Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 91
Date: Tuesday, 16 February 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 91
Tuesday, 16 February 1999
Today's Topics:
yeah, what Dane said...
ramblings from a new chalkhiller
fs: AVI
Them Anti-XTC Folk
My Apple Venus Ordering Tale
Ha ha
XTC at Borders in Chicago
No Andy...Please.....
Precociousness Alert!!!
Re: Jimmy Swaggart's Tommy Gun
XTC on Space Ghost
Orange & Lemons forever!
my radio station's okay!
TVT site - Promo Tour info
Possibilty of XTC on UK digital TV
XTC Appearances Schedule
Greenman
Road Trip!?!?!
Andy Partridge in Chicago
Greenman/ Making The Cut
XTC videos
Schedule of Apperances
Why Not Vol II First?
Another Apple Venus review
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 20:03:57 -0600 (CST) From: Andrea Lynn Rossillon <rossillo@students.uiuc.edu> Subject: yeah, what Dane said... Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.96.990214195808.27862A-100000@ux10.cso.uiuc.edu> Dane Pereslete said that he was afraid of his growing obssessive fan tendencies; Dane, I say unto you, Be Not Afraid! Your evaluation of the situation is correct; it's just the anticipation of the new album after so long, and now it's only 9 days away!! I experience something similar whenever I have a job that's ending or the school year approaches its close: During the whole time, whether its six weeks or a year, I'm in the groove and working and enjoying it (even if it's waiting tables), but as soon as it's within two weeks of the end, suddenly anticipation of being free and the "I don't want to be here" mentality takes over. Indeed, the last few weeks of a wait period are longer than the entire seven years previous. Hooray hooray nine more days, then it's bliss Hey, _would_ someone film the Chicago appearance? That would be pretty cool. Then I could officially become a fanatic, since I would have a non-corporate-produced product. Woohoo! -Andrea
------------------------------ From: AThorstein@aol.com Message-ID: <51a0b194.36c7baf3@aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 01:13:07 EST Subject: ramblings from a new chalkhiller Hello chalkhillers, I was actually afraid to post a message to this list because of all the rules and regulations, but here I am. First of all, I'm very new to the list, so be kind... I'm a 27 year old who recently became a very huge fan of XTC, even though I've been familiar with their music ever since I saw the video for All You Pretty Girls on MuchMusic back in the mid 80's. Speaking of MuchMusic, any of you Canadian XTC fans remember seeing a Spotlight on them back in the early 90's? I should've taped it. Anyway, my first XTC album was Fossil Fuel (I know, shame on me!) but I'm pleased to announce that I now have 7 of their albums - I know this is nothing compared to most of you who has everything and anything put out by XTC. Would you believe I found Go2 at a used CD/Tapes store for $9.99? I can't stop listening to Battery Brides - brilliant song and definitely one of my faves. By the way, why can't I find White Music, Drums And Wires (I really want this one), Mummer, and Big Express at any of the major music stores here in Canada?? I couldn't even find Transistor Blast here (and I live in a big city) when it was released last year, so I ended up buying it in the US. I guess I could find the other albums I don't have in the US as well. Can't wait for AV1, I've pre-ordered it through CDUniverse since I can hardly find anything on XTC here! To continue on with this post, I'd like to mention that I went to England last October and I stopped in Swindon thinking I'd bump into Andy or Colin, but noooooooo. Do they even live there now? Yes, I've become such an obsessed fan that I want to start stalking them... Kidding, of course. Oh yeah, I found a very cool black and white XTC/Black Sea badge in London - now that was a good purchase. Why isn't XTC doing an in-store appearance in Canada???? I have a friend who lives in San Francisco so I guess she can get an autograph for me or somthing when they go there... Does anyone know when and if they're going to be in San Fran? Oh, to all those young (teens) XTC fans... Bravo! Thanks for reading, (another one named) Andrea AThorstein@aol.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <l03110701b2eba0d7fb07@[206.173.239.117]> Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 22:45:55 -0800 From: Eb <gondola@deltanet.com> Subject: fs: AVI I have an Apple Venus advance CD which I'm willing to part with...offers? (It's a very good album, but now that I've heard it a few times, I can do without it for a couple of weeks until I get the real deal.) Email me offlist, Eb
