Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 181
Date: Tuesday, 20 April 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 181
Tuesday, 20 April 1999
Today's Topics:
Are You Being Served a Flaming Orgasm?
Whacky band names...
Band Names
8 arms/8 days
Re: "No Thugs" lyric confusion
Scrambled Eggs
Re: Wacky Band Names
Off-topic? Moi???
OFF-TOPIC: Terry Hall
what do you do with those nits, y'know, after you pick 'em?
Dom... I'm begging you please!
Warning No XTC content.
Re: Storefront Hitchcock
Re: No Language
Kim Richey
Re: An unusual request
Re: Molly, Molly, Molly
Colin's voice
Iain, Iain, Iain
Mass 'Pike
Re: Air Supply
Band names
Turkish music redux
Kim Richey
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If we listen quietly we can hear them shooting from grave to grave.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message-ID: <371B96AD.4513F9CF@averstar.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 16:49:05 -0400
From: Harrison Sherwood <sherwood@averstar.com>
Organization: Averstar, Inc.
Subject: Are You Being Served a Flaming Orgasm?
> From: kburda@sial.com
> Subject: Being Frivolous in the Green Man!
> Does a Green Man pub exist in London? Or did one exist during the late
> 70's-early 80's? The eposide ran in 1981 (I believe) and plots centered
> around employee's (mis)adventures in a fictious London department store.
From "Harrods' Food Hall," (at
http://camelot-group.com/hotels/foodhall.html):
Harrods food doesn't stop at the Food Halls. There are more than a
dozen bars and restaurants throughout the store including the Sale
Beef Bar which serves the Chairman's own salt beef recipe, the
elegant 400 seat Georgian Restaurant one of the biggest restaurants
in any department store, the Champagne and Oysters Bar which serves
a variety of seafood dishes, and the Green Man pub where customers
can enjoy a traditional pub lunch and a pint of beer. A pizzeria
and a barbeque are planned.
Knowing the worldwide reputation enjoyed by British department-store
cuisine--particularly in the notoriously contentious pizza and barbecue
categories--I think you can take it as read that when scrupulously tony and
internationally famous Harrods opens either a pizzeria or a barbecue joint,
I AM THERE! Plus, I hear Virgin Atlantic's fares have been forced even
lower due to the tireless sleuthing of our Jon "The Mole" Rosenberger,
who's discovered that the Atlantic Ocean isn't really a virgin. (Thanks,
Jon! But I think that "it's actually a notorious hose monkey" was more than
we needed to hear.) So if you inhabitants of Knightsbridge are awakened one
morning this summer by the commotion of a chattering, sweaty homunculus
(who bears more than a passing resemblance to myself) out on Brompton Road
in a stained Three Pigs BBQ Bib, clutching a bottle of Kraft Grated
Parmesan Cheese, shoving aside infants and nonagenarians alike and
chanting, "O-pen the store! O-pen the store!"--that's the day you'll know
Harrods have* opened up Luigi and Thibault's Positively Top-Hole Cajun BBQ
and Pizzeria Romana: "I'll have one with Omnia, Omnibus, Ubique, honey, and
don't skimp on the boiled coleslaw!"
> From: Veronica Kyle Robertson <veronicakr@yahoo.com>
> Subject: XTC Martini
> It's an overly sweet
> mess of vodka, pineapple juice and a coconut-flavored
> liquour. Nasty.
[snip]
> If you see the XTC Martini listed on the drink
> menu, remember, I already suffered for you so you
> don't have to.
I propose a toast to this week's prize-winning XTC field researcher, the
intrepid empiricist Veronica Robertson: Martini Christ. In McCoy's Garden
of Gethsemane did Veronica take up the Cup of Poison and, drinking deeply,
assumed upon herself the sins of the multitude. She drank that others may
live. My advice to the rueful Veronica, now, we hope, fully recovered from
her Calvary: never drink anything with a cute name--even something named
after your favorite rock group. (Or perhaps *especially* something named
after your favorite rock group. Although I've been known to knock back a
Gibson once in a while, so maybe they can be named after guitars. Query:
Does Andy Partridge drink Fano's? If so, what's the recipe?)
