Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 223
Date: Friday, 11 June 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 223
Friday, 11 June 1999
Today's Topics:
XTC on NPR V2
Greenman revealed ?!
Delay and ImitDelationay and Imitation, Attempt 3 (6/10, 11:20AM))
Tasty Stuff
Nebraska
Non XTC relate YAZBEK TOUR DATES
new music cafe
Singles on the radio
Re: My Screwed-Up Reviewing Brain
XTC on NPR (bad news)
Swindon Info Needed
Musical Rubber Shark
Re: First Time xTc
All and All and All
Press
Johnny Appleseed
On a Cake Called Nitty Gritty
Administrivia:
"Apple Venus Volume 1" was reviewed on All Things Considered:
http://chalkhills.org/articles/AppleVenus.html#npr990609
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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
Chalkhills is compiled with Digest 3.7 (John Relph <relph@sgi.com>).
No letting out just what you think.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message-ID: <001b01beb29c$ce5b8820$0d2aa8c0@me.myoffice.com>
From: "Steven Paul" <spaul@armstronglaw.com>
Subject: XTC on NPR V2
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 18:23:04 +0100
I was too excited to help myself. Apparently, because of Internet Rights
Issues, the entire review could not be put on-line, however, this snippet I
found at
www.npr.org\programs\atc
XTC -- David Greenberger reviews the new CD by the British band
XTC. It's called "Apple Venus Volume One" It's the first CD the band has put
out in seven years. Greenberger says it's lush with layers of orchestration.
(4:30) NOTE: DUE TO INTERNET RIGHTS ISSUES, THIS SEGMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <375FAB41.4F7910AE@geocities.com> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 14:10:41 +0200 From: dieling <lemoncurry@geocities.com> Subject: Greenman revealed ?! Hi all you other ones ! (Wow, what an elegant way of saying hello...) I saw a film few days past, "Storm in the Willows", based on the english children's book classic "The Wind In The Willows" by Kenneth Grahame. The film was made by Terry Jones, starring Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Stephen Fry etc. So there's the MP content which seems to be obligatory round here at the moment. Anyway, enjoyed the film, and recalled the book which I haven't read for years. There's a chapter in there called "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" and yes, I think that's from where Pink Floyd have the title for their best album (so there's the LSD content which is also essential these weeks) and in that chapter the Greenman enters stage ! Really, if you want to know who the Greenman is, read that chapter, he's in there. So there's the XTC content. What else ? Bought the "Easter Theatre" single, and the demo is okay, and "How Easter Theatre Came To Be" is great ! So Partridgy, and even more, I can play the song on my guitar now ! I'd never have worked these chords out from the woodwind arrangement on AV1, so: thanks for the lesson, Andy ! Also bought the Cud Peel Sessions: cool, You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate covered and covered well. Check out their Bohemian Rhapsody if you hate Queen as much as I used to love them, and you're in for a big laugh. That's all for now, ah, one more thing: IMHOTEP IMHOTEP IMHOTEP IMHOTEP IMHOTEP IMHOTEP ... (hehe, if you don't know what I mean, believe me, you will know when it's too late...) Cheers to all, Lemoncurry
------------------------------
Message-ID: <375FD88F.3F757FE7@averstar.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 11:23:59 -0400
From: Harrison Sherwood <sherwood@averstar.com>
Organization: Averstar, Inc.
Subject: Delay and ImitDelationay and Imitation, Attempt 3 (6/10, 11:20AM))
> From: "Damian Foulger" <damian@imclaser.com>
> Subject: Easter Theatre
>
> I've just been listening to ET with headphones and noticed something
> odd about the first section that Andy sings in: 'I heard the
> dandelions roar in Picadilly Circus.' It sounds like Andy is either
> singing twice, once on the left sound stage and once on the right, or
> there is some strange effect applied to his voice. If it is his him
> singing twice, it's very close! Anyone any ideas? Andy is really
> very clever isn't he?
