Chalkhills Digest Volume 8, Issue 14
Date: Thursday, 14 February 2002
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 8, Number 14
Thursday, 14 February 2002
Topics:
Can you please speak more clearly ...?
NP new york counterpoint
J files
RE: Fool Britannia
Byrne-ing with optimism's flames
OGWS DVD, etc.
Where did the Nines come from?
Sing a song of Swindon
Casting Stones at LOTR
Singing and Beating
I'll fight you for a pint of beer
My fill of Phil
Windy Churchill
Residents
re: everything really
www.optimismsflames.com
XTC unpopular in England?
Tonight, on a Very Special Episode of ED
Re: Residents
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Am I asleep / Or am I fast / You every race / You first, you last.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 02:58:39 From: "Duncan Kimball" <dunks58@hotmail.com> Subject: Can you please speak more clearly ...? Message-ID: <F994S0xlAMbmF6rRtAE000121a8@hotmail.com> >From: "Richard" <rjpa1@attbi.com> >Subject: I simply don't understand! >I bet instrumental songs REALLY get you flummoxed!! Errr ... no. (Pauses to listen to "Trespass" soundtrack by Ry Cooder) >...and that Dylan Thomas guy! What is HE going on about?! > >Outlaw double entendres! >Smart money says that there is no foreign language CDs in DK's collection. Smart money? Oh I get it - it's an oxymoron, right? Actually the smart money loses there Rich, old son. Now if we're talking about rock/pop music, well no I don't have any foreign language CDs (unless you count the bit of Franch and Italian Bryan Ferry drops into "Song For Europe". I'm one of those weirdos who thinks that somehow rock music being sung in Greek or Spanish doesn't quite sound right, somehow. And I'm sorry but IMO the French CANNOT rock. Plastique Bertrand was about the nearest tey ever got (and anyway he was Belgian wasn't he?). Oh wait - I do have a couple of Nina Hagen CDs - does that count? How about Kraftwerk? In fact I have quite a few things in other languages -- lots of world music, baroque and renaissance vocal music and some early opera. Am I allowed to have an opinion now? :P I think you missed my point, Richard. What I meant (hence the allusion to Yes) was that while I don't have a problem with *obscure* lyrics, I do have a bit of a problem with singers whose diction is simply not comprehensible. Unfortunately Thom York is one of those singers, for mine. That being said, I always loved The Pretenders, even though to this day I still have NO idea what half the lyrics to "Brass In Pocket" are. Dunks
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 20:28:44 -0800 From: quetzal <holm-oak@postoffice.pacbell.net> Subject: NP new york counterpoint Message-ID: <006d01c1b122$4344a0a0$0c51cc3f@holmoak> Like a largemouth bass on a topwater plug, I just had to delurk to coment on Gil Lamont's posting on playing Steve Reich's New York counterpoint. when I'm not listening to XTC, Cocteau Twins or Wire; I have Steve Reich's Triple Quartet in _heavy_ rotation. Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint, Electronic Counterpoint, Different Trains and Six Marimbas are personal faves. nice to read about another fan of this music. back to the deep water. Mike PS: XTC content- I happily waited in line for over four hours to get Andy Partridge's Autograph at the san Francisco Virgin megastore a few years back.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 17:03:43 +1100 From: "*SUPER SPANGER*" <superspanger@hotmail.com> Subject: J files Message-ID: <F160OJhKPc99ir3wSim00000601@hotmail.com> Hi everybody. I don't know who else heard this but "Dear God" was placed number one on the top 30 B-sides "J files" the oter day, It beat the Beatles so that was kinda cool :-) Lyndy "Don't cry because it's over... Smile because it happened"
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 02:33:52 -0000 From: "David Smith" <David.Smith50@virgin.net> Subject: RE: Fool Britannia Message-ID: <LPBBJEPFIGBHBJHFDMILAEMOCCAA.David.Smith50@virgin.net> This debate about XTC being too cool for us Brits. Interesting stuff. I don't think it was a "London cool vs hinterlands yokels" thing. I remember having no idea where they came from. I just think they came along right in the middle of the punk/new wave "thang" and didn't really fit into any category - like so many great groups who never get the recognition they deserve. They weren't angry (or dangerous) enough to be punks (they were also obviously too talented as musicians); they weren't weird enough to be new wave. In fact, now I think about it, their real problem is the same one that has bugged them in this country for years: their songs require the listener to THINK. Now, while we're not TOTALLY a race of dunces (ahem . . .) the majority of Brits do like their pop to be either: 1. Fluffy 2. Background 3. Explosive 4. Dancy 5. Aimed a twelve year olds What they (that bloody majority) don't like, is songs you may have to work at before you "get