Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 228

                  Tuesday, 8 August 2000

Topics:

                       XTC content
                      Free as a Byrd
                  re: Online Andy alert
                music-- different, parents
                   Re: Politics and XTC
  I'd like to help ya son, but your too young to vote..
                        Rap Music
                           Arse
                 Get a load of this, Mum
                    Nicely Nicely Jane
                    Molly, come back!
                    Her facist regime
...and while we're at it, how about these Levi's! And Nike's, too,
                      Dear Mr. Relph
            Home taping is not killing music.
         The Man Who Murdered "Distribution"....

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I don't want to see / That dawn light.

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

Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 20:29:23 -0400
From: "Tim Kendrick" <tim63@earthlink.net>
Subject: XTC content
Message-ID: <001b01c00006$8a4d4f20$11d60f3f@tim63>

Hi everyone!

Every few months, it happens.
It's happening again now.

People get way off topic, talking about things
that aren't even remotely about XTC.
(It really annoys me!)

Then you get a whole bunch of posts complaining
about lack of XTC content, without offering anything
about XTC's music themselves.
(That annoys me even more!)

Don't complain about others unless you're willing
to add something to the discussion of XTC yourself!

That said, here's what I want to talk about:
STUPIDLY HAPPY.  I still just don't get it.  Why do
most people on this list like this song???  I've tried, I've
really tried.  But it's just too simple for me.  People talk about
it "building up", but to me it doesn't build up enough.  I think this
song could have been better realized if it added on more layers
than it does.  Why not add in a couple of more guitars as it goes on
(and on, and on, and on...oh, sorry).

Why not add in some more bass, and then some trumpets, and then
end up with a whole orchestra for a really powerful ending????

I guess that's not what Andy was going for, and I know he thinks
highly of this song, but it just goes nowhere for me.

My humble opinion.  Thanks!

      Tim K.

XTC SONG OF THE DAY:  Me and the Wind

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

Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 20:27:15 EDT
From: WTDK@aol.com
Subject: Free as a Byrd
Message-ID: <46.8e8f267.26bf5c63@aol.com>

>  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?

Actually two concerts have been released. The Filmore concert is a great
companion to Untitled/Unissued as it features the band shortly after
recording that line up's debut.

Just picked up Marty Willson-Piper's latest solo album. His guitar playing is
frequently compared to McGuinn's although they are worlds apart in terms of
what they play. You could say that their shades of McGuinn in Willson-Piper
although most of it is due to the fact that he plays the 12 string...

I personally like both Free as a Bird and Real Love. The former has a
delicate melody and the latter reminds me a bit of some of George's better
stuff in terms of the chord progression. What I objected to in the song was
the overproduction done by Jeff Lynne. Both are a tad heavy handed, still the
songs survive the production.

Radios in Motion said-
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.

That reminds me of the school principal who suspended a 1st grade boy for
kissing a girl in his class. An absurd all too politically correct time we
live in. The sad thing is that it gradually eats away at our freedom and our
individuality in the process. Both parties and nominees are little more than
clothing store dummies. The window dressers are the one's we need to watch as
they move the political action any way they want.

Marc said:

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.

It's not the bands that make most of the money or decisions on cost. It's the
record companies. Recently (Nov. last year) Congress passed an addition to a
1976 law that  could prohibit performers from playing material from a label
(or company) they are no longer without getting the label's
permission.--essentially the law states that once the artist moves on (or
something to that effect), that they have no right to their own music.

Just curious if there are any Kinks fans here? I'd like to know if anyone has
picked up the Japanese reissue of their albums (with the K2 20 bit remastered
sound)? If so, is it worth the money?

I read Mark's post about the special edition of Fossil Fuel but haven't been
able to find it. Is it available in the US? Anybody know much about it?

