Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 38
Date: Wednesday, 22 November 1995

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 38

               Wednesday, 22 November 1995

Today's Topics:

                      How to get TD.
                    Video tree update
                     confusing musing
                My vivid dream last night
                     Producers, etc.
                          MUZAK
                            ?s
                         I forgot
    I have the absolute WIERDEST place I've heard XTC
                       Andy sexist?
                     Jethro Partridge
                       Move/Who/>>>
                       I'm stuffed!
                     Andy and sexism
                More "Down in the Cockpit"
                   Must We Be So Rude?
               Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-37
                 RE: Down In The Cockpit
               Ohmagaud -- a 1st time post
          Mellon Colin and the Infinite Andyness

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I can see them with their stern frown.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 16:17:40 +0100
From: mail@aronssonco.se (Aronsson & Co)
Subject: How to get TD.

Hi,

Sweden calling. Is there anyone out there who can give me a telephonenumber
to a store that sells A Testimonial Dinner? Here in  Sweden people at the
shops answer is "Uh, XTC, no". I have been trying for two months to get
that record.

Please answer to my e-mailadress and I will be a very happy man.

Thanks. Per.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 10:35:44 -0600 (CST)
From: Erik Anderson <aa393@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca>
Subject: Video tree update

There has been one major change with respect to how tapes will be
distributed:

Because I do not have the time to create "branch" copies (which take nine
hours of back-breaking time), I will do all the dubbing myself with the
help of a few local friends.

What this means?  Well, for the branches -- who have already sent in their
money (or trades) -- I will get a third generation copy out to you this week
because you have already paid for the cost of a tape and postage.  For
the leaves, I will also send you a third generation copy (which transfers
quite well with minimal loss in video and sound quality) as soon as I
receive a money order for $15 Canadian or $12 U.S.

Accordingly, those who sent in tape footage will receive their tapes back
soon (with the Video Compilation added).

BRANCHES -- please inform your leaves of this important change.  And for
those who are totally confused, you won't be required to make any copies
anymore (I will make all the copies at home).

LEAVES -- Send me a personal e-mail with your home address.  Very simple.

For those who require PAL copies, I'm having the conversion done by a
friend in Toronto.  When I get it I will get in touch so please be patient.

Note: everyone will get a copy!  Just remember how long this takes to set
up and that your unfailing patience is really appreciated.

Regards,

Erik Anderson

------------------------------

From: Algae99@aol.com
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 12:01:02 -0500
Subject: confusing musing

It is Tuesday morning, and I am listening to the new album by the Beatles,
yes the Beatles. B-E-A-T-L-E-S.  I am not afraid to say the "B" word, unless
it is Belgium, but that is another story.
I have always made the assumption that even though Andy wrote most of the
Dukes' song's, that Colin sang many of them to keep up a disguise. Andy's
voice is pretty distinctive, whereas Colin seems to have a more sixtiesish
thing going on, and has a more malleable voice.  Another example- every other
song on Psonic Psunspot sounds dead on Andy, when it is Andy singing.  Why
would he change his singing style so drastically for Colleideascope?
Strangest place to hear XTC- Chi-Chi's, during the holiday season, had
"Thanks for Christmas" over the Muzak system.
Did the 3 Wise Men do a track on "Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father"?  I have only
seen it once about 800 years ago, but at the time I was not memorizing
artists.  Someone told me that they did have a track on it.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 11:19:59 -0600
From: vanvalnc@is2.nyu.edu (Chris Van Valen)
Subject: My vivid dream last night

Hi

I want to get this dream down on paper before I forget any details It
seemed SO real:

