Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 135
Date: Friday, 27 June 1997

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 135

                   Friday, 27 June 1997

Today's Topics:

        Mobile Fidelity disk-- why I listen to it
                     power mac chords
                  Non-XTC /Jason Falkner
                       censorship?
      doh! After 15 years, I spot the play on words
                       Andy & Trent
        Moulding v. Partridge: the eternal debate?
                  Box Be Long Look Look
                        V2 Rocket
         Strike? What about Cherry in your Tree?
                XTC in Japanese animation
                      ghostwritings
                     too late, babes
                      Thanks, Pete!
         Dr. Martens , Andy, and Aging Punksters
                   Dear Madam Marianne
                       tony maimone
             Re: Upsy Daisy Assortment issues
                      25 o'clock...
                     onion & failure
                       Upsy Downsy
                 Partridge in a chat room
                     La La Atlantium
             Reznor...how about an XTC cover?
                     fertile Crescent
                        NIN is POP

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I'm on my mountain preaching.

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

From: tmunsat@pppl.gov
Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970624193717.006967b0@pppl.gov>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 19:37:17 -0400
Subject: Mobile Fidelity disk-- why I listen to it

>From: Dave White <margnate@concentric.net>
>Subject: Upsy Daisy, Audiophile, Mobile Fidelity, etc.....
>My Skylarking disc is the first pressing (import) without Dear God --
> again, I don't know if that's supposed to make a difference.
> -- is there anyone out there who prefers the MF discs, and if so, why?

I also have the first British presssing without Dear God, and I prefer the
song order on that one (though I also love the single Dear God).  I like
listening to the MoFi disk, though, because the basslines are so distinct.
This isn't so important for just listening and enjoying, but if I'm trying
to play the bass parts myself, it's much easier to pick them out from the
MoFi disk.  A good example is Summer's Cauldron-- I could never figure out
how the bass line went from the original disk.  I agree with your basic
conclusion that one isn't necessarily better than the other, but they are
different sounding.  Anyway, my admiration for Colin increases with every
note I hear.
-Tobin

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

From: tmunsat@pppl.gov
Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970624194638.0068dea4@pppl.gov>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 19:46:38 -0400
Subject: power mac chords

> Eric Rosen <rimshot3@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> my brain gets triggered into "Miniature Sun" mode every time
> I power up a Power Macintosh.

I think the PowerMac uses a digitized recording of Stanley Jordan (very
good jazz guitarist with jaw-dropping technical skills) playing the Mac
chord on his electric guitar.  I'm not sure what the chord is, and how it
compares to the opening to Miniature Sun, but my guess is that XTC uses a
pretty jazzy chord (9th or 11th or something) for that song, and that's
also what Mr. Jordan would use.
-Tobin

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

Message-ID: <33B06734.6D7B@erols.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 20:32:52 -0400
From: RocketRob <robertlc@erols.com>
Organization: Pink Palace Productions
Subject: Non-XTC /Jason Falkner

Hi All,
A few weeks ago, I bought the the New Jason Falkner LP intilted,
Presents Author Unknown, I just gotta say that this guy is
Brilliant!!!, the songwriting is incredible!!! and he plays
eveything on it.
I suggest EVERYBODY on the list pick it up, in a week or 2, it
will be your favorite albumn, trust me.

Thankx
Rob

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

Message-ID: <33B06779.F82@mail.utexas.edu>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 19:34:02 -0500
From: Jason Garcia <h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu>
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
Subject: censorship?

> I don mean to be a censor but I know that many of us dont have the
> time to read all those long messages (specially when they dont have
> anything to do with XTC).

Not to cause trouble, but- didn't we decide that was what "page
down" keys were for?  Not saying we should go off on the merits of
Phil Collins' latest album (are there any?), but, well...we've
been over this a billion times, so I'll just shut up now.

Til next time,
Jason

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

Message-Id: <v01540b00afd6841a4f9c@[139.80.100.151]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 15:18:32 +0700
From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)
Subject: doh! After 15 years, I spot the play on words

Doh! Ever had one of thise moments where a line in a song that you though
was OK, but nothing special suddenly emerges clearly to you as a play on
words? After 15 years or so of listening to "No language in our lungs" I
suddenly realise that "I would have made this instrumental but the words
got in the way" can be read as "I would have made this effective but...".
I'd always thought this was one of the clumsiest lines in XTC's repertoire,
but I've suddenly gained a lot more respect for it!