Just found this at an online bartender's guide. Swear to God.
Flaming Orgasm
12 oz. lager
1 1/2 oz. 151 rum
light the rum and drop it in the beer, then chug it
...After which you will go down on your knees and BEG for an XTC Martini,
with extra coconut liqueur. BEG, d'ye hear!
Harrison "Before passing out with your face in an ashtray" Sherwood
-------
*Definitely "have." One Harrod; two Harrods. "Harrods have an extra eyeball
in the middle of their foreheads, which they use to wink lasciviously at
widows and underage schoolgirls."
------------------------------ From: "Robin Holden" <rhoblidnen@geocities.com> Subject: Whacky band names... Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 21:54:39 +0100 Message-ID: <000101be8aa6$d732fdc0$0f1aac3e@robin-holden> How about "The Sweaty Kittens"? (Dance outfit). Robin Holden (rhoblidnen@geocities.com) Check out Pathogen's Website: http://listen.to/pathogen
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990419211519.14305.rocketmail@web124.yahoomail.com> Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 14:15:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Alex Stein <arctic_moose@yahoo.com> Subject: Band Names I Heart My Dog Head (Boston... from the bumper stickers) Alex
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990420002124.16113.rocketmail@web118.yahoomail.com> Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 17:21:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: 8 arms/8 days I know that he was confused when they asked him about "Eight Days A Week." He responded that it was the original title for "Help" film. OK trainspotters, what was that title that John was referring to? I believe that would be "Eight Arms to Hold You". What do I win?
------------------------------
Message-ID: <371B97E2.7ABE@bhip.infi.net>
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 20:54:00 +0000
From: Brian <mattone@bhip.infi.net>
Subject: Re: "No Thugs" lyric confusion
Tschalkgerz!
Michael Davies asked of me:
>Where do you get *two* sons from?<
Graham is asleep ("All the while, Graham slept on..."), and a boy in
blue is "busy banging out a headache on the kitchen door". I take that
as a younger brother.
Is this THAT hard?
>And what is a "cushion-floor"?<
My guess is deep-pile carpet - or perhaps an analogy for the craziness
around the household.
--
BRIAN THOMAS MATTHEWS
* Digital & traditional illustration/animation
* Caricaturist-for-hire
* RENDERMAN ~ One-Man Band Ordinaire
SAPRINGER CENTRAL ~ http://www.angelfire.com/fl/sapringer
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007805b34184506446@[209.242.84.227]> Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 20:13:20 -0500 From: John Yuelkenbeck <jy@tomrussell.com> Subject: Scrambled Eggs >>I know that he was confused when they asked him about "Eight Days A Week." He responded that it was the original title for "Help" film. >>OK trainspotters, what was that title that John was referring to? "Eight Arms To Hold You" was the working title of "Help!"
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b00b3419f967f8b@[192.168.0.166]> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 15:12:23 +1200 From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re: Wacky Band Names Chris, check out http://home.earthlink.net/~chellec/ for "The Canonical List of WEIRD Band Names". Michael, it was 'Eight Arms to Hold You' - later an album title for Veruca Salt. Original Pressings of Ticket to Ride even say "from the forthcoming movie, 'Eight arms to hold you'". James (who can remember going to see the band "Wreck Small Speakers on Expensive Stereos")
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990420062752.18219.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com> Subject: Off-topic? Moi??? Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 23:27:51 PDT Cheers, Chalk Chums >From: OMBEAN1@aol.com >Subject: THE Anniversary > DONT listen to Jefferson Ogata!! As if ... :p >Fiona Apples version of "Across the Universe " is vile dreck. Her >vocals are all over the place. A complete destruction of one of the >Beatles best. Ear candy? Ear crack!! > You have been warned. Roger I wouldn't go quite that far, but it's pretty bad - I *can't stand* her delivery - and what's with that video? * ------------------------------------------ Seeing that this thread is showing no signs of abating, here's a couple more: BEST BAND NAME: - Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band, featuring the Rootettes (creators of such immortal tracks as "Boogie 'Til You Puke" and "The Heartbreak of Psoriasis") Hon. mentions: - Pearl Harbour & The Explosions - Lubricated Goat - Free Beer - Mott the Hoople BEST STAGE NAME - Zigaboo Modaliste (The Meters) * ------------------------------------------------------ >From: "john gray" <jt.gray@btinternet.com> >Subject: what's a turnpike anyway? >Oh no, you just destroyed an image of my youth! I'm English >and don't have