Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 74
Date: Sunday, 31 January 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 74
Sunday, 31 January 1999
Today's Topics:
Oh! What a delicious Bowl Movement.
Please Help Me!
Road map of Swindon/Uffington online
Could it be Terry and the Lovemen Redux?
L.A. Radio and XTC
bickering, demos, recommendations, BBVD
Responses, responses
I'm interviewing Andy 2/16/99...HELP!
Snobberyism, value judgements and all that shite
XTC Videos for trade
Re: Dear God
SF bay area chalkhills gathering, and Fresh Air
Making Plans For Andy?
Homo Safari
AV Release Date
contact VH1
Calling Colin
New CMJ
Thanks!
Apple Venus 2 on T.V.
AP's public Dave Comments
Q magazine - Apple Venus
TB Australian Release
Ally McBeal(and a little XTC)
Re: What a lark!
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Now that I can hear all your poisoned prose.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <19990128141816.21431.rocketmail@web1.rocketmail.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 06:18:16 -0800 (PST) From: nross <phoenixyellowrose@rocketmail.com> Subject: Oh! What a delicious Bowl Movement. this is going to be fun. In Digest #70, Molly wrote: > oh boy, this is going way too far. I'm not a fan of Rush, but I really don't think he's a racist. My dad listens to him, but he isn't a member of the KKK, so I'd better watch it if I were you. Not all Rush Limbaugh fans are racists. Don't generalize like that. I hate people who generalize things.< In Digest #69, nross (that's me!) wrote: >oh... and Molly! Wow... I thought you would be huffy with the comments sent your way. You are a trooper, though! I know MY respect would mean absolutely NOTHING to you, but you have it for the moment, anyway. With your previous statements, you really did offend people... for you to realize that and take responsibility for it... makes me want to swallow my words and shit them out.< Perhaps, now I should eat my words. Unfortunately, it seems rather unappetizing. -Nicole -"what's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding, woo-oooh"-
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199901281559.PAA61753@florence.pavilion.net> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 16:02:10 +0800 From: raven@pavilion.co.uk (Susan Raven) Subject: Please Help Me! Speaking of the Dear God UK CD with Homo Safari on it, is there anyone out there who can sell me a copy? Mine got nicked. I would do ANYTHING. On that subject, before anyone gets any ideas, let me point out that I am MALE. I forgot to mention on my last posting (about why Americans don't like President Kill) that this is my mother's old computer, so I retain her e-mail address. People like Roger McDonald who wrote back to her (me) brandishing unwelcome innuendo should hang their heads in shame. I realise now that all men really are scum. I am, and shall remain, DANIEL RAVEN.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36B030E8.5BD2773@lucent.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 09:42:00 +0000 From: JP Nicholls <nicholls@lucent.com> Organization: It came off in my hand, Mum! Subject: Road map of Swindon/Uffington online Swindon / Uffington White Horse (Uffington Castle/White Horse Hill 15km East of Swindon): http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=423200&Y=187860&arrow=Y also shows the railway - thin black line 5km north of Uffington, heading approx East-West. This is a great site for exploring other UK destinations. -- JP Nicholls / nicholls@lucent.com "Someone take these dreams away"
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.2.32.19990128140723.007c6220@mail.infohouse.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 14:07:23 -0500 From: Gary Glauber <gary@freelanceadvancers.com> Subject: Could it be Terry and the Lovemen Redux? Greetings hale Chalkfellows: Thought I'd delurk to see if any of you might help clarify matters. Someone informed me yesterday that on Feb. 27th, the Mercury Lounge in NYC is slated to host a performance by Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her. That date seems to coincide with the time Mssrs. P & M might be in NYC promoting the AV1 release. Coincidence? Hmmm.... Yazbek doesn't know. But if anyone has more news about this, please post it to the list. Anxiously awaiting AV1,2 and all to follow, Gary G.