Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 282
Date: Tuesday, 10 October 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 282
Tuesday, 10 October 2000
Topics:
Radios in Motion
Going to California/ Exodus from NYC
For Auction: Budd/Partridge CD
XTC content approaching zero. Zero XTC content has been achieved.
They say you better listen to the voice of reason...
The thinking side
Weally happy
Re: A Question for the Hillians :)
Re: Happy Mummers' Day
Call 1-800 TVT! Save-a-buck!
don't believe everything you haven't heard
pepsico
Mike Keneally Officially Changes Middle Name to Fuckin'!
Beatles???
Colin speaks
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Everybody has an inner eye.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 00:40:25 EDT From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com Subject: Radios in Motion Message-ID: <81.1261b44.27100339@aol.com> Hillings, >Always with an eye to the main chance, Mr. Don King >presents "The Rumble On The Hill". How about 'The Thrilla At Chalkhilla"? Now how many of you confess that you went running for your copies of AV1 and WS to follow the hilarious boxing rounds in Rory's superb post? I just have to say that was the funniest thing I've read on Chalkhills yet!!! Thanks, Rory! ***************** >I listen to WXPN 88.5.... I've followed and interacted with XPN for nearly 15 years now. I do agree it's flat out the best station in Philly. But it's funny seeing some people gushing about it as I've seen some of the major changes that station has went through. Having run a "non-profit" organization myself for a few years, I view the whole thing with my toungue firmly planted in my cheek. XPN is one of those groups that is as close to being a commercial entity as you can get while hanging on to their NP status. You see, WXPN was originally the college based radio station for the University of Pennsylvania in Philly. In fact, I understand that there is a second XPN for the campus only. What happened is about 10 or 12 years ago the University hired a general manager for the station with the express mandate to create revenues by expanding the listener base. Programming became more formal, as they sought higher "donations" from wealthier contributors. A great deal of wonderful alternative programming was shortened, moved to less desirable time slots, and eventually dropped altogether. The Unicorn, for instance, one of the best Celtic music programs ever to grace the air, went from a solid 3 hour Sunday evening slot to going, going, gone. Even ledgendary Gene Shay's folk program disappeared for a spell, only to return after the very influential Philadelphia Folk Song Society probably threatened to pull it's own support. Many smaller shows were lost in the translation, while the hiring policy emphasized stronger DJ personalities tied to play lists and "alterna-payola". They soon dominated more and more time. I've watched while what should be non-profit mandated local coverage of music performances in the real non-profit promotion world of small coffeehouses and other local venues turned into harangues for support money, with options to have your place mentioned for 'small' fees of $500 or $700 or more, couching this *advertising fee* as a tax deductable donation in order to maintain their NP status. This effectivley left in the dust the less wealthy groups, and began to cater to major chain coffehouses, bookstores, and other commercial establishments, right on up to big banks! They've done so well at this non-prof game that they were able to put up a brand new mega broadcasting tower. All in all, their programming provides the best mix of new and old, and have a fabulous track record for promoting new artists who eventually made a noise, such as Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt, Ben Folds Five, Lucinda Williams and so on. And they definitely do play a lot of XTC, maybe more than most stations in the country. So the changes are not all bad. But when you know their story from the inside (I have friends who were former XPN DJs), you begin to see the wolf in sheeps clothing. >Sadly, the station manager of Y100 is right on the money. At this point, > it's not fair to blame it on radio. Blame the masses, and don't tell me > they need to be forcefed the cake they prefer. They really like the crap > they buy. With response: >So... "it's not fair to blame it on radio"? Of course it is! How do you >think the 'masses'(which is a truly short-sighted view of music listeners, >mister record-label guy) got to likin' the Crap in the first place? Lack of >a viable choice, that's how, duh! I've got Dunks' back on this one. In spite of my diatriabe about WXPN, they are living proof that a viable audience is available for better music. His point about all the big guys involved, from the advertisers to the record companies to the radio stations targeting the teen audience is spot on. That''s why we have N'Sync & Brittney shoved down our throats everywhere we turn. My take on this is that I have no problem with teen music, you've got to start somewhere. And there ain't nothing wrong with wanting to make a buck. But it seems to me that as youth gets older, gets married, has jobs & kids & mortgages and all the other mind numbing stuff that life can throw at you, the big music providers move in with classic rock and adult stations that take advantage of and mold the average listener into a preformed view of music that is easy to sell. Average listeners are never challenged, so they become conditioned to fall into the music industry's target market pigeonholing (or cornholing, as I prefer to think of it!) Choose your poison: Rock, Pop, R & B, Rap, country, easy listening, contemporary Christian (where ex drug addicts and alterna geeks who can't cut any real music turn), etc, etc, etc. The last time the audience and the artists were virtually in control and had the record execs and DJs scrambling was the late sixties. These same industry folks have been careful not to let the musicians get such artistic control since. Joe Blow public, in the meantime, "asleep at the traffic light" (Jackson Browne, the Pretender), was too tired to be challenged, and went right along with it. As each new batch of bored teens came along, the industry got better and better at doling out the newest crapola to keep taking their parents' money and hook them onto the music machine, and so on, and so on. So yes, I blame radio, but as one part of the greedy industry. Rambling diatribe over. >ps Where the fuck is Dom? I could use a little help here... Seesh! Ditto! ****************** >There's that beautiful pause at the end of his laundry list of false >idols followed by ".......I just believe in me." Did you also notice how the reveb and echo are cut on his voice when he comes in with that line, especially after that fantastic build up during the 'laundry list'? >A song that has always inspired me to lift up my still quivering chin, >and brace my shoulder anew against the fickle winds of fortune. Hear, hear! ******************** > The new Radiohead album is really rather special you know, especially > the last track which is probably the most gorgeous thing ever. >no it isn't, not even by a long shot. wanna know why? >IT"S NOT BY XTC !!! XTC's one of my alltime favorite bands. But nothing this year I've heard is as gorgeous as "A Long Day's Life" by Kevin Gilbert. ******************** >No, I do not believe in in an afterlife, or a supreme being. It's as much >nonsense as we know the gods of the Romans or the Greeks are. Nonsense means to me that it makes no sense. But who's to say for sure? I direct your attention to "The Fire From Within" by Carlos Casteneda. Whether there is truth to it or not, it does offer tantalizing possibilities outside of the rigid Judeo-Christian framework. There is definitely a lot we do not know, we are just infants spiritually. And tales of heaven and hell are just our children's fairy tales. And Castenda is NOT new age! The booksellers just don't know where else to put his works. ********************** XTC content: Look what they've made me say! Tom (I got blisters on my fingers!) Kingston "If you want to be a hero, well then just follow me" John Lennon
