Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 67
Date: Saturday, 10 February 1996
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 67
Saturday, 10 February 1996
Today's Topics:
Loudon Wainwright
Newbie Alert
XTC & Rush
Ben FF and Robyn H.
Re: Beefheart: Great Lost Influence
News
Phish, Joni, Todd, Colin
Beatles comments on XTC
Martinis & Bikinis
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-65
Voices of singers and voices of fans
Another Satellite Revealed at Last
XTC Stuff Seen for Sale
My, the world looks good
Thanks for the Aimee Mann Tip!
Comments, and an end to all disputes
Spilt-Milk era soundboard recording
Idea
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Bang the wall for me to turn down...
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 18:31:48 -0500 (EST) From: ROMER THOMAS J <romer@cooper.edu> Subject: Loudon Wainwright Loudon Wainwright the third that is. I dig Loudy too, how ya doin Patty. Fine man that Loudon. Glad he's not my Dad though... THOMMHAS RHOMMHER
------------------------------ From: mtross@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 17:39:47 -0600 (CST) Subject: Newbie Alert Just got the mailing list last week. Seems cool and stuff... what caught my eye were the numerous slams on other artists, which is fine with me. I am not immune to Joni-worship, but I have never connected that with my liking for XTC. As for Alanis, she's bad, but Sinead O'Connor is not. Why the two are compared to each other is beyond me. I don't think it's whether or not one "screeches" or is a "craftsman" (these seem to be the two either-or categories) determines how good a musician one is. I like XTC but I couldn't care less about Jellyfish, so there you have it. The best XTC-related disc I've heard recently is Sam Phillips' last release, which I just got. A very good (co)production by Colin.
------------------------------ From: SCOTT@BUAXP1.BARRY.EDU Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 18:45:19 -0500 (EST) Subject: XTC & Rush This will probably offend many of the readers of this newsletter but, being a fan of both XTC and Rush, I have noted a few similarities between these bands: 1) They are both trios 2) They have fanatical underground followings 3) They make a record only every few years 4) Quirky, offbeat song structures 5) They receive relatively little airplay 6) Each band has at least one instrumental virtuoso 7) They write "intellectual" music 8) The bass player uses, or has used, a Wal I don't really need to hear from all those who don't care for Rush, but is anyone out there a Rush fan besides myself? I will concede that XTC is a better band overall, but Rush is also musically adept (I recommend Presto for the unitiated). Regarding XTC, there is a nice interview in a recent issue of Musician Magazine with Andy Partridge. He mentions that the band has enough new material for two studio albums; they are simply waiting for the legal stalemate with Virgin to end. And now the obligatory... "This is my first post". You guys are an interesting read! Especially those in England. Sam Scott scott@buaxp1.barry.edu
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 16:07:23 -0800 (PST) From: Laura Parent <laura@geosun1.sjsu.edu> Subject: Ben FF and Robyn H. I went out and bought the BFF cd on the recommendation of the chalkhill listies, and I'd just like to say thanks! What a crazy record. Kind of like Jellyfish (uhh...Beatnik Beach?) meets Pavement meets Billy Preston. (OK, so I'm weird). I can't wait to catch them in concert. If anyone lives near Sunnyvale CA, CD warehouse has the BFF CD (as well as the Crowded House Suffer Never single part 2...but that's another list). And if anyone is interested in weird lyrics but also some nice melodies, check out Robyn Hitchcock (esp. "Eye"). I'm not a Beefheart fan but Robyn fills in the "lyrics too strange to comprehend" gap for me. Does anyone know where I can get the Nonsuch demo CD in the Bay Area? CD warehouse had it for a while...but I lagged too long. (I hate that!)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 19:07:57 -0500
From: Ken Manheimer <klm@CNRI.Reston.VA.US>
Subject: Re: Beefheart: Great Lost Influence
Organization: Corporation for National Research Initiatives
I have to say, i'm tickled, and a bit surprised, to hear of a
connection between XTC and Capt. Beefheart.
BObannon@aol.com writes:
> >>Just what is the story with Ella Guru? On the Demos 4 CD, there's just the
> instrumental track, but I have another track with the boys (or is it just
> Andy again?) singing all sorts of weird nonsense.<<
> [...]