James

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

Message-Id: <v01540b05afd68ce7610e@[139.80.100.151]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 15:53:17 +0700
From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)
Subject: Andy & Trent

>(Betcha you'd never thought Trent Rezenor would be mentioned in the same
>sentence as Andy.)

why not? Both have worked with members of King Crimson (Andy with Pat
Mastelotto, Trent with Adrian Belew). And I am a fan of both, for that
matter (of all three if you include Crimso)

James

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

Message-Id: <l03102800afd66d095064@[146.6.72.33]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 02:02:19 -0500
From: jason garcia <h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Moulding v. Partridge: the eternal debate?

'Ello!

>(can they truly be called "lads" anymore, seeing as how they are
>all technically old enough to be grandparents?)

Damn.  I hope _I'm_ not a grandparent before I'm 45.

>"Books Are Burning" and "Then She Appeared" just scream =Abbey Road= to
>me -- and "Dear Madam Barnum" is what Sir Paul only *dreams* "Maxwell's
>Silver Hammer" was.

Huh?  I fail to see the connection between either of these.  However, I
must agree that I find the Beatles to be the be-all end-all over the
Beach Boys, not so much because of "bad" lyrics (Brian Wilson was
struggling with mental problems at the time;  the lyrics reflected that
quite well, I thought) but because their arrangements couldn't even
begin to match the tireless quest for new sounds that the Beatles
had.  As for XTC, I think they are a good match for the Beatles when
it comes to variety (hence, my second-favorite band);  and lyrically,
well, Moulding and Partridge never fail to be interesting.

>someone recently mentioned that they felt Andy was the better songwriter,
>but >when hard-pressed to name their favorite XTC songs, Colin material
>lept to the >fore

This has happened to me as well.  I think the reason for this is that since
Colin writes around 20% of XTC's material, his songs tend to be singled out
as "favorites" because they tend to be easier to remember; whereas with
Andy, the guy with many, many more songs, it's harder to choose your
favorites.

>Given the immense collectivity of musical talent & insight that is this
>Chalkhills community, perhaps, someone can help me understand why my
>brain gets triggered into "Miniature Sun" mode every time I power up a
>Power Macintosh.  Something about the harmonic, chordal tone it makes...

YES!  I didn't think anyone would ever post that!!  That's great!  I
always want to break into that song in the computer lab when that
happens!  Cool!

Take it easy,
Jason

check out the Top 40 site at http://www.angelfire.com/tx/top40

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

Message-Id: <199706250637.IAA22569@utrecht.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Organization: The Little Lighthouse
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 07:45:09 +0000
Subject: Box Be Long Look Look

Dear Chalks,

In issue 3-132 our friend Cheryl ( hi!) said:
> a live performance of "Books Are Burning".
> They closed out whatever the show was with XTC
> performing this one and it was honest-to-god live.  Mr. P and Dave
> Gregory went to town on the guitar solos.  I was blown away.
Me too!

I just happened to see that show ( The Late Show on BBC2) and more or
less freaked out. it was absolutely fantastic but i did not own a VCR
at the time so I did not have a chance to tape it.
I do remember thinking "pity they don't play another song"
( B.A.B. is not their best on Nonsuch IMHO )
But didn't they also start the show with XTC???
I don't know for sure but i think they did... anyone know more?
Mark? Simon?

Also, I also happened to see the _other_ bit ( Andy on that awful
breakfast show) when it was broadcast.
The Virgin press office really had a funny way of promoting our
Heroes... XTC also did a LOT of children's shows.

BTW: I would be very happy with both these shows on a PAL VHS
tape... Anyone? I have loads of (audio) "interesting" stuff to swap.

bye,

Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
an unofficial XTC website at http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello
===> Mark's Random XTC Quote <===
Would not our world turn cold
if the sun refused to shine

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

Message-ID: <c=GB%a=_%p=Benfield_Group%l=BENEXCHG-970625095018Z-4323@benexchg.benfield.co.uk>
From: Gary Minns <Gary.Minns@benfield.co.uk>
Subject: V2 Rocket
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 10:50:18 +0100

Interesting to see all the rumours about XTC signing to V2 and the
negative reception it is getting on Chalkhills.

