From: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org (avalon-digest) To: avalon-digest@smoe.org Subject: avalon-digest V8 #218 Reply-To: avalon@smoe.org Sender: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk avalon-digest Sunday, August 3 2003 Volume 08 : Number 218 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [AVALON] Q Magazine ["Andrew Shearer" ] Re: [AVALON] Politically incorrect album covers [Don Schultz ] Re: [AVALON] Worth my $84.20- Long ["Paula Brown" ] Re: [AVALON] The Chicago show and other thoughts [James Wells Subject: Re: [AVALON] Q Magazine Good piece in Q Magazine about Avalon this month. Alot of the sentiments recently expressed on the list about the SACD are included. Regards, Andrew _________________________________________________________________ Stay in touch with absent friends - get MSN Messenger http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 07:28:59 -0400 From: Don Schultz Subject: Re: [AVALON] Politically incorrect album covers on 8/1/03 6:09 AM, Chandla911@aol.com at Chandla911@aol.com wrote: > Who is the Avalonian members' favourite pin-up > of all the pix that have appeared on Roxy album sleeves? That's a difficult choice for me, I adore ALL the studio album covers (except MANIFESTO, ugh). Jerry Hall/Siren and Amanda Lear/Roxy Music make it a toss-up for me. I remember using the Amanda Lear shot as the impetus for a collage in a design class I was taking in college at the time of its release. We were asked to recreate a photo via collage utilizing swatches of color cut from magazines. Realizing that particular album sleeve would require a very limited palette of blues & blacks, this lazy but ingenious art student ruined his favorite cover by tracing the various contours onto onion-skin vellum, i.e., the cover looked like it had been embossed by the time I was through with my assignment. I wish someone had utilized more left-lobe ingenuity with the Re-union cover. I mean what's with that blobby gold posterization? Wouldn't it have been more apropos to have coordinated a Roxy pin-up shot MODEL RE-UNION? I "shutter" to think.. Probably not realistic at all, but fun to conceptualize. Well it would still make a great Vanity Fair cover if they want to borrow my idea... The Women of ROXY, ahhhhhh. Cheers, Don n/p Blue States: man mountain ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 07:43:20 -0400 From: "Arnold Schulberg" Subject: RE: [AVALON] Politically incorrect album covers Guess I'd vote for Marilyn Cole on Stranded but those scary German girls on Country Life are something to behold. IMHO. Arnie - -----Original Message----- From: owner-avalon@smoe.org [mailto:owner-avalon@smoe.org]On Behalf Of Daniel Atterbom Sent: Friday, August 01, 2003 2:32 PM To: avalon@smoe.org Subject: Re: [AVALON] Politically incorrect album covers At 06.09 -0400 03-08-01, Chandla911@aol.com wrote: >Who is the Avalonian members' favourite pin-up >of all the pix that have appeared on Roxy album sleeves? I like Avalon best. NP Miles Davis, Sketches Of Spain Daniel ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 07:56:03 -0400 From: Don Schultz Subject: Re: [AVALON] Politically incorrect album covers on 8/2/03 7:28 AM, Don Schultz at dmsltz@netpath.net wrote: > > Jerry Hall/Siren and Amanda Lear/Roxy Music make it > a toss-up for me. > Whoops, I'm still asleep and so is my proofreader... I certainly meant to say "Amanda Lear/FYP". Apologies, duh... Don ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 11:14:07 -0400 From: Don Schultz Subject: Re: [AVALON] The Chicago show and other thoughts on 8/1/03 8:45 PM, Jeff Turner at j_s_turner@hotmail.com wrote: > Last night I attended the Roxy show at the bizarrely named "Tweeter Center" > in suburban Chicago > > VIVA ROXY MUSIC! > Jeff WOW... A great personal account of events, thank you for sharing, Jeff! A wonderful read, it made me a Jealous Guy. woefully far away in North Carolina, (the definitive Roxy Wasteland) Don ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:16:02 -0500 From: "Jas" Subject: [AVALON] Worth my $84.20- Long The Tinley Park Stop The Venue We all knew that it was not going to be sold out, but that's okay. The loyal and the newly curious showed up and maybe it was better that way. The acoustics were MUCH better than the Horizon the last time out. The sight lines were better too ( especially for us up front.. more to come). The "other" James stated that the venue was going to curtained off. I did not see the curtain nor the rationale for making such a move. No sold out show: the promoters knew that, the BAND knew that( they