Chalkhills Digest Volume 7, Issue 37
Date: Friday, 15 June 2001
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 7, Number 37
Friday, 15 June 2001
Topics:
Grocery stores, Oz, and bonus tracks
re: remastered reissues
Cool it, baby
Technospeak answers
Questions
Chi-Town Musings
xtc and the minnesota twins
You can call me Ray J. Junior!
Pilgrimage to Japan to buy Homegrown
daveless xtc
Dukes remastered?
Not Diffapointed
back from whence it hails
A strange copy of Go 2 and other stuff
ac and what i heard at...
They're thieves I tell ya! Thieves!
what other albums???
Reaction in G
Dave Gregory, personal story, MP3 plug
Please! No More FREE XTC Concerts!
Bad news, and a song sparked...
France Inter non-XTC show
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 19:17:11 -0000 From: "Nathan Mulac DeHoff" <xornom@hotmail.com> Subject: Grocery stores, Oz, and bonus tracks Message-ID: <F67g6mn1b2Yu6s93Xgs0000bb20@hotmail.com> Patrick: > Also: while shopping a Krogers supermarket and immediately >following an obscure Rolling Stones song, Stupidly Happy was played >on the PA system. Some idiot asked for a price check at the 1:00 >minute mark and then someone else told Bob that he had a call on line >3 at about the 2:00 minute mark, but all in all it was delightful to >hear our heroes in such a public place. I thought for a minute that >if I was in another life, maybe listening to XTC while you shop >wouldn't be so rare and noteworthy. Dream on. I once heard "King For A Day" played at the grocery store. While that's not one of my favorite XTC tracks, I was still excited to hear it. Seesaw: >Favorite tracks so far are the remakes of King Strut (also co- >written by Andy) and Daughter. What does everyone here think of the >CD? Personally, I have been a fan of Blegvad's for many years. Now if >someone will just re- issue "King Strut And Other Stories" I would be >very pleased. King Strut? In OZOPLANING WITH THE WIZARD OF OZ (the thirty-third book in the Oz series, written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, who took over the series after L. Frank Baum (and not Frank L. Richards)) died, the ruler of Stratovania is called "Strut" (short for "Strutoovious"). There's also a place there called Star Park. While I doubt that Andy has read the book (I know he's read the original WIZARD OF OZ, but I think the sequels are even more obscure in Great Britain than in the States), it makes for a few interesting coincidences. Michael D. Myers: >I found the recent discussions about the placement of the bonus tracks to >be ironic. Some folks who apparently became familiar with the band in the >last few years did so via the available CD versions rather than the >original vinyl versions. That was pretty much how it was for me. Now it's hard for me to imagine the albums WITHOUT the bonus tracks in the middle, although I'm well aware they weren't there in the first place, and I can usually tell that they don't really belong there. >Of course, when the band put the vinyl albums >out, the track listing was as per their wishes. So when the record >companies reissued these masterpieces without the band's involvement, they >made the unusual decision to put the bonus tracks in the middle. Beats me >as to why. They could have just left a 30-second break after the "real" >last track so that the listener could understand that the "proper" album >was complete, and that the listener could make a choice as to whether they >wanted to continue to listen fo rthe bonus tracks. So the irony is that >some newer fans are upset that the bonus tracks are now at the end (where >they belong) because it makes the album sound different from the way they >are used to listening to them, even though that is not what the band >wanted. You make some good points here, but there's a bit of a flaw in saying that the end of the album is "where [the bonus tracks] belong." If the band decided on the track order, they also decided which song would be at the end, and putting anything after that would also be tampering with the original product. Now, saying that they are less obtrusive at the end is certainly a valid opinion, but they don't really "belong" there. -- May the light shine upon thee, Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/fablesto/
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 16:02:26 -0700 From: "Mitchell Ma" <mitchellwilliamma@hotmail.com> Subject: re: remastered reissues Message-ID: <LAW2-F72Bma4RCIlWrd00018f3f@hotmail.com> There seem to be some on the list who would purchase these except for the perceived notion that because they are Japanese imports, they must somehow be more expensive. Oddly enough, here in Canada, the Japanese imports are cheaper than the domestic issues. Maybe it's just a newly-released promotion. I purchased mine at Sam's for $16.69 and online at Chapters for $13.49, these are in Canadian dollars, so that probably works out to about 5 bucks US apiece. After shipping costs, the Chapters price works out about the same as Sam's. At these prices, I scooped them all except Nonsuch and Oranges and Lemons, of which I own the original releases on CD and can't justify the additional expense especially since they contain no bonus tracks. As an aside, there is quite a bit of noise on the Elvis Costello list because his catalogue is about to be re-re-re-released. Each time, the re-release has contained additional material. The question is, how much new material, either demos or live, would it take for one to repurchase the whole catalogue for the third or fourth time?? There are some pretty rabid EC fans who are seriously considering not biting this time around. Purchasing the XTC Japanese imports was an easy decision for me because, for the most part, I'd only purchased the vinyl 20 or so years ago, so this was an economical way for me to upgrade my XTC corner. For all the discussion regarding clearer sound etc, this doesn't apply to me. After all, it is only rock and roll...but I do like it. Mitch
