Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 105 Sunday, 27 April 1997 Today's Topics: Random Notes snapping, snapping, snapping goes the camera man Disco trot Pulling a Weird Al (or Life's Like a . . .) Wrong group, wrong song Penn / Monster Chiller Horror Theater / The Big...Chainring? Info from XTC BBS Japan Kinky Mistake Re: Close But No Cigar Pt. 384 (none) Clash Without Moving hello cd's (Some Lovely Andy content) Rediculous Hello, how are you, I know you I knew you BF5 Drink You Donkey Up! Re: Dave Marsh = R 'n' R Marxist High moFidelity XTC demo CD's 7 worthies Label / Loving Rag and Bone Buffet WAV files / Pond / finding Andy's influences Administrivia: * If you use a signature (from your ".signature" file), please keep it to FOUR (4) lines of text or fewer. Your e-mail address should already appear in the header of your posting, so no need to repeat it in your signature. Chalkhills is digested with Digest 3.3d (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>). To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command: unsubscribe chalkhills For all other administrative issues, send a message to: <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> Please remember to send your Chalkhills postings to: <chalkhills@chalkhills.org> World Wide Web: <http://chalkhills.org/> The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. The wisdom of the ancients in a box.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: artsy@sprynet.com Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 21:58:42 -0700 Message-Id: <199704250458.VAA15763@m7.sprynet.com> Subject: Random Notes Hiya folx, from the land of perpetual winter (hey, we had 13-14" of snow today in Colorado Springs): Lots of good bashes to the face of Dave Marsh. What a joke! Andy Partridge, Elvis Costello, Ray Davies and Robert Fripp each have more talent in their big toes than a critic - ANY critic! Age - what's this big age thing? Who cares? The fact that we all have good taste in music is enough for me. Curiosity about our age range I can under- stand, but the occasional snipes against the youngest and oldest - no. Ben Folds Five - OK, I borrowed a CD by them, and it was boring. No git-tar (this is an *official* review, much like one by Dave Marsh). Simon - man, your descriptions of cycling 'round little villages were tough to read for a major Anglophile who hasn't been to the UK for 4 years. Maybe I'll get back this year or next... Kewl story about meeting Ray Davies in the bar. I just hope he wasn't READING or anything... :^) Point 'im towards the TV bar, you know? Painting XTC over Greek letters!!! Now give that man a cigar!!! The last 2 Chalkhills have set the record, or at least contested it, for being "MOST OFF TOPIC". The 'how to unsubscribe' instructions were hilarious, but... between that, another joke, and lots o' other things I can't remember (it's that age thing :^)), I feel like 'what's next?'. Recipes? Car tests? I'm not angry - I think it's hilarious. I think we just need A NEW CD, preferably TWO, and SOON, from the BFS band (Boys From Swindon). OK, to beat you to the punch, I realize that THIS posting is a bit off-topic. Goodnight, amigos. Oh, one more thing, and it's ON the topic: check out the latest issue of Utne Reader, which BTW is one of the coolest magazines on the planet, where you can learn about & keep up with just about anything. There's a very short article about religion appearing in rock/pop music, and one Andy Partridge is mentioned, with of course lyrics from "Dear God", etc.
