Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 22
Date: Friday, 3 November 1995
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 22
Friday, 3 November 1995
Today's Topics:
Sarah's Dear God
t-shirt quote, Wireless
RE Muttonbirds, New Zealand, et al
Through the Hill
Dear God: Andy said it, not me.
Puke
Testimonial Desert
Re: not being able to find TD!
TD2 Wish List!
TDII ideas..
Ramblings
Random Stuff
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-21
T-Shirts
Satellites Over Leipzig
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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
Wish they'd leave my head tonight, let me rest my bones.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 10:04:26 -0800 (PST) From: Bill Wisner <wisner@gryphon.com> Subject: Sarah's Dear God Vocal intensity notwithstanding, I can't stop thinking that Sarah McLachlan's penchant for thick, orchestral arrangements does not do the song any favors. I find XTC's -- excuse me, Todd Rundgren's -- sparser version more arresting. Or rather, as everyone points out, how could anyone hope to compare with the masters?
------------------------------ From: Martin_Monkman@fincc04.fin.gov.bc.ca Date: Fri, 03 Nov 1995 11:47:59 -0800 (PST) Subject: t-shirt quote, Wireless Countess Chocula writes: >*The t-shirt thing--I'm not volunteering myself, but if somebody was >inclined to make one, why not use the chalkhorse and the word chalkhills >for the front, and then maybe come up with some clever little quote by AP >on the back? That's just a suggesstion, I have no means to make the shirts >myself. If it is a t-shirt, I believe "You can't get the buttons these days" would be most appropriate. and Dan McDonnell writes: >I also found Drums and Wireless and a live boot "the fab four in philly". > Drums and Wireless looks like a good deal, (to martin monkman -- please >finish your review, if only to post to me at DEM@RMTGVL.RMTINC.COM). Okay, okay ... I've been too busy with "other stuff" to actually write anything coherent. I promise on Sunday or Monday, it will appear. Martin Monkman ******************************************** "I hate quotations" -- Ralph Waldo Emerson ********************************************
------------------------------ From: "Burgess, Christopher (msx)" <BURGESSC@linelnt1.light.GE.com> Subject: RE Muttonbirds, New Zealand, et al Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 15:02:41 -0500 While we're on the subject of great pop bands from New Zealand, anyone who hasn't got a copy of "Submarine Bells" by The Chills leads a bleak life, indeed. Probably my second favorite post-Neu Wave LP next to "Skylarking": same vein, same interesting arrangements and production and hooks out the proverbial ying-yang. Also, The Bats' "Spill the Beans" is great fun, too. Chris
------------------------------ From: smcdow@arlut.utexas.edu (Stuart McDow) Subject: Through the Hill Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 14:58:05 -0600 (CST) >From the keyboard of 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk>: > > I think you should buy 'Through The Hill'. No nasty sharp bends on that > one <g> I've already got it. Excellent disc. I'm a real sucker for that Eno/Budd/Brooke/Partridge ambient music stuff. Love it. _Through the Hill_ definitely has Andy's mark on it. >From the keyboard of Laura Parent <laura@geosun1.sjsu.edu>: > > Does anyone else out there really like the Budd-Partridge disc "Through > the Hill"? I swear it is the best sleeping music ever. > > Does anyone know the history of their collaboration? This "ambient" (coined by Eno) music has been around for a while. I by no means know the history of the genre, but the oldest disk in that style I have is by Fripp and Eno, "No Pussyfooting" in 1972 (I should go dig it up). Eno did a wonderful Ambient Music Series of four(?) discs in the late '70s and early '80s. A lot of these discs are two and three person collaborations. Here's a list of some of my faves: Eno/Fripp: No Pussyfooting Budd: Abandoned Cities Eno/Budd: Ambient 2 Eno/Budd: The Pearl (This one is a mind blower) Michael Brooke/Eno/Budd(?): Hybrid Eno/Danial Lanois/Budd(?): Apollo Atmospheres Budd has a couple of new ones; for the life of me I can't remember the titles. One is reminiscent of Phillip Glass - it's very good. The other is a bit older, has the word "crystal" in the title, and is excellent (I've only heard it once, though). Hmm, maybe it's time for a trip to the record store? Surely, there are more titles. If anyone has any recommendations, please feel free to share them. When I heard about the Partridge/Budd collaboration, I got goose bumps because it was a convergence of my two favorite musical traditions: The ambient stuff and, well, XTC. This disc is excellent ambient music, with the unmistakable quirkiness of Andy. Wonderful!! -- Stuart McDow Applied Research Laboratories smcdow@arlut.utexas.edu The University of Texas at Austin
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 16:55:43 -0500 (EST)
From: James Poulakos <engjcp@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
Subject: Dear God: Andy said it, not me.
