Chalkhills Digest Volume 7, Issue 11
Date: Thursday, 1 March 2001

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 7, Number 11

                  Thursday, 1 March 2001

Topics:

                        Strange...
               Re: Nonsuch a disappointment
                    They're baa-aack!!
                   What's up with that?
                       three videos
               Re:Andaleandalearribaarriba
                       Bargain Bin
                   Re: church of women
                        Re: Bizkit
                      Bones to pick
                 Any drummers out there?
               Talkin' trash 'bout my XTC!
                      Ollie Halsall
                     Vanishing songs
                       Any takers?
                a hook laden mini-classic
              The renaissance of Star Park!!
                      Hello (again)
                Portmeirion video / Polls
             Stuck in the middle without you
                         ES font?
                Rocky Mountain XTC Addicts
                     Oh no, Dear God
                   Bungalow has moved.
          Message from ? with tribute questions
            Blegvad & Partridge collaboration

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But he made too many enemies.

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

Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:29:40 -0000
From: "Dan YEn" <pogoyen@hotmail.com>
Subject: Strange...
Message-ID: <F126kfzDskqC5EtrUVY00007b60@hotmail.com>

To be fairly honest, I haven't been an XTC fan for very long, but when I
found and played vinyl copies of 'White Music' and 'Go+' that were gathering
dust, I started to accumulate most of their back catalogue. My latest
addition, was the Partridge / Budd collaboration, 'Through The Hill'. I
don't know very much about this, and because it is so dramatically different
to anything else I have heard, I don't really know what to make of it. I'm
interested to know what other XTC fans think of it.
Dan YEn

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

Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:43:29 -0500
From: Sylvan <psiogen@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Nonsuch a disappointment
Message-ID: <3A9579F5.25D074C9@mindspring.com>
Organization: Mpath

'Honest' Dave wrote:

> I read quite a few of the interviews with Andy on the Chalkhills website
> (is he a splendid interviewee or what!!)  and he seemed to rate tracks off
> Nonsuch highly.  It was with some expectation that I listened properly to
> the album this weekend.  Have to say 'The Disappointed' was an apt title.
> He doesn't write trash - but these songs don't have any oomph to me.  Or
> real emotional weight.  The artist is so often not the best judge of their
> own material.

I think I remember reading in a recent interview with Andy this phrase
regarding Nonsuch: "At the time, we thought it was our best work" (Or
something like that, I'm muffing the quote.) It would seem that, looking
back, he has revised his viewpoint.

I agree that Nonsuch is a relatively weak album. It would have been
better, I think, if they'd chopped it down to LP length. There's just a
few too many skippers for me. Imagine how good it would have been snipped
down to a more reasonable length. I give you my ideal Nonsuch (if you
weren't alienated before, prepare to be):

1. Peter Pumpkinhead
2. My Bird Performs
3. Wrapped In Grey
4. Ugly Underneath
5. Then She Appeared
6. Dear Madam Barnum
7. The Disappointed
8. Holly up on Poppy
9. War Dance
10. Crocodile
11. The Smartest Monkeys
12. Books Are Burning
Running Time: 46:16

Before you attack me, try programming it that way on your CD player.  I'm
not saying that the other songs are bad, but they just don't belong. Rook
suffers a bit from weak lyrics and vocals. Humble Daisy just doesn't do
much for me. Same for That Wave. Omnibus needs some sort of radically
different arrangement. Bungalow comes off as just a silly
throwaway. That's just my opinion, of course. I'm interested to hear other
people's thoughts on this.

> My mate also reckons TBE is an uninspiring collection of songs too.  What
> do you say Chalksters?

The Big Express is a great album, whatever anyone says. ;)
By the way, does anyone else hear "farting" whenever Andy sings "far too
many" in Reign of Blows? I can't help it! I guess I just have a dirty
mind...

Finally, the prize for Andy song that is most Colinesque goes to:
Respectable Street. The most Andyesque Colin song: Sacrificial Bonfire.
--
Sylvan
What's that burning smell?