>
> "Ella Guru" is an old Captain Beefheart song, from his album "Trout Mask
> Replica," from around 1969 or so. Beefheart was a big influence on XTC; all
> you hear about today is how much the Beatles influenced XTC, but you rarely
> hear about the Captain's contribution, which is too bad because XTC's sound
> up until about "English Settlement" was virtually built upon the Beefheart
> sound. All of those dissonant chords and herky-jerky rhythms (evident most
> glaringly in tunes like "Crosswires") are right out of the Captain Beefheart
> songbook.
Yep - makes sense! Both give me a peculiar, compelling sense of
urgency - compelling, but obscure...
> For those interested in the Captain, I would highly recommend his albums "Bat
> Chain Puller" and "Doc at the Radar Station." They are his most tuneful
I emphatically second the recommendation of _Bat Chain Puller (Shiny
Beast)_ - it's among my favorite albums, along with a few by XTC
(_English Settlement_, _Drums and Wires_, _Go2_, to be specific).
But a caveat - even the most accessible beefheart (bee fart?-) is an
acquired taste. And i would not be surprised if it's significantly
more to the liking of the folks who prefer the early XTC to the more
recent (skylarking and subsequent) stuff, as i (also, emphatically)
do...
> collection of songs ("Tout Mask Replica," in my opinion, is virtually
> unlistenable, as "Ella Guru" is by far the most accessible song on the whole
> album), but they still feature the most unpredictable and outlandish song
Yeah, while you're being so honest, i have to confess that much
beefheart qualifies for me as curiousity, rather than satisfaction.
But a few tunes here and there, and _puller_ in general, definitely
have struck home with me...
> [...]
> As for the Captain, he got fed up with the music business and took up
> residence in Arizona to paint and watch basketball. He hasn't recorded
> anything since 1978.
Hmm. I have the impression he did a release or two in the '80s, after
i started listening to his stuff. A glimpse search of my homedir
reveals a ref to "Ice Cream for Crow" - i'm almost certain it came out
mid-eighties. ?
|/en /V\anheimer klm@cnri.reston.va.us 703 620-8990 x268
|\ (orporation for National Research |nitiatives
1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 100
Reston, VA 22091
------------------------------
From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: News
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 00:34:24 +0000 (GMT)
But first, thanks for those hardy souls who've emailed me about the
possibility of new Shriekback material... keep those emails coming in;
at the moment I'm just collecting them, one or two which warrant replies
will be dealt with in due course. I want more than 6 replies before I
send anything off to Dave Allen, really I do. For all I know he may
release it as mail-order-only or something, so it's in your interests
to make contact. :-)
Right, onto todays topic. Been shopping, and stumbled across a clued-up
record shop! I am informed that:
(1) Not only are XTC well and truly off Virgin (which we knew), they
are on the verge of signing to another (major-ish) label.
(2) There will be a Beatles tribute album released on Pink Lemon
Records in Germany in May, which will include a track performed
by Dave Gregory.
Reliability of source not previously tested.
ttfn,
Phil
_
|_)|_ *|
| | )|| http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~ee92pmh/
========
------------------------------
From: Ben Gott <BENG@hotchkiss.pvt.k12.ct.us>
Subject: Phish, Joni, Todd, Colin
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 96 19:41:00 est
I get the Phish newsletter, in which they had an interview with Paul Fox. He
said that the dream band he'd like to tour with is...XTC! I think his
production on O&L is lush, but the crowded feeling smoothes itself out after
some listenings (Rolling Stone gave it four stars! I have a copy of the
review, if anyone's interested...)
If anyone hasn't heard Joni's album "Turbulent Indigo" (her latest), please
do so. Now. The last song ("The Sire of Sorrow") is the most beautiful song
I've ever heard.
I listened Todd Rundgren's "Healing" in the car yesterday - not one of his
greatest albums, but incredible (he wrote, produced, played, recorded and
mixed the thing by itself.) It's got some real gems like "Time Heals" and
"Pulse." Pick it up if you've got some extra money (it was re-released by
Rykodisc, who I think should pick up the XTC catalog!)
I can sing "Sacrificial Bonfire," but "Grass" is too deep for my young voice.
However, some of those notes in "One of the Millions" can give me a run for
my money ("IIIII'm running steady...")
Ben
XTC SONG OF THE DAY: One of the Millions
("Hey!")
------------------------------ From: Ricky Kreitman <RICKY@vhf.org> Subject: Beatles comments on XTC Date: Fri, 09 Feb 96 17:07:00 PST Maybe this question belongs on a Beatles newsgroup but... Does anyone know of any comments expressed by any Beatle member about XTC? Do they like XTC?