Later,

Wayne

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

Date: 7 Aug 00 13:19:07 AES
From: Paul.Culnane@dcita.gov.au
Subject: re: Online Andy alert
Message-ID: <0005migkykaa.0005lrdlpnzj@dcita.gov.au>

Many thanks must surely go to the ever-entertaining Smudgeboy who alerted us
in 'Hills #222 to the Music365 website which contains video interview
snippets with Andy.

I enjoyed these, but agree with Smudgeboy - having one's buffer clogged
continuously is a most uncomfortable feeling  :-)

Anyway, thanks for the tip!  Any more of that sort of behaviour will surely
enrol you into the inner sanctum - whatever that is...

~~p@ul

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

Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2000 21:46:22 CDT
From: "Megan Heller" <hellerm@hotmail.com>
Subject: music-- different, parents
Message-ID: <F100AxscxtnTFTqoERL000051d2@hotmail.com>

WAH!  this party sucks!  I'm going home! <stomp,stomp,stomp>

ahem.  Just making a comment about some recent postings.  In the meantime,
I'm going to post for the sake of posting.

On the question that ran something along the lines of, "What band/musician
do you like as much as XTC, which sounds the most different from XTC?"

Hm, probably Momus.  I like Momus as much as XTC, and he usually doesn't
sound like XTC much at all (although there may be examples to the contrary).

On the question that ran something along the lines of, "What song/band did
you play loudly to annoy your parents as a teenager?"

Honestly, I can't think of songs I played very loudly to annoy my parents--
I've always been fairly quiet, and in my early adolescence (13-14) I was a
very broody-mopey-gothy thing, so when I wanted to annoy my parents, I would
usually put on my Walkman and play that very loudly, taking great care to
ignore them completely.  This was very significant, too, because of the fact
that for part of this time we were in an apartment with rented furniture,
and my bed was a fold-out sofa in the living room, and I had no bedroom more
or less, so "pouting in my room" involved sitting ten feet away, headset
loud enough that they probably heard plenty of that annoying secondhand
"ticky-ticky" noise, and scribbling in my diary.

So, anyway, when I was particularly pouty, I might listen to The Cure
(usually 'Faith' or 'Disintegration') or Joy Division, but usually I
listened to The Smiths.  I liked to listen to "Last Night I Dreamt that
Somebody Loved Me" from 'Strangeways, Here We Come' over and over and over
again....  I was loads of happy fun (but, weren't we all?).

m.

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

Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 23:59:24 -0700
From: "Victor Rocha" <wstsidela@mediaone.net>
Subject: Re: Politics and XTC
Message-ID: <011c01c0003d$0827b940$45548218@we.mediaone.net>

Hey Fellow Chalksters, since we're talking politics.....I'll be at the
Democratic Convention reporting from a Native American perspective. does
anyone have a XTC pin I can wear on the floor of the convention? the
Uffington Horse would be cool. I'll pay. email me off list

BTW I just converted a friend. he is officially an XTC fan. I think the
Dukes were the straw that broke the camels back. (the first time he heard
Vanishing Girl he proclaimed it the greatest hit that never was)

Victor Rocha (Pechanga Band of Luiseoo Indians)
California Indian Gaming News
Los Angeles, California
www.pechanga.net

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

Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2000 23:57:56 -0500
From: "Joe Funk" <twosheds@mindspring.com>
Subject: I'd like to help ya son, but your too young to vote..
Message-ID: <007301c0002c$0e45f280$7721fea9@user>

Greetings, Chalklings!

OK, OK...  I've been layin' low for a while... I didn't want to
start another XTC-less controversial thread.  Heavens to Betsy!
People are exiting the list like Lemmings!!!  From now on, I
will try to include XTC in every other sentence, whether it works in
context or not, OK!

