Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 235
Date: Saturday, 12 August 2000

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 235

                 Saturday, 12 August 2000

Topics:

            Pissing off parents (and everyone)
               The Long and Winding Road...
                    bitchiness tonight
      Faggots! (An open letter to Eric Schlichting)
                      Re: Eagle Poop
               Totally Twisted Translations
                      Moby the Dick
                    Travels in Nylons
                 Re: A Huge Tape Recorder
                  Re: New Non-XTC Thread
                  International Feeeel!
      Looks are deceptive/But distinctions are clear
                     OK, I admit it!
            A Listen is worth a Thousand Words
                        Re: Drumbo
              Any Irish Chalkers out there?
                  Where were you when...

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Softly softly in the night.

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

Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 16:48:15 -0700
From: Ed Kedzierski <ed.kedzierski@blvdmedia.com>
Subject: Pissing off parents (and everyone)
Message-ID: <08B5DDC2BABCD311BFC6005004A884B013B7B8@mgcservices.com>

Actually, it was almost impossible for me to do this - the house I grew up
in was designed in such a way that my room (the only occupied upstairs room)
could not be heard from the rest of the house, regardless of the volume of
my stereo. If I really cranked it, and I mean to the point where it was
uncomfortable for me to be in the same room, you could just barely hear
faint bass notes in the living room (which was, of course, unoccupied during
the late hours when I liked to play music). From my parent's room - nothing.
My mother was an ex-folkie who liked a lot of rock stuff I played her (esp.
Kinks - I should try exposing her to XTC), so there were never any big
problems.
I guess that's why they were so stunned the day I came home with a mohawk...

I did find the Residents, Yoko, Severed Heads, and many others useful in
driving friends and acquaintances up the wall over the years, though... I
mean it's easy to put off parents who grew up in a different time and can't
be expected to understand, but there's something so much funnier and more
satisfying in inspiring a look of incomprehension and exhasperation on the
face of someone your own age who you share more of a background with and
would be expected to have a similar definition of what's "cool".

In fact the game of "inflicto" (finding the worst music - usually on used
vinyl - and playing it to your friends until they beg you to stop) became a
mainstay for me and my friends over the years. Some of you were playing the
online version not long ago, (involving "Never Been to Me", "Lady in Red"
etc.) - our version involved actually forcing one another to listen,
sometimes to the whole song, though usually that first look of horrible
realization when the song is recognized (you don't let anyone see what the
record is, you stay hunched over the turntable to keep it a surprise) tended
to be the real point of the game.

I was in a college radio club one year, and that year we were probably the
most hated group of radio club guys ever. There were a couple of hardcore
guys, a couple of metal guys, and me playing obnoxious industrial and
experimental noise stuff with the occasional bit of bubblegum thrown in for
jarring incongruity, and the more complaints we received, the worse we got
in terms of retreating to the most inaccessible extremes of our individual
areas. Our meetings consisted of the group of us snickering over complaints
and exchanging stories about people banging on the doors and wanting to kill
us (My favourite: "could the aliens land a bit more quietly, please?" from
one of the student government types from the council office down the hall,
in response to a Severed Heads track consisting entirely of patched-together
noise samples). Pretty immature in retrospect, but it was such a long time
ago...
(And before you say, "hey, that's not funny, you guys were jerks, etc."
remember, we were young - ah, so young! - , we all have a jerky side of
ourselves to exorcise that's better taken care of at such an age, and hey,
it's a hell of a lot better than fighting and vandalism... besides, I'm
suffering now a hundred times over having to put up with the kind of pap
that gets played on regular radio; If I'd known it would get this bad, I
would have spent my own money to buy a copy of "Metal Machine Music" for the
use of the whole club...)

Squuuoooornk! Bleeeep! Blaattt!
Ed K.

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

Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 21:46:58 EDT
From: WTDK@aol.com
Subject: The Long and Winding Road...
Message-ID: <bb.6009959.26c4b512@aol.com>

> How 'bout hittin' me with a couple of songs or albums that you like but
> are embarrassed to admit to liking.  C'mon ya cowards, time to bare our
> shiny pink souls! I'll get the ball rollin' with a song and an album.