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 11:36:49 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <199901281936.LAA18231@mail2.deltanet.com> From: DCB-MBB <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: L.A. Radio and XTC Good day to everyone! All you chalkers who reside in and around the L.A. area, listen up... (if someone else has already brought this up, I beg your pardon, folks)...with the release of AV1 just around the corner, I was thinking that we could help get our heroes some air play, and in turn, boost sales of the new release. Radio station, KROQ (106.7) has played XTC in the past, so let's give them a ring or three, shall we? There is a voice mail message phone# for the 'Kevin & Bean'morning show (an inane show, but lots of morning listeners).. the number is- 1-323-520-AFRO .... leave a gushing message, extolling the virtues of AP and co., or, just maybe, request a 'breakfast with Mr. Partridge', if he/they make it out to L.A. to promote, etc...for those of you who aren't familiar with the 'breakfast' deal..it's not always a performance, but rather, a Q & A with the band at some local eaterie/watering hole...muy bien!!!.... does anyone know if Richard Blade still has a 'Flash Back Lunch' on KROQ? ...calling the station during that show (if it still exists) might spark a flame for our boys.. Richard was always a big fan of the early 80's music scene, and of all bands British.... A more general request line phone# is--1-800-520-1067...give it a try...I will be ringing both numbers daily, for the next few weeks..or until they stop taking my calls...I urge all of you L.A. chalkers to call-call-call-call-call...and just when your punching/dialing finger goes numb...call some more... on a more personal note...in the song, 'Grass', when Andy sings..."the way you slap my face just fills me with desire"...it really does fill ME with desire!!... couldn't you just swoon, ladies?? hhhmmmmmmmm???? ;) take care y'all, Debora Brown
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19990128135426.0068ca6c@acton.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 13:54:26 -0600 From: Dave Ledbetter <dbetter@acton.com> Subject: bickering, demos, recommendations, BBVD Hi all, Haven't posted in a long while but thought the traffic has died down enough to contribute. I've been enjoying the wonderful bickering on Chalkhills. I do believe Dom is giving Harrison a run for his money, as is Molly to Amanda. The nicities get a little old after a while, so in keeping the spirit... Day-vid 0, pleez, knuh-thing cum-parz 2 U. I personally skip every one of your aborted posts. I don't care if you're the smartest, nicest guy on earth, until you start giving out first hand band news, or it becomes evident you are really Andy P. in disguise, I ain't reading that crap. Learn to type English. Moving on, I finally heard the "Bull with the Golden Guts" and some other demos (Thanks Mark) and am dismayed once again at the pulp permeating the radio while these gems go unheard. Specifically great are: Goosey, Goosey; Blue Beret; My Train is Coming; Rip Van Ruben; and It's Snowing Angels. I hope XTC go through with the demos box set. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. At the recommendation of you Chalkfolk I've recently bought Rufus Wainwright, Eponymous and Jeff Buckley, Grace. Both Great Albums. Does anyone else think that Rufus is really the guy from Radiohead? I swear they have the exact same voice - Give it a listen. Can't find Yazbeck in the stores here but you're on my list. Finally saw Transistor Blast at the store. I'm going to get it later today assuming the one copy they had hasn't been bought already. Unfortunately for me I already have Drums and Wireless and the BBC Concert disk. Oh well, help support Andy, Colin, and Dave I guess. Best concert of 1998: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy swingin' in Chicago at the House of Blues and in Des Moines at the Val-Air Ballroom. These guys put on FUN shows. Also got to meet them too - they're very cool. If you get a chance, go see them. Look for them during the Super Bowl, they'll be playing the halftime show (with Ray Charles?). I like R.E.M., dislike Phil Collins, bought major label releases including Liz Phair (go buy it now!) and the Foo Fighters, but the best music I heard last year were XTC/AP demos - sorry commercial music world. Anxiously awaiting the release of AV1. Hope to hear some of it on the radio soon. Dave
