Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 112
Date: Friday, 12 May 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 112
Friday, 12 May 2000
Topics:
Re: Busboys
Jimmy Page
Lambrettas
Glass Eye
Monkees
New Album - initial thoughts
Spike Jones
O&L
Rising to the top
The Orchid Show
One track albums
Re: Lost (becomes a rant)
A different angle to the Napster / Used CD Discussion
What happened to the lambrettas
what's in, what's out
cutting edge technology and fandom
Quark and a plug
MOJO et al
will they ever like us, men?
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 00:09:05 -0700 From: Eb <gondola@deltanet.com> Subject: Re: Busboys Message-ID: <f04310100b54157fde62d@[206.173.240.209]> Someone claimed: >>The Busboys appeared in the >>CLASSIC film "Animal House"... Yep that is them as "Otis Day and the >>Nights" I believe this is 100% misinformation. I've never heard this before, and the Web yields zilch substantiation. Check http://www.otisdayandtheknights.com yourself, and see if you can find any indication of a Busboys link. "Otis Day" is played by one DeWayne Jessie, who has a number of other acting credits (according to the Internet Movie Database). Also, http://www.acmewebpages.com/animal/trivia.htm says this about the Knights: "The Knights' on-screen bass player is none other than GrammyR-winning bluesman Robert Cray! Cray was also instrumental in getting the other musicians together that appeared as the band: Robert Bailey, Sonny King, Tommy Smith, and Juan Steen." So there you go. (What, you were going to trust someone who didn't even spell the band's name correctly?) >Just can't stop chuckling every time John Travolta says "stupid humans!" in >that damn movie ad... I can't stop chuckling every time that damn movie ad displays a review excerpt which proclaims that "John Travolta is the new face of evil!"
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 06:52:01 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Jimmy Page Message-ID: <l03130304b5404e02c970@[208.13.202.248]> >All: > >1: Led Zeppelin was playing the blues on their early >albums. > >2: Jimmy Page did play on some early Kinks records, >but he covered *Ray's* parts, not Dave's. > >Al Contrary to popular belief, "You Really Got Me" was not one of them, though he did play rhythm guitar on some of the tracks on the first album. I'd have to check my copy of Dave's autobiography for the specifics. It was a common practice to thicken the sound with studio players in those days, though most often it was pianist Arthur Greenslade in the Kinks case who was used.(who is definitely on YRGM too) Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html "A Great law protects me from the government. The Bill of rights has 10 GREAT laws. A Good law protects me from you. Laws against murder, theft, assault and the like are good laws. A Poor law attempts to protect me from myself." - Unknown
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 10:14:17 +0200 From: "Clinton, Martin" <martin.clinton@dnb.no> Subject: Lambrettas Message-ID: <200005120812.BAA07248@deliverator.sgi.com> Dear all, Jim Smart wrote: >Anybody heard of an early eighties band called the Lambrettas? I never actually saw their album and don't know it's name. My >friend had a cassette someone had taped him. My band back then did a couple of the songs, and i recall that they were very good. >It was a poppy, mod/Squeeze/Joe jackson sort of thing, as I recall. Probably British. Anyone? Weren't they the band that did that song "You need wheels"? The second line being "If you wanna make deals". I remember this from an old edition of Top of the Pops, around the time groups like the Purple Hearts etc. were all trying to get into the charts on the back of Paul Weller's fish tail Parka. I would imagine that all these bands are now currently along with Spinal Tap in the "Where are they now?" file. Sorry I can't help with the Lambrettas album title by the way! Martin
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 07:09:59 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Glass Eye Message-ID: <l03130305b54052b8e4c1@[208.13.202.248]> >Glass Eye. another Austin band that kind-of reinvented music, on their >own terms. amazing live, as well. One watershed cd can still be found in >the used bin occasionally- Bent By Nature I gotta admit, they sound like nobody else; last I heard the various members were still active individually in the Austin music scene. Brian Beattie alone qualifies for sainthood for putting up with producing The Dead Milkmen for three albums in a row. My personal anthem: "I Don't Need Drugs(To Be Fucked Up)." Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html "A Great law protects me from the government. The Bill of rights has 10 GREAT laws. A Good law protects me from you. Laws against murder, theft, assault and the like are good laws. A Poor law attempts to protect me from myself." - Unknown
