Chalkhills Digest Volume 9, Issue 34
Date: Friday, 27 June 2003

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 9, Number 34

                   Friday, 27 June 2003

Topics:

                     Tubes / decline
                      lps not on cd
              Re: Not on CD - Rank and File
               Re: Silver Thread Marmelade
                  Re: Adrian Belew discs
                     Re: Doll by Doll
            Return Of The Handsome Rugged Man
                         Wackers
                         Tin Huey
                     Let's Activate!
                     Re: Doll by Doll
                   Re: hard to find CDs
      Absolute XTC Video presentation Venues Needed

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Insect bomber Buddhist droning.

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 00:38:57 +0100
From: "jonhd" <jon@jhd-designs.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Tubes / decline
Message-ID: <000c01c33c3c$1f8ceea0$ca01a8c0@two>

>From Digest #9-33:

RSMko@webtv.net (Marston Moor)
> yet. Plus, their underrated 3rd album "Tubes NOW" really
> groovystrankpf as well. Van Vliet! and Smoke... it's how you do me.

A few bummers, therein - but "Smoke (Le Vie en Fumer)" is peerless.
Greatly underrated live act - apart from Quay Lude's onstage
appearances. What do you want from life ?

<IMHO>
To continue the theorising (bands on decline), these folks have 18 years
or so of life to communicate, by the time they get the first record
deal. They communicate it perfectly adequately in the first 1-3 albums.
Nothing left to say after that - except the stuff you and I already
know. Not just lyrics - licks, riffs, chops, changes, too. There's
*very* few with enduring talent - and they're unlikely to be the ones
shifting shitloads of product. I prefer to get me pakamak on (a bit
ancient, you see), and hang-about record stores sniffing-out the new
talent. Or read Mixmag, Jockey Slut, NME (recently broke a 30+ year
habit with the latter). Incidentally, I do believe Partridge is one of
the exceptions - a real artist - with Moulding the Muse.
</IMHO>

More arguments to be had ? Why bother forming a gtr/bs/dms/kbd band,
nowadays. There's 50 years of R'n'R history, now - I think most bases
have been covered. My kids (all 18+), if they do listen to 'old-style'
rawk, listen to 60's / 70's  bands, mainly. Not Stereophonics / Coldplay
/ Yeah Yeahs / White Stripes. It's a bit depressing for them to hear how
(sometimes unintentionally) retro, contemporary bands are. It's a
side-issue - most youngsters interested in music are not listening to
R'n'R. XTC connection - the variety of the sonic landscape, of the last
3 albums (in particular), has lifted them well away from the rock
stereotype. They're still innovating, developing - a sure-fire path to
commercial failure ! BTW, I wonder how many on the 'Hills have the Andy
/ Harold Budd collaboration (completists exempted...) ?

Direct your spleen to: Jon

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 10:08:48 -0700
From: "Paul Haines" <prhaines@bigpond.net.au>
Subject: lps not on cd
Message-ID: <001c01c33cce$c7a1b8e0$eb1a2dcb@vic.bigpond.net.au>

Chalkhillians,

Great thread the lps not on cd's stuff.

Guadalcanal Diary's "Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man" (Phil -- I've got
"2x4" on cd, has an extra track too, a cover of "And Your Bird Can Sing" by
The Beatles).
Fiat Lux "Hired History"
Shriekback "Jam Science" -- I've heard you can get this somewhere though.
The Shriekback web site is a bit of a nightmare to navigate through and buy
things though!
Men Without Hats "Rhythm Of Youth" & "Folk Of The 80s" (hey! shut up -- this
is classic stuff!)
early Comsat Angel albums ("Sleep No More" & "Friction" I think)
The Armoury Show "Waiting For The Floods"
The Bathers "Unusual Places To Die"
A Flock Of Seagulls "Listen" (and "A Flock Of Seagulls" if it had the same
bloody tracks as the lp! And same as before - shut up! Classic stuff!)
Gang Of Four "Songs Of The Free"
The Members "Going West"
Microdisney "When The Clock Comes Down The Stairs"
Nash The Slash "Children of The Night" & "And You Thought You Were Normal"
Pop Will Eat Itself "Box Frenzy"
Rain Parade "Crashing Dream"
The Skids "Days In Europa" & "The Absolute Game" & "Strength Through Joy"
The Sound "All Fall Down" & "From The Lion's Mouth" (apparantly waiting to
be done as their last two albums have now been released on cd and I have
'em!)
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club (pre buggles & thomas dolby)