the foggiest idea what the turnpike is/does/looks >like, but the sound of its name conjures up images of all sorts of >Americana. You're telling me its the equivalent of our motorway >roundabouts? You have no idea how depressing that is. >Next you'll be telling me Kerouac always travelled first class! Know the feeling, John. I confess to experiencing a mild 'frisson' while travelling down the New Jersey Turnpike, listening to Simon and Garfunkel's "America", in which it is mentioned - but it turned out to be a fairly ordinary bit of old road, really. * ---------------------------------------------------- Re; Chris's spray about Air Supply > I never thought I, of all people, would come to Air Supply's defense, >but I happen to be married to the world's #1 Air Supply fan; she >literally has ALL their albums, and thanks to her I've heard all their >albums at least once.(Yes, they're still putting out an album every >couple of years. Their serious fans are as loyal as XTC's)That may >sound like slow torture to almost all of you, and if someone had told >me I was going to marry an Air Supply fan ten years ago I would >have changed my name to Abdullah and moved to Libya. I can recommend a good divorce lawyer, Chris - it's never too late you know. Anwyay moving to Libya probably wouldn't have done you any good - according to friends, who have travelled in North Africa and the Middle East, Air Supply are hugely popular over there, as they also are in Asia. Something to do with that cultural thing of them preferring singers with high voices ... Actually, this ties in scarily with one of my musical confessions (no I'm not an Air Supply fan). Russel and Graham, the two main chaps in Air Supply, met and got their start in the 'biz' as cast members of the original Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which I confessed I saw thrice. As much as I have come to loathe Lloyd Wanker and his hated musicals, it was a pretty stunning affair - the show had fantastic production values, with an amazing set design by Brian Thompson (who later designed the Rocky Horror Picture Show). The centrepiece was a huge, hydraulically-operated dodecahedron; the top half could be flown off, each of the 'leaves' of the bottom half was independently movable up and down, and there was a lift concealed in the centre of the thing. Very clever, and VERY effective. The cast and orchestra were a veritable Who's Who of Australian rock, and the show launched the careers of several performers who became major stars here in the 70s, including Jon English and Maricia Hines, who played Judas and Mary respectively, as well as the Air Supply chappies. (Actually, there was some very funny advertising for a revival of the show some years back; it featured, as I recall, Trevor White and Jon English reprising their roles and was billed - truly - as starring: "...with the original Jesus and the original Judas ..." ) Anyway the cast and band were amazing, and as the first rock-type music I had ever heard live, it was VERY impressive. The nucleus of the orchestra was the excellent Sydney progessive band Tully, and the cast featured many well-known singers - Stevie Wright (ex-Easybeats), Doug Parkinson, Reg Livermore, John Paul Young, Marcia Hines, Graham and Russell from Air Supply. Trevor White, who played Jesus, was formerly the singer with Sounds Unlimited, (whose brass section was immortalised on the Beatles' "Good Morning, Good Morning"). * ------------------------------------------------------ >Actually, Bram Tchaikovsky was the guitarist on the first two Motors >albums Ahh, the Motors - what a great little band they were. When I get the house to myself, on those rare occasions, I pull out my beloved old copy of "Approved By The Motors", put on "Dancing the Night Away" and turn it up LOUD. I recall heairng that they were pressured ot change one of their album covers, becasue market research had shown that consumerswere unlikely to buy it because the cover photo of them was so ugly. >And it does give methe creeps that Doug Fieger is the brother of >Jack Kevorkian's lawyer. > >Chris Why? He's just doing his job. * ---------------------------------------------------------- >Without Alan Parsons, neither of them would have existed as such; >he engineered them both. > >Chris But thinkof the plus side - without Alan Parsons, there would have been no (*shudder*) Alan Parsons Project * ---------------------------------------------------------- Michael - at least we agree on this one! >The Stones are cool. Keith is the man. Check out the "Hail Hail >Rock & Roll" movie where he shows Chuck Berry how to play >"Carol!" After seeing that film I felt that Keef should have been given the Nobel Peace Prize. How he managed not to give Berry a good thumping still amazes me. Berry is another high entry on my STARS I NEVER WANT TO MEET list Dunks * -------------------------------------------------------------- "Art is anything you can get away with" Marshall McLuhan * --------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ Message-ID: <371C711E.791B4948@revealed.net> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 07:20:46 -0500 From: John Courtney <jccourtney@revealed.net> Subject: OFF-TOPIC: Terry Hall Hi. I know Terry Hall has been mentioned before somewhere, so I am wondering if anyone has anything by him or his related projects (The Colourfield; Terry, Blair & Anouchka; Vegas; The Specials) for sale or trade. I'd like to buy more than trade but am open to anything. Please send me a note personally if you can kindly oblige. Thanks, John Courtney jccourtney@revealed.net
