Chalkhills Digest Volume 8, Issue 26
Date: Sunday, 28 April 2002

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 8, Number 26

                  Sunday, 28 April 2002

Topics:

               XTC in the movies (june 6th)
                        Dukes Live
                   cheaper by the dozen
                   really LOUD masters
                        Juxtaposed
         What Sounds Like A Very Friendly Lemur?
                  Virgin's Last Hoorah?
               Re: so-called hidden tracks
                  What's Dutch for COMC?
          The White Horse of Cockington (Green)
                     Artist royalties
                         Shocking
     non-XTC, but related: Yazbek live in NYC May 1st
 I have an IDEA how we cn make LOTS and LOTS of money...
                    XTC Foreshadowing?
             feet anchored as seen from above
                     t-shirt let down
     I got a new coat, but it was missing autographs!
               my first post to chalkhills
                     This is breaker

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

Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 17:38:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ira Lieman <ilieman@yahoo.com>
Subject: XTC in the movies (june 6th)
Message-ID: <20020423003844.56867.qmail@web11204.mail.yahoo.com>

Word!

Reading Entertainment Weekly this week, they had their summer movie
preview. Found a blurb for a new movie coming out on June 7th in the States
called "Ivans xtc" starriing Danny Huston and directed by Bernard Rose
(Immortal Beloved). Can't tell much about the movie from its 3 sentence
preview (must be an indie) except it was shot on digital video and they
mentioned something about "debauchery." Just thought the title alone would
be of interest to the peanut gallery (or, cupboard, as it were).

Anyhoo I'm ... um ... the president of my own non-profit corporation at the
moment, so donations of Coat Of Many Cupboards (new, unwrapped) would be
accepted and welcomed.

Hasta bananas,
-ira, on a farmboy's wages.

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

Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 20:39:12 -0400
From: "john irvine" <jetsetsc@hotmail.com>
Subject: Dukes Live
Message-ID: <F67fSp1J106zPpPku0400016dbd@hotmail.com>

The Bowlermen - Baltimore, MD's Dukes-oriented-content band, will be
performing at the Sounth Baltimore Pow Wow festival This Saturday, April 28
ca. 6 PM.

Why? Because Andy won't.

"That which doesn't kill me can still hurt a lot"

-John Irvine

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

Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 21:16:49 -0400
From: Mitch Friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com>
Subject: cheaper by the dozen
Message-ID: <v03007800b8ea6556f0bf@[165.121.68.243]>

Hey Ho,

Hello again. It's been a while. Ah I fondly remember the days when
I could be your instant and usually exclusive source of news straight
from Andy's mouth but alas those days are over. However I do have
a bit of new news for youze . . .

As of yesterday, according to Andy, Fuzzy Warbles could be as
many as 12 discs, released two at a time every 3 months starting
no earlier than this September (6 months after Coat's appearance,
thanks to our friends at Virgin).

Some of you will be thrilled by this news, others apparently would
like there to be only one or two Fuzzy discs with only non album
song demos on there. My suggestion: write to the band courtesy
of their website or better yet start a thread and post something
in the chatter section. Andy says he reads what is written.

Mitch

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

Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 23:04:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: really LOUD masters
Message-ID: <20020423060459.54548.qmail@web14202.mail.yahoo.com>

Kirsty MacColl's Galore is mastered really loudly as
well.

I miss her,  especially after the excellant Tropical
Brainstorm.

now i'm sad...

RE:
...has anyone ever noticed that Dave Matthews'
"Everyday" and R.E.M.'s "Reveal" (among others) are
mastered really, really loudly?  I almost blew out my
car speakers the other day when my CD changer
switched from the incredibly quiet and
shitty-sounding "Joshua Tree" to the loud and crisp
"Isolation Drills" by Guided by Voices.