got their guarantee up front), WE the loyal fans knew that too. What would have been the point?. It would have looked silly and out of place even for the Tweeter Center. Besides had it rained ( which happened after the concert) it would have been a big mess what with blowing curtains and water making it miserable for everyone. I wished, as I had the last time, that Roxy deserved to be heard in a more intimate venue such as the Auditorium or the Chicago Theatre, but the promoters AGAIN just did not understand the legacy of this band. It's all bottom line and I'm sure they took a bath on this stop. As long as the band got it's money, then GOOD let them suffer (BTW, I'm an Accountant!). Let this be a lesson for the future. Greed over "art"? I'd like to think that art will win eventually, but at least on this side of the pond it's all about the immediate financial returns. Hopefully some heads will roll, but not now. We can haggle about the ticket prices, but for MY money I paid for what I wanted to see and I got MY money's worth. The Concert We all know the set list so no surprises. I will say that Bryan's voice was stronger. Just one change of clothes this time, but STILL sharp. I hope I look that good in 11 or 12 years! Phil was very animated and splendid in a white suit. Andy? From my view point which was right in front row, ( I was practically looking up his nose), he looked as though he was phoning it in. He seemed to be counting the measures until his next spot. Maybe he things on his mind: we did not sell yet another venue in America( but I got MY money), the last concert is in 2 days, I've done this a thousand times before so I could do this in my sleep, I did not bring an extra suit to change into like Bryan ( damn him!), where is ENO? how's the kids doing, etc., etc.,etc.... Andrew and I agreed after the show that he's looking more and more like William Shatner. Laura Emmerick in today's Sun-Times( check out the front page and page 20 Chicago fans!) said he looked like the gnomish Frodo as he was crooning to Oh Yeah. Too funny. Whatever, he's still the best. The rest of the band was just as strong. Louise Peacock was note for note perfect during the solo for Out of the Blue. The backup singers seemed to be trading off the high notes for Avalon and My Only Love. Not bad at all!. The "feathers" ( as Bryan introduced as) were just go-go!. Colin was his usual self, anchoring it all down. Chris Speeding was understated and great. And Paul? Just the best drummer around! He beat the s*** out of his drum kit. No other drummer would have worked. He was not introduced as the Great PT but, WE know that. I wished Bryan would have flubbed Song for Europe and substituted Rotterdam for Notre Dame. Wishful thinking huh? Oh well the bridge still sighed............... The Fans The same as last time, but maybe a little bit more "up" this time. I was lucky enough to be up front during the first 5 numbers of the concert. Kelly and I had gone down front to talk to the Rose ( hi!) before we went back to our seats when the strains of South Downs came on and the concert started! I thought for sure that security was going to ask us to leave, but said nothing (yet). I was pinching myself that I could not believe I was FINALLY up front at a Roxy concert after all these years. It was a thrill to be sure and I did not waste the time either. I was bopping along with the music despite the fact that I was sweating buckets ( courtesy of the hat, tuxedo jacket and leather pants). I just wiped it away and kept going. This was a once ( and last time) deal so make hay while it lasts. Of course security had to eventually do it's job after the ones who paid for their front row seats wanted to sit down and enjoy the "slower" numbers and asked that the "renegades" return to their seats. They had to maintain "order" of course since they did not want outbursts of "enthusiasm" in front of the band With the exception of the Rose, her husband, the "feathered" Roxy girl( what was in her drink?), and a few more in the front, to those who had the good fortune of having good seats consider yourself lucky. You may have gotten "older", but you still should have showed more enthusiasm of the band. You were witness to see a great band for the last time ( at least in Tinley Park). I did manage to get back to the front (albeit the left side) during the encore. For My Pleasure they hit all the right emotional spots. Then it was over. The After Party The Chicago Martini Club and it's entourage ( minus Pete who we assumed was backstage with TGPT!!!) adjourned to the parking lot and my "green limo". We