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36C7C30D.364B@popd.ix.netcom.com> Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 22:47:41 -0800 From: Rich Bunnell <cbunnell@ix4.ix.netcom.com> Subject: Them Anti-XTC Folk Well, I finally get a reader comment submission to the XTC review page I set up, but, as fate has apparently made it--it's from some anti-XTC guy! I won't put down the E-Mail address of the guy who posted it so he won't receive any corrective E-Mails besides the one I sent him (and therefore won't get ticked off at me), but here's his disturbing comment below: "Like a lot of mediocre bands, XTC were virtually unheard until a single golden moment swept them up and sold 1,000,000 copies of an 'incidentally wonderful' recording. 'Dear God' was an exceptionally well-timed single by a band that was otherwise incapable of producing consistently coherent material. If this seems somewhat shallow, I revert to the more obvious argument against Andy Partridge and his evil brethren: during XTC's popularity peak the band felt it absolutely necessary to release 3 greatest hits compilations in a window of three years. Unacceptable!" Unless the guy was talking about some obscure hits collections, he is very, very wrong, as not only have XTC never released 3 hits collections in the scope of 3 years, they didn't release ANY such collections in 1986 (the peak of their popularity) as this fellow inaccurately pointed out. As for the rest of the review, opinions are opinions, but it really disturbs me that I finally get a reader comment on my review page (http://www.users.interport.net/~aske/xtc.htm -- sorry 'bout the plug) and it's such a disparaging, anti-XTC comment that goes so far as to call Andy & the boys "evil!" By the way, WAS there ever a time when the band released 3 hits compilations within 3 years? Even Upsy Daisy and Fossil Fuel can't really be counted as separate, considering that each one was released for a specific side of the Atlantic. I guess that it all comes down to the fact that some people simply can't get past Andy's vocals and the more "experimental" side of the band's approach. Rant over. Opinions? *-------------------------------- Rich Bunnell http://members.xoom.com/taoster/ *--------------------------------
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36C7D77B.8BA8C122@geocities.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:14:51 +0100 From: dieling <lemoncurry@geocities.com> Subject: My Apple Venus Ordering Tale Once Upon A Time..., I went into my own trustworthy record dealer on Friday thinking: "just go and ask for AV". So, I went up to him saying: "can I order a record that is due to come out in about 11 days ?" and he went "which record" and I said "THE NEW XTC ALBUM CALLED APPLE VENUS IT'S ON COOKING VINYL AND THEY EMAILED ME SAYING YES YOU CAN ORDER IT PROPERLY IN GERMANY EVEN ON VINYL" and he just goes "Ah yes, that's a big thing anyway, we ordered quite a lot of it". Heard that ? "A BIG THING " ? I said like "What ?" He: "Yeah, quite a few people are eagerly awaiting that album" which made me saying, "yeah well, it's been seven years" and wanting to tell him all the strike stuff and all I know about XTC before deciding not to. Then I said:"Ah, but I want it on Vinyl !" (nearly forgot that in my euphoria) and he just went to his computer and went: "Okay.", which left me leaving the shop grinning stupidly thinking: "SEVEN YEARS OF CRAVING all disappearing in a single, simple "OKAY". Wow !" I thought of laughing and decided I should. So I expressed some giggles walking home, grinning, singing "Great Fire", when suddenly I felt I couldn't wait and had to buy music to get me going until I get it, so I went back there and purchased the new Ken Ishii "Game Over"(12") and the 2 Lone Swordsmen's"A Bag Of Blue Sparks" (2x12" and 7") now having Radical Rhythms to get me going until Apple Venus provides me with Divine Melodies. What a day that was. I reached an oasis in the desert. (That Was The Day The Day Crime Paid! - any Cud fans out there ?) -- Lemoncurry residing in The Lemon Lounge at www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/9259 lemoncurry@geocities.com XTC Song of the Millenium: The Day They Pulled The North Pole Down
