Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 81 Saturday, 6 February 1999 Today's Topics: AV1 preview Blur, TD, VH1 Andy to appear on "World Cafe"! Shaun Cassidy's Producer Covered Tin Soldier Those Pernice Bros Golden XTC slumbers Them Hillbillies Apple Venus Promo CDs! tower records... Re: The Spy Who Shagged Me/John Peel/AV title Please to pass by the Green Man... Baxter Basics Hey Everyone! I've Got TB! a serious question APPLE VENUS VOLUME ONE XTC on VH1 Boxed demos?? The World Is Full Of Reactionary Young Men Where To Start? RE: Countdown to XTC Re: Tin Soldier River of Orchids Re: Trousers I've only heard the demo, but... Administrivia: To UNSUBSCRIBE from the Chalkhills mailing list, send a message to <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> with the following command: unsubscribe For all other administrative issues, send a message to: <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> Please remember to send your Chalkhills postings to: <chalkhills@chalkhills.org> World Wide Web: <http://chalkhills.org/> or: <http://come.to/chalkhills/> The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. Chalkhills is compiled using Digest 3.6b (by John Relph <relph@sgi.com>). Say a sunflower I became.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <36B97488.1597@earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 10:20:56 +0000 From: Joseph Ongie <jongie@earthlink.net> Subject: AV1 preview I'm proud to say that I'm one of the proud owners of an advance copy of "Apple Venus volume 1" (A is for...). A pal who's a manger of a local record store came over a week ago and just handed the damn thing to me. I nearly fell over. He said he knew what a XTC fanatic I am and thought I'd enjoy it. Duh! Suffice to say I've been listening to it endlessly since then, and it grows in magnitude each day. At first I was disappointed with Colin's offerings, but they've grown on me and now I can't "Fruit Nut" out 'o me head (...tending my fruit, tending my fruit...). Andy's stuff runs the gamut from the unmistakably XTC-ish (although unlike any XTC we've heard before) "River of Orchids" to the sparce quietude of "Knights in Shining Karma" and the bittersweet "I Can't Own Her". Andy's wearing his heart on his sleave like never before. And the hooks are hear en masse - "Green Man", "I'd Like That" etc. The song they talk about the most in "Song Stories" is "Easter Theatre" and although I wasn't getting it on the first listen (scrunched as it is between two gems), I now see the errors of my ways, and luv it. I don't think there's anything on the record that reaches the heights that "Rook" is perched upon, but not many songs can. Finally(!), since they've left the "rockin'" stuff off for AV2 (I can't wait!!!!), this is probably the most "of a piece" record they've ever done. And don't worry, come late February, I'll be laying down my green for an official copy (or 2) of AV1. 'cause we've got to support our boys over seas.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <0325F31466C9D111A76D00A0C99DD2691BE7E3@MSXCHNY2> From: "Amari, Richard" <RAmari@penguinputnam.com> Subject: Blur, TD, VH1 Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 13:31:11 -0500 Oy! Some time ago, somebody here recommended Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish album. Well, thank you! My big brother got it for me for Christmas and it hasn't been out of my CD player for more than two days running. It reminds me of the 1970's Buzzcocks -especially the vocals. Are these guys from Manchester as well? Thanks for the recommendation, who ever you were! Any other albums you could suggest? Dominic Lawson said: I heard Testimonial Dinner for the first time recently (again, thanks Don!) and was pleasantly horrified by the whole thing I found it all rather gruesome. Sterile, bland and dazzlingly unoriginal interpretations of established classics, one and all. Well, thank you, Dom! This album was, if I remember correctly, really played up here at Chalkhills. It all sounded so good, that dispite my distaste to pay the $18.00 for the few songs on the disc, I bought it. Dom, I gotta agree with you. What a bore-fest. Did any of these bands actually rehearse any of these songs? Or did they just show up at the studio with borrowed guitars and say "How 'bout we do this one?" "Oh, OK. ...1-2-3 go" Sorry, Yazbek, but it IS something of a snooze. But. . . Being the big fan of XTC that I am, anyone could have told me it was the worst album to buy, and I'd still get it. You figure it out. Ok. Relax. I saw our lads on Where Are They Now? the other night. Nothing new here, but it was cool to see snippet's of their videos from the 80's as I've never seen any of them before. I have their videos up to and including E.S. Anybody know where I could get a hold of their stuff from Mummer to present??? BTW: Hey, Andy. What's with the bald man's skull cap on VH1? Show the skin, Boy! Be proud! S'long. Richard
