Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 6 Tuesday, 11 January 2000 Today's Topics: Re: Afraid of Zooropa Re: Boomtown Crimson Flaming Lips Wedding Songs XTC in the City Towers of London new xtc book and cd!! morphine drip A group by any other name... hello! Married, With XTC Re: School Guide Re: Homespun vs. AVv1 Why do I know this stuff Documentation of XTC concert in Madison, WI XTCynchronicity Re: melt them! Truman and Jack Audio Cassette Cycle Re: School Guide to XTC Re: Nonsvch Administrivia: 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 3.7 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>). I'm a passenger, I feel close to death.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <v04210101b49d18adab8f@[208.13.202.35]> Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:42:39 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Re: Afraid of Zooropa At 11:24 PM -0800 1/7/00, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> wrote: >Chris Coolidge wrote: > >>I'd lost track of them after 1994's Afraid Of Sunlight, which I >heard one song from and it sounded like they were trying to make a >sequel to U2's Zooropa. << > >Wow, I'm a huge Marillion fan and I never saw the connection. Thankfully, >since I hate Zooropa and I love Afraid of Sunlight. The one I heard was "Cannibal Surf Babe," but I suspected that the rest of the album was more like business as usual for them. Nonetheless, it did put me off enough to not work too hard at searching for it. I was hoping to see it used somewhere, but no such luck so far. Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html "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
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v04210102b49d19c8ee1e@[208.13.202.35]> Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:59:27 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Re: Boomtown Crimson At 11:24 PM -0800 1/7/00, <owner-chalkhills@chalkhills.org> wrote: >Uh, not really. There's nothing remotely close to King Crimson in >Marillion's work. Fripp would probably agree with me. Still, I'll give you >the Boomtown Rats (the "kind of" stressed strongly). Brave is indeed >Marillion's finest work with Hogarth on lead vocals. I was actually thinking of the more pop end of Crimson's style, with keyboards, and...OK, it is a but farfetched, but how else do you describe a band that's hard to describe? It's like trying to describe a strange but tasty tropical fruit that's quite memorable when you taste it, but you're reduced to clumsy comparisons when trying to describe it. OK, let me start over, Marillion's good, they sound like no one else. OK? I picked up their 1998 album Raiation, and it's quite good, but sounds like they're making music to please themselves and their serious fans, lots of long songs and instrumental stretching out, dense poetry(as in difficult to penetrate, not stupid), and zero attempts at being commercial. Good for them, seems they've found their niche. If you've never heard them before, though, start with Brave, or maybe their first with Hogarth, Season's End. Get their second, Holidays In Eden last, unless you liked Genesis' Invisible Touch; they were attempting to write hits, and forgot to tell their record company. There's two or three songs on that album that could have been huge on the Billboard charts in '91-92, but thank God IRS Records screweed up, otherwiise they would have continued writing four minute hit singles like Genesis did for a while, and Brave wouldn't have been written, let alone released. Come to think of it, I forgot to put Brave on my '90's top 20. Damn. Christopher R. Coolidge Homepage at http://homepages.together.net/~cauldron/homepage.html
------------------------------ From: David_Goody@mandg.co.uk Message-ID: <00256862.0046D731.00@mailgate.mandg.co.uk> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:57:51 +0000 Subject: Flaming Lips I have had many good suggestions from the pages of Chalkhills of other artists that may appeal to me, Jason Faulkner, Barenaked Ladies and Becki DiGregorio to name but a few. However, I have tried The Flaming Lips but they really do not appeal to my musical taste at all. This has left me with a CD version of their latest offering which I have no need for. Would anybody be interested in an exchange? Perhaps there is a group that has been suggested to you as likely to appeal to an XTC fan, that didn't come up to your expectaions. If so, e-mail me privately and we can set a simple exchange deal up. Thanks, Dave.