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36C80AAE.3C14E2C4@erols.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 06:53:18 -0500 From: Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt <toddjenn@erols.com> Subject: Ha ha Oh! Nicole... "I'd be your Clinton if you'd be my Monica Ha ha, We'd laugh Because each smoke would make me grow up really high Really high, like a really high thing 'Til Starr caught us Impeachment..." Back to our regularly scheduled programming: Ask not what XTC can do for you, ask how many extra copies of AV1 _you_ can afford to buy for friends and family... --Todd
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199902150918.JAA035.26@GATEWAY.TIRERACK.COM> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:19:29 -0600 Subject: XTC at Borders in Chicago From: "William Loring" <bloring@tirerack.com> I'll also be attending the XTC signing at Borders in Chicago. www.borders.com listed the time as 7:00pm, which would be great for me, as I could still put in most of a full day at work in South Bend, IN, before heading up to Chicago. If anyone hears of a different time, please post it to the list ASAP. Thanks to those who brought our attention to this! It might be the only chance I'll ever get to see Andy and Colin in person! Regards, William Loring bloring@tirerack.com The Tire Rack http://www.tirerack.com
------------------------------ Message-ID: <8237F918C884D211B3AD0008C7F41FF50384D0@chowan.ncxix.hcg.eds.com> From: "Martin, Alan" <Alan.Martin@ncxix.hcg.eds.com> Subject: No Andy...Please..... Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 09:35:33 -0500 In Chalkhills # 5-88 Mitch Friedman wrote: "About the possible songs for AV2 . . . at the present time, "The Shipped Trapped In the Ice" and "I Don't Want to Be Here" will not be on the album. "Ship" certainly won't ever be recorded because it's a song about the band not being able to get out of their record contract with Virgin. I have personally urged and pleaded with Andy that "I Don't Want To Be Here" should most definitely be on the album but at the moment he's not convinced...." NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mitch, you must be persistant with Andy about getting these songs on the next album. These are the two most brilliant tracks from the remaining demos and it would be a true shame if they did not see a proper XTC album. Why exactly is "Ship" not to be recorded due to lyrical content? I interpreted the lyrics to be about a stagnated relationship... And if "Ship" must be sacrificed, then "I Don't Want To Be Here" must be recorded. It is absolutely the best peice of musical/lyrical work I have heard in the last seven years... period. I will be personally crushed if it goes by the wayside of an XTC album... for those of you who have heard these demos, it's obvious what i'm talking about... and for those of you who havn't, we are talking about the loss of two extremely brilliant peices of music from AP... PLEASE ANDY... DON"T LET THESE GO!!! I know AP doesn't like that fact that so many people have these demos... but, then we may never have had the chance to hear these songs and that would be a terrible thing... they may be our only saving grace if the songs are a NoGo on the next album.... Alan J. Martin Electronic Commerce Services EDS (919) 851-8888 x3076 Alan.Martin@ncxix.hcg.eds.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s6c841ee.094@parliament.uk> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:47:56 +0000 From: Dominic Lawson <LAWSOND@parliament.uk> Subject: Precociousness Alert!!! >>>By the way, how did someone as young as you develop such good taste? >>There're always the rebels. People at my school listen to some of the most annoying, under-developed stuff I've ever heard (although considering my out-of-place Duran Duran fixation, I shouldn't be talking) and I'm always the one that annoys them by insulting it. An excellent idea, inserting that Duran Duran get-out clause. Covered yourself nicely there... But what is this "annoying, under-developed stuff"? Sounds great to me. In fact, it sounds like the first Napalm Death album....And if it annoys the hell out of you, my little upstart, then maybe there's more going for it than you realize. Far be it from me to stop anyone from "insulting" other people's musical taste, but don't fall into the trap of considering yourself in any way more radical or free-thinking than your classmates, just because you've got a few XTC CDs. The chances are that many of your contemporaries haven't been fortunate enough to discover XTC or They Might Be Good, and, although I'm only guessing here, they probably won't have had any better resource than MTV to inspire their musical