Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 132
Date: Tuesday, 24 June 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 132
Tuesday, 24 June 1997
Today's Topics:
Upsy Daisy review
Swedish cd:s and Richard Branson.
funky hats and perfomances
Re: Tafkap/Dear God
NonAbbeySoundsPetRoadSuch
Upsy Daisy, Audiophile, Mobile Fidelity, etc.....
frequency
Sample This
Bridge Over Rusty Water
a couple o' recent purchases
Iiiiii'm Baaaaack!
drummers
Thanks, er, I think
Colin-oscopy
Atlanta Bound
Gold/Desert Island/Knuckle Down & Small Town/7" Towers
Cherry (Red) In Your Tree
Chalkhills T-Shirts
Billboard Announcement
power mac chords
Jaco and Nonsuch
E-Smeerp / Someone please get this joke
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 0:45:33 -0500
From: LAG2471@ACS.TAMU.EDU
Message-Id: <970614004533.202e621c@ACS.TAMU.EDU>
Subject: Upsy Daisy review
Scott Schinder's review from the June 20 issue of _Entertainment Weekly_:
"XTC Upsy Daisy Assortment (Geffen): Over the past 20 years, these English
eccentrics have graduated from spiky rhythmic quirkiness to exquisite
melodic craft, while maintaining an emotional resonance rare among
smart-guy pospsters. While fans may quibble at some curious omissions
(like highlights from the first two albums), this 19-song best-of does a
fine job of distilling XTC's timeless charms. B+"
No comment is made on the cover art. :-)
\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///o\\\o///
Lore Guilmartin Data's evil twin Lore@tamu.edu
This sig for decorative use only. Not for phonetic purposes.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01510100afc82189bc5b@[130.244.180.130]> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 12:43:16 +0200 From: per@aron.pp.se (Per Aronsson) Subject: Swedish cd:s and Richard Branson. Here in Sweden there is a rockjournalist, Mans Ivarsson at the newspaper Expressen, that really likes XTC. He often knows what he is talking about. He claims that XTC is signing with V2, Richard Bransons new label. Can this be true? After all, we all know what the boys think of Virgin that Branson owned earlier... High Fidelity is a swedish/danish hifimagazine. In every issue they give away a cd with different artists. On cd number 23 can we hear Senses Working Overtime and on number 24 the song from XTC is The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead. If you want those cd:s, you can try to phone the magazine, 45 33 91 28 33 or fax, 45 33 91 01 21. The cost for one issue with cd is around 9 dollars. One more thing. Please write shorter and only about XTC. I think that should make Chalkhills a lot better. I don mean to be a censor but I know that many of us dont have the time to read all those long messages (specially when they dont have anything to do with XTC). Summergreetings. Per Aronsson.
------------------------------ From: Cheryl <McGREGOC@regents.ac.uk> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 13:19:30 GMT Subject: funky hats and perfomances Message-ID: <32D9277596@asdf011.regents.ac.uk> Hello there! David McGuinness wrote: >Would you believe it, Partridge comes on wearing his Afghan (?) hat, >they go for a walk in a park down Swindon way, and Titchmarsh asks >him 'you don't particularly like being famous do you?'. Two minutes >later they show about 20 seconds of the 'Peter Pumpkinhead' video, >and I'm left staring back out into the rain. You know, I think I have this on video. I have mentioned before a video compilation that I had picked up in Boston and that piece you described sounds like one of the many interviews that is included. Is it rather gray outside while they are walking? Mr. P has on that funky hat of his and a rather dapper suit. Is there a bit when the guy asks about Dear God and Mr. P goes off on some silly tirade yelling over his shoulder, "Sorry! Sorry! It's alright, you can go back to sleep now!" I also think, but am not quite sure, I have the performance of "The Disappointed" that Catherine was talking about. Were they Lip-syncing to the song? Did Mr. P have on a knitted cap?! Or am I thinking of the wrong one? Another of the performance clips that is on the video I have ( and Paul Culnane this may interest you) is a live performance of "Books Are Burning". They closed out whatever the show was with XTC performing this one and it was honest-to-god live. Mr. P and Dave Gregory went to town on the guitar solos. I was blown away. *sigh* It's too bad I don't have the video here with me. And thus ends another post from yours truly, Cheryl