Well, Wes, I have to admit there are a couple of embarrassing skeletons
hiding in my closet (right next to my flared disco pants). Saturday Night
Fever is an album that I tried to detest but is too damn catchy. The songs
are crafted extremely well. I also have a weakness for ELO's song Can't Get
It Out of My Head (it's aptly titled) and parts of Face the Music.

Equally scary is the fact that I like David Gilmour's first post Waters
Pink Floyd album. It's catchy as hell but pretty empty in the ideas
department for the most part. Still love it, though. Any true Floyd fan
would probably detest it (I also like Waters' solo album recorded as Pink
Floyd The Final Cut). Don't know that those are as bad as Saturday Night
Fever or K. C. & The Sunshine Band (oops--I wasn't going to fess up to
that) but there you have it.

I'm actually happy that Stupidly Happy is so simple. It's still catch as
hell AND a good song!

Sooner or later,

Wayne

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

Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 22:06:36 CDT
From: "Megan Heller" <hellerm@hotmail.com>
Subject: bitchiness tonight
Message-ID: <F272oG1VRIjn04x29xD0000aff4@hotmail.com>

Harrison takes on the Great White Whale of a electropop musician--

>Say, perhaps one of you ultra-hip Urban Guerrillas might like to enlighten
>me...
>
>Given the information contained in the Washington Post article at
>http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59039-2000Aug8.html (if
>this link is more than two weeks old--and thus in the pay archives of
>the Post--e-mail me for the text of the article)....
>
>Maybe I'm just an outmoded old punk fart with my head up my ass,
>maybe I'm expecting too much, holding artists up to a standard of
>ethical behavior that is simply *inconvenient* in today's amoral
>climate, and maybe the concept of solidarity in opposition to class
>oppression went out with the Berlin Wall.  I don't know. But somebody
>take pity on an old man, please: Remind me, if you will, what exactly
>was it again that distinguishes Moby from a contemptible little sack
>of shit?

I read that article the other day.  I figured there are a couple of
possibilities.  Option A-- Moby is a contemptible little sack of shit.
Option B-- Moby is just another somewhat irresponsible artist with his head
up his ass, while his business manager and Lomax's publishing company
(Warner-Chapelle) are the full-fledged contemptible sacks of shit.
Basically, I think it's possible that Moby has no idea about this man's
story (or, probably didn't until this week).  It's possible-- the reporter
never spoke to him directly.  He sampled some artists he liked, respected,
whatever. (I don't have a problem with sampling, although, I agree, people
need to get paid.)  In the meantime, his business manager took care of the
legal stuff, paying off the publishing company, lying about them making any
money, hiding it in his pants, whatever.  Again, I'm not saying it's
possible that Moby's just the little angel that his manager makes him out to
be.  I just think he might be stupid.

Or he's an asshole.  I don't know-- the article certainly wasn't unbiased,
but I hope it does put pressure on to get money to the proper places.

Radios In Motion commented--
>Hey, at least we are all not talking about Jews & Politics.  It seems
>that is the only thing on the news nowadays.  On one hand, it should
>not be a big deal.  Who cares what religion, or race for that matter,
>someone is!  On the other, they are making it a big deal to get all
>the votes they (Gore & Lieberman) can from the Jewish community.

That's not the only reason it's a big deal.  I don't care what race,
religion, sex, etc., someone is, but apparently someone fucking does, or it
would not have taken this long to get a Jewish person on a presidential
ticket, even just as Vice President.  It's the same with non-whites and
women.  For the love of god (so to speak), reporters can't stop asking
whether his strict observance of the Sabbath will interfere with his work,
and explaining in dumbed-down language what an Orthodox Jew is.  It's not
dumbed-down just because the media likes to do that, either-- it's because
most people are DUMB.

THAT SAID (and I had PROMISED myself I would refrain from saying one
political word on here, avoid the presidential campaign talk and hope it
would fizzle), I do hate to complain about threads, but really, PLEASE
refrain from pointless (and yes, they all are, including mine) political
discussions.  Remember your etiquette when among a group of strangers with
whom you may very likely disagree-- never discuss politics or religion.  No
good points will be made, no arguments settled, and just a lot of headaches
will ensue.  I love to debate, but not when I know it will end with me
breaking my monitor.

Or tell me to fuck off.  Whatever.

better add some XTC content so no one quits over this post-- I really should
go listen to Wasp Star and lighten the hell up.

m.