------------------------------ From: SLEDZNH@aol.com Message-ID: <74.74a537e7.25ab6124@aol.com> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 11:21:56 EST Subject: Wedding Songs Rob wrote: "I'm getting married on the 22nd.... any ideas on XTC "marriage songs"? I've got a few clues, but would like some input. And yes, I exposed my fiancee to XTC and she really digs 'em." First of all, good for you for marrying someone who is into XTC! That should make less time fighting over who gets control of the stereo... I had our DJ play "Love On A Farmboys Wages" at our reception and though not many in the crowd recognized it, it was a great moment for me. The other (obvious) XTC / Wedding choice is "Harvest Festival". Enjoy! ~~Jim
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000110174933.73033.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "jonathan monnickendam" <monnickj@hotmail.com> Subject: XTC in the City Towers of London Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:49:33 PST Myself and David Cammish will be meeting for a drink one evening late in January, a regular session where we discuss things musical, often XTC. If anyone wants to join in the rant please drop me a line. We sometimes get as far as early soft machine and can. jon
------------------------------ Message-ID: <387A604B.1BD2@schoollink.net> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:42:19 -0800 From: dan phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> Organization: cic Subject: new xtc book and cd!! just got my new issue of goldmine magazine in the mail today and saw the following that might interest a few fans of the swindon 2!! cd -- xtc: due 1/20 from italy...brand new "school guide to xtc" is a book tracing the band from their early days until recent time + an *exclusive 20-minute cd* featuring the band from their early days when they were known as 'the star park'! very neat!!!!... $21.00" this item is supposedly available from a place called music machine...address and other info -- 11459 Cronhill Dr., Suite O Owings Mill, MD 21117 USA phone -- (410) 356.4567 e-mail: musicmac@aol.com website: http://www.musicmachine.com postage and handling: $5 per order -- ANY SIZE! good luck, all! :-) waiting for av2 and warbles that are fuzzy! -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ //dan & ginger phipps <phipps@schoollink.net> "when you're stoned on spirit, you have no other needs...working with the purest light within you." (steve hillage) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000110210720.6858.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Megan Heller" <hellerm@hotmail.com> Subject: morphine drip Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:07:20 CST Ben Gott shared-- >I've got an advance copy of Morphine's new album, "The Night." It's >pretty good, if you like Morphine... That just kind of makes me sad. What a shame. m.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <F34536084B78D311AF53009027B0D7EA14493E@fsbex01-2.web.boeing.com> From: "Hiatt, Randy" <Randy.Hiatt@fsbti.com> Subject: A group by any other name... Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:43:48 -0800 Todd said after Garret asked and I replied:> I was listening to O+L last night and I was wondering is the drums on the> album were done by a drum machine or a person. Anyone know?A person -- Pat Mastellotto, to be exact. That's not to say that theydidn't use a lot of technology, but that's Pat doing thebanging/triggering/etc. He's now part of the new King Crimson "double duo."(In Fripp logic, is XTC a "double single"? Or a "single double"?)I think you mean "double trio".. as in one group with 2 trio's inside it...or 6 players divided into 2 dividings of: drummer, sticker, guitarer. The hopeful (yet unrealized) result being 2 songs are played independantly at the same time. Is that perfectly clear (as mud)? Those Crimson boys are really fun! Alec said: Now, I consider XTC to be among the best song writers and recordingartists in the (Western) World.From what I've heard they give the Eastern world a run for it's money as well. But I could be completely wrong. Randy (who feels the best of 99 happened way before) Hiatt http://members.tripod.com/RandyHiatt/
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000b01bf5be8$ecac0520$48fe04d1@default> From: "Colleen Hyland" <hylandc@dreamscape.com> Subject: hello! Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:04:12 -0800 Hello Chalkhillers. Having recently joined the list I wanted to say hello to you all and let you know that I am enjoying the posts very much. Until recently I had assumed XTC had joined the ranks of other bands that dissolved into oblivion after the stadium crowds disappeared. AV1 has been a great shot in the arm for me, reminding me of how much I have missed their music and those lyrics, especially. It has been great to find out that their fan base exists in cyberspace. colleen -- Colleen Hyland -- hylandc@dreamscape.com --