and until a few years ago these were HUGE on the pay anything for list:

The Bible "Walking The Ghost Back Home"
Cactus World News "Urban Beaches"
Comsat Angels "Land"

My record collection is sitting in a barn at my parent's farm back in New
Zealand. I'm living in Australia. My wife does NOT want the records in our
house. (But why, Jules? I've only filled one room with cds so far?) Ah, time
to take a breath. Now, I'm not a completist or anything. Not obsessed
either. No. Not at all.

Also, I have it on good accord that a science-fiction story featuring XTC
will soon be appearing on a www.ideomancer.com in the next month or two.
I'll post back when it's finally published. I hope Andy doesn't hate the
author's guts and try and sue if he reads it.

On a Warbles theme, I think I'll be making my own best of warbles once I've
acquired them all. Without all the demos of the album tracks. Too similar
and don't sound as good. But all the new stuff! Aaaahhhh....

Paul Haines
(the other Paul down under --gidday Sgt!)

PS If anyone knows of any of the above albums being available, please drop
me a line.

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

Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:46:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Randy Posynick <randy_posynick@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Not on CD - Rank and File
Message-ID: <20030627004650.60057.qmail@web10305.mail.yahoo.com>

phil "mr. t-shirt" corless bemoaned:

> Beloved LPs not currently available as new CDs....
>
> ...
> Rank and File - Rank and File

good news for you, phil! rhino homemade has thrown together two rank and
file albums -- 'rank and file' and 'long gone dead' -- along with some
unreleased live tracks on one swelligant CD, 'the slash years':

    http://www.rhinohandmade.com/browse/ProductLink.lasso?Number=7816

i got it earlier this month and it's on constant rotation.

rp

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

Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 20:05:25 -0700
From: "da9ve stovall" <da9ve@geek.com>
Subject: Re: Silver Thread Marmelade
Message-ID: <260603177.72316@webbox.com>

>From: "WAYNE KLEIN" <wtdk12@msn.com>
>from Neal>Warren Zevon "The Envoy"
>Actually, it was released briefly on CD during the early 90's
along with one
>of my favs Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School

The real criminal gap in the Zevon catalog is the stonking live
_Stand in the Fire_.  I have a mint vinyl copy, and as soon as
time and inclination conspire, yadda yadda, . . .

>Twang Bar King -Adrian Belew

Actually, there are recent Japanese-only issues of _Twang-Bar
King_, _Desire Caught by the Tail_ (which did have an earlier
CD issue) and the superior _Lone Rhino_ on CD, and they are (as
near as possibly can be) worth the wait.  The majorly screwed-up
digital remastering from the _Desire of the Rhino King_ comp
(have you looked at any of that in a .wav editor?  It's a mess.)
is gone - these discs sound *#&^$^% brilliant.  But they'll set
you back a chunk.

>Beloved LPs not currently available as new CDs....
>
>Guadalcanal Diary - 2x4

. . . probably will be reissued (damn fine album, too - I do
have all their CD output) - the two-fer of _Walking in the Shadow
of the Big Man_/_Jamboree_ just arrived in my mailbox a few days
ago; the latter half had never been on disc at all, and the former
has regularly brought high prices on eBay (and, *snort*, I just
plunked down close to $30 for a copy a few months ago, before
news of the reissues made it out).