------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 96 20:28:00 EST From: "will heyniger" <WHEYNIGER@cqalert.com> Subject: Martinis & Bikinis as a new member of the list I must beg your forgiveness if this is old hat, but has anybody else noticed that Colin M. plays on a few of the tunes on Sam Phillips' new record, "Martinis & Bikinis," and that he even co-wrote one of them, I think? maybe that should be added to the "what's XTC been up to recently" part of the very fine XTC FAQ I just visited on the Web. (and tangentially, speaking of Sam Phillips, do you believe this former Christian-rocker and spouse of T-Bone Burnett played that Nazi-girl moll of Jeremy Irons' in the latest "Die Hard" movie? wow.. you've come a long way, baby. --Will)
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 21:11:12 -0500 (EST) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@moose.uvm.edu> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-65 Correction, Captain Beefheart HAD a four octave voice; by the time of Doc At The Radar Station, it was almost gone. One of the prime examples of what a two-pack a day cigarette habit can do to your voice. Nonetheless, Doc At The Radar Station was the first Beefheart album I ever brought. I still think he's one of the few true originals, and I wait with baited breath for him to get around to releasing something again. I hear he mostly paints these days; he still records demos for his own amusement, but apparently has decided his musical talents aren't worth documenting publicly. Pity. I see the point about Trout Mask Replica being unlistenable; suffice to say it takes some getting used to, but anyone who suggests bits of Howlin' Wolf, Ornette Coleman, Stravinsky, and various barnyard animals in the same songs has got to be a genius. Lick My Decals Off, Baby has a bit more of a free-jazz with a kerplunkety backbeat feel, and I'd actually consider it slightly better than TMR myself. I've got a soft spot for Clear Spot, though; I come back to it the most of all his albums; he's still subversive, has most of his voice, yet most of the album's actually damn catchy. "Too Much Time" even sounds like a great lost Otis Redding track. Rumor has it a few Southern R&B stations started playing it and stopped when they found out he was white. It's interesting that the Captain and Bob Dylan wrote the only two covers XTC has ever recorded.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Feb 96 22:38:41 EST From: patty@gdb.org (Patty Haley) Subject: Voices of singers and voices of fans Gene Yoon wrote about Matt Mondlock's post: >>when you like Spilt Milk, how can you claim any consistancy? Do you >>think either Andy Sturmer (or Andy Partridge for that matter) is a bass >>singer? Are you looking for another Eddie Vedder (puke)??? >I'd have to agree. I enjoy singing, whether the people around me like it >or not, but singing along with Andy sometimes makes my tenor's head spin. >[Deleted stuff.] Maybe, Patty, it's the quality of Ben's voice >and not the pitch that you find bothersome. I, for one, kinda like his >singing. <Sigh.> When I first read Matt's post, I decided not to respond because he wrote it when he was drunk, but since Gene piped up, it's time. No, I am not looking for another Eddie Vedder. Actually, I am looking for Eddie to go away, far away. Yes, Andy Sturmer doesn't have a deep voice, but that's not what I want. I want a voice that doesn't sound like a five-year-old with a nasal condition whining to Mom because the cookies are all gone, which is what I hear when I hear Ben Folds' voice. Andy does a great job of staying within his range, as far as I'm concerned, and so does Andy. Messrs. Sturmer and Partridge aren't Pavarotti, but neither is Billy Bragg, my all-time fave. I want a voice that doesn't make me cringe. You're right about the quality comment, Gene, or shall we say, the considerable lack thereof. I can deal with a lousy voice if I believe there's talent behind it--Bob Dylan says so much with his words that you lose any ick feeling for his voice pretty quickly--at least I do. And Dave Gold wrote: >So if you don't like it, why don't you quit buying it and participating in >this BBS? This is supposed to be a discussion for FANS, right? I hope the >fab three don't read the GARBAGE a few of the dissapointed have been >writing here. It would break my heart and many other's, I'm sure, to seem >them end their fantastic works because it would break my heart to seem them >quit due to lack of support by a few vocal disgruntled stodgy "fans". Hello? Earth to Dave: Dave, this *is* a forum for fans. I am a fan, not a rabid "everything XTC does is perfect" ass-kisser, and I hope that you are, too. What is the point of having a mailing list if all we do is gush? We are here