preferences. The vast majority of people never progress beyond what's in the charts or on the TV, and frankly they don't care. Apart from anything else, for all their glorious qualities, XTC are hardly a million musical miles away from the commercial mainstream (although "River Of Orchids" seems to suggest an alternative future...) and the fact that their following is a "cult" one just makes it easier to wear your appreciation for the band as a badge of pride and an indication of your "developed" taste. Just wait till the new album goes ballistic (touch wood), and then we'll all be bemoaning the fact that all these new XTC fans are just jumping on the bandwagon, and that they don't understand the boys like we do, and blah blah etc In truth, I bet some of your classmates are metal fans, and therefore beneath your contempt anyway. Oh yes, I've read your homepage and I have witnessed your spurious doctrine! Frankly, I dare you to repeat your appraisal of Metal in the digest. I bloomin' dare you!!!! ************************************************ Anyhoo, that's enough needless abuse of a minor for now. My apologies - it's been a long day. For anyone who was at all intrigued by the idea of CARDIACS, may I point you towards my review of their most recent album, "Sing To God (Parts One & Two)", available on the world wide whatsit at... http://members.tripod.com/~Lampard/fucknut.html .....that should convince you once and for all. Oh, and could someone explain what's so damn exciting about that Barenaked Ladies song? I gather that we're supposed to be impressed by the singer's verbal dexterity, but since you could pick ANY decent Hip Hop album from the last six years and find numerous examples of vastly superior vocal technique, with (it has to be said) immensely superior (and far more extensive, therefore harder to memorize) lyrics, I was wondering whether I'd missed some essential ingredient in the BNL listening experience. Any thoughts? Moan, moan and thrice moan. Dom.
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <a70f25f5.36c8026c@aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 06:18:04 EST Subject: Re: Jimmy Swaggart's Tommy Gun >Jerry Falwell, head of Praise the Lord ministries and the founder of the >Moral Majority, today released a statement saying that the teletubby >Tinky-Wink is a homosexual, because he is (ostensibly) male, purple (gay >pride!), has an upside down triangle on his head (gay unity!), and carries >a purse. > >Sorry for the long post. > >-Andrea Guess he's never seen Barney the PURPLE dinosaur. And ever wonder about Ernie and Bert? HEHEHEHEHE! Chris
------------------------------ From: "Damian Foulger" <damian@imclaser.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 08:39:54 -0600 Subject: XTC on Space Ghost Message-Id: <19990215082851.80026774.in@ceo.ceolasers.com> I kind of missed the gist. Can someone definitively email me the time and date and channel of XTC's appearance on Space Ghost. Email me DIRECTLY and I will post to the list. (if there is time) Thanks, Dames tWd "We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we merely borrow it from our children." -- Native American Saying
------------------------------ From: "Rafael" <elrafa@cvtci.com.ar> Subject: Orange & Lemons forever! Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:09:26 -0300 Message-ID: <030660109180f29MAIL2@cvtci.com.ar> Hi People! Just let you know that XTC has crossed the frontier long time ago, and its members have made contact with us, people of the Thirld World since 1990, when me and my friends were hypnotized by the Magic of "Orange and Lemons". I don't remember how we got to listen to this album but, who cares now! Since that moment, I became an slave of their music and I had the need to buy all of what I could of them. Of course, it was a hard task for me, 'cause it was extremely difficult to find out a place that sells records of a band like XTC, a band that hate to be in concert, a band that hate to make videos, and for these reasons, almost unknown for the big crowd. However, I found a place and I bought Skylarking. And later, Nonsuch. I can't find the words to describe my sensations when I was listening to those albums, but I'm sure all of you know it well, don't you? Two years ago the Internet landed on my office and since then, I found a lot of incredible sites to sail on. I found places where I could buy XTC albums, and so I did! Now I have almost everything they released and I feel really proud of that. And you can surely guess, I can't wait to have the