You'll get no argument from me on that last point, but the effect you speak
of really isn't particularly unusual: It's just good old Delay, signal
panned hard left and effect hard right. In other words, Andy sang the lines
once onto tape. Then later they sent that one track out to a delay unit,
which is a fun little gizmo that "slows down" the signal so it comes out a
bit later than the original sung part--like an echo. They then recorded
that delayed signal onto another track. Then, during mixdown, they panned
the original sung part into the extreme left of the stereo spectrum, and
the "echoed" part into the extreme right.
The overall effect of delay is to "thicken" a part, give it more auditory
interest. Even the best voices can sound cruddy on tape (ever recoil in
horror at the sound of your own speaking voice on tape?) and delay is one
of the weapons producers use to add a little interest to a lifeless
recording. (My fave-rave use of antediluvian delay technology: Mick
Ronson's Echoplexer orgasm just before Mike Garson's Cubist destruction of
the concept of the Rock Piano Intro on "Let's Spend the Night Together" on
Bowie's "Aladdin Sane." *Do* it!)
Andy Partridge has always had a major fetish for delay--but not simply to
add a little echo onto a vocal: He uses it quite often as a compositional
and improvisational tool, rather than a mere effect. You can hear the
beginnings of the obsession in "Complicated Game" and "Scissor Man." (I'm
convinced that the delay unit's prominent placement on "Drums and Wires" is
simply a result of the machine's sudden common availability in 1979.) The
machine's rather amazing ability to set complex rhythms going against each
other
("A-COMPli-compli-compli-compli-compli-CATed-cated-cated-cated-cated....")
must have appealed very much to his extremely rhythmic songcrafting style.
Perhaps his most sophisticated use of the delay unit as compositional tool,
though, is on "Another Satellite," in which Andy uses a very long delay
setting to actually sing a round with himself--that's not a second singer
echoing his lines ("I don't want to see your mooney mooney [mooney mooney]
face"); that's a delay unit. To my knowledge, nobody's ever given him due
props for this rather amazing creative feat: The song is written *as a
round*, with the second voice to be supplied by a delayed version of the
first. (I don't know this for a certain fact, I'm really only speculating,
but it holds together so well, particularly on the line ""Why on EARTH do
you re[EARTH!]volve around me..." that I'm convinced he wrote it while
singing into a delay box--the link is that tight.) You may remember our
conversation some time ago about Andy's nearly obsessive employment of the
technique of "imitation": a phrase played by one voice or instrument which
is then echoed soon afterward by another. Think of the strings after the
line "Who murders who" in "Rook," or the vocal repetition of "Even I never
know" in "Chalkhills and Children." The delay unit provides "imitation" by
default, and all you have to do is tap the correct tempo into it. You can
see its appeal to Our Symmetrical Sakhyamuni.
(Holy Shit Department.: Just stared at that line "Who murders who" above,
and remembered the term "a murder of crows".... Jeeze...these things just
don't stop *unfolding*, do they? Deliberate? Oh, yeah. Wouldn't put it past
him. Oh, what the hell. At least I've got all my hair.)
-----
Will someone please tell Colin that the line,
Nothing makes us more content
To let us wallow in a bit of nonsense
is, well, how to put it...? Wrong.
I know he was trying to accumulate a doubled iambic meter to support the
crescendo into the chorus (DUM-da, DUM-da, DUM-da-da/Da-DUM-da,
DUM-da-dum-da-dum-da-da-DA!), but the grammar's just so godawful clumsy!
The CORRECT line is,
Nothing makes us more content
Than to have a little wallow in a bit of nonsense
which doubles the tempo even earlier in the second line, has the nice
reflection of the staccato "it" sound in "little" and "bit of," while
avoiding that tin-eared solecism, "[We are] content to let us wallow..."
Could somebody please pass this along? I'm sure he'll be happy to take
suggestions from his fans, among whom I count myself the
staunchest. Perhaps he could sing the corrected lyric when they play it
live during this summer's tour...?
-----
> From: Dorothy Spirito <spiritod@techmail.gdc.com>
> Subject: John ("Johnny Appleseed") Chapman
> John Chapman (1774-1845), a/k/a "Johnny Appleseed", was a real person. He
> was born in Massachusetts but went west around 1800 bearing apples for
> planting and books for teaching, spending the rest of his life traveling
> Ohio and Indiana, growing healing herbs and caring for settlers and
> natives, who regarded him as something of a saint.
