Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 2
Date: Tuesday, 4 January 2000

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 2

                 Tuesday, 4 January 2000

Today's Topics:

                        xtc icons
              Darlin', it's The Free Design
                        Re George
             Come on in - the water is fine!
                    Re: Going to Hell
                Whatever happened to Fish?
                        ramblings
                  One more for the list
           Oh Cripes! Not drugs again! (no xtc)
                         Do tell
                        crocodile
                         Tempted
                     Best of the 90s
           How XTC rated in Austin, TX in 1999
                How Is Nonsuch Pronounced?
                   Notes From Fintasia
             re: The Little Express (Canada)
                        The Best!

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A bed is creaking as the new messiah comes.

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

From: CapnEndo@aol.com
Message-ID: <0.ba2bd6d5.259efcac@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 01:46:04 EST
Subject: xtc icons

Hey fellow fan

 I have downloaded graphics and made a few xtc icons that I would like to
share if anyone has interest.  They are made for the windows platform in
bitmap form and have a readme file attached for newbees.  If interested
email.

Happy New Year
Tom

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

Message-ID: <386F707A.89E@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2000 07:36:26 -0800
From: awa <errora@earthlink.net>
Subject: Darlin', it's The Free Design

> From: pancho artecona <partecona@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Until I Die

> First, 2 questions and an observation: 1- what came
> first, The Beach Boy's 'Darlin'' or 'Because" by the
> Beatles? 2- same for "then she appeared" vs "There she
> goes" by The La's.....they each seem to owe a lot to
> each other. Observation- does anyone else hear the
> germ for everything that Stereolab has done in the
> Beach Boy's song "Until I Die". I know I do.

"Because" came about because John was listening to Yoko playing
"Moonlight Sonata" at the piano.  He started to get some ideas and
wanted her to play it backwards.  This was in 1969.

"Darlin'" was released in 1968 on the Beach Boys' "Wild Honey" record.
It was an updated, lyrically changed song that Brian had originally
given to his wife Marilyn and her vocal group The Honeys a few years
before that.  To me, "Wild Honey", in general, sounds like where a lot
of '70s pop, especially early '70s Elton John, got much inspiration
from.

I have a very extended version of "Til I Die" from the unreleased "lost"
Beach Boys record called "Landlocked".  It has a very long, slow, trippy
marimba-ish instrumental beginning which sounds EXTREMELEY Stereolab.
That's a good point.  Adventures In Stereo is another easy
listening-meets-electropop-meets-Beach Boys band with deadpan female vox
on top.

There's also the '60s Psychedelic vocal group called The Free Design
that Stereolab have borrowed so heavily from, it seems that someone owes
someone some coins.  Maybe not.  Stereolab do have a track on their new
album called "The Free Design".  I guess that's enough.  Definitely look
for some Free Design to hear Stereolab in the late '60s. Seriously.

It's cool that there are XTC fans who appreciate Stereolab.  I wonder
what Andy and Colin think of them.  I bet they sound too "borrowed" and
unoriginal for Andy to tip his hat even slightly.

Lotsa love,

Alec

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

Message-ID: <001f01bf5560$e8d72b20$59fcabc3@default>
From: "David Seddon" <D.Seddon@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re George
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 20:35:27 -0000

Michael said:

Can you believe he was stabbed yesterday (Thursday)? He's going to be OK,
they say, but damn.
Who'd have thought it...

Yes, I would think it.  There are a lot of nutters loose in this country
since successive governments have followed a policy of letting them roam
free in society instead of either locking them up or keeping very strict
tabs on them.  It's all about saving money, but they dress it up as a
liberty and freedom argument.  The same is true in schools, where violent
and disruptive kids can't be placed into special schools, because they have
to be "integrated".

Celebrity stalking is becoming a bigger and more frightening thing.  Pop,
film and tv stars are very vulnerable.  I suspect that Jill Dando was
probably killed by an obsessed fan.  The fab four seem to be amongst the top
targets for crazed people who believe themselves on a mission.

Thank heavens George is alright.  One thought that I had was that if it had
been in America, the nutter would have had a gun and George would not be
with us anymore.
In this country at least nut-cases can't get hold of a gun so easily!!

