Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 204
Date: Tuesday, 25 July 2000

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 204

                  Tuesday, 25 July 2000

Topics:

                   Re: Themes from XTC
                And if you *are* an Alien?
               Re: "I Will Always Love You"
                     One more stinky
        P.S. Wasting bandwidth - So I'll Continue
                 babies are good for you
                    Re: Comedy Records
                   Re: A Big Raspberry
                     Aliens And Stuff
                          Aliens
             About to be abducted by an alien
             Never will I lose the good mind
                   beating a dead horse
                        busy busy
                         nap time
                    another AV1 review
                        Free Beer!
       Re: Firesign Theatre & Alien Abduction Discs
      Re: Creamy Peaked Artists with a Cherry on Top
                On the young people thread
                   Rap The Funk For Joe

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Neon Shuffle and shuffle into Outer Space.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 16:10:49 EDT
From: Jxnsmom@aol.com
Subject: Re: Themes from XTC
Message-ID: <98.7dad39f.26aa0849@aol.com>

<< Around The World theme -- "It's Nearly Africa" >>

Don't forget "Living Through Another Cuba."

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 19:22:43 CDT
From: "vee tube" <veetube@hotmail.com>
Subject: And if you *are* an Alien?
Message-ID: <20000722002243.94312.qmail@hotmail.com>

   And you were given an ambassodoreshrimp to
planet Earth. Your Mission? Spread our 'Special'
Tar Tar Sauce upon the Humans.

   Then one day,the High Spawnstriss orders you to
"Abduct 5 'Hillers! too participate in our 'Wonder
Annual-Harvest/Fertility Festival!

     What would YOU!DO?!?!?!?!?!?!

                }---:?

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 17:31:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: Dorothy Spirito <spiritod@techmail.gdc.com>
Subject: Re: "I Will Always Love You"
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.4.00.10007211716480.10471-100000@esun2028>

Jeff Thomas slagged this *song*, but it sounded as if he was slagging
Whitney Houston's *rendition* of it.  The *original* song, which was
written & recorded by Dolly Parton, I like.

--Dorothy.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 17:47:41 -0700
From: Ed Kedzierski <ed.kedzierski@blvdmedia.com>
Subject: One more stinky
Message-ID: <08B5DDC2BABCD311BFC6005004A884B013B771@mgcservices.com>

One more awful band nobody's mentioned:
Huey Lewis and the News.

Maybe everyone just suppressed the traumatic memory of their horrible
garbage, I don't know. I'd be really surprised if anyone leaped to their
defence, but then again...
Ugly memory: that radio version of "Heart of Rock & Roll" with the name of
"your city here" edited into the ending.
The guy looked like he should've been a gym teacher...

Ed K.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 21:37:52 +0100 (BST)
From: Rory Wilsher <rory_wilsher@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: P.S. Wasting bandwidth - So I'll Continue
Message-ID: <20000721203752.905.qmail@web1504.mail.yahoo.com>

Maximum big surprise...

Sorry for all the postings in a row - have been
experiencing difficulty with my e-mail so had loads of
stuff waiting in my outbox.

If anyone knows the solution to using Outlook Express
with yahoo.co.uk smtp server, please mail me off-list.
I can receive (using pop3) but not send!?!

Rory "Why do I find it hard to write the right words?"
Wilsher

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 15:35:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: brown <mb2@deltanet.com>
Subject: babies are good for you
Message-ID: <200007212235.PAA25774@mail2.deltanet.com>

Debora - I'm a little bemused -
This is one of our 'sultry evening
barbecue' selections.. (the perfect companion to brown sugar baby-back
ribs and a bottle of Beck's.. mmmm)
You eat babies?  Does they taste like pork or chicken?

..strangely enough, Jayne, they taste nothing like pork or chicken.. think
Shiitake mushroom, only sweeter..  delish!

Debora 'do you like yours well done?' Brown

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 15:28:40 -0700
From: "Victor Rocha" <wstsidela@mediaone.net>
Subject: Re: Comedy Records
Message-ID: <00ab01bff363$05f4bba0$45548218@we.mediaone.net>

this is kind of off the subject but some of the most influential albums in
my life were comedy albums:
in no particular order:

Richard Pryor's That Ni**er's Crazy & Bicentennial Ni**er

Cheech and Chongs 1st album and Big Bamboo

 National Lampoons' Radio TV Dinner & Goodbye Pop

George Carlin's Class Clown

and the movies of Monty Python

how about you?

