Fegmaniax Digest Volume 3 Number 7 Today's Topics: ------- ------ Fegmaniax Digest Vol. 3 Nums. 2-6 [forward] More on Robyn Demos Ray & Dennis Reissues questions and answers. stuff the covers tape virtual interview [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 28 Jan 95 12:31:34 From: Russ Reynolds To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Ray & Dennis Reply-To: Russ Reynolds 1. did someone post a while back that Raymond Hitchcock wrote "There's A Girl In My Soup"? Wasn't that an old Goldie Hawn movie? 2. I happened to catch Robyn on Dennis miller entirely by accident, and if I'm not mistaken he played two or three songs, didn't he? 3. I found an old tape with Robyn singing "Madonna of the Wasps" on David Letterman...that one was cool because Dave & Paul spent a good deal of time talking about Robyn earlier in the show! On the same tape, XTC on Letterman, singing "King For A Day"! Russ rreynolds@ksjo.com in the changer: Pearl Jam/Vitalogy Nirvana/Unplugged in New York Smashing Punpkins/Siamese Dream Robyn Hitchcock/Perspex Island Robyn Hitchcock/Respect [][][][][][][][][][] From: JCWaits@aol.com Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 17:34:53 -0500 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: More on Robyn Demos Reply-To: JCWaits@aol.com In addition to the preponderance of white college-y males wearing glasses at Robyn shows, I am always amazed by the number of people waiting in line reading books. Right on for geeky groupies! In terms of the female obsession with Robyn thing, I must admit that I am also guilty. I remember seeing Robyn play at the Kennel Club in SF once. Cynthia was sitting in the balcony and I kept watching the expressions back and forth between her and Robyn, feeling touched that they were so in love...yet also feeling a bit jealous. I've met Robyn a few times and never know what to say. Once I was cowering in the background with another obsessed female fan watching some guy who didn't know much about Robyn's music schmooze with him. It was so disheartening. Luckily I've overcome some of that bashfulness and since then have had some minor conversations with him. The last time I saw him at Neurotic Records he actually said he recognized me...that was the highlight of the day for me! --Jennifer (yes, I wear glasses too) [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 15:14:26 -0800 (PST) From: BENJAMIN KENNETH PARKE To: Russ Reynolds Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Ray & Dennis Reply-To: BENJAMIN KENNETH PARKE On Sat, 28 Jan 1995, Russ Reynolds wrote: > > 1. did someone post a while back that Raymond Hitchcock wrote "There's A > Girl In My Soup"? Wasn't that an old Goldie Hawn movie? > Raymond Hitchcock's "There's a Girl in My Soup: A Novel" , was published by W.H. Allen, London in 1970. It was based on a screenplay by Terence Frisby, so it very well could have been the same movie you remember. For the record, here are all of the other books listed in the Library of Congress catalog: W.H. Allen, London "Percy", 1969 "The Gilt-Edged Boy", 1971 Dodd, Mead, New York "Percy", 1970 St. Martin's Press, New York "Archangel 006", 1983 "The Canaris Legacy", 1980 "Attack the Lusitania!", 1979 toad [][][][][][][][][][] From: mrd@world.std.com (Mitchell R Dickerman) Subject: Reissues To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu (Fegmaniax) Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 20:07:06 -0500 (EST) Reply-To: mrd@world.std.com (Mitchell R Dickerman) Some comments and questions about the reissues: Why did they REPLACE two versions of tracks on _BSDR_ instead of appending them? Seems like a silly thing to do - now we all have to keep two copies of it on CD. I think I like the new version of "The Man Who Invented Himself", though I'll probably always 'hear' the horns. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison, but the new mix of "Brenda's Iron Sledge" doesn't sound that different. VERY cool new version of "I Watch The Cars". Is the version of "Grooving On An Inner Plane" on the new _BSDR_ the same version that was only on the vinyl (but not CD) version of _Invisible Hitchcock_? "Happy the Golden Prince" has nothing to do with sex. :) It does sound like the overall sound of _BSDR_ has been improved over the previous CD version. I'm not sure about _GD_ and _IODOT_. According to the flyers, it looks like there'll be no new bonus tracks on _Gotta Let This Hen Out_. That seems silly - I won't be buying it unless you all tell me the sound is SO much better than the original CD. Why did they fade the bonus "Bones in the Ground" on _IODOT_? The demos are just ok, nothing amazing. The disco mix of "Nightride to Trinidad" is pretty much a waste, huh? Silly. I do like the new version of "Kingdom of Love", though I think I've heard it done more or less than way live. You know, I never really thought about the horns on _GD_ until I read the liner notes. It always worked for me. I really like having all those tracks in one place - it allows a direct comparison that I never bothered to do before. And guess what? I think I like the _Decay_ versions better. The _Decay_ version of "Young People Scream" had no horns, and they're less prominent on "Midnight Fish". There aren't any unlisted differences between the reissues and the original CDs, are there? Mitch [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 00:54:32 -0800 (PST) From: Bayard Catron Subject: Re: Reissues To: Mitchell R Dickerman