Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 53
Date: Wednesday, 29 March 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 53
Wednesday, 29 March 2000
Today's Topics:
My Heavy Rotation
The Kinks
locked out of listening party?
k.d., k.d., give me your album, do
Reginald Dwight
What's In My CD Player
Aimee Mann and Dave Gregory--since when?
CD listening
Meeting Andy and the Album Debate
Re: AV2 grade
Re: Aimee Mann at the Oscars
Kevin Gilbert and stuff
Les Baxter The Father Of Exotica
Kinks "Autumn Almanac" NOT on Village Green Preservation Society
WASP STAR
Changer contents
Mann on the Oscars.
C+ Boy does a 180
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 17:14:52 -0800 From: "Mike Martis" <mmartis@softcom.net> Subject: My Heavy Rotation Message-ID: <00aa01bf991c$305564e0$db28fea9@mmartis> Currently shuffling through my CD player: Humming -- Duncan Sheik Can You Still Feel? -- Jason Faulkner Nearly Human -- Todd Rundgren Milestones -- Miles Davis Classics -- Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66-'86 Two Against Nature -- Steely Dan Striking It Rich -- Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks Bryter Layter -- Nick Drake Whereabouts -- Ron Sexsmith The Concert Sinatra -- Frank Sinatra The Flat Earth -- Thomas Dolby Black Sea -- XTC
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 21:40:29 -0500 From: mitch friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> Subject: The Kinks Message-ID: <v03007809b5071d0a1f58@[165.121.64.234]> Just to throw in my few cents . . . I was a very big Kinks fan before I ever heard of XTC and it was only because I was a Kinks fan that I loved XTC the first time I was treated to their music. I'm still a huge Kinks fan. By all means, pick up the double album compilation "Kinks Kronikles" which came out in '70 or '71 and contains many of their best late '60s singles and rare b-sides as well as several excellent tracks that cannot be found anywhere else. Mitch
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 22:42:21 EST From: Saints3Den@aol.com Subject: locked out of listening party? Message-ID: <8.2e9c25d.2612d59d@aol.com> chalky folks... Molly says- << I just wanted to remind people about this week's XTC Listening Party. This week it's for, "The Big Express", and I'm having it in the room called, xtclisteningparty. For more details go to: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/xtclisteningparty.html. I hope to see you all there this Wednesday at 10pm EST. :) >> Heh...Do you really hope to see us ALL there? I tried several times to get into the English settlement one--ACCESS REFUSED--harumph...please explain! eddie st.martin
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 23:10:32 -0500 From: fheaney@erols.com Subject: k.d., k.d., give me your album, do Message-ID: <002101bf9935$991b8fe0$35df7ad1@default> Tyler wrote: > Last year was a good one for music, with XTC, and Tom > Waits to look forward to. We've got XTC again this > year, who else? I hear rumors of Kate Bush, Suzanne > Vega and k.d.lang, artists who'd have me running > full-tilt towards the nearest record store on release > day. Can't speak for Kate and Suzanne, but the new k.d. lang is no rumor. Look for her new one, "Invincible Summer", around May 2. More to be happy about! Speaking of brilliant female singers, Kirsty MacColl's new one is out, but not here in the states yet, grr. But I heard her new single, "In These Shoes?", and it's hysterical. -- Francis "Irish folktales scare the sh*t out of me." -- Pavement
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 22:32:44 -0500 From: Mark Newberg <mhnewberg@home.com> Subject: Reginald Dwight Message-ID: <38E1795C.318F4CA@home.com> Organization: @Home Network Hey Chalkster!! I've just spent a portion of my day listening to Mr. Dwight (Elton John for the musically challenged).........Honky Chateau..Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...Elton John...Capt. Fantastic and Brown Dirt Cowboy. I then switched over to Nonsuch. It would seem to me that Reg and Andy would have similar musical taste. They even look similar from far away!! I'm wondering if there are any other Elton John fans here. I know for a while back in the eighties it was not cool to admit that he/she liked Elton John. Do people here prefer the John/Rice collaborations or ,my preference, John/Taupin. Carpe diem, Mark Newberg -- 'Eighty percent of life is showing up.' - Woody Allen
