Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 150
Date: Saturday, 3 June 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 150
Saturday, 3 June 2000
Topics:
Ladies beware Mr. Strijbos!
An observation of "My Brown Guitar"
MUSTard
Re: A winner
theremin, Wasp Star
USA Today review/demos/We're All Light
dark age of aquarius
Re: Depeche f***ing Mode?
Ask The Kids
Stupidly single
xtc vs. pop princess
Say you want a what?
Wondering About Stuff & Good Bands.
Re: Annoying and Unhonest
The Record Stores Who Murdered XTC
The Wilderness Years
more lovely from south of the equator
XTC picture disc vinyl
Re: dont hit me
more yazbek reviews
XTC interview today, on JJJ
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Radios in motion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 23:01:01 EDT From: WESnLES@aol.com Subject: Ladies beware Mr. Strijbos! Message-ID: <39.5e2cb30.2669ceed@aol.com> WARNING: I just got off the phone with Mark Strijbos and he told me, and I quote: "XTC are the most abominable piece of crap band on this God forsaken planet!" He actually HATES XTC!!!!! I found out that he created his Little Lighthouse site only to attract women! Apparently he's under the misconception that chicks dig a man with a big website. (Hey, it's not the size of the website, it's what you do with it!) All his incessant talk about the band over the years was no more than an attempt to supply "Mr. Horny" with some all too eager XTC babes. That's right folks, he's a wolf in Partridge's clothing. Ladies, avert your gaze from his strangely hypnotic site. Don't be lured into Mark's saccharine sweet lair of debauchery! wes"lot's o smiley faces"LONG http://members.tripod.com/~The_Last_Balloon/index.html
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 22:06:36 -0500
From: "ted" <ted3821@home.com>
Subject: An observation of "My Brown Guitar"
Message-ID: <002d01bfcd08$c0320800$4ae51118@alton1.il.home.com>
Hello everyone,
As a new subscriber to the digest but a long time fan of XTC, I thought
I would post a message and see what happens. I have only recieved the last
nine or ten digests but I have yet to hear anyone complain/rejoice about a
certain portion of My Brown Guitar.
When I first heard it, I was appalled when in the chorus Collin (I believe)
chimed in with the monotone line "on my brown guitar" following "we can
play".
Something about it grated. Upon subsequent listenings it has become my
favorite part of the song (why is that?)
Anyone else have any similar emotions about this song?
Be gentle (it's my first time)
Ted (meet you in the secret place) McGibany
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 12:22:37 +0900 From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: MUSTard Message-ID: <000301bfcd0b$95970520$7a5791d2@oemcomputer> The Honourable John Relph wrote : >Now what I'm interested in are albums that you simply *must* listen to >in their entirety. Not albums that you *can*. >The Beatles' "Revolver" comes to mind. Not many others. Small Faces " Odgen's Nutgone Flake " ; Fairport Convention's " Liege and Leif " and " Full House " ; Brian Eno's " Apollo " ; Miles Davis' " Kind Of Blue " ; and Weather Report's " Mysterious Traveller " are a few that immediately come to mind . Sushiman
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 23:45:15 -0700 From: "Drew MacDonald" <drewmacdonald@mediaone.net> Subject: Re: A winner Message-ID: <002901bfcd27$4695bc20$ac841818@we.mediaone.net> > Least favorite song (for now): COW. Least favorite acronym for an XTC song: the same. Drew
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 07:18:56 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: theremin, Wasp Star Message-ID: <l03130301b55ea4ee1e9b@[208.13.202.206]> >The "high whistle-like" instrument in "We're All Light" (right after the >titular chorus) is a theramin, created in the 1920s by Lev Sergeivich >Theramin and used in old science fiction and horror films (and recent >"avant-garde" orchestral music).. It brings to mind wobbly saucers held up >by thick string against cardboard constellations. It is *not* to be >confused with the high whistling synth used in the background of much >"gangsta rap", as (erroneously) thought/stated in a recent edition of >Chalkhills. I can think of no other instrument that would add the same >appropriate touch of sarcasm / humor / intelligence to this great song. > >~~Steve Young the theramin can also be heard on The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," most famously. I hadn't noticed the theramin on "We're All Light," though, gotta give it another listen. Just got my legitimate copy from the local Pure Pop Records, they had one copy on display for $12.99(a most reasonable price for a new album, methinks). I was listening to a CD-R someone sent me until now and I wanted to make good on the promise to put some money in Andy and Colin's pocket. I also picked up Rag and Bone Buffet used, which I used to have dubbed on cassette by my wife's XTC fan cousin Kristin(who was on this list at one point)and which I'd long since misplaced.