From: owner-ecto-digest To: ecto-digest@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto-digest V2 #327 Reply-To: ecto@nsmx.rutgers.edu Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Tuesday, 2 January 1996 Volume 02 : Number 327 The Ecto digest is now being generated automatically. Please send problems and questions to: ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: mfgr@bart.nl (Marcel Rijs) Date: Tue, 02 Jan 1996 21:18:30 -0100 Subject: Best of 1995 Hi, Well, I caved in and decided to send my favourite 10 albums of 1995. I must confess that having explored the CD-ROM medium extensively this year (and gosh, a Soundblaster card in my computer is possibly the biggest revelation in my lifetime) has seriously lowered my attention for CD's this year, although I did manage to buy 110 discs, which is 120% more than last year!! Anyhow, I couldn't have gotten any further, since all the other records I've bought I've never even played more than once or a few times. So this is my list of fave albums which I've bought this year:... 1. Anamorphosee - Mylene Farmer This is by far my most favourite record. I bought this one when it was released and it was one of the few albums I played almost day after day eversince. Although French is a language I have absolutely no control over, the melodies make up for that in a big way. This is just music from heaven as far as I'm concerned. 2. Sleeping with the lion - Margot Smith I got this one sent over from Australia (thanks, Chris!) and some of the tracks I was already familiar with thanks to Marion, who gave me a tape with a.o. "Bellyman", one of the top tracks on this CD. I wonder why Margot doesn't have success worldwide. But that's a question often posed on this list wrt various artists... :-) 3. Freedom sessions - Sarah McLachlan Got this one in January from Nettwerk and have played this one in the first half of this year lots of times. Although not as good as FTE, it still holds its own. And the CD-ROM part is good, too! :) (Although I get frustrated at the clips, when the music is not synchronous with the images). 4. Medusa / Annie Lennox Annie Lennox made this covers thing work, although I had some doubts with her cover of "The downtown lights". Songs by the Blue Nile are already perfect and can never be equalled, let alone surpassed. But all the other tracks are really good, even a lame song like Whiter Shade, which I can't bear to hear in the original version anymore thanks to those "oldies" radiostations. I was surprised that she could make something as beautiful as the original in its own right with "Waiting in vain". I mean, I didn't like most of Bob Marley's work, but this song he recorded was endlessly beautiful. And here it was too. 5. Jagged little pill - Alanis Morissette It was me who mailed the question a few months ago if Alanis was just a bimbo or someone genuinely talented. I never got an answer, so I went out and found out for myself. I still don't really like her voice, but most of the tracks on this album are very good. ("Perfect", "Hand in my pocket") 6. A secret life / Marianne Faithfull Much has been written about this album and it's all true. The combination Badalamenti/Faithfull is a match made in heaven. 7. Sue / Frazier Chorus This is good stuff! I fell in love with Frazier Chorus when I bought a CD-single in the first weeks of this year, on which they cover "Anarchy in the UK", in a ballad-like fashion. They're unbelievably creative and funny, and the lyrics on this CD are perfect. Beautiful music, too, 'despite' the synthesizers. 8. Falling further in - October Project ...and still climbing. How wonderful there are still bands around who make music with melody. Doesn't happen much in this day and age and October Project have proved they're here to stay. 9. Alternative / Pet shop boys Nice set of B-sides, and I was surprised at how good each and everyone were. More synthesizers. More enjoyment. 