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s6b07fae.067@chemonics.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 15:02:30 -0500 From: Todd Bernhardt <tbernhardt@chemonics.com> Subject: Responses, responses Hi: All hail to Scott Anderson for the Music Boulevard tip! Tim Eden answered a query about which-guitarist-played-what on TB's Disc 4 by guessing about a song or two (and was, I think, most correct), but the answer really lies in which speaker you listen to. I'm pretty sure Dave's in the left speaker and Andy's in the right (can't be sure cause I'm at work -- corrections, anyone?). Perry the marketing whiz said: >see! I just knew the Japanese import had something extra on it!! Now $40 bucks doesn't seem so bad, eh? I am awaiting the bootleg Chinese copy myself; it comes with the above extras that Phil mentions, but also a packet of extra "dehydrated" simulations of Andy and Colin. Just add water, and BLAM!---the boys playing instant private acoustic versions of all your favorite tunes in the quiet, pleasant setting of your living room! Plus, they take requests....< Wow, talk about Instant Tunes! Amanda should take note of the Chinese bootlegs of earlier releases, which include Dave. I hear he also "takes requests," if ya catch my drift. Or you could consider this handy-dandy suitcase-sized packet of dehydrated Rush Limbaugh ... just add lard or hot air, take your pick. "Slurp" indeed! Randy Hiatt: Glad to hear there are other "Happy" fans out there. Of Ally McBeal, Karl Witter said: >it can only succeed in what it attempts to do, which is create a mid-20s lawyer with all the emotional maturity and self- assuredness of a college freshman straight outta Dubuque. That's why it's annoying.< Nah, it's annoying because SHE WON'T STOP PURSING HER DAMN LIPS!! Get over yourself and eat something, Calista! Finally, replying to Mitch's Dave report, another guy named Andy said: >I once read that Jimmy Page's fave solo ever was the one in "Reelin' In the Years" on the very same el pee (from the guitar of Elliot Randall, I think).< Nope, if memory serves, it was Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. Every possibility I'm wrong, though. (Whaddya say, Stormy? ) --Todd
------------------------------ From: weslong@usa.net Message-ID: <19990128203815.8774.qmail@www01.netaddress.usa.net> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 20:38:15 Subject: I'm interviewing Andy 2/16/99...HELP! Chalksters: I'm interviewing Partsy on the 16th of Feb, for the music paper that I write for....The Music Monitor, also online at www.musicmonitor.net I've heard/read/seen so many interviews with him, and would love to do something a bit different. I'm going to rack my brain for ideas, and am open to any help you can supply. Let me know some of the things that you would most like to ask Andy/know about him, etc... If you have any off the wall format ideas, or questions...let me know them as well. Time is short here people, so start thinking! Help me to make this an interview that means something! Wes Optimism's Flames: "http://members.tripod.com/~The_Last_Balloon/index.html"
------------------------------ Message-ID: <697A4CA51395D111A658AA00040058069D9F69@NT6> From: "Wiencek, Dan" <wiencek@aaos.org> Subject: Snobberyism, value judgements and all that shite Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 15:03:29 -0600 Karl wrote: I find that I hear enough about mainstream music elsewhere, Just to clarify: what Bryce said and then what I said is not that there isn't enough mainstream content on Chalkhills, e.g. "Does anyone else think that new Alanis Morisette album kicks ass/blows goats?" (choose one). He was wondering, and got me to wondering, whether people go out of their way *not* to mention mainstream acts, when such a mention might be perfectly appropriate. When composing yearly best-of lists, it becomes a more compelling question, at least for me. To draw an analogy: an American film critic society, whose name escapes me, recently voted the George Clooney film Out of Sight as