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

Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 22:08:07 CDT
From: "vee tube" <veetube@hotmail.com>
Subject: Faggots! (An open letter to Eric Schlichting)
Message-ID: <F209dcDjoYAPNXRPmca000007bb@hotmail.com>

         Dear Mr.S.

   It seems you have a broken Babel Fish.
  Unfortunately it's out of warranty. But, if
  you'll allow me, I will answer all of your
  questions on this pubic forum.

01. As regards your confusion over the 'Faggot' thang,
  In the Olde English, Faggot=Bundle of 'sticks'='Woodies'
  Thus, your puzzlement over the...

     ..."But, faggots of fits-trapes melody"
        (see Chalk Vol.6 #230 RE:STOOPIDLY)

  Breaks down thus,

  Faggots=bunch

  Fits-trapes=(a typo) It's supposed to say "Fits Drapes"
    (when you install drapes in your abode,it 'feels' better)

   So, 'Fits Trapes'= 'the drapes fit'(and you feel better/
                 'Good' because of it)

  Now we have "Bunch-Feel-Good"

02. Melody=song.

03. If F=B and, FT=Good and, M=songs, it would seem,

      "Faggots of fits-trapes melody"

                  =

          "Bunch of good songs"

04. RE:Forts, Another Babel fish bites the dust! It should read,
        "Forces" Thus,"the two forts in topic" becomes,

      Forts=Forces=Andy+Colin. And the topic now becomes...

              ...XTC!

      I think all of this adds up to...

       A bunch of good songs by XTC!

    Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

                 }---:)

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

Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 20:19:02 -0700
From: "Victor Rocha" <wstsidela@mediaone.net>
Subject: Re: Eagle Poop
Message-ID: <00ef01c00342$e63c24c0$45548218@we.mediaone.net>

No XTC Content:

hey gang, boy-oh-boy have I got some dirt for you guys......here's the
story.

My bestfriend from high school is David Crosby's son. (this is a another
great story for another time) He invited me to see David at a benefit
concert last night in Santa Monica. see review:
http://www.latimes.com/print/calendar/20000810/t000074753.html

now here's the dirt. Randy Meisner was practically stalking Don Henley. I
guess they don't talk anymore but from the looks of it Henley doesn't like
Meisner. (remember Meisner left the Eagles after Hotel California) My friend
said Meisner was in the backstage area before the show singing old Eagle
songs. REAL LOUD! During the grand finale Meisner was trying unsuccesfully
to get Henley's attention. Henley kept looking in every direction but
Miesner's. it was really weird but cool.

The afterhours party was great. I hung out with Emmylou Harris, Jeff
Bridges, The great Harry Shearer/Derek Smalls. Leland Sklar, Alvin Lee and
of course David Crosby.

just thought I'd share that with you.

Victor Rocha (Pechanga Band of Luiseoo Indians)
California Indian Gaming News

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 00:04:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: BEAULAC MARIO <beaulac.mario@uqam.ca>
Subject: Totally Twisted Translations
Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.95.1000810222707.28893A-100000@nobel.si.uqam.ca>

Hi Chalkhillians,

I was both amused and appalled by the so-called "translations" from the
French that are being churned out by the Intergalactic Translator
rigs that can be found on the Web, as evidenced by the hilarious (and
sad) examples of XTC album reviews brought to our attention by Gary
McBride and Erik Schlichting in digest #6-230. It sure looks as though
those computer programs use the "million-monkees-in-front-of-typewriters"
theory to end up with such inspired gibberish; in a Turing Test, one would
hesitate to affirm flatly that a computer is behind those idiotic
utterances, since they feel as if a zonked-out scriptwriter is having fun
with what a deeply flawed robot diplomat would sound like.

So I'm willing to try and propose what is hopefully a fair translation
of one of those reviews, before English-only speakers on the list resort
to the overused cliche that the French can only be surreally bizarre,
since they've made an auteur of Jerry Lewis.