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199904201231.IAA00279@hammurabi.nh.ultra.net> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:29:42 -0400 Subject: what do you do with those nits, y'know, after you pick 'em? From: "Duncan Watt" <kanuba@nh.ultranet.com> Stagemaster Iain Murray wrote: >Subject: Molly, Molly, Molly......... > >It's time for a quick round of "Spot The Contradiction". See if you can >locate the contradictory statement (or statements) among the following >contributions from our very own Molly : (snip) I'd like to point out that if you guys keep this up, we might be faced with the stark reality of a List Without Molly, Chalkhills' very own Holly Golightly with an iMac and an attitude... and that, my friends, would be a sad day indeed... Duncan "go on, girl!" Watt
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990420133826.86.rocketmail@web4.rocketmail.com> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 06:38:26 -0700 (PDT) From: nross <phoenixyellowrose@rocketmail.com> Subject: Dom... I'm begging you please! Dom, I beg to differ... I don't beg. you wrote: >>Stones vs. Beatles makes about as much sense as Blur vs Oasis did (i.e. NONE!).<< Gag. >>Firstly, The Beatles were POP with a capital POP. The Stones were/are far more blues/r'n'b based and never really developed at a similar trajectory<< true. >>. The Beatles classic albums are really unique, at least in the sense that the music has never been replicated to any degree of credibility.<< Oasis (okay... not credible) XTC (sort of) oh theres more, but I just don't care. >>The Stones have been playing the same riffs for thirty years, and although they too have a few classic long-players to their credit<< ARGH! Okay... BIG disagree... The Beatles sound... a lot of their songs sound alike... a lot of bands are unoriginal in that sense... and if they dare change their sound people say they've sold out (ie. Metallica). Stones of old are more blues-y... probably why I like them so much... and they've lasted longer... as a unit. >>their biggest contribution to the music world has been a legacy of other bands who want to sound just like them.<< Oasis... tears for fears (later years)... same for the Beatles, that's their legacy... isn't that one way to "forever change the sound of music". The Hills are alive... Metallica, schmetallica... gonna ignore THAT particular statement... for it MUST have been a joke :-). -Nicole
------------------------------ From: Simon_Auger@mandg.co.uk Message-ID: <00256759.00400AAF.00@smtpmta.mandg.co.uk> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:45:14 +0000 Subject: Warning No XTC content. Chris was talking about liking creepy lyrics. It would be well worth checking a Track called What's he building in there? on the new Tom Waits album (Mule Variations on Epitaph). The whole piece smacks of film noirish atmosphere underlaced with an uncomfortable dread of finding what the secret inside the Man's house really is. I can't help but think that the whole thing could form the background for a psychological horror movie of some kind. Has anyone else heard the new Tom Waits album yet, if so mail me and tell me what you think. IMHO it's absolutely brilliant, I keep waiting for him to produce a duff album, but never seems to, there's always some interesting new angle he manages to find. There is a strong chance that this album will displace AV1 as my favourite release of the year. Cheers Simon
------------------------------
Message-ID: <19990420134011.41125.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "frederick rains" <f_rains@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Storefront Hitchcock
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 06:40:11 PDT
This is in response to Queenie's response regarding Robyn Hitchcock:
The Movie (Storefront Hitchcock)
I've actually been checking over @robynhitchcock.com for news of when
to expect a showing in the NW only to find out its played in Portland
already. Dangnabbit! I'm in Seattle, and I swear I haven't seen it
come thru, i try to keep all my tendrils attuned so that I could be
aware of such things. Ah well, the way the English say you musn't
grumble in the end. Mayhaps will be part of the Seattle Int'l Film
thang here next month. Hope so.