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

Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 23:10:29
From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com>
Subject: They're baa-aack!!
Message-ID: <F1541N8BB8iP2jHY2To00014ef9@hotmail.com>

Well it's been an interesting few weeks, despite the chalk shortage. I
missed you guys! (really ... no, really!)

First:

>"california tumbles in to the sea,
>that'll be the day i go back to annandale..."

Where is Annandale exactly? I assume it's somewhere on the US east coast,
near where DF and WB went to uni? The main reason I ask is that there is
actually an inner-city suburb of Sydney called Annandale. Now I don't
actually think they're referring to THAT Annandale, but stranger things have
happened ... such as in "Black Friday":

"When Black Friday comes
I'll go down to Muswellbrook"

This always tickles me, because Muswellbrook is a country town north-west of
Sydney. Apparently they chose it because (A) they liked the sound of it (B)
they needed something to rhyme with ""little black book"  and (C) they
needed an Australian place name to enable the character to be someplace
where he could have "nothing to do but feed all the kangaroos"

Cute, eh? As far as I know this is the ONLY reference to an Australian town
in any American song. (On the other hand, Vanda and Young made a whole
career out of dropping American place names: "It's a long long way to
Pasadena", "Show me the way to St Louis" ...)

>From: Dewi Thompson <dewi@dewi1.demon.co.uk>
>Subject: Hello there

>When I got into Frank Zappa a few years ago, I would go weeks on end
>without listening to anything else.

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Fortunately my wife has gradually got to like
Frank (wouldn't say LOVE) and put up with my endless repeats of "Big Swifty"
and "Heavy Duty Judy".

>From: "Iain Murray" <halfmanhalflager@hotmail.com>
>Subject: What decade are we in again?

>Best Album Grammy: Steely Dan, "Two Against Nature".
>Scratch my original question - what *planet* are we on?
>There is a God (Donald be thy name).

Evidently, Iain, we have finally reached a decade -- or a planet -- where
true talent is being recognised. I am absobloodylutely delighted that the
Grammy voters could see past all that Eminem nonsense and see fit to reward
what was clearly the best record of the year.

And on that subject -- I have no interest in him per se, but I can't help
wondering if Eminem is suffering from the same kind of idiocy that beset
Randy Newman with "Short People" or Mark Knopfler with "Money For Nothing".
(i.e. people not twigging to the fact that he is writing as a character)?

Oh by the way - Richard Thompson was just over here for a concert tour.
Jesus christ that guy is SO brilliant. And I had no idea how funny he is. He
did a side-splitting little song about Kenny G. called "I Agree with Pat
Metheny":

"I agree with Pat Metheny
Kenny's talents are too teeny"

Hilarious. And what a bitchin' guitarist. Phew!

Lastly: I recently joined the Powell'n'Pressburger list, devoted to
England's most 'English' film-makers, The Archers (aka Michael Powell and
Emeric Pressberger). Being another quintessentially English cultural
producer, I just wondered if anyone has spotted any PnP references in XTC's
lyrics? I can't think of any myself, but I'm sure there are Chalkers out
there who know the lyrics WAAAAY better than I do.

Dunks

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

Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 11:46:48 -0800 (PST)
From: Jon Rosenberger <wile1coyote@yahoo.com>
Subject: What's up with that?
Message-ID: <20010222194648.24269.qmail@web121.yahoomail.com>

In his message entitled "Biting the Hand" "Jason Phelan"
<phelander@hotmail.com> belched out a little ditty:
>
>Liiiiiiiiife
>is pathetic in the Chalkhouse

Why is is that people need to post a message full of vitriol saying
they are leaving when they go? Particularly if they didn't like the
place they were leaving? It baffles me, truly.

Never even heard of the guy before, just baffling.

Wow,
Mole

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

Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:02:39 -0800
From: "Wesley Hanks" <whanks1@earthlink.net@earthlink.net>
Subject: three videos
Message-ID: <000601c09d3c$c0dd48a0$010000c0@default>

...are stored in the bowels (ewww) of Launch.com of "The Disappointed",
"Wonderland", and "Mayor of Simpleton" for streaming viewing pleasure.
Search xtc at the site and you will eventually find them. Suggest view The
Disappointed first, it is IMHO the best done of the three. After the first
view (first one's, free kid) there is registration required.