10. War of the worlds / Jeff Wayne Bought this 2CD in London after seeing 4 bonus tracks. Remixes of some of the tracks, and they are stunning. Wonderful. ...So why is "The Keep" not on here? Well, I've only had it for a week and I've only had time to listen to it once. Maybe next year! I did think there was a bit of an overload on guitars on the album. And that's not my favourite instrument... (Hope I don't offend too many people with this... I think I'll go now... :) Regards, ** Marcel F G Rijs - "Conan the librarian" ** Internet: mfgr@bart.nl ** CIS: 100276,2176 ** WWW: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/marcel ------------------------------ From: ariel_b@pipeline.com (Ariel Brennan) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 15:36:23 -0500 Subject: Re: ariel's diamanda review On Jan 02, 1996 11:35:07, 'Charley.Darbo@harpercollins.com (Charley Darbo)' wrote: >Ariel, I have a great deal of admiration for anyone who gambles on >music: There are too many people who won't buy a recording until >they've memorized the song from radioplay. If I did that, I'd never buy anything. ;> I don't listen to the radio. >But I urge you to consider >your investment: The price of a CD for twenty seconds of listening? As >I'm sure you can tell from they way some of us have been speaking about >Diamanda (else why would you have bought the album?), many of us think >she's worth more of your time. I've spent $15/20 for 20 seconds of listening before. ;> Money doesn't mean much to me, I guess. But, coincidentally, I listened to the whole thing last night, figuring I might've been in one of those moods where most stuff sounds bad. Still don't like it. I found about two tracks that I found listenable, and one I actually really like (Gloomy Sunday). A few tracks have moments that I find pretty good, but in general, her voice just grates on my nerves. She's unbelievable with those opera screeches though. Tremendous power in that voice. I just wish she would... well... sing. I've got a thing about singers who don't sing. It's the main reason I don't like NIN, too. >Afterall, you're on the right track: I think Diamanda would take it as a >compliment that her voice is annoying to you; she hardly means it to be >soothing. Well, yeah, but whether or not she means to be grating doesn't change the fact that she's grating and therefore I don't have any interest in hearing her. I listen to music to enjoy myself, not to have my nerves worn on. >PS. If you can bring yourself place yet another (what? $15?) bet, I'd lay >much better odds on _The Sporting Life_. . . Um. I don't think so. To me, what makes or breaks a singer's appeal is 1) lyrics and 2) voice. Diamanda's lyrics I don't know (if she has any, I dunno), but her voice kills me, and I can't take it. I just can't take it! Ah well. NO artist is for everyone, eh? A - -- "Where are the bones on that one?" - Joan Osborne ------------------------------ From: ariel_b@pipeline.com (Ariel Brennan) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 15:44:37 -0500 Subject: Re: Sinead (and Sarah) On Jan 02, 1996 12:24:53, 'jeffy@wam.umd.edu' wrote: >>Well, I don't know about THAT (I've heard some DAMNED affecting stuff, from >>Happy, Tori, Ani, Sarah, you name it), but I will certainly put it on my >>"buy soon" list. > >I stand by my statement. "Troy" is th single most intense outpouring of >emotion I've ever heard in a "pop" song. And, yeah, I've heard some damned >affecting stuff by plenty of people, including those you listed above...) Okay, I give it up. ;) I just downloaded the lyrics to that TLATC from ftp.uwp.edu, and read the lyrics to Troy. I will officially concede that those lyrics are bloody powerful, and would probably make me an emotional wreck when set to music. ;> A - -- "Where are the bones on that one?" - Joan Osborne ------------------------------ From: Neile Graham Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 13:09:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: ariel's diamanda review Well, I have to admit that I agree with Ariel about Diamanda Galas. I have owned several of her discs and haven't kept them for the simple reason that I never listen to them. I admire what she does and the reasons why, but I still don't want to hear it. It's funny before I like other "harsh" music and other "experimental" music. _The Sporting Life_ and _The Singer_ were the closest I came to keeping her discs, but still decided I would never listen to them. We have a sampler tape that a friend made of hers that I won't tape over, but that's about as far as it goes for me. - --Neile ------------------------------ From: jwaite@popmail.ucsd.edu (Jerene) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 16:26:17 -0600 Subject: Another Diamanda Virgin Responds On the last day of 95, I had another EWS seizure and ended up with 12 highly ecto cds. You know them all already. I'm just catching up with ya. Part of the fun was listening to 4 Diamanda Galas albums to decide if I liked and, if so, which I would like. The Singer had the