For some reason or other, I had to go to Swindon to interview XTC. I spent
the day at Andy's house with him and his family. It was a really casual
event, and as the day progressed, I became almost a part of the family, you
know, helping with the cooking, average household chores and such (this is
really weird) and we chatted about this and that, but hardly anything about
XTC or music in general. He kept saying, "Music is for later."
        Later on (it was either late afternoon or early evening), we went
across the street to the local pub. It wasn't like any British pub I've
ever been to, and I've been to a lot of 'em. It was cavernous. When we got
there, we sat down with Dave Gregory and his wife (I don't know if he's
married or not, but this was an extremely stunning woman with long,
straight black hair). They hadn't eaten yet, so they both ordered some "hot
latte". I had assumed this was the usual coffee bar beverage, but what
arrived was hot dogs with mayonnaise(Please refrain from Freudian
analysis). Dave explained that this was only a bit of Swindonian slang. As
the evening progressed, we all got on famously, and it was one of the best
times I've ever had in my life(as most dreams go).
        Then the pub owner(who was an amateur musician himself) invited
Dave, Andy and ME(gasp!) to join him on the small stage in the back of the
pub to jam. I said OK but told Andy "I don't want to play the
electric(guitar--there was one acoustic and an electric Rickenbacher)" He
said "You don't have a choice", so I relented. The the pub owner grabbed
the acoustic guitar, Andy grabbed a Fender Precision bass, Dave manned the
drum kit, and I took the electric. The whole back of the pub was open to
the outside air(sort of like a barn) as the late afternoon sun streamed in.
The view was breathtaking and panoramic.
        Dave counted, "1-2-3-4" and we broke into "Jailhouse Rock"followed
by a whole string of rock standards, like "Blueberry Hill", "Heartbreak
Hotel"and the like. I had my camera with me and asked Dave's wife to
photograph the performance, because I was sure nobody at home would believe
this. After we were done (we only played about five or six songs, I
believe), she told me that the camera was already out of film, so she
couldn't take any pictures. Heartbroken, we retired back to our booth and
completed our interview when it dawned on me-- WHY DIDN'T I USE THE TAPE
RECORDER DURING THE JAM!!!! AAAGH!!!!
        We said our goodbyes, and I headed back to the Swindon train
station for the trip back to London when I realised that I left my camera
at the pub. On the way back into town, I passed a jazz club, and the front
door was open so I could see who was performing. There was someone playing
some jazz piano with only a drummer as accompanist. The pianist was Colin!
However, I was on a tight schedule, so I couldn't stay long. I went back to
the pub, retrieved my camera, and stopped back across the street to say
goodbye again to Andy's family. Andy's wife kissed me goodbye, but Andy
simply sat in the kitchen feeding one of his "pink things". He looked very
sad.

Well, that's all. Bye.

CV

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 09:56:21 -0800
From: uu023@freenet.victoria.bc.ca (Timothy Chi Him Chan)
Subject: Producers, etc.

In Chalkhills 2-36, produce@magicnet.net suggests four great
possible producers for XTC:

1) Mitchell Froom--excellent choice!  I really like his work
with Richard Thompson, Los Lobos, American Music Club, among
many others--his quirky, percussion heavy style would suit XTC
very well.

2) Jon Brion--I haven't heard his Aimee Mann stuff but I've read
good thing about it.

3) Stephen Street--another good choice--the Blur records are
great, and he does the sweet pop stuff well, too (eg. the
Cranberries)

4) John Leckie--always a good choice--XTC and him are probably
due for a reunion!

I venture to suggest a few more:

-- T-Bone Burnett: his style seems very similar to Froom's but
he did a masterful job (along with Colin Moulding on some songs)
on his wife Sam Phillips' last album MARTINIS AND BIKINIS.
And him and Partridge could have some interesting discussions
on religion, etc. in the process!

-- Butcher Brothers: normally rap (!) producers but their work
for Urge Overkill is some of the cleanest, clearest production
I've ever heard.

Anyone but Jeff Lynne!  I was very disappointed to hear he
produced the new B****es' material!

Tim Chan
uu023@freenet.victoria.bc.ca

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 14:29:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: "John E. Daley" <John_E.._Daley.ZIFF-DAVIS@mail.zd.com>
Subject: MUZAK

the MUZAK company is based in Seattle, and apparently doing quite well...one
interesting thing I know about it is: it's on for 15 minutes,then off for 15.
Scientific studies have shown that this is the best way for human beings to
assimilate it. I guess raw, total exposure drives people completely insane!

------------------------------

From: Ben Gott <BENG@hotchkiss.pvt.k12.ct.us>
Subject: ?s
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 95 13:39:00 est

OK, everyone...Just finished Chalkhills and Children, and I have a few
questions:

Is Colin still married? Did Dave ever get married? Has Andy stopped being
married?

