Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 174
Date: Wednesday, 14 April 1999

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 174

                 Wednesday, 14 April 1999

Today's Topics:

           XTC and Maserati ? Anbody love me ?
                       Vote for XTC
                        Mix my Bag
                   Re: Least Favourite
                An Enchanted Neighborhood
                         waspies
               Dad's a Judge (was "smalls")
               are you embarrassed easily?
                  Andy phoned up Seattle
                      rightbackatcha
                   Sherwood the Amazing
                I throw down the gauntlet!
                     More on Gilligan
                      Easter Theatre
               Personal Musical Confession
                     Smile vs. Pepper
                a witness for the defense.
                        favourites
              Re: Pictures At An Exhibition
                       worst songs
                  ridiculous once again
                       Meatloafing
                 Re: Yes, you heard me...
                           WASP
             Your Dictionary in Los Angeles.

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I got toys like the other boys.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message-ID: <003001be85b6$c93cce20$7b5791d2@johnboud>
From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp>
Subject: XTC and Maserati ? Anbody love me ?
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 22:53:01 +0900

Somebody wrote :

>6 albums that have had a profound impact on me:
>
>Mike Oldfield : Tubular Bells I and II
>XTC : English Settlement
>The Smiths : The Queen is Dead
>Robyn Hitchcock : Globe of Frogs
>Suzanne Vega : Days of Open Hand

Queenie replied :

>I just read this list, and...whoever you are...I think I love you!  You
>even have the Soft Boys!  But I think I prefer "Eye" and "Queen Elvis" over
>"Globe of Frogs."

Here are 6 albums that had a profound impact on me :

Jimi Hendrix Experience : Are You Experienced
Fairport Convention : Full House
King Crimson : In The Court Of The Crimson King
Joy Division : Unknown Pleasures
XTC : Drums and Wires
Weather Report : Mysterious Traveller

Anybody ( sorry - ladies only ! ) out there think they love ME ?

Also ... A friend in Tokyo e-mailed that he heard a song from AV1 used in a
" Maserati or Ferrari commercial " . Now - I doubt that either of these
companies advertises on Japanese TV . It was probably a Porsche or BMW ad .
Anyway , anybody else see or hear this ? What song and what car ? Couldn't
have been ROO !!!

Frivolously yours ,

John in Japan

------------------------------

Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990413101648.009bb930@smtpgw.ametsoc.org>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 10:16:48 -0400
From: David Gershman <dgershmn@ametsoc.org>
Subject: Vote for XTC

Hi all,

 Assuming this appears in a digest *soon*, take a trip over to:

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/alt1/index.html/ms/bmp_99_ballot/

by Apr. 15 and write in your votes for XTC! This is a pretty big deal here
in Boston, and the results end up prominently in a future issue of the
Boston Phoenix.

Most of the write-in answers are obvious ("XTC"; "Apple Venus"), but as for
Song of the Year, we might have a variety of answers put in there,
splitting the vote. For the record, I said "Easter Theatre," so if you
think that's worthy, maybe we should focus on that. Who knows, maybe there
won't be enough consensus on anything else, and XTC will take the day!
(Wishful thinking, I realize, but hey, what the heck...)

By the way, unrelatedly, I assume some of you have heard "Freak of the
Week," by Marvelous 3? I've heard it get some critical acclaim, but it
seems to me that all they've done is steal the intro to "Mayor of
Simpleton" (almost note for note) and the melody of the Byrds' "So You Want
to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" for the verse and sing it like Elvis Costello
(and inexplicably add a John Waite-like chorus). A bit too blatant for my
tastes...

Go vote!

Dave Gershman

------------------------------

Message-Id: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1022042@MGMTM02>
From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 12:05:58 +0100
Subject: Mix my Bag

Right, first of all.....

>> no sexy signature, but a certain smugness that Charlton (the team my
company sponsors) inflicted such a damaging blow to West Ham's UEFAhopes. It
will make relegation all the easier to bear.

Be as smug as you like mate! It's made absolutely no difference to our UEFA
hopes. Even if we come fifth, WE WILL NOT QUALIFY, and there's virtually no
chance of us coming fourth. Mind you, being a Charlton pseudo-fan you
probably need these tiny victories to keep your sanity...

>> I loved reading that other people need to "take their time" to understand
XTC's albums, to like the songs.

