Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 145
Date: Thursday, 8 August 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 145
Thursday, 8 August 1996
Today's Topics:
Fossil Fuel
Re: XTC meetings
Calling all Texas Aggie Chalkhillians!
Box of delights
Q fanfare
"Suck More Piss", indeed...
Nonsuch sleeves
Leggo my bootleggo
Wrapped in Gray
XTC live
Re Settlement?
Re: The Stories We Could Tell
Chalkhills' Deadbeats
packaging
Rockpallast
slippery eel
Fossil Fuels - Bad news/good news
Various things
No slag intended!
Producer thread etc
Actually liking Big Express
I forgot more about Sam Phillips than you'll ever know
RE: Demographic survey
Fossil Fuel
XTC, ja!
NEWELL, MARTY
Re: The Runt
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Stand up naked and / Grin.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Darren A Peace <dpeace@flat7.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Fossil Fuel
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 23:18:47 GMT
Organization: Grey Velvet Consulting
Message-ID: <32067adc.1763577@post.demon.co.uk>
First post and all that - apologies for any breaches of etiquette.
I've seen some speculation on the list about the various permutations
of "Fossil Fuel", the imminent XTC compilation, and as those nice
people at the Badlands record shop in Cheltenham (who've asked me to
point out that the price of 2.00 for the double CD shown in their
advert in this month's UK "Q" magazine is, er, a misprint!) have
passed a copy of the Virgin press release on to me (as they know I've
been a fan for years), I thought I'd share the details. I'd warn you,
though, that Virgin's cavalier attitude to the band is ably
demonstrated by the fact that they even get the name of some tracks
wrong (no, I've not mis-keyed them!).
FOSSIL FUEL - The XTC Singles 1977-1992
Release Date : 9.9.96
Double CD Cat # CDVD 2811
Double Cassette Cat # TCVD 2811
Special Edition CD Cat # CDVDX 2811
"In the wake of Brit-Pop's rise, the essentially English pop of XTC
seems more influential thank ever; Fossil Fuel is a bumper
TV-advertsised (sic) collection which brings together all the band's
singles ...
TRACKLISTING
Science Friction - Statue Of Liberty - This Is Pop? - Are You
Receiving Me? - Life Begins At The Hop - Making Plans For Nigel - Ten
Feet Tall - Wait Till Your Boat Goes Dawn (sic!) - Generals And Majors
- Towers Of London - Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me) - Love At First
Sight - Respectable Street - Senses Working Overtime - Ball And Chain
- No Thugs In Our House - Great Fire - Wonderland - Love On A
Farmboy's Wages - All You Pretty Girls - This World Is Over (sic) -
Wake Up - Grass - The Meeting Place - Dear God - The Mayor Of
Simpleton (sic) - King For A Day - The Loving - The Disappointed - The
Ballad Of Peter Pumpkin Head (sic) - Wrapped In Grey
DE-LUXE SPECIAL EDITION
"For XTC's die-hard fans, and in keeping with XTC's tradition of
extraordinary packaging, as a strictly limited edition, this double CD
will be available in a black brilliant box, embossed with the shape of
an ammonite."
(press release ends)
I can scan this press release and put it up on a Web page if anyone
would like a look at it (there's a dubious "shape of an ammonite" on
it) - please e-mail me (dpeace@flat7.demon.co.uk) if you'd like me to
do this; 5 votes and it's done.
Now, Badlands have agreed to send any format to anywhere in the world
if anyone's interested - they're confirming their order for the
limited edition at the end of next week (Friday 16th August), so if
you're interested (the postage seems reasonable, at 1 UKP for the UK,
2 UKP for Europe and 3 UKP for the rest of the world - the limited
edition will cost around 16 UKP, and the normal double CD will be
about 13 UKP), mail me and I'll put you in touch with them.
Incidentally, does anyone know if "Wrapped In Grey" got a proper
release anywhere? I know some UK CD singles were pressed up (because
I've got a couple - I think there were 100 made, but most of them got
destroyed when the release was cancelled in the UK), but I don't think
they ever made it to the shops. And why did they include "Ten Feet
Tall" and "Love At First Sight", but none of the other tracks released
as singles outside the UK ("Earn Enough For Us" springs to mind)? And
why aren't there more previously unavailable tracks on the set -
although I hope they'll include the single versions of "No Thugs In
Our House", "This Is Pop" and the others?