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33A331C5.2941@nlm.nih.gov> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 17:05:25 -0700 From: Don Lindbergh <dabl2@nlm.nih.gov> Organization: National Library of Medicine Subject: Re: Tafkap/Dear God > From: "Darryl R. Stewart" <DarrylStewart@worldnet.att.net> > Subject: Re:Tafkap/Dear God post > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:41:40 -0400 > Message-ID: <19970612034323.AAA6133@seaview> >...I thought I was the only tafkap/XTC fan in existence!) Hardly. Been on both net lists for years myself (long before the PPML existed for instance). Also concur that I've never heard the rumor nor even seen the claim that the former Prince ever did "Dear God". Would be cool, but concur that I can't see him singing those particular lyrics now, however, it's plausible during the particular period mentioned, "LoveSexy" the record which replaced the "Black Album". Directly previous to that he was definately in a 'Black' period/mood. Obviously he liked Eric Bazilian's "What If God Were One of Us" enough to cover it. Anything's possible. Again, though, this is definately the first I've heard of it in years and years of following Prince/O(-> work. Sounds like a bogus rumour to me..... --Don dabl2@nlm.nih.gov
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33A33B2B.75E1@macomb.com> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 19:45:31 -0500 From: John Mietus <sirchuck@macomb.com> Organization: Uncle Twitchy Enterprises Subject: NonAbbeySoundsPetRoadSuch Greatles, All this talk of Brian "Good Vibrations" Wilson and The Beatles and their influence on Mssrs. Partridge and Moulding was starting to actually pique my interest, so I wanted to put my two cents in. I've never really cared for the Beach Boys, though my love of the Fabs is legendary and it was a friend's insistance that I'd love "Mayor of Simpleton" for all its Beatleness that turned me on to our lads from Swindon (can they truly be called "lads" anymore, seeing as how they are all technically old enough to be grandparents?). However, Andy's love of the Beach Boys has been obvious to me since listening to "Pale and Precious" and "Season Cycle," and I've always felt comforted by the fact that when Andy riffs off Brian Wilson, he riffs off the stuff that I find palatable. However, as "the minor's daughter" pointed out, the lyrical content of most of the Beach Boys music I've heard (which is, admittedly, limited to what they play on oldies stations and "Pet Sounds") -- from the insipid surfer pop down to the lovely music on =Pet Sounds= -- pales in comparison to the worst of Lennon/McCartney, Andy, Colin -- hell, even Ringo. Now, I've never heard any of the "Smile" stuff save "Good Vibrations," but considering =Pet Sounds= came from Brian Wilson listening to =Rubber Soul= and (reportedly) thinking, "Oh, you can write *good* pop music," and considering that Sir Paul -- who still clings to =Pet Sounds= as his all-time favorite album (go figure) -- says that =Pet Sounds= was the primary inspiration for =Sgt. Pepper,= it's no wonder to me that Brian Wilson would give up and go home dejected. At the time, NO ONE could match, let alone beat, =Pepper=. The Stones tried it and look what we got...the embarassing =Her Satanic Majesty's Request=. Pink Floyd tried it with =Piper at the Gates of Dawn,= and while it's a great psychadelic album, it hardly opened up pop music to legitimate critical scrutiny, which I think Wilson was trying to achieve. Hell, Sir Paul *still* obsesses about =Pepper.= And it's not even the Fab's best album. Now, the first time I heard =Nonsuch,= my first impression was, "Oh, this is what Andy's been doing since =O&L= -- listening to =Pet Sounds= and =Abbey Road= repeatedly and it's coming through here." "Humble Daisy," the song that started this whole debate, is, like the aforementioned "Season Cycle" or "Pale and Precious," a total tribute, musically, to what Andy likes in Brian Wilson's music. "Books Are Burning" and "Then She Appeared" just scream =Abbey Road= to me -- and "Dear Madam Barnum" is what Sir Paul only *dreams* "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was. But you will note that when Andy riffs on Brian Wilson, he's doing "Good Vibrations" and =Pet Sounds= -- but when he riffs on The Beatles, he's doing a wide range of Fabs' material. Now, related but off the subject -- someone recently mentioned that they felt Andy was the better songwriter, but when hard-pressed to name their favorite XTC songs, Colin material lept to the fore -- I find myself in total agreement. As I said before, it was "Mayor of Simpleton" that made me first seriously listen to XTC, and when I heard "The Loving" and "Merely a Man" I was humming them for days...but it was "One of the Millions" that made me buy the album. Fishy fishy, John