new production in my hands. Now I found Chalkhills, I can see the hell of people that love XTC all over the "English-language Area": UK, USA, Canada, Australia. Maybe there is someone like me reading this and thinking "I'm not alone!". Because I don't speak English in my country, even we must learn it if we want to survive in this world. I don't complain for this because I love the language, and I try to do my best when I write, speak or listen to your language. Since 1990, I'm an XTC Fan. Since 1990, I try to understand some of its lyrics! Sometimes I can, sometimes not. But Music has no frontier, hasn't it? And you don't have to be "different" for feeling its music. I do feel it, and I taste it, song by song, chord by chord, word by word. I love this incredible band and I thank God for blessing us with its music. Sorry if I'm boring you with this, but I want to share my feelings with you. Kisses and Hugs! RAFAEL DIAZ MALLEA (32) Buenos Aires Argentina
------------------------------ Message-ID: <900822C71730D2118D8C00805F65765C402F67@EINSTEIN> From: Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com> Subject: my radio station's okay! Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 12:25:32 -0600 Hey Y'all, I called my local radio station, KGSR in Austin, TX, for their "What do you want for lunch?" noontime special and requested that the DJ play "Greenman" for me. The regular DJ was out for the day and the guy substituting for her kindly obliged me. He sandwiched my favorite AV1 tune between Van Morrison and Smashmouth (pardon the pun/s). There has been some discussion on Chalkhills regarding "Greenman" being too long for radio singledom. I'm hoping this was a sign that maybe it's not. It sounded rich and lush coming out of my pitiful jambox speakers. A real treat! QUESTION: Does anyone know if all the US tour dates for Andy are going to be at Borders, or will he visit some other music stores as well? Jill Oleson
------------------------------ Message-ID: <2043F72A2C73D2119D5B0008C74CA17B1DFA5C@azmail.rjconsult.com> From: "Miller, Ed" <emiller@rjconsult.com> Subject: TVT site - Promo Tour info Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 11:55:36 -0600 Hi, everyone.... In an effort to find out if Andy will be visiting Denver, I found the following web page at TVT's site that provides all the lovely details. http://www.tvtrecords.com/xtc/xtcactivities.html Congrats to Mitch and Richard for their acknowledgment on AV vol.1 Counting down, Ed "Hoping to meet Andy in Denver and have him sign my Stratocaster" Miller
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000c01be5919$c01f8c20$bb5595c1@default> From: "Puller Road" <almarsu@email.msn.com> Subject: Possibilty of XTC on UK digital TV Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 19:29:30 -0000 Chalkmeisters, I sent a brief email to Kevin Greening who is currently the lunchtime DJ on Radio 1 asking if he would be playing any of the tracks that appear on AV1 on his show. This was his reply :- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I heard the album last night and, while there are flashes of the brilliance that has made me a huge fan of the band, there's nothing on it really suited to daytime Radio 1. I am however trying to persuade Andy Partridge to appear on my BBC Choice TV show. KG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> For your information, BBC Choice TV is a free-to-air entertainments channel for people in the UK that have a digital box for their television. Kevin has always listed XTC as a favourite of his and I have heard him praising the talents of Andy Partridge to the deaf ears of the Radio 1 listeners. Maybe I should now try Mark Radcliffe. Regards, Ian Sutton
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990215195209.21317.rocketmail@send106.yahoomail.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 11:52:09 -0800 (PST) From: Andisheh Nouraee <andisheh@yahoo.com> Subject: XTC Appearances Schedule It will be announced here many times, but a little repetition never hurt: TVT Records has posted a schedule of XTC appearances for North America. It can be found at http://www.tvtrecords.com So there. == ************************************************ ALWAYS!!!!!! REPLY TO: mabrey@mindspring.com ************************************************
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199902151957.UAA17308@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:08:05 +0000
Subject: Greenman
Dear Chalkers,
> First off, I believe Greenman is over six minutes.