Now go waste some time,
Wesley Paul Hanks

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

Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:36:48 -0800 (PST)
From: pancho artecona <partecona@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re:Andaleandalearribaarriba
Message-ID: <20010223023648.20851.qmail@web10415.mail.yahoo.com>

Hey all

thanks for the large number of answers to the
annandale question....little did I know it was a
musical answer although I knew I could count on
Chalknhills.  I'll let you know if I win the 2002
edition of The Tarascon Pharmacopeia, a very handy
pocketbook.

Last years question, for the trivia-minded, was 'what
town has 4 elements of the periodic table named after
it?'

Anyway, XTC is great and if I were a mayor of a town
I'd name it after them.

Pancho XPRXTCFAN

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

Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 07:19:28 -0000
From: "pop boy" <powerpopboy67@hotmail.com>
Subject: Bargain Bin
Message-ID: <F180PGZlPZRPtaldZ4Z00010f45@hotmail.com>

Dear Everyone,

A few people have written in recently about the fact that Wasp Star has been
seen rather too often in the bargain bins.
I might just have a reason for this..............
I have three friends who are xtc fans, not xtc fans to the extent of being
members of this list and having every b-side-demo-bootleg of Rip Van Ruben,
but fans in the sense of having all the albums and a good appreciation of
the band.
Unfortunately they all think (and I have to agree) that Wasp Star was a big
disappointment and they hardly ever listen to it anymore.
Another friend who only has Skylarking and English Settlement saw a few
reviews of Wasp Star and decided to go ahead and purchase it. He has since
said that he cant understand what all the fuss is about and that 'it's very
very average'.
Now of course it's all personal opinion and blah blah blah but I tend to
think that outside Chalkhills and associated 'fanzines' that Wasp Star did
not set the world alight not because people dont understand xtc but because
it simply wasnt one of XTC's better offerings. Every
band/artist/actor/director/writer have blips in their careers and Wasp Star
might be the 'blip' for the band.
Another reason might be that i cant remember seeing Wasp Star in any best of
the year lists either and that includes musicians best of's and not just
journo's opinions.

Ho hum

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

Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 02:24:50 EST
From: Telehead@aol.com
Subject: Re: church of women
Message-ID: <aa.117dea44.27c76a42@aol.com>

In a message dated 2/22/01 9:24:45 AM, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> writes:

>obligatory xtc content:
>i like(d) the song "church of women" but i got sick of it so fast that
>now i
>always skip over it.

OHMIGAWD .... I just LIVE for the guitar solo! Andy is a guitar god!

Still in awe,
Warren Bishop

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

Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 02:32:16 EST
From: Telehead@aol.com
Subject: Re: Bizkit
Message-ID: <75.10a76049.27c76c00@aol.com>

In a message dated 2/22/01 9:24:45 AM, SKYLAR KING writes:

>Even I
>could've got
>better talk
>from the "Bizkit" list......

Uhhhh .... 'K .... have fun storming the castle ....

Warren Bishop

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

Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 06:08:24 -0800 (PST)
From: Ira Lieman <ilieman@yahoo.com>
Subject: Bones to pick
Message-ID: <20010223140824.13330.qmail@web217.mail.yahoo.com>

Chalkaholics,

I use Yahoo Player for my MP3 collection at work. Napster is great. :) I
happened to download the latest version of it and it has this "now playing"
button that, when pressed, gives a little bio of the artist or a link to
purchase the album the song is on.

Note the following bio of XTC:
http://musicfinder.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800236699&cf=11

Yahoo gets their information from a company called Muze. How many factual
errors can YOU spot? Starting with AP's birthplace listed as Swindon, the
"high-quality songwriting" of "Sgt. Rock" (ok, that might be subjective), and
this gem: "After finally showing a profit the band decided to move from Virgin
in 1996 and signed with Cooking Vinyl Records in late 1997."

It's really a glowing piece -- XTC are wonderful songwriters that never got
their due -- but come on! I could have written a better piece than they did.

