Chalkhills Digest Volume 10, Issue 28
Date: Sunday, 11 July 2004
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 10, Number 28
Sunday, 11 July 2004
Topics:
Re: The Death of Art
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Fragile Eggshell Minds
Duncan, the Self-Righteous
New and improved just for you!
Re: sound
The Milk and Honey Review
The Milk and Honey Addendum
Oh, Duncan
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 09:09:42 -0500 From: "Kevin" <brunkhorstk@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: The Death of Art Message-ID: <BAY15-DAV176BOqViN3000c3c98@hotmail.com> Duncan Watt: What exactly would YOU do to make things better? How would you rather have had it? I dream of a world where musicians are at the top of the social-economic ladder. But they're not. Their works have been devalued, it's true. It's an inevitable by-product of the very system that makes them available to their listeners. Otherwise, the distribution of music would be a local thing, and you'd never have heard of Andy Partridge. Some musicians have found a way to make money by treating the recordings as the cheap invitation to the live performance, where they can charge more money. This won't work with Andy. Like some others, I believe the industry-as-we-know-it is on the verge of collapse. I think it's already started. Already it bears no resemblance to when I worked in it in the 90s. Now stop blaming the Americans. Your English seems pretty good, so I assume that you live in an English-speaking country. Wherever you live, there is a music industry at work also, finding a way to soak the artist and listener alike. Which one of those are you? So you're in on the scam. Try an Asian country, where everything of value gets pirated to the roof. When I die and go to the next life, I will be greeted thusly: "We're really glad you're here! Could you go park around the back and come in through the kitchen?" Kevin Brunkhorst (Who, come to think of it, ripped off Andy and potential sheet music publishers by providing free of charge the chord changes to a lot of XTC songs on the Chalkhills site years ago. What have I done?)
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 16:22:30 +0200 (CEST) From: chris browning <chris@boodle.fsnet.co.uk> Subject: Dogs Die in Hot Cars Message-ID: <17101429.1089382950641.JavaMail.www@wwinf3005> further to the recommendation of Dogs Die in Hot Cars, i would like to second it - one of the few times someone bandies about the name XTC in association with another newer band, and that newer band does not decrease the standing of our beloved swindonites. "godhopping" and "i love you cause i have to" are tremendous, rather like an updated XTC with joe jackson in the ranks. also some top production work by langer and winstanley really terrific stuff and far better than this Hot Hot Heat type nonsense ta! chris
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 12:21:00 -0400 From: KEVIN.WOLLENWEBER@jpmorgan.com Subject: Fragile Eggshell Minds Message-ID: <OF461BBE35.1C8E7072-ON85256ECC.00549265@chase.com> Folks: Well, the only response I have to talk that Rhino, the seemingly Perfect Beast, rumbling in stampede over all else, is a mere shadow of its former self and that it is merely a reissue arm of the bigger ghost in the machine, Warner Brothers, is to ask how the hell did they suddenly get the rights to the entire Paul Simon catalogue? Now there was a reissue campaign that completely floored me! Okay, Paul Simon now records--or did record--for Warner Brothers or a subsidiary thereof, and it is possible that *HE* has the clout to push for removal of all his work from those Columbia/Sony vaults, but I more see this as Warner Brothers once again shoving their weight around to buy up just about every label under the sun...and where does that put the rights of musicians to own their music or run the show the way they would have wanted? Duncan is absolutely correct! I think the music business is changing so fast that even those artists who genuinely had full control over the rights and distribution of their music are forced to either quit (more and likely) or allow the corporations to do what the hell they wish with oodles of back catalogues and, thus, retell so much cherished history! So is this the reason why FUZZY WARBLES, VOLS V and VI have not come out yet? Is this the reason why all those otherwise wonderful Andy Partridge projects haven't really gotten off the ground? Oh, and by the way, Warner Brothers can sell anything! Three more Elvis Costello reissues will surface in August--ALMOST BLUE, GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD and THE KOJAK VARIETY, all expanded to two disks each!! I've no doubt that, down th eroad another five years or so, they could very well be buying up the rights to all XTC music and charming a few rock journalists to come on and add those "dedicated" liner notes to expanded digipack editions of each of their albums. It can only get more and more hollow from here on out and, while I'd like to see the music itself treated