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 07:04:30 -0400 From: "Stig" <rat-fink@mindspring.com> Subject: Monkees Message-ID: <000901bfbc01$d9e4c160$6201f7a5@grolen.com> Molly wrote: >Oh I have to add another album I listen to in it's >enterity, Anthology - The Monkees. It's a two disc >set, and it's just a great album. Some of the songs I >could picture Andy singing, especially a lot of the >songs Mickey Dolenz sings. I've quoted before an interview in which Andy says that the Monkees were his inspiration to want to be in a band; a sentiment that I share with him! I always kind of hoped that Andy would write some tunes for a Monkees reunion album. Listen to "Wrapped in Grey" and try to picture Mickey singing it. No, really... Is that weird? Cheers! Steve www.rat.fink.net
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 09:24:39 +0000 From: Simon_Auger@mandg.co.uk Subject: New Album - initial thoughts Message-ID: <002568DD.0031D043.00@mailgate.mandg.co.uk> Last night I was on line and moseyed on over to Amazon and found that they had excerpts from the first five tracks of the new album. To date I have avoided demos etc, with the exception of Stupidly Happy on the CD with this months Uncut (a real grower although at first I was a little non-plussed by it). Anyway, to return to my original point (you mean there is/was one). I had a quick listen and had the following thoughts. In the excerpt from In Another Life, I thought I heard some reference to flying pigs, could this be an oblique reference to the occassion when Colin was invited to tour with Pink Floyd (mid 80s I believe). Secondly, Boarded Up sounds so like Tom Waits circa Bone Machine. The whole percussive sound comes straight out of most tracks on that album. No wonder people find this track hard to fathom. For what its worth I'm a huge Tom Waits fan and have been for longer than I care to remember. Anyway, Bone Machine was one of his more extreme and uncommercial sounding albums, but in my opinion also one of his best, far better to the more recent Mule Variations, although that is also very good. That guy is so far out there now that he makes XTC look positively mainstream, something that I think we all wish they could be from a commercial and successful viewpoint, although maybe not from an artistic one. Anyway, I will cease this rambling now and go back the land of lurkdom and wait for the next two weeks to run down to the nearest music store etc. etc...... Simon
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 07:00:12 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Spike Jones Message-ID: <l03130301b541a14604e3@[208.13.202.145]> Ed K. wrote: >Spike Jones - Transcribed (a compilation of radio sessions). The only stuff >of his that I have on CD, but a great selection. My mother used to play 78s >of his stuff on Friday nights to keep me up until Monty Python would come on >at 11:30 (she placed a lot of importance on good comedy & thought it would >be good for me). If all you've ever heard is "Two Front Teeth", you owe it >to yourself to check out his really good stuff. Yes, it's all funny (those >of you who might get all snobby about "jokey music"), but this guy was a >genius. Spike Jones is just the bees knees- he's practically the only thing my Dad and I agree on musically, aside from Flanders and Swann. He grew up on Spike Jones like I grew up on Elton John and Queen, while I rediscovered him via a vinyl LP I found used for a dollar that collected a lot of his best stuff. His Christmas album is one of the few Christmas albums I'll listen to voluntarily; though some of it is goofy novelty songs (including "Two Front Teef.")much of it is surprisingly straight Xmas chorus stuff, just heartfelt enough to avoid being treacly. My Dad has a couple of Monty Python cassettes he'll usually bring down to his summer property in New Hampshire with him, so that we'll have something else we both enjoy. Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 15:25:09 GMT0BST From: "A D Higginson" <plysadh@nottingham.ac.uk> Subject: O&L Message-ID: <391C2254.30262.17822B@localhost> Organization: The University of Nottingham I don't know what's going on with all this rubbishing of O&L (not mentioning any names as i don't want to start a virtual fight) but there are some astounding tracks on there, especially compared to stuff before english settlement where nothing really jumps out from the album and hits you. Take - Across this Antheap, possibly the most underated track to have ever been recorded, or Poor Skeleton, Scarecrow, Pink Thing, Hold me to name the top ones. Okay the production is dodgy, and colin had started his bad phase but for tracks that make you stop what you're doing and sit looking at the player in with a dazed smile it's probably the best. Or perhaps i haven't listened to it as much as those around it.... adh
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 10:21:19 -0500 From: "Jan C. Harris" <wow@bluemarble.net> Subject: Rising to the top Message-ID: <055901bfbc26$68da9d80$8da6f5d0@janstrigem> Just listened to O&L and ES back to back. O&L is still floating to the top tier. I hear lots of controversy hear about Black Sea. It's not one I have, or even have seen. Care to bash a newbie around with some information as to why this album is so polarized among the fans? JanCarol wow@bluemarble.net www.bluemarble.net/~wow
