Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 136
Date: Monday, 15 July 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 136
Monday, 15 July 1996
Today's Topics:
Nonsvch, Rush/XTC
oops :)
Dave Gregory on Steve Hogarth album
Testimonial Dinner and... Self!
Oblique esoterica, Anna
what Andy's up to...
Red, Without The Beatles
Producer
re: Video Petition
Dealing...
Wrong Side Of The Bed
Mitch/Mitchell for Producer
Drummers
RE: producers
Robyn Hitchcock albums
OK, maybe I WILL talk about monkeys...
Re: gold dists
^Go2^ fans of the world...
more info on Mr. Eno
some thots
post look look videos
The Cheapest Living Englishman
Correction
The three pillars of production
T-Shirt Update
Robyn Hitchcock
Shore leave similarities
Put the monkey crap to rest!
A brillian suggestion.
FOSSIL FUEL - THE DETAILS!
Administrivia:
*** Please: no more monkeys ***
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It doesn't matter, not worth the chatter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 20:53:02 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199607120053.UAA06509@cyber1.servtech.com> From: Joshua Hall-Bachner <particle@servtech.com> Subject: Nonsvch, Rush/XTC Okay, I realize this is a week old. Sorry. Someone wrote: >BTW: in defense of NONSVCH: what a great pop masterpiece! "Books Are >Burning" could have fit right into side two of Abbey Road (in fact the >trade-off guitar solo at the end seems inspired by this). I love that solo. >and how can you >not like THAT WAVE? listen to Dave's amazing house-burning-down guitar >solo if you don't like this song-then tell me it's not worth the time. The way Andy sings that song is just wonderful. >sure, some of it's a little poppy, a little silly, but what great pop >record isn't? Humble Daisy is a fine piece of jazz, mellow, gentle and >lovely... And My Bird Performs, a beautiful bit of pure melodic joy (yes, I realize I am the only one who likes this song.) And Then She Appeared...a wonderful pop gem carefully accentuated with backwards drums and the sound of children playing. Or Bungalow, the pastoral, "hey-this-is-a-great-place-to-retire" ditty. Or Crocodile, a great rocking song. I could go on and on. This album is my second favorite XTC album, with only English Settlement surpassing it. I just hope that, instead of the slight downhill slide of ES to Mummer, XTC continues to soar up and up. And someone else wrote: >> but the guys in Rush are good musicians too. >My bother would be SO happy to here this. Any seconds for Neil Pert for >dummer and Geddy Lee for producer? If anyone lets anybody from Rush within five miles of Andy, Colin, or Dave, I will be forced to become extremely violent and blow things up. :) I may be strange, but I cannot stand Rush at all and don't want any of (what I consider) juvenile songwriting and mega-posturing rubbing off on our boys >from Swindon. You don't see XTC filling one side of an LP with a song with "movements" (and which doesn't even get it's Greek mythology references right), do you? ^^^^ This is all IMHO, of course, and I don't want to offend any Rush fans out there (a friend of mine is a big Rush fan) /----------------------------Joshua Hall-Bachner----------------------------\ | particle@servtech.com http://www.servtech.com/public/particle/ | | "Life is like a jigsaw. You get the straight bits, but there's something | \------missing in the middle."--XTC, "All Of A Sudden (It's Too Late)"------/
------------------------------ From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk> Message-Id: <26165.9607120120@molnir.brunel.ac.uk> Subject: oops :) Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 02:20:29 +0100 (BST) # From: arthur james virgin <produce@magicnet.net> # Subject: Bears/Radiohead/Producers for xTc # # >From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk> # >Subject: misc # # >Personally I think that 'The Bends', whilst it has moments of brilliance, # >is not as great as people make out. Don't get me wrong, I've been a # >Radiohead fan since *that* song, and 'Anyone Can Play Guitar' proved even # >then that there was more to them than *that* song, but I don't think 'The # >Bends' was as good as it could have been. I'm not necessarily blaming # >Leckie, but it does wear off. I hardly ever play it now. # # Couldnt disagree more...Album couldnt have been any greater..Easily the # most thought-out and brilliant album of 95. Then you obviously haven't played Low Pop Suicide's "The Death Of Excellence" the required 11 times in succession. Probably now my no.2 all time favourite album - a work of pure genius. # To each their own I guess. I # reserve my vote for "not all it was cracked up to be" for Sugarplastic, so # many wonderful little hooks that seem to go to waste in a maze of # noise...Oh well... Haven't heard it, and from the