>George Harrison - 33 1/3

I'd been hearing rumors of a comprehensive reissue/remaster series
as long as three or so years ago.  This'n'll come 'round again.
 (It's also one of my favorite George records - and one of his
most underrated, just an all'round nice pop/rock album.)

One I'd like to see on CD: _Concerts for the People of Kampuchea_.
 Macca, Townshend, Robert Plant, Rockpile, Pretenders (when JHScott
was still around), and a fair load of others; last LP side is
imho one of McCartney's better little one-offs.

da9ve

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

Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 23:58:51 -0400
From: "Kevin Hiscock" <KHiscock@hidebound.com>
Subject: Re: Adrian Belew discs
Message-ID: <OFB6A32CB9.7EAF94F2-ON86256D52.0014AF47@prominic.com>

all three of Adrian Belew's initial solo discs are available from his
website, www.adrianbelew.net.  They're great limited edition Japanese mini
LP sleeve thingies at domestic (US) prices.  Tell Ade I sent ya, eh?

And, natch, lot's of Ade's stuff (the Bears, guesting with the
Irresponsibles, some band called King Crimson) on radio hidebound . . .
heh heh.

Saw the Irresponsibles open for Ade a few years ago.  General consensus
was they were great, and sounded a bit like some guys from Swindon . . .

cheers.kah

kevin a. hiscock
yahoo IM-khiscock
http://www.hidebound.com
home of The Monster and radio hidebound

currently spinning:
Bruce Cockburn - Dust And Diesel

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 10:53:34 +0100 (BST)
From: Chris Clee <cmc@sanger.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Doll by Doll
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.4.44.0306271050260.7593-100000@bach.sanger.ac.uk>

well weird, I saw this band backing Hawkwind in '79 on the PXR5
tour....putting them in front of a crowd of scouse bikers might not
have been the best plan. I seem to remember them lasting 3 numbers
before the crowd drowned them out with a particularly anglo saxon
comment. I heard they split a few days later....

memories memories........

TGCCATCGGATCTCCTGCCTAGAGGAG

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 11:11:23 +0100 (BST)
From: Dom Lawson <britishsteel666@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Return Of The Handsome Rugged Man
Message-ID: <20030627101123.5845.qmail@web40507.mail.yahoo.com>

Fight Fans,

There's a riot going on in Eric's head and NO ONE is
invited. Thankfully.

>>"Just don't like them" has never been a good enough
>>excuse to say bad things about them.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...blah, blah blah...why can't we all
just be nice about everything, kiss the arse of every
last self-important twatweed we meet and avoid any
kind of confrontation, light-hearted or otherwise, in
case our delicate sensibilities get slightly bruised?
Answers on a retard to the usual address...

Get a grip, you pompous buffoon...and I mean that in
the nicest possible way. Just because you don't
understand a joke, wry aside or monstrously
unreasonable piece of grandstanding, it does not
necessarily follow that either (a) it's not funny, (b)
other people did not appreciate it, (c) some invisible
line has been crossed that will bring about the end of
the world or (d) you're not a rasping bell-end.

>>"They suck" is not an adequate description of what
one thinks or feels is wrong about a group.

Like I said...HELP ME! I'M TRAPPED IN A VICIOUS CIRCLE
WITH A DICK CHENEY IMPERSONATOR!...if you want me to
give you proper, grown-up reasons for my intense
hatred of Level 42 (and, yes, Mark King is an awesome
bass player...Harold Shipman was a dab hand at murder,
but technical ability doesn't necessarily equate with
a good time had by all) then it will cost you.
Otherwise, stop bleating and trying to chew the
electric fence. Please. You're hurting people's
brains.

>>I started this topic about L---- -- because I
thought many XTC fans liked both groups (nyah nyah,
mentioned them both in the same sentence).