First, my list of artists whose catalogs are (relatively) complete in my
humble abode:

XTC
Steely Dan
The Beatles
Pat Metheny's Weather Channel Ensemble
Steve Hackett
Genesis
Peter Gabriel
Frank Zappa (..OK, not complete, but extensive!)
Jean-luc Ponty
Monty Python
Todd Rundgren
Gentle Giant
Kevin Gilbert (there are actually quite a few boots & rarities)
Brand X

Secondly, songs that I used to CRANK UP to annoy the family.
( I was out of the house already when XTC came along, so I
didn't get a chance to use them).
Anytime I wanted to get on my Mom's nerves, I would crank up
"Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer to "11"..., and wait for the
"TURN THAT DOWN!!"   I swear Zappa used my Mom's voice
on "Joe's Garage"..  Ironic?

Speaking of Frank, I would use him to annoy my 3 sisters...
"Dinah Moe Hum", over & over at an extremely loud level
with my door locked would drive them out of the house
every time!!

Oh, well..

So, did XTC ever do there thang in Seattle? Any other plans?
Anyone?

OK, every other paragraph......

Joe "Now, I'm a gonna fuss now, I'm gonna make a holler" Funk
_____________________________________________
Shameless Plug:
http://www.eshelps.com/web/personal/twosheds/index.html

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

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 01:13:30 -0400
From: Steve Dockery <sdockery@gte.net>
Subject: Rap Music
Message-ID: <B5B3BDB9.1566%sdockery@gte.net>

Ack. I really shouldn't jump into this fray, but I can't help myself. If
you've had enough of the Rap thread page down. Just want to put in my two
cents:

Ok, I don't like Rap Music. Notice I didn't say it was bad. I didn't say it
sucked. I don't like it. That's not the same thing. If you say it sucks, you
imply there's something wrong with anyone who disagrees. Imagine if we're
talking about food instead. I don't like Broccoli. Does that mean it sucks?
Of course not. You're welcome to eat all you want. Go ahead. Enjoy. I just
won't be joining you.

Similarly, if you enjoy rap music, go right ahead. I won't be joining you.

Ok, so why don't I like it? Musical taste is hard to define. Usually we
don't like or dislike things for a rational reason, we just know at a gut
level that something sounds good to us. You can't talk me into liking a band
or a song. I either "get it" or I don't.

Why don't I get it? There's lots of things not to my liking:

1. Rhythm - the rhythm of Rap songs doesn't grab me. Can't explain why. It's
like asking "why is green your favorite color, not blue?"

2. Subject Matter - by and large, I have been uninterested in the subject
matter of rap songs. They are often about an inner-city lifestyle that I
have no interest in, or they are bragging about the rapper's prowess as a
rapper, or sexually, or they are violent (or at least very rude).

3. Trappings - rap videos tend to include exploitative depictions of women,
violence, etc. (some of the same things I don't like about Heavy Metal
videos.) The bad taste left in my mind inevitably colors how I experience
the genre of music in general. Sorry, but I can't help it.

Ok, I know Rap fans will tell me there are numerous exceptions to these
generalizations. That's almost certainly true. However, we all have a finite
amount of time and energy to devote to exploration, and if my current level
of exposure to the genre has not shown promise, why should I expend the
energy it might take to seek out those rap artists? Particularly since they
may not bother me intellectually, but I'd still be left with the fact that I
don't like the "sound" of the genre in general anyway.

Another broccoli analogy (forgive me): If I try broccoli, and I don't like
it, should I continue trying it each time I go out to another restaurant
just in case I might find some I like? Or should I order something else?

It's a better use of my time to follow leads that look/sound promising to
me. Otherwise, I'd be on a constant trial-and-error search. It's just not
possible to give each and every record of every musical genre a listen just
in case it might be better than I expect. That may be unfair, but it's
pragmatic.

Here's the sad part: I'm often called closed-minded if I don't "get"
something others enjoy. But I'm a weirdo if someone else doesn't "get"
something I'm enjoying...like XTC (there's your obligatory XTC content!)

-Steve Dockery

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

Date: 7 Aug 2000 10:45:00 +0100
From: "Robert Wood" <Robert.Wood@mutech.co.uk>
Subject: Arse
Message-ID: <000035A3@mutech.co.uk>

Dom said:

>> >>Sure that's not Deborah Brown-Nose?!

