Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 91
Date: Tuesday, 16 February 1999

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 91

                Tuesday, 16 February 1999

Today's Topics:

                 yeah, what Dane said...
             ramblings from a new chalkhiller
                         fs: AVI
                    Them Anti-XTC Folk
               My Apple Venus Ordering Tale
                          Ha ha
                XTC at Borders in Chicago
                  No Andy...Please.....
                 Precociousness Alert!!!
              Re: Jimmy Swaggart's Tommy Gun
                    XTC on Space Ghost
                 Orange & Lemons forever!
                 my radio station's okay!
                TVT site - Promo Tour info
            Possibilty of XTC on UK digital TV
                 XTC Appearances Schedule
                         Greenman
                      Road Trip!?!?!
                Andy Partridge in Chicago
                 Greenman/ Making The Cut
                        XTC videos
                  Schedule of Apperances
                  Why Not Vol II First?
                Another Apple Venus review

Administrivia:

    To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to
    <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command:

	unsubscribe

    For all other administrative issues, send a message to:

	<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>

    Please remember to send your Chalkhills postings to:

	<chalkhills@chalkhills.org>

    World Wide Web: <http://chalkhills.org/>
		or: <http://come.to/chalkhills/>

    The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.

    Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7 (John Relph <relph@tmbg.org>).

First there's the handshake.

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

Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 20:03:57 -0600 (CST)
From: Andrea Lynn Rossillon <rossillo@students.uiuc.edu>
Subject: yeah, what Dane said...
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.96.990214195808.27862A-100000@ux10.cso.uiuc.edu>

Dane Pereslete said that he was afraid of his growing obssessive fan
tendencies; Dane, I say unto you, Be Not Afraid!  Your evaluation of the
situation is correct; it's just the anticipation of the new album after so
long, and now it's only 9 days away!!

I experience something similar whenever I have a job that's ending or the
school year approaches its close: During the whole time, whether its six
weeks or a year, I'm in the groove and working and enjoying it (even if
it's waiting tables), but as soon as it's within two weeks of the end,
suddenly anticipation of being free and the "I don't want to be here"
mentality takes over.

Indeed, the last few weeks of a wait period are longer than the entire
seven years previous.

Hooray hooray nine more days, then it's bliss

Hey, _would_ someone film the Chicago appearance?  That would be pretty
cool.  Then I could officially become a fanatic, since I would have a
non-corporate-produced product.  Woohoo!

-Andrea

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

From: AThorstein@aol.com
Message-ID: <51a0b194.36c7baf3@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 01:13:07 EST
Subject: ramblings from a new chalkhiller

Hello chalkhillers,

I was actually afraid to post a message to this list because of all the
rules and regulations, but here I am.  First of all, I'm very new to the
list, so be kind... I'm a 27 year old who recently became a very huge fan
of XTC, even though I've been familiar with their music ever since I saw
the video for All You Pretty Girls on MuchMusic back in the mid 80's.
Speaking of MuchMusic, any of you Canadian XTC fans remember seeing a
Spotlight on them back in the early 90's?  I should've taped it.  Anyway,
my first XTC album was Fossil Fuel (I know, shame on me!) but I'm pleased
to announce that I now have 7 of their albums - I know this is nothing
compared to most of you who has everything and anything put out by XTC.
Would you believe I found Go2 at a used CD/Tapes store for $9.99?  I can't
stop listening to Battery Brides - brilliant song and definitely one of my
faves.  By the way, why can't I find White Music, Drums And Wires (I really
want this one), Mummer, and Big Express at any of the major music stores
here in Canada??  I couldn't even find Transistor Blast here (and I live in
a big city) when it was released last year, so I ended up buying it in the
US.  I guess I could find the other albums I don't have in the US as well.
Can't wait for AV1, I've pre-ordered it through CDUniverse since I can
hardly find anything on XTC here!

To continue on with this post, I'd like to mention that I went to England
last October and I stopped in Swindon thinking I'd bump into Andy or Colin,
but noooooooo.  Do they even live there now?  Yes, I've become such an
obsessed fan that I want to start stalking them... Kidding, of course.  Oh
yeah, I found a very cool black and white XTC/Black Sea badge in London -
now that was a good purchase.

