Chalkhills Digest Volume 4, Issue 14
Date: Saturday, 25 October 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 4, Number 14
Saturday, 25 October 1997
Today's Topics:
the Bland Balloon?
ALL RIGHT, I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!
more reassurances about Haydn
Chris "Too-mey"/"bad faith"
XtC Solos
Confession and Amp Fantasy
XTC influences NBC
Melt the Phish
Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung
ANDY IN AN UPCOMING FILM!
RE: the endless solos as masturbatory
I got yer middle eight right here
De-lurking: Cheap XTC disk alert!
Chalkhills and Reality?
Geetar solo
Your Dictionary &c.
ps
I wanna hear the Helium Kidz too!!!!!!
Re: Guitargasm
More sheer joy and rapture.....
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <344F54EF.DAE0A549@stewmac.com> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 09:45:20 -0400 From: Keith Hanlon <hanlon@stewmac.com> Subject: the Bland Balloon? JHB wrote: > Hmmm. That means that we probably get around eight or nine of the "old > demos" for this album. There are fifteen of them; that means we'd have > to cut six. If it were my painful choice, I'd have to lose Knights > in Shining Karma (interesting but *way* too slow and quiet), The Last > Balloon (ditto), Some Lovely (my least favorite demo), Church of Women > (fun but just a little too fluffy) Bumper Cars (we know about this one) > and Your Dictionary (too vindictive.) No matter what, I'd want to make sure > that River of Orchids, You and The Clouds, I'd Like That, Easter Theatre, > Dame Fortune, and I Can't Own Her were on the album. I agree with all of these.... EXCEPT (you knew that was coming) "the Last Balloon." With the proper production, this song can rise above the demo stage into a classic, comparable to "Wrapped in Grey" and "Chalkhills and Children." Get some real drums in there and you'll find that the song will open up... lose it's stiffness, so to speak. And the lyrics are excellent. Yeah... I'd add "Last Balloon" and ditch "I Can't Own Her." Too sappy for my taste - it's good, but not the kind of song for which I listen to XTC. All MHO. KO wrote: > I had never thought of XTC using someone like Michael for their drummer. > He would add a seasoning that has here-to-fore never been included in > the XTC stew. I for one really look foreward to hearing something like > that. He has the skills, sensitivity and artistic vision to help propel > XTC into a powerful new stage of their careers. Three cheers for Michael Bland! Although _this_ Prince fan didn't really like Prince's music while Michael was in his band, I must stress that Bland impressed me very much. He has shown that he can handle the diversity of Prince's music... arena-rock ballads, funky grooves, jazz, reggae, and straight ahead stuff. Good choice! Keith [Attachment omitted, unknown MIME type or encoding (text/html)]
------------------------------
From: jason.phelan@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 97 08:57:19 CST
Message-Id: <9709238776.AA877622163@in2.mcmail.vanderbilt.edu>
Subject: ALL RIGHT, I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!
Please, dear chalk-children,
Read your posts, then re-read them before sending and then, read them
ONE MORE TIME. You might find them same idiot-synchronicities I have
in the way you fighting boys and girls have been posting lately.
Fer Chris' sake, won't you put your big fat knuckles down!!
I feel like sing ing that song from "West Side Story", you
know..."Cool" Boy, Boy, crazy boy!
We only have a few more months to go on the new album and if you don't
watch it...you'll eat yourselves ALIVE!!!!
I can't tell what's been more interesting/nauseating lately, Jenny
Jones or this list because the lines are starting to blur, I tell ya!
I know that it's been a damn long time since we've had a new album but
THINK POSITIVE AND POSITIVE THINGS WILL HAPPEN.
So now, I will try to start a new thread, in the long and glourious
scarf that is our discussions on this list.....
IS AMANDA THAT KID IN CLASS THAT MADE EVERYONE CRINGE WHEN SHE RAISED
HER HAND BECAUSE THEY KNEW SOMETHING EMBARASSINGLY IDIOTIC WAS ABOUT
TO COME FORTH????
Just kidding...see that was a funny, contradicting everything I just
said.....that's comedy or biting sarcasm.
No really what I mean to say is,
"I have been listening to "SKYLARKING" quite a bit lately, and I have
decided that it is perhaps in my Opinion, the most coherent, solid and
beautiful album they have ever made. The ratio of Colin and Andy songs
are almost even. Do you think that an arrangement like that, half
Colin/half Andy helps to balance the pretensiousness that the band can
show sometimes, or do you think it's entirely reliant on the
material?"