Oh well. It'll be nice to have (most of!) the singles in one place!
BTW, I'm not affiliated with Badlands!
Darren
dpeace@flat7.demon.co.uk
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b02ae2c2ec5b94a@[204.254.68.22]> Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 17:06:52 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: XTC meetings >From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au >By the way, does anybody else have their own experiences of seeing the band >perform, or meeting any of the guys, that they may like to share with us? I >remember Robert Triptow's story (a couple of months back) about meeting Andy >at a record signing - I found that quite amusing. > >'Til next time, Paul In February 1989, I was hanging out at the Gavin Report Convention in San Francisco. (The Gavin Report is an important record-industry trade, if you don't know.) On one of the days, there was a "Songwriter's Panel." If I remember correctly, there were 4 or 5 participants. One was Andy Partridge (Oranges & Lemons was hitting the stores almost simultaneously). I'm pretty sure that Paul Buchanan of the Blue Nile and Ice-T were there too. So, let's see...Ice-T, Buchanan and Partridge. Can you GUESS who dominated the conversation? :) I don't remember much about what Partridge said, probably because he didn't say all that much in the first place. Anyway, unfortunately, I wasn't a huge XTC fan yet. I think I only owned four XTC albums at the time (including the Dukes Of S.), and I mainly just liked their "Beatleness." I hadn't quite started to enjoy their "XTCness" yet. And I didn't have a copy of Oranges & Lemons yet, either. Well, to continue: That night I was up in the Geffen hospitality suite drinking and chatting, and suddenly out of nowhere Andy Partridge pops into my face and asks ME in a very sardonic tone, "Have you seen the el-u-sive Mark Kates?" (Kates is an A&R/radio guy at Geffen, perhaps best known for signing Beck.) I just stammered out, "No," and that was the end of it. He pretty much disappeared again. If I was as big a fan as I am now, I would've been dying to talk further with him, but back then, it wasn't really a big deal. Sigh. Then again, I don't really know what I'd say to him now either, except for perhaps "Thanks for entertaining me." I know this isn't that great a story, but heck, Paul, you asked. I guess the funniest thing to me about it is that he approached me, instead of the other way around. :) GB
------------------------------
From: LAG2471@ACS.TAMU.EDU
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 21:53:01 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <960805215301.216d9226@ACS.TAMU.EDU>
Subject: Calling all Texas Aggie Chalkhillians!
Thanks in large part to one of Phil Corless' fine Chalkhills t-shirts, I
met and conversed with Sarah, a fellow Chalkillian today. As we were
chatting we discussed the idea that Texas A&M being as large as it is, the
odds that we are the only Chalkhillians here are rather slim.
So, I'm writing to propose that anyone from the Bryan/College Station area
who might be interested in meeting fellow XTC fans drop me an e-mail at
Lore@tamu.edu. If there is sufficient interest we could get together at
a local restaurant sometime soon, chat and get to know some kindred
spirits. (God knows we need some here in BCS!)
Let me know if you're interested! I'm just dying to form a group that we
can name... (drumroll please)... XTamC.
The aggies in the audience got the joke.
