Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 3
Date: Thursday, 6 January 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 3
Thursday, 6 January 2000
Today's Topics:
German music question
Jalousie
I'm Still Alive :)
the Grammys can kiss my... but anyway...
Mr.Bandyke's best of 1999
Til I Die
Pete and Abbie
The Apex Of Andy's Arc
Re: Going to Hell
Re: Whence Fish
list lovers, stop right here
Re: With a love like that...
An Allegory of Ecstasy
You Say Potato ...
Endless Harmony
School Guide to XTC
jealous - right on definition
Re: Melt tha Guns
Marillion
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <38726CE3.D3D23433@pop.uky.edu> Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 16:57:55 -0500 From: james isaacs <jmisaa00@pop.uky.edu> Subject: German music question Hey all! I read in "Song STories" that some member of XTC worked with the German music superstar, Herbert Groenermeyer, between Nonsuch and AV1. Does anyone know who it was, what they did, and if it was released? Best 5 of 99: "Summerteeth" by Wilco, AV1, "Do the Collapse", by Guided by Voices, "Jewels for Sophia", by Robyn Hitchcock, and "Moon Safari" by Air (a 1998 release.). Thanks in advance, James (back from a long absence)
------------------------------
From: fheaney@erols.com
Message-ID: <002501bf571d$f6399460$10e2a4d8@default>
Subject: Jalousie
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 20:40:23 -0500
Garret spake:
> I just relized that Andy missuses the word jealous in the song
> crocodile when he sings: "No you won't make me jealous That she left
> me for him" because jealousy, despite popular belief, does not mean
> envy. It means that you have something that other people want, so
> you would gaurd that thing with jealousy.
Well, that is one sense of the word, but "envy" is also a definition of
jealousy ("resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or
advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself",
according to Random House), so relax.
-- Francis
"If I'm wrong, you can smile and say 'I told you so'."
-- The Zombies
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000105030233.7025.qmail@web1304.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 19:02:33 -0800 (PST) From: Molly Fanton <mfanton99@yahoo.com> Subject: I'm Still Alive :) I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive. I've been just busy. I moved into a new apartment, graduated from a job training course, and took a long break. I've been listening to XTC during Christmas. I even got my brother into them. :) Randy wrote: <<The "red dwarf" talk got me to pull out HitchHikers Guide To The Galaxy video series the other night, that's still a hoot and a must see...(had a blast of Cult Classics this xmas break) that triggered Atomic Cafe (I'd like to watch this with my dad)...>> Whoo hoo, Hitch-Hiker's Guide!!!! I love that show. "Ford, you're turning into a penguin, stop it." This has got to be the ultimate series I've ever seen. And Red Dwarf is funny too. :) I know if XTC go on another promo tour and they stop in TO. I'll be able to go, because I'll have the money. I hope I get to meet the Master, Andy Partridge. :) Well, I'll back into lurkdom for now. :) Molly Check Out My Craig Ferguson Tribute Page: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/mrwick.html Molly's Page http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/index.html
------------------------------
Message-Id: <200001050350.WAA01466@nantucket.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 22:48:12 -0800
Subject: the Grammys can kiss my... but anyway...
From: "Diamond" <arnos@nantucket.net>
Well, XTC ahave been overlooked yet another time... passed over by the
Grammys for best album of 99... well, at least the Backstreet Boys made
it... Yeah...
is it just me, or does it feel like the public has worse taste in music than
in any other art medium? Somehow good movies always seem to get an audiance
(although apparently Man On the Moon is doing horribly) and good authors
like Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, Stephen King, etc... are liked by lots of
people. But with music, there's so many people who just buy into
mechanically created, formulated, pre meditated, uhhhhh...
something-else-that-ends-in-ated music... why is that?
Kevin Diamond
____________________________________________________________________________
"To emphasize the afterlife is to deny life. To concentrate on heaven is to
create hell."
-Tom Robbins
I've got to change my quote soon...
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3872CAF0.24DE82D5@mnsi.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 23:39:22 -0500
From: michael stone <nedrise@mnsi.net>
Subject: Mr.Bandyke's best of 1999
Hi friends
Martin Bandyke is the Music Director/DJ at WDET(National Public Radio
-Detroit). It's a fantastic station, by the way. Very eclectic, very
hip. If it weren't for them, I doubt I'd listen to radio at all
-except for the CBC, when i'm in the mood for Schubert's Trout
Quintet, or the like...
Anyway, here's Martin's best of 1999.
Music
(Artist/Title/Label)
1. Tom Waits/Mule Variations/Epitaph
2. XTC/Apple Venus Volume 1/Tvt
3. Joe Henry/Fuse/Mammoth
4. (3-Way Tie)
Bill Frisell/Good Dog, Happy Man/Nonesuch
Cassandra Wilson/Traveling Miles/Blue Note
Charlie Hunter & Leon Parker/Duo/Blue Note
5. Bruce Cockburn/Breakfast In New Orleans...Dinner In Timbuktu/Rykodisc
6. (Tie)
Stan Ridgway/Anatomy/New West
Beth Orton/Central Reservation/Arista
7. (3-Way Tie)
Vinicius Cantuaria/Tucuma/Verve
Les Negresses Vertes/Trabendo/Virgin France
Caetano Veloso/Livro/Nonesuch
8. Los Lobos/This Time/Hollywood
9. Van Morrison/Back On Top/Pointblank-Virgin
10.B.B. King/Let The Good Times Roll-The Music Of Louis Jordan/Mca
Film
1. Buena Vista Social Club
2. The Insider
3. The Limey
4. Mr. Death: The Rise & Fall Of Fred A. Leutcher, Jr.
5. Rosetta
6. Besieged
7. The Straight Story
8. The Wind Will Carry Us
9. Three Seasons
10.(Tie) The Winslow Boy/Eyes Wide Shut
Anyone else have a list of best films of 1999?
Mike
------------------------------ Message-ID: <012601bf574a$83608340$a6841818@we.mediaone.net> From: "Drew MacDonald" <drewmacdonald@mediaone.net> Subject: Til I Die Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 23:00:12 -0800 Alec wrote: "I have a very extended version of "Til I Die" from the unreleased "lost" Beach Boys record called "Landlocked". It has a very long, slow, trippy marimba-ish instrumental beginning which sounds EXTREMELEY Stereolab." I'd LOVE to hear that version of "Til I Die," surely one of the beautiful and heartfelt pop songs ever recorded. I've never seen "Landlocked" -- it's presumably a boot, but how hard it it to get? Is it on CD or just vinyl? Sorry to post this question to the whole list, but I couldn't get through to Alec via his address as it appeared. Drew
------------------------------ Message-ID: <007101bf575a$da038480$725791d2@johnboud> From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: Pete and Abbie Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:52:59 +0900 Chris Coolidge wrote : he ( Abby Hoffman ) was known to be obnoxioous at times(such as Pete Townshend beaning him with his guitar at Woodstock) If my memory serves me right ( i - a 17 year old high school student hitched with a friend to woodstock from ct. ) , Pete Townshend booted Hoffman in the ass ; he did NOT " bean him with his guitar " . And ... Thinking my copy of " Generals and Majors " ( with the extra free CD ) had been lost ( when I moved to Japan , one box containing albums and 45s disappeared in transit ) , I bid on and won a copy on Ebay . Well , going through my boxes of 45s just yesterday I discovered that the presumed lost copy was enclosed in the same plastic bag as " Life Begins At The Hop " ! The ebay copy has not been sent to me from US yet , so if anybody is interested in it , I paid $ 11 including postage . The record is supposed to be in excellent condition . John The Sushiman
------------------------------ Message-ID: <006f01bf575a$d54c8c20$725791d2@johnboud> From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: The Apex Of Andy's Arc Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:27:29 +0900 >If the 1966 Beatles can turn to 1971 shit, then anything can. >So why is it that XTC *never* has? It would appear that Andy Partridge still hasn't " reached the apex of his creative arc " ( borrowed from Van Dyke Parks ) , after 20 + years in the business . The Beatles - namely John and Paul - appear to have reached theirs with ... Abbey Road . " Great fire burning through ... " ( Awaiting the flames ) John The Sushilover
------------------------------ Message-ID: <B9B4268C8F87D11195DC0000F840FABE0D7FF126@DUB-MSG-02> From: Peter Fitzpatrick <peterfit@microsoft.com> Subject: Re: Going to Hell Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 03:02:16 -0800 Why hasn't that happened to XTC? Because they've taken tough decisions when they had to. I'm sure we could all make a list. My bet is that most of those decisions were made on the phone to Virgin and Geffen. The most recent tough one involved Dave leaving the band. on a slightly happier note : I see from Dave's Guitaronauts site that an audit of 1996 income from Virgin resulted in a payout to the lads - including Dave. What did our Dave do with the money ? Spent it on guitars and amps. :-) What a guy !
------------------------------
From: Writetolife@aol.com
Message-ID: <0.d07bdd5.25a49b18@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 08:03:20 EST
Subject: Re: Whence Fish
>Mark N asked in Chalkhills #6-2, "What happened to Fish?"
My question exactly. He did put out a solo album shortly after leaving
Marillion say around 1987 or 1988. It was the same good stuff that you spoke
of but I have not heard hide nor hare from him since. Perhaps this has
something to do with the fact that I stopped looking. I would venture one of
our European friends might be able to help with the answer.
Yes, Marillion is another one of those bands in which the American
Mainstream did not take to heart such as XTC. But I think we've all to some
degree concluded that this is a good thing. As I've said all along, "Just
because it's popular dosen't make it good."
Gone fishing. . . Let me know what you come up with.
From 'Torch Song': "Read some Kerouac, and it put me on the track, to
burn a little brighter now. . ."
Jeff Azara
------------------------------ Message-ID: <204640794C39D211A21700805FA7352103755C2D@ahqex1.rei.com> From: Steve Sims <ssims@rei.com> Subject: list lovers, stop right here Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 09:49:50 -0800 To all those list lovers out there, the corporate alternative radio station in Seattle, 107.7 "The End", did a top 1077 list over the weekend. The results can be found at www.1077theend.com. Sadly, our boys came in at 218 and 606, "Dear God" and "Nigel", respectively. Like you can't guess what was #1 in Seattle...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000105175907.87928.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Dominique Leone" <d_leone@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: With a love like that... Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 17:59:07 GMT On why XTC has never turned to "shit." I enjoyed reading this post, but wonder if there's a degree of popularity, or at least general familiarity an artist (or politician, or athlete) should achieve before the backlash hits. Most of the people I work with, or bump into on the streets, or am married to have little to no working knowledge of XTC. If they do know about the band, they remember them as 80s New Wave-comp artists, or Beatle knockoffs. The others are ardent fans. I fall into the latter category, and wholeheartedly agree that the band has never turned to shit, but rather evolved into something their fans (and doubtlessly, their original record company) never expected. The Beatles did the same thing, and there are still thousands who think everything after A Hard Day's Night was pompous artrock. However, the Beatles were much more popular than XTC. Had XTC become superstars after Drums & Wires, I would not be suprised if a considerable chunk of their fans found Mummer or Skylarking or AV1 disappointing. Dominique http://www.geocities.com/1-0/
------------------------------
From: "Michael Versaci" <stormymonday@sprintmail.com>
Subject: An Allegory of Ecstasy
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 13:49:58 -0500
Message-ID: <000001bf57ad$ab910570$b6a31e26@addatl.sterling.com>
Folxtc,
Way back in the 1990's (October 17th, 1999 to be exact) Mr. Pedretti-Allen
posted the following:
>Chalkhillbilly Steve Oleson's wild montage photography will be gracing
>the walls of Idea Recording Studios outside of Swindon.
"Don't you miss it, don't you miss it. Some 'a you people just about missed
it!"
I had the pleasure of speaking to Lady Jill Oleson, and she pointed me to
the following URL:
http://www.precision-camera.com/gallery/soleson.htm
If you go there you will see some fine photography. According to Lady Jill,
the one titled "An Allegory of Ecstasy" was inspired by XTC. Steve (no
doubt living out a fantasy that many of us must share) had the idea of
giving something back to our heroes and kindly gifted two other photographs
("6 was 9 is 10" and "Right Brain Shake") to XTC. Messrs. P.& M. liked them
enough to put them on display (Hip Hooray!) in the recording studio. Too
cool.
Lady Jill assures me that the nude is not her. (Down Todd! Down!) She is
prettier than the model, but she is also way too modest to display her
beauty to anyone but her lucky husband. She did concede to unabashedly
reveal her naked hand, so you won't be too disappointed.
Some of you aspiring musicians in search of album art might consider looking
no further than the above URL, and then contacting Steve Oleson. He is an
artist.
Michael Versaci
------------------------------ From: spitts@thesaurus-computers.co.uk Message-ID: <8025685D.006B4748.00@thesaurus-computers.co.uk> Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:30:20 +0000 Subject: You Say Potato ... In #6-2 Travis Schulz asked: > is Nonsuch pronounced "None-such"? < Not here it isn't :) I can't speak for how Andy might say it, but I've paid regular visits (man and boy <g>) to Nonsuch Park in Cheam, one time location of Nonsuch Palace, which I believe was the inspiration for the CD cover art, and I've always said it, and heard it pronounced by others, as 'non-sutch'. Of course, this may just be my cross between Surrey plummy and Estuary english, so who's to say?? Cheers, Steve
------------------------------ From: Robeach11@aol.com Message-ID: <6e.6ee201ff.25a4fd32@aol.com> Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 15:01:54 EST Subject: Endless Harmony Alec mentioned 2 of my faves-- Beach Boys & Stereolab. "'Til I Die" is an awesome Brian Wilson track. The extended version he speaks of is now "officially" released on the "Endless Harmony" soundtrack. In actuality, it was not the Beach Boys idea to tack on that long, building instrumental section. It was studio engineer Stehen Desper messing around. He just stripped the track of all the vocals. And yes, it DOES sound a lot like Stereolab. My next posting will have some juicy XTC content! Rob Carson, Ca
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 13:23:51 -0500 From: "Simmons, Jonathan S." <jonathan_simmons@merck.com> Subject: School Guide to XTC Message-id: <6DD219467BB1D311BF7A00508B5C7C1B180F11@uswpmx13.merck.com> A few digests ago someone made reference to an impending book/CD release called "A School Guide to XTC." Can anyone out there confirm, deny, or offer further (relevant) speculation about this? Thanks. -Jon S.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <002a01bf57a5$e9821520$0d2aa8c0@me.myoffice.com> From: "Steven Paul" <spaul@armstronglaw.com> Subject: jealous - right on definition Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:53:56 -0000 Garret Harkawik said: >I just relized that Andy missuses the word jealous in the song >crocodile when he sings: "No you won't make me jealous That >she left me for him" because jealousy, despite popular belief, >does not mean envy. It means that you have something that other >people want, so you would gaurd that thing with jealousy. Sorry to be overly anal -- but then again, that's what lawyers do -- but I disagree. According to my trusty Random House Dictionary: jeal.ous ( jelAAs), adj. 1. feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success, or advantages (often fol. by of): He was jealous of his rich brother. [11751225; ME jelous, gelos < OF gelos] (definitions 2-5 omitted, but also relevant to Andy's use) Whatever the "Crocodile" is -- society, pride, pity, hurt, identity -- Andy is not going to let it get the best of him. He will not let "it" control his emotions. That is the essence of the song. I think. As always, Andy is spot on with his lyrics.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v04210100b49991a2f988@[208.13.202.235]> Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:34:08 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Re: Melt tha Guns At 4:29 PM -0800 1/4/00, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> wrote: >Celebrity stalking is becoming a bigger and more frightening thing. Pop, >film and tv stars are very vulnerable. I suspect that Jill Dando was >probably killed by an obsessed fan. The fab four seem to be amongst the top >targets for crazed people who believe themselves on a mission. > >Thank heavens George is alright. One thought that I had was that if it had >been in America, the nutter would have had a gun and George would not be >with us anymore. >In this country at least nut-cases can't get hold of a gun so easily!! I'm glad George is alright, but until we figure out a way to keep guns out of the hands of scumbuckets without stepping on the rights of responsible citizens, I would recommend that any public figure concerned about being shot by a stalker buy a gun and learn how to use it. Then again, Rosie O'Donnell and Babs Streisand can afford expensive bodyguards.(and Babs has James Brolin to protect her!) Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html "A Great law protects me from the government. The Bill of rights has 10 GREAT laws. A Good law protects me from you. Laws against murder, theft, assault and the like are good laws. A Poor law attempts to protect me from myself." - Unknown
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v04210101b499b90c3c33@[208.13.202.235]> Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 22:38:18 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Marillion At 4:29 PM -0800 1/4/00, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> wrote: >It was while in college in upper sate New York that one of my roommates >asked me to go to a concert with him. I had never heard of the band >Marrillion, but Ted said they were a good band and so I went. > >The lead singer/lyricist was a pudgy man named Fish. His lyrics were quite >marvelous and thought provoking. > >In later years, I bought a Marillion live cd 'The Thieving Magpie' (I gave >it away to a girl who got her stripper's name from their most successful >hit here in the US - but that is neither here nor there.) It was a good >album. I especially liked the songs 'Sugar Mice' (to my European friends: >What are Sugar Mice?) and 'All The Best Freaks Are Here'. > >I know Marrillion is still around with a new lead singer, but what did >happen to Fish? > >Mark N. As far as I know he's still recording, his last album I know of was a few years ago. I have his Internal Exile album from '93, the title song of which is the only solo Fish song I like as much as his best stuff with Marillion(which was hit and miss in my opinion, I prefer them with Steve Hogarth, their current lead singer, who's been with them ten years now, twice as long as Fish's tenure with the band). It's one of the best Celtic/ rock fusions I've heard besides Richard Thompson. Otherwise his solo work is spotty, I never cared for his voice much, though his lyrics are sometimes great, sometimes weird and impetrable, often in the same song. I ask Fish fans: what on earth is a "mannequin catlwalk?" As for Hogarth, XTC fans might be aware of Dave Gregory's fretwork on his solo album a few years back. Haven't heard the album yet, unfortunately, I only recently have attempted to catch up with Marillion by getting one of their more recent albums, I'd lost track of them after 1994's Afraid Of Sunlight, which I heard one song from and it sounded like they were trying to make a sequel to U2's Zooropa. For those who like the idea of a cross between the most recent King Crimson lineup and later Boomtown Rats(kind of), '93's Brave might be your cup of tea. Hogarth has a bit more of an angel with a dirty face kind of voice, and brings a bit more sex appeal into the band for the benefit of the female fans(and gay male too, presumably!). He is quite a handsome guy, really. Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-3 *****************************
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