Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 168 Saturday, 10 April 1999 Today's Topics: Guilty Pleasures Colin's demos... Attn Nashville Pt.2 Stop And Go Re: A Bunch Of Stuff... RE: More stuff and guilty pleasures Re: XTC videos Ana one ana two Re: Rec. if you like XTC Re: dAVe Oooooooooh-Weeeeeeeeee-oooooooooooooooooooh! XTC/Burgess, Ehem No XTC Content my dr. pepper Re: Ridiculous Song Re: Wouldn't It Be Nice RE: MFSL power pop re: Ridiculous Song beatles vs. beach boys Tales from Topic-graphical Oceans Re: Which One Is Pink? The Zither Project VH1 UK's A-Z and Embarrassing Songs Administrivia: To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command: unsubscribe 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. Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>). Men are too bored, they're scrubbing floors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990409124703.00c42bc0@pophost.micron.net> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 12:47:03 -0600 From: Phil Corless <philco@micron.net> Subject: Guilty Pleasures Hey, the Partridge Family's Greatest Hits CD is a must-have! And, I'm ashamed to admit it but, I do turn the radio UP when those 3 or 4 Spice Girls singles are played...... - Phil Phil Corless philco@micron.net http://netnow.micron.net/~philco/ MY EBAY AUCTIONS: http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/philkar/ "I do have a genuine and almost miserly interest in worthless objects." -- John Steinbeck
------------------------------ Message-ID: <370E74B6.177E@schoollink.net> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 14:44:22 -0700 From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> Organization: CIC Subject: Colin's demos... Just wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank my good mate Pancho for the awesome CD-R recording of Colin's demos!! Great collection, this!! You're THE BEST!! :-) Peace through XTC-music!! -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> "We are eagles of one nest; The nest is in our soul." (Robert Plant / Jimmy Page)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199904091849.OAA24874@mail.bna.bellsouth.net> From: "RoadKill" <csberry@mail.bna.bellsouth.net> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 13:49:21 +0000 Subject: Attn Nashville Pt.2 Andy isn't going to be coming into Nashville for the interview on Lightning 100. It's probably a "radio day" for Andy (for those not in the industry: Andy sits in a studio and does a couple dozen interviews...so he may be interviewed by your local station this Monday!). Mary emailed me to say that it'll be over ISDN (it will sound like he's in studio, but it's a phoner). I will try to get home soon enough to capture on DAT. If it's a worthwhile interview, I may dub some off for those who request. Cory
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199904091909.VAA11384@mail.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 21:22:30 +0200 Subject: Stop And Go Dear Chalkers, "KL" asked: > Also I read somewhere in the archives that there are different versions of > Traffic Light Rock and that one version isn't on cd. If I didn't image > this and I actually did read this, could someone clear this up for me? The version on the Guilliotine sampler and the White Music cd are one & the same. But there is also a slightly longer live version that was released in 1977 on a freebie 7" single that came with British music mag Record Mirror. BTW: this and similar questions can easily be resolved if you consult the XTC discography available on the Chalkhills site. I regularly download the latest version and save it to my desktop so i can always easily refer to it - it's indispensable if you are serious about your XTC BTW: i also use a heavily annotated printed version as pillow. yours in xtc, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/ or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ Message-id: <fc.000f4ca3002062373b9aca007343e6e7.20644e@cfrb.com> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 15:33:33 -0400 Subject: Re: A Bunch Of Stuff... From: rgreenham@thebear.net (Rich Greenham) It's been about a month since I last posted -- prepare for thrills and chills, kids... My Sgt. Pepper is, was and always will be Sgt. Pepper... Even though I haven't listened to it in its entirety for some time -- it still reigns up there in my Top 27 or so! Like others have posted, ya gotta think back to the recording technology at the time that Pepper was produced to really appreciate the album -- even the most garage of all garage bands doesn't record in 4-track anymore! And listen to the songs -- from the chunky guitars that open "Sgt. Pepper's..", through the orchestration of "She's Leaving Home", the cacophony of "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite", tripping to India with Mr. Harrison's "Within You And Without You", the beefy brass of "Good Morning, Good Morning" (and don't forget the chicken turning into a guitar on the intro to Sgt. Pepper's reprise), to the final, crashing piano chord of "Day In The Life"... I always wish that I could have been around when that album was first released (actually -- I was, but only 8 months old) -- just so I could struck down by the