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 19:18:11 -0800 From: Richard Pedretti-Allen <richard@tactics.com> Subject: What's In My CD Player Message-ID: <l0313030cb50725d308a6@[165.227.110.102]> I wanted to participate in the "What's In My CD Player" so I took a look and documented my findings. *Wire *Power Supply *Sealed Laser Compartment *A Paper Clip (?) *Output Transistors *A Brown Plastic Board With Gold Squiggly Lines, Rectangular Bug-like Pieces and Lots Of Bits Of Candy With Protruding Wires *Twist-ties Holding Bundles Of Wires Together *Two Small Lights I have a lot of screws and a few wires left over. Are there any Chalkies who are good at reassembling these things? Write me off-digest. Anyway glad I could share. Cheers, Richard "And your mother buys her gin" Pedretti-Allen
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 20:01:15 -0800 From: "Doug Swan" <swansuite@mindspring.com> Subject: Aimee Mann and Dave Gregory--since when? Message-ID: <03f501bf9933$6ee2c380$b12579a5@com> To Rob: Humor me here. I've just gone through every cd Aimee Mann has ever recorded (plus a few that none of you have) and have yet to see Dave Gregory credited with an appearance (not that Aimee wouldn't love to have him). Is there something you know that I'm just not getting or are you confusing Jon Brion with Dave Gregory? Aside from Jon Brion, the only other guitar player used on her albums, by and large, is Michael Lockwood. Illuminate me, I must be in the dark. Take care all. Doug
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 20:45:03 -0800 From: "Martin & Jamie Monkman" <monkman@coastnet.com> Subject: CD listening Message-ID: <003f01bf993c$29753d60$a5763cc7@monkman.coastnet.com> Willing to inflict my view of the world of music upon you poor souls, here's my "most recent five" list (since I listen to CDs the old fashioned way, one at a time) in reverse order. Sorry, no XTC. 1. Aimee Mann "Bachelor No.2"--A recent acquisition, this was my first listen. At this point I'm not willing to go out on a limb and provide an assessment of quality. However, I will say that given that it was recorded over an enormous period of time, with a revolving door of producers and players, it sounds remarkably cohesive. Songs that caught my attention first time through were "Nothing is good enough" and "Calling it quits". 2. John Renbourn & Stephan Grossman "The Three Kingdoms"--Instrumental, fingerstyle guitar in some sort of genre-warp blues folk classical jazz hybrid. Absolutely beautiful. 3. Pat Metheny "Trio 99->00"--Jumpin' jehosophat the boy can play. Once again, a guitar trio inspires Metheny to make some of his finest music. The music is mostly post-bop blowing, with some of Metheny's acoustic ballads and bop standards to lighten the flow. 4. Buddy Miller "Cruel Moon"--I haven't been able to get this one out of heavy rotation since I bought it 6 months ago. Neo-trad country, with lots of soul (the Otis Redding variety). 5. Crowded House "Afterglow"--A new collection of B-sides and outtakes. Half of the tunes are solid Neil Finn compostions; the other half are understandably leftovers. In other words, for committed Crowded House fans only. Martin The Monkman homepage: http://www.coastnet.com/~monkman
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 21:24:19 -0800 From: "Digitalmaster" <digitalmaster@earthlink.net> Subject: Meeting Andy and the Album Debate Message-ID: <000b01bf993f$093f5c80$0200a8c0@digitalpc> Paul, Thanks for the very descriptive write up of your experience meeting Andy. Almost made me feel as if I had met the guy. Yeah, that would be a really great experience; especially bullshitting and talking about the new ALBUM. And now to expand on what Ed had to say. I am SO FU%#ING SICK of going to Wherehouse or Tower Records (when I shopped offline) and asking "Do you have the new such and such album." "No, sorry, we only have that on CD." Are people that stupid? The same thing happens on ebay. I use to email people saying "Thanks for bidding on the XTC album: White Music" (or whatever the album would be) and they would throw a fit "I thought it was a fucking CD, I'm not going to pay for it!." Of course, when I explain that I meant CD, they are fine, but this happens way to often. I even got a negative feedback because of this before. I guess I should start referring to a photo album as "A binder with a collection of photos." AN ALBUM IS A COLLECTION, plain and simple. Sorry to dwell on this, but until our friend ED said something, I thought I was the only person who had to deal with morons who didn't know what an album was. Thanks for all the recommendations. I have been getting a ton of new stuff on CDNOW (thanks of course to the coupon that lets me use it over and over and get $10 off $15) based on the recommendations I have received from this list. I am a newbie when it comes to groups like the Residents. Though I heard them, I never bought anything. They were almost like a Husker Du to me. In that, I liked them a little, but never bought anything. A month more to wait!