I sensed a lot of animosity in the epilogue (regarding the touring
issue)...Are they all really so pissed off at each other?

What's the name of the song on the Nonsuch demos before "Peter Pumpkinhead"?
It's great! I also love "Goosey Goosey" and "Always Winter Never Christmas."
Why didn't these get put on Nonsuch?

That's all.
Ben

------------------------------

From: Ben Gott <BENG@hotchkiss.pvt.k12.ct.us>
Subject: I forgot
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 95 13:50:00 est

I'm so stupid...I forgot to mention that yesterday, while watching "Much
Music" on his groovy satellite dish, my friend Bob called my up, and, with
excitement in his voice, screamed into the phone "SENSES WORKING OVERTIME IS
THE NEXT VIDEO!!!" After I was done laughing, I hung up...they'd never show
this video...Then, my phone rang again - and I heard "one-two-three-four-
five..." Then Bob came back on. "You see?", he asked. "I told ya so, you
dolt!"

Ben

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 12:40 -0700 (MST)
From: "Daryn C. Tufts" <tuftsd@cougarnet.byu.edu>
Subject: I have the absolute WIERDEST place I've heard XTC

Hi there! After reading the "weird places to hear XTC" postings, I think I
can claim I've got the weirdest of them all.

I spent 1993 in the Philippines serving a mission for the LDS church. One
day, as my comapnion and I were hiking deep in one jungle, we stopped by a
little bamboo hut to rest and buy drinks. As I drank, I heard Peter
Pumkinhead playing from a radio in the back of the hut.(Don't ask me how
they got electricity that deep into that jungle...I can only swear it's a
true story)

Meaning: If XTC can be found in the jungles of a third world Asian country,
they could be ANYWHERE!

Daryn

"Can you keep what you have got forever, together?" -Dave

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 12:46 -0700 (MST)
From: "Daryn C. Tufts" <tuftsd@cougarnet.byu.edu>
Subject: Andy sexist?

Hi there!

Someone mentioned that Andy may promote sexist views in "Down in the
Cockpit."  I've listened to the lyrics myself many times and I've always
concluded that he wasn't being sexist towards women, but very critical and
critizing of men, especially with regards to how we've treated women
through time.

Am I right or wrong? What does anyone else think?

Thanks!
Daryn

"She treats me far too frosty." -Andy

------------------------------

Date: 21 Nov 1995 15:18:50 -0500
From: "Ken Salaets" <ksalaets@itic.nw.dc.us>
Subject: Jethro Partridge

From: Chris Coolidge <ccoolidg@moose.uvm.edu>
Subject: Re: XTC= Jethro Tull next generation?

A bit of a stretch, perhaps, since their music really is difficult to
compare,
IMO.  JT was blues-based for the most part.  Very solid indeed.  On the
other hand, Ian was writing fairly complex songs there for a while, far
afield from the primal three-chord.  Andy can be equally as complex.  And
like XTC, JT often didn't bother aiming for the commercial mainstream (at
least pre-Aqualung).

>>I find Ian Anderson extremely overrated. Not in Andy's league at all.
As a songwriter, he's had his moments, but as far as his flute playing's
concerned...(&c.)

Andy plays flute?!  Take a listen to Benefit and Stand Up.  Two exceptional
albums in their day, both of which still hold up quite well, again IMO.
"Reason for Waiting" (Reasons?) is an incredibly beautiful song, with truly
melodic flute playing.  Regardless of what one may think of his flute
playing, Ian was an original.  As is Andy.