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 09:20:55 +0100
From: "Will" <skellington@clara.co.uk>
Subject: Juxtaposed
Message-ID: <008e01c1ea9f$cb5db420$0e1d9ed9@oemcomputer>

> Thanks very much for the guidance, Di. I'll just have to go thru my
> complete cd collection to see if there are any other hidden gems! Hope
> everyone takes your advice and gets out to see the Welsh Wizards when they
> pass thru'. I'm a recent convert via 'Juxtaposed ' , on to the album
> 'Rings Around The World' and slowly back thru the catalogue. People out
> there in Chalkhillville, catch a piece of this band while you wait for
> something NEW from our boys!  You won't regret it!

Actually, I thought "Juxtaposed" was by the lighthouse family when I
first heard it.....awful bland nonsense......was horrified when I found
out it was the previousy interesting Furries....

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 22:30:39 +1000
From: "Iain Murray" <Iain.Murray@bigpond.com>
Subject: What Sounds Like A Very Friendly Lemur?
Message-ID: <001701c1eac2$ae5d7540$3f6e36cb@dmps>

> From: "Piriya Vongkasemsiri" <piriya@hotmail.com>
> Subject: White Horse of Uffington Photo
>
> Here's the XTC-related bit - One of the photographs will be a lovely
> picture of the White Horse of Uffington, which we all know and love.  For
> those of us who haven't been lucky enough to travel to Oxfordshire to see
> it in person, this may be the next best thing.  The exhibit will be
> located in Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue between Madison and
> Washington (where the ice rink is at the moment).

....or maybe even better than seeing the real thing - having seen the real
thing myself about three years ago, I can only say that the best way to see
it in all its glory is from the air (and even then, I'm only going from
other photos I've seen). Even from a distance at ground level, you're
missing a hell of a lot. I have about half a dozen photos of said Horsey,
and none of them do it justice (granted, I'm crap at photography, but that's
beside the point).

When I was there, I took a photo of a notice posted near the Horse, which
says:

"The horse is the oldest chalk figure in the country. Recent archaelogical
work dates the construction as circa 3000 years ago. It was built by digging
trenches to shape & back filling with rock chalk. The shape & position of
the horse has changed little over time, although it has become slightly
thinner. Erosion is a major problem. Please help conserve the horse by not
walking on it."

In the background of my photo are two people who appear not only to be
walking on the Horse, but taking chalk samples as souvenirs. Wankers.

Iain

NP: Songs From "Bear In The Big Blue House" (What can I say? I have a
13-month-old son - David Yazbek's contributions to the album are mighty
fine, tho'.....)

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 12:03:49 -0400
From: KEVIN.WOLLENWEBER@jpmorgan.com
Subject: Virgin's Last Hoorah?
Message-ID: <OF39E74F3A.F4231E76-ON85256BA4.0051CE33@notes.chase.com>

