Errors-To: ecto-owner@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 #1040 ecto, Number 1040 Thursday, 10 March 1994 Today's Topics: *-----------------* disappear fear Thoughts right now... Re: Diamanda Galas Rejoinder to Tarr and other stories Re: Bel Canto, UK, other reviews Re: Torvill & Dean question Re: Thoughts right now... Re: Suddenly, Bob Re: Tori Tix Armadillo ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 13:06:33 PST From: Neal Copperman Subject: disappear fear disappear fear is a band from Baltimore Maryland whose core is the sisters Sonia and Cindy Frank. They've performed as a duo and had various band members come and go around them. The band they are currently using has been with them for a couple of years, I think, and seems to be their strongest (though I am fonder of them as a duo). You could compare them to the Indigo Girls and you wouldn't be too far off, but they don't sound exactly like them either. (IG is rumoured to sing on their new album, due in May.) Sonia writes all the songs and does most of the lead vocals, and she looks kind of tough but has a definite sensitive side. As a duo they are a bit folky, but with the band they seem to rock more. I saw them all the time when I lived in Maryland, and they were one of my favorite bands. Haven't seen them for about a year, but I would recommend them to anyone here. They put on an energetic and entertaining show, and it probably won't be too expensive either. I learned all these songs live before the discs came out, so i never really read the lyrics isolated from the music. It was kind of interesting, but I still read them more in the cadence of how they are sung as opposed to how they are written. I think the band is more notable for it's emotions, rather than the actual words, and many of the words seem much more alive when Sonia sings them. These are all from disappear fear: LIve at the Bottom Line, their last release from a few years ago. Neal Postcard from Texas Box of Tissues -------------------- -------------- This is my postcard from Texas I put a box of tissues by my bed What are chances this town won't wreck us? cause I knew that I'd be up forever There is a woman, there always is waiting for ... you. She's standin on the side of the stage I left the light on in the hall beckoning motionless. Cause I knew that you'd be fallin And my legs get weak when you finally come home. and my heart beats fast And anybody with a heart and I thought the love we had would have been alone was built to last but you brought her and my thoughts take off And anybody with a brain where my hands want to go would've left you then and I know and I know and I know but I stayed ... I stayed. Baby believe me I gathered all the photographs Baby believe me in the hope of takin one long I didn't do nothin! steamy bath alone There's a strange black bird here All the water on my skin Which is mostly tail could not wash away the years of makes a sound like an ambulance tryin to get in. That's her mating call Even though my love life was She sings a warning in the cold night air fast asleep and my hear was she's out in the distance breakin to a million pieces, she should be sleeping I stayed. but I can still hear her. I'm steppin out of a dream into a steamy car Love Insurance (snippet) and we huddle for safety at the cannibal bar -------------- how far can I run away from this ring on my Give me some Love Insurance finger? I need the million dollar plan Is there a place where we can go to That way the day you leave me shed our fear like clothes I'll be able to make a friend and make love new? Sure I'll be broken hearted And I'll have you to thank But I'll only be lonely Walkin to and from the bank ======================================================================== From: freeform@aol.com Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 15:23:57 EST Subject: Thoughts right now... Hi.. Re: the Ecto newsletter.. I got mine a couple of weeks ago. What a nice thing to find in the mailbox upon arriving home! The plans for Happy's next album sound very interesting and I can't wait. I am hoping that she will decide to have at least one acoustic guitar based song this time around. I am curious to know what the current status of the new album is. Maybe Happy will put out another newsletter within the next couple of months to let us know how recording is going.. Re:Happy's 'Closer'.. Who is Happy singing to in this song? Or is she role-playing another person's point of view? Who is it that made "breathing a nasty chore"? Re:Tori.. I find it rather ironic that one of my lesser liked Tori songs (God) has become a "hit". I have to say I am getting tired of hearing the song on the radio now. Personally, I love 'Winter' and 'Silent All These Years' a lot more than 'God', but both of those singles bombed. I guess 'God' is much more accessible to modern rock radio. Re:Kate.. Still waiting to hear news about the 'And So Is Love' singles?? What's going on???? Re:Diamanda Galas.. I have read some interesting things about her lately, but I have not heard any of her work. What are her albums like? Charles ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 14:42:28 PST From: hanson@ast.saic.com (Jeffrey Hanson) Subject: Re: Diamanda Galas Diamanda Galas is unlike anyone else you've ever heard. If you get a chance to see her live, do it. She is definitely a unique experience. More a performance artist than a singer, her songs focus on