well, I have little hope that musicians of any generation can continue to keep their careers afloat for very long. And, yes, even mention of the Almighty Beatles will one day see no more of a reaction than silent question marks on faces! And, if the artist is forced to go back to the performing stage to keep himself or herself in mere food 'n' clothing, I'm sure that Andy Partridge would much rather quit! His refusal to go out onstage was due to a kind of stage fright along with his feeling that he didn't want to be a performing seal and just do the same songs every night. The studio is his tapestry just like the camera is to the photographer and the paints and canvas are to the painter. I don't deny that there is that link to the audience found in some performers, but let's acknowledge that other artists choose to use different tools in their creations and don't necessarily feel that they have to justify themselves at $100-a-seat venues! It certainly will be interesting to see how music is sold and retread upon in this new age, but I'm finding that, less and less, I am able to follow it and, once it becomes nothing more than downloads and files that can't be so easily "touched", I'm done with it. Maybe it is time for all of us to go make our own music on porches and start all over again to re-evaluate our priorities. We know we can't live without it in our lives, but just turn on your radio and hear how unessential the corporate structure sees most of it. And don't think that the omnipresent Satellite Radio will give us the break we need! While all formats are out there, nothing will ever again sound like early progressive, free-form radio on which the "personality" talked reverentially about the music they cherished and even let the artist in on the deal. The last sickening comments I'd heard were that advertisers were whining about how little their commercials are really being paid attention to. Their retaliation will be to "slip" product logos in on the programs and shows themselves--this is far more evil than just rap artists slipping every corporate name under the sun in their lyrics, but it is part of the stupidity! I have now definitely lost touch with it all. Yeah, a small part of me would still like to see a phenomenon like Rhino giving us the entire XTC catalogue, but if it did happen, I'd be heaving sighs that Andy Partridge or Colin Moulding would probably never record again or be allowed to distribute even their private basement tapes on their own! Sure enjoyed the FUZZIES while the concept lasted and I know I'll certainly never complain again about the high cost of autographed copies because high-priced autographs might be the only way for the two to break even!!! And I don't even think that the teen throbs of today will be doing much decision-making as years go by. George Harrison really did see it clearly when he vented that in music's future, artists will come and go at twice the rate, and that will have nothing to do with whether they are embraced or ignored! It is now just technically just movable real estate, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Oh, I'll still be checking in here to read what transpires, but my hopes for that genuine fanaticism about the music and art that we love are daily being dashed and that beloved art is being redefined by smug little parasites in the music "rags" with no real regard for that art. It's all in the hands of the focus groups now, and none of 'em have a real connection to any of it! Kevin
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 14:36:38 -0700 From: David Gershman <dagersh@pobox.com> Subject: Duncan, the Self-Righteous Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20040709130315.00ba7b30@mail.comcast.net> Duncan, Who, exactly, on this list, are you yelling at? (Maybe you meant it as a rant directed elsewhere, but hey, when you use "you" so many times, it's hard for one not to think it's directed at them personally.) Do you really think that only Americans are to blame? That you, who are so full of self-righteous indignation that you could somehow seriously post a message like that here, have done everything right your whole life to ensure that musicians get their fair share? Who the "F" (to paraphrase your lovely letter) do you think you are, Duncan? I honestly believe that musicians will always be able to find avenues to release their music that will result in at least some kind of money coming back to them for it, whether it's per album or per song. Sites such as iTunes are a step in that direction, actually. And if you think that this is the end of good music as we know it, you're sadly mistaken. There will always be great musicians/songwriters getting their music out there. The scenario now is merely a different face to a problem that has existed for decades. This isn't the doomsday you think it is; who knows, we may be seeing the beginning of a new world order in the music business. Long live rock (and all great music). Dave Gershman At 06:08 AM 7/9/2004, you wrote: > >Give The F Up, You Little Bastards.