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 14:24:45 +0000 From: np80@columbia.edu Subject: The Orchid Show Message-ID: <200005121425.KAA05208@kachifo.cc.columbia.edu> Dear Chalkers, I am writing to let you know the latest news on The Orchid Show, The Neta Dance Company's collaboration with XTC. [Visit our website to see the] press-release for our Kitchen show, in New York city. June 15-18, 2000. Please let other XTC fans know about this special project. Thank you and see you at the kitchen. Jason Marchant The Neta Dance Company What: The Orchid Show, (World Premiere), a unique collaboration between The Neta Dance Company, and the English rock band, XTC. When: June 15, 16, 17, 2000 at 8:00PM (Thursday - Saturday). June 18 (Sunday) at 3PM & 8PM. June 15 (sold out) & June 17 Post Performance Discussions Where: The Kitchen, 512 West 19th Street, NYC. Tickets: $20 General Admission Reservations and tickets: (212)255-5793, Ext#11 More Information: The Neta Dance Company at: www.netacompany.org
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 10:40:21 EDT From: RiknBkr@aol.com Subject: One track albums Message-ID: <35.5161497.264d71d5@aol.com> >Now it looks as if someone needs to start a thread about albums you can >only listen to one track on but you've inexplicably kept! OK, here goes, Artist, LP title and song: Starclub - "Starclub"- Hard to get Ian McCullogh - "Mysterio" - close your eyes Milltown Brothers - "Slinky" - Which way should I jump The High - "Somewhere Soon" - Box Set go Husker Du - "Candy Apple Grey" - Sorry Somehow
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 09:00:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Danks <bdanks@rocketmail.com> Subject: Re: Lost (becomes a rant) Message-ID: <20000512160017.15256.qmail@web2905.mail.yahoo.com> Hi all - Been awhile since I posted, but my speed reading chops have been kept intact keeping up with almost all digests. Another Brian wrote on the X thread: >About X - I got into them from the review of their >album 'Under The Big Black Sun' in Rolling Stone >Magazine (the same forum by which I disovered >XTC, with their review of 'English Settlement'), and >I have come to appreciate them. As for why they've >been forgotten: it's our chew-it-up-spit-it-out-and->demand-something-new-NOW culture that has caused >this... I'm not surprised... Here reporting from Huntington Beach CA that X and the members thereof are alive and well and have stayed vital to the LA music scene lo these many years. They just played at a benefit for the late great Dennis Danell, founding member of Social Distortion who passed in February. Billy Zoom was even there and they proved that they are definitely not ready for VH-1's death knell. John Doe is doing The John Doe Thing, Exene has released a few solo albums, a spoken word album and published a great book on the Persian gulf war in '92 along with photojournalist Kenneth Jarecke. As mentioned Billy Zoom played at the benefit, is playing with X at 2 gigs I know of here in Southern Cal at the end of May and he happens to run an amp repair shop over in Orange. I'm not sure what D.J. Bonebrake (the best name for a drummer I ever heard) has been up to all these years, but he is playing with X now. Also apologies to the last Gentle Giant commentator, I'm not sure who you were but maybe this is the web site you lost: http://www.blazemonger.com/GG/ and if not it is a pretty informative site concerning one of the great bands of all time. They got lumped in with prog rock bands in the 70s but they were so much more than that. Some of the best musicians I ever had the joy to see and listen to. I have also been bemused at the recent (though it has thankfully died somewhat) thread of "overrated XTC album." Though I usually cringe at such lists, someone I have admired for years, Al Kooper, has a little corner of cyberspace and on this page: http://www.alkooper.com/hot100.html Al lists his 100 greatest recordings of all time. Now it is his list, and everybody's got 'em, but anyway #72 reads: 72. ANY ALBUM - XTC Readers choice - They're all great for one reason or another. I lean towards "Black Sea" and "Oranges & Lemons". Or is that "Skylarking" or "Drums & Wires?" Ahhhh nevermind....... Now, there is the gist of the thing for me - they are <all great for one reason or another> Thanks for listenin' Brian D.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 11:57:10 -0500 From: "Jan C. Harris" <wow@bluemarble.net> Subject: A different angle to the Napster / Used CD Discussion Message-ID: <059001bfbc33$67b48120$8da6f5d0@janstrigem> John Hedges writes: <<The market for pre-recorded music has never been rock- solid, but it *has* made a lot of (non-XTC) people rich, hasn't it? Your comparison of used CD's with Napster leaves out three crucial factors: The first is that with used CD's you still have to actually buy them, using actual money. Napster represents totally-free (and more anonymous) distribution.