Why isn't XTC doing an in-store appearance in Canada????  I have a friend
who lives in San Francisco so I guess she can get an autograph for me or
somthing when they go there... Does anyone know when and if they're going
to be in San Fran?

Oh, to all those young (teens) XTC fans... Bravo!

Thanks for reading,
(another one named) Andrea
AThorstein@aol.com

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

Message-Id: <l03110701b2eba0d7fb07@[206.173.239.117]>
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 22:45:55 -0800
From: Eb <gondola@deltanet.com>
Subject: fs: AVI

I have an Apple Venus advance CD which I'm willing to part with...offers?
(It's a very good album, but now that I've heard it a few times, I can do
without it for a couple of weeks until I get the real deal.)

Email me offlist,
Eb

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

Message-ID: <36C7C30D.364B@popd.ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 22:47:41 -0800
From: Rich Bunnell <cbunnell@ix4.ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Them Anti-XTC Folk

Well, I finally get a reader comment submission to the XTC review page
I set up, but, as fate has apparently made it--it's from some anti-XTC
guy! I won't put down the E-Mail address of the guy who posted it so he
won't receive any corrective E-Mails besides the one I sent him (and
therefore won't get ticked off at me), but here's his disturbing comment
below:

 "Like a lot of mediocre bands, XTC were virtually unheard until a
single golden moment swept them up and sold 1,000,000 copies of an
'incidentally wonderful' recording. 'Dear God' was an exceptionally
well-timed single by a band that was otherwise incapable of producing
consistently coherent material. If this seems somewhat shallow, I revert
to the more obvious argument against Andy Partridge and his evil
brethren: during XTC's popularity peak the band felt it absolutely
necessary to release 3 greatest hits compilations in a window of three
years. Unacceptable!"

 Unless the guy was talking about some obscure hits collections, he is
very, very wrong, as not only have XTC never released 3 hits collections
in the scope of 3 years, they didn't release ANY such collections in
1986 (the peak of their popularity) as this fellow inaccurately pointed
out.

 As for the rest of the review, opinions are opinions, but it really
disturbs me that I finally get a reader comment on my review page
(http://www.users.interport.net/~aske/xtc.htm -- sorry 'bout the plug)
and it's such a disparaging, anti-XTC comment that goes so far as to
call Andy & the boys "evil!" By the way, WAS there ever a time when the
band released 3 hits compilations within 3 years? Even Upsy Daisy and
Fossil Fuel can't really be counted as separate, considering that each
one was released for a specific side of the Atlantic.

 I guess that it all comes down to the fact that some people simply
can't get past Andy's vocals and the more "experimental" side of the
band's approach. Rant over. Opinions?

*--------------------------------
Rich Bunnell
http://members.xoom.com/taoster/
*--------------------------------

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

Message-ID: <36C7D77B.8BA8C122@geocities.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:14:51 +0100
From: dieling <lemoncurry@geocities.com>
Subject: My Apple Venus Ordering Tale

Once Upon A Time...,

I went into my own trustworthy record dealer on Friday thinking:
"just go and ask for AV".
So, I went up to him saying:
"can I order a record that is due to come out in about 11 days ?"
and he went "which record"
and I said "THE NEW XTC ALBUM CALLED APPLE VENUS IT'S ON COOKING VINYL AND
THEY EMAILED ME SAYING YES YOU CAN ORDER IT PROPERLY IN GERMANY EVEN ON
VINYL" and he just goes "Ah yes, that's a big thing anyway, we ordered
quite a lot of it".
Heard that ?
"A BIG THING " ?
I said like "What ?"
He: "Yeah, quite a few people are eagerly awaiting that album"
which made me saying, "yeah well, it's been seven years" and wanting to
tell him all the strike stuff and all I know about XTC before deciding not
to.
Then I said:"Ah, but I want it on Vinyl !" (nearly forgot that in my
euphoria) and he just went to his computer and went: "Okay.",
which left me leaving the shop grinning stupidly thinking:
"SEVEN YEARS OF CRAVING all disappearing in a single, simple
"OKAY". Wow !"
I thought of laughing and decided I should. So I expressed some giggles
walking home, grinning, singing "Great Fire", when suddenly I felt I
couldn't wait and had to buy music to get me going until I get it,
so I went back there and purchased the new Ken Ishii "Game Over"(12") and
the 2 Lone Swordsmen's"A Bag Of Blue Sparks" (2x12" and 7") now having
Radical Rhythms to get me going until Apple Venus provides me with Divine
Melodies.
What a day that was. I reached an oasis in the desert.
(That Was The Day The Day Crime Paid! - any Cud fans out there ?)