munched on pinwheel sandwiches, strawberries, and drank Champagne. We had a fantastic light show in the heavens as a backdrop to our little gathering ( specially ordered of course). Photos were taken. It then started to rain and the party was over. It was great seeing everyone again. To all the naysayers on this list who did not nor wanted to be witness this latest tour, so be it. You will feel much better when they do their final concert tonight in Costa Mesa and leave our shores never to return. For me, I was grateful, thankful, ecstatic, that they chose to include my area as a stop on this short tour. I've been a long time fan and the thrill of it all for me was seeing them just one more time. I don't care if it was the same set list!!! Yes, it would have been cool if they did Mother of Pearl. Just like You,The Thrill of it All, The Bogus Man, et al, but at least they still exist and they still sound way much better than what is considered music these days. I hold on the music, the images, and the good vibes that they generated back in the day and the other night. VIVA Roxy Music! Jas ( now back to the shadows) NP: Can't Let Go ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:57:58 -0500 From: "Paula Brown" Subject: Re: [AVALON] Worth my $84.20- Long Jas, So nice to read another enthusiastic review. That SunTimes review was very good, wasn't it? So often, you can tell the person isn't really a fan or doesn't really care, but that one was a nice piece. It's posted over on Paul's and Manzanera's if anyone wants to read it. I imagine this little mini-tour was to promote the Live CD and that that was the biggest determining factor in choosing the set list. I certainly do wish they'd come to Texas next time around, even if they do have to play a smaller venue. Everyone, big or small, still stops in Texas and recognizes it as the major market that it is. We still have label hubs here. In fact, the distributor for the live CD has a branch here still, one of only a handful in the US. No reason Roxy/Ferry shouldn't come through from time to time. They need to to keep their name alive in this part of the country. But I know this was just a quick little promotional tour, really, hitting the hot spots, even in UK, and I hope the next full tour, they will be more comprehensive about coverage and come to Texas before we get our feelings hurt. Audiences do seem much more laid back in the U.S., but I think it's mostly because the majority of them are fans of the Avalon album and later, more laid back, albums. It makes for a different crowd, a quieter crowd, not the glam-era music fanatics but a more mainstream audience who for the most part are probably not really as entrenched in music in general. I'd rather see them in UK as well, but I have to say that the Boston show I went to in 2001 appeared to have just as big an audience as the Birmingham and Bristol shows I attended with the BF tour last year. But it is frustrating to have a bunch of calm people around you when you so want to jump up and dance. I know there were some ticket injustices and they seemed especially bad this time around, but I'd never let it sour me on the wonderful experience of seeing Roxy live and I'd never assume it was Roxy's fault. This was the first time I'd seen ticket prices slashed like someone reported they were, but it is a common practice for radio stations to give away seats that won't otherwise be taken, which is fine, I think. It happens with a LOT of shows and has gone on for decades. It's more common than not. Sometimes they do it even if ticket sales are brisk because having tickets to give away guarantees you some radio promotion you wouldn't otherwise have and gets your name out there and they also make a deal that we'll give you these tickets to give away if you'll give us some airplay this week, which is a very good thing for the band, especially a band who wouldn't normally get airplay or are touring without a current single to promote. I hope the band, in some incarnation, go in the studio and give us some new material next. XXX, Paula ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 19:22:33 -0500 From: James Wells Subject: Re: [AVALON] The Chicago show and other thoughts Jeff Turner wrote: > Sidebar note to James: I don't know if you ended up going or not, but unless > I missed something, the venue was not "draped off" .... Jeff: not to turn this into a "love fest", but thank you. This is the first time I've posted and didn't feel the need start with an apology and disclaimer for expressing my opinion. But it's only fair that I tell the "rest of