Hey, out there in Chalkhillsville:
I've been utterly fascinated with talk of the anthology "COAT".  As I've
said, I'd often thought that COAT OF MANY CUPBOARDS was Andy's and Colin's
answer to those of us who wondered just what will happen to their Virgin
catalogue now that ties have been severed.  Well, I'm hoping that they will
gain control over their material and can issue it exactly as they wish.
I'd often wished that I had some major insight as to how record companies
run their favored and unfavored acts ragged until they're done with them.
I know it is so, judging from Andy Partridge's loathing of the parasites at
the head of the companies.
I'm also a minor fan of classic animated cartoons--I promise I'll keep this
brief--and, boy, did I feel cheated when I bought the $97 set from the
otherwise reliable Rhino company of supposed classic GUMBY episodes.  I'd
owned the Family Home Entertainment VHS tapes now for far too many years
and was sooo hoping to replace 'em all with brand new DVD's with
beautifully mastered prints, but boy, did the Big Beast spit long and hard
in *MY* face.  The prints used here were totally revamped to feel like
'90's and New Millennium kidvid, completely devoid of the toon's original
charm, its original scores and original theme song,  and even some of its
original voice-over talent!
So what does this have to do with music?  Well, we could all bring up
examples--and have, judging by the posts that mention the Who
reissues--where our cherished music has indeed been "reinvented", sometimes
at the group's insistence (tolerated) and mostly at the record company's
insistence (dreams of homicide ensue).  In some cases, music can be
reinvented and given new lifeblood, if the right ear gets their hands on
actual master tapes and knows how to keep the original power of the music
intact while he or she dabbles, say, with changing mono into stereo, or at
least give us both versions so we, the fans, can pick our favorite.  I
might even grow to like the supposed "improvements", as I did the stereo
mix of the PET SOUNDS album!
Ugh, I know, I know, I said I would make this brief--well, I'm just hoping,
white-knuckled, for the next few weeks, waiting for the new reissues of the
first 10 XTC albums and hoping that there are all those sweet extras that
were found on the first issues, *PLUS*!  Yes, I said *PLUS*!  While I'm not
really one of those who *NEED* all the constant takes and retakes--I found
the Miles Davis reissues too chock full of such retakes for minor flubbed
notes or passages that some thought were played with more gusto, etc. and I
even passed up Rhino Handmade's far too completist 8-CD box set devoted to
the classic Iggy & the Stooges' FUN HOUSE album--I would like all the tunes
that were recorded but were never released anywhere or were never released
before here in the U.S.  I'd not heard any of these Japanese editions.  In
fact, I cannot even find them in *ANY* record store.  I just get puzzled
reactions when I mention them as having been available in Europe.  Did they
not come out over here?
Anyway, Jdmack01@aol.com writes:
"Disc One is only 45 minutes?  Not that I don't feel like I've gotten a good
bang for my buck, but there are so many more unreleased studio tracks.  Lack
of space cannot be the excuse for their exclusion.  Now that XTC's
relationship with Virgin is at an end, does this mean we will never see the
release of "Refrigeration Blues," "Sargasso Bar," "Young Cleopatra," Saturn
Boy," I Overheard," "Cheap Perfume," and many others residing in the Virgin
vaults?  I have this feeling that sales of COMC won't be sufficient for
Virgin to consider releasing a sequel, and the tracks are no longer
accessible to the band to do it themselves."
This concerns COAT OF MANY CUPBOARDS, and I remain quizzical on the songs
mentioned here.  Are negotiations underway for the group to own their
music, finally?  Colin told me, when I met him for an in-store honoring
APPLE VENUS, VOL.I, that negotiations were indeed underway but, at that
time, the outcome didn't look all that good.  Did they fail?
If not, I would imagine that these songs mentioned by J. D. will probably
be featured as extras on the respective albums whose grueling sessions
included the recording of these tracks!
One other thing I'd like to add is that, yes, like some of you, I hope that
Andy gets over his stage fright and stress and decides to perform limited
gigs around the world.  I don't expect him to just get up there in front of
the usual unruly audience and play the songs, note-for-note perfect with a
frozen grin on his face.  Maybe that's his justified fear--that he'll meet
up with that nasty audience that wants to press all of his buttons until
they nearly drive him from the stage!  Well, I'm certain that all our
listers here would be wholly appreciative of whatever song cycle of the
seasons' cycle Andy and Colin choose to do, and I also hear rumors of
Andy's having shown up at other folks' gigs.  The story I'd heard concerned
Andy enthusiastically taking the stage to accompany Aimee Mann on a version
of the Dukes' "Kaleidoscope"!  Man, would I have *LOVED* to have heard
that!  I'd since seen Ms. Mann twice and liked her shows with or without
her mate, Michael Penn (also a terrific songwriter), and would imagine Andy
and Colin being terrific additions to her already polished shows.
It is my ravenously hungry hope that we get an actual expanded double-album
for ENGLISH SETTLEMENT, that we hear all 32 tracks originally recorded for
NONSUCH, expanding *IT* to a double album that does include that wonderful
little teaser, "Always Winter, Never Christmas", a track that I was hoping
appeared on the otherwise wonderful COAT!, to hear the full tracklist on
SKYLARKING exactly the way Andy and Colin would like it, including "MERMAID
SMILE" and maybe even "EXTROVERT", the song that I believe also came from
those wild and wolfy Todd sessions and, well, all the goodies that were on
the analogue editions originally issued with sparce packaging.  If these
were the last times we'd ever see this stuff reissued, I'd be happy if all
my wants achieve fruition, and that the true fruits of the labor of love go
rightfully to Andy and Colin...and maybe even to the remaining band members
for the early stuff.  Wish they would consider reforming as a large band
for a new release, although rock bands are difficult marriages at best I
suppose.  The beauty of Andy and Colin as a duo is that they could actually
pick and choose musical styles without hurting too many feelings by
screaming that they are being stifled by the limitations of fellow
musicians.  Such undemocratic felings have destroyed the finest bands--and
I'm talking about those beyond the Beatles!  example:  I would have liked
to see the New Radicals last for more than one album.  That initial and
only album is oh so fine!
And, finally, God Bless Todd!  The mighty, mighty Mr. Rundgren's "Totally
Out of Control" has been on my CD player more than I would like as I've
been feeling that way over how the industry treats its bread and butter,
its artists, and I know what would drive Todd into the frenzy he works
himself into during that song.
At any rate, Vin Schelsa has invited Andy and Colin back to his studio for
an actual live performance if they deem it friendly, and I do hope they
take him up on it.  I'm usually not much for the exclusivity of that sort
of performance--after all, there's nothing like a small comfortable club
cheering on a favorite act who are there because they have something
worthwhile, musically, to say, but I'll settle for a good set of radio
performances, perhaps giving us collectors a good 50 to 60 minutes of
interesting live sessions to swop.  I don't get a good signal on WFUV, but
I'll struggle to make the sound as good as can be expected!
Kevin

