Errors-To: owner-ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Reply-To: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Sender: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu From: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu To: ecto-request@ns1.rutgers.edu Bcc: ecto-digest-outbound@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto #477 ecto, Number 477 Monday, 8 March 1993 Today's Topics: *-----------------* Oh here you are...! Cheryl Wheeler tour schedule Gloat Warning Guest vocals on Rearmament? My First Impressions He said it, not me :-) Radio stations that have Happy For folks in the Philly area Credit where credit's due... Blind Man's Zoo Welcome & Happynews Re: the pros and cons of ice fishing (3 laws) Thermodynamics and other stuff... Equipoised ======================================================================== Date: Sun, 7 Mar 93 11:27 EST From: robert@deepspace.nj00802.sai.com (Robert Lovejoy) Subject: Oh here you are...! Hey Ecto! My kids quit playing X-Wing long enough for me to log on and check the list! Hi ho, neighbors, how are you doing? Barry, my favorite Joni album is "Hissing of Summer Lawns". There's some very lovely jazzy playing by the musicians on the album, very moving songs. She's great! Graham, nobody's pulling for Happy to make a video more than I am! As a telecine colorist I've told Kevin I'm at his disposal anytime with lots of technical help. The major problems stopping them from making a video involve distribution costs, which can be astronomical. Time seems to be a factor too as they are all so busy now actively promoting the new album! I know they have videos in their sites. My guess is a performance video will come first, with a concept video down the road. Beleive me, Happy and Kevin really want to do a video! Still so happy to hear all the great stories 'bout Tori! She really seems like a nice person, and she has great taste in music! It was interesting to hear about the digital piano in "Teen Spirit" 'cause I've always loved her cover of that song! Hope everybody is feeling fine and the world's treating you all well! Talk to you all later... Bob Lovejoy ======================================================================== From: wrp@ivy.paramax.com (Bill Pringle) Subject: Cheryl Wheeler tour schedule Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1993 20:47:14 -0500 (EST) Even if you aren't familiar with Cheryl Wheeler, I would encourage you to see her live if she appears near you. Here is the current tour schedule for Cheryl Wheeler. Cheryl Wheeler is a singer/songwriter who is not only a great singer, but also a great comedian. She is one of a few performers to be on all three "Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival" CDs. If you ever get a chance to see her, take advantage of it! Cheryl's songs are sort of folk, and sort of country. She also has a great sense of humor. If she couldn't sing, she could easily make it as a stand-up comic! She can have you rolling in the aisles laughing during one song, and then wiping away tears during the next. She also has a great number of songs that she has not recorded. I have everything she has ever recorded, but it is not uncommon for me to hear some new songs when she performs. Almost half of her act seems to come from material that has not been recorded. Cheryl is working on a new album which will probably be released in the fall. Hopefully, her previous album, "Circles and Arrows" will also be made available again (it is currently out of print) ------------------------------------------------------------------- As with all concert tours, things change. Check with the venue before you show up. I will post updates as I get them. For concert bookings, call: Concerted Efforts (617)969-0810 A complete discography for Cheryl Wheeler is available in the music ftp archives. ********************************************************************* 3/10 Vienna VA The Barns at Wolftrap 3/13 Providence RI Rhode Island College 3/20 Saratoga Springs NY Caffe Lena 3/27 Cambridge MA Sanders Theater/Harvard 3/28 Tarrytown NY The Music Hall 4/2,3 Northampton MA Iron Horse 4/10 Hyannis MA The Cape Codder 4/22 Portland ME Raoul's 4/23 Brattleboro VT School for International Training 5/1 Needham MA Home Grown Coffeehouse 5/7 Providence RI Stone Soup Coffeehouse 5/22 Westboro MA Old Vienna Kaffeehaus 5/29 Kerrvile TX Kerrville Folk Festival 6/4 Kingston MA S. Shore Folk Music Club/Beal House 6/12 Burlington MA The Listening Place 6/25 Philadelphia PA Tin Angel 6/26 Stockton NJ Prallsville Mill 7/17 East Hartland CT Hartland Folk Festival 10/22 Scarborough ME Winslow Homer Center for the Arts -- ============================================================================ Bill Pringle Software Tools Paramax Corporation Voice: (215)443-7500 X4023 Internet: wrp@ivy.paramax.com UUCP: ...!uunet!mimsy!widener!gvls1!wrp%ivy ======================================================================== From: meth@aol.com Subject: Gloat Warning Date: Sun, 07 Mar 93 20:54:59 EST Hi! I just ***have*** to gloat about this: Today I did a special 3-hour Champagne Jam on WESU (Wesleyan is on Spring Break so the programming