From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V5 #106 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Tuesday, March 23 1999 Volume 05 : Number 106 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Today's your birthday, friend... [Mike Matthews ] Attention Movie Fans [Michael Colford ] Re: Oscars and worms and Monsters, oh my! [Jeffrey Burka ] Re: Oscars and worms and Monsters, oh my! [Michael Colford ] Re: KaTe video fave ["Joseph S. Zitt" ] Re: Today's your birthday, friend... ["Joseph S. Zitt" ] [none] [basil@naxs.com] Canada (was: ecto-digest V5 #105) [Bill ] Re: Order Jessica Weiser's CD Online! (new) [Neile Graham ] Re: Order Jessica Weiser's CD Online! (new) [Neile Graham ] Re: Review #4: ECTO [Chris Sampson ] Re: Review #4: ECTO [meredith ] Re: KaTe video fave [Krys & Geoff ] Re: Review #4: ECTO [Jeffrey Burka ] Happy Hunting in San Francisco!!! [Ricardo ] Re: How do you get Happy in Canada? [Bill Mazur ] Re: How do you get Happy in Canada? ["Mickey Ferguson" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 03:00:03 -0500 (EST) From: Mike Matthews Subject: Today's your birthday, friend... i*i*i*i*i*i i*i*i*i*i*i *************** *****HAPPY********* **************BIRTHDAY********* *************************************************** *************************************************************************** ********************** Bob Brown (no Email address) *********************** *************************************************************************** -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bob Brown Thu March 22 1951 Ham Valerie Nozick Thu March 25 1971 Aries Tom Proven Sat March 27 1971 Eat at Joe's Jennifer Albert Wed March 30 1966 Aries (w/Cancer rising!:) Warpaint Mon April 01 1991 Brilliant! Michael Pearce Wed April 03 1946 Pegasus Michael E. Bravo Mon April 05 1971 Dandelion Wine Brion McIntosh Sun April 06 1958 Aries Marcel Kshensky Thu April 06 1950 Aries Bill Mazur Mon April 06 1953 Aries Sun/Cancer Rising David Dixon Tue April 07 1970 Aries Heidi Heller Mon April 08 1974 Aries Jill Hughes Sat April 09 1955 Aries Klaus Kluge Sun April 10 1960 Unicorn Steve VanDevender Sun April 10 1966 Racer Art Liestman Fri April 10 1953 Repeat Stephen Golden Sat April 10 1971 Jokey Michael Bowman Wed April 11 1962 Aries Wolfgang Ullwer Fri April 11 1969 Widder Janet Kirsch Thu April 11 1974 Aries Jerry Tue April 13 1971 Aries Stuart Myerburg Mon April 14 1969 Aries T-Bone Wed April 15 1992 happy cat Jeff Hanson Sat April 16 1966 Aries Michael Klouda Mon April 17 1967 Aries Harry Foster Sat April 21 1956 NiceGuy - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 05:58:04 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Colford Subject: Attention Movie Fans Hi everyone, Now that the Academy Awards are over... (and after the first hour I think the show reached new lows!) I would like to remind any movie fans out there to visit the Chlotrudis Awards website and place their vote for the best of the year yourselves! The polls close on Thursday, March 27, and you can find the site at http://www.whereitis.com/home/chlotrudis/ Remember, try not to let the Academy Awards influence your decisions! Thanks, Michael http://www.whereitis.com/home/chlotrudis/ n.p. Just got up. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Colford | Reading Public Library Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* - -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 07:10:34 -0500 From: Jeffrey Burka Subject: Re: Oscars and worms and Monsters, oh my! Mark sez: > What was up with Peter Gabriel's head? He's definitely one guy who looks > better with a full head of hair. Actually, it kind of scared me to see how bad Gabriel looked (and I don't just mean being bald; that was no big thing)...I realized that if he hadn't been singing, I wouldn't have recognized him, and I kept wondering if he was ill or something. curious. jeff - -- |Jeffrey C. Burka|||http://www.cqi.com/~jburka ||||"I've got time to rest / | ||||||||||||| And I've got a clear, able mind that sees my life going fine. | | 'Cause everything I need is right here in my hands..." --Melissa Ferrick | ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 07:34:17 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Colford Subject: Re: Oscars and worms and Monsters, oh my! On Mon, 22 Mar 1999, Jeffrey Burka wrote: > Actually, it kind of scared me to see how bad Gabriel looked (and > I don't just mean being bald; that was no big thing)...I realized that > if he hadn't been singing, I wouldn't have recognized him, and I kept > wondering if he was ill or something. I think it's called age, unfortunately. He had that "I've-gained-weight and I'm-going-bald-so-I'd-better-shave-my-head" look. He sounded pretty good though! Michael http://www.whereitis.com/home/chlotrudis/ n.p. The Peregrins - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Colford | Reading Public Library Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* - -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 10:01:37 EST From: AURALG@aol.com Subject: Re: ecto-digest V5 #105 How Do You Get Happy in Canada ? Grab a beer and a doughnut. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 09:58:42 -0600 (CST) From: "Joseph S. Zitt" Subject: Re: KaTe video fave On Sat, 20 Mar 1999, Suzanne Cerquone wrote: > Love" and "The Dreaming" mostly. An earlier compilation, "The Singles > File" features the early/wacky/cheesy stuff. These compilations might be > tough to find. I don't see them listed on the major online music store > sites, but perhaps the little guys still stock 'em. I believe I've seen "The Singles File" in one or more of the local megastores (Tower? Borders?) in the past couple of weeks. - - ---------1---------1---------1---------1---------1---------1---------- |||/ Joseph Zitt ===== jzitt@humansystems.com ===== Human Systems \||| ||/ Maryland? = <*> SILENCE: The John Cage Mailing List <*> = ecto \|| |/ http://www.realtime.net/~jzitt ====== Comma: Voices of New Music \| ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 10:03:11 -0600 (CST) From: "Joseph S. Zitt" Subject: Re: KaTe video fave On Sat, 20 Mar 1999, Stuart Myerburg wrote: > I'm not a big fan of _TL, TC, TC_ either. But like you said, if > you're a Kate-diehard you need it. BTW, for those DVD fans out > there, it's being released on DVD in May, I believe. I'm debating > whether I should replace my laserdisc version. Ah, maybe the DVD will contain an additional six hours of expert commentary on what the bleep she was thinking when she made it :-) - - ---------1---------1---------1---------1---------1---------1---------- |||/ Joseph Zitt ===== jzitt@humansystems.com ===== Human Systems \||| ||/ Maryland? = <*> SILENCE: The John Cage Mailing List <*> = ecto \|| |/ http://www.realtime.net/~jzitt ====== Comma: Voices of New Music \| ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 10:45:57 -0600 (CST) From: "Joseph S. Zitt" Subject: Re: Today's your birthday, friend... On Sat, 20 Mar 1999, Jeffrey Burka wrote: > Today I was taking a walk through the National Zoo, and it was their > annual "Seal Day" which made me think of once-upon-a-time ectophile > Beth Perry, from Newfoundland, who moved to DC for post-doc doing > behavioral genetics research on seals at the zoo. She's been off > ecto for years, and I started wondering if anyone had any idea > of where she was. Apparently, she's still based at the Smithsonian: http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/zoo/zooview/research/dzrstaff.htm#Perry (Hmm... in its usual inscrutable way of suggesting categories, AltaVista responded to a search for '+seal +genetic +"beth perry"' by recommending a link to "Judaism > Synagogues".) - ---------1---------1---------1---------1---------1---------1---------- |||/ Joseph Zitt ===== jzitt@humansystems.com ===== Human Systems \||| ||/ Maryland? = <*> SILENCE: The John Cage Mailing List <*> = ecto \|| |/ http://www.realtime.net/~jzitt ====== Comma: Voices of New Music \| ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 13:09:53 -0500 From: Patrick Moseley Subject: Review #4: ECTO Here I am again, this time dressed in my flame-resistant clothing... ;-) With fear and trepidation, I have to say that I don't really care for ECTO. Try as I might to penetrate this recording, I just can't find much below its dark surface, and in fact the more I listen to it, the more off-putting it has become, until now I'd say it's my least-favorite Happy CD. I'd split the songs on ECTO into three basic categories: those that are obvious throwbacks to the sound of RHODES I&II and REARMAMENT, those that are a little darker and more experimental than what has come before, and finally two bonus tracks that blow away just about everything else that has come before. I don't think it's a coincidence that after a monster-free album and album cover (REARMAMENT), that ECTO features a monster on the cover and opens with a song called "I'm Going Back." It's the first of a few songs on this album that shows Happy stretching herself in new musical and producing (if not lyrical) directions, and while I see the experimentation as a necessary step toward her future successes, this track fails for me. Musically, it's a skeleton, which helps to make Happy's lyrics very stark, but at the same time it doesn't entice my ears. "If Love is a Game, I Win" shows Happy continuing in the lyrical self-confidence she discovered on REARMAMENT, as well as that album's expanded musical structure. Musically, however, it