Discuss. I know it's not very precise but I leave it up to all to take
it anywhere you want to.
And Simon, whatever happened to Wonder Annual, you indian-amp-giver,
you?
Ciao for niao,
Phelan
------------------------------
From: "Stafford, Dave" <dstaffor@tradesvc.com>
Subject: more reassurances about Haydn
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 97 07:29:00 PDT
Message-ID: <344F6132@dilbert>
>Uhhm, Bendall was an engineer on Metheny's "Secret Story" album.
Now I'm even happier. I have very little jazz, I like Pat Metheny, but
"Secret Story" (the only METHENY I *OWN*) is EXCELLENT...especially the
strings.
It was enough for me that Mr. Bendall associated with the very talented
Kate Bush et al. But this is good news. I own "Secret Story" but never
looked at the credits...
Dave at 17, trying to forget about y*u k*ow w*at...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the new "identity crisis" site at:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/7047/index.html
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19971023105708.00951a10@smtpgw.ametsoc.org> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 10:57:08 -0400 From: David Gershman <dgershmn@ametsoc.org> Subject: Chris "Too-mey"/"bad faith" Howdy Chalk-folks, Brookes asked in response to Simon: >>off the Chris Twomey book (Doomy Twomey they called him, apparently he was >>a bit of a dour sort), but Twomey himself has been messed about by Omnibus >is *that* how you pronounce his name?! to rhyme with "Doomy"?! i would have >thought it was "Twoh-me". please enlighten me Sir Simon. Yes, it rhymes with "doomy." I know because I remember that back in high school our school librarian was "Mrs. Twomey" (and did indeed rhyme with "doomy"). She must have had a sense of humor too, because her daughter, who was in my younger sister's class was named Tasha. Tasha Twomey. As you may already have guessed, she got a lot of kidding along the lines of "Hey...Toss-It To-Me!" A mild laugh to be sure, but in the realm of most high-school humor, you take what you can get (though I'm certain it's *much* more sophisticated these days, as some of you will probably attest). ;) Later, putting in her .02 on the Harrison/Mark thing, Brookes said: >a shoddy rip-off done in bad faith is bad compared to the original >or to a genuine song that at least doesn't try to slip one over on the audience. I am refraining from adding anything to the flames about who made a better point, who's right/who's wrong, what's good/what's not, blah blah blah, but I do have one thought that I'd like to toss out (and I don't mean to single you out, Brookes...your mentioning it again just happened to spark me to bring this up): I don't really understand what doing a song "in bad faith" means. One could have "bad ideas" (in some people's opinions), "lack of creativity/ability," "greedy intentions," etc., but I don't think "bad faith" comes into this. With the exception of a Milli-Vanilli-like situation, where something truly IS being put over on people, I have a strong suspicion that every artist who records something truly believes that what they are doing is good and/or original, no matter how "bad" or how much of a "ripoff" other people may find it to be. And there's always someone who will agree with them. For instance, for all his derivativeness, do you think Lenny Kravitz doesn't enjoy his own music? Or Oasis? Do you think the Spice Girls (the catch-all scapegoats these days) don't think what they're doing is fab, however calculated it may appear to be to some? (and yes, I realize the Spice Girls don't write their own music, but the people behind the music probably are proud of it too). My argument is that a musician/performer is always staying true to his or her muse (*whatever* that may be, whether it's to please themselves, please their fans, or just make money)...whether anyone likes it or not is simply a matter of TASTE, not of faith. At any given time, whatever a musician is doing is in "good faith" to what they want to be doing at that moment, even if years later they look back and say "Wow, that really was crap, wasn't it?" People buy music because they like what they hear, or at least think they might...they've never been promised anything in regard to how they'll actually feel about it. (And if you believe that the advertising has promised that, you need to learn a thing or two about how advertising works.) You might think certain music sucks or that other music is the cat's meow, but if one feels they have faith in an artist to perform music they like, they have to be prepared for the possibility of a letdown. It's