(In fact, that's what's on the CD player now) Anyway, nothing particularly original to say about Wasp Star, except that it's the poppiest thing they've done in a long while, and would appeal to longtime XTC fans from the English Settlement days who might have given up or forgotten. My only complaint is that I do miss Dave in one sense, he's always added something extra to Colin's material, and I think he'd especially have been helpful on "In Another Life" and "Standing In For Joe." That's just a minor complaint, though. Both songs sound quite all right as they are, though IAL sounds a bit too clunky to be released as a single; replace the harmonica with Dave's "ernying" and you'd have a potential single that compares favorably with, say, "Life Begins At The Hop." Christopher R. Coolidge "A Great law protects me from the government. The Bill of rights has 10 GREAT laws. A Good law protects me from you. Laws against murder, theft, assault and the like are good laws. A Poor law attempts to protect me from myself." - Unknown
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 06:43:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Veronica Kyle Robertson <veronicakr@yahoo.com> Subject: USA Today review/demos/We're All Light Message-ID: <20000603134313.22758.qmail@web108.yahoomail.com> Michael D. Myers" wrote: "Chalksters and Chalkettes; I was flying from Amsterdam to Newark, NJ yesterday and they gave us a copy of the USA Today newspaper on the plane. I'm not sure if this international version is different in any way than the version that is available in the States, but it had a very favorable review of Wasp Star. In fact, they gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 4... Not bad, huh?" Mike, there's a reason that USA Today is given away at airports and hotels: no one in their right mind would actually pay for it! I rely on USA Today as a news source as much as I do People and the Today Show, which means not at all. It's News Lite for people who like everything to explained to them in pie charts and public opinion polls. While I don't disagree with awarding Wasp Star high ratings, if any Chalkers out there have read USA Today, you know that they like to look on the "sunny side of life". There is no way in hell they could have given XTC a bad review. Go to www.usatoday.com and see how they do not award ANYTHING less than 2 stars out of 4. And they only give the lower ratings to music most regular readers would find unappealing anyway. They gave 2 stars to a Jeff Buckley album (as if he could defend himself). 2 stars to the latest AC/DC and Sporty Spice albums- OMG, what a shocker! Even the low-rated albums get gentle reviews- no outright bashing. Moving on, I finally received my copy of Wasp Star in the mail from HMV yesterday (June 2nd). Gee, only a week and a half after the release date. C'mon HMV! You can do better than that! I've ordered stuff from CDNow and received it as early as the next day without extra charge! Anyway, I love the new album, of course. I cannot find fault in it. I got the free ITMWML single and I have to say that I do like the finished version much more than the demo version. I can really tell the difference. Someone had asked why one wouldn't want to listen to demo versions of unreleased songs. Well, what it reminds me of is when I look back through my own writings. Whenever I look back into an old journal, I am often embarrassed to read such naive schlock. I'm guessing Andy sometimes feels that way, too, so I understand if he wants to pick and choose what gets heard by his fans. I'd hate for some of my high school poetry to be published (not that I have any fans begging for it, mind you). On the song "We're All Light", what is that Theremin-sounding thing? Is it keyboard, musical saw, or actually Theremin? I looked in the credits for a hint, but I don't know. Veronica
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 07:09:46 -0700 From: "Wes Hanks" <wes@iolvegas.com> Subject: dark age of aquarius Message-ID: <000501bfcd65$62bfef40$36b59fce@default> Debutantes, In 'Little Lighthouse' Sir John Johns asked: "How long will this dark age last?" Thirteen years later, aparently it is still in force, as "in this new dark age, we're all light." Wes 'I have the vapours. We'll have to cancel the cotillion' Hanks
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 10:17:25 -0400 From: "Brian" <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Subject: Re: Depeche f***ing Mode? Message-ID: <001301bfcd66$7214fe80$92e49cd1@Brian> Tschalkgerz! > >Is "Wounded Horse" (musically) the song Depeche Mode forgot to write? > > Short answer, in two parts: > > (A) You're kidding, right? > > (B) They wish. > > Long answer: > > It isn't the song they forgot to write. It's the song they couldn't hope to > write in their wildest dreams. Depeche f***ing Mode?? Could you possibly > have found a band I despise more? That gormless bunch of poncy synth > twiddlers, with the junkie lead singer who wishes he was Michael > Hutchence???< I'm sure he doesn't wish he was Hutchence NOW... considering he's dead. :-) >You're comparing XTC to that tragic bunch of wallies????< I can put up with Depeche F. Mode :-), but yeah... they don't hold a candle to XTC in any way, shape or form. -Brian Matthews