death, mental illness and AIDS. And involve a lot of screaming. Her most accessible album (the only one I own) is called The Singer. It consists of a lot of old gospel and blues songs, almost all of which deal with death (songs include Make Sure My Grave is Kept Clean, Gloomy Sunday, Let My People Go, etc.) There are also a couple of original compositions. When performing live, she usually performs "Plague Mass", a performance artist piece dealing with AIDS, however on the last tour she performed "Judgement Night", which started with a 20 minute performance, performed topless and solo at the mike, dipped in oil and lit like some glowing thing from hell, a piece called "There are no More Tickets for the Funeral". After this piece there was an intermission and she came out to perform pieces from The Singer, and some other cover tunes, with just her solo piano and incredible voice. The album The Singer, and the second half of the performance are somewhat monotonous. She plays the lower half of the piano more than any other pianist I've seen, and her vocal range, though ranging from incredibly low to incredible high pitched screams and operatic warblings, becomes somewhat tiresome after a while. When I saw her she performed "the obligatory crowd-pleaser" (said with much disdain), and launched into the old Diana Ross tune "My WOrld is Empty Without You, Babe", which she gave a whole new meaning to. Definitely go see her if you get a chance, though don't count on it being a particularly pleasurable experience. But it will make you feel things no other performer can (some of which may be the same kind of annoyance you feel when someone grates their nails on a chalkboard). But it is also amazing to see someone perform with their focus so intent on death, dying and pain. She definitely does not sing to please or entertain, but to show the horror and tragedy of life. Some people might not like this. It may make them uncomfortable. Its not something I feel like listening to very often, but it also something that shouldn't be ignored. She deserves listening to. Her live performances carry more weight than her recorded material (at least from what I've heard). Like a trip to hell, her concerts are not a place I'd like to spend my life attending, but they're definitely worth a visit. Like I said, The Singer is the only album I have, so I can't speak for her other albums, nor do I feel like rushing out to buy all of her stuff. I'm glad I own The Singer, but a steady diet of Diamanda, would probably, literally, drive me crazy. Hope this helps! Jeff Hanson ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 17:25:35 CST From: Subject: Rejoinder to Tarr and other stories (As it might be called in the rearward sections of the better academic journals :-). ) I guess I'm not as heavily into emotion as Meredith is. Then again, maybe Sam Phillips isn't as effective live, compared to her recordings, as some other artists. Of course, if Happy did Chicago I would definitely consider going. I shall think of Bob when the opening of the Channel 7 news comes on--not that it's anywhere near as emotion-inspiring as Meredith represents Tori and the Flecktones to be :-). Bob, does this mean you have unusual influence with the good folks at ABC? If so, maybe you could put in a good word for the restoration of the first 10 minutes of _World News Now_ to the local schedule :-) Interesting how necrophiliacal German title translators can be. Wonder what the did to _Annie Hall_, in light of Woody's preoccupation with books on death in that film :-). Mitch ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 20:35:45 +0000 From: S.L.Fagg@bnr.co.uk (Steve Fagg's Mac) Subject: Re: Bel Canto, UK, other reviews At 12:22 pm 8/3/94 -0500, Mike Mendelson wrote: >UK - Night after Night - Live - This is from 1979 and has been out > on CD for a while. Eddie Jobson, John Wetton and Terry Bozio > form this amazing trio. Again, I love what these guys do with > just 3 sets of hands and 3 voices. This is just plain as good > as prog rock gets, period. If you have never heard UK before > go buy this CD. The whole thing, start to finish, is unbelievable. > Song writing very strong. I know Whetton has gone to things like > Asia and Yes (?) and Bozio pops up here and there (Jeff Beck?) > but what ever happened to Eddie Jobson? I've had this CD > for a while now, but everytime I take it out and listen to it again, > I am more impressed that it can be *that* good. wow. Add me to the list of UK fans on Ecto! I have all the albums on LP, but only the first (Bruford/Holdsworth) one on CD. I prefer the original line-up, but only saw the second one live. This was back in 1979 and they put on a great show. Much of Bruford's solo work of the time was in a similar vein and equally worth investigating today, IMO. Now I know the other UK albums are out on CD I'll have to keep an eye out for them, I'd love to hear "Danger Money" again. -- Regards Steve Fagg ( S.L.Fagg@bnr.co.uk +44-279-402437 ) BNR Europe Ltd., London Road, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9NA, UK *** We tried to add it all up and got merely sunrise. *** *** Try putting that in a letter to someone in exile. *** ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 20:50:35 +0000 From: S.L.Fagg@bnr.co.uk (Steve Fagg's Mac) Subject: Re: Torvill & Dean question At 7:38 am 9/3/94 -0500, WretchAwry wrote: >ESPN will be broadcasting (a repeat, certainly, but I missed it before) >the