Ah. But the Laws of Karma work in mysterious ways their miracles to
perform.
John Chapman eventually settled in Kansas and raised an extensive
family. One branch of his brood moved to Hawaii during the _Haole_
migration following the postwar granting of statehood, and established
roots there. On December 8, 1980, an estranged and mentally unhinged black
sheep of the Chapman family, in a strange sort of anti-atonement for the
good deeds done by his illustrious ancestor, stepped out of the shadows of
the Dakota building in New York's Upper West Side and murdered John
Lennon. Yes, it's dreadfully ironic but true: the gentle folk hero Johnny
Appleseed spawned the evil seed that sprang forth as Mark David
Chapman. (Source: A Layman's Encyclopedia of Imposture, Chicane Press,
1994)
Harrison "Up next: John Wilkes and Shirley Booth" Sherwood
------------------------------ Message-ID: <D9E6CEC7734AD111BCF70090273C5D67131A21@user8.chemonics.net> From: Todd Bernhardt <TBernhardt@Chemonics.net> Subject: Tasty Stuff Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 16:51:56 -0400 Hi: Just wanted to post a brief yet glowing review of Mitch Friedman's new CD, "The Importance of Sauce." The ingredients? Start with equal parts of TMBG, Elvis Costello, Frank Zappa and 1960s pop. Add a dash of late '60s/early '70s Saturday-morning cartoon shows; a soupcon of psychedelia; three cups of finely minced wit; a generous helping of clarified creativity; and, of course, eye of Newt (preferably Gingrich ... what the fuck, blind the asshole -- throw in both eyes). Spin over a laser for two to four listens (listening times may vary at higher altitudes); serving sizes depend on your appetite. All in all, a tasty, original concoction that is both funny and fun. Buy it for the lyrics; buy it for the Dave Gregory "get in, blow their shit away, and get out" guitar solo; buy it for the awesome menu contained in bonus track 15 (mmmm, I get hungry just thinking about it); buy it for the excellent photography in the liner notes; just BUY IT. Search for "Sauce" in the Chalkhills archives to find ordering info. And, in other Chalkhills-related comments ... re: orgasms, root canals and the Little Shop of Horrors, Chris C. said: >I assume you mean the original. Haven't seen the reportedly rather cartoonish remake< FWIW, I thought the 1986 remake of LSOH was pretty funny, esp. the scene w/Steve Martin as the dentist and Bill Murray as the masochistic patient. Great songs, too. >Of course it's only a movie, such things aren't REALLY possible.< Oh, you naive young fool. All you have to do is look around the Internet to see that, when people are involved, ANYTHING is possible. I haven't looked recently, but I'd bet there's an alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.rootcanals or its, um, deviation out there somewhere... --Todd
------------------------------ Message-ID: <375DFCBE.5A4EE45C@usa.net> Date: Wed, 09 Jun 1999 00:33:50 -0500 From: "Mark D. Irvin" <mdirvin@usa.net> Subject: Nebraska Hey there Chalkies............. Well..........I got tired of the beach...the warm winters...the raves...blah blah lah.....moved from Florida to Nebraska........any of you in Nebraska? my email is mdirvin@mindspring.com It would be good to hear from you if you do. Mark xtc song of the day: There Is No Language In Our Lungs non xtc song of the day: Candy by Elvis Costello
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199906102116.OAA05194@sgi.com> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 15:06:01 -0600 Subject: Non XTC relate YAZBEK TOUR DATES From: "Jillian Jenkins" <jillian@war.com> Hi there Yazbek fans! I just wanted to make sure you all know about Yazbek's upcoming show. Show your support and go check him out! 6/24 Thurs. New York, NY Baby Jupiter's 9:00PM $5.00 21+
------------------------------ From: screenings@cinemaclassics.com Subject: new music cafe Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 18:12:50 -0500 Message-Id: <35226.758919560185600.290@localhost> There's a new place in N.Y. city for hearing Britpop and alternative music you never hear on the radio. It has no cover charge and is open every night. It's cozy yet spacious and conveniently located in the East Village. Cinema Classics, the movie theatre on 11th Street between 1st and 2nd is devoting its coffee shop space to an alternative music format seven nights a week from 6PM-Midnight. Besides the latest from popular bands such as Blur, Suede, Pulp, Cornershop, Belle & Sebastian, you'll hear classic punk and 80's, American independents - the best mix of music this side of WFMU.