mixed reviews on here and the state of my bank account I don't think I'm going to. Anyway, the above is all IMHO of course. # >Butch would be interesting, though he might be a bit too straight-rock # >for XTC. Stephen Street would be a complete disaster - Blur's 'The # >Great Escape' sounds like a major rush-job, littered with production # >mistakes (seriously - a fine album, but the production is sorely # >lacking). I suspect Andy would fire him before they'd done 2 tracks. # # Once again, I heartily disagree. "The Great Escape" was beautifully # produced (BTW, all the "production mistakes" werent mistakes at all, thats # what makes it interesting) The album sounds beautiful, barely compressed # at all, clear concise with excellent songs. Take a close listen to the none-too-clever segue between 'Charmless Man' and 'Fade Away'. And (ok this isn't the producer's fault) note the glaring grammatical error on 'Charmless Man', then marvel at Damon randomly dropping his H's on 'The Universal'. Then note the spelling mistakes in the booklet. Sorry, TGE is a great album, but it was definitely a rush job as they were trying to sell loads of them off the back of the success of 'Parklife'. I have this feeling that the next one, being made in much less pressured circumstances, is going to be a lot better. # >As for Flood, the only thing of his I've heard is Crowded House's # >"Together Alone". Sounds like he'd be OK if XTC make 'Nonsuch II', # >but I somehow can't see them doing that at this stage... ;-) # # "Together Alone" was produced by Youth, not Flood. Flood has had his hands # in plenty of engineering, but not that much producing. The best thing I've # heard of his (producing and engineering wise) is the Charlatans UK album # "Between 10th and 11th". Which turned out to be the best thing they ever # did. OK, so I messed up. :-) That'll teach me to check things. But I know I've got some Flood-produced album(s); the only one I can find at the moment is Erasure's "Wonderland" (their first, and probably still their best, though the most recent one comes close). Hmm. In that case, great producer, but I can't say from that album that he'd be right for XTC. Well anyway, WHO CARES? At the moment they can get Margaret Thatcher to produce it, for all I care, just so long as it gets done. :-) Hmm, now there'd be an interesting power struggle... :-) _ |_)|_ *| | | )|| http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~ee92pmh/ ========
------------------------------ Date: 11 Jul 96 21:38:35 EDT From: studio 17 productions <104151.1063@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Dave Gregory on Steve Hogarth album Message-ID: <960712013835_104151.1063_IHO71-1@CompuServe.COM> I just heard that Dave Gregory is playing guitars on the upcoming Steve Hogarth (Marillion lead vocalist, Europeans) solo album, along with Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree, Rain Tree Crow, Japan) on keyboards. Can anyone confirm this? Bye, dawn
------------------------------ From: Alex McDonald <ALEX@pcedit.condenast.com> Subject: Testimonial Dinner and... Self! Date: Thu, 11 Jul 96 22:30:00 PDT Message-Id: <31E5E38A@nsinter.condenast.com> Hey Y'all! I haven't read in a while, but I'd like to report on my recent 4th of July weekend at which a group of 12 people convened with nearly 100 recently released CDs. I didn't get to play much XTC, being that the eleven other people are somewhat hostile toward XTC (mostly because of my fanatical devotion to them), But TESTIMONIAL DINNER was voted the best CD of the weekend, and we listened to it thrice! What do you think that means? Is it Andy's voice that is inaccessable to these folks? The production of XTC's versions? I'm confused! What is wrong with the rest of the world?!? (Don't get me wrong- I'm a great testimonial dinner fan, but honestly, I'd take the originals any day) --- SELF! I think it was someone's posting about a dozen hills ago that caused me to hop over to the local record store and pick up a copy of Self's 'Subliminal Plastic Motives'. Thank you- whomever you are. I've listened to the album at least twenty times in the last three weeks. I don't know that I'd put them in the same category as XTC, although some songs remind me a bit of late XTC, and others early XTC. The earlier poster mentioned the song 'Cannon', which I really like, but after 20 listens, I'd have to say that 'Marathon Shirt' is my favorite. Like XTC in that I don't find a song on the album that I dislike. They have almost no presence on the Web, and I can't find out anything more about the duo (Mike and Matt Mahaffey) than is on the CD cover. Other Great Referals off of this List: Ben Folds Five- Ben Folds Five David Yazbek- The Laughing Man The Sugarplastic- Bang the Earth is Round The Apples in Stereo- Fun Trick Noisemaker Buy Them All!