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 13:34:58 -0600 From: LAG2471@ACS.TAMU.EDU Message-Id: <990204133458.204f5042@ACS.TAMU.EDU> Subject: Andy to appear on "World Cafe"! Well, my previous message is already obsolete. See below: ________________________________________________________ Although we do not yet have a specific date set, you'll be glad to know that we do have Andy Partridge tentatively scheduled to appear as a guest on the show sometime in the next few months. It probably won't be until sometime in March or April, but keep checking back with the schedule on our website (http://www.worldcafe.org) for the most up-to-date information. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for listening! -jeff, wc staff __________________________________________________________ I'll watch the schedule and then let you all know when he'll be airing on the PRI radio network. Whoopee! Lore
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199902042048.PAA36348@pimout3-int.prodigy.net> From: "Noble K. Thomas" <moonsilver@prodigy.net> Subject: Shaun Cassidy's Producer Covered Tin Soldier Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 14:45:53 -0600 >> it was asked, is DG the only artist to cover the SMALL FACES' Tin Soldier? furthermore, there was a reference to a rocking song by Shaun Cassidy << I suggest to you that the man who produced a rocking song by Shaun Cassidy also covered Tin Soldier...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <2D26BA632106D21192E100805FA7059B0116B135@xch-rtn-17.ca.boeing.com> From: "Rader, John M" <John.Rader@PSS.Boeing.com> Subject: Those Pernice Bros Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 13:47:50 -0800 Seb posts in #5-78: I received a CD from a Canadian site the other day which, had I heard it before I posted my 98 Top 10 late last year, would have gone right to the top of the small yet significant heap...Pernice Brothers disc Overcome by Happiness. This mellow, summer tinged piece of aching loss and deception has some of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard on it, and even the flirtation with slightly up-tempo country-style numbers (2 songs) work to my tastes (which tend not to respond well to twang with hats). Understated orchestrations, and an almost early Teenage Fanclub feel in its mid-tempo loll of guitar and strings make for a superlative 38 mins. For anyone who's interested, they used to be the Scud Mountain Boys, and put out I think 3 albums under that name. Slightly more folk/country infused than this new one. Smashing. Although I beat Seb to the punch by listing them in my list posted in #5-72, (Heavy gloating for first mention of this non-mainstream act) Seb does a great job of summarizing what makes the disc great. The sound quality and production are also first rate (It's the kind of disc to take along when stereo shopping). As opposed to the Scud Mountain Boys discs, the backing band on this disc is none other than the highly regarded (on the Hills) Lily's. I just saw the AV cover art at The Little Lighthouse. Thanks Mark. John
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36B8CE0E.AAD595FF@xpress.es> Date: Wed, 03 Feb 1999 23:30:39 +0100 From: Imanol Ugarte <ix8494@xpress.es> Subject: Golden XTC slumbers Hi Chalkers, Just want to share my XTC dreaming experience with you all. It had happened to me long time ago (1984) .By this time I was terribly obsessed -more than now, young days !- by records like "English Settlement" and Mummer", and I just felt myself like anxiously needing more XTC stuff. Then I used to dream about new album covers,which I could see perfectly through those dreams, but the incrediblest and wonderfulest thing was that I was really ABLE TO LISTEN to unknown XTC songs. That's true ! I could hear perfectly each and every part of these songs, Andy's and Colin's voices, splendid guitar riffs, 12-string rickenbaker arpegios, Terry drumming, etc, etc,..(I dreamt of XTC covers and songs three or four times) When I awakened, only a good taste remained, no tittles, no tunes,.. Having seen the new album cover at The Little Lighthouse website (Thanx, Mark ) I have to say that it is beautifully simple but as Mark Strijbos had described here, it _smartly_ suggests a female body part. I've got a vinyl copy of the album called "The Silent Corner and The Empty Stage"(1974) by Peter Hammill, if anyone of the suscribers of this list has the possibility to give a look at its inner cover,you will discover more details and links between these cover drawings. Just curious. Imanol.