Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 105
Date: Tuesday, 9 May 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 105
Tuesday, 9 May 2000
Topics:
hmm
A Page of the Kinks
Re: Universial Honey
Metal, Metal, bo Betal...
ENTIRE Albums! Not just itty-bitty pieces.......
Xtc & Fingerprintz
XTC interview on L.A. radio Wednesday
Hats Off
Men w/out Fingerprintz
RE:From beginning to end
Metals And Compounds Which Cause Disease & Deformity In Young People
STUPDILY HAPPY.....
Wasp Star Samples...
Gretchen Phillips: Two Nice Girls
Forgotten bands that were really cool.
Re: Forgotten Artists
Dr Livingstone, I presume?
(none)
Ben - your're being taken for a (Taxi)ride
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I can see the precision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 19:51:19 -0400 (EDT) From: "May O'Mahoney" <may5272@gte.net> Subject: hmm Message-ID: <383907216.957829879355.JavaMail.root@web126-wra.mail.com> OK Chalquettes: I'll ask the question again: Could you (at all) categorize the sound of Wasp Star? Does it have a concept feeling like English Settlement or the Big Express or is it much in the style of AV1? Does it FEEL like any previous album? Methinks that my question must not be "de riguer" - perhaps most on this list consider it an insult to "label" or "categorize" a band like XTC. Forgive my country girl ways if that is the case! It's curiosity - that's all. - May "afraid that they'll discover my redneck past" O'Mahoney
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 17:46:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Al LaCarte <allacarte@yahoo.com> Subject: A Page of the Kinks Message-ID: <20000509004606.29873.qmail@web1608.mail.yahoo.com> All: 1: Led Zeppelin was playing the blues on their early albums. 2: Jimmy Page did play on some early Kinks records, but he covered *Ray's* parts, not Dave's. Al
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 17:47:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Bill Douglas <ccosmos_64@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Universial Honey Message-ID: <20000509004722.29271.qmail@web3802.mail.yahoo.com> Molly Fanton <mfanton99@yahoo.com> wrote: > >Someone mentioned this group. I have a question, is >this the group with a female lead singer. Yep, as I mentioned a couple posts ago, U.H. was fronted by former T.P.O.H. backup singer Leslie Stanwyck and also featured bassist Johnny Sinclair from Pursuit Of Happiness. Maybe they'll make a comeback someday...I certainly hope so. Meanwhile, anybody see the full-page ad for XTC in the latest CMJ? That, combined with a positive review of 'Wasp Star' gives me high hope that they'll sell a few copies over on this side of the pond. Crossing fingers and toes...
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 19:16:50 -0500
From: chris vreeland <vreecave@realtime.com>
Subject: Metal, Metal, bo Betal...
Message-ID: <391758A8.C8E7770D@realtime.com>
Banana fanna fo Fetal....
My favorite Metal album is Mozart's Requiem.
Rory Wilsher diagnoses:
Chris, You are obsessed by sex.
PHEW! Is that all? For a while there, I was worried it might be
something serious!
On to the meat of things:
1) The Problem With Demos
I quote Harrison out of context in order to segue to my next boxcar on this
crazy train of thought. "(Although people who know me can attest that I do
stay away from demos of unreleased songs, because I think it's rude to look
over somebody's shoulder while they're working. After the songs are
released I'm happy to crawl over any amount of broken glass to get the
demos.)"-H.S. (esq.)
That was the angle I took for AV1, and the day it came out was the
first time I'd heard any of it, other than snatches over the radio. I
had no preconceived notions to get in my way, other than people gushing
here about River of Orchids. (Who among you still think it's "the best
song Andy's ever written?")
I buckled to temptation, this time, however, and have had some of
the demos, though not all, for AV2 for several months. What I did,
unwittingly, by listening to them over and over, was to set the stage
for disappointment. I initially fell in love with two songs from the
demos, We're All Light, and I don't want to be Here. Knowing it wasn't
slated to be on the album, I became increasingly frustrated every time I
heard IDWTBH, and began to question Andy's judgment about song
selection. So, already, I'm was becoming dissatisfied with the album,
even before I'd heard it! I'll call that Problem #1.