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33A3528E.2DA8@concentric.net> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 21:25:18 -0500 From: Dave White <margnate@concentric.net> Subject: Upsy Daisy, Audiophile, Mobile Fidelity, etc..... With Upsy Daisy Assortment due to hit stores Tuesday, I'd like to comment on earlier posts re the sound quality of UDA and the Mobile Fidelity releases of Skylarking and Oranges & Lemons. First for UDA, one earlier post raved about the sound quality of it and I just don't see it. Except for the cuts pre-English Settlement, which are less muddied than normal, I don't hear anything different. I've given UDA a couple of weeks listening and it's fine, but nothing special. My CDs prior to O&L are all English or Japanese pressings, but I was not under the impression that really mattered much -- correct me if I'm wrong. As for the Mobile Fidelity pressings of Skylaking and O&L, I've done blind listening tests to see if I preferred the original to the MF discs (my kids put both discs in randomly to the CD player and looked at me a bit funny) and in both cases I picked the original, regular releases as sounding better. The only Mobile Fidelity disc that I've come across that's better than the original is Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells a Story". For those of you with both discs of O&L, listen to the opening guitar scratchings on Poor Skeleton Steps Out -- to me the original pressing sounds like the band is in the room with you playing live, while the MF pressing is more muddy. One thing I've noticed about MF discs -- they play a bit louder, so maybe that's why they appear better sounding when doing side by side tests. My Skylarking disc is the first pressing (import) without Dear God -- again, I don't know if that's supposed to make a difference. I don't mind having purchased the MF discs, since it is a different sound. (Also, my system is nothing special in terms of audiophile capabilities) My questions are: -- is there anyone out there who prefers the MF discs, and if so, why? I'm interested in detailed or general reasoning. -- when you get UDA, does it have superior sound in your opinion? -- I didn't pick up Fossil Fuel -- how was the sound on that? postings to the newsletter or to me personally are fine -- I'm not sure of the protocol for something like this. Thanks, Dave (Happy Father's Day to all other dads out there!)
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3raLgCA2l+ozEwwV@emdac.demon.co.uk> Date: Sun, 15 Jun 1997 14:09:10 +0100 From: Phil Hetherington <phil@emdac.demon.co.uk> Subject: frequency I'm lagging by about 10 issues here, and don't have time to read the rest today, so apologies if this is old news... Someone called Tom said: >XTC has always gone in trends for me. And I think I may be entering >another one. So, I spent some time checking out some XTC related sites, >and was reminded of an astounding fact: 77 78 79 80 82 83 = WhiteMusic >Go2 D&W BlackSea ES Mummer. And ES was a double. What a tear they were >on. Have any other bands put together a streak like this? Actually, until the late 80s this sort of streak was fairly common. The original OMD, for example, released albums in 80 80 81 83 84 85 86. The difference now seems to be that albums are generally longer - 60 to 70 minutes is now typical, rather than 35 to 45. This either means that bands release albums just as often as before but fill them with crap, or release less albums. >From XTC's point of view, you're forgetting The Big Express (84), 25 O'Clock (85), Skylarking (86), Psonic Psunspot (87), Oranges & Lemons (89) - they managed to keep that pace going for *ages*, which is an impressive feat. Whether they will resume that pace once unleashed from their present period of inactivity remains to be seen, but with all of the unrealeased stuff they have stashed away, I see no reason why not. I look forward to it. BTW, thanks to Richard for 'Chalkhills Children' - there are a couple of tracks I don't like (naming no names), but on the whole I love it. The versions of 'It's Nearly Africa' and 'Dear God' are works of pure genius and almost certainly both better than the originals. (Dear God is definitely better; It's Nearly Africa was a harder song to improve upon, I think, so those two are joint favourites). There are others which are also immensely enjoyable, but those two really stand out. I feel inspired to do something next time, now, but we shall see. :-) Thanks also to Ira for the tape of you-know-what. I shall keep my opinions of you-know-what private so as not to upset people who don't want to hear about them. :-) Except that, Mitch, next time you speak to Andy tell him that 'chest swells' would be better than 'breasts swell'. From me. Thanks. :-) Cheers, -- Phil Hetherington
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199706152243.AAA09196@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Sun, 15 Jun 1997 23:50:13 +0000 Subject: Sample This Chalkers, I have digitized some utterly useless but funny snippets from various Andy Partridge interviews and put them on a page located at my XTC Website. ( http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello/xtc.html ) Check it out if you want to hear Andy sing Happy Birthday or do his Robert Smith act... bye, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse an unofficial XTC website at http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello ===> Mark's Random XTC Quote <=== They never read that tattoo on his arm