to exchange opinions. Those opinions can differ. That's fine. If Andy, Colin, and Dave were to take the few opinions of those who believe they should pack it in and do so just because someone says they should, then all three members need emergency mental health counseling pronto. Tell me, have you *ever* heard of a record that *everyone* on any list liked? And even if those members all agreed, they all wouldn't do it to the same degree. Are those fans who only rate the album a 90% success traitors? Nyet. I believe it was bugroom@aol.com who began the thread, and he/she did so in a very rational, well-thought out manner. Those who responded, positively or negatively, did the same. That is why I enjoy this list. Even though there are many opinions with which I disagree heartily, those who voice their opinions are usually logical, and I respect that. There's enough XTC for everyone, and anyone who wants my share of "Go2" or "White Music" can trade me anytime for their "Black Sea" or "English Settlement." Musical mailing lists should consist of fans, but not of blind followers. One last point: I have heard Andy mention that he wasn't keen on some of his works, and that they've grown on him, and some of the stuff he liked, he now doesn't. Does this mean he should kick himself out of his own band because he's not a fan enough of his own work? -Patty (who logged in tonight to get someone's address out of a file, just-so-happened to read the latest edition of Chalkhills, and thus began the rant)
------------------------------ From: JakeKristy@aol.com Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 00:14:12 -0500 Subject: Another Satellite Revealed at Last Wait a, wait a, wait a minute. I've got to propose something here: Why isn't "Another Satellite" about religion? Line-by-line, here is how it would be translated: "My heart is taken its not lost in space" My heart/soul is well grounded. I'm not lost and am not searching in space for meaning or joy or love (that religion supplies for some people). "And I don't want to see your mooney mooney face" Religious missionaries may be from the Moonies (the Rev. Sun Yung Moon), and all missionaries try to have a glowing, happy, white countenance (i.e. moon-like). "I say why on earth do you revolve around me" Hey, missionaries, this is earth. And earth is a fine place to be and to find meaning. Why are you missionaries circling around me, waiting for me to give my faith, let alone my attention? "Aren't you aware of the gravity" Don't you missionaries realize that to ask for someone's faith is a very weighty matter. What is meaningful to me at this moment is very important. You are all very bold to go around trying to change what people feel and believe. "Don't need another satellite" For me the earth is satisfying just the way it is, with me here on it, believing in the world of my physical body and the physical elements, and the one satellite, the moon, orbiting this earth. I do not need to imagine other heavenly bodies circling about my life, telling me how to live, or protecting me, or bringing me the peace that I already know, or granting me wishes. "I'm happy standing on my feet of clay" I'm satisfied just being human, thank you. "I have no wish to swim your milky milky way" I have no desire to imagine or live in the white, bright, cloudy world of the supernatural heavens. "I say why on earth do you send your letter 'round here" The written word is another way in which you try to convert me. There is no need to send your religious advertisements to my home. "Only to gum up the atmosphere" The words in your letters only become trash in my world of clear and sufficient thoughts. The gum that holds your stamps and envelopes closed is also annoying (particularly in very humid environs). "So circling we'll orbit another year" So, you keep working around me on your missions to convert people, and I will stay very solid and very well fixed in place due to the certainty that my ideas create for me. "Two worlds that won't collide" My world will never join with the religious world. "Moon still tries to steal the tide away" Your efforts and your religious messages are small in mass compared to how grounded I am in my thinking. You are like a small moon the the massive earth. You try very hard, but at most you simply try to affect my tides and emotions--trying to steal my thoughts so that I will join your way of thinking. "Abort your mission lets just say you tried" You can call off your missionary work. You may report to your superiors that you at least tried to convert me. "Before you glimpse I have a darker darker side" And don't try to hard to convert me, or I will have to get as nasty and invasive with you are you would be getting with me. When you try too hard to convert someone, you become more rude, aggressive, invassive, and presumptuous than you understand. "I say why in Heaven's name do you come on these trips" Why do you come to see me, supposedly in the name of heaven? "Only to freeze in a total eclipse" When the end result is that you do not convert me to your son/sun, but instead are left unfulfilled and cold because I am completely unreceptive to your efforts. That's the way I read this song as of tonight. Or, it may be about fans who ask to sleep in Andy's front room or another woman who is trying to capture him romantically. I just can't decide. Anyone else every imagined the above interpretation? --XTOTX