Problem #2 is worse. I became rather attached to the demo version of
We're All Light, to the point where I began to fantasize about how the
"produced" final version should turn out. I've been in the recording
studio enough to understand the transformation of a song from rough idea
to finished product, but unfortunately, I imbued all of my own
production values into how I hoped the album version would sound.
Needless to say, (then why am I saying it?) I was WAY off.
Having already succumbed to the demos, of course I wasn't about to
get religion and turn down an advance copy of the real thing. I've had
it for a three weeks, now, and am just now recovering from some
substantially overblown expectations. That first moment with a new xTc
album has more times than not been a pretty memorable experience. This
time, it was blown. despite liking Playground off the bat, I was left
literally queasy with disappointment from We're All Light- a pretty sad
state of affairs. I actually left the room, and didn't put the album on
again for a number of days.
Before anybody gets upset, I am getting over myself. I've been
disappointed by xTc albums before, but I've always come around. I'm
coming around, now. In fact, (SPOILER ALERT!) Wheel and the Maypole is
currently on top of my short list of "Goddam! Holy mother of Zoaster!!
Listen to This!!! *Aauugghhh*" songs. I bear angst because, under
different circumstances, I'd probably feel that way about the rest of
the album.
2) Wes Hanks asks:
Is 'Complicated Game' metal? One could draw that conclusion. Professor
Dom?
I know I'm not Dom, but if you will, An anecdote:
I had several employees a while back who were into the underground
Hard Core scene. They liked the really heavy stuff- Agnostic Front,
Jesus Lizard, Kiuus, (sp?) Grotus, Extreme Noise Terror, Fu Manchu, etc.
Whenever I could commandeer the cd player I would always announce
"Warning! Old fart music!" and they would all groan. The only song that
EVER got their attention was Complicated Game. One of them asked me with
a suprised look "how old is this?" when I said "Before 1980," she turned
around and shouted "Hey, Jeannie! This is from BEFORE 1980!" I think
that was a compliment, and yes, it IS a Metal song. Right, Dom?
3)Tyler Hewitt asks:
I know, what do you think is a great lost band or
album? One that is really good, and should have been
huge, but somehow didn't make it? It should be one
that's fairly obscure.
Scratch Acid. This was perhaps the greatest American rock band that ever
was. Just stunning live. The compilation cd, which might still be in
print, almost does the live band justice. Two members went on to form
the Jesus Lizard, also a stunning live band, but not quite the same.
13th Floor Elevators. Not exactly a "lost" band, but their albums were
out of print for a number of years, and they certainly aren't turning up
on the "Jammin' Oldies" station around here.
Shudder to Think. They shoulda been HUGE, I tell ya, HUGE!
Glass Eye. another Austin band that kind-of reinvented music, on their
own terms. amazing live, as well. One watershed cd can still be found in
the used bin occasionally- Bent By Nature
Kingstune notes:
This is the essence of a good argument, with the outcome being focused
by both parties, hopefully, on producing as objective a truth as
possible.
Somebody forward him "The Satanas Chronicles," PLEASE.
My name is Beverly and have become an Xtcaholic..
Now you're all supposed to say something like,"Hi Beverly,we love you"
"something like hi Beverly, we love you." Welcome. There are no dues or
fees for membership....
Chris "Me My Mo Metal" Vreeland
Ps, my spell checker keeps trying to replace Dom with Doom. Poignant,
no?
