Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 327
Date: Monday, 14 February 1994
Chalkhills, Number 327
Monday, 14 February 1994
Today's Topics:
Re: Chalkhills #326
XTC and Love
Re: Chalkhills #326
re: Own up time ...
LynnE/xTc
hot rumor!!!!
Re: Chalkhills #326
Wealth/parent's: The Last Line Controversy
Re: Chalkhills #326
Re: XTCyclopaedia - first attempt
Re: Chalkhills #326
Re: Chalkhills #326
lilac time follow-up and more!
Introductions
I am of the Colin Mould
Re: The Vega/XTC connection
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 9 Feb 94 15:11:20 EST From: dabl2@nlm.nih.gov (Don A.B. Lindbergh) Subject: Re: Chalkhills #326 > they were also clearing out a junky todd rundgren disc that looked like he > spilled grease from his hair all over the photo before they sent it to the > printers to make the CD cover. it was called _human..._ something or > another. it was $3.99. i almost got it for a cheap frisbee, but then > remembered that i did not play frisbee... Watch it boy-ee, the runt rules in my book. > _drums_ for the same price. it hasn't got the lyric sheet for _white_music_ > and _go2_ so i cried. If you can deal with postscript, lyrics for Go2 are at the chalkhills ftp site. Makes a nice little booklet for your CD. Not sure about _White Music_, anyone? Also others, like Rag & Bone, thanks to John Relph. Good gawd! --Don
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: ngold@agora.rain.com (Neil Goldstein) Subject: XTC and Love Date: Wed, 9 Feb 1994 12:18:55 -0800 (PST) > > From: Tim Szeliga <tim@snow.nohrsc.nws.gov> > Subject: Supergroup > Date: Mon, 7 Feb 94 14:53:07 CST > > If you like XTC, you'll LOVE ... > LOVE - in its various incarnations, all containing Arthur Lee > especially FOUR SAIL and FOREVER CHANGES. > Lee played guitar like Hendrix and wrote like Gershwin. > Great minor key songs. You may have heard the perennial > late-night-deejay-stepping-out-for-a-smoke-song > "You Set The Scene" > Hear ye! I have a similar feeling toward XTC that I had for Love in the late 60's. BTW, I am 42 and saw Love play several times on the Sunset Strip. Common elements: novel chord changes and *imaginative* lyrics. Also, the verse from "Mole from the Ministry" by the Dukes of Stratosphere is direct lift from Love. Song from Forever Changes, I forgot the title. BTW, Forever Changes, a classic album also cited by REM as a big influence, flopped in the US, but was in the top 10 in England when it was out. Incidentally, someone was asking about which XTC song had a commericial sound. I think "Mayor of Simpleton", which incidentally was a top 30 hit in LA when the album first came out. Love the bass line and off beat drum hit intro. That song is what initially "hooked" me into XTC. Neil
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: Re: Chalkhills #326 Date: Wed, 09 Feb 94 15:19:49 -0500 From: silva@mond1.ccrc.uga.edu >I remember hearing of an interview with her in which she said that when she was having trouble writing for that album she would lock herself in a closet and listen to _Oranges & Lemons_ until she came up with an idea. Perhaps not literally true, but interesting >nonetheless.... It's true. I've read it elsewhere (Rolling Stone?) and rushed out to buy _Days of Open Hand_. I didn't see too many similarities, but then again I didn't listen often enough to take too much stock in it. I mentioned it to Herr Partridge and he thought it was hilarious. JoE
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: J Ross MacKay <ross@drumz.grdl.noaa.gov> Subject: re: Own up time ... Date: Wed, 9 Feb 94 15:25:54 EST >> I wonder what the average age of the Chalkhills readership might be. >Count me in the Thirtysomething group. Ok, 34 if you want me to be precise:-) 39, and damn proud of it! And like Jack Benny did, I plan on being 39 for a looong time. I just hope Andy and the gang can keep it together.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: LynnE/xTc Date: Wed, 09 Feb 94 15:27:05 -0500 From: silva@mond1.ccrc.uga.edu >From: "James E. Hartman" >I'd like to see Jeff >Lynne produce and perform on an XTC album - ooH, I don't know about that one. It probably wouldn't be as given to friction as the the ToDD/SkyLarking fiasco, but it wouldn't be surprised if the result was so filled with production excess that it oozed out of the jewel case and on to your hand the minute you cracked open the CD. >The last time I heard, the Bears were recording again (without Belew) >under the name Psychodots. Since the band was pretty much the same gang, >the Psychodots recordings are worthing checking out - if you can find them! YeaH, it would be worth checking out, but I'm not so sure without Adrian. Even with BeLeW, the last record sagged a lot. JoE
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 9 Feb 1994 17:33:49 -0600 (CST) From: CHRIS@crpl.cedar-rapids.lib.ia.us Subject: hot rumor!!!! Though I take no responsibilty for the accurracy of this rumor, I thought it sufficiently interesting to merit a posting. Supposedly the Beatles will stage a reunion this evening on the Letterman show as this is the 30th anniversary of their initial appearance in the Ed Sullivan theatre. Truth or fiction? I guess we'll know tonight.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 9 Feb 94 18:23:27 EST From: Mark_Colan.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com Subject: Re: Chalkhills #326 (Following are various clippings from Chalkhills #326 from several DIFFERENT postings:) > A kid in my highschool held a knife to an administrater, > forcing her to play Dear God over the P.A. > Count me in the Thirtysomething group. Ok, 34 if you want me to be precise :-) > As for the question about the average age of XTC fans, I just turned 32. > I'm 32, and I think someone said they were 35, and so on... > Also, in response to James McGowan's query about age : I am 19. OK, boys and girls, time for me to introduce myself. At age 40, I seriously doubt I'm the OLDEST reader here, so maybe this will flush out my elders. I saw XTC right after they released Drums and Wires, and again when they released Black Sea, here in Boston. I was maybe 20 feet from them for the second show. I had tickets to see the English Settlement tour, which was cancelled amidst rumors that Andy had injured his neck...bummer! (We know better now: he developed a strong reluctance to perform on stage around that time, which still persists). I've been a serious listener of music, and collector of all types of albums, for most of my life since age 14. Jimi Hendrix and XTC are my two favs of all time. But for XTC there are maybe five albums (and one EP) that stand out head and shoulders above all the rest, IMHO: Drums and Wires, Black Sea, wow=>!ENGLISH SETTLEMENT!<=wow, Skylarking, Oranges and Lemons...and the Dukes' first EP. I've never been hooked by albums between Settlement and Skylarking (except for Dukes), and am somewhat 'Difappointed' by the newest one. I liked the high school story. Those naughty boys in the Audio-Visual department of my own high school (in PEORIA ILLINOIS) made history in 1972 by playing Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" over the PA system, immediately following the morning announcements. They were NEVER caught, because they found an obscure junction box in the catacombs above our auditorium where they were able to jack in, freak us out, and scram. At the time, "The Pusher" (a song decrying the use of hard drugs and expressing a wish to kill all sellers of them, but saying soft ones were just fine) was controversial, not so much because of what its opinions, but because it used words then unheard on the radio (well, at least in Peoria): "God damn, I said GOD DAMN the pusher-man!". See, in '72 that was obscene. (Because it was NEVER on the radio, I had never heard it.) Now a trivia question: can anyone tell me when and where the FINAL public performance (ie, in front of an audience that bought tickets on the open market, not a promo or radio performance) took place? I have a bootlet CD purchased in Japan that claims to be their final performance. I wonder if that's so.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 9 Feb 94 16:34:59 MST From: jrcampbe@mines.utah.edu (James Robert Campbell) Subject: Wealth/parent's: The Last Line Controversy Hey John, Not to dwell on the wonderful 'Relph last lines' but in Chalkhills 325, isn't it 'the boy who's living beyond his father's means'? ^^^^^^^^ Also, I listened to 'Leisure' the other day to hear where Dave sings. How do you guys know its Dave? Couldn't it have been Terry? Or had he already "got 'em down before they got 'em down"? --James [ demo lyrics from _Jules Verne's Sketchbook_ -- John ]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 9 Feb 1994 21:30:33 -0600 From: mad@interaccess.com (Michael De Bernardi) Subject: Re: Chalkhills #326 >If you like XTC, you'll LOVE ... > LOVE - in its various incarnations, all containing Arthur Lee > especially FOUR SAIL and FOREVER CHANGES. > Lee played guitar like Hendrix and wrote like Gershwin. > Great minor key songs. You may have heard the perennial > late-night-deejay-stepping-out-for-a-smoke-song > "You Set The Scene" I couldn't agree with this recommendation more. IMHO "Forever Changes" is the greatest album ever made, regardless of genre, blah, blah, blah. I recently saw Arthur Lee on tour with his new LOVE band--a multicultural group of young guys--and it was truly a religious experience. Attention: All XTC fans must buy "Forever Changes" >they were also clearing out a junky todd rundgren disc that looked like he >spilled grease from his hair all over the photo before they sent it to the >printers to make the CD cover. it was called _human..._ something or >another. it was $3.99. i almost got it for a cheap frisbee, but then >remembered that i did not play frisbee... I know that our belovedly moody Andy had some problems with Todd in the past, but he did turn out some pretty great music early on in his career. Check out the first two Nazz albums for just a taste. Also, right after "Skylarking" came out, I remember having read something about Andy criticizing Todd for entering the studio with "a cloud of marijuana smoke coming out of his hair" (or something to that effect). Does anyone else see this as a problem? Makes me respect Todd even more ;-} Michael De Bernardi
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Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 10:07:42 +0100
From: deining@informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (Marcus Deininger)
Subject: Re: XTCyclopaedia - first attempt
Hi everybody,
after hanging around on the list without contributing too much,
I was caught by the idea of getting together the "XTCyclopaedia".
Actually, I have to admit I already started to get a sort of
XTCyclopaedia together when I had subscribed this mailing list some
time ago, which - I think - could serve as a start.
John Relph <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> said:
>I have put together the rudiments of the XTCyclopaedia. What I see so
>far is a list of all the songs XTC have ever written, and a list of all
>the versions of those songs that have been recorded (with the possible
>exception of live recordings). Also included? Recording information,
>availability information, such as a list of albums/singles on which this
>version of the song can be found, notes from the band members, etc.
>Mostly complete for the songs from _Rag & Bone_. Who would like to
>help?
So, what I do have actually?
Actually, I don't have a ecyclopaedia, but more a sort of recording
history. The whole thing started when I thought I could make me a nice
lyric sheet for my 25 O'Clock LP. After having this I said to myself
"Well this sheet is nice, but how about the recording information?" Okay,
so I put them in too. Then, in some chalkhills-backissues I found some
extended discussions about the inspirations for the songs for 25OC. So I asked
again "Why not collecting this information, too -- it's surely nice to
have a lyric sheet with recording info and some song backgrounds?" So,
all the songs got some annotations. The next question was "Hey, there
are some pretty interesting interviews and stories with the Dukes --
so why not include them too, just to make things complete?" After having
done this, another tempting question formed in my weird mind --
"That's really nice -- but wouldn't it be nicer to have such a thing
for all the wonderful XTC-records?" And so the whole thing started.
After numerous reorganisations, something like a recording history
evolved, that is, I ordered all the songs along the time line, basically
grouped around the LPs. For each song I have collected the lyrics
and all the facts, info and tidbits swirling around in the digests.
The same for each record plus all the recording infos, like producer,
extra musicians etc. I also thrown in for good measure all the
interviews transcribed over the years on chalkhills.
What do I collected so far?
I went back to the very first chalkhills digests and started to collect
every single fact I thought interesting. The document grew and grew and
at one time I was up to date with the digests released so far and then
it was time for the final temptation -- "Why not share this document
with all the other on Chalkhills?" "Okay, but you can't give it away
in this state, at least you schould give it a nicl look!" So, I started
formatting -- and I never got ready. In the meantime two or three digests
were releaesd per week, which I tried to include in the document. All in
all entropy did rise and at one point I gave up. But after seeing the
ecycopaedia topic I got myself together again and gave it a sort of
finishing touch. So I hope it's now in a acceptable form and can be used
as it is (a sort of gigantic FAQ or digests' digest) or as one input
for the encyclopaedia.
What is the current state?
The document includes:
* recording infos and facts for every record by XTC
* lyrics and facts for every song (as far as it was available on
the digest)
* intervies and stories about the fab three
* a (dated) chalkhills discography
* a (pretty poor) videography
* a digests topic list
* and an index (which should be finished today)
The document is maintained until digest 280 - that was last summer,
but I think nothing much happend -- XTCwise -- in the meantime, so
it is not that dated.
Any technical infos?
Format: Microsoft Word 5.1 for Macintosh
Size: 1.2 MB, about 300 Pages
I've put it in one large document, because I always play around with
the style sheets and it's rather painful if you have to deal with
ten smaller documents or more. Sorry about this, but I don't have
no FrameMaker.
How can you get it?
I don't know. I think the best would be to store it somewhere in the
chalkhills-archive and you can ftp it and do what ever you like to do
with it.
Will there any new updated-version?
I don't think so, at least not by me. So I really would
prefer to hand it over to somebody else (read John Relph) who maintains
it or uses it to get the real encyclopeadia off the ground.
Who am I?
Name: Marcus Deininger
City & Country: Stuttgart, Germany
Age: 32
First XTC-Contact: Seeing the "This is Pop"-Video in 78
in a chikdren program (very strange!)
XTC-Infection: Getting a cheap copy of "Drums and Wires"
which got me hooked in 1980.
Other bands I give a listen (in no particular order):
Monochrome Set, Pogues, Adverts/TV Smith, Tuxedomoon,
The Pop Group, Foetus/Clint Ruin/Wiseblood, Wire, Pixies,
Beatles, Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, Palais Schaumburg
How to contact/flame me?
mails to: deininger@informastik.uni-stuttgart.de
Enjoy, Marcus
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 10 Feb 94 09:31:57 EST From: Karen <AP201155@brownvm.brown.edu> Subject: Re: Chalkhills #326 Arlo mentioned how much he likes XTC's "important" songs. I'm the one who wrote the original criticism of these songs. I'd just like to say that I agree with a lot of what you said. I DO love songs such as "Wrapped in Grey" and "Dear God" and I would agree that their lyrics cover important subjects. I just think that when they try to be political, in the strict sense of the word, they too often end up sounding simplistic and obvious. For instance: "President Kill," "War Dance," "Melt the Guns." That's just my opinion! I guess the word "important" was a poor choice. I didn't mean I want to hear only "ooh, ooh, love ya, baby" as lyrics. I appreciate intelligent political lyrics, but I don't think XTC write them particularly well. They still write some of the most memorable lines in rock, though! Karen
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 10:34:25 -0600 From: j karnia hermanson <karnia@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> Subject: Re: Chalkhills #326 On the whole Adrian Belew/ psychodots question. . . Yes, those non-Belew members of the Bears did record another album after Belew left. In fact, they've recorded two. A self-titled and On the Grid. Both are available on Stugglebaby records out of Cincinnati. They also rereleased their first album (before Belew joined them) when they were called _ the raisans_. Belew produced this one. And lastly, Belew just released an all acoustic disc that was previously only available through his fan club or on his last acoustic tour. If anyone has trouble finding these and wants them, e-mail me and I can get them for you. Hossjon scherman@prairienet.org (Scott Hermanson)
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: "Smith, Daniel R." <DRS@dc4.hhlaw.com> Subject: lilac time follow-up and more! Date: Thu, 10 Feb 94 13:45:00 est hay all here is some more news ----------------------------- hvsag01!adkoning@hvgtw.att.com writes: And now, something more recent: I read a review of the album _Chantoozies_ by The Poozies (from Scotland). They cover a song by XTC, it doesn't say which one. Their style is described as 'the Runaways of folk'. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ i talked extensively to wes wilson last night. he gave me more and more good info. he's ordered the poozies. he said they were a german folk band and the song they cover is "love on a farm boy's...WAY-JEZ!" wes said the lilac time have been discontinued in the US. wes also mentioned that dave stewart (not the eurythmics) and barbara gaskin put out an album called _up_from_the_dark_ in which they have a take on "roads girdle the globe." but i think that has been mentioned a while ago, no? dave gregory produced an album by a group called the cud. wes said they were very 1960s like. i think he said the name of the album was called _leggy_mambo_ and there is a song on there called "purple love balloon." he said they were rilly good stuff maynard. does anyone have a number on when the next _little_express_ comes out? also, is there any follow-up to the possibility of an xtc album out this may? buy-buy --dans
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 15:12:11 -0500 (cdt) From: artslut <AGERBECK@ac.grin.edu> (Brandy J Agerbeck) Subject: Introductions Hello, I'm Brandy Agerbeck, and I am an XTC fan with ovaries. My first exposure to XTC was when a friend handed me Oranges and Lemons on a bus trip from Minneapolis to Pierre, South Dakota. Instantly, I was enamored with the sweet sound stylings and they made the trip across midwest tundra much more bearable. I don't have the complete Xtc catalouge, just English Settlement on, but I can say that what I have has given me loads of listening enjoyment. The first side of Skylarking charms the pants of of me, I like the yodel-ish Leisure, Punch and Judy, Across the Antheap, Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, Pink Thing (yes, I love it.), Dear Madam Barnum and Wrapped in Grey can pull me out of the deepest, darkest, damnest moody funk. This is just a same percentage or my favorites. On the topics of other bands Xtc fan may like, I agree with several names that come up. Barenaked Ladies get my vote (and does anyone know when they are coming out with something new), along with Elvis Costello, and a frozen north favorite, Trip Shakespeare. You may remember Arlo writing of them. We're here in Grinnell, Iowa and he and one other Xtc fan I know of and I are all gigantic fans of both Xtc and Trip Shakespeare. Trip Shakespeare hailed >from Minnesota, so look to your friends to the north to get their music. There are my opinions, Thank you.
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Date: Sun, 13 Feb 94 02:04:26 EST
From: "Gene Yoon (Spoon)" <ST004422@brownvm.brown.edu>
Subject: I am of the Colin Mould
Yet another college frosh checking in for the first time on
Chalkhills, helping bring the average age here colser to the twenties....
I first heard XTC when I was ten years old back in '86. My older
brother, then going through an anti-organized religion phase, heard
"Dear God" and took me to record store to buy Skylarking. I remember
the car ride home and being immediately impressed by the then-new
transparent cassette casing. I remember noticing the pleasingly fruity
smell of the tape jacket, the band members' interesting pilgrimy
costumes, just as the opening chirps of Summer's Cauldron was coming
through, and well.... the rest is history.
As the title of this posting implies, I am of those individuals who LOVE
Colin's compositions--I find them, on the whole, to be simple and
straight-forward, but immediately likeable. Of course, Andy's stuff is
pure genious, but he has a tendency to become a bit overwrought and
convoluted in some of his songs. The comparison is obvious if you look
at the songs on the first side of Drums and Wires. I guess I go by the
"less is more" ideology, because I find Oranges and Lemons to be
painfully overproduced in many of its tracks. My favorite album, by the
way, is English Settlement--I bought a second-hand (hardly "used") vinyl
of the original pressing for just five bucks, which I truly believe will
be a collector's item, with its single-sleeve double album cover, in
years to come.
AS far as other musical faves, I love Split Enz, who, like XTC, combine
unique, often unexpected melodies with some quirky and often ingenious
lyrics. Their contemporary offspring, Crowded House, is great, too
(check out their recently-released Together Alone album). I also listen
to Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Squeeze, the B-52's (please forgive me, but
everybody needs some nonsensical fun once in a while), Cocteau Twins,
the Breeders, 10 000 Maniacs, many others.
You'll be pleased to know that Chalkhills is my first-ever public
posting over this great Info Highway; I was browsing through a listing
and my jaws dropped when I saw the name XTC mentioned. I am a rather
isolated XTC/Dukes fan here at Brown; in fact, I know of very few who
even know them, fewer still who appreciate them. So you see why I just
HAD to write this, to vent all this pent up XTC enthusiasm. One of the
greatest thrills and honors I can think of would be to meet the band in
person, especially Colin Moulding (he always seemed like an underdog
next to Andy, and I always root for underdogs). So if anyone knows if
the band is making any U.S. visits to the Northeast, please write
Chalkhills. I'll be looking for it....
Thanks for your time,
Spoon (Gene_Yoon@brown.edu)
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Date: Mon, 14 Feb 94 11:51:50 PST
From: "John Relph" <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: Re: The Vega/XTC connection
Joe Lynn sent in the following (Chalkhills #84):
Quoted from the March 22, 1990 issue of _Rolling Stone_,
reprinted without permission:
"Some of the songs are still mysterious to me," says
Suzanne Vega, who has made herself at home in New York
City's Skyline Studios for the last six months and is
just now putting the final touches on her latest album,
_Days of Open Hand_. "I'm still trying to figure out
what the deal is with them." Eager to get back to
writing after an extended hiatus, Vega made a concerted
effort to get her creative juices flowing this time.
"I went to London, where I had no commitments, family
or friends to talk to," she says, "I found it really
helpful to lock myself in a room, because it forced
me to put something down on paper." Vega, however, is
not without outside influences. "We think 'Book of Dreams'
(the album's first single) as our XTC song," she says.
"We had all been listening to _Oranges and Lemons_, which
I think is a masterpiece." Vega coproduced _Days_ with
boyfriend and keyboard player Anton Sanko.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] For all administrative issues, such as change of address, withdrawal from the list, fan club addresses, discography requests (last update 7 February), back issues, FAQ list, etc., send a message to the following address: <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> The Chalkhills archives are available at "http://chalkhills.org/". The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. The fur is genuine but the orgasm's faked.
Go back to Volume 1.
14 February 1994 / Feedback