<sigh>

Digging out,
-ira

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

Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 18:50:23 -0800
From: "Long's" <wlong2@carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Any drummers out there?
Message-ID: <000f01c09e0c$88b91140$31941a42@q6s2h0.carolina.rr.com>

Hiya folks,

I need some help.  I'm going to be chatting with a famous (at least to us)
part time drummer soon and I know very little of the techie side of
drumming.

The ideal candidate?  A studio experienced drummer with extensive knowledge
of the Dukes' catalog.

hint hint, nudge nudge

Drop me a line if you're interested in participating,

wesLONG

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

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 01:20:03 EST
From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com
Subject: Talkin' trash 'bout my XTC!
Message-ID: <65.104abf3c.27c8ac93@aol.com>

>What Colin Moulding song sounds most like an Andy
>Partridge song?--

I say Wake Up.  First I heard it I thought it actually was Andy!
**********************
>Quite simply, I need your XTC cassettes.

I don't have any, as I was one never to buy pre-recorded casettes.  But I
would be interested in seeing a list of what was officially released on
cassette in the States.
And, I know this is a long shot, but any chance the early ones found their
way onto 8-track?  I don't know when 8 track was phased out, but '77 (White
Music) is cutting it close.
***********************
>Sorry for the rant, but everyone else I mention the band to respond
>with "XTC, aren't they dead or something".

Isn't this a sad state of affairs!  Oh, and welcome Dewi!  You've found a
home with us addicts.
*********************
>Have to say 'The Disappointed' was an apt title.
>He doesn't write trash - but these songs don't have any oomph to me.  Or
>real emotional weight.  The artist is so often not the best judge of their
>own material.

And who is?  You know, the reactions to Nonsuch are probably the most curious
thing I see on this list.  I found the album to be like most of XTC's
efforts, different in it's own way, consistently good with a couple of not so
hot entries that don't suck altogether.  But the curious thing to me about
this comment is point about lack of real emotional content.  What constitutes
that?  For me, the most lyrically powerful and emotional song Andy ever wrote
is Rook.  The passionate intensity with which he writes and sings over his
existential angst is matchless.  It stirs me to no end!  And yet it's on
Nonsuch.  I also feel that many of the songs carry emotional wallop, such as
Wrapped In Grey, That Wave, The Ugly Underneath, Books Are Burning.  I dunno,
whatever floats your boat.  As for Andy and Colin's judgement, I myself am
thrilled that these songs were released, given the joy they have brought me!
 Just a thought.

Back to sleep.  TK.

"Facts are stupid things."
    -Ronald Reagan

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

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 09:37:59 -0800
From: "Long's" <wlong2@carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Ollie Halsall
Message-ID: <000701c09e88$87b1ef20$31941a42@q6s2h0.carolina.rr.com>

Okay, not only does Andy say he's one of the all time great guitarists, so
does Dave.

Anyone actually heard of Ollie?  A quick search on Google and I found a lot
about the man and his often Andy-mentioned band Patto.

Also, there was an album in 1972 called Ollie & the Blue Trafs which also
included Robert Fripp in the lineup.

Anybody got some of this audio?

wes

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

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 21:43:30 EST
From: WTDK@aol.com
Subject: Vanishing songs
Message-ID: <9d.11b022b1.27c9cb52@aol.com>

> I was shocked looking at the Dukes "Chips..." that 'Vanishing Girl' Is a Red
>  Curtain (CM) song!
>  My reasoning goes:
>  1) It's up-tempo, CM's songs tend to be slower.
>  b.] It's more a 'guitar' than a 'bass' song.
>  III.} Comic Book theme. All of the other 'comic book' songs are AP songs
>  (Brainiac's Daughter, Sgt. Rock, That's Really Super, Supergirl)
>  Dave "The Disappointed" Davis

I see someone agrees with me (or maybe I agree with him). I've always thought
it was the most Andyish sounding but not for any of the above reasons. It
just sounds like the type of tune Andy would write.

I never really thought of it as being comic book inspired at all. There are
bits of the melody that remind me of Earn Enough For Us from Skylarking. Andy
songs that remind me of Colin....that's a tougher one...

Wayne

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

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 22:41:33 EST
From: OMBEAN1@aol.com
Subject: Any takers?
Message-ID: <f5.78cebcb.27c9d8ed@aol.com>

For sale, real cheap (HA  HA)  Not really for sale.

