slippery." I had deja vu reading
Kimberly's post, since I, too, have "Drums & Wireless" which I paid too
much for (at the Virgin Superstore near the Marble Arch) when I was in
London a few years back. I also wish the tracks were in chronological
order, but that's what the "Program" function is for.  I'm a happy guy.

nross: Yes, it's all coming back to me now. Of course, Kate is now in
Kalifornia and I'm sure we are all waiting with baited breath for when
she starts posting again (now that she can "hear" us).  De-Lurk, Oh
prisoner of Satan! Indeed, it was Sean Cassidy I was talking about:

For all you uninitiated folks out there, our favorite producer, Todd R.
did one for Sean C. called "Wasp." It featured Utopia as the band, and
had Mr. C crooning "Rebel, Rebel," "The Book I Read," "So Sad About Us"
(and other cool covers), as well as several Rundgren originals,
including the heavy-rockin' title track. It took a little time to get
used to his theatrical singing style, but thanks to the excellent music,
I was duly impressed. One time, I took the album to a party of Led
Zep/Aerosmith fans (this WAS back in '79 after all) and played some
tracks. They dug it, and boy were they surprised!

Was I missing a joke, or is Jenna Elfman (Danny's cousin), just a little
too easy to link w/TR?

Of course, another indirect link would be that both Danny & Todd did
television soundtracks ("Simpsons" & "Crime Story," a short-lived
Michael Mann show starring Dennis Farina).

I think the 90s sound for the "History" should be a "scratch."

Gotta go, it's getting late,
Neal

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

Message-Id: <3.0.2.32.19990204215639.006b4a4c@mail.interlog.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 21:56:39 -0500
From: David Oh <davidoh@interlog.com>
Subject: a serious question

no, really, this is a serious enquiry. hopefully i'll get a proper response...

tonight, not even 30 minutes ago, i was in a record shop & i saw a bootleg
i had never seen before. i had it set aside for a few days, in the hopes
that someone out there could tell me if it was worth buying. the title is:

"making plans for andy"

this store specializes in rare recordings & "live imports", which, here in
toronto, is a euphemism for bootlegs. they have all of the volumes of the
"hot wax" books, which are open for perusal to check on the quality of the
boots sold at their store. i checked all six volumes, but didn't find this
xtc bootleg listed in any of them.

the back of the cd listed the tracks & sources (1-8 recorded in 1978 &
9-13(?) recorded in 1980(?)), but of course, it has no indication of the
quality of the recording.

based on the hot wax books, can anyone tell me what the recording quality
is of the source tape of this boot? excellent stereo soundboard? very good
stereo audience? poor mono audience? total crap, ain't worth the shink
wrap, gas & effort? is the material similar to, the same as, or not even
remotely close to the live stuff on "trans-blast"?

please, please, please let me know! email me directly if you must! i need
to know by no later than sunday evening, feb 7th 1999, or else it will go
back in the bin. i don't want to risk missing this if it's a really good
bootleg, but i also don't want to risk paying the (considerable) price if
it "ain't worth a pinch of 'coon shit!".

i promise i'll be good, i promise i'll be kind, i promise not to.... oh,
nevermind... wrong forum...

davidoh@interlog.com

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

Message-ID: <36BA6668.204F3405@gate.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 22:32:56 -0500
From: "Mark D. Irvin" <mdirvin@gate.net>
Subject: APPLE VENUS VOLUME ONE

Jim wrote:

>Oh, XTC content?  I heard an Apple Venus 1 (man, what a terrible title -
>no wonder everyone abbreviates it!)

Well, Jimmy......I think that it is a wonderful title....they could call
it Shit on a Brick for all i friggin care.........By your discussion about
music stores and the business world and your statement about an album that
you had nothing to do with it's creation, it sounds like you are a tad
bitter.....tsk tsk......there are far better things in life to think
about......I try my best to stay away from any confrontations in
here....but oh well...since most of us Chalkhillians have waited soooo
long for this album......yes, I think that APPLE VENUS ONE is a wonderful
title.....my only regret is that I don't have a copy yet (other than the
demos)

XTC song of the day:  Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
nonXTC song of the day:  Signifying Monkey by Oscar Brown, Jr.

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

Message-ID: <36BAA634.DA0@schoollink.net>
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 00:05:08 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: XTC on VH1

Hey all,

Saw XTC on VH1's "Where Are They Now?"
the other night and was so good to see
the lads on TV for a change.  After all
these years of just listening to them
without any visuals, it was refreshing
to see them both looking relaxed and
happy...Andy as always came across as
the "smarter" of the two (a bit annoying,
IMHO, but there I go nit-picking again).
Overall, good coverage!!  :-)

Bummed that there was no mention of AV1,
though, but hey!  You can't have everything,
now can you?