sheer audacity and originality of what The Beatles and George Martin had dared to launch upon an unwitting record-buying public! And I concede that Revolver and Pet Sounds led the way for Pepper... What's in my contemporary Pepper pot? The The, "Soul Mining"... U2 "Unforgettable Fire"... Matthew Sweet, "Girlfriend"... Sloan, "Twice Removed"... Ben Folds Five, "Whatever and Ever Amen"... The Tragically Hip, "Phantom Power"... XTC content -- Everything save a wee bit of "Mummer" (I'm still getting used to it 16 years later!) And don't forget the The Dukes! How much more time do I have? Oh, good... "Cold as vichyssoise..." -- as strange as it sounds, it's my favourite line from AV1... It evokes amazing imagery... that really wet, damp, bone-chilling cold... anyone who has ever slurped down a bowl of that soup ought to get it -- particularly if they've lived thru November or March in central Canada... brrrrrrr... Final thought -- the most "least-notable" song that I can't get out of my head... "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" by Mac and Katie Kissoon (very bubble gum)... First heard it performed by an all-girl busker group in Copenhagen in 1985... Fast-forward to '92 -- my second year in radio, first day as Creative Director at an all-oldies station -- what song do I hear... "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep"! I stole the cart that it was recorded on when I left that station and now it has a place of honour in the third drawer down of my desk. I listen to it at least once a month when no-one's around... (c'mon -- I work at a rock station now!) Anyone else know this song? I'd love to hear XTC cover it (bubble-gum project)! Many apologies for the length -- never get me talking about music again! Rich xtc of the moment -- ten feet tall (d & w version) non-xtc -- dave brubeck's "time out"...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <9D916278299FD111A7E100805FA7C2BA060C840D@cheetah.uits.iupui.edu> From: "Bennett, Kristen L." <klbennet@iupui.edu> Subject: RE: More stuff and guilty pleasures Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 14:31:55 -0500 Kristen Bennett wrote: >>I do have a really sad story. <G> I met a local guy who loved the >>band, and who even made me a pre-Skylarking tape, mailed with a >>love note, but I blew him off. Man, I feel bad about that....please, >>anyone, flame me for blowing off an XTC fan! I didn't know what I was >>doing. That's been 10 years ago, and the self-flagellation continues to >>this day. Phil Lawes wrote: >While reading this I lost control of the English language and embedded >myself firmly in the central reservation of the transatlantic linguistic >highway. Que? In American please? :) Did you lose control because of some sinister Brit/Yank translation roadbump? I know it was perhaps a little conversational in tone but otherwise, I couldn't find anything too freaky in what I said. Perhaps it was the "blew off" thing--maybe that means something in Brit that I'm unfortunately ignorant of but that I can certainly imagine. Please enlighten. Oh, and on another note, guilty pleasure: that would be "Hole Hearted" by Extreme. I could listen to that song forever...if I could get XTC out of my CD player. Ironic and guilty pleasure note: Anyone else like to listen to ROO and drive around, admiring all the lovely, blooming spring flowers? Oh, heavens, the irony-- having to use the car to view nature-- as I do it I am torn between feeling the sense in Andy's words and the selfish desire for personal, automotive transportation... Kristen Bennett "Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench; I love her ten times more than e'er I did: O, how I long for a chat with her." Shakespeare
------------------------------ Message-ID: <tth1vEAX$kD3IwCa@coopefamily.demon.co.uk> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:07:03 +0100 From: KT <Katy@coopefamily.demon.co.uk> Subject: Re: XTC videos In article <s709cf5e.098@gwia.nwf.org>, TOM GRIFFIN <GRIFFIN@nwf.org> writes >OK - Just to interject something completely stupid (but fun) on this list. >I'd like to ask everyone what their favorite and least-favorite XTC videos >are. I'll start... *snip* >Least-Favorite: Now this is tough. they've done so many stinkers. Even >though it's not a traditional promo video I'd have to go with "The Man Who >Sailed Around His Soul". I know it was from a TV program, and not an >MTV-style video. But, I think those dancers are putrid. And, that quick >shot of that cat? What was that? (Oh well, I've never seen the TV program >- so I guess I have no context) That weird, I really Liked that one. I love the costume design so much I based the costume for one of my comic Chars on it, I really like the stuff andy does with the umbrella. It was from the show 'The prisoner' I think, though its before my time so I have no idea what the cat shot is about. My fave video...hmmm..It's gotta be either Dear God for that really evil shot when he's in the tree picking his nails or the Mayor of simpleton. I know it reallt doesn't count, but 'XTC - The road to oranges and lemons' Is my favorite recording.. My least Fave? oooh..I'd say 'Human Alchemy'. I really can't stand that song. -- KT Coope "I don't want to be a potato!"
