Chalkhills Digest Volume 9, Issue 32
Date: Tuesday, 24 June 2003
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 9, Number 32
Tuesday, 24 June 2003
Topics:
On the decline?!
Urgh! Where is it?
Lurking, Travel plans, and LPs I'd like to have on CD
Re: elpee 2 ceedee
Great lost albums and urban myths
Goodbye, Level 42osaurus
Not on CD?!!
re: Bands in Decline
DVDs, Shattered Egos & People Who Are WRONG
Re: Nought on CD
Fuzzy Availables
Re: DVD?
Re: Playing Hard To Get
Badger? I Hardly Know Her!
A few things
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Nicely, nicely Jane / Cutting heads from flowers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 13:42:28 -0500 From: "Dan Wiencek" <dwiencek@sbcglobal.net> Subject: On the decline?! Message-ID: <8772093B09589442AFC55A8BB38FF49628C703@mhedbqmsg01.mhe.mhc> > From: "jonhd" <jon@jhd-designs.demon.co.uk> > > Stevie Wonder - after "Talkin' Book " is pure Gak You leave me no choice but to stuff a pillowcase with hundreds of copies of Innervisions, and beat you senseless therewith. Oh, hi everyone. Nice to be back. ;) Dan W.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 11:59:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Laura Carter <steiffbearlover@yahoo.com> Subject: Urgh! Where is it? Message-ID: <20030623185933.51647.qmail@web40410.mail.yahoo.com> We've finally found the VHS tape of it ... we can't find a DVD version and would LOVE the CD version, in answer to the "What's not out on CD that you crave" question in the last newsletter. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where the CD and DVD versions of this EXCELLENT film might be found? Many thanks! Laura Carter
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 17:15:00 -0400 From: "res00u0b@gte.net" <d.elks@gte.net> Subject: Lurking, Travel plans, and LPs I'd like to have on CD Message-ID: <001001c339cc$81e0a280$9200a8c0@lab1> Hi Chalksters, I've been a member now for some years and mostly a lurker. The last time I posted here I met someone who is now a band mate. We have been playing and writing together now for 3 years. You just never know what will happen when posting. I'm not looking for another band member again unless the perfect guitarist for our band is lurking here and he/she lives in North Carolina. Sorry couldn't resist. The reason I'm writing is that I'll be traveling to England in August and I thought this would be a great place to get travel tips from some of our British friends. Any place I just have to see? Any XTC related place or thing I should check out? Anyone up for a beer? On the thread about LPs I'd like to find on CD..... * The first two Klaatu records * Thrillington * Rootboy Slim "Zoom" Thanks Dempsey
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 14:57:10 -0700
From: "da9ve stovall" <da9ve@geek.com>
Subject: Re: elpee 2 ceedee
Message-ID: <230603174.53829@webbox.com>
>What are your favorite albums that you
>can't find on CD?
>Urgh! A Music War; I have the video, and the LP, but not the CD.
I can make ya a copy of the CD. Found that one a few years ago
fer cheep in a used book store.
>801 Live; Available, I think, but I haven't found it yet. Where should I
>look?
Definitely available - and even reissued with a bonus track.
I have the original CD issue, and keep forgetting to cough up
the change for the reissue. One of my favorite Eno-related things
ever. I'd think any major online retailer would have it; dig
arouind at GEMM.com if you have trouble finding it elsewhere
and don't mind paying for convenience.
My entries:
A couple of David Thomas's (of Pere Ubu) solo releases ("Winter
Comes Home"?) didn't make it to the Monster box set, and at least
one or two others were in altered form when they did. I'll be
transferring my vinyl copies eventually.
Hrm. The Tin Huey "Contents Dislodged During Shipment" (or whatever)
finally came out on CD within the last few months, . . .
