Chalkhills Digest Volume 9, Issue 45
Date: Tuesday, 9 September 2003
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 9, Number 45
Tuesday, 9 September 2003
Topics:
de doo doo doo (?)
Re: The Fuzzy Warbles Issue
Re: Bitchin' a bit
for the head
Re: the last issue
fuzzys the final word
HAHAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHOOBOY
X-sTatiC two date update
Warren Zevon
Mandy Moore in XTC
warbles wobble, but do they fall down?
My Fuzzy Recollections
New Member
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 17:34:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Nicole Ross <drmomross@yahoo.com> Subject: de doo doo doo (?) Message-ID: <20030907003413.62077.qmail@web14910.mail.yahoo.com> David V: Usually, I support the view that one should buy stuff even if they have the demo - but *here* I have really lost interest in being offered the same thing over and over that by the time the demo stuff came out - you know, I really didn't care so much about giving more money to the artists that I previously would have... THAT'S not very good marketing - that's called losing part of your fan-base... and at the moment the fan-base is unfortunately limited. That was my point. My point was NOT "I have the bootlegs, why should I buy the legal record". Just to get it straight, there... its not a napster issue for me. Harrison: the link didn't work! Hmmm - actually I need to clarify the point a bit as you seem to be using an actual statement from the guy - albeit altered with your own sentiments: I viewed *YOUR* words as "Fightin' Words" and, even though they were not directed at me (as I had not previously posted on the issue ), they hit a nerve and I felt rather alienated... In general, yes, I have the sentiment: "shut up and stop whining, its their music, etc. If you don't like it, don't buy it". Still - your beloved "EVERYONE" *will* have an opinion. Please, let us respectfully debate rather than admonish... Molly, etc... Opinions ought not be taken as criticism, they ought be kept as what they are - which is (drumroll, please) OPINION!!!! I like a good debate. Debates have at least two sides to them. To be a good debater, in my view, one must study and respect the opposite points of view - otherwise they could turn on you and bite your arse. Respectfully, Nicole
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 09:49:37 +1000 From: "Paul Haines" <prhaines@bigpond.net.au> Subject: Re: The Fuzzy Warbles Issue Message-ID: <000e01c374d1$8850f620$eb1a2dcb@vic.bigpond.net.au> In response to Tim Cherven's post re negativity about the Fuzzy Warbles releases. Tim, do you not think this is saying something about the fans reactions to the releases? The people on this list are already fanatical about XTC (well, mostly, I know I am) and they're buying them and this is what they're thinking. Opinions are to be expressed, as you did yours. Haines
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 09:29:04 +0530 From: "Sughosh Varadarajan" <aqualung@hotpop.com> Subject: Re: Bitchin' a bit Message-ID: <001d01c374f4$793ba4a0$d4da5ecb@SughoshVaradarajan> >I have > always been a firm believer in the "if you don't like the radio station > twist the dial" theory. Why waste one's energy on bitching? If you've > caught on to Andy's contrived plan to weasel an extra $18.99 (American) per > autographed CD out of his fan's pockets good for you(s)!!!!! DON'T BUY > ANYMORE! GO BUY SOME FRICK'N ELVIS FRICK'N COSTELLO REISSUE'S! Geeze! I > have been a reader/fan of the chakhills forum for well as long as its been > around and I always looked forward & to it as a fan forum to share, > communicate & celebrate our favorite (or one of your favorite) artists! > Instead it has hatched into a critique/bitch forum (for some). Maybe we > should fire up a "negative criticism/complaint" site as well for those whom > do not care to share, communicate, celebrate the art, music, work of XTC? I > mean a few "I don't care for that song", "it has not grown on me yet", "not > my favorite of their/his releases" etc. ... are fine & dandy. But as a > main course it gets old. Hmmm..the last time I posted I was just speaking my mind, but I now realise the negativity HAS gotten considerably out of hand...I apologise for my contributions to it, and promise to lay the matter to rest right here and now..and Andy, if you ever read this, I still love you and the day I have a little extra cash I'd rather it went to you than most others.. One last bitch before I go, though this presumably has little to do with Andy since I doubt he has had anysay in the XTC reissues.. Just got the US Caroline reissues of Skylarking, Drums and wires and Black sea, and I was just wondering if anyone here managed to read the lyrics to Drums and wires without a high