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990409201653.54259.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Joseph Revard" <nirvananow@hotmail.com> Subject: Ana one ana two Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 13:16:52 PDT OK, Since we're on the subject of embarassing songs, one of mine would have to be 'Reminiscing' by- Little River Band? and the other Theme from The Banana Splits... yeah remember them? One banana two banana three banana four...that's the only part I can remember! Jon- I liked Megatop Phoenix tons too, I loved the idea of haveing a member solely for doing samples, and Mick Jones (B.A.D.)was ahead of his time for that. Also where did you get those cd samplers of drum beats? Learned 'Books are burning' recently- what great guitar solos at the end! I can't wait for AVII. Joseph
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990409202233.18142.rocketmail@web709.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 13:22:33 -0700 (PDT) From: RFAB <rocketfromabottle@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Rec. if you like XTC Don said: >>>snip There is the uncanny whiff of genius in the both of them [andy partridge and anthony burgess] that's exhilarating and humbling at the same time. They are two singular English artists who, in their respective fields, command critical respect (though not from the more zeitgeist-oriented critics - they're wankers anyhow), yet are virtually unknown beyond the communities of their acolytes. They have at times flirted unsuccessfully with mainstream popularity (Burgess wrote a script treatment for the Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me", unused - Andy was on the verge during the Black Sea tour, but we all know what happened then), but have ultimately remained true to their muses in a very stubborn fashion, commercial considerations be damned.<<< But those things could be said about a number of artists! That makes them similar? Then he said: >>>snip Even more, and here is the clincher - they are both in love with language. They manipulate it to such a degree that oft times you are astonished that something could be said (or sung) in such a way, and why couldn't I think of that?<<< Ditto my point above. Many writer's love language, that's why they write. Many are truly creative -- that's how they come up with those astonishing sentences or lyrics. Don, I don't know Burgess, and do not intend to denigrate him at all. I'm just not with you're argument, it's too general. But I'm glad to see writers getting some play on Chalkhills, thanks you for that, and I vow to go take a peak at a Burgess book soon. Now to steal your thread, if I may be so bold, I'd claim that Henry Miller and AP have some similarities (I won't go so far as to say that if you like XTC you will like HM, which is apples to oranges). But underlying their work is a love of love, of life, of beauty, of honesty, of strong emotion and expression of it, of simple folk and simple living, of children, of treading one's own path come what may (HM suffered years of rejection, especially in his own country, AP had to go on strike for seven years), of being true to their muse (publishers/critics/record company execs. might say "possessing an oversized ego"), of being stubbornly dedicated to their muse (publishers/critics/other bandmates/biographers might say "being a pain in the ass"). Both disdain hypocrisy and the cult of personality, both are critical of certain aspects of modern society (anti-car, anti-war, anti-work, perhaps anti-progress?), both want to get their work to the public without intermediaries, both are generous with fans. (Note that although I write this in the present tense, HM has been dead twenty years). AP songs that confirm this to me are GardenofDelights, Respectable Street, Wrapped in Grey/Ugly Underneath, Senses, Farmboys Wages, Leisure, Harvest Festival, Chalkhills and Children, 1000 Umbrellas, and many many more. As for HM, you can pick up just about any of his books and be knocked over by the force of the words and the sense of the arguments -- my current favorite is Stand Still Like the Hummingbird, a series of wonderful essays. RFAB PS to Colin: I love you too. You haven't given me as much to work with, but a hearty shout out for DayInDayOut, BallandChain, Frivolous, Grass, Bungalow, and others.