\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///
Lore Guilmartin Data's evil twin Lore@tamu.edu
This sig for decorative use only. Not for phonetic purposes.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 10:46:10 +0100 Message-Id: <v01510100ae2cc8b78303@[194.128.83.69]> From: fisher@easynet.co.uk (Mark Fisher) Subject: Box of delights Simon Sleightholm asked: >Now, a question for UK collectors. A couple of years back I saw in a record >shop a small boxed set which contained three XTC albums bundled >together..... Does anyone know about this item? I only saw it in one >store - the name of which walked out on me ages ago - but it wasn't HMV, >Our Price or Virgin. It was a box set of Go2, Drums and Wires and Black Sea with the added novelty of the CDs being picture discs (basically copies of the album covers, except the D&W colours are way off). At the time, I didn't have any of those albums on CD so it seemed worth the 24.99 pounds stirling that HMV were charging for it. It was labeled as a limited edition - I don't know how limited except to say it wasn't in the shops for very long. Mark Fisher (fisher@easynet.co,uk)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199608060824.JAA26407@aoife.indigo.ie> From: "Daniel Prendiville" <modjp@indigo.ie> Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 16:00:14 +0000 Subject: Q fanfare The eminent magazine, Q, has given a 4-star review to FOSSIL FUEL in its September issue. Well worth a read, with a great photograph of the group from '77. Q seems to be a spiritual sanatorium for XTC. Before I became aware of Chalkhills, I used to go down to the local newsagents and read the magazine, looking for the smallest, most insignificant reference to the group, just to see if they were still extant. Now that I've got Chalkhills, I'm still searching for the samllest, most insignificant references.... Seriously though, one benefit of the new release is the fact that the UK mail order catalogues are carrying listings for XTC albums, something I haven't seen for yonks. Still, I think I'll hang on to my hard-earned for the alleged video compilation... Me and the widow, salivating Joe Loss, indeed djp
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 09:22:47 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199608061322.JAA15706@cyber1.servtech.com> From: Joshua Hall-Bachner <particle@servtech.com> Subject: "Suck More Piss", indeed... >Star-spangled Mr Bernhardt <tbernhardt@aga.com> queried: >>>Terry Chambers [...] replied with words to this effect: "fuck that for a >>>lark, mate, suck more piss!" I readily complied to his invitation... >> >>Great story, Paul! Care to translate Terry's line for the Yanks in the >>audience? (At first reading, I don't know if I would have "readily >>complied to his invitation"! :^) > >for the Strine-impaired out there, what Terry was trying to say was "That >doesn't sound like a very worthwhile occupation, my friend, I suggest you >imbibe a further quantity of this fine alcoholic beverage!" Or words to >that effect. Or, in the American Vernacular: "Screw that, have a beer." :) Another wrote: >But Steve also claimed this about "All Of A Sudden": >>the song and video is so boring it's not surprising I forgot to add it! >If you really think this song is boring, you should listen to more >exciting music like the Cranberries :) >Are you serious? Really??? Well, it's got great lyrics (check my .sig) and the music is okay. But it's definitely not a "cornerstone" of the album. Has anybody noticed the remarkable similarity between the intro to "Strange Tales, Strange Tails" (the bit before Andy's clipped singing comes in) and a certain part of the backing to "This World Over"? It freaked me out when I heard it. BTW: The only reason I don't submit a track to the tribute tape is the fact that I can neither play an instrument nor sing. Sorry. :) Hmmm, which song would I do if I could? Yacht Dance if I could figure out that guitar part. (Maybe an electric version!) Or Travels In Nihilon. Or maybe even Jason And The Argonauts (that'd be interesting....) Maybe I'll get together some of my friends who can play instruments and sing and see what we come up with. :) /---------------------------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: ZITTEL@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 09:53:40 -0400 Message-ID: <960806095340_172862434@emout15.mail.aol.com> Subject: Nonsuch sleeves Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> wrote: >but there was a serious core to it. The sleeve art work of XTC >releases has always fascinated me, at least until Nonsuch which, >though undeniably an attractive packaging concept, really did >strip all individuality from the singles. I agree with Simon about the Nonsuch UK single sleeves. They were pretty boring. The three singles from Nonsuch (Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead, The Disappointed, Wrapped In Grey) just copied the appropriate picture from the back of Nonsuch. Even Japan's Demo Tracks CD is just a variation of the Nonsuch cover. I have always expected more from XTC's sleeves than this. Hopefully they will be more creative in the future.
------------------------------ From: Aeoconn@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 10:27:56 -0400 Message-ID: <960806102754_253894518@emout08.mail.aol.com> Subject: Leggo my bootleggo Should we feel guilty about owning bootlegs? Since the dawn of time, mankind has pondered this important question. My answer is no. We shouldn't feel guilty, we shouldn't feel criminal, we shouldn't hang our heads in shame whenever we walk down the street alongside the non-bootleg owning majority. Bootleggers get their money regardless of whether or not the bootleg sells. Their job is finished once they sell their product to the individual record stores. Due to the unscrupulous nature of the bootlegging industry, I seriously doubt that any bootleggers have return policies. Bootlegs don't sell that many copies, due to their low circulation, which means that the demand for bootlegs is not measured on sales of an artist's previous bootlegs but on the rabidness of that artist's fan base. Mariah Carey is infinitely more popular than XTC (for reasons that completely elude me) yet the number of XTC bootlegs dwarfs that of Mariah's. My suggestion to combat the bootlegging would be to either a) release a widely available compilation of the demos featured on the bootlegs as well as other demos that might be lying around (in order to prevent future demo bootleg releases) or b) do what Frank Zappa did with his "Beat the Boots" box set (buy up a bunch of bootlegs, put them in a box set and release them through a record company with major label distribution). The bootlegs would cost more in the latter format, but at least us XTC fans would know that the money would be going into the right hands. -Dave York, PA P.S. to Phil: Thanks for the compliment! My cardboard post also applies to the recent Chalkhills criticism levelled at Mitchell Froom's production of the American Music Club album "Mercury".