yes, 6 minutes and 17 seconds precisely, according to my cdrom-player
(track timing can vary with different cd players)
ta,
yours in xtc,
Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36C883C1.D660332F@pop.uky.edu> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:29:53 -0500 From: james isaacs <jmisaa00@pop.uky.edu> Subject: Road Trip!?!?! Hello, unlurking for abrief moment. Someday soon, I shall delurk and write a five page e-mail. However, now I have a five page paper on the rise of Nazism in the German town of Northeim that is more pressing. Anyway, I am planning on making the 300+ mile trek from Lexington, Ky to Chicago on the 25th. I assume I am not the only one, and I was wondering if there is some subtle way we can communicate with each other before then so we can introduce each other there, as a sort of a Midwest XTC convention with Andy attending...I figure we can all take him out and get him roaring drunk afterwards at Gino's or something. The best way to recognize me is to look at my website, conveniently located on the links page found on the Chalkhills site (Thank you John, good idea). Ok, so now back to the shrubberies. James
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s6c844d3.004@gwia.nwf.org> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:24:42 -0500 From: "TOM GRIFFIN" <GRIFFIN@nwf.org> Subject: Andy Partridge in Chicago Is anyone from the Detroit/Ann Arbor area going to see Andy at Borders in Chicago? The date is the 25th of February. If so, I would like to carpool. As of now I am planning to rent a car or take the train, but the trip would be more fun (and much less expensive) with another XTC fan. Please let me know at "griffin@nwf.org". I am more than happy to pay for gas, etc. -Tom
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990215205943.8425.rocketmail@send304.yahoomail.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 12:59:43 -0800 (PST) From: Iain Murray <twentiethcenturyfrog@yahoo.com.au> Subject: Greenman/ Making The Cut After being told by several people that Triple J Radio are indeed oushing the new XTC material, I finally heard "Greenman" for myself yesterday... WOW! Now I'm *really* getting impatient!! Hearing it in demo form is one thing, but hearing new XTC on the radio gives you a feeling that I'd completely forgotten. After only one hearing, I thought that it might not be out of place on "Skylarking", but having thought a bit more about it, I'm not sure that it's really like *anything* they've done before (maybe it could have been wedged between "Bungalow" and "Books Are Burning" at the end of *Nonsuch* without upsetting the flow, but that's about it). Any comments? As far as what has (or hasn't) made the cut is concerned : when I first heard the demo tapes, the two songs that immediately stood out were "You & The Clouds..." and "I Don't Wanna Be Here". How could these *not* be in the running for a spot on AV2? Andy, please reconsider!! (or at least pencil them in for AV3...) :) == Iain ============================================================ "Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, wisdom is not truth, truth is not beauty, beauty is not love, love is not music. Music is the best." - Frank Zappa
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v04003a00b2ee37fe2208@earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 13:10:47 -0800 From: David Schneider <dnschneider@earthlink.net> Subject: XTC videos >About XTC making plans for videos . . . the reasons why they are not going >to make one are 1) they don't like making videos and 2) a video costs >about $75,000 to do. Wouldn't you rather the band spend the money on the >next album? I kinda wished they had made a video because I'm an AVID >editor (nonlinear video and audio editing system) for my profession and >Andy said that I could edit the next one they did (record company >willing). I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer or a lot longer. Oh well, my hopes have been dashed. I began directing music videos last year (If you live in Germany or surrounding countries, you've probably some of the videos I've done, but not ouside of there -- they've all been for German bands). I live in Los Angeles (yes, the bands come here to make their videos), and was planning on giving my demo reel to the guys when they made their promotional appearance here. Figured it was a long