------------------------------ From: nihilon@crisscross.com Message-Id: <v03007801af8685a635fe@[202.217.215.252]> Subject: snapping, snapping, snapping goes the camera man Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 15:59:48 +0800 Hi everyone, Three photos from the Tokyo Chalkhills Party are now available at the following URL http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~n2_n/xtc/p1.html Courtesy of Nisei Nishimatsu, situated in Hokkaido, the North of Japan. Unfortunately she was unable to travel to Tokyo for the party, but she has been very supportive and shown an interest, and I would like to thank her very much for that. Thanks to James too, for your kind comments - and especially to every one who came to the party. The photos were taken by Tetsuya Shimizu (who wrote to the last Chalkhills - thanks for your kind comments and the photos) on a digital camera, and so we were able to get these on quickly. Unfortunately, they don't show the entire group - those photos are still in my camera. The first photo is one of the group from Tetsuya's point of view in the restaurant. The second one is (from left) the Beautiful Naomi, My japanese teacher (Naoko) and myself - Unfortunately Tetsuya caught us just as we thought he'd finished. The third one is of us - this time we were ready. Hope you enjoy them - and I'll let you all know if and when the others appear on a homepage. With love from Tokyo, Steve (MGV) * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know I said I loved you, but I lied. (Go-Bangs) * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 01:36:35 -0700 Message-Id: <v01510100af861c7cbc81@[194.128.83.69]> From: fisher@easynet.co.uk (Mark Fisher) Subject: Disco trot Just got the Robbie Williams CD single (Old Before I Die) with his cover of Making Plans for Nigel on the b-side (remember b-sides?). Thanks to the Chalkie who drew my attention to it. It's a fairly faithful rendition, except the drummer makes no attempt at doing a Terry Chambers, giving it a fairly straight rhythm instead. I notice, though, that Nigel now has a future in "a fist of steel," like some early Soviet propoganda, or else a bad heavy metal lyric. Oh we go! - Mark http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~fisher/
------------------------------ From: Melsta@aol.com Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 07:34:01 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <970425073400_1220743413@emout07.mail.aol.com> Subject: Pulling a Weird Al (or Life's Like a . . .) Hello Season Cyclers! The AMANDA herself said that my little re-work of All of a Sudden was FUCKING BRILLIANT. I wouldn't go quite that far myself (maybe just necking brilliant). Anyways (I can say that), I have some thoughts on the subject. One of my little hobbies is to make up new words for favorite songs (Weird Al style) but I usually find XTC just too complex to do a good job with (All of a Sudden being the exception). I've only ever seen one other attempt, that being ex-Chalkhillian Brent Daniel's blast against ex-Chalkhillian Daniel Prendiville to the tune of Seagulls Screaming (Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you). Anyone else have some full-blown rewrites? I'd love to read them. Umm, send them to me and I'll send them to the man upstairs for posting to the website? Or something. (personally I'd just as soon have them go directly to the list but I don't want to clog up the works, and I want even less to get into the bad graces of our beloved moderator.) On a tangential note (from our shameless plug department), if you are wondering what it would be like to hear me sing my version of All of a Sudden, you can't. But you can purchase a copy of the Chalkhills' Children tribute tape and hear me do the original with the able and quite fun backing of Chris Burgess whose idea it was in the first place and who probably receives sole credit on the label. Do me a favor. Print out this digest and cut out my name " Melissa Reaves " and paste it onto your label somewhere where you'll know what it means. Thanks. And if my name did somehow make it onto the label, forget I spoke. I would also like to solicit new "life's like a..." verses. I was playing around with it at the time of the recording and I came up with: Life's like a window. You can look through it. But getting through it is another story. I had some much better ones, but I forgot them. Actually that one's pretty damn lame. Send your verses to me as well and I'll compile 'em & post 'em to the list. Life's like a party. You get invited. But when you get there you don't know nobody. Later, --Melissa
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3360C774.4D2@seark.net> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 08:02:12 -0700 From: Douglas Hardin <douglas@seark.net> Organization: Fairfield Trucking, Inc. Subject: Wrong group, wrong song Dear Chalkies, Ok, flame away. My bad. It was not Grinding Halt off of the Times Square soundtrack. It was Take This Town. Ok, I'm old and that was a long time ago. Plus I didn't have Rag & Bone Buffet with me. Also, my first XTC was not English Settlement but the cassette of White Music. Bought it after I saw the movie Times Square and heard Take This Town. Remembered that in a dream last night. Just when I thought that my skies were a June July blue, Doug