------------------------------ From: JakeKristy@aol.com Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 00:14:18 -0500 Subject: XTC Stuff Seen for Sale XTC Stuff Seen for Sale goldmine list Greet, greet, and greet. I Love This Stuff, But I Have It Already. . . . This is issue four of that regular feature: "XTC Stuff Seen for Sale." Here's the cook's secret, I just make a note of the XTC-related merchandise I find in the latest issue of Goldmine magazine. I skip the auction ads. This is a semi-public service only, with no claims made for the accuracy of my typing or the veracity of the ads. But don't hesitate to give these sellers a call or jot them some email. The '80s were a fabulous time for finding XTC merchandise, no? That List (all prices are in US$ unless noted): >From the February 16, 1996, issue of Goldmine: + (the following from Mod Lang are all 7" singles) All You Pretty Girls/Washaway - Japan PS 7", $40; Are You Receiving me Instant Tunes 7" - UK PS, $25; Peter Pumpkinhead/Wardance - UK PS, $6; Ball & Chain/Punch & Judy/Heaven is Paved with Broken Glass - UK PS, $10; Chain of Command/Limelight - UK bonus single from Drums & Wires, $10; Dear God/ Big Day - UK PS, $10; The Disappointed/The Smatrest Monkeys - UK PS, $6; Generals & Majors/Don't Lose Your Temper/Smokeless Zone/The sonambulist - UK 2 x 7" in gatefold PS, $18; Generals & Majors/Living Through Another Cuba - US, $10; Generals & Majors/Same - us promo double A-side, $10; Great Fire/Gold - UK PS with printed plastic outer sleeve, $12; Life Begins at the Hop/Homo Safari - UK clear vinyl PS with printed plastic sleeve, $18; Love on a Farmboy's Wages/In Loving Memory of a Name/Toys/Desert Island - UK 2 x 7" in gatefold PS, $15; Making Plans for Nigel/This Is Pop/Meccanik Dancing - US PS, $6; Making Plans for Nigel/Bushman President/PulsingPulsing - UK poster PS with insert, $30; Making Plans for Nigel/This Is Pop (live)/Are You Receiving Me (live) - Japan PS - nice, $50; Mayor of Simpleton/One of the Millions - UK PS, $6; Mayor of simpleton/same - US promo double a-side PS, $6; the meeting place/the man who sailed around his soul - UK clear vinyl inb printed plastic sleeve with insert, $25; no thugs in our house/chain of command/limelight/over rusty water - UK in diecut PS with insert, $25; respectable street/strange tales, strange tails/officer blue - UK PS, $15; senses working overtime/blame the weather/tissue tigers - UK foldout PS, $15; senses working overtime/blame the weather/tissue tigers - portugal PS, $10; sgt. rock/living through another cuba (live)/generals & majors (live) - UK poster PS, $18; statue of liberty/hang on to the night - UK PS (ring wear), $20; take this town/babyon's burning (by The Ruts) - UK PS, $18; ten feet tall/helicopter/the somnambulist - us PS, $6; ten feet tall/same - us promo double a-side PS, $8; (three wise men = XTC) thanks for christmas/countdown to christmas - UK PS, $40; (three wise men = XTC) thanks for christmas/countdown to christmas - UK test pressing PS, $90; this world over/blue overall - UK PS with postcards, $15; wait till your boat goes down/ten feet tall - UK PS, $12; wake up/take this town/mantis on parole - UK PS, $12; wonderland/jump - UK PS, $6; wonderland/jump - PS, $5; All of these are from page 3, Mod Lang, phone 510-486-1880. + Looking for Footprints (UK 7" red flexidisc FLEXIPOP-016), $12; Looking for Footprints (UK 7" yellow flexi disc, FLEXIPOP16), $12; Love on a Farmboy's Wages (Australian 3-trk 12", PS), $18; page 5, Esprit Records UK, e-mail: 100307.3627@compuserve.com. + LP XTC English Settlement 204 446-320 XTC, $8; 2LP XTC English Settlement V2223 XTC, $15; LP XTC Mr. Partridge "take Away" V2145, $20; LP XTC The Skylarking Interview WBMS 146 XTC, $15; 7 p/s XTC (Andrews, Barry) Town and Country demo VS260, $10; Flex XTC/Skids, Ten Feet Tall/The Olympian HIT 002 XTC, $12; page 43, Tunnel Records, e-mail: Tunnelrecs@aol.com. + XTC Demo Tracks - recorded at home on multitrack cassette machines. Features Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead, Smartest Monkeys, Down a Peg, My Bird Performs, and Always Winter Never