Yes, quite sure. Not only is my anus nose-free, but Ms Brown is a friend of
mine. Is that OK? Honestly, you really must get out more, you ghastly oaf.

Too many idiots, not enough cheese, that's what I say. <<

I'm sorry, it's not Debs' nose that's up Dom's arse, it's Dom's own head
that's firmly lodged up there.

Dom, check out the <BG> at the end of my post about the position of
Debora's nose. Debs and I have already had an off line joke about it all;
fortunately, she's not had the obligatory London sense of humour bypass.

You oversensitive, southern twat.

There, that makes us about even on the insult stakes. ;-)

Rob.

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

Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 10:12:16 +0100
From: "Smith, David" <David.Smith@tfeurope.com>
Subject: Get a load of this, Mum
Message-ID: <4BBE67B71C1DD411A23600508B65F71E6860E5@tfsecmsg04.tfseur.co.uk>

Well hello! How nice to start the week with a posting about
pissing off yer dear sweet old Mum. Arf!

But since we're at it, my all time top top five Mum-annoying
tunes are, in reverse order (cue music)

In at five, that perennial classic "Anarchy In The UK" by those
naughty little Sex Pistols fellas. Go on lads, say something
rude!

At four - well you didn't think I'd leave 'em out did you? Crank
up yer nobs for the boys from Swindon. It's thump along time
as they swing their "Ball and Chain".

At three, up from five due to previous mention, it's those metal-
head rascals Van Halen - tonight they're "Runnin With The
Devil" - and don't forget that "Eruption" afterwards (blimey!).

New in at two, it's Ozzy and the boys. Fresh out of Brum, with
leather, attitude and some outrageous facial hair, the boys from
Black Sabbath are "Paranoid".

But, straight in at number one (kapow!), pump up the volume for
the late great Sir Frederick of Mercury and his tousled chums.
It's all gonna kick off in a minute, so you'd better "Tie Your Mother
Down". Rock on!

That's it. Back next week. Till then, puncture those ear drums.

All right?

Smudge "I can hear that over the washing machine!" boy
E-Mail: david.smith@tfeurope.com

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

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 12:30:26 +0100
From: Giles Ward <hhc.cw.g@netcomuk.co.uk>
Subject: Nicely Nicely Jane
Message-ID: <398E9DD0.5E2DADF6@netcomuk.co.uk>

I've lurked at Chalkhills now and then for a while. Always thought it
was great. Shame it's turned into a slanging match and everyone leaving.
So I thought I'd make the odd proactive contribution to get things back
on track.

What is everybody's favourite Andy collaboration? For me Paperchase
(with Nicky Holland) is a stunning song... I haven't heard mention of
this song much in the past. Does anyone know its history. The lyrics are
typical Partridge (about the break up of his marriage) and the
orchestration has Apple Venus Vol 1 written all over it....

Let's talk nicely dear....

g

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

Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 07:54:10 -0400
From: "Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt" <toddjenn@erols.com>
Subject: Molly, come back!
Message-ID: <NABBKDAOLCDJBNEFDNLLEEOPCDAA.toddjenn@erols.com>

Hi:

Laura Brown quoted Natalie Jacobs in her departure letter, saying:
> > I also have to wonder how much this list is really about XTC, and how
> > much it's about idolatry and obsessiveness for their own sake.
>
> I know Ms Jacobs probably won't see this, but I just have to say
> that this is an excellent point -- and one that applies to all types
> of fandom, not just to this list. In many music forums on the
> Internet, the prevailing attitude reminds me of a religion, or
> perhaps of a totalitarian political system -- "A *true* fan would
> never say that Album X was their best album."  "You can't like
> Musician Y because he once said something nasty about our band (or
> our band once said something nasty about him)." Etc. I realise these
> forums probably represent only a small proportion of music
> listeners, but still, enough people participate in them for it to be
> unnerving.