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

Message-ID: <3870005D.BCF@gte.net>
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2000 18:50:22 -0700
From: "May O'Mahoney" <may5272@gte.net>
Subject: Come on in - the water is fine!

Happy New Year Chalkettes!

What an incredible show the world put on!  I was pleasantly suprised.  I
was also amused at the groups of bored law enforcement in my town,
shuffling their feet like they wanted something to do.

Damn you Harrison!  Always got an obnoxiously good question to pose.
Why hasn't XTC turned to shit?  I think there are many factors
contributing to this, but the one that stands out for me is the fact
that they seem to stay true to themselves.  I've always enjoyed them
because they speak from a voice that is unwavering.  A voice that says,
"Fuck you if you don't like us - we aren't afraid to create EXACTLY what
we want."  It's inspiring when a group celebrates the fact that they are
different and HONESTLY (we can discern the fakes and the shams) don't
give a rat's ass about the 'PUBLIC' or whatever they call that evil
concotion record company execs conjure up in the basement by extracting
the slime from Jerry Springer shows.

And it's not just ideology alone - you can HEAR it in their music - the
whimsical wanderings that only come from a band that creates what they
want.  That's AWESOME.

Bands that 'turn to shit' are much like your ex-best friend in junior
high that 'dumped' you in favor of a more popular crowd.  It sickened
you to watch what was once a funny, intelligent, unique person turn into
a cariacature of what they thought the popular crowd wanted.  Plug in
'band' and 'record company' for 'ex-best friend' and 'popular crowd'.

As far as THINGS in general going to shit - that's a matter of mood.

Love and kisses,
May Geek At Heart O'Mahoney

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

From: WTDK@aol.com
Message-ID: <0.4502d9b1.25a17bf8@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 23:13:44 EST
Subject: Re: Going to Hell

Re: Harrison's comments about the 1971 Beatles turning " to shit" . There
was no one to say "No, really John (or Paul, etc.) that's a piece of
shit". They said it to each other often enough to keep the quality of
their music fairly high during their brief, but brilliant musical career.

Why hasn't that happened to XTC? Andy, Colin and Dave probably did the
same thing. With just Andy and Colin I don't doubt that this still
occurs. That's the value in having a collaborator who can be honest with
you. When John, Paul, George and Ringo went solo they surrounded
themselves with "yes men" who told them that everything they touched was
golden. Since the public bought it, I'm sure they believed it.

Wayne

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

Message-ID: <387025BC.8C2C65FD@home.com>
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2000 23:29:51 -0500
From: Mark Newberg <mhnewberg@home.com>
Organization: @Home Network
Subject: Whatever happened to Fish?

It was while in college in upper sate New York that one of my roommates
asked me to go to a concert with him. I had never heard of the band
Marrillion, but Ted said they were a good band and so I went.

The lead singer/lyricist was a pudgy man named Fish. His lyrics were quite
marvelous and thought provoking.

In later years, I bought a Marillion live cd 'The Thieving Magpie' (I gave
it away to a girl who got her stripper's name from their most successful
hit here in the US - but that is neither here nor there.) It was a good
album. I especially liked the songs 'Sugar Mice' (to my European friends:
What are Sugar Mice?) and 'All The Best Freaks Are Here'.

I know Marrillion is still around with a new lead singer, but what did
happen to Fish?

Mark N.

------------------
The disappointed all congregate at my house.

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

Message-ID: <38705E51.1C914974@gte.net>
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 00:31:17 -0800
From: Randy Hiatt <rhiatt@gte.net>
Subject: ramblings

Hi all, can't keep up with the posts so I hope I didn't miss anything
good... hope you all had some good time off.

I had a Newyearseveparty and (being the technoid that I can be) tripped
the circuit breakers just after midnight. My kids and I had this running
bet, they wanted Y2K to wipe out their school for 3 months and I said
nothing would happen.   I should have had a infa-red video going, I
could have won $$ on America's Home Video's.  But I don't recommend this
type of behaviour.

Christopher R. Coolidge said:  "I nearly had the honor of meeting Abbie
Hoffman back in the
mid-80's".