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 21:29:49 -0800 From: Rich Bunnell <richbunnell@home.com> Subject: Re: AV2 grade Message-ID: <38E194CD.A455AB4D@home.com> Organization: @Home Network > I just got my advance copy of AV2 today (is this old news already? I > haven't read a digest in some time. That's my wife's domain). 1 > listen, first impression: not impressed, seems much weaker overall > than AV1. Only 1 l isten thus far, however. A couple of the songs > that I thought were weak on the demos actually come off better on > the CD. > > 2. Apple Venus 2 (C+) Awww, you jinxed it! But I like the idea that the weaker demoes turned out better on the album, which I hope were "Boarded Up," "You And The Clouds...," and "Some Lovely," all three excellent songs melody-wise (especially the last one) but a bit marred by clunky demo production. Rich Bunnell
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 00:53:49 -0500 From: Jason Long <jase@iaw.on.ca> Subject: Re: Aimee Mann at the Oscars Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.20000329055349.0099353c@iaw.on.ca> Rob wrote: >Slightly off topic, but given the frequency of Dave Grgeory on her >disks, I wondered what anyone thought of Aimee Mann's performance on the >Academy Awards last night.... > >Personally I have always dug her music since the Til Tuesday days and >in fact almost bought the Melrose Place soundtrack (never found it >however) for her and Letters to Cleo. I know Dave Gregory performed on >"I should have known", and was sort of wondering if it could have been >him playing guitar alongside Aimee, who was just a little too close to >the microphone and a little too overwhelmed, I thought, by Phil, >Sarah/Randy, Gloria and good ole Robin Williams (Blame Canada indeed!). Actually, Dave Gregory does not appear on "I Should've Known" -- it's Jon Brion who was responsible for the guitar work on that song. Dave's name does not appear in the credits of any of Aimee's three solo albums; I don't believe he's ever recorded anything with her (with the exception of maybe some b-sides), although he was a member of her _Whatever_-era touring band. The two guitarists who played with Aimee on the Academy Awards were Michael Lockwood and Buddy Judge. Regarding the thread about what we've been listening to, Michael Penn's _MP4_ and Aimee's _Bachelor No. 2_ have both been spending a lot of time in my CD player lately. The new Eels CD has gotten a few spins this week as well; right now _English Settlement_, the Loud Family's _Interbabe Concern_ and Liz Phair's _Exile in Guyville_ are all in the changer. Cheers, Jase
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 03:34:17 EST From: Liddypool@aol.com Subject: Kevin Gilbert and stuff Message-ID: <fb.3c1a86d.26131a09@aol.com> Hello to all again... Saw the posting regarding Kevin Gilbert's amazing CD called 'Thud'. There has recently been issued a posthumous release of another dazzling work called 'The Shaming of the True'. So far it's a limited release and a bit expensive but if you can track it down, it's well worth the price. Wonderful melodies and superb arrangements, you won't be disappointed. The recent news regarding WASP STAR is exciting and I'm having a hard time believing the quick turn around between the two releases. Surely Colin and Andy have even more tunes waiting in the wings? I'm like a junkie...I only want more... Oh yeah, I heard 'Across This Antheap' in Musak form at my grocery...laughed out loud, I did... What's in MY changer? Kevin Gilbert-The Shaming of the True Neil Finn-Try Whistling This Macca-Run Devil Run Danny Elman-Music for a Darkened Theatre XTC-AV1 and I have a cassette of unreleased XTC gems in my car... Jon Stone
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 16:21:23 +0900 From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: Les Baxter The Father Of Exotica Message-ID: <000001bf9951$44ef5700$665791d2@johnboud> >What about the whole "Exotica" connection between XTC and The >Residents? >Somehow Tiki culture made to both camps... Along with everything >else, >it's the Martin Denny factor >that they share. I am a big Martin Denny fan ( and I am SURE AP is as well ) , however , if it were not for Les Baxter - the composer of Denny's biggest hit " Quiet Village " and countless other mystical/magical exotic world music tunes - Denny would probably still be sitting in a Waikiki night spot sipping drinks watching the world go by . Denny was the public face of Exotica ; Baxter the mastermind . I wholeheartedly recommend a 2-CD set on Capitol Records ( includes fascinating booklet w/ numerous photos ) entitled " The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter " . With song titles like " High Priest Of The Aztecs " ; " Spice Islands Sea Birds " ; " Harem Silks From Bombay " and " The Left Arm Of Buddha " you KNOW you just can't go wrong . To the guy who was looking to pick up some KINKS albums , " Kinks Kronikles " is a double LP ( CD ) set on Reprise that is just a super compilation , and it includes such classic tracks as " Deadend Street " and " Autumn Almanac " + other tunes ( B-sides and otherwise ) that you do not find on other LPs . Great liner notes , too . I just happen to have an extra copy of a still sealed LP set if you are interested . $ 20 inc. postage . Sushiman
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 13:12:22 +0200 From: Johan Ekdahl <johan.ekdahl@programbyran.se> Subject: Kinks "Autumn Almanac" NOT on Village Green Preservation Society Message-ID: <E1FE4AE1AF2DD111885A00A02479F44214FF77@sofia.programbyran.se> Will claimed (on The Kins Are The Village Green Preservation Society): >By the way, the remastered version of Village Green has "Days" and >"Autumn Almanac," which within the last two years Andy said was "the >greatest song ever," but I've never heard it because it was only a >single! Look out Will, and others! "Days" is on the remastered VGPS, but "Autumn Almanac" IS NOT! At least not on my specimen. The excellent reference site www.allmusic.com doesn't list it on VGPS either. It is of course present on several singles collections though, and every Kinks fan ought to own at lest one of those! For XTC content; listen to "Do You Remeber Walter" or "Monica" from VGPS and if Mr Partridge didn't get influences from thereabouts I just don't know anything!! Eg on "Monica" the part beginning "I-I-Should-Die...". Yes? /Johan
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 19:16:42 +0800
From: "Kevin Mathews" <mathews@cyberway.com.sg>
Subject: WASP STAR
Message-ID: <003a01bf9970$7bd66be0$f57e74cb@mathews>
Hey
Listening to the WASP STAR promo disc (for the first time) even as I type -
it is gorgeous XTC guitar pop - THEY'RE BACK!!! - and the absence of Gregory
doesn't seem to have hurt the material as much as I feared. Though the
arrangements are less sophisticated than what you'd expected.