Can't think of any others immediately, though I'm sure a quick
perusal of my projects at home would yield another half-dozen.
da9ve
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 23:11:33 +0100 From: "Dave Smith" <ds003d1857@blueyonder.co.uk> Subject: Great lost albums and urban myths Message-ID: <IGEEJFHKELOHNILGLHPFKECECDAA.ds003d1857@blueyonder.co.uk> Greetings fellow chalksters one and all. Felt obliged to put finger to plastic for the first time in many a long season as a number of entries in #9-31 peeked my attention. Johnd started a great list of bands who started good, then sucked (poop from, etc etc). May I add: Sting - simple, nothing solo (although I can't help a sneaking regard for "Fields of Gold". I know, I know!) Genesis - Nothing post "And Then There Were Three" Blur - Nothing post "Parklife" Dire Straits - nothing after "Love Over Gold" The Prodigy - nothing . . . errr, that's it actually, nothing! Darryl Bullock said: "Dom may find Level 42 odious, but nothing could be so truly horrific as Damian All-Bran and his suckling dwarves' inane, pointless, septic and unfeeling garbage. I know Andy liked them once, but Jeez! How plastic and peurile do you want it?" . . . and then said: "NP: Hail To The Thief, Fake Plastic Trees (Live acoustic version)", Let me get this straight . . . you like Radiohead and you DON'T like Blur? Whizz, click, does not compute . . Only kidding, Hail is a promising return to form - which is a relief, otherwise they were heading for the list above under "nothing after OK Computer". Neal Buck started ANOTHER list (I love lists, don't you!), ergo: "What are your favorite albums that you can't find on CD?" OK, I'll bite: "Difford & Tilbrook" - Difford & Tilbrook - one-off solo effort (if two people can be said to be "solo") from the Squeeze songwriters. The CD is enormously hard to get hold of. I've never even seen it on Ebay. Ted Harms said: "Anybody else notice that the spine label of FW 1 & 2 is upside down when you put it on the cd rack (the cover right-side up and on the right-hand side)?" Yep! "Not sure if this is a British and/or European thing or not but I've noticed that the books in my library that come from Europe have their spines printed the other way from the North American printed books." Well, it's yer time zones, innit? Or yer 'emispheres, or summink! Funnily enough Ted, all MY books are the right way up except the American ones ;-) And finally Esther, I HATE bursting bubbles (actually I love it!) but the great Captain Pugwash myth (as propogated by Paul Culnane in this very missive) is just that - a myth. There was no Master Bates, there was no Seaman Staines, there wasn't even a Roger The Cabin Boy. In fact, the crew of the famous Black Pig set sail with the eponymous Captain, Master Mate (s'pose it could be mis-heard!), Tom the Cabin Boy, and Pirates Barnabas and Willy (ooooh, he said Willy!). As our friends at http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/pugwash.htm point out: "The British comedy duo of Victor Lewis-Smith and Paul Sparks has claimed credit for starting and spreading the Captain Pugwash rumors, and the double entendre names have also been attributed to a sketch by "seventies folkie comic" Richard Digance as well as a "1970s rag mag." "Series creator John Ryan successfully won retractions and settlements from the Sunday Correspondent and the Guardian after both newspapers claimed that the show's characters did indeed have smutty names, and that the BBC had taken it off the air as a result." So, funny as it is, t'ain't necessarily so, kids. Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time and dashed enough of your hopes and dreams for one night. I'm off back to my Harry Potter book. I can't believe they killed Nearly Headless Nick! Toodles Smudgeboy NP: Paddy McAloon - I Trawl The Megahertz
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 15:53:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Wes Long <optimismsflames@yahoo.com> Subject: Goodbye, Level 42osaurus Message-ID: <20030623225331.5933.qmail@web14903.mail.yahoo.com> Hey - Eric Draves - here's a bit o text taken directly from the All Music Guide bio of Level 42: "At the beginning of their career, Level 42 was a jazz-funk fusion band, following in the footsteps of such pioneers as Stanley Clarke. By the end of the '80s, they were a pop-R&B band with a number of hit singles to their credit. Featuring Mark King (bass, vocals), Phil Gould (drums), Boon Gould (guitar), and Mike Lindup (keyboards), the band formed in 1980 and sucked poop from a badger's arse. They will inevitably continue to do so." Guess Dom was right. wesLONG http://www.optimismsflames.com http://www.optimismsflames.com/Newspaper/thextcpost.html
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 18:40:36 -0700
From: "Craig Vreeken" <vreeken@citlink.net>
Subject: Not on CD?!!