Your post made me search out my (now) long lost cassette of Hoffman,
Leary, & Hunter Thompson at a UW lecture here in Seattle way back
when... it was so long ago they didn't put the date on the ticket stub I
have stuck to my cork board.  I may still have the tape... somewhere
lost in my garage (I move too much).  It was a lively free for all,
Hunter came 45+ min late, and carried a gallon of whiskey, ice chest and
glasses on stage, sat down and proceeded.  I heard he even got a permit
to do so at his lectures.

Harrison(?) said:  "If the 1966 Beatles can turn to 1971 shit, then
anything can.

So why is it that XTC *never* has?"

Small scale is my guess.

The "red dwarf" talk got me to pull out HitchHikers Guide To The Galaxy
video series the other night, that's still a hoot and a must see...(had
a blast of Cult Classics this xmas break) that triggered Atomic Cafe
(I'd like to watch this with my dad)...

...and then the search for Koyaanisqatsi.  That's a movie to own.  In my
search I discovered it no where to be found/rented or bought.  This
movie is being held up by legal hassles and the producers are trying to
get the big cheezes to let it go so DVD's and such can be created for
sale and distribution.  The story smacks of the XtC parallel.  Check out
their web page and if your lucky enough to live near the live tours
(Philip Glass) you must see it (it's just like an acid trip... oops...
ignore that).  http://www.koyaanisqatsi.com/index.html

david oh said:  sometimes, dom, what you write is funny, but mostly it
smacks of arrogance.

It's that heavy metal thing (gotta keep up that image) makes the black
leather look better, that probably wouldn't fit in as well at a Monkeys
convention.  Actually read his web page and you'll see that his posts
are probably tame.

What's the status (if any) of a fan XtC cover CD/tape... like those of
years past?

Randy
http://members.tripod.com/RandyHiatt/

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

Message-Id: <v04210100b4964253a51c@[208.13.202.237]>
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 07:14:54 -0500
From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net>
Subject: One more for the list

At 9:02 AM -0800 1/2/00, "Christopher R. Coolidge"
<cauldron@together.net> wrote:
>12. Bob Dylan- Time Out Of Mind
>13. John Cale- Walking On Locosts
>15. Concrete Bloinde- Mexican Moon

   Just noticed I'd forgotten #14, so I'd go with Supersuckers'
Must've Been High for that one. Oh, for goodneth thake...Happy New
Year!

Christopher R. Coolidge

Homepage at
http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html

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

Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 09:01:54 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id: <200001031701.JAA25659@mail2.deltanet.com>
From: brown <mb2@deltanet.com>
Subject: Oh Cripes! Not drugs again! (no xtc)

Sorry to rehash (no pun intended, o.k. well maybe just a little) the worn
out topic of drugs.. but some of you puff mongers, and you know who you are,
may wish to check out a documentary film by author and hemp promoter, Jack
Herer, titled 'Emperor Of Hemp'.  In the film, Jack attempts to uncover a
big biz/gov conspiracy against the legalization of hemp.  A little food for
thought... or if you prefer, load it into your favorite bong and toke up...

Truckin' like the doo-dah man,

Debora 'grow some funk on your own, amigo' Brown

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

Message-Id: <v04003a02b49680246e5c@[144.92.181.47]>
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:43:05 -0500
From: maggie jungwirth <mmjungwi@facstaff.wisc.edu>
Subject: Do tell

hillers,
first off- *thank you all*  for an entertaining & informative first
(almost) year of Chalkhills.  so great to touch minds with thems that
appreciate genius.
Some fav xtc moments-
-the moog synth/bass in Somnambulist, esp. under "air leaving slow".  to
die for...
-all of Nigel
-"like a bug in brandy in this big bronze cup"
-"snipping, snipping, snipping goes the sissors man..."
-synergy/transition between Rainy Day & 1000 Umbrellas
-the move up a key in Great Fire
-the rocking of All You Pretty Girls/"the more I have to drink, the more
that I can think to sayyey.."
-the f'in profoundness of Seasons Cycle
-big tough boooam in Roads Girdle the Globe
-the cacophany at the the of Deliver Us from the Elements
-all of Pink Thing
_credenza? after Mermaid "smiled...." that looks like *
-BAAAA! (as in Living thru Another Cuba)
-Violin swell/underlying rhythm of Can't Own Her
-Erotic images of Easter Theatre
-Dear God- 'nuf said.
-all of Andy's grunt's, arrrghs, mmms, deep breaths and "vocal decorations"
_and of course, "crawling the wallpaper that's looking more like a roadmap
to misery"

only to name a few few few-
t.b.c.