	[ http://chalkhills.org/img.cgi?images/misc/OMBEANTIX.jpg ]

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

Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 18:20:40 -0500
From: mitch friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com>
Subject: a hook laden mini-classic
Message-ID: <v03007804b6be200d53e8@[165.247.43.109]>

Hi,

I just heard a great new cd by a band called Big Fresh. It's called
"Yes, Nice, Please, Thanks".  It's filled with intelligent, extremely
catchy, hook loaded, sometimes quirky Beatlesqueishesque pop. Sounding
at times like The Sugarplastic and other times a little like Jason
Faulkner with fewer guitars, you can't really go wrong with the
disc. Dave Gregory told me about it and he's the one who called it a
"hook laden mini-classic". I have to agree. If you're interested in
purchasing one, head to www.aquapop.com.  Big Fresh have one other cd
and you can hear most of the tracks from that at www.mp3.com/bigfresh.

Check it out and enjoy!

Mitch

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

Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 12:02:47 +1100
From: "Culnane, Paul" <Paul.Culnane@DCITA.GOV.AU>
Subject: The renaissance of Star Park!!
Message-ID: <17E19E6D5085D41196240000E896881D146CBD@g5dccbr0ms01.dcita.gov.au>

G'day Chalk-talkers

Some of you may know that I conducted an interview with Terry Chambers in
late 1998 [see http://come.to/xtc but do it quickly before the redoubtable
Mark Strijbos takes his website down... vale The Little Lighthouse and
thanks forever Mark].  Well then, the interview took place after a series
of extremely congenial phone-chats Terry and I had after I tracked him
down at his place in Newcastle, Australia.  After the interview I promised
Terry that he would be left alone, at least by me (he expressed the wish
to be allowed to get on with his life without being unduly harassed).
Imagine my pleasurable surprise then, to discover that his son, Kai, rang
me at work and (me being out) left a message to call!!

So, I returned the call and was greeted enthusiastically by the great man,
Terry, himself.  But more about that presently...

Kai called me because, remembering a chat he and I had had two years ago,
he wanted me to be among the first to hear his new demo CD, and to check
my address to send it to.  Kai, now 18, plays drums (of course) with a
band called - wait for it - STAR PARK.  The trio, completed by Jesse
Delaney on guitar and vocals, and the band's resident comedian Andy
Phillis on bass, have recorded six tunes that they have written and
arranged themselves, called "Band For Sale".  Apart from just allowing me
to hear their music, for some reason they seemed to think that I might
have some contacts in "the industry", to pass the disc onto.  Well, this I
indeed do, and I intend to alert certain figures whom I know, to the CD.
The guys are sending me a coupla copies with their bio and photos, etc.
It will be interesting to see how Kai resembles his Dad, 'cos he sure
sounds like him!... just some of the turns of phrases he uses; he has an
Aussie accent, unlike his Dad's undepleted Wiltshire burr!

Anyway, when I rang back tonight (this is being written PM 26/2/01), the
band was rehearsing at Terry's place for an upcoming gig.  Terry was
preparing dinner for the family and just put the phone up against the door
of the practice room.  Gor blimey, what a wonderful racket!  It sounded
thru the phone like it "went up to 11" and Terry explained that the
guitarist, Jesse, was using a vintage Orange amp set-up (which Jesse
gleefully hinted in our later convo was a former belonging of one of The
Angels).

Song rehearsal finished, Terry handed the phone over to the blokes who
arranged a 3-way "conference" hook-up, with Kai, Jesse, Andy and I having
a fantastic half-hour, or probably more, haha, conversation.  We spoke and
shared ideas, and it was clear that these three musicians are really keen
to give it a go.  Er, during the chat, there was mention made to
bass-playing chick-magnet Andy Phillis' penchant for humungous
mutton-chops and purple flares.  'Nuff sed.  We all laffed!  I asked not
wot the Chamberboys were wearing.