it". Get it? Furthermore, in the late 70's (just as today), like it or not you still had to LOOK LIKE A STAR. Andy doesn't. Andy looks like the bloke in the pub. Andy would not walk into a roomful of strangers and have everyone staring within a minute because of his natural charisma. Unless he started singing. Even the ugly pop stars (and boy, were there some UGLY pop stars in the late 70s) had "presence". Those with no natural charisma made their own by spitting into the audience, living the rock'n'roll excess lifestyle or stabbing their girlfriends to death etc. Who're conspicuous by their lack of falling into those categories? Why yes, that'll be our boys. Mary contributed: > In an Italian interview published in Mucchio Selvaggio, > written by Christophe Conti, and available in at least Italian, maybe even > in English, I don't know, on www.10ft.it , AP says that the English never > liked them for a character flaw of the English themselves, that they were > cranky, prone to bickering and that they had no interest in much > other than getting drunk and fighting. Unfortunately, especially in the late 70s, it's hard to argue with that. It's small wonder that the late 70s saw the rise of both punk and Maggie Thatcher. Both - in their own unique way - were backlashes against the mainly dim and dismal mid-70s. The current 70s retro stuff leaves me cold. Who can really get excited about spending your early teenage years dressed in Doctor Martens boots, flowery shirts with huge collars, tank tops, kipper ties and parkas. Here's what I remember of the mid 70s. It was always raining, every other football match was stopped 'cos the hooligans were fighting, EVERYONE went on strike, we had 3-day weeks (a whole winter of going to bed by candle-light 'cos the power was turned off at 6pm every evening), huge numbers of people out of work, petrol shortages, crap TV, crap fashions, crap years. Oh, and I had to go to school during it all. Mary continued (of Andy) > This was his theory about the lack of interest > in things that were not handed to them on a plate. I seem to remember a distinct lack of interest in just about ANYTHING around that time. You youngsters out there - the seventies were NOT cool. Don't do the 70s - just say NO! Personally I'm rather glad the UK as a majority never really "got" XTC. It means I get to be the one in my group of friends who has an "enigmatic taste". Hey, maybe *I'M* cool. Mayne I'm just clutching at straws now? **** Mike Stone said: > > On the subject of singers improving with age: > I went to see Earth Wind & Fire at the Fox Theatre > in Detroit back in September. The opening band > was Rufus w/ Chaka Khan. I thought Rufus was a bloke. I also thought he was dead. Is it me? > And then EW&F came on and Phillip Bailey > refused to be upstaged by Ms. Khan. He was also > amazing. I never thought a man in his 50's(?) could > sing that high. Hey - didn't he do a record with Phil Coll . . . no, I'd better not. **** Kerry Kompost elaborated: > > Everyone here, Andy included (contractual xTc content > obligation fulfilled), knows that ELP had at least 7 or 8 really > good songs over their 30-year career. [Maybe even 10 - ed.] Funnily enough, my sister's best friend is Keith Emerson's cousin (stay with me here . . .) and, in his more level-headed moments, he apparently has a pretty similar opinion of his own group's work! **** Gil Lamont on Churchill: > > Which reminds me of one of my favorite Churchill anecdotes: > > The woman who said to him: > > "If you were my husband, sir, I'd poison you!" > > To which Churchill replied: > > "If I were your husband, Madam, I'd drink it!" I assume you've all heard his other great put-down (well, one of many)? Oh, all right then, I'll share. Churchill liked a bit of a tipple and could be a little, let's say, garrolous, when he'd been partaking. One night he managed to offend Lady Astor (I believe) giving rise to the following exchange: Lady Astor: Mr Churchill you are quite horribly drunk! Churchill: And you are ugly madam. However, in the morning, I shall be sober . . . **** Oh, and put me down as another vote for "Then She Appeared" as the great lost single. Time for bed. Boooooiiiiiiing! Smudge (did I mention I hated the 70s?) Boy
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 09:49:43 -0800 (PST) From: Jim Smart <jimsmart1@yahoo.com> Subject: Byrne-ing with optimism's flames Message-ID: <20020209174943.53689.qmail@web13501.mail.yahoo.com> Hi folks: Last night I saw David Byrne solo, and he was truly fabulous. His small 4 piece did battle with a 6 piece string section. There's an interview with him at http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Feb/08/en/en01a.html which some of you might enjoy It includes the following exchange: Q: What can we expect from you this year as far as projects you're working on? "There might be one of those in between things like a soundtrack or something like that, which I've already started working on. There probably won't be another record. My record company (Virgin) is kind of in a state of extreme turmoil. All the heads of the company over the last few months have gotten their heads cut off." Q: Well ... so did Mariah Carey. "Yeah, (there's) that, of course. And I think they probably got rid of a lot of lesser bands as well. Some of which were probably a lot more worthwhile than Mariah Carey." Jim "Well, there's one that I can think of" Smart