the best film of the year, upsetting the shoo-in favorite, Saving Private Ryan. This happened despite the fact that the majority of the society's members actually voted for SPR. Owing to a quirk in their voting laws, an anti-Spielberg cabal stacked the vote to take the title away from him. (Out of Sight won because it was the runner-up with most votes.) They did this because they felt Spielberg "didn't need" the distinction, and that it was better to give the trophy to a pretty good, underappreciated entertainment film than to Spielberg's heavily praised, mainstream blockbuster. (Plus a lot of them just don't like Spielberg.) Now, the question is this: should a "best of" list consist of albums you think people should listen to, or should it consist of albums you personally fell in love with? For me, the answer must emphatically be the latter. For a critic to elevate an "obscure" work over a "mainstream" one, solely because the work is obscure, is an act of arrogance and heavily muddled thinking. It's arrogant to elevate a film or record that you don't truly believe merits the distinction (the Out of Sights of the world) simply because you feel people shouldn't watch/listen to the Private Ryans. It's a covert attempt to dictate public taste, something which people who don't like critics are always accusing critics of doing. And anyway, what does "need" have to do with it? So what if everyone is already saying that Private Ryan is brilliant, or that Beck's Mutations is brilliant? If you're a critic, even an armchair one, your authority is in direct proportion to the respect you give your readers. I want to read critics who treat me as an equal, not critics who try to second-guess what my tastes/needs are. I want to know what the critic liked, not what he thinks I might like. If s/he likes what everyone else likes, so be it. This is why I had that little kernel of suspicion about Chalkhillian's top ten lists, and why (very reasonable) comments like Karl's above exacerbated it. I don't want to come off as though this deeply bothers me, but I think that because the lists were stacked so much in favor of little-known acts, I wondered how much I could trust them--that is, if people were posting what they really, truly responded to, or whether they deliberately omitted things they figured "didn't need" to be mentioned. I'm eager for any sincere recommendations, y'see, whether mainstream or obscure. And if 10 people on a mailing list say that the Lauren Hill album is great, I'm more likely to check it out than if 2 people say it's great. N'est ce pas? Hope this clarifies ... Dan PS. *Finally* heard my first AV track today ... XRT in Chicago has added I'd Like That to its rotation. Bliss ... *___________________________ Dan Wiencek American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons www.aaos.org
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 12:44:40 -0800 (PST) From: "J. Brown" <ringostr@u.washington.edu> Subject: XTC Videos for trade Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.05.9901281239070.27994-100000@dante25.u.washington.edu> I am now in possession of an extra set of XTC Videos. It's a three tape set, one with all the videos from Statue of Liberty to the Disapointed, One with the Play at Home documentary and lots of concert footage, and one with the At the Manor fake documentary and other stuff. These are NTSC videos, not PAL. I'd be willing to trade all 3 tapes for a dub of the most recent set of demos (Ship trapped in Ice, Playground etc.). If i can't get those i'kll take the best offer. Trade only please. email me privately with your offers, thanks! Jason Wilson Brown - History & Canadian Studies - Seattle, WA USA "She just gets rich cause she works for God!" -Young Fresh Fellows, "Amy Grant"
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199901282125.WAA07667@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 22:35:36 +0000
Subject: Re: Dear God
Dear Chalker,
Our friend John Voorhees asked an interesting question:
> Does Skylarking suck with Dear God on it?
Yes.
As a matter of principle i think any "tampering" with tracklists,
running order and that sort of things is at best very irritating and
pure vandalism in the worst cases - like the butchered Englsih
Settlement LP's and CD's. Abomination!
