Chalkhills Digest, Volume 12, Number 35

                  Friday, 11 August 2006

Topics:

              Re: Senses Working Undertime?
                       "Partridge"
                     Re: XTC for kids
                    XTC Survey Request
               Re: Senses Working Undertime
    "Farthest Off-Topic" honors at the Chalkie Awards
                          Ouch!
          Last night's SoCal micro gathering...

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Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2006 08:53:31 -0700
From: John James <jjames@jameshillfarm.com>
Subject: Re: Senses Working Undertime?
Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20060806084636.04094510@jameshillfarm.com>

I have no sense of smell. Never had it - at least to my knowledge.
Yes, I can taste. Folks often ask me how well I can taste:  well, how
the heck would I know?!?!? I seem to be able to distinguish a lot of
subtlety in tastes, but smell doesn't work one bit. I means I don't
know what roses smell like, but it also means I don't know what dog
poop smells like either. Unfortunately, that means I'm generally the
one to clean up nasty smelling things because I can't smell them. I
try to remind them my senses of sight and touch still work quite
fine, thank you very much, but they gag and tell me it's my job anyway.

So, I have only four senses. I'm missing the one that would be
easiest to do without, IMO. I do have some ringing in the ears from
my musician days, but in general the hearing is in pretty good shape.
Some days I'm more aware of it than others, and know it will continue
to degenerate, but try to be a bit careful now in my later years to
not abuse it too much.

//John

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Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2006 12:55:24 -0400
From: <jim@groovedisques.com>
Subject: "Partridge"
Message-ID: <200608061655.k76GtORZ023650@mail28.atl.registeredsite.com>

If you feel like hearing an excellent "tribute" to the style of our
man Andy Partridge, may I suggest clicking on the link to "Partridge",
from the new album by The Anderson Council, The Fall Parade.

http://www.groovedisques.com/sounds.htm

We liked this song and others by the band so much that we've released it!

Jim
http://overlookedgems.blogspot.com/

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

Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2006 14:39:46 -0500
From: Chris Derfler <cdpine@xnet.com>
Subject: Re: XTC for kids
Message-ID: <6EFCDF39-742E-4135-A5DE-D32E5A8688A1@xnet.com>

For Cheryl regarding XTC for kids,

For the past four years I have begun the daily video announcements at
our high school with the opening 6-8 seconds of "Playground" from
Apple Venus. And the end-of-the-year montage of the best of the
announcements, along with a goodbye to our seniors, is done to the
entire song. I apologize for the obvious copyright infringement (it's
only "broadcast" within our walls once a year and I would certainly
cease and desist if so asked), but boy does the song work. In
addition to the tears that flow nostalgically at that bittersweet
moment, many of our students fall in love with XTC through the song
"Playground." It's probably a different age group than yours but I
thought I would send this along.

All the best,
Chris Derfler

P.S. Several posts ago somebody, sorry I forget who, revisited their
vinyl collection. Just wanted to say that not long ago I was lucky
enough to score a clear vinyl 45 of Life Begins at the Hop (another
great teenager tune) b/w Homo Safari at Rebel Rebel on Bleeker St in
NYC, along with a Generals and Majors double 45 and 33 1/3s of both
Apple Venus and Wasp Star. I don't shoot on film anymore but I do
still like to listen to vinyl sometimes too!

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

Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2006 16:08:14 -0700
From: "Thomas Vest" <tvtwo@hotmail.com>
Subject: XTC Survey Request
Message-ID: <BAY109-F3339F3B82F7B639D872F9DA1560@phx.gbl>

Hello my dear Chalkfriends

I've been debating for quite some time about sending this post out and
finally, the time is ripe- err, I mean right, to give this a shot.

My second ever post to Chalkhills was in #8.4 (early 2002).  I'd been a
reader for about two years or so and a subscriber to the list since early
2001 (yes, even now I am still pretty green compared to some of you).   I
wanted to know then what people thought were their favorite albums and
songs.   I sent out a list of my rankings for favorite XTC albums and
favorite song on each.  I'd hoped to get some feedback from you on it but
did not get much, if any as I recall.  Hopefully, that will change this time
around.

What I propose is this:

I want to know what your favorites are.   I want you to rank them for me.
Email me off list and I will compile all the information and submit it to
the digest.

Some of you may want to ask are we using the original Virgin albums or
Geffen reissues because of the included/excluded non-LP bonus tracks.  I
don't care which you use.  The purists among you may scoff, but some of us
got into XTC with the Geffen reissues and therefore, it's XTC to us.  That
debate is for another time.

Here is what I am looking for:

1)  Rank the 12 albums of XTC in order from 1 (your favorite) to 12 (least
    favorite).  I am excluding the Dukes on this survey.

2)  What is your favorite song from each album?

3)  What is your least favorite song from each album?

4)  What is your favorite XTC song ever? (can be from any XTC related
    release)

5)  What is your least favorite XTC song ever? (same as above)

Bonus question for the collector maniacs out there:

6)  How many XTC cd's do you have?  Records?

I am to lazy to read the back digests to find out if a survey of all things
XTC has been done before.  My list has changed slightly as I have aged and,
as the albums themselves have aged.

For a project such as this, I think 30 to 45 days should do it for the
survey.  September 15th is the day I would like to have everything sent to
me by, but considering it's the last gasp of summer for some of you (while I
am still baking in Phoenix); maybe we should extend the date until September
30th.   I am open for suggestions on the dates as well as the survey
contents.