European Championships next Tuesday (3-15). This was a pre-Olympic >competition (taped January 23 in Copenhagen) and my question is... > >Is this the competition where T&D unveiled their *original* Free Dance? >During the Olympics I heard talk that they had worked a year on a Free >Dance but that it didn't go over well with the judges or the audience, >so they re-worked the Free Dance and that's what they performed at the >Olympics. Were T&D at Europeans? I'm confused as to when this original >dance was performed, at the Europeans or at the British Nationals. Vickie. I'm by no means the skating expert. But my understanding is that the original routine was performed at the British Nationals, and at the Europeans. As far as I know, it was only then that they tried to revamp it for the Olympics. So I think you will see the "old" routine when ESPN rerun the Europeans. >If it *was* at the Europeans, I'll be walking on air. There was so much >talk about it during the Olympics, and I'll finally get to see it!! Not >that I didn't love what they performed in the Olympics (they should have >gotten the Gold...if not Gold, then Silver after Usova & Zhulin) but I'm >just looking forward to an entirely *new* routine. I've been following >T&D for 10 years (wish I'd been paying attention before then though) and >most of the re-worked moves had come from past routines. *Nothing* wrong >with that (made it kindofa "Torvill & Dean's Greatest Hits") but I think >*that's* what cost them the Gold. They should have (IMHO) stuck to their >original routine. Anyway, it'll be nice to see what they originally had >intended to perform at the Olympics. (if, that is, it was the Europeans >where they performed it) I think you may find the original routine closer to the Olympic one than you seem to be expecting. I don't think either routine was really in tune with the stuff that is winning in the last couple of years. They seemed stuck in a semi time warp. OK I'm biased by being British, but I thought their Olympic routine knocked spots off both Russian pairs for sheer class, but it wasn't brash enough for today's judges. IMO T&D were let down by not studying the form closely enough as it were, and relying on their inherent excellence to triumph. How they took the place by storm when they did Bolero again, though! P.S. as you don't seem to irc any more, Vickie, I'll just add here that my holiday in Chicago is all firmed up now. Plane and hotel all booked. I fly out on Friday 29th April, and leave for England on Friday 6th May. Valerie has got me a ticket for Sarah McLachlan on the 30th, will we see you & Chris then? There is talk of a pre-show meal on the Saturday... -- Regards Steve Fagg ( S.L.Fagg@bnr.co.uk +44-279-402437 ) BNR Europe Ltd., London Road, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9NA, UK *** We tried to add it all up and got merely sunrise. *** *** Try putting that in a letter to someone in exile. *** ======================================================================== Subject: Re: Thoughts right now... Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 18:28:36 CST From: Larry Spence Charles writes: > Re:Diamanda Galas.. I have read some interesting things about her lately, > but I have not heard any of her work. What are her albums like? Pretty grueling stuff for the most part. She has a technically amazing voice, and could probably beat Captain Beefheart in a "let's strip the paint off that building from 100 yards away" contest. %) Since the mid 80s, most of her albums have been about Persons With AIDS, persecution of said Persons, mental state of PWAs, etc. (her brother died of AIDS in (?) 1986). Her live performances vary from very impressive to jaw- droppers; the amount of concentration and intensity she projects is way beyond almost anyone else. The one thing she's done that's more conven- tional is _The Singer_, a collection of covers of old blues and gospel songs. But it comes off as sort of flat on the record, whereas her live renditions of the same songs were much, much better when I saw her a few months ago. Her ability to play and improvise at the piano is not unlike Tori's, but much gutsier and more dynamic. Early DG: _Wild Women With Steak Knives_, _Panoptikon_, etc. -- very extreme vocal techniques, noisy, long tracks, not "songs." More Recent DG: _You Must Be Certain of the Devil_, _Plague Mass_ live CD, _Vena Cava_ (most recent release) -- some actual songs, more lyrics and spoken word pieces. _Vena Cava_ is supposed to portray the disintegration of the mind of a terminal PWA, and goes from barely-audible feeble whispers to all-out ranting and screaming. There's also a _Plague Mass_ video put out by Atavistic which I haven't felt up to viewing yet. %) I'd say get _You Must Be Certain of the Devil_ for the most "accessible" (har har!) DG, then maybe the live _Plague Mass_ for the more extreme ranting against the bad guys. _Vena Cava_ is a masterpiece IMHO, but I think most people might find it unlistenable, for the extreme dynamics if nothing else. One netter put it on the first time, cranked the volume up to where he could hear the _very_ quiet intro section, then went off to "use the facilities." About five minutes in, when the screaming started, he nearly lept off his, um, seat. %) So be careful not to be shaving or chopping vegetables when you listen to this the first time... %) To be a little more specific about "what does it sound like," the early release tend to