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199706152243.AAA09202@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Sun, 15 Jun 1997 23:50:13 +0000 Subject: Bridge Over Rusty Water Dear Chalkies, Last issue Brookes said: > i realized the other day that a lot of the time in XTC songs the bridge is > by far my favorite part of the song. I have to agree that the XTC bridges are very good ( and seldom collapse) but I won't go as far as saying that they are sometimes better than the song. Every XTC song is good in it's genre IMHO Anyway, one of my fave bridges is the one from Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down. The song in question is a much under-rated Partridge classic; both musically and lyrically it is among his best of that period. Virgin insisted XTC recorded "a hit single!" after the chart success of Making Plans For Nigel with "commercial" producer called Phil Wainman ( lovingly dubbed Fascist Phil by Andy ). When the record was released it sank without a trace... the IRC session with Andy was a blast. Lots of nonsense, some useful info and He actually answered one of my questions! (gulp) Some snippets: the band are still negotiating a recording deal; Colin has agreed to do a Bootleg Album, and they are also working on a new video compilation with "good bits like the Dukes and the Play At Home stuff". yours in ecstasy, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse an unofficial XTC website at http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello ===> Mark's Random XTC Quote <=== She got to be obscene to be obheard
------------------------------ Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19970616035002.006992ec@pop.mindspring.com> Date: Sun, 15 Jun 1997 23:50:02 -0400 From: "Jason 'Buffy' NeSmith" <jnesmith@mindspring.com> Subject: a couple o' recent purchases Thought I'd tell youse guys about a couple o' recent purchases. Found a vinyl boot of the Black Sea tour at the London Hammersmith Odeon, Feb. 1991. Is this the same show as the BBC live CD? Also found a double 7" boot from the Acoustical Oranges & Lemons tour on KROQ, Los Angeles, May 29, 1989 on the Vig-O-Tone label. It has a few neat-o pictures, and the sound quality is pretty great. I had a dream night before last that I was in a thrift store with my girlfriend, and while leafing through the used records (a regular habit), I came upon three Kinks compilations, all double albums I'd never heard of. I only remember one title. It was a collection of their ballads called 'Emotions.' Eeuuugh. Well, of course I bought it. But then I woke up. <self promotion> My band Orange Hat will be playing at the Atlanta get-togethah this coming Saturday. We've been having a lot of fun trying to boil down the thicker-than-wood album productions into rock-band-format. Geez! The set list is secret, so you'll just have to be there. </self promotion> It sounds like Pete's concocted an evening of fun and frolic. I can't wait to meet you weirdos! love and bofus?, Buffy Beware of knowing the ideagram of nothingness. Your teeth will crack. Swallow it whole and you've a treasure beyond the hope of buddah and the mind. The east breeze fondles the horses ears. How sweet the smell of plum. visit the Orange Hat Cyberhose Page, or you won't have any fun! http://www.mindspring.com/~jnesmith
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b0aafcb9098a560@[139.80.100.165]> Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 16:54:33 -0800 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Iiiiii'm Baaaaack! >Well, if you think that your southernmost listmember is a bit quieter than >normal for the next few days, it's because I'll be going into hospital on >Wednesday for minor surgery. I should be out of action for only a day or >two, but I doubt I'll feel much like emailing for a while after that. So >take care y'all, and hopefully I'll be annoying you again soon! Iiiiim baaaack! Not quite 100% back to normal yet - it'll take about a week until I can breathe cleanly and clearly again (but since I haven't been able to do that for the last few years, it's no real hassle...). The op went well, thanks to Ward 5C of Dunedin Public Hospital. I'd also like to thank the many Chalkhillers who wished me well. If you didn't receive a reply, it's because the message must have bounced (Andy C - I couldn't reply to you, the mail came back with "undeliverable" errors!) >I wonder why the same group of bassists keep coming up. I bet Mssrs.Mac, >Thomas, Levin, Lee, and the lot are great. I'd be willing to concede the >Squires, Entwhistles, Mouldings, Wilsons, and any poppers you'd care to >name. But I guess nobody here listens