is in that weird state of semi-existance that allows for such things), and toward the end I acheived the segue of the millenium. It happened with The Tellings "Guardian Angel" and Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin's rendition of "The Crying Game"- you can't tell where the former ends and the latter begins, it all came across as one long piece of (oddly mated) music. And it was absolutely unintentional- having never heard either tune before, it just Happened. And the best part is: I got it on tape. :> :> :> :> :> You have to understand, for a DJ the feeling of accomplishing something like this is akin to the runner's high, and it happens about as often (well, at least for me- I don't run). I just had to share that with you all, you can go back to whatever you were doing now. (Of course, now DJs from all over are going to want to come crawling out of the woodwork and say "Hah, I do that five times an hour," but I urge you to think twice- this is a big thing for me, don't ruin the moment, okay? I knew you'd understand. Thanks much. :) Meredith meth@aol.com ======================================================================== From: rjk1@cec1.wustl.edu (Bob Kollmeyer) Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1993 20:32:17 -0600 Subject: Guest vocals on Rearmament? Just wanted to poke my head in the door and say a few words; didn't have the time to say anything when equipoise arived at my door (along with another copy of Rearmament, for those of you who remember my lamenting about cd players that decide to spin out of alignment destroying (or at least making unplayable) cds). Can that really have been nearly a month ago? Anyway, the package arived and my greedy little hands ripped open the package. What lay inside was most curious. As expected were my cds of Equipoise and Rearmament, two cellophane wrappers that looked as if they used to be wrapped around cds, and, unfortunatly, no neat little card with pictures of all the albums. I took Equipoise out and popped it in my cd player (not to worry, I had since replaced that evil disc destroying monster) and took a look at the cellophane wrappers. One, as you might guess, had the little "AG wants the best for you" offer. The other, which I assumed was off of Rearmament, had a sticker: NEVER HEARD BEFORE RECORDINGS BY QUEEN'S LEGENDARY LEAD SINGER Hmm. Now I've never seen Rearmament in the stores, but I somehow doubt this is what it is wrapped in. 8) 8) 8) caught up with ecto and rdt, now to tackle gaffa. Ooof. See ya in about a week, %) bob ======================================================================== Subject: My First Impressions Date: Sun, 07 Mar 93 22:15:59 -0500 From: matthews@oberon.umd.edu [and if line noise kicks me off again I'll scream] After listening to all of the Happy CDs, I guess it's time to share my impressions with y'all (at the prodding of Jeff of course). Now, you must understand that I can't (or, at least, don't) understand or interpet music the same way other folks do. I rarely understand the lyrics; I just like music for ... "absorption" I guess (background, veg-out music, whatever you like to call it). I'm not really sure which one is my favorite, as I've only listened to some of them once (Rhodes I and II come to mind). Rearmament's got a head start on them, with Equipose a close second, though. I do, however, like them all. They rank right up there with Sarah MacLaughlin, Suzanne Vega, Sinead O'Conner, Kate Bush, Enya, and Wilson Phillips [just seeing if Jeff's paying attention]. It's hard to say which of them is my favorite; I think it's really an undefined question. Besides, in terms of air time, it's gotta be Actung Baby. The Happy CDs make GREAT car music (I have a one hour (one way) drive to work; having good music is important to me), and listening to them on my stereo [with speakers placed at near perfect stereo locations] here at home is nifty too. I tried playing Equipose at work, but there be a few musical peons in the ranks so that'll have to wait until they become more culturally refined. I just listened to Rearmament tonight, with the lights off (the only illumination coming from my rather bright NeXT monitor). Wow. I still can't get over how Happy's voice can be so freakin' dynamic. The last song, "Be Careful What You Say," I think is pretty fitting. Being a systems administrator at the age of 23 does have some problems in politically inclined places. Especially when it's pretty much a fact that said 23 year old knows more, technically speaking, than most other people, especially about NeXTs (don't mean to sound arrogant; I'm just proud of my skills and accomplishments and enjoy putting them to good use). When listening to "Noone Here" (Rhodes II; I assume this is the right song, Jeff's rarely wrong about these things and I rarely know such trivia), I was in a semi-conscious state (did I mention this music is great for me to relax to?). When I heard the meows (in stereo), I thought my cat Mister was in the room. Now, realize that Mister just loves to climb into and under things. An empty box is like catnip to this feline. And my room isn't, um, all that, er, organized. So I spend a fair amount