i have not been privy to unreleased xtc material that some of you have, and
some of you have seem to have prior knowledge of the songs that will be on
AV2.  Would any of you care to venture a explanation/review/background of
the songs that maybe on AV2, so I may know a bit of what to expect? please?
i would be most interested to hear what you all can tell me about the songs
to be on AV2.

***************
  ************
         maggie
under mats of flower lava

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

Message-ID: <20000103211357.22456.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "garret harkawik" <funktaisia@hotmail.com>
Subject: crocodile
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 16:13:57 EST

I just relized that Andy missuses the word jealous in the song crocodile
when he sings: "No you won't make me jealous That she left me for him"
because jealousy, despite popular belief, does not mean envy.  It means that
you have something that other people want, so you would gaurd that thing
with jealousy.

Garret Harkawik

"The more fear that someone has adds to their potential courage"-Tim o'Brien

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

From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 21:18:45 +0100
Subject: Tempted
Message-Id: <20000103201623.30CDDA6CE2@mail.knoware.nl>

Dear Chalkers,

Looking for the perfect gift for that special friend who is crazy about
XTC?
(me! me! me?)

Todd Rundgren fabled old studio gear is up for sale on eBay now,
citing Skylarking as one of many classic albums recorded with it.

So, If you have some loose change left in your pockets, take a look
at this URL:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=229946759

Tempting, innit?

yours in xtc,

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

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

Message-Id: <200001032018.MAA19399@penguin.prod.itd.earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 14:11:58 -0600
Subject: Best of the 90s
From: "Bob O'Bannon" <batchain@earthlink.net>

I've seen more "best of 99" lists than "best of the 90s," but I think the
latter is a more interesting consideration. Here is my Top 20 for the decade
just completed:

20. In on the Kill Taker -- Fugazi (93)
19. Dots and Loops -- Stereolab (97)
18. Woodface -- Crowded House (91)
17. American Recordings -- Johnny Cash (94)
16. Mock Tudor -- Richard Thompson (99)
15. Fountains of Wayne -- (self titled) (97)
14. A Go Go -- John Scofield (98)
13. All This Useless Beauty -- Elvis Costello (96)
12. Trompe Le Monde -- Pixies (91)
11. Apple Venus Vol. 1 -- XTC (99)
10. Cullen Bay -- Tannahill Weavers (90)
9. Comedy -- Paul Kelly and the Messengers (91)
8. Loveless -- My Bloody Valentine (91)
7. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road -- Lucinda Williams (98)
6. This Perfect World -- Freedy Johnston (94)
5. My Life -- Iris DeMent (94)
4. The Impossible Bird -- Nick Lowe (94)
3. Still Feel Gone -- Uncle Tupelo (91)
2. Bee Thousand -- Guided by Voices (94)
1. Other Songs -- Ron Sexsmith (97)

bob obannon

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

Message-ID: <1D5033F5A9C85E4C861F053E637CB89F0747C6@postal>
From: Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com>
Subject: How XTC rated in Austin, TX in 1999
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 15:26:01 -0600

I know you're dying to know how XTC rated in the KGSR radio
listeners poll for 1999 in Austin, Texas, so here it is:

"Apple Venus, Volume 1" was ranked the 25th best CD
"Greenman" was ranked 35th best song
** "I'd Like That," the single pushed by TVT, did not rank at all

http://www.kgsr.com/iTOOLincludes/8336.stm

If you check the web site, you may notice a lot of musicians
you've never heard of.  Most of these are Texas-based musicians
the radio station is very supportive of.  The poll also includes
votes for the Top 107 Artists of the Century--curious reading!

Enjoy!