to jazz, or doesn't hear anything >outstanding in the work of Charles Mingus. I love him. I wonder if you >guys don't, or just don't listen to him. well, I don't listen to a lot of jazz, but did contribute the name Jaco Pastorius to the argument. Yet to really get into Charlie Mingus though. I also contributed the name Danny Thompson, who someone else asked about. I don't know any of his solo albums, but have always been impressed with the work he's done as a sessionist to everyone from Billy Bragg to the Indigo Girls, and also with the work he did with Pentangle. Their live version of Haitian Fight Song - not exactly coincidentally by one C.Mingus - has to be heard to be believed. >Can anybody think of excessive lengths inbetween albums by a group (not >breaking up and getting back together) or a solo artist (not working on >other major projects).[...] >I'm drawing blanks on other such "gaps" - anyone care to contribute? Patti Smith, about 9 years IIRC; Robbie Robertson, over a dozen years, and the same for Marianne Faithfull. John Lennon, about 7 years. I'm sure there are heaps of others. BTW - heard a rumour (don't know whether it's true, since I haven't seen the movie) that the Uffington White Horse is seen in the film "Map of the Human Heart"! hmm... maybe now that I'm well and my thesis is nearly finished, I'll be able to contribute to the next CC tape! James James Dignan___________________________________ You talk to me Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University As if from a distance ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street And I reply. . . . . . . . . . Dunedin, New Zealand with impressions chosen from another time steam megaphone (03) 455-7807 (Brian Eno - "By this River")
------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 97 09:38:00 GMT From: david.mcguinness@bbc.co.uk (David McGuinness) Subject: drummers Message-Id: <"<5241A53381821573>5241A53381821573@GW.BBC"@-SMF-> Hi folks - OK, so I've never seen him live, but I can't understand the fuss about Graham Maby - his playing for TMBG has made no impression on me whatsoever. Anyway, XTC have a bass player already, and a damn fine one. Have we discussed possible drummers for the lads' next album recently? It just struck me as a dug out my copy of 'John Henry' over the weekend (on which Mr Maby features a little), that Brian Doherty's drumming on that album is quite staggering. He's helped by Ed Thacker's wonderful engineering, but just imagine what Oranges and Lemons would have been like with Mr Doherty instead of Pat 'wait a minute, I've found another gadget to play with' Mastelotto. It strikes me that Doherty actually plays the kit like a real musical instrument, whereas Mastelotto just assembles collections of killer sounds and hopes they'll work. Anyhow, someone suggested recently they use a BBC producer! Hey, I'm one of those, I'll do it. I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for the phone call. bye -David
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=SELECT_Software_%l=SELECT_OX_MAIL-970616091122Z-79@sst.star.co.uk> From: Catherine Sweeney <Cather-s@selectst.com> Subject: Thanks, er, I think Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 10:11:22 +0100 1. Thanks to everyone who confirmed the Pebble Mill sighting. It proves I was not suffering from alcohol abuse after all. 2. Er, I only wish you'd all denied it. The truth, in this case, is worse than believing I'm an alcoholic (they were miming The Disappointed. I forgot to mention that bit). 3. Alan Titchmarsh?! Alan Titchmarsh??! Alan Titchmarsh is satan. How could Andy do such a thing? 4. Should we enlighten the non-UK contingent as to the true identity of Alan Titchmarsh, or should we spare them? I've got to go and lie down now.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199706161310.JAA12811@newman.concentric.net> Subject: Colin-oscopy Date: Mon, 16 Jun 97 09:12:55 -0400 From: chuck n joe <cjmacs@cris.com> Hey Chalkhillians! About the bass players thread, Stormy Monday wrote: >> * Jaco Pastorious - > >Oh yes! Check out his work with Joni Mitchell on "Hejira" and "Don >Juan's Reckless Daughter". One can never tell, but I would guess that >Colin was influenced by this psychotic genius. Jaco is a genius. La Mitchell is a genius. When I met Colin at a record company promo for O&L I asked him who influenced his playing the most. His answer: Andy Fraser (of Free) and Paul McCartney. Chuck
------------------------------
From: jason.phelan@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 97 08:42:20 CST
Message-Id: <9705168664.AA866477195@in2.mcmail.vanderbilt.edu>
Subject: Atlanta Bound
Well, you know,
A week ago, I'da never thought that little old me would converse with
Andy Q. Partridge directly. Thanks to Bill Gates, my wildest dream
came true. Thank you Bill Gates, you truly are the richest man in the
universe.