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 14:59:30 -0400
From: Tony Picco <tpicco@iesna.org>
Subject: Re: so-called hidden tracks
Message-ID: <B8EB2752.3B65%tpicco@iesna.org>

on 4/22/02 6:56 PM, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> at
<owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> wrote:

> I hate hidden tracks that you can't access on everything.

I don't even UNDERSTAND hidden tracks.

Could someone explain the point of ANY hidden tracks? If the track's at the
end of the CD, then it will play normally. I don't think that's "hidden."
They just forgot to list it in the CD liner notes.

And why hide tracks? Why do I need to force my CD player to go backwards to
play track O? It ain't cute, it ain't convenient... is this how bands reward
loyal listeners? (Maybe I'm just getting old.)

cranky tony
tpicco@iesna.org

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 12:49:33 -0700
From: Craig Sherman <craig.sherman.2000@alum.bu.edu>
Subject: What's Dutch for COMC?
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.0.20020423124320.00a75eb0@pop-server.socal.rr.com>

Hey, it's been a while (last time I posted, I ended up catching up with a
Boston friend from Andy's Tower signing). I'm here in Sunny Southern
California, and the only place I could find COMC was at Borders in Encino.
I was THRILLED to get it, naturally, but I noticed the label that read
"Made in Holland." Has a foreign operative beat Caroline to the punch?

More (most) importantly, are there any content differences between the EU
release and the US one? I wouldn't mind if, as is so often the case, the EU
release had more content altogether. It doesn't specify on the web page.

It's snowing angels,

Craig

P.S. Sheri, if you still read this thing, drop me a line. Are you still in
Leeds?