the story", to give credit where due. In addition to posting my complaints on this list, I hit a number of music boards and chat rooms, and sent three emails to WXRT. It took a few days, but I received a brief reply to the second email promising to bring my letters to the "powers that be". I sent a message of thanks for their response ... and received yet another reply from the station at 3:00p.m. to inform me that two, second-row tickets were left in my name at Will Call. So I called my concert-buddy to explain what had transpired and an hour later we were on the road to Tweeter-Ville ... so I yes, I was at the show ... ... and you're right, there was no sign of a drape to be found. When I first discovered WXRT back in 1971, they were one of the pioneering "underground" FM stations in the country ... staffed by music fans and true believers, fighting to stay afloat in the radio biz.. In fact some of the original staffers are still there, including Terri Hemmrt who intro'ed Roxy last night. Through this entire fiasco, I've wanted to believe that XRT nor the band, was not party to the price scam. And while I felt guilty for being a solo wheel getting greased, WXRT proved itself a class act. In fact the two women who sat (hovered above their seats,actually) directly ahead of us, had won their first-row location from XRT, in a drawing that afternoon. Very cool, indeed As for the show itself, Jeff's comments reflect my own to the point of being eerie, right down to the signing and dancing. I do apologize to anyone who could hear my voice over top the music. I haven't danced with such jouyous abandon in many years, but was careful to control any flying elbows. I felt the show got off on shaky footing; the band seemed to take the stage with a rush, and when BF emerged from the wings, he looked downright pissed-off. Unfortunately, "Remake-Remodel" paid the price. (It could be they were rushed to take the stage, because of nasty thunderstorms bearing down from the northwest. I think we heard the entire set-list, but the feedback of "For Your Pleasure" was still fading away, when the house lights came up. By that time, most the concession stands were already locked-up. Even the VIP bar had stopped serving because of the storm.) Slowly, you could see a change come over BF, and he was far more animated at show's end, than he was early on (although we never heard one of his trademark "woo-hoo"'s) By the mid-way point the band was firing on all cylinders, and even survived a sound melt-down on "Avalon" (a problem with the stage monitors, it appeared), that would have been a complete trainwreck for a lesser band. Personal highlights: finding myself in tears ... not because someone stepped on my foot or kicked over my drink ... but due to the heart-breaking emotion BF poured into "Oh Yeah", and a bit later, an excellent version of my favorite Roxy song, "Every Dream Home". I have no complaints with the set-list (although I would find a spot for "Prarie Rose") and agree with Jeff that "For Your Pleasure", is a great way to say goodnight. It was an incredible performance. Viva Roxy Music, INDEED! (and Viva WXRT) James PS. When we arrived at the Twinkie Center, we picked up the tix at Will Call, and then hung out, eventually intercepting a young couple on their way to the ticket window. I offered them our original tix for $15 each (I'm not rich and we needed drinking money!). Come to find out, they had driven down from Gurnee, without tickets, after calling TicketMaster and being told that lawn seats were available for $10. When they arrived at the Twinkie, they found out ... no lawn seats were sold at all, and the remaining tix were running $72 and $62 (!?) Does Tinley Park really exist or is it merely a signpost ... up ahead ... on the road to the Twilight Zone? ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 21:42:32 -0500 From: "Jeff Turner" Subject: Re: [AVALON] The Chicago show and other thoughts From: James Wells To: avalon@smoe.org CC: Jeff Turner Subject: Re: [AVALON] The Chicago show and other thoughts Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 19:22:33 -0500 As for the show itself, Jeff's comments reflect my own to the point of being eerie, right down to the signing and dancing. I do apologize to anyone who could hear my voice over top the music. I haven't danced with such jouyous abandon in many years, but was careful to control any flying elbows.*****I'm glad I wasn't the only one making a joyful fool of himself ;-) *********** I felt the show got off on shaky footing; the band seemed to take the stage with a rush, and when BF emerged from the wings, he looked downright pissed-off.