If we all think back: XTC's troubles with Virgin only really came to
a head after Branson gave up the reins.  Maybe the guys like Branson
but hated the other Virgin bosses.

If this were the case then signing to a new "Indy" style Branson
label, with all the promotional and distributional clout he has, would
seem a pretty clever idea.

Gary

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

From: a.de.koning@bpa.vnu.com
Message-ID: <C12564C1.00372718.00@bpa.vnu.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 12:26:05 +0200
Subject: Strike? What about Cherry in your Tree?

Chalks,

Before I go away on vacation (sunday) I have a question. You have three
weeks to answer, so no need to hurry ;)

Andy has stated repeatedly that XTC are/were on strike since the release
(or non-release) of 'Wrapped In Grey'. So that should have been at the end
of 1992.
So how come that in 1994 they were allowed to contribute 'Cherry In Your
Tree' to the album 'Carmen Sandiego Out of This World' as XTC? My copy even
has a sticker on it telling me it is 'featuring a new track by XTC' or
words to that effect.
I think the *real* strike started after that (in 1995 they had to disguise
themselves as 'Terry and the Lovemen' for the TD compilation.)

Any ideas?

Andre (off to England)

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

Message-Id: <199706251306.WAA27011@mail.ca2.so-net.or.jp>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 22:07:32 +0900
From: n2_n@ca2.so-net.or.jp (Nishimatu)
Subject: XTC in Japanese animation

 In the 22th and 23th chapter of Japanese big title animation Evangelion,
main character Shinji wore a T-shirt with a logotype _XTC_.

 Evangelion is an animation TV series, now made into 2 animation movies.
 The near future SF story is a mental drama about the group using
bio-mechanic Evangelion to foe with strange aliens named Shito (means
apostles).

 See Mr.Yoshihara's web page <http://www.ifnet.or.jp/~yo-shi/eva.html>.
 First picture(a bio-mechanic Evangelion) and second picture(the main
character Shinji) are shown under the permission of copyright holder.
 The third picture is a sketch of the scene Shinji wearing XTC T-shirt by
Mr.Yoshihara.

 In the animation, Shinji often enjoyed hearing musics with his walk-man,
the music might be XTC. :-)
 Well, how many audiences of the animation noticed the meaning of <XTC>?

 ____Thanks, Mr.Yoshihara and Mr.Shimizu.

(Ms.)Nishimatu Nisei / Japan
n2_n@ca2.so-net.or.jp,CQA03750@niftyserve.or.jp
http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~n2_n/xtc/

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

From: Matt_Kaden/CAM/Lotus@lotus.com
Message-Id: <852564BA.00726111.00@mta2.lotus.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 11:17:44 -0400
Subject: ghostwritings

Who was it who asked if anyone else thought White Music was a great album?
That would be me... and all my friends. Anyone else?? For a while I thought
it was their best one. This is for the energy and Andy's incredible voice
on it. He should not feel embarrassed while hearing it (as he claims he
does). This was a brilliant peak in vocal history. And hearing the Helium
Kidz is confusing. It's like they developed their whole spastic spiel at
the last minute.

"At the time, NO ONE could match, let alone beat, =Pepper=. The Stones
tried it and look what we got...the embarassing =Her Satanic Majesty's
Request=."

Andy's favorite album... Dave said it would be nothing without Nicky
Hopkins' piano work. I think they both exaggerate, but I like the record.

"Pink Floyd tried it with =Piper at the Gates of Dawn,= and while it's a
great psychedelic album, it hardly opened up pop music to legitimate
critical scrutiny"

Yes - well, actually Piper was recorded simultaneously as well as down the
hall in the same building as the Pepper sessions. So I don't think it
possible that they ripped off or tried to emulate that record. Syd was
always inspired by the Beatles ever since Love Me Do, but his master
creation had more to do with his own genius which was blossoming at the
time.

"One of my fave bridges is the one from Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down. The
song in question is a much under-rated Partridge classic"

The story to this I find extremely hilarious. He woke up in the middle of
the night haunted by this tune, worked it out and swore it would be a
number 1 hit. It proves his lunacy, for the song is incredible, of course,
but it doesn't haven't one commercial bone in its body. Gotta love him for
it. The same with Mummer, when they handed over their new batch to Virgin
and they said "we asked you for a hit." and Andy said "we tried our best."