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=AETNA%l=HFD-EXCH003-970425145033Z-54057@aetna.aetna.com> From: "Witter, Karl F" <WitterKF@aetna.com> Subject: Penn / Monster Chiller Horror Theater / The Big...Chainring? Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:50:33 -0400 >>[Artsy]Does anyone know whatever happened to the new Michael Penn CD? It >>was supposed to come out a month or two ago, right? >[AJ] The date has been pushed back several times now and the new target >is June 3rd (according to Epic). The name of the new album is "Resigned". Now I can properly wait and stop "projecting" him onto some new songs that sound somewhat that way on the radio. ("The Freshmen" from The Verve Pipe, anyone?) >[Todd Bernhardt] The really frightening thing is...REO Speedwagon *is* >still around today. I think they're doing washed-up-'70s/80s-bands revival >shows along with (shudder) Styx and other such wankers. As Count Floyd >would say, "Ooooh, kids! Scary!" "And don't forget, kids, to send thirty dollars cash to Count Floyd, care of SCTV, for your special 3-D glasses! Don't watch without them!" Ahh... I can only watch SCTV at the Museum of Television and Radio in NYC nowadays, but have to cover my head to avoid duff band reunions. Something's just not right here! >[Many Chalkies] Skylarking is a summer day, ES is a foggy moor, Mummer >is spring or fall, etc, but "what" is The Big Express? Thanks to Simon's "cycling with XTC" stories, I think I've made the connection: To me, TBE resembles a bicycle commute to work through a city. (Note: Individual results vary.) The 3 linchpins are "Wake Up", "Smalltown" and "Train Running Low" in my case, going from a typical American auto-fixated speedway suburb leading to a gridlocked downtown packed in a few dense acres of madness. Certainly nothing serene such as "I'd Like That", riding down some country lane. >[Ralph DeMarco] Remember, Marsh has been writing for Rolling Stone for >ages and that magazine went from a newsprint format (with occasional >hard-hitting political journalism) to a slick, corporate music industry >teenie-bopper rag. >[Other people slagging Marsh too.] The big test may be if Marsh can't tell the difference between Andy playing inarticulate ("Really high, really high, like a really big thing, say...a sunflower!", not rhyming or with conventional meter) and the scores of rock "lyricists" who actually are. On said magazine, I don't think pol. writer William Greider should be lumped in with the rest. I see RS only a few times a year but he still has it, IMHO. Now 'scuse me while I buy one of those "mid-range" $1200 home audio systems shown in that advertorial. Reporting from frontline on the battle of who could care less, Karl
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199704251541.AAA11282@mail.ca2.so-net.or.jp> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 00:47:57 +0900 From: n2_n@ca2.so-net.or.jp (Nishimatu) Subject: Info from XTC BBS Japan Info from XTC BBS Japan. (http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~n2_n/xtc/board.cgi) In Japan, Geffen's new compilation will be released on May 24. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I want to know if the foreign people could read English parts of my BBS with non-Japanese OS. (Ms.)Nishimatu Nisei / Japan n2_n@ca2.so-net.or.jp,CQA03750@niftyserve.or.jp http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~n2_n/xtc/
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 11:59:06 -0400 (EDT) From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <ccoolidg@zoo.uvm.edu> Subject: Kinky Mistake Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.970425114427.132770B-100000@elk.uvm.edu> Speaking of Ray Davies, I may have made a big mistake, folks. I'm also on the Kinks list, and of course there was a mention of Andy's piece on "Autumn Almanac" in the recent issue of Musician. I posted the observation that IMHO I considered Andy a better songwriter than Ray in he leaves his mistakes and experiments in the demo box where they belong for the most part. Ray, for me, especially with much of his 80's stuff, will settle for something that sounds like he didn't put much thought into the song, or at the least needs some rethinking. That was about the gist of it, and I didn't get flamed for it, so I thought nothing more about it. Then I was on the phone with a friend who's one of the most obsessive Kinks fans I know, and occassionally gets printouts from the Kinks list from an online friend, and he warned me there are some people on the list who are very angry at me for that remark. Apparently there's a few people on the Kinks list who are very insecure and can't handle Ray & Dave being less than gods, and there's one in particular, Lee Arthur Wilkerson, who reported killed his ex-girlfriend for not being a Kinks fan(and the guy isn't in jail-don't ask me why). Anyway, if any of you run into a serious Kinks fan, be careful what you say. And as for me, if I don't post to this list for more than a week, call the FBI. I'm not scared yet, but I am a little perturbed. I'm glad people here are level-headed, albeit very opinionated. I like that. :-) Christopher R. Coolidge Eleventh Hour Cauldron Publications I heal with magnets. Ask me how!