Nyah nyah y'self, Ineffective Riposte Boy! Yes, I'm
sure plenty of XTC fans like Level 42. Only one such
person is unable to tell the difference between a
piss-take and, er, whatever it is you think happened
back there...

>>the atheistic tendencies flap in
the face of songs like "Heaven in My Hands". Pity.

Nurse! The screens! etc

>>Let's start a new topic. Anyone hate the Beatles? :)

No, but apparently Paul McCartney thinks you suck.

>>"Who won the course despite the fact that no one >>
>>backed him."

I'm weeping as I write this.

Salut!

Dom

"Who shot the three-legged mule in the paddock, but
shed a tear as he pulled the trigger."

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 07:31:34 -0400
From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net>
Subject: Wackers
Message-ID: <BB21A356.970D%cauldron@together.net>

on 6/24/03 10:28 PM, Dempsey wrote:

> On the thread about LPs I'd like to find on CD.....
> * The first two Klaatu records
> * Thrillington
> * Rootboy Slim "Zoom"

  I found a pretty good compilation of all five of their LPs on CD, with the
bulk of the material coming from their first two. I don't know if any of
their original LPs have been released on CD. I kinda doubt it. I'd love to
see anything Bob Segarini's ever released on CD, so far I've found a 1996
rerelease of his first solo LP Gotta Have Pop with five bonus tracks(all
interesting but not essential). None of his solo albums from the early 80's;
I know of at least two(Goodbye LA and Vox Populi; I have the former on LP,
it's even better than Gotta Have Pop), there may be more, they were only
released in Canada and I was in college Stateside at that point. Even more
criminally none of the three Wackers albums have come out on CD. Even a
comprehensive compilation including tracks from their aborted fourth LP Wack
and Roll(the band broke up because half the band wanted to stay in Montreal
the other half wanted to go back to California) would be very welcome; their
three released albums are a bit uneven anyway.

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 07:39:49 -0400
From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net>
Subject: Tin Huey
Message-ID: <BB21A544.970E%cauldron@together.net>

on 6/24/03 10:28 PM, da9ve wrote:

> 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.

You can find the Tin Huey album at Collector's Choice, a mailorder/online
oldies rerelease company. They've rereleased some pretty interesting stuff
at varying prices but sometimes quite reasonable. The downside is it seems
like they do the remixing and mastering themselves, whoever does it is
downright incompetent. The Phil Ochs rereleases I got recently just sound
wrong somehow, I remember a harsichord and rhythm section on the title track
of Pleasures Of The Harbor and all I hear for the most part is orchestra and
voice. If anyone gets the Tin Huey album(I've got it on vinyl, I'd soon just
transfer it to CD myself if it comes to that) I'd like to know how it
sounds.

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 08:48:31 -0400
From: "Lippitt, Andy" <ALippitt@twtr.com>
Subject: Let's Activate!
Message-ID: <D60DD682DB09144DA8D55136EEED6EAE02AAFFB7@sabertooth.bmsv.com>

Howdy Chalkists!

De-lurking just long enough to pass on this news.  Phil Corless bemoaned the
fact that, among other faves, Let's Active's "Big Plans for Everybody was
not available on CD.

Au contraire!

Collector's Choice http://www.oldies.com/ <http://www.oldies.com/>  has just
made it available (with bonus tracks, no less). They have also re-issued the
final Let's Active album, "Every Dog Has Its Day."  I ordered my copies just
the other day.

I think that they typically make their releases available only on the
website before releasing them to retailers some weeks or months later.
(BTW-I have no affiliation with Collector's Choice, blah, woof).

-Another guy named Andy

		Who also thinks it's a fookin' crime that Argy Bargy isn't
available on CD in any country at the present!

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 14:52:10 +0100
From: "Richard Hall" <rhall010861@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: Doll by Doll
Message-ID: <04de01c33cb3$535444f0$c3a327d9@Den>

Phew -
Doll by Doll. Thought they'd been forgottten. I had one or two of their
albums, now sadly lost or stolen, at least I can't find them. Had a handful
of singles too that might be lurking around. Good stuff. Problem is that
their label Magnet, at least in the UK, probably doesn't exist anymore.