Firstly, while I can appreciate that it takes a few listens to inwardly
digest a new, or even old, XTC album, the suggestion that there is ever
anything impenetrable and/or difficult about the records is ludicrous. XTC
have always been purveyors of pop immediacy, from "Science Friction" through
to "Easter Theatre". If it's taking a long time to get your head round an
XTC record, there's something wrong with your head!

Re: Power Pop

Well it's always nice to have one's fears confirmed. I once considered a
career in music journalism, but soon decided that such a creatively flaccid
and dishonest medium was probably best left alone. My feelings are not
helped by terms like "power pop" (which seems to mean "any band that
sounded a bit like Cheap Trick, er, no, Big Star, er, no, The Motors....at
the end of the 70s....or possibly.....new wave? Nope, it's totally
different......er, or not...........AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!").

Thanks to anyone - especially Tyler - who took the time to explain (and I
do understand really - I've even heard of Bram Tchaikovsky!). How about
"Crazy Horse wannabe's" as a quicker explanation? That would certainly save
time (and any further references to The Knack - I could, and probably will,
weep buckets....) and makes a bit more sense, once the myriad descriptions
of this elusive genre are neatly condensed....

.....and talking of something completely different.....

1. Least favourite moment on Apple Venus1:

Probably the lyrics to "Frivolous Tonight" - just a tad too lazy for my
liking. It might seem awfully quaint and endearing to non-Brits, but it's a
pretty flimsy premise for a song.

2. Least favourite XTC song:

"My Weapon" - if you can really call it an XTC song (and yes, I know you
can...) - or that goddawful Xmas song.

3. Artist most people seem to think is pretty naff, but you actually quite
enjoy:

Iron Maiden, Haircut 100, Marillion etc etc etc

4. Worst Beatles song:

Don't Look Back In Anger

5 Songs that should have been strangled at birth:

Sussudio (Philk Ollins)
Ironic (Alanus Morrissette)
The Living Years (Mike & The Mechanics - **** OFF!!!!!)
Children Say (Level 42)

.....the list is tragically endless......

6. Extremely popular artists that you can't see what all the fuss is about:

99% of them. Especially Oasis and Hootile & The Blowhards.

7. Musician you'd like to kick hard:

99% of them. Lazy, good-for-nuthin' soap-dodgers - the lot of 'em. Oh, and
Mike Lindup (ex-Level 42).

8. Whackiest Title for a song:

Firstly, whoever said "Knights In Shining Karma" really needs to get out
more.  Having wacked and zaned with the best of them, I think this is
pretty untoppable....

"And Lo, When The Imperium Marches Against Gul-Kothoth, Then Dark Sorceries
Shall Enshroud The Citadel Of The Obsidian Crown" by Bal-Sagoth (well, who
else?)...

9. Most Unpleasant Musical Experience:

Being emotionally stable to the point where my biggest regret from
childhood is not ever having been interfered with by a close relative, I
can honestly say I have never had a truly unpleasant musical experience
(apart from the obvious things like hearing Phil Collins singing, Level
42's backing vocals, Seal etc). I wet myself on stage once though, which
was nice.

Finally, I attempted to complete a tape of AV1 for a friend at the weekend,
and decided to try and put one track from each of the other XTC (studio)
albums as a very-nearly-exciting prequel to the new album's melodic
delights. What a fucking nightmare! Well, what would you choose (and
playing time is not really an issue, although I did notice that the only
practical way to fit AV1 onto a 90 minute tape is to put ROO as the last
track on Side A and the rest on Side B...)???

Dom.

------------------------------

From: CCooli9575@aol.com
Message-ID: <c9bd9a14.24448046@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 07:11:02 EDT
Subject: Re: Least Favourite

>All of this talk about best and worst records has got me thinking.  Here's
>some fun categories to ponder  (with my own personal answers) :

>Least favourite moment on Apple Venus1:

  The squiggly synth sounds on "Fruit Nut." Almost, but not quite, ruins the
song for me.
>Least Fav XTC song:
Here comes President Kill Again

I agree.

>Artist most people seem to think is pretty naff, but you actually quite
>enjoy:
>John Denver

  Whoa, I wouldn't go that far. I'd go with Duran Duran, though; I dislike
their most successful album(Seven And The Ragged Tiger)intensely, but I found
Rio to be quite well-written for a teen idol band. Then when their fans grew
up and moved on, they actually started making some interesting music,
especially their most recent album which is quite adventurous musically and
makes only a token attempt at being commercial on two or three songs. Simon
LeBon is still a horse's ass though.
Worst Beatles song:
Besame Mucho(on Anthology #1)

>Songs that should have been strangled at birth:
"Sometimes When We Touch," Dan Hill. No contest, though "Seasons In The Sun"
comes damn close. Hill's oh-so-sensitive gravelly voice clinches it though.

