Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 226
Date: Sunday, 6 August 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 226
Sunday, 6 August 2000
Topics:
Graham Parker
Slow Motions
Moan Moan Groan
White Bird
Re: Politics and Pirating...
So
P.S.
RE: Napster (again)
Straight facts
Oh my god!
non-XTC content
apples and wasps. . .
That Four Letter Word
Uhhhh.......XTC?
Collections
A lot like you, and an awful lot like me!
Domo Arigato
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All this talk.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 08:39:45 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Graham Parker Message-ID: <l03130302b5b1c640ac6b@[208.13.202.94]> >> I'll start the bidding with Graham Parker. > >Never heard of him. What's the one-line >oversimplifying summary? > >The evil love child of Elvis Costello and Bruce >Springsteen takes a stab at being a soul singer. > >Actually, he's better than that, even though I've >found his work to be extremely uneven in terms of >quality. Don't really listen to him at all, actually. >any of his work I had was sold off when I moved last >time. That's an oversimplification. Graham got his record deal a year before Elvis, and has made more albums than Springsteen. He can be uneven, I find his 80's material as frustrating as The Kinks of the same period, he put out one great album during that decade(The Mona Lisa's Sister), most of the rest was kind of uneven, but each album has at least three or four great songs and others that seemed like a good idea at the time. He shares with Ray Davies an unwillingness to collaborate with other songwriters, and with Andy a tendency to get sabotaged by overproduction. He's been very consistent through the 90's, though- any of his 90's albums from '91's Struck By Lightning onwards are good solid singer-songwriter albums, sparingly arranged, even showing a sense of humor here and there, which was downright foreign to him until that point. Getting married and having kids must have mellowed him. Graham reminds me more of John Hiatt these days, since moving to Woodstock N.Y. with his family his material has become a lot more American sounding, like he's been jamming with The Band or something(most of whose remnants also live in Woodstock). His best album is still '79's Squeezing Out Sparks. Not a bad track on the album, though his first two albums Howling Wind and Heat Treatment are well-written slices of British soul, with a more pronounced Van Morrison influence than he's ever shown since. Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 16:00:58 +0900 From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: Slow Motions Message-ID: <004f01bffee6$734506e0$795791d2@johnboud> Somebody wrote a while back : >I know that the fims of Japanese director >Yosujiro Ozu are critically acclaimed, but I myself once had the >misfortune to sit through an entire screening of Ozu's "Tokyo Story". >I am still not yet fully recovered. >It is a film so oceanically dull that to call it a motion picture >compliments it beyond all reason; a film for which no synonym of >"boring" has yet been coined that can fully fathom it's utter, >brain-splitting tedium. By comparison, watching paint dry would >seem like a high-speed re-run of highlights of "Best Crashes of the >Indy-500". You know how they use strobe light and high-speed film > to slow >down a bullet in flight? Well if you did that to the growth of the >slowest growing lichen in the world, an Ozu film would make that >seem like >'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. One of the dangers of the Hollywood hallucination, to borrow a phrase from someone whose name I don't remember, is that other styles of movie-making don't measure up if that is the yardstick you use...and the marketing power of Hollywood tends to obliterate anyone who tries to make a film any other way...the only way to get a film seen (and a film, unlike a novel, which you can sit at your desk by yourself and write, has to be seen by paying customers if you ever hope to make another film) is to imitate Hollywood, the result being that what you get is usually an obvious imitation...Ozu deliberately made films slow, the same way that Shostakovich wrote slow music and Henry James wrote slow novels. If you don't like that sort of thing, then you don't like that sort of thing...while I'd go to a theatre and watch an Ozu film, I probably wouldn't put it on the video at home, because there's just too many things happening at home that would stop me from slowing down to its pace. XTC content : Congrats go out to Jon Rosenberger for snagging the autographs of E.I.E.I and Lord Cornelius ! You sly devil , Jon ... Sushiman