Richard

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 09:21:20 -0500
From: William Loring <bloring@TIRERACK.COM>
Subject: Re: hard to find CDs
Message-ID: <BB21BD10.D0A7%bloring@tirerack.com>

You may hear this from many others, but the first three Belew CD's (Lone
Rhino, Twang Bar King, Desire Caught By The Tail) are finally all available
from http://www.adrianbelew.net/

These are in limited release (5000 copies each, I believe), so don't wait.

Actually, I'd been putting this off, so I think I'll nip right off and order
mine now. I just pre-ordered FW 3&4, so what the heck, it's only money.

...william loring

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

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 11:01:07 -0700
From: "Korby Sears" <korbys@earthlink.net>
Subject: Absolute XTC Video presentation Venues Needed
Message-ID: <E19VxTD-00057k-00@grebe.mail.pas.earthlink.net>

Dear Chalkhillians,

My name is Korby Sears, and I am a Seattle-based XTC freak.  This past
Monday on the 23rd, I just put on a rather unique video/performance
presentation here in Seattle called Absolute XTC, which was a video
retrospective of XTC promo videos, TV appearances, concert footage, and the
XTC Puppet show The Road to Oranges and Lemons (see the Chalkhills news for
a mention of the evening).

I played the role of the Professor, explaining a bit of history about the
band between segments. At the end, a band I recently started called
Subpoenaed Lemur played a 30 minute set of XTC tunes (Limelight, Dance Band,
Radios in Motion) and XTC-influenced originals (Love on TV, Single File
Female, Kiss Locally).

This took place at a venue called the Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater, an old
1920 movie house with digital video projection and a stage perfect for band
performances. There are tables and red velvet booths, and bar/food service
for the theater. On the tables I had color programs of the evening's events,
and I put out several party favors that the audience could take home (maps
of Swindon from Go 2, printouts of the 11 Different Animals Sheet Music
book, and a construction I did of the Making Plans for Nigel board game).

Due to some shrewd promotion on my part, and the fact that there are a
kajillion XTC fans everywhere, the night was a resounding sucess: 63 people
were crammed into the theater on a sunny Monday evening, creating a fire
hazard, and even more were crammed around the doors peering in for a look,
and even more had to be turned away, as they simply could not see a damn
thing over the crowd.

Even Larry Estes - producer of Sherman Alexie's films Smoke Signals and The
Business of Fancydancing - actually drove in from out of town and was front
and center for the video presentation and the band.

Needless to say, the Rendezvous asked me to remount the entire event again
(the bar business was great!), on a Friday or Saturday night this fall. I
said yes, eager to get the XTC word out, and am looking into taking the show
on the road as it were to similar venues in Portland, Vancouver BC, and
beyond.

So what I am asking you, Dear Chalkhill-ites, is this: is there a suitable
venue in your town for us to take this show on the road to? I'm making calls
to start booking something of a tour for this presentation. What I'm looking
for in a venue is the following:

1) 50-100 seat capacity
2) Digital video projection with VCR and DVD (have still shot Icons to
project when I'm speaking)
3) Stage with sound system to support a band
4) Desired but not required: cocktails and/or food service (makes it more
like a party, which the Rendezvous night certainly was)

Please resond to me privately at: korbys@earthlink.net.

Also - if anyone wants to see what the PR e-mail and publicity poster looked
like, or the outline of the evening (detailing what videos were shown and
when/what I was talking about as Professor) and a look at JPGs of what the
4-page color program looked like, feel free to e-mail me at the address
above and I'll send you the materials.

Thanks! Hope we can come to your town!

Korby Sears
Tejas Tunes
206-923-1339
http://home.earthlink.net/~korbys

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #9-34
******************************

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