Mr. K

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 21:46:56 +0000 (GMT)
From: Kevin Donnelly <kevin.donnelly@st-hughs.oxford.ac.uk>
Subject: Move/Who/>>>

I must defend The Move from the (doubtless well educated) abuse of Mr
Monkman. My argument goes thus: The Move are ace! There are similarities
between Blackberry Way (which Trevor Burton hated so much he left because
of) and the Beatles but BW isn't the _only_ song they ever did. The early,
more mod-ish stuff (yes I'm a Jam fan too) in particular is pretty good;
but my favourite has to be Flowers in the Rain. I think the reason people
assume they "slavishly" copied the Beatles, is because like the B's they
were a quintessentially 60's group in message and in style (OK; the
Beatles are still popular today but you know what i mean). And because
they weren't as "in your face" as the Stones or the who.
 I think they're cool, basically.
 Er, this doesn't have athing to do with XTC so search for something to
say quick...er, does any Chalkhillian watch Doctor Who? Then you'll no
doubt have noticed Adric's spooky similarity to Colin M circa 1981. Are
they one and the same? Andy P should be told...
Incidentally I'm surprised to read that he didn't like Sgt Rock. I think
it's great fun; very clever and somehow encapsulating my adolescent
feelings quite well (in that i needed a Sgt Rock).Although Andy wouldn't
know that of course. It's a nice tune as well (God I wish I knew
something about music).

You thought I was a woman, I thought you were a man
I was Tinkerbell and you were Peter Pan

Kevin "Paul Weller" D.

------------------------------

From: joel-virge@genie.com
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 95 22:14:00 UTC 0000
Subject: I'm stuffed!

Good day!

Well, I've been an avid reader for a good portion of the last year
and will now take this opportunity to greet all of you.  Consider
yourselves so greeted.

My first xTc record was Skylarking.  I bought based on two things:  A
wonderful review in People magazine (sick, I know) and the name "Todd
Rundgren" which appeared within the text of the review.  I was a HUGE
ToddHead and, at the time, a new ToddHead, so I was scooping up
everything I could find that he was associated with.

I was not overly impressed at first listen.  I tended to favor the
simpler, more melodic tunes like "Earn Enough for us" and "That's
Really Super, Supergirl," as opposed to the more dissonant tunes.
Although, as is apparently the case with many of you, further
listening opened my eyes (?) to the brilliance of the entire tape.

It took me about 6 months to confidently discern Andy from Colin.  Go
figure.

Oranges and Lemons was next (duh!).  I was working as a travelling
salesman in Hawaii when I first heard "Mayor of Simpleton."  For some
reason, I always confused the opening bars of "Mayor..." with the
opening of "Veronica," by Elvis, which was also a new single at the
time.  Anyway, confusion abated when my friend mailed me a copy of
the tape.  I'd seldom been so overwhelmed by a record at first
listening!  "The Loving" was flawless.  The bridge of "Hold me my
Daddy" exquisite.  It was then that I was hooked.  I've continued to
pursue all manner of things xTc and still have a long way to go.  I
still haven't heard Go2 or the Dukes.

As far as xTc songs I adore, I'd have to list "All of a Sudden,"
"Dying" (the words and music were meant for each other), "Dear Madam
Barnum" (how could anyone improve that song???), and "When You're
Near me I Have Difficulty."

I could do without "Fly on the Wall," "Bungalow," and "Dance Band."
No anti-Colin bias here, though.

I just bought "...Dinner" this morning.  I'm still smiling.  P.Hux's
version of "Another Satellite" is wonderful.  I loved the inventive
arrangement of the xTc version, but the new xTc meets Pearl Jam meets
Jellyfish version floored me.  Who knew that song rocked!?!

I found Dear God inconsistent but I was thoroughly pleased.  I'm
turning into a real Sarah fan.

"The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" was VERY entertaining.

My biggest thrill, though, was hearing "The Good Things."  I've never
heard the song before, so it's my first new dose of xTc since I
bought Drums and Wires two-and-a-half years ago.  xTc has got to be
the most Baroque band around.  What a beautiful song.

Anyway, let's not prattle on.

        Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

                        ---
                         |diot
                        ---

N.P.---> Solar Sister (The Posies).  BUY THEIR MUSIC!!!

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 16:24:32 -0600 (CST)
From: "Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey" <jenor@csd.uwm.edu>
Subject: Andy and sexism

In Chalkhills #2-36, Kevin Donnelly <kevin.donnelly@st-hugh.oxford.ac.uk>
wrote:
_____________
Someone mentioned Andy P being "sexist". I think the lyrics of Sgt. Rock
(>>>) speak for themselves ("make the girl mine, keep her stood in line")
but it's a great song and an example of the wit that makes XTC so special.
_____________

One of the great things about XTC is that, mayoral aspirations aside,
they're not a bunch of simpletons. This means that, occasionally, Andy or
Colin will write in character; that is, using the "I" of the song not to
express what they themselves think or feel, but imagining what some other
person might think or feel. (Think of Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer": you
don't really think David Byrne is running around offing people, do you?)