Won't be long now...

Later --

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

"I would have made this instrumental,
 but the words got in the way."
(Andy Partridge)

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

Message-ID: <36BAA67C.3FE4@schoollink.net>
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 00:06:20 -0800
From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: CIC
Subject: Boxed demos??

What is this about a boxed set of demos
planning to be released?

Guess my head was in the sand on that
one!  Hmmm...

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

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

Message-ID: <36BA53DA.9C9B05C8@texas.net>
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 02:13:46 +0000
From: d-erelict <magmound@texas.net>
Organization: d-mentia!<http://magmound.home.texas.net>
Subject: The World Is Full Of Reactionary Young Men

Jim Slade bought himself a Liarbird, and all it could say was:

>GIVE ME A BREAK!  What about Tower's (or any chain's) ability to order in
>bulk, at discounted rates?

Of course they can, but I'm wondering just how much of a "discount" you
think they get... Do you really believe that the Labels are just gonna
give them away for the "chains" to make all the money? And again, what
about ALL the people it takes to get CD's out (Artist, Producer, Studio
Fees (in most cases... changing nowadays) which are outlandish,
Manufacturing Plant, Execs (yes, it does take a few folks to organize
these things), drugs, limos, catering)...
As I stated in my previous post, the Big Stores are obviously going to
want to make a good profit. Who doesn't? I suppose if YOU had a cushy
Industry job you wouldn't DREAM of wanting a nice retirement-friendly
income...
Whatever. You don't like Tower or any other chain store? Don't shop
there. I don't.

> Also, it's not like the distributors buy the
>CDs at cost - or $2 - and then mark them up to $12 for stores!!!

Perhaps I wasn't clear, but anyway... I wasn't stating that Distributors
are the "guilty" party... I was just making a point. Pacific Coast (whom
we order through) probably only adds $1-2 a disk. Then we add $1-3 more
(which I am against, btw, only because 1. We are called "Cheapo" and 2.
because we make most of our money on used cds anyway. But I'm not the
owner...). I was clearly (or, apparently, unclearly) rebutting the
insinuation that CDs cost $.20, and the rest was clear-cut profit for
Tower and the Labels.
But again, whatever.

>  It seems to me like all those "lucky," low-overhead
>independent stores are folding while the corporate giants spring up every
>few blocks.  God bless those chain stores!

Lol. If you say so...

d-erek (or Derek Gray, if that makes you nervous)
}
See the preview of the soon-to-be-completed XTC-English Settlement
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Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 04:19:37 -0500
From: Steve Pitts <Steve_Pitts@compuserve.com>
Subject: Where To Start?
Message-ID: <199902050420_MC2-6955-37FE@compuserve.com>

Chalkfolks,

In 5-79 Elizabeth wrote:

> Which [Roy Harper] album and/or albums might one buy first? <

This is a tough one to answer, just as it would be for XTC, but my personal
recommendation would be 'Bullinamingvase' (my favourite) or 'HQ', if you
prefer the rockier sounds, or 'Stormcock' if you are more interested in the
(electric) folk aspect of Roy's stuff. Given that his live playing these
days is all solo and mostly acoustic, the former two don't sound a great
deal like he does on stage (they were recorded with backing bands), but are
none the worse for that

The alternative, given that you enjoyed his recent live performances, would
be to buy the latest album - 'thedreamsociety' - which is one of his best
in the eyes of a fair number of those posting to the Harper mailing list
(although I wouldn't put it amongst my faves)

and Lemoncurry asked:

> but is it John Peel speaking on Opening Speech on TB or is it an
impersonation ? <

It _definitely_ isn't the man himself (although I wonder whether they might
have persuaded him to do it - he generally seems happy to poke fun at
himself) and the suggestion is that it is AP taking him off. Personally, I
think that the voice is a very poor imitation, but the content is spot on

Cheers, Steve

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Message-ID: <B9B4268C8F87D11195DC0000F840FABE083874DB@DUB-MSG-02>
From: Peter Fitzpatrick <peterfit@MICROSOFT.com>
Subject: RE: Countdown to XTC
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 10:02:43 -0000

In the last digest Harrison of Sherwood spoke !