Jill Oleson
Austin, Texas

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

Message-ID: <20000104012145.7875.qmail@web1106.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 17:21:45 -0800 (PST)
From: travis schulz <xtcisadarngoodband@yahoo.com>
Subject: How Is Nonsuch Pronounced?

Loved the best of 1999 cd lists you people came up
with- let's keep it going for a while longer!  I just
got Ben Folds Five's "Unauthorized" cd and it is
really stupendous. I'll have to see what the fuss is
all about on Oswley and Self- are they really that
good?  On another subject created out of boredom- is
Nonsuch pronounced "None-such"?  This is how VH1 said
it on the XTC- "Where Are They Now" segment (which I'm
glad I taped!). Webster(the dictionary, not the short
little Gary Coleman clone)has the "non" in nonsuch the
same as the "non" in nonsense.  But I could swear Andy
himself has pronounced it none-such in interviews.
Being my all time favorite album, it would be nice for
me know if I'm saying it right- I'm with Webster I
guess.  Happy belated New Year-buy the new Steely Dan
album on Feb 29th, and will Andy ever be on Space
Ghost???  Travis.

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

Message-ID: <20000104044931.25179.qmail@www0m.netaddress.usa.net>
Date: 3 Jan 00 20:49:30 PST
From: vee tube <veetube@netscape.net>
Subject: Notes From Fintasia

    I don't know where to begin!
 From the start? I won an all expenses
 paid 'Dream Vacation' to my homewater.

          FINTASIA!

     It was a 'Liquid Dream!'

  After much spawnage we gathered to bath
 our fins in the translucent after-glow of
      infinite instant Aquatasian F!

  And this was my FIRST day home! Well, eight
 infinte instant aquas later, I get back to
 Monkey Land and I have an E from Mr.Winky Fish!

   (yes the 'ballad of...' was just a dream)

  I will fill ya'a'll(?) in later. In the mean time
 I just want to say that...

 I don't know if this is the next,or last,or next to
 last, or last to next of anything! But I do know
   you can fillet me and fry me in Land'O'Lakes
 butter with fresh lemmon! And I will admit that...

 ...THE NINETEEN HUNDREDS ARE OVER!!!!!!!!!

                 }---:)

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

Message-ID: <387234B0.23EA@schoollink.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 09:58:08 -0800
From: dan phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
Organization: cic
Subject: re: The Little Express (Canada)

hey all,

just got a christmas card today from
june and pete dix of the little express
xtc newsletter out of canada.

wanted to let all interested know that
june told me in the card that issue
#43 coming soon will indeed be the last
one!!  they feel that the time is right
to bow out since the internet is basically
killing what they're trying to do.

sad, too, 'cos i really dug receiving tle!!
it was indeed an informative and very enter-
taining newsletter covering the activities
and "going's-on" of our andy, colin, dave,
terry, barry, and others...(martin newell,
dave yazbek, and even the occasional blegvad,
etc...)

plus, it encouraged and started quite a
few memorable friendships from around the
world for me as well!!

thanks for the past issues, june and pete!
good job and *very* well done!  you and tle
will indeed be missed...

tle, rip --

(waiting for av2 and warbles that are fuzzy...)

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

Message-ID: <38726B2F.72138A90@tmbg.org>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 16:50:39 -0500
From: Ben Gott/Loquacious Music <gott@tmbg.org>
Organization: http://listen.to/loquacious
Subject: The Best!

Gang,

XTC made CDNow's "Best of 1999" list...Here's the review, from CDNow's
weekly e-mail:

With their first release in seven years, XTC have returned to
the quirky, post-mod English pop sound that is the true focus
of their music.  Andy Partridge & Co. deliver an album of irreverent
and lyrically flowing tunes, such as "I'd Like That" and the
eerily Lennon-esque ditty "Knights in Shining Karma."

Yee hah!

-Ben

Happy birthday, Michael Stipe...

+----------------------------------------------------------------+
     Benjamin Gott . Loquacious Music . Brunswick, ME 04011
AIM: Plan4Nigel . Telephone (207) 721-5366 . Mobile (207) 798-1859
http://listen.to/loquacious      .      http://www.mp3.com/BenGott
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #6-2
*****************************

Go back to Volume 6.

5 January 2000 / Feedback