I am very interested in seeing what you like/dislike and I hope you will
respond.

E-mail me off list at:  tvtwo@hotmail.com

Thanks in advance!

Best,

Thomas

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

Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 16:44:44 +1200
From: "Neil Sheppard" <shepster247@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Senses Working Undertime
Message-ID: <3d42c8180608062144w59b81f8fwe7ef4b688c675f3c@mail.gmail.com>

I too am tinnitus afflicted - to a level that I can now describe (since
moving to NZ) as being outside near a cicada. Annoying, but my brain lets me
ignore it for the best part.

Shep.

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

Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 00:27:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ryan Anthony <hamsterranch@yahoo.com>
Subject: "Farthest Off-Topic" honors at the Chalkie Awards
Message-ID: <20060807072755.59974.qmail@web51108.mail.yahoo.com>

This will win "Farthest Off-Topic" honors at the
Chalkie Awards next time around, but I need to pick
the brains of the cowboy music aficionados in our band
of brothers and sisters.

Who performs, and what is the name of, the song in
which the Lord God Jehovah puts Charlie Russell (a
contemporary and peer of Frederic Remington) in charge
of sunsets because, the Almighty gruffly but freely
allows in a relaxed and manly way, "you're better at
'em than I am"?

Is it Don Edwards? Riders In the Sky? Sons of the
Pioneers? Sons of the San Joaquin? Michael Martin
Murphey? Waddy Mitchell? Herb Jeffries? Gene? Roy?
Tex? Rex or Rex Jr.? Vaughn "Old Leather Lungs"
Monroe? Marty Robbins? Hank Snow? Nick Lowe and His
Cowboy Outfit? Kid Rock? The Three Wise Men?

I think I have the song hiding somewhere in my
collection, but if so, Charlie Russell is not named in
the title.

The reason this came up ... the other day, leaving my
place of employment and walking through the western
door of the facility straight into a real
Chamber-of-Commerce wet dream of an Arizona sunset, I
observed a coworker reacting to the show in the sky by
going into an impromptu cheerleading routine for
Jesus: "You go, God! Woo-hoo! What an awesome god!"

I thought: Believe as thou wilt, Linda, but prithee,
do it in good taste. Then I thought: I really am a
smug and insufferable Yankee supremacist, am I not?
Then I thought: Most assuredly! Then I thought: So how
should I acknowledge a fine sunset without sounding to
my own ear like a semiliterate pellagra-afflicted
backwoods snake-handling Pentecostal with Tourette's?

By raising a glass in the direction of the spectacle
in the western sky and allowing, "That's a good 'un,
Charlie."

That's why I really need to hear the song again. I
hope one of you can tell me title and artist.

Ryan Anthony
An independent Internet content provider and
occasional XTC-mentioner

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

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2006 13:57:17 -0700
From: "Wayne Klein" <wtdk123@msn.com>
Subject: Ouch!
Message-ID: <BAY108-F195AEDB929C6425A74CA1EF9570@phx.gbl>

Ouch! Sorry to hear that Andy had some hearing damage while mixing the
improv album he recorded with Barry Andrews. Hope it isn't permanent.

Double ouch! Add that to the tendon injury and he's in for a bit of rehab.

I'm curious if anyone knows how the injuries have effected his collaboration
with Robyn Hitchcock. i would assume they completed the songs they were
working on but you never know.

I wish a speedy recovery to Andy and hope that the treatment for the hearing
damage works!

Glad to see that Fuzzy Warbles 7 & 8 will be coming to the table shortly.

Been listening to a lot of Paul Simon, Neil Finn, The Beatles (the reissued
Capitol Albums Volume 2) and, of all things, ELO lately. I'm not exactly
sure what that means except to say that XTC hasn't been part of the mix
lately.

Did enjoy The Pretenders boxed set as well. What ever happened to the other
boxed set that Virgin was planning for the band to gather up other B-sides,
live tracks, etc? I stopped reading the list for a brief period of time
(life caught up with me) and was looking forward to finally see some of Andy
and Colin's forgotten children on a single CD with remastered sound.

Wayne

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

Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 13:38:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kathleen Davis <msdavis_svs@yahoo.com>
Subject: Last night's SoCal micro gathering...
Message-ID: <20060809203833.67200.qmail@web60416.mail.yahoo.com>

Thanks to the five XTC fans who showed up to the SoCal mini gathering
last night! I had a blast! We had a good mix of Chakhills and Forum
fans...

The venue, Dave and Buster's, was not nearly as preppy/sporty/scary as
I expected. We all had a great time: about 6 hours of non-stop
banter/chatter about XTC, vampires, life as we know it, etc.....There
were about five conversations going at any given moment--since there
were only five of us it was a bit A.D.D., really. Once again I am
amazed and thrilled by the kindness of XTC fans....

However, I was surprised at how competitive some XTC fans can be--some
are so competitive that they might even try to lie about this, but I
was, ahem, of course, the official skeeball winner. :)

We got a few pictures...I'll try to get my roommate to assist me with
the technological aspect of getting them on here.

Next micro gathering = an XTC listening/video viewing/popcorn eating
party at my place. Drummed and Wired (LA's XTC tribute band) has
volunteered to play a show for us when we get more people involved!

High hopes for making the city of angels the city of andy,
Kate

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End of Chalkhills Digest #12-35
*******************************

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