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01530502ae0b76b832fb@[139.80.100.143]> Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 15:39:16 +1200 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Oblique esoterica, Anna "Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey" <jenor@csd.uwm.edu> tempted me with: >Re Eno (the anti-mop, I guess): those aren't *Tarot* cards; they're >*Oblique Strategies* cards (as James from NZ is no doubt about to point >out as well)... > >To this mind, much more useful (because, well, oblique - yet oddly >specific) than Tarot cards. (Now the Tarot-readers will be jumping on my >back like...sorry, John Relph - won't mention it) very true Senor Jenor, very true. Then again, it would be feasible to use the Tarot deck as oblique strategies... all OS cards are, basically is a set of cryptic hints, to get your mind thinking about what you are doing in a different way. More analogous to the I Ching than to Tarot. (and yes, I have (1) a working Tarot deck, (2) a set of Eno/Schmidt oblique strategies copied from the web AND (3) another set I made up myself using ideas that get me thinking about what I'm doing!) James from NZ :) PS: >In conclusion I would say that Anna is just Andy's roundabout. oh dear, song interpretation again. The Anna was a small coin from India, 1/16 of a Rupee. Therefore, Andy is simply saying that the commercial world of "oil, iron, steel" is being guided by money. Or maybe he isn't saying that at all!
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199607120352.UAA19748@dfw-ix7.ix.netcom.com> From: "Charles Box" <babble@ix.netcom.com> Subject: what Andy's up to... Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 20:48:15 -0700 Howdy Chalkhillnicks... here is an excerpt from the Tower Records magazine "Pulse" Talking again? Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth are playing together again. Although they are not working officially as a band, they have laid down several tracks at Frantz and Weymouth's studio in Connecticut for an upcoming disc (release date and label are unknown). The trio is again working with Debbie Harry, with whom they collaborated on "No Talking Just Head," from the soundtrack to Virtuosity. Other guests on the project include Michael Hutchence, Johnette Napolitano, Gordon Gano, ANDY PARTRIDGE, Maria McKee, and Shaun Ryder. Sources close to the project say that there will be several other "special guests" who can't be named right now. Hmmmmmm. Sounds like an "allstar" group if I've ever heard of one.... -- .......Charles Box ...babble@ix.netcom.com .....'hopelessly fighting the devil futility .........feeling the monster climb deeper inside of me ....feeling him gnawing my heart away hungrily...'
------------------------------ From: JRStoat@aol.com Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 00:01:21 -0400 Message-ID: <960712000119_236011251@emout07.mail.aol.com> Subject: Red, Without The Beatles Karthik Swaminathan <kqs7816@is4.NYU.EDU> writes: >>did you ever notice how XTC's Red has a sudden abrubt ending very similar to King Crimson's Red? I believe you're thinking of KC's "One More Red Nightmare". KC's "Red" doesn't end abruptly but rather on a very 'Frippy' sustained tritone. Wonderful album. On another subject, does anyone know where to get hold of "Without The Beatles" here in the states? I'd also love more info on this release. Sorry if I missed a previous post relating to this. Eric
------------------------------ From: Paul_Myers@magic.ca (Paul Myers) Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 00:26:22 -0400 Subject: Producer Message-ID: <msg12009.837145523@magic.ca> Organization: TotalNet Inc. / Magic Online I just wanna mention that there's a groovy and amazing Canuck producer named Michael Phillip Wojewoda, he's done big records by Barenaked Ladies, Waltons, Spirit Of The West, Jane Siberry and Ashley MacIsaac. (sorry if some of these are unknown outside of Canada, they shouldn't be) Anyway, he's a big fan of Swindon's finest and has been since the first EP. I think he'd be an excellent choice, if Andy could work with a producer at all. Barring that how bout Brendan O'Brien. He has manned the boards for so many great sounding and original records including Matthew Sweet's 100% Fun, Pearl Jam VS, Soundgarden's Superunknown, he engineered the Chili Peppers BloodSugarSexMagik, that new Stone Temple record that actually sounds good and various other incredible records. He's currently working with Michael Penn (hurray) so maybe it's a good move.... Long Live Pop. Paul Myers
------------------------------
Date: 12 JUL 96 14:36:43 EST
From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au
Subject: re: Video Petition
Message-ID: <0000oqgsieuc.0000miauqksu@dca.gov.au>
I've already had heaps of responses to my little project - to lobby Virgin
UK to put out a video compilation of all XTC's promo clips, as a companion
piece to the mooted "Fossil Fuels" *best of* CD compilation. Keep 'em
coming! (To register for the petition, send me an e-mail with "XTC
Petition" as the subject heading, and include your name, city and country -
NOTHING ELSE - in the body of the message)
Just thought I'd mention - I also intend to send the petition to Geffen in
the US to reinforce the importance of this issue.
