Chalkhills Digest Volume 9, Issue 1
Date: Friday, 3 January 2003
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 9, Number 1
Friday, 3 January 2003
Topics:
Best music of 2002
Andy talks about the price of Fuzzy Warbles
Miscellanea
2002: The Year In Review
Happy Farking New Year! [OT]
is it some kind of weird in-joke?
flamage -- and a question .....
Re: Milk Bar
Dreaming It's All Bert Over??
Re: Beeswax versus Rag & Bone
literary XTC siting
Will the real Andy Partridge please stand up?
Tongue-tied in Pennsylvania
more beeswax business
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 20:18:12 +0000 From: "Nathan Mulac DeHoff" <xornom@hotmail.com> Subject: Best music of 2002 Message-ID: <F81RlXtV4HQbnptGPe700017988@hotmail.com> I'd say my top albums for this year are: 1. Frank Black and the Catholics: Devil's Workshop 2. Ben Folds: Live 3. TMBG: No! 4. Frank Black and the Catholics: Black Letter Days 5. DaVinci's Notebook: Brontosaurus 6. Neko Case: Blacklisted 7. Camper Van Beethoven: Greatest Hits Played Faster (the live disc of the new box set, which is the only one that hadn't been released before) 8. Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk 9. Pixies: Pixies (AKA the purple tape) I haven't bought the Fuzzy Warbles discs yet. I hope to get them someday, but I agree with what other people here have been saying about the prices being high. I bought Explode Together from the Idea site, and, even with the import and shipping charges, it ended up costing less than $20, which is how much it cost at the only store where I've seen it (Borders). I was hoping that these same low prices would apply to Fuzzy Warbles, but apparently not. I'll probably knuckle down and buy them someday, though. Is there any chance the prices will go down eventually, or is there a place to buy them for less money? -- Be your own broom, Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/fablesto/
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 15:15:59 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Andy talks about the price of Fuzzy Warbles Message-ID: <20021231231559.68582.qmail@web41101.mail.yahoo.com> Hi: Watch the Idea site's Chatter area (under the Fly on the Wall subheading) for an explanation from Mr. Partridge about the price difference between the Warbles offered through Idea and through major retailers like Amazon. I've no idea what day Andy and Colin's new set of answers will actually appear (sometime in the next week, probably), but this link should take you there: http://www.xtcidearecords.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard/forums.cgi?forum=44 What do I think about Fuzzy Warbles? On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a pair of Partridge CDs (autographed copies from the Idea site, natch) ... and I *like* 'em!! Not a bad warble in the bunch, and the quality of the mixing and mastering is stellar. I'm especially crazy about the instrumentals, but I've always loved it when Andy lets his avant garde down. (I also got the English Settlement fleece for a gift -- yes, my true love loves me, too -- and it's toasty warm and oh-so-attractive. Highly recommended.) Happy New Year, everyone. Here's to peace, prosperity and good health in 2003! -Todd
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 18:27:30 EST From: Hbsherwood@aol.com Subject: Miscellanea Message-ID: <2b.34c24402.2b4381e2@aol.com> >From: KEVIN.WOLLENWEBER@jpmorgan.com >Subject: ...And FUZZIES Under the Tree! >I, for one, hope that Andy dives >deeply into Zappa albums like BURNT WEENY SANDWICH or UNCLE MEAT or even >the original mix of WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY or ABSOLUTELY FREE and >never comes up from that wave, because the kinds of mixtures going on here >go even further than Zappa ever dared to. Diving already done, long ago! I've posted this link before, but a rerun every once in a while never hurt. It's one of my faves in all of Howling Hyperspace, and it makes me get all goopy thinking about how cool the Internet is. Taken backstage after a Zappa Band performance in Birmingham, UK, in 1988. http://www.geoscott.com/new/band_band.jpg >From left to right, Robbie Wyborn (Marianne's brother-in-law, and the fella whose answering-machine message you're all no doubt listening to on Volume 2), Ike Willis, Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Andy Partridge, and Dave Gregory. The reason Kevin's post triggered this memory is that in Dave's left hand are copies of Burnt Weenie Sandwich and We're Only In It for the Money (I think that's what he told me), which Dave was bringing for Frank to autograph. This (as I've posted before) was the evening of the "Mup" incident described in Chris Twomey's book. You might like these too, from the LA period, recording "Oranges and Lemons." http://www.geoscott.com/new/part_thun.jpg and http://www.geoscott.com/new/part_moul_thun.jpg These are from Scott Thunes' web site. ------ >From: "*Hobbes *" <hazchem25@hotmail.com> >Subject: Milky Bar >Message-ID: <F94Ahive5UX6PrYuGAd000053ee@hotmail.com> > >The phrase ["milk-bar"] easily predates "A Clockwork Orange", as the Ginger >Meggs pre-war newspaper comics used the phrase. I imagine it's English >in origin - I'm sure Professor Sherwood will fill us in if we all ask nicely. Found a couple of interesting links: http://uk.geocities.com/hyohsilver/ About the phenomenon of Milk-Bar Cowboys, originating in Auckland (NZ), defined as "Unruly disorganized groups of motorcyclists with the philosophy of 'Do what you like when you like'" [and harm as many as you like, no doubt]. They appear to date from the 1940's and '50's, influenced by the Brando flick "The Wild Ones." Also, http://www.worsleypress.com/milkbar/index.htm "What Is a Milk Bar?" Definitely seems to be an Antipodean thing.... ------ Oh, and one other thing: Adrian Ransome was *joking,* people! That was, 'ow you say, SATIRE! Harrison "http://www.otus.oakland.edu/english/showcase/satbib.htm" Sherwood
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 23:40:58 +0000 From: "*Hobbes *" <hazchem25@hotmail.com> Subject: 2002: The Year In Review Message-ID: <F9QMohMuAVXDrMGmkJi00019ed8@hotmail.com> OK OK, I know I recently defended the state of music in 2001 on this list until i was blue in the face, but it's that time of year again and i can barely come up with 9 good albums this year: Badly Drawn Boy - About A Boy Brendan Benson - Lapalco (Produced and co-written with Jason Falkner, a good stop gap until the next Matthew Sweet album) Candy Butchers - Play with your head (Album of the year for me. Fun and catchy bitter pop nuggets that Costello fans should check out). Archer Prewitt - Three (Moving away from his previously baroque arrangements into wonderfully overwritten progressive arrangements, check it out if you're a fan of the songwriting on Falkner's Can You Still Feel?) Anna Waronker - Anna Icecream Hands - Broken UFO (Australian Power Pop fans put out fourth great album. I met the main songwriter for the band in a record store in Melbourne a few years ago and ended up discussing our mutual love of XTC) Wondermints - Mind If We Make Love To You the Bigger Lovers - Honey In The Hive Lucky Bishops - Grimstone (Dukes fans should check this psychpop album out) Who knows, maybe this time next year i will have discovered more great albums, but pickings are slim at the moment. I actually found it easier to come up with 11 albums that disappointed the hell out of me this year: Apples in Stereo - Velocity of Sound Belle & Sebastian - Storytelling David Bowie - Heathen Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Future Bible Heroes - Eternal Youth Imperial Teen - On Aimee Mann - Lost In Space Negro Problem - Welcome Black Wannadies - Before and After Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot While only one of these albums was outright bad (hello FBH), the rest seemed curiously uninvolving to me, considering how much i like the artists and their work. Aimee Mann, the Negro Problem and Elvis Costello's albums all sound so introspective and internalised it's almost as if their albums deliberately turn away from the listener. The Apples added noise and lost subtlety then ended up with a uniformity of sound that blurs the tracks into each other. B&S, wannadies and Imperial Teen seemed to be underfiring in the songwriting stakes, whilst Wilco and Flaming Lips suffered in my ears from how much i loved their previous albums. I just have to single out the Blur single "Don't bomb when you are the bomb" for particular derision, since it sounds like a bad 80's b-side by a half-forgotten one-hit wonder synthesizer duo with unfortunate hair with the most pathetic excuse for a 'chorus' i've ever heard. Anyone who puts such little effort into their music and expects me to part with my money for it has made my shitlist for life. If you think i'm exaggerating then you obviously haven't heard it. Wankers. ***************************************** The 'I just don't understand the hype' category: Beck - Sea Change Coldplay - A Rush of Blood To The Head the Vines - Highly Evolved Doves - the Last Broadcast *Especially* the Vines: there's better australian bands out there with much stronger songwriting, and are usually torn apart and ridiculed by the patronising English Press! Why them??? *********************************** Recently discovered great albums from last year: Guided By Voices - Isolation Drills (Suddenly gained unexpected power and ended up with a 50 concise minute album instead of filling the disc to capacity). Kevin Tihista's Red Terror - Don't Breath A Word (Elliott Smith Fans take note) Mull Historical Society - Loss (Great songs from a guy with Phil Spector envy) Nathan Larson - Jealous God (Shudder To Think guitarist goes solo, produced by Langer and Winstanley and sounds like Costello / TRex / Morrisey) ********************************** Here's hoping the new year brings a new XTC album!
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 17:17:07 -0800 From: Kyla <kyla17@earthlink.net> Subject: Happy Farking New Year! [OT] Message-ID: <3E124192.F28CCFB8@earthlink.net> Wanted to say that I believe the infamous f-word post (Hullo, Adrian) is a parody of someone else's post, someone who was unhappy at having bought Warbles Fuzzy over the Internet, rather than at their local record mega-chain for a few bucks less. Not a terribly clever parody, though. I mean, the reason the Nat Lamp 'Magical Misery Tour' was hilarious, was that it aptly paraphrased the Rolling Stone Lennon interviews, including the use of the f-word every fourth word. And of course, Tony Hendra's clever impression added to the fun. So much meaningless dissension. So strange to see that here. I think we're all stressed due to the depression and oncoming war. And the whole terrorism thing. I mean, I think all of these are global, aren't they? Christmas can be a blue time for some folks, too. But not me - I went to Texas to see my Mom and Bro for a whole two weeks. And I have a friend's house to go to this evening, and it's been quite a while that I've been to a New Year's Eve party. Negotiated the madhouse of the local upscale grocery store, where I paid beaucoup dollars for a strawberry cake. (That's wot I get for putting off assembling one myself til the last minute.) Well, gotta go clean up. 'X'pect to play poker, talk myself blue in the face, eat myself silly and watch the ball drop. May hot tub, depending on how (a.) dark and (b.) cold it is outside. HAPPY NEW YEAR, CHALKHILLIANS! Peace, Kyla
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 20:21:03 EST From: Poisongold@aol.com Subject: is it some kind of weird in-joke? Message-ID: <24.333f21d7.2b439c7f@aol.com> or do I have a weird mental block about something right in front of my face? ...but is "Wait 'Til Your Boat Goes Down" in print anywhere? Not one of my favorite XTC songs, but one wouldn't expect it just to disappear...would one? Does AP hate it? Does Virgin hate its sales figures? As bad comedians say, "What's the deal?" As too-white suburban college students say, "What the dilly-yo?" As I say, "Happy new year to Chalkhill-billies everywhere!!! Looking forward to getting my Fuzzy Warbles! Can anyone answer my question about 'WTYBGD'?" MJC
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 07:42:56 -0500
From: "Danny Phipps" <phipps@schoollink.net>
Subject: flamage -- and a question .....
Message-ID: <web-35098824@schoollink.net>
<delurking>
hello, all --
been a LONG time since i last posted anything to the
Hill-list here and, what can i say but, "WOW!!" a lot of
personal flamage going on lately between listers. hope it
smooths out soon. (mr. relph, it looks like this issue is
gonna keep you hoppin' for a while, huh?)
i have a question and please forgive me if this subject's
been brooched before, as i haven't had any spare time
recently to read any / many digests coming to my mail
server......(get on the with the question already, man!!)
does anyone here know if it's *official* that andy
partridge and peter blegvad are indeed going to release
another collaborative album (ala "king strut & other
stories") at some point in 2003? i was informed as such
and hadn't really looked into any further research on the
matter.....figured someone here might know. thanks for any
info on it. :-)
take care, all......and happy new year to everyone on the
Hill!
***give Love each day!***
/danny
<back to lurking>
---
"Too many people preachin' practices -- don't let 'em tell
you what you wanna be!"
~ macca
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 11:07:18 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Re: Milk Bar Message-ID: <BA387C66.6AB1%cauldron@together.net> on 12/31/02 1:43 PM, some aussie wrote: > For me it's a particularly 70's term though... It conjures up images of > Chicko Rolls, Mullets, Thongs, Panel Vans, Stubbies Shorts, Donna Summer > singing "Hot Stuff" on the 40 & 20 meat pie ads, Abba, Skyhooks and Kiss on > the Radio, Space Invaders, Puberty Blues, Storm Boy and girls without bras > in bright yellow Moove Chocolate Milk t-shirts. > > Now that all the non-aussies on this list are *completely* mystified, i'll > return you to your regularly scheduled reading. Not too mystified; I went through a period in the 80's of picking up vinyl copies of remaindered Aussie albums that I'd remember a good review of in some magazine a year or so before for like 88 cents every time I paid a visit to St Marks Sounds in NYC(I visited there a lot more frequently before I got married; my small town Vermont wife hates big cities). Among them was a couple of Skyhooks albums, one of which I still have and intend to keep: The US version of Ego Is Not A Dirty Word, which is basically the same songs as their first album Living In The Seventies minus the title song. The Aussie Ego Is Not A Dirty Word is a different album altogether. Confused yet? Don't blame you. Worth picking up if you see it used(don't know if it's out on CD); their other albums are a bit more dodgy, but Greg McAinsh was a highly perceptive songwriter on a par with Ray Davies, but judging from his one lead vocal on one of their later albums, he was not a singer. And I frankly find lead singer Graeme Strachan's voice a bit hard to take, though I must admit it sounds like nobody else. Don't know about mullets, though, wasn't that more of an 80's/early 90's thing? I remember the lead singer of a band I was in in '91 had one that rivalled Billy Ray Cyrus'. And most of the rest I suppose I would have had to grow up in Aussie in the 70's to understand.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 17:44:10 +0000 From: Steve.Pitts@i-tcs.com Subject: Dreaming It's All Bert Over?? Message-ID: <OFC889DACF.2179D297-ON80256CA1.0053A676@i-tcs.com> Chalkfolks, (Apologies for being so far behind hand, but I've only recently had an opportunity to catch up on the past dozen digests or so) In #8-65 Darryl Bullock informed us, of Fuzzy Warbles: > they're never going to be seen by casual listeners as they will only be available through the official Idea site < Not so, since I've seen them in at least two different record shops (MVC in Watford for one) and in #8-66 Smudgeboy stated: > it's very rare that an erstwhile radio DJ just sticks on an XTC track for the sake of it < I assume that you didn't actually mean 'erstwhile' since as far as I know the Mr. Woss to whom you wefer is actually a cuwwent DJ, n'est ce pas?? In #8-71 Molly crooned: > You know Adrian, calm down < <sigh> Why do I get the feeling that you don't do irony lass?? Oh, and Molly in reference to any earlier post, why does the fact that our Bert the troll expresses some fairly contrarian and contradictory opinions make him any less (or more) of an XTC fan than the rest of us?? Forgive me, but I didn't realise this was a pissing contest and I for one have no desire to be judged on how big a fan I am and Andrew Gowans exclaimed: > I shall in fact sing the praises of Fuck in a manner that all can join in < Already been done, old son. Take a listen to Fucking Ada by Ian Dury :) Finally, just to add my take on the Fuzzy Warbles pricing furore: I wasn't surprised to see the CDs cheaper in some shops, because generally an artist that wants to sell through retail outlets isn't going to undercut the price they can sell at whilst selling direct. Just as an example of someone in a similar situation, Roy Harper (another artist of long-standing with less commercial success than their talent deserves and a history of record company woes, but who now owns all of his back catalogue and publishes everything through his own label) released a rarities/demos collection earlier this year, dating back to the mid-1960s in his case, which was sold only at his gigs or through his Science Friction label, for sixteen and a half quid. That price made me baulk rather more than Andy's 12 quid but since I have the same sky-high affection for both Roy and XTC you can guess which way I've jumped :) Seems to me that such recordings can't be all that cheap to produce either, at least not in the sort of quantities that we're talking about As for recommendations for music from 2002, the new Tom Petty album 'The Last DJ' isn't three bad and Nick Harper's live double album 'Double Life' was simply breathtaking, but the album that has got the most spins in recent times has to be the debut from The Coral. Reminds me a little of the Dukes and rather more of early Floyd, but with more than enough of an individualist twist to make it something else entirely. Oh, and RIP Joe Strummer. Billy Bragg said it better than I ever could. Nice one Bill Cheers, Steve NP: The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 23:22:35 -0500 From: Groove Disques <info@groovedisques.com> Subject: Re: Beeswax versus Rag & Bone Message-ID: <001001c2b216$939279b0$baa22e44@yourzpvq75jcr6> My vinyl copy of Beeswax is downstairs, but a quick glance at Rag & Bone Buffet makes me think it only covers half of Beeswax. If I had to choose one, I'd stick with Beeswax. In an unrelated matter, has anyone picked up the kids' album "No!" by They Might Be Giants? We bought it for our boys for Christmas, and I think Daddy may be sneaking it off to work some days. I've always found TMBG's proper releases distracting, but it suits this CD's mission just fine. Some of the stuff reminds me of something a younger, sillier Andy Partridge might have put out. Happy New Year! Jim http://www.groovedisques.com
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 20:44:37 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Eby <jeffaeb@yahoo.com> Subject: literary XTC siting Message-ID: <20030102044437.26717.qmail@web11601.mail.yahoo.com> I'm surprised I haven't seen it mentioned here yet. While browsing at a book store I noticed The Onion's new celebrity interview book "The Tenacity of the Cockroach:Conversations with Entertainment's Most Enduring Outsiders." Sure enough, Andy's excellent 1997 interview is included in a chapter about entertainers in bad contracts. A quote from his interview is also used as the title of the chapter "Let us out of this deal, oh great Satan" -- If only I could stop using self-deprecating humor I know that I could be a much better person.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 11:34:49 -0000 From: Adrian Ransome <Adrian.Ransome@tsi-ltd.co.uk> Subject: Will the real Andy Partridge please stand up? Message-ID: <497FEA72C392D3118AE700508B73117705AE9A95@nt4server03.tsi-ltd.co.uk> Kevin Wollenweber wrote: >Oh, by the way, Adrian.Ransome@tsi-ltd.co.uk, be honest >with me; you're really Andy Partridge in disguise, adding your >nudge, nudge, wink, wink to this list, right? If thinking that I'm Andy helps you to find the humour in my post, then carry on thinking I'm Andy. Kevin also prodded a distant memory about the Andy Partridge + Apples In Stereo project. Will that ever see the light of day? Can anyone with a contact line to either party please let us know? Everyone please note that the word "fuck" does not appear in this post. Oh, fuck it; it fucking *does*! (Only three times, Mr Gowans). Wishing all inhabitants of the Hill a peaceful, prosperous and marvellous 2003. Adrian "...trit trot, trit trot, trit trot.."
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 10:18:57 -0500 From: Kulak Matthew-MGI0253 <matt.kulak@motorola.com> Subject: Tongue-tied in Pennsylvania Message-ID: <4788A0BB433CD611B8B00002B30CF07D02FF5AB0@pa06exm02.e1.bcs.mot.com> I have one quick, follow up question for KEVIN.WOLLENWEBER, who wrote . . . >and both seem to have that guilty pleasure of deeply indulging >in all that acid and flowers pop of that earlier age, while >clouding its naivete with tongue firmly in cheek . . . I'm assuming, of course, you mean tongue firmly in "Harrison's" cheek, right? After all, we've been told quite clearly by Ted "Teddy" Swift that Harrison's hole apparently has more of our tongues in it than Adrian Ransome has f-words in his latest post! Matt "Harrison, would you mind laying off the bean dip for a bit?" Kulak
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 14:50:56 -0000 From: "Darryl W. Bullock" <drol@btinternet.com> Subject: more beeswax business Message-ID: <000001c2b338$cd1a7980$19a2fea9@Bullock> For those who have asked, Beeswax was indeed issued on CD - in Japan only - on April Fool's Day 1992. Catalogue number VJCP 23145, no extra tracks but with fabulously mis-translated lyrics including the following gem: 'Punch And Judy in a Semi On a brand new couch from Glouster (sic) Sunday lunchtime beautiful punch time While he's getting his farm from Boston..' Wonderful, innit? Do you think the translator was thinking of the City or the group? Can you imagine buying a farm from a man in a poodle-perm? And dare I forget 'In the maybe using the baby as a kind of roll man's pastry....' Darryl
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #9-1 *****************************
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