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 00:14:29 -0500 From: "Joe Funk" <twosheds@mindspring.com> Subject: Going to California/ Exodus from NYC Message-ID: <011f01c0301d$78ec22a0$7721fea9@user> Greetings Chalklings!! Let's try this again with a different spin! Around 6 weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to be in the NYC area on business, for a month.. I asked if there were any Chalkers who would like to get together and talk some XTC while I was up there...... Not a single response....., except from Tom Kingston, to whom I had already mentioned my trip off-list...... Wonderful ego boost.... So much for the east coast!! (NYC, anyway!!) Am I really that obnoxious? Is it my Spam aroma? (Thanks for telling! Jill!!) <8^) Anyway, I will be on the west coast for the next 2 weeks; 10/8 - 10/13 in San Diego, 10/13 - 10/20 in SJ/SF.....(I am going to see King Crimson at the Fillmore on the 19th!!) I would really like to meet up with any of you FRIENDLY west coast chalkers, if you have any spare time.. Please email me off-list at: twosheds@mindspring.com. Joe "waffer thin" Funk P.S. For all you George "Dubya" Bush fans, this is a must: http://george-w-dance.homepage.com/
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 08:23:18 +0000 (MET) From: rappard@dds.nl Subject: For Auction: Budd/Partridge CD Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.90.1001007082250.16824I@fatima.dds.nl> And tons of other stuff at: http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid=rappard&completed=0&sort=0&since=-1 Thx, Marty http://members.xoom.com/rappard
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2000 00:15:21 +1300 From: "Simon Curtiss" <s_curtiss@clear.net.nz> Subject: XTC content approaching zero. Zero XTC content has been achieved. Message-ID: <004501c0304f$e337abc0$2964a8c0@speedking> Andrew Boyle wrote: <<<<The purpose of this post, however, is a question about some English terms for school levels. Though I consider myself an Anglophile, I have never heard of the terms "Forth Form" and "O Level exams" We have K-12 and college and SATs to get into college. How do these relate over the pond?>>> Well it would help if you explained what K-12 and SAT's were, and what exactly college means to you. I'm a Pom and my wife's a Kiwi and we don't have the same definition of college, so I doubt you and I mean the same thing either. That aside 'O' Levels (Ordinary) were exams you took between the ages of 14 and 16 (I did Maths at 14 and the rest at 15) and then you either left school and went to work, or you went on to 'A' Levels (Advanced) at 17-18, and then either to University (College) or work. There were also the rarer 'AO' Levels which were advanced 'O' Levels (I have one in physics and a fuck of lot of good that ever did me!) and 'S' Levels which were Scholarship exams for the above average who wanted to get money from Universities (no I don't have one - thanks for asking). Other students did things known as CSE's instead of 'O' Levels but I don't know much about those as we didn't at my school. Of course these days it's all GCSE's and I haven't a clue about them as I'm "old" now, I'm sure some young scamp can put you right about those if you still want to know. Sorry you asked yet??? :-) As to fourth form well depends what age he was really dunnit as I've been in at least two 4th forms and one was when I was 8 and one when I was 14, and people who went to other schools were probably different ages again - clear as mud, eh!? cheers Simon p.s. Hi Jon, Jon, Jill, Jayne, Belinda,Vee (phew, thought I had a J complex there for a mo) and anyone else I owe an e-mail. Yes - I'm alive, Yes - I'm a lazy git, Yes - I'm very busy at the moment (hey, why's my nose growing?) Yes - I will do something about it sometime sooner than later, BUT there are others who I'm waiting for too, you know who you are, you you you 'people' you. I dunno you send these poor little harmless e-mails out into the world, never knowing what's going to become of them, whether they are ever going to make it through the dark woods to the other side, that they aren't going to be misdirected ,hacked, beheadered, proxied, firewalled, filtered, or grabbed by the big bad Carni(FBI[tm])vore and stuck in some deep dark logfile somewhere and left to rot with no trace except an entry in the authors sent items folder. It makes me so m-m-m-MAD there are keyboard marks on my forehead from the incessant banging of my head on the desk. <jingle> <voiceover> Simon recommends the CJ Pask Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 <more jingle> In large quantities apparently </voiceover> </jingle> n.p. Bill Nelson - Chimera. Bill, Bill yersh me besht mate, no no honesht yer are, no really, would I tell liesh to you man, croshsh my heart and hope to <hic> die. THUD...................