Victor Rocha
California Indian Gaming News
Los Angeles, California
www.pechanga.net

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 23:12:37 EDT
From: WTDK@aol.com
Subject: Re: A Big Raspberry
Message-ID: <d9.73168db.26aa6b25@aol.com>

Smudgeboy admitted-

Gulp, right, on to Paper Lace. Now, although I can look/sound
reasonably cool and with it when people ask me "what was the first
album you ever bought" (A Collection of Beatles Oldies But Goldies),
I dread people asking me what was the first album you ever OWNED.

Well, Smudgeboy you aren't alone. I, too, had the Paperlace album. That
was after I purchased the horrid remake by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
(who got their big, big break on American Bandstand).

Then again, I followed that up with the second Raspberries album (Fresh I
believe) which, despite one or two weak songs is a great power pop record.

>  Jeff asked-
>
>  * * * *
>  PS - Who sang "Wild Fire"?

Wasn't that Michael Martin Murphy?

Wayne

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 21:18:49 +0100 (BST)
From: Rory Wilsher <rory_wilsher@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Aliens And Stuff
Message-ID: <20000721201849.18430.qmail@web1503.mail.yahoo.com>

MJC/Poisongold Wrote:

<< Ok, here's the scenario. You're being abducted by
kindly aliens from a
 galaxy far, far, away. You are told to bring 5 music
CD's with you . What
 are they? >>

Compilations of Britney Spears, Boyzone, Starland
Vocal Band, Night Ranger,
Vanilla Ice.  Five bad CDs off Earth forever.

OK, you MUST be an alien. I was drafting a post along
these lines, and you obviously used your alien mind
control and telepathy to get there before me.

Can I just ask that you add Eminem to this list, and
then use your powers to delete all memory of his
existence from the entire human race?

Thanks in advance

Rory "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? It
makes him an easier target" Wilsher

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 21:29:40 +0100 (BST)
From: Rory Wilsher <rory_wilsher@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Aliens
Message-ID: <20000721202940.6583.qmail@web1502.mail.yahoo.com>

1. Skylarking  XTC. No explanation needed.

OK, it goes downhill rapidly from here...

2. A Night At The Opera  Queen. A timeless classic,
and also contains the greatest song...ever!
3. Arena - Duran Duran. Largely for Careless Memories
live.
4. Violator - Depeche Mode. Its really quite good.
5. Blue Sky Mining  Midnight Oil. Whos gonna shave
me?

You dont mind waiting? I can pick another 5? Oh,
youre very civilised aliens indeed. Hmmm, let me
think...

6. Doot Doot  Freur. Those diamonds and pearls are
divine.
7. Quick Step & Side Kick  The Thompson Twins. Sorry.
8. Eternal Nightcap  The Whitlams. Theyre fun to
have around.
9. Very  Pet Shop Boys. Their last good album.
10. Happiness  The Beloved. Saints and sinners,
welcome all.

Rory I Like Wounded Horse Wilsher

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 21:24:30 EDT
From: JulieJJ@aol.com
Subject: About to be abducted by an alien
Message-ID: <54.6ef1257.26aa51ce@aol.com>

I am about to fly out to meet my husband for a week of camping in the
mountains of NY state - pretty close to being abducted by an alien in my
book - tonight I'm trying to compile a short stack of CDs to take.

My five (although it will change by tomorrow):

1.  The Legend of Todd Rundgren-Runt/Todd Rundgren (yes, I listen to him
still - he threw us longtime fans a bone on his most recent that came out a
few weeks ago - he has a few more summer tour dates in the NE if you can
catch him)
2.  Stranded - Roxy Music
3.  Skylarking - or can I bring my self-made CD of 20 XTC favorites?
4.  Fear of Music - Talking Heads
5.  Green Thoughts - The Smithereens

The plan:  play enough XTC and Todd Rundgren to drive my husband nuts so I
can return to civilization earlier.  Might work with aliens too, who knows.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 18:31:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Rodney Eric Griffith <rodneye@inspiracy.com>
Subject: Never will I lose the good mind
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.05.10007131222190.10695-100000@bigbird.en.com>
Organization: Inspiracy Press

The ongoing discussions of bad albums by major artists and bad artists
overall are an abyss I'd rather not have staring back at me.