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 21:30:23 -0500 (CDT) From: Brown <i.sundog@verizon.net> Subject: Cool it, baby Message-ID: <200106130230.VAA126372286@smtppop1pub.verizon.net> Hey, Chalkfriends! Mr. Culnane wondered aloud: <<Please sate this old-fashioned luddite's curiosity, and pray tell: what is an AC?>> Paul, AC is short for air conditioner, at least it is in my slightly red neck of the woods... On a miserable, sweltering summer day, one cranks up the 'air-conditioning' in one's automobile and takes the l-o-n-g way home.. preferably while listening to oh, say, Black Sea. . . Ahhh, the brisk embrace of refrigerated air. . . Let it run until my teeth commence to chattering, Debora Brown -Dane, how long did it take for Duffelbag to fill your Cardiacs order?.. Just give me a ball park figure, if you will.. Am still waiting on a Cardiacs album myself-thanks*
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 22:04:36 -0500 From: Chris Vreeland <CVREELAND@austin.rr.com> Subject: Technospeak answers Message-ID: <a05100300b74c8400eaa9@[66.68.96.26]> Paul Culane asks: >Twice I have now encountered this term, "AC". Chris Vreeland, in 'Hills ># 34, has "the AC on full blast" in his car. Dear "Sweaty in NSW," I am presuming: 1. You live in a temperate zone. 2. You live in a C.N.A.O.W.T.S.A.A.M. (country-not-as-obbsessed-with-time-saving-abbreviations-as-mine.) Anyway. The only way to survive a cross-town transect via auto in the Deep South between the months of May and October is to roll up the windows and "condition" the air inside the vehicle to a temperature at which human life can be sustained for any duration. I don't know why they're called "Air Conditioners" any more than I know why people 'round these parts insist on using the redundancy "hot water heaters." All I know, is that without the AC on full blast in my car, I would die a withering death within minutes of leaving my driveway in the god-awful Texas heat. Hope I've been some modicum of utility, Chris "Heat Pump" Vreeland
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 21:10:39 -0700 (PDT) From: travis schulz <xtcisadarngoodband@yahoo.com> Subject: Questions Message-ID: <20010613041039.43116.qmail@web12303.mail.yahoo.com> Haven't posted in ages but still a dedicated reader of the postings here. I'm sure Andy and Colin are locked away writing their next smash, but I haven't heard that much about FUZZY WARBLES lately- will it come out this year? And also is this to include Windowbox, The Bull with The Golden Guts, and Jules Verne Sketchbook? Bumper Cars, Wonder Annual, and Dame Fortune? New radio airplay of ITMWML is showing noticable sales of WS in my area- the night dj is a fanatic for sure! By the way, could anyone recommend an affordable book club online- one that might have lots of music biographies, like the Beatles Anthology, Stones, etc.? You can email me on this.......later Travis.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 23:37:28 -0500 From: David Lake <blushift1@home.com> Subject: Chi-Town Musings Message-ID: <3B26EE08.C978B129@home.com> Organization: Blushift Productions Just a couple observances for all the Chicago Chalk-sters: Driving home the other day in the NW suburbs, I saw an auto license plate that read: AN XTC 1 If you are on this list, please announce yourself proudly! Also, for any listeners to WLUP in Chicago (or not), one of the station identification spots features none other than our boys' opening guitar riff from 'Stupidly Happy'. What makes this so ironic is that WLUP is, more or less, an 80's/Classic Rock station and, AFAIK, has not played XTC in the past, uhhh, 20 or so years. On that note, I am a proud XTC/Metal fan, but not limited to only those two genres (yes, XTC IS a genre). There's too much good music out there to waste your time criticizing the the tunes you don't like. Just enjoy! Over and out, David
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 00:53:46 -0500 From: "Josh Scott" <joshdscott@pop.mpls.uswest.net> Subject: xtc and the minnesota twins Message-ID: <3B26FFEA.7055CF02@pop.mpls.qwest.net> Hi, I was driving home from work the other night and the Minnesota Twins game went late (I work until 1 am CDT). I was listening to the game on WCCO-AM 830. As the game went into a commercial, they played some music and they played the beginning to Making Plans for Nigel. Did anyone catch this? I'd love to chat with some XTC fans from the Cities. Anyone around? Email me off list. josh
