Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 173 Monday, 26 June 2000 Topics: sowing the seeds of doubt The stuff just POURS out courtney love/napster/albini gender confusion Orchids show this saturday Pausing for effect Anthony Newley Rocks! No they aren't Worst Band Candidates, and "Rocket" XTC BBC INTERVIEW ALERT ELP and XTC mAN IN A sHED Charlie Parker Re: Emerson, Lake and PeePee? Black Sea Re: The Flowers In Defense of the Church Question for all the Stupidly Happy critics Sondheim, Lehrer, and my vote for the next XTC Producer! Administrivia: I will be on vacation until July 11. Chalkhills will be off the air during that time. Enjoy your time off! 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/> The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7b (John Relph <relph@tmbg.org>). While you're yawning, nothing's said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 09:08:13 -0400 From: Jude Hayden <jhayden@bistrogroup.com> Subject: sowing the seeds of doubt Message-ID: <B1A488D8676AD211AC7C204C4F4F5020027A28@server.bistrogroup.com> on Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:58:01 +0100 "chris browning" <chris@boodle.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: 'as the boys say "so what you will but harm none" - got that?' I think you had a typo there, crisp... what you *meant* to write was "sew what you will..." This is of course a reference to the "Homespun" artwork. See ya- Jude P.S. For all you Raisins/psychodots/Bears/Adrian Belew fans out there, the original 6 cassette collection by the Raisins "Everything And More" has just been mastered onto a reasonably priced (under $30) 4-cd set. I'm not sure of the availability of it outside of my fair city of Cincinnati, so e-mail me if you want details on who to call to get it. It's an excellent collection, mostly live stuff, but they were always a terrific live band, much better than their studio stuff...
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 07:11:22 PDT From: "Edward Sizzorhends" <skylar_king@hotmail.com> Subject: The stuff just POURS out Message-ID: <20000616141122.9682.qmail@hotmail.com> Dear Chalkboarded Ups, I LOVE THIS LIST (TODAY) Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 170, Thursday, 15 June 2000 has been deemed by the King of this post as the BEST, SMARTEST, NON-BITCHIEST, and most of all FUNNIEST (not funny like a clown, ya know, jes like, funny HA HA)post I have had the pleasure of recieving. Maybe it's Friday, I am in a good mood, but DAMN if I don't want to see a production of Harrison "I know, gang--we could do the show right here, in the old barn!" Sherwood's musical post. I was actually hearing and seeing it right there. MAGNIFICENT! ALSO - PAUL "Thank you for the invitation to dance but your not our type" BURGESS is a CLASS ACT bare none. That's the way you habdle these little shits like "vee tube(steak)", they ain't nothin' if you don't make them nothin'. >"William Dell Wisner" Subject: Everything's OK. As long as Andy Partridge can write songs like The Wheel And The Maypole life is worth living.< GOOD SHOW, MAN! XTC mentioned by a Fan on a Quiz show in Australia! Ed K's wonderful post on the "evils" of XTC's songs! Words from Manager, Recomendations, helpful suggestions, new bands to check out, articles to check out,-----YEAH! This issue of the digest should be a Hall of Famer, printed out and framed. This is the BEST list on the BEST group and if I sound like a flipping cheerleader (pun intended) than I'll wear it proudly! I just like when I am reminded why I love XTC so much. Thank you John Relph, Thank you fellow Chalkhillians, Thank you Molly(jes because!), and I invite you all over to my Country to recieve keys to the Kingdom of.... THE SKYLAR (no, I am not on PROZAC) KING http://www.mp3.com/phelan http://www.mp3.com/chalkheads Shameless self-promotion