--
Lemoncurry
residing in The Lemon Lounge
at www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/9259
lemoncurry@geocities.com
XTC Song of the Millenium:
The Day They Pulled The North Pole Down

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

Message-ID: <36C80AAE.3C14E2C4@erols.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 06:53:18 -0500
From: Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt <toddjenn@erols.com>
Subject: Ha ha

Oh! Nicole...

"I'd be your Clinton if you'd be my Monica
Ha ha, We'd laugh
Because each smoke would make me grow up really high
Really high, like a really high thing
'Til Starr caught us

Impeachment..."

Back to our regularly scheduled programming:
Ask not what XTC can do for you, ask how many extra copies of AV1 _you_ can
afford to buy for friends and family...

--Todd

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

Message-Id: <199902150918.JAA035.26@GATEWAY.TIRERACK.COM>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:19:29 -0600
Subject: XTC at Borders in Chicago
From: "William Loring" <bloring@tirerack.com>

I'll also be attending the XTC signing at Borders in Chicago.
www.borders.com listed the time as 7:00pm, which would be great for me, as I
could still put in most of a full day at work in South Bend, IN, before
heading up to Chicago.

If anyone hears of a different time, please post it to the list ASAP.

Thanks to those who brought our attention to this! It might be the only
chance I'll ever get to see Andy and Colin in person!

Regards,

William Loring         bloring@tirerack.com
The Tire Rack                 http://www.tirerack.com

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

Message-ID: <8237F918C884D211B3AD0008C7F41FF50384D0@chowan.ncxix.hcg.eds.com>
From: "Martin, Alan" <Alan.Martin@ncxix.hcg.eds.com>
Subject: No Andy...Please.....
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:35:33 -0500

In Chalkhills # 5-88 Mitch Friedman wrote:

"About the possible songs for AV2 . . . at the present time, "The Shipped
Trapped In the Ice" and "I Don't Want to Be Here" will not be on the
album. "Ship" certainly won't ever be recorded because it's a song about
the band not being able to get out of their record contract with Virgin. I
have personally urged and pleaded with Andy that "I Don't Want To Be Here"
should most definitely be on the album but at the moment he's not
convinced...."

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Mitch, you must be persistant with Andy about getting
these songs on the next album.  These are the two most brilliant tracks from
the remaining demos and it would be a true shame if they did not see a
proper XTC album.  Why exactly is "Ship" not to be recorded due to lyrical
content?  I interpreted the lyrics to be about a stagnated relationship...
And if "Ship" must be sacrificed, then "I Don't Want To Be Here" must be
recorded.  It is absolutely the best peice of musical/lyrical work I have
heard in the last seven years... period.  I will be personally crushed if it
goes by the wayside of an XTC album...  for those of you who have heard
these demos, it's obvious what i'm talking about... and for those of you who
havn't, we are talking about the loss of two extremely brilliant peices of
music from AP... PLEASE ANDY... DON"T LET THESE GO!!!  I know AP doesn't
like that fact that so many people have these demos... but, then we may
never have had the chance to hear these songs and that would be a terrible
thing... they may be our only saving grace if the songs are a NoGo on the
next album....

Alan J. Martin
Electronic Commerce Services
EDS
(919) 851-8888 x3076
Alan.Martin@ncxix.hcg.eds.com

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

Message-Id: <s6c841ee.094@parliament.uk>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:47:56 +0000
From: Dominic Lawson <LAWSOND@parliament.uk>
Subject: Precociousness Alert!!!

>>>By the way, how did someone as young as you develop such good taste?

>>There're always the rebels. People at my school listen to some of the
most annoying, under-developed stuff I've ever heard (although
considering my out-of-place Duran Duran fixation, I shouldn't be
talking) and I'm always the one that annoys them by insulting it.