power magnifying glass? I mean, is paper that expensive or what, that you have to print all 15 songs on one friggin page? That might have worked fine on the original LP, but geez this is a "compact" disc we're talkin about here, a mere fraction of the 12" original! OK, all said and done, I belatedly add my name to Mummer's 20th anniversary celebrations...I do believe it's an underrated album, though perhaps not as consistent as some of their other work (I still don't think much of Wonderland although I don't hate it either)..still the gems are real gems..Love on a farmboy's wages,Beating of hearts,Ladybird,Great fire..all fabulous songs, up there with their best...love all the bonus tracks too..except perhaps for "Procession towards learning land" which also could be termed as fairly interesting from an experimental point of view though... Just off listening to Somnambulist for the very first time...what a song! Cheers all Sughosh (who still , by the way, sees absolutely nothing wrong with buying some frick'n Elvis frick'n Costello reissues...the new packaging of Get happy! looks quite tempting...a pity that we'll never get to see XTC reissues like these cos of the disputes and all...now that's something I would definitely willingly spend my hard-earned cash on!) -- "No matter how close to yours another's steps have grown, In the end, there is one dance you'll do alone" - Jackson Browne
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 22:35:29 -0600 From: "Pallius" <dsapallius@hotmail.com> Subject: for the head Message-ID: <BAY7-DAV28fyz5b6KZm00008a1c@hotmail.com> As a Chalkhills lurker for a good 5 years and a poster only once, I think it is time to express a thought publicly. I don't think I ever came across any mention of what a fine collection of music XTC has created to enhance the psychedelic experience. All those Dead-heads and jam-band American trippers don't know what they're missing if they don't know XTC. 25 O'clock, for example, is a 3D-living-color marvel. Nonsuch is superb, with the Omnibus-That Wave-Then She Appeared segment rivaling or outgunning just about anything else out there for colors. There are loads more examples, like No Language in Our Lungs, Travels in Nihilon, hell I could go on for an hour. While I'm on this topic, may I ask where the hell the really good chemists are these days? - Pallius
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 06:22:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: the last issue Message-ID: <20030907132218.56118.qmail@web41106.mail.yahoo.com> Hi: Just sitting back, watching the pendulum of opinion swing back and forth, back and forth ... just another chapter in the ongoing saga known as Chalkhills. I think you probably know which side of the swing I prefer, but if you don't I'll just quote this particularly tasty bit of advice from Don at david@valentined.freeserve.co.uk: > Owning Bootlegs is fine and dandy and > we are all fanboys/girls. But, I've always made a point of buying the > product if it is released because the artist gets paid. So the fact that > we've already got a lot of this stuff shouldn't affect our position. If > we've enjoyed it as a boot, buy it and support the artist. Here, here. Right on, etc. and: > We'd all love a new album though. I think we have a winner! Surely this is something we can *all* agree on? Chris "yes, we ARE still rehearsing" Vreeland, you know I agree about Mummer, and thanks much for the GoF and Dolby tunes. Excellent stuff. As an alliterative alternative to opening a grocery in Gloucester, Harrison suggested (among other things), a Weekend of Wild Mermaids in Weeki-Watchie. Well, pal, anyone interested better hurry up. The mermaids' tale may be desperate, as the scales are not exactly tipping in their favor: http://www.tampatrib.com/FloridaMetro/MGAS1GN5WJD.html I quite like the idea of opening a rookery in Reno, though. Rook, rook, cover my books... -Todd Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. -- Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat, author, and lecturer (1884-1962)
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 01:15:28 -0400 (EDT) From: RSMko@webtv.net (Marston Moor) Subject: fuzzys the final word Message-ID: <16640-3F5C1070-4399@storefull-2237.public.lawson.webtv.net> FW 1,2,3,4 are flawless. Criticism? No such thing, in this context. Sir John John, proceed as normal. Lo and beholden, RSTV
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 11:40:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: HAHAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHOOBOY Message-ID: <20030907184000.7863.qmail@web41111.mail.yahoo.com> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36532-2003Sep6.html Favorite paragraph: "Each household member who is an infringer would have to fill out an amnesty form, have it notarized and mail it to the RIAA with a copy of a photo ID." Quaking in fear, Todd After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood. -- Fred Thompson, U.S. senator, lawyer, writer, and actor (1942- )