I cancelled my conection to the Microserf Network immediately
following the chat. Cheers!
Since Everybody is chiming in about Pet Sounds, I just want to say...
PLEASE, if you think you don't like it, PLEASE listen again. PLEASE
keep this in mind... Brian Wilson was 23 yrs old and made an album
that has yet to be equalled by even the BeachBoys themselves. Not even
the Beatles made a better album. (HOLD THE FLAMES I LOOOOOVE them
Beatles!) It is a beautiful, positive record and the music is genius.
I too was one who thought "Beach Boys = surf music = funfunfun =
stoopid!" They are not just that. Granted 85% is but that last 15% is,
if you appreciate music at all, amazing. So they were crap after Brian
stopped writing with them...so they wrote "Kokomo", FORGET THAT!
Pet sounds and Smiley Smile should be must haves for everyone who is
moved by music.
O.K.
I betcha Andy thought we were a buncha dorks. Read the chat
transcript. Tell me if you agree.
See ya.
Phelan
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19970616102024.00685694@acton.com> Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 10:20:25 -0500 From: Dave Ledbetter <dbetter@acton.com> Subject: Gold/Desert Island/Knuckle Down & Small Town/7" Towers Brookes wrote: < but i think _mummer_ is greatly helped by the extra trax (okay, with the exception of "gold" - who really likes that song? every time i hear it i get annoyed by the lameness of the lyrics).> and continued: <i realized the other day that a lot of the time in XTC songs the bridge is by far my favorite part of the song. a lot of songs that i don't like all _that_ much have bridges that i love so much it makes me forget that the rest of the song is merely all right. examples: "desert island" (the great 'don't rescue me' part), "snowman" (although i still love the rest of that one), "no language in our lungs", and i know there are more but i can't remember them off-hand.> I love "Gold". I think though, it may be one of those songs where I tolerate the first part to get to the great chorus or Bridge (I don't remember which, seeing how I'm at work and away from my music). I too have noticed this with some XTC songs - "Your Gold Dress", "Jump", "Have you seen Jackie?", "Senses...", etc.,. I wouldn't say these songs are crap except for one good part, rather that the songs are good with parts of sheer brilliance. As for "Desert Island", this is one of my favorite XTC songs. I especially like the bridge, but I really love the whole song. It is as far as anyone need go for a testament to Colin's great bass playing. If I ever have the opportunity to contribute an XTC cover it will probably be Desert Island. I should ditto I'd rather have seen the bonus CD tracks thrown on at the end. I don't hear much about these two songs (my absolute favorites): "Knuckle Down" and "Everyday Story of a Small Town". Anybody else out there have a special affinity for either of these. Dave PS: there is a used record store in town that has the vinyl 7" single "Towers of London" with the bonus 7" - Scissors Man. I don't remeber the other two tracks or the catalog number, but if anyone is interested I can find out - email me privately.
------------------------------ Date: 17 JUN 97 10:22:36 AST From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au Subject: Cherry (Red) In Your Tree Message-ID: <0000vfjrpplv.0000uogsgske@dca.gov.au> In the May issue of Mojo magazine, there is a review of a double-CD set tracing the history/highlights of the UK independent label, Cherry Red. Among many artistes featured on this compilation is one Andy Partridge! Haven't been able to track down this set yet, so does anybody know what the AP track is that is featured? Any details most welcome. p@ul
------------------------------
From: nihilon@crisscross.com
Message-Id: <v03007800afcc1bd09a44@[202.217.215.88]>
Subject: Chalkhills T-Shirts
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 10:37:30 +0800
To whoever was organizing the t-shirts.
I've only just learned about these - I can't believe I didn't see anything
about them in Chalkhills, especially since I read the list so avidly. Must
have missed the post on them. Could you e-mail me asap.