>> I know that Napster is the primary cause for this discussion, as it is a newer (and more disturbing to the artists) trend. My analysis of this started years ago with the discussion of the "ethicality" of bootleg recordings. I have a brother who is in the print end of the music business. And when I asked him about bootlegs, and what he thought, he went on a tirade (graphic artists on these things get even >less< than the music artist. Even though their product is integral, they usually get paid a one-time fee.). But his tirade wasn't against bootlegs, it was against selling used CD's. He said that was the worst thing to happen to the artist. This led to a discussion of whether a CD is a product, or is it a service or contractual right? Can you sell a contractual right? Not as easily as you can a product. We've been treating CD's as products for years. Napster treats music as a service to be traded freely. In a local rag (Indianapolis Nuvo) I was reading about the effect of MP3's on smaller bands - the ones who hope to make it big by spreading their music around on the internet. The net result was - the music may have been downloaded, but it didn't sell any more CD's - in fact, it sold less than if it were radio promoted and offered in stores. i.e., MP3's were not an effective promotional tool. That might be different with known bands. I know several people who use Napster to sample what they might want to buy and then make the decision and go and buy the CD. But I probably know >more< kids (among others!) who download their MP3's into their MP3 player, or burn their own CD's. One thing is sure - it's decriminalized for now, but the powers that be, the status quo, aren't too keen on it. Unfortunately, Napster has gone and made themselves a "company" which can be sued, unlike many other trade sites. JanCarol wow@bluemarble.net www.bluemarble.net/~wow
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 18:06:21 +0100 From: Philip Lawes <pjl@plextek.co.uk> Subject: What happened to the lambrettas Message-ID: <s91c4843.039@plextek.co.uk> Jim Smart wrote >Anybody heard of an early eighties band called the Lambrettas? Weren't Roland & Curt from Tears for Fears originally in the Lambrettas? If it wasn't them it was some other late 70's mod band. Phil
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 11:41:56 -0500 From: "Jan C. Harris" <wow@bluemarble.net> Subject: what's in, what's out Message-ID: <057a01bfbc31$f71aa080$8da6f5d0@janstrigem> Ed K writes: <<I can't really see where on AV1 these might have fit, and as far as the new one goes, judging from demos & preview snippets, I don't know of a bad song in the bunch, so I can't think of what would go to make room. >> Would anything have to go? It's only a 51 minute CD (though I don't have one yet). JanCarol wow@bluemarble.net www.bluemarble.net/~wow
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 09:50:30 -0700 (PDT) From: brown <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: cutting edge technology and fandom Message-ID: <200005121650.JAA08755@mail2.deltanet.com> Tejas Jill, you teased me with- <<The thought of you (or alternatively your young son) holding an antenna in the air like the Statue of Liberty to hear the XTC interview on radio station 103.1 in Santa Monica, California simply pains me. The rest of us (from around the world) listened to the show on our computers! Sorry, guess we forgot to tell you...>> ...yes, yes, interview on the web and all.. In the morn I work on accts. via home computer, but as a rule, I can't get near the damn thing in the afternoons. Any-who, I really did want an old fashioned audio tape of the whole event. Perhaps I did sound a bit, shall we say... giddy?... you must understand that I am a relative newcomer to the XTC band wagon, so I did get a large charge outta hearing our fellows chitty-chatting, right in my living room, so to speak. I'm glad you enjoyed the image of this foolish woman, doing her best Statue impression! :D Right hand over heart and repeat after me... Oh say can you see... Sincerely, Debora Brown p.s.- Maybe it was just me.. it's easy to cast a pebble when you're on the outside, peeking in... but still... I got the idea Nicole(DJ) wasn't really that interested in the whole XTC shebang. I guess all other interest pales in comparison to a devotee on a chair, eh?---
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 13:46:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Joe Hartley <jh@brainiac.com>
Subject: Quark and a plug
Message-ID: <200005121746.NAA10053@metheny.brainiac.com>
> Radio is where television was before the advent of cable. While a lot of the
> same crap still plays on television in the US there are a couple of stations
> (sci-fi, TNT) that have revived programs like Quark (although that particular
> Buck Henry delight hasn't shown up there as far as I know).
This is bizarre; I was talking to someone about this show on Tuesday.
Hadn't seen or heard a mention of it for years before this.
Re: the state of radio - it sucks. It's more about the money than the
music, and it has to be, to a degree, since it takes a lot of money to
own and run a transmitter.
The alternative is almost here - Internet radio, once it figures out
how to carve its niche, is going to be pretty important. It needs to
get beyond batches of uploaded MP3s and rebroadcasts of radio stations.