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 11:54:30 -0500 (CDT) From: Marshall Needleman Armintor <mojo@rice.edu> Subject: courtney love/napster/albini Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.4.05.10006161116430.2980-100000@sparta.rice.edu> <<On a completely different note: another hotly debated topic of late has been Napster. I'm including a link to a speech given recently by Courtney Love. Despite your opinions about her as an artist/actress etc., she had some interesting and valuable points to make. Check it out : http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/index.html>> Like the T.S. Eliot-esque mature artist she is, Courtney Love knows innately how to thieve from the best. The first page of her diatribe is a near-verbatim compression of "The Problem With Music," written by uber-indie producer Steve Albini roughly seven years ago, and has been kicking around Usenet for at least that long. You can find it here: http://www.negativland.com/albini.html The whole of Love's screed should be news to nobody here, but it is worth reading, anyway, and at least she's actually saying it. Whether she means it or not is another issue entirely. She probably realizes her career's done, having alienated absolutely everyone that would help her write her next record, so why not? It may be helpful to realize that the record industry has only been in existence for less than a hundred years, and the first thing anyone tried to do was monopolize it -- Edison attempted to place a restrictive, proprietary patent on the wax cylinders themselves, guaranteeing that only RCA could even manufacture record, featuring only RCA-approved artists and recordings. It hasn't got any better since then, and ruthless marketing scum have always led and still control the industry. Napster is forcing the issue in a pointed way by showing how irrelevant major labels are in the process of getting music heard; plus, artists only really make a living by playing live. (How else was the Grateful Dead the biggest-grossing act in show business year after year?) If we went back to that, that wouldn't be all that bad. Arguably, we ARE back to that right about now. I don't know about y'all, but I never really use Napster, precisely because the stuff I really want, nobody is likely to have (Captain Beefheart's _Lick My Decals_, anyone?). Once again, the marginalized artists will still have their fans that shall pay for the music, because in all likelihood those diehard fans know and appreciate where the music come from, and are willing to support it. The Metallicas and Britney Spearses may have to go begging. The horror, the horror. Marshall np Medeski, Martin, and Wood comp
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 12:00:29 -0500 From: chris vreeland <vreecave@realtime.com> Subject: gender confusion Message-ID: <394A5D09.C31DC1F6@realtime.com> Jackie didn't know if he was a girl, or if she was a boy. Sorry, Eddie, I suppose I should stand up and take it LIKE A MAN...(harumph) chris vreeland states: << An unsigned message which emanated from: Saints3Den@aol.com Can't fool me, mister! (ms.?) >> well... this was from a SIGNED message. Uh, Sorry? You're right, I missed your name, but I certainly wasn't trying to insult you, just didn't want to sound gender-centric, since in my semi-blinded state I was unable to make an assignation from the part of your post I was actually able to read. My mistake. And, I DID fool you! ( by the way, Chris...is that Christopher or Christine?) OUCH! That smarts- haven't been the victim of such eloquent ripostery since my days in the Small Square World! But, the answer would be... Neither! the full given name is Christophe, but not to worry, I'm not French. You see, my mother was enamored of a Romain Roland novel during her pregnancy, so I got named after it's protagonist. It's an interminable tome about a musical genius who languishes in obscurity for most of his life... Oh, never mind, nobody here would understand... You are right on #1 #2 #3 technically correct on #4, but the answer I had in mind is SmileS. ( a "mile" with an "s" on each end-a really old kids joke) you get 1/2 credit for that. #5 you give four, I only asked for three, so i'll give extra credit Grade-95, an "A" I live with two eight-year-olds, so I'm a master of semantics. My daughter quipped last week: "Railroad crossing, train full of cars. Can you spell that without any r's?" I grinned and said "t-h-a-t." XTC content: that same daughter, the Princess Erin, requests Wasp Star whenever we get into the car. Her favorite so far is Stupidly Happy, but she really likes the fact that Holly is singing on Playground. It's that magical father-daughter thing, I guess. Signing off from the far-flung Isles of Langerhans, Christophe Carl "no, nothing's not my real name" Vreeland