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 08:42:24 -0400 From: "Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt" <toddjenn@erols.com> Subject: They say you better listen to the voice of reason... Message-ID: <NABBKDAOLCDJBNEFDNLLOEODCEAA.toddjenn@erols.com> Hi: Steven Paul asked: > By the way Debora, are we supposed to hand out pudding, meat or > potatoes to > the wandering mummers? I can almost remember -- but not quite. Silly boy! You force-feed them cake, though they want only bread. And that's if they're doing the right thing -- playing "Procession Towards Learning Land" as they, er, proceed. Otherwise, it's spam for the lot of 'em. Fuckin' Duncan Watt ranted about radio, to which I reply: Why? I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been commercial-radio-free for quite a few years now. I don't see the point. They play crappy music, and the commercials are incredibly annoying, so here in Northern Virgina I stick to the lower end of the dial when I listen to radio -- lots of NPR (intelligent talk), trad jazz (honkin', stankin' be-bop baby!), "hot" jazz (from the '20s and '30s), old country and bluegrass, classical ... there's so much great, horizons-expanding stuff there that it seems pointless to go anywhere else. If I want to listen to pop, I pop in a tape. If I need recommendations for new music, I see what people here and on other Internet lists are saying. If I want to sample that new music, I go to a listening station in a record store or listen to MP3s over the 'net. So, instead of working ourselves into a lather over the banality of commercial radio (which ain't never gonna change), why don't we all just ... say ... no? > The people at The > Green Bean could use Wonder Bread, and make more money, but > they Don't, Todd love 'em. Who's been telling you about my dietary habits, Mr. Watt? William Loring offered: > For Sale: 1 ticket to see King Crimson Whoo-hoo! I'll take it! > Where: Park West Theatre in Chicago D'oh! Never mind... Mark Strijbos said: > Euh... but isn't it a bit silly and utterly pointless to repeat their > (both XTC and the Cure fans) performance? Wouldn't it be a better > idea if we all contributed something (a song, a poem, any work of > art) inspired by and / or in return for their songs? Pssst ... Mark. C'mere. It was a *joke*. -Todd
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 09:26:24 -0400 From: "Brian" <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Subject: The thinking side Message-ID: <000f01c03062$319a54e0$690affd1@Brian> Tschalkgerz! Amy tries to help: >I have total and complete confidence that we aren't "merely mortal," and >though others call it "nonsense," those of us with deep faith can assure you >otherwise. That doesn't take all the fear away, but for me it's an absolute >given that the light of the soul is not extinguished by death. >I know this isn't the forum for lengthy discussions on this topic, so now >you've heard two views of the situation and we can leave it at that. Any >further discussion should be off-list, in my opinion. Because Andy P. himself is purportedly a non-believer, I think a certain amout of discussion in this area IS on-topic... I mean, I've read talk of all sorts of other XTC arcana that has little to do with music-making (such as Andy's soldier collecting). If John R. e-mails me personally and tells me to shut up, I will, but until then... We're all atheists. There are about 2500 deities of some sort that we know of that have been believed in during recorded human history. And I'd bet the vast majority of you believers out there don't believe in 2499 of them. The only difference between you and me is that I don't believe in 2500 of them. I think you probably get my point. Ciao for niao, -Brian Matthews http://www.stonetrek.com
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 10:22:27 -0700 (PDT) From: andrew sneddon <andrew_sneddon@yahoo.com> Subject: Weally happy Message-ID: <20001007172227.8250.qmail@web612.mail.yahoo.com> Hi folks Anyone else hear Stupidly Happy on Johnathan Ross' show on Radio 2 on Saturday morning? Brightened up a rainy day! Here's hoping we get someone doing Partsy on "Stars in their Eyes"..... Andrew
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2000 15:50:53 +0100 From: Marc Wickens <marc@mwic.co.uk> Subject: Re: A Question for the Hillians :) Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.0.20001008154903.00a86460@pop.clara.net> At 18:42 05/10/00 -0700, Molly Fanton <mollyfa0000@worldnet.att.net> wrote: > >I was wondering what you people thought about having a XTC chat? Good idea! I would prefer a proper IRC channel, but web is OK if everyone else wants that? --- Marc Wickens "Have a better one." http://www.mwic.co.uk
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2000 13:35:59 EDT From: Poisongold@aol.com Subject: Re: Happy Mummers' Day Message-ID: <6d.a42fa3f.27120a7f@aol.com> In a message dated 10/6/00 10:23:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> writes: << >I invite you all to join me in celebrating the very first Mummer Day in >history on October 17, 2000. >> To us Philadelphians, Mummers' Day will always be January 1. MJC
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2000 18:23:19 CDT
From: "vee tube" <veetube@hotmail.com>
Subject: Call 1-800 TVT! Save-a-buck!