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 02:01:34 EDT From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com Subject: You can call me Ray J. Junior! Message-ID: <64.f357a2a.28585bbe@aol.com> >Personally I think Dave's greatest XTC moment is his >orchestration on 1000 umbrellas. Interesting point! I was quite stunned by it the first time I heard it. How about his best moment as a guitarist, however? Off the top of my head, the lead in Pink Thing stands out. ***************** >Amen, Richard. I don't like it when people think that they're bigger >fans of a certain group/artist just because they own everything from >that artist/group. I LOVE XTC, but I don't have all their stuff, and I >don't think I want all their stuff. But that doesn't make me a lesser >fan for that. Hear, hear! However, I'd like to add that my goal is to have a *sample* of everything they've done, just out of insane curiosity to hear it all, not necessarily every version and packaging just to say I've got this or that. I intend to hear the reissues before I'd consider buying them, and decide if they're worth the expense. While it's really cute that they're maiking pains to reproduce the LP cover art and such, I've got the originals, so what's the point of that for hard core collectors? As for Homegrown/Homespun, if it's got stuff I haven't heard, I'll get it. I've already got copies of the demos. I am personally thrilled that I have them, not necessarily for the early versions of released songs (which is interesting), but for the *incredible* stuff that didn't get released! Again, I could care less about arguments that this stuff was not intended for public consumption. If Andy & Colin could arrange to make it available, I'd *gladly* pay. I'd even send them a check for the demos I've got! Or better yet, finish them and release them! There's no shame and mostly *bullshit* in this attitude that artists should withhold from the public something they want, because it didn't make the final cut on an official release. So I agree with the homespun concept, although it should have been done long before Virgin let them go and AVI was recorded if they really wanted to capitalize on it. I truly doubt it would have affected sales of AVI or Wasp Star. ********************* >Let me just say that those Lennon/Ono records are more >accurately viewed as audio conceptual art than they >are music. The *problem* with the Lennon / Ono stuff is that it was presented to an audience that was *not interested* in "audio conceptual art". (What was he thinking?) I think the marketplace spoke loud and clear. >I have a 2 cd compilation John cage tribute that has a >recording of Frank Zappa playing '4:33'. It is, as you >should have figured, 4:33 of silence. Did Zappa >actually 'play' Cage's work for the cd? Probably. The "performance" of '4:33' was not in the silence itself, but in the witholding of musical sound. When John Cage would 'perform' it, he would sit at the piano for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. During that uncomfortable time, the fidgety audience would be force to tune into the ambient sound around them, the hum of air vents, the coughing and breathing of other people, their own thoughts, etc. Zappa can be said to *play* '4:33' if he stood in front of a studio mic with the tape running, hopefully with his guitar in hand. Otherwise, he didn't. *************** >I have my CDs in a 400 CD changer and the 300+ CDs in the "Pop/Rock" >category are played at random, so unless I take a CD in the car with me >(which means I have the ability to skip tracks at my fingertips), I never >hear two songs from the same CD in a row. Random selection is really quite the opposite. It can produce interesting results, but there's no artistry in the flow, as there is in a premeditated selection of song order, no matter who does it. I have frequently made assorted mixes, some exclusively with one artist, others with a mix of artists. I love doing that. There is a definite art to it, and can produce some striking results. One thing I did in the early days of XTC was to take all their post-Barry Andrews recordings and mix songs on cassette according to feel. I would put acoustic stuff like Yacht Dance and Love On A Farm Boy's Wages on one side, for example, to emphasize that feel and style. It worked nicely, because if I was in the mood for that stuff, it was all there. But again, this was a personal thing. I was not out to *improve* the running order of the original albums. It's something I can do, given the technology, but in the end the original order should *never* be changed on any re-release. **************** >AC, Paul my friend, stands for Alternating Current. Shucks! I thought it stood for air conditioning! "Wow! A tropical paradise! What a groove!" (Jomama, I *know* you know that one!) *************** >Andy doesn't seem to consider himself as a GUITARIST, Then what's that thing called he plays? %-) I think their next lead guitarist should be Neil Young. Then again, I want to hear Johnny Cash do a CD of Yes's greatest hits. ***************** >What a great time to be a XTC fan. (By the way is there are name for >us?) How about Al? But you doesn't have to call us Johnson! **************** Your humble ecksty sea fan, TK %-) "You are partly one hundred percent right." - Samuel Goldwyn Go Sixers!
