Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 38
Date: Thursday, 9 March 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 38
Thursday, 9 March 2000
Today's Topics:
40 Versions
Who Gives a Rat's Arse, I Don't
Wow! Thanks, Chalkers, for the new live audios!
sound meme goes to Orchid
Re: My Paint Heroes
Limelights For Sale
What is in a name ?
RE: The subject of "Dom"
Wasp Star
what up with that?
A little levity in an otherwise dreary day
av2 name change
White Anglo Saxon Protestant Star!!!
the all American bullet headed Saxon mother's son
tribulations
Set the Atavachron for '82!
Choke the Chicken
Stars
A Wasp Star Is Born ?
Thud!- the sound one's head makes...
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Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7a (John Relph <relph@tmbg.org>).
Castles and kings all starved to death.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 17:50:37 -0800 (PST) From: pancho artecona <partecona@yahoo.com> Subject: 40 Versions Message-ID: <20000308015037.14926.qmail@web207.mail.yahoo.com> Hey there, sorry to take up bandwidth, but I was hoping that one of the Brits on the hills could help me with the following passage from a bio book on Wire: "I had the idea of going to University to do English but my 'A' Level results were not good enough, so I retook them at evening classes and still didn't get into University. The only offer I had was to do a General Degree course at Dundee." Just curious about what the educational system is like across the pond and what these A levels mean. Please email me privately. Thanks, Pancho XPRXTCFAN
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 18:03:14 -0800 (PST) From: Molly Fanton <mfanton99@yahoo.com> Subject: Who Gives a Rat's Arse, I Don't Message-ID: <20000308020314.17822.qmail@web1306.mail.yahoo.com> I've been reading this digest for a couple of days, and I don't get why some of you are so upset over the new title. I don't care, it's not effecting my life in anyway. Why should it, I'm not going to die because of it. "Oh oh I'm having a heart attack over the change." People it's just an album title! Let's get onto something better. Molly Molly's Pages http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/index.html
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 09:31:51 -0600
From: Jill Oleson <Jill_Oleson@kurion.com>
Subject: Wow! Thanks, Chalkers, for the new live audios!
Message-ID: <81CC73FC2FACD311A2D200508B8B88AA07F514@KURION_EXCH>
- - - - - 1.
Yeah! Woohoo! Yippee! Fantastic! Wow! Yeehaw!
A big thanks to Chalkers Riccardo Bachman and Kevin Keeler for
making the XTC live performance in Genova, Italy 1982 available online:
http://www.underworld.net/kevin/xtc/
Listening to this clips takes me back (more years than I care to admit)
to seeing XTC live in Austin. What an incredible energy their live
performances had!
- - - - - 2.
As Joe Funk mentioned in the previous digest, we have been
listening to a Kevin Gilbert tape sent by Michael Versaci.
I share the enthusiasm for this man's talent and grieve at his
untimely death. His work was extraordinary and I play it very loud.
- - - - - 3.
I've been negligent about planning the Austin Chalkfest
-- my apologies! If you are interested in getting together this month
during Austin's South by Southwest Conference and Festivals
(featuring music, film, and interactive technology), please
write me at my new address:
jill_oleson@kurion.com
For more information about South by Southwest, see:
http://www.sxsw.com/2k/splash.html
Private note to Kazawee, Nokosha, Pynchon, and
Tornado Death Threat: If you attend the event, the bag oh' oranges
will be my treat!
Sincerely,
Jill Oleson
Austin, Texas
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 01:08:50 +0900 From: nishimatu <new_sphere_@mbb.nifty.ne.jp> Subject: sound meme goes to Orchid Message-ID: <v04210a00b4eb8f9fcd20@[210.131.81.145]> A background music of Japanese TV CM (Shock-bootsu Mono-gut-ari : skin care products made by Lion Co.<http://www.lion.co.jp/cominfo/sectop/index_e.htm>) sounds _so similar_ to River of Orchid. A spokesman of Lion Co. replied that an advertising agent made the CM including the BGM, no relation with River of Orchid or XTC. How you know...