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199704251325.NAA31563@ids2.idsonline.com> Subject: Re: Close But No Cigar Pt. 384 Date: Fri, 25 Apr 97 13:27:43 +0100 From: Scott Tury <stury@ids2.idsonline.com> Mark asked: >How can these companies (there are more examples) get away with this? >Isn't the name "XTC" somehow protected by copyright? >After all, the name of a band is part of their "work of art", isn't >it? Yes, XTC is protected under Copyright law, but it's still "fair-use" outside of the music industry. As long as two companies own the same/similar name in different areas of bussiness it's perfectly legal. A great case in point would be Apple Computer and Apple Corps, Ltd. They both share the "Apple" name, but one is a computer manufacturer, whereas the other is a record label. (Actually Apple Computer did get Apple Corps permission to user the "Apple" name, as long as they did not enter the music industry.) Can't wait for a new XTC CD in the near future! Scott Tury * -------------------------------- J. Scott Tury Macintosh Software Designer DigitalNow, Inc. * -------------------------------- scott@digitalnow.com * --------------------------------
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s360c01d.085@elsevier.com> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 14:30:34 -0400 From: Ralph DeMarco <r.demarco@elsevier.com> Subject: (none) Dear One Armed Bandits and Affiliated Members: Re: >2) XTC Grammy nomination >I searched all through NARAS and came up empty-handed on info about >this alleged 1993 nomination. If anyone has any more information on >this I'd greatly appreciate it. Yes! It is true. XTC's "Nonsuch" was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Alternative Album category. Obviously, they did not win. I don't know who did win 'cause I have not watched the Grammies since 1980 when Christopher Cross beat Pink Floyd's "The Wall" for best Rock Album of 1979. I was an outraged 14 year old at the time. Also Re: I wrote: > Remember, Marsh has been writing for Rolling Stone for ages and that magazine went from a newsprint format (with occasional hard-hitting political journalism) to a slick, corporate music industry teenie-bopper rag. >When's the last time you read Rolling Stone? They may be slick and >corporate, but the thing that keeps me reading is that they do frequently >run good political and social journalism. Do they? I was not aware. I have not flipped through an issue in a couple of years. I don't know, however, what your definition of good "hard-hitting" political journalism is. Mine would be, say, "The Nation" or "Extra" (the magazine of F.A.I.R.). Of course, these are all left-leaning magazines. I don't consider "Newsweek", or "Time" to be good journalism. Chow, RSD
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970425131548.0073a96c@mail1.electric.net> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 13:15:48 -0700 From: David Hathaway <davidh@electric.net> Subject: Clash Without Moving >From: "james dupuy" <James=Dupuy%SPD=Mainstream%Sys=Hou@bangate.compaq.com> >By the way, what do Chalkhillians think of the Clash/Big Audio Dynamite? I >agree they are not the caliber of XTC and others listed here but ...? While I dearly love the Clash, and consider them to be excellent songwriters, I'd be hesitant to put them in the same league as XTC, more in terms of radically different styles. Very talented at their peak tho, Londo Calling is a brilliant album from start to finish. Never really developed a taste for Big Audio Dynamite though... >on the Heads' project...Andy likes "Virtual Insanity", >the Jamiroquai single...Matt Mahaffey of Tennessee I always suspected Andy had great taste...Jamiroquai's "Travelling Without Moving" is an excellent CD, if your tastes run towards 70's funk, ala Earth Wind and Fire or Stevie Wonder. Staggeringly great bass playing. w w w . m o n k e y - b o y . c o m David Hathaway, CEO Of monkey-boy.com, davidh@monkey-boy.com
------------------------------ From: Fidgetor@aol.com Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 17:53:38 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <970425175320_-1568543262@emout12.mail.aol.com> Subject: hello cd's (Some Lovely Andy content) Hey chalkalots- Last night in the mail I got my final Hello CD club discs- sadly, they are going out of business after four years of interesting music. So anybody who's been holding out on joining to get Andy's demo disc ought to get moving- he's in the 1994 subscription, which you'd have to buy in its entirety at $43.00- not too bad when you consider that many of us would probably pay almost that much for something like it at a collectors convention (or wherever). Unfortunately, 1994 was also the weakest year for the club (or so I think), despite Andy's spectacular offering. For those not in the know, it includes some of his home demos from the aborted "Bubblegum" album- Prince of Orange, Candymine, It's Snowing Angels, and Some Lovely (My Brown Guitar). Hello's address is PO Box 551, Palisades, NY 10964. They used to have a toll-free number at 1-800-HELLO_CD, but I don't know if it is still in operation. They claim to have limited stock of all past years. Usual disclaimer: I don't work for Hello or anything, but if anyone needs more details feel free to e-mail me privately. One last Hello comment- any other members out there feel cheated by the last two discs (the throwaway Mono Puff recordings)? What happened to Gordon Gano disc- or the Back to School Special??? Grrrrr..... See ya, Jude P.S. I'm surely not the first to post this, but on "The Loving" it's "Straight to ya"- this was confirmed by Andy P. via Mitch F. last year. Let's not repeat that discussion, please!!! :-)