doesn't resonate. In fact, "Would That I Could," one of the album's most RHODES-esque tracks and therefore less sophisticated, stands out as better. Happy's typical guitar plucking is supported by a smooth bass line and decorated with some nice harmonies, and her lyrical borrowing from Shakespeare also helps make this song stand out. Unfortunately, "Off From Out From Under Me" doesn't keep up the musical momentum. I love the lyrics; Happy speaks of a mad man who believes in monsters that haunt him. At first she doesn't believe him, but slowly she does, and in believing him, he passes those monsters onto her and is freed, leaving her to his former plight. It would make an excellent sci-fi short story, but the music here doesn't compliment the lyrics well. It isn't until the multi-vocal ending that I become interested in the music. "Project 499" matches the melodic beauty of some of the best tracks from RHODES II, as a simple acoustic guitar and vocals showcase perfectly Happy's writing and performing skills. As good as it is, it is unnecessarily short, lessening its impact as one of the album's best tracks. The solid drums of REARMAMENT finally show up in "I Won't Break Down" (although a slight drum ticking can be heard on "If Love is a Game, I Win"). This song, in arrangement and lyrical approach, sounds like it was definitely lifted from the REARMAMENT sessions. Happy has armed herself again and her confidence shows through in her growling vocals. The album's strong streak continues with "If So," a song that has been a favorite of mine ever since I first heard it on RHODESONGS. The lyrics perfectly convey a broken heart, and even though Happy insists in the chorus that, "I'll never think of you, and I'll never grieve," it appears that she is doing both in the verses. It's an interesting and honest contradiction of feeling. Even the occasional fret buzz adds to the vulnerability of the song. So the album seems to be (finally) moving along nicely when the title song kicks in. I'd lump "Ecto" together with "I'm Going Back" as a dark musical experiment that doesn't work. Spoken-word pieces have their place, and once again lyrically Happy doesn't fail to provoke interest, but as a whole this song grates on me. It's probably the first song (chronologically) of Happy's that I have a dislike for. The bass line sounds lifted from elsewhere, and where there is singing, the music not creative enough to salvage the song. I like the slightly new direction Happy takes with "I Cannot Go On" (a title I find ironic after "I Won't Break Down"). What differentiates this track from any REARMAMENT track is the addition of the acoustic guitar counter-melody in the background. It adds a bit of depth to the song, even if in the closing fade-out the counter melody reveals itself to be rather similar to "Unchained Melody." "Ode" is quite pretty and would've made a pleasant ending to the album; its tone is similar to a lullaby, quite like RHODES II's "The Revelation." Like "If Love is a Game, I Win," both "I Don't Want to Hear It" and "Poetic Justice" are fine, but nothing noteworthy or overly interesting, although once again Happy saves "Poetic Justice" from mediocrity with her creative and biting lyrics (and I wish I'd had this song on hand while taking college-level creative writing and sitting through countless cliched "poems"). As a closer, "To Be E. Mortal" is quite lacking. It treads into the experimental territory of the title track and "I'm Going Back," but it's short on lyrical content or musical innovation while majorly overstaying its welcome at 8+ minutes. "Be Careful What You Say" threatened to overshadow all of REARMAMENT, but ultimately that album was strong enough to hold its own against this newer, more heavily-produced bonus track. Not so on ECTO. Both bonus tracks ("Look for the Child" and "When the Rain Came Down") could hold their own against the best tracks on WARPAINT, and thus they are a glowing example of the excellence Happy is capable of. "Look for the Child" is haunting and beautiful, another wonderful instance of Happy pulling together numerous musical bits and pieces into a cohesive whole. Almost as good is "When the Rain Came Down," which boasts a hook that (like "Look for the Child") may inadvertently magnify how musically lacking the rest of ECTO is. I know I'm sounding way harsh, but by Happy's musical standards, and even though ECTO is better than 80% of all music out there, this album is a disappointment to me. She had already proved she was a better songwriter with her previous releases, and would go on to prove she was a better experimental producer and arranger with her future releases. Even vocally, Happy doesn't shine quite as brightly here as before or since. It's a dark, brooding, rather