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 11:25:39 +1000 (EST) From: Mud Shark <mudshark1944@yahoo.com.au> Subject: ENTIRE Albums! Not just itty-bitty pieces....... Message-ID: <20000509012539.13617.qmail@web1704.mail.yahoo.com> Here's a list of albums that I listen to in their entirety (for what it's worth): "Drums And Wires" - XTC "The Man Who" - Travis "Riding With The King" - John Hiatt "Ghost In The Machine" - The Police "Animals" - Pink Floyd "Plastic Ono Band" - John Lennon "Wanted Man" - Paul Kelly "Aja" - Steely Dan "The Last Record Album" - Little Feat "Larks' Tongues In Aspic" - King Crimson "Peter Gabriel II" (the one with the scratchy fingernail cover) - Peter Gabriel "Looking Back (best of)" - The Move "Imperial Bedroom" - Elvis Costello "Am I The Same Girl" - Dusty Springfield (yeah, I said Dusty Springfield!!) "Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death" - Dead Kennedys "Futurama" - Be Bop Deluxe (this should be the soundtrack to the TV series.....but it isn't) These are the first ones that come to mind, anyway. MS ===== "I rail against God because I was told to stop eating paste in Sunday school" - P.J.O'Rourke
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 22:45:36 -0500 From: "Jamie Lowe" <jamielowe@email.msn.com> Subject: Xtc & Fingerprintz Message-ID: <002d01bfb969$205354e0$2684263f@unlpm> Chalkholders, In 6-102 Tyler Hewitt wrote....Hi as promised, here's my great lost band: Fngerprintz. An early-80's band, they put out three albums, all to critical acclaim and public indifference, then broke up. All three albums are really good, and all sound very different from each other. Yes indeed, they are great band, so good that they backed up Xtc at the Park West Theatre in Chicago February, 8th 1980 @ 11:00 PM for the grand price of $7.50 with a two drink minimum, 21 years of age or older... Fortunately I was there... They XTC and Fingerpritz were great live bands and I lament for the days when they performed live. I also saw them (XTC) when they backed up the Police at the Aragon and although I was a Police fan they were so much of a let down after seeing the XTC we left before the Police were done! As for my great lost bands: 999 certainly ranks, seeing them live in a Club only validated their energy 100 fold. Gentle Giant, these guys are pure genius and after seeing them live at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago I must admit that I had never seen a show so great in my life! I was literally jumping on my seat in this grand old theatre! As for new classics if you do not have a copy of Martin Newell's The Wayward Genius of Martin Newell you are missing a classic in its own time. He is that good. Cheers, Jamie
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 21:17:57 -0700 From: Brian Jacobsmeyer <jacobsmeyer@2cowherd.net> Subject: XTC interview on L.A. radio Wednesday Message-ID: <39179174.206FA74A@2cowherd.net> Hello all, I've been lurking for a while, but now I'm speaking up because I have a bit of news: XTC will be giving an interview at 2 p.m. Pacific time, Wednesday the 10th, on the Los Angeles radio station 103.1 FM. More good news -- those of you unfortunate enough not to reside in L.A. can listen via the web at www.channel1031.com (notice that's an "L" in channel followed by the numeral "1"). If you miss it at 2pm, they generally rerun these interviews later in the day, usually around 9pm, but I'm not sure if this is a hard-and-fast rule; you'll have to check with the station. At any rate, they don't archive their shows, so if you miss it on Wednesday you're sunk. Brian Jacobsmeyer First exposure to XTC: the Black Sea tour supporting the Police. Yes, I'm that old.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 12:39:03 +0200 From: "Mark R. Strijbos" <mast@coss.nl> Subject: Hats Off Message-ID: <200005091047.MAA03801@mail.coss.nl> Dear Chalkers, First a "hats off" to the esteemed Phil C. for supplying us all with ecstatic headgear. His Chalkhorse baseball cap not only compliments my Chalkhorse shirt and pennant rather nicely but now that the temperature's up to 25 degrees Celsius my official Swindon Town Football club woolly hat was getting a bit uncomfortable to wear! BTW: Swindon Town F.C. has been relegated to the Second Division... come on, you Reds!!! Meanwhile, in a quiet little town in rural England: > In Swindon, Wiltshire, two boys held another at knifepoint > on a railway footbridge, and stole #200 worth of Pokemon cards. Makes you wonder why this sort of trade is still legal, doesn't it? These companies are relentlessly pushing our kids towards addiction and criminal or anti-social behaviour. yours in xtc, Mark Strijbos @ The Little Lighthouse http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 07:28:30 -0500
From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net>
Subject: Men w/out Fingerprintz
Message-ID: <l03130302b53c5e80f4bd@[208.13.202.157]>
>P.S. Another band on the bill were called Heaven Seventeen (a local band,
>not the Human League spin-off) who would go on to forge a brilliant career
>as the much-loved Men Without Hats.