------------------------------ From: Heccubus@aol.com Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 19:05:42 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <970425190540_-467791505@emout04.mail.aol.com> Subject: Rediculous Chalk-freaks, I'm gonna get on everyone's case here, But I subscribed to find out about XTC and their doings and past. I, like all of the rest of you, am patiently waiting for NEW XTC. Plus I don't even mind the OCCASIONAL straying from the subject on other bands as I've found a few gems in the many recommendations. But what I have no time for is entire posts dedicated to ranting about how lame a group is (like Ben Folds Five, whom I enjoy tremendously and Jellyfish, another band that is in my all-time favorites list, may they R.I.P.) whether I like the band or not. This should be constructive, not wasteful. I do love XTC, I been the HUGEST fan spreading their wares to all I come into contact with since I was 14 and I'm only 32 now, but I must protest. I know even the great Andy Partridge is guilty of flaming groups (like Blur, another of my all-time favorites), but postings should stick to the topic as closely as possible and if that means there are fewer postings, then so be it. It is becoming too painful to read my at least weekly receipt of Chalkhills. And I want to hang around reading the nuggets of information that are passed on to me. I was in hopes that I would be able to come into contact with some of the reportedly wonderful demos floating around out there, to trade music with others in an effort to maybe introduce someone to a new favorite of there own, but the tone of this newsgroup really isn't always one of discovery with like minded individuals. I know there has to be some like-minded individuals out there, so let's start posting. Thanks, Lincoln P.S. Let's give the new and young fans a break, I would like them to have positive associations with the music of XTC.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 19:48:21 -0500 (CDT) From: The Gottschalks <gotts@tenet.edu> Subject: Hello, how are you, I know you I knew you Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.970425193217.27104B-100000@gaston.tenet.edu> Darrell, you must have missed one of the greatest concerts in history (REM and XTC), which I would have killed to attend. I hope for your sake that you've seen them since then. I'd like to think the members of this list are smart enough to tell what an ethnic joke is. An ethnic joke deals with something characteristic to the group that's the butt of the joke. The joke I told didn't deal with any specific trait of the Polish people. It's just that in America the Polish person is commonly made the butt of a joke that for its sake has to choose a group. I wanted to say "Aggie", but only Texans and a few others would know what the hell I was talking about. I would personally be delighted to see an American, or even a Texan, to be the butt of such a joke. And about how it dealed with spousal hatred, give me a huge break. Anyone who is so overly sensative that even THAT offends them shouldn't really be talking to anyone, I'm sad to say. Now that I know that "Dear God" was supposed to be a letter from a little kid, it makes a lot more sense. I didn't realize that it was a girl singing at the beginning and at the end of the song. She sounds to me like she's in her late teens or early twenties. Oh well, go figure 8. Love to all and pity to those I might have offended, a big "Tommy" lover, Mark
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 10:43:44 +0800 (SST) Message-Id: <199704260243.KAA21426@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> From: Kevin M Mathews <mathews@cyberway.com.sg> Subject: BF5 I thought that this list was primarily dedicated to XTC discussion items. So how did it degenerate into a BF5 bashing session? I think that BF5 are fabulous - providing a brilliant counterpoint to all the stuff that's happening in the modern rock scene - does anyone out there sound like them now? And anyone that can write an absolute classic like MISSING THE WAR is OK in my book. So please lay off BF5 and lets hear somethings about XTC like when the next album is coming - it's been 5 bloody years already!!!!!