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 06:56:35 +0000 From: "WAYNE KLEIN" <wtdk12@msn.com> Subject: New and improved just for you! Message-ID: <BAY3-F14qwRy0Bj9ZEa0013c2f0@hotmail.com> As I'm sure everyone is aware, Glenn Tilbrook has a new solo album out (came out a couple of months ago) and it's quite good, too. It's actually better than his first and comparable to the best Squeeze did. Some titles there that Andy might get a chuckle out of as well. Matthew Sweet's latest finally got a domestic release as well--independently I might add--and I'd highly recommend it as well. Best album he's gone well, since "Girlfriend" (although i have a soft spot for all his stuff). Finally, for those who have SACD players, Aimee Mann's last album (can't remember the name at the moment but has something to do with Dodos) has been released by MFSL as a SACD/CD hybrid. Great album from a couple of years ago. Haven't hear the hybrid version yet as am shot on cash.... Finally some new about Harry Nilsson. Warner-Chapple Music Publishers will be relasing a promo CD entitled "Remember" (this courtesy of Curtis Armstrong who co-produced the last couple of Harry's fine reissues). It's designed to get other artists to cover Harry's songs/get them in more films. Perhaps Andy and Colin could re-record a couple of their best songs for a similar enterprise (while they're busy working putting together material for their next album). Might be worthwhile. Although XTC isn't a household name any longer, the 80's revival has started yet again with films like "13 Going on 30". Wayne
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:23:37 EDT From: SnarleyCo@aol.com Subject: Re: sound Message-ID: <1e2.2507661c.2e2139c9@aol.com> In a message dated 7/9/2004 9:30:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time, chalkhills@chalkhills.org writes: is offering basically THE ENTIRE XTC CATALOG, 15 ALBUMS, 238 SONGS, LEGALLY, FOR DOWNLOAD, FOR ABOUT $11.90 (depending on what format you choose to download it in, I used "192k .mp3" as an example), you've, collectively, gone and DEVALUED ALL MUSIC, ART OR NOT, TO ABOUT, SAY, ONE FUCKING CENT PER MEGABYTE. Yeah, BUT just as CD sound is pale when compared to (VV) Lp's (low sample rate = 16/44.1) MP3 (and MP4) have even LOWER sampling rates (and TONS of compression) ... In the long run, the sound sucks, period. Mebbe THAT's our solace... Carl Carl R Snow, Moss Hill Recording & Mastering www.jacop.net/CRS.html
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 11:25:46 -0400 From: Benjamin Gott <bgott@rectoryschool.org> Subject: The Milk and Honey Review Message-ID: <6AB29138-D285-11D8-ADE7-000D9328AB7A@rectoryschool.org> Gang, I received my autographed copy of "The Milk and Honey Band" today. I have only had time to give it a few listens, but here are my first impressions. If Andy Partridge, The Milk and Honey Band's biggest fan, had produced this album, it would be excellent. Five stars on Amazon.com. An "A" in Entertainment Weekly. A fancy review in Rolling Stone. A place in the hearts of Morrissey fans everywhere (read on). However, Andy was not at the helm, and so the album, in the end, suffers. From what? Sounding too much like a combination of The Candyskins (remember them?), Tears for Fears' "Elemental," and throwaways from "Strangeways, Here We Come" and anything P.D. Heaton recorded from 1988-1991, that's what. Yes, Roland Orzabal can write a melody. Yes, "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" are exceptionally good songs. Yes, "Think for a Minute" is The Housemartins at their best. The problem is, it's 2004, not 1989. Now before you all start composing angry e-mails reminding me how great British guitar pop is and how great Radiohead and Blur were before they stopped caring about "accessibility," just calm down. I agree with you. I love late 1980s and early-1990s Britpop. I think that The Lilac Time's "...And Love for All" is one of the best albums that I own, and I own close to 1,000 albums. But if you're going to play early 1990s Britpop, and if you're going to stake a whole album on it, then you'd better pull the cotton out of your ears and listen to some albums made *after* 1991. Jon Brion, Robyn Hitchcock, Pernice Brothers and