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BA1A24.2A317EFF@averstar.com> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 18:08:23 -0400 From: Harrison Sherwood <sherwood@averstar.com> Organization: Averstar, Inc. Subject: Them Hillbillies > From: Olof Hellman <hellman@ksan.ms.nwu.edu> > And, I've got to say that the bluegrass version of "Crocodile" from Modern > Time Neros is a gem (not to disparage the other Children...), ranking well > above most of Testimonial Dinner. kudos to Harrison Sherwood (it was > Harrison, right?) and his band. Well, thanks olofally, Olof, but I must frantically point out that calling The White Horse Hillbillies "Harrison and his band" is not entirely unlike calling XTC "Dave Cartner and...some other guys." Yeah, I put my name first in the j-card credits, but that's because, well, I _typed_ the damned j-card credits. I must give props to Todd Bernhardt, who first suggested that Crocodile would make a good bluegrass number, and in so doing read Andy Partridge's mind (according to certain reports we hear, anyway). Todd also played bass (not his natural instrument, folks, as he possesses only one hand--and that sticking out the middle of his forehead!) and arranged and sang the lion's share of the background vocals. And without a doubt the finest instrumental contribution came from our very own Johnny-boy "High, Wide and Lonesome" Relph, whose mandolin picking stands as an inspiration to us all. Imagine it, folks, he contributed that _killer_ mandie solo--*from the other side of the continent!* The technical impediments alone are staggering to contemplate! How did he *do* it, from 3000 miles away? Only he and Mrs. Relph know for sure, but we're betting that tessaracts and Bell's Theorem weren't far away! Harrison "The singer slaps upon his adipose flab/Accompanied by thimbles scratched on Richie's washboard abs" Sherwood
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BA2B2E.B1FEB04D@blueskystudios.com> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 18:20:14 -0500 From: David Mei <mei@blueskystudios.com> Organization: Bluesky Studios Subject: Apple Venus Promo CDs! I was searching on Ebay for XTC stuff and saw about a half dozen promo CDs of Apple Venus. If anyone's interested go to: http://pages.ebay.com/aw/search.html and do a search for XTC. D
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 15:23:42 -0800 (PST) From: "Halsted : \"the apple-polisher's friend\"" <halsted@lucasdigital.com> Message-Id: <199902042323.PAA27002@brak.lucasdigital.com> Subject: tower records... Tower records actually buys on a store by store basis from label representatives and only on special occasions do they do a bulk buy for the whole chain (when I worked there, they did a bulk buy of Guns & Roses "Use your Illusion" and from what I can remember, it did only OK). I think Tower and the other larger chains get basically the same price except for special "label month" deals when a label's product is on sale. They sometimes also get penalized for returns of bulk items and won't get the full value. Most smaller stores go through a one-stop and the prices get a bump from that. ======================== Michael J. Halsted : ILM halsted@lucasdigital.com ========================
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b03b2dff833c0ee@[192.168.0.72]> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 14:34:26 +1300 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re: The Spy Who Shagged Me/John Peel/AV title >We note with anticipatory pleasure that the Austin Powers sequel, due out >later this year, is to be named "The Spy Who Shagged Me." Could someone >please explain to me--what does that mean? Shag - vti. To engage in mutually enjoyable coital contact for the purposes of recreation or reproduction. To engage in the horizontal lambada. To bonk, get one's leg over, have it away (with), have a naughty (with) 'nuff said? --- >I may be a culturally inferior Kraut-eating twat for not knowing this, >but is it John Peel speaking on Opening Speech on TB or is it an >impersonation ? 'tis Andy inpersonating the redoubtable Mr Peel James PS - I've finally figured out why the second album is being referred to as "Apple Venus II" - they don't want to reveal any lyrics from Apple Venus I before its release - and where else would they get the REAL title for AV2? James Dignan___________________________________ You talk to me Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University As if from a distance ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street And I reply. . . . . . . . . . Dunedin, New Zealand with impressions chosen from another time steam megaphone (03) 455-7807 (Brian Eno - "By this River")