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

Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 07:32:58 +1000
From: "Andrew Gowans" <ratwhacker@hotmail.com>
Subject: The White Horse of Cockington (Green)
Message-ID: <F15lQoMuDGzxTs53iVd0000d4ba@hotmail.com>

Greetings Folks,

Just to add to the XTC etceterata on the White Horse of Uffington, I was in
Canberra (Australia) a few weeks ago and took the family to Cockington
Green. Cockington Green is a magical little place which has a couple of
acres consisting of miniature reproductions of (mainly) British villages and
houses. My kids loved it. Anyway, they have a reproduction of the White
Horse there which is about 2m long. I had been there some years before and
didn't recall it, so it was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Closest I've been
to the real thing, short of my ES cover. Daftly, when I was in Britain many
years ago I saw one of the 'other' white horses - the silly-looking one cut
(I think) in the 18th or 19th century. Damn.

Mr Culnane, I seem to recall you being a Canberra'ite. Are you responsible
for the WHoC(G) ?

Ta Ta !

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 20:45:10 -0700
From: "Jamie and Martin Monkman" <monkman@coastnet.com>
Subject: Artist royalties
Message-ID: <000a01c1eb42$7feea640$588cf4cc@new>

Another interesting article on the manner in which major labels have
profited from the labours of the artists.  The links at the bottom are
also worth following.

http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/04/23/copyright/print.html

Martin Monkman

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

Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 23:24:46 -0500
From: "Thom Bergstrom" <thomandheather@tds.net>
Subject: Shocking
Message-ID: <003f01c1eb47$f9b9e700$5f0ade42@bergstt>

Tim wrote:

"Since Wasp Star, which was the very first XTC album to make me sigh with
disappointment..."

Every once in awhile there's a statement on this list that just blows my
mind.  This one just makes me stutter in all attempts to come up with a
response.  Ahhhhhhh!

(should have made this instrumental)

-Thom B

PS  Although I must say I never got what the big deal was with Bungalow,
which everybody seems to adore (must be a British thing).

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

Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 11:22:37 -0400
From: "info@davidyazbek" <info@davidyazbek.com>
Subject: non-XTC, but related: Yazbek live in NYC May 1st
Message-ID: <B8ED977D.2B95%info@davidyazbek.com>

I'll make this quick.  Yazbek, who has collaborated musically with XTC in
the past, is performing live in New York City on Wednesday, May 1st.  It's
excellent, sophisticated piano-driven pop music with sharp humor, to learn
more visit http://www.davidyazbek.com.  Thank you for your time.

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

Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 18:52:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: I have an IDEA how we cn make LOTS and LOTS of money...
Message-ID: <20020426015231.84043.qmail@web14202.mail.yahoo.com>

I just got an e-mail mesage from Idea records that
they will be selling t-shirts. Excitedly, I checked on
Idea's webpage, and found that they were 17.99 pounds
each. Using the Universal Currency Converter,
http://www.xe.net/ucc/
I found out that comes to $24.73 ea. w/o shipping.
Sorry, but that's just too rich for my blood.  While I
would love to be able to wear both Drums & Wires and
Oranges & Lemons on my chest,  I cannot justify paying
25 bucks to do so.
I know t-shirts at concerts are often that much, but
dammit, I'll pay 25 bucks for a t-shirt ONLY at an XTC
concert! Get Andy and Colin on a tour, and I'll buy my
shirts then!

I'm happy that Andy and Colin are doing things for
themselves, and I hope they will be able to make a
decent living with it. But, I hope they are careful
and don't scare people away by selling unessecary
stuff at high prices. The instrumental versions of AV1
and WS are good examples. I admit to being a little
intriqued at the instrumental AV1, just to hear the
orchestrations. But is it necessary to do this with
Wasp Star? This will make three versions each of those
two albums, overkill if you ask me. Those of us who
are completists will have to buy all of this stuff,
and It's not really fair for A&C to take advantage of
that.

OK, enough bitching. Any other opinions on this?

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

Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 18:06:05 -0400
From: "Stephen & Lori Bruun" <bruun@starpower.net>
Subject: XTC Foreshadowing?
Message-ID: <005901c1e400$9346ace0$56172c42@computer>

I was digging around looking for information about an obscure Badfinger
record, which is available on an annoyingly hard-to-find CD called "Syde
Tryps vol. 1."