If there are any Sellers fans in here, you may want to visit this website:
http://members.aol.com/damsel16/sellers.html. There is a discussion group
which just started up in a web page called Being There. You may want to add
some contributions to get it going.

"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurts and I'd rather have a bottle in
front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

PEACE

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

Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=SELECT_Software_%l=SELECT_OX_MAI-970625152745Z-1912@sst.star.co.uk>
From: Catherine Sweeney <Cather-s@selectst.com>
Subject: too late, babes
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 16:27:45 +0100

I nabbed the HMV Oxford Street copy of Fossil Fuel with embossed cover
only yesterday.

Oh alright, I'll put you out of your miseries.  There's another copy
there, cos I checked today.

go on then, what are you waiting for....

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

Message-ID: <50F6D82F01291300@ametsoc.org>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 97 14:59:00 -0500
From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org>
Organization: AMS
Subject: Thanks, Pete!

Just a quick thank you to Peter Fitzpatrick for the photos of Andy and the
shed! Very interesting, and I'm very jealous!
 Also, the CD covers are very amusing (no surprise there, of course)...my
favorite is the one that I assume is the inner sleeve (or is it the back
cover) from "Waxworks," where Andy drew the rest of the body in.
Very funny. :)

Dave Gershman

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

Subject: Dr. Martens , Andy, and Aging Punksters
From: wwilson@mail07.mitre.org (Wesley H. Wilson)
Message-Id: <970625152207.8633@mail07.mitre.org.0>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 97 15:22:08 -0400

Warning: Ramblings from an Aging Punkster Follow!

So Andy wore (wears) Doc Martens. I have to comment on this. I have two pair
myself - both are comfortable, both require heavy woolen socks.

One pair that I have has soles with one of the best "chemical" smells. Ever
know people who like the smell of gas (petrol), just for the smell of it?

I don't associate Doc Martens with Andy or with XTC. Maybe their first few
albums. In America, DMs are associated with the punk/art student thing. I
was never a "punk," but I was an art student for a while ("Do what you want
'cause this is the new art school"). There are still some punks around in
the cities although I suspect London and New York have the most. Is the
wearing of DMs more prevalent in the UK, in general? Or are they reserved
for soccer hooligans? :-)

I get reactions when I wear my DMs, always from younger people (I'm 38) and
always in the suburbs. ("This is the sound of the suburbs...") Why do
younger people keep asking me if those are DMs I'm wearing? Yeah, SO WHAT?
Is it agism? Should I be walking around in Hush Puppies. I was into the
"punk thing" (The Fall, Sham 69, Ramones, etc.) back when these youngsters
were reading Archie comics.

I also have a pair of Clarks for work at Smithers-Jones.

Sigh...I can't wait for November, bare trees and rain, my long woolen
overcoat and my DMs.

I see it's raining in London today.

Wes

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

Message-Id: <199706252129.XAA13384@utrecht.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Organization: The Little Lighthouse
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 22:36:59 +0000
Subject: Dear Madam Marianne

Hi Chalkers,

> In the "Nonsuch" review , the writer Shigemasa Fujimoto mentioned that
> "Madam Barnum" might be AP's ex-wife Marianne.
Well, that's what I thought as soon as I heard they had split up.
It makes perfect sense, so it must be true.

BTW: the clown/jilted lover metaphor is used many times
before of course...
Remember "Tears Of A Clown" by Smokey Robinson ?
I think Andy might have been inspired a bit by that song when he
wrote Dear Madam Barnum. any takers?

> Until now I have been regarded she as their former record company. . . .
Some people suggested it's about Margaret Thatcher.

But isn't it wonderful how ambiguous song lyrics can be?
This is probably one of the many reasons I like XTC lyrics as much as
I do; this myriad of multiplexed (hidden) meanings and
possible interpretations.
Once you scratch the surface, you discover there is much much more

yours in ecstasy,

Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
an unofficial XTC website at http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello
===> Mark's Random XTC Quote <===
War planes go over but no wages go round

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

From: monnickj@ubk.co.uk
Message-Id: <199706252111.WAA01902@sys4.cambridge.uk.psi.net>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 22:23:12 +0000
Subject: tony maimone

a while ago this guy was mentioned  the lawyer or whatever for some band.