of time looking for the little devil, then realize what's going on. Missed most of the rest of the song due to uncontrollable laughter, unfortunately. By the way, I'm going to scan in the cover of Equipose some time this week (can't quite justify using company resources during normal working hours; already used the "testing hardware" excuse). I plan on making an 1120x832, a 640x400, and a 320x200 version [disk space problems? No such thing, I just go root and delete nonessentials ]. If anyone wants this image, let me know. Preferred image format and size would be a plus too (I prefer TIFFs myself). ... I hope there's nothing illegal about scanning in the artwork.... ------ Mike Matthews, matthews@oberon.umd.edu (NeXTmail accepted) ------ When Yahweh your gods has settled you in the land you're about to occupy, and driven out many infidels before you...you're to cut them down and exterminate them. You're to make no compromise with them or show them any mercy. [Deut. 7:1 (KJV)] ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1993 15:00:04 +1000 From: GRAHAM.G.R.DOMBKINS@bhpmelmsm.bhp.bhpmel04.telememo.au Subject: He said it, not me :-) Hi all, I was converting yet another person across to Happy the other day. He loved her but I thought you might like his comment, which craked me up at the time. He was lissening to WWMFC as his first song and it got to the chours and he's just amazed and blurts out "My GOD! She's got balls!!" :-) ======================================================================== Graham Dombkins GRAHAM.G.R.DOMBKINS@BHPMELMSM.BHP.bhpmel04.telememo.au ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hello Earth!! hello Earth..." - KT "I'm out chasing nuns in the yard..." - TA Space for undecided Happy quote. - HR ======================================================================== ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 1:09:22 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: Radio stations that have Happy These are a few of the stations that definitely have Equipoise. Call & bug 'em! Little Rock, AR........ KYFX Tucson, AZ............. KKLD Fresno, CA............. KEZL Los Angeles, CA........ KCRW Turlock, CA............ KCSF Des Moines, IA......... KFMG Greenfield, MA......... WRSI Columbia, MO........... KBIA Minneapolis, MN........ KTCZ ?, Maine............... WCLZ Detroit, MI............ WDET Spindale, NC........... WNCW Albany, NY............. WHRL Ada, OH................ WONB Eugene, OR............. KLCC Philadelphia, PA....... WXPN " " ....... WMMR " " ....... WYSP Pittsburg, PA.......... WYEP Chattanooga, TN........ WUTC Austin, TX............. KGSR Corpus Cristi, TX...... KWVS Dallas, TX............. KERA Manchester, VT......... WEQX West Dover, VT......... WVAY Japan(?)............... J-WAVE(?) (Happy wasn't sure if this was right) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Happy Rhodes-Equipoise, it's *WONDERFUL*! (imnsho) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Vickie "Fight for the right "My ears are lucky to hear vickie@pilot.njin.net to have monsters" TA these glorious songs" HR _________ "Imagination sets in, then |_ _ | _ The Happy Rhodes mailing list all the voices begin" KB |__|_ ||_| ecto-request@ns1.rutgers.edu -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Searching for Happy Rhodes reviews, articles, interviews, mentions -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 1:11:47 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: For folks in the Philly area Happy will be in the Philadelphia area March 26-28 and has a full schedule. Call the stations or record stores for more details. If you get someone who doesn't know about these things, then call back at another time to talk to someone who has a clue. :-) These things are definitely happening. (Awww, you know how it is, you call a station about something going on and the person you talk to hasn't been told. It's not their fault, but it doesn't help you any!) March 26.......Dover(?), Delaware Rainbow Records........In-store signing. March 27.......Philly 21st Century Sound.....In-store signing WXPN...................On-air interview & live songs (probably) The World Cafe.........Taping an interview March 28.......Philly WMMR...................On-air interview & live songs (probably) WYSP...................On-air interview & live songs (probably) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Happy Rhodes-Equipoise, it's *WONDERFUL*! (imnsho) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Vickie "Fight for the right "My ears are lucky to hear vickie@pilot.njin.net to have monsters" TA these glorious songs" HR _________ "Imagination sets in, then |_ _ | _ The Happy Rhodes mailing list all the voices begin" KB |__|_ ||_| ecto-request@ns1.rutgers.edu -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Searching for Happy Rhodes reviews, articles, interviews, mentions -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 1:26:30 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: Credit where credit's due... > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > Vickie "Fight for the right "My ears are lucky to hear > vickie@pilot.njin.net to have