Message-ID: <000001c339f1$9cc602f0$02c8a8c0@CRAIG2>
In Chalkhills Volume 9, Number 31, Neil Buck asks, "What are your
favorite albums that you can't find on CD? Maybe you thought it was
unavailable and someone else on the list knows better!"
By far, my number one choice is The Tubes brilliant second album, Young
and Rich. This was before they tried to cash in on the corporate rock
"She's A Beauty" claptrap, and were art-rock comic geniuses. The album
is sonically rich, and demands a 24-bit remastering. As it is, I have
burned my scratchy LP onto CD for in-car listening. Besides the well
known "Don't Touch Me There," "Slipped My Disco," and patriotic spoof
"Proud To Be An American" (how appropriate for 2002-2003), the album
contains such gems as the prog-rock satire "Poland Whole" complete with
absurd nonsensical Yes-like lyrics ("Polish sausages hit and run.Rest of
the band comes in, HEAVY!), "Madam I'm Adam," a mini rock opera about a
movie of the Garden of Eden with a co-star that is "Oh GOD, more
beautiful than Cher!," and Steen/Sponner guitar workouts like "Pimp" and
"Tubes World Tour". The album was recorded in 1976 at A&M Studios.
Produced by Ken Scott and featuring an orchestra with arrangements by
the great Jack Nitzsche. Their greatest work.
Craig Vreeken
http://www.citlink.net/~javalee/
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 17:14:36 +1000 From: "Crawford, Jeff" <crawfordj@mng.newsltd.com.au> Subject: re: Bands in Decline Message-ID: <17B04C523C3ED31195410000F8753548017D511A@mngxchange.mng.newsltd.com.au> According to Jon and his theory on all bands/artists starting to suck 10 minutes after they first plug in, everything New Order recorded, Innervisions, Songs in the Key of Life, Low, Heroes, Layla, Exile on Main Street (!!!), Sticky Fingers, Feats Don't Fail Me Now, Electric Ladyland (!!!) and most Zappa all suck the big one. Excuse me? And I suppose The Beatles went straight downhill after their last Star Club gig in Hamburg. Most worthwhile bands/artists have their golden eras, I agree, but I don't buy that kind of simplistic rubbish. Plenty of people who have been around for a medium to long time (not only Andy & Colin, but Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, REM, Neil Finn, even Dylan & Neil Young and plenty others I'm sure Chalkhillians could suggest) are still capable of brilliance, regardless of ups and downs. I don't want to get into a big debate, it's always easier and more fun to slag things off than look for positives, but let's just say I have a healthy respect for artistic longevity, which is not the same thing as blind faith. 'Nuff said. cheers Chalkhillians, Jeff C
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 11:58:00 +0100 (BST) From: Dom Lawson <britishsteel666@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: DVDs, Shattered Egos & People Who Are WRONG Message-ID: <20030624105800.14088.qmail@web40508.mail.yahoo.com> Shriekers, >>Spoke with Colin on the 16th and found him editing a DVD of the Virgin era XTC. The two disc set will feature all of the Virgin promo vids, everything on Look Look and beyond, through Nonsuch. This is awesome news. I was just thinking the other day how cool it would be to have some XTC on DVD...now that I've finally entered the future with my lovely budget-price player. It also strikes me that it has been a long time since I saw most of XTC's promo videos and that since then the form has been almost entirely ruined by high production values and a total disregard for the use of humour or imagination. I've always loathed the majority of what I see on MTV (when I'm unfortunate enough to encounter it), but even the more interesting rock bands at the moment seem hell-bent on producing dull, performance-mixed-with-pretentious-narrative type clips that leave me cold. I've never been a big fan of music