shot, but the chance to work with my musical heroes... Now I guess it's a really, REALLY long shot, huh? Selfishness aside, I do think they should reconsider making a video (even if, alas, they make the likely decision of going with someone besides myself to direct it!). A good video is a great promotional tool, and that's one thing XTC definitely needs at this point. They've got the great material, now they just need to get everyone to hear it. Yes, it's a lot of money (generally split between the label and the band, however), but it could be money very well spent. True, they haven't had success with videos in the past, but the market has changed since '92. Here in the states, VH-1 (the most likely place they'd be played here) has become much, much more watched, with a hipper, more desirable audience than it was back then. David
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 16:52:41 -0500 (EST) From: Tom Getter Slack <tgs@telerama.com> Subject: Schedule of Apperances Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.4.02.9902151646030.9731-100000@frogger.telerama.com> re: >...asking for TVT/Cooking Vinyl/Idea/whoever to please give us a >schedule of XTC personal appearances! What, are they afraid too >many people will show up if you let us know beforehand? and: >Does anyone know when Andy will be comin' 'round to the LA area on >his little promo tour? I guess a general schedule could do us all >some good! Check out http://www.tvtrecords.com/xtc/xtcactivities.html It appears those in NY and LA are lucky enough to have both Andy and Colin to chat with. Me, I'm trying to figure out how to get to the closest "major" city on time (obviously Pittsburgh doesn't rank). TGS
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199902152230.WAA03818@boober.lineone.net> From: "David S White" <david.s.white@lineone.net> Subject: Why Not Vol II First? Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 04:48:39 -0000 Hello Chalkists, This might seem an odd question, but it occurred to me on listening to the lush, delicate glory that is Greenman (on Q Magazine CD, folks!) that surely it would have been so much quicker and cheaper to emerge from seven impecunious years in the wilderness by recording a guitar-driven garage-y thing (which no doubt would be glorious) and then using the profits from that CD to sponsor your multi-layered palatial meisterwork. In other words, why The Taj Mahal first, and the garden shed later? It would seem to make economic sense to have them the other way about, no? David
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36C8A395.2325@heraldonline.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 17:45:42 -0500 From: BPeschel@heraldonline.com (Bill Peschel) Organization: The Herald Subject: Another Apple Venus review Dear Chalkers; Thought you might like a bit from the Toledo Blade (that's in Ohio, by the way) newspaper on Apple Venus. Some scattered sentences: * On 1980s albums like "Skylarking" and "Oranges and Lemons," XTC made sugary pop confections that sounded classic without being stereotypically New Wave. (Huumph: "President Kill" sugary? Maybe "Mayor of Simpleton" but "Skeleton Steps Out?" Andy as Hanson?) * (Dave Gregory) isn't missed much here, because his best contributions were always electric, and "Volume 1" is almost entirely acoustic and orchestral. "Volume 2," scheduled for a fall release, is more standard electric XTC, and Gregory's absence might be more obvious there. * .... Partridge is really a Baroque songwriter who created detailed, intricate tunes as a craftsman might build a dollhouse . . . when he gets the chance to work with new materials, like a large string section, he responds with an almost giddily perfect album. * The band has rarely been more biting than it is in 'Your Dictionary,' Partridge's angry diatribe about his divorce . . . and for those fans seeking a Beatles fix, Moulding provides it with his two tracks, "Fruit Nut" and "Frivolous Tonight" (which would have fit on side one of "Sgt. Pepper's"). * XTC always made timeless pop songs that would work in any decade, and they've done it again. Gee kids, do you think XTC made an album even ravenous fans might like? Cheers, -- Bill Peschel Book page editor, Rock Hill (S.C.) Herald
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-91 ******************************
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