Was that the Doroschuk brothers, or other members who passed through the
group? I was living in Montreal at the time of their forming('79), in fact
I went to a loft gig on Boul. St Laurent that summer that they were billed
to be playing at and they didn't show up. If they had, that probably would
have been their first gig ever.(I'm not dreaming- I remember thinking "Men
Without Hats- what a silly name for a band.")
I recall the very first time I heard of XTC, GO2 was prominently
displayed in the local Shermans outlet, along with Fingerprintz's
Distinguishing Marks; XTC played in Montreal that summer and Fingerprintz
opened for them. This would have been about '78 or '79.(more likely '78,
XTC was promoting Drums and Wires by '79)
Christopher R. Coolidge
Homepage at
http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 07:57:02 -0400 From: "Barry Koch" <barry@together.net> Subject: RE:From beginning to end Message-ID: <NCBBJIDGOJNFJLOFJEJGAELGCJAA.barry@together.net> "Cheryl" <mcgregoc@mindspring.com> wrote: >>So tell me, Chalkhills people, what albums do you listen to in their >>entirety? Radiohead - OK Computer That's about it really. Barry
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 11:19:09 +0100 From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: Metals And Compounds Which Cause Disease & Deformity In Young Message-ID: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1BD4D17@mgmtm02.parliament.uk> People That's the name of my new band. You're gonna love 'em! Anyway, Mr Sharkhood, I really must take issue with your claims about the phrase "heavy metal". In fact, as any fule kno, the term originally derives from the ancient Yiddish greeting "Ha'vim Mezuzah" which, of course, features heavily in that most Qabbalistic of ancient texts, the eternally groovy Hebrew Book Of The Dead. Translated literally, the phrase means something fairly close to "spandex at breaking point", although certain subtle nuances may have been lost in translation. Dom "Robbono Shel Oylom, Innit?" Lawson.
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 14:58:19 +0100 From: "Will" <squidly@clara.co.uk> Subject: STUPDILY HAPPY..... Message-ID: <001f01bfa22b$ab46caa0$ee5b08c3@default> appears on the free CD in this months "Uncut" magazine. (not a porn mag....heheheheh) Love Will.....xx "Queer Spirit" The Magazine for LGB/TV/TS Pagans and Occultists New Issue Now available Mail: Queerspirit@excite.co.uk for more info
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 06:11:33 -0700
From: "Joel Enbom" <joelenbom@freewwweb.com>
Subject: Wasp Star Samples...
Message-ID: <004a01bfb9b8$1a403600$a14d0b3f@homepc>
And so...
RealAudio and MPEG samples of <ALL> the tracks from Wasp Star are
currently available at CDNOW.
So there ya go.
Joel!