Here's the French text included in Gary McBride's message (mes excuses
aux lecteurs francophones : j'ai du enlever les accents puisque j'utilise
le logiciel Pine pour le courriel) (sorry, the accents making this more
legible in French had to be skipped, since I'm using Pine as my e-mailing
software):

Quand on tape XTC.com sur le web, on echoue sur... un site de cul.
Tant pis pour les infos sur le duo brittanique [sic]. Mais au fond, ce
n'est pas si mal trouve, tant l'humeur d'Andy Partridge et Colin
Moulding s'affiche printaniere. Personne ne fabrique plus de la pop
comme XTC. Pas meme eux puisqu'on mentirait en soutenant que leurs
plus riches heures (l'indepassable English Settlement de 1982) n'ont
pas deja sonees. Ce douzieme album leur donne l'occasion de
s'encanailler comme aux plus beaux jours. Sorties du grenier, les
guitares dechirent a plaisir la dentelle bucolique dont la maison
XTC s'etait fait une specialite.

As Gary reported, AltaVista roughly--I'd say ravingly--translated
this as:

When one types XTC.com on the Web, one lands on... a site of bottom.
Such an amount of worse for the <infos> on the duet Brittanic. But at
the bottom, it is not so badly found, so much the mood of Andy
Partridge and Colin Moulding is displayed <printaniere>. Nobody
manufactures more the pop one as XTC. Not even them since one would
lie while supporting that their richer hours (the <indipassable>
English Settlement of 1982) do not have <dija sonies>. This twelfth
album gives to them the opportunity of <encanailler> as at the most
beautiful days. Come out of the attic, the guitars tear has pleasure
bucolic lace of which house XTC had been made a speciality.

A more sensible, and humane (yes, I don't mean "human", but
really: palatable to a bilingual speaker) translation would be, with a
few clarifying comments of my own added in brackets:

When one types in Xtc.com on the Web, one ends up on... a T&A site. So
much for info on the Brit duo. But in fact, this is not as bad as it
sounds, Andy Partridge's and Colin Moulding's mood being so pastoral [or:
spring-like; the implication being that nudity suits such a mood, a la
"Grass"]. Nobody produces pop such as XTC does anymore. Not even
they, in fact, since we'd be lying if we maintained that their finest hour
(1982's unsurpassed English Settlement [a French fave; XTC's popularity in
France might have been at its peak then]) wasn't already past [a polite
way of calling them has-beens, if you will]. Their twelfth album gives
them an occasion to slum it out as they used to in their better days
[assuredly an allusion to a return to a rougher, more "rockish" sound].
Taken out of the attic, their guitars shred gleefully the bucolic lace
which the XTC workshop had made a specialty of.

By the way, I'm not a professional translator at all (as a bona fide one
would possibly guess by the above sample); I was simply spurred on to do
this after reading too many shaky malarkey being passed off as
translations from the French (I'm Quebecois myself... meme si j'accours
ici redorer indirectement le blason tricolore). This particular review may
be as debatable as any on XTC, in any language, but at least it does more
sense after being chewed by a Chalkhillian rather than by an AltaVista
drone, doesn't it?

Oh, by the way, Joseph, your post's title ("J'accuse, J'Accuse !") wasn't
misspelled. What a relief!

Salutations from the Wasp Star Zone,

Mario Beaulac

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 00:21:33 EDT
From: KINGSTUNES@aol.com
Subject: Moby the Dick
Message-ID: <5b.9d98225.26c4d94d@aol.com>

Chalkenzehillzen,

My first taste of XTC came with a mixed casette that the drummer in a band I
was in gave me back in 1980.  It included Millions and Genrerals & Majors.  I
was hooked.  He had White Music and Go2, which I wasn't as crazy about at the
time, so I didn't get them until the Cd reissues came out.  (Just to say I
had them.  They are the two I listen to the least, although they are good
fun!).  But I IMMEDIATELY bought D & W and BS!  Since then I haven't missed a
beat (except for Psonic Psunspot, althought I got the Chocolate Fireball CD
when it was released.  I had a vinyl copy of 25 O'Clock but lost it.  Rats!)
I also have, on vinyl, Beeswax and Waxworks, Ball & Chain EP, 5 Senses EP,
Love on a Farmboys Wages EP, Great Fire EP, All You Pretty Girls EP, Dear God
EP and Mayor of Simpleton EP.  My vinyl copy of BS has the green sleeve, and
I have the vinyl of ES, embossed, with the picture sleeves.  Among my
favorite LP treasures!  My friend has several of the singles, with the
elaborate sleeves.  Good lord, it's been 20 years.......
*******************

For Ed K:  What you said!
********************

Politics:  Do we really need a president?
*********************
>And lastly...I am putting together a mixed tape of all of the closing songs
>from each XTC release in chronological order.  An interesting way to
>fast-forward through 22 years of my favorite band.  "XTC - Closers".