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 08:12:44 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199608061512.IAA03329@kinsey.fia.net> From: andycuth@fia.net (andy cuthbert) Subject: Wrapped in Gray Mark: I read your postings all of the time and have had private mail with you but this is my first posting. I can confirm the rumor you heard. There is a Wrapped In Gray 7". I saw an ad for it in a Goldmine about a month ago. When I called it was gone. I haven't seen the CD version listed recently in Goldmine, but then there are only about 50 of them that survived. If this works I may do it again, but only when I have something worthy enough to post. Later, Andy
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.16.19960806143456.1a572710@soapbox.lanl.gov> Date: Tue, 06 Aug 1996 08:34:56 -0600 From: DeWitt Henderson <dewitth@lanl.gov> Subject: XTC live "Paul from Australia's" mentioning again of his XTC concert experience reminded me of my own (albeit lesser) experience in the same area. Did any of you Chalkhillers get to hear the boys when they did a "radio station tour", probably sort of soon after when O&L came out? I was living in Austin, TX, at the time, and I was pleasantly shocked & surprised listening to the radio one day when the DJ announced that XTC was in the studio and would do some songs in a little while. I frantically searched for a blank tape, jammed it in the recorder, and a few minutes later was treated to about 20-30 minutes of a sort of "XTC unplugged", with some humorous & interesting conversation between the songs. Unfortunately, I think a few years later I TAPED SOMETHING OVER THAT TAPE!!!!!! Gad, I could kill myself. Anyway, it was a great treat at the time, and I was just wondering if any others heard our faves on this "tour". I don't know how many cities they visited. DeWitt Henderson "Don't they realize this is Respectable Street?"
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v02110104ae2d0e6ac219@[134.32.48.166]> Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 16:33:11 +0100 From: varga@ferndown.ate.slb.com (Stephen Varga) Subject: Re Settlement? In Chalkhills 144 Mark Strijbos wrote: > >But Steve also claimed this about "All Of A Sudden": > >>the song and video is so boring it's not surprising I forgot to add it! > >If you really think this song is boring, you should listen to more >exciting music like the Cranberries :) No need. Martin Newel's Off White album is fruity enough and probably a great deal more exciting too! >Are you serious? Really??? >Nahh! >This song is absolutely top-class, both musically and lyrically. >Seminal XTC and one of the euh... pivotal songs on the album IMO. >One of the few songs that are really personal statements. >A bit "difficult" perhaps compared to happy tunes like Pretty Girls >or This Is Pop but certainly not boring. > >What's your favorite tune then Steve? Frost Circus? :))) No way, Jose! Even less so is New Broom along with the rest of Explode Together. What an utterly crappy album if there ever was one! All of a Sudden is not that bad I suppose and certainly far better than most outside the domain of XTC. I was referring more to the naff video if anything which in my opinion did nothing to enhance the quality of the song. Believe it or not, Mark, my support for XTC is huge. They've been my number 1 band for the last 14 years (I've had a casual interest in the band since 1978!) Not that anyone want's to know that. However if all of us Chalkies were really honest with ourselves, (ie truly objective and not biased just cos the song's by XTC) we must all have tracks we really detest such as the Frost Circus one you mentioned. I have too may favourites to single out any and the vast majority of XTC material is truly top class. I'm convinced they are a band that get better and better - Rather like a vintage wine! Every Chalkie including you and I, has a valid opinion. Even Chris Twomey, author of the Chalkhills and Children biography doesn't give an outstanding appraisal of Mummer and the Big Express - not to mention Take Away/Lure of the Savage. Do you not think, Mark,that some of the slower tracks on English Settlement are a little too long - hence the boring reference for All of a Sudden?
