Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 450
Date: Monday, 26 June 1995
Chalkhills Digest, Number 450
Monday, 26 June 1995
Today's Topics:
Re: Chalkhills Digest #449
Gr. Dead (0% Beatles content!)
Re: Chalkhills Digest #449
Re: the next album will be called
Live mini-concert
XTC does Beefheart
Lyrics; and the Beatles:the cause of....
"Uffington Horse Redated" article
re: A few questions
ask
Re: Chalkhills Digest #449
XTC: The Movie
XTC Demos/Duffy
New Album Title
the woes of a writer
I stand corrected (if only slightly)
Quasi-survey...
Young Cleopatra lyric mystery
In the Wake of the King
Administrivia:
*** Chalkhills Web page has MOVED! ***
*** PLEASE NOTE the NEW URL for CHALKHILLS! ***
Chalkhills Archives not available using FTP.
World Wide Web: "http://chalkhills.org/"
To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command:
unsubscribe chalkhills
For all other administrative issues, send a message to:
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>
The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
I'm king up here like a miniature sun!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Mr Half-Inch Nitrogen <L.Barfe@lancaster.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #449
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 05:15:19 +0100 (BST)
Actually, 'Orange and Lemon' is at the beginning of 'Ballet For A Rainy
Day', and not 'Sacrificial Bonfire', as someone suggested.
Louis.
*------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hate children. Especially when they're older than me.
*------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Barfe-employed, miraculously.
L.Barfe@lancaster.ac.uk
*------------------------------------------------------------------------------
read Scan-The student newspaper of the University of Lancaster
*------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ From: m.mccormick2@genie.geis.com Date: Fri, 23 Jun 95 04:12:00 UTC Subject: Gr. Dead (0% Beatles content!) Another fan of the Dead and XTC here. By the way, both Andy and Colin named the Grateful Dead in their lists of major musical influences in their bios for Virgin records.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 00:00:23 -0700 From: rimshot3@ix.netcom.com (ERIC ROSEN ) Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #449 >end of Wake Up, really cool drum part ... similar to percussion-heavy >ending of Burning Down the House by Talking Heads--a kind of >hard-hitting syncopated rhythm with atmospheric synth noises in >background. I would think that the long-time association between the >two bands ... would lead to mutual respect and some "borrowing" of >sounds. What do other Talkhing Headsophiles think? Their relationship is not so amicable (as per AP interview around Nonsuch's release) even though many point to musical similarities between them (AP thought the difference between them a vast stylistic gulf). IMHO, "Egyptian Solution" sounds very TH but maybe it's just those African rhythms. Hope our (paint) heroes don't forsake world beat riddums as they explore orchestration in the next release. >From: Jeffrey Langr <0005392548@mcimail.com> >Subject: logical arguments > >Anyway, my point as to how some XTC fanatics are a bit elitist >(reminds me of the current U.S. administration) was pretty much proven >out by the responses I got. Thanks for the bile! No doubt XTC fanatics are a little elitist but then again they've been driven to it! Indefatigable inventiveness and integrity that goes unnoticed for more than a decade and a half is bound to make the fans try to compensate for such a sorry state of affairs. More power to 'em. Now for a Reality Check. Let me see if I understand this... you're saying "Bubba, Billary, Slick Willie" elitist?! If that's elitist, what were RayGun and AmBush? >From: J Ross MacKay <ross@drumz.grdl.noaa.gov> >Subject: re: the Grateful you know who's > >Both XTC and the Dead have given me musical pleasures beyond >measure, and I will continue to listen and enjoy... Funny about the oil and water relationship there. I'm no DH although I've gone to a couple of shows and know many DH's. I think DH's are soft on the GD and non-DH's overly critical of them. >From: AngryYngMn@aol.com >Subject: Next album will be named... > >4) "A phoenix up from the flames." PHOENIX - maybe my favorite one - >because of all the problems XtC has gone thru between the record >companies, not touring, unstable percussion situations, spats within >the group...XtC is able to always rise above their problems. >Thus, the next album should be called Phoenix. Thanks for yr >indulgence. Well done. Or, how about "PhoeniXTC" I know. Corny. >From: Michael Giammatteo <mgiammatteo@Getty.Edu> >Subject: As reported in ICE magazine... > >ICE magazine reports: Thirsty Ear, which has split from former >partner Beggars Banquet, is planning an XTC tribute for October, for >which the band itself is expected to contribute a track. Any list of who's contributing? >From: Erik Anderson <aa393@broadway.