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2000 00:16:39 +0900 From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: Ask The Kids Message-ID: <000101bfcd70$636ecbe0$685791d2@johnboud> All , My 12 year old daughter says that " Stupidly Happy " is her fave track from WS , and that she hopes my band will cover it ! Which tune is your kid's favorite ? Sushiman
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 08:37:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Brown <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: Stupidly single Message-ID: <200006031537.IAA00414@mail2.deltanet.com> Brett, you done said- << I don't see the point of releasing "Stupidly Happy" because other than the strange sentiment of the lyrics it doesn't really jump out at you.>> I disagree.. 'SH' is a natural for a single.. the Keef riff is very catchy, sure it annoys ya like a mosquito bite, but it keeps you scratchin' just the same... what could be more radio-friendly than that? <<( It does feel good to drive to that one though.)>> ..oh yeah! Put the top down for this baby... Debora Brown
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 09:20:28 -0700 (PDT) From: Brown <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: xtc vs. pop princess Message-ID: <200006031620.JAA06744@mail2.deltanet.com> Here is Cliff, speaking of Sh*it-knee Spears- <<I can't verify this, but just about every song she sings has SOMETHING to do with either having a guy, wanting a guy, or losing a guy. Kinda crap, right?>> Well, I think the Purpose of "I'm the man who murdered love" is partly Partridge making fun of this modern teenybopper crap.>> ..getting the guy/gal-losing the guy/gal.. it's ALWAYS been the major theme of pop fodder.. However, if anyone can take this worn out subject and make it fly again, it'd be those gear lads from Swindon... <<Well, I think the Purpose of "I'm the man who murdered love" is partly Partridge making fun of this modern teenybopper crap. Kinda like "Hey! I can make better pop tunes than you! This is what I think of your songs Britney! Haha, up yours!">> Perhaps, but unlikely.. I doubt if Andy would have anything to do with exchanging musical blows with the B.S. hit machine. Wouldn't really be a fair fight now, would it?.. ITMWML is just Mr. P coming out to have a romp with sunny pop.. Britney Spears.. bah!.. what a load of pop swill!.. bad noise, bad noise.. Don't get me started.. Debora Brown
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 14:27:33 -0400 From: Harry Strole <hjstrole@earthlink.net> Subject: Say you want a what? Message-ID: <39394E08.3A81165D@earthlink.net> > > Why listen to the demos in the first place? Because most of the fans who got those demos (at least in the beginning), were pretty sure there would never be another XTC album. I do have to say I would like "Wasp Star" a little bit better if I didn't hear the demos. This is a great CD and to me, its the first time XTC sounds like the same band that made "Oranges & Lemons" and "Black Sea." > "Revolution 9." Oh come on, "Revolution #9" works fine on the "White Album." It captures 1968 better than anyone could have imagined in retrospect. Plus, every bar has the "White Album" in their jukebox. If you don't like the patrons, walk over and select "Revolution #9" on said jukebox then leave. It is guaranteed to piss off every one and you don't have to ever see them again. Harry
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 15:58:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Radios In Motion <radiosinmotion@iwon.com> Subject: Wondering About Stuff & Good Bands. Message-ID: <382718880.960062291791.JavaMail.root@web183-iw.dat01.mail.com> God, its good to see I am not the only Wonder Stuff fan out there. I remember when 8 legged grove machine came out they had tons of fans. Hup also did pretty well but after Never Loved Elvis they faded into obscurity in America because all the grunge bands started taking over. Though I have said many times that I hated heavy metal (and I still do) I must admit this. The 80's was such a damn diverse decade and metal had a lot to do with it. Everyone had their own interests but now it seems everyone likes the same stuff and to me, all the bands sound alike. Anyway, here are some other really good bands of the 80's that were really good: Camouflage> Good (I know, they were considered a DM wannabe group, but I thought they were great). INXS> They deserved more than the short lived Success they had. They were a really good band. Jerry Harrison> His solo stuff was much overlooked... Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up and riiiiddddeee.... Big Audio Dynamite> A truly original band. Though I loved Joe, Topper and Paul (See Havana 3AM) Mick was the clash sound and he made his own sound with BAD that was equally as good. If you don't think Mick was that important in the Clash, please buy the album "Cut The Crap" which even according to the band members was the worst thing they ever done. They did an album without Mick. Mighty Lemon Drops> Damn good group. I saw them play with John Wesley Harding (I had 2 of his albums, but to be honest, I have not heard him in nearly 10 years and can't remember what he sounds like, but he also was really good) and Ocean Blue (bad for the fact that they were from Philadelphia but tried to sing like they were from England. I hate when American groups do that!) Dramarama> Good. Use to perform at the Roxy all the time. I thought they would survive the grunge scene, but they didn't. EMF> Bad. Hated them and their bad interpretation of Pop Will Eat Itself.