------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 96 02:10:39 +1000 Subject: Re: The Stories We Could Tell From: "Rob Clark" <robuno@iinet.net.au> Message-Id: <AE2DABA7-1510C7@203.59.25.37> G'day Chalkhillians. The following are ravings from a virgin (no pun intended) contributor and new subscriber so I expect ettiquette transgretions to be forgiven just this once. Pauls query of XTC close encounters (#2-144) brings back early 80's flashbacks of youthful excesses and thoughts of what could have been. In 1980 I had moved into a share house in a semi inner city suburb of Melbourne where XTC vinyl (D&W and an imported copy of Go2) was played on hourly rotation. When the band toured in the same year there was great excitement in this dingey household. A pre concert party started in the early afternoon where much "sucking of piss" was performed and other substances were consumed. I ended up too "out of it" to make it to the gig at (I think) Festival Hall, capable only of crashing on the flea bitten old couch in a chemically induced haze with my girlfriend of the time listening to an XTC album. When she chided me for not being capable of going I said that they would be back again as they would be together for ages and be the biggest band of the eighties. We'd catch them later. I got it partly right. We never saw them again of course. My housemates didn't make it either, they got as far as the first pub. I count my non appearance at that gig as one of my big stuff ups in life. I just should have said NO! Rob Perth, Australia (home of the olympic bike riding kangaroos)
------------------------------ From: Aeoconn@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 17:51:07 -0400 Message-ID: <960806175106_450798243@emout08.mail.aol.com> Subject: Chalkhills' Deadbeats Re: Chalkhills' Children tribute tape Look, you idiots, don't piss the man off. If there was any remote possibility that you might not have enough time to complete your song, then why the hell did you bother e-mailing him in the first place? If you're not going to send in your tape, e-mail me and I'll do your damn song. Dave York, PA
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01510107ae2d86356845@[169.132.98.183]> Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 20:03:40 -0400 From: mnaran@village.ios.com (Matt Naranjo) Subject: packaging To inform Simon Sleightholm of the status of the American CD "Longbox"--It's pushing up the daisies! About 3 years ago,under a tremendous amount of pressure from both outside and within the record industry, the American record companies, more or less, collectively decided to do away with the 12" high longboxes. They were originally used for two reasons: 1) to "prevent" shoplifting, but, more likely,2) to forstall the reshelving retailers would need to make to convert stock/display shelves, which were long used for lp's, to a new format size. The longboxes fit in the same spaces vertically as the lp's they just replaced. Over time, much complaint was made about the wasteful packaging. Environmentalists, consumers and such all agreed that the throwaway stuff was a waste. In a flash of "Genius", the record companies rushed to cash in on this by racing to convert packaging to do away with the longbox. The first to do so would be viewed as "environmentally friendly". At the same time, retailers wised up and noticed that by converting shelving for cd's, they could stock many times more product in plain view to buyers. So... the longbox has not been seen in the US for over 2 years.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 96 07:47:23 +0200 Message-Id: <9608070547.AA26830@hvsag01.nl.lucent.com> From: adkoning@hvsag01.att.com (Andre de Koning) Subject: Rockpallast I won't be te first one asking this, I'm sure, but did anyone succesfully tape the WDR Rockpallast thinghy? I missed it :-( I've got WDR on the cable here, but missed the announcement in the TV guide and the news here in Chalks came to late. Email me if you want to set up a trade. Andre (promise I will spell the TV guide from A-Z from now on) de Koning
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199608070829.JAA12017@aoife.indigo.ie> From: "Daniel Prendiville" <modjp@indigo.ie> Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 13:35:49 +0000 Subject: slippery eel I'm not going to let Simon Sleightholm off the hook that easily... In response to a request for his views on valid topics for discussion in the Digest, Mr. Slippery Eel said:- >Anything is *valid*...Doesn't mean that it's important, interesting or >vital, however. OK, Mr. Smarty Pants, put us poor skeletons out of our misery. What topics, in *your* view are *important, interesting or vital*, then? When the point was put to him that FF-ing items in the Digest can lead one to question whether reading the Digest is worthwhile, the Slithery One said:- >Certainly, but that implies that we should expect *other people* to >always provide the meat of Chalkhills. My dear boy, unless there are one or two people out there who submit all the postings to the Digest under pseudonyms (an *interesting* thread there, perhaps? Spot the Schizo...), then other people *do* provide the meat. I'll continue to submit my postings, and I'll try not to disagree with you in future. It would help if I knew what we could *agree* on... Re. cover art, I knew you'd be annoyed if people were to agree with you on this. The biter bit, as it were... And finally, the urge to bash Mr. Sleightholm having been satisfied for the present, it's time to present a bouquet to Mr. Tim Kendrick for his proposed survey on Chalkhills subscribers. Should help to settle a few arguments there, I'd say. Just to conclude, Tim might consider expanding his categories in sexual preference to cover further possibilites (e.g. straight, bi, gay, celibate, "sell a bit"...) Toodle pip Daniel Prendiville