Cc: Fegmaniax Reply-To: Bayard Catron I was at Tower tonight and held the new BSDN and Trains in my hands, wondering if I should shell out the $16 each... decided against it for now. (for those interested, if any, I ended up getting _instruments of destruction_ (laika & the cosmononauts) and _zebra_ (yello) in their stead... the latter is playing at the moment, and is quite nifty!)) Miles asked why "the fanzine" advised against purchasing the reissues; that does seem a bit of a benedict arnold attitude doesn't it? I mean, I have elected not to buy them (yet) for obvious reasons but would not tell others not to... it's rather obvious that they duplicate albums that most of us have most or all of already.. the only [possible] reasons to get them: better sound, very worthwhile bonus tracks, lacking the old version or old version is damaged, and finally ,a vote of confidence for robyn and rhino and putting money in the right place (?). As for not getting them, having a complete collection, being lazy and/or cheap come to mind ;) I just want to make one comment about 'the fanzine', then I'll shut up; advising against the reissues is one thing (though I'd prefer a simple statement of personal opinion rather than a blanket condemnation of 'the first wave' with no explanation) but the way he dismissed _you & oblivion_, obviously without having heard it, is inexcusable and suggests to me that he is bitter that there exists a better, faster, free and automatically interactive method of receiving robyn news. Please note that this is a statement of personal opinion and not a flame. That said, Aidan's discography is the best I've seen and all the other information he has made available through Jonathan is much appreciated. I just wish he'd lighten up a bit. On Sat, 28 Jan 1995, Mitchell R Dickerman wrote: > Why did they REPLACE two versions of tracks on _BSDR_ instead of appending > them? Seems like a silly thing to do - now we all have to keep two copies > of it on CD. I noticed the different versions were not noted either-- according to the back of the cd they could have been the same versions. > > "Happy the Golden Prince" has nothing to do with sex. :) Oh of course not-- whatever gave you that idea? ;) > > It does sound like the overall sound of _BSDR_ has been improved over the > previous CD version. I'm not sure about _GD_ and _IODOT_. > > According to the flyers, it looks like there'll be no new bonus tracks on > _Gotta Let This Hen Out_. That seems silly - I won't be buying it unless you > all tell me the sound is SO much better than the original CD. It is silly-- as we know, there's no end of great live tracks that could be added. > > Why did they fade the bonus "Bones in the Ground" on _IODOT_? The demos are > just ok, nothing amazing. > > The disco mix of "Nightride to Trinidad" is pretty much a waste, huh? Silly. > I do like the new version of "Kingdom of Love", though I think I've heard it > done more or less than way live. But where is the old disco mix of "Kingdom of Love"? What does the "previously unissued" mix sound like? > > You know, I never really thought about the horns on _GD_ until I read the liner > notes. It always worked for me. I really like having all those tracks in one > place - it allows a direct comparison that I never bothered to do before. And > guess what? I think I like the _Decay_ versions better. The _Decay_ version > of "Young People Scream" had no horns, and they're less prominent on "Midnight > Fish". I've always loved the _Decay_ versions... perhaps because the first mix tape I was given had them. _Decay_ remains one of my favorite albums-- I love its raw, unfinished-sounding edge. Since I have both on CD, I probably will not be buying that one either (unless, as you mentioned, the list praises the sound as being greatly improved). --bayard (without glasses). [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 10:43:35 -0500 From: father bungholio To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: stuff Reply-To: father bungholio daramsey@vaxsar.vassar.edu sez: > I heard a rumor that Robyn is planning some east coast dates >sometime relatively soon. Does anybody know if this is a possibility? it's more than a possibility - it really seems to be happening. i've heard of one confirmed date so far: april 9th at amherst college (i was told this by the guy who booked the show so i'm fairly sure that this is accurate). more details as they become available. mrd@world.std.com (Mitchell R Dickerman) sez: >Is the version of "Grooving On An Inner Plane" on the new _BSDR_ the same >version that was only on the vinyl (but not CD) version of _Invisible >Hitchcock_? there are three versions of "grooving". the first is on the "it's a mystic trip" flexi, the second on the original _decay_ (and on the midnight _decoy_ disc) and the third on the "eaten by her own dinner" 12" (which is the one that appeared on the relativity _invisible hitchcock_ lp). the first version has never apreared on disc and i *suspect* that that is the one on the bsdr reissue. *however*, i'm still conjecturing since i haven't gotten my noteworthy order yet (grrrrr). >According to the flyers, it looks like there'll be no new bonus tracks on >_Gotta Let This Hen Out_. That seems silly - I won't be buying it unless you >all tell me the sound is SO much better than the original CD. the only real advantage to this reissue is simple availability. it seemed to disappear from store racks much faster than the