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 13:31:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Cathryn Myers <cmyers2@law.upenn.edu> Subject: Orchids show this saturday Message-ID: <200006161731.NAA19450@law.upenn.edu> Hi Folks Are any of you NYC chalksters going to see the Orchids dance performance this Saturday? I will be going (and dragging my sister along) and would love to meet some of the faces behind the names. Maybe we could go out for dessert afterwards Cathy
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 10:38:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Brown <mb2@deltanet.com> Subject: Pausing for effect Message-ID: <200006161738.KAA23869@mail2.deltanet.com> Hope this gets in before John's break- Dorothy brought this up- <<Haven't seen anyone mention that the long delay between "Boarded Up" and ITMWML could have been a ploy to get people to turn up the volume, thinking they were missing something -- and then the music explodes in their ears!>> Good point!... lean forward in your seats, kidz.. then BLAMMO!! Rocket to 'em! I like to think that maybe the pause is just to prolong the deliciously deserted atmosphere... all goose pimples and such. Actually, the pause works both ways (it's a candy, it's a gum)- it allows you to linger in the all alone, then clears your palate just in time to put on yer dancin' shoes and cut the rug, Agnes!... oooh, just what kind of genius are we dealing with here?.. the rarest kind, me thinks- Bon voyage, Mr. Relph! Debora Brown --all this talk about Mark Strijbos and his amazing sexual prowess with women, men, and the occasional consenting farm animal... I thought EVERYONE knew the secret to his success.. well.. let's just say that the 'lighthouse' ain't so small, and leave it at that, mmm-kay?
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 13:40:59 -0400 From: Jeff Eason <eason@mountaintimes.com> Subject: Anthony Newley Rocks! Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000616134059.00807100@mountaintimes.com> Stop Talkiing and Start Chalking: People who think they hate musicals should immerse themselves in a copy of "The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd". This mid-60s musical is best known for the two songs "The Joker" and "Who Can I Turn To?", both marvelously sung by the late Anthony Newly. David Bowie actually gave props to Newly and you can definitely hear his influence on "Diamond Dogs" and other Bowie albums from that era. I think one of the reasons that a lot of young people have trouble getting into musicals is the fact that most of the ones written in the last twenty years either just plain suck or they are so nostalgic that they don't connect with young music lovers. I too would love to see Partridge and other talented songwriters of the day take on the genre. In response to Ed K's request for a starting point for exploring Richard Thompson's music: Definitely check out the Rykodisc/Hannibal 3-CD retrospective "Watching the Dark". It's a bit of an investment, but it will give you an idea of whether you want to explore early Fairport stuff, the Richard/Linda years, or his most recent work. Chances are you'll love it all. For some reason, I really like the quirkier albums like "Sunnyvista" and "Industry". Knock knock. Who's there? Sam & Janet. Sam & Janet who? (sung) Sam & Janet Evening! Cheers. Jeff "MC Hammerstein" Eason.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 11:18:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Molly Fanton <mfanton99@yahoo.com> Subject: No they aren't Message-ID: <20000616181846.10113.qmail@web1305.mail.yahoo.com> Warren, you're not the only one on the list who likes ELP, ELO and Wings. They're all great bands, and I don't think they're crap. Everyone has different tastes in music, and I don't think we should judge one person's tastes in music, because your music might be crap to someone else. I also like Roxy Music, Genesis (both Peter Gabrial and Phil Collins), Moody Blues and Styx. To some people in here they're crap, but others in here might like them also. XTC Content: I can't believe I heard the whole thing of White Music on Wednesday. Now I know why this isn't their best album. But I have to remember they were young and it was their first album, so of course it was going to sound a bit rusty. There are a few good songs, especially Statue of Liberty. Now I can't wait until I hear Go2 on Saturday the 25th, because I want to see if it sounds any differently. Molly ===== Molly's Pages: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/index.html My Tribute to Talk Talk & .O.Rang: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/talktalkorang.html