monsters" TA these glorious songs" HR > _________ > "Imagination sets in, then |_ _ | _ The Happy Rhodes mailing list > all the voices begin" KB |__|_ ||_| ecto-request@ns1.rutgers.edu ^^^^^^^^^^ I've never credited this and it's way past due. Klaus is the lovely fellow who made this. Isn't it wonderful??!!!??? > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > Searching for Happy Rhodes reviews, articles, interviews, mentions > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 2:08:29 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: Blind Man's Zoo For reasons unknown and not understood by me, 10M's _Blind Man's Zoo_ gets relegated to the trash heap a *lot* and I just have to pop up every now and then and defend it. I **LOVE** THIS ALBUM!!! As a matter of fact, it's probably my favorite 10M album, though _The Wishing Chair_ and _In My Tribe_ are only a hair-width behind. All the albums, including _Hope Chest_ and _Eden_ are uneven, so it is hard to say (for me to say) that one album is consistantly greater than the other. Still, BMZ has the greatest number of favorite songs, such as "Eat For Two," "Dustbowl," "Hateful Hate," and "Jubilee." There isn't a song I dislike, which actually makes it less uneven than any of the others. I just don't understand the scorn shown when this album is mentioned. Christine, you're not the only one, I've heard it quite often. IMHO, all of the songs are very well-written, and some are absolute *classics*. The lyrics are all interesting and tell stories. It's an album of short stories & mini-movies. Some are downright chilling in their intensity. "Hateful Hate" in particular. "Eat For Two" is not only one of the *greatest* songs ever written and recorded, it strikes me in the heart, zeros in on my soul and being, every time I hear it. I got pregnant at age 16, remember. I was also a single mother living on welfare at a time when my son was a child, so "Dust Bowl" also hits me deep. "Trouble Me" is a brilliant song, with or without the wonderful video. (And besides, Jevetta Steele sings backup!) I cry sometimes when I hear it. Why? Because it's a concept that I grew up not trusting. I *still* don't trust it, even with all my spilling of guts and all the wonderful support I've received. Natalie sings "trouble me with all your cares and all your worries" but I *hate* to trouble anyone. After a lifetime of being around people who don't want to be troubled, it's impossible for me to change overnight and actually *believe* that anyone would want to be troubled by my problems. It doesn't have anything at *all* to do with any one person, it's just something deep inside me that I have to work out. Anyway, it just blows me away whenever I hear it...that someone actually wrote a song about such a "simple" yet (for me) deeply complex subject. I can't change anyone's mind about how they feel toward the album, but for anyone out there who hasn't heard it, I just wanted to say that there is someone who loves this album and would highly recommend it. Vickie "When the boy was a boy and the girl was a girl, they found each other in a wicked world. Strong in some respect, but she couldn't stand for the way he begged and gave in. Pride is for men, young girls should run and hide instead. Risk the game by taking dares with "yes". Politically correct? No, but it's the real world and the teenage pregnancy rate in the United States confirms it. ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 2:24:38 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: Welcome & Happynews Welcome to Matthew! Thanks for your post! (Hey, good for Jeffy!) I talked to Happy last night and she told me that she, Kevin, the cats, the equipment, the monsters, the "little stick of glass" and the entire Aural Gratification operation are moving to Woodstock, New York later this month! Imagine...Albany no longer the center of the universe...wow! :-) Tidbit: Happy didn't know that the heroine of Anne Rice's _Interview With A Vampire_ was named Gabrielle. She's never read any of the books but whe said she probably would because so many people have recommeded them, and she loves vampire stories anyway. Vickie ======================================================================== From: Steve Fagg Subject: Re: the pros and cons of ice fishing (3 laws) Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 13:38:43 BST On Fri, 5 Mar 93 at 23:11:15 EST,woj@remus.rutgers.edu (l.l. cool bean) wrote: > matthews@oberon.umd.edu sez: > >Fourth Law of Thermodymanics: > > If the probability of success is not almost one, then it is damn near zero. > >- David Ellis > > hah! that's great...when i used to tutor thermo back in school, i'd sum up > the laws as this: > > 1) you can't get something for nothing. > > 2) you can't even break even! > > the third law is too silly (though useful) to be made fun off in this manner. My favourite version runs as follows: 1. You can't win, you can only break even 2. You can only break even at absolute zero 3. You can never get to absolute zero These don't align very accurately with the real three laws, but to my mind they sum up very nicely the existential horror of thermodynamics. -- Regards Steve