Message-ID: <F88suot0OUIHNkjgJKV00010859@hotmail.com>
Hi Kids! Just flew in from Fintasia, and BOY!
are my fins sore! Wadda'yuh mean you can't get any-
thing for a buck any more?
Hit up the used music store while I was home
and found this odd XTC single of ITMWML.
TVT 3262-2P
This should not be confused with the 'FREE' CD bonus
disc we all got with our copies of Wasp Star. You know,
the one with the 2 'Demo Versions'? The ones you can get
the MP3s at...
http://www.idrive.com/waspspun
Rather, this is just the album version with a?
"Callout Hook"?!?!
I didn't have time to post and see if I had anything 'odd'
nor, the time to checkout 'E-Blow' to see if I could make a
'killing' on it. So I just bought the damn thing!
USD $0.99 + tax = USD $1.07
???????????????????
Wadda'ya mean you can't
buy anything for a buck anymore?
}---:)
QOTD: "Let's get ready to BBUUuuuuMmmmmBbbbLlllEeeee!
SQUID!SQUOUT!
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2000 18:06:43 -0400 From: mitch friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> Subject: don't believe everything you haven't heard Message-ID: <v03007805b60698ebe57a@[165.247.25.61]> Knock Knock, Contrary to what's been reported lately on the pages of the Chalkhills "What's New" section, "Homegrown" is coming up soon and Virgin is doing an XTC box set. Not only that but the 6cd version of "Fuzzy Warbles" is becoming an increasingly better possibility with each passing day. I know this because Andy told me so and even went into some detail by sending me a cassette with some of the newly remastered demos most likely to be included. While he assured me that I had 99% of what was on the cassette already, he was wrong. I was surprised to hear demos for "Great Fire" (sounding vaguely "Dachau Blues"y), "In Another Life" (with all different lyrics), "King For a Day" (very sparse), "Garden of Earthly Delights" (more different lyrics and a thrilling loopy bouquet of a solo), "Way of the World" (a song Colin forgot he even wrote), "Howlin' Burston" (a radio ID Andy did for local dj Alan Burston which sounds remarkably like Howlin' Wolf), and a whole assortment of ones we all know from the past that have been fantastically cleaned up and remixed like "Young Cleopatra", "That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Rah Rah For Red Rockinghorse", "Broomstick Rhythm", "Mayor of Simpleton", "Me and the Wind", "Disque Bleu", etc. . . He also sent me the live version of "I Don't Want To Be Here" which will be coming out on an AIDS benefit compilation and this one sounds superb. "Homegrown" will be different from "Homespun" in that it will be greatly expanded and showcase lots more in the way of earlier and rougher versions of the songs in addition to the finished demos. For instance, there were about 6 totally different, even in the melody, demos of "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" (one sounding like Joni Mitchell) before the version we know. Some parts of those others will be on "Homegrown" for example. Don't ask me about release dates for all these projects. I didn't ask him and I don't think he knows anyway. If you take a look at the "We'd like to thank" section in the Wasp Star liner notes, you'll see mention of someone named Judee Sill. In case you don't know who she is (and mostly likely very few will), she was a singer/songwriter from Texas who put out two albums in the early '70s before passing away in '79. Andy's girlfriend at the time used to play these two albums constantly and they really worked their way into Andy's musical memory. I just acquired the two cds (entitled 'Judee Sill' and 'Heart Food') this past week and I'm really impressed. These songs are beautiful, folky and otherworldly, almost like a bluesy J.S. Bach meets Brian Wilson meets Joni Mitchell with a slight southern twang to the singing. Andy claims that without Judee Sill's songs, he would have never written "Rook", "Wrapped in Grey", and "Knights in Shining Karma". Who's there?, Mitch