Jesse impressed me considerably.  Is he the creative pivot of STAR PARK?
Mind you, it's only through an initial phone conversation, nothing more.
They're sending me the CD and when I cop it I'll report back.  I'm sure
looking forward to it!  But, I'll tell you what: three nicer young blokes
you're not likely to encounter.  Look out for the second major 3-piece
outta Newcastle NSW [geddit?] with, as Jesse Delaney reveals "a mixture of
David Bowie and Cream" - a comparison made by their recording engineer.
The whole three of them pitched it as a very creative collective, with
everybody getting the chance to contribute ideas to songs.  The guys
explained that their first CD of demos was only the tip of the iceberg.
So many new compositions individually & collectively from the band have
emerged.  While I was speaking to the guys, they seemed sure-fire that
their newer stuff is even better.

Well: my chat with Terence Chambers... You know, it's pretty amazing how
great it was talking to Terry again.  He was so "up" and enthusiastic.  I
will be calling him again soon and I'll let you know what transpires.  But
when we talked this time, he said that he had spoken recently with Andy.
The news is that the Virgin box set is scheduled for a September release.
Apparently former Police drummer, Stewart Copeland had some XtC tapes that
Hugh Padgham gave him, including the notorious "Drunk & Wired" sessions.
Copeland gave these masters to Andy, and apparently he and Colin are in
the process of remixing tracks like "Shaving Brush Boogie" and "Whole
Lotta Age" for inclusion in the box set.  If you haven't heard these
sessions before, brace yerselves.  They will be a revelation!

Terry himself is fine and well, the family is grooving, and he quipped
that now, with some back-royalties coming in, he's "almost in the red".
He is helping Kai with his band - not so much as a manager (major
swear-word around Terry) but as a kind of mentor.  I sensed from the young
fellas that they respect Terry and admire his work with XtC.  They even do
a cover of "Complicated Game" which sounds like a pretty heavy choice.

Much to my chagrin, Terry told me that last May he and Kai were in
Canberra (where I live) to arrange a passport so he could visit his ailing
father back in Swindon.  He tried to get in touch with me, but alas, I
wasn't on the phone then!  There went my chance to have a beer or two with
one of my heroes.  Dang, I'm kicking myself now!  But there is every
chance that we'll meet up soon, and I hope to hear Star Park on stage too.
Kai told me that he got to meet Colin, Dave and Andy when in Swindon and
he says they are all really great guys.  Kai is now the proud owner of his
Dad's old Slingerland drum heads (that Owen Gregory gave to Terry), which
he has been giving a right old thrashing!

Well, a nice encounter with some lovely people.  I just wanted to share
this with all of you.  And when you see Star Park at the toppermost of the
poppermost, remember where you heard about 'em first!

~~p@ul

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

Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 21:54:16 -0500
From: "Chris" <chris@compudrivel.com>
Subject: Hello (again)
Message-ID: <000801c0a068$938e66c0$8e3a0040@compudrivel.com>

Greetings Chalkheads. I was a list member back in August of 97. What a long,
strange trip it's been to get back here. But it's like coming home in a way.

Great to be back,

Chris

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

Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 09:57:41 -0000
From: Dewi Thompson <dewi@dewi1.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Portmeirion video / Polls
Message-ID: <01C0A0A3.D07F7020@dewi1.demon.co.uk>

Hello,

Ages (and I mean AGES) ago I saw an XTC video on the TV.  I think it
was on The Tube (an ancient UK music programme) and it was set in
Portmeirion.  I wasn't interested in the band at the time, and I only
paid attention because it was Portmeirion and I was a fan of the
Prisoner.  Does anyone know what the video was for?  Is it quite a
well known one?

Listening to Mummer at the moment.  I can't say Gold does a lot for
me.  And does anyone like Procession Towards Learning Land?  It sounds
too much like an outtake from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway for my
liking.  As I'm a newcomer, I'm interested if Mummer is generally
rated as one of the best albums, or somewhere down the list?

As someone who can relate all-too-well to the film "Hi Fidelity" I am
always interested in polls. Best album, worst album, best song, best
hairdo, best song about Andy's genitalia, you name it.  Has anyone
ever organised such a thing on Chalkhills?

Have I asked too many questions?  Oh blimey, there's another one.