least appeal to me, then the JPJones collaboration; Plague Mass was even better; but I chose Vena Cava. WOW. Ravings and ululations, (another ecto sub-genre)--These are sounds that could come spewing forth from my soul. Well, I've always wanted to grow up to be psychotic--not the modern sedated kind--the medieval snake pit inmate, YES I am awestruck by the utterances of this incredibly powerful performer. My first response, sitting at the listening post, was a big smile of pleasure at hearing something so beautifully bizarre. Later, after hearing the entire work, another response superceded the smile: because the role Diamanda assumes in this work is that of the tortured, psychotic human being who is looking death in the face. Diamanda is evoking the empathy of our collective hearts. Well, her voice is amazing. It's amazing that she still has a voice after what she does with it. Speaking of amazing--her bit of 'Amazing Grace' is as unique as you would expect :). I've only listened once through so far. (Well, I've got 11 others too! Oh excess!) Next time it will be on headphones. :] Thank you ectophiles. I have been with you for nearly a year; have prudently purchased about 100 cds in that time; and have enjoyed many many hours of musical joy appreciating the diversity and beauty of the ecto domain. Happy New Ears! - --Jerene ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 17:36:10 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: Musical discoveries Hello, On Tue, 2 Jan 1996, Emmy May Lombaerts wrote: > >forgot, or didn't know the singer's name, or whatever. Like T'Pau. I adored > >the song "Heart And Soul", but never knew who sang it. Finally, this year, > >I found out, and bought the CD. > I never noticed T'Pau either at the time.. But last year, someone bought me their "greatest > hits", and it was a real discovery. Pity I missed them first time around. Tell me more of T'Pau, I had figured a group name after a feisty old Vulcan wouldn't be that great. KrW In order to learn from your mistakes, make lots of mistakes. ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 17:44:35 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: Re[4]: My Top 10 Hello, On Tue, 2 Jan 1996, Matt Bittner wrote: > On 29 Dec 95 at 22:57, Robert Lovejoy typed diligently: > > > I deeply hope you reopen yourself to the wonder and mystery of life and > > music. Don't worry about anyone else's taste in music; we are all > > different. Find what moves you and enjoy it. And if you can find nothing > > that moves you in music, ask yourself what things in life give you awe and > > goosebumps, and develop those feelings! > > Wow. This is one of the reason's why ecto is one of the best places > on the 'net to be. I agree with Robert. If music is not your cup > of English Breakfast, then understand what it, and develop it to its > fullest. Life is too short to sit, surfin' the TV. Enjoy life. As > James Taylor put it: "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." Ancient Chinese Bumpersticker: If you love your work, you will never toil another day of your life. It's all in your *attitude* as you approach 'whatever'! > > Hoping I'm not out of line, > > Never. It's good for people to stand up and make one take notice! Hear, hear! > Thanks, Robert! Hear,hear,that too! KrW Commit senseless acts of kindness, and random acts of beauty! ------------------------------ From: LynnGarret@aol.com Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 19:53:21 -0500 Subject: Heather Nova _BLOW_ vs _GLOW STARS_ Hi all, I just got a copy of _GLOW STARS_ today and was wondering if anyone out there has this cd or can answer a couple of questions. Are GS and BLOW the same (i.e. track listing), meaning GS is a domestic re-release of the original BLOW or are they 2 entirely different cd's? I am looking for_ BLOW_ no matter if it contains the same tracks and was curious to know if it is out-of-print or just hard to find here in the Detroit, AnnArbor, Toledo area. I may have found a place that can get a few copies, so if this is a must-have for anyone out there in Ectoland just contact me and I will let you know the minute it is a sure thing. After only one listen I find GLOW STARS to be more quiet than MILKY WAY or OYSTER but the songs still have the same emotional intensity. I have a feeling this one is going to be hanging out in the cd player for quite a while! Lynn ------------------------------ From: 32 flavors and then some Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 