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 10:32:36 -0600 From: "Joseph Easter" <easter2000@earthlink.net> Subject: pepsico Message-ID: <002901c0320e$952d9fa0$a1821c3f@default> Dear PepsiCo., In response to your recent campaign dotting and inundating the lids of your plastic beverage bottles with literature announcing a ploy to get me to "GO TO" pepsistuff.com and the lot, I would like to announce a complaint. A bit of background, you see, I have been rather busy selling my soul on ebay (Soul Records, that is) and to keep up with that and my full time job (County Bully) and aspirations (buggerer), I have been attempting to rot out my teeth with your product, Mountain Dew. Do to it's high caffeine content, it is truly the choice of a new generation. But since I'm on the subject, what the hell *is* Mountain Dew, anyway?! Sounds like some type of Appalachian cum bath, but I digress... I take offense to the two words in bold print on the caps which announce your campaign. See, I am an xtc fan, and having owned 74 international copies of Drums and Wires, I expected you to pay some homage to the band by offering up a Martian copy of the xtc Throwaway "Go2" in appreciation for the three teeth I lost this week do to decay. No such luck. Just a bunch of ghetto wear that's sole intention is to turn me into a billboard cad. I am suggesting copyright infringement unless you abandon this blasphemous assault at once. I am prepared to unite a lowly group of introverts known as "Chalkers" and we will bombard you with so much litigation, it will make the Tobacco trials look like Mock U.N. Why am I so vehement about your offenses? Well, to start with, I have more baggage than a Delta Skycap. So what? I have time and energy and cunning and feel like making some easy money for Dave Gregory. So what? If you have a problem with it, you can Go2 my chode and commence cleansing. Yours, Joseph Easter "You may be whatever you resolve to be." Stonewall Jackson
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 13:22:47 EDT From: Hbsherwood@aol.com Subject: Mike Keneally Officially Changes Middle Name to Fuckin'! Message-ID: <94.a809f19.271358e7@aol.com> >From: Jdmack01@aol.com >Subject: Mike Keneally >Mike Keneally, the amazing musician who is mentioned by name in "Song >Stories" Gotta second JD's Keneally endorsement. The new "Dancing"'s zarkin' brilliant, just mag, spank, rootie kazootie, wowie zowie, frabjous, flabulent, and full o' beans! My Extra Special Copy has been melting my CD drive since I popped it in this morning for the first time. Boy Howdy! And just what is it that's so special about my particular copy? I bought it straight from Mikey, at his website, which JD mentioned, but I got the Special Edition, limited to 2000 copies, autographed by Himself, and including a second CD, ""Dancing With Myself: Live and Acoustic at the Baked Potato," includes spirited solo piano and guitar versions of "Dancing" songs recorded in Hollywood last May, including "Lonely Man," a new song never before released. And as this intimate, funny and fiercely cooking 73-minute set careens to a close, Mike is joined onstage by his BFD compadres." Yes, it's pricey at 30 clams, but worth every ding-dong penny. They're not all gone yet, but I bet there aren't many left! Off you go! http://www.moosemart.com/#Dancing SE Yes, I hear the XTC influence on Backwards Deb, but you know what it is? I think the rhythm guitar part in several spots is reminiscent of the perfect note-for-note cover of Beefheart's "Ella Guru" that Andy did back then. Lordy can this guy play the Strato-mo-caster! Harrison "Tend your garden and give your neighbor some peace" Sherwood
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 07:06:02 +1000 From: "Clifford Smith" <dracon@worldreform.net> Subject: Beatles??? Message-ID: <000d01c03234$bb93fce0$290ffea9@dracon> I think when it comes to reviewing XTC, Beatles Comparisons are used far too liberally. Personally, I can't compare XTC with any other band. Perhaps the similarity is so subtle that you can barely get it (that's a good thing, just listen to Oasis, and cringe). I really think that the term shouldn't be 'Beatles-esque'. I will coin a new term for the reviewers. Call it 'XTC-esque' because THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. And if people don't know what is meant by XTC-esque, they'll have to buy the album to find out! Because XTC definately have their own style, and they are equal, if not better, than those Beatles blokes. So join me in my campaign: "XTC - Keep the Beatles out of it!" "XTC is XTC, not Sgt. Pepper!" "XTC flys in balloons - To hell with the Yellow submarine!" "John Lennon - Andy Partridge is wittier than thou!"