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 02:10:40 -1000 From: Jim Smart <jismart@ksbe.edu> Subject: Pilgrimage to Japan to buy Homegrown Message-ID: <200106131217.APF95168@mailrelay.ksbe.edu> Last week I was in Japan touring with my school's choir as a bass player and chaperone. Our schedule was active and tight, but we did have some shopping time, and I did manage to stumble upon a Virgin Megastore. While my ten year old charges checked out the teeny bopper fair, I flew like a wasp toward the XTC section and YES, they had Homegrown, for a mere 22,000 yen, and YES, I bought it, along with the new Radiohead, which was playing in the store and had just been released that day. Homegrown is worth it just for the liner notes. It's also quite delightful to hear the various incarnations the songs went through before landing on the Wasp Star. The wonderful creative care that they took with the artwork is something to behold. And it's great to have Bumper Cars at the end. I love this sort of thing. But I think it is only interesting when it is done about a classic, fab work of art. For example, movies about the making of The Wizard of Oz, or more recently, that movie with Bjork in the starring role, are interesting because the work is so compelling. Seeing sketches of Starry Night are cool to learn about too. The Beatles Anthology, Lincoln's rough drafts of the Gettysburg Address, etc. These things are worth getting because the final products are so cool. Insights into the artistic process, and all that. With that said, it's easy to cross the line and overindulge in this sort of thing. take VH1's Behind the Music shows (Please!). Some of them are interesting, but most of them are about bands that never really mattered and had little to offer. Should XTC make a "Home_____" version of all of there albums, past and future? Personally, I think Skylarking is the most interesting. Wouldn't it be nice to have a one hour TV show with interviews, photos, and maybe some rare fottage or video about the making of that album? Maybe it's too soon to say if Wasp Star is great enough to deserve this sort of treatment. Maybe they should have waited 20 years. Well, to hell with that! I've got mine now, good and paid for (no more guilt about listening to those demos, though that's not really why I bought it. I bought it because it's a good product, worth the price, and enjoyable to me), and I wouldn't want it any other way. Jim PS: You can see photos from my school's choir Japan trip at: http://www.ksbe.edu/campus/elementary/chorus/gallery/gallery.html and PPS: Do yourself a favor and get the new Jon Brion CD. Great stuff!
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 08:47:22 -0400 (EDT) From: frippy <frippy@shellyeah.org> Subject: daveless xtc Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.21.0106130835340.20022-100000@zippy.shellyeah.org> Mick Casey asked: >> how much is [Dave Gregory] really missed from XTC??? I know guitar work is really the contribution being referred to here, but one thing that struck me as lacking from "Wasp Star" that I missed was Dave Gregory's backing vocals. It's one of those things I used to take for granted about XTC and I guess I didn't notice the absence in the "Apple Venus" songs, but he has provided some Wilson-brothers style harmonies in the past (songs like "The Disappointed" and "Pale and Precious" too obviously spring to mind). A few songs on "Wasp Star" probably would've been just a touch sweeter with his voice. (BUT I STILL LIKE THEM.) Cha-cha-cha. Frippy http://mentalsewage.com
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 16:41:39 +0100 From: Tim Harris <Tim@wordsrus.demon.co.uk> Subject: Dukes remastered? Message-ID: <vSIgrDAzm4J7EwY4@wordsrus.demon.co.uk> Sorry if I missed previous discussion on this, but is the reissued Chips... CD a remaster? (it's not included on the Chalkhills' Virgin Remasters page). If so, has anyone any comments re. sound improvement? (certainly worked for Skylarking) Thanks -- Tim Harris
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 09:40:38 -0600 From: Kirk.Gill@equifax.com Subject: Not Diffapointed Message-ID: <OF03E0C271.A57D867F-ON87256A6A.004FED5C@fin.equifax.com> Duncan Kimball comforted me by saying: "Sorry to disillusion you, Kirk..." You're too late ! But of course I agree with what Mr. Kimball says about the music business. I never intended to imply any philanthropy on the part of the Virgin records !!!!! What they're doing with the XTC catalog material is exactly what one would expect. They are out to make a pound or three off of the band, and off of people like myself who like XTC enough to actually have several copies of the same recording. Of course, the same impulse is what made them release various versions of singles with different packaging, etc. I still disagree, though, with your assertion that "The question of freedom to buy or not to buy is moot," as I cherish many freedoms, amongst them the freedom to reject a product offered for sale, even if I'd really like to have it. And, of course, there's always theft. And why didn't the record companies remaster these recordings properly in the first place? I'd say, not surprisingly, that it's for the same reason that they're releasing the remasters now. Money ! Back in the mid-late 80's when companies were really starting to release catalog material in the "new" cd format, they took a "set it and forget it" approach to remastering. They'd get a decent recording level on the digital machine, and run the whole record at that one setting. Remember, they had years of material to dredge up, and there was market pressure to release this stuff ASAP. A lot of bands suffered from this treatment. I think a lot of people who were buying into cd for the first time were so blown away by random access and the lack of pops'n'skips that they didn't notice that the recordings sounded a bit flat by comparison to the vinyl. Anyway, that's my theory. But enough of ugly commerce! The remasters sound great, and fortunately I had a couple bucks to spare. And I heartily agree with Cathryn on the Amazon.co.uk site. Great prices, great service on getting the remasters. And sorry for being such a pedant. I actually tend to flit around grinning in real life. Stupidly. k? "There are even places where English completely disappears. In America they haven't used it for years!" -HH