yours in xtc,
Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36B0D8B5.52077C88@us.oracle.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 13:37:57 -0800 From: Ekrem Soylemez <esoyleme@us.oracle.com> Subject: SF bay area chalkhills gathering, and Fresh Air Chalkhillians, First of all, I would like to thank Richard Pendretti-Allen for arranging last night's San Francisco Bay area Chalkhills gathering. It was very exciting to be in a room with that many XTC fans. I (and many others) got my first chance to hear a song off AV (Easter Theatre). On a completely unrelated note, I was thinking last night that it would be great if we could convince Fresh Air, the National Public Radio show of interviews of artist, to do an interview of Andy. To this end, I would like to encourage all fans of NPR out there to write to Fresh Air at freshair@whyy.org. Here's my recent letter to them (feel free to copy and sign your name, if you are so inclined.) * ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Terry and Fresh Air staff, First of all, I would like to thank you all for your enjoyable show. It has been responsible for the most pleasant surprises I have heard on NPR. I am writing to you today with a suggestion for a possible interview candidate: Andy Partridge. Andy is the front man for the English rock band XTC. XTC was founded in the late seventies, and have been a profound influence on many of today's popular musicians. Due to a prolonged battle with Virgin records, XTC have not released a new album in the last seven years. They recently broke free of Virgin, and they will be releasing a new album, "Apple Venus Vol. 1" in February. Please understand that I am merely a fan, and in no other way affiliated with XTC. Thanks for your time. -Ekrem * ----------------------------------------------------------------- I was particularly proud using the pseudo-titles "Merely a Fan" and "Affiliated" in that last sentance. :-) Eager of AV1, Ekrem
------------------------------ From: "Michael Harvey" <mdharvey@home.com> Subject: Making Plans For Andy? Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 16:48:57 -0500 Message-ID: <000001be4b08$0356e300$8dfe0218@cc321554-a.mcmb1.mi.home.com> Hello fellow Chalkhillers, During my lunch "hour" today I was browsing a music shop that I had never visited, and there it was; A live XTC CD titled "Making Plans For Andy". Apparently some bootleg with about 10-12 songs recorded live in 1979 and 1982. All of these songs appear on TB, but the songs from English Settlement (there are a few of these including) "No Thugs" are probably not like the BBC studio recorded "live" versions of these songs. I will be going back soon to give the thing a listen. The price is $15. Has anyone seen or heard this CD before? I would be interested in any feedback (good or bad), since I still am digesting TB and wonder if I should splurge on this disc. Dying to hear the rest of AV1, Michael Harvey
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199901282330.SAA00877@lima.epix.net> From: "Michael Davies" <miser17@epix.net> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 18:29:36 -0400 Subject: Homo Safari > In message <78a37394.36a2ec52@aol.com>, ERA1970@aol.com writes > >Also, does anybody else agree that the Homo Safari series should be released > >by Cooking Vinyl as a complete set? > > Virgin already did that on the "Dear God" UK CD EP. yes, but it's impossible to find now. i think it should be rereleased by itself. Michael davies miser17@epix.net
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36B0F3DC.2A231062@landmarknet.net> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 18:33:49 -0500 From: Frank J Jope <frankjope@landmarknet.net> Subject: AV Release Date This is my first posting here, usually I just read for the good info on XTC. Today I went to Newbury Comics in Portland, Maine. They had a list of upcoming releases. There, under Feb. 16 was the three letters that everyone here wants to see. I actually felt a tingle. I asked a clerk if that was right and he said yes in fact AV will be in their store then.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 16:28:02 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <199901290028.QAA08310@mail2.deltanet.com> From: DCB-MBB <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: contact VH1 Hey! Chalkers!! How about if all of us American chalkheads drop a line to VH1 and request that they do a Behind The Music segment on our very own XTC...wouldn't that be nifty??? I have begun an e-mail campaign..and I urge you all to do the same... go to their website (www.vh1.com)... shows@vh1.com and request@vh1.com...it will only take a couple of minutes... thanks everyone!! cheers! Debora Brown
------------------------------ From: "Wesley Hanks" <whanks@earthlink.net> Subject: Calling Colin Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 17:58:00 -0800 Message-ID: <000201be4b2a$cc9b6c00$ed1c1d26@wes> Mates, Has anyone heard a recent release from Mental As Anything, from their "Garage" LP, titled "Calling Colin"? The Newcastle Herald mentioned that Peter O'Doherty refers to it as a 'post-modern pop song' that makes references to XTC. MAA has subjected others as subjects of their songs. On another note, was in a toy store with my son last weekend and was stopped dead in my tracks with the playing of Life Begins at the Hop over the store PA. Perfect! Peace Wes
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990129025612.19278.rocketmail@send103.yahoomail.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 18:56:12 -0800 (PST) From: Veronica Kyle Robertson <veronicakr@yahoo.com> Subject: New CMJ For all those interested in reading yet another brief article that re-hashes everything you've already read, the new issue of CMJ monthly has a 1 1/2 page story and picture. Why on earth did they not include a song on their CD-sampler? Veronica
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199901290326.TAA24496@toucan.prod.itd.earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 19:26:40 -0800 Subject: Thanks! From: "Russ Reynolds" <rcreation@earthlink.net> Richard, Just a word of thanks and appreciation for the great job you did organizing the XTC party last night. Sorry we couldn't stay longer. I think we only met about 1/3 of the people there but they were a great group. Like I said, I was most impressed with the musicianship I heard on those tribute tunes. I listened to a good portion of that tape of Andy's studio rant this afternoon...wow! Has Andy ever done voice overs for cartoons or anything? Because he's definitely got a gift. Greg Kihn interviewed The Tubes' Fee Waybill on KFOX recently, and Fee was saying how he's now doing characters for an animated series or something (maybe it was books on tape). Anyway, he made the point that singers in general are good choices for voice-over because they are already masters of the instrument required. Now Fee Waybill is definitely someone who has command of his voice, but listening to that tape...wow...it's hard to imagine anyone having better command of his voice than Andy. Makes me wonder how Mel Blanc would have done as a rock n' roll singer. Anyway, thanks from both of us. r&a ------- <rcreation@earthlink.net> Russ Reynolds <rreynolds@ksjo.com> Anita Reynolds
------------------------------
From: lightbody@excite.com
Subject: Apple Venus 2 on T.V.