unrewarding musical experience highlighted by a few diamonds in the rough. GRADE: C+ BEST CUTS: 1. If So 2. Look for the Child 3. Ode 4. When the Rain Came Down 5. Project 499 LEAST FAVORITE CUT: Ecto Patrick (with all apologies to ECTO-fans) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:34:29 -0800 From: basil@naxs.com Subject: [none] Mark wrote: >Monday night's activity: Philip Glass and Robert Wilson's >"Monsters of Grace" in Fort Worth. Will report on it >Tuesday or so. Wow--I'd love to see that again! I got to see it in Chapel Hill and found it wonderful! have a great time brad ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 12:25:29 -0800 (PST) From: Bill Subject: Canada (was: ecto-digest V5 #105) On Mon, 22 Mar 1999 AURALG@aol.com wrote: > How Do You Get Happy in Canada ? > Grab a beer and a doughnut. eh. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 12:12:43 -0800 From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: Order Jessica Weiser's CD Online! (new) Hi, Bill-- I'd love to swipe these comments for Jessica's page on The Ectophiles' Guide. Please let me know if I may. Thanks! - --Neile At 8:30 PM -0800 3/1/99, Bill Mazur wrote: >Jessica, > >You write some great songs and have a beautiful voice. I really enjoyed >hearing all three of the songs that you have samples of on the CD Baby >site. The moody "All I Could Do" is my favorite. I want to wish you all >of the luck and success in the world! > >Best Regards, > >Bill > >Songbird22@aol.com wrote: >> >> hey all, >> >> you can finally order my CD online! there are also 3 soundclips from songs >> 3-5, an indepth review, a short review, etc. you can use credit cards to >> order now! also, CD Baby is such a great source for buying independent >>music. >> they've got all sorts of ecto artists, etc., and you can listen to them all >> online before you buy it. :) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Neile Graham ...... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ....... neile@sff.net Les Semaines: A Weekly Journal . http://www.sff.net/people/neile/semaines The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music ....... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 14:02:17 -0800 From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: Order Jessica Weiser's CD Online! (new) Oops! I missed deleting a cc. to ecto. Sorry folks! I'm fighting a fever today and it shows. - --Neile At 12:12 PM -0800 3/22/99, Neile Graham wrote: >Hi, Bill-- > >I'd love to swipe these comments for Jessica's page on The Ectophiles' >Guide. Please let me know if I may. Thanks! > >--Neile [snip] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Neile Graham ...... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ....... neile@sff.net Les Semaines: A Weekly Journal . http://www.sff.net/people/neile/semaines The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music ....... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 17:17:22 -0500 From: Chris Sampson Subject: Re: Review #4: ECTO Patrick Moseley wrote: > Here I am again, this time dressed in my flame-resistant clothing... ;-) > With fear and trepidation, I have to say that I don't really care > for ECTO. Try as I might to penetrate this recording, I just can't find > much below its dark surface, and in fact the more I listen to it, the more > off-putting it has become, until now I'd say it's my least-favorite Happy > CD. In danger of kicking a dead horse (hey, it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it... don't they?) I would point out here that nobody (to my knowledge) has ever been flamed for offering a negative (but considered) review of Happy's work on EcTo... And if people aren't going to get flamed for criticizing Happy, then I don't know of any SUBSTANTIAL reason for being flamed on this list... when it comes to attitude and rudeness, however... There's a difference and it doesn't equate to civil fascism. As for content, Patrick, it's been so long since I listened to any of the 1st4, that I don't recall which song goes where... A long time ago, I did refer to a cringeworthy moment on EcTo... some synthesized hand-clap/disco riff for about 2 or 4 bars... See? And nobody's killed me... yet. > I'd split the songs on ECTO into three basic categories: those that > are obvious throwbacks to the sound of RHODES I&II and REARMAMENT, those > that are a little darker and more experimental than what has come before, > and finally two bonus tracks that blow away just about everything else that > has come before. > I don't think it's a coincidence that after a monster-free album > and album cover (REARMAMENT), Funny... I thought all of the 1st4 had monsters... Are you sure it's just that you can't really see it? > Spoken-word pieces have