Paul. {PCulnane@dca.gov.au}
------------------------------ From: Aaron Pastula <apastula@pepperdine.edu> Message-Id: <199607120727.AA00151@pepvax.pepperdine.edu> Subject: Dealing... Date: Fri, 12 Jul 96 0:27:25 PDT > Does anyone know the actual requirements of our boys' now-broken > VIrgin contract? There was so much talk about it being bad; what made > it so unbearable? Isn't a four or five-record deal pretty good for a > band? Actually, yes, that's a great deal. But receiving only 9% of 11% of your total royalties isn't just unfair, it's insulting...this was part of XTC's deal. Obviously the name Virgin is misleading...they're pretty adept at screwing people. Aaron.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 09:58:22 +0100 Message-Id: <199607120858.AA25042@felix.dircon.co.uk> From: nonsuch@dircon.co.uk (Simon Sleightholm) Subject: Wrong Side Of The Bed From: DeWitt Henderson <dewitth@lanl.gov> >* Monkeys - the last word. My theory is that those of you who don't > like the song are the type of people Colin is talking > about! (sorry, couldn't resist that) Sorry. Don't follow this one at all. The song is about the *whole* human race, which - I assume - includes your own good self. The "Smartest Monkeys" aren't a lesser sub-group of society, it's all of us. Still don't like the song much, though. From: "Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey" <jenor@csd.uwm.edu> >Re Eno (the anti-mop, I guess): those aren't *Tarot* cards; they're >*Oblique Strategies* I think that might actually have been one of those fiendish joke thingies; a deliberate inaccuracy designed to engender mirth. Which it did. Hoots. Tarot Cards are at least less pretentious than Eno's Christmas Cracker Mottos; they have pictures of great things like scary skeletons and stuff, and can be used as a manipulative device to dazzle impressionable minds. Hmm. Not so different from the Oblique Strategies after all then. My votes for producer remain Steve Albini and Gil Norton. From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au >Well, why don't we lobby Virgin UK to produce such a thing? Do you think >if we raised a petition and sent it off to Virgin, that it might carry more >weight than just individuals applying pressure? Strength in numbers and >all that? I tried this a few months back. I raised the same notion in here and got four names. Maybe there will be a bit more success now that Virgin are actively proposing new XTC product (hate that word). I hope so. I'll mail you my support. From: Bob Estus <bestus@sonyinteractive.com> >And another question that somebody posted a while >back which needs repeating: Who is Anna? and why >should she be doing any steering. > >Andy creates irony in handing the wheel to someone that lacks >direction. Fowards and backward the same. When is A, B, suggests >the looping, never ending qualities of Anna. Is Anna not simply a contraction of Andy's then wife's name Marianne? Add to this the fact that he can't, or couldn't at that time, drive, and we have a possible answer. Or is that just silly talk? Choked on the wonder of it all, Grumpy Simon Professor Of Thinkology University Of Oz * --------------------------------------------------- http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm * --------------------------------------------------- No Thugs In Our House, only XTC.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 18:16:38 +0900 (JST) Message-Id: <199607120916.SAA14511@gol1.gol.com> From: mwicks@gol.com (Michael Wicks) Subject: Mitch/Mitchell for Producer HiHo Chalkies! Gonna sidestep here and say that none of the following have anything to do with monkeys or Red or Eno...sorry! I throw my $0.02 in to the Producer Hat/Ring by agreeing with a few of you out there that said either Mitch Easter of Mitchell Froom would be good producers for the upcoming album/CD/masterpiece. As for XTC producing themselves, though this wouldn't be too bad of a thing, it seems a bit unrealistic to think that Colin and Dave would want Andy to produce, given the history of the band. But, you never know, anything could happen! Well, don't count on Toddzilla R. coming back, but... Here's a totally irrelevant question, but it's been bugging me for some time : Does anyone out there know which single is XTC's biggest selling (actual units sold), and which album has sold the most copies? Also, have any of XTC's albums gone, say gold, or platinum, or even sold over, say, 200,000 copies worldwide? I read somewhere that XTC's back catalogue sells pretty well, so I wonder how many albums the boys have actually sold (and how much per album sold do the boys get? A few pennies, more than a dime, etc.?). Thanks for the number info! Michael