20:03:05 -0500 Subject: Re: Musical discoveries Kerry White sez: > Tell me more of T'Pau, I had figured a group name after a feisty old >Vulcan wouldn't be that great. t'pau is a pretty poppy band fronted by the forcefully-voiced carol decker and they are a guilty pleasure of mine. they released three albums (_bridge of spies_ (eponymously titled in the usa), _rage_, and _the promise_) and then (i believe) broke up in or around 1992. the first and last were the only albums released in america. the first features the aforementioned hit "heart and soul" and is a damn fine record. _rage_ never sunk in my mind, but that may have been because i bought it on vinyl and never really listened to it much. _the promise_ was supposed to be their return to fame, but its, ahem, promise never materialized. not as good as _bridge of spies_, but still listened to more than _rage_. woj ------------------------------ From: 32 flavors and then some Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 20:47:29 -0500 Subject: Re: Heather Nova _BLOW_ vs _GLOW STARS_ LynnGarret@aol.com sez: >Are GS and BLOW the same (i.e. track listing), _blow_ is a live album and has tracks from both _glow stars_ and _oyster_. woj ------------------------------ From: Neile Graham Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 17:59:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Heather Nova _BLOW_ vs _GLOW STARS_ Lynn asked: > Are GS and BLOW the > same (i.e. track listing), meaning GS is a domestic re-release of the > original BLOW or are they 2 entirely different cd's? _Blow_, like _Milky Way_ is a live EP. It has "Sugar", "Maybe An Angel", "Blessed", "Mother Tongue", "Talking to Strangers", and "Shaking the Doll", so while all the songs except "Blessed" are on other discs you won't have these versions of them. It's well worth tracking down. Tower Records stocked it here before the release of _Live at the Milky Way_ and _Oyster_, but I have no idea about its availability in the U.S. now. - --Neile neile@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ From: Neile Graham Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 18:04:17 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Musical discoveries woj confesses: > t'pau is a pretty poppy band fronted by the forcefully-voiced carol > decker and they are a guilty pleasure of mine. "Heart and Soul" has long been one of my guilty pleasures, too, though I only bought the 45 and never the whole album. Damn, but those were bad days for vinyl--the quality is the worst I've ever run across. A similar guilty pleasure of mine is Letters to Cleo's "Here and Now"--another band I only have one single from. - --Neile neile@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ From: 32 flavors and then some Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 21:40:36 -0500 Subject: Re: My Top 10 gzverev@RPC.glas.apc.org (Russian Privatization Center) sez: >One day you just realize that there is less and less >to discover in music itself and in new bands too. to a certain degree, i'd say that gleb has a point, but while not disagreeing to the extent that others have already, ultimately, i think he's wrong. i find that i go through mood swings: sometimes, i feel like there is no music that can completely change my world me like KaTe did in 1985. then, out of nowhere, comes some song or band that just blows my brains to saturn and back via alpha centuari. i'm in one of those moods right now, so i'm also half expecting a record that will send my head into orbit to come along soon. :) woj ------------------------------ From: marks59@ix.netcom.com (MARK SHEPARD ) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 18:47:28 -0800 Subject: Re: Heather Nova _BLOW_ vs _GLOW STARS_ You wrote: > >Hi all, > > I just got a copy of _GLOW STARS_ today and was wondering if anyone out >there has this cd or can answer a couple of questions. Are GS and BLOW the >same (i.e. track listing), meaning GS is a domestic re-release of the >original BLOW or are they 2 entirely different cd's? I am looking for_ BLOW_ >no matter if it contains the same tracks and was curious to know if it is >out-of-print or just hard to find here in the Detroit, AnnArbor, Toledo area. > I may have found a place that can get a few copies, so if this is a >must-have for anyone out there in Ectoland just contact me and I will let you >know the minute it is a sure thing. > After only one listen I find GLOW STARS to be more quiet than MILKY