Looking at the rest of the tracks on the compilation, I saw this:
http://www.borderlinebooks.com/uk6070s/p10.html#The Purge

It seems that a band called The Purge recorded and released a song called
"The Mayor Of Simpleton Hall" in 1969.  Even more intriguingly, the band was
a trio from Swindon!  Perhaps Mr. Partridge had a subliminal memory of this
song?  (Rather like Eleanor Rigby's tombstone in a Liverpool cemetery.)

Perhaps this information is only of slight interest, perhaps none at all.
But I figured I'd mention it for you to make whatever use of it you felt
appropriate.  If nothing else it's an interesting coincidence.

- Stephen Bruun

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

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 11:13:51 +0000
From: "don device" <ddevice@hotmail.com>
Subject: feet anchored as seen from above
Message-ID: <LAW2-F113xOjmfCHJr10000057c@hotmail.com>

Hello all,

Like wonka's ticket a&nbsp; flash of gold shone from the depths of my
boite a lettres, and lo and behold: the fabled coat of... I've
listened to the discs three times (beautiful packaging
notwithstanding, I don't see how you others were able to start with
the booklet)... and I must say I'm pleased, albeit with a few
quibbles...

For my monet, 'Terrorism' is the true revalation of the discs... it
seems to lift off after an initial attack of acoustic guitar that I
find quite exhilarating and unfortunately all too often absent from
their recent 'rockin' stuff...

My two cents on the hidden tracks. I must confess to a weekness to
this sort of tomfoolery ('secrets' known only to the cognascienti),
but given the fact that I can't play them on my stereo at home its a
bit frustrating, and somewhat gratuitus, what with the certain CDs
clocking in well under the limit... I've been able to hear the stuff
with my walkman, and its quite fun, and the sort of stuff you'd expect
from peeking at whatever our boys'd left in the cracks, but all the
same I'd've appreciated a bit more fleshing out on the cd's
themselves...

In passing, I'd just like to say I saw the wondeful picture of the
Uffington Horse by Arthus when it was exposed here in Paris last
year. I even shelled out for the large format (there's a smaller one,
too) book of his photos which are quite breathtaking... see the show
if you can...

I also came across an Irish pub in Prague which uses the horse as its
logo... I've a rather cheesy 3D photo of myself wearing my lovely
chalkhills Tee-shirt standing beneath it, feet anchored beneath
me...

don device

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, its
too dark to read." -Groucho Marx

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

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 12:30:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jeff Eby <jeffaeb@yahoo.com>
Subject: t-shirt let down
Message-ID: <20020426193041.6539.qmail@web11603.mail.yahoo.com>

I was rather excited by the recent announcement that
XTC were looking for suggestions for a t-shirt design
to sell to us XTC geeks by way of the idea site.  But
now that the designs have been revealed I'm a bit
surprised.  I really doubt anyone said.  "Oh, just
plop the square album art on a white tee, that'll do."
 Yet that's exactly what they've done and charging 17
pounds ($25 american) before tax or S&H for it.

I want an XTC-tee but please say some even slightly
more elaborate offerings are on the way. Color tees at least?

=====
That which does not kill me can only make me whinier

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

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 22:01:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: "" <radiosinmotion@iwon.com>
Subject: I got a new coat, but it was missing autographs!
Message-ID: <20020427020116.5911727C73@email.iwon.com>

I ordered mine from Amazon and was supposed to get an autographed
copy. Unfortunatly, because mine was delayed (because of another item
on my order) I did not recieve one of the copies with an autograph...

I love the set! I don't know why I some of you said you didn't like it.

The only criticism I have for the project is the essay by Harrison.
You are a great writer, but, it was a little too wordy for my tastes
in terms of what I am used to getting on a CD sleve. Other than that,
I liked what you had to say, just not so much the way you said it. I
wish Andy & Collin wrote something more in the sleve.

