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 #372 ecto, Number 372 Sunday, 29 November 1992 Today's Topics: *-----------------* Rediscoveries Lida Husik Doody from Dita, or: a turkey speaks on the occasion of turkey day Ethereal music imitiates life? A Poll Songs about dead guys this'n'that wow! How to get Happy ... ======================================================================== Date: Wed, 25 Nov 92 19:19:10 MEZ From: Dirk Kastens Subject: Rediscoveries Hello, it's always a great surprise to rediscover some long forgotten treasures in the CD shelf. Albums that one didn't listen to for a long time, maybe one, two or three years, because they seem to be so well-known and often-heard. And then, one day, you put one of these CDs into your player to skip through the songs but you are still captivated. You are forced to listen to the whole album again and you discover new aspects in the music and some parts seem to be heard for the first time. I've just rediscovered a couple of excellent albums that were on the point of leading a neglected life: The Dolphin Brothers - Catch The Fall (1987) = Steve Jansen/Richard Barbieri David Gilmour - David Gilmour (1978) Rickie Lee Jones - The Magazine (1984) David Sylvian - Secrets Of The Beehive (1987) Joan Armatrading - The Shouting Stage (1988) Amy Grant - Lead Me On (1988) The next time I'm indecisively standing in a record store and don't know what to buy, I will safe my money, go home and search through my collection. :) Dirk P.S.: Belated happy birthdays to Alan, Kevin and Claudia. P.P.S.: My choice for the HGP is Alice with 'Luce Della Sera'. ======================================================================== Date: Wed, 25 Nov 92 10:31:12 -0800 From: Michael G Peskura Subject: Lida Husik Neile writes: > And those of you interested in more offbeat music, a friend recently > introduced us to Lida Husik. We have _Bozo_ and _Your Bag_ and I'd highly > recommend them both, esp. _Your Bag_. She's records on Shimmy-disk from > New York ... I want to second her recommendation (and, thanx, Neile, for letting me hear the entire CD!). A local station has been playing Husik's 'Farmhouse' which is how i first heard her. I think she's a new, fresh voice. One i've been enjoying a lot these days! Mp ======================================================================== Date: 25 November 1992 14:57:12 CST From: Subject: Doody from Dita, or: a turkey speaks on the occasion of turkey day Yesterday I took the questionable step of buying Madonna's _Sex_, upon discov- ering that Crown Books was selling it for 40% off ($29.95). Most of the rest of this essay will be devoted to sparing you all the need for the same expen- diture, by discussing selected aspects of the book. It isn't quite as bad as my title would imply; but the only other title I could think of, "Masks for the million," seemed a little too obscurantist even by my standards. Ergo, I decided to go with my first inspiration. It actually goes a little further than the average issue of _Penthouse_ in its depictions of bondage, group gropes (especially gay ones), etc. Intuitively, though, I doubt that dyed-in-the-wool members of the bondage subculture would take the leather bits all that seriously; and while I found the book as a whole to be reasonably sensual when taken at face value, I don't think it packs quite the erotic punch of Robert Mapplethorpe's photography at its best, _e.g._, or of Anais Nin's diaries (which all this has inspired me to buy and read, BTW). (Interestingly, it contains no pictures of the author in her Anais drag [a/k/a the Bavarian barmaid look], nor of the monogrammed gold cap on her incisor.) Some of the textual material reminded me of "Deep Thoughts" on _Saturday Night Live_. It probably would not have aroused the same interest if anyone else had written and appeared in it. All this is not to say, of course, that it doesn't have its moments. If you liked Betty Page's approach to bondage photography in the 50's, you probably will not be put off by the S&M shots in the instant case. Though Madonna does arrive at some serious insights, such as the need to do safe sex--as opposed to what's depicted--in the real world, and that how people treat others sexually in reality is more important than their fantasies or the kind of erotica they read--or display, the writing is arguably the most amusing part of the package; as such, it is my great pleasure to contribute the following pearls of wisdom to the Ecto Archive of the Absurd: >"Any similarity between characters and events depicted in this book and real >persons and events is not only purely coincidental, it's ridiculous. Nothing >in this book is true. I made it all up." >"There is something comforting about being tied up. Like