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 05:05:09 -0700 Message-Id: <199607121205.FAA05569@dfw-ix7.ix.netcom.com> From: huduguru@ix.netcom.com (huduguru) Subject: Drummers I know that the boys never like to look back and use somebody twice, but I really wouldn't mind seeing Prairie Prince have another go at it! Heck, everybody here seems to like Skylarking just fine except for the occasional Todd-related quibbles... Steve And no, I'm not gonna get sucked into that whole darned "Monkey" thing...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=MARK400%p=GE%l=LINELNT1-960712121512Z-4605@linelnt1.light.ge.com> From: "Burgess, Christopher (MSX)" <BURGESSC@linelnt1.light.ge.com> Subject: RE: producers Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 08:15:12 -0400 Karthik Swaminathan wrote: >>but I am not so sure he is up to date with modern recording techniques which have changed considerably in the last 5-10 years Maybe this is a good thing . . . . I was thinking this morning, after having the priviledge of hearing the oft-quoted "demos" again, that maybe we SHOULD limit Andy's access to the hardware. He built these demos in his shed, and they are succinct, complete and certainly of hi-fi enough quality to release, especially since "lo-fi" is the way of the land, at this point in time. I'm just afraid that these songs will get lost under the bloated approach that Gus Bludgeon (or was that Andy's doing?) used on "Nonsuch": thick layers of digital reverb does not necessarily mean "production" (see "Peter Pumpkinhead.") Just thought I'd throw in my 8-bits . . . (oh, ha ha.) Bye, Chris * ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phone:(216) 266-8625 Fax: (216) 266-2313 Dialcomm: 8*346-8625 Christopher.Burgess@lighting.ge.com
------------------------------ Message-ID: <10FDD62F01291300@ametsoc.org> Date: Fri, 12 Jul 96 08:45:00 -0500 From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org> Organization: AMS Subject: Robyn Hitchcock albums DeWitt Henderson asked: >I've only got "Perspex Island", which I realize is more "accessible" than most of >his work. Any recommendations from other R.H. fans out there?? Well, "Globe of Frogs" and "Fegmania" are among my favorite Hitchcock albums (and "Rear Window" is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies, but that's a different story). "Groovy Decay/Decoy" is also quite excellent. For a truly classic album, though, my choice would by "Underwater Moonlight" by Robyn's former band, The Soft Boys (also featuring Kimberley Rew [he's a guy, by the way], future guitarist for Katrina and the Waves). "I Wanna Destroy You" and "Kingdom of Love" are just a couple of the great songs on this awe-inspiring album. Check it out post haste! (I'm sure I've seen it around on CD, but you might have to do a little hunting.) Unrelatedly, a quick trivia question: What's the only album (I'm pretty certain, anyway, and I'm NOT counting any compilations) that features both Colin Moulding AND Peter Buck? All yours, Dave Gershman
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 05:49:19 -0700 Message-Id: <199607121249.FAA19399@dfw-ix4.ix.netcom.com> From: huduguru@ix.netcom.com (huduguru) Subject: OK, maybe I WILL talk about monkeys... Look at us, dammit! We've been waiting for a new album for so long, we've gone insane! It's like we're a bunch of chronic smokers stuck on a round-the-world flight on a non-smoking airline. "Hey, I know...let's play a game! Name all the Monkey songs you can think of..." Hmmm...smoking...Smokeless Zone...another Colin song...Smoke On The Water...Smoke Gets In Your Eyes... NO!NO!NO!NO!NO! DAMMIT COLIN! YER OUTTA THE BAND! AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! (y'know, if Mike Nesmith produced the new album.....) Steve
------------------------------
Message-Id: <2.2.16.19960712151948.28878d02@soapbox.lanl.gov>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 09:19:48 -0600
From: DeWitt Henderson <dewitth@lanl.gov>
Subject: Re: gold dists
Re: gold discs - I know "Skylarking" is available on a gold disc.
Is the sound noticeably better? For that matter, is the sound
noticeably better on ANY gold discs? I've never heard one...
And a note for Mr. Swaminathan, who thinks that the last 3 (?)
XTC CD's are too Beatle-ish and too "watered down": it's as I
said before - just because we're all XTC fans doesn't mean we'll
all agree. Although I like most of XTC's catalogue, the last 3
are my favorites. They're fabulous. I gotta admit, though, I
like "Drums & Wires", "Black Sea", and "English Settlement" a
great deal.
***SAVING MONEY***
Just a helpful note for all Chalkies out there, possibly (and let
me give the usual "I'm not connected with them in any way", blah
blah blah): I suspect quite a few of you have a large CD collection
like I do (300? 400?), and if you do, you don't want to pay the
insane prices that most places charge. The best place I know of
for both selection and consistently low prices is Noteworthy Music
(mailorder) in Nashua, NH. Their number is 1-800-648-7972. Just
to give you an idea, a lot of "mid-line" or "catalog" stuff is
only $8-$9-$10, and even the latest stuff is only $12.99 or less.