Kevin wrote:
"Wellllll, you know, I am thinking, why should it not matter when an author
of an allegorical (or similar) work, be it poetry, a novel or a pop song,
makes statements (there were others) about the work in question about it
being his own true feeling? Doesn't that become a bit presumptuous? "
Yeh, you're right there. I have been analysing a lot of literary work
lately. I shouldn't have said it doesn't matter; what I meant was that,
in the absence of the author's statements about his "own true feeling,"
we shouldn't fall into the trap of assuming that it's the author talking
as the song's persona. I sorta got carried away there. Sure, what
Partridge says matters.
"That's when I think that analyzing literary work gets into mushy teritory
and people have a great tendency to put thier own spin or even thier own
thoughts into the author's head on it despite what the authBor says."
Yes. Of course some artists say one thing in art and another elsewhere,
like in press interviews. I say you have to judge by the piece (the song,
the book) to see what it means rather than interview the author. And,
conversely, you cannot always judge the author by the piece because, as I
said, the author might be presenting a persona ironically. If you're
interested in the "truth" of the persona's stance, you can ask him--if it
matters to you what his answer is.
*-------------------------------------------------------------------
My home page is now at http://www.gsu.edu/~engjcp/zero.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
James Poulakos
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 14:01:47 -0600 From: weisrot@cscoe.ac.com (Todd Weisrock - CIS) Subject: Puke I sure hope that whoever proposed that Vanilla Ice cover an XTC song was kidding, retarded, or on drugs!!
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 11:31:20 -0800 From: richard.pedrettiallen@octel.com (Richard Pedretti-Allen) Subject: Testimonial Desert >>Morrissey "Burning With Optimism's Flames" A word of warning... I don't think it is legal to use the words "Morrissey" and "Optimism" in the same sentence. ------------ I was really getting into reading what songs everyone thought so-n-so should do. I was marching through my XTC catalog to offer my soporifically lengthy list when I realized that it is unlikely that David Yazbek dictated which songs any particluar band would record. Yeah, I would like to hear King Crimson perform "Scissor Man", Laurie Anderson doing "Dance With Me, Germany" or Tom Waits doing "World Wrapped in Gray" but I think the whole concept behind a tribute album is for the artist to pick the song that they feel they could do the best with, wish they had written or that had the most impact on them. So I will not suggest who should do what but I will state that I would like to hear the treament/homage put forth by the following musicians (No dissing for dinosaurs, please, XTC covered Dylan): Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Adrain Belew, Laurie Anderson, Eno, Bill Laswell, Richard Thompson, Liz Phair, Mumbo Gumbo, Bill Nelson, Live, John Hiatt, Squeeze, Thomas Dolby, Shine-head O'Connor, Robert Palmer, Daniel Lanois, Zachary Richard, David Bowie, Midge Ure, Counting Crows, Tony Bennett, Sting, English Beat, Sparks, Ziggy Marley, Enya, Throbbing Gristle and Tom Waits. ...and maybe Orb on a Homo Safari tune. Now whether any of these people were influenced by XTC or if they would participate in a tribute disc is another story but I like the idea of other people performing music that I really like. Even if I don't care for their version, I like to hear their interpretation (Dear Pandora, There are a few XTC songs I don't care for.). If you don't like a version, that's fine, maybe you don't like the artist. I don't think any one set out to make a recording with the intent of being controversial. When hearing a cover it is seldom adventurous. We already have SOME idea of what to expect, so it is not a totally new discovery. It is certainly nothing like the initial discovery and the joy therein. I really enjoy Testimonial Dinner. I really enjoy the originals, too.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 16:46:33 -0500 (EST) From: heller megan j <mjhell@mail.wm.edu> Subject: Re: not being able to find TD! I can personally relate to anyone having difficulty finding the TD disc. I'm attending college in a rather small town with little selection as far as record stores go. What makes me really nuts is the fact that I was home last weekend (Washington, D.C. area), and I saw the album at a Kemp Mill record store, but, alas, I had no money. This is _quite_ frustrating. At least I know what to expect from the album, though, after reading through all the messages. :) megan h.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 17:41:54 -0500
From: produce@magicnet.net (Arthur James Virgin)
Subject: TD2 Wish List!