------------------------------ From: whanks@ix.netcom.com Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 21:55:53 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <1997425195950641@ix.netcom.com> Subject: Drink You Donkey Up! Hi, The Las Vegas Sun (evening paper) this week had a interesting tidbit in the Food section. A brief paragraph and product photo of a high energy drink called XTC. Apparently Las Vegas is a test market for the drink. Price is approx $1.75 a can. From the makers of the infamous JOLT Cola. Something about it containing guarva (sp?) and caffine. Talk about your senses working overtime...the coolest thing is the way the can looks. It is black with XTC lettered vertically along the side of the can in orange blocky type. Looks like it was designed in 1978. My hunt commences...starting, NOW! Peace Wes
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 22:07:17 -0500 (CDT) From: Marshall Joseph Armintor <mojo@owlnet.rice.edu> Subject: Re: Dave Marsh = R 'n' R Marxist Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.970425215233.2258B-100000@long-eared.owlnet.rice.edu> On this Dave Marsh thread: ...the only book of his I've read is _Fortunate Son_, an anthology of his columns, articles etc. from the beginning of his career covering the local Detroit scene in 1968-1969 (Stooges, MC5, Bob Seger, Mitch Ryder, etc.) to around 1984. Marsh's critical outlook is grounded in the idea of rock as a genre suited for the lower class exclusively, in order to express outrage, depict life as it's lived, and to produce a feeling of class solidarity. So for him, Springsteen is the greatest music force ever unleashed, ditto Woody Guthrie, the Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Band minus that pretentious Robbie Robertson, Bob Seger before he started doing Chevy commercials, and also, by extension, the Beatles (as opposed to the plasticky rip-off artists the Stones...who were firmly members of the middle class), because of their working-class Liverpudlian origins. ...Bob Dylan is also rank middle-class faker, and the same goes for the Beach Boys. His article on them in the book is brilliant cultural commentary, but he dismisses them out of hand for 1) coming from suburbia, 2) writing about hedonism, 3) ripping off Chuck Berry and 4) being from California. Well, fair enough, but it's a pretty narrow-minded way to look at things. It's no wonder he holds Andy in little regard...Marsh ignores any definition of music as art, 'cos that's a bourgeois idea. In other words, it's advisable to ignore this guy. marshall
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Apr 97 11:39:00 EST From: "John Christensen" <christej@vrinet.com> Message-Id: <9703258619.AA861993942@PO2.VRINET.COM> Subject: High moFidelity Just bought the Mobile Fidelity Skylarking and Oranges and Lemons Ultradiscs... Yes, I agree, both sound better. Now, I am no audiophile but IMO, Oranges and Lemons benefited more from the MoFi remastering. Skylarking seems to have gained some "punch," especially in the kick drum sound. And overall, it just sounds a bit warmer. Better, but not hit-yourself-in-the-head-with-a-ballpeen-hammer better. Oranges and Lemons, on the other hand, sounded like a new and fresh album! I heard sounds, instruments, and musical nuances that I had never heard on the Geffen pressing. I heard Andy vocally hold out subtle notes that I had never noticed before. I heard Colin's basslines in all their brilliance. The songs, many of which (to me) sounded flat before, now sounded rich and open. Damn, there's never a ballpeen hammer around when you need one... And for the record: I will be happily and willingly attending the Ben Folds Five concert tonight in Detroit. Cloy me, please! Jasper Ann Arbor, Michigan
------------------------------ Message-ID: <335FDE01.41C6@kerner.com> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 15:26:09 -0700 From: "HALSTED :: apathetic pantless circus performer" <halsted@kerner.com> Organization: Industrial Light + Magic Subject: XTC demo CD's I'd like to get my hands the XTC demo cd's. Any leads where I can chase them down? Thanks ================== Michael J. Halsted halsted@kerner.com ILM : 415.258.2298 ==================