Message-Id: <917584784.17045.809@excite.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 20:39:44 PST
Hello wonderful people at Chalkhills!
The fever for the new album is now rising at an alarming
rate, n'est pas?I visit your incredible site DAILY, and also browse the 'net
for news.IMPORTANT PART:I read on Yahoo that the Bravo Cable Network is
planning to air an XTC special- specifically on Apple Venus 2.I have emailed
Bravo for more details....(just thought you'd like to know)
-Carl
p.s. The February issue of CMJ Monthly printed my letter demanding XTC
coverage- and also includes a brief article on XTC!
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19990128170651.006959c0@mail.halcyon.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 17:08:14 -0800 From: "Lynn S." <nemaliand@halcyon.com> Subject: AP's public Dave Comments Michael wrote: >I wish that Andy had kept his mouth shut about Dave in that >Raygun article. Even if they parted on not-so-great terms, Dave >gave nearly 20 years of his musical life, heart and soul, to XTC. >That deserves the utmost respect. I hope that Andy doesn't air >any more dirty laundry like that. I haven't read the Raygun piece, (I don't think) but I have read the Dave comments by AP in articles posted on the Chalkhills website and another. I agree with your statement, the Dave bashing is badly done. When I read that stuff, AP fell off the little pedestal I had him on. I haven't listened to XTC since, (though I know that's temporary). Sometimes one can learn too much about one's heros. I preferred the mystique, it allowed me ample projection. Lynn S.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <003a01be4b70$6b335860$2479a8c2@nhpdf> From: "Charles Eltham" <charles.eltham@virgin.net> Subject: Q magazine - Apple Venus Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 10:15:44 -0000 Well, I just have to write. Can't believe it, a new XTC track on the latest Q mag free sampler! But shame on Q, there's no Apple Venus review. Called Green Man - isn't the album by ex-Take That giant Mark Owen on which Dave Gregory played also called something similar? - the song sways oh so smoothly for more than 6 minutes. What a lovely lovely sound. It's odd really. Some of my favourite XTC songs, including Rook, Mermaid Smiled and The Man Who... are much shorter than Green Man but actually sound much longer than they are - probably a good sign of a great song. With the Easter Theatre track on the last MOJO sampler, Apple Venus could well be heading to the top of my favourite XTC albums. Having said that, I find it difficult to assemble a favourites list because each album plots a different course from the one before. I'm a little surprised about some of the comments here regarding Skylarking, O and L, and Nonsuch, partly because I regard them as some of the best albums in my CD collection, and because they are so complete. And that's to say nothing about the craftmanship and quality of the writing and playing. But this would be an extremely boring digest if we all agreed about everything. You should see some of the drivel bandied about on other bands' sites! I have just reread some recent digests. A group of us at a previous job used to picnic above The White Horse at Uffington. Go there, it's beautiful and you might also find that the atmosphere of the place is perfectly captured on ES. And re. the Dear God debate on Skylarking. Personally, I could not imagine the album without Mermaid Smile - it's a brilliant song and it contrasts perfectly with The Man Who.... This is my first posting here, although I've been a fan since Black Sea. Keep up the great work, I always look forward to seeing Chalkhills in my post. Roll on Feb 23!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36B19CA8.7A95CE09@SoftHome.net> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 22:34:00 +1100 From: MS <mseery@SoftHome.net> Subject: TB Australian Release Joseph Ierano wrote: >TB at a cost of $80 Australian is actually an excellent price. >If you compare the price in $US at amazon.com, it's around $45. >DO the exchange rate calculations, and it comes to about $AUS75. >Add another $10 air mail, and you have this "rip off" import store >making very little profit on it. My apologies, I have been a bit tough on this store. Now that I have found out that the going rate for the Australian release of TB is about $110.00 this is indeed excellent value. Although I did say that $80.00 was a reasonable price in my last posting. My rage towards this store is more to do with the pricing of their second hand items which I have found to be way above what I have paid ordering on-line (shipping included). Anyway, they are now out of stock but they should be getting more shortly. I should have bought it in the first place. Matthew