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 08:32:15 -0500 From: Jill Oleson <Jill_Oleson@kurion.com> Subject: Gretchen Phillips: Two Nice Girls Message-ID: <81CC73FC2FACD311A2D200508B8B88AA0D713D@KURION_EXCH> Greetings Chalkers, Olof Hellman mentioned that he liked the Austin band Two Nice Girls, so I thought I'd add that Gretchen Phillips, one of the three Two Nice Girls, is now out on her own. Check out: The Gretchen Phillips Experience: http://www.monsterbit.com/gretchen/ Jill Oleson Austin, Texas
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 23:52:47 -0700 From: "Radiosinmotion" <radiosinmotion@earthlink.net> Subject: Forgotten bands that were really cool. Message-ID: <000901bfb983$2f97e000$0200a8c0@digitalpc> Its nice to talk about bands who never really got recognized. Another really good band on the same note as the Bodysnatchers were the Acrylics featuring FYC frontman Roland Gift. I have always loved his style. I have some of the tracks that the Acrylics recorded, but a full album never came out. This happened with a lot of the good ska bands because they were overshadowed by the Specials, Madness, English Beat & the Two Tone Label. Other groups who I felt deserved more credit were people like Fishbone, Wire, Pop Will Eat Itself and Aztec Camera. Just some random groups that just came to mind but were damn good at making music. I got a game, who can name this tune? ( This is the intro lyrics to the album and song)? "She said, FUCK this town, nothings ever going down..." This was a damn good album and the group has done very little in the public eye (well, nothing really and they never charted as far as I know).
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 May 2000 02:31:38 -0400
From: Frank Agnello <agnello@inx.net>
Subject: Re: Forgotten Artists
Message-ID: <3917B0C6.F4CE7995@inx.net>
Hello Chalksters:
Someone recently mentioned the Busboys. Brian O'Neal was the
talented leader/writer/keyboardist of the L.A. based group, possibly the
only Black Skinny Tie Band (with an Hispanic drummer). Hunt down their
first album, "Minimum Wage Rock and Roll," if you're a fan of early 80's
pop/rock -- you won't be disappointed. There's a song on the middle of
Side 2 called "Tell the Coach" that's so heartfelt it rivals Brian's Beach
Boy namesake -- "Don't Worry Baby" for a basketball team. It's a small
masterpiece.
Another great one is Van Duren. His self-titled LP from 1977 is
the perfect companion to The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. If you're a fan of
Todd at his most lyrical, you'll really like this one.
Reckless Sleepers is a band Jules Shear had in the 80's with
former Wings drummer Steve Holly and my Fab Faux bandmate, Conan O'Brien
guitarist Jimmy Vivino. Their album contains the original version of one
of Shear's greatest songs -- "If We Never Meet Again."
Three recent albums that could get lost in the shuffle: For fans
of power pop, Richard X. Heyman's Cornerstone (1998), an album with a
whole bunch of high-quality songs; The Continental Drifters' Vermilion
(1998), shimmering folk-rock by a vocal-driven band with talent to burn
that's a live must-see; and Willie Nile's Beautiful Wreck of the World
(1999) a return by a veteran writer who may have delivered his best, most
rockin' album to date, which for him is saying quite a lot.
Finally, if this was anywhere but Chalkhills, I would have to
mention Martin Newell's The Greatest Living Englishman -- Guess what? I
just did.