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 12:36:39 -0800 From: "John Keel" <jbkxtc@ev1.net> Subject: OGWS DVD, etc. Message-ID: <000f01c1b1a9$7d0fa050$59525d3f@xtc> Hello and a very belated Happy New Year to everyone. I was just at Amoeba Records here in Hollywood and saw a 2-disc DVD set of performances from The Old Grey Whistle Test (apologies in advance if this has already been covered here - I'm SO behind in reading my digests). There wasn't any listing on the case of who all was on it, so I came home and searched it out on the internet and voila! Disc Two/Track 2 is XTC performing "Statue of Liberty", sandwiched in between Talking Heads & Blondie. The DVD is a region 2, so it's no good in the USA unless you have an Apex or similar DVD player that will play any disc from around the world. I don't have one, but my best friend does and so I'll be going back to pick it up and have him dub it VHS or maybe even DVD for me - if he can figure out how. Other artists of interest on the DVD include early Alice Cooper, John Martyn, Roxy Music, New York Dolls, Tim Buckley, Tom Waits, REM and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. It also includes interviews with John Lennon, Mick & Keith and Bruce Springsteen. So, there you are. I also recently found the "School Guide to XTC" at Amoeba. If you live in the Los Angeles area and haven't been there yet - which I doubt - you should definitely check it out. That's it. Anxiously awaiting the new box sets and the t-shirts from the official website so I can finally replace my original "English Settlement" shirt I lost - and grew out of - so many years ago. Stupidly Happily yours, JK
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 23:46:43 +0000 From: "bob tate" <bobtate70@hotmail.com> Subject: Where did the Nines come from? Message-ID: <F131ymKceZOl1qbwNOI0000b15c@hotmail.com> After checking out John Relph's recommendations page, I decided finally to purchase the The Nines' album "Properties of Sound". Man what an album. The singer sounds like a cross between Mccartney and Andy Partridge. What songs! Not one dud. John's write up is pretty accurate it's got a lot of Nonsuch and Oranges and Lemons feel to it with a kind of Mccartney/beatles/beachboys mix. Not Lame.com has been out of stock for a while so I finally found it on it on cdbaby.com. I can't tell you how strongly I recommend it. Does anyone know if these guys have any other albums outside of the two John recommended? Bob
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 08:48:02 EST From: Jxnsmom@aol.com Subject: Sing a song of Swindon Message-ID: <130.920dd32.2997d412@aol.com> Edward said: > Whoever cited Elvis C as a singer needs their ears de-tinning. Um, that was me. > The man can't sing. Well, he used to be able to, more or less, up until > around the > time of "The Juliet Letters" or so, until the time he began to take himself > just a teeny weeny bit seriously as a "composer" (what used sneeringly to be > referred to as a "muso"), at which point, I collect, he started having > singing lessons, and learned the classical technique of vibrato (what Sophie > von Otter calls a "schooled" voice), which has ruined his singing. It > works, Elvis, if you have a voice worth schooling in the first place. You > don't. Revert to a less ostentatious delivery, please. Listen to "My Aim > is True" if you can't remember how. Actually, you've made my point for me. I was supporting vocal character over vocal quality, and I was basing my love for Elvis on his early stuff. I must confess, I haven't heard his post-singing-lessons voice (I stopped buying at "King of America"). I can fully understand how a vibrato and learning how to sing from his diaphragm would destroy the vocal character of his that I love(d) so well. One person for whom I think vocal lessons was a good thing is Madonna. I've never been a fan of hers, but I know she took more than a year of professional vocal instruction before tackling Evita, and her more annoying vocal qualities (um, let's see, there was just that little point of pitch) have been improved quite a bit. I was also thinking, about my character surpasses quality argument, about Alannis Morissette. Here is a women who started out before her recording career with a straight-ahead, sounds-like-everybody-else female voice. Then she decided to be America's answer to Sinead and came up with a ridiculously put-on vocal "character." In my book, it doesn't count if it isn't