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 12:43:22 -0600 From: KirK.Gill@equifax.com Subject: Worst Band Candidates, and "Rocket" Message-ID: <85256900.00679747.00@noteswetc15.fin.equifax.com> Worst bands? I prefer to slag on bands I never liked, as opposed to ones that I once liked and am now embarrassed by. How's about The Bay City Rollers? The Knack? Flock of Seagulls? Joe Satriani? A cousin who lives in Ellesmere Port (which is a dump, by the way) swears that XTC is the worst band ever. But, as I said, he lives in a dump, so... Does anyone know the history behind an XTC track called "Rocket" that appears on a compilation disc honoring the poet E. Nyles Brookings? It's a great tune, I think in 7/8 time, that sounds like it's exclusively Andy. Any knowledge out there for me? Most of the other tunes on the disc are by acts that I'm unfamiliar with (with the exception of Fred Frith), but there's some fun songs. Another fave act from the 80's that hasn't been mentioned: Laurie Anderson. Her Empty Spaces tour may have been the best show of the decade.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 19:51:27 +0100 From: Belinda Blanchard <b.blanchard@which.net> Subject: XTC BBC INTERVIEW ALERT Message-ID: <394A772F.4DBA0AF3@which.net> I posted earlier about XTC bing interviewed on the Gary Crowley show (FIND those vowels Gary!) at 10.00pm till midnight Tuesday 20th June but it may be 27th. In all my excitement I can't remember which it was. 94.9FM on BBC London Live radio. Now THAT will be a listening party! Shall we all turn up at the studios and make like fans? Love BELINDA
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 15:28:02 EDT From: StucoHomes@aol.com Subject: ELP and XTC Message-ID: <c8.6402d55.267bd9c2@aol.com> In a message dated 6/16/00 11:58:43 AM US Eastern Standard Time, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> writes: > Subject: Worst band in the world: Emerson Lake and Palmer > > I'm afraid I have to admit that I am possibly the only ELP and XTC fan on > this website.I'm aware of all the bad press they got for being overblown, > pompous, over-long instrumentals and ruining the "Classics", but the worst > band in the world??!!!! COME ON!!! Yeah, I used to be a huge ELP fan, and still enjoy their work. The worst band in the world has only been heard by the people who know them. They exist in somebody's parents' basement somewhere. > If you remove all the pre-conceptions (and instrumental solos!) and just > listen to the music, some of it is fantastic and Greg Lake did some > beautiful ballads. Most of all they were a fantastic live band to watch, > with terrific showmanship and musical ability. Indeed! Saw them opening for Jethro Tull back in '96 and they were amazing. Not as good as Ian and the boys, however :) - - - Reverend Jody L. Barnes http://members.aol.com/StucoHomes "May the baby Jesus shut your mouth and open your mind." - Don Vliet "He who hesitates is lost." - Andy Partridge
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 12:52:51 -0700 (PDT) From: MARK ELLIOTT <frontln99@yahoo.com> Subject: mAN IN A sHED Message-ID: <20000616195251.22067.qmail@web122.yahoomail.com> Howdy Chalkies! I know some on this list are Nick drake fans so here's a unique and groovey event happening in NYC this Monday, 6/19/00 ~ of course Nick Drakes birthday.. Here is the data: chickfactor Presents: A Nick Drake Birthday Tribute featured performers include: Connie Lovatt (The Pacific Ocean) Fontaine Toups (Versus) The Mad Scene Black Beetle Kendall Meade/Mascott Bob Bannister (Fire in the Kitchen, Tono Bungay) Chris Lee LD Beghtol (Magnetic Fields, Flare) Dudley Klute (Magnetic Fields) Jon De Rosa (Flare, Aarktica, Dead Leaves Rising) Gordon Zacharias (The Fan Modine) Doors open at 8:00; Cover is $8. for info & direction to THE FEZ (under the TIME CAFE) go to : http://feznyc.com/ I'm going....anyone want to meet up drop me a line ! XTC Content: I'm SURE that Sir Andy is a Nick Drake fan!!! has to be!!! mark ===== SUPPORT GIG RECORDS! HOME OF MILES HUNT, GROUNDSWELL U.K. & THE AMAZING MEET PROJECT!! INFO @ WWW.GIGRECORDS.COM
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 16:31:23 -0400 From: "C. Bisson" <cbisson@mediaone.net> Subject: Charlie Parker Message-ID: <394A8E9B.6DD50687@mediaone.net> Mr Sikoski mentioned Charlie Parker- the musician- in his last post and I was just wondering if Andy still has his dog? Anyone know? Thanks....