Cheers,
F.A.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 22:48:07 PDT From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com> Subject: Dr Livingstone, I presume? Message-ID: <20000509054807.22719.qmail@hotmail.com> OK Harrison, I take your point- I grok all the intellectual stuff. I *comprehend* why "Wheel + Maypole" is the last track, but that still doesn't stop making me *feel* like "C.O.W." - (oooh - hidden acronym??) - should be the last track. As I explained to someone else - it just *feels* like it fits there, with those other great last tracks like "Chalkhills & Children", "Books Are Burning", Last Balloon", etc. That's all. No biggie. It was JUST A THOUGHT, OK? Geez. * * * Right - lost bands. You want lost bands?? Holy snapping arseholes, Batman - P@ul Culnane and I have a whole friggin' website FULL of great lost Aussie bands. Have a peek. http://milesago.gq.nu. If I have to pick one Great Lost Band who should have been HUGE, I'll go with: - Company Caine, the legendary progressive/soul/blues/rock/jazz/dada outfit from Melbourne, led by the inimitable Gulliver Smith. (Those famliar with the oeuvre of Australin belter John Farnham may know of Gulliver through his lyrics for John's big hit "A Touch Of Paradise"). Smart, funny, powerful, silly, eloquent, lyrical, subversive, Co. Caine (geddit?) made only one proper album, the magnificent "A Product Of A Broken Reality" which came out in about 1971 and more or less sank like a stone, although it's regarded by aficionados (i.e. geeks like me) as one of the best and most original Aussie rock albums ever. I can verify that it still sounds as great as the day it came out. Crossing the waters ... hmmmm let me think ... Well I'd have to say The Motors. "Dancing The Night Away" caught me by both ears back in 1978, and I thought they were the beez kneez. Still love that song. Unfortunately they BOMBED after selling about 14 copies of their second album, which is great, but features a cover shot of them. Their record company reckoned that's why it sold so badly, and to be fair, they're not exactly Boyzone. * * * Albums I listen to all the way through? Strewth. This is a difficult concept, because I decided long ago that, my income being what it is (err ... isn't), I wasn't going to cough up the readies for an LP (or CD) unless it had at least three tracks I liked. Consequently, I pretty much only have albums I really like and listen to all the way through. So, to pose and answer the inverse of the question: Albums with tracks I can't stand: THE LAST WALTZ - "Toora looora loora bloody Irish bloody lullaby bollocks" (Van Morrison). Faith and begorrah, they must have been coked to the gills to have let this one sneak onto the album. EASYBEATS ABSOLUTE ANTHOLOGY - "I Love Marie" -- a demo, admittedly, but one so cravenly MOR it would make Engelbert Humperdink blush. Vanda & Young, masters of the perfect three-minute power-pop song, perpetrate perhaps the greatest clanger of their career, marring an otherwise gem-encrusted collection. FRIENDS - The Beach Boys -- I've grown to love the album as a whole, but that TM song makes me puke. Dunks
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 03:19:32 -0400 From: Roe Smoker <rmckenzi@dti.net> Subject: (none) Message-ID: <v04220800b53d57be6cd4@[38.26.251.211]> chalkmillions - re: Taxiride - having heard exactly thirty seconds of "You Get", i agree with good old Ben Gott completely. (those of you who know me also know that this is not necessarily a good sign). but considering i still love _Spilt Milk_ even after i know how much of it is completely Xeroxed from Queen, and considering how much i loved it when i first heard it, there is definitely hope. it ['You Get"] also reminds me a little bit of the Stone Roses spin-off The Seahorses, whose halfway decent solo effort _Do It Yourself_ sunk like a stone soon after it came out in 1997, and which i like not only because it's Brit-pop but because John Squire layers lovely mellow filigrees of guitar work all over it like warm syrup, and the random Scottish guy they got to sing lead vocals does the same thing with his voice, playing it out and reeling it back in like a fishing line. my father and i heard this album playing in a Sam Goody or the like at the Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga, TN, which if anyone's been there, you know is one of the more godawful culture-forsaken towns on earth (no offense to any 'Noogans - if you read the 'hills, you don't belong there), and we were both struck by its [relative] taste and musicality. re: Hammersmith "This is Pop" - i also confess to knowing that little sermon by heart, i'm not sure why except that i can see why Andy's embarrassed about it, it makes me squirm with sympathetic chagrin at his being caught on tape saying something so earnest and preachy. but it's also an endearing slip-up in a man who (on stage, at least) usually let the songs