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 11:02:06 -0700 Message-Id: <199704261802.LAA04029@barley.adnc.com> From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com> Subject: 7 worthies the ever level headed Simon said: >I just got home tonight to find a shiny copy of Becki diGregorio's CD "Seven >Worthies...Of The Bamboo Grove" waiting for me. > >What can I tell you about it? I won't muddy the water by trying to compare >it to other artists, but I will say that it _is_ a wonderful disc, and those >who have ordered it will not be disappointed (oo-oo-oo-oo-oooo). > >I'd place it up there with Bob Mould's "Workbook" and Vic Chesnutt's "Is The >Actor Happy?", and anyone who has ever shared a car with me can testify to >my encompassing love of those albums. People in my immediate aquaintance >are going to have this album played to them in seriously heavy rotation. > >Dave Gregory's contributions are of the best sort - they don't shout "here's >the Dave Gregory bit!", they add to the already excellent work by becoming >_part_ of it. He truly does _contribute_, and it sounds as if he's had a >lot of fun with some of it. > >Becki, you wonder, I am in awe, I must second this. I had no expectations of what this disc would be like, and ended up listening to it nearly ever day on the discman at work. an excellent disc, and the version of OPEN MY EYES kind of blows the original away in some respects. and the songs WITHOUT dave are just as good as those WITH dave. if you are hesitating, don't. a happy surprise in the mailbox. thanks becki! you are more than lucky. I know if I sent *MY* tracks off to the UK and they came back with *THOSE* guitar solos on...I would be sort of staring in disbelief. must have been a hell of a shock! did you just send them and say "play whatever you like?" highly recommended. dave at studio seventeen It takes eleven minutes to empty and six minutes to fill... Mr. Blint (Consequences/Godley & Creme) visit: http://www.adnc.com/web/ambient/index.html seventeen: the ambient music page
------------------------------ Message-ID: <L5OtWsAa3kYzEwWY@emdac.demon.co.uk> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 19:47:54 +0100 From: Phil Hetherington <phil@emdac.demon.co.uk> Subject: Label / Loving >We spoke to Colin in February and >he felt the band were very close to signing a >deal with Setanta / Go Discs! in the UK. Old and dead news, I fear, since Go! has folded (due to their paymasters at a big corporation who shall remain nameless (because I've forgotten who) wanting more control, and the guy who ran it falling out with them over this, or something). >>Okay, not actually a mishearing, but a question.....in the ending part of >>"The Loving", when there are about six different thigs being sung, what the >>heck is (Colin, I think) saying? Sounds like "strange trip" >I always heard it as "straight to ya" We've done this one, as someone kindly pointed out a couple of issues back without actually answering it. As the first person to proclaim "straight t'ya" (i.e. straight to you), I feel some justification in repeating it, but to be honest the whole thing bores me; isn't it in the FAQ? (If not, it should be). Anyway, at the time someone asked Andy P himself, and "straight t'ya" it indeed is. Amen. But of course, since music is subjective, if you want to hear it as something else that's quite up to you. The preceeding sentence is bollocks, by the way. Certain religious groups use certain religious texts in the same way, thus offending lots of people, some of whom then write songs like 'Dear God', thus offending more people back again. Some people then interpret all this offending and find it offensive. Sorry, don't know what came over me. Ho hum. Since humour is subjective, I don't get it. -- Phil Hetherington
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b00af8716ac0a55@[169.132.97.171]> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 20:12:22 +0100 From: pjmuck@idt.net (Peter McCulloch) Subject: Rag and Bone Buffet Hi, gang. it's been a while since i've posted, but there's been lot's of interesting discussion of late, so don't mind if I chime in. Mark writes: > >After this I was not really surprised to find a British Hifi magazine >with a review of a new range of top-class (pre)amps, tuners et al >This stuff is marketed with the name XTC. >Very nice gear, but hideously expensive, I'm afraid... >The power amp alone costs a mere 2000 Pounds :( >How can these companies (there are more examples) get away with this? >Isn't the name "XTC" somehow protected by copyright? >After all, the name of a band is part of their "work of art", isn't >it? >Any lawyers or music biz bobo's who can explain this out there ? Well, I'm no lawyer, Mark, but I have learned a bit about copyrights and trademarks (albeit, the hard,painful,costly way) to answer your question. Ownership of a name is secured in the form of a trademark or service mark. If Andy and the gang had applied for a SERVICE MARK,then the band XTC would own the rights to their name as a service a musical group (I believe it's international class 41). But, in addition to being a musical service, most smart artists will also apply for a TRADEMARK under one or more specific classes of goods, depending on what goods or merchandise they want ownership over. Usually, artists own trademarks for clothing/apparel (since they want to sell T-shirts, etc.) and possibly printed matter (concert programs, posters, etc). (Usually, they will not own a trademark for CDs/cassettes, since they've signed the rights of usage over to their record label). The point being this: unless you own a trademark under the specific class of goods you are