Regards,
Steve (MGV)
* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could we have everything louder then everything else.
(Deep Purple)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199706170313.XAA17785@newman.concentric.net> Subject: Billboard Announcement Date: Mon, 16 Jun 97 23:16:40 -0400 From: chuck n joe <cjmacs@cris.com> Hey Chalkhillians! In the June 14th issue of Billboard magazine's "The Beat" column: "Although the label has yet to confirm it, XTC looks to be headed for V2" Chuck
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 23:16:19 -0500 (CDT)
From: Daniel L Marmer <dmarme1@uic.edu>
Subject: power mac chords
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.93.970616230238.26323A-100000@icarus.cc.uic.edu>
Eric Rosen <rimshot3@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>Given the immense collectivity of musical talent & insight that is this
>Chalkhills community, perhaps, someone can help me understand why my
>brain gets triggered into "Miniature Sun" mode every time I power up a
>Power Macintosh. Something about the harmonic, chordal tone it makes...
I work in a computer store and experience this nearly everyday. It
makes a very pleasant intrusion upon my normally boring working day. As
soon as I hear that chord, my brain continues with those crazy "Miniature
Sun" trumpets. It's like I get this enormous seratonin rush when I least
expect it. What a truly beutiful song.
By the way . . . after watching inexcusable amounts of television
during the recent NBA finals, I became quite disturbed by all of the hip,
youth-oriented commercials. Especially those Miller Geniune Draft ones.
Whenever I see such dribble I think of Andy's prophetic statement:
"There's no youth culture. . . only masks they let you wear. . ."
One final note. If any chalkhillians from Chicago are reading this,
there is a hammered dulcimer performer, who regularly plays in the
Washington Ave. Blue Line Subway station, who performs an XTC medley of
Generals and Majors, Earn Enough For Us, one other song.
Sincerely,
Dan Marmer
dmarme1@uic.edu
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b01afcb8c8ad28e@[169.132.100.208]> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 03:46:59 +0100 From: pjmuck@idt.net (Peter McCulloch) Subject: Jaco and Nonsuch Ed Miller wrote, regarding Colin's bass playing: >Agreed, seconded and amplified. Colin's a genius with the melodic >aspect of the instrument. The amazing thing to me is how he can take a >really quirky AP song and bring it back to reality, yet still play some >incredibly creative stuff. I had always been impressed by Colin's originality and technical ability until I read some disheartening news a few months ago in Chalkhills that, with the exception of his own songs, Andy writes Colin's bass lines. Of course, the ability to play them is impressive enough, but I'd like to think that Colin's contribution is more than just as an interpretor. Not to take anything away from Andy, who's certainly no slacker on bass as well (check out his lines on "Always Winter" or "Terrosim"). >> Does anybody else have an LP called "Mr. Partridge 'Take Away'"??? >> Just curious. I have it, the music of which you know can now be found on Explode Together. It's also one of all-time my favorite album covers, and I believe it's origin stems from a Jayne Mansfield movie still I've seen of her in a swimming pool surrounded by all those floating blow up dolls (which appear to be no larger than about 6" long). > Someone mused if anyone had put together a streak of album isn short > order like XTC did from 78 to 83. Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I'd say that the first 5 U2 albums were damn near perfect, from Boy to Joshua Tree. Regarding Jaco: >a friend of mine in NY saw him several times >walking around the city.... DRAGGING his Fender Precision bass by the >headstock. As we say here in New York, Everyone has a Jaco story. I can personally attest to this, as I had the unique pleasure (or displeasure, depending on how you look at it) of doing a gig with Jaco about a year before he was murdered. I met Jaco through a Brazilian percussionist named Manny who had a blues band on the side that I played bass in. Manny had sat in with Jaco from time to time, and he wanted to get Jaco to do a special appearance at our first "official" gig at some divey bar in Jersey City. I was a young and impressionable 18 year old, full of determination and pretension (I had just entered my dismissive, anti-rock phase), and Jaco was my idol. The day of the show, we drove by the Washington Square basketball courts and found Jaco looking very glassy eyed and shooting hoops with some of the locals. Manny rolled down the window and yelled out, "Come on, Jaco, we've got a gig!" Jaco couldn't get into his apartment to get retrieve his bass, as his girlfirend was apparently designated the "keeper of the keys" (since Jaco was notorious for bringing homeless drunken strangers home for a night cap), so it