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s70e0496.027@tcwgroup.com> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 13:45:32 -0700 From: "Dane Pereslete" <peresd@tcwgroup.com> Subject: Re: dAVe Jason Garcia illuminated: >>This question goes out to those who know and to those who think that >>they know. What did Dave play on AV1? > >Well, according to the "liner notes", he plays quite a bit. I would >imagine he plays piano on "Frivolous", "I Can't Own Her", "Harvest >Festival", and perhaps "Your Dictionary". >From the photgraphic evidence in "Song Stories", it's safe to say that he also plays harpsichord on "The Last Balloon". Does anybody else out there just love the harp in "I Can't Own Her"? What an incredibly beautiful touch...can't imagine the song without it. Swooning, Dane *------------------------------------------------------- Logging in from beautiful Glendale, CA USA daneperes@aol.com -or- bramage64@aol.com *-------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ From: "Michael Versaci" <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> Subject: Oooooooooh-Weeeeeeeeee-oooooooooooooooooooh! Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 16:56:18 -0400 Message-ID: <000301be82cb$6abdfb00$6a6b0a26@laptop-mversaci.mtwconsulting.com> Folxtc, "Dunks" says: >The Beatles were *great* singers, but, frankly, the Beach Boys were better. HA! Michael Versaci "The Beach Boys are a psychedelic barbershop quartet." Jimi Hendrix
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990409210039.28861.rocketmail@web130.yahoomail.com> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 14:00:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: XTC/Burgess, If you like XTC, you might like the novelist Anthony Burgess. I don't know about the connection between Burgess and XTC (tenuous at best), but I can vouch for Anthony Burgess being an extrordinary writer. The End of the World News is absolutely brilliant, and Clockwork Orange is also wonderful (much, much better than the plodding and tedious Kubrick film).' The Doctor is Sick' and 'One Hand Clapping' are also very good. ANother possible XTC/Burgess connection: I've seen the mention of a milkbar in "This is Pop" described as a reference to the milkbars in Clockwork Orange (in the book, teenagers too young to drink hang out in milkbars drinking drugged milk). THe novelist that I think XTC fans would enjoy is William Kotzwinkle. Best known for his novelization of the movie ET, he is an excellant writer who isn't as welll known as he should be. His most infamous novel is Dr. Rat, which has been widely read by anti-vivisectionists and PETA-activists. Its a brutal and funny account of a sort of 'harmonic convergance' of the animals of the world. The mose'evolved' animal (man) misses the point entirely, and... Even better is The Fan Man. Describing this short novel about an acid casualty is near impossible. It will have you laughing aloud and scratching your head in bewilderment. The Exile, while not my favorite of his books, is still good, with a plot involving swapping identities across time, the black market during Nazi Germany, and Jungian psychology. Night Book is basically pornography brought to the level of fine literature. His short stories are quite good, too.
------------------------------ From: mollyfa@juno.com Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 15:45:07 -0400 Subject: Ehem No XTC Content Message-ID: <19990409.155028.3510.0.MollyFa@juno.com> David mentioned: <<Musician you'd like to kick hard: Andrew Lloyd Weber>> Ehem, I like Andrew Lloyd Weber. What is so wrong with him? Am I the only one who likes his stuff, because I notice a lot of people here don't like his stuff. <sarcasm alert> Well, I'll just get rid of all my stuff of ALW's.</sarcasm alert> Also, I like Meatloaf too. I really think he's amazing. Molly
------------------------------ From: Saints3Den@aol.com Message-ID: <1f1c4fe2.243fd0a0@aol.com> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 17:52:32 EDT Subject: my dr. pepper Howdy! My Dr. Pepper- Hires Root Beer My Pepper - Tarragon My Waldo Pepper- Silver Streak My Pepperoni- Smoked Kielbasa My Pepperdine University- Colgate My Sgt. Pepper- Mummer Last week, I wrote a pretty good posting to chalkhills. When I tried to send it , the spell checker kicked in. While it was spell checking, AOL locked up and the whole posting was lost! In the posting, I tried tackling a slew of recent threads. Among them- stalking (Erica/ Andy as well as Amanda /Dave).censorship . swearing. Historical (I'd like that)-couples . The best part was something I had been thinking about: is Erica Wexler black? I don't know , but there is certainly a lot of "lyrical evidence". Let's see what all of you can come up with! eddie st. martin ps here are those historical couples I'd be your Gomez if you'd be my Morticia - ha ha We'd laugh because each joke would make me blow my train up high ,really high like a really high thing say...Lerch
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199904092227.SAA07180@smtp2.erols.com> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 18:20:12 -0400 Subject: Re: Ridiculous Song From: "Eddie O'Hare" <EddieO@PrivatePilot.com> Precious and Few, by Climaxx. Ouch, it's so embarassing, it hurts to admit it. Good idea. ---------- >>My question to you all is... What is the MOST RIDICULOUS song >>you LOVE? My submission, obviously, is Mandy. Come on... embarrass >>yourselves!