videos, but a compendium of XTC's efforts - particularly the 'Mole From The Ministry' clip that I only ever saw once - would cheer me up no end... On the other hand, I will struggle through the tears to get to the end of the rest of this post...sob... >>Black Sabbath - just own "Black Sabbath" Jon, old bean, I hope you got a return ticket from Wrongsville...are you insane???? I assume you just forgot about the five classic albums that followed, not to mention 'Never Say Die', 'Heaven & Hell', 'Mob Rules', 'Born Again' and...yes, goddamnit...'Dehumanizer'?!?!? No? Oh. Bugger. And then, Molly danced with the Devil and dared him to vent: >>Now seeing Dom in a Bronski Beat t-shirt and a tutu is just plain frightening. *shudders* (just kidding, Dom) I may never recover from this brutal demolition of my self-esteem. You heartless beast! OK, what about a tutu and a Level 42 shirt? How does that grab you? Here comes Darryl, armed to the teeth: >>Dom may find Level 42 odious, but nothing could be so truly horrific as Damian All-Bran and his suckling dwarves' inane, pointless, septic and unfeeling garbage. I know Andy liked them once, but Jeez! How plastic and peurile do you want it? I think we all know the answer to that one, but I'll play along to maintain the status quo. I appreciate what you're saying about Blur, but I've never found Albarn's (All-Bran!!! Ha ha ha!!! etc) songs to be remotely inane or septic...give or take the odd 'Country House', naturally...I'd even go as far as to say that, at his best, the boy Damon is capable of playing my heartstrings like a banjo; "This Is A Low", "Out Of Time" and "He Thought Of Cars" being just three examples. But, unlike certain people, you are perfectly entitled to your opinion. Hats off to you. Which brings me to this... >>At least Level 42 produced the brilliant 'Hot Water'. Oh dear. And you were doing so well. And just to make matters worse, Eric joins in: >>Izzat a fact now? No, it sounds like YOUR OPINION. Yes, you're right. Your point being what exactly?? >>And don't get me started on how I don't appreciate heavy metal either,because I like both soft AND hard music. It just so happens that Level 42 is categorized as 'soft', so what? Oh lighten up, you credulous oaf. I like both soft AND hard music, too. I expressed a dislike for Level 42, in a patently OTT and childish manner. I can't believe that this wasn't screamingly obvious. And I thought Chalkhills was free from this kind of boneheaded literalism. Ho hum. >>If you don't have anything nice to say about a band, then go ahead and say bad things, but your criticism is not in the least bit constructive so it isn't even worth reading. Well don't read it then. Clearly your sense of humour differs greatly from my own. That's a shame, but I'm sure I can live with it. Besides, I could critically dissect Level 42 in a serious and adult manner if you wanted (and, yes, I would use the words "insipid", "insulting", "Lindup" and "vile" at least once each), but you'd have to pay me for the time and effort. Sorry. >>"Life is sometimes shorter than you think." But sometimes it feels like it will never end. As you have so ably proved. Thanks. As you were. Salut! Dom ===== DOM LAWSON BRIGHTON NP: Nevermore 'Nevermore'
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 12:46:34 +0100 From: Steve.Pitts@i-tcs.com Subject: Re: Nought on CD Message-ID: <OFF75D0A4E.438769AA-ON80256D4F.003EA261@i-tcs.com> Chalkfolks, In #9-31 Neal Buck suggested: > What are your favorite albums that you can't find on CD? Maybe you thought it was unavailable and someone else on the list knows better! Or has a copy they would be willing to sell/trade < Hmmm, now there's a thought. The biggies for me would be: Buzzcocks - A Different Kind Of Tension (I have a cassette copy, but have never seen it on CD) John Cooper Clarke - Walking