Alright, I was going to stay out of it...but I couldn't!!
Here it is:
My Testimonial Dinner 2 Wish List:
Prefab Sprout -> "Wrapped in Grey" (Can't ya just here Paddy singing this
NOW!)
Thomas Dolby -> "Brainiac's Daughter" (Yummy!)
Crowded House -> "Earn Enough" (Wow)
Blur -> (Anything they want to do!!!!)
Ben Fold Five -> "You're the Wish You are I Had" (What a great band)
Elvis Costello -> " Love on a Farmboy's Wages"
Tears for Fears-> "Chalkhills and Children (Built for Roland)
Bjork-> "Dear God" (Yeah, it was done in TD1, but ohhhh to hear hear sing
this......mmmm)
Squeeze-> "No Thugs in our House"
Radiohead-> "Ugly Underneath"
I feel better now!
AJ :)
"How can I be pleased when I'm handed the keys
to a town they call Misery" - Andy Partridge
Visit my Quality Music Page! http://www.magicnet.net/~produce/
------------------------------
From: AngryYngMn@aol.com
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 17:54:39 -0500
Subject: TDII ideas..
HA! You did it. After I looked at your ideas for hypothetical TD2, I thought
"Stevie Wonder singing Senses working overtime?" And then I took a double
take.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ! I'm ROTFLOL. I will show this to my
friend Jen...she'll get a kick out of it. (Gloria Estefan singing "...cuba"
Ha!)
-ira :)
^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
^ ^ ^^ ^
/~~~~~~~~~~~3\\\
| J A V A | || * Coffee: breakfast of champions! *
| |// AngryYngMn@aol.com
!_________!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 15:49:12 -0500
From: pgm2@cornell.edu (Peter Mullin)
Subject: Ramblings
>And I think The Hight Llamas, Pulp, REM, Shriekback, Stereolab, Paul
>Weller, Suzanne Vega and Yo La Tengo should be on there, but I'm stuck as
>to which songs.
How about Paul Weller doing 'Omnibus'? I always thought it had a sort of
late Jam feel to it...Stereolab could tackle 'Travels in Nihilon', maybe.
On the subject of liking and disliking XTC songs, I've found that songs
that didn't really work for me on the first (few) listen(s) (such as
'Rook', 'Pink Thing', 'One of the Millions', or 'Helicopter') became
favorites on further listening. Some things just have to grow on you,
maybe...
Peter.
"Do you remember when this life was in perspective?"
------------------------------ From: Richard Aaron Manfredi <manfredi@scf.usc.edu> Subject: Random Stuff Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 15:44:31 -0800 (PST) Haven't posted in a while (schoolwork, you know), so I've got a lot to get off my chest T-shirts- That's a great idea. We'd just have to make sure that the Virgin/ Geffen monster doesn't find a way to make us pay for the right to make our shirts. By the way, I remember seeing a "Drums And Wires" t-shirt a few years ago in a catalouge that I got from "Rolling Stone." Does anyone know this comapny, or any company that seels this shirt? Testimonial Dinner- In all a good album. I must say that I was disappointed by some of the more well known artists, and surprised by some of the lesser known acts. For example, I expected better from TMBG. Their version of "25 O'Clock" was a little too much like the original for my tastes. I can't say that I was dissapointed by Crash Test Dummies, however. I cringed when I heard them do "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead", so I didn't have high hopes for their contribution. And, like the rest of their songs, the Rembrants were so souless that you almost forgot that they existed. On the plus side, I personally was really impressed with P. Hux (huge E fan) and the Verve Pipe. Joe Jackson was brilliant, but he always is. Also liked Ruben Blades and Sarah McLaughlin. They managed to put their own stamp on the song without taking away from what made them great in the first place. ATD II- Great, I guess I have to put my two cents in too: John Zorn and Naked City- "Cross Wires", or anything off of Explode Together Rush- "Limelight" (I know they have a song with the same name, but it would still work. Paul Westerberg- "Respectable Street" Sugar- "Notes and Coins" The Mighty Mighty Bosstones- "Jumping in Gommorah" R.E.M.- "Ladybird"/ "Another Satellite" and so on... Finally- If you're looking for "Drums and Wireless" or another hard-to-find CDs, most record chains can order it for you free of charge. I got "Drums and Wireless" for $19.99 at Sam Goody's, and it took about 1 1/2 weeks to get in. Just a suggestion Richard Manfredi manfredi@usc.edu "I can't write songs about girls anymore Now I have to write songs about women."