many other wonderful bands have managed to maintain the guitar-based sound without sacrificing the "great leap forward" in terms of production. Jason Falkner takes "jangly" to a whole new level. There's a lesson in production in there somewhere: you can make a Britpop album (even without Stephen Street or Langer and Winstanley) and you can make it current, relevant, and interesting. The songs on "The Milk and Honey Band" are fine. The lead singer does, indeed, sound like P.D. Heaton. The jangly electric bits do, indeed, sound like Johnny Marr (as do most of the acoustic bits, for that matter). There are some great choruses and some nice softer songs. But everything sounds like it was recorded yesterday. These guys certainly have a bright future, but they need Partridge to make it feel like a future rather than a past. God forgive me, but I give this album a "C+" and hope that it will grow on me. Someone write back and tell me what I'm missing. I really want to like this more than I do! (Hell, I'm obsessed with Dogs Die in Hot Cars, and they sound like Madness!) -Ben
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 12:17:35 -0400 From: Benjamin Gott <bgott@rectoryschool.org> Subject: The Milk and Honey Addendum Message-ID: <A7BD0508-D28C-11D8-ADE7-000D9328AB7A@rectoryschool.org> Gang, I would be remiss if I did not amend my first post. A closer look at "The Milk and Honey Band" liner notes reveals that the songs on the album "were recorded between 1995-2003." This makes the "Elemental" comparison apt, as some songs appear to have been recorded at the same time as mid-1990s Tears for Fears hits. This makes "The Milk and Honey Band" album more of a sampler, which means that, as a good teacher, I must adjust its grade from a "C+" to a "B/B-" and have The Milk and Honey Band see me after class. Still, I must recommend that The Milk and Honey Band hire Partridge for their next project. -Ben
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 20:56:19 -0700 From: jemiah <jemiah@q7.com> Subject: Oh, Duncan Message-ID: <442896A0-D2EE-11D8-84FA-0050E490AC6B@q7.com> > Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 19:23:27 -0400 > From: "Duncan Watt" <dwatt@fastestmanintheworld.com> > Subject: The ENTIRE XTC CATALOG FOR LESS THAN $12, or In Which I Just > F'n > > http://www.allofMP3.com > > ...is offering basically THE ENTIRE XTC CATALOG, 15 ALBUMS, 238 SONGS, > LEGALLY, FOR DOWNLOAD, FOR ABOUT $11.90 (depending on what format you > choose to download it in, I used "192k .mp3" as an example), you've, > collectively, gone and DEVALUED ALL MUSIC, ART OR NOT, TO ABOUT, SAY, > ONE FUCKING CENT PER MEGABYTE. Wow, thanks for the tip, Duncan! Do you work for them, perchance? Cos, uh, I didn't. Except that I did. I got into XTC's music by copying CDs onto cassette tapes. There was no other way for a poor kid like me to have their music. When I grew up and had some money of my own, I plowed a lot of it into buying originals of XTC's music, because I love good sound quality; but I wasn't able to get all of it. I still have some of the tape copies I made when I was 17 (that's 16 years ago, for those of you playing along at home). Because I'm still poor, and I still love XTC. But now that I know I can get the entire catalogue on MP3, I'm gonna do just that, until I get some more money and I can send some of it to Ape. I probably won't tell Partsy that I fell in love with him through outright theft of his music, and every time I listen to a home-made tape, I steal food from Holly's mouth all over again. I want him to be a zillionaire; I'd like to be a zillionaire myself. But I know good and well that I'm not going to sell 65 zillion books, and that most people who are fans of my work have read copies that they borrowed from enthusiastic friends. Who am I to say "You ripped me off because you didn't buy it!"? Sure, I'm out 25 cents, but they'd be out an entire fresh perspective. I'm not denying your right to rant; I'm sad that there's no new XTC (or Blur, or even Stone Roses) material. But I'm just saying that it's not that simple, and that MP3 is not the enemy. Greed and inflexibility and stupidity (all of which most record labels are guilty of) are. j-j
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