Another recommendation: I buy a fair amount of used CD's, and I've
noticed that when I mention this to some people, they kind of move
away like I've got a communicable disease or something. Every place
I've bought used CD's GUARANTEES them, so you're not risking a bad
CD, which seems to be the reason that a lot of people never consider
this option. I pick up decent stuff for $6-$10 used, and I've never
bought anything that didn't play perfectly fine.
* ------------------------------
DeWitt Henderson
CIC-13
Los Alamos National Laboratory
MS P223
505/665-1434
* ------------------------------
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 14:40:01 -0500 Message-Id: <v02110100ae0c1146bfaf@[144.92.181.107]> From: aosterma@students.wisc.edu (Adam J. Ostermann, boy genius) Subject: ^Go2^ fans of the world... Just some more random thoughts... >From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) > >Blur definitely has a XTC influence, but from day#1, their "Boys & Girls" >has reminded me most of Wire's "I Am The Fly." Did anyone else make that >comparison? Not as much as Elastica's "Connection." ;-) >From: JH3@aol.com > >The more Go 2 fans the better, of course, so keep up the good work, Adam -- >but if you can listen to *any* XTC album and think about hitting the FF >button, well, all I can say is may Andy have mercy upon you. (insert ASCII >smiley-face here...) Smiley-face noticed, John. I have no qualms about not being the unoffical biggest ^Go2^ fan in Chalkhills (but, dammit, I had the laminates, business cards and bumper stickers made already! ;-) ) especially considering you ahve about 13 years on me even listening to the durn thing. Still, good to hear from ribald fans of ^Go2^. Where are the rest of us? All you lurkers -- show your faces and proclaim your devotion to ^Go2^! And just so there's no hard feelings about the "FF" problem, keep in mind that I like about 85% of what XTC's released, but it just seems that any other album has a track I'm not too hot about. Some more than others, I'll admit -- ^White Music^ I skip all over the place, but that's just me -- but for me, I love every second of ^Go2^. All that's all I have to say about that. ObXTCreference (sorta): Saw Moonshine Willy and the Waco Brothers live at the UW-Madison terrace last night, and Willy played their great version of "Complicated Game." It really must be heard to be believed, and would be a great addition to a hypothetical ^Testimonial Dessert^. In case you've never heard of Willy, they're a Chi-Town band that plays manic rockabilly swing complete with violin. Course, the Waco Brothers (with Jon of the Mekons!) rocked hard, too -- covers of "Fulsom County Blues" and "Honky Tonkin" along with their hard originals almost made forget about country poseurs like -- well, you get the point...
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.16.19960712203513.36273020@soapbox.lanl.gov> Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 14:35:13 -0600 From: DeWitt Henderson <dewitth@lanl.gov> Subject: more info on Mr. Eno One more comment on Eno and his "atmospherics". I said before that I think he's a good producer, but I just read in the Roxy Music page that he was credited with various effects on Bryan Ferry's latest, "Mamouna". I don't know how many of you are also Roxy/Ferry fans, but I am, and I find "Mamouna" to be endless noodling. Songs never seem to take off - it's like a car that you press the gas down on and it revs up a little but never goes. I don't know how much influence Eno had - I realize that Robin Trower was the credited producer (I think), but I feel like this is just another reason not to consider ol' Brian. OK, now let me put on my flak jacket before all lovers of both Eno and "Mamouna" Spam me into the ozone layer. * ------------------------------ DeWitt Henderson CIC-13 Los Alamos National Laboratory MS P223 505/665-1434 * ------------------------------
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 09:08:37 +0800 (SST) Message-Id: <199607130108.JAA14093@mailh1a.cyberway.com.sg> From: Kevin <mathews@cyberway.com.sg> Subject: some thots Howdy, some thots about the last Chalkhills ... > From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) > >" Blur definitely has a XTC influence, but from day#1, their "Boys & Girls" >has reminded me most of Wire's "I Am The Fly." Did anyone else make that >comparison? " Indeed, in fact, the story goes that Partridge was slated by Blur to produce their sophomore album but after some problems, Andy was sacked by the band!! Poetic justice, some might say. And on the "Great Escape" album there is a song - It Could Be You - which lifts the chord pattern of Statue of Liberty. >From: Tim Kendrick > > " Regarding The Sugarplastic - I think they're kind of fun, but > in a Dukes way. I find myself playing "spot the influence". > Their biggest influences seem to be XTC, The Beatles, and > the Pixies." Sugarplastic sound so much like XTC at times, you figure that Partridge and Co should be paid royalties! But the best bit is that their official promo material on the Net carries no reference to XTC at all!! Also, their vocalist does come across like a nasal David Byrne. >From: DeWitt Henderson > >" Hitchcock references (as in Robyn). I've only got "Perspex Island", > which I realize is more "accessible" than most of his > work. Any recommendations from other R.H. fans out there??" Well, I am a Robyn Hitchcock fan. Albums to look out for - Underwater Moonlight - Soft Boys: the best psychedelic album of the punk era. Solo - Black Snake Diamond Role/ I Often Dream Of Trains/Eye With the Egyptians - Fegmania/Element of Light/Globe of Frogs/Queen Elvis/Respect. Most of these albums have been reissued by Rhino on CD so there should be no problem getting hold of them. Robyn is currently with Warner Bros and an album - Moss Elixir - is due in August. Looks like he beat XTC to it! It took some time for me to get into this Chalkhills thing but I'm glad I did. I've been an XTC fan since English Settlement and my fave album is Oranges and Lemons. Other stuff I listen to nowadays - The Boo Radleys/Sugarplastic/Manic Street Preachers/Radiohead/Blur/Super Furry Animals/Orbital/Ash/Sparklehorse. By the way, I'm also a recording artist and am part of a band called The Crowd - which can best be described as technorganic powerpop! Am recording an album right now - due in August - will keep you kind folks posted. Cheers, Kevin.