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <fbae25bf.36b19f67@aol.com> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 06:45:43 EST Subject: Ally McBeal(and a little XTC) >You must now hear my rant about....Ally McBeal. >What is the Deal with that show? It's so well written and acted but it is >sick making. I think that's what kills me the most. If he was into XTC or >something but Christ. When that girl sings those sappy 70's covers, I want >to run for the hills. But I can't. Because that show is like a car crash. >You just can't turn away. And you never know what the hell is going to >happen. Bruce Willis randomly appeared this week as a shrink. Zowie! >Suck on that dittoheads. I gotta go. I hear there's a KKK rally coming up. >Normally I wouldn't go but I hear that someone there might sing "Yacht >Dance". >All apologies, >KL "I'm married/Buried..." :-) You're dead on about Ally, Molly, I love the writing on the show, but hate the soundtrack, except for John Cage(wonder if that was intentional, naming him after the late great minimalist composer)lipsyncing to Barry White in the bathroom. An absolute scream, that one. I also loved Tracy Ullman's recurring role last year as Ally's shrink, who was clearly crazier than she was. Bring Tracy back! Watching Ally is like meeting the most amazing woman in the world, getting totally smitten with her before finding out her favorite band is Air Supply.(Wait a minute...that's who I married)Scene from Ally McBeal I'd like to see: She's walking on the beach at Wonderland(this is Boston, not L.A!)with her latest flame as XTC's "Seagulls Screaming(Kiss Her, Kiss Her)" plays in the background. Chris
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36B1A98E.2F9D5DEF@pobox.com> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 07:29:02 -0500 From: Jefferson Ogata <ogata@pobox.com> Subject: Re: What a lark! First of all, regarding David Oh, I just have to say that there exist (at least) two styles of this type of writing with valid motivations. The first is the highly abbreviated style that arose out of the BITNET relay -- and later, the IRC -- simply to say things in as little space as possible. The second is the 0bfuscat0ry styl3 th@t exists in the cracker society, which is designed to slip past network monitoring systems unnoticed, because it doesn't contain normal words that those systems are looking for; it helps hide messages with sensitive content in the overall noise of the Internet. So, I think David is entitled to write in his own funny way, as there is plenty of precedent. Besides, if there's one place where "quirky" styles would be accepted, it ought to be this list. On to the business of sampling. Basic theory: you *can* reconstruct the original signal *exactly* from a sampled signal, as long as: 1. The original signal did not contain any frequencies higher than one half the sampling rate (the Nyquist frequency). 2. The output of your D/A converter is filtered through a Nyquist filter -- a filter with a cutoff frequency of the Nyquist frequency and infinite Q, i.e. all frequencies below the Nyquist frequency pass without attenuation, and all frequencies above the Nyquist frequency are completely attenuated. The Nyquist filter in addition must introduce no phase distortion. Now given the extreme difficulty and exorbitant cost of making a filter that even vaguely approaches a Nyquist filter, CD player makers have instead resorted to more digital technology to get around it. Oversampling is the technique of resampling a digital signal to a higher sample rate so that your analog filter requirements are relaxed. With 8x oversampling, the 44KHz signal is resampled digitally at 352KHz and then sent through the D/A. The required filter now has a cutoff of 172KHz, and you don't need high Q any more because you have over three