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 14:11:17 -0400 From: mitch friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> Subject: back from whence it hails Message-ID: <v03007807b74c9f799f68@[165.121.67.14]> Hello Again, Not to boast but rather to inform, I'd like to mention that I just returned from a nice week long jaunt to England during which time I had the pleasure of visiting Andy, Colin, Dave and Martin Newell (though not at the same time) as well as various other friends. I found myself in Wivenhoe, Essex last Friday night, just in time to attend and (hopefully) photographically document a book signing event Martin did in his local bookshop for his brand new autobiography "This Little Ziggy" (which I just read in it's entirety on the flight home). It's a great book. Well worth picking up. Martin also played me a few of his new songs which were wonderful too. He's looking fit as a fiddle . . . or should I say mandolin? Then I headed to Swindon and thereabouts to visit our fine fellows. Although I've known Andy for a long time, I hadn't set foot in his house since September of 1984 and hence had never been in The Shed. The era has ended. I did both. I was also very pleaseed to meet his kids Harry and Holly. Both are very talented and intelligent. Harry has some amazing cartooning skills and imagination and Holly is a singer in a cover band and an actress. The next day I found myself at Chez Moulding and inside Idea Studios. Colin lives out in the countryside a bit and the setting is just spectacular. Idea Studios is a modest little place. He and Andy were trying to finish off mixes of the last barrel scrapings for consideration as part of the boxed set. The deal is that if they provide everything to Virgin, once the boxed set is completed Virgin will then give them the complete rights to use any and all demos that are left over for Fuzzy Warbles and thus will end any ties to Virgin forever. I heard all sorts of oddities like a totally different single version of "Life Begins At The Hop" which was better left unreleased, a slower version of "Towers of London", and other countless numbers. The brand new finished version of "It Didn't Hurt a Bit" sounds excellent. Andy also played me lots of new mixed old demos for Fuzzy Warbles and most of them I had never heard before. A bunch of Mummer songs and earlier for example. Then I visited Dave who could not have been a more pleasant and accomodating host. We watched Mike Leigh's "Nuts in May" which is a personal favorite of his but I had never even heard of it. He was busy remixing his Remoulds material too. He looks great and he and Andy are on good terms again. Not to change the subject too much but all of the above gentlemen are big fans of John Shuttleworth and The League of Gentlemen. I may very well be the only person in the USA who loves Shuttleworth as much as they do. The mundanity and horrible songs are fantastic and hilarious. Dave showed me "500 Bust Stops" which I loved. A few weeks before I headed over there, Andy recommended The League of Gentlemen (not the Fripp/Barry Andrews album) and I managed to acquire the entire first season on a DVD. I just can't get enough of it and am dying to see the next two seasons of it. Andy and his son Harry were in pain trying to keep from giving away things that happen that I haven't seen yet. What do any of you Britishers think about this stuff? Mitch
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 15:54:11 -0400 From: "Angie Hill" <thunderien@hotmail.com> Subject: A strange copy of Go 2 and other stuff Message-ID: <F202UVxOsOwA7i5nccS00011afe@hotmail.com> Greetings all! first of all let me say thank you to all of you who sent e-mails in regards to my XTC/new R.E.M. album query and also to those of you who let me in on where i might find White Music. Anyhow, I was just wondering if anyone else has a copy of Go 2 like I do. I bought my cassette of Go 2 about 10 years ago, used. The cassette itself is solid blue/black. It is otherwise normal except the song "Are You Receiving Me?" appears between "The Rhythm" and "Red". It is not listed on the sleeve or the cassette itself. And besides, i was under the impression that "Are You Receiving Me?" is supposed to be on White Music, not Go 2. I have a friend who bought a new copy of Go 2 and this song is not on his copy. So anyway, I thought that was pretty odd... I fear i may be beating a dead horse here, but I have one thing to say about the whole Homespun, uh, controversy. Although I have not purchased that particular cd (as of yet anyhow...), I do sometimes like to hear the songs in a different or more raw form. For instance, I have a 4 song ep by Andy Partridge that was made in 1994 for the now defunct Hello Recording Club. It has a version of "My Brown Guitar" on it that I just fell in love with. It's not lightyears away from what ended up on Wasp Star, but it is a bit "stripped down" and so i like the clearer, more jangly guitar on the Hello version. Likewise, there is a Frank Black ep I have from the same club and his version of "Calistan" on that beats the socks off the album version. So, my point is, I guess there are those out there who are going to be greatful for such things as Homespun. No big deal, right? :) Tossing a few shiny new pennies yer way, Angie.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 13:08:00 -0700 From: "thomas vest" <tvtwo@hotmail.com> Subject: ac and what i heard at... Message-ID: <F271KyM25IFKqhx2rfY00014e0a@hotmail.com> hello all i must have missed all the talk about ac, but in radio in the usa, ac means adult contemporary-- gasp!!! is XTC an adult contemporary type band?!! i never thought so but who knows... i was at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday and i heard stupidly happy playing over the store PA system. i grinned from ear to ear and the cashier may have thought i was making a play at her, but that was not the case. best regards, thom tvtwo@hotmail.com -- The radio is blaring out, It's in one ear and then it's out, You didn't notice that the record's over... Wake Up!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 16:39:21 -0400
From: "Seth Frisby" <vagueyear@hotmail.com>
Subject: They're thieves I tell ya! Thieves!