only because their expectations and hopes did not coincide with what that artist has done that they are disappointed, not because the artist did anything in "bad faith." No deal was struck promising the fan that they'd like it. When you come right down to it, it is conceivable (however extreeeemely remotely) that XTC's next album could turn ALL of us off, but could we say that they did it in bad faith? No, because they were doing what they wanted to do. And if Celine Dion's next album turns me or anyone else off (which, ha ha, I have much faith that it will), can she be accused of bad faith either? No, because she performed what she wanted to, the way she wanted to. (And I ended that sentence with a preposition because I chose to. And the one after it.) Having said that, I'd like to clarify that I agree with many of the points Harrison originally made, but also believe, as Mark said (however bluntly), that it's pretty much impossible to discuss anything's degree of "badness" from anything but one's personal viewpoint/bias. In the arts, there is no absolute bad or good. I hope the above made some small amount of sense. Dave Gershman... ...who, as much as he respects and enjoys Harrison's posts, still thinks that the true bard of Chalkhills is Simon Sleightholm and hopes that Simon, now that he's a personal confidante of Mr. Partridge, won't think we only want to hear from him when he's heard from Andy. :)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <c=US%a=_%p=Barnes_?_Noble_I%l=MSENY1-971023151115Z-415028@mseny1.BN.COM> From: Greg Marrs <GMarrs@bn.com> Subject: XtC Solos Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 11:11:15 -0400 Time for my semi-annual check-in: to Mark Brown, who wrote: <<I know this a bit of a cliche subject, but what other XTC guitar solos do you other 'hillsters get off on? >> This "over-the-hillster" has always been fond of the one-note/chord rhythmic invention of the solo in Love at First Sight, and I still getjazzed on the quartal riff in That's Really Super, Supergirl. I used to play Are You Receiving Me? back in the 80s (we did several xtc tunes actually, much to the dismay of our frat-party audiences...), and dig that solo pretty much as well. All very organic, non-noodling efforts. to Mark Fisher, who wrote: <<On a different subject, I've been trying to play the A-minor riff from Dear God on the guitar (downloaded from Chalkhills), and it strikes me that it's such a simple yet striking sequence that it'd be surprising if it hadn't been used before. Does anyone know if it has?>> You're quite right -- everybody and their grandma has used this sequence (you're also quite right not to call it a progression) -- you may remember a little tune from the early seventies by Chicago called 25 or 6 to 4...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <EB3FE924F73DD11187E400805FEA8E8103BA58@BCBCMAIL.bcbc.bc.ca> From: "Macdonald, Robert" <RMacdonald@bcbc.bc.ca> Subject: Confession and Amp Fantasy Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 10:31:17 -0700 In CH #4-07 Roger from Oz wrote: "It's Roger here - not to be confused with that lovely chap Robert McDonald." Why thank you! (....he thinks basking in the glow of fame and flattery) "I'm an altogether much nastier kettle of fish." HEY, wait a minute....... I'm not really _that_ nice....honest... you must all believe me. I can be really _quite_ nasty. I went home and asked my wife Katie and she agreed with me that I'm not that nice. Trust me on this. Oooh eerie like. Just last night I was sitting at home blasting Bumper Cars, and although I'm not sure about the song as a whole, I _love_ the part where it goes....."Yes you'll know when it is time to change gears" .............I was going to post saying something to that affect, and then I get to work this morning and guess what John's quote is in #4-12's Administrivia! We all know to what he was referring .....don't we! (Well after reading 4-12 it appears the answer is no :-( Now just the other day I too was haplessly reading the Books Are Burning Solos Discussion Forum when what would alight my eyes..... "Now here's an offer for all you musical "fix-its" out there; Andy has an old Selmer(?) Truevoice amplifier at home; one that he used on early tours and has used almost constantly until it broke. He asked me if I knew anyone who might like it... Basically if you think you can fix it, and you want it then mail me and - when he next calls me in a few weeks or so - I'll let him know. Whoever takes it has to be willing to arrange and pay for its collection though." My first thought....."I cant' believe how nice Andy