natural. Her singing annoys me more than almost anyone on the planet (OK, maybe just a little less than Yoko Ono) just because I know she's having to consciously think about singing in such an affected way. Now really, I should love Yoko, because she's presenting her natural voice, which definitely emphasizes character over quality. Except in using that argument, quality can't be lacking entirely... What's so wonderful about Andy is that his warbles and cracks come from the energy he puts into his singing, not his attempt to sound cool. Depending on the song, I can hear the anger, joy, frustration coming right through, and that is what's so charming. In other news, Mike recommended the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, which is indeed deserving of MUCH praise. I also highly recommend "Down from the Mountain," a live concert featuring many of the "O Brother" musicians (and others) performing mostly songs that were not in the movie. These are stunning performances. You won't believe it's live. Amy
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 08:22:24 -0600 From: "Steve Oleson" <Steve.Oleson@oag.state.tx.us> Subject: Casting Stones at LOTR Message-ID: <sc677f50.086@oag_mail.oag.state.tx.us> Keith Richards as Wormtongue. Phil Collins as Gimli the Dwarf. AP as Tom Bombadil (perfect!) Ringo as Saruman Courtney Love as Legolas? ...nah, too macho!
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 10:35:13 -0700 From: Kirk.Gill@equifax.com Subject: Singing and Beating Message-ID: <OF1927C5EE.55E39025-ON87256B5D.005F6CD6@fin.equifax.com> On this Best Singing Drummers thread - my buddy Greg and I used to do a two-man acoustic rock and roll thang (we were called the Ham Hoc War Lox), and opened for a number of local punk shows. We had a little bit we would do honoring drummers who were dead. Since we were always opening for bands that had already set up their instruments on stage, we could usually have the house shine a spotlight on the empty drum kit behind us as we'd play our tribute. Well, on one particular night we were opening for a local band called The Fluid, and we had a real haircut crowd - colors, mohawks, piercings, etc. This was probably around 1986 or so. We finished our Bonham tribute tune (yes, an acoustic reggae version of "Immigrant's Song"), and before we started our next song, Greg says "While John Bonham and many other drummers have died of excess, we like to think that Karen Carpenter went the other way," before ripping into a speedacousticmetal version of the Carpenters' "Close to You." When we finished, one of the haircuts in the crowd said "Man, you guys are sick." That's still one of my proudest musical moments. So my vote goes for Karen Carpenter. She had a gorgeous voice, and her singing is a great childhood memory. And for the Best XTC Single that Wasn't Released as a Single, My vote goes for "Extrovert." k? "There's nothing in the world like a green-skinned girl....."
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 21:06:22 -0000 From: "Adrian Ransome" <adrian.ransome@instinct.freeuk.com> Subject: I'll fight you for a pint of beer Message-ID: <002001c1b33f$f729ae20$aa927ed4@atidy> Why were Xtc never embraced in Britain as they were elsewhere? It's hard to say. Perhaps they've been too unfashionable, or even non-fashionable. Perhaps they're too clever for your average British singles-buying punter. Perhaps they haven't had the record company support post Andy's breakdown. Perhaps (as with Mummer) they've been wilfully uncommercial. Perhaps they've been musically out of time with their contemporaries. Perhaps your average British singles-buying punter preferred to hear someone sing "I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted - dead or alive" or "Born in the USA." Perhaps they are an acquired taste. I'm not sure that their geographical location has anything to do with it (sorry Steve). Although it might explain why they're accepted in the US. Mary (quoting Andy) says - amongst other things - that it might be "More to do with just being disinterested in other English people." Which doesn't fully explain why the equally 'English' Kinks, Pulp, Beautiful South and Parklife-era Blur have been successful/accepted/embraced in Britain. Mary does say one thing (not sure whether they are her words or Andy's) "This was his theory about the lack of interest in things that were not handed to them [the English] on a plate" which could ring true. Xtc's music requires listening to, thinking about; there are musical and lyrical ideas that are bombarding you from every direction in each song. Compare and contrast 20 years of Xtc's music with anything from the Stock, Aitken, Waterman back catalogue of the same time period to see what the Great British singles-buying public prefer. They prefer being whacked around the head with a simple lyric and simple melody at 125 bpm for three minutes. In summary then; bags, lots of things in brown paper bags. adrian