marketing your product under, your name is usually not be protected under a DIFFERENT class of goods, unless you can prove that the other party's use of the name was a deliberate attempt to capitalize on yours or an attempt to cause deliberate confusion to the consumer. >1) The "I hate Ben Folds Five too!" thread (or Natalie's first step): >Its starting to sound like an AA meeting around here when it comes to these >guys. "Hi, my name is ___, and I hate Ben Folds Five as well". Though I >cant quite understand anyone NOT liking this band, I must say I appreciate >the comments of those who dont. I'm glad to see other Chalkhillians trumpeting the cause of this great band, though I can't understand anyone not liking them on this list either. (then again, I haven't forgiven you all for convincing me to go out and get the Sugarplastic's last release). Seems to me they are a refreshing link to a musical qualtity long overdue, considering the solemn tone of angst and despair that's hung over new music for far too long now. And Ben's got chops up the wazoo! But, I can see how they manage to touch the very same "annoyance" nerve that XTC does in those who are not attuned. When my girlfriend heard the new Ben Folds, she innocently barked, "Is that that jerk, Weird Al Yankovich?". I never heard the similiarities before, but damned if she hasn't forced me to hear them now. Anyway, I'll be at the Irving Plaza NY show Monday night, so if any fellow chalkhillians are planning on going, please stop by and introduce yourselves. I'll be at the LIFEBEAT table. Regards, Peter In the CD changer: XTC: Explode Together, Ultra Lounge: Organs in Orbit, Spearhead, Skeleton Key, The Klezmatics
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 14:48:54 -0800 From: M <jsmdt@acad1.alaska.edu> Subject: WAV files / Pond / finding Andy's influences Message-id: <0554480627041997/A21265/ACAD1A/11B4D9B02C00*@MHS> Ian C Stewart <stewart@netwalk.com> wrote: > There are still four insultingly terrible sounding WAV files of 1995 > Andy Partridge demos available for your imminent (sort of..same day > anyway) downloading. Sorry Mac people, maybe next time (next time? who > said there'd be a next time?) they'll be in Real Audio or something... Actually, the LiveAudio plug-in that comes with Netscape will play WAVs, and with QuickTime 2.5 (a free download for those who don't already have it) installed, WAV files on disk will be translated when you open them. Between QuickTime, the MacLinkPlus translators, and translators built-in to programs I have (Photoshop, PageMaker, Word, etc.), I haven't run across any files I can't open. -------- To bring this posting back to XTC content in a roundabout fashion, let me recommend the new Pond disc, _Rock Collection_, just released this month. Briefly: third album, first on Sony's WORK label (SubPop for first two), good production (finally!). They've relaxed a bit and recorded with more acoustic and undistorted guitars (Charlie even plays cello on one track), making the album stronger and more musically diverse. The song chosen for the first single & video, Spokes, is boring, so don't judge a book by it's cover. The logic of marketing decisions by major record labels escapes me. Luckily, it's the first track on the disc, so it serves as an okay opener and doesn't damage the flow of the album. However, the bulk of the album is well written musically and lyrically. Like a good XTC album, it's intelligent enough to grow on me more each time I listen to it. But, like other bands often mentioned on this list, I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea. ObXTC tie-in: Chris (of Pond) told me several years ago that _Black Sea_ is his favorite XTC album. And, back in the "good old days" of my post high school group of friends (ten years ago), at parties at my house Chris was the only one who would choose to play my XTC discs (besides me, of course). Before anyone comments or complains, I should mention that I'm really not too biased -- you won't find me plugging other bands from my hometown (Juneau ["Smalltown! snoring under blankets..."]). In the seemingly eternal wait for new XTC material, this is one of the few new releases that I've really liked. Most of the good CDs I've bought in the last couple of years have been to replace worn-out vinyl or to mine the past for quality music. I've had the Kink's _Village Green..._ for a while now. Now, because of all of this talk about the song "Autumn Almanac" and Andy, I must now rush out and find that tune. So far everything I've bought because it influenced Andy hasn't disappointed. That even includes _Pet Sounds_ and _Smile_ era Brian Wilson. (Even bought the BB boxed set just for that previously unreleased _Smile_ material on disc 2.) Well, I've certainly rambled on enough tonight. . . - Michael
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-105 *******************************
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