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 23:25:08 -0700 From: "Robert A. Dagnall" <dagnall@words-that-work.com> Subject: Re: My Paint Heroes Message-ID: <B4EB4053.2A3E%dagnall@words-that-work.com> Is _My Paint Heroes_ available on CD? MP3? Tape? Semaphore? I haven't heard it for 8 years, but suddenly little scraps of it keep running through my head like an unusually groovy form of tinnitus. For God's sake help me, Robert dagnall@words-that-work.com
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 11:19:49 +0100 From: hhc.cw.g@netcomuk.co.uk Subject: Limelights For Sale Message-ID: <38C62942.44E0@netcomuk.co.uk> Dear all Apologies if this doesn't belong here... but I thought someone would be interested. I was clearing stuff out.. I've got for sale Limelight Magazine issues 1-9, +Discography & supplements, + the Dave Gregory Special. Offers welcome (UK #s). I've also put some other stuff in the Chalkhills classifieds - although I forgot to add I've a spare copy of the UK release of Homespun CD if anyone's interested. All offers to: g.ward@virgin.net Looking forward to Wasp Star. Cheers Giles
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 12:55:26 +0900 From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: What is in a name ? Message-ID: <003001bf88b7$d9679460$7c5791d2@johnboud> What is the fuss about the name of the new XTC album ? They could call it " SWAP ARTS " or " SWAP RATS " or " RATS PAWS " for all I care . After all , it's the music , isn't it ? Ahhhhhhhh...my wife and i just got out of our orgone box ... hadda carry her out ... poor thing ... sushiman
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 09:48:19 -0000 From: "Smith, David" <David.Smith@tfeurope.com> Subject: RE: The subject of "Dom" Message-ID: <802EE5D7277AD21188D10008C728D44801821F0B@TFSECMSG02> As a relative Chalkhills newbie I was intrigued by the regular references to a character called "Dom" who seemed to be loathed and loved in equal (or unequal) measures by the Chalkhillians. Having not seen any postings from said Dom, I could only sit and wonder who this geezer was, and what he did to arouse such passions. A thought flashed into my head "he's probably some sarcastic, acerbic, smart-a*se like that Dominic Lawson from the Spectator and "Have I Got News For You". Well bugger me . . . IMHO, (don't you HATE acronyms) we need more Doms - all things are great as long as they aren't taken too seriously - including peace and love. Keep pricking the egos Dom. Oh, BTW (whoops, there's another one), Two Against Nature . . . orgasmic. To use an old over-worked cliche, it's like they've never been away. Blatant plug time (without commercial interest), if you're into Steely Dan there's a trubute band doing the pub venue circuit in London called Stealing Dan & Don. They do a two hour set of SD and Fagan solo covers and they are absolutely brilliant. If you can catch them, do so. Laters Smudgeboy E-Mail: david.smith@tfeurope.com PS: Apparently it seems to be de rigour to insert a quote at the end, so here's mine. "There's precious little in civilisation that would appeal to a yeti" - Sir Edmund Hillary
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 14:27:03 -0000 From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: Wasp Star Message-ID: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1BD49F0@mgmtm02.parliament.uk> Personally I think it's a great title, but then I'm just being hostile and arrogant.... Apparently "wasp star" is another name for Xux Ek or Mercury - "the messenger of life, he that transforms into life. It represents life as pollen. For the Maya this planet makes the human body strong, so then the body can radiate light in order to have one's consciousness connected with the cosmic light." Spanish speakers might want to go to http://www.teide.net/kukulcan/ for more information. I did exactly that, but I have enough trouble with my own language so it didn't really make a lot of sense to me... Fairly in keeping with the whole pagan thing, if you ask me, and a better title than "Chocolate Nipple", that's for sure. Dom.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 08:40:05 -0800 From: "Victor Rocha" <wstsidela@mediaone.net> Subject: what up with that? Message-ID: <005f01bf891c$f59474e0$ea548218@we.mediaone.net> Hey Chalksters, does anyone know why "Some Lovely (My Brown Guitar)" isn't on the new album? Victor Rocha
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 09:49:25 +0100 From: jeffrey.thomas.jt@bayer-ag.de Subject: A little levity in an otherwise dreary day Message-ID: <0006800021311918000002L082*@MHS> Hi there, David Oh wrote about Dom Lawson writing about David Oh writing about...: >From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> >Subject: Oh Dear >>>to andy partridge - thank you so very much for allowing us that rare >opportunity to meet you, to ask our questions and for your >patience.....(etc) >Oh, take your tongue out of his arse for God's sake! >Cheers. >Dom. <snip> >why the hell you are even on this list, one that celebrates a band >that promotes tolerance and understanding, is beyond me. my only >conclusion is that you get some perverse thrill out of castigating >other people from the safety that distance and anonymity provides you. Ummm... yeah... but it was pretty funny, wasn't it? - Jeff - - - - PS - It really was, David. Honest. PPS - Maybe yours was, too?