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 15:48:38 -0400 From: "Brian" <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Subject: Re: Annoying and Unhonest Message-ID: <003501bfcd94$b777d140$31e49cd1@Brian> Tschalkegerz! >This is going to be hard to write. I first came into XTC through Oingo Boingo by buying Go2. Loved it.< All right! Boingo gets mentioned... >Now, after buying almost all the albums [yes mummer and big express (expres I HATED)] I have a love/hate rel. with XTC. Sometimes Andys voice is so annoying and unhonest. Often his lyrics are clever, but sometimes they fall under the category of being too obviously dumb. His extended metaphors at times are a bit too extended and obvious. I read a lot of poetry and therefore criticize this stuff often.< Hopefully you have some of the same sentiments about Elfman and his sometimes peculiar way of saying things. >Bought Wasp Star. Returned it the same day I bought it. I came to the conclusion that it was an embodiment of everything I've come to hate about XTC and very little of what I love. [believe me there is lots to love.]< Everyone has a different opinion, and they're all correct, because they're all subjective. I personally like 'Wasp Star'. It's certainly not the height of XTC brilliance, but I enjoy the fact that all of XTC is rolled into a package aimed at a wider audience - or at least that's the way I feel it. "Stupidly Happy" is one tune that could conceivably make it on the radio, and it also sounds like it has huge club potential, even the way it is now (but you know some remixing would be in order). It harkens back to the relentless drive of songs like "Living Through Another Cuba" and "No Thugs In Our House", two classic XTC offerings. In reality, XTC is not going to bust out, and nor do I think I want them to. I have likely mentioned here an article in a certain extremely popular men's magazine many years ago about how people are divided up into certain music-appreciation groups, one of them being those who love 'alternative' groups and become distrustful of them when they start filling stadiums. I know this'll never happen with XTC, but I'm sure you'll appreciate the sentiment. -Brian Matthews
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 17:26:36 -0400 (EDT) From: Radios In Motion <radiosinmotion@iwon.com> Subject: The Record Stores Who Murdered XTC Message-ID: <380234207.960067596423.JavaMail.root@web190-iw> For all you who just don't want to put that extra $40 a month down for DSL, you need to do it. I have wanted a fast connection since the new 14.4 modems came out and I finally got one. Downloading entire MP3 albums (paid at Emusic.com! In fact, I got a bunch of Elvis Costello albums for only $9 each...) only takes about 30 minutes! PS. This is my new email address because I moved off earthstink. By the way, I don't think the Spam I was receiving was coming from Chalkhills. I signed up extra email accounts on earthstink and I was receiving Spam on accounts I was not even using. Earthstink probably sells our information to marketers or something. I have met other earthstink users who have been having the same problem. ______________________________________ INSERT IMPORTANT TVT/XTC CONTENT HERE: ______________________________________ Last but not least, I spotted something fishy this weekend. Those of you who have purchased Wasp Star from Moby Disc or other retailers, did you get your Bonus CD that you were waiting for? I have not noticed anything with them in particular, but I did notice that some retailers, who also sell on eBay, are selling their free copies of the XTC single online. I was up in the Bay Area this weekend at a certain record store and asked if the single was still available. They told me that they no longer had any but if I were to check eBay, they would have a few copies for sale in a few weeks. I was searching for something on ebay and it came up with some record store who also had retail locations as well as being a seller on ebay.. Anyway, I looked at their completed items and low and behold they had the ITMWML single. That is not right! They got those singles as promotional tools for the album! I have also noticed a lot of the other free things going around are also record stores who use alternate aliases. I have noticed a bunch of people on this list saying the record store you bought Wasp Star at said they were out and blamed TVT for the mistake, when in fact they were just selling them online. What do you guys think? Do you think its ok for stores to do that? I personally think it sucks!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 15:03:04 CDT
From: "vee tube" <veetube@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Wilderness Years
Message-ID: <20000603200304.96706.qmail@hotmail.com>
Just wundrin'
Had XTC released one CD a year since
Nonsvch,(not counting AV1. and the consistent
production values) could WS be mistaken for a
'Greatest Hits' album?