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199906102239.SAA01841@metheny.brainiac.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 18:39:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: Joe Hartley <jh@brainiac.com>
Subject: Singles on the radio
> iMVS.com lists "Greenman" on CD single, to be released 26 JUL 99 as Cooking
> Vinyl FRYCD084. Apologies if this has already been mentioned or is bad
> information.
WMVY (92.7FM, Martha's Vineyard, MA) is already playing Greenman, and I've
heard "I'd Like That" a few times on that station.
It always makes me smile to hear XTC on the radio!
I also heard a review of AV1 on NPR's "All Things Considered" last night.
Of course they liked it :) It's probably available on their website:
http://www.npr.org but I haven't looked yet.
======================================================================
Joe Hartley - jh@brainiac.com - brainiac services, inc
12 Emma G Lane, Narragansett, RI : 02827 - vox 401.782.9042
Without deviation from the norm, "progress" is not possible. - FZappa
------------------------------
Message-ID: <37604036.2017@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 15:46:14 -0700
From: Rich Bunnell <cbunnell@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: My Screwed-Up Reviewing Brain
Shoalin wrote:
>
>A blueprint for Skylarking??? Songs that don't seen finished??? I beg to
>differ, but if the entire Chalkhills population voted on what is arguably
>the greatest (and/or their favorite) XTC album I have little doubt that it
>would be English Settlement (especially among those who were already XTC
>fans when this album was released). It is admittedly difficult to compare
>swans (especially when one's talking about XTC albums), but in my view (and
>those of many Chalkhiller's) English Settlement is one of the greatest
>albums ever produced by anyone ever!!
Out of any band that I have reviewed so far on the page, XTC have gotten
the best reviews on my page. Thus, 8th-best is still very, very good.
Realize that although I consider it to be the 8th-best XTC album (and
that's based on numerical song ratings), the only XTC album that I don't
like very much is White Music, and even that one has some great songs.
Lemme put it this way--Go 2 got 10th place, and I get a kick out of
listening to it because it has mostly great, well-made songs, no matter
what reviewers say about its "weakness" in comparison to White Music.
>From that it should be obvious that I like English Settlement a lot,
since it gets a better grade and ranking--I think it's really lush (I
called it "messy" simply because the lushness isn't as much so as
Skylarking or Nonsuch) and nice to listen to and has many really great
songs ("Snowman" is one of my favorite XTC songs, and several others on
the album contend), but I like it a bit less than the seven albums that
got a higher rating than it, and I had to explain why.
God forbid that someone on a discussion list have an OPINION.
>Number 8??? A blueprint for Skylarking?? May I suggest a new blueprint for
>your musical-reviewing brain.
Maybe the "blueprint" comment was in poor taste on my part, but the
album does contain several excesses that aren't there on Skylarking--for
example, the lengths of "Melt The Guns" and "All Of A Sudden." I really
like the melodies to both songs, trust me, but each seem to go on for
about two minutes more than they need to. And "All Of A Sudden" is a
darn fine melody anyway.
Anyway, that's why my site is interactive--just so you know, your
comment's going up as a reader comment--my opinion alone isn't enough to
give an adequate view of the album. As for the comment about English
Settlement being "the greatest XTC album if voted on by Chalkhills," for
those who've seen my other review page (the shorter one on the Prindle
site) some reader comments gave it a lower grade than I did (and I gave
it an 8! That's a GOOD grade!).