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 16:45:41 +0100 From: "Edward Percival" <e.percival@virgin.net> Subject: X-sTatiC two date update Message-ID: <LPBBJPOPBKIHDGICJPLECEDHCFAA.e.percival@virgin.net> Dear Chalkhillbillies Just a wee reminder for those of you not engaged in endless organisation of the XTC forum... The UK's XTC tribute band will be performing 2 gigs on 2 nights at 2 different Swindon Venues. Friday 19th September at Riff's Bar- we will be playing a vast selection of things we've not performed before in our all-acoustic (well almost- anyone out there who can lend us an acoustic bass for the night?) "Strums & Unwired" set. They've still got a wall in the middle of the venue, so it will be cosy and snug in there. Be early to avoid distress. Last time it was full by 8pm. On Saturday 20th we will be letting out hair down and turning everything up to 11 to perform a very loud set at The Victoria Inn, deep in the heart of smalltown Swindon. Depending on how long it takes us to nail (that means rehearse) the acoustic set, there will also be a whole bunch of new noisy things. We've just 4 rehearsals to go and as usual tensions are running high. These will be the last gigs for a while, so we'd love to see as may of you there as can make it. And finally, a submission by AP spotted on the Rocking Vicar http://www.rockingvicar.com/ STAIRLIFT TO HEAVEN Andy Partridge of the Swindon parish offers this Led Zeppelin OAP Top Ten:- 1) Stairlift To Heaven 2) Four Walking Sticks 3) Black Guide Dog 4) Stumble On 5) The Lemsip Song 6) The Sprain Song 7) Housey Housey Of The Holy 8) Constipation Breakdown 9) Dozed And Confused 10) Trampled Michael Foot Love to all the X-sTatiC www.x-static.org
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 15:34:41 -0400 From: Benjamin Gott <bgott@rectoryschool.org> Subject: Warren Zevon Message-ID: <7E27EC1F-E233-11D7-8FB6-0003931489DA@rectoryschool.org> Gang, I had a strange feeling about Warren today, so I went out, bought the new album, and checked his website. Music has lost one of its greatest. The new album, "The Wind," is a damn good final wave goodbye. Warren, we'll miss you. -Ben
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 22:51:12 -0400 From: Benjamin Gott <bgott@rectoryschool.org> Subject: Mandy Moore in XTC Message-ID: <794B9F32-E270-11D7-B5DA-0003931489DA@rectoryschool.org> Gang, Sorry to double post, but I've just heard Mandy Moore's version of John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me" from her upcoming album. Of course, the XTC connection is obvious (duh!), as the album was produced by our own John Fields and features a cover of "Senses Working Overtime." In any case, I don't know if you're out there, John, but you did a bang-up job with this one...the right combination of breathy and Hiatt-y (for lack of a better term), and I can't friggin' WAIT to see what "Drop the Pilot" (apparently the first single) and, of course, "Senses..." sound like! "Coverage" is released in late October -- sounds like a discussion for our XTC roundtable waiting to happen! -Ben
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 22:57:07 EDT
From: Saints3Den@aol.com
Subject: warbles wobble, but do they fall down?
Message-ID: <65.189c5515.2c8e9b83@aol.com>
Hi folks... i am snipping about through this post by
> Timcherven
>
> this is supposed to be a community of fans.
1) ....It is. And we are passionate about xtc. fans cheer when the need
arises... and boo as well... makes us no less
> a fan.
By overwhelming
> Chalkhills with these petty, negative postings, you are alienating
> members of this "community." Have you noticed the emails are shorter
> and fewer?
2) ...I have not noticed an overwhelming ammount of negativity... just
not as much positivity to compensate for the negative. So it appears as a lot
of negative.
Remember... we have gone from a handful of chalkhillses a week to 3
every 2 months or so, all of them short at that.
>
> You know the saying, if you can't say something nice...
3)...such as your entire posting...
>
> For the sake of the List, get over it. Andy put out a product for
> those who want it. If you don't want it, DON'T BUY IT. And just shut
> up. I am sick of all of your negativity. And just to prove I am
> right about all the negativity, I bet someone is ready to tell me to
> stop reading Chalkhills.
I may follow many others and do just that.
>
> Why does this list exist anyway?
>
4) ...Keep on reading...and posting, too! which others have stopped???