>Extremely popular artists that you can't see what all the fuss is about:
Sting, Michael Stipe
>Musician you'd like to kick hard:
Jewel

>Whackiest Title for a song:
Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee-Captain Beefheart

>Most Unpleasant Musical Experience:
I was training as a substitute on somebody's rural paper route a few years
ago; as the owner of the route was training me, for the whole two hours of
the trip every morning for the whole week he played the same cassette single
in his tape deck over and over again, he'd just let it repeat and he didn't
seem to have any others. It was "I'll See You In Your Dreams" by Giant, an
awful hard rock band from the early 90's who made one album and disappeared.
I never want to hear that song again, or the equally dreadful song on the
flipside. The guy wasn't a very nice person either, he seemed like someone
who'd beat his wife when he wasn't ignoring her. We went through the whole
week without exchanging a word unless he had something to say about the route.

Chris

Chris

------------------------------

From: Comicpub@aol.com
Message-ID: <5356675d.2444c7ea@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 12:16:42 EDT
Subject: An Enchanted Neighborhood

With R.iver O.f O.rchids in mind,Here is a list of upcomimg XTC song Titles:

K.nights A.t N.ight G.row A.zaelas

E.mily E.dwards Y.ellow  O.utstanding R.oses E.mporium

P.oppies I.n G.lasses L.ook E.erie  T.onight

T.ulips I. G.rew G.ot E.arings R.achel?

R.adishes A.nd B.eets B.eat I.ntense T.urnips

O.swald W.aters L.illies

and of course my favorite:

P.etunias O.ver O.livia's H.iney (Which I'm not sure, Maybe a Love Song!)

Take Care
Dan"Who really hates that Freakin' GROUND HOG and secretly wishes THE MOLE
FROM THE MINISTRY would beat the "hell" out of him!" R.
comicpub@aol.com

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199904131955.UAA09462@mailhost.dircon.co.uk>
Subject: waspies
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 99 21:01:43 +0100
From: John Morrish <morrish@dircon.co.uk>

Re: Waspies

Sorry to disappoint all those who think "waspies" are something to do
with White Anglo-Saxon Protestantism, but the answer is a bit more er,
Partridge-esque.

Here's what the Oxford English Dictionary has to say:

waspie [f. wasp n.1 + -ie.]
A ladies' corset designed to make the waist appear very small; a belt of
similar design.

The idea is that the corset gives the wearer a narrow waist resembling
that of a wasp. First recorded in 1957 but now extremely rare, I would
say.

John Morrish

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3713A175.14A7D54A@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 15:56:37 -0400
From: Curtiss Hammock <curtiss@mindspring.com>
Subject: Dad's a Judge (was "smalls")

Mark Fisher wrote (of "No Thugs in our House")

> Either way, it's a brilliant way of describing an identikit suburban family
> (spoiled for narrative reasons, I have to admit, when dad turns out to be a
> judge, hardly a run-of-the-mill occupation). It manages to suggest ordinary
> back-garden life at the same time as being disturbingly surreal. Imagine if
> your next-door neighbour was "insect headed".

Perhaps I've misinterpretted this, but I've always thought that the song
was referring to the *woman's* father, or Graham's grandfather. The
lyrics are kind of ambiguous, but it works out better for me that way.

Curtiss

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 99 16:07:03 EDT
From: Jeff Rosedale <rosedale@columbia.edu>
Subject: are you embarrassed easily?
Message-ID: <CMM.0.90.4.924034023.rosedale@ciao>

Embarrassing?  Two words.

Muskrat Love.

Sorry, but I don't think anything else comes close.  Including such
low blows as A Fifth of Beethoven, which I bought (cringe) as an
adolescent, or Linda Rhondstat's last note on "Blue Bayou", for which
the only known antidote is playing "The Rotary" simultaneously at top
volume.