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 11:30:8 -0600 From: "William Sherlock" <bdsherlock@earthlink.net> Subject: av2 name change Message-ID: <41200033817308980@earthlink.net> It was my understanding that XTC in forming Idea Records was taking care of its own business and that the connection with Cooking Vinyl and TVT was just for distribution. So I guess my question is: just who exactly was unhappy with the name Apple Venus, Volume 2 and has enough clout with the band to even suggest a name change. Personally, I always thought the name rather unimaginative myself but an artist has the right to call his work whatever he deems appropriate. The British slang that pops up in this digest sometimes really mystifies me. What exactly is one doing when"digging out a verruca with a drawing pin."? See 6-35. Bill Sherlock ...swimming out alone against this tide. New Model Army
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 12:49:57 -0500 From: "Robert Cosentino" <robertlc@erols.com> Subject: White Anglo Saxon Protestant Star!!! Message-ID: <004401bf8926$b8dfcae0$e924fea9@robertco> For those who don't know..... A "WASP" is a White Anglo Saxon Protestant. I believe that's the gist of it. I still don't like it but... oh well, The music is what really counts. Rob. Rob Cosentino Nonsuch Production Owner/Producer/Engineer http://listen.to/nonsuch
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 07:30:21 -1000 From: "Jim Smart" <jismart@ksbe.edu> Subject: the all American bullet headed Saxon mother's son Message-ID: <38C68DE0.20CA1F3F@ksbe.edu> Organization: 3Tripper I got a laugh out of Andy's assertion that Wasp Star was Aztec for Apple Venus or whatever. Really the words are clearly descended from the linguistic traditions of the white anglo saxon protestants. But after rubbing me the wrong way for a bit, the new (well, latest) title for AV II Fire Work / Shiny Heart / etc. is starting to stick. First of all, it's more dangerous and threatening, not to be taken lightly. There could be connections to Apple Venus, which, I should warn you all now, are a load of complete poppycock. 1. wasp/apple - picture a wasp going round and round an apple, knowing there's something good inside. Busy, buzzing, hungering, using all its senses. 2. star/venus - picture Venus going around our star, constantly held at a certain distance, unable to give in to her conflicting urges to merge with the heat of the star or escape and spin off into the wide open freedom of the cosmos. Caught in a circle as round as an apple... Round goes the wheel, indeed. Speaking of which, a few digests back someone gave a review of this upcoming album, and the gist of the review for the Wheel and the Maypole was that the first half is good, while the 2nd half disappoints. I'd like to jab a stick in the wasp's nest and say that I like the second half (the maypole) much better, and can't wait to get through the Wheel to get to it. Catchy rhythm, that. A good place to hear it, along with a somewhat bizarre assortment of xtc demos, live shows, non-album tracks, covers of xtc songs, and songs by other artists connected to xtc is on Ian's xtcliveanddirect, which I keep on most of the day here at work. Which I'd better get back to. Jim "sting down the moon" Smart
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 11:04:48 -1000 From: "Jim Smart" <jismart@ksbe.edu> Subject: tribulations Message-ID: <38C6C016.9648E2FD@ksbe.edu> Organization: 3Tripper Whoever is putting together that Macca tribute is really blowing it. I suppose the other artists on the list we got received the same treatment as xtc. A song is chosen for them (wouldn't it be nicer to let them choose themselves?) and letters are sent out proposing their involvement. Then, whether or not the letters are returned, a list of tracks and artists is leaked on the internet. Whoever they are, xtc are better off out of it, if the way they have started is any indication. Jim