speak for him. off stage he's just so perfectly brilliant, it's almost a relief to see him caught off-guard and spilling his feelings. > The music press nowadays seems to have > it in its head that it must categorize people. [i can't even begin to transcribe the pregnant pauses between 'nowadays' and 'seems' and 'head' and 'that'. not only are they completely dead stops, but his cold is even more audible than on the rest of the album.] > You know what I mean - labels ... aaah ... > well, let's see, they're post-punk-funk with just > a touch of modernist ... aah ... You know the > sort of stuff ... > > I want to give them one big label that categorizes > everything, okay? > > Nothing more, it's very very simple! > > [Voices in crowd goes "This is pop!"] > > Doesn't [???] thinkin' about. Doesn't bear thinking about. > This is pop! You're damn [???] it is! You're damn right it is! ----------------------------------- and also because of course i agree, it's just so cute the way he lays it out like that. he has a serious little moment there with the crowd - i love it. in other news, Harrison S. wrote: > you can sniff the credentials yourself at >http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/list/178600.html get yer hot steaming credentials, right here! on that note - - brookes Artistic? That's poor for 'naked'! - Phil Hartman, NewsRadio's Titanic parody
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 May 2000 00:20:37 PDT From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com> Subject: Ben - your're being taken for a (Taxi)ride Message-ID: <20000509072037.36254.qmail@hotmail.com> Gottster! I know you to be a man of wealth and taste, and please don't take this as an attack on you, but ... *blanch* ... TAXIRIDE? I'm sorry to have to tell you, but in this neck of the woods they're regarded as an overpromoted, formulaic, manufactured pop (in a bad way) group, and are something of a laughing stock with other bands (who are of course insanely jealous of their huge overnight success, and nifty trousers). Not hard to figure it out - pretty boys, lots of foundation and eyeliner and gel and designer leathers, expensive guitars, expensive video with Yank teen-movie tie-in, high rotation on the pop station, lots of adverts, cute guys up front, froggy-lookin' baldy guy pushed to the back, tight buns, tight harmonies, high voices, paint-by-numbers pseudo-psych-teen-pop, structured with the "Friends" generation in mind ... (Friends ... *shudder* ... apposite - another group of annoying yuppies whose heads I would love to smack together.) >Tonight, while cleaning out e-mails, I stumbled upon Stormy's note >and I >checked Napster for "Get Set." I listened to the first thirty >seconds, >then sprinted to the car and took off, tires squealing, >towards Bull Moose >Music. >Two minutes later, I had the Taxiride debut CD, "Imaginate," and I >was >blasting it in the car. >XTC fans, GET THIS. It was produced and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig >and, >indeed, it makes Jellyfish's "Spilt Milk" look like child's >play. These >guys are a cross between Jellyfish, Sloan, with a touch >of the pop >sensibilites of the recent boy groups that have hit the >market... A touch??? More like Industrial Strength Teen Spirit. Layer upon layer upon layer .... >(Of course, their songs are much more intelligent than "Bye Bye Bye," >but >you catch the drift...) They also sound eerily like CS&N >(especially the >first track, which could've been "Suite Judy Blue >Eyes - Pt. 2")... I won't even touch the CSN comparison, Ben, but Jellyfish?? You reckon? I've seen Taxiride live (on TV) and, while competent enough, they are not fit to untangle Jellyfish's tentacles IMHO. "Get Set" is possibly part of some good song, somewhere, and it's damn catchy, I agree - at first - but it's as if they came up with the chorus and had nothing else to match it with. Goes nowhere. A one-trick pony. I listened to their next single and it did even less for me. Granted I haven't heard the CD, and I'm prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt. but it doesn't really compel me to listen so far. >Plus, they're Australian, so all the Aussies on the list can be proud of >me. God but I wish it were true. I glad that Aussie music is being heard overseas - pity that it's not the best we have to offer. If you had picked Custard, Sidewinder, Grinspoon, Frenzal Rhomb, hell, just about any recent Oz band (except silverchair, aka "Nirvana In Pyjamas") - you'd be on the money. As it is, I can can only rue the fact that the corporate claw has again thrust an undeserving band into the limelight. Dinkum Duncan * * * First Nerd: "That's a smart pair of corduroy slacks - where did you get them?" Second Nerd: "I don't know - my mother buys all my clothes."
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-105 *******************************
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