Back To Happines and Zip Style Method (have both on vinyl) Ian Dury - Lord Upminster and 4000 Weeks Holiday (again I have both on vinyl. According to his biography they've been available on CD, but I've never seen them) Joe Jackson - Mike's Murder (I have on cassette) Kirsty MacColl - Desperate Character and Titanic Days (never seen either of these, and the former may never have been released on CD) The Members - At The Chelsea Nightclub amd 1980: The Choice Is Yours (have both on vinyl, only ever seen the 'Best Of' collection) The Ruts DC - Animal Now and Rhythm Collision (have both on vinyl) Difford & Tillbrook (have the only (eponymous) album on cassette) The Waitresses - Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful and Bruiseology (have the former on cassette and the latter on vinyl and would like the complete versions on CD not just the 'Best Of' compilation and the live King Biscuit stuff) The vinyl stuff I've started recording to my PC hard drive and will eventually get around to cleaning up and trying to cut CDs, but that isn't the same as having proper copies and Travis Shulz asked: > Has anyone had luck obtaining [Fuzzy Warbles] at a record store? < I've seen them over this side of the pond (ie. England) in both Virgin and HMV, always priced at the full twelve quid. I'll commit a minor heresy and say that I've not bothered to buy them at that price - too much for a bunch of demos, if you ask me, even from the esteemed Mr. P Cheers, Steve
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 08:34:09 -0400 From: RMuRocks@aol.com Subject: Fuzzy Availables Message-ID: <1FCAA2C4.79714295.007ABAF2@aol.com> Travis asked: > Just for the benefit of those who don't own the Fuzzy > Warbles cds- is the Idea Records website the only > place to buy them? Has anyone had luck obtaining them > at a record store? Price options anyone? I picked mine up at my favorite corner independent record store, Manifest Discs in Greenville, SC. I looked just for the heck of it, and there they were, for $21.95 each. I didn't get the autograph, but that's OK cuz I already have Andy's on my copy of AV1. They also have a copy of COMC that they're just aching for me to buy, but I just can't bring myself to part with the dough. Also, Neal asked: >What are your favorite albums that you >can't find on CD? Maybe you thought it was unavailable and >someone else >on the list knows better! Laura Nyro's "Nested". It WAS released on cd, a limited run in Japan only, I think. I remedied the situation by transferring the LP to CD, I can live with the wee bit o' surface noise, but would love to see it re-released on disc. Speaking of Neals and cd releases, Neil Young released a few of his earlier classics on cd this week, "On The Beach" & etc. His camp probably found out that they're being traded behind the scenes anyway. Happy XTCing everyone! Bob NP: Otis Rush, "As The Years Go Passing By"
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 07:31:15 -0700 (PDT) From: MARK ELLIOTT <frontln99@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: DVD? Message-ID: <20030624143115.86604.qmail@web12108.mail.yahoo.com> Out of a comma to respond to this: >The two disc set will >feature all of the Virgin promo vids, everything on >Look Look and beyond, through Nonsuch. Not to mention >live footage from Australia, Holland and more - >depending on what minty-fresh schtuff they uncover. >Oh, yeah - there will also be video of the lads in the >studio working on tunes from the last few releases. >According to Mr. Moulding - there will probably be >future DVDs as well. (What's the over/under on copies >of the Look Look vid hitting Ebay over the next few >months?) MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION WILL BE: A) WILL IT BE REGION 0?? <so we can ALL see it!!> B) WILL IT BE PAL/ NSCT(?) <so we can ALL see it!!!!!> ok, that was two questions, but you get the point! My beloved Wonder Stuff has finally released a DVD from their 5 night UK reunion tour in yr 2000 that I attended & cannot view due to it being PAL only.... ANGER & dissapointment are just 2 reations to this format!....... damm it. help please Wes!! thanks