their place... Some spoken word just kills me... Two in the Jazz genre are "If I Could Be With You" (John Sinclair), and "Leimert Park" (pron. luh-MURT) by Kamau Daaood are among my favorite CDs of all time... Paul Bowles' "Baptism of Solitude" is incredible... though, it's not exactly a spoken word 'piece' per se... just his writing (delivered in his world-weary voice) with some Bill Laswell textures behind. > I know I'm sounding way harsh, but by Happy's musical standards, > and even though ECTO is better than 80% of all music out there, this album > is a disappointment to me. She had already proved she was a better > songwriter with her previous releases, and would go on to prove she was a > better experimental producer and arranger with her future releases. Even > vocally, Happy doesn't shine quite as brightly here as before or since. > It's a dark, brooding, rather unrewarding musical experience highlighted by > a few diamonds in the rough. > > GRADE: C+ > BEST CUTS: > 1. If So > 2. Look for the Child > 3. Ode > 4. When the Rain Came Down > 5. Project 499 > LEAST FAVORITE CUT: Ecto > > Patrick (with all apologies to ECTO-fans) So... here we go with Patrick NOT being burned at the stake (or anywhere else) for what has to be defined as heresy... (No doubt, some will discuss and debate these points with you, however. ) Hmmmmmm.... maybe the grups on this list AREN'T so intolerant, after all. Chris (I'll go be quiet, now) Sampson ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 19:08:01 -0500 From: meredith Subject: Re: Review #4: ECTO Hi! Patrick reviewed: >Here I am again, this time dressed in my flame-resistant clothing... ;-) Are people *really* that paranoid around here now??? Patrick, if you're flamed for stating your own honest (and very well stated) opinion about Happy's album just because it's not totally adulatory and boot-licking, then things here are really much worse than I ever could have imagined. _Ecto_ isn't my favorite of Happy's albums ... but IMO it's got some great moments on it. > Like "If Love is a Game, I Win," both "I Don't Want to Hear It" and >"Poetic Justice" are fine, but nothing noteworthy or overly interesting, >although once again Happy saves "Poetic Justice" from mediocrity with her >creative and biting lyrics (and I wish I'd had this song on hand while >taking college-level creative writing and sitting through countless cliched >"poems"). "Poetic Justice" is one of my top 5 all-time favorite Happy songs. It was an absolute powerhouse when performed live, back in the day ... I loved it before then (probably because at the time I was in college and it was quite apropos :), but seeing it live really pushed it over the top for me. And it's also nice and easy to play (okay, who here remembers the KT Rhodes Band at the 1992 Boston KaTemas? hopefully very, very few :). >Not so on ECTO. Both >bonus tracks ("Look for the Child" and "When the Rain Came Down") could >hold their own against the best tracks on WARPAINT, and thus they are a >glowing example of the excellence Happy is capable of. Both are more contemporaneous with _Warpaint_, which is probably why. :) +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | "things are more beautiful when they're obscure" -- veda hille | | *** TRAJECTORY: the Veda Hille mailing list *** | | *** http://www.smoe.org/meth/trajectory.html *** | +============================G=O==U=C=O=N=N=!=!=!==========================+ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 18:36:39 +0000 From: Krys & Geoff Subject: Re: KaTe video fave In message , Suzanne Cerquone writes >Have to agree with Meth that my fave KaTe video is "Running Up That Hill." >The dancing in that video is *exquisite*!! I'd agree, and add "HH", "Cloudbusting" too. > >One of my other fave Tori vids is "China"--I love the Cornwall, England (I >think) scenery, Yes, it's Cornwall, and the area must have impressed her too as she now has a home there. I read somewhere that the video for "Spark", which I love and find both powerful and disturbing, was also shot in the West Country. I like most ;f Tori's videos for different reasons; I think she looks most beautiful in "Hey Jupiter." Love and peace, Krys XX ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 20:57:10 -0500 From: Jeffrey Burka Subject: Re: Review #4: ECTO meth sez: > Patrick, if you're flamed for stating your own honest (and very well > stated) opinion about Happy's album just because it's not totally adulatory > and boot-licking, then things here are really much worse than I ever could > have imagined. Lest anyone be disappointed, I think Patrick is utterly insane. There. I said it. ECTO ROOLZ! Er...'scuse me. "I got better..." Anyway. _Ecto_ is very much one of my favorite Happy albums, but the problem