Christmas (JAP Virgin), $23; page 51, Twist & Shout, e-mail: patwists@aol.com. + XTC, Warner Brothers Music, 1984, M, 1LP w/cue, $25; page 127, Norman Feinberg, phone 914-472-0783. + XTC Oranges & Lemons, poster, promo/folded NM, $12; XTC Oranges & Lemons, press kit, 7 pages text & photo, $14; page 142, Fred Griego, 16100 Devonshire St., Granada Hills, CA 91344-7050. + King for a Day, CD single, Geffen 3522, 1 song, 1 version, $6; page 162, John Deblaiso, phone 206-228-3537. + Nonsuch, 40 x 60 inch promo poster, $8; page 184, Smogtown Records, phone 818-446-2100. + Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead Parts 1 and 2 Import CD Single, $10 each; page 185, Time Traveler CDs, phone 216-923-4408. That's a wap, XTOTX
------------------------------ Date: 10 Feb 96 04:48:45 EST From: Simon Sleightholm <101477.1611@compuserve.com> Subject: My, the world looks good Melissa Reaves wrote >>>"Seagulls Screaming" is a perfect example. Man, I've been there. And let me tell you, she wishes he'd kiss her as much as he does. Doesn't that song just put you right there on that beach in November with no one else around for miles?<<< Right with you on that one Melissa, you can feel the salt soaked wind. It's an amazing piece of work. According to a track by track breakdown I have of Big Express from 1,2 Testing magazine Dave describes this track as "Andy's pride and joy, this song - when we recorded English Settlement he had this tune." The productuon and instrumentation are superb and build an almost tangible atmosphere, I especially like the "raindrops" on the percussion track, it just makes me think of standing under the wind-swept awning of some sea-front shop with the remnants of the previous night's rain dripping >from above. It sends shivers right down my spine, and the middle section "If you hestitate, November will win her" cranks the tingle-factor up another couple of notches. I've been there too, struggling for the first word to say, wondering if you dare snatch a kiss. Another track that gets me like that is Another Satellite - that spacy, empty feel with the undercurrent of anger (the guitar chords make me think of the singer's suppressed anger, maybe fists clenching and unclenching under the table as he tries explain the situation calmly) I like Alanis Morissette too (and this is an almost vintage XTC fan talking here, someone who bought Nigel the first time round and never stopped buying since). I like her singing style; she gets the anger into her angry songs and the tenderness into her love songs and that's exactly what's required. "One hand in my pocket" gives me goosebumps too, especially when it's played REALLY loud. How anyone can enjoy White Music and Go 2 but claim the main fault with Alanis as being her mannered vocal, I can't undertand. If early XTC didn't bite off words, snarl and hiccup their way through a lyric I don't know who did. But, as they say, the world is full of angry young men... XTC fans should, if they haven't already, check out the Icicle Works and the subsequent solo album by their songwriter, Ian McNabb, Truth And Beauty. He has another solo album, Head Like A Rock but this isn't as good as T&B. I'll just add my bit to the Nonsuch debate - somebody take the pen off Colin unless he promises to write songs as consistently good as Bungalow (why wasn't Down A Peg on the album, it beats Smartest Monkeys and Wardance out of shape?) but even if it's not a world beater it's certainly no great fall from grace. How many other bands could boast tracks like Humble Daisy, Wrapped In Grey, Ugly Underneath, That Wave, Crocodile, Rook, The Disappointed (which, regardless of it being a pure Wilson inspired pop run-through, has very well crafted lyrics), Bungalow, Dear Madam Barnum and Peter Pumpkinhead on one album? The umba-dumba-dumba's on Humble Daisy make me crack a smile every time. The only real gripe I have about this period in XTC's career was the fact that there were no "extra" tracks to be had on the singles - demo versions of known songs, sure but nothing new. I would love to hear the material that Virgin rejected, maybe one day... Question for Chalkhillers. Does anyone know why the Senses Working Overtime single version had the line "And buses might skid on black ice..." removed? I assume it was just to trim the length but maybe it was a United Bus Co conspiracy against Virgin for claiming that bus travel was unsafe, a charge Andy has had to respond to by writing that pro-public trasport anthem Onimbus :-) The CD Single I have of Senses is actually the album version, though The Compact XTC has the correct single version in it. Simon Sleightholm "Well that was a long record wasn't it? My gramophone needle was right up the little dogs arse." (Long live) The Mark Radcliffe Show.