Could this be the same guy who held done the position as Mr bass in Pere UBU
in the mid 70's ? speaking of albums as good as sgt pepper how about Pere
Ubu's Modern Dance.

An update would be appreciated

jon

*----------------------------------------------------------------
The views expressed are of the individual, and do not
necessarily reflect the views of The United Bank of Kuwait PLC.
*----------------------------------------------------------------

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

Message-Id: <v01540b00afd79f893b11@[132.170.24.94]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 23:35:28 -0500
From: dcm80229@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Derek Miner)
Subject: Re: Upsy Daisy Assortment issues

Hi all...

I, too, was willingly lulled into buying an almost redundant CD, Upsy Daisy
Assortment.

On the plus side, the packaging idea is clever. And they packed the disc to
the limit (in fact, "Peter Pumpkinhead" is barely over before the disc
forces itself to "off"). The best thing, I thought, was that the sound of
the mid-period stuff was much better than I've come to expect.

There were some mentions of the sound quality of the Upsy Daisy tracks not
being better than what was available from Japanese CD pressings. This made
me wonder if Big Express and Mummer are available in very nice editions
overseas... When I listened to "Seagulls Screaming" and compared it to my
Geffen Big Express CD, it was like night and day. The Upsy Daisy cut was
much brighter and a slight bit louder. The CD I have of Big Express is very
toned down throughout, almost muddy, and it's mastered at a lesser volume
level than I would like (but this isn't too distracting). My Mummer CD
isn't as bad, but those tracks on Upsy Daisy were easily improved to my
ears as well. Any other experiences with this out there?

As far as the negatives ... Not enough substance to this package. At least
they sprung for a new picture of the band (a brilliant one, I might add).
But Geffen really dropped the ball on the album cover retrospective page.
All the covers are too dark, and they used the CD REISSUE versions. The
cover for Black Sea is putrid with the added text, and I hate the "bonus
track" note at the bottom of the Mummer cover. That's big nitpicking, but
it really teed me off, like they were REALLY being cheap.

= Derek =

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

Message-Id: <n1344800485.82590@ncldq04.cloud.nt.com>
Date: 26 Jun 1997 10:42:38 +0000
From: "Justin Radford" <Justin.Radford.cnt42887@nt.com>
Subject: 25 o'clock...

Thanks people for the response.

I know I could get hold of a 'Chips' CD quite easily as i'm quite close to
London. But i'm really after an original Vinyl of 25 o'clock to complete my
collection of the standard releases..i.e. I haven't got much of the extra
recordings like "XTC recorded live at a bus stop in cleethorpes".
Anyone know of any decent record fairs? I always ask if they have any Dukes
and am usually met with nonplussed reactions.
What's a bridge?

Justin

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

Message-Id: <199706261315.XAA25282@magna.com.au>
From: "E.A.F" <eliot@magna.com.au>
Subject: onion & failure
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 23:18:16 +1000

Dear Chalkhillians,

I was kinda stunned as to how many of you knew about the Onion, but then
being the intelligent folk you are, I should have guessed.
Nice to see some of you listening to Failure's Fantastic Planet, too.
How about the new Pond album? Killer.
Come on XTC give us a bloody record!

Eliot Fish
Big Heavy Stuff Online
http://www.magna.com.au/~eliot/bhshome.html
Deputy Editor - HYPER Magazine
Australia

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

Message-ID: <c=GB%a=_%p=Benfield_Group%l=BENEXCHG-970626143216Z-4781@benexchg.benfield.co.uk>
From: Gary Minns <Gary.Minns@benfield.co.uk>
Subject: Upsy Downsy
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 15:32:16 +0100

Some information for those of us in the UK who are mug enough to
want to spend more money on XTC songs we already have, that
have been lovingly plucked from existing CDs, carefully placed in a
random order and released with artwork that has had little or no XTC
input: Upsy Daisy seems to be readily available in the UK for the
bargain import price of about 12 quid.

Watch out for the upcoming release "Best Of The Rest Of The Stuff
That Hasn't Been Put On A Compilation Yet".

Gary

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

From: Melsta@aol.com
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 13:17:42 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <970626131728_946963663@emout12.mail.aol.com>
Subject: Partridge in a chat room

Hey Chalkers!