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 13:25:41 -0800 (PST) From: Aaron Pastula <pastula12@yahoo.com> Subject: My fill of Phil Message-ID: <20020211212541.57986.qmail@web20205.mail.yahoo.com> I'm too lazy to snip from other postings, but I'm also too lazy to get back to work, so... Re: XTC's lack of acceptance in England, my impression (which is based on the limited time I've spent there, so feel free to challenge/squash/amend) is that British radio is extremely limited in its range of programming, and that it caters to very specific types of pop music. If a group isn't in one of a select number of musical categories, they won't get any exposure...and, of course, that cuts XTC right out, and probably always has given their inability to be pigeonholed (in any country). Also, I think I can see how their Englishness might be off-putting to the natives. Take a song like English Roundabout -- it's brilliant in every way, but as a Yankee, how would you react to a song called American Intersection? XTC prides themselves on displaying their Englishness, and rightfully so. But I think their music caters to the kind people who are looking to discover something new; many of their songs (Towers of London, Smalltown, etc.) and certainly their overall style "feel" English to an American, and are therefore slightly exotic and maybe even a bit adventuresome. Andy and Colin's perspectives are very distinct and specific (unlike, say, someone like Sting), and when you listen to XTC you are, in a way, "discovering" a country and a lifestyle through their eyes. But if you're English, what's interesting about discovering the nuances of your country and lifestyle when you already know them? I think of it in terms of being a tourist: you might go to a small town in Wiltshire and be amazed at how quiet, comforting, historical, unique, etc. a particular place is, but mention this to a local, and they'll probably say there's nothing so great about where they live. Did that make any sense? And I know this is a dying or dead subject, but re: Phil...Banks and Rutherford wrote most of the music anyway, didn't they? When Gabriel left, the fans thought he was the creative force behind Genesis, and that it couldn't exist without him...of course, they were all proven wrong. With several different writers in the band, who's to say they wouldn't have gone in a more mainstream direction if Gabriel had really wanted to stay? Can Phil really take all the blame for making Genesis a pop juggernaut? I don't think so...if anything, I think the remaining members all wanted to do what they were doing, so I see no reason why Phil should be demonized alone... ...and besides, the guy was in *Genesis*. With *Peter Gabriel*. And Trick of the Tail is a masterpiece, even if Sus-sus-usu-suss-uss-suss-sudio is marshmallow fluff. Aaron.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 18:01:59 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Windy Churchill Message-ID: <B88DB797.259A%cauldron@together.net> on 2/8/02 6:51 PM, Gil wrote: > Which reminds me of one of my favorite Churchill anecdotes: > > The woman who said to him: > > "If you were my husband, sir, I'd poison you!" > > To which Churchill replied: > > "If I were your husband, Madam, I'd drink it!" The more complete version was that Churchill had shown up drunk at the House of Commons and a certain Lady of the House(reputedly Lady Astor, except I hear she was actually quite attractive) said to him indignantly "Windy, you're drunk!" "Madam," Churchill replied, "You're ugly. And madam, when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be sober; but when you wake up tomorrow, you'll still be ugly." To which Lady Astor shoots back, "Windy, if I were your wife, I'd put poison in your soup." To which Churchill deftly replied, "Madam, if I were your husband, I'd drink it." I heard that one at an AA meeting many years ago, the speaker was a Scottish Catholic monk with a wicked sense of humor, especially about himself, and a thick Scottish accent to rival Scotty from Star Trek.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 18:11:23 -0500 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Residents Message-ID: <B88DB9CB.259B%cauldron@together.net> on 2/8/02 6:51 PM, someone residential wrote: > There is an XTC connection: > Andy sings on the Residents Commercial Album. If you > read the credits, you'll see a credit for Extra Secret > Guest Appearences, followed by a blank space. I know > of three of them: > Andy sings on the track "Margaret Freeman" > Lene Lovich sings on "Picnic Boy" > Debbie Harry sings on one track (I think it's "Amber" > but I'm not sure). Debbie Harry sings on "Nice Old Man." In addition, Barry Andrews' psycho organ sounds can be heard on at least one track, Robert Fripp can also be found on the album somewhere, and Fred Frith is a prominently featured guest musician who plays on multiple tracks.