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 02:38:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Paul Wilkinson <cleanersvenus@yahoo.com> Subject: Moan Moan Groan Message-ID: <20000805093840.12510.qmail@web514.mail.yahoo.com> Yakkety Yak, I Wont come back. I used to enjoy my daily Chalkhill's digest, but now it's just long lists of peoples favourite bands. Hardly a mention of XTC or XTC related bands. Some of the comments are just so dumb I can't believe that you lot are intelligent enough to appreciate XTC's music. I suspect that you just like the sounds of your own voices. I'm off. I'm sure you won't miss me anyway as I have never been inspired enough to comment anyway. Shame. Top work though John, no reflection on you is to be implied. Paul Wilkinson
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 00:48:25 EDT From: Hbsherwood@aol.com Subject: White Bird Message-ID: <1e.8f787f5.26bcf699@aol.com> >From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com >Subject: And don't cry, baby, don't cry. > >Almost as bad but w/o the negative physiological > >effect is that horrid fusion shit they play during the > >local forcast on the Weather Channel. Sends me running > >for the mute button every time! > I hate to disappoint some of you folks, but a lot it is Pat Metheny. I'm just a-holding my tongue like nobody's bidness, yes sir, just a-whistling and a-lookin' at the wall, check out this speck o' dust over here in the corner, my my, just whatever you do don't pop up with that SHRIEKINGLY OBVIOUS CONCLUSION, just leeeeeeeave it alone, bub, yes sir yes sir.... > The [Byrds'] second peak was with Parsons and > the later Untitled album. BTW, I understand that the complete concert that > the live side of Untitled has been released, and it supposedly rocks! > Clarence at his best! Has anyone heard it? Yeah, Clarence White... No sir, you just don't get much more Guitar Godly than ol' Clarence. Jesus Christ, some people are just born with it all, you know? You can have your Jimis, Claptons, Pages, all them 60's gunslingers. You can keep your Djangos and your Kessels and your Montgomerys. I'll let you have your Doc Watsons and your Steve Howes and your Yngwies and your Danny Gattons. For me the Supreme Cheese that America Chooses, the Top Dog in the Cathouse, is Clarence White. I mean, shit FIRE! How many guitarists can you name--seriously, now, this is a challenge--how many guitarists can claim that they utterly revolutionized the entire role of the guitar in TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT genres--on, it must be quickly pointed out, both the acoustic and the electric flavors of my beloved instrument--before dying in a tragically stupid road accident at the hideously young age of 29? You listen to a bluegrass record from 1965, and another one from 1975, and you're going to hear an utterly transformed band. The 1965 band is going to consign the guitarist to the rhythm section, buttressing the bass on the beat, and chunking with the mandolin on "and." (Boom-CHUCK, boom-CHUCK, etc.) The instrument got no respect, mainly because it just wasn't loud enough to compete with the banjo and mandolin. Most often they handed guitar duties to the lead singer, so's he didn't have to think too hard while trying to remember lyrics. After Clarence and the Kentucky Colonels, nobody ever plays bluegrass guitar like that again. Clarence shows us how unbelievably fluid and graceful a bluegrass guitar solo can really be. Sure, he's getting help from modern sound-reinforcement technology, but if you've ever teased apart a Clarence White flatpick solo, see what he's got going on in the fingering department, it becomes immediately obvious that you're in the presence of Primitive Genius. Nowadays Tony Rice owns Clarence's beat-to-shit Martin D-28, and I think that's just about exactly right. If Clarence had been killed by a drunk driver in 1965 instead of 1973, his place in guitar history would be secure. But in '65, he heard Dylan, smoked some dope, and decided he really needed to try that electric guitar. He became obsessed, it is said, with trying to make a regular six-string guitar sound like a pedal steel, realizing (and this may really be his greatest insight) that the distinctive sound of country music was that of one guitar string being bent while another stays one one tone. (Think about it...minor third becoming a major--but *bending* into it, not hammering on, like in the blues: that's High, Wide and Lonesome, Merle!) He develops an electric lead style that is just an insane series of bends--single-stopped, double-stopped, hell, even *triple*-stopped--and basically invents what we now think of as country lead guitar. I shit you not, brethren and sistren: It begins with Clarence. When you hear a country band trading fours, or playing that totally stupid but totally necessary "Shave-and-haircut" ending, and the electric guitar goes into a series of alternating chromatic climbs and swooping bends, that's the ghost of