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990205020716.2090.rocketmail@web1.rocketmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 18:07:16 -0800 (PST) From: Cheryl <cxtc@rocketmail.com> Subject: Please to pass by the Green Man... Well hello again, Couldn't resist adding to this statement by Chris Clee; >got a few pubs 'round here named after the fabled >green man, cool or what Very cool, in my opinion. There was not a day that went by that the song would not ring in my head. As I would round the corner to the bus stop in Muswell Hill, there was the Green Man. As I crossed Marylebone going to Regent's Park...there it was. I miss this! I really liked having XTC running through my head everyday. I always told myself I would get up the nerve to go in for a pint but I never did. I guess I will have to do that when I return. Wouldn't it be interesting to do a pub crawl to all pubs with some sort of XTC connection. I can only think of two but perhaps there are more. Of course there is the Green Man but there is also Punch and Judy's. Any others out there? It's late for me and I'm just rambling. Excuse me for the rambling thoughts. Take care, Cheryl
------------------------------ From: "Michael Versaci" <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> Subject: Baxter Basics Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 21:07:16 -0500 Message-ID: <000401be50af$47112f40$04062499@laptop-mversaci.mtwconsulting.com> Folxtc, Harrison Sherwood told me ... >Mike V.: The mid-Seventies departure of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter from Steely >Dan to the Doobie Brothers, attended as it was with public contract >disputes, desolated fans, and "Will-he-turn-them-around?" editorials, >resembled nothing other than the trading of a star reliever for a >shortstop to be named later. It was a culmination of a long line of >events that convinced the fifteen-year-old whose zits I used to squeeze >that mainstream rock music was finally indistinguishable from >professional sports, and that it might be time to start casting about >for something new. That something came in the form of Patti Smith's >"Horses," and I for one have never regretted it. I thought that Michael McDonald was much better as a Steely Dan sideman (I loved his background vocals) than a Doobie Bros. Frontman. As far as the "Skunk" is concerned, he gave me a reason to like Donna Summers. It must have been around 1978. I'd be in a smoke filled bar in my faded Levi's and my Blue Oyster Cult T-shirt watching coked up guys pointing their fingers high in the air with moussed-up girls in Jordache designer jeans doing the "Bump" to the Eunuchs, (or was it The Bee Gees?) high pitched battle cry "Ahh ha ha ha Stayin alive!", wishing that Disco had never been invented and then the DJ would crank up Donna Summers' "Hot Stuff" and I would celebrate good times c'mon because "Skunk's" cross-over guitar solo screaming through the Cerwin Vegas would remind me that even the devil's music could have a silver lining. For me, it took XTC's Black Sea (specifically "Respectable Street" into "Generals and Majors" into "Living Through Another Cuba") to wake me up to the fact that yes, there was actually something else after "Aja"... Stormy "I saw XTC in a small club in NYC called 'Privates' in 1981 and they f-king kicked ass like no other band I'd ever seen live before or since and Terry Chambers ROCKED and Dave Gregory RIPPED and Colin Moulding AMAZED and Andy Partridge was the most DYNAMIC, MANIC, FRENETIC performer that ever played in a rock band who made David Byrne seem more like Perry Como" Monday PS. I have a feeling that our well kept secret is about to be unleashed upon the world. Just a hunch...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BA141A.2C75798F@erols.com> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 21:41:51 +0000 From: "Neal H. Buck" <nealhbuck@erols.com> Subject: Hey Everyone! I've Got TB! Chalks, Where else but on this list could I yell out that statement and people gather (electronically) to congratulate me? What a world! But yes, I do got TB! I know I paid too much for this muffler, but I bought the first copy I saw in person, at the new Bibelot bookstore in the American Can Bldg. in Baltimore (near Canton). They actually had about 5 copies! I'm glad I had the warnings of you folks (tho' some paid a terrible price) on the packaging - cool, but flimsy & "slippery." I had deja vu reading Kimberly's post, since I, too, have "Drums & Wireless" which I paid too much for (at the Virgin Superstore near the Marble Arch) when I was in London a few years back. I also wish the tracks were in chronological order, but that's what the "Program" function is for. I'm a happy guy. nross: Yes, it's all coming back to me now. Of course, Kate is now in Kalifornia and I'm sure we are all waiting with baited breath for when she starts posting again (now that she can "hear" us). De-Lurk, Oh prisoner of Satan! Indeed, it was Sean Cassidy I was talking about: For all you uninitiated