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 16:00:14 +1100 From: "Crawford, Jeff" <crawfordj@mng.newsltd.com.au> Subject: re: everything really Message-ID: <17B04C523C3ED31195410000F8753548CA4BDC@mngxchange.mng.newsltd.com.au> Dearest .... I guess debating and light-hearted squabbling is what Chalkhills is all about, and it's always interesting, amusing and sometimes irritating to read other people's opinions, but the bottom line is no two of us will ever agree, not even those who live in XTC. I won't launch into any vitriol against Ed K. for comments on "Exile", let's just agree to disagree (although I can't understand anyone hating "Tumbling Dice" that much, but there you go). James describes "Goat's Head Soup" as "Turd Soup" - it happens to be an album I'm very fond of, possibly because it was the first Stones album I bought. I reckon "Winter" is one of the finest Stones ballads (and so do some of the musos and writers who voted in the "Uncut" poll), but to James it's a turd. Oh well. Edward loves Radiohead and reckons Elvis C. can't sing. I've got nothing against Thom and Co, but give me Mr MacManus any day of the week and twice on Sunday (one of the most exhilirating concerts I've ever witnessed was EC and Steve Neive during the tour for "Painted From Memory", which is well-and-truly after Elvis forgot how to sing, apparently). Most interestingly, Gregory S. interpreted "The Big Express" as a concept album about the death of a railroad town. I don't get it, but it got me thinking (there seems to be more seaside imagery to me). I've only known the vinyl version until recently, but it just goes to show how subjective these things are. And I always skip the bonus tracks in the middle of "Mummer", to me they don't belong. On the subject of nonsensical lyrics, where would pop be without them? Marc Bolan made a career out of it, after all. Not quite understanding lyrics and/or mis-hearing them is half the fun, otherwise we'd all be listening to Peter, Paul & Mary (by the way, have you heard the "Puff the Magic Dragon" theory?). And don't get me started on voices (Caruso vs Bob? Zimmie wins hands down). I'd rather listen to nails on a blackboard than Mariah, Celine or Destiny's Child, but they sell trillions of records, so I guess I must be wrong. Has anyone out there read "Fargo Rock City"? Very funny book by a guy who absolutely loves '80s poodle hair rock. It didn't make me want to listen to a note of Motley Crue, but I enjoyed his passion for that (deservedly) much-maligned genre. Smart guy, witty book, yet I hate almost every '80s band he worships. Don't know what I'm trying to say, but I guess I just said it. Greetings from the deep south (Orstralia) Jeff
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 13:27:30 -0800 (PST) From: Wes Long <optimismsflames@yahoo.com> Subject: www.optimismsflames.com Message-ID: <20020212212730.65081.qmail@web14912.mail.yahoo.com> Optimism's Flames launched Jan 6 ... thanks to all of you who've checked it out (75,000+ page views in the first month) and special thanks to those of you who took the time to comment and/or contribute. Content is being added daily... so here are a few high-points. New this month: The next three installments of Todd Bernhardt's chat with Ian Gregory, the drummer for the Dukes of Stratosphear, Dave's bro... in FREE MP3 format. Images of Andy Partridge's original, handmade cover art for Nonsuch (with different track listing) and Upsy Daisy Assortment (as chocolate box of all things... neat idea) New posters/fliers/interactive Wasp Star hat/links to 6 full XTC videos/original Andy art/Dukes images/guestbook... and more. Lot's coming soon: Todd Bernhardt's Dukes inspired chat with EIEI; Shigemasa Fujimoto discography... MUCH nicer than the one currently on the site; Jon Rosenberger's detailed vinyl section; some exclusive news and chats; detials on some of the vids; an altered design and an interactive, playable, Nonsuch promo cardgame. -nuf said- Thanks again to all of you, you've been a great help... and to John Relph for this forum. XTC fans are just the greatest! Set your screen res to 1024x768 and get burning with Optimism's Flames. wesLONG www.optimismsflames.com