			--Jeff

------------------------------

Message-ID: <204640794C39D211A21700805FA735211AA2A5@ahqex1.rei.com>
From: Steve Sims <ssims@rei.com>
Subject: Andy phoned up Seattle
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 13:15:59 -0700

I was able to listen to AP's interview with KMTT in Seattle this morning.
Nothing earthshaking to report.  However, he did use a phrase that I may be
adding to my Big Book Of Insults.  When told of an Edmonton, Alberta
columnist who thought the name "Apple Venus" was an homage to Apple Studios
and McCarty's "Venus & Mars", AP responded with "they shouldn't be mating
with animals."  Oh, and they followed up the interview by playing 'Fruit
Nut", of all things.

I have declared my house a "Greenman"-free zone for the week.  All day
Saturday my 8-yr-old and her friend worked on a Celtic/Mark Morris-type
dance routine to the song.  It got played at least 30 times.  But the
topper was Sunday.  We took the kids on a hike, and they were able to sing
every word, a capella, over and over and over...  I tried to request 'Funk
Pop A Roll", to no avail.

-Steve
  (who can't listen to "Fruit Nut" ever since the misheard-lyric thread
  produced "spraying my butt")

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990413210134.4788.rocketmail@web803.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 14:01:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Chris Desmond <c_desmond@yahoo.com>
Subject: rightbackatcha

Harrison sherwooded:
>But Chris' one-liner was not _nothing_. It was in fact a deliberately
>hurtful and rude comment directed at John Gardner, someone who had taken
>quite a lot of time and effort to post something informative and
>positive. Chris deemed himself free to blow raspberries at someone making a
>good-faith effort to contribute--without himself ever having posted a
>single word, positive or otherwise. I don't know about you, but I think
>this is is pretty crappy behavior.

Okay, Harrison, sure. Whatever.

Ha! But seriously, I don't need you telling me who I can or can't
criticize. Obviously, if I'd said the same thing even with a long
history of posting, it would have been even worse because you'd be
expecting so much more from me in the way of critique. As it was,
however well-intended the musical lesson post may have been, I found it
tedious. And I felt like saying so. Sorry it didn't suit you. I AM free
to blow raspberries at whomever I'd like to, regardless of my posting
status.

Don't you worry, Harry...I'll have plenty to say soon enough, now that
I've begun my maiden voyage into the 'hills...

Chris

------------------------------

Message-Id: <s7136dda.005@OAG.STATE.TX.US>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 16:16:10 -0600
From: "Steve Oleson" <Steve.Oleson@OAG.STATE.TX.US>
Subject: Sherwood the Amazing

Thanks for the Partridge/Burgess link explication! I never thought that
there might actually be such solid ties between them. Of course, only Mr
Sherwood would have found them.

Droog Oleson

------------------------------

Message-Id: <s713715a.026@OAG.STATE.TX.US>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 16:30:48 -0600
From: "Steve Oleson" <Steve.Oleson@OAG.STATE.TX.US>
Subject: I throw down the gauntlet!

OK, Mr Smartyknickers Sherwood! Find a link between XTC and H. P. Lovecraft!
Cthullu Lives!

------------------------------

From: "STEVE PERLEY" <steveandlauren@grolen.com>
Subject: More on Gilligan
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 18:19:42 -0400
Message-ID: <01be85fb$bac65c40$106140d8@steveandlauren.grolen.com>

>The "Gilligan's Island" theme comes to mind!
>(By the time the line "The weather started
>getting rough..." comes around, I'm hooked!!!)

>Note that it is possible to sing these lyrics to the tune of
>"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".  Cracks me up every time.

One of my old bands discovered several years ago that The Ballad
of Gilligan's Island also happens to go very nicely with the music
from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot.
We called it (of course) The Wreck of the SS Minnow...

Steve

------------------------------

Message-ID: <000e01be85fb$5e4c5960$ab5e0b3f@unlpm>
From: "Jamie Lowe" <jamielowe@email.msn.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 17:16:31 -0500
Subject: Easter Theatre

Dear Chalkies,

I just received my copy of the Easter Theater single (UK Import) from
SirenCd.com and it is really a treat.  There are two versions of the song
and then twenty plus minutes of AP explaining the song and singing bits and
pieces.  It is an audio version of song stories.  The CD jacket also has
the lyrics.

And while I am on the Song Stories subject.  I recently revisited The Big
Express playing it over and over again in my Car and The song that had my
attention the most was "I Bought Myself a Liar Bird".  Unfortunately, when
I returned to SS to read all about I was disappointed to discover the band
was unable to discuss it due to a legal entanglement/arrangement? with
their former management.  If any erudite Chalkhillians can shed some light
on this mystery I would greatly appreciate it.  jamielowe@msn.comn Thanks.
Jamie

"The trouble with a lot of songs nowadays is that somebody forgot to set
them to music".  S. Cahn

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990413224039.10151.rocketmail@web107.yahoomail.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 15:40:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: Personal Musical Confession

Thank you, Duncan Kimball for your hilarious post in #172. I checked
out the Angel cover and started laughung out loud. When I was a kid I
thought their name was 'Angez' because of their stupid logo!

Anyways, here's a few of my answers to these musical questions:

EEEUUUUURRGH!,  or THE MOST AWFUL ALBUM COVER IN HISTORY

any Journey cover

ALBUM I'M MOST EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT THAT I BOUGHT:

Klaatu (had to make sure for myself that they were'nt the Beatles)

MOST BLUSH-MAKING PERSONAL MUSCIAL CONFESSIONS:

My first ever concert was going to see Seals and Crofts when I was 13.

I have also seen Neil Diamond live.

Oh, and Air Supply (didnt pay for that one. went for free to laugh, but
it was WAY beyond laughter-really pathetic).

WORST MUSICAL EXPERIENCE:

I have a record of Don Ho singing These Boots are Made For Walking.
enough said.

GREATEST CONCERT EVER:

Tom Waits in Ann Arbor (forget the date, it was after Frank's Wild
Years)

Stray Cats, Ann Arbor, 1981. This was before they had fame, or even an
American record contract. they played a small club, and kicked ass for
over 3 hours.

WORST CONCERT EVER:

besides the ones mentioned above (in the blush-making catagory), the
worst was Psychodelic Furs. They gave the most lifeless, uninspired
show I have ever seen. Opening act was the Blow Monkeys (remember
them?) who came out in barbershop quartet outfits and sucked horribly,
but afterwards we realized that they were much better than the Furs.

"YOU KNUCKLEHEAD!" - CLASSIC CONCERTS I COULD HAVE GONE TO, BUT DIDN'T:

- XTC had tickets (good ones) to see them during the English Settlment
tour, but we all know what happened.

the Jam

Alice Cooper-welcome to my nightmare era

Elvis Costello's Blood and Chocolate tour

FAVORITE (NOT BEST) ROCK FILM:
the Decline of Western Civilization.-the interview with Darby Crash's
girlfriend about the dead painter alone makes this worth seeing.

WORST ROCK FILM
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band

PERFORMERS MOST DESERVING OF A SLOW PAINFUL DEATH:

- Celine Dion
-Oasis

FIVE MOST OVERRATED ACTS IN HISTORY:

1. AC/DC
2. The Grateful Dead
3. Lou Reed's solo work
4. The Rolling Stones (after Exile on Main St.)
5. Jefferson Airplane/Starship

UTTERLY CRAP BAND I'M PROUD TO SAY I NEVER LIKED:

- any '80's hair metal band

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 20:13:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: Brian Whitman <bwhitman@WPI.EDU>
Subject: Smile vs. Pepper
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.4.10.9904132007360.18349-100000@wpi.WPI.EDU>

I dono, I just listened to Sgt. Pepper back to back with my CD-R copy of
the songs that were supposed to be on "Smile" from that web site (I *love*
technology!!) and I must say, "Smile" slightly kicks it in the rear. I
mean, "Surf's Up"? "Wonderful?" "Do You Like Worms?" Cripes.

My Sgt. Pepper is the Sugarplastic's _Bang_. Or maybe Mr. Bungle's _Disco
Volante_. Or _Skylarking_.

Kinda peeved that XTC is continuing the song/explanation of song single
cycle. For two reasons:

1) Don't want to see the magician reveal his technique.
2) Proverbs for Paranoids 54: "If they do it twice, they're doing it
forever."

And I _love_ b-sides!

Brian Whitman - bwhitman@wpi.edu
http://www.netspace.org/users/bwhitman

------------------------------

From: jsteich@mindspring.com
Message-ID: <001601be860e$fbb28f40$28c7f7a5@funtosplamisham>
Subject: a witness for the defense.
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 20:37:31 -0400

>Artist most people seem to think is pretty naff, but you actually quite
>enjoy:
>Roxy Music.  Can I get a witness?

i am willing to testify!  roxy music was the cure to that wretched wretched
early/mid 70's plague known as art rock!  they made it funny again.  and
wrote better songs.  and had eno (for the first few years).  all in all
making them a great proto-punk/tragicomic/arty, but not so arty/fun group.
and things dont come better than that.  at least not in theory.  but they
were a fine group.  especially for your pleasure.

xtc content... i cant find easter theater anywhere i go.  thats america for
you.  dont have the money anyway.  habits to support!
jesse

------------------------------

Message-ID: <01BE85D3.A056F680.monkman@coastnet.com>
From: Martin & Jamie Monkman <monkman@coastnet.com>
Subject: favourites
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 17:32:11 -0700

I took the liberty of revising the list.