An excellent idea, inserting that Duran Duran get-out clause. Covered
yourself nicely there...

But what is this "annoying, under-developed stuff"? Sounds great to me. In
fact, it sounds like the first Napalm Death album....And if it annoys the
hell out of you, my little upstart, then maybe there's more going for it
than you realize. Far be it from me to stop anyone from "insulting" other
people's musical taste, but don't fall into the trap of considering
yourself in any way more radical or free-thinking than your classmates,
just because you've got a few XTC CDs. The chances are that many of your
contemporaries haven't been fortunate enough to discover XTC or They Might
Be Good, and, although I'm only guessing here, they probably won't have had
any better resource than MTV to inspire their musical preferences. The vast
majority of people never progress beyond what's in the charts or on the TV,
and frankly they don't care. Apart from anything else, for all their
glorious qualities, XTC are hardly a million musical miles away from the
commercial mainstream (although "River Of Orchids" seems to suggest an
alternative future...) and the fact that their following is a "cult" one
just makes it easier to wear your appreciation for the band as a badge of
pride and an indication of your "developed" taste. Just wait till the new
album goes ballistic (touch wood), and then we'll all be bemoaning the fact
that all these new XTC fans are just jumping on the bandwagon, and that
they don't understand the boys like we do, and blah blah etc

In truth, I bet some of your classmates are metal fans, and therefore
beneath your contempt anyway. Oh yes, I've read your homepage and I have
witnessed your spurious doctrine! Frankly, I dare you to repeat your
appraisal of Metal in the digest. I bloomin' dare you!!!!

************************************************

Anyhoo, that's enough needless abuse of a minor for now. My apologies -
it's been a long day.

For anyone who was at all intrigued by the idea of CARDIACS, may I point
you towards my review of their most recent album, "Sing To God (Parts One &
Two)", available on the world wide whatsit at...

http://members.tripod.com/~Lampard/fucknut.html

.....that should convince you once and for all.

Oh, and could someone explain what's so damn exciting about that Barenaked
Ladies song? I gather that we're supposed to be impressed by the singer's
verbal dexterity, but since you could pick ANY decent Hip Hop album from
the last six years and find numerous examples of vastly superior vocal
technique, with (it has to be said) immensely superior (and far more
extensive, therefore harder to memorize) lyrics, I was wondering whether
I'd missed some essential ingredient in the BNL listening experience. Any
thoughts?

Moan, moan and thrice moan.

Dom.

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

From: CCooli9575@aol.com
Message-ID: <a70f25f5.36c8026c@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 06:18:04 EST
Subject: Re: Jimmy Swaggart's Tommy Gun

>Jerry Falwell, head of Praise the Lord ministries and the founder of the
>Moral Majority, today released a statement saying that the teletubby
>Tinky-Wink is a homosexual, because he is (ostensibly) male, purple (gay
>pride!), has an upside down triangle on his head (gay unity!), and carries
>a purse.
>
>Sorry for the long post.
>
>-Andrea

  Guess he's never seen Barney the PURPLE dinosaur. And ever wonder about
Ernie and Bert? HEHEHEHEHE!

Chris

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

From: "Damian Foulger" <damian@imclaser.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 08:39:54 -0600
Subject: XTC on Space Ghost
Message-Id: <19990215082851.80026774.in@ceo.ceolasers.com>

I kind of missed the gist.  Can someone definitively email me the
time and date and channel of XTC's appearance on Space Ghost.
Email me DIRECTLY and I will post to the list. (if there is time)

Thanks,

Dames tWd

"We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we merely borrow it from
our children." -- Native American Saying

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

From: "Rafael" <elrafa@cvtci.com.ar>
Subject: Orange & Lemons forever!
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:09:26 -0300
Message-ID: <030660109180f29MAIL2@cvtci.com.ar>

Hi People!
Just let you know that XTC has crossed the frontier long time ago, and its
members have made contact with us, people of the Thirld World since 1990,
when me and my friends were hypnotized by the Magic of "Orange and Lemons".