------------------------------ From: DinsdaleP@aol.com Message-ID: <281829a6.243fd7f9@aol.com> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 18:23:53 EDT Subject: Re: Wouldn't It Be Nice Dunks raised some excellent points about the futility of comparing Beatles and Beach Boys, but I'd like to point out a couple of things: >>And let's not forget, while we are talking influences, that Paul visited America just before they started work on Pepper, while Brian was in the middle of working on Smile. Indeed he is rumoured to have appeared on a version of the Smile track "Vega-tables". Did Macca come away empty handed? I think not. Is it any coincidence that he had the idea for the concept of Sgt Peppers on the plane home from America? I doubt it.<< You've got the chronology wrong here (it doesn't help that Paul tells this story backwards in "Anthology" and his autobiography). Paul's idea for the "Pepper" concept probably came during his flight to London from his Kenyan safari in November 1966, just before "Pepper" sessions began. "Pepper" was recorded from Nov 1966-April 1967, at which time Paul flew to the US to visit Jane Asher and it was THEN, after Pepper was totally in the can, that he visited the "Smile" session for "Vega-tables". On the flight back from America, he dreamed up the concept for "Magical Mystery Tour" - one of the next songs The Beatles recorded back in London was the title track. So if anything, we can say the creativity of the "Smile" sessions influenced the self-indulgence of the "Magical Mystery Tour" film/EP. >>The Fabs were a tight, unified group, close friends, with a common background and years of gigging behind them. They had three strong writers, one of the best producers in the business, the best engineers, unlimited use of one of the world's best studios, unqualified support from their record company. Full colour gatefold sleeve with inserts? No problem. Symphony orchestra? Sure, here you go.<< This is not entirely accurate either. They had to fight with EMI and its chairman Sir Joseph Lockwood to get permission for the Pepper sleeve concept. In fact, they were forced to remove Hitler and Gandhi (who I believe was airbrushed out) from the front cover. Even their manager wasn't wholly supportive, as he wanted Pepper to be packaged in a brown paper wrapper. - John
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199904092231.SAA08614@smtp2.erols.com> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 18:24:28 -0400 Subject: RE: MFSL From: "Eddie O'Hare" <EddieO@PrivatePilot.com> >> Of course, I ran out to the car and gave my therapist my old >> non-MFSL copy > > sorry - what's MFSL? > > JG Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs--the Gold Ultradiscs. I wouldn't give that disc to my mother if she begged for it. I'm one of those who believe there really is a difference in the sound quality. I even bought an extra copy, in case something ever happens to the first. All of their releases are one-time only, limited editions. I still can't find a copy of their pressing of Aja, and have been looking for three years.
------------------------------ From: jsteich@mindspring.com Message-ID: <001401be82e9$45b911a0$85cdf7a5@funtosplamisham> Subject: power pop Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:29:58 -0400 someone asked what power pop was. think big star. mmmm. if you havent listened to any big star stuff, go out and buy #1 record/radio city and third/sister lovers. both are incredible. xtc has a kind of power pop sound to them on d&w. almost. in a way. then there are lesser acts like the raspberries and a few others. but big star was the best one. laters. jesse
------------------------------ From: jsteich@mindspring.com Message-ID: <001e01be82ea$635dc380$85cdf7a5@funtosplamisham> Subject: re: Ridiculous Song Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:38:00 -0400 i actually like ub40's version of "cant help falling in love." while it is not a bad song in itself, one should worry if one likes ub40's 90's stuff. they just lost it somewhere (around 1983). jesse
------------------------------ From: jsteich@mindspring.com Message-ID: <002601be82ec$91a5af80$85cdf7a5@funtosplamisham> Subject: beatles vs. beach boys Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:53:36 -0400 someone wrote: In response to that, Paul wrote the excellent "Back In The USSR" and recorded it (with John and George only, as Ringo had walked out of the sessions for a few days in a fit of frustration) proving (to my ears at least) that The Beatles could - on a whim - recreate a textbook "Beach Boys" song. The fact that Paul's tongue was planted firmly in his cheek and also that they rocked out in a way that the Beach Boys never could, (not even if you stuck them smack-dab-in-the-middle of The Who in 1969!), demonstrates the difference between one of the better pop bands of the 60's and The Beatles. (end quote) so the beatles could make a "textbook" mid-60's beach boys song. by 1968, the beach boys had moved far beyond their mid-60's style. of course, by 1968, they had fallen