AND in tracks like the Bacharach-like "In Another Life," quirky "Boarded Up"
and bouncy "Standing In For Joe," Colin is back to his best songwriting -
it's clear that the limp tracks on AV-1 were merely an abberation. Whew!
Andy? Winners all! Cruelly catchy choruses ("I'm the Man Who Murdered
Love"), touchingly naive ("Playground"), mindless boogie ("Stupidly Happy"),
Beatlesque magic ("My Brown Guitar"), jaunty ska ("You and the Clouds will
still be beautiful") - very Sting doh, "difficult" jazzy torch ("Church of
Women") ...
Producer Nick Davis (latter-day Genesis) ensures a very thick full sound,
the strings and horn on "The Wheel and the Maypole" comes closest to stuff
on AV-1.
More later at the Power of Pop
Cheers
Kevin Mathews
Touched by the Power of Pop
http://popland.tripod.com
http://members.xoom.com/powerofpop
www.mp3.com/artists/12/popland.html
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 12:30:17 +0100 From: Peter Walker <PeterW@angliabc.co.uk> Subject: Changer contents Message-ID: <842C9E518CBFD2119501006097278BC523962B@WALLACE> Hell, everyone else is doing it.... This week, I have been mostly listening to.... The Divine Comedy - Fin De Siecle Moxy Fruvous - You Will Go To The Moon The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow Talking Heads - Fear Of Music Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs Crowded House - Afterglow Fountains Of Wayne - Utopia Parkway Pixies - At The BBC XTC - Apple Venus Volume 1 Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2 Velvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies To God Beethoven's Missa Solemnis as played by The Hanover Band Season's greetings, Peter
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 06:15:09 -0800 (PST) From: nross <PhoenixYellowRose@rocketmail.com> Subject: Mann on the Oscars. Message-ID: <20000329141509.23718.qmail@web2905.mail.yahoo.com> I thought her performance was great. Didn't care very much about Magnolia before I heard her sing on the Oscars... now I want to buy the soundtrack. Was bumbed that Blame Canada or the song from Toy Story didn't win... But (against popular opinion on this digest) Phil Collins can write decent popular music. Hell, so what if its the same song 20 times over, it does have a nice sound to it. Ah... but still, BLAME CANADA, dammit :-) Dom, hmm, maybe I'll have to get that Tigermilk cd after all. My favorite Belle and Sebastian song is Seeing Other People... haven't heard the one you mentioned... What is on my CD player? Tarzan Soundtrack The Bee Gees Greatest Donny Osmond sings Baroque. Okay, for real: B & S: If you're feeling sinister Cat Stevens: Remember, The Ultimate Collection XTC: Oranges and Lemons oh... and that Ricky Martin cd (though its a coworkers and I just listen to it at work... but I do like it). -Nicole ===== Nicole's internet music station: http://www.imagineradio.com/mymusiclisten.asp?name=phoenixyellowrose
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 06:13:51 -0800 From: "Russ Reynolds" <rcreation@earthlink.net> Subject: C+ Boy does a 180 Message-ID: <200003291418.GAA08646@snipe.prod.itd.earthlink.net> Let's review.... > 1 listen, first > impression: not impressed, seems much weaker overall than AV1. and... > 1. Pac Bell Park (A+) > 2. Apple Venus 2 (C+) Now, I could take the easy way out and say that my dog typed that on my computer (he's never liked XTC--says Andy sings like a Boston Terrier and he's a die hard Yankees fan) but instead I'm going to go ahead and offer this update: after four listens Apple Venus 2 (which will heneforth be known as Wasp Star) has shot up to an A-. Big factors: headphones and time. I'll leave it at that and let you folks discover this for yourselves. So what have we learned here? First, never compare apples and ballparks. Second, if you're going to post your first impression of this CD for all to see be prepared to eat your words a short time later. -russ' dog PS Pac Bell Park remains an A+
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-53 ******************************
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