Dewi

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

Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 23:00:46 -0800
From: "Will Smith" <willdolfan@hotmail.com>
Subject: Stuck in the middle without you
Message-ID: <OE2OFxgqyR1D8g2hFAI00004f1a@hotmail.com>
Organization: My Own Business

Richard queried
"I noticed that there are copies of Wasp Star on half.com (no endorsement...
first time I ever wandered onto the site) that list the condition of the CD
as "...hole in barcode..."

Has Wasp Star hit the "cut-out" bin already?!"

Actually I believe those hole punches are signifiers of promotional copies.
Record labels typically dispense such to industry insiders - radio stations,
retail stores and the ilk.  The bar code is targeted to halt attempts at
selling the "promos".
Neil Young is famous for taking any and all he finds of his releases being
offered in used record stores claiming they are his property not those of
the original holder.
Cheers,
Will Smith
My Own Business
www.myownbiz.org

Life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured

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

Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 18:01:58 +0800
From: The Worrier Queen <myrone@tesco.net>
Subject: ES font?
Message-ID: <3A9B7B17.56D147EC@tesco.net>
Organization: AppleOnline

does anyone know if there's a font based on ES or where the type face
came from?

Jayne the Worrier Queen
He Toi Whakairo He Mana Tangata: Where there is artistic excellence there
is human dignity - Maori saying
Salmagundie can be found at www.stas.net/myrone/shrine.html

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

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 09:15:38 -0700
From: "Angie Kelson Packer & Shaun Packer" <nick@aros.net>
Subject: Rocky Mountain XTC Addicts
Message-ID: <001301c0a1a1$b106e6c0$1919adcf@packer>

Selected Minutes from the Rocky Mountain XTC Addicts 12-Step Day
Retreat:

Commence in an institutional meeting room. The walls are beige, without
decor. A dozen or so people of varying ages and genders sit on hard,
molded chairs engineered not to support the human frame, but to force
people into painfully fantastic, or fantastically painful contortions.

"I'm Angie, and I'm an XTC addict." A bespectacled woman in her 30's,
with ash-blond hair pulled back into a ponytail stands and speaks in a
trembling voice. She rolls her eyes to the ceiling, as if looking for
divine assistance, or perhaps she is merely counting ceiling tiles. "It
all started so innocently, so slowly, and so many years ago, back in
'86.  My husband, well, we weren't married then, but Shaun really liked
XTC. I thought they were okay, you know. Well, except I really liked
'English Settlement.' We went through 3 cassettes and 1 LP before
getting the CD. Oh, and the same with 'Skylarking," except only 2 tapes,
after that we were getting everything straight on CD. Well, no, we had
'Big Express' on tape. Okay, so I hid the tapes sometimes so I could
listen to them in my 'bug, but I really didn't like XTC that much."

Other addicts, or recovering XTC addicts for XTC addicts are always in
the *process* of recovery, never in a *state* of recovery, shake their
heads. "Denial!" accuses one.

"No, really, it was my husband. I bought more  XTC CD's for him because
I knew he liked them. I went to import stores, and CD exchanges. I
impulsively spent my paycheck on a "Collector's Edition" import boxed
set for Shaun. Just a spontaneous little gift. Almost imperceptibly our,
I mean Shaun's collection, technically every single XTC CD we have is
his, grew and grew." She begins weeping openly. "I mean, I never
suspected a problem. I just passed it off as casual XTC listening,
nothing out of control, nothing I couldn't stop at any time. Then, in
the past year, things have gotten so much worse. My 5-year old son
worries about Andy Partridge. The other day, while listening to 'Wasp
Star' my son said, "That guy needs a mommy. Or a woman." My husband
sneaks XTC CDs into his car, then denies that he has a problem. 'She's
the fan, not me,' he tells people."

Sympathetic tongue-clicking circles the room. Someone hands the speaker
a box of cheap tissue, as the sobbing increases in strength.