folks out there, our favorite producer, Todd R. did one for Sean C. called "Wasp." It featured Utopia as the band, and had Mr. C crooning "Rebel, Rebel," "The Book I Read," "So Sad About Us" (and other cool covers), as well as several Rundgren originals, including the heavy-rockin' title track. It took a little time to get used to his theatrical singing style, but thanks to the excellent music, I was duly impressed. One time, I took the album to a party of Led Zep/Aerosmith fans (this WAS back in '79 after all) and played some tracks. They dug it, and boy were they surprised! Was I missing a joke, or is Jenna Elfman (Danny's cousin), just a little too easy to link w/TR? Of course, another indirect link would be that both Danny & Todd did television soundtracks ("Simpsons" & "Crime Story," a short-lived Michael Mann show starring Dennis Farina). I think the 90s sound for the "History" should be a "scratch." Gotta go, it's getting late, Neal
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.2.32.19990204215639.006b4a4c@mail.interlog.com> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 21:56:39 -0500 From: David Oh <davidoh@interlog.com> Subject: a serious question no, really, this is a serious enquiry. hopefully i'll get a proper response... tonight, not even 30 minutes ago, i was in a record shop & i saw a bootleg i had never seen before. i had it set aside for a few days, in the hopes that someone out there could tell me if it was worth buying. the title is: "making plans for andy" this store specializes in rare recordings & "live imports", which, here in toronto, is a euphemism for bootlegs. they have all of the volumes of the "hot wax" books, which are open for perusal to check on the quality of the boots sold at their store. i checked all six volumes, but didn't find this xtc bootleg listed in any of them. the back of the cd listed the tracks & sources (1-8 recorded in 1978 & 9-13(?) recorded in 1980(?)), but of course, it has no indication of the quality of the recording. based on the hot wax books, can anyone tell me what the recording quality is of the source tape of this boot? excellent stereo soundboard? very good stereo audience? poor mono audience? total crap, ain't worth the shink wrap, gas & effort? is the material similar to, the same as, or not even remotely close to the live stuff on "trans-blast"? please, please, please let me know! email me directly if you must! i need to know by no later than sunday evening, feb 7th 1999, or else it will go back in the bin. i don't want to risk missing this if it's a really good bootleg, but i also don't want to risk paying the (considerable) price if it "ain't worth a pinch of 'coon shit!". i promise i'll be good, i promise i'll be kind, i promise not to.... oh, nevermind... wrong forum... davidoh@interlog.com
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BA6668.204F3405@gate.net> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 22:32:56 -0500 From: "Mark D. Irvin" <mdirvin@gate.net> Subject: APPLE VENUS VOLUME ONE Jim wrote: >Oh, XTC content? I heard an Apple Venus 1 (man, what a terrible title - >no wonder everyone abbreviates it!) Well, Jimmy......I think that it is a wonderful title....they could call it Shit on a Brick for all i friggin care.........By your discussion about music stores and the business world and your statement about an album that you had nothing to do with it's creation, it sounds like you are a tad bitter.....tsk tsk......there are far better things in life to think about......I try my best to stay away from any confrontations in here....but oh well...since most of us Chalkhillians have waited soooo long for this album......yes, I think that APPLE VENUS ONE is a wonderful title.....my only regret is that I don't have a copy yet (other than the demos) XTC song of the day: Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen nonXTC song of the day: Signifying Monkey by Oscar Brown, Jr.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BAA634.DA0@schoollink.net> Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 00:05:08 -0800 From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> Organization: CIC Subject: XTC on VH1 Hey all, Saw XTC on VH1's "Where Are They Now?" the other night and was so good to see the lads on TV for a change. After all these years of just listening to them without any visuals, it was refreshing to see them both looking relaxed and happy...Andy as always came across as the "smarter" of the two (a bit annoying, IMHO, but there I go nit-picking again). Overall, good coverage!! :-) Bummed that there was no mention of AV1, though, but hey! You can't have everything, now can you? Won't be long now... Later -- -- /Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> "I would have made this instrumental, but the words got in the way." (Andy Partridge)