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2000 23:56:44 +0200 From: Imanol Ugarte <otadui@euskalnet.net> Subject: Colin speaks Message-ID: <39E23F1C.C76F0F4D@euskalnet.net> Dear Chalkers, Here you have some excerpts taken from Spanish magazine Ruta 66 (September issue) wich contains an interview with Colin Moulding. (-) I like America and the optimism that American people show, but I don't know, I'm not sure wheter our songs are able to connect with that mentality, basically because of our way of songwriting, mine at least, I do like to express those things that are closer to me, my intimate circle. (...) You get musical taste as teenage, when you're fourteen, that's when the records shock you with big intensity. It's also when you search through your parents or elder brothers discs. My first influences probably are Kinks, Beatles,Free (70s), Beach Boys,... (...) Andy may become obstinate...but I think that the writer of the song must have the last word on the recording process. When you are the author of something and see that things aren't going as well as they should be, then you get nervous,speaking aloud and then people can misunderstand you.... (...) Todd is a great musician and Skylarking got much of his talent, but he'd wanted to take so much control over the general recording process, and we felt that he was ripping all the leadership off. He also had been very cold (?) and distant all the time. (...) As an influence I think that The Beach Boys are more important than other bands we paid tribute as The Dukes. However, when I was a teenager -late 60's- I only knew of typical single hits. I didn't knew of their sofisticatier (?) stuff (after the surf-era) until middle 80's. Dave Gregory used to play Beach Boys tapes in the car, and these songs intrigued me a lot, it was incredible that all these songs were done by the same band. Everybody praises Brian Wilson as songwriter, producer or arranger but nobody takes note of the melancholy of his songs. That's just what most attracts me. Pet Sounds had been a transcendental discovery to me, but Smile or Friends are even better. (Orange & Lemons) doesn't convince me related to production matters,although it's got some of our best compositions. (Beatles) Although The Kinks were better songwriters, as arrangers I consider them without equal. Along with George Martin they were an unbeatable team, and I think their records have an absolutely contemporary sound in comparison with other recordings of the same era. (Nonsuch) Although it sounds strange, Nonsuch is one of our better discs for me, if not the best one. (Composition labours) Andy is by far more prolific , I am slower. We both bring our songs almost finished, but the final arrangements are a shared labour. (New stuff) After all these years,seing your new songs released makes you happy. When a was kid I thought music was a magic thing, I didn't understand how could become such a marvelous thing from nothing, and being part of this process is wonderful. The passion is still there along with more knowledges. Now we know how to use our love for music in a more efficient way, at the beginning we only wanted to make lots of records. (XTC live) The way we've chosen is irreversible. We just make records, we've forgotten how to play our songs from-the-start-to-the-end, in the studio we plan our work like a movie director: record one take and cut, record another one and cut it again. (Fashionable) My son uses to play me some stuff when he thinks I'll like them and he only guess it from time to time. Among the latest bands I've liked "Parklife" by Blur and Supergrass, there are also some songs by the American band Eels, however it's hard for me to find a whole record which hasn't disappointed me, I just like one or two songs. (-) I'm basically a dreamer, I spend my life with my head over the clouds, watching tv, paying no attention or driving with my thoughts someplace. I really think that all this is part of the creation process, writing a song is 90% looking through the window. That's all for now, It's been is a clumsy translation though (Traduttore traditore !!!) Imanol
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