Clarence White and none other. And when Keef plays that utterly filthy opening phrase of "Tumbling Dice," with the G string bending up a half-step against the stationary B string, that's Clarence too. (By way of Gram Parsons and Ry Cooder, but that's another story...) A-and when you hear a Telecaster weeping elegantly the way only a pedal steel is supposed to, that's Clarence too.... Gene Parsons, Clarence's partner in crime in Nashville West, the band they formed before being invited to join the Byrds in '68, worked with Clarence to invent the seriously loony StringBender, a device that is fitted to a Telecaster that allows you to bend the B and G strings by pulling against the guitar strap--much the same way that you can bend strings on a steel guitar by stepping on pedals. (http://www.stringbender.com/electric/default.html#0) The live portion of the Byrds' "Untitled" album Tom refers to is a showcase for this device. Clarence plays the Tele with banjo rolls--three-fingered pattern picking--and working the StringBender for all it's worth. Holy Christ, what hippie magnificence! What primitive beauty! What a nards-out jack-balling god-fueled fretmelting fuck-all adventure is Eight Miles High! That's America, buddy! You can read more about Clarence at http://www.byrdmaniax.com/byrds/Cwhite.html. Especially amusing is the tale of the backstage fisticuffs between Clarence and Gram Parsons at a joint concert of the Colonels and the Burrito Brothers. Clarence was killed in July 1973. He was buried in Joshua Memorial Park, in Lancaster, CA. Parsons was present at his funeral. He died two months later in the same spot. Harrison "Won't you please take me along/I won't do anything wrong" Sherwood
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 03:02:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Radios In Motion <radiosinmotion@iwon.com> Subject: Re: Politics and Pirating... Message-ID: <383001509.965458942142.JavaMail.root@web193-iw> I don't like getting into politics much because it seems whenever that comes into play, every hates you for one reason or another. Conservatives hate you if you say anything that they don't agree with and liberals and democrats are not much better because they feel everything they believe is right. I use to consider myself a democrat, then a liberal, now I am just a practicalist. I don't support any party. I do agree with you about Nader though. I feel Ralph Nader would be the best president in history based on his views on politics. Of course, I could be wrong, but why not give it a shot and vote you know! I don't consider it a waste. Here is politics to me: Conservative republicans are as close to Nazism as anything I have seen. Moderate republicans are pretty much the same, only they may have Black or Jewish friends. Democrats just want to kiss the conservative, moderate and liberal asses all at once, so they just act like whatever you want them to act like to get your vote. I would say that they are better then republicans, but I don't believe they are much better because at least republicans are honest about their feelings. Liberals are broken up into 2 categories. 1 category of liberals are just people who have a "Green Peace" or "Amnesty International" sticker on their Volvo or gray BMW. That pretty much sums up their feelings. They are just as conservative as George Bush but want to pretend they are the "We Are The World" generation. The other set of liberals believe that everything needs a reaction. For example, did you know an "Unwanted request for a date" is considered sexual harassment? Many also push for other stupid policies that I just don't think makes any sense. I guess when you boil it all down, I am somewhat of a liberal in my thinking, for the most part, but would never categorize myself as such. I believe in being practical, which is why I consider myself a practicalist. Speaking of liberal, Al & Tipper act so liberal, but they were and are the worst thing for freedom of speech. Those bitches fought to put stickers like "Occult" on records. That sounds like something a conservative would do! I bet the fool becomes are president. I just wont waist my vote for him the third time around.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 07:57:34 -0700 (PDT) From: Al LaCarte <allacarte@yahoo.com> Subject: So Message-ID: <20000805145734.18060.qmail@web1609.mail.yahoo.com> All: Peter Gabriel: "Prior to Graceland, the music of South Africa was largely unknown outside the country, except to a small minority of world music fans" notes fellow singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, who adds that "Graceland" was pathbreaking artistically as well as culturally. "The music at its best brimmed with life and emotion, and was charged with a blend of spirituality and sensuality. With his elegant composition and diffident obsevations, Paul Simon fused these elements with his own extraordinary songwriting skills. He produced an irresistable and classic album, which I have played many, many times." And, from KINGSTUNES: >Of course, that's just his *opinion*. Unless you wish to believe he suffered a momentary lapse of taste.