is......this is incredible.....just going to give it away........man he is a great person........I really like him (in a nasty kettle of fish kind of way, of course) and I've never even met him.........he's a great guitarist/songwriter and he's just going to give away his broken amp to someone for free........boy, I would love that amp..........yes sireee...he just told Simon he'd give it away......just have to pay for transporting it..........here's a thought......just might be able to pick it up myself from his house.....sit down for a cup of tea...or maybe fruit juice......hang out in the shed awhile........hmmmm, of course I don't live in the UK, but if I did........or maybe (for the convenience of this fantasy...) say I do live there.......yeah......I could play a couple of my songs for him which he would probably love.......I mean of course he would................ we'd get on like gangbusters __Wait a minute!!__........why the hell isn't Simon taking the amp himself? ????????????????? Is he crazy ????????????????????????????????? I mean it's not like I'm going to get it...am I.....Damn it I live too far away!!! Further to........"And I'm still _really_ sorry about that amp business...." It's o.k. Simon we really understand. Just give us the latest report on the Shed : -) Cheers, Rob. Rob "Piranha" Macdonald Victoria, B.C.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <211D4A0926D2D011859E0060972D884819146E@comail.rjconsult.com> From: "Miller, Ed" <EMiller@rjconsult.com> Subject: XTC influences NBC Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 11:53:37 -0600 Did anyone else catch the XTC reference at the end of game four of the World Series? I half heard it, but the sportscaster (Bob Costas I think) said something like "We've had it all here tonight... snow, cold, home runs, blah, blah, blah.... so and so must have all five senses working overtime. I guess Costas could be a fan..... Ed
------------------------------ Message-Id: <344FA585.5D2F7DED@bowdoin.edu> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 14:29:31 -0500 From: Ben Gott <bgott@bowdoin.edu> Organization: Loquacious Music Subject: Melt the Phish Hey, Chalkhillians... Phish played "Melt the Guns" at Nectar's in Burlington on 29 April 1987. I am now working on getting a copy of the tape... Ben * ------------------------------------------ * B e n G o t t :: Bowdoin College Telephone :: (207) 721-5142 Internet :: http://www.wp.com/58596 ...The more you ignore me, the closer I get... * ------------------------------------------ *
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=BTG._Inc.%l=EXCH_HQ-971023214538Z-53786@exchserver.btg.com> From: "Sherwood, Harrison" <hsherwood@btg.com> Subject: Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 17:45:38 -0400 >From: MARKROCKS@aol.com >OK Harrison, I'll pit [the solo from "No Language"] against the guitar solo >from _Reel By Reel_ . Say, I hope you don't mind if I just...sorta...virtually...GRAB your arm, TWIST it around behind your back, and put this KNEE in your kidneys, and grit Eastwoodly, "OK, Buster, did the DUCK send you?"? (Whew! Sorry for the violent response--I just had to make sure you weren't working for THEM.) (And if you're TOTALLY mystified, join the club. And snag a copy of Chalkhills' Children '97, where Sister Harrison Explains It All For You.) >The skill level ranks a 10 to me, even >though I don't have a clue about playing guitar. It is almost more >of a jazz solo than a traditional _rock_ solo, but it fits the feel of >the song perfectly. It's a peach. All those jazzy chromatics... But the double-stopping, dissonance and unsuccessfully suppressed rage of "Language" makes it Numbah One in my personal "Oh Shit I'll Never Be That Good" file--for XTC guitar playing anyway. If I may be permitted to express a digressive opinion for a moment (hee-hee!) the absolute, all-time most amazing guitar playing ever heard on record is a tacet rip that Django Reinhardt takes in his Quintet's cover of "Limehouse Blues" from about 1938--four bars of smoke-emitting, string-melting, hair-curling sixteenth-notes that'll just sear your eyeballs if you get too close. Two fingers, folks. He played it with two fingers on his fret hand. The other two were paralyzed in a fire when he was a kid. There has never been anybody who could touch Django. (Insert sex joke here.) (_Man_ I love the Internet! I just popped over to CDNow, searched on Django, found the album "Best Of," and heard a RealAudio clip of the tune in question. You've _got_ to listen to the RA clip of "St. Louis Blues," which has an insouciant little chromatically descending figure