Nah! Just a bunch of vapid 'pop' songs! Right?
}---:)
P.S. YES (it's a beautiful word [just ask your 'Blueness']).
Some of you should use it more often.
TROUT!OUT!
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 14:29:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Brown <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: more lovely from south of the equator Message-ID: <200006032129.OAA29970@mail2.deltanet.com> >From the desk of Melissa R.!- <<Just a quick rejoinder this time In a message dated 06/02/2000 6:48:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Debora writes:>>- Actually, it was Victor (heir to the great almond rocha fortune) Rocha who asked: <<the question has to be asked, has Colin written any songs about his body parts?>>-- So I says: why, yes... that would be Fruit Nut(s)... and you thought it was about gardening... Melissa returns a fine response: <<I've said it once and I'll say it again - "My Bird Performs" is Colin's answer to Pink Thing. So there.>> that's all good and well, but I still gotta say.. ...bird, schmird... give me a couple of ripe peaches any day, duckie! Debora Brown (apologies to all for the silliness!)
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 15:25:06 -0700 From: Steven Reule <steven@obsessed-with-music.com> Subject: XTC picture disc vinyl Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.20000603152506.00716010@pop.calweb.com> Fellow XTC fans - for sale on ebay: Rare XTC vinyl 12" picture disc - very cool! For more info or to purchase go to: http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/music@obsessed-with-music.com/ and click on the item number. Thank you... Steven music@obsessed-with-music.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 20:54:16 -0400
From: "Tim Kendrick" <tim63@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: dont hit me
Message-ID: <003601bfcdbf$6a464160$1e152026@tim63>
Okay Steven, I won't hit you,
but I'll strongly disagree with you.
>Firstly Colin Moulding seems to have taken all the comments about
>his ability to write about things close to home, to heart, and he
>has trying too hard to be 'English'.
He's not trying to be English - he IS English!
He's just writing songs the way he feels like writing them.
>Colins lyrics simply lack the poetry/the insight to make
>what he writes about interesting.
Again I disagree - I find the lyrics to "In Another Life" and
"Frivolous Tonight" to be both insightful and poetic. And "Fruit Nut"
is VERY interesting and unique - I know of no other songwriter anywhere
to write about the husbands going out to putter around
in their old backyard sheds.
>With Boarded Up he just uses tired old images of what a dead end
>town is like. Nothing leaps out and strikes you as 'oh yes, I
>never would have described/thought of it like that'. It's just one
>cliched image after another.
I never would have had the thought that, as bad as a town being boarded
up is, it's a great business for the carpenters. Have you???
>and concentrate on writing a decent pop song.
"Standing In For Joe" fits that category.
It's funny how you say you like Colin's "Skylarking" songs
but not his new stuff. I think "Sacrificial Bonfire" and "Dying"
would feel right at home on AV1 and "The Meeting Place" could
have a place on WS.
I really don't understand how you can not appreciate Colin's
newer material.
Tim K.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 17:53:03 -0700 From: "Victor Rocha" <wstsidela@mediaone.net> Subject: more yazbek reviews Message-ID: <00c201bfcdbf$3d646320$4e568218@we.mediaone.net> here's another review of Dave Yazbek's play: http://www.calendarlive.com/theater/lat_phillipsfm000603.htm BTW I used to work at the Old Globe Theatre and I can assure you the production value is of the higest quality. I was very fortunate to work on an original Stephen Sondheim production when I was there.....what a blast. Victor Rocha
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2000 11:00:32 +1000 From: "Clifford Smith" <dracon@worldreform.net> Subject: XTC interview today, on JJJ Message-ID: <000d01bfcdc0$592d0200$290ffea9@dracon> Today (Sunday in Australia) at 5PM (Australian - Sydney time) there will be a show on Triple J radio that will feature an interview with XTC. http://triplej.abc.net.au/listen.htm go here to listen to Triple J online from anywhere in the world. I'll try to record the interview, but I'm not making any promises.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-150 *******************************
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