Message-ID: <F162dlQgdYXSVvR0Wss00005d7e@hotmail.com>
Hey all,
Put my vote in for loving Homegrown as it is: a collection of music
from one of my favorite bands. Am I the only one who loved the first
acoustic "Joni Mitchellin" version of the Man who murdered love? It
certainly has a lovely lil' melody that i hope gets recycled later. I'm all
for any artist to release whatever they feel like, its not as if Andy and
Colin came into my house stole $15 dollars out of my wallet and put
homegrown under my pillow and snuck back out into the night giggling like
two third rate silent film villains. What they did do was release archival
material that dorks like me love, and guess what? I love it.
For some reason Homegrown has made me whip out the Big Express for
multiple listenings and I am now convinced it is one of the most enjoyable
of their discs (not their best mind you but certainly fun as hell). I also
came to the conclusion that "You're the wish you are i had"'s guitar solo
does not belong to one Dave Gregory but to Mr.. Elephant talk himself Adrian
Belew. Now don't get me wrong it could be clever Dave mimicking the unique
stylings of Mr.. Music head but c'mon isn't it cooler to pretend that Adrian
snuck into the studio one late night put that guitar solo to tape and left
quietly the way he came? I'm sure Andy came in the next morning played it
back and looked at Dave sipping his morning coffee and said something along
the lines of "oh top solo Dave!" and good ol' Dave just looked sheepishly
into his sweetened coffee and nodded "um thanks". But I could be wrong.
Lot's of other good music has come out recently other than the realms of
XTC, such as the bizarre new Air album, the cute little Belle and Sebastian
single that came out yesterday, and of course Amnesiac. Judging from critics
I think I might be in a minority for loving Air's newest which seems to be a
hybrid of Isaac Asimov's Robot novels made lusty with acoustic space age
bachelor pad rocket fuel music to cushion it. It's modern french
prog-electronica...and for some reason some of it reminds me of Joe's Garage
and Lodger era Bowie...am i on crack? but of course if I was I probably
wouldn't have the money to buy these new albums...anyways I'll not comment
on the other two for brevity's sake other than to say I love them. Well have
a lovely afternoon, evening, morning!
Seth"hopeless afficianado" Frisby
p.s. So no one has a date for the re-released american Xtc albums huh? So
i'll be forced to not eat for a while huh? (by choice. In no way is Xtc
coercing me to buy their product. My mind is my own.)
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 18:30:12 EDT From: Saints3Den@aol.com Subject: what other albums??? Message-ID: <5f.1670c7fb.28594374@aol.com> OMBEAN sayeth: > yo. > While watching The History Channel the other day, I stumbled upon this piece > of info : Jason & The Argonauts crossed the Black Sea during their Is that so? Where did they Go 2? Did they bring enough Oranges & Lemons to fight scurvy? Was there any Skylarking allowed? Did Rhodes girdle the globe? maybe now thats enough questions.... eddie
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 16:16:52 -0700 (PDT) From: eriC draveS <zoom98@sega.net> Subject: Reaction in G Message-ID: <200106132316.QAA29973@outmail3.pacificnet.net> > Check out the Virgin Radio website for a chance to win one of 5 > signed sets of the remastered albums. Are these the ones they spilled Virgin Cola all over? > I am not connected with Virgin at all and think I've just severely > jeopardised my chance of winning the albums!! Don't worry, I won't go there. You have my full support, and they have none of my money. > I hadn't heard the nickname "Ol' Blighty" before the last couple of > Chalkhills. What does it mean? It's just an old slang term for > Britain, if I'm not mistaken... This reminds me of the episode of Monty Python where nobody can understand Squadron Leader's banter. "Bally Jerry pranged his kite right in the how's your father, dicky birdied, took a waspy, and caught his can in the Bertie!" I think "Blighty" is mentioned once or twice there. > Personally I think