------------------------------ Message-ID: <320918AD.44CD@stokecoll.ac.uk> Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 15:29:01 -0700 From: lee beddow <lbedd1sc@stokecoll.ac.uk> Organization: stokecoll.ac.uk Subject: Fossil Fuels - Bad news/good news From: The Lee Beddow Detective Agency For XTC Folk Hi again First of all, a little bad news. The release date for Fossil Fuels has been pushed back to September 9th, so you're just gonna have to wait a little longer! However, as someone mentioned an issue or 2 ago, there will be a limited edition of the album in, quote, " A black brilliant box, embossed with an Ammonite". I guess that's some kind of fossil, isn't it ? (pardon my geological ignorance). By the way, this news comes from the ever helpful Kelly Pike at the Virgin press office, who also tells me that when see gets a copy of the cd, she'll send one thru for me to review for all you good chalkhill folk. I'll keep plugging away at getting more information on the video soon. Thanks again to eveyone for your e-mails - keep 'em coming! Cheers, 'til next time, Lee B.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19960807011920.0067e4b8@mindspring.com> Date: Tue, 06 Aug 1996 21:19:20 -0400 From: jes <xtc@mindspring.com> Subject: Various things I know that much of what is in this message has either been answered or attacked, but I can't help but put my several pence into the pile. Something that calls itself myke <jerk@earth.execpc.com> asked, with regards to Sam Phillips: "Am I mistaken, or didn't she have some quasi-religious material before her "first" album for Virgin?" And the answer is yes. Sam (nee Leslie) Phillips is married to T-Bone Burnett, and they are both professed and practicing Christians. However, this doesn't stop them from creating some of the more interesting music you'll ever hear. I know that we Chalkies veer off into Agnostic-Land with regularity, thanks to Dear Andy's direction. But, the implication that a Christian would have difficulty molding XTC's material just blows my mind. If T-Bone can turn Elvis into the KING OF AMERICA, then maybe he can turn XTC into the Court Jesters. Aaron Pastula <apastula@pepperdine.edu> opined correctly about Rykodisc. I can think, however, that there are those who will say that Ryko can't churn out a hitmaker. Anyone ever hear of Sugar and/or Bob Mould? I vote for Ryko. Then there is this guy Lee Moskow <lmoskow@ucla.edu> who wants the lyrics to Explode Together. Can't understand them? You think your hearing is bad, or the words are slurred? Can't say much about your hearing, but I don't get the slurred part. Granted, dub is dub and never shall the twain meet, but I had NO difficulty discerning lyrics on my LP or CD copies. Firesign indicates luminous monography. High Pitched Noise. Signal Ad. Commerciality. (That's all I know from memory, and I'm at work where dub is frowned upon (but not typing out messages to Chalkhills, go figure).) From <gondola@deltanet.com> (E.B.) comes the opinion that the only reason Warner Bros signed Hitchcock was to kiss up to the Robyn-worshipping REM, whose Warners contract is about to expire. A valid notion, he suggests. Bunk. As an Athens Georgia resident, I can tell you that while Stipe, Buck, Mills, Berry Incorporated hails the mighty icon of Hitchcock (there is a joke in town that goes "how many members of REM does it take to change a lightbulb? Two. Stipe changes the bulb while Mills puts on the Hitchcock record") the things that gets their attention in signing a record deal are (a) money, (b) artistic autonomy, (c) tree-hugging, booger-eating, bedwetting, commie-fag-pinko liberal dogma, and (d) more money (which is ironic when you consider that they're supposed to be so anti-capitalist, but you oughta see Stipe's house). That Robyn Hitchcock is on the same label has never mattered before, why should it matter now? Now XTC might get a woody being on the same label, but REM couldn't care less. Now it is time for that fool who calls himself <xtc@mindspring.com> to have a few words: On a somewhat unrelated note, but one worth mentioning, I would like to suggest that XTC return to the roots, so to speak, and enlist the production skills of Mr. Steve Lillywhite (whether or not he's won a contest). I was driving back from Charleston SC with my children after a rather odd time at the beach, and my son insisted on playing BOTH Dave Matthew's CD's (the ones on RCA) throughout the trip. At first, I resisted, but after the second go-around, I became convinced that (a) Lillywhite would shape something new >from the Lads, and (2) DMB's drummer and violinist (please, someone, shoot that sax player) would add something refreshing to their sound and (&) RCA oughta be looking at those guys as potential hitmakers a la DMB. All I can say is that Lillywhite making money off of "Crash" and not "Drums & Wires" is equivalent to Paul Newman winning the Oscar for "The Verdict" to make up for the neglect he endured for "Cool Hand Luke." Decent performances all, but not the masterpiece kinda stuff. That's my twopence. JES "You can trust me because I never lie and I'm always right."
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Aug 96 16:08:42 CDT From: "Bernhardt, Todd" <tbernhardt@aga.com> Message-Id: <9607078394.AA839456569@cc.perftech.com> Subject: No slag intended! Hey!! Just a quick one... From: "John Christensen" <christej@vrinet.com> >BTW, Why the Terry Chambers slagging? He was quite clever and original, IMO. >"Black Sea" is the most enjoyable album I have ever drummed along to. Try it >sometime -- it is a fun workout from start to finish! I fear you are talking to me on this one, since I just posted something about Terry having "heavy hands," but, believe me, I love his stuff and wouldn't have the forearms I have today if I hadn't spent most of the '80s playing along with my 90-minute tape of "White Music" on one side and "Black Sea" on the other. (Talk about a workout -- try keeping up with "Neon Shuffle" after 90 minutes of keeping up with the rest of it!) And, whenever I think I've got TC down, I put on "Cut It Out," the live jam on the "Scissor Man" progression contained on the back side of the "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" 12-inch, and struggle to keep up with that! Terry was the perfect drummer for XTC while he was with the band. I think now, however, that their music is a little more subtle and delicate, and wouldn't fit his muscular style as well as it did. Excuse me now, while I go suck more piss! :^) ByeBye!
------------------------------ Message-Id: <32091530.3B87@kgv1.bems.boeing.com> Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 15:14:08 -0700 From: John M Rader <jmr0244@kgv1.bems.boeing.com> Subject: Producer thread etc Well, despite the fact that some good recommendations and discussions have ensued, and maybe some speculators would wager on who its really going to be ($.25 on John Leckie), the producer thread has relevance only because it defines the readers of this list. If you don't care what people want for XTC sound and production, don't read it. The validity is to see how diverse elements in the fan base for the band still enjoy the band. And to have a little fun too! How about "King for a Day" Honey Mead ale for a nice start to fall? John
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3208DC92.ED@sirus.com> Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 18:12:34 +0000 From: Peter Dresslar <pdresslar@sirus.com> Subject: Actually liking Big Express Just wanted to say that I now enjoy listening to The Big Express. I've owned the CD for 4 years, and really disliked it until last week. Weird. Perhaps I'll warm to Go2 in 2001. -- -Peter Dresslar Holland (it's a city), Michigan, USA
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 04:28:47 -0500 Message-Id: <v01530500ae2f1a9a96e9@[204.153.64.157]> From: musicvil@idir.net (John Yuelkenbeck) Subject: I forgot more about Sam Phillips than you'll ever know Yes, my "Godless" comment about Sam Phillips was meant to be flippant--more of a commentary on the record industry's penchant for categorizing and pigeonholing artists. Regarding "Christian" artists, I agree with what Sam's born-again husband, T Bone, once said--something to the effect that he would rather sing about the things Jesus said and did, rather than singing ABOUT Jesus. Amen. I have been a big fan of Leslie/Sam for quite a while. My only criticism of her is her writing style: on almost EVERY song, she has a verse or two and then repeats the title of the song over and (this world) over. Repetition can be effective (it works really well with her song "Lying"), but as Emerson said, "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. OK, OK, I know this is the XTC newgroup. But I've had to suffer through the thread on Sugargrass or Superplastic or whatever band it was. Martinis and Bikinis for my fellow Chalktalkers (is that a new self-identifier?)