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca> >Subject: Video Tree Update > >Yes, I'm still alive. To date I have had three individuals send tapes >and I estimate that I have around 2 1/2 hours of material. A good >start, but I think we can do better. So I ask once again: does anyone >out there have any cool xTc Videos? I mean anything: promo vids, live >concerts, interviews, etc. Please respond personally if you feel you >can help us all out. I'll keep everyone post as new material comes in. >The release date of the XTC VIDEO COMPILATION is tentatively set for >September 1, 1995. Back in '88 or so, an individual made an offer through the Little Express to make dupes for anyone supplying video cassettes. He converted PAL source tapes to NTSC VHS tapes while visiting the UK. This was how I obtained most of my XTC video material. It was heavy on Mummer with a little bit of "Mole," Big Express and early stuff (the touring years). I'd offer it up but the quality is not there due to generation loss. I am going to author an interactive XTC experience for a class project that is due at the end of August hence, I too am in need of XTC video material. I have Look Look but I'd like to include some more recent stuff especially from the last 2 albums. Please post a list of what you've received. Perhaps we can make a swap or something. Regarding the project, any GUI suggestions or interactivity ideas are welcome. Whether I have the programming skills needed to implement them is another story! >From: Erik Anderson <aa393@broadway.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca> >Subject: The Little Express > >Has anyone received a copy of TLE lately? It seems like it's been >forever. Or, maybe my subscription just ran out. Who knew? I'm wondering the same thing. ;-) Eric R.
------------------------------
From: mallende@Phoenix.kent.edu (mark allender - king of the universe)
Subject: Re: the next album will be called
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 08:07:59 -0400 (EDT)
sorry, man, but the oranges and lemons line in _Skylarking_ is from
"Ballet For a Rainy Day" -- which bursts the last song of the last
l.p. theory.
the rumored new title i have heard is _River Of Orchids_
for my personal theory -- i wouldn't mind a title like _Permanent
Morgasm_ or something.
(sigh)
just anything soon, though... even WITHOUT A TITLE would be passable,
though...
--
-makotu
mallende@Phoenix.kent.edu
uh...
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 08:05:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Eric Muller <EMuller@UWYO.EDU> Subject: Live mini-concert Arlo Leach asked the delightful question: if the Boys were to do a concert in your hometown, subject to the proviso that they will play but *one* song, which one would you have it be? (Really neat question, Arlo!) My answer would be: Penny Lane. (whoops--just kidding.) My real answer would be: Can't make up my mind between "Knuckle Down" and "Merely A Man." Do we also get to chose an encore number? Eric emuller@uwyo.edu
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 11:31:08 -0400 From: Mark Garvey <redactor@TSO.Cin.IX.net> Subject: XTC does Beefheart Long-time lurker, first time poster. I would like to find the name and/or label information on a Captain Beefheart "tribute" album to which XTC contributed a track. Apparently they copped "Ella Guru" and did a pretty convincing job of it. Partridge has described deconstructing this Beefheart tune as similar to "trying to untangle a rusted ball of barbed wire." Anybody know anything about this. Thanks. Mark
------------------------------ From: DAMIAN The Wonder Dog FOULGER <SPXDLF@cardiff.ac.uk> Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 12:58:26 GMT Subject: Lyrics; and the Beatles:the cause of.... Dear mixture-of-peoples-who-on-the-whole-love-XTC, I am wondering about the cause of all this discussion about the Beatles. I think that it is due to the fact that we haven't seen any signicant works from XTC for so long. We are all scrapping the bottom of the proverbial barrel for things to talk about. Strangely enough, (over-)extending this metaphor, it is telling (perhaps) that beneath XTC in the barrel one finds The Beatles! One the topic of lyrics, perhaps the lyric sheets are wrong on purpose. Jane Siberry listed lots of (invisible) lyrics that didn't appear in her songs on one of her albums. Perhaps its meant to be a little like that? Dames TWD (Life is good in the greenhouse:XTC) (You told me you saw Jesus, but I could only see a tree: Amber)
------------------------------
Date: 23 Jun 95 11:46:07 EDT
From: Jon Johnson <76614.3063@compuserve.com>
Subject: "Uffington Horse Redated" article
It's probably safe to say that a short article in the July/August
1995 issue of "Archaeology" might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
However, on page 24 is a brief article about and a nice aerial shot of
the Uffington Horse (pictured on the cover of "English Settlement").