that just goes on and on ...Wonderful!) Television came up a few issues ago: I was, uh, otherwise occupied at the time but I'd like to catch up: I have always worshipped the ground Tom Verlaine walks on, and agree that "Marquee Moon" is a great, great record. One of the reasons I think Matthew Sweet is so cool (besides his unapologetic songiness--almost a Buddy Holly for our times) is the fact that he got two of the three guitarists from the Television/Voidoids orbit to contribute to "100% Fun" and "Girlfriend." Richard Lloyd's I'm-drunk, go-to-hell riffing on "Sick of Myself" just _makes_ that song. >From: aka Louise <rmckenzi@dti.net> >Subject: kids & baboons >d) while obviously Harrison was exaggerating in order to make his point, >the heart of his argument is one that i couldn't agree more with - that >music manipulates the emotions whether people like that fact or not, and >that responsibility on the part of the artist is not something to be taken >lightly... *Thank* you, aka. Not only couldn't I have said it better myself, but didn't. (No, it works. You have to stare at for a while, but it works.) And many musicians/composers--artists and craftspersons--_do_ take this responsibility lightly or cynically, and produce bad music. Q.E.D. I think. >From: btm@ns1.mindmagic.com >>> I was engrossed in it when I hear my dad >>> "Who is the geek holding the horn?" Should I have hit him????< > >What horn? Oh, God, please stop me... Don't let me do it... Oh it hurts so much.... >From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> > >it's _very_ rare for writing to actually _change_ one's appreciation >of music, or any art. Exception that proves the rule: Lester Bangs, whose impassioned and deeply committed ravings turned _my_ little seventeen-year-old head around about that nasty, threatening Punk stuff that was starting to ooze out of my radio in 1977, elbowing out dear old comfortable Tull and Yes and ELP. Somebody's put uo a Bangs Tribute at http://www2.shore.net/~stooge/bangs.html that's well worth a long peruse. Check his review of Eno's "Here Come the Warm Jets" for a giggle. Here's Bangs on "Rocky Mountain High": "So I'm cruising along in the car letting the solos flow, and every once in a while I hear this absolutely shining slice of transcendental ultimo wimp, big production and high gloss. Sure it was polished pone, but the damn thing was persistent, it just kept recurring with such regularity that you knew pretty soon there was no escaping your ultimate destiny of loving the lymph right out of the utmost object of your scab proud scorn. In other words, it was so great that it jumped cross the fence and realigned your priorities and your way of seeing the world.... In other words, John Denver is sleazier than Divine, and should be respected for it." Great shit. You really need to read it. Harrison "And I really need to write it" Sherwood
------------------------------
Date: 23 Oct 97 15:33:26 -0800
From: "Jeff Castanon" <jeff_castanon@gibbsnc.com>
Subject: ANDY IN AN UPCOMING FILM!
Message-Id: <19971023153318.0c175410.in@mail.gibbsnc.com>
(To the best of my knowledge Andy will NOT be in any upcoming films,
however I do have something that needs to be read by all contributors and I
apologize for the trickery...)
Chalkaholics,
As I engage in the daily ritual of Digest perusing I must admit that I
am both saddened and tired of the amount of slamming and verbal slapping
that goes on here. Now mind you, I like a good argument as well as the next
guy, but its getting pretty ridiculous when Im reading more about the people
on the mailing list than I am about the actual artist(s). Guess what?!
Everyone one has a unique opinion and how to express it and its completely
out of line to slander someone because their opinion doesn't match yours or
they choose to word a thought differently than yourself. I thinks its time
to have a little respect for one another and realize that the reason why we
write in the first place is because of a common love of the music created by
XTC. I think its a complete insult to this forum, especially if you think
about what XTC is all about. Next time you think about slamming someone else
take a good look at the sentiment that is at the heart of all the XTC lyrics
and decide for yourself whether or not your contribution is worth
scripting. I realize that there will be someone out there who will probably
write something negative about what Ive just stated, however, it would only
prove to strengthen my point. Im not saying that we cant disagree with each
other but lets be a bit more respectful in the process. Im sure Andy would
agree...