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 22:41:37 -0000 From: "David Edwards" <david@onetel.net.uk> Subject: XTC unpopular in England? Message-ID: <016a01c1b416$708921c0$9c434ed5@oemcomputer> Dear Chalklings Why weren't XTC popular in England? But they were. Around the time of Drums & Wires, Black Sea and English Settlement, they were very highly rated, as I remember. Those albums were buzzing with cocky energy and inventiveness; they couldn't be ignored. I don't think the 'yokel' argument sticks - Manic Street Preachers are from Wales, and you can't get much less cool than that if you're the alleged snooty Londoner with a long, upturned nose (with sneering nostrils by Kenneth Williams). Part of Blur is from Bournemouth, where I live - even 25% of the band being afflicted by that outrageous lack of coolness should have been terminal from the snooty Londoner's point of view, according to the 'yokel' argument. I think XTC were able to be written off when Andy collapsed and then emerged to produce Mummer, which I love but which did not represent a gravity-busting extension of the spectacular, rising arc of brilliance plotted by the three preceding albums. Many people thought XTC had stalled, crashed and burned, and that that was likely to be it. But there were two other factors, I think. 1) XTC were smart, and you'll notice that the pop industry is not full of smartness, nor even smart-casualness. You see you can't have people thinking, that was never the idea of industrial pop. What you need is cake, not bread. Kids who think obviously don't deck themselves in corporate logos as a symbol of rebellious cool, nor do they smoke to signify their devil-may-care independence. So thinking won't work at all: What the citizen needs is "bread [cake in XTC-speak] and circuses": horny chicks with torsos designed by Mesmer, Robbie celebrating Frank, Kylie celebrating her thirtieth. 2) Connected to this, XTC were unforgivably sincere. What industrial pop needs is cynicism (or meaninglessness, that'll do nicely). 'Cool' has got to be cynical, indifferent, selfish, self-obsessed, self-destructive, resigned, passive, pleasure-seeking, booze/drugs-addled. You can't have people talking with unapologetic passion and sparkling wit about things that don't directly concern them: towers of London built on tears, gun pressure groups apologising to God, hatred of foreigners being dumb, presidents slaughtering Third World people with poison pens. Anger is fine: 'Mindless punk fury?' 'Give me a hundredweight!' But inspirational thought and compassion... No, no, these are the mortal enemies of the system served so beautifully by advertiser-friendly Funk Pop A Roll Muzak. Sincerely (oops!) David "I bet you're a big fan of Lee Marvin. Me too, I love that guy!" Edwards
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 20:35:52 -0500 From: "Scott Barnard" <brainiacsdaughter@hotmail.com> Subject: Tonight, on a Very Special Episode of ED Message-ID: <F271uVZ7152mFqF7Psg00020703@hotmail.com> After a long and lamentable absence, Chalkhills #8-13 heralds the return of West Coast Ed, just in time to wind me up with his annual (bi-monthly?) lambasting of Exile on Main Street! Not only that, he rises to the defense of post-Arthur Kinks using, among others, the example of UK Jive, of all things. And Kid A just didn't do it for him. Hmm, imagine that. Yes, he's back to his old tricks, unknowingly acting as my evil twin at every turn. But suddenly, what's this? An endorsement of the Super Furry Animals' Rings Around the World, the only reasonable candidate for album of the year? And the spot-on ELO reference to boot? Then he hits the nail on the head once again, singling out "Do It All Over Again" as the glorious standout on the otherwise underwhelming Let It Come Down. Perhaps now, finally, the tide has turned and I won't have to disagree with every last thing that he has to say. Oh, happy day! And then he fucks it all up by bringing Les Claypool into it. Welcome back, Ed ;) S.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 09:34:41 -0800 (PST) From: The Colonel <captainextraneous@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Residents Message-ID: <20020213173441.79008.qmail@web12102.mail.yahoo.com> > Anyone here into The Residents? I have liked them > for years, can't say love, but I find them > interesting. I remember hearing they > were XTC fans years ago, can anyone substantiate > this? I know they are an extremely hard listen > for any ear, but they are neat. Wormwood was one of > their most dulcet records, in my opinion. But I > remember hearing an XTC connection years > ago. I think the Residents are great (well, it terms of stuff that kinda sucks, I guess...). But seriously, they're great at what they do, and no one else sounds like them. It's funny to see your entry in Chalkhills b/c I posted a theory that XTC WERE the Residents a while back, listing a bunch of coincidental points. As for the 'Commercial Album,' that one's always been one of my faves. I recently got a friend into the Residents. At first listen, he hated them, but I told him to borrow a couple discs and give 'em a chance... Well, about a week later, he's a genuine foaming-at-the-mouth die hard Residents fan. Funny how that happens. I'd bet a lot of XTC fans started the same way... The Colonel
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #8-14 ******************************
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