--
Rich Bunnell or "Taoster Man"--No, it's not a typo
-
"I'm tired of being a wannabe league bowler! I wanna be a league
bowler!" -Homer Simpson
-
"Take all the trouble that you can afford, at least you won't have time
to be bored!" -Midnight Oil, "Power And The Passion"
-
http://members.xoom.com/taoster/
------------------------------ From: Jdmack01@aol.com Message-ID: <57266db7.2491c963@aol.com> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 22:07:31 EDT Subject: XTC on NPR (bad news) The good news is that all programs of National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" are available online as RealAudio programs. The bad news is the following paragraph, found on NPR's website describing this segment: >>XTC -- David Greenberger reviews the new CD by the British band XTC. It's called >>"Apple Venus Volume One" It's the first CD the band has put out in seven years. >>Greenberger says it's lush with layers of orchestration. (4:30) NOTE: DUE TO >>INTERNET RIGHTS ISSUES, THIS SEGMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE. So if ya missed it, ya missed it! J. D.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <001b01beb3c8$f5d28c00$e58e56d1@susanpavlin> From: "Andisheh Nouraee" <mabrey@mindspring.com> Subject: Swindon Info Needed Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 22:12:09 -0700 I'm visiting the UK next month and plan on having an XTC-themed day. Does anyone here know the name of the pub(s) where Colin, Andy or Dave go for their pints? My plan is to wait their for an two hours, get hammered whilst hoping that one of them comes in, then catch a train back to London, at which point I'll begin stalking the past and current members of Suede:) If you are a Swindonian and care to meet me and my friend at one of the said pubs, I'll buy you a pint.* And in entirely unrelated news, the latest rumored date, if you can call it a date, for the airing of the Andy Partridge episode of Space Ghost, is December. I'll keep y'all posted if I hear anything more concrete. Thanks, Andy * NOTE - Offer valid for first two Swindonians.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <001d01beb3b2$b958aea0$e55bd2cc@maine.rr.com>
From: "J Bogner" <jbogner1@maine.rr.com>
Subject: Musical Rubber Shark
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 22:32:58 -0400
Hi Chalksters.
Has anyone noticed on many of Andy Partridges' songs there is a
Tension/Release pattern ? Take Easter Theatre, for example, there is a lot
of dissonance (or what I call tension) all the way through until the chorus
hits (which I call the release section). The chorus cleanses the palate
from the dissonance/tension section of the song. I think that the "tension"
part is what puts off the new XTC listener. Many listeners want 'instant
gratification', in other words, they want the 'good part' now or else
they'll find it elsewhere. However, if they stick to it and listen a few
times they are surprised at the way the music starts to sound 'better'.This
attribute is the very same reason people absolutely love XTC and know it's
worth the wait every time. I can think of many XTC songs like this: Me and
the Wind, Scarecrow People, Train Running Low on Soul Coal, Seagulls. ., et
al. IMO, this is what gives these songs their longevity. This
Tension/Release pattern isn't always the case, in fact , there are many
songs (especially Colins') that don't follow this pattern.
I'm a composer/musician and credit XTC as a major influence. Spot the
(dis)similarities.
Check out my mp3 page - www.mp3.com/AndrewBogner
Andy B. (not P.)
------------------------------ From: "Kerry Chicoine" <KERRY-N-MARV@worldnet.att.net> Subject: Re: First Time xTc Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 19:39:01 -0500 Message-ID: <01beb3a2$ccff2660$0a29480c@default> dan@gge.com wrote: >do you remember the *first* time you *ever* heard xtc's music? Oh yeah! It was 1995. I had bought a CD by a local LA band called the Sugarplastic and loved it. I lent it to a mate of mine who returned it days later claiming 'It's an XTC ripoff' and handed me Skylarking. Anyway, that night I put it on and for the first time heard 'Summer's Cauldron' and was immediately and forever smitten (the bass playing on that song still amazes me to this day). Their music (especially Andy's) really connected with me on an intrinsic, basic level. I don't know how I could've gone so long, especially as a writer myself, without hearing their music. I *definitely* consider XTC a major influence on my writing. As a thirty-blah year old 'recent' fan, I must say that I *love* both Dukes albums and everything from Mummer onward. There's a few gems from the older material that I love (ie. Towers of London) but it's the recent pop-period XTC that really floats my boat. Thanks for asking Dan! Kerry Kompost http://www.cdbaby.com/buy/kompost.htm
------------------------------ Message-ID: <376076DC.60AD5729@earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 21:39:24 -0500 From: David Lake <blushift@earthlink.net> Organization: Blushift Productions Subject: All and All and All 'ello 'ello all, Now that things are 'calming' down here at the tongue fest, I thought I'd poke my head out again. Don't lop it off as you drive by. Thanks to Mark for the info about the deluxe cd/lp set that's under consideration. Once again Cooking V, if you are still watching the list, don't think about any more. Start the presses!! John G -- What a glowing review for Jennifer's 'Dear God'! I have to admit that I was also impressed with her decision to go acapella. (although, I do know firsthand that there wasn't a church involved in the final mix). Any other new Chalker's out there that do not have these tribute tapes should get the info for the tapes that Richard still has stocked and buy them! (see Chalkhills website) Many talented individuals pouring their hearts into our fav bands tunes. Non-XTC info: I happened across a copy of The Gray's Ro Sham Bo in Circuit City the other day and would be glad to part with this copy for the $3.99 I paid + shipping to some needy soul. You see I already own a copy and love it! Email me privately, not to the list. On the Gray's note - If you have this and love songs #1,4,6,8 - You must, I repeat, MUST find a copy of Toy Matinee with the late Kevin Gilbert and Patrick Leonard (Pat - a native Chicagoan like me and BIG TIME producer - Jewel, Madonna, Roger Waters, etc.). The music is a direct predecessor to the Falkner tunes (Kevin and Jason's voices are nearly identical!) Breed on young dreamers, David (sometimes goes by Spanky) <-- Does not have big tits
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000301beb3c0$90d31d40$1c64b2d1@oemcomputer> From: "Aaron Pastula" <apastula@earthlink.net> Subject: Press Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 16:40:16 -0700 Many of you have no doubt seen this already, but for those who haven't there's a FULL PAGE ad for AV1 in the new Rolling Stone. How awesome - the album has been out for FOUR MONTHS already and TVT is still pushing it. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION, VIRGIN RECORDS, YOU STUPID GODDAMN BASTARDS?!?!? *THIS* IS HOW IT'S DONE!!! Thank you, TVT. So shines a good deed in a weary world. Cheers, AP
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990611123047.13728.qmail@hotmail.com> From: kristi leigh siegel <beatlebird@hotmail.com> Subject: Johnny Appleseed Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 05:30:46 PDT >>>>John Chapman (1774-1845), a/k/a "Johnny Appleseed", was a real person. He was born in Massachusetts but went west >>around 1800 bearing apples for planting and books for teaching, >>spending the rest of his life traveling Ohio and Indiana, >>>growing healing herbs and caring for settlers and >>natives In other words, a Federalist-era hippie. All that was missing was the lava oil lamp and the Volkswagen horse-and-buggy. --Kristi ------------ "Katie Casey was baseball mad, Had the fever and had it bad. Just to root for the hometown crew..." http://www.devilray.com
------------------------------ From: Chauncy14@aol.com Message-ID: <319f60a.24928019@aol.com> Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 11:07:05 EDT Subject: On a Cake Called Nitty Gritty Dear Chris Desmond (and anyone else I offended so much so): First, I was NOT the one getting married; I was a spectator at a friend's wedding, both of which I know, and have known for some time now. Second, I was NOT the individual at my table to make certain bets about this couple's expectations for a long and happy relationship. Individuals closer to them made wagers on the length of this newly wed's marriage. I told YOU my thoughts, not my wager - I did not involve myself in that bet. Third, I was using IRONY to demonstrate the lyrics of one song to correlate to a marriage of two individuals. And, should