Jeff (Look Number 9)
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 19:02:58 -0400 From: J_ARTECONA@RCMACA.UPR.CLU.EDU Message-Id: <971023190258.21a02040@RCMACA.UPR.CLU.EDU> Subject: RE: the endless solos as masturbatory I am a guiaer player and can admire dexterity but must agree that long solos tend to get old fast. However, a heavy-metal loving friend of mine recently made me a tape with stuff by Steve Howe, Steve Vai, Steve Morse and Rick Emmett. The stuff is, as expected , quite brilliant technically, but for me rather hollow. There is a telling little sound bite in the Vai album where he is talking about playing with his pecker ever since he was a little kid all through his life which for me kind of clinched the whole idea of solos as masturbatory. I don't think Vai has read Freud but the confession was just very telling. He really is just playing with his pecker all the time, and he has gotten quite good at it mind you, but only to please himself and other metal loving dudes. Art for the masses I guess. XTC content: Pink Thing solo is top of my list, Scarecrow People as well and others that I can't recall right no.wG regsy is my favorite all around musician. as has been said rather eloquently," technical rigor in the service of the song" and sorry for the less than verbatim quote but don't have the original handy. Oh, and kudos to Sleighton for the chat with AP (you hogged the amp though) and mostly for the dissertation on Young Cleopatra. WOW! I am still trying to figure the lyrics out and there you are dancing circles around the song. Itake no sides on this endless and rather literary debate (masturbatory?) but have to say that the brits sure write well.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 16:05:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Kaja Leena Rebane <krebane@leland.Stanford.EDU> Subject: I got yer middle eight right here Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.971023154119.9692A-100000@cardinal1.Stanford.EDU> I'm posting this from the Bay Area. Aren't I cool? (Actually I am, because it's like 70 over here) re: "middle eight" >It is that which, in your pagan colonial parlance, you would probably >term "the bridge" ;) >The "middle eight" is never in the middle of the song, and is never eight >bars long. Um, hence the name. I always thought the "middle eight" and the "bridge" were two different parts of a song. To me, the "bridge" is the bit that, if you've got a verse-chorus-verse structure, either connects the verse and chorus, or throws something different into the mix. XTC's songs don't always conform to this, but to take, say "Senses Working Overtime": the "hey hey, the clouds are whey..." bits would be the verse, and obviously the "1-2-3-4-5.." bit is the chorus, but "And all the world is football- shaped..." I would consider the bridge. I think the "middle eight" is sort of an antiquated term that in the old days of rock 'n' roll referred to the part, in the middle, where the guitarist would solo. This was indeed often eight bars long and echoed the verse. So I think there is a little bit of a distinction there, and not just because we're pagan colonials! >"Church of Women"... MUST be on the album, I agree. DEFINITELY could lose "Last Balloon" and "Some Lovely"...although it's heartening to hear them, because I know I write better songs than THAT. "Prince of Orange", on the other hand, just ROCKS. Simple, but amazingly effective. At what I don't know. I think it's that chord change at the lyric "Prince of Orange..." It's like he throws you up the ladder even further right there. >i don't know how on earth you got to "peace and maturity" from "long >guitar solos." i think excessive guitar masturbating is not only >IMmature, it's not particularly peaceful, let alone much of a concept. Pretty good band name though. "EXCESSIVE GUITAR MASTURBATING" or "EGM". Alright, nevermind... Back to bay-sics, Jason
------------------------------ From: "STEVE PERLEY" <steveandlauren@grolen.com> Subject: De-lurking: Cheap XTC disk alert! Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 20:02:35 -0400 Message-ID: <01bce010$2249ed20$d4cbf7cd@huduguru.ix.netcom.com> Howdy-Hi, Chalkers! For any of you here in the New Hampshire area, you already know that the Lechmere chain is having an extended going-outta-business sale. Lots of worn-out merchandise at 50% off of some inflated price. But here's the gem in the crap: The Manchester store has about 20 copies of Live at the BBC at half of $12.99 ($6.50 for the math-impaired.) Sorry, I won't be able to go buy it and mail it for anyone. But if you're anywhere near a Lechmere, you may want to check it out. Steve
------------------------------
Message-ID: <344FE862.1D21@gate.net>
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 20:14:26 -0400
From: Pandrea <pann@gate.net>
Subject: Chalkhills and Reality?
Hey Chalkaholics,
Just went to a local cd store today, actually one of the
"cooler" mom-and-pop types. As I was in there I struck up a conversation
with the owner, talking about great bands. I then mentioned, "Hey
did you hear Xtc is finally going back into the studio, should be new
a new album in spring 98. I can't wait!"
To which he replied "Yeah, you and about 200 other people on
the planet...big deal...", in a real dismissive tone.
Ouch. Is that really the general attitude out there? Not that they
were ever "big" before, but are we the only people who are going
to care about this new record? I know I shouldn't worry about things
out of my control, but I really want to see them do well and make a
half way decent living with new label. A cold dose of reality....
Well, I didn't buy anything from him, either.