I take it that this is what was to be the Fuzzy Warbles set, or am I
wrong?

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

Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 05:06:38 -0400
From: "John" <jstump1@woh.rr.com>
Subject: my first post to chalkhills
Message-ID: <000c01c1ee94$01a64950$4faf1d18@flo>

cmon people lets get down to this...
anyone ripping on wasp star hasnt been around xtc long enough to realise...
xtc albums require faith.... faith that you will grow into the music after
time....
its simply too witty and smart to absorb immediately,  you just have to live
with it and then one day you notice it growing on your side like a tumor...

i feel that the band xtc (andy and colin. (ps why did dave leave we all love
him are there hard feelings?)) have comprimised nothing of their artistic
freedom they please themselves and they never get too comfy doing one thing
... so u just have to flow with it and trust the masters that they are.
its the evil empirical record companies that bastardize the bands' ideas and
release all that demo bs
some of it is interesting to hear no doubt but   u can download better xtc
off usenet  for free
such as live shows at the height of their touring heyday.  (id have a
breakdown too if i tried to play and sing like andy in 1982, i think he
worked himself to the edge and then more but the breakdown enabled him write
songs like Ladybird ...

i have always thought that early pre-breakdown/stagefright xtc (was music
that reached into the future of music...more cutting edge and raucous, more
about ego (how unique can I be or how many notes can we play, who can i piss
off more)  ....
but as soon as andy called off the live shows the ego dissolved and the
music seems to implode or reverse and go back in time...(love on a farmboys
wages  ?????? flask of wine on my feather bedding??? fathers carriage?
i mean you couldnt get these things from an antique store anymore.... it is
great!)

moral of the story they have lived it earned it proved it played it wrote it
and in hindsight its all good stuff
everyone has a few xtc songs that arent the faves but even those songs stay
with you and bug you ....
a sign of true art...
I have been a huge fan since 87 when i first heard em.... cranked black sea
on the way to my grandpa's funeral as therapy...  skylarking tried to warn
me... but i went and got my heartbroken anyhow...  hell i still learn when i
listen to oranges and lemons its so rich and layered its amazing. english
settlement...bravo just listen to the lead guitar solo in leisure....
nonsuch is great.... p.pumpkin head took years to sink in for me but now it
sends religous chills up my spine....    drums and wires "twang"  ... 'we
are 100 % original , 110% british and we are smarter than you are.'

go 2, white music, eh... learning years,  big express......not all that
familiar with i owned it but it never got as much play.....     mummer ....
cheers the loss of ego and the gaining of so much beyond self its sick...
xtc my fav band...ever...    dukes of stratosphere very very very great work
and they say they arent into drugs? ok
i believe you guys sure ;)

jstump1@woh.rr.com

email me if u disagree or agree with any of this im open to debate and or
learning anything new about xtc

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

Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 12:15:31 +0100
From: "Darryl W. Bullock" <drol@btinternet.com>
Subject: This is breaker
Message-ID: <001a01c1eea6$0756dec0$19a2fea9@Bullock>

Hey,

for those of you who need to know about the reference to 'six cans of
Breaker':

Breaker was a rather nasty, quite lightweight UK idea of a malt beer seen
just about everywhere in the late 70's. It was quickly overtaken by Colt 45.

And my Dad used to drink can after can of the awful stuff. I still have
nightmares about my own induction to the sticky, sweet and nasty stuff.

Also, on a completely unrelated topic, thanks to those wonderful people at
Lycos, the This Is Pop website is no more. They pulled the plug without even
bothering to tell me! Nice people. AND the Yahoo club XTC England's Glory
has vanished too. Is there some sort of conspiracy against us?

However, some of us from England's Glory have got together to start a new
XTC forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wonderannual We're not going to
let them get rid of us that easily. Come along and join in!

Darryl.

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End of Chalkhills Digest #8-26
******************************

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28 April 2002 / Feedback