WAY or >OYSTER but the songs still have the same emotional intensity. I have a >feeling this one is going to be hanging out in the cd player for quite a >while! > > Lynn > Hi Lynn, BLOW is live cd recorded in London and contains the following: Light Years/Sugar/Maybe An Angel/Blessed/Mother Tongue/ Talking To Strangers/Shaking The Doll/Frontier/Doubled Up As you can see,it is a mixture of GLOW STARS and OYSTER.I personally think that BLOW is pretty great!The cd is easily available here in Milwaukee.Are they selling GLOW STARS in stores by you? I haven't been able to find it here at all.Also,do you have the import single of Walk This World? There are two non-album cuts called Home and Blind which IMO could be some of her best stuff.Very hauntingly beautiful and emotional. Mark ------------------------------ From: rlovejoy@netaxs.com (Robert Lovejoy) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 22:08:58 -0500 Subject: HGP Status: An Inquiry Greetings fellow music worshippers, I had the opportunity to chat with Kevin Bartlett today, and I asked him if they'd gotten the HGP yet. He said not yet, so I thought it might be prudent to put out a feeler -- Doug, Mitch, how's it going? Like I should talk. I owe a few of you some tapes myself, so please be patient. Anyway, I was just wondering how the HGP compilation was compiling... Robert, who is anxious for Happy to hear his latest warped submission... ------------------------------ From: rlovejoy@netaxs.com (Robert Lovejoy) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 22:09:01 -0500 Subject: Vinyl (was Re: Musical discoveries) Neile Notes: >"Heart and Soul" has long been one of my guilty pleasures, too, though I >only bought the 45 and never the whole album. Damn, but those were bad >days for vinyl--the quality is the worst I've ever run across. Is vinyl making a comeback of sorts? I was in Strawberries today and noticed the selection of vinyl seems to be growing. I for one embraced the CD when it was released. Surface noise to me was far worse than the early digital problems, and as Neile noted, vinyl production quality varied greatly. Many audiophiles extol vinyl's virtues to this day, and I admit a great pressing on a top quality turntable/cartridge combination is beautiful, but CDs have improved drastically since they were introduced. I can do without that inner-groove distortion and bass rolloff too! So if vinyl is making a comeback of sorts, I hope I can avoid it. Or maybe I can jump ahead of the curve and pick up an Edison Cylander machine before they become trendy again! Ye Olde Coote Robert ------------------------------ From: Sue Trowbridge Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 22:27:20 -0500 (EST) Subject: Musical guests on late night talk shows -- weekly listing Remember, you can grab these anytime by visiting www.interbridge.com and following the "late night talk shows" link! LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS We 1/3 Bruce Hornsby Tu 1/9 Pam Tillis We 1/10 Laurence Tai Fr 1/12 Blues Traveler THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC Tu 1/2 Deep Blue Something We 1/3 The Presidents of the United States of America Th 1/4 Marty Stuart and Steve Earle Tu 1/9 Jimmy Buffett (repeat of 10/12/95) We 1/10 Tears for Fears (repeat of 10/11/95) Th 1/11 Vince Gill (repeat of 9/20/95) Mo 1/15 Merle Haggard LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC We 1/3 Meat Loaf, The Corrs [hopefully not performing together -st] Fr 1/5 Spacehog Mo 1/8 Skastafarians (repeat of 9/13/95) We 1/10 Edwyn Collins (repeat of 10/10/95) Mo 1/15 Jewel (repeat of 11/28/95) - --Sue Trowbridge ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 21:29:03 -0600 (CST) Subject: BMG Hello, I don't usually pay attention to offers from BMG cd club, as their selections are too MOR for me. The newest one, tho', I looked at for the 11 for the $ of 1. There are a few I really want, and also Sarah FTE, Joan Osbourne, Enya Celts, and Econium[ tape the Tori'duet' and sell to Used cd store] and a couple of others that fell offtophead at the moment. Maybe living w/ Sarah instead of just stopping by the listening station will convert me. KrW It was the least I could do! And never let it be said that I didn't do the least I could do. ------------------------------ From: gregdunn@indy.net (Greg Dunn) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 22:36:09 -0500 Subject: Re: Heather Nova _BLOW_ vs _GLOW STARS_ >_Blow_, > >It's well worth tracking