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 16:27:07 -0600 From: chris vreeland <vreecave@realtime.com> Subject: Set the Atavachron for '82! Message-ID: <38C6D3BB.1B54@realtime.com> Organization: Vreeland Graphics "And when the waters slow down The dark and the deep Have no one No one No one No one No one left to keep... -Peter Gabriel The good ol top ten list. And I do mean old. Whilst cleaning off the desk, I happened across some top-ten album lists from the early eighties the other day. I wont embarrass myself with the 83 and 84 list, but 1982 is interesting. (Or not. Page down may apply) 1. Peter Gabriel Security 2. XTc English Settlement 3. Joe Jackson Night and Day 4. King Crimson Beat 5. Adrian Belew Twang Bar King 6. Icehouse Primitive Man 7. David Byrne The Catherine Wheel 8. The Who Its Hard 9. Thomas Dolby The Golden Age of Wireless 10. Flock of Seagulls The thing that stuck me first when I found it, was that Peter Gabriel would top the list, even at a time where XTC were already my favorite band, and I feel compelled to introspection by that fact. The conclusion? Peter Gabriel was and is an incredible artist, with a unique vision, and the talent to execute. He crafted an incredible piece of work in Security, but in the intervening years, he has failed to live up to deservedly high expectations. Despite the artistic and financial success hes had, and the carte blanche that these things should impart to an artist, he went home, and virtually quit producing. So and Us are both fine albums, but they seem to me crumbs thrown to silence his critics, as much as anything he was driven to produce by artistic necessity. It seems that some artists are driven, while others aren't. A case in point would be when a fan (student?) asked Kurt Vonnegut at a lecture why he wrote, he replied I cant NOT write. (Or was that a remark he made in a letter to Harper's a couple years ago? My sources are dim) Not to diminish the work Mr. Gabriel has produced, but I dont detect this drive in him. In the meantime, Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding have quietly gone about the business of amassing the most impressive catalogue of original music to be produced in the last twenty years, despite the absence of any obvious ground swell of demand from the public at large. A true artist is driven to produce against all odds, and so they have. Today, I would reverse the positions of those two titles for that one reason. Despite a seven-year hiatus, they still out produced Peter Gabriel three to one.(not counting Rag and Bone Buffet- almost an original album in its own right) Another enlightening aspect of finding this list again after so many years is which two pieces havent stood the test of time and which others have. I cant find anything good about the last couple albums the Who produced anymore, and Pete Townsend has even admitted to keeping the good material for his solo albums. Flock of Seagulls?!? I publicly hand my virtual head in shame. Other than them, though, my taste in music appears to have changed but little over the intervening years. I was inspired to dig out the vinyl of Primitive Man, and am listening to it as I write. Synthy, yes, but groovy, still. I still prefer the original vinyl of The Golden Age... as well. Urges is really a fun song, and the cover art is so much better than the re-packaging. I jealously guard this one, and get it out only every couple of years. Unlike most of my vinyl, I was aware that it was out of print when I found it new, and have always treasured it and kept it in good shape. Sure wish someone would re-master and re-release it in it's original form with Blinded by Science and One of Our Submarines as bonus tracks. Goodnight Mr. Matthews, Chris " List 'em all" Vreeland