Oh, my point! I do have the soundtrack (on shinyl vinyl!), and do
rec. if there's any other fans of his on this list to pick it up and
keep your ears open for news of the film in your town. It was
directed by Jonathan Demme, and while his films of late ("Beloved"?)
have been a bit on the "huh?" side, this is after all the guy who did
"Stop Making Sense" and "Swimming to Cambodia". And if you can catch
a Hitchcock show, by all means check it out!
Crossing my fingers there won't be any delays w/AV 2,
Fred R.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:09:56 -0400 From: Dorothy Spirito <spiritod@techmail.gdc.com> Subject: Re: No Language Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.4.00.9904201105540.5939-100000@esun2028> Couldn't she be talking about IRC, hello? It's the first thing that popped into my head, and I've never *done* IRC. Maybe she wants to meet them in cyberspace and reenact "Dear God", with herself playing the part of the 10-year-old boy. --Dorothy. >1. She refers to "a space where there are 9 muses". >2. She calls her friend a "messenger" and "my apple venus". (I do know, >by the way, of XTC's latest album, Apple Venus, Vol. 1.) >3. She mentions that she would have liked to have given him dandelions. >4. She says she would like to meet the band members while walking along >a road in/on/at ??? The Chalk. >5. When meeting them on that road, she would give them flowers. But, >rather than be herself, she would appear as a 10 year old boy and say, >"Next, let's all sing together. Just join in when you feel like it." > >I hope some of this makes sense to you, because it certainly doesn't to >me. If she isn't making reference to specific XTC songs, etc., then I >have a difficult job ahead of me. > >Kevin Ramsey
------------------------------ From: RickBuist2@aol.com Message-ID: <4c194ae.244df9b9@aol.com> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:39:37 EDT Subject: Kim Richey Chalkhillers, >Kim Richey, a country singer that I am not familiar with, was quoted >as follows: >"In Nashville, I listen to WRLT 100.1 FM to hear new stuff. They'll go >from Lucinda Williams to Neil Finn to Shawn Colvin. I love when they play >XTC. You're not going to hear them on top 40. The weaving of the vocal >parts is amazing. Every time they come on the radio, I'm like, 'The good >guys got on!' " For those of you not familiar with Kim Richey, her work is excellent. Her first album is flawless. Her second album suffers from poor production except for one John Leventhal-produced track. (Name-dropping alert) John Leventhal has co-written, co-produced, and co-habitated with Shawn Colvin. It's a shame that Kim is on a country record label, because grouping her with the artists she mentioned above makes more sense than grouping her with current country "artists". Check her out. I can also verify that WRLT has been doing their part to keep XTC on the radio. (Or is that "WRLT have been doing their part"? What are the time signature of that Beach Boys song that fades into an instrument? Dear God!) By the way, thanks for the recommendation for the Jason Faulkner album - it's outstanding! Now go about your business. Rick
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 10:30:38 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199904201730.KAA58841@mando.engr.sgi.com> From: John Relph <relph@engr.sgi.com> Subject: Re: An unusual request Kevin Ramsey <ckramsey@po.cisnet.or.jp> wrote: > >1. She refers to "a space where there are 9 muses". I haven't any idea what she might mean. >2. She calls her friend a "messenger" and "my apple venus". (I do know, >by the way, of XTC's latest album, Apple Venus, Vol. 1.) Her friend? What friend? If it's Andy Partridge, then perhaps he is a messenger of music... >3. She mentions that she would have liked to have given him dandelions. This is a reference to the lyrics of "River of Orchids", the first track on the album, the first line of which runs "I heard the dandelions roar in Piccadilly Circus". >4. She says she would like to meet the band members while walking along >a road in/on/at ??? The Chalk. Perhaps she is writing about The Uffington Horse, the prehistoric carving of a white horse in a hillside near Swindon. >5. When meeting them on that road, she would give them flowers. But, >rather than be herself, she would appear as a 10 year old boy and say, >"Next, let's all sing together. Just join in when you feel like it." I like the idea that she is the ten-year-old boy in the "Dear God" video who starts singing alone, but then Andy Partridge takes over for the second verse. -- John