That's why the only way to counteract it is by contributing. There's a lot
of shit one has to slog through to get to the nuggets of information and
insight that can still be found here, but I've been here for a while, and
even though the recent volume has been hard to keep up with, I've found
that with a little discretion and humor, it *can* be done -- that is, if
I'm pressed for time, I page-down; if I'm not, I read the posts in their
entirety for their comedy or head-shaking-in-dismay value. This forum has
always gone through certain cycles -- it's just that, now that the band is
releasing albums again on a fairly regular basis, those cycles been more
pronounced. FWIW, my advice is, if you don't like what you see, wait it
out -- or try to change it by contributing something you'd like to see
discussed. Ignore the yahoos and bombast, and soak in the many good points
you can still find here.

As for the vocal minority, that's long been a theme in public forums. To
use some (*gasp*) political examples, Nixon's evocation of the "silent
majority" was a big reason for his victory in '68; today, many
conservatives and members of the religious right make sure their voices
are loud, clear and persistent on the issues they care about, making their
numbers seem greater than they really are and possibly dissuading
more-moderate voters -- who typically have more of a live-and-let-live
attitude and so have a problem with the etiquette of so brazenly wearing
their politics on their sleeve -- that many minority opinions are in fact
majority opinions. (This is one of the reasons I don't have a problem
being openly political, keeping one or two liberal-gadfly bumperstickers
on my funky little car with the XTCFAN license plate, posting signs in my
yard around election time for candidates I like, etc. -- IMO, *someone's*
got to counteract the "I'm right, you're liberal" crowd.)

As for discussion groups taking on a life of their own, I originally
snipped a bit of Robert Fripp's diary -- which you can find at
http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com/diary/diary.htm --
about one of his fan clubs back in #6-62, and I think it bears repeating
here:

>When the Fan Club was being formed in the early 1980s they wrote to
me. I remember sitting in World HQ at the desk of the Edwardian
secretaire, acquired from my father's furniture saleroom not long
before, and writing back asking them to disband. I had no wish to be
the nominal focus of fan attention then, and am today even less
enthusiastic. But, let's accept, the Club has nothing to do with Fripp
(that most ungrateful of artistes) - he is only an excuse for a number
of good people to meet socially. And what a lesson there is here: we
so often place ourselves at the centre of events and believe ourselves
to be the cause. The RFFC in Japan has nothing to do with Fripp: it
has everything to do with the people who use it to meet each other.<

I talked to Colin the other day, following up on the Chuck Sabo article I
recently wrote (which will run in annotated form in an issue of Modern
Drummer as soon as I receive photos from Chuck), and the conversation at
one point veered toward Chalkhills. Among other things, we discussed the
point Fripp makes above -- that such fan/discussion groups are as much, if
not more, about themselves as they are about their chosen subject
matter -- and he laughingly agreed. Perhaps this is one reason that his
attitude about the digest is quite different than Andy's. Colin told me
about the printouts that someone (no doubt Mitch) had brought/sent them at
one point several years ago (i.e., "the good old days," Dom  ;^) , and
said he found it refreshing to read people's unadulterated opinions about
the band -- he liked that no one was pulling punches, that everyone was
saying exactly what they thought about the band, its music, its (ahem)
members, etc.

As someone pointed out in a recent issue, a lot of people here post simply
because they like the sound of their own voices. If I remember correctly,
they found that annoying enough to decide to grab their modem and go home.
I'd put it a little more diplomatically -- I'd hypothesize that perhaps
some people go on at length about various topics because they have few
other creative outlets and Chalkhills serves that purpose for them. More
power to 'em, it's all part of the anarchy of the Internet and the
light-handed editing style of Our Moderator, which (and whom) I applaud.
It's then up to each of us readers to decide to read these posts or not,
and if we do read them, how to react to them, either in our heads or in
the digest. On the subject of flaming and reacting to it, Laura correctly
points out:

> Mmm, well, you have to consider the source. These are people who have
> nothing better to do than savage people they've never met over
> matters of no
> real importance. I don't think you should let them get to you, and they
> certainly shouldn't discourage you from posting.