I don't remember how we got to listen to this album but, who cares now!
Since that moment, I became an slave of their music and I had the need to
buy all of what I could of them.
Of course, it was a hard task for me, 'cause it was extremely difficult to
find out a place that sells records of a band like XTC, a band that hate to
be in concert, a band that hate to make videos, and for these reasons,
almost unknown for the big crowd.
However, I found a place and I bought Skylarking. And later, Nonsuch.
I can't find the words to describe my sensations when I was listening to
those albums, but I'm sure all of you know it well, don't you?
Two years ago the Internet landed on my office and since then, I found a
lot of incredible sites to sail on. I found places where I could buy XTC
albums, and so I did!
Now I have almost everything they released and I feel really proud of that.
And you can surely guess, I can't wait to have the new production in my
hands.
Now I found Chalkhills, I can see the hell of people that love XTC all over
the "English-language Area": UK, USA, Canada, Australia. Maybe there is
someone like me reading this and thinking "I'm not alone!".
Because I don't speak English in my country, even we must learn it if we
want to survive in this world. I don't complain for this because I love the
language, and I try to do my best when I write, speak or listen to your
language.
Since 1990, I'm an XTC Fan. Since 1990, I try to understand some of its
lyrics! Sometimes I can, sometimes not. But Music has no frontier, hasn't
it? And you don't have to be "different" for feeling its music. I do feel
it, and I taste it, song by song, chord by chord, word by word.
I love this incredible band and I thank God for blessing us with its music.
Sorry if I'm boring you with this, but I want to share my feelings with
you.
Kisses and Hugs!

RAFAEL DIAZ MALLEA (32)
Buenos Aires
Argentina

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

Message-ID: <900822C71730D2118D8C00805F65765C402F67@EINSTEIN>
From: Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com>
Subject: my radio station's okay!
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 12:25:32 -0600

Hey Y'all,

I called my local radio station, KGSR in Austin, TX, for their
"What do you want for lunch?" noontime special and requested
that the DJ play "Greenman" for me. The regular DJ was out for
the day and the guy substituting for her kindly obliged me.
He sandwiched my favorite AV1 tune between Van Morrison
and Smashmouth (pardon the pun/s).

There has been some discussion on Chalkhills regarding
"Greenman" being too long for radio singledom.  I'm hoping
this was a sign that maybe it's not.  It sounded rich and lush
coming out of my pitiful jambox speakers.  A real treat!

QUESTION:  Does anyone know if all the US tour dates for
Andy are going to be at Borders, or will he visit some other
music stores as well?

Jill Oleson

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

Message-ID: <2043F72A2C73D2119D5B0008C74CA17B1DFA5C@azmail.rjconsult.com>
From: "Miller, Ed" <emiller@rjconsult.com>
Subject: TVT site - Promo Tour info
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 11:55:36 -0600

Hi, everyone....

In an effort to find out if Andy will be visiting Denver, I found the
following web page at TVT's site that provides all the lovely details.

http://www.tvtrecords.com/xtc/xtcactivities.html

Congrats to Mitch and Richard for their acknowledgment on AV vol.1

Counting down,

Ed "Hoping to meet Andy in Denver and have him sign my Stratocaster"
Miller

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

Message-ID: <000c01be5919$c01f8c20$bb5595c1@default>
From: "Puller Road" <almarsu@email.msn.com>
Subject: Possibilty of XTC on UK digital TV
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 19:29:30 -0000

Chalkmeisters,

I sent a brief email to Kevin Greening who is currently the lunchtime DJ on
Radio 1 asking if he would be playing any of the tracks that appear on AV1
on his show.  This was his reply :-

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I heard the album last night and, while there are flashes of the brilliance
that has made me a huge fan of the band, there's nothing on it really suited
to daytime Radio 1.

I am however trying to persuade Andy Partridge to appear on my BBC Choice TV
show.

KG

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

For your information, BBC Choice TV is a free-to-air entertainments channel
for people in the UK that have a digital box for their television.

Kevin has always listed XTC as a favourite of his and I have heard him
praising the talents of Andy Partridge to the deaf ears of the Radio 1
listeners.  Maybe I should now try Mark Radcliffe.