when you were a baby >and your mother strapped you in the car seat. She wanted you to be safe. It >was an act of love." [WRT her notion that financial pressures keep some women in abusive relation- ships, while other remain in them despite the lack thereof:] >"I'm sure there are a lot of women in abusive relationships who don't want to >be....But I have friends who...stay in abusive relationships, so they must be >getting something out of it. The difference betwen abuse and S&M is the issue >of responsibility. >"I talked to a dominatrix once and she said the definition of S&M was that you >let someone hurt you who you know would never hurt you." >"Sex with the young can be fun if you're in the mood. If you're feeling im- >patient or you feel like you want someone else to take charge, do not have sex >with someone inexperienced." >"I wouldn't want a penis. It would be like having a third leg. It seems like >a contraption that would get in the way. I think I have a dick in my brain. >I don't need to have one between my legs." >"The best way to seduce someone is by makking yourself unavailable. You just >have to be busy all the time and they'll be crazy to see you." >"I love my pussy, it is the complete summation of my life....My pussy is the >temple of learning." (The first time I read that, my first thought was that I love my pussy too, but I still get bent out of shape when he jumps up on the table at mealtimes, or leaves tooth and claw marks on my hands, printed matter, etc. :-) It also reminded me of her 1985 interview with _Spin_ magazine, in which she commented, "My favorite button is my belly button. I have the most perfect belly button," and went on about the rapturous things that happened when she pressed it.) >"I had sex with someone who wasn't grossly obese but he was pretty overweight. >It was the first and the last time. I really liked this guy a lot. He was >handsome but he was overweight. I wanted to be unbiased because I really >liked him, but the only way I could fuck him was on top because he crushed me. >I had to sit on him because his stomach was in the way." >"I don't think you have to have a language in common with someone to have sex- >ual rapport. But it helps if the language you don't understand is Italian." >"A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get >what they want." >"I would like to thank the citizens of Miami, Florida, for not running me over >when I ran naked through their streets." On the way out of the store, I happened to notice that the bargain section was carrying a book I bought used a couple of years ago, for $3.98. I hope that the foregoing discussion will be able to tide you all over until you can buy _Sex_ for $3.98 :-). ...AND OTHER STORIES The December _Interview_ has k.d. lang on the cover, which I assume means there's an interview with her inside. I just got it, so I don't know yet what's inside of the interview. May I suggest that in addition to the other museums mentioned, Vickie and Christine may want to check out the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The exhibit of political programming closes today, but it'll all be available in their tape collection, along with a lot of marvelous old programs and commercials. The Museum of Contemporary Art is also well worth checking out; they have a special exhibit at present in the old Armory building, on whose site their new building will be erected. Happy turkey day. Mitch ======================================================================== Date: 25 November 1992 16:24:50 CST From: Subject: Ethereal music imitiates life? It crossed my mind as I was watching a report on the Queen's latest comments on the Windsor Castle fire, Chuck&Di's (non)marriage, etc., that NPR could follow its own reportage on these things with the Sundays' "That's Where The Story Ends," with its line, "It's another souvenir/Of a terrible year." Then it occured to me that knowing the British tabloid press, that probably _isn't_ where the story ends for them. One more thing that sounded like a good idea at the time. :-) Mitch ======================================================================== Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 00:26:59 EST From: vickie@pilot.njin.net (Vickie Mapes) Subject: A Poll >Path: dziuxsolim.rutgers.edu!uunet!know!cass.ma02.bull.com!think.com!spool.mu.edu!caen!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!ames!