That little chat sure was a blast!  The chance to real-time chat with fellow
Chalkmonsters was as much fun as having Andy there to answer our questions.
 Bernhardt, was that you there as Toddd?  If not, I apologize for the
whispers to whoever that was.

I had quite a time getting my ducks in a row for the whole thing.  I had
installed MSN at home no problem, and I went into Rifff and played around
once or twice during the week Graham (jesus, was it Parker or Nash?  I don't
even know!) overstayed his welcome, and so our Andy wasn't there until 2
days after he was scheduled to start.  But half the time I'd try to access
Rifff, I'd get "URL not found" or some such nonsense.  Very frustrating!

So a day or so before the chat, I try to install MSN on my computer at work,
since that's where I'll be at the designated time (4 pm where I live).  No
dice.  It simply won't work.  Tech support asks me to look at the disc, and
yes, I do see a scratch or something, so I bring my CD from home from which
I successfully installed it there.  Still no dice.  Nothing happens when I
double-click the little icon.  I give up.  The day of the chat, however, I
un-give up, as I can't stand to let this opportunity pass me by.  So I spend
almost the entire day on the phone with MSN tech support trying to work this
out.  It goes into "technial escalation" (a scary term indeed!) and I figure
I've lost out.  Then the head tech guru calls and sez I'm one of 4 people in
the country who have this little problem, but I can actually dial in just by
double-clicking on the stupid Internet icon on the desktop, so I do that and
voila!  I'm on MSN!

Save your cheers.  I still can't get to Rifff, dammit!  So I go to
Chalkhills, find the Rifff promo site, and try to connect through there.
Won't go.  It is now just after 4:00 and I'm sure I'll never get in.

But lo!  It says it's a free chat and you don't even need to be an MSN
member to participate!  Super cool beans with Prince of Orange Sherbet on
top!!!  I log off MSN and go to my AOL account, where the Rifff promo site
is bookmarked and I'm in on my Schwinn!!!

Oy vay, what a pain in the tuchis!!  But the chat was great and Andy was
great and everybody was great.  Especially Simon, who said in Digest 3-131:

>Melissa, what on earth made you think I was
>saying you were talking too much?  You were saying you should have picked a
>creative nickname, and I was just pointing out that, come transcription
>time, at least your name will be indentifiable for other readers - the
>people who used pseudonyms will be forever anonymous.

Thanx so much for the clarification.  I totally missed the meaning of your
remark.

Well, obviously.

There's no explanation for my misinterpretation that doesn't leave me
looking pretty darn silly (believe me I've tried to come up with one) so
I'll just chalk (get it?  chalk?) it up to the excitement of the event and
leave it at that.  Again, thank you for taking the trouble to clear it up.
Everyone always says what a nice guy you are.  They're not mistaken, tho I
admit fearing otherwise for a moment.

After the day I'd had, I hope I can be forgiven for maybe not having been
quite all there.

I later tried to go to Rifff to check out Paula Cole, but couldn't get in.
I cancelled my free MSN subscription right then and there.  I have nothing
against Microsoft.  I love my computer, I love my Win95, I love my Office
97.  But they have some serious bugs to work out of MSN.  It wasn't just
Rifff.  I tried to go to a number of proprietary sites with only limited
success.  It was just too darn frustrating.  Not to mention slow.  Maybe I'm
just used to my AOL, but I'm not impressed with Compuserve either, which I
have for business purposes.

Anyway.  I did get a question answered, and I did win a Fossil Fuel CD.  I
am happy.  Who said they were autographed?  That would be too awesome.  Are
they the limited edition ones with the raised ammonite?  I already have (of
course) a copy of FF that I bought as an import, but it is not the limited
edition, and it is definitely not autographed.  So yes, I am happy.

--Melissa

I object to all the e-mail that she picks up, the e-mail that she picks up!

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

Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19970626232956.0069b86c@pop.mindspring.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 19:29:56 -0400
From: "Jason 'Buffy' NeSmith" <jnesmith@mindspring.com>
Subject: La La Atlantium

The Atlanta party was loads of fun.  I arrived later than
most, thereby missing the first showing of the videos.
(Luckily, we watched them again later)  We talked about music,
listened to old demos and ate hamburgers.
At one point we tried to coordinate a cross-country synchro-sound
cell-phone assisted prerecorded performance of 'This is Pop?'
with one J.D.SMX, but his folks must not like early XTC much, cos
they didn't care to let him get up from the dinner table.  Hmmm.