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 15:57:29 -0800 From: richard.pedrettiallen@octel.com (Richard Pedretti-Allen) Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-21 > Does anyone else out there really like the Budd-Partridge disc "Through > the Hill"? I swear it is the best sleeping music ever. I think "Through the Hill" has some interesting stuff on it and I'm not disappointed with my purchase. I happen to like Harold Budd's solo work from Brian Eno's Ambient series and Eno's ambient works. I have music playing all day when I'm work but I can't have the likes of "Cairo", "Respectable Street" or "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" pumping away in the background of speakerphone conference calls. If I'm going to play much XTC music at work, it will effectively hurt my productivity as I sing along & listen to the production & "defocus", sit back and enjoy the music. I play some "non-interuptive" music (sometimes dissed as "audio wallpaper") but it works for me. If you want to call it Modern Muzak, so be it. Some of it is "New Age", some of it is "Space", some of it is "Industrial Drone", some of it is "Trance." You may call it "musical masturbation" but... masturbation has it's place too. If it works as a sleeping aid, you are the envy of many insomniacs. Richard
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Nov 95 12:41 MST From: philco@micron.net (Phil Corless) Subject: T-Shirts I love the idea of the chalk horse and the word "Chalkhills" on a t-shirt. Would there be any kind of copyright violation, tho? I've done t-shirts (200 of 'em) for another list I'm on (a house rabbits list, if you must know), so I have experience and a good local shirt shop. If nobody else is volunteering, I guess I'll step up. And, I just picked up Testimonial Dinner. I love it! I find nothing wrong with it at all! I'm running out to buy three more as Christmas gifts. *-------------------------------- Phil Corless Boise, Idaho philco@micron.net *-------------------------------- http://www.lookup.com/Homepages/53541/home.html
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 16:53:59 -0800
From: relph (John Relph)
Subject: Satellites Over Leipzig
Martin_Monkman@fincc04.fin.gov.bc.ca has a question:
>
>I finally broke open the piggy bank and bought a copy of "Drums and
>Wireless", the 1977-89 BBC sessions.
>
>Can someone enlighten me on the nature of the recording sessions?
> Were the songs recorded in one take with no overdubs, or
>was a more elaborate process employed? I suspect the former, given
To which Christopher Burgess <BURGESSC@linelnt1.light.GE.com> replied:
>
> Everything is layed
>down on multitrack, and vocals and overdubs are done after basic
>tracks are completed.
Dave Gregory told an interesting story about the BBC sessions for
_Skylarking_, specifically, the session in which "Another Satellite"
was recorded (B-side to "Dear God"). He said he had only a day to
program the drum tracks for the songs in the session, and not only
that, he got in an auto accident on the way to the studio. But it
came out pretty well. He said things were recorded "mostly" live.
I suppose I could dig out my issue of _The Little Express_ (subscribe
today if you haven't already!) for the real story.
Gene_Yoon@Brown.edu opines:
>
>Use your noodle: don't subscribe to this abysmal list, called
>"They-Might-Be".
Well, the "They-Might-Be" list is dead. The new list is called
"tmbg-list" (send a message to majordomo@tmbg.org). However, I can
agree with Gene that
> The discussion gets really inane
> maybe 10% of the discussion has any real content, all the
>rest is so much yammer-babble.
>Makes one really appreciate Chalkhills, truly the best discussion group on
>the Inner neh'.
Thanks!
patty@gdb.org (Patty Haley) writes:
>
>song, but for other songs as well. I check the XTC discography,
>and sho' nuff, there it is. For as long as I've been a Thomas
>Dolby fan, which has been as long as I've been an XTC fan (or
>almost), I never knew this connection existed.
Andy Partridge co-produced and co-performed on Thomas Dolby's debut
single ("Urges" b/w "Leipzig"). I don't know how they met, but there
it is.
--
Subvert the dominant paradigm.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-22 ******************************
Go back to Volume 2.
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