>>We note with anticipatory pleasure that the Austin Powers sequel, due out
>>later this year, is to be named "The Spy Who Shagged Me." Could someone
>>please explain to me--what does that mean?

that's hysterical !

to shag = to ride = to bonk = to roger = to have-it-off = to get yer leg
over = to play mr.wobbly hides his helmet = to have sexual intercourse

There. That should start a good thread.....

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From: "STEVE PERLEY" <steveandlauren@grolen.com>
Subject: Re: Tin Soldier
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:20:09 -0500
Message-ID: <01be5101$df328600$85cbf7cd@steveandlauren.grolen.com>

Delurking after a very long silence to put in my $.02:

> ITS CALLED TIN SOLDIER AND I DONT KNOW WHO WROTE IT BUT ITS A COVER. AND
> ITS ON REMOULDS. SORRY I HAVENT POSTED IN A WHILE BUT IVE BEEN OUT
> SPREADING THE WORD OF INFINITY.
>It's by the late, greats Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, ex Small
>Faces and very much missed.

And for an even closer connection, it was covered by Andy's arch-nemesis,
the Lex Luthor to Andy's Superman, the evil Anti-Andy (just kidding; I'm a
fan of his),
TODD RUNDGREN!
If I remember correctly it was the first cut on The Ever-Popular Tortured
Artist Effect.  Hey, Dave's a TR fan too, isn't he?
By the way, is there any way for a "civilian" to get his hands on a copy of
that Dave G disk?  Amanda?

And another thing...while everyone loves to spout off about tolerance,
multiculturalism, and the like, it seems that it's perfectly OK here to
stereotype and attack anyone who's ever voted for a Republican with as much
venom as one can muster.  We're NOT all racist, homophobic, nasty bastards
who kick old ladies out of their homes and into the street for recreation.
Pinning all of that shit on us and making us your bogeymen (and women) for
all of society's ills is bigotry, pure and simple - no different than
blindly attacking individuals belonging to any ethnic, racial, or other
group.

Flame away - apparently that's the way we do things here now.

Shameless Plug time:  If there are any punks left around here who live in
the Portsmouth, NH area, My band, Rat Fink will be opening for Sloppy
Seconds and The Tunnel Rats at the Elvis Room on Feb. 16.  Come on by and
buy me a beer. ;-)

Cheers!
Steve

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From: "Simon Coward" <simon@invisible-technology.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: River of Orchids
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 13:02:20 -0000
Message-ID: <000001be5107$c3af0240$7049883e@invisible01>

Apologies if I've missed this info being posted already, but the March 1999
issue of "Uncut" - a UK music and film magazine - comes with a cover CD
which includes, as the first of sixteen tracks XTC's "River of Orchids".

Awesome.

Also included in the mag is a feature, "Consuming Passions", with Andy plus
a review of "Apple Venus" - it's given Album of the Month status too!

Simon.

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Message-ID: <000801be5110$b884f380$f06dcec0@t24806009694.DOA.STATE.LA.US>
From: "John Voorhees" <griffon@earthling.net>
Subject: Re: Trousers
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 08:06:25 -0600

John Irvine put forth:
>And someone mentioned Trouser Press.  At a point in my life when I was
>Mr. New Wave Record Collector, that book was the shit (if memory serves,
>ES was a wedding cake that would topple but for the bands brilliance, or
>some such).  It wasn't until I spent a ton of money on the Desperate
>Bicycles LP that I realized that book's fallability.

Oh, the Trouser Press was an excellent reference for me in the 80's, a young
college DJ from Louisiana just feeling his way around all the weird-ass
stuff provided by record companies.  It does borderline on the encyclopedic
in listing all those bands, all those albums...
But actually reading the reviews?  That's another ball of wax.
True, there were a few critics who could tell a decent band if it bit them
on their turntable, but the majority of the reviews I cared about we're
penned by Ira "tone-deaf asshole" Robbins.  For me, a blistering pan from
Ira was evidence of musical genius.  He felt it neccesary to dis SO many of
my favorite musicians...  But he did have a soft spot for XTC, despite
backhanding them mercilessly at every opportunity.

As for the Austin Powers movie, the title is a joke on the Bond classic "The
Spy Who Loved Me", and yes, S-H-A-G is how they spell friend in their
dictionary.  Got it?  Good.

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Message-ID: <001c01be511d$7f390fa0$ca08b3d1@oemcomputer>
From: "Aaron Pastula" <apastula@earthlink.net>
Subject: I've only heard the demo, but...
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:37:52 -0800

...I'm convinced that River of Orchids is the greatest thing AP has ever
written.

Aaron.

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End of Chalkhills Digest #5-81
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6 February 1999 / Feedback