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BAA67C.3FE4@schoollink.net> Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 00:06:20 -0800 From: Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> Organization: CIC Subject: Boxed demos?? What is this about a boxed set of demos planning to be released? Guess my head was in the sand on that one! Hmmm... -- /Dan Phipps <phipps@schoollink.net>
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36BA53DA.9C9B05C8@texas.net> Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 02:13:46 +0000 From: d-erelict <magmound@texas.net> Organization: d-mentia!<http://magmound.home.texas.net> Subject: The World Is Full Of Reactionary Young Men Jim Slade bought himself a Liarbird, and all it could say was: >GIVE ME A BREAK! What about Tower's (or any chain's) ability to order in >bulk, at discounted rates? Of course they can, but I'm wondering just how much of a "discount" you think they get... Do you really believe that the Labels are just gonna give them away for the "chains" to make all the money? And again, what about ALL the people it takes to get CD's out (Artist, Producer, Studio Fees (in most cases... changing nowadays) which are outlandish, Manufacturing Plant, Execs (yes, it does take a few folks to organize these things), drugs, limos, catering)... As I stated in my previous post, the Big Stores are obviously going to want to make a good profit. Who doesn't? I suppose if YOU had a cushy Industry job you wouldn't DREAM of wanting a nice retirement-friendly income... Whatever. You don't like Tower or any other chain store? Don't shop there. I don't. > Also, it's not like the distributors buy the >CDs at cost - or $2 - and then mark them up to $12 for stores!!! Perhaps I wasn't clear, but anyway... I wasn't stating that Distributors are the "guilty" party... I was just making a point. Pacific Coast (whom we order through) probably only adds $1-2 a disk. Then we add $1-3 more (which I am against, btw, only because 1. We are called "Cheapo" and 2. because we make most of our money on used cds anyway. But I'm not the owner...). I was clearly (or, apparently, unclearly) rebutting the insinuation that CDs cost $.20, and the rest was clear-cut profit for Tower and the Labels. But again, whatever. > It seems to me like all those "lucky," low-overhead >independent stores are folding while the corporate giants spring up every >few blocks. God bless those chain stores! Lol. If you say so... d-erek (or Derek Gray, if that makes you nervous) } See the preview of the soon-to-be-completed XTC-English Settlement Desktop Theme for Win95: http://magmound.home.texas.net/previews.html }
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 04:19:37 -0500 From: Steve Pitts <Steve_Pitts@compuserve.com> Subject: Where To Start? Message-ID: <199902050420_MC2-6955-37FE@compuserve.com> Chalkfolks, In 5-79 Elizabeth wrote: > Which [Roy Harper] album and/or albums might one buy first? < This is a tough one to answer, just as it would be for XTC, but my personal recommendation would be 'Bullinamingvase' (my favourite) or 'HQ', if you prefer the rockier sounds, or 'Stormcock' if you are more interested in the (electric) folk aspect of Roy's stuff. Given that his live playing these days is all solo and mostly acoustic, the former two don't sound a great deal like he does on stage (they were recorded with backing bands), but are none the worse for that The alternative, given that you enjoyed his recent live performances, would be to buy the latest album - 'thedreamsociety' - which is one of his best in the eyes of a fair number of those posting to the Harper mailing list (although I wouldn't put it amongst my faves) and Lemoncurry asked: > but is it John Peel speaking on Opening Speech on TB or is it an impersonation ? < It _definitely_ isn't the man himself (although I wonder whether they might have persuaded him to do it - he generally seems happy to poke fun at himself) and the suggestion is that it is AP taking him off. Personally, I think that the voice is a very poor imitation, but the content is spot on Cheers, Steve
------------------------------ Message-ID: <B9B4268C8F87D11195DC0000F840FABE083874DB@DUB-MSG-02> From: Peter Fitzpatrick <peterfit@MICROSOFT.com> Subject: RE: Countdown to XTC Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 10:02:43 -0000 In the last digest Harrison of Sherwood spoke ! >>We note with anticipatory pleasure that the Austin Powers sequel, due out >>later this year, is to be named "The Spy Who Shagged Me." Could someone >>please explain to me--what does that mean? that's hysterical ! to shag = to ride = to bonk = to roger = to have-it-off = to get yer leg over = to play mr.wobbly hides his helmet = to have sexual intercourse There. That should start a good thread.....