Then the rest of
my band (Orange Hat) arrived.  (Thanks to Stormy and Kim for
mentioning us in earlier posts.)  We set up and knocked down
a few originals and five XTC songs.  We played 'Blue Beret'
(which has the weirdest chord progression ever), 'Mayor of
Simpleton', 'Helicopter' (complete with whirling blade sound fx),
'Peter Pumpkinhead', and, God help us, we even attempted
'Prince of Orange.'  Yikes.  Well, we didn't get anything
thrown at us, so I guess we didn't completely blow.
Upon seeing the vid's, I've come to the conclusion that my favorite
singles (besides Mayor) are "Are you Recieving Me?' and 'Towers
of London.'  Respectively, snottily infectious and mysteriously
majestic.

Much thanks to Pete for opening the barn doors and putting out
the feed bag.  I hope we do it again soon.

And to Tetsuya, it's just my opinion, but neither event (divorce
or record contract gang bang) had happened yet, so Madam Barnum is
probably just a figment of Andy's very enviable imagination.

p.s. the interview in the Onion is knee-slappin' good, as is the
Rifff interview.  That Andy, he talks funny.

Well, gotta go mix tracks.  SEE YA!

love and peed-on popcorn,
Buffy

We eat dub for breakfast.
visit the Orange Hat Cyberhose Page, or you won't have any fun!
http://www.mindspring.com/~jnesmith

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

Message-ID: <33B30F5F.21AA@sysnet.net>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 20:54:55 -0400
From: Julian Cook <siogo@sysnet.net>
Organization: TravelFinder.com
Subject: Reznor...how about an XTC cover?

Maybe this has been mentioned but wouldn't Trent do a great version of
"Complicated Game"?

Julian
http://www2.ari.net/home/siogo

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

Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 18:48:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: bmilner <bmilner@netcom.com>
Subject: fertile Crescent
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95.970626184446.2214G-100000@netcom3>

I was digging through my old CD's for things to listen to at work and
found a CD by the band the Fertile Crescent.  Wow, I forgot just how XTC
influenced this band was.  In fact, I can think of no other band that
sounds as much like them (especially around the Drums & Wires period).
There lead singer does a uncanny Andy Partridge accent too.

The songs aren't as good but some are quite catchy and many have really
cool XTC-ish guitar moments weaving in and out.  If you are having XTC
withdrawls and need a fix, I suggest you check it out.  They are on the
Knitting Factory Works label.

Brandon

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

Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970626193307.00ab4360@mail1.electric.net>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 19:33:07 -0700
From: David Hathaway <davidh@electric.net>
Subject: NIN is POP

>From: monnickj@ubk.co.uk

>THE BEACH BOYS
>Can we call a truce ?

No kidding...

>Fans of  clapton, beck and page have to accept that their heroes would have
>grown up listening to turkeys like bert weedon and hank marvin and would
>cite them as influences. Robert plant had the good sense to admit once (and
>once only) the brilliance of Om Kolthoum. it's life.

I'm sure we all have our musical skeletons lurking deep in closets...

To lead into the next message, just imagine what hard core Nine Inch Nails
fans must have said when they read that Trent thinks XTC is "great"

8)

>From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk>

>Yup-indeedy-do.  The full quote is, " Also, from a songwriting point of
>view, I like anybody who's writing good material. I think XTC is a great
>band and writes excellent songs."  Unfortunatelty I can't quite remember
>where I nabbed it from... :(

I feel foolish, but, I do have the magazine at work, I just can't remember
the name of it. It was out around the time that reznor did the Lost Highway
soundtrack (notable , IMO, -only- for The Perfect Drug). I'll dig it up and
post the paragraph.

I remember reading it an thinking...hmmmm....Trent, you just might have
some taste, ditch that Manson luser and produce an XTC album.

Well, ok, maybe not. Or, get the guy who did U2's POP and release an
industrial "*THIS* is POP!"?

|We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million
|typewriters will eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare.
|Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.
|                     http://www.monkey-boy.com
|David Hathaway, CEO Of monkey-boy industries, davidh@monkey-boy.com

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #3-135
*******************************

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