is that Patrick's opinions are very clearly elucidated, and I'd be silly to try to launch some grand attack on one's sense of aesthetic, something so deeply personal that there aren't two matching ones on this mailing list (though I suspect some of us are more alike than different). I'd probably rank _Ecto_ above everything after it with the exception of MWABT. And if *that's* not blasphemy, in these _Warpaint_-lovin' parts o' town, I dunno what is. Maybe it's because my first exposure to Happy was basically side two of the album (yes, it used to have sides. phbtttt.) And don't get me wrong; I couldn't imagine not having the privilege of hearing "Words Weren't Made for Cowards" or the vampire diptych, or "Cohabitants," or "Tivoli", or "Down, Down, " or...the list is almost endless. But I think I'll always have a thing for the 1st4, and I adore all of them. Can't say anything about "Ecto" -- I don't really see it as spoken word, as there so much rhythm to her voice it's not just talking over the music, though it's also not really sung either. And I happen to love the bass line. ;-) > > Like "If Love is a Game, I Win," both "I Don't Want to Hear It" and > >"Poetic Justice" are fine, but nothing noteworthy or overly interesting, > >although once again Happy saves "Poetic Justice" from mediocrity with her > >creative and biting lyrics (and I wish I'd had this song on hand while > >taking college-level creative writing and sitting through countless cliched > >"poems"). > > "Poetic Justice" is one of my top 5 all-time favorite Happy songs. Okay, not to get ugly here, but am I the only one who thinks that "Poetic Justic" sounds a bit hypocritical? Is Happy as precise as she once was? I can't help but see vagueness as one of her devices. And if you disagree, let's *please* have an exposition of "If Wishes Were Horses, How Beggars Would Ride." "But you can't bring me comfort without filling up my eyes" Not nearly as straightforward as, say, "Because I learn, once is enough", is it? Mind, I'm not complaining; I like the increased complexity of the lyrics...but there was something special about that young woman pouring her heart out in that straightforward way... (I also took poetry workshops in college and I rarely find that Happy's lyrics hold up as poetry...not nearly so bad as the abysmal experience of trying to read Sinead's "Troy" without listening to her scream and moan to the string section...a sublime piece of songwriting, but, well, pretty crappy poetry.) > It was an absolute powerhouse when performed live, back in the day Yeah. What she said. Mindblowing. > >Not so on ECTO. Both > >bonus tracks ("Look for the Child" and "When the Rain Came Down") could > >hold their own against the best tracks on WARPAINT, and thus they are a > >glowing example of the excellence Happy is capable of. > > Both are more contemporaneous with _Warpaint_, which is probably why. :) Never mind that they stylistically don't fit with the rest of the album (and yes, I love both songs), they *completely* ruin the experience of "To Be E. Mortal." Patrick's moaned a bit about the repetitive lyrics and extreme length of "To Be E. Mortal." This was always one of my favorite Happy songs, and it's because it's so long and so repetitive...it's trance inducing, utterly perfect for listening in the dark. Sublime vocals over hypnotic synthesizer and fabulous electric guitar. This is truly a song that takes me away. I can only cringe at what Patrick would have made of the casette version of "The Chase" (which was, what at least 50% longer?) So. Maybe someday Patrick will grok the album, and maybe his opinion will stand. Either way, thanks for the detailed review. It makes interesting reading, especially for those of us so far removed from our original experiences hearing it! > its fuzzy blue felt wrapping, listening to this > never-ever-before-played-for-anybody song called "When The Rain Came Down" > for the first time ... sigh> Still got that felt around here somewhere... ;-) And I remember trying to transcribe some of the songs, along with Angelos and...hmmm...seems like someone else did a track or two. mjm, maybe? jeff np: _HoL (EMI 100)_, KaTe - -- |Jeffrey C. Burka|||http://www.cqi.com/~jburka ||||"I've got time to rest / | ||||||||||||| And I've got a clear, able mind that sees my life going fine. | | 'Cause everything I need is right here in my hands..." --Melissa Ferrick | ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 19:52:50 -0800 From: Ricardo Subject: Happy Hunting in San Francisco!!! I am in San Francisco, and about a year ago I chanced upon a copy of Happy Rhode's THE KEEP, and as I usually do, I picked it up and took a chance on this unknown (to me) artist. Magic! From the beginning notes of "Temporary & Eternal", I