< I'm so ashamed. When mere common-folk such as Duncan Kimball and Tom Kingston advise me that maybe I misjudged a record, it is easy for me to dismiss that particular opinion. But when the great Peter Gabriel proclaims "Graceland" to be a classic record? I had to go back and listen again. How could I have been so blind? (Or is it deaf?) Thank you Peter, Duncan and Tom. Thank you for helping me to rediscover and appreciate this lovely work-of-art. Al
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 07:58:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Al LaCarte <allacarte@yahoo.com> Subject: P.S. Message-ID: <20000805145856.18154.qmail@web1609.mail.yahoo.com> All: Not! Al
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 14:19:47 +0100 From: "Marc Wickens" <xtc-mailing@brzone.co.uk> Subject: RE: Napster (again) Message-ID: <LPBBIGMBOKAGPHECDJEPAEJJCAAA.xtc-mailing@brzone.co.uk> I'm a student. bearing that in mind: What would you do, a) buy an overpriced CD (lets face it, CDs are far too expensive IMO, especially old stuff (20 30 years) , surly bands have made their money by now?) or b) get it for free using Napster. - I still buy CDs because you can't (yet) get all the other extras you get with a CD, like the lyrics and additional information, it's also nice to have something to hold I your hand rather than a file on a disk. But CDs are overpriced, and I'm willing to for fit the extras to get the song for free. Also, many XTC songs are available from the record company's web site for free, I got 'I'd like that' and a whole host of other songs that were free and legal from yahoo's XTC category. As a musician, do you make your music because you enjoy it or because you want to make a million? Would you rather CDs were cheaper and more people got to here your music? On the point of software, companies have found ways of stopping (or at least minimizing) piracy, incapable CDs, licence keys etc. I think the music instantly should do the same and not fight against mp3, but harness the power of it. -- Regards Marc Wickens mailto:marc@mwic.co.uk http://www.mwic.co.uk
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 10:53:59 -0700 From: "Drew MacDonald" <drewmacdonald@mediaone.net> Subject: Straight facts Message-ID: <000c01bfff06$2300b9c0$ac841818@we.mediaone.net> None of these facts really belong here, but wrong info doesn't belong ANYWHERE, so here goes: "Frasier's" David Hyde Pierce (Niles), John Mahoney (Martin) and Dan Butler (Bulldog) are all gay. Butler talks about it -- loudly and at length -- the other two do not. So what? Mahoney is from Blackpool, but his American accent is damn near flawless, as any fan of his work can attest. Al Gore was indeed in the U.S. Army. Though he spent only six months of his service in Vietnam -- and then only as a public info journalist -- he was a full-fledged, full-term enlisted soldier, not a National Guardsman. Stretching for XTC content: Chalkhiller Mark Flora, who did the very fine cover-featured XTC interview in Amplifier magazine, just played with his band Florapop at the International Pop Overthrow festival here in LA. Though I couldn't make the show myself, all accounts give him a thumbs-up. Mark's fine music be heard at www.florapop.com Drew
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 14:40:47 -0400 From: MinerWerks <dminer@gte.net> Subject: Oh my god! Message-ID: <a04310100b5b20e66c641@[63.25.149.243]> Just wanted to share this wonderful experience with everyone... I recently became somewhat concerned that everytime I used my turntable, I was ruining records. So I learned how to set it up properly. Luckily, even though I found this turntable in a pile of stuff to be thrown out, it was in near-perfect working order and had a lot of nice features (everything adjustable!)... So now that I *finally* got everything set up in a somewhat proper fashion, I picked up a used copy of The Big Express on LP for $3. I compared "The Everyday Story of Smalltown" to the Geffen CD, and I was blown away!! I knew the mastering on the CD of this disc was pitiful, but now I have something nice to compare it to! Now, I don't want to mislead everyone to think that I'm ditching CDs for vinyl. There were still some minor annoyances upon listening. Mainly that the used LP I picked up had a ton of crackles. But the overall tone and punch of the song is much nicer than on CD!! Now I'll have to check out my vinyl copy of Apple Venus! At least from a small bit of listening when I bought it, it's virtually crackle-free! = Derek =