******I've seen Roxy twice now and Ferry solo twice and it seems to me he's always that way at the beginning. When I saw him on the ATGB tour, I was pretty close to the stage, and it was my impression that he looked like he just woke up. He probably catches a nap between the sound check and the start of the show.***** Even the VIP bar had stopped serving because of the storm.*****You know, I wondered if it had actually stormed. I didn't see or hear a trace of it during the concert, but it seemed like there were puddles in the parking lot, and I couldn't remember if they'd been there before the show or not. I certainly had a nice lightning show in my rearview mirror most of the way home, tho.***** Personal highlights: finding myself in tears ... not because someone stepped on my foot or kicked over my drink ... but due to the heart-breaking emotion BF poured into "Oh Yeah", and a bit later, an excellent version of my favorite Roxy song, "Every Dream Home".******I too noted that BF sang that song like he really felt it and/or hadn't been singing it intermittently for the last 23 years. I teared up slightly at one point in the show--unbelievably, I don't remember what it was--but it was basically because Roxy was the soundtrack of an extremely difficult part of my life emotionally 18 years ago, and trite tho it sounds, their music, and other great music, helped get me through it. And here I was seeing them perform live, a mere 16 rows from the stage, and it was just one of those magic moments when time stopped and ceased to exist.***** PS. When we arrived at the Twinkie Center, we picked up the tix at Will Call, and then hung out, eventually intercepting a young couple on their way to the ticket window. I offered them our original tix for $15 each (I'm not rich and we needed drinking money!). Come to find out, they had driven down from Gurnee, without tickets, after calling TicketMaster and being told that lawn seats were available for $10. When they arrived at the Twinkie, they found out ... no lawn seats were sold at all, and the remaining tix were running $72 and $62 (!?) Does Tinley Park really exist or is it merely a signpost ... up ahead ... on the road to the Twilight Zone?*****I wish I could be surprised at the fact that this couple was given misleading information by a certain ticketing agency, but I'm not. Since I got internet connectivity, I NEVER actually call them, I just do my booking on line and hope for the best. It was always an experience in frustration and disgust talking to one of their agents. Those people are as dumb as a box of rocks. Probably the worst thing that ever happened to me w/them (OK this is off topic) was during the U2 Achtung Baby tour in 1991 or 1992. They were supposed to play Memorial Stadium in Champaign, but canceled due to pour ticket sales or some such. A third show was added at the Tweeter Center (then known as World Music Theater) to replace it, and there was supposed to be a 2-hour window at the beginning of the on-sale time exclusively for people calling from Champaign-Urbana to get tickets. I called, got in, and was told that there were only lawn seats left. I asked her to verify that this was the newly added third show to replace the canceled show in Champaign, and she said YES. So I bought a ticket. Of course, it was really not the third show, it was the second show, which had been onsale for weeks. So I had to sit on the lawn, when I could have been in the pavilion near the stage. So my beef w/them is not so much that they charge exorbitant fees, because I can always just stay home, but that they give incorrect information. ANYWAY, I'm glad you sold your old tickets cheaply to the Gurnee couple; that was very nice of you. It would have been really awful if they'd driven all that way and gone home w/o seeing the show. So James, having read your post, I am very glad you were able to go and that you had a great time, and yes, it's a little eerie that our experiences of the show were similar (ours, and probably a few thousand other peoples' ;-) ) And to Daniel in Sweden, I am truly sorry to hear that you lost your mother. Mine died 10 years ago this spring, and it's something you never truly get over. Best wishes to you as you deal with this. Warmest regards to all on the list, Jeff _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ End of avalon-digest V8 #218 **************************** ======================================================================== For further info, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: info avalon-digest