others. i finally found _hen_ used for $5 at the princeton record exchange about a year or two ago (the vinyl had to suffice for many moons...). i agree though: this seems to be the disc that i won't be buying. >The disco mix of "Nightride to Trinidad" is pretty much a waste, huh? Silly. ooooo, i disagree! "ahoy there mister watson, lower the mainsail!" "much obliged, captain!" i think the disco version is groovy. thpth! can anyone tell me what the deal with "kingdom of love" is? is this the "disco" version from the "nightride" 12"? or is yet another version finally coming to surface? Bayard Catron sez: >I just want to make one comment about 'the fanzine', then I'll shut up; >advising against the reissues is one thing (though I'd prefer a simple >statement of personal opinion rather than a blanket condemnation of 'the >first wave' with no explanation) but the way he dismissed _you & >oblivion_, obviously without having heard it, is inexcusable and suggests >to me that he is bitter that there exists a better, faster, free and ^^^^ >automatically interactive method of receiving robyn news. well, bayard, there's the rub. i don't think aidan is bitter about the existance of fegmaniax but he does appear bitter that he can not join in. why? because "free" doesn't apply to getting on the net in britain. (it's not exactly free for me either - i have to pay to use a local access site, though the rutgers account is a guest account (i'm not a student here)). in addition to the cost of a personal computer and access, there is also the issue of phone charges which are all measured in most, if not all, of europe - no flat rate local service as is the case in the states. maybe andy holyer can work some deal with aidan to get him on pavilion. woj [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 10:49:12 -0500 From: father bungholio To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Fegmaniax Digest Vol. 3 Nums. 2-6 [forward] Reply-To: father bungholio [this note was accidentially sent to me instead of the list. digest subscribers, take note, simply replying to the digest will *not* send your post to fegmaniax - you have to manaually address the message to fegmaniax@nsmx.rutgers.edu. +woj] >From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) >Subject: Re: Fegmaniax Digest Vol. 3 Nums. 2-6 > >Finally got to see the digest issues 2-6... so there's a bit of replying to >do :) > >Re: Robyn's Dad... The Science Fiction Encyclopedia (ed. Peter Nicholls) >briefly mentions Raymond Hitchcock as the writer of "Venus 13: A Cautionary >Space Tale" (1972), which "deals lightly with the theme of sex in its story >of complications surrounding a eugenic mating in a space satellite". > >>Final odd note: does anyone else dream about the Man? > >Funny you should mention that, but at some stage during a dream I had one >time I can remember turning on a radio and hearing Robyn. I can also >remember thinking "Hey this is great - Hitchcock on the radio". Only it >wasn't any RH song I know (or that even exists, as far as I know) - the >title was something like "Have you seen my tortoise?". More than that, I >can't recall... > >>And it rained like a slow divorce... > >I love RH's skewed surrealistic similes (hey, alliteration time!). My favourite: > >"... comes on pretty quick, exactly like a crocodile in search of a mirage >across the undulating sand" > >>Another interesting statistic is the large number of Robyn fans with, not just >>bad eyesight, but the preference for eyeglasses over contacts. Go figure. > >I wear glasses usually, but have contacts too. Trouble is, I've got the >sort of eyes where contacts swivel out of alignment easily. They're great >for playing soccer in though (which glasses are not!). And I'm just past >30... but no, I don't lust after the guy - he's not really my type (i.e., >he's male :)) > >PS - thanks woj for making it possible to save the digests without having >to rename them (by shortening the volume/number info). > >James > >For today's listening pleasure: Wrong Way Up (Brian Eno & John Cale) [][][][][][][][][][] From: V4vendetta@aol.com Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 11:39:11 -0500 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: questions and answers. Reply-To: V4vendetta@aol.com Hey Fegs- i had a couple of things to share with the list, and figured i would do them all in one post. first off, i ordered "Where Are the Prawns?" from Mrs Wafflehead (the soft boys bootleg) and it was lost in the mail... i sent her a letter asking where the tape was, and she left a message on my machine yesterday assuring me that she would send me another copy, since the postal system can be unreliable... a call from england to make the deal right.. and she even identified herself as Mrs Wafflehead... i had trouble explaining to my girlfriend that it wasn't a secret message from some other girl. i was wondering, since i hadn't seen any mechanism for doing so, how a person might get onto that list for distribution of the cover tape. i doubt i would be able to find my cover of Dr Sticky any time soon. i saw a discussion of branches and trunks, so i can picture a distribution tree, but how does a guy go about getting onto that tree? i never heard the cover of Everyday is Like Sunday or a couple of the other covers, but i also didn't remember seeing 8 days a week, which i have from 1st avenue in minneapolis. how do i get those? cynthia is american, a very pretty blonde, about 5' 8