Dave's greatest XTC moment is his orchestration > on 1000 Umbrellas. THAT song's ending chord reminds me of the moment in This Is Spinal Tap when the radio is playing the end of "Cups And Cakes", they hit the last, similar chord and everyone in the band sighs. Then the radio strikes up, "That was from Spinal Tap, currently residing in the category of Whatever Happened to Them?" And I think if anyone out there wonders whatever happened to those guys who sang "Dear God", they probably assume they've already gone to hell. :) > I still love XTC but the band's sound has changed since Dave left > (the same was true when Barry Andrews left IMO). Yeah, just wait until Andy and Colin leave! The group will just be session musicians. At least then we can hear demos recorded in the studio bathroom. >track "Two Minutes of Silence" which was just that - BTW, did they > get BMI royalties everytime a radio station went "dead air" for two > minutes?). I seem to recall that when someone covered "Two Minutes > Silence" in the 1980s the band was required to pay royalties, so I'd > say "yes." Marcel Marceau had a record album relesed in the 1970's in the US. It was twenty minutes of silence followed by applause on each side. THAT came first, so his estate should sue for plagarism! >While watching The History Channel the other day, I stumbled upon > this piece of info : Jason & The Argonauts crossed the Black Sea > during their adventure. Has this already been brought up? Can we > make a new album to album connection? Am I stretching it? Am I > asking way too many questions? And let's not forget when they fought the Scissormen, the Scarecrow People, and the Skeletons, particularly the poor ones stepping out. More upsetting to me is that a certain film starring Tom Hanks did not have ANYWHERE in its soundtrack, "Castaway on a Desert Island", even though the song was really about isolationism in Great Britain. > So, why don't y'all drop by alt.fan.andy-j-partridge and we'll chat... Because newsgroups are so nineties, and we can chat here with only mild difficulty (when you're near me I have difficulty; also the wading through the French posts). Another thing: XTC has occasionally been discussed on a couple of message boards I frequent, but those people who do are ignorant of the finer points of the band or its music. > Pink Floyd's The Wall omitting Bring The Boys Back Home and When The > Tiger Broke Free No, they omitted What Shall We Do Now and When the Tigers Broke Free. Or is this a different country's album version? Perhaps whistled by Roger Waters on the loo? > Subject: Is it good for baseball? Is it good for the Jews? Never mind that, will it play in Peoria? > His personalized license plate? "SHOCK THE MONKEY." Nothing wrong with that-- maybe he likes Peter Gabriel. >new series and fresh episodes of the cult talk show ``Space Ghost > Coast to Coast.'' Maybe we'll get to see the Andy Partridge episode? I'm more interested in the Dragon Ball cartoon, particularly the missing episodes they never showed in the US... For a great martial arts cartoon to have a limited showing on ONE cable station, when a show with a bunch of silly interviews by a lame cartoon character brings in new fresh batches of turd, is a horrendous tragedy. I don't see today's anime-fueled youth hinging on every word of Space Ghost. I mean, isn't he dead? And unlike Goku, not having the decency to at least wear a halo if so. Besides, it's a ripoff of Max Headroom. > That is why I believe Small Town really needs a moment of silence > before it begins. Yeah, but will Messrs. Partridge and Moulding pay the royalties on it? > What a great time to be a XTC fan. (By the way is there are name for us?) Plenty of names is there are. Here is a small are sampling for to your pleasure, in loving memory of a names. "XTC Fans" "eXasperated Terry Chamberites" "White Music Trash" "Newtown Animals" "XTC Addicts" "The Nonsuch Bunch" "The Society of X" "The X-Men" "Human Wretches of Each Remastered Release" and of course, my favorite... "The Partridge Family" -- eriC draveS "It ain't the music that's in question... it's more a freedom of expression."
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 20:01:26 -0400 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Dave Gregory, personal story, MP3 plug Message-ID: <l03130302b74da9f11f73@[206.231.24.34]> >Along these same lines, does everyone still collect Dave Gregory related >releases now that he is no longer an XTC member? I have never collected Barry >Andrews post XTC releases (or Terry's for that matter), but I have tried to >pick up most of Dave's stuff. I have had to ask myself a tough question >though. I have not heard any of the Dave session work have any distinctive >Dave sound on it. Andy's session work is much more distinct. Is Dave just a >very competent session man? Are there any of Dave's session work that you >could tell he was playing on without having been told or read in the album >credits? And if this is true, how much is he really missed from XTC??? Don't >get me wrong, I have always loved Dave's playing and was sad to see him leave >XTC, but how much of what he did was just playing what Andy told him to play? >After all, look at how close a lot of the demos these past years have been to >the finished product. Your opinions please... > >Sorry to go on for so long. That's it for now. >XTC collector/nut/fanatic I'd buy any solo project Dave comes out with, whenever he completes one. From what I've heard of the Remoulds project(three tracks, all of them covers, faithful to the original and well done, but covers) Dave is a very good stylist and has a good though plain voice, but he is not a songwriter. That would be his limitation as a solo artist. However, I've said it before and I'll say it again, XTC suffers from his abscence. His guitar stylings would have made Wasp Star great rather than very good as it was. Which brings me to an anecdote from my recent past that I figured you people would understand, though it relates to XTC very tangentially only. I was talking with the lead singer of my former band Welcome Home about reuniting(we have vinyl EP and 45 from the late 80's we plan to release on CD with a few new songs and a bunch of live stuff and demos, a history of Welcome Home for our old fans and anyone interested), and he told me about a man he met who was interested in possibly bankrolling the project, he's only recently coming back into the business after being out of it for a number of years, and he mentioned the guy was a close friend of Todd Rundgren and the executive producer of most of Utopia's albums. I checked all my Utopia albums(I have all but one or two of the very early less pop oriented ones) and I couldn't find the guy's name anywhere.(Robert Nickford, if it rings a bell to any serious Todd fans) I have no doubt the guy's on the level, he's managing a couple of successful acts in Montreal right now, and he told Blizz(my lead singer) obscure Todd minutae that only the most serious fans would know, and personal friends, such as early Utopia keyboardist Labatt K. Frog. (Blizz is half Quebecois and drinks a lot of beer) Anyway, if this guy is on the level, I'd be tickled pink to work with someone who used to work with Utopia, who were along with XTC one of the great underrated pop rock bands of the 80's, who also along with XTC are on my short list of song structures I tend to emulate as a starting point in my own material. I'm going to be putting one of Welcome Home's new demos on MP3.com in the next week, as soon as I finish uploading the older material, and there's a certain XTC song I stole from in the song. Here's the challenge: if anybody can guess which song it is, I'm changing it a little bit. I like to mask my influences enough so that it isn't really obvious. So I'd love feedback on whatever material is there when you visit my site and/or download, since XTC happens to be a major musical influence of mine. Christopher R. Coolidge Check my band Welcome Home's MP3s at http://www.mp3.com/Welcome_Home Our CD should be out by the end of the summer.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 19:18:17 -0500
From: "vee tube" <veetube@hotmail.com>
Subject: Please! No More FREE XTC Concerts!
Message-ID: <F70ZNMjiGwYt7yiGh0500004e35@hotmail.com>
This is obviously a case of...
...Sir Demon Brown's Nut Gone Flake!
He's totally off his rocker! He's uncontrollable!
He's gone TOO FAR! He didn't even ask me if it was ok
to upload *his* XTC concert to *his* server! He just
done gone and done it on his ownsome! Why???????????
Because he LOVES All'Ya'Alls!
XTC! LIVE! In Ann Arbor Michigan. 1980
http://www.orangetwin.com/drunken/annarbor1980.html
It's GOOD! It ROCKS! It's FREE!
TSDB!=Thanx,Sir Demon Brown!
}---:)
P.S. SDB and I are *almost* out of 'live' material. If any
of you would like to contribute to our 'kill bootleggers'
project, please contact me off post. Thanx!
DOWNLOADCOMPLETE!OUT!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 22:53:43 -0400
From: Ben Gott <bengott@alumni.bowdoin.edu>
Subject: Bad news, and a song sparked...
Message-ID: <B74EF062.47C7%bengott@alumni.bowdoin.edu>
Friends in XTC,
I returned from a great European vacation only to find that the world -- and
its unfairness -- had not stopped for me. Yesterday, my good friend and
Bowdoin classmate Mike Micciche was killed in a car accident. He had just
finished a great career at Bowdoin and was planning to attend Harvard Law
School in the fall. In the few hours since the class was notified by e-mail
and telephone, we've banded together over the miles to remember him. But I
shouldn't have to be remembering my friends right now, should I? Looks like
the man behind the curtain really messed this one up.
When I was in Spain, I picked up the newly-released copies of "Black Sea"
and "English Settlement" and, as I sit here trying to compose some words to
send to Mike's family, I am reminded of the words of our own Andy Partridge:
"There is no language in our lungs / To tell the world what's in our
hearts..." We often quote another line from this song on this list ("I
would have made this instrumental / But the words got in the way") because
it's so damn witty, but those opening lines remain my favorites. It's
amazing how much a simple sentiment can mean when put to the right music.
Maybe it's time to pull "Black Sea" out of my half-unpacked bag and listen
to our boys sing about feeling. I certainly know that I've got a lot of it
now.
Sadly,
-Ben
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 21:49:50 +0200 From: "Emmanuel Marin" <Emmanuel.Marin@wanadoo.fr> Subject: France Inter non-XTC show Message-ID: <000701c0f50b$33919c40$e135fbc1@houdini> Well, as the host said, finally Andy Partrdige said he would not come to the show... This is the third time it happens, he added. So we were given the right to hear "Ball and Chain", some jokes about AP's attitude (nothing offensive) and then something completly different...
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #7-37 ******************************
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