Regards,

Ian Sutton

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

Message-ID: <19990215195209.21317.rocketmail@send106.yahoomail.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 11:52:09 -0800 (PST)
From: Andisheh Nouraee <andisheh@yahoo.com>
Subject: XTC Appearances Schedule

It will be announced here many times, but a little repetition never
hurt:

TVT Records has posted a schedule of XTC appearances for North
America.  It can be found at http://www.tvtrecords.com

So there.
==
************************************************
ALWAYS!!!!!! REPLY TO: mabrey@mindspring.com
************************************************

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

Message-Id: <199902151957.UAA17308@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:08:05 +0000
Subject: Greenman

Dear Chalkers,

> First off, I believe Greenman is over six minutes.
yes, 6 minutes and 17 seconds precisely, according to my cdrom-player
(track timing can vary with different cd players)

ta,

yours in xtc,

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

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

Message-ID: <36C883C1.D660332F@pop.uky.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:29:53 -0500
From: james isaacs <jmisaa00@pop.uky.edu>
Subject: Road Trip!?!?!

Hello, unlurking for  abrief moment.
Someday soon, I shall delurk and write a five page e-mail.  However, now I
have a five page paper on the rise of Nazism in the German town of Northeim
that is more pressing.  Anyway, I am planning on making the 300+ mile trek
from Lexington, Ky to Chicago on the 25th.  I assume I am not the only one,
and I was wondering if there is some subtle way we can communicate with
each other before then so we can introduce each other there, as a sort of a
Midwest XTC convention with Andy attending...I figure we can all take him
out and get him roaring drunk afterwards at Gino's or something. The best
way to recognize me is to look at my website, conveniently located on the
links page found on the Chalkhills site (Thank you John, good idea).
Ok, so now back to the shrubberies.
James

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

Message-Id: <s6c844d3.004@gwia.nwf.org>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:24:42 -0500
From: "TOM GRIFFIN" <GRIFFIN@nwf.org>
Subject: Andy Partridge in Chicago

Is anyone from the Detroit/Ann Arbor area going to see Andy at Borders in
Chicago?  The date is the 25th of February.  If so, I would like to carpool.
As of now I am planning to rent a car or take the train, but the trip would
be more fun (and much less expensive) with another XTC fan.  Please let me
know at "griffin@nwf.org".  I am more than happy to pay for gas, etc.  -Tom

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

Message-ID: <19990215205943.8425.rocketmail@send304.yahoomail.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 12:59:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Iain Murray <twentiethcenturyfrog@yahoo.com.au>
Subject: Greenman/ Making The Cut

After being told by several people that Triple J Radio are indeed
oushing the new XTC material, I finally heard "Greenman" for myself
yesterday...

WOW! Now I'm *really* getting impatient!! Hearing it in demo form is
one thing, but hearing new XTC on the radio gives you a feeling that
I'd completely forgotten. After only one hearing, I thought that it
might not be out of place on "Skylarking", but having thought a bit
more about it, I'm not sure that it's really like *anything* they've
done before (maybe it could have been wedged between "Bungalow" and
"Books Are Burning" at the end of *Nonsuch* without upsetting the
flow, but that's about it). Any comments?

As far as what has (or hasn't) made the cut is concerned : when I
first heard the demo tapes, the two songs that immediately stood out
were "You & The Clouds..." and "I Don't Wanna Be Here". How could
these *not* be in the running for a spot on AV2? Andy, please
reconsider!! (or at least pencil them in for AV3...)    :)

==
Iain

============================================================
"Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, wisdom is not
truth, truth is not beauty, beauty is not love, love is not music. Music is
the best." - Frank Zappa

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

Message-Id: <v04003a00b2ee37fe2208@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 13:10:47 -0800
From: David Schneider <dnschneider@earthlink.net>
Subject: XTC videos

>About XTC making plans for videos . . . the reasons why they are not going
>to make one are 1) they don't like making videos and 2) a video costs
>about $75,000 to do. Wouldn't you rather the band spend the money on the
>next album? I kinda wished they had made a video because I'm an AVID
>editor (nonlinear video and audio editing system) for my profession and
>Andy said that I could edit the next one they did (record company
>willing). I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer or a lot longer.