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 14:29:12 -0800 From: "Hiatt, Randy" <Randy.Hiatt@fsbti.com> Subject: Choke the Chicken Message-ID: <F34536084B78D311AF53009027B0D7EA144A05@fsbex01-2.web.boeing.com> I just downloaded the Drunken Jam Sessions and Live in Italy (MP3's)... fun stuff,... the live stuff, though poorly preserved, shows Andy in great vocal form and the band is locked on. The drunk sessions were a breath of fresh beer. It humanizes these gods... I too can play that bad! From: "Joe Funk" I'd seen Kevin Gilbert mentioned in the digest before, but didn't have aclue who he was...until now!! I managed to get a copy of " The Shaming ofthe True" (thanks Jill & Michael......... What an unexpected pleasure! I had a KG sighting as well and equally worth getting... Kevin did a cover of "Back in NewYork City" from the final Peter Gabriel era Genesis double LP called The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. It's on the Genesis tribute CD called Suppers Ready and it kicks holy hell. The entire CD was created with only the energy harnessed (captured) by Orgone Exasberators and all excess energy was sent back into the grid (I think). Another piece of trivia was KG died because of a accident during wild sex (strangling) at the hands of Sheryl Crow. Is that true?... what would that do to your (her) head?? Randy (move over Kavorkian) Hiatt http://members.tripod.com/RandyHiatt/
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 11:28:19 -0800 From: "Drew MacDonald" <drewmacdonald@mediaone.net> Subject: Stars Message-ID: <006101bf8934$75bd2ce0$18841818@we.mediaone.net> John Peacock wrote: >Oh, and I think Wasp Star sounds like a Robyn Hitchcock song. Yeah, Robyn had "Madonna of the Wasps," and his latest CD -- available only through his website at www.robynhitchcock.com/giftshop.htm --- is called A Star For Bram. It's a collection of outttakes from Jewels For Sophia, and includes a song called "I Saw Nick Drake." I know there are more than a few Drake fans on this list. Drew
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 01:13:15 +0100
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Subject: A Wasp Star Is Born ?
Message-ID: <20000309000954.C9244A6CE8@mail.knoware.nl>
Dear Chalkers,
> Maybe it's only me, but I'm feeling a little disappointed with a title
> like this.
Let's not get our knickers in a twist now - please remember that
album titles tend to come and go as the release date gets nearer.
We all know that XTC albums usually go through umpteen work titles
and my guess is that "Wasp Star" is a bit of an Andy joke... a silly
title just to upset the neighbours (= TVT) who had the audacity to
complain
People are always going on about his lyrical obsession with insects
and cosmology - Wasp Star sums it all up, doesn't it?
yours in xtc,
Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 18:08:59 -0600
From: chris vreeland <vreecave@realtime.com>
Subject: Thud!- the sound one's head makes...
Message-ID: <38C6EB9B.6E16@realtime.com>
Organization: Vreeland Graphics
Goodness gracious, we came in at the end
No sex that isn't dangerous
No money left to spend
We're the clean-up crew for parties
we were too young to attend...
-K.G.
Joe Said:
>I'd seen Kevin Gilbert mentioned in the digest before, but didn't
>have a clue who he was...until now!! I managed to get a copy of "
>The Shaming of the True" (thanks Jill & Michael!!). I didn't know
>what to expect....I was literally floored!!!
Gotta add: I found a copy of "THUD" (thx david oh for the mention- it
spurred me to redouble my used-bin efforts) by the aforementioned Mr.
Gilbert a few weeks back, and I'm still trying to clean the mess I made
while listening to it out of the Accumulator. Goodness Gracious has to
be the best damn synical-diatribe-about-society-song since Across This
Antheap. Joe: Hope your tape deck works- I'll be by to use it.
Unfortunately, Kevin has ascended to the mothership. The lesson? Never
EVER use your quartz crystal in an Accumulator, within fifty miles of
Hanford, while attempting autoerotic self-asphyxiation.
Harrison, I haven't laughed out loud at my computer since Apple
introduced the G4. Definitely the best links of the month.
Chris "My nose just came off in my hand" Vreeland
XTC content? Ok. Lyle Workman plays on Thud, and he also played on Todd
Rundgren's Second Wind, which gives him an Andy Partridge number of 2.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-38 ******************************
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