------------------------------ From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 02:24:12 +0100 Subject: Married, With XTC Message-Id: <20000111012139.134FEA6CE2@mail.knoware.nl> Dear Chalkers, Someone was about to tie the knot > any ideas on XTC "marriage songs"? Obviously Greenman IMHO it's got everything you need: romance, paganism, sex, wood... And it's quite danceable to boot. Two totally unrelated but equally exiting happened this weekend. First of all I managed to acquire a "mint" copy of the illustrious illustated Eleven Different Animals XTC songbook on eBay. This book contains the piano & guitar sheet music to 11 early XTC "hits", up until the Black Sea era. It's been Out Of Print since 1982 and is nearly impossible to find, in any condition at any price Never mind the price, i'm happy that i did not resort to crime to fill this gap in my collection* and that my patience and good behaviour has finally paid off. * = a local library also has a copy... Now you may wonder: what's it to me? Well, as soon as i get my grubby little hands on it, the book will be scanned from top to bottom and you can expect to see a HTML version on a Website near you "real soon". Talking about Websites: surf over to the News page at http://www.guitargonauts.com and read an interview with Dave G. from last Saturday's "Swindon Advertiser". WARNING: GLOAT MODE Cor blimey! i never thought i'd see myself mentioned in the same newspaper article as Andy Partridge and Peter GabrieL, let alone Paul McCartney! And not just any old rag, no,no... THE Swindon Advertiser so it's bound to end up on a few familiar doorsteps. Dear oh dear! GLOAT MODE OFF OK, you can relax again now... i don't really want to gloat of course; it's just that you guys & gals are the only audience i have that can truly appreciate this kind of trivial pleasure. Please let me indulge yours in xtc, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/ or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 02:24:12 +0100 Subject: Re: School Guide Message-Id: <20000111012141.3572BA6CE2@mail.knoware.nl> Dear Chalkers, > I don't have many details, but it is listed as a "sonic book", which I > think means it's a book which is actually a CD-ROM. Text in English > and Italian, so maybe it's an Italian "official bootleg". That's my guess too... the Italians are just about the only source left for "unusual" releases Somehow they manage to get those official stamps that says it is a legit release and that copyrights have been paid and i suppose that helps. I found my copy of the Italian version of the Making Plans For Andy bootleg in a local shop that never ever touches boots. They were not aware it wasn't a regular release. And i did not tell 'm until after i bought it of course ! yours in xtc, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/ or http://come.to/xtc
------------------------------ From: WTDK@aol.com Message-ID: <91.91dd024b.25ac00bd@aol.com> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:42:53 EST Subject: Re: Homespun vs. AVv1 And please, don't even try to compare this to the Beatles' Anthology: those songs were long expected, and time put a fascination on them by the time of their publication. Imagine if the Beatles had published the sessions of "Sgt Pepper's" in 1967. Sounds absurd, huh ? Eveybody could have said that they had turned into shit 5 years before their time. :( You could argue that Homespun is an "alternate" version of Apple Venus Volume One. While the Anthology analogy isn't exact, the way they compare to the finished product is similar to how Homespun compares with AV1. I'm surprised that you were disappointed since Andy's demos rarely vary from the finished product (in terms of the arrangements, etc.) While the Beatles Anthology series only recently appeared, the bootlegs have been floating around since 1970 or so -- they have been available just not officially. Maybe a better analogy (for those who have been around long enough to remember this) is mono and stereo versions of albums from the 60's. We'll use the Beatles since they are a convenient example. The mono mixes for Rubber Soul, Revolver, Pepper, MMT and the White Album had both minor differences when compared to the stereo mixes. That's because the Beatles and Martin spend extra time mixing the mono mixes. They considered them the definitive version of the album (at the time a lot of folks still considered stereo a fad). Very little extra time was spent mixing the stereo editions of these albums (and usually the Beatles weren't involved in mixing the stereo versions). So I tend to look at Homespun as an "alternate" version of AV1--just as the Anthology tracks are alternate versions of the Beatles stuff. I suppose it all comes down to expectations. I didn't expect huge differences between the demos and the final versions. I wanted to hear the rough drafts. It's almost like listening to a band rehearse prior to a show (or a soundcheck prior to a show). There is always stuff that comes out that is interesting for the fan. By the way, the year half the Beatles turned to shit was 1972--Lennon released his awful Sometime in New York City and McCartney released Wild Life. Both are horrible albums with absolutely nothing to recommend them. Then again, the hard-core Beatles fan might appreciate them. I personally like one track on Wild Life--McCartney answers How Do You Sleep? with the song Dear Friend. Wayne