Worriedly yours,
Perry
------------------------------ Message-ID: <nU4PmAAFZ8T0EwUH@jhd-designs.demon.co.uk> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 22:48:53 +0100 From: Jon Holden-Dye <jon@jhd-designs.demon.co.uk> Subject: Geetar solo Re Mark's request for favourite finger exercises : Mr. Gregory's bit on "That Wave". I do play a _bit_ (have done for 25 years), and that particular one always leaves me gasping. -- Jon H-D Lynden Micros; New Forest Enterprise Centre; TOTTON; Hants.; UK; SO40 9LA (Fax: +44 1703 864659) Broadcast & Multimedia Systems Design & Installation
------------------------------ Message-ID: <344ED0C6.58BE@tmbg.org> Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 21:21:26 -0700 From: Chaos Harlequin <harlequin@tmbg.org> Organization: Nil Subject: Your Dictionary &c. Ben Gott: >I'm sorry, Josh, but I think that "Your Dictionary" just has to stay >come hell or high water. It's one of the angriest songs Andy has ever >done, and (if produced correctly) could yield tons of college radio >play. I can't agree. Too much raw emotion, too little nuanced songwriting... Andy's other post-breakup songs work much better. Matt Keeley: >Young Cleopatra: Two words. Nabokov indeed. I don't think you can by any reasonable stretch compare Young Cleopatra to Lolita. I mean, it's the difference between someone appreciating his friend's young daughter from a reasonable distance and someone marrying a young girl's mother so he can run away with and have sex with the daughter. Just a little matter of degree, you understand. >Josh-He's BBBBAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKK! What would y'all ever do without me? (Have fun with Harrison?) >And I have but one thing to say to you.... >"PIG & ELEPHANT DNA JUST WON'T SPLICE!" South Park is fun. Now, if there were only more of it... >Anyhoo, the piece first referred to their little fling as a "caveat >emptor". (Not good with language, anyone care to translate?????) "Buyer beware." Not exactly flattering to Aimee, or to her, uh, ease of availability. -- Joshua Hall-Bachner Chaos Harlequin harlequin@tmbg.org http://www.servtech.com/public/particle
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Message-Id: <l03020900b075d69b2dba@[206.252.158.14]>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 00:49:40 -0400
From: aka Louise <rmckenzi@dti.net>
Subject: ps
[AMANDA <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> blithered:]
>Alright ladies and gents, need your help in identifying another
>>song...I've heard this one several times on the radio, but I can never
>>catch who sings it. The chorus is "I get knocked down, but I get up
>>again, you're (they're?) never gonna keep me down.", or something like
>>that. So..thinking caps on, and GO!
do you even READ chalkhills?! Simon mentioned that in the issue before this
one - of course, being a slightly oblique reference, it might have taken
about half an ounce of intelligence to decipher what he meant, but for
someone who has heard the song in question, i would think it would be
blindingly obvious if one were paying the least bit of attention. i've
deleted my copy already, so i am unable to provide the exact quote, but
from memory it went something like this:
"I've been knocked down, but I get up again...
"Not only is [something cool] happening, but miraculously Chumbawumba has
managed to score a major hit with Tubthumping off of their best album yet."
one word, Amanda: DUH. quit wasting people's time for once.
- brookes
----------------------rmckenzi@dti.net-------------------------------
R. Brookes McKenzie aka Louise B. Minetti
You say that love is just a lie
But I can tell that you are lying
- John Flansburgh, "Pet Name"
------------------http://www.dti.net/rmckenzi------------------------
------------------------------ From: HENTOE@aol.com Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 00:54:26 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <971024005425_-57023713@emout02.mail.aol.com> Subject: I wanna hear the Helium Kidz too!!!!!! I just read in an older--just now downloaded--Chalkhills that someone recently attained a copy of a Helium Kidz album?!!!! How do I do that? I have never heard ANYTHING by them! please someone e-mail me about it--I really want to hear it! Do they sound just the early stuff--or totally different? And, speaking of older stuff--I am not sure if I ever officially joined the Go 2 club or not--but I would like to. Cause I think it is an extremely fun and refreshing album! Not my very favorite--it rates above a few and below a few--but it was my third XTC purchase (fourth if you include the Dukes) and is, therefore very nostalgic for me!!!! ....I remember a long time ago there was some talk about My Weapon.....and that it is considered offensive by some? I have no deep thoughts on the subject; I have always loved the song--it is also the ONLY song that EVERYONE I know likes by the band--including my non-XTC loving friends! So, I tend to use it as one of my standard introductions to the band now....I know the lyrics--but it NEVER occurred to me that the song was serious in ANY way! If I thought for a second that XTC actually meant any of those lyrics I would promptly boycott the song and the band....but I truly believe that our boys are far more civilized (and intelligent) than all that! I really hope that I am right on this...guess I re-opened that can of worms--I truly hope I haven't offended anyone, because that was not at all my intention--but I really believe that it is just a fun song (and a popular halloween party tune around here!!!) .....speaking of halloween--everyone have a good one--I probably won't write again before then, as I am a lurker by nature..... ****any chalkhillians in the baltimore/washington area who want to come our Halloween Party '97 let me know and I'll hook ya up with directions!!!!**** -sorry about the length--I am often pretty long winded (one of the reasons I hardly ever chime in!) please forgive. -kate P.S.--I really Do want to hear the Helium Kidz!!!! and I love South Park too! P.P.S--how do I get to Buzzcity and can I from AOL?