Fagg ( S.L.Fagg@bnr.co.uk +44-279-402437 ) BNR Europe Ltd., London Road, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9NA, UK *** "Better drowned than duffers. If not duffers, won't drown". *** ======================================================================== Date: 08 Mar 1993 09:36:28 -0500 (EST) From: SANDOVAL@stsci.edu Subject: Thermodynamics and other stuff... Well, I haven't been around for a week since I moved offices and was off the system for awhile. Man, things can really pile up here!!! :) I just wanted to add my thermo theorems. :) This was how I learned it when I was struggling with thermo just a few years ago. 1. You can't win. 2. You can't break even. 3. Don't even try. That pretty much summed up thermo to me. :) Actually, thermo wasn't the problem...electromagnetics was (and still is...) Vicki, do you know if they have sent a copy of Equipoise to a station in San Diego? It's called 91X with call letters XTRA. They are virtually identical to WHFS here in Maryland. In fact, I think a couple of the DJ's were in San Diego a few years ago. Plus, I can get my sister to call and bug them constantly. :) She works in a law office after school and she can use their phones to keep calling. I'll just have to tell her to change her voice every time. :) Oh, I finally picked up a Bel Canto CD on Saturday. Haven't had a chance to give it a good listen (too busy flying X-Wing :), but it sounds good so far. John ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 07:32:44 MST From: dbx@teton.atmos.colostate.edu (Doug Burks) Subject: Equipoised Greetings, Here is my long-awaited (yeah, sure :) ) review of the latest gem from our hero Happy Rhodes. However, to avoid any spoilers, I'll include a couple of non-review items before getting to the meat of this post. I'm sure we've all found Ecto-style artists in unusual settings, but singing for Led Zeppelin? Well, this weekend, I was stunned to discover that Sandy Denny sings on "The Battle for Evermore"? She even keeps her head above water alongside a Robert Plant in full shout. Also I'm still accepting Ectophile votes for songs to include on an updated Happy sampler. I've received only five lists so far, and would like a broader representation. So e-mail me a list of any number up to 25 (Sorry, Vickie. :) ) of Happy-songs which you think should go on a sampler. Okay. On with the _Equipoise_ review. For those amazingly disciplined Ectophiles who have been refusing to read anything about this album, skip to the next post. The rest of this one only holds _Equipoise_ stuff. Stop me if you've read this before, but _Equipoise_ didn't grab me on the first listen. However, after the second, I could second a certain Ectophile's opinion: "It's *WONDERFUL*!" :) [though I'm probably short a few *'s and !'s. :) ] On my first listen, I thought that the album lacked the hooks that _Warpaint_ used to grab the listener. However, I realized that I had already heard the songs which hook the listener, at her concerts last year. It's the other new songs which I felt didn't hook the listener. On the second listen, I discovered that they suck you in steadily and subtly. Not only do they have Happy's wonderful voice, music, and challenging lyrics, but they're full of those odd little Happy touches of buried vocals and unusual background sounds. I do have a few complaints about the album, but I'll save them for the songs they affect, with one exception. Happy needs some trusted editor to shorten her songs. Too many of them seem to me to run on pointlessly. 11 songs in 61:14? :P On _Equipoise_, Happy expresses her politics more clearly and confidently than on her earlier albums. In general, I am not a fan of overtly political songs, even when I agree with the politics. Songs are much better at portraying emotions than dispensing information. "Runners" is an example of this problem, as I find its political message simplistic. Yet Happy's playfulness (Something quite rare in political songs) and music overcome this problem, and I do enjoy it, getting it stuck playing quite frequently and quite agreeably in my mind. "He Will Come/The Flight" has been covered fairly fully by other posts, and I definitely agree that they cover the female and male sides of the same story. In general, this interconnected pair is one of the highlights of the album, and, after first hearing it live almost a year ago, it's nice to finally understand all of the words right. :) (I'm too embarrassed to mention what words _I_ first heard in the chorus of "The Flight". :) ) I love the surf bridging the songs, though I'd bet that the surf is electronic. Natural waves just don't break that fast. Also, has anyone figured out what words Happy's deep voice is singing behind the choruses of "The Flight"? Happy probably put "Out Like a Lamb" on _Equipoise_ to give us Ectophiles something to argue about (and for Vickie to smirk about, while she holds some of the keys. :) :) I personally favor it representing a relationship that either soured or was unrequited. I also think that her singing, "He'll call me when he's back in town" is expressed more as a hope or wish than as a fact. In other words, at the time of the song, she