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 14:10:37 -0700 From: Kerry Chicoine <kchicoine@mailorder.com> Subject: Re: Emerson, Lake and PeePee? Message-ID: <394A97CD.E328764B@mailorder.com> Organization: American Computer Group Warren Butson posted: > I'm afraid I have to admit that I am possibly the only ELP and XTC fan on > this website. No way brutha! I, too, am an ELP fan from the beginning. ELP were the first 'real' band that really whacked my weeds; prior to them I was pretty much an AM radio pop hits kid. Most if not all of my 12 year-old companions couldn't quite grasp the musical magnitude of ELP, so I'm used to the abuse we ELP fans constantly endure. Let me say this: Keith Emerson is the all-time greatest rock keyboardist who ever has or ever will live. There are no words adequate to describe his talents as both composer and musician. He is, simply, amazing. Having said that, I feel Greg Lake was only capable of writing adequate ballads and Carl Palmer was an oddly disciplined soul who, sadly, overplayed virtually everything. Any fool who slags off ELP as the worst band in the world is and shall henceforth be considered an ignoramus. Oh, xTc's music eclipses anything ELP have ever recorded, in my most humble daisy. But I love them both. Kerry Kompost
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 16:44:13 -0400 From: Derek Christoff <blindowl@sympatico.ca> Subject: Black Sea Message-ID: <394A919D.2000409@sympatico.ca> Listened to Black Sea today for the first time in a long time. It's still a classic and so, so...... eighties. Andy P. did a lot of /hiccup/ singing back then but I gotta say "Rocket from a Bottle" is a fantastic song. Loved it then, still love it now. And for the record, Colin only had 2 songs on that LP in keeping with his ratio. Interesting to hear how their songwriting and singing has changed so much in 20 years.
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 17:43:49 EDT From: JamieCFC1@aol.com Subject: Re: The Flowers Message-ID: <2b.7211c1c.267bf995@aol.com> In a message dated 16/06/00 17:36:31 GMT Daylight Time, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> writes: << Where'd All The XTC Go? >> Ummm.... maybe they sold em, perhaps?
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 23:25:33 EDT From: WTDK@aol.com Subject: In Defense of the Church Message-ID: <be.5528355.267c49ad@aol.com> Don't remember who wrote it (or why) but there was a comment about the Church's Steve Kilbey being a "junkie". To the best of my knowledge while Kilbey does do recreational drugs, he has never been a junkie. In fact their former drummer (Ploog) was reportedly eased out of the band due to the same problem. Now mind you recreational drug use probably isn't the best thing in the world but in some respects it's no different from recreational drinking (well, ok, one is illegal and the other isn't). Then again that would explain a couple of albums.... ELP worst band in the world? Nah....at least they tried to make a decent noise (tried being the operative word). Lake is a pretty darn good songwriter when he sets his mind to it. I got bored with them after their 2nd or 3rd album. Now Love Beach that was a pretty offensive sounding record. Almost as offensive sounding as McCartney's Wild Life album (yes, all the ex-Beatles have their fair share of stinkers Lennon included). Unfortunately I can't say the same for Starland Vocal Band. That comment stands. Afternoon Delight is one of those songs that makes me want to vomit. I'd suggest SVB and Asia as music most likely to cause migraines. Arthur Brown? Well, there was nothing wrong with his single it's just that he kept grinding out the same garbage time after time (maybe the flames got a little too hot for his head). I want to thank TVT for their quick response when my local store didn't have the promo CD single. They emailed me back within a day, asked me for the address and promised to send more (which they did). Additionally, they send me a copy because I had already purchased Wasp Star there. From what I understand (this from the store manager where I picked up WS) this was a premium that was offered to stores and they could choose to partake (or not). I could be wrong about this.... My nominees for worst album by a major artist would include... Cat Stevens -Back to Earth HE should have called it the contractual obligation album. Trashmonk (AKA the lead singer/songwriter from the Dream Academy) The title of the band says it all. Wings-Wild Life Should have been called No Life. This along with Lennon's Sometime in NYC , Harrison's Extra Texture and Ringo's Ringo the 4th has to rank as one of the worst albums by a major artist--ever. And I'm a McCartney fan! Bruce Springsteen-The Ghost of Tom Joad Made me want to drive over the nearest cliff. It isn't even inspired by the novel but the film!(I guess the Boss doesn't read much anymore) There are infinitely more but I'll let you folks write about it. Oh, there's no Xtc on the list although Go+ came awfully close. Wayne
------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 00 21:03:34 PDT From: Chris Wisniewski <riserius1@netscape.net> Subject: Question for all the Stupidly Happy critics Message-ID: <20000617040334.6422.qmail@www0s.netaddress.usa.net> Please clear something up for me; The main argument against Stupidly Happy seems to be that it just repeats over and over without going anywhere,that there's no middle 8...in short it's too repetitive. My question is: Why is it genius to repeat the same riff over and over with an orchestra (River Of Orchids), but repeating a riff ad nauseum with a guitar makes it "dumb" somehow. Talk about snobbery... Chris W "Who was the man with no face?" -- A. Harvey
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 20:34:02 -0700 From: "Bob Claster" <bob@pagebbs.com> Subject: Sondheim, Lehrer, and my vote for the next XTC Producer! Message-ID: <NCBBLALOOPICLPOHJOAKEEKBCKAA.bob@pagebbs.com> Dan said: >>Lehrer said of Sondheim (I'm quoting from memory) "He's the best lyricist >>the English language has ever produced. And that's not an opinion, that's a >>fact." I guess mathmeticians like certainties ... Well, you needn't quote from memory when I can quote from an interview I did with Lehrer on a radio show I used to do here in Los Angeles: BC: Are you a fan of Stephen Sondheim? TL: Yes indeed. I think he's the greatest lyricist that ever was. BC: I had a feeling you'd feel that way. Then again, my vote for the greatest rhyme of all time goes to your rhyming "Oedipus" with "platypus." TL: Ah, well, but I had to stretch it, though. Sondheim has got some brilliant ones, which I won't even bother to go into. BC: Have you ever tried to do his crossword puzzles? TL: Yeah, yeah, I got the book and I worked through them all. BC: Congratulations. You must be murder at Scrabble. TL: He must be. BC: You must be too. TL: No, no, yeah, I suppose... but I don't like competition so I don't do that. I like crossword puzzles because I can do them alone. But if I have to compete with someone else, then that takes on a whole different tenor there. Speaking of a whole different tenor, my nomination for the next producer for XTC (I know the topic was musicians, but...) is Van Dyke Parks. Two other unrelated XTC queries: 1. Was there a demo for "In Another Life?" I found a treasure trove of XTC thanks to that software that starts with an N, but that song was not among them. 2. I've seen an insert that came in one of the XTC hits collections or leftovers collections in which Andy Partridge comments on the entire back catalogue with candor and an endearing degree of self-deprecation. Sort of along the lines of "Well, if you had money burning a hole in your pocket, here are a few things you could spend it on." I searched in vain on the Chalkhills site for this seemingly invaluable and entertaining text. Can someone point me to it? Bob Claster bob@pagebbs.com ooo`oooo,cc,oooo`oooo,cc,oooo`oooo,cc,oooo`oooo,cc,oooo`oooo
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-173 *******************************
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