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!news.claremont.edu!jarthur.claremont.edu!karaki >From: karaki@jarthur.claremont.edu (Kurt*z* S. Araki) >Newsgroups: rec.music.misc,rec.music.cd >Subject: Best record of all time(4th) >Message-ID: <1992Nov15.204621.3025@muddcs.claremont.edu> >Date: 15 Nov 92 20:46:21 GMT >Sender: news@muddcs.claremont.edu (The News System) >Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711 >Lines: 33 Hello, I'm conducting another poll. I want to compile a Top (whatever) list of albums and the such. Unlike last time, send in your top ten albums in order. It'll be scored nearly the same way, 15-14-13-12-etc plus a point for every extra you give. Actually, it would be best to keep this extra list under ten, it was a pain trying to compile that part. And if it's a multi record/cd set, don't separate them. Anyway, I'll be posting this request every week and the final results will be posted in December 5. Votes will be accepted until December 3. Encourage as many people as you can to enter; I had 60 people send in ballots in time last time. I will reply with a thank you note and the number of ballot you were so you can get an idea of how long the countdown will be. I'm hoping for about 100 responses... by the way, if you vote an album #1 that no one else votes for, it will be put in a supplemental list at the end of the post of the final rankings (as seen on the previous ranking list) It was suggested that I post this request in the alt.music.* newsgroups; however, these newsgroups seemed to be specialized groups for particular bands, so I've decided to keep the poll within the "neutral site" newsgroups. -- When I was I child, I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but it was gone. /----------------------------------- I cannot put my finger on it now. |karaki@jarthur.claremont.edu The child has grown; the dream is gone. |"Pink isn't well..." ======================================================================== From: Martin Dougiamas Subject: Songs about dead guys Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 13:35:31 +0000 (WET) > >Stuart's appeal for laments of women for their dead lovers was an interesting > >provocateur of thought. I tried to think of some, and found that I couldn't, > >though there are many gendered in the other direction. If all else fails, > >Stuart, heve you considered simply bending the gender of one of those? The > >effect might be interesting. > > I'd surely consider it, though I don't know any. I'm kind of a female > vocalist snob. There's nothing on earth so transcendentally beautiful > as a woman's voice. Male singers just don't cut it for me, as a rule. > (Not to say I don't like any groups with male singers, I just don't > listen for the same reasons -- U2, REM, Peter Gabriel, lots of others). Well, "Funeral In The Rain" by Chris Isaak is a pretty stirring song, IMHO. It can be found on his best-of album "Wicked Game" and on the original album "Silvertone". If you haven't heard it before I advise you at least check it out. Still, the Shorn-head O'Connor :-) song suggested by Angelos sounds pretty much what you're looking for. BTW, Northern Exposure is just starting here next week... do ectophiles recommend I watch it? I'm probably the most avid Twin Peaks fan in the southern hemisphere, and I've heard NE is similar in some ways. Back to the wall, Martin -- ,---------------------------------------------------------------. _ . | So we chase the explosions Martin Dougiamas. | _r| Ll\ | From horizon to horizon, martin@cs.curtin.edu.au | | | \ | Wrap ourselves around the distance Curtin University | \ |_ / | For as long as we can hold. Perth, Western Australia -+-> x~ `-' `= Slow Pulse Boy - And Also The Trees =========================' V ======================================================================== Subject: this'n'that From: klaus@inphobos.w.open.de (Cosmic Vagabond) Date: Wed, 25 Nov 92 22:44:45 GMT Mitch wondered: > Obscure region? I thought Bavaria was one of the better-known parts of the > country--arguably better known to the uninformed American than Dortmund, the > _Land_ containing which I don't know offhand. Bavaria is surely better known, to an extend that many people think it is typical for Germany. It definitely isn't. To give this message educational value: Dortmund (and Wuppertal) are in the federal state "Nordrhein-Westfalen". Angelos: > Syd Straw-Promise. What a brilliant album. I remember listening to it in > Greg's car on some road-trip, and despite the skips (:) ) it made it to > my to-buy-when-I-can-afford-to list. I am impressed by both the breadth of > styles, and the vocals. Great CD!! Hmm, I only know her album "Surprise" which I found quite boring. > OOps... Make the Syd Straw CD title 'Surprise' and not 'Promise'... Too many > new CDs can confuse you :) OK, so I have to disagree on _this_ being a brilliant album. > The Story-Grace in Gravity. After all the raves here, and a brief (albeit > disappointing) listen I decided to splurge. I still think they want to > be Suzanne Vega when they grow up, but at least the songs are good enough > to warrant their existence. Needs more time to get used to. Now that's a great album!!! Although I don't see a similarity with S.Vega. > Pamela GOlden-happens all the time. $1.99 for this gem is amazing. Thanks Still looking for something from her. That price would suit me fine. Jeff: > A friend just loaned me Bel Canto's _Birds of Passage_ and _White Out > Condition_. Looks like I need to add another band to my 'favorites' list. > Both albums are pretty spectacular. And the latest "Shimmering warm and bright" is even better. I think everyone I know and who knows them all agreed on that. Right? > So whose got some history of the band for me? Sorry, I don't know anything about the band except of their norwegian origin and their releases. I still hope that Claudia will write her "Bel Canto" concert report. She just sticked the concert ticket on her monitor screen to help remembering her. Dirk: > I haven't seen a Happy Rhodes album in a German record store todate. I don't think that an album was ever found in a record store outside of the states. :( Angelos asked: > Which brings to mind. Has anybody bought or listened to the new Neneh Cherry? "Homebrew" is the album I've listened to most of the time during the last three weeks. Recommended. _____ Klaus "cosmic vagabond" Kluge take a trip on a rocket ship, baby klaus@inphobos.w.open.de the sea is the sky - Tori Amos ======================================================================== Subject: wow! Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 21:47:25 -0500 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu No offense meant to him, but I honestly thought John Zimmer was joking/spoofing when he said that _Warpaint_ had been called one of the top 10 dance records of '92. So, I dropped by Tower on my way home from doin' the Thanksgiving thing and lo, there it was. Number 4 or 5, don't recall which (though I don't know that they were ranking 1 to 10 or simply listing those deemed best). I can't for the life of me figure out why it was in the Dance category. Makes you wonder if the reviewer heard any song other than "Wrong Century." The other obvious problem is that _Warpaint_ can't really be related to 1992. As I recall, the official street date of the album was 4/1/91, though it seems to me that I actually had it a day or two before that. I know it was waiting for me in my mailbox when I returned from a trip to New York, and I got it out of the mailbox on Easter Monday, whatever date that was. Finally, where do they come up with the idea that it's a "debut album"? I could understand the mistake if this was her first album with either a recording or distribution contract with a major label. But all 5 albums are available on tape/CD from Aural Gratification. Weird. Oh well. Time to bug the radio station *again*. And see if the downtown Tower has started carrying Happy yet. OH--the Tower I dropped by tonight has received another shipment from Aural Gratification and currently has all 5 CDs in stock. Jeff |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Show what you are / Be strong, be true | | | Time for you to / Be who you are." | |jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu | --Happy Rhodes | ======================================================================== From: boek@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au (Christopher Boek) Subject: How to get Happy ... Date: Fri, 27 Nov 92 15:35:18 EST Hello There, No, the subject line is not a request for advice on the improvement on my emotional state, but a request for Ms Rhodes' much praised music. I joined this mailing list in an attempt to find out how I could get hold of this stuff, which I had heard so much about but never seen. I've been wading through the (interesting) stuff that's been flying through here of late thinking that the info I need might turn up at some stage. My patience has expired I'm afraid, so I must ask directly. "Can somebody please tell me exactly what I need to do to get something by Happy Rhodes ?" I would like to be able to pay by credit card, as it's the easiest way to do it overseas. Anything else is a pain, but if that's what I have to do, that's what I'll do. And maybe somebody could advise me on a good place to start (she has 5 albums is that right ?). All of your time and patience is much appreciated, and I eagerly await your replies!!! Chris. -- |Christopher Boek boek@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU| | Dept ElecEng, University of Melbourne, Parkville Vic 3052 Australia | |_____"Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way or another"______| ======================================================================== 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)