down. Tower Records stocked it here before the >release of _Live at the Milky Way_ and _Oyster_, but I have no idea about >its availability in the U.S. now. It's not hard to find in Indiana, but you do have to look sharp. If anyone is interested in a copy, maybe something could be worked out :) - -- | Greg Dunn | "Information is not knowledge; | | GregDunn@aol.com | knowledge is not wisdom; | | gregdunn@indy.net | wisdom is not truth." | | Greg@gdunn.nawc-ad-indy.navy.mil | -- Frank Zappa | ------------------------------ From: THE OLIVE-LOAF VIGILANTE Date: Tue, 02 Jan 1996 22:36:47 -0500 (EST) Subject: Okay okay, here's mine Hi! First off, a very happy new year to you all! I hope everyone had a joyous Solstice or whatever you celebrate at this time of year (so I think the Solstice is the *real* "reason for the season" -- shoot me :). I had a wonderful holiday with my parents and sister in Tucson, Arizona, and just got back yesterday. I didn't wanna leave - waah! Unfortunately, a planned meeting with fellow 'phile Alex Gibbs fell through -- sorry, Alex! :/ Cool musical things over the holiday: I gave my sister Lisa Gerrard's _The Mirror Pool_, and that's what we listened to over dinner, in between all the Loreena McKennitt, Enya, and various Medieval holiday music we had going all day. I turned my parents on to Victoria Williams and Holly Cole thanks to the _Count Your Blessings_ CD, which was neat. One disappointment, though, was Enya's _The Memory of Trees_, which I gave my dad. He likes it a lot, but it's just a carbon copy of everything else she's ever done, and while that worked fine the first few times, it's starting to get old, y'know? You'd think by now she'd have figured out how to reprogram her synths to get some new and interesting sounds out of them, at least. Oh, well. At least now I know I won't be needing another copy for myself. :) Coming home to all the inevitable "top 10's" was amusing, too. I have several comments to the mail that accumulated, which I'll inflict upon you all in the next post. For now, though, I'll just list a few of the musical highlights of 1995, based solely on what I listened to and enjoyed the most in the past year. Ani DiFranco, _Not A Pretty Girl_ - -- Her best yet, and definitely one of the best of the year, bar none. The Nields, _Bob On The Ceiling_ - -- What can I say, these guys are amazing. They're one of the most fun live groups out there, and this studio recording manages to capture their energy perfectly. Their new one, _Abigail_ is due in March, and it promises to be a highlight of this year as well! Susan McKeown and the Chanting House, _Bones_ - -- The musical discovery of the year. Amazing voice, engaging music, haunting lyrics. Seek and buy. Melissa Ferrick, _Willing to Wait_ - -- There is not a bad track on this disc. I still can't stand her debut, but this one more than makes up for it. Wow. Jane Siberry, _Maria_ - -- Jane never fails to impress. And an incredible live show to boot. Wow. Patty Larkin, _Stranger's World_ - -- While I'm not listening to this as much lately, I really enjoy it when I do. "Johnny Was A Pyro" is the best single song of the year, hands down. Happy Rhodes, _The Keep_ - -- Beautiful. The Echoes version of "Temporary and Eternal" almost literally blew me off the road when I first heard it, and things only got better from there. I don't need to say this here, but she's just amazing. Wow. Sarah McLachlan, _The Freedom Sessions_ - -- This would be on the list for the electrified version of "Ice" alone, but then there's everything else. Sarah continues to be my supreme goddess. :> Throwing Muses, _University_ - -- Kristen Hersh and co. knock the socks off yet again. Another incredible live show, too. Dorothy Scott, _Into The Natural_ EP - -- Another great musical discovery (thanks, Nick :). Everyone who is wailing and gnashing their teeth over Mary Margaret O'Hara's continued absence from the scene needs to check this woman out. (Neile, I haven't forgotten your request, but I haven't been anywhere where the disc has been for sale... :}) Emmylou Harris, _Wrecking Ball_ - -- Okay, so this is really a Daniel Lanois album with Emmylou singing. It's still stunning. Lisa Gerrard, _The Mirror Pool_ - -- Dead Can Dance loses Brendan, and we don't even miss him. Chillingly beautiful. Natalie Merchant, _Tigerlily_ - -- While I can see where all the detractors are coming from, *I* still like this one a lot. So there. Thpth. Laurie Anderson, _The Ugly One With The