1a. Favourite XTC song:  I don't have to pick, do I?
1b. Least favourite XTC song: easy--"My Weapon"
2a. Worst thing any Beatle ever did:  "How Do You Sleep"
2b. Moot question: Did Linda really take the photo of the bugs on the back
of Ram?
3. Song I like, and feel vaguely guilty about it:  Bangles "Walking Down
Your Street"
4. Song I like, but don't feel one bit guilty about liking:  Charlie Rich
"Behind Closed Doors"
5. Song I like that might never otherwise be mentioned on Chalkhills (other
than #4): Walter Martin Cowart's "One Paper Kid" (as sung by Emmylou Harris
and Willie Nelson)
6. The greatest anti-war song of all time: Jimmy Webb "Galveston" (as sung
by Glen Campbell)
7. Why Andrew Lloyd Webber's talents as a melodist are over-rated:  he stole
all the good ones
8. What is power pop:  The Flaming Groovies "Shake Some Action"
9. Goofiest song written by an otherwise serious songwriter: Guy Clark
"Homegrown Tomatoes"
10. Favorite classical composer: Charles Ives

Martin

Our homepage:  http://www.coastnet.com/~monkman

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 01:35:17 -0500
Subject: Re: Pictures At An Exhibition
From: "Brian Hancill" <brian.hancill@virgin.net>
Message-Id: <19990414003252.RAVW22309.mta3-svc@[194.168.65.72]>

> Artist that everyone thinks is naff but you actually quite enjoy : Emerson,
> Lake & Palmer (especially Pictures At An Exhibition - maybe I should have
> thrown that into the Ridiculous Songs thread).
>
Forgive my bragging, but I was there in Newcastle City Hall when ELP
recorded Pictures At An Exhibition on March 26 1971. At the impressionable
age of 14 it seemed to me to be the grandest noise I had heard in my life.

Unfortunately, this was during a phase when I only wore my specs to see the
blackboard at school, and I forgot them that night. So I didn't actually SEE
a lot of the show -- just a colourful blur.

Funnily enough, over the last few weeks I've been going back and listening
to their music for the first time in 25 years, and I rather like it again,
especially the first album.

Regards from Brian

------------------------------

From: Stroo@aol.com
Message-ID: <86cf3f94.2445441a@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 21:06:34 EDT
Subject: worst songs

Hi Chalkers,

A few comments after de-lurking.

Least favorite moment on AV1:  KISK

Least favorite XTC song:  Human Alchemy (this is an extremely short list)

Artist most people think is pretty naff, but you actually quite enjoy:
Eddie
Money

Extremely popular artists that you can't see what all the fuss is about:
Jewel, Fiona Apple, etc.

Musician you'd like to kick hard:  I want to say Michael Bolton, but I don't
think he even qualifies

Wackiest title for a song:  "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead"
(Warren
Zevon)

Most unpleasant musical experience:  "To Love Somebody" by Michael Bolton

Regarding those songs you are embarrassed that you like:  if you are into
this music like I (ahem) am, then you are probably familiar with the "Have A
Nice Day:  Super Hits of the 70's" series put out by the good folks at Rhino
Records.  The first song in the series is immensely overqualified ("More
Today Than Yesterday" by Spiral Starecase), but all the darlings are here:
"Precious And Few", "The Night Chicago Died", "Billy Don't Be A Hero", and
others.  As usual, Rhino found most of the first generation tapes of these
songs, so the "quality" is unmatched.  If I had to choose one, it would be
"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Hall of Fame Band Edison
Lighthouse,
followed by "Joy" by Apollo 100, an instrumental based on ":Jesu, Joy of
Man's Desiring" (didn't think I'd see that song mentioned twice in the same
week in Chalkhills!)

BTW, "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" was done by Mac & Katie Kissoon.  "Son of
My
Father" was done by Giorgio.