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 12:29:59 -0400 From: "Kevin Hiscock" <khiscock@hidebound.com> Subject: Re: Playing Hard To Get Message-ID: <OF2342098F.3491ED2E-ON86256D4F.0058DC13-85256D4F.005AA56C@prominic.com> From: Neal Buck <nealhbuck@earthlink.net> Subject: Playing Hard To Get >> What are your favorite albums that you can't find on CD? One more than any other, T-Bone Burnett's "Proof Through The Night". Please T-Bone, remix and reissue this sucker (he's said he wants to do this for years now). But there are a few others I'd *really* like to have: Human Sexual Response "In A Roman Mood" (featuring 'Land of the Glass Pinecones') Talking Heads "The Name of this Band is Talking Heads" Warren Zevon "The Envoy" Gleaming Spires "Walk on Well Lighted Streets" (or something to that effect) some record from Fashion which I can't remember the name of . . . Buckingham Nicks WOMAD from 1982? with the boys' "It's Nearly Africa". At least I think that was the XTC cut on this, my first, WOMAD experience okay, that penultimate listing would probably go on the embarrassing list too. I loved this record in high school, and while my yearly listen to the vinyl is nice, most of my vinyl is in pretty bad shape. There are some 801's listed on www.cdnow.com (now amazon.com). cheers.kah kevin a. hiscock yahoo IM-khiscock http://www.hidebound.com home of The Monster and radio hidebound (request lines open) currently spinning: Jane Siberry - Mimi On The Beach
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 17:14:23 EDT From: Hbsherwood@aol.com Subject: Badger? I Hardly Know Her! Message-ID: <156.201b4c2b.2c2a192f@aol.com> > From: "eriC draveS" <zoom98@mindspring.com> > Subject: Re: Stegosaurus > > Dom Lawson said: > >Fact: Level 42 sucked poop from a badger's arse. > > Izzat a fact now? No, it sounds like YOUR OPINION. No, no... it's quite literally true. I read it in Spin, a horrible tale of Rockers Gone Desperate... Some guys bite the heads off beasts and fowls for pub, Level 42 tried the Badger Variation. Took turns passing the critter around between numbers onstage, slurp slurp. It's notorious rock lore, a kind of GG Allen/Jim Rose vibe. I'm surprised you haven't heard of this. Happened around 1997. Look it up. With a hey nonny nonny and a http://www.badgers.org.uk/brocks-world/07trail09.html Which is as good a time as any to trot out these LIMERICKS for CRITICS... Awful band, patronym'd 42 From a badger's behind sucked some poo Though it's known for a fact They committed this act If you censure, it means you do too! Sadist Boy, who was known as a ham Anointed his no-no with jam His sex-slave judicous Pronounced it delicious-- "That's merely opinion, Madame!" Point taken -- it's counterproductive To let loose with pronouncements destructive So I'll just slap a garter On this 14-ton Tartar You'll agree that she's wicked seductive. Harrison "This marks the place where Tonstant Chalkhills Weader fwowed up" Sherwood
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 23:04:19 +0000
From: "*Hobbes *" <hazchem25@hotmail.com>
Subject: A few things
Message-ID: <BAY2-F139USxvjPkQTG00000230@hotmail.com>
A couple of things:
Kevin posted:
>From what I've heard, down-loadable music does not allow for interesting
>segues, just as sampling >tracks from a CD when burning disks for yourself
>at home does not allow you to delete that annoying >gap between two songs
>closely fused together (like the title track from SGT PEPPER'S LONELY
> >HEARTS CLUB BAND and "With a Little Help From my Friends").