is still trying to deal with the loss. However, this explanation barely scratches the surface, and I can't see under it at all. I guess I'll just have to listen to it again -- no big sacrifice! :) "Save Our Souls" is the first Happy song to truly irritate me. I thoroughly disagree with her philosophy from one end of the song to the other. I'll save you my full ranting and raving, and just raise one example. The basic theme is Happy's singing for the aliens to rescue earth, so much so that a better title might be "E.T., phone back!" :) This theme of rescue is underscored by the song titles initials, and Happy even sings "S.O.S." in the background. However, I completely reject this throwing up one's hands, throwing in the towel in disgust at the world's troubles. It reminds me of some isolated Christian sects who huddle in remote corners of the globe, waiting for Rapture. Well, if you wait for God to solve the world's problems, if you wait for extraterrestrials to solve the world's problems, nothin's gonna happen. Problems are only solved by our rolling up our own sleeves, and getting our hands dirty. End of grumbling. [I will admit the slight possibility that Happy may not be playing this entirely straight, but the same theme of running from problems is apparent in "Runners", too (though she may not be playing it straight there either. :) )] As others have noted, "Closer" serves as the fulcrum point of _Equipoise_, likely Happy's most personal song on it. Lacking any knowledge of the true context of the song, I'm not going to enter the tar pit of trying to decipher her lyrics. However, it certainly has one of the best metaphors I've ever heard: Sticks and stones thrown, Shattered my bones Glue them back with rhythms and tones (By the way, "He Will Come" has a bad clinker of a mixed metaphor, which I'll leave for you to discover. :) ) By the way, for those who haven't heard Kelly Bird, her voice sings (almost belts out) those foreground vocals near the end. I'm surprised that no one has singled out "Temporary and Eternal" for praise yet. The song is certainly unambitious, but amid its quietness is a surprisingly complex song about reincarnation, about the ending of two lives which I interpret as sequentially belonging to a single reincarnated person. On the song's surface is the wonderfully portrayed wistfulness and regret of looking back at our always imperfect lives. Yet this is partially countered by the optimism of looking forward to getting it right in our next life. Yet this is in turn countered by the fact that we'll probably just screw it up again anyway. I don't believe in reincarnation, but such a simple beautifully expressive song makes me wish I did. :) Happy certainly let her quirks run loose in "Cohabitants", from the odd variety of voices to the lack of a clear melody to lots going on in the background to having the lyrics be an exchange between two sides of herself. I see the lyrics as the story of Happy's "light" side (mostly voiced in that distorted voice) discovering and dealing with her taunting "dark" side, an explicit theme of _Equipoise_. I assume this song will grow on me. :) "Play the Game" is another clear political song. At least it doesn't irritate me, though I can take it or leave it, even musically. One line does bother me, though. In my experience, I have heard "Your [rules] don't apply to me" used only by scuzzballs and creeps trying to excuse completely inexcuseable actions. The association is just too strong in my mind to break, and Happy certainly doesn't belong with that crowd. That's just me, though. As for the song as a whole, other women have covered this theme better than Happy over the past twenty-odd years, and "Play the Game" strikes me as too serious, too good-vs-bad, too trite. It badly needs a dose of Happy's humor. Someday I'll be able to concentrate on the lyrics for "Mother Sea", but I just have no desire to. I simply let that gorgeious piano and wonderful high voice wash over me, the musical equivalent of walking along the seashore letting the incessant noisy surf wash deep into my psyche, taking away any emotional disquiet unreachable by any other agency, leaving behind a clean and quiet soul, which may be part of the song's point anyway. "I Say" is a great little song, a personal declaration of independence, a perfect way to end this album. In my opinion, this hits much closer to the point that Happy was trying to make with "Play the Game". I love Happy's layered and intermixed vocals on here, as I always do. :) It's still to early to say where _Equipoise_ will end up in my all-time pantheon of albums, but it's certainly won't get buried in my record collection (which is actually arranged alphabetically by artist in crates stacked against one wall of my apartment, since we've touched on album organization recently :) ). It's *WONDERFUL*! Doug Burks _O_ dbx@olympic.atmos.colostate.edu |< She really is!! ======================================================================== The ecto archives are on hardees.rutgers.edu in ~ftp/pub/hr. There is an INDEX file explaining what is where. Feel free to send me things you'd like to have added. -- jessica (jessica@ns1.rutgers.edu)