Try checking out a new station tooled specifically for the net at
http://www.eargazm.com/ There's a live show happening every other week,
and lots of good stuff in rotation, including plenty of XTC.
======================================================================
Joe Hartley - UNIX/network Consultant - jh@brainiac.com
Without deviation from the norm, "progress" is not possible. - FZappa
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 18:34:42 +0100 From: "chris browning" <chris@boodle.fsnet.co.uk> Subject: MOJO et al Message-ID: <005701bfbc3a$646aa920$a84d883e@pbncomputer> hey! the new issue of MOJO gives Wasp Star a rave review - even better than AV1 etc etc, heaping praises on it and making me absolutely drown in drool at the prospect....there is also a rather lovely tiny interview with mr partridge on the subject of zoom lollies and the bubblegum project with a list of the names they were going to use. had me grinning all afternoon... also like to echo john voorhees recommendation of trying out our very own skylar king's MP3 page. it is *superb* stuff! tara crisp
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 08:00:28 -1000 From: "Jim Smart" <jismart@ksbe.edu> Subject: will they ever like us, men? Message-ID: <391C46BB.2DCCFCFC@ksbe.edu> Organization: 3Tripper <read with Troy McClure voice> Hi! My name is Jim Smart. You may remember me from such posts as "Dear Satan, sorry to disturb you but..." and "Promotional Obituary (the investigation into the mysterious death of Love). Today I'm here to tell you about a new album that has the following eerie similarity to XTC's Wasp Star: It has 12 songs on it. Amazing, isn't it? <back to regular voice> OK, time to come clean. The band in question is called "3Tripper", and I'm in it. Our new album "Waituke" is all ready to take the world by storm. It even has a cover of an XTC song on it. Those Chalkers interested in the new indie music revolution can visit http://www.mp3.com/3tripper. Waituke costs $6.00 plus about $2.00 shipping and handling. Here's what you get: *songs that are, well, songs. Songs with juicy hooks, verses, choruses, and middle bits; 3Tripper is aware of the structural "rules" of pop music, but unafraid to break them if the song calls for it. Songs that aren't preachy or overly repetitive. No mushy love songs or long new age tales about unicorns and wizards. Songs that are loud, thrashy and angular, songs that are quiet and reflective, songs that are about something, and not empty vacuous pieces of crap. Songs that are 3 or 4 minutes long, and often tell a little story or have a point to them. * lead electric guitars appear in bursts that are short and to the point. this is *not* some wanker playing his ten minute Grateful Dead style guitar solos into a Fostex in his dorm room. *Two different vocalists whose distinctive styles keep things interesting. I sing lead on half the songs, and my bandmate Dave leads on the other half. We both slather on the harmonies wherever possible on all 12 songs. *heavy electric guitars interspersed with piano or acoustic guitars, melodic bass, thrashing drums, with flutes and horns sprinkled on like candy in places. *drum performances that would *never* leave one asking, "is that a drum machine?" *Songs that sound quite professional, but are clearly not made by corporate raiders in a fancy recording studio. There's a home spun quality to it, a little rough around the edges. Three ways to get the CD: 1. order it directly from the web site with your credit card 2. send me a check for $8.00 and I'll mail it to you 3. Trade me a CD of your own band. I would like to get something similiar, meaning something with nice packaging, around 45 minutes worth of music, something very well done. Something original. I wrote the all the songs except one, a cover of Merely a Man. 3Tripper has its own sound, but was influenced by the following artists: Musical influences: XTC, Kinks, Crowded House, Beach Boys, The Who, Beck, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Radiohead, Spike Jones, Jellyfish, Adrian Belew, The Eels, World Party, the Zombies, REM, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, Joe Jackson, Bob Dylan, David Byrne, Jason Faulkner, The Clash, Blur, Neil Young, Fountains of Wayne, Squeeze, and the Beatles. Above all my songwriting is influenced by Ray Davies. I was lucky enough to attend the week long songwriting course he taught in Devon, England a few years ago along with my friend and fellow Chalker Mitch Friedman. All of the songs on Waituke were written after the course, and it's Ray's high standards that I try to live up to more than anyone else's. You can preview songs, read the lyrics, and see photos of the band at http://www.mp3.com/3tripper The band gets half the money if you order a CD, and even gets a little each time you listen to the songs on the web site. Though the expenses far outweigh the income, every little bit helps. So, if you're interested, take a walk on the indie side, check out the site, and maybe order the CD. If not, no problemo! Thanks for reading. Jim "now back to our regularly shed-yuled program" Smart
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