I see "Sgt. Rock" as one of the better examples of this, and by
implication then the song is rather anti-sexist (and probably
anti-militarist as well). The character in the song is obviously a dweeb
who's never been able to get up enough nerve to speak to women (which, I
guess, is still preferable to being a macho pig): "girls are foreign, and
strange to me" and so on. So, not having a mind or will of his own, and
thinking of women as "foreign territory," he calls on an "expert," Sgt.
Rock (who's a comic book character, for *insert your favorite deity
here*'s sake!).

The character is misogynist, to be sure--but because he's so insecure he
can't deal with women except on a comic book level. He's weak ("if I
could only be tough like him") and seems to have other, errrr,
shortcomings as well ("my own *small* battle of the sexes...").

I suppose you're free to read the song as "really" what Andy thinks of
women--but I don't see other XTC songs as supporting this. I'm not
suggesting Andy's perfect in terms of sexism--but he hardly seems to be
the kind of guy who's into macho bullshit: he's far too smart for that crap.

My fiftieth of a dollar.

--Jeff
                                        The Church says: *The body is a sin.*
Jeffrey Norman                         Science says: *The body is a machine.*
U. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee         Advertising says: *The body is a business.*
Dept. of English & Comp. Lit.                 The body says: *I am a fiesta.*
e-mail: jenor@csd.uwm.edu                                   --Eduardo Galeano

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 14:30:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Laura Parent <laura@geosun1.sjsu.edu>
Subject: More "Down in the Cockpit"

  OK, I admit I was just tired of hearing all this Dear God stuff and
wanted to discuss a song I've had a much harder time accepting. I know
AP is TRYING in this song, I mean it's not like he's Howard Stern or
anything but I always took the line "All through history, girl had the
brains to act just like the weaker sex" to mean that women were
deliberately acting weak, which seems pretty stupid to me. (Not to mention
the "girl" part. Are we only talking about 14 year olds or something? But
I realize that's probably more acceptable in Dear Old England that in
California).
  And then at the end when someone is pointing out a man to her daughter
and saying how great herds of them once roamed the earth, etc. I take
that to mean a feminist future where men have been eliminated, as if
women empowering themselves (or whatever that PC phrase is) is going to
cause men to become extinct!
  So that's how I feel about that song. It's always bothered me, but some
of your comments have made me feel better about it (especially Gene's).
  Perhaps I should cut poor AP a bit more slack...

------------------------------

From: Chris Spillios <cspillio@env.gov.ab.ca>
Subject: Must We Be So Rude?
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 18:10:28 -0500 (EST)

Oh my,

>  XTC= Jethro Tull next generation? I don't know about that; I found
>Jethro Tull intermittently interesting during their british folk-influ-
>enced Songs From The Wood period, but otherwise I find Ian Anderson ex-
>tremely overrated. Not in Andy's league at all. As a songwriter, he's had
>his moments, but as far as his flute playing's concerned, his one trick
>(standing on one leg while playing)was stolen from Rahsan Roland Kirk, who
>was ten times the player Ian Anderson is, and did everything he did back
>in the fifties and sixties, and he was blind to boot. Not only that, the
>guy had the damn gall to observe in an interview that John Coltrane never
>played a single original note in his life. Them's fighting words, especi-
>ally coming from a thief. ...

Can we not refrain from these intermittent diatribes?  I shall avoid
extended discourse on the merits Ian Anderson, et al.  Suffice it to
say that I, amongst a plethora of others, hold the aforementioned Tullsters
in lofty esteem.  May I suggest that should one wish to refrain from
cantankerous debate, one should set their malodorous designs on those less
popular, such as, oh, I don't know ... the B******?