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From: Michael Wilson <tomservo@uoknor.edu>
Message-Id: <31e6f89c5516002@cliff.uoknor.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 96 20:15:13 -0500
Subject: post look look videos
Hello there
Does anyone have a handle on how to get a copy of the videos
released after look look? Thanks, any help would be appreciated.
**************************
* " I want some gum! " *
* -Zorak *
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------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 14:18:07 -0400 From: WES HANKS <W_HANKS@wow.com> Subject: The Cheapest Living Englishman Message-ID: <199607131418_MC1-68C-144@compuserve.com> Hi All, I had previously mentioned that I found XTC cds low priced at Best Buy, to continue the theme...I had taken my son, (yes I am one of those ancient 30+ fans) to the children's section of the public library. Staring at me from the kids CD bin was the Carmen Sandiago cd (previous posts had mentioned the difficulty in finding it). Taped courtesy of taxation. Cheers, Wes Adjust your buttons, this is respectible street!
------------------------------ From: JH3@aol.com Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 15:46:48 -0400 Message-ID: <960713154647_576005946@emout18.mail.aol.com> Subject: Correction In Chalkhills 2-133 I wrote that Go2 is the "only XTC album that absolutely no one else could have recorded." Of course, what I meant to say was that Go2 has the only XTC album *cover art* that absolutely no one else could have *conceived of*. (Which is not to say that their other album covers are anything less than spectacular.) Obviously, there are *no* XTC albums that could have been recorded by anyone else, except maybe the Dukes of Stratosphear record, and even that would have been very difficult. Sorry about the confusion... Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming... --John "How Embarrassing!" Hedges
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b04ae0d690ed978@[169.132.99.74]> Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 16:14:57 +0100 From: pjmuck@mail.idt.net (Peter McCulloch) Subject: The three pillars of production Hello Chalkillians: Well, the issue of who should produce the next album has resulted in quite a heated debate over the past few weeks, and even yours truly has received a backlash from one or two chalkhillians (who shall be nameless) in response to my choices fpr producer (Though Arthur James gets a whole, hearty handshake for coming to my defense. Thanks Arthur!). Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that there are basically three schools of thought when considering the next producer: 1: Those who will give us the album we all expect 2: Those who will take XTC to a new level 3. Those who will screw it up royally I'd personally like to see someone who falls under category #2 this time around, and I feel that someone like Flood, Vig, or Froom are on this level. For all the debates over the relevance of Rundgren's production, I'd have to admit that he gave us a uniquely different XTC album than anything that preceded it before, and although I hated it when it first came out, I think it's a very special album. Let's get some fresh young upstart producers into the works this time, folks. It might just rejuvenate XTC's career.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <m0ufGhY-000v9aC@mis01.micron.net> Date: Sat, 13 Jul 96 20:14 MDT From: philco@micron.net (Phil Corless) Subject: T-Shirt Update Another update on the Chalkhills T-Shirt. Orders have been received for the following people: Bill Campbell Becki diGregorio David Donati Mark Donati (2) Jon Eva (2) David Gershman Robert Glazer DeWitt Henderson Naoyuki Isogai Tim Kendrick Matt Knuppel Andy Kreyche Tobin Munsat Matt Naranjo (2) Erik Pages Melissa Reaves Michael Rybicki Steve Schiavo (2) If you have NOT mailed a check to me yet, uh... It's getting kind of late. Seriously, mail it by Friday, July 19th or miss out. I want to take the order in before July ends. Overseas people, it's really really late if you haven't actually mailed something out yet.... I'm still expecting 7 or 8 orders and I'll be issuing one last update before calling the shirt shop with the totals. Any problems or questions, please email me privately. Thanks! * -------------------------------- Phil Corless Boise, Idaho philco@micron.net * -------------------------------- http://netnow.micron.net/~philco/