------------------------------ From: "STEVE PERLEY" <steveandlauren@grolen.com> Subject: Re: Tin Soldier Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:20:09 -0500 Message-ID: <01be5101$df328600$85cbf7cd@steveandlauren.grolen.com> Delurking after a very long silence to put in my $.02: > ITS CALLED TIN SOLDIER AND I DONT KNOW WHO WROTE IT BUT ITS A COVER. AND > ITS ON REMOULDS. SORRY I HAVENT POSTED IN A WHILE BUT IVE BEEN OUT > SPREADING THE WORD OF INFINITY. >It's by the late, greats Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, ex Small >Faces and very much missed. And for an even closer connection, it was covered by Andy's arch-nemesis, the Lex Luthor to Andy's Superman, the evil Anti-Andy (just kidding; I'm a fan of his), TODD RUNDGREN! If I remember correctly it was the first cut on The Ever-Popular Tortured Artist Effect. Hey, Dave's a TR fan too, isn't he? By the way, is there any way for a "civilian" to get his hands on a copy of that Dave G disk? Amanda? And another thing...while everyone loves to spout off about tolerance, multiculturalism, and the like, it seems that it's perfectly OK here to stereotype and attack anyone who's ever voted for a Republican with as much venom as one can muster. We're NOT all racist, homophobic, nasty bastards who kick old ladies out of their homes and into the street for recreation. Pinning all of that shit on us and making us your bogeymen (and women) for all of society's ills is bigotry, pure and simple - no different than blindly attacking individuals belonging to any ethnic, racial, or other group. Flame away - apparently that's the way we do things here now. Shameless Plug time: If there are any punks left around here who live in the Portsmouth, NH area, My band, Rat Fink will be opening for Sloppy Seconds and The Tunnel Rats at the Elvis Room on Feb. 16. Come on by and buy me a beer. ;-) Cheers! Steve
------------------------------ From: "Simon Coward" <simon@invisible-technology.freeserve.co.uk> Subject: River of Orchids Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 13:02:20 -0000 Message-ID: <000001be5107$c3af0240$7049883e@invisible01> Apologies if I've missed this info being posted already, but the March 1999 issue of "Uncut" - a UK music and film magazine - comes with a cover CD which includes, as the first of sixteen tracks XTC's "River of Orchids". Awesome. Also included in the mag is a feature, "Consuming Passions", with Andy plus a review of "Apple Venus" - it's given Album of the Month status too! Simon.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000801be5110$b884f380$f06dcec0@t24806009694.DOA.STATE.LA.US> From: "John Voorhees" <griffon@earthling.net> Subject: Re: Trousers Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 08:06:25 -0600 John Irvine put forth: >And someone mentioned Trouser Press. At a point in my life when I was >Mr. New Wave Record Collector, that book was the shit (if memory serves, >ES was a wedding cake that would topple but for the bands brilliance, or >some such). It wasn't until I spent a ton of money on the Desperate >Bicycles LP that I realized that book's fallability. Oh, the Trouser Press was an excellent reference for me in the 80's, a young college DJ from Louisiana just feeling his way around all the weird-ass stuff provided by record companies. It does borderline on the encyclopedic in listing all those bands, all those albums... But actually reading the reviews? That's another ball of wax. True, there were a few critics who could tell a decent band if it bit them on their turntable, but the majority of the reviews I cared about we're penned by Ira "tone-deaf asshole" Robbins. For me, a blistering pan from Ira was evidence of musical genius. He felt it neccesary to dis SO many of my favorite musicians... But he did have a soft spot for XTC, despite backhanding them mercilessly at every opportunity. As for the Austin Powers movie, the title is a joke on the Bond classic "The Spy Who Loved Me", and yes, S-H-A-G is how they spell friend in their dictionary. Got it? Good.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <001c01be511d$7f390fa0$ca08b3d1@oemcomputer> From: "Aaron Pastula" <apastula@earthlink.net> Subject: I've only heard the demo, but... Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:37:52 -0800 ...I'm convinced that River of Orchids is the greatest thing AP has ever written. Aaron.
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