After being so rudely interrupted, I shall now return to the peaceful
sounds of XTC, Jethro Tull, Rush, Kate Bush, The Tragically Hip, This
Mortal Coil, Led Zeppelin, Enya, The Tea Party, Marillion, The Clancy
Brothers, etc.  And, as usual, I shall be bare-assed naked!

Christopher Spillios

"Be very kind, be very understanding, be very tolerant ..." - Ian Anderson

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 18:50:50 -0500 (EST)
From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@moose.uvm.edu>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-37

  "She's Mad," from David Byrne's Uh-Oh album, sounds so uncannily like XTC/
Andy that I had to check the credits first time I heard it. Especially on
the chorus. XTC cover maybe? Anyone else notice this?

------------------------------

Date: 21 Nov 1995 16:18:28 U
From: "Venverloh Jeff" <venverloh_jeff@po.gis.prc.com>
Subject: RE: Down In The Cockpit

>Throughout time (with a few exceptions) males have traditionally been "down
>in the cockpit", at the controls, making many important decisions.
>Sometimes in fitful shows of physical strength--irrational, immature, at
>the cost of many.  "Man need the woman, to pull him right out of it"--to
>knock some sense of humanity back into him.
>Isn't that what Andy is saying?

Um, aside from all of the other BS floating around about this song,
allow me to illuminate the reference that the analogies are based on:

"down in the cockpit" is a phrase, in the aviation industry, used to
describe the status of a pilot who has crash-landed his aircraft while
still in it.

As you can imagine, such a pilot might need assistance to evacuate his
craft.

Hence, "Man need the woman to pull him right out of it".

Therefore, "down in the cockpit" probably does not connote being in
control or "making many important decisions".

And we haven't even gotten into the innuendous interpretation of Down
In The Cock Pit...

Discuss...

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 16:49:29 -0800
From: Doug Mitarewski <dmitarew@Direct.CA>
Subject: Ohmagaud -- a 1st time post

>From: robert.cowart@cbn.org
>Subject: Ohmagaud -- a 1st time post
>
>I find the "Dear God" brouhaha humorous.  I like "Dear God" even though I
>think Andy's theology is messed up.  We all agree he is an excellent
>songsmith.  In this case: Hate the message, Love the messenger?

I think his "theology" is bang-on. People who are devout in their belief of
"God" and "jesus" as the all-being, all-knowing, all-seeing, etc. are the
ones who are a tad delluded in my opinion. In this case: Hate the critic,
Love the music?

>I was turned on the XTC two years ago by the head songwriter, musician &
>producer of one of the major Christian record companies in So Calif.
>(Records?  what are they? <g>) If God/Jesus exists and is what and who He
>says he is (I go that way), then the roarings of a great musician with bad
>theology must make Him sit back an laugh (as we go on and on across TAH?).
>God is not easily offended by mere humans, I be thinkin'.

The spirits of the natural world (with whom the human species have totally
lost touch) are laughing at your short-sighted analysis. I think Andy would
probably be amused as well.

>I find great comfort that Andy is brave enough to mention "the topic"
>rather than ignore it.  He must feel that Jesus is the right to one to
>complain to -- it seems to be a continuing theme of his.  He doesn't whine
>to Buddha or Krishna nearly as much.  At least he has God's "handle"
>correct.

There haven't been a fraction of the population throughout the history of
the civilized world killing and pillaging in the name of Buddha or Krishna.
If he were asian or indian I doubt whether the song would have ever been
written, I could be and am probably wrong about that...

>When Andy (insert name) gets to the ol' el judgmento seato and says "Hey,
>wait a minute...," what will God say?  Maybe "You used me in your songs
>enough, I was kinda expecting you to get to the right answer eventually..."
>and then set the ol' judgment switch to the appropriate setting...

I assume you have an "el judgmento seato" of your own that you find yourself
perched in often, ol' chap.

>We are not responsible for Andy's religious choices.  I work in a Christian
>ministry and understand that many people, including Andy, are still on the
>road of discovery to the Truth (huh oh, I see the flame mail now <g>).

The road of discovery to the truth, that's a good one...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,
stop it, your killing me.