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 16:04:35 EDT From: Stroo@aol.com Subject: non-XTC content Message-ID: <36.9aa904a.26bdcd53@aol.com> I, like many others have recently written, am growing weary of the lack of XTC content found in these pages. To open my mail on a daily basis and find four new digests, with really no XTC content is defeating the purpose. Yes, I know where the page down key is, and it's all I have been using. And yes, I know I can unsubscribe any time I choose, but then I won't be informed when there is any real new news on the boys. The demos, the tour appearances, and many other items were directly the result of this service, I am am extremely grateful for that. I am only writing because I look forward to more of the same. I'll hang on for a while, and I don't mind the occasional off the subject thread, but to read about Frasier's brother's sexual orientation and the Republican National Convention in these pages is defeating the purpose. I have my flameproof suit on now, because I know I'm going to need it. It's your right, just as the above was mine. Bob
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 17:16:43 EDT From: Masookie@aol.com Subject: apples and wasps. . . Message-ID: <a9.9521d78.26bdde3b@aol.com> Oh, I don't know. Is anyone enjoying Wasp Star? When was the last time you listened to it in its entirety? I haven't yet listened to AV Vol I and then Wasp Star as a complete double album yet. Frankly I haven't had the time. >>i haven't stopped. . . i did the whole album trick the other night. . . they really do gel well together, (and i can't get 'stupidly happy' outta my head!). hey. . . ponder: white anglo saxon pop star that's it from me for now. . . m.a. sample
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 00:02:46 +0200 From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Subject: That Four Letter Word Message-ID: <20000805215649.4ED76A6CEA@mail.knoware.nl> Dear Chalkers, I'm free! Yep, i've been fired from my day job... now i finally have a chance to do lots more important stuff, like keeping up with Chalkhills. > Since Wire were operating at almost exactly the same time, and > released their debut album before "White Music" hit the shops, the > likelihood that XTC influenced Newman & Co is negligible. agreed. but of course they must have been aware of each other's work Talking Heads, XTC and Wire were usually thrown together by the media in those early days as representing the arty and intellectual side of Punk slash New Wave. We all know there was a sort of mutual recognition and even the odd collaboration tween our heroes and the Heads but as far as i know Wire always kept pretty much to themselves and were never really part of any scene apart from their own. Next, our friend Tyler Hewitt said: > I have the complete works of: > XTC me too! what a coincedence... Nothing else, but since i've got the entire XTC collection many times over; i don't need no other stinkin' music! No, wait... i've made a mistake. i also have all of Dave Gregory's solo albums :) Then someone started a new and quite interesting thread (gosh! what's next; a cure for the common cold?) > Music I used to annoy my parents Ahh yes! Sweet memories... there's nothing like an electric bassguitar or an analog synth plugged into a 200 Watt 4x12inch speaker "stack" to get them really going. What you play doesn't really matter as long as you crank up that Master Volume pot to 11. Then Ralph Simpson DeMarco said (and i quote): > When I first discovered Chalkhills, my favorite XTC album was Mummer. > [bit snipped] > You shouldn't say, 'it sucks' when 'I don't care for it' will do. it sucks. (sorry Ralph, please do not take this seriously. i'm just in a belligerent mood. I'm sure you and Mummer will be very happy together) yours in xtc, Mark S. @ the Little Lighthouse www.come.to/xtc
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 20:28:02 EDT
From: OMBEAN1@aol.com
Subject: Uhhhh.......XTC?
Message-ID: <aa.8d2c8ef.26be0b12@aol.com>
Has everybody given up already?
John done said...
Oh, I don't know. Is anyone enjoying Wasp Star? When was the last time you
listened to it in its entirety?
I dont know about everyone else, but I listen every day . I still love the
shit out of it.
As I said before , every damn note & word.
And then he done said again....
I still think that Church of Women should be a single; it's my favorite
song on the record; favorite song on the drums? We are all light!
I was driving home from work today & as SIFJ was playing, I was thinking how
simple but cool the drums were. I was then going to pose the question --
"what song on WS has the best drumming" & by cracky, John the Drummer
answered it before I could ask. Damn , thats kooky.
Roger, over & out.
p.s. I heard Greenman at The Home Depot the other day. Not only do they pay
me , they entertain me.