apart and were starting to smell fairly bad. yet, between 65 and 67, they created music to rival the beatles in every way. Today and Summer Days rivaled Rubber Soul (as some of the first "real albums" of the rock era). Pet Sounds was as good (or better in my opinion) than Revolver. "good vibrations" and the unfinished Smile tracks were more than ample responses to Sgt. Pepper (actually "gv" was late 66, but it is more comparable to Pepper than to Revolver.) Both the beatles and the beach boys were incredible bands during this era, and even though the beatles had a little better taste and product throughout their career, the beach boys were at least their equals in short bursts. as a career, id vote for the beatles, but if you were to make a hour long best of tape, the beach boys would come out on top in my book. i got into both bands around the same time (about 3 short years ago) but it has consistently been the beach boys who have proved the more impressive to me. and frank zappa had his moments to beat the both of them as well. and on another note, that the beatles could recreate the beach boys early sound means nothing. so many bands stole the beatles early sound. none of them are better than the beatles. and if "back in the ussr" were a beach boys song, it wouldn't be one of their best, only a really good one (meaning better than 75% of the beach boys work, but far below the best.) i believe this to be my longest post. i am sorry. but not too much. later. jesse
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:14:42 -0500 (CDT) From: John Fulton <fulton@ssc.wisc.edu> Subject: Tales from Topic-graphical Oceans Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.95.990409200315.6121A-100000@guy.ssc.wisc.edu> Recently, I began to hear something familiar in the "do-do-do, do-do" chorus at the end of Easter Theatre. Something about the soprano and the harmonies, not quite Beach-Boys-like... Then the thread about ROO's resemblance to Yes began. Aha! and Alas. To quote Jimmy Durante (I think): "What a revoltin' development this is." Yes was the main kind of music I was trying to get away from when I got into XTC back in nineteen hummity huh. Does anybody use the phrase "dinosaur rock" anymore? But the sound is unmistakably there - Andy Partridge may be dangerously close to the edge here. And there are other parallels. This is unnerving, though admittedly on AV, the music dance and sing, they make the children really ring. XTC has in fact been on a rather long distance runaround, and I have spent a long time waiting to feel the sound. If I met the lads, I would say "I'll spend the day your way" because "yours is no disgrace." Somebody stop me, please. Or send an instant karma to me (another creepy parallel). By the way, for a hilarious article on Yes ("YES LYRICS TO BE ADDED TO NEW TESTAMENT"), check out the Onion (http://www.theonion.com/onion3106/yeslyrics.html). Cheers, John. "Some say they were called men."
------------------------------ Message-ID: <001101be8304$afd60820$bff594d1@compaq> From: "Drude" <drude@sprint.ca> Subject: Re: Which One Is Pink? Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:46:14 -0700 You're right, Pink Floyd (and probably others) have done this vocals-turning-into-an-instrument "thing". The Floyd song was "Sheep" from the Animals album. XTC content: ummmm..... Do who you will but harm none. Drude
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 20:46:39 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199904100346.UAA83205@mando.engr.sgi.com> From: John Relph <relph@engr.sgi.com> Subject: The Zither Project Folks, I found an interesting tidbit in "Wonderland", a long article and interview from "Les Inrockuptibles". Since Babelfish made a mess of it, here's a quick translation of the salient points: Partridge submitted a unique concept to Virgin, which would be titled "The Zither Project". Virgin would pretend to have acquired the rights to the catalog of Zither Records, a bubblegum pop label of the late 60s and early 70s, and they would release a sampler album. The album would have twelve bubblegum pop songs with ribald lyrics, all written and performed by XTC under twelve different identities, including The Ten Commandos, Soap With Caramels and The Twelve Flavours Of Hercules. Virgin dismissed the idea out of hand. Perhaps "Soap With Caramels" would have performed "My Red Aeroplane". -- John
------------------------------ From: mollyfa@juno.com Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 00:54:35 -0400 Subject: VH1 UK's A-Z and Embarrassing Songs Message-ID: <19990410.005436.3542.0.MollyFa@juno.com> Wow, you people in the UK are lucky to get the A-Z thing. We in America have to handle VH1's Divas Live stuff. Can we switch stations? I have to admit most of the stuff I listen too are embarrassing. I mean I like Olivia Newton-John, Cliff Richard, ABBA (including Super Trooper), Kylie Minogue and others. I'm not going to not admit it though, I don't care what you people think about my musical tastes. Molly
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