was agreed that Jaco would play my bass. I, of course, was honored and extatic, though I wondered how he would pull it off, since I was a left-handed bassist. Nevertheless, I sat in the back seat with him, too intimidated to talk shop, but wearing an ear to ear grin. Once we got to the club, I relaxed a little and found myself shooting pool and talking shop with Jaco, who was more than willing to discuss his favorite topic (Jaco) over a few beers. I didn't mind his arrogance (or was it confidence?). It was my favorite topic at the moment too. I told him that I had learned his "Portrait of Tracy" note for note from listening to his first solo album for hours on end, and proceeded to play it for him while he listened attentively. He told me I played my "ass off" and, for the time being, all was well in Shangri-La. Manny had done a good job of promoting the show, such that by the time our performance rolled around, the bar was packed with over 300 people. Jaco was the star of the moment, working the room with his classic introduction, Hi, I'm Jaco Pastorius, the world's greatest bass player" and more than willing to accept the free drinks being offered his way. About 4 or 5 songs into the set, Jaco was invited up to sit in with the band. He pulled off a rousing version of "Fanny Mae", proving that he could sing and play a left-handed bass (upside down), but it was obvious that he was not all there. But to the audience, so far, so good. Then it got ugly. By the time we came to our second set, Jaco was pretty inebriated. The original plan was to invite him back up on stage for a few numbers about midway through the set, but at the start of the set Jaco had taken to screaming profanities from the audience and wandering up on stage every moment he could get. Manny's efforts to reason with him proved futile, as Jaco tried to grab the guitar out the guitarist's hands or push Manny off his drum set so that he could exhibit his own proficiency on those instruments (which would have been low at that point). He had also insulted people in the audience, who were beginning to file out of the club. Those who stayed looked on in disbelief and disgust as Jaco finally managed to wrestle the guitar away and proceeded to turn up to 11 and play, "Third Stone From the Sun", while rocking back and forth and mumbling incoherently into the microphone. The rest of the band had left the stage at this point, and by the time Jaco had grown tired of himself there were about 10 or so people left in the bar. Naturally, I was completely devastated, and my perception had been shattered. But it wasn't until years later when I read his biography that I came to realize that he suffered from depression and mental disorders. Sorry about the long post. regards, Peter
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=AETNA%l=HFD-EXCH003-970617131012Z-65274@aetna.aetna.com> From: "Witter, Karl F" <WitterKF@aetna.com> Subject: E-Smeerp / Someone please get this joke Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 09:10:12 -0400 A BIG WET SSSSSMEEERRRP to Phil, for the Chalkhills tee I received a week and day ago! If he was as lazy shipping as I am posting we'd all be waiting still. My carrier also thanks you; I shall no longer stalk him for it, and the judge has stopped the restraining order. I don't know, the size L was a bit *bigger* than I thought (as compared to Mitch Friedman's smaller-than-anticipated M), but still within spec, as we engineers say. >[Michael] Brian Wilson's problems...eventually escalated >into full-blown schizophrenia. Years of therapy and >medication have finally made a difference. PBS is repeating their "Rock 'n' Roll" mini-series first shown in '95; Monday's (6/9) show covered from ~1960 to right before the Beatles, with much on the Beach Boys. Wilson was interviewed for this show, and my resident psychotherapist (well aware of his history) remarked on his speech patterns & physical tics. Glad to know he's making progress, even though that footage was only 2-3 years old, he didn't appear "all there" all the time. Bass Players: How about Tony Butler from Big Country, esp. with drummer Mark Brzezicki, live, in the power mode. Hey, for anyone who has Michael Penn's "Resigned": Have you had trouble with the CD? I got two in a row that skip in one CD player, and the Windows NT "CDPLAYER" won't even start it. on one PC. Another NT PC works, though. And the CD Extra stuff seems fine. My fiancee is at liberty, following a small putsch, and the my short-term assignment is up, so I'm seeking something else within the organization. Well, looks like I picked the wrong week to learn "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" and rent a video of "The Crowd" :-). (Apologies for the gratuitous in-joke, but when I tell it anywhere else, all I get are blank stares!) A rubber door in case I knocked, Karl
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-132 *******************************
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