"And now...now my brother's new girlfriend turns out to be an XTC fan.
It's just..I don't know...it's too much." She shakes her head, and blows
her nose. "At my daughter's family birthday party, she turned 7, my mom
met the girlfriend for the first time. I knew Kay liked XTC, so after
she met my mom, I took Kay up to the master bedroom to show her the
Look! video I just got, a really crappy bootleg I paid way too much for,
you know to sort of soften the whole meet-the-insane mother thing. I don
't know how much time we spent watching the video and giggling. We
finally stopped when my husband came to tell us dinner was ready. I
just...I don't know if I need help...or if this is normal...or if I'm
having some sort of obsessive break-down...I...I...I..and now, no Fuzzy
Warbles," she ends on a wail.

As if on cue, the women all rise and enfold the crying woman in a group
hug. The men stand, hands in pockets, toeing the tortuously paisley
carpet, lingering on the perimeter of the circle of weeping women. Cue
'Church of Women.' No! Don't! It's a *recovery* group! Stop! Stop it, I
say!

Next Episode:
-XTC: The cure (not to be confused with The Cure) workshops.

-William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy sing your favorite show tunes, new
and old, accompanied on piano by John Tesch. Sharlene Welles Hawkes on
harp.

And finally...the Escape.

Angie
"Oops, I did it again." <G>

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

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:14:11 +0800
From: The Worrier Queen <myrone@tesco.net>
Subject: Oh no, Dear God
Message-ID: <3A9CCF73.73F24BB3@tesco.net>
Organization: AppleOnline

Listen to the children of the night.  What music they make.

Pity they're all tone deaf and singing Dear God.

Nicole asked
> What is your least favorite XTC song, and why?

As many of you may have gathered mine's Dear God.

It just puts my teeth on edge.
The child's voice is enough to make me take up Herod's child care methods.
While I can appreciate the points the song makes, I just find it makes me
reach for my battle axe.

Also the thought that my copy of Skylarking could have had Dear God instead
Mermaid Smiled on is enough to make me want to go and lie down for a while.

Now where did I leave that packet of Hell Hound choc-drops.

Jayne the Worrier Queen
He Toi Whakairo He Mana Tangata: Where there is artistic excellence there
is human dignity - Maori saying
Salmagundie can be found at www.stas.net/myrone/shrine.html

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

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 20:15:18 -0000
From: "Simon Sleightholm" <ssleightholm@lineone.net>
Subject: Bungalow has moved.
Message-ID: <000101c0a1c3$4d62f740$923e7bd5@bungalow>

Hello,

Just to let you all know that my largely-dormant XTC site, Bungalow, has
moved to a new address.

It can now be found at http://website.lineone.net/~ssleightholm

I'd be grateful if anyone with a weblink to the page would change the link
to suit.

Cheers,

Simon

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

Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 11:18:02 -0600
From: "Richard" <rjpa1@home.com>
Subject: Message from ? with tribute questions
Message-ID: <006c01c0a273$9278c160$02081fac@mckiny1.tx.home.com>

I received an email message on Wednesday, February 28 from someone named
"Edward" (if memory serves).  He was expressing interest in having his band
contribute to the King For A Day XTC tribute.  Unfortunately, the system
crashed (I blame Bill Gates) before I replied and the message is no longer
there.

If you know who sent this, please let me know!  (rjpa1@home.com)

The tribute project is going great and I have some wonderful covers.  I will
be publishing a list of contributors soon.

Cheers,
Richard

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

Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 19:07:41 +0000
From: Mark Fisher <fisher@easynet.co.uk>
Subject: Blegvad & Partridge collaboration
Message-ID: <a05010400b6c44c6490ff@[194.128.83.69]>

Hi,

There's a new Peter Blegvad album imminently out (I've got a review
copy, and I don't know the release date) called Choices Under
Pressure: An Acoustic Retrospective (Resurgence RES143 CD).

It's Blegvad covering his own songs, most of them released before.
But two of them are 'God Detector' and 'Inside A Gigantic Eye'
credited to Blegvad/Partridge. I don't remember hearing of either of
these before. Does anyone else?

Also included is the Blegvad/Partridge King Strut (which I always
think of as a precursor to The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead - anyone
agree?)

Everyone should also own a copy of Blegvad's cartoon book The Book of
Leviathan, by the way.

Mark

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #7-11
******************************

Go back to Volume 7.

1 March 2001 / Feedback