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 03:17:25 EDT From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com Subject: Collections Message-ID: <df.821e155.26be6b05@aol.com> Artists I have extensively collected: The Beatles The Byrds Steely Dan Joni Mitchell Joe Jackson Gentle Giant XTC Simon & Garfunkel Paul Simon Peter, Paul & Mary Traffic The Doors Cream Ben Folds Five John Lennon Jefferson Airplane The Police Firesign Theater These I have complete collections or I'm within an album or two of completion. There are several who I've collected major portions of their catalogues, but I'm missing portions either because I didn't follow their entire careers or their volume was too big to get everything yet. They include: CSN (& Y) Led Zeppelin The Who Elvis Costello The Kinks Frank Zappa Stevie Wonder Donovan Genesis Moody Blues Yes Spirit Weather Report Oregon The Band Clannad The Kinks Thomas Dolby Jeez, I'm such a boomer! Sorry. Strange thread. I find that this list does not always reflect my alltime favorite artists. I like the Doors, but these days I might not get the whole catalogue (for example). And P,P & M I picked up from my brother, buying later albums out of curiousity. Which leads me to another thread idea - How about artists that you would always buy their next offering, unheard, whether it sucked or not? (In other words, you haven't given up on them.) My list: XTC Joni Mitchell Joe Jackson John Prine Ben Folds Five (What! No Paul Simon? Well, someone sent me a tape copy of his last fiasco, Songs From The Capeman, and I proceed with caution now. What was that about? Could be he's done. Dunno. But I'd want to hear anything he does first before I get it now.) Tom K
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 02:16:30 EDT From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com Subject: A lot like you, and an awful lot like me! Message-ID: <79.7db236f.26be5cbe@aol.com> Illustrious Chalktributers, >You are right, at least until I slide to hell on >Satan's sled, where I'm sure they'll be playing >"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" for eternity. You mean, of course, in the Ghetto of Beautiful Things? :-) I apologize for being arrogant. I apologize for suggesting ignorance. That was not nice of me. But you left yourself wide open for response with your original comment. I have found that the danger of opinion forums such as Chalkhills is that folks will blithely issue comments regarding art, both praise and scorn, that will inevitably draw strong responses from an opposing viewpoint. It's a double-edged sword, and one that often requires a thick skin to wade through the vitriol of humiliation to get to an essential discussion and not fall down the slippery slope of ad hominem attacks. To see how it works in reverse, suppose you're scrolling down through the postings and you saw what you felt was a viscous attack on what in your opinion was a great piece of music that had personal meaning to you. Say, for example, "*So* by Peter Gabriel sucks!* Or "English Settlement is a worthless piece of crap." I'm sure you get my drift. Not that any of us should feel inhibited to express themselves, but when any of us do with any force of passion, we all put our egos on the line and ultimately suffer the consequences when we're not careful with what we say. But this is the process with which we learn and create a body of thought and knowledge with which to build new levels of understanding. Many of us also grow in terms of learning to respect each other and ourselves, discovering what to say that is essential to the subject without directly offending anyone. I am equally as guilty as anyone on this for being overly arrogant, but, save for the few who *stay out of the fracas* I do not stand alone. As someone once said, "You who are without guilt throw the first stone." My goal on this list is not one-upmanship. I freely admit that it is tempting to fall into that trap, and I have on occasion. But ultimately that's not what I'm about. I am here to give my views of music in relation to XTC, to learn, to share what I know, and to engage in constructive musical conversation. This is the finest list I have come across in terms of the depth of discussion, the wit and eloquence of the contributors and the breadth of musical influence. It's a real tribute to XTC that so many of us come from so many backgrounds and so many musical influences! Where else can you see such diverse discussion and have a single commonality in the appreciation of one given group of musicians? God bless 'em! The danger, of course, is that with so much diverse musical taste it is so easy to lock horns and lose sight of the preciousness of what we can attain here. I'm trying. I'm learning. As we all are, I pray. For the person who is complaining that there is not enough discussion about XTC and that perhaps nothing else should be discussed, I offer this *opinion*. XTC does not exist in a vacuum. No musical artist really does. If they all did, music would not evolve, which it must do in order to remain alive and give us the next XTCs and Beatles and whatever. Each person posting on this list brings his or her musical experiences and influences to the table. They count, because they in turn demonstrate the depth of XTC's outreach and shed further light on their music, like a tremendous multifaceted prism connecting with the world, musical and otherwise. All these seemingly non-related discussions DO relate. It's really no different with any other fan list on that level, and it shouldn't be. Otherwise it would be so one dimensional that even the most die hard would lose interest. Certainly a subject can be overdone, but all eventually run their course and when the dust settles, we are all the more richer for it. Besides, there is always a healthy dose of direct XTC content, which we all contribute to sooner or later. However, if you need to miss all the fun and separate your wheat from your chaff, you know where the scroll arrow is. And to the dear person who complained of my arrogance to A La Carte during my tit for tat over Graceland; yes, you are correct. I apologize, as I have just apologized to him. But I have a question for you, and for everyone here - does not opinion require an element of arrogance? I say this not to defend myself, but to get to the essence of the problem here. Seriously, what do you all think? And if it does, how can we express opinions without the offense that arrogance brings? Sincerely, Tom Kingston "And the man who was Jesus lit his last cigarette and he spoke in a whisper with a voice of regret 'You all know the answer, but you're not listening yet. Love is the way back home.' " Kevin Gilbert
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 12:01:02 +0900 From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: Domo Arigato Message-ID: <006001bfff55$914feaa0$735791d2@johnboud> >What pop/rock artist, that you like (almost?) as much as XTC, sounds >the >most different from XTC? Vini Reilly / Durutti Column Sushiman
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-226 *******************************
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