------------------------------ From: btm@ns1.mindmagic.com Message-ID: <34505F32.3E98@ns1.mindmagic.com> Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 08:41:26 +0000 Subject: Re: Guitargasm Tschalkgerz! Mark Brown types: >I know this a bit of a cliche subject, but what other XTC guitar solos do you other 'hillsters get off on?< I dig the thing (is it a guitar w/ synth?) in "Garden of Earthly Delights"... very cool. And Jeff Langr types: >I'm a bit appalled but mostly amused at all the shit flying about... the one that got me the biggest laugh is the post where someone so condescendingly "forgave" Amanda's postings due to her young age. Hsssss!< I think this was me... I was not trying to be condescending, just being honest. I guess I don't pore over these digests enough to get rubbed wrong by Amanda's posts... so sue me. And: >So now I get to add my negativity to the fire, go figure. Personally I'm thinking XTC is close to has-been status. I'm camping out, though, like a rabid media person outside Jimmy Stewart's house while he prepares to die hoping that he will do one last great thing before he dies, waiting myself for that next long awaited overanticipated XTC album soon to be released hopefully before the next millenium and vainfully hoping that somehow it will be better than the last and better than whatever else is out there currently attracting my attention... Go XTC... rah!< ...and anything XTC releases will be far superior to just about ANYTHING ANYBODY ELSE will put out. At least better than 'Saturday Night Special". My 'smartass' opinion... And I've heard Oasis... (*SIGH*)... NEXT! Enjoying the fun, -Brian Eating future and shitting past...
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 08:37:23 -0600 (CST) From: AMANDA CARYL OWENS <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Subject: More sheer joy and rapture..... Message-id: <01IP6FTHME0O8ZJB55@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Got my stuff from VinylVendors, and was incredibly suprised to find a HUGE XTC poster in my copy of Go 2. So KISS had to come down and XTC now has a prized place next to the Beatles. I was a bit pissed that my copy of Nigel was covered in dust and had a scratch in it, however. (But the back was cute, "Roy and Margaret's son played the guitar and sang.) And now for the customary responses.... Kim-I haven't heard from Doug in awhile, either. Not since he sent me Becki's cd. But it sounds like we should be a bit concerned, witht he way you described him..... Ben-Well, Cynical Days isn't my fave Colin song on the album, but it's still a good song. Brian-Andy was holding a big honker in his hand, not a horn like a trombone or trumpet or anything. He made the ever-so-Andyish remark "I've had me hand on me bulb all day." Brookes-Ah, here we go again. Can 't we all just get along??? If ever the day was to come that we'd be suprised with a visit from three gentlemen from Swindon, I'd hide my head and lurk. They'd come on "So...these are our fans....what the bloody hell are they doing getting into fights about such petty crap?" So....caveat emptor means "Let the buyer beware." I love it. Let the buyer beware, especially when the merchandise looks like she's never touched a bottle of shampoo and consumes mass quantities of caffeine pills before every photo opportunity. But I'm not one to be mean, so you didn't hear this from me. (Chuckle chuckle.....) Ciao for now, mis amigos... Amanda XTC song of the day-King For a Day non XTC-The Drugs Don't Work-Verve
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #4-14 ******************************
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25 October 1997 / Feedback