The text is as follows:
"The 300-foot-long horse figure carved into the chalk hillside at
Uffington, England, northwest of London, has been redated from the
first century B.C. to ca. 1000 B.C. Led by David Miles, a team from
the Oxford Archaeological Unit obtained the date using a new technique
known as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, which
measures the last exposure to sunlight of sediments, such as those
that have accumulated on the horse's chalk surface. Over the millenia
the White Horse, as it is known, has been cleaned periodically and new
layers of chalk added. The new dates were obtained from sediments at
the lowest level. Earlier dating relied on the horse's similarity to
depictions on first-century B.C. Celtic coins from England.--A.L.S."
Hope someone besides me finds this of some interest.
All the best,
Jon Johnson
76614,3063@compuserve.com
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 11:59:48 -0400 (EDT) From: SeaHorse <HENNESSE@HUSC3.HARVARD.EDU> Subject: re: A few questions Hello, Someone asked about what songs XTC did well live. Now, I've not actually seen them, but I have seen the wonderful music film, Urgh! A Music War, which includes an absolutly fantastic XTC live performance of Respectable Street (which is also my favourite XTC song, and the one that got me into them in the first place). Andys voice is shot to all hell, and he belts his way through the song like a demon, his over all presence is doesn't seem like someone scared of playing live, but of someone who owns the world and is screaming it into place. Dave Gregory's brilliance shines through, to think a guy can jump about like that and play what he does... Anyone else like this film? I have to recommend it very highly. It cronicles 80's New Wave wonderfully, including perrformances by such luminaries as the Au Pairs (!), Gang of Four, Dead Kennedys, Spizz Energy, Echo and the Bunnymen, Wall of Voodoo, etc... It was made by Miles Copeland, brother of the Police's Stewart Copeland, hence the inclusion of 3 Police performances, smashing all, with a bunch of bands doing the last one with them and Andy Partridge stealing the mike from Sting to shout incoherent Police-isms over him. It does have some very naff stuff from bands that have gladly dissapeared, but makes up for them with the Cramps and that like... A definite must see... Tara, Sean
------------------------------
From: jpalau@abnal.fc.uaslp.mx
Subject: ask
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 95 4:38:10 EDT
Well I'm neww to Internet and i don't know how to get the information
that i want i'm a fan of andy partdrige and xtc but i live in the
third world so infiormation is unnaviable since NONESUCH i want to
know what's new
thnx.
Jpalau. :>)
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 12:32:28 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@moose.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #449 My vote for the one live song XTC would do(if I couldn't talk them out of doing just one)would be "Funk Pop A Roll." I don't know, I'd just love to see them do a raucous fire-spitting version with all the passion they can muster, smash their instruments when the song grinds to a halt, and leave the stage as the instruments are feeding back. That's only if they do one song, you understand.
------------------------------ Date: 23 Jun 95 11:11:06 EDT From: Todd Bernhardt <73364.1601@compuserve.com> Subject: XTC: The Movie Hi, all: I recently started subscribing to "Elephant Talk," the King Crimson newsletter, and they have a rather amusing thread going that I think could be a lot of fun here. It's called "Thrak: The Movie" involves people giving their casting suggestions for KC's latest album, Thrak (which is, by the way, extremely good). Some of the hilarious suggestions include Buck Henry as Robert Fripp and Brent "Data" Spiner as Adrian Belew. How about it, Chalkhillians? Are we up for an "XTC: The Movie"? We wouldn't have to limit ourselves to a certain album lineup -- how about casting suggestions for all the notorious individuals who have associated themselves with the world's greatest pop band over the years? I'm not even going to make any suggestions here (tho I would like to see Joe Pesci as Barry Andrews), I'll just start the ball rolling ... so roll away! In regards to #449 -- To Arlo, I vote for "Funk Pop a Roll" for my one and only song, and "Drums and Wires" for my favorite XTC album art. FPaR kicks really hard (it's great to play drums with) and DaW is, IMHO, the clearest and cleanest from a design point of view (it's also endured for quite some time -- people still use the "face" image when evolking XTC). To Jeffrey Langr ... man, relax! Just because you can't connect to XTC's latest efforts doesn't mean that those efforts suck! Remember, the more you love music, the more music you love -- I like the Offspring, too, when I'm in the mood, but there's also a lot of time in my life for the relevance of Nonsvch. (Let's hope we *aren't* the only ones out there who think this, Matt!) To John Lorch: I think you have a point, and actually I also like PGII. Maybe Fripp *could* produce, and we could get Hugh Padgham or David Lord to mix! :-) To J. Ross McKay: Believe it or not, I've been to and enjoyed Grateful Dead shows, and my comments were made more in jest than through any hostility. Say what you want about music and live performance of the Dead -- and you must admit, they are a bit uneven -- but they are a fascinating sociological phenomenon. And to Phil B., I always figured "My Weapon" was tongue-in-cheek. Glad to hear Barry agrees. Remember, the casting couch is now in service! Todd B.