------------------------------ From: mollyfa@juno.com Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 14:06:53 -0400 Subject: Re: Molly, Molly, Molly Message-ID: <19990420.140813.2862.1.MollyFa@juno.com> Iain said: <<By the way, Molly, this isn't a personal attack ; but there might be a case for checking your posts before you send them (I think it's been mentioned before, but it doesn't seem to have worked.....).>> No, I don't take offense of that. I just wish you could have e-mailed me personally and not in this forum. I was half asleep when I did that and I wasn't paying attention when I sent it. But does it really matter? Is it a crime to not have five choices? Okay, I'm done. Oh I changed my web page URL. The URL is: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/index.html. Molly
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:52:07 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199904201852.LAA28477@mail2.deltanet.com> From: DCB-MB2 <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: Colin's voice I used to be known as Snow White. . . then I drifted---* 'ello everyone! Last night I was having my usual trouble staying asleep.. so I got up around 3:45a.m. and popped on the headphones, while AV1 spun its web...maybe it's the sleep deprivation talking, but I was thinking Colin's voice had a Peter Gabriel quality to it...mainly when he sings, "we're all so frivolous tonight!"....I was also thinking that the keyboard on FT reminded me of Supertramp.... man, I better go lie down...I don't feel so well ;0 Hush, my puppies, Debora Brown --waiting for AV2-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I've got a Gibson, without a case... But I can't get that even-tanned look on my face... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s71ca49d.091@OAG.STATE.TX.US> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 16:00:18 -0600 From: "Steve Oleson" <Steve.Oleson@OAG.STATE.TX.US> Subject: Iain, Iain, Iain You said in your post in Chalkhills #5-180, (subject Molly, Molly, Molly): "By the way, Molly, this isn't a personal attack ; but there might be a case for checking your posts before you send them (I think it's been mentioned before, but it doesn't seem to have worked.....)." If it is not a personal attack, it should be sent to Molly privately.
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <a7e52b46.244e60b5@aol.com> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 18:59:01 EDT Subject: Mass 'Pike >> Who the hell gets nostalgic about the "turnpike from Stockbridge to >Boston"? The Mass Pike *sucks*, James! C'mon! >Oh no, you just destroyed an image of my youth! I'm English >and don't have the foggiest idea what the turnpike is/does/looks like, but >the sound of its name conjures up images of all sorts of Americana. >You're telling me its the equivalent of our motorway roundabouts? >You have no idea how depressing that is. >Next you'll be telling me Kerouac always travelled first class! >JG Our turnpikes are our equivalent to your motorways, complete with rest stops with cheesy fast food restaurants every ten to twenty miles or so. I have no nostalgia for the Mass Pike itself, but I do have fond memories of Howard Johnsons' peppermint stick ice cream, one of the perks about being a good little boy and not whining "When are we going to get there?" in the family car. My maternal grandmother lived in Northeastern Connecticut(about ten miles from Storrs)and my paternal grandmother lived Northeast of Boston, so on school holidays we logged a lot of miles on the Pike and route 128. That's kind of why Jonathan Richman's "Road Runner" brings back so many memories for me. "Out on Route 128 by the powerline/It's so exciting here at night/In the pinetrees and the dark..." As for roundabouts, in Massachusetts they're called rotaries. Boston and its suburbs have a lot of them. It's a local thing, the only other place in this country where they're called that is in Vermont where I live, and Vermont has only one I know of, on Shelburne Rd in the south end of Burlington, and I think it was built and named by a homesick Bostonian and the name stuck. Jeezum, guess they didn't know what to call dat 'dere thing. Chris
------------------------------
From: CCooli9575@aol.com
Message-ID: <9b097680.244e60bc@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 18:59:08 EDT
Subject: Re: Air Supply
>You can ignore my last question. The answer is obviously a resounding
>YES. John Lennon could never have been impressed by Air Supply. Trust
>me on this one. And that you're insane.
Rest assured, I still would never want to listen to one of their albums
voluntarily, but sometimes when you love another person who doesn't share
your taste in music it's easy to get so open-minded your brains fall
out. :-) Besides, I merely said I found them more tolerable and I was duly
impressed by two songs out of fifteen-odd albums. But hey, I would have
been right in your corner ten years ago.
I EXPECT greatness from the likes of John Lennon, Ray Davies and Andy
Partridge. When their work falls short of their prodigious talent, nobody's
harder on them than me.(In Andy's case, that's happened very rarely, I can
count on one hand the number of Andy's songs I can say I come even close to
disliking, while Lennon, Davies, and for that matter Pete Townshend have
released whole albums worth of material the bulk of which is not worthy of
their talent.)Few things bother me more than wasted talent. It interests me
more when lightweights like Air Supply come up with something halfway
interesting, which I wouldn't have known about had it not been for my wife,
because I don't expect it from them. Whether I'm going to listen to it
regularly is another matter, but I like having my preconceptions
challenged, unlike some people.
A few more entries for the strange but true:
Will Robinson from Lost In Space(aka Bill Mumy)grew up to be America's
bass player in the late 70's-early 80's, and was also Artie Barnes from
Barnes And Barnes("Fish Heads," "Party In My Pants," etc.)
America considered covering a Wild Man Fischer song("Merry Go Round," his
closest thing to a signature tune)on their first album. Dissuaded by their
record company, they contributed a couple of songs to a later album of his
instead.
A certain drunken acoustic calypso-like song with potty-humor lyrics
called "Plexiglass Toilet" was recorded by Styx on one of their early
albums, and is in my opinion the best thing they ever recorded.(to say I'm
not a Styx fan would be too kind)
The Carpenters covered a Klaatu song and even had a top 30 hit with it.
Barry Manilow has recorded material by both Ian Hunter and Richard
Thompson(only the Ian Hunter got released; "Ships" was a top ten hit
though. Comforts me to know Ian makes royalties on it). I suppose next
Barry's going to have a massive smash hit with a cover of "Easter
Theater."(Hey, it could happen)
Manilow's real name is Barry Pinkus. Now the truth comes out.
Unfortunately I can't link Air Supply with anything even remotely
hip. That figures. Especially not with XTC.
Worst cover of a great song I have ever heard: Duran Duran murdering Lou
Reed's "Femme Fatale."
No, I take that back. Wild Man Fischer doing "Yesterday."
Which reminds me- anyone here heard William Shatner's collaboration with
Ben Folds? Strange bedfellows, indeed.
"Very funny, Scotty. Now beam back my pants!"
Chris
P.S. In love? Insane? Same difference.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 16:42:57 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199904202342.QAA20752@mail2.deltanet.com> From: DCB-MBB <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: Band names Hi-ho, chalkers!! this contains NO xtc content, whatsoever...sorry about that.... I just wanted to share some entertaining band names allegedly in use/used at one time-- Pepto Dismal Vic Morrow's Head Shirley Temple of Doom Jehovah's Waitresses Not Drowning, Waving and one of my very favorites, Roid Rogers and the Whirling Butt Cherries Cheers! Debora Brown * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is no truth, there is only rhetoric *** * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ From: "Don Rogalski" <tonikuo@ms10.hinet.net> Subject: Turkish music redux Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 08:12:54 +0800 Message-ID: <000001be8b8b$b4546f60$52fd20a3@user> Dear Chalkhills: With apologies to all ethnic Greeks, I delurk with the following question and my own answer: What's country's music made a huge impression upon you when you went there, and in what way might it have been, at least in part, a reflection of your appreciation of XTC? The previous summer my wife and I spent a month in Turkey, and aside from all of the other delightful aspects of the country, we were floored by the music. What really grabbed us were the "saz" and drum combos giving forth in the restaurants and the festivals, often just two musicians jamming up a hypnotic Middle-Eastern storm of sound that, I blush to use the word but none other presents itself, was so compelling -exotic- to my Western and to her East Asian ears (she's Taiwanese). At first listen strongly reminiscent of a sitar, the Turkish saz has a dew-drop shaped body about the size of a very large watermelon chopped in half. There is no hole in it save for a ping-pong ball sized one at the back end. But it's the neck and string setup that fascinated me right away. At 23 frets, compared to the average guitar's 21, it's longer, thinner, and rounder against your palm. There are seven strings, all very thin so that you must use a wobbly plectrum for fear of snapping them. They are configured into three sets, sort of like playing a twelve string guitar with half of the strings missing. Starting from the top (the part closest to your chin) and moving down, the three sets are are: 1. A nylon A (same note as a western guitar A) and a steel A an octave higher 2. Two steel E's in unison, tuned within the octave below the previous steel A. 3. A nylon B one tone up from the nylon A, followed by two steel B's in unison an octave higher. Even more interesting is the fret configuration, as many of the frets going up the neck are split into quarter-tones, making for curious scales that I'm sure a competent researcher can identify. I recall finding the very listenable Turkish pop music in the buses sounding queer at first, as if the singer were not really in tune. But when I walked into a little saz shop and plucked at the instrument it dawned on me that Turkish melodies often go right to that first quarter-tone within the semi-tone - an amazing feat for a singer! Imagine, if you will, playing an open B on your guitar, singing along with it, then moving up to C and doing the same. But then, instead of going up one more fret to C#, go up ONLY a quarter-tone - halfway between C and C#. Then try, without the aid of the guitar, to sing from a B right to that quarter-tone between C and C#. It's hard. Very hard. But compellingly listenable, and perhaps a new avenue for Western music to explore now that virtually everything else has been done (facetious? Nah, my bowel movements are quite regular, actually). I mean, not in the manner of the sometime adoration of Indian music in the 1960's, but rather to be employed within a pop song melody. During our trip I was often reminded of XTC's unusual melodic sensibility, the group's penchant for turns of melody that fall apart and then resolve in curious, invigorating ways. I remember being unable to get the beginning to "1000 Umbrellas" out of my head at one point, and the guitar break in "No Language in our Lungs" kept coming up at another. I'm not suggesting that XTC even remotely resembles Turkish pop or folk music, but from my standpoint as a Western pop music listener, the desire for new, original sonic enjoyments naturally leads to XTC, and... stretch... renders one extremely susceptible to the seductive quality of Turkish music. Again, the query: are there other "musics" (to use the fashionable plural form) out there that have made deep impressions upon Chalkhillians? Cheers, Don
------------------------------ Message-ID: <01BE8B6B.717F9220.monkman@coastnet.com> From: Martin & Jamie Monkman <monkman@coastnet.com> Subject: Kim Richey Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 17:24:34 -0700 Michael D. Myers writes: >Subject: XTC mention in NY Times magazine > >Chalksters and Chalkettes; > >There was a brief mention of our heroes 2 weeks ago in an unlikely place; >the NY Times magazine (which is contained in the newspaper's Sunday issue >each week). The focus of the article was on the changing nature of radio, >and one segment allowed some notables to describe their favorite radio >show. Kim Richey, a country singer that I am not familiar with, was quoted >as follows: > >"In Nashville, I listen to WRLT 100.1 FM to hear new stuff. They'll go >from Lucinda Williams to Neil Finn to Shawn Colvin. I love when they play >XTC. You're not going to hear them on top 40. The weaving of the vocal >parts is amazing. Every time they come on the radio, I'm like, 'The good >guys got on!' " > >Yeah for Kim! It sounds like WRLT is the perfect place for Kim Richey's music, which I'd described as singer-songwriter country-pop-folk. Imagine a darker-toned Shawn Colvin, or a poppier Rosanne Cash. I haven't heard her self-titled debut, but her 2nd effort Bitter Sweet is just that. Quite enjoyable, and worth seeking out if you're a fan of confessionalist relationship songs. Her third long-player is set for release this summer, produced by Hugh Padgham. I seem to recall he had some connection with XTC... Martin Our homepage: http://www.coastnet.com/~monkman
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-181 *******************************
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