Lead by example. If you want to see worthwhile contributions in the
digest, make one, or if you don't have anything original or significant to
contribute in response to another post, save your opinion for another day.
If you don't like flaming, don't flame. Be courteous and clear in your
responses -- consider how the typed word read on a glowing screen may not
correctly convey certain subtle meanings. Or simply step away from the
fray. Remember the adage about how arguing with an idiot reflects on you.

Much of this is obvious, and I don't mean to be a pedant (esp. since I've
been guilty of violating many of these "guidelines"), but the spate of
departures got me thinking about why we're here and, moreover, why I've
stayed for as long as *I* have. I've gotten great information about XTC
and other music here, made long-lasting friendships, and laughed really,
really hard with and at some posts. Chalkhills is what we make it, folks.
Period.

-Todd

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

Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 08:03:40 -0400
From: "Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt" <toddjenn@erols.com>
Subject: Her facist regime
Message-ID: <NABBKDAOLCDJBNEFDNLLMEOPCDAA.toddjenn@erols.com>

Hi:

Nice to see the response to the "pissing off the parents/old folks"
thread, and interesting to see how often Queen popped up as a means to
that end. Also interesting to gauge the ages of the responders by their
choice of piss-off songs.

I had chosen Roger Meddows-Taylor's "The Loser in the End" off _Queen II_
as my song; I'd also like to point out that Mr. M-T's "I'm in Love with my
Car," off _Night at the Opera_, contains the greatest rhyme in the history
of rock 'n' roll lyrics:

"Told my girl I'd have to forget her
Rather buy me a new carburetor..."

Take *that*, Andy Partridge!

-Todd

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

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 09:03:42 -0400
From: "Duncan Watt" <dwatt@fastestmanintheworld.com>
Subject: ...and while we're at it, how about these Levi's! And Nike's, too,
Message-ID: <200008071304.JAA21123@gilgamesh.nh.ultra.net>

and...
"Marc Wickens" <xtc-mailing@brzone.co.uk> bleated:

> 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'm an omnivore.

bearing that in mind:

What would you do, a) buy an overpriced pizza (let's face it, pizzas are far
too expensive IMO, I mean, flour & water, a couple of handfuls of cheese,
what could that cost, like 75 CENTS? surly pizza makers have made that back
by 8pm each night?) or b) get it for free by mugging the delivery guy.

Duncan "...and BEER, too!" Watt

--
email me: dwatt@fastestmanintheworld.com
surf me: http://www.fastestmanintheworld.com

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

Date: 7 Aug 2000 07:39:27 -0700
From: unna@worldmailer.com
Subject: Dear Mr. Relph
Message-ID: <20000807143927.20193.cpmta@c008.sfo.cp.net>

Dear John Relph,

I would like to request that we hold the Bumble Nova XTC Lyrics
writing contest as vee tube suggested. I would love to
participate. Thank you very much.

Respectfully yours,

Laura H.

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

Date: 7 Aug 2000 16:49:00 +0100
From: "Robert Wood" <Robert.Wood@mutech.co.uk>
Subject: Home taping is not killing music.
Message-ID: <000035CC@mutech.co.uk>
Organization: Mutech Ltd

The subject of Napster raised its head on Saturday night and a very
valid point was raised by a friend of mine.

There was big campaign in the '70s that went something like, Home
taping is killing music. It had a picture of a cassette and crossbones
below the cassette. Now home taping patently didn't kill music. The
sort of people that taped music were, in the vast majority of cases,
people who weren't going to buy the album anyhow. The advantages of
having taped music was that tapes would be played to a wider variety
of people than if only the original purchaser of the album ever played
it. Thus the music would get played to a much larger amount of people
and is thus more likely to be bought by someone. If someone ever taped
me an album and I liked it, I bought the album. If they hadn't taped
me the album, I would possibly never have heard it and thus never
bought it.