I admit I visibly cringe when anyone mentions that unspeakably
horrible band, appropriately named after a mythical sewer, but cursing
the darkness gives it more attention than it deserves.

>>>

"Would you let the aliens land, please? They might be here to pick me
up." - B. Hicks.  With that in mind, I choose:

Relentless by Bill Hicks (Rykodisc)
Arizona Bay by Bill Hicks (Rykodisc)
Rant In E Minor by Bill Hicks (Rykodisc)
The Beatles by The Beatles (Apple)
Piper at the Gates of Dawn (mono version) by The Pink Floyd (EMI); if
only because I feel obligated to include at least one trendy
space-related track somewhere

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 20:41:42 CDT
From: "Megan Heller" <hellerm@hotmail.com>
Subject: beating a dead horse
Message-ID: <F22AmsfGdMNFmWAFsTm000023bb@hotmail.com>

Joe Funk just had to do it--
>Thought I should stir things up with you youngsters (not necessarily
>YOU young XTC fans), and your predilection for Hip-Hop and
>instant mashed music...

Oh my holy god, not a-bloody-gain.

>We started off with Ragtime,.. Big Band,... Jazz Combos, ...R&B,
>...Rock, ..Funk, ..Teeny bop, .. now, Rap!!  Rap!!  To quote a
>friend of mine: "It (Rap) creates no new music, just recycles old, we
>need to recycle paper, glass and plastic, not music.  What's next?
>Samples of other rapper sample based songs? "   Pretty soon, the
>need for musicians in Pop music will no longer be necessary........
>Why use musicians when you can slap together a conglomeration of
>samples that's only use is for the backdrop of some video featuring
>half-naked ladies and some egotistical idiot screaming about
>shooting some fuckin' cops!!

puh-leeze.  What a load of balls.

For further comment, see posts in the archives from about this time last
year.

m.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 00:27:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: busy busy
Message-ID: <20000723072723.2595.qmail@web2106.mail.yahoo.com>

god!
I go away for four days and there are 36 e-mail
messages waiing for me!
Including 6 Chalkhills which seemed to be full of
old/young arguments (I was an instegator there, I
admit), what bands suck now, and lists of cool band
names (some of you have put WAY too much thought into
this, others not enough!)
I'm abstaining for now from the who sucks now
argument.
As for band names, a bunch of college friends and I
talked of starting a band for a while (not leting the
fact that we played no instruments stop us). our name
was going to be either Psychic Pets or Orange Mom.

So where was I?
In Ann Arbor, helping my mom run her booth at the
huge, crowded four-day Ann Arbor Art Fair  (or the
Fart Air, as it is sometimes known).
It was fun going back to Ann Arbor, my former hometown
(moved 2 years ago). Hooked up with old friends, sat
in the sun, got little sleep. Didn't have time to hit
the various used record shops around town too
seriously, but did come away with Yazbek's Laughing
Man for $6.00 and Robert Wyatt's eps collection (5
discs in a box-all his ep-length work including an
enhanced cd with the video of Shipbuilding) for $20.

must sleep now, it's 2:30 am in Chicago and I'm on
Michigan time, so it feels like 3:30.

Tired Tyler

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 14:14:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brown <mb2@deltanet.com>
Subject: nap time
Message-ID: <200007212114.OAA04343@mail2.deltanet.com>

Hey there,

(If you've seen this or it has already been posted here, blame Frank)
..............

  Since the RIAA filed suit, each side in the Napster
  debate has pointed to studies that track CD-purchasing
  habits to bolster its case. Last month, Yankelovich
  partners unveiled a study finding that two-thirds of those
  surveyed were prompted to buy music after listening to
  a song online.

  But that same week, the recording industry released
  two surveys to support its argument. One found that
  nearly half of Napster users acknowledged that they
  used the service instead of buying CDs. The other found
  that music sales declined in areas that have large
  numbers of college students, who are big Napster
  users.

  The new Jupiter study criticized the research that the
  RIAA relies upon, saying it isn't accurate because it
  doesn't measure the fact that online sales have eaten
  into local music purchases. "The RIAA did not clarify
  that the most attrition took place before Napster's
  launch, and the analysis did not account for channel
  shift to online transactions that would have occurred
  independent of Napster's existence," Sinnriech said.--

Taken from an article entitled, Study:Napster Boosts CD Sales, written by
Lisa M. Bowman.  You can find the complete article at www.zdnet.com.

There you go-

Debora Brown


------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 23:57:48 -0500
From: Ned <nedrise@MNSi.Net>
Subject: another AV1 review
Message-ID: <397929B1.6B08519@mnsi.net>

Has anyone checked out the AV1 review that has been recently
posted to Chalkhills? It's from some maga(or web)zine called
Freaky Trigger and the review is written by Tom Ewing. He
prefaces by describing Nonsuch thuswise:

XTC's last album, Nonsuch, was as near to wretchedness as
anything they'd produced since their early days, and even that
teething period had a bug-eyed spikiness to recommend it. Nonsuch
was all craft, no play, from its arch period lettering through to the
final sleek notes. Its best track was plainly a throwaway grab for hit
status (The Disappointed), and even its handful of memorable tunes
sounded somehow sickly. It wasn't that the ideas weren't there -
Omnibus and Rook and Bungalow were crammed with them - it was
that the execution was so dispiritingly lacking in conviction,
as if the ideas alone were enough. (And it didn't help that Colin Moulding's
contributions included the deeply risible The Smartest Monkeys.)

That's the best description of Nonsuch I've ever read.  And I still
love that album, but that's the painful truth.

*As if the ideas alone were enough.*

Mike

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 18:54:23 EDT
From: "Kevin Diamond" <kev_boy@hotmail.com>
Subject: Free Beer!
Message-ID: <LAW-F925sZKxt8zPdqJ0000355d@hotmail.com>

>One guaranteed to get the punters in (unlike Channel D):
>
>Freebeer

Oh lord, how may times has this been used? There was a band around here that
was called 10 cent Beers. Same concept.

One really good (if strange) band that used to be called Free Beer is The
Spinto Band. They're an MP3.com band, and I wouldn't recomend them for
everybody. Their music is an aquired taste. Full of childish gags and
humourous raps and poppy music, it's a strange amalgam. Almost like Ween
trapped in Hanson's body times two and a third. (there are 7 of them, as
opposed to Hanson's three.) Give 'em a try. They're friends of mine,
although I've only met one of them.

www.mp3.com/spintoband

and while you're at it, check out
www.mp3.com/bass-cleff my solo site which has a song I wrote and recorded
with one of the members of The Spinto Band and
www.mp3.com/frenchelectric my full band.

But enough about me, let's talk about.... me.

Did anyone see the Turn Ben Stein On when he talked with Chuck D? It gave
me a new respect for Rap music. This show is a fantastic show, and I hope
it outlives Win Ben Steins Money and goes on for a while, cause it's one
of the best talk shows I've ever seen.

Kevin Diamond

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 22:29:26 GMT
From: "Steve Stearns" <xteve@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Firesign Theatre & Alien Abduction Discs
Message-ID: <F95M3oryKFRJrzdDW6l00001459@hotmail.com>

Ed K. among others, wrote of his love for the Firesign Theatre. Anyone here
ever seen their film "J-Men Forever?" Now that is one FUNNY movie.  It's a
compilation of a bunch of old Republic serials from the 30s and 40s with
dubbed over commentary a la MST3K . . .but YEARS before there was such a
thing.  An evil villian plots to take over the airwaves with rock n roll,
while a rag tag band of heroes fights back to make the world safe for
Lawrence Welk.

There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Leonard Nimoy cameo and a veritable
mountain of great lines and characters, such as the Army's #1 enlisted man,
Pvt. Parts.

It's a crime this film isn't available on video of any kind.

My Alien Abduction 5, in no particular order:

XTC - English Settlement
Love & Rockets - Express
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Black Crowes - Amorica (BTW whoever mentioned that BC/Jimmy Page album is
right. Chris Robinson is a great vocalist & the album RAWKS.)
tie: Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving, Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

Damn that was hard to trim to 5!

Steve "John McLaughlin ain't got nothin' on THIS riff" Stearns

XTC Content: Stupidly Happy would be a great choice for the next single, but
We're All Light would be better.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 12:58:31 -0700
From: Eb <gondola@deltanet.com>
Subject: Re: Creamy Peaked Artists with a Cherry on Top
Message-ID: <f04310102b59d84f7e329@[206.173.208.212]>

>From: Misty Shock <mccrtny@scn.org>, regarding "Baby One More Time"
>
>>Fran Healy from
>>Travis was among the people who listed it as one of his favorite songs.

Coincidentally (or not?), KROQ in Los Angeles has been playing a tape of
Travis performing this song acoustically, during an in-studio performance.
Sounds surprisingly good, too.

Artists who peaked with their first album? Creatively or commercially? In
any case, I might start with the Violent Femmes, Pretenders, Mike Oldfield,
Moby Grape, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tracy Chapman, the Bangles, This Mortal
Coil, Bongwater, Television, Richard Hell, the Sugarcubes, De La Soul,
Procol Harum, Jesus Jones, Gang of Four, Phranc, That Petrol Emotion,
Laurie Anderson, Devo, X, the Velvet Underground, Boston, Meatloaf, the
Undertones, Lush, Mazzy Star, Bettie Serveert, the Seeds, Elastica (I'm
already giving up on them, based on the dismal new album), the Spinanes,
Polara, the Lounge Lizards, P.M. Dawn, Ben Folds Five, Luna, Primus, the
Jesus & Mary Chain, Patti Smith, Throwing Muses, the Geraldine Fibbers,
Jimi Hendrix, Liz Phair, the Byrds, Tiny Tim, Poi Dog Pondering...and of
course, the Shaggs.

Eb, reverently evoking the phantom-subject-line fairy

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 21:22:45 +0100 (BST)
From: Rory Wilsher <rory_wilsher@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: On the young people thread
Message-ID: <20000721202245.5658.qmail@web1502.mail.yahoo.com>

Denizens,

When I could still wear cool clothes and only look
ridiculous (as opposed to old and ridiculous), the
"cool" thing was considered to be listening to music
that no-one else had ever heard of (like Boy and
October by U2). This allowed one to make the ultimate
cool comment when the band finally hit the big time
and everyone's talking about and buying their third
album: "Of course, I prefer their early work."

But, even back then, there were the square kids (still
listening to disco) and the cool kids. Don't know if
I'm right or wrong on this, but the difference today
seems to be the proportions have changed dramatically
towards the square kids. But I'm pleased to see that
the remaining cool kids (and I include you
20-somethings in that!) are here on Chalkhills
discussing music well.

On a related subject (can't remember who posted on
this) - ability for independent thought: where I work
there are a number of young-ish people who I am
attempting to teach to use an analytical software
programme. They're coming on in leaps and bounds on
the programming, but whenever I set them a problem to
solve without giving specific instructions on how to
solve it, it seems they're totally lost. Is it just me
or is the capacity to think for oneself steadily being
removed by our education system?

Or am I barking mad?

Rory "When I was young, I thought that life was so..." Wilsher

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 20:31:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Radios In Motion <radiosinmotion@iwon.com>
Subject: Rap The Funk For Joe
Message-ID: <384387757.964225909599.JavaMail.root@web186-iw>

This is in regards to "Joe Funks's" message about Rap music.  First, I must
say that I completely hate Rap music right now.  In fact Joe, the statement
about people using resampled beats, well, unfortunately it has been done.
There are 3rd generation samples being used at this point. Rap music on the
radio really sucks.

Now comes my beef with your post.  You made your observation without any
knowledge or experience in Rap music.  First, only the shit you hear on the
radio is sampled.  About 80% of rap music is done without the use of other
peoples music.   A lot of it is sample based, but from using keyboards and
samplers sampling live instruments.  For example, using a drum machine.
Many groups play their own guitar and bass sounds and then loop the sounds.
Unoriginal yes, but I have heard even the Beatles and Monkeys have done
that!

Second, about 30% of that 80% of artists have full live bands.  Not just the
Beastie Boys, there are tons of groups that I have heard and know of that
use a full live band with their music.
Everyone gives Rap a bad rap, but that is mostly based on ignorence.  If you
were going to assume that the music on the radio represents the music as a
whole, then that would mean in the 80's if I did not like Duran Duran, XTC
would also suck.  Get me?  You can't judge an entire genres of music based
on ignorence.  There is actually quite a few good rap groups.

Notice to all: If you are ever in a real bad mood, play the CD "Thing Fish"
from Frank Zappa.  Its sure to put you in a good mood.

Oh, the worse fucking band in the world has to be the Oakridge Boys.

------------------------------

End of Chalkhills Digest #6-204
*******************************

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26 July 2000 / Feedback