you have missed that IRONY, I suggest you go back and read the post again. Fourth, of course I was disgusted about my post too; I wrote it from my point of view, which was ANGER and ANGST. But, these were the OBSERVATIONS I MADE AT A WEDDING. Do I willingly embrace the disadvantaged matrimony for the sake of my personal vanity? No. Did I describe to you this couple, and SOME of the affects and correlations that MY OBSERVATIONS IN LIFE share with an XTC SONG? YES. Was that CORRELATION pleasant? NO. Are the lyrics of The Ugly Underneath pleasant? No. Do you know what a Syllogism is? Is the imagery too much for you to handle? I will let you answer that one. There exists a nexus between my observation of the martimony of two individuals (who YOU have never met) and the effects of the brilliant lyrics Andy used to convey part of the human tragedy with respect to personalities, virtues, and the rituals we have in life. That repugnance was conveyed in my post. Did I express that they may have loved each other? No. I know they do love each other. But that fact was lost, overwhelmingly, to the other matters of OBSERVED behavior at this wedding. And, no, I did not laugh out loud about this wedding or IN CHURCH; what do you take me for? Oh, yeah, A PRICK. Now, should I have upset your delicate constitutions and idiosyncratic personalities, one's which obviously are based on the premise that all in life is a bed of roses, then there is not much I can say by way to correct that. My written posts cover all emotions; mostly the happy side of life. But this time, I had to convey my feelings about a marriage that was IRONIC. You cannot SHARE my experiences, you weren't there. You can only react to how I felt then. Which was what my post conveyed. Did you get the feeling that I was HAPPY in my post? Dave Robson said it well: <Snip> From: "david robson" <hodad@ozemail.com.au> Subject: Re: The Ugly Underneath Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 01:39:48 +1000 That song is one of Andy`s finest ever songs and is IMHO up there with "Chalkhills and Children". The hypnotic, unsettling beginning and then the superb "Pet Sounds" reprise "did you ever etc.........is a masterful piece of melodic sensibility. I HATED it for awhile after I bought "Nonsuch" but it really grew on me.......typical Mr Partridge.......seeing all the masks us humans wear....brilliant! ------------ As did Dorothy: <Snip> It was like looking at a hairball freshly horked up by a cat in the middle of a party. The cat then sits back, satisfied. ------------- They both had different things to say about my post, and were both correct. Dorothy's description was exactly how I felt AT the wedding, otherwise, I don't think I would have thought of the lyrics to Ugly Underneath. Chris, you simply ATTACK me only because you feel I write these posts to fetticize my self-interests. Well, you're wrong. If you cannot see the point of my post, then there is no hope for you at all. I will be frank on that. There are so many things in life that have the pretext of disguising one thing for another. And, should you have difficulty discovering what those THINGS are, I suggest you pay a bit more attention to life; less it pass you by. I still stand by my thoughts about whether this marriage will last: "I give them 3 months!" Now, had the genders been reversed, i.e., the male came from an economically disadvantaged family, and the female was the one earning the 6 figure salary, and they got married, given the same set of circumstances, the thrust of my post would have been no different. There would have been bets, people would have gotten hammered, and my same ill-feelings would have been felt. People get married for the wrong reasons everyday, somewhere. And, unless you weren't paying any attention, people also get married for MONEY. Yes, MONEY. This couple featured a Surgeon and a Hair Stylist. I will leave it at that! I apologize for stereotyping too much. This woman in the wedding was guilty of being the type of woman who married for money. That is it. I made a stereotypical response about woman who marry for money in the Midwest of the US. I know LOTS of women who have married on the simple pretext of not having money, and then shazam, marry a man who has MONEY. If their life is measured out by money alone then they are superficial, transparent and idiotic! So, I am guilty of taking the liberty of being stereotypical. I am NOT sexist, but I know what makes a person transparent, and having that knowledge can provide too many stereotypical responses, that they become redundant after awhile, and I am sorry for that. Should I use less IRONY next time and give you more of an in-depth analysis of the psychology and pathology of any individual's personalities and behaviors the next time I write a post about an OBSERVATION of a human being or two? Why must I have to spell it out? Why do I feel PERSECUTED? Does my written dialogue need to have such the PhD level analysis for you to figure it out? I was DISGUSTED ok! Get a grip Chris! Geez. Sorry for the XTC-less content everyone, but I apparently have to defend everything I say to Chris because Chris cannot *READ ME* or, *See* the IRONY in my posts. John Gardner Chicago
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