octaves to play with between the Nyquist frequency and the theoretical highest audible frequency of 20KHz. The new problem that is introduced is how to resample the signal. Recall requirement 1 above. Well, any signal with a step discontinuity (e.g. any digital signal that is not simply a flat line) contains an unbounded sequence of harmonics, so this requirement must first be met by digitally filtering the digital signal. The digital filter is a mathematical operation known as convolution, where a numerical function, known as the convolution kernel, is applied at every desired sample point on the original signal. The problem with convolution is that the theoretical ideal convolution kernel, the sinc function, requires you to consider every sample value in the entire original signal for each output sample. This is obviously unfeasible, since you'd first have to read the entire song off the disc before you could start playing it; also the sinc function is terribly slow to use. Instead, people use "windowed" kernels, which are designed to fall to 0 outside of a narrow range centered on the output sample point. The drawback then is that you aren't truly filtering out all the frequencies above the Nyquist frequency, and you then introduce a type of distortion peculiar to digital signals, which is known as "aliasing". It has that name because any frequencies above the Nyquist frequency reappear in your output signal as frequencies *below* the Nyquist frequency, thus they have a second "name", i.e. an alias. As for gold vs. aluminum, gold certainly has higher longevity, since aluminum corrodes quite rapidly. Does gold read better? I don't know, but don't rely on error correction for restoring the audio signal from a CD. The sectors used in CDDA tracks don't have error correction data in them. Only CD-ROM data type sectors have this stuff. The true sector size on a CD is 2352 bytes. There are 75 sectors per second coming off a CD at 1x, and 2352 is 44100/75*4 (4 for two tracks, 16 bits per track). There is also a small sector header with the P and Q channels. CD-ROM tracks have a sector size of 2048 bytes, which leaves 304 bytes per sector for EDC/ECC data. The algorithm used in CD audio to replace unreadable sectors is either to replay the last readable sector, or generate silence. So possibly gold is better in marginal cases where it makes the difference between a readable sector and an unreadable one, but if there's an audible difference in gold it's probably from *remastering*. Remember that professional digital audio is recorded at 48KHz, not at the consumer 44.1KHz sample rate. The process of mastering a CD from a digital master involves resampling the digital master at 44.1KHz, with all of the pitfalls of resampling I discussed in the previous paragraph. Hence, as resampling devices and algorithms improve, CDs sound better, even though they come from the same digital source tape. If the master is analog, then you have another factor in the quality of the A/D converters used for the sampling, and in the prefiltering that must occur to meet requirement 1 in the analog domain. Audio tape does record frequencies higher than 21.05KHz; you just can't hear them. If they're not filtered out before sampling, they will come back in the output as aliasing. I hope that's enough to start with. The above is all from memory, so if you notice any mistakes, feel free to correct them. XTC content: regarding the place of Dear God on Skylarking: I wanted to burn a copy of Skylarking with Mermaid Smiled in place of Dear God. The way things are laid out, however, I can't pull Dear God away from Dying because the final chord of Dear God is mixed into the beginning of Dying. So I stuck Mermaid Smiled in between The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul and Dear God, and for me, it works quite nicely to have them both on there. Try it! Also, thanks to Scott Anderson for the Music Boulevard tip. I've reserved my copy of AV1 and even paid a few bucks extra for Fedex overnight delivery. Maybe I'll get it on March 4. I hear there are some new anti-anxiety drvgs on the market. -- Jefferson Ogata. smtp: <ogata@pobox.com> http://www.pobox.com/~ogata/ finger: ogata@pobox.com ICQ: 19569681 whois: jo317@whois.internic.net
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