------------------------------ From: JStrole@aol.com Message-ID: <cb.cbce0ddc.25ac0669@aol.com> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:07:05 EST Subject: Why do I know this stuff Fish will be playing in NYC sometime soon. Or so I saw in the Village Voice, so I guess he's playing at least one show (I think at Irving Plaza). Didn't Dave Gregory play guitar with him or was that someone else from Marillion? Harry
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:59:17 -0600 Message-Id: <v02110101b4a01110244e@[144.92.182.48]> From: jhackney@facstaff.wisc.edu (John M. Hackney) Subject: Documentation of XTC concert in Madison, WI I thought others might find this interesting: Last week's local arts magazine, Isthmus, mentioned a list of "Before They Were Stars" shows in Madison. Among them: The Police, XTC, and Spooner at the Oscar Meyer Theater (Madison Civic Center), on November 20, 1980. Spooner had Butch Vig (the producer, drummer for Garbage) as a member then, also that "Duke" guy from Garbage I think. When he was interviewed by the Onion a few years ago, Andy said that he recalled XTC playing two different shows in Madison in the past. I had always thought that this second show was opening again for The Police at Headliners. They mention that show elsewhere in the article, but don't say who opened for the Police. That show was on March 12, 1979, and admission was 92 cents!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000701bf5c00$2e78fe60$645791d2@johnboud> From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: XTCynchronicity Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:42:00 +0900 New Happy Year All , Just yesterday I received an e-mail reply from our man in the lighthouse Mark Strijbos . I had asked him if he had on file an interview with Andy in which the master talks about his fave five tracks . Apparently , his " fave list " changed from time to time ( day to day ? ) because the list Mark sent me was different from the one I had had on file before accidentally deleting it . Anyway , the first track Andy mentioned was Philip Glass' " River Run " . I had thought about picking up some Glass for years but for some reason never did . Well , I was so intrigued after reading AP's mini-review of the song I decided then and there that I was definitely going to buy something soon ... Fast forward to this morning and the first day of the third semester at school . There are never any classes on the first day which means I have little or nothing to do ( I am an ALT - assistant language teacher - not a student ! ) so I took a book along with me this morning , " Song Stories " ... After the morning meeting Yamasaki-sensei ( guitar player and all-round good egg ) came strolling over and presented me with a CD entitled XTC : LIVE , which he had found in a shop in Kumamoto City the day before . It is a new versus used ) 18 track bootleg of a Jan. 30 , 1980 gig in Boston , MA . Allow me to interject here that I had the privilege of attending XTC's gig at My Father's Place on Long Island only weeks earlier so having this disc really brings back the great memories . So , Song Stories + Bootleg a coincidence , right ? Well , minutes later I walked on over to the newspaper rack and grabbed The Asahi News . There on page 23 was a full page article about ( and photo of ) ... no , not Andy ... Phillip Glass ! The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing Mr. Glass' " The Peace Symphony " in Tokyo at the end of this month and he is coming to Japan to perform with them . Is the Glass article yet another coincidence ? Hell no - that is called XTCynchronicity baby ! And that is where it's at ! Sushiman Johnny
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:37:06 -0800 From: Patricia <gypsypg@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: melt them! Message-id: <387ADDA1.D2A86BE3@postoffice.pacbell.net> > From: "Jim Smart" <jismart@ksbe.edu> > > I just want to quote this here, because it's exactly what I was > thinking! > > >Thank heavens George is alright. One thought that I had was that if it had > >been in America, the nutter would have had a gun and George would not be > >with us anymore. > >In this country at least nut-cases can't get hold of a gun so easily!! > > Right on, David! Why can't I get people to see that point in my own > country? > > Jim If a person has the malicious intentions of hurting another person, it doesn't matter if they have access to a gun or not. They will find a way to accomplish their goals, however twisted other people think those goals and/or people are. Point in fact, I believe that he was stabbed. I understand that the point was that it could have been much worse had the assailant been armed with a gun. But, without a gun, he still managed to get past security and into his room! It is not a gun that kills a person, it is the person holding the gun that kills a person (or animal, et cetera). Shall we melt the "sick" individuals too? What about knives and sharp objects such as forks? And, who will be deemed a just determiner of whom and what shall be melted? Let's play this out further...when the law abiding public has been stripped of all means to defend itself, who will protect them from the non law abiding public? Patricia