I wanna try one of openers!
*********************
To answer Harrison's question about Moby, NOTHING!  (Great article, BTW!)
*********************
I'm going to work on an introductory CD sampler for the unitiated.  Get back
to y'all when I'm done.

Tom "here, hold this" Kingston

"Waiting for the mafia to make this song a hit!"  -KG (again!)

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:06:33 EST
From: "Iain Murray" <halfmanhalflager@hotmail.com>
Subject: Travels in Nylons
Message-ID: <F8882xOFMtjWAaRPYTH00007d53@hotmail.com>

Has anyone actually read Alan Sillitoe's "Travels In Nihilon"? I've got a
copy on order from Amazon.com, but since the book's been out of print for
Buddha knows how long, they've had to go scrounging through second-hand book
stores for it (I realise I could do that myself, but I'm far too lazy). Any
feedback at all can be sent to me off-list.

XTC content: Ummm......XTC did a song called "Travels In Nihilon".

Iain

"I believe there is a commonality to humanity. We all suck." -- Bill Hicks

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 08:22:32 GMT
From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: A Huge Tape Recorder
Message-ID: <F1049rWjAKYVpMmOlbc00000a51@hotmail.com>

Sayeth Seth Frisby:

>Does anyone know why Hip-hop artists don't use mellotrons?

Because you need to be a musician to play one?

(Sorry I couldn't resist)

>and did ya know there are only two bands >who did full tours with the
>mellotron? It was King Crimson and the Moody Blues

Errr ...no. Genesis used one live for years, as did Yes, ELP, Kraftwerk and
a whole host of others.

>and I've heard they break down more than
>twenty year old american cars..oh well.

You got that right. Being basically a huge tape recorder, they were -- so
I'm told -- very  fragile, very temperamental and maddeningly prone to tape
loop breakage;  since the cabinets were made of solid wood, they were
apparently extremely heavy too. About as popular with roadies as the Hammond
B3, I believe.

Gotta go gang

Hope you get one!

Dunks

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 09:04:39 -0300
From: Paulo X <paulox@onda.com.br>
Subject: Re: New Non-XTC Thread
Message-ID: <l03130305b5b99a58c2d4@[200.195.210.48]>

Wes challenged us:

>Okay, we've covered the easy schtuff here my friends__now for something a bit
>more painful.  How 'bout hittin' me with a couple of songs or albums that you
>like but are embarrassed to admit to liking.  C'mon ya cowards, time to bare
>our shiny pink souls!

"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" -- A Flock of Seagulls
"Native Love" -- Divine
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" -- Simple Minds
"If You Leave" -- OMD

Paulo
Curitiba - Brazil

XTC content - Finally got WS. Still buzzing.

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 10:17:54 -0400
From: Jeff Eason <eason@mountaintimes.com>
Subject: International Feeeel!
Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000811101754.008356a0@mountaintimes.com>

Hello to all,

One of the things I love about this list is its international feel. I live
in the heart of Appalachia where bluegrass is King...and queen...and jack.
On the positive side, I've been privileged to interview local legend Doc
Watson five or six times for the publication where I work.
On the downside, it is hard to get a variety of music through the radio. I
rely on CMJ Music Monthly and the suggestions of you, my fine XTC
codependents.
So let me ask y'all a few questions:
* What is a good Roy Harper collection? I've got a couple of his old albums
but they are kind of hit and miss.
* What's a good Waterboys collection?
* Is Kate Bush retired or what?
* Is anyone out there a fan of the band Family? I know I am.
Thank you for your time!

A relatively unknown band that I think would appeal to XTC fans is the
Fibonaccis. I think they recorded all of their stuff in the 80s.
"Repressed: The Best of the Fibonaccis" is a great place to start. They
also recorded all of the music for the grade-B horror flick "TerrorVision",
a classic in its own right.