Why does this list exist , anyway?... Ask Mr Relph...
My personal feeling is... too expensive to bother with, at least so
far (I'm waiting for Andy to follow the lead with the new $12.00 cd price)...
and , get on with the new stuff! Andy, you had seven years to do all this
fidgeting with your demos!
Here is an idea...
I'm quite intrigued with this issue...SO... if you would like to weigh in
*anonymously* on the warbles controversy WITHOUT mucking up chalkhills,
and offending fellow listmembers...
send to :
Saints3den@aol.com ( fuzzy or xtc in the subject line)
any comments you wish regarding this
basic issue.... (both pro and con)
Fuzzy is:
Good/bad,
expensie/ fairly priced
etc...etc...
i'll be happy to send in a general consensus, as well as some juicy
anonymous comments (if i get any)
eddie
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 11:12:49 -0600 (MDT) From: Kirk Gill <kgmaximus@earthlink.net> Subject: My Fuzzy Recollections Message-ID: <4073106.1063131323798.JavaMail.nobody@thecount.psp.pas.earthlink.net> I've been lurking for a long time, both on this list and on the streets of Denver, Colorado. I'd waited on getting any of the Warbles discs - for no real reason other than that my attention was elsewhere, until in a blast of consumer frenzy I dispensed with economizing and went to the Ape site and obtained for myself discs 1 and 2. And you know what? They're great. What's weird is that in most cases I can totally understand why some of the songs didn't make the albums they were intended for. There's a lot of considerations that go into why a song might or might not "make the cut," and those considerations go beyond whether or not one song is better than another. Think "Extrovert," which was, I belive, recorded for Skylarking. A great song (better, probably, then "That's Really Super, Supergirl"), that would have stuck out like a sore thumb on that record, I believe. Anyway, what could be better than to listen to "Dame Fortune" or "Everything?" These are brand new (to me) XTC songs ! They're great songs, and if they suffer a little from being "home studio" productions, they also soar because they're XTC songs, and they're from the brain of Mr. Partridge, the sublime Swindonian. The demos of already familiar songs are less lustrous, but I think of them as the two or three songs from the average XTC record that I really don't care much for and almost always skip. It's just as easy to skip the needless version of "Complicated Game" on FW1 as it is to skip "Bungalow" or "Officer Blue." Click. Done ! And to the whiners and the pedants who wish to throw wet blankets on the enthusiasms of other fans who actually like and appreciate these releases, I say "Ha ha ! Ho ho ! Hee hee ! Relish your misery you sorry cheap bastards !" Sure I want new material, and I want Colin's playing, and Colin's songs. While I'm at it, I want Dave, too. I'm also willing to throw in World Peace and affordable gasoline. But look on the bright side. The boys aren't pulling a Kate Bush and abandoning us completely. There's an album or four out there that we can buy, and they're still alive (Mr. Zevon, RIP). Jeez, I feel like Pollyanna, but as a friend said to me once, "it's better to shoot for the stars and miss, than shoot for the outhouse and hit." Kirk "Nothing is written"
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 17:06:50 -0400 From: "Brad Dietz" <sometimeseptember@hotmail.com> Subject: New Member Message-ID: <BAY7-F108r6beUzmRf600001e65@hotmail.com> Hello. I'm new to the list. Real short: I've been a fan for a few years now and I'm a singer/songwriter multiinstrumentalist. XTC is a big influence and hopefully that will come out or be apparent in the music I create. Apple Venus Vol One was the first XTC album I heard and it was instantly and amazing and dumbfounding album- particularly River of Orchids which I relate much more to Steve Reich than :Philip Glass. I stood and listened to the whole thing at Tower Records listening station and I had to have it. Since, I've purchased a number of albums and loved them all, but have nothing earlier than Big Express. I think someone hit it on the head as to why I like the mid-eighties XTC and beyond when they described earlier recordings as a snapshot of a performance as opposed to using the studio and it's benefits as a musical/compositional tool itself. I have started recording my own version of Wrapped in Gray and maybe Rook to be placed on mp3 sometime (hopefully sooner rather than later) and I've played Peter Pumpkinhead out at an open mic or two. I forsee more XTC and XTC-influenced works to come. More later... Check out my site if you like: www.sometimeseptember.com Enjoy, Brad
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #9-45 ******************************
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