have a more noisy-industrial sound and hebephrenic vocals, with later releases featuring more piano (especially _The Singer_), elec- tronic drums and percussion, and bits of synthesizer here and there. From _You Must Be Certain_ through _Vena Cava_, the musical background has gotten more and more stripped down, with more emphasis on just her voice with lots of delays and other processing. There are almost no instruments at all on _Vena Cava_. Oddly enough, in person DG is a real sweetie, and has a great sense of humor. But she deals with very, very heavy subject material, is not modest, and has an extremely loud bullsh*t detector. - Larry ======================================================================== Date: Wed, 09 Mar 94 19:13:20 -0500 From: "Dennis G Parslow" Subject: Re: Suddenly, Bob >DATE: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 20:39:25 -0500 (EST) >FROM: Robert Lovejoy > >Hello again, > Not to worry, it's only me! In my eager overenthusiam about >Rhodeways, I neglected to mention that yesterday I worked on the video >for Suddenly, Tammy! > The song is "Lamp", and much of the footage was shot on Hi-8 video. >The film was shot at a local club (Khyber Pass) and at their rehearsal >space in Pa. Looked pretty good. We did a few effect-type things, >but overall kept it fairly straight. Interestingly, I learned that the >singer, Beth, is romantically involved with the lead singer of Live, >another band from Lancaster. Well, maybe not that interesting, but >here I am sharing that tidbit with y'all! Cool!!!!! Any word on how a guy could see Suddenly, Tammy live? And how one could get a copy of the finished video? Wow, neat! Dennis Parslow Today I am a small blue thing. Troy, NY 12180 Suzanne Vega p00421@psilink.com ======================================================================== Date: Wed, 09 Mar 94 19:13:20 -0500 From: "Dennis G Parslow" Subject: Re: Suddenly, Bob >DATE: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 20:39:25 -0500 (EST) >FROM: Robert Lovejoy > >Hello again, > Not to worry, it's only me! In my eager overenthusiam about >Rhodeways, I neglected to mention that yesterday I worked on the video >for Suddenly, Tammy! > The song is "Lamp", and much of the footage was shot on Hi-8 video. >The film was shot at a local club (Khyber Pass) and at their rehearsal >space in Pa. Looked pretty good. We did a few effect-type things, >but overall kept it fairly straight. Interestingly, I learned that the >singer, Beth, is romantically involved with the lead singer of Live, >another band from Lancaster. Well, maybe not that interesting, but >here I am sharing that tidbit with y'all! Cool!!!!! Any word on how a guy could see Suddenly, Tammy live? And how one could get a copy of the finished video? Wow, neat! Dennis Parslow Today I am a small blue thing. Troy, NY 12180 Suzanne Vega p00421@psilink.com ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 23:59:00 +0100 From: uli@zoodle.robin.de (Ulrich Grepel) Subject: Re: Tori Tix Hi! Anthony H. wonders: > carries the mastering code DDDD (yup, 4 D's!) for Digital recording, mixing, > mastering, and... umm... digital manufacture? :) Deutsche Grammphon use a technique called 4D. It basically means to get the signal to digital as soon as possible, that is, the AD converter sits on the stage right next to the microphone. Besides that 4D includes recording with 21 bits with the option to go to 24 bits later. Also some other nice things of course. I suppose your DDDD means something similar. Or something completely different ;-). Ciao, Uli -- Ossi zum Wessi: Wir sind ein Volk! - Wessi zum Ossi: Wir auch! ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Mar 1994 21:29:45 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Lovejoy Subject: Armadillo Hello again, Ah, Kath wants to know about the Armadillo. Let's see, this was over ten years ago... My contribution was Film Transfer. I'm responsible for the color, brightness - the way it looks. However, the director was at the session (first time I ever saw Dredlocks!) and he told me the video was shot in Texas. Armadillos are pretty common down there. Also oil wells. Now if I remember my Head Comix, the Armadillo was an oft-used symbol of the independent thinker (a.k.a. "freak"). Those of you who might be students of the times might remember the classic Jefferson Airplane album, "After Bathing at Baxter's". The song called "The Ballad of You and Me and Poohneil" has a break in which gun totin' Mama Grace Slick intones the word: "Armadillo". All this to point out that my take on the critter's presence is its countercultural history of representing free thought. I can tell you for certain that the shots of the Jets needed a lot of blue added to match the sky of the regular shoot. I can also tell you that when we laid the corrected film off to tape through the Rank, the monitors were cranked Real Loud. The true intention of the director remains with him. I think his name was Rob something. Wish I could be more help, but the countercultural symbolism works for me! Hope this might have helped a little! Before closing, I'll try to give Susanne a call tomorrow to see if she can provide any more info on Rhodeways, per Angelos' question. So till the next time I come round the corner and up your street, I remain Your friendly poet-philosopher, Bob ======================================================================== 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)