>In teaching my kids, I play them selected XTC tunes and we discuss them or
>just plain enjoy them.  Hey at least I can let them listen to XTC at all.
>Can't say that much for some of the music around.  ("Thanks for Christmas"
>is a favorite; they aren't ready for "DG" yet.)

I hope your children will grow to have MUCH more of an open mind than you do.

>Now for what I *really* want to talk about is the mathematical interval
>analysis of XTC tunes!  The hooks and basic musical structures they use are
>what brings us all here (hear?) & is their forte.  I want to see notated in
>interval form (i.e.. position in the scale) to better understand the inner
>workings of XTC tunes.  Has anyone else done this?  I have searched the
>archives but only find chords.  The intervals really tell the story.

Take the album of your choice to a math prof. at your local university and
see what they have to say (make certain they believe in "God" for the
desired outcome).

>No back to our regularly scheduled programming kids...
>
>Rob
>
>"Now watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat..." - Bullwinkle.

        Sorry to you, Rob and all who read this if I am out of line but I
find this posting somewhat of an insult. Let's save it for sunday services
shall we.

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W.Douglas Mitarewski          Surfing is life, the rest is details
dmitarew@Direct.Ca
http://www.geopages.com/TheTropics/1668
=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#=====#

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 23:33:09 -0600
From: shonniet@interaccess.com (LaShawn M. Taylor)
Subject: Mellon Colin and the Infinite Andyness

John Christensen" <christej@vrinet.com>> wrote:
>There may not be many Smashing Pumpkin fans on this list, but did anyone
>else notice that a few songs on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
>sound very XTC? Replace Billy's vocal with Andy on "Beautiful", and that
>song would fit nicely on Nonsuch.

The other day I was running to class and I was about to switch my radio off
when "Beautiful" suddenly played.  What went through my mind was "Wow, why
do I see XTC doing this?  This is so perfect for them!"  Too bad most of the
Pumpkins' songs aren't as melodious--but to each his own.

From: vertigo@well.com (Giancarlo Cairella)
>They are however priceless to XTC fetishists (like me) and include many
>rarities (like the Andy Partridge songs recorded for a canadian fan club
>cassette, early Helium Kidz tracks and demo/alternative versions of known
>songs.

And since we're on the subject of demos -- I'm absolutely clueless on the
earlier Helium Kidz tracks.  It has become one of the favorite demos I have
(Thanks, Holly!!!), but when I first listened to it, I found it hard to
actually connect it to XTC.  The styles and even the vocals are so
different.  Can someone enlighten me?

(I accidently erased who wrote this quote)
>I have always made the assumption that even though Andy wrote most of the
>Dukes' songs, that Colin sang many of them to keep up a disguise. Andy's
>voice is pretty distinctive, whereas Colin seems to have a more sixtiesish
>thing going on, and has a more malleable voice.  Another example- every
>other song on Psonic Psunspot sounds dead on Andy, when it is Andy singing.
>Why would he change his singing style so drastically for Colleideascope?

Okay.  Now I am really, truly confused.  So I decided to listen to Chips
again.  Besides getting rehooked on the CD (again), after several (hundred)
careful replays of Colleideascope, I can *somewhat* see Andy singing this,
though my mind still screams "No, it's Colin!"  But if Andy can make his
voice sound like that, did he do the same thing for Bike Ride to the Moon?
And if it isn't, who?  I wouldn't have said Colin at first because it seemed
too low, but after being stunned with the knowledge that he sung Grass in
that low register, I don't know anymore.  Or perhaps it is Andy imitating
Colin's deep voice?  I don't know.  I give up.  If anyone's looking for me,
I'll be hiding under the bed singing "The Vanishing Girl. . ."

(That was Colin's too?  Aww, darn it, darn it, darn it. . .)

LaShawn Taylor

"You see me as Little Miss Perfect, to be seduced and disposed of.
Actually, I'm pretty flawed, you know.  I've got a fat stomach and chafe
marks where my jeans cut in, bad breath from eating the wrong stuff, and my
underarms are stubbly.  You, however, have a problem with women."

***Julie Winters,
   The Maxx
   Episode 3

------------------------------

End of Chalkhills Digest #2-38
******************************

Go back to Volume 2.

22 November 1995 / Feedback