------------------------------ Date: 23 Jun 1995 12:50:46 -0500 From: "Wesley Wilson" <Wesley_Wilson@iegate.mitre.org> Subject: XTC Demos/Duffy I have heard some XTC demos recently from Nonsuch: "Where Did All the Ordinary People Go?" and "It Didn't Hurt a Bit" by our man Colin. Really good songs! I'm stunned that these weren't recorded using the full band. Andy's "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" is also very good. I really love Colin's demos; they have such a wonderfully somber hue. Oh, by the way, anyone in the UK interested in buying Stephen Duffy's new single on CD, "London Girls" for me for money and/or XTC dub cassettes? (I live in the US.) Wes
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 10:20:28 -0500 From: Alex.Stein@turner.com (Alex Stein) Subject: New Album Title AngryYngMn@aol.com suggested some titles for the next album based on lines from "Books are Burning." I think he's on the right track, but needen't stick to single words. My choices for the name of the next album are: Wisdom Hotline or Phoenix from the Flames Alex
------------------------------
From: seanbe@microsoft.com
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 95 13:00:38 PDT
Subject: the woes of a writer
From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: Barry's Weapon
... he said that the music press at the time loved the album but really
hated "My Weapon", comments like "what's this sexist cr*p" and the like,
about which Barry was pretty upset because apparently they completely
misunderstood the song, which was meant to be a pro-feminist anti-macho
song.
>> this doesn't surprise me at all, although there was certainly
enough sexist crap floating around at the time. the trouble is that
for critics/listeners who don't have a sense of satire, it's impossible
to differentiate between confession and dramatic monlogue. i'm
reminded of the critics of the Dead Kennedys (of the Tipper Gore ilk,
not music reviewers) who were appalled that they performed a song
apparently condoning killing children ("crushed little kids on the
pavement" or something like that) not realizing it was a protest song
(they also evidently didn't pay attention to the rest of their work,
much of which was patently anti-human-rights-abuse)(on the other hand,
the same LP featured a song about killing your landlord, which even i
assumed was probably meant to be a comparatively serious
suggestion--and therein lies another rub). anyway i'm always shocked
that the majority of people (including songwriters) often don't put
lyrics and poetry in the same boat when in fact they use the same tools
all the time: metaphor, allusion, etc.
which brings us to the next item from the last chalkhills:
From: Steve Johnson <steve-j@teleport.com>
Subject: Re: Holly Up On Poppy
According to Andy Partridge, the song is about spending time with
and enjoying the presence of (your) children (specifically, HIM
enjoying watching his daughter, Holly, riding her rocking horse,
Poppy). I haven't read too much of this thread, but whatever's
been said, it's not about taking drugs or any sexual desires.
>>as a writer i have to say that if you put utterly personal images
such as this into your work you must be prepared for people to either
misinterpret or totally not understand your meaning. a little ambiguity
is nice. but if the bottom line is communication, it's also nice to
have liner notes if not explication in the piece itself to help the
audience figger it all out, otherwise it's just a "jolly pleasing
noise" as Flanders and Swann might say. unless of course you LIKE
having people rant on and on about your work in terms of paul
mccartney's trouser trout versus baby partridge.