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000111151251.9890.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "another from kristi" <beatlebird@hotmail.com> Subject: Truman and Jack Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:12:51 GMT Martin writty: >>>As Truman Capote said of Jack Kerouac: >>>"That's not writing, that's typing." Truman Capote was everything I as a writer wanted to be, minus the panama hat and the lisp... Kristi *************** "Remember when you were with the Beatles and you were supposed to be dead? That was a hoax, right?" ~ Chris Farley to Paul McCartney *************** "Look what I got for $1.85!" http://thriftgoddess.webjump.com "Never Pay Full Price!" A Diary of Secondhand Shopping in the Modern Age"
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000111181219.45258.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "jonathan monnickendam" <monnickj@hotmail.com> Subject: Audio Cassette Cycle Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:12:19 PST I am happy to give away the following cassettes. Simply e-mail me which ones you want as well as your address and I shall dispense the wisdom of Solomon. That said, the decision of Terry F*ckwhitt remains final. My motive is simply to keep the music in circulation rather than unheard and in a cupboard. The quality of the recordings is generally high unless there is a * For you delection there are 18 audiocassettes Beatles ; Commonwealth Tape/Watching rainbows/All things must pass Leonard Cohen ; 68 TV Show/Live 93 Pink Floyd ; Live in 66&7* Syd Barrett ; BBC Sessions etc* Little Feat ; Electrif Lycanthrope Who : Texas'70/Young Vic 4/71/Quado demos/WHo the fuck & Jai Baba XTC ; Nonsuch demos/Agony Andy/Rock over London/Loveline Alison Krauss ; Live in 92 Man ; Live in 70 (the band was an influence on the dukes per Song Stories) There is also 3 hours of UK/PAL video of the beatles and early floyd enjoy jon (monnickj@hotmail.com)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s879dd12.037@tcwgroup.com> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:22:07 -0800 From: "Dane Pereslete" <peresd@tcwgroup.com> Subject: Re: School Guide to XTC According to local area record shop (Poo-bah) www.poobah.com here is what comprises "A School Guide to XTC". This info was found on the upcoming import releases page, scheduled for release the week of 17 January. "XTC - A School Guide To XTC (+BOOK) - CD - $17.99 96 page guide to XTC, Dukes Of Stratosphear, solo works, compilations and tributes. Includes photos, discography, story & interviews. CD tracks: 1.Star Park 2.Yabber Yabber Yabber 3.Saturn Boy 4.Walking 'Cross The Ceiling 5.Neon Shuffle 6.Do You Really." So, this makes it appear that it really is more like an actual book, rather than a CD-ROM as postulated by our esteemed Mr. Relph. All the news that's pit to frint, Dane "I once heard that no one really drinks much in LA because they have to be careful and remember all the lies they've told..." - A. Partridge
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000111203937.61990.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Paul Stratford" <pstratford@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Nonsvch Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 00:04:51 -0000 In #6-2, someone asked about "Nonsuch" pronounciation... I think it's interchangeable - as previously mentioned by me ad nauseum (but not that recently) I live near the palace as pictured on the album\cassette\CD - locals proununce it "non-such" but Andy does say "none-such" in Chalkhills & C. I vaguley recall (may be from our favourite book) that Andy said that it was just coincidence that there was a place of the same name, but that might be my own internal 2K bug. I really should go down to the local library\museum and ask the curators why Henry or whoever called the place Nonsuch Palace, just to add to our growing web of XTC related trivia. I've not been reading the list for a while (I've even been deleting them unread for about 2 months - I was busy - yes, *that* busy) what's the latest on AV v2 and FW? TTFN
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-6 *****************************
Go back to Volume 6.
12 January 2000 / Feedback