------------------------------ From: Ewalther@eworld.com Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 08:22:20 -0800 Subject: Thanks for the Aimee Mann Tip! My local paper (the Ottawa Citizen) had a review of the lastest Aimee Mann CD this a.m. (o.k. not the most up-to-date publication in the world). They also had a snippet of 'Superball' on their touch tone line for sample listening. Because of the the dialogue in the past few Chalkhills digests I gave it a listen. Thank you all! Now I have to roll up all my pennies and run down to the record shop asap. This kind of handy advice is what makes Chalkhills such a friendly port in otherwise stormy cyber-seas. Now if only we could all stop bickering a la Bur/Oasis, BFF, etc. and get on with what we do best, namely, celebrating what got us together in the first place - XTC! 'Knuckle Down Boys'
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 12:32:25 -0500 (EST) From: Natalie Jane Jacobs <gnat@umich.edu> Subject: Comments, and an end to all disputes In arguments over reactions to music, again there's a wide disparity among XTC fans (and others). I share with Melissa the view that how a song makes me feel - and how it "communicates a certain experience" - is very important, but I also want a song to have something more to it than just emotion. "You Oughtta Know" impressed me at first with its sheer savagry - Alanis sounds like she's going to chew someone's head off - but after repeated (enforced) listenings, it ceased to have an effect, because there's nothing else to it but emotion. On the other hand, I've listened to "Seagulls Screaming" possibly hundreds of times and it still has a very powerful effect - because it's a well-written, well-crafted song with good music and intelligent lyrics. You can have a car with a very powerful engine, but if the rest of the car falls apart when you crank it up, it's no good. An end to all disputes: I feel I should make peace here, being a Libra, so let's just say that Andy sings on Andy's songs and Colin sings on Colin's songs, Blur are cooler than Oasis (Oasis get points off for that AIDS crack), Kirk is cooler than Picard (Kirk gets laid), Sinclair is cooler than Sheridan (Sheridan's a cheeseball), Joel is cooler than Mike (Joel's cuter), and there is no Santa Claus. As for the Ben Folds Five vs. Jellyfish, I'm not qualified to comment. I'm verklempt - discuss among yourselves. Finally, I had a dream about Andy Partridge last night. I dreamt he was on the cover of "Rolling Stone" (yeah, right!), dressed in black and looking rather suave. I was having a discussion with him about computers and he was explaining that he didn't like computers because they were too "linear," while I commented that CD-ROMs and hypertext weren't linear at all, but could branch out in all different directions. (Yes, I am on medication, actually - why do you ask?) Thank you, and good night. Natalie Jacobs ************** "If God lived on earth, people would break his windows." - Jewish proverb
------------------------------ From: bbrink@tellabs.com Date: Sat, 10 Feb 96 14:27:23 CST Subject: Spilt-Milk era soundboard recording Hey Jellyfish afficionados! Does anyone know how I can get in contact with the Balboa label? The reason I inquire is that the latest ICE newsletter mentions a Spilt-Milk era soundboard recording just put out along with some other cool recordings, but alas, they provide no other info on Balboa or its distributors. Private e-mail if you like! I thank you in advance!! Bruce [ Private e-mail only, thankx. -- John ]
------------------------------ From: Keith Hanlon <ad180@seorf.ohiou.edu> Subject: Idea Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 16:13:24 -0500 (EST) This may not be an original idea, but i thought I'd try it out on ya... I'm new to all this internet stuff. I don't even own a computer! (Thank God for freenets and public libraries). Upon receiving an email address I immediately joined Chalkhills and the PJ Harvey mailing list. I love it. The pj list has something called a "Tree Tape." The die hard subscribers assembled 2 90 minute tapes worth of rare pj material: B sides, radio sessions, etc. Basically, they SHARE THE WEALTH, and they spread the good word of pj. I personally love the idea, and would love to see Chalkhills do the same. What do you folks think? I have access to very little RARE XTC. However, I do have access to dubbing capabilities. Let's see what we can do! Of course, I'm probably bringing up something that already exists, or failed miserably. CHECK OUT "LICK MY DECALS OFF, BABY" by Captain Beefheart! Keith
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-67 ******************************
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