knew I was hooked. By the time "Oh, Holy Night" played, I was moved to tears at the exquisite tone of her voice, and being the Heathen that I am, I know that I was not moved by the religious implications of the song itself. A couple of months back I found MANY WORLDS ARE BORN TONIGHT, and shortly thereafter I found BUILDING THE COLOSSUS. I am too new a fan to speak authoritatively on her skills, but she most definitely has all my attention. I have bought copies of MWABT for all my friends, and they are hooked as well. Has she ever gotten radio airplay? I quit listening to radio 10 years ago, so I have no clue what's 'hot'. No one I know here in SF has ever heard of her; why is that? We are all reasonably 'hip'... I thought! There is ONE song that I could live happily without, and that is 'Collective Heart'. It wore thin on me a long time ago. I spend my weekends like an obsessed zombie, going from one used cd store to another, scouring their stock in hopes of finding these legendary recordings that you all speak of: WARPAINT, EQUIPOSE, and so on. Happily Yours, Ricardo in San Francisco ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:26:35 -0800 From: Bill Mazur Subject: Re: How do you get Happy in Canada? > Now, I'm wondering if the outlet in West Chester, Pennsylvania has any more > Happy CD's left .... Mickey, The phone number for Chester County Books & Music is 610-696-4090. The contact that I dealt with there is Jason. He's a nice and helpful gent. I don't know which titles that they have left. They did have one copy of Warpaint left a few weeks ago. CCB&M were a part of a chain of stores in PA & DE called Rainbow Records. All of the other stores had a few copies of some of Happy's CDs left two or three weeks ago. If CCB&M is sold out of everything then maybe the other stores will have some left. All of the on-line music stores are running dry. Good luck! Bill n.p. Duncan Sheik _Humming_ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:36:44 -0600 From: "Mickey Ferguson" Subject: Re: How do you get Happy in Canada? Thanks for the phone number, Bill! I've been shuffling files and scouring the hard drive for the post, and was just about to tear through DejaNews! You can be certain that I shall be calling Pennsylvania tomorrow to check. :-) I want to find Rhodes I and Warpaint, as soon as I can, so I can play them repeatedly like I am Rhodes II at the moment. My first time through the CD was an epiphany. My SO was out of town, and I had the amplifier as loud as is possible with my pathetic speakers. About midway through "Where Do I Go"... "...I want to live//Not ready to die..." the most amazingly vivid lightning displayed the dark room in strobe light. The end of the song was almost drowned by the thunder. I must admit, I moved to the stereo and considered unplugging it at that moment, but I couldn't bring myself to stop the music. Instead, I turned it up *louder*. I had to, to hear "Not For Me" over the claps of thunder. As that song faded into "One Alien", the sky opened up with sheets of rain, the wind blew branches out of trees, and hail the size of golfballs peppered the ground outside. It was quite the production. We (the cats & I) were very freaked out, but Happy just kept on singing ... I was drawn closer to the speakers by the guitar at the beginning of "Noone Here" and was pleased when the storm weakened to just rain. The first chorus of that song literally floored me. I can only remember that ever happening once before, when I heard KaTe's "Man With the Child in His Eyes". I would say my 'Happy' epiphany on last Friday evening topped even *that* (sorry Kate). ;-) I hope you all can get at least a vague picture of me on the carpet with my two very large *cats*, listening to that repeated line, "...and I'm without a body to keep me warm//and not even a kitty to share my storm ..." and listening to the now-distant thunder rumbling. It was *too* perfect. So, given my love for Rhodes II, wouldn't you say that Rhodes I would be the next logical step for my experience? (well, maybe not logical in the earthly sense of the word ...) ;-) I haven't obsessed like this over music in quite some time. It's rather fun, but it's going to be hard on the pocketbook next month, I'm afraid! Best regards, - ---Mickey n.p. - Loreena McKennitt "Elemental" (hey, how is that new Duncan Sheik .. similar to his first?) - ----- Original Message ----- From: Bill Mazur To: Mickey Ferguson Cc: Sent: Monday, March 22, 1999 11:26 PM Subject: Re: How do you get Happy in Canada? > The phone number for Chester County Books & Music is 610-696-4090. The > contact that I dealt with there is Jason. He's a nice and helpful gent.> ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V5 #106 **************************