Oh well, my hopes have been dashed. I began directing music videos last
year  (If you live in Germany or surrounding countries, you've probably
some of the videos I've done, but not ouside of there -- they've all been
for German bands).  I live in Los Angeles (yes, the bands come here to make
their videos), and was planning on giving my demo reel to the guys when
they made their promotional appearance here. Figured it was a long shot,
but the chance to work with my musical heroes... Now I guess it's a really,
REALLY long shot, huh?

Selfishness aside, I do think they should reconsider making a video (even
if, alas, they make the likely decision of going with someone besides
myself to direct it!).  A good video is a great promotional tool, and
that's one thing XTC definitely needs at this point. They've got the great
material, now they just need to get everyone to hear it. Yes, it's a lot of
money (generally split between the label and the band, however), but it
could be money very well spent. True, they haven't had success with videos
in the past, but the market has changed since '92. Here in the states, VH-1
(the most likely place they'd be played here) has become much, much more
watched, with a hipper, more desirable audience than it was back then.

David

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

Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 16:52:41 -0500 (EST)
From: Tom Getter Slack <tgs@telerama.com>
Subject: Schedule of Apperances
Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.4.02.9902151646030.9731-100000@frogger.telerama.com>

re:

>...asking for TVT/Cooking Vinyl/Idea/whoever to please give us a
>schedule of XTC personal appearances!  What, are they afraid too
>many people will show up if you let us know beforehand?

and:

>Does anyone know when Andy will be comin' 'round to the LA area on
>his little promo tour? I guess a general schedule could do us all
>some good!

Check out http://www.tvtrecords.com/xtc/xtcactivities.html

It appears those in NY and LA are lucky enough to have both Andy and
Colin to chat with. Me, I'm trying to figure out how to get to the
closest "major" city on time (obviously Pittsburgh doesn't rank).

TGS

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

Message-Id: <199902152230.WAA03818@boober.lineone.net>
From: "David S White" <david.s.white@lineone.net>
Subject: Why Not Vol II First?
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 04:48:39 -0000

Hello Chalkists,

This might seem an odd question, but it occurred to me on listening to the
lush, delicate glory that is Greenman (on Q Magazine CD, folks!) that
surely it would have been so much quicker and cheaper to emerge from seven
impecunious years in the wilderness by recording a guitar-driven garage-y
thing (which no doubt would be glorious) and then using the profits from
that CD to sponsor your multi-layered palatial meisterwork. In other words,
why The Taj Mahal first, and the garden shed later? It would seem to make
economic sense to have them the other way about, no?

David

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

Message-ID: <36C8A395.2325@heraldonline.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 17:45:42 -0500
From: BPeschel@heraldonline.com (Bill Peschel)
Organization: The Herald
Subject: Another Apple Venus review

Dear Chalkers;

Thought you might like a bit from the Toledo Blade (that's in Ohio, by
the way) newspaper on Apple Venus.

Some scattered sentences:

* On 1980s albums like "Skylarking" and "Oranges and Lemons," XTC made
sugary pop confections that sounded classic without being
stereotypically New Wave.

(Huumph: "President Kill" sugary? Maybe "Mayor of Simpleton" but
"Skeleton Steps Out?" Andy as Hanson?)

* (Dave Gregory) isn't missed much here, because his best contributions
were always electric, and "Volume 1" is almost entirely acoustic and
orchestral. "Volume 2," scheduled for a fall release, is more standard
electric XTC, and Gregory's absence might be more obvious there.

* .... Partridge is really a Baroque songwriter who created detailed,
intricate tunes as a craftsman might build a dollhouse . . . when he
gets the chance to work with new materials, like a large string section,
he responds with an almost giddily perfect album.

* The band has rarely been more biting than it is in 'Your Dictionary,'
Partridge's angry diatribe about his divorce . . . and for those fans
seeking a Beatles fix, Moulding provides it with his two tracks, "Fruit
Nut" and "Frivolous Tonight" (which would have fit on side one of "Sgt.
Pepper's").

* XTC always made timeless pop songs that would work in any decade, and
they've done it again.

Gee kids, do you think XTC made an album even ravenous fans might like?

Cheers,

-- Bill Peschel
Book page editor, Rock Hill (S.C.) Herald

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #5-91
******************************

Go back to Volume 5.

16 February 1999 / Feedback