------------------------------ Message-Id: <14JUL96.25083275.0028.MUSIC@ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 1996 23:13:30 CDT From: "Zonker J. Harris" <T867@ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU> Subject: Robyn Hitchcock In the last digest DeWitt Henderson asked for some suggestions regarding Robyn Hitchcock's music...[after I had suggested that Robyn & XTC working together would be interesting...] Since you already have "Perspex Island" which is definitely his most "accessable" work, I would suggest trying either "Globe of Frogs", "Element of Light" or "Fegmania" as good "get-acquainted" albums...he has a fairly large body of work, but I think that those are his best albums. Continuing the "Drummer-Producer" thread...I had no idea that George Martin was nearly deaf! How terrible! I think that another producer that would be good would be Fred Maher, he produced Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" album. He also played the drums on several tracks, and I think his stickwork is fairly decent as well. I would like to know how one gets hold of all the XTC demos that I keep hearing about... Waiting for Sgt. Rock... Joe B.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 17:07:21 +1200 (NZST) Message-Id: <v01530506ae102c364b8f@[139.80.100.149]> From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Shore leave similarities someone mentioned the track "Shore leave ornithology" the other day, saying it sounded sexy. I had a listen to it yesterday evening, for the first time in years - I'd forgotten what a little gem it is! Here's an interesting point though - has anyone ever noticed the similarity between it and Shriekback's "Hapax Legomena"? James
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From: TikaMasala@aol.com
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 02:56:34 -0400
Message-ID: <960715025633_156194748@emout19.mail.aol.com>
Subject: Put the monkey crap to rest!
I love you people. I really, really do. You're witty, funny, and clever.
So.....
LET'S PUT THIS STOOOPUD "MONKEY" THREAD TO BED!!!!
Thank you all. And God bless.
Hugs and kisses. --- Trevor
------------------------------ From: TikaMasala@aol.com Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 03:09:46 -0400 Message-ID: <960715030944_359680265@emout19.mail.aol.com> Subject: A brillian suggestion. Almost forgot..... Yoko Ono is the obvious choice to produce the lads next album. -- Trevor
------------------------------ Message-ID: <31EACE97.2F48@stokecoll.ac.uk> Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 16:04:55 -0700 From: lee beddow <lbedd1sc@stokecoll.ac.uk> Organization: stokecoll.ac.uk Subject: FOSSIL FUEL - THE DETAILS! From: Lee Beddow, Stafford,England First of all, I'd like to say thanks to all the people who either E-Mailed me or thanked me via Chalkhills for the last message I left - I really apreciated it (and don't be afraid to E-Mail me again sometime) And now, the moment you've all been waiting for - The track listing for Fossil Fuel - The XTC Singles Collection 1977 - 1992 (Virgin CDVD2811) DISC ONE 1. Science Friction 2. Statue Of Liberty 3. This Is Pop? 4. Are You Receiving Me 5. Life Begins At The Hop 6. Making Plans For Nigel 7. Ten Feet Tall 8. Wait Til Your Boat Goes Down 9. Generals & Majors 10. Towers Of London 11.Sgt. Rock 12. Love At First Sight 13.Respectable Street 14. Senses Working Overtime 15.Ball & Chain 16. No Thugs In Our House DISC TWO 1. Great Fire 2. Wonderland 3. Love On A Farmboy's Wages 4. All You Pretty Girls 5. This World Over 6. Wake Up 7. Grass 8. The Meeting Place 9. Dear God 10. Mayor Of Simpleton 11.King For A day 12. The Loving 13.The Disappointed 14. Peter Pumpkinhead 15.Wrapped In Grey So, as you can see, there are no new tracks and there are no plans for a re-release of an old hit or 2 for the promotion of the album. I also asked if there were any plans for a companion video and was told this would be down to someone like BMI video or whoever but not Virgin (By the way, it's thanx to Kelly in the Virgin press dept. for all this information). I'm off now to try and find a phone number for "BMI or whoever" and I'll let you know how I get on. Keep those E- Mails coming. Cheers, Lee
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-136 *******************************
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