"Mandy"?  Sheese, that's a tough one.  You should have at least picked
"Weekend In New England".;-)

Bob

------------------------------

Message-ID: <19990414012202.8414.rocketmail@web808.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 18:22:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Chris Desmond <c_desmond@yahoo.com>
Subject: ridiculous once again

Nicole gushed:
>Wow! All your entries for the most ridiculous best-loved songs
>have been wonderful!
Don't you mean utterly ridiculous?

>I'll beat my MANDY though, with this one:
You want to top yourself for being ridiculous?!  Might be hard but go
ahead...

>How can you resist: "talk dirty to meeeeee, yeah! and baby why don't ya
>talk dirty to me..."
Uh, not sure what song it is you are attempting to convey, but if it
sounds this bad over e-mail maybe it should have stayed locked away in
your head.

How about moving on to something more entertaining like XTC?

Chris

------------------------------

From: music@telisphere.com
Message-ID: <37140542.1ADE@telisphere.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 20:02:27 -0700
Subject: Meatloafing

.."the only thing Meatloaf ever didthat was remotely interesting was The
Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Generally agree, although I guess I should add one big guilty pleasure
to my hidden songlist:
Paradise By The Dashboard Light
Love it!
Another scarlet favorite that could also make the unusual titles list:
The Rain, The Park, & Other Things  (by The Cowsills).

 - RF

------------------------------

Message-ID: <000501be8624$cefd3d40$73f494d1@compaq>
From: "Drude" <drude@sprint.ca>
Subject: Re: Re: Yes, you heard me...
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 20:13:44 -0700

I've taken a considerable amount of flack over the years for my love of
Midnight Oil, and therefore tend to become defensive prematurely!!! I agree
that they are one of the world's greatest bands, and I have the utmost
respect for them. Has anyone heard Redneck Wonderland yet? Brilliant!

ALSO, in regards to XTC tattoos, no, I can't say I have one, but I DID once
paint an "English Settlement" denim jacket (the White Horse emblazoned
across the back!) which sold for $100.00!

Do what you will but harm none.

Drude

------------------------------

Message-ID: <199904132352040280.00282887@mail.redcreek.net>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 23:52:04 -0400
From: "John McGreivey" <mcgreivey@redcreek.net>
Subject: WASP

>This is an easy one, W.A.S.P. = World Aquanaut Security Patrol, all fans of
>Troy Tempest, Phones, Marina and Stingray will know this one.

Is this where Shawn Cassidy got his album title from (the one he made with
Todd Rundgren)?
:)

------------------------------

From: Tmblweed16@aol.com
Message-ID: <feb9d00c.24456c6d@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 23:58:37 EDT
Subject: Your Dictionary in Los Angeles.

Hello all!  I decided to de-lurk to answer this one.

Someone wrote:
> I've heard "Your Dictionary" on KLYY (Y107) in Los Angeles a couple of
> times over the past week on the afternoon drive time show, each time
> the DJ talked excitedly about the song. Today, he introduced the song

Then someone else wrote:
>What did they do with the profanity?

Here I go:
Nothing, they played the song in it's full glory. With all the Fs and Us
and S-H-I-Ts.  Although I do not own AV1 (yet), I didn't hear any obvious
cuts from the song.  They are just letters after all.

But wait, I have more.  I went to my local Moby Disc on April 12 in search
of CDs for a friend of mine and what do I see?  A copy of the Easter
Theater single. I didn't buy it, so it's probably still sitting up next to
the register just waiting for someone who has $9.99 to dish out to grab it
up.

Since I never pass up a chance to embarrass myself I thought I would make
up a little list of songs that I enjoy.
"Take on Me" - A-Ha!
The whole Make It Big album - Wham!
'NSyncs version of "Sailing"
All of Candlebox's first album
Ditto for Bush
"I Want You" - Savage Garden
"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" & "I'll Tumble For Ya" - Culture Club

Guess since I'm here I might as well add my two cents to the "extremely
popular artists you don't see what all the fuss is about"  doo-hickey.
Green Day
Sugar Ray
Jewel
Alanis Morrisette
No Doubt

Before I go, I just want to thank the two very nice gentlemen who let me cut
in front of them at the L. A. Virgin Megastore signing.  I probably would
have gone out of my mind standing in line for four hours by myself if it
hadn't been for your riveting conversation (that I eavesdropped on).

Crawling back under my rock,
Jessica

------------------------------

End of Chalkhills Digest #5-174
*******************************

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14 April 1999 / Feedback