------------------------------
Message-Id: <s209b332.088@DICTAPHONE.COM>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 09:17:08 -0400
From: Tim Kendrick <TKEN@DICTAPHONE.COM>
Subject: RE: Demographic survey
WOW !
The response so far to my little survey
has been FANTASTIC (!). I guess I chose
something everyone is interested in.
KEEP THEM COMING !!!!
If you haven't already responded to the survey,
please take a couple of minutes to do so.
Again, everything is kept confidential.
I will only be posting overall percentages
and averages - NO individual data.
Due to the large volume I've been getting, it's
been very easy for me not to know who said what
- and ALL the email is being deleted immediately
after it's data is put into my little database.
Again, try to use the subject line
"XTC DEMOGRAPHICS" and email to me personally,
not the list.
Thanks and keep the responses coming !!!
Tim Kendrick
tken@dictaphone.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <32091220.3432@kgv1.bems.boeing.com> Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 15:01:04 -0700 From: John M Rader <jmr0244@kgv1.bems.boeing.com> Subject: Fossil Fuel NEWS FLASH: A mail order place called Siren Disc at 213-935-0578 is taking pre-orders for Fossil Fuel, including the limited edition box. Visit their groovy website or call for more info. John
------------------------------ From: "James Isaacs" <JISAACS@urz-mail.urz.uni-heidelberg.de> Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 18:47:12 CET-1CST Subject: XTC, ja! Message-ID: <5E419DC13E5@urz-mail.urz.uni-heidelberg.de> My fellow Chalkhillians, I have returned to the list after 6 months and 6000 miles, and I have found myself in the midst of Germans; strangely enough, it is Germany. Not only is the keyboard harder to use here, but I have yet to find a record store here in Heidelberg (Ah, Heidelberg) nor Mannheim (Uh, Mannheim) that have anything by the last sons of Swindon. While this does not bother me at the moment, as I have everything but "The Kitchen Sink", I can forsee problems down the road, such as future releases and converting the pagans. Are there any German folks out there? Am I the lone voice n the wilderness? Any clues of good shops in the area I have overlooked? On the brighter side, if all goes well I am heading to London at the end of this month, and I have every intention of heading out to Swindon, just to see what all the fuss is about. And finally, maybe I am just out of focus these days, but there seems to be a lot of sniping going on. But I do love German beer... James
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199608081929.MAA19473@sgi.sgi.com>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 15:22:28 EDT
From: "Jeffrey Stoffel" <jstoffel@e-mail.com>
Subject: NEWELL, MARTY
Greetings all.
I finally found a source for the Off-White Album in the U.S.
It's a mail-order house called Siren Discs, phone (213) 935-
0578. They also stock the Cleaners From Venus CD's. They
ship express against your credit card.
Now, who sings on "Bikeride To The Moon"? Is it Partridge?
-Jeff
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 17:27:14 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@moose.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: The Runt Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.960808170934.30044A-100000@moose.uvm.edu> Regarding Todd Rundgren, I have more respect for him as a songwriter and recording artist in his own right than as a producer. Todd is a classic example of someone who is brilliant at one thing(gorgeous three minute pop songs)and would love the world to remember him for something else he's not so good at(electronic music/multimedia innovations. While he's had mixed success with some interesting video experiments and concept albums, for his prowess with electronic music, look no further than the mostly unlistenable A Wizard/A True Star.). Even when Todd has me scratching my head incredulously, he's never boring, however. As a producer I find him very hit and miss. IMHO as far as Skylarking's concerned he gets points for providing a concept and direction and a good drummer, but soundwise the production was middling at best. As for his other jobs, remember he's the bozo responsible for Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell. Also adequate: his work with the Psychedelic Furs, Cheap Trick, Jill Sobule, Bourgeois Tagg, and The Tubes. Wrong production for the wrong band/acid flashback category: The New York Dolls, Hall and Oates, early Utopia(until Ra). Speaking of Todd, anyone else think The Nazz's "Open My Eyes" is one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever recorded? That intro puts me into rock and roll heaven every time.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-145 *******************************
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