For the same reason, I don't think that Napster, or any other MP3 site
will kill off music. Although I have never visited Napster or have any
desire to listen to MP3s, I know a fair few people who do. They again
are divided into two sorts of people: those who buy music and those
who don't. The people who don't buy music would not start buying it if
Napster didn't exist. Those that do buy music use Napster as a means
to sample music that they wouldn't otherwise hear because of the dire
state of music radio in the UK.

Then on Sunday morning I was around at the same friend's house and he
put on World Party's Private Revolution album. This got us talking
about other World Party albums albums and Howard (name of said friend)
was telling me about Egyptology which was their last album. I had no
idea that World Party had released an album after Bang! and this got
us on to the subject of why I'd not heard of it [Egyptology]. The
reason is plain and simple, it comes back to the fact that music radio
in the UK is utter drivel. I only ever listen to Radio 5 now, which is
a news and sport station. Radio One is purile, and plays nothing that
I want to hear, Radio Two occasionally has the odd show that plays
some decent stuff, but is still normally crap. All independent
commercial radio stations play the same old crap that radio one plays,
but you even have to put with awful radio adverts. Why are these radio
stations so awful? Because the music industry is so corrupt that the
record companies and pluggers dictate what the radio stations
play. It's the same songs over and over again, that the record
companies want played because some particular artist is flavour of the
month, and all the record company's energy goes into a few artists.

So to go back to World Party, when Bang was in released it spawned a
couple of pretty big hits. World Party are a marketable group, but
they're not being marketed any more; the record company obviously just
aren't bothered with World Party now.

Are World Party unique in this respect? Are they even unusual? No, of
course not.

Is Napster any worse that the home taping of music? I think not. Is
there one person who's had a Napster rant who has never taped an album
for a friend or had a friend tape an album for him/her. I bet not. Any
argument along the lines of "well I haven't set up a big pool of
cassette tapes that people can come and help themselves to" doesn't
wash either. Whether you do it on a small scale or a big scale, you've
still committed the "sin". Not that I'd call it a sin.

The real sinners are the record companies IMO. And not all they
sinners, they're bloody stupid, if I'd known about Egyptology I would
have bought it. I'm sure there are numerous more examples of the same
thing happening.

What I'd like to see with the advent of digital radio and a
proliferation of new stations are places you can tune to that
concentrate on certain types of music. Thus you could tune into a
station that plays the sort of music *you* like and get to hear new
music. If the record companies allowed the stations to play what the
stations wanted to, then maybe more people would be exposed to a wider
variety of music and more musicians could shift more albums.

This still doesn't detract from the fact that Napster isn't going to
eat into music sales any more than the compact cassette. The quality
of MP3 is just as piss poor as cassette tapes, and people who really
want the music will buy it regardless. People who don't want the music
won't buy it, cassettes, Napster or neither.

Maybe I'm missing a point, maybe Napster charge for each download and
are therefore making money from someone else's art, but I don't think
that's the case is it?

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

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 13:50:03 +0000
From: Robin Poole <robin.poole@environment-agency.gov.uk>
Subject: The Man Who Murdered "Distribution"....
Message-ID: <s98ed268.001@environment-agency.gov.uk>

Why has it been so difficult to get hold of "The Man Who Murdered Love"
single in big chains like "H?V" and "Our P??ce"? I have also noticed that
Wasp Star is not stocked (localy) and hasn't been for a few weeks now
in these places either...is it a distribution flow problem in lowly
Peterborough , UK or just that these big guys don't think XTC are worth
it....?

I had to go to London to get a CD single...I hope I don't miss anything
else...!

as for now, I'm heading into the Atom age (A da de de dat da...) R X=

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End of Chalkhills Digest #6-228
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