Actually, with a good burning / player program like Nero you can accomplish
both these things quite easily. I love music to flow, so when i create mix
discs to play in the car i segue all the tracks. It takes a lot of careful
thought and planning, and if you have some musical ability you'll find you
end up selecting songs that follow in either the same key or a relative
major / minor. Done well, you end up with some *amazing* segues. (I linked
Archer Prewitt's "I'll be waiting" with Rufus Wainwright's "Cigarettes and
Chocolate Milk" - the piano of the second song kicks in exactly on the final
guitar chord of the first - since they're in the same key the guitar chord
takes 6 seconds to fade away and fits in perfectly with what's happening in
the second song. Now whenever i play the original albums they just sound
*wrong*).
Yes, i know it's all very Poindextery but I think you all can see why i
enjoy XTC albums - being familiar with the Australian version of Skylarking
i just about died when i heard the beautiful segue of Dear God / Dying on
the American release.
-------
And he added:
>Folks like me will never get to hear those rare tracks from Wilco...unless
>Wilco are waiting to see how many folks will keep down-loading their six
>internet-only tunes and, a few years later, will issue all six on that
>inevitable anthology.
Or you could buy the Australian Tour Release version of YHF that came out
last year which came with those six tracks as a bonus EP. If you're in
America the exchange rate is well in your favour to import it. Are the
tracks worth it? It probably depends on how obsessive and completist you
are about the band. There are a couple of hard-to-remember-afterwards
acoustic tracks, an unfocused inferior version of "Kamera" and what sounds
like an out-take from "Summerteeth". Since i'm not a huge fan of YHF (I
think it's an amazingly overrated album, since the two previous ones were
*much* better) i can't really recommend it. As i said, your tolerance for
this kind of arcana depends on your love of the band. (I buy all Stephin
Merrit's myriad half-arsed-side-project albums just to get the one or two
amazing tracks he's buried on each release).
Funnily enough, as much as i *adore* XTC, i can't commit myself to
purchasing the 8-12 CD Fuzzy Warbles series. A two cd set of the unreleased
demos would have suited my interest and budget much better. Maybe at the
end of these releases there might be a `best of Fuzzy' overview release.
(Why not? We've had three versions of Apple Venus / Wasp Star).
-------
Ben Gott, (who seems to share my *exact* same taste in music with every
recommendation he ever posts to this list), writes:
>I stopped at a Border's to buy "Welcome Interstate Managers," the new album
>from Fountains of Wayne. I cannot recommend this enough -- it's easily the
>best >album I've heard this year.
Yes, I concur. Great disc, great fun. However, 2003 is shaping up to be a
great year for music after a disappointing 2002. In just the last few
months i've gotten enough good albums to make a start on the end of year
list. May I recommend:
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Grandaddy - Sumday
Mull Historical Society - Us
Jeff Hanson - Son (for Elliott Smith fans)
Maria McKee - High Dive (for fans of baroque pop)
Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine and Ours
Fruit Bats - Mouthfuls
Ed Harcourt - From Every Sphere
Richard Hawley - Lowedges (for Pulp and Scott Walker fans)
Starlight Mints - Built In Squares
And what I'm pretty sure will be the Album of the Year:
The Waking Hours - The Good Way (*Every* power pop fan should check this
album out!!!! Strong crafted vocal melodies, intricate harmonies, melodic
basslines. Listen to the first minute of 'Sunshine' and i guarantee you'll
pick this album up!)
I'm sure there will be more by the end of the year. There's been a couple
of duds though (ala the 'Bands on the Decline' thread:
Blur - Think Tank (I'm amazed at the good reviews this unfocused bore has
received. I thought they were vanishing up their own arses with the last
album, but with this one they take us all along for the ride!)
Liz Phair - Liz Phair (5 Years wait for THIS? Michael Penn was involved
with something so slickly produced? Truly horrible
I-want-to-sell-records-and-get-on-american-radio-goddammit overprodution,
ghastly trite lyrics. Bad enough to make me reconsider her catalogue).
Eels - Shootenanny (Stop writing the same three songs!)
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #9-32 ******************************
Go back to Volume 9.
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