I agree with Amy N. that Peter Gabriel's self-titled "melting face" album
is an all-time classic. If you listen closely to the album you'll notice
that it uses all manner of percussion except very little cymbals. I thought
this was strange when I first heard it twenty years ago.
Has anyone made a compilation tape of XTC's most political songs? I imagine
it would have to include Peter Pumkinhead, Melt the Guns, and most of the
album Black Sea.

Later,

Jeff "out behind the barn, chewing on a piece of hay" Eason.

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 10:50:27 -0400
From: "Todd Bernhardt" <todd.bernhardt@enterworks.com>
Subject: Looks are deceptive/But distinctions are clear
Message-ID: <399412B3.59660E01@enterworks.com>
Organization: Enterworks, Inc.

Hi:

Chris "There oughta be a law" Coolidge responded to RiM's pidgeon-holing
screed on politix in the EuEssAy today -- still trying to figure exactly
which "set of liberals" I belong in, btw, since my BMW is red, not gray
-- by saying:

> You seem like a classical liberal in the Jeffersonian sense, liberal as
> in openminded, which is what liberal is supposed to mean.

Now, don't get me wrong, Chris, but what exactly about RiM's post, which
essentially distilled the American public into five political groups,
struck you as "liberal in the Jeffersonian sense" or "openminded"? I'm
sincerely interested in your line of reasoning on this -- my only
request is that you please be brief and merely answer my question,
instead of launching into an explanation of your beliefs and leading us
down the primrose path of political discussion. That's something I'd
prefer not to discuss around this particular dinnertable. Otherwise,
it's going to be long campaign season.

Harrison asked:
> Remind me, if you will, what exactly was it again that distinguishes
> Moby from a contemptible little sack of shit?<

The sack?

Keith "does size (of the post) matter?" Walker asked:

> And, does the Cooking Vinyl cd single of IMWML have anything besides that
> song on it?  The info card doesn't list anything else. . . .

It also contains the demo of the song, and Colin's demo for "It Didn't
Hurt a Bit," which is a lovely little piece of songwriting.

And it's what you *do* with your post, not how big it is, that matters.
At least that's what *I've* always been told. Hmmm...

In #6-229, Dave asked:
>> has anyone heard a pete gabrial track called I DONT REMEMBER with our
>> dave in fine form on it?

And in #232, Amy replied:
> Really great song on an album that is superb from start to finish. It's
> on Peter's "melting face" album from 1980. (Not having pulled it out in
> a few years, I just noticed the spine is imprinted with $6.98. (Ahh,
> those were the days!). Yes, Dave plays guitar on that track (with Robert
> Fripp) and also on the following song, Family Snapshot (with David
> Rhodes). If you don't have this album, I highly recommend it.

This album was truly ground-breaking in its originality, and I heartily
concur with Amy. Tony Levin's stick playing on "I Don't Remember" is
alone worth the price of admission. BTW, the other XTC connection on
that album is the production team of Steve Lillywhite/Hugh Padgham --
who, if I have my chronology correct, had just finished Black Sea -- and
it's where the "Phil Collins drum sound" (i.e., heavily gated toms) was
discovered (listen to "Intruder" or "No Self-Control"). BTW2: There are
no cymbals on the album.

PGIII was not the first time XTC and PG shared producers; David Lord,
who produced PGIV (aka Security), also produced The Big Express.

Richard Amari asked about his new-music suggestions:
> It's going to take me a while to listen to all of them on Amazon
> (etc...) to decide which ones (if not all) I should get. [Where the hell
> am I going to get all this money?]

I've posted about this before, but until the 14th, HMV.com is offering
free shipping and handling to customers in the U.S. and Canada. They
usually only offer it if you order four or more items, but this special
offer is for any quantity. The prices are good, too. (Check out my
original post in #221 for warning and disclaimer info.)

eddie st. martin upped the ante in greatest rhymes in R&R history
contest with this Belew quote from Lone Rhino:
> "I know the zoo protects my species,
> They give me food, collect my feces"

Good 'un, mate. Great album, too. I went with my pick (from "I'm in Love
with My Car") because it's so, I dunno, stoopid (and I mean that in the
most complimentary way), while Adrian tends to get a trifle preachy in
his lyrics.

Anyone else care to join the greatest-rhyme fun?

-Todd

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 09:25:02 EDT
From: OMBEAN1@aol.com
Subject: OK, I admit it!
Message-ID: <10.cefef7.26c558ae@aol.com>

Peeps,
  .  How 'bout hittin' me with a couple of songs or albums that you
like but are embarrassed to admit to liking
 Alright Wes, you got it.
  How about Pinky Blue from Altered Images? Love it. Cartoon voice , great
music.
Their version of Song Sung Blue is the best.
  Heres another, How about Its Your Life from Loverboy off the Get Lucky
album?
 You got a problem with that?!  That song kicks some farging ASSSSS!!!!!
   You want more? Gimme Dat Ding from the Pipkins. "What goods the metronome
without a bell for ring-ing?"
 I FEEL CLEANSED!!!!  Like I had food poisoning.
I Can Be Happy. Roger

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 08:35:01 -0400
From: "Duncan Watt" <dwatt@fastestmanintheworld.com>
Subject: A Listen is worth a Thousand Words
Message-ID: <200008111236.IAA27298@gilgamesh.nh.ultra.net>

Mister Randy Hiatt <Randy.Hiatt@fsbti.com> misted:

> Going after Napster is like jailing Ford because their car was used in a
> robbery.

No, going after Napster is like jailing Ford because their car was used
*only* to rob people, and had no other (non-theft) purpose.

------

How I describe XTC to someone... hmmm... okay, well I'm a pretty
confrontational sort, so I tell 'em XTC is what the Beatles would sound like
if they were *good*. That usually opens up the conversation.

What the hell are you trying to *tell* someone what someone's music is like?
Bring on the lame-ass "well, they're kinda like (fill in the blank)... but
not rilly...ummm... blahblahblah!.  Give 'em a listen together, and tell 'em
what you like about it as you go. Most good music needs some 'splainin'.

Duncan "mmm... this pizza delivery guy tastes good!" Watt

--
email me: dwatt@fastestmanintheworld.com
surf me: http://www.fastestmanintheworld.com

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 12:27:51 -0400
From: "Roberts, Peter" <Peter.Roberts@novainfo.com>
Subject: Re: Drumbo
Message-ID: <074CBB342C7BD311971B00508B6F7FD403B1B6EC@SPC-MAIL>

about the drummer's post - thanks John! It's good to see that people are
figuring out who Brian Blade is - I saw him recently in Wayne Shorter's band
and he was INCREDIBLE. Tony Williams/Art Blakey style drummer - if you like
that kind of thing check him out!!! Also, Dennis Chambers has always been
one of my faves - he has it all together, sound, chops, feel, etc. 'Big
picture' type drummer/musician.

I can't understand Brad Wilk's wins. His timing is way bad. Listen to the
first RATM especially.

Now who is this John Otto guy?
Pete

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 14:11:20 EDT
From: Chauncy14@aol.com
Subject: Any Irish Chalkers out there?
Message-ID: <cb.869ff57.26c59bc8@aol.com>

Hey Clan,

I am travelling to Ireland 9/8 through 9/19 and was wondering if any
Chalksters are from Ireland?  Of course, while travelling, I will have
nothing but XTC to listen to...

If so, please e-mail me off list!

Regards from Chicago,
John Gardner

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

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 14:38:23 EDT
From: Jxnsmom@aol.com
Subject: Where were you when...
Message-ID: <7c.9817941.26c5a21f@aol.com>

In #6-233, Warren Butson asked:

<< A few people have been praising Mummer and wondering why it wasn't fancied
 very much by chalkers. [snip] I'd be interested to know others opinions who
had bought this album when it came out and how they reacted. >>

My brother introduced me to XTC right around English Settlement, and I
quickly acquired the existing albums up to that point and had found places in
my heart for all of them.

Some people remember where they were when JFK was shot. Since I missed that
event, I remember where I was the first time I heard Beating of Hearts. (OK,
I'm probably the only one, so the social impact is kinda lost here.) It was
September 1983, I was 15, in this guy Conway's living room (first and only
time I ever met him), and he put on that track. I was spellbound by it.

I think each album up to that point makes a natural progression from the
previous, and to me, Mummer grows naturally out of English Settlement. I
don't think it's a killer from start to finish, but Love on a Farmboy's
Wages, Great Fire, and Funk Pop a Roll have always been big favorites of mine.

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #6-235
*******************************

Go back to Volume 6.

12 August 2000 / Feedback