Jewels_ - -- Gee, we needn't have bothered to tape her show at Purchase College, had we? ;> Wonderful to drive to. That's enough for discs. Great live moments of the year: Sarah McLachlan, Radio City Music Hall Sarah McLachlan with the Chieftains, New Haven, CT and Holmdel, NJ - -- The first show led to the latter two, and was the biggest night of her life. No one in the audience could help but feel it too. The shows with the Chieftains were a ton of fun, and the one in Holmdel was made all the more special for me personally because my parents were there too, and loved it almost as much as I did. Happy Rhodes, The Middle East, Philadelphia, PA Happy Rhodes, The Bottom Line, New York City - -- Hey, it was Happy, it was live, some of it even made it to video, and she actually got to play in New York!!! Incredible. Suddenly, Tammy!, Cafe Sin-e, New York City - -- There's something inherently cool about chatting with a band as they set up and then sitting so close to them you can pass them their water in between songs. :) Katell Keineg, Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ Katell Keineg, The Mercury Lounge, New York City - -- Hoo boy, is her next album ever going to be amazing. Victoria Williams, Fez, New York City - -- Despite what Vic says, this stream-of-consciousness public jam session was a real treat, and I hope to experience something similar again soon. 10,000 Maniacs, Toad's Place, New Haven, CT - -- The Maniacs live! And I daresay they're better than ever. Jewel, Fez, New York City - -- This woman should be banned from the studio until she figures out how to do it right. Until then, she should play where I can see her at least once a month. :) Jane Siberry, The Iron Horse, New York City - -- One of the best live experiences I've ever had -- both shows were trans- cendent. The Nields, Border's Books and Music, Farmington, CT - -- Over two hours of bopping folky rocky funny poignant FUN. Even if I did almost kill Neryssa coming out of the bathroom (don't ask -- but she says hello to me every time I see her now! :}). Now to the flip side. Disappointments of the year: The Innocence Mission, _Glow_ - -- Unfortunately, this band is turning out to suffer from O'Connor-Chapman Syndrome: brilliant debut, swift downhill slide thereafter. Sigh. (Though Tracy Chapman's new one appears to offer a glimmer of hope for the future here...) Jewel, _Pieces of You_ - -- The songs are great and utterly brilliant when performed live, but the production just doesn't cut it on this one. I completely tune out after track #4 every time... oh well. She plays around here a lot. :) Annie Lennox, _Medusa_ - -- Stick to writing your own songs, Annie. Nan Vernon, _Manta Ray_ - -- I don't know what it is, but I just don't like this album. Sue me. Bjork, _Post_ - -- It's good, yes, but I don't think anything could live up to the promise of _Debut_. Aimee Mann, _I'm With Stupid_ - -- I'm sure people are going to be having multiple orgasms over this one, but it just doesn't deliver the goods like the utterly brilliant _Whatever_. Someone should have told her that it's a bad omen to start off an album with the line, "You fucked it up." Musical aberrations of the year: Ron Sexsmith - -- Gag. Just, gag. Alanis Morrisette - -- I'm sorry, but somebody needs to slap her. A final note about 1995: I saw the fewest movies of my life, I think -- I only stepped into a movie theater four times that I can recall, and two of those times were in Canada. Weird. Only saw three or four on video, too. Not that there weren't a ton of movies I wanted to see, but there's just no time! Ack! However, I did have several great times with a number of ectophiles (you all know who you are :), and I hope the trend continues in '96. We've got some great things to look forward to: new albums by Tori, Dar Williams, The Nields, (hopefully) 10,000 Maniacs, Milla, etc. etc. etc... not to mention the tours to match. So much for saving money on music this year. :} +===========================================================================+ |Meredith Tarr meth@delphi.com| |Boonton, NJ USA http://remus.rutgers.edu/~woj/methpg.html| +===========================================================================+ | "Life is a sleazy stranger and this is his favorite bar" - Ani DiFranco | +===========================================================================+ ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V2 #327 ************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu