Chalkhills Digest Volume 9, Issue 3
Date: Tuesday, 14 January 2003
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 9, Number 3
Tuesday, 14 January 2003
Topics:
It was a very good year
Sparks......
Warbles doubleplusfuzzy
Holiday Music for All Year 'Round!
Where best to order "Coat of Many Cupboards"?
another list (for those that care)
background music
Is it music industry payback time?
best of 2002
OT: maurice gibb
barry tour?
Oranges and Lemons ... the Inside Story!!
Subject: re: return to vendor
Optimism's Flames Newsletter
Weird Wiltshire White (W)horses
Warbles #1
XTC based slogan
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I dunno wot she got.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 10:29:56 -0700 From: Phil Corless <phil@pkmeco.com> Subject: It was a very good year Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.0.20030109102737.0216d760@pop.mindspring.com> Looking back on it, 2002 was a very good year for music.... In no particular order, except for the first five: 1. Roddy Frame - Surf 2. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 3. George Harrison - Brainwashed 4. Neil Finn - One Nil 5. Mike Keneally - Wooden Smoke 6. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 7. Beck - Sea Change 8. Bjork - Greatest Hits 9. The Pearlfishers - Across the Milky Way 10. P. Hux - Purgatory Falls 11. XTC - Coat of Many Cupboards 12. Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles Vol. 1 13. Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel 14. The Wondermints - Mind if We Make Love to You 15. Blue Cartoon - The Wonder of it All 16. Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed the Fish? 17. Joseph Arthur - Redemption's Son 18. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head 19. Sean Altman - Alt.Mania 20. Various Artists - Music from The Gilmore Girls 21. Aimee Mann - Lost in Space 22. The Merrymakers - Bubblegun 23. Linus of Hollywood - Let Yourself Be Happy 24. Lynne Me Your Ears - Tribute to Jeff Lynne 25. Robbie Williams - Swing When You're Winning
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 18:03:43 +0000 From: Andrew Malinowski <skellington@clara.co.uk> Subject: Sparks...... Message-ID: <E18Wh1r-000Eyi-00@oceanus.uk.clara.net> Quoth Tim Brooks..... If anyone is interested, here's my little (?) review of the year, musically speaking ALBUMS 1 Lil Beethoven Sparks For a band in 30th year this is a stunningly amazing original album, amazing vocals, great orchestral backings - sounds like nothing else around - Will reponds..... Oh absolutely! Couldn't agree more....by far the best album of the year. The gig at the RFH was awesome, too....and I'm bodding off to Stockholm for the gigs out there, too. Now if I had the opportunity of going to Stockholm to see XTC, I'd jump at the chance (although, I want to visit oslo, so if they could do a gig there, I'd be happier:-D) Love Will.....xx
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 13:25:01 -0500 From: Poisongold@aol.com Subject: Warbles doubleplusfuzzy Message-ID: <2C62E60A.5B3ECB63.0C84F9CA@aol.com> Got my Warbles last weekend from Idea. Love them. The packages are more elaborate than I expected. The records are like a continuation of "Coat Of Many Cupboards," with SO MANY previously unreleased songs & things (I guess they're familiar if you have bootlegs, but I don't have any XTC bootlegs). The price seems perfectly reasonable to me. MJC ps. thanks to those who answered my "Boat" question. Still don't understand why it's never been appended to any of the albums, or even "Rag & Bone," but at least I know where to find it.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 14:00:01 -0500 From: KEVIN.WOLLENWEBER@jpmorgan.com Subject: Holiday Music for All Year 'Round! Message-ID: <OF1E9E59A3.EDC382A6-ON85256CA9.00617364@chase.com> CHALKchums: Ah, you sparked something in me when you mention favorite Holiday-type albums that really were not technically aimed at that Holiday. There are many albums that either came out around Christmastime or were heard on my stereo whenever winter approached, almost too numerous to mention, but a few come to mind-- Of course, I'll start with the granddaddy of all Christmas presents--THE BEATLES (a.k.a. the "white" album). The year of this album's glorious release, I sat around eagerly awaiting its arrival, listening on the radio and savoring each splendid cut premiered. Little did I know that this was the beginning of the end and rumors of discontent within the band started filtering out and they broke up soon after. That didn't dampen my spirits, though, and I gleefully opened the album and examined the goodies that came in that shiny white cover--poster and photographs; hell, I even remember, to this day, the image of that tasty green apple spinning around after the platter dropped down on the spindle (wow, am I dating myself) and I heard what, at that time, was the cleanest recording my ears would experience that year. A wonderful capper to the decade, despite the obvious and now well-publicized turmoil within the band! The Who--TOMMY: For some, this might have marked the end of their enjoyment of the Who's music, but this album was also a Holiday treat for me and, like the previous album, contained such a warm and powerful sound (man, what bass!). When the two-platter set was remixed and digitized, I winced, thinking that there was really no room for improvement, here. I'm sure that the pros and cons of these remixes have been discussed here, but, for the most part, I was amazed at what Astley brought out of this album. Ralph Towner (with Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber and Jack DeJohnette) --WINTER SOLSTICE: This is how I slipped into a love of jazz music that still continues and its tunes still sound fresh to me when I pull it out upon the first snowfall or the first chilly day. Incredible! George Harrison--ALL THINGS MUST PASS: Like the previous two hefty multiple platter sets, this was also a great Holiday gift from gifted musicians. I never knew who Sir Frankie Crisp was, but I remember hearing his "Ode" by George, on a local radio station shortly after seeing yet another Holiday airing of "MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS/BABES IN TOYLAND", Hal Roach's production starring Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy; The DJ was playing the entire three platters from beginning to end! in that way, George, Stan & Ollie will always be somehow linked in my memory. Yes--TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS: This album was the big, highly anticipated (by me) Holiday premier of the year of its release. I didn't thinkthat these guys could top CLOSE TO THE EDGE, but to my years, they did that and then some! Wow!! By the time I heard Side Three, "The Ancient", I was wildly applauding the courageous traveling *OVER* the edge. The critics loathed it, but I thought every note, noise, word game fit so neatly together and, believe me, I'm *NOT* a spiritual man! At that time, I was knee-deep in that prog stuff and not ashamed to admit it. I'm still not ashamed. Andy Partridge/XTC--FUZZY WARBLES, VOLS I and II: My most recent Holiday joy; despite the recognizable demos, these first two collections sound like all-new albums to me. As stated late last year on this list, I can definitely hear the Zappa influence in the way Andy fit the tracks from different periods together. Can't wait to hear the further warblings! Joni Mitchell--DON JUAN'S RECKLESS DAUGHTER: At the time of the release of this album, a masterwork, I dashed to the nearby Korvett's record department only to find that the album hadn't been unpacked yet. I *BEGGED* the guy to let me buy a copy at that moment and he, being a music fan as well, pulled open the box and handed me the first copy! He certainly was familiar with my face, walking away with many new releases each month and knew that I would not give up too easily! I'm still glad I persisted, but wish I still had just about all of her albums on vinyl (or reissued on CD) with original and magnificent cover art intact! Joni Mitchell--THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS: Having said what I said above, let me also include this recording in its original vinyl form, with its unique summer rainy-day color scheme that, from what I've been told, has never been duplicated in a CD package yet. The combination of silver, turquoise and a kind of earthy green in the raised, tactile drawing on the front cover is fantastic...and, oh yes, the music and word play...beautiful!!! I bought the album while visiting my sister who was then living in Spokane, Washington and also came away with numerous other albums--a tip of the hat to the small, hole-in-the-wall record shops which were still run by music maniacs like me!!! John Abercrombie (with Jan Hammer and Jack DeJohnette)--TIMELESS: I bought this album among the same group that included the previously reviewed Joni Mitchell album, HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS; again, I was in heaven when I walked into this small record shop in Spokane. I had one heavy package to lug back to New York that year, but waht makes these Holiday type albums for me is the fact that the snowy winter, there, absolutely sparkled, and these recordings were playing as kind of non-traditional warm and inventive "atmosphere", whenever I had full control of the record player, that is. Well, as odd as those memories are, there you have it. I'm sure there will be a lot of other lists stil to come from the rest of you. In the meantime, deck the halls, ring out the old and ring in the new--or at least the unpredictable! Kevin
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 13:20:43 -0600 From: JOHN MARC HACKNEY <jhackney@students.wisc.edu> Subject: Where best to order "Coat of Many Cupboards"? Message-ID: <f0d27f0ca8.f0ca8f0d27@wiscmail.wisc.edu> Hi all, Wondered if anyone might be able to bring me up to speed. I would like to get a copy of "COMC", but it's not available in local stores. So, that means the net. I could probably figure this out by myself if I spent some time, but does anyone know of sites that are likely to offer it for the lowest price available? Thanks, John
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 12:22:16 -0800 From: "Jason Brown (Echo Services Inc)" <v-jasobr@microsoft.com> Subject: another list (for those that care) Message-ID: <01B0F1A5817E244FA89D7F580EE3139D05B7EEF4@red-msg-09.redmond.corp.microsoft.com> Top Ten albums of 2002: 1. The Model Rockets - Tell the Kids the Cops Are Here 2. Imperial Teen - On 3. Guided By Voices - Universal Truths and Cycles 4. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat 5. The Soft Boys - NextDoorLand/Side Three 6. Paul Weller - Illumination 7. Supergrass - Life on Other Planets 8. Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around 9. Tom Waits - Alice 10. Badly Drawn Boy - About a Boy Six way tie for 11th place: Hot Hot Heat - Make Up The Breakdown Calvin Johnson - What Was Me Aimee Mann - Lost In Space Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed the Fish? Beck - Sea Change The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Other Great or Good Albums: All-Time Quarterback - All-Time Quarterback Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles Vol. 1 Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles Vol. 2 Frank Black and the Catholics - Black Letter Days Frank Black and the Catholics - Devil's Workshop David Bowie - Heathen Guided By Voices - The Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet John Wesley Harding - Swings and Roundabouts Robyn Hitchcock - Robyn Sings Imperial Teen - Live at Maxwell's Ivy - Guestroom Jurassic 5 - Powers In Numbers The Long Winters - The Worst You Can Do is Harm The Lucksmiths - Where Are We? Doug Martsch - Now You Know Kimberley Rew - Great Central Revisited Ron Sexsmith - Cobblestone Runway Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair - Words of Wisdom and Hope They Might Be Giants - No! Tom Waits - Blood Money Good but way over rated: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Disappointments: The Apples in Stereo - Velocity of Sound Belle & Sebastian - Storytelling Billy Bragg and the Blokes - England, Half English Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel Peter Gabriel - Up Rhett Miller - The Instigator Martin Newell - Radio Autumn Almanac Total Crap: Elvis Costello - Cruel Smile Jason Brown
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 01:12:35 EST From: Apaul29@aol.com Subject: background music Message-ID: <19f.ed13c5d.2b510fd3@aol.com> So I want to use some XTC for background music to my amateur porno series if I can get Andy's permission. My first video will be called "Ample Penis Vol. 1". Thank you and goodnight
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 10:37:34 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Is it music industry payback time? Message-ID: <20030111183734.9413.qmail@web41103.mail.yahoo.com> Hi: Well, kind of. If the conditions are right, you can get a little bit of your hard-earned cash back, courtesy of a "massive price-fixing settlement" between U.S. states and the five top U.S. distributors of compact discs and three large music retailers, who "agreed [in September] to pay $143 million in cash and CDs to settle allegations [that] they cheated consumers by fixing prices. The story goes on to say that "Part of the settlement -- about $44 million in cash -- is earmarked to pay customers from $5 to $20, depending on how many people wind up dividing the money." Despite this, "By the end of December, only about 30,000 people nationwide had applied for a piece of the pie, a tiny fraction of the number the settlement could handle." Here's one Web site out of many running the AP (Hey! AP!! An XTC connection!) story: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/4888777.htm To apply for your piece of the pie, go to: http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/default.htm I admit, I was a little skeptical when I first saw the application form, because it asks for some pretty personal information, including birthdate and the last four digits of your Social Security number. But after looking more into it, including at Google and at urban-legend legends Scopes (http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/cdrefund.asp), it seems on the level. So go for it! Hey, even if individual payouts drop below the $5 mark and individual consumers get nothing, that's pretty much what we've got anyway, right? And the companies involved will still pay -- the money will go to public entities and nonprofit organizations that will, according to the AP article, use it "to promote music programs." -Todd
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 12:06:14 -0800
From: "Craig Vreeken" <vreeken@citlink.net>
Subject: best of 2002
Message-ID: <000001c2b9ac$e5947360$02c8a8c0@CRAIG2>
I always look forward to this time of year when I can read all the "best
of" postings. They always give me great tips on buying new music I
haven't heard yet. What a great resource. Here is my list.
Albums:
1. Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World (a 2002 release in
the US)
2. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
3. Peter Gabriel - Up
4. Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles vol. 1&2
5. Bryan Ferry - Frantic
6. George Harrison - Brainwashed
7. Wondermints - Mind If We Make Love To You
8. Pretenders - Loose Screw
9. Sigur Ros - ( )
10. Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel
Also rans: Midnight Oil - Capricornia; Mike Keneally - Wooden Smoke;
Neil Young - Are You Passionate?; Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; Aimee
Mann - Lost In Space; Wayne Shorter - Footprints Live; Martin Newell -
Radio Autumn Attic; OK Go - OK Go; Mark Knopfler - The Ragpicker's
Dream; Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues pt 2; Norah Jones - Come Away With
Me.
Shows:
1. Paul McCartney - 10/21/02 - Arco Arena, Sacramento
2. Peter Gabriel - 12/15 - Compaq Arena, San Jose
3. Peter Gabriel - 12/14 - Oakland Coliseum
4. Super Furry Animals - 10/9 - Fillmore, San Francisco
5. Flaming Lips - 8/9 - Memorial, Sacramento
6. Sigur Ros - 11/23 - Warfield, San Francisco
7. Bryan Ferry - 11/22 - Warfield, San Francisco
8. Elvis Costello - 9/28 - Paramount Theater, Oakland
9. Yes - 7/20 - Shoreline Amphitheater, San Mateo
10. McCoy Tyner Quartet - 1/26 - Yoshi's Oakand
Song of the Year: "Do You Realize" - Flaming Lips
Craig Vreeken
http://www.citlink.net/~javalee/
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 09:30:25 -0500 From: "Danny Phipps" <phipps@schoollink.net> Subject: OT: maurice gibb Message-ID: <000801c2ba47$27024620$978c04d8@phipps> damn! damn! damn! another one taken much too soon! maurice, rest in peace... /danny
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 16:12:55 -0500 From: "Chris Rees" <boilerman@provide.net> Subject: barry tour? Message-ID: <003701c2ba7f$611e8c00$705356d8@cr> hello..my first post and out of 'lurk' mode. seems mr barry andrews is on tour in the u.s. right now. ive only seen 4 east coast dates so far. i have also confirmed that he's in cleveland on 9 april, which is part of a more complete tour than he is doing right now. can anyone provide more info? seems like a good time to break out the gold sharpie and get that extra autograph for your COMC box set. cr www.potholemusic.net
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 12:57:50 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Oranges and Lemons ... the Inside Story!! Message-ID: <20030112205750.62370.qmail@web41109.mail.yahoo.com> http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A696125
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 11:53:43 +0000
From: "James McRae" <ijcmcrae@hotmail.com>
Subject: Subject: re: return to vendor
Message-ID: <F166KB8BL4jSiUdtEAZ0001ba5c@hotmail.com>
Victor Rocha wrote:
>Has anyone else had problems with Ape/Idea Records? I ordered FW 1&2 and a
>fleece pullover and only received FW2.
>I emailed the company but haven't received a response. anyone else?
So far, I have bought a fleece and several of the remastered CDs (all right,
a lot of the remastered CDs) from Idea's Weatherbox site. Everything has
turned up correctly, though I had to contact them once to see why there was
a delay (for CoMC), for a reason apparently beyond their control. I got a
response within 18 hours both times I wrote. I live in the UK, so that may
make a difference.
Cheerio
James
("Helicopter" whirling in my brain, why won't it go away?)
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 05:22:07 -0800 (PST) From: Wes Long <optimismsflames@yahoo.com> Subject: Optimism's Flames Newsletter Message-ID: <20030113132207.28990.qmail@web14904.mail.yahoo.com> Kidz - Next time you visit http://www.optimismsflames.com be sure to click on the eye at the bottom of the page, it will direct you to a place to sign up for the new OF's News Letter. Sign up and be notified by email as to all the latest updates on the site and info on the band. Kid - is this your first time here? Some can't stand the beauty, so they cut off one ear, but you'll be O.K. wesLONG
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 06:31:26 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Weird Wiltshire White (W)horses Message-ID: <20030113143126.40824.qmail@web41104.mail.yahoo.com> Including the Uffington Horse, of course, of course... "White Horses news, views and archives brought to you by Weird Wiltshire": http://www.weirdwiltshire.co.uk/whitehorses/index.html Make sure you check out the section on UFOs, too. When considered in this context, XTC somehow seems less quirky than before... It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed, Todd
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 06:40:11 -0800 From: strwbrry <strwbrry@tidepool.com> Subject: Warbles #1 Message-ID: <3E22CFC8.E50C888A@tidepool.com> I received my Fuzzy Warbles #1 for Christmas (actually I bought it and the kids wrapped it). There are songs on it just as strong as anything previously released. Born Out of Your Mouth and I Bought Myself a Liarbird have been working on me... and the kids are singing Don't Let Us Bug Ya and Goosey Goosey. Its a great album! Another Steve
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 23:41:40 -0600 From: William D Sherlock <bdsherlock@juno.com> Subject: XTC based slogan Message-ID: <20030113.234141.-479859.6.bdsherlock@juno.com> Hi all, I've foolishly taken on the chairmanship of my kids' school's annual dinner/dance fundraiser. I've been combing through the lyrics page on Chalkhills looking for a nice phrase that might lend itself to a inspirational type slogan for the evening but have only managed to come up with two rather iffy specimens: "Awaken You Dreamers", and "Burning With Optimism's Flames". As you can see, either the fatigue is getting to me (it's almost midnight) or I'm just not as familiar with the lyrics as I should be. Whatever the case, I'd love to incorporate, at least subliminally, XTC into my little enterprise, so any assistance is greatly appreciated. If you come up with a winner and want a free dinner I'll make sure that your meal is comp'ed! Reply off list if you come up with something. From a very chilly Chicago, Thanks, Bill Sherlock
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #9-3 *****************************
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