cheers
sb
------------------------------ From: AngryYngMn@aol.com Date: Sun, 25 Jun 1995 01:37:28 -0400 Subject: I stand corrected (if only slightly) OK, I was kinda wrong, I had "Ballet For a Rainy Day" in my head when I wrote "sacrificial Bonfire." I'm wrong, mea culpa, mea culpa, and after I asserted myself so horribly in my last post I deserve 40 lashes with a piece of spaghetti. I'm not embarrassed easily (well at least on the internet and no one can see me punching the wall in anger at my faux pax), so I thank you, Mr. Dignan, and anyone else, who has pointed (or wanted to point) this out to me. Thank you, really. I'm glad someone picked up my gaffe before I was tarred and feathered by less observant people when I went down the inevitable slippery slope. :) It's 1 AM and I'm tired, dammit! -aym
------------------------------ From: AngryYngMn@aol.com Date: Sun, 25 Jun 1995 01:33:52 -0400 Subject: Quasi-survey... ONE: Respectable Street, hands down. (I'll probly change my mind tomorrow) TWO: I think Skylarking, but I'd reserve comment until i saw the unreleased cover (the one with the nude figures, albeit tasteful nude figures. -aym
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995 17:29:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: Derek Miner <ind00163@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu>
Subject: Young Cleopatra lyric mystery
Greetings, all!
I was just listening to a tape of XTC demos which happened to include a
full-band rehearsal of "Young Cleopatra." The good news is I think I've
made sense of the mysterious line of the song which we've got as:
To who you set alight with firebombs ...
And here's what it appears to be in the different version:
To who you set alight with firebomb skimming
I guess that's like skimming stones on the water... it's an odd image
nonetheless!
=Derek Miner=
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 00:16:43 -0700
From: John Relph <relph>
Subject: In the Wake of the King
A number of different things in this message...
>From: ZITTEL@aol.com
>Subject: Susan Revolving
I added the lyrics to "Susan Revolving" to the Chalkhills Archives.
>From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk>
>Subject: One for the discog...
>
>Apologies if this one is already there, but I can't see it...
It's in the "Collections, Retrospectives and More" section:
5 Senses
Smokeless Zone; Officer Blue; Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down;
b/w Don't Lose Your Temper; Strange Tales, Strange Tails.
+ 12" EP, Virgin Canada (Polygram), VEP 308, 18 September 1981.
>From: ZITTEL@aol.com
>Subject: Jennifer Trynin
>
>To follow up on who ever posted the info on Dave Gregory's involvement with
>Jennifer Trynin:
>
>CD Jennifer Trynin- Cockamamie (Squint Records 45931-2)
Jennifer Trynin: Everything's Different Now
Everything's Different Now; c/w Snow. Dave Gregory contributes
guitar solo on Everything's Different Now.
+ 7", Squint USA, ?, March 1994.
Jennifer Trynin: Cockamamie
Dave Gregory is ``The Soloist'' on Everything Is Different Now
(3'32).
+ CD, Squint USA, JT101, 1994.
>From: RCroz75755@aol.com
>Subject: Mummer
>
>I finally got hold of Mummer through my local record shop and I have a
>question to pose. There are quite a few tunes with a horn section and the
>liner notes do not have a name to credit with the arrangements. Should I
>assume that Dave Gregory may have contributed being that he did the string
>arrangements on Skylarking? Any takers?
I would believe it. I, too, perused the liner notes from the original
LP and found no mention of arrangements. I assume Dave Gregory did
all arranging, although it is possible that the individual songwriters
and the producers were involved. No mention of horns in the liner
notes, either. (Perhaps they were only on "Gold"...)
>From: Michael Giammatteo <mgiammatteo@Getty.Edu>
>Subject: As reported in ICE magazine...
>
>ICE magazine reports: Thirsty Ear, which has split from former
>partner Beggars Banquet, is planning an XTC tribute for October, for
>which the band itself is expected to contribute a track.
David Yazbek, the producer of said album, wrote in last March to tell
us the following (quoted from Chalkhills Digest #427):
The XTC tribute I'm producing for Thirsty Ear Records, is coming
along swimmingly, with the following artists committed or
finished-- Ruben Blades (The Man Who Sailed...), Crash Test
Dummies (All You Pretty Girls), Sarah McLachlan (Dear God), XTC
(?), Joe Jackson (?), They Might Be Giants (This Is Pop), Dave
Matthews (Nigel, probably), Freedy Johnston (BEAUTIFUL version of
Earn Enough For Us)-- and we're waiting on a few others. It should
be out fall '95.
Other news:
The _Miniatures_ compilation has appeared on these shores. The
reissued CD features Andy Partridge's "The History of Rock 'n' Roll",
a redone booklet, art by Ralph Steadman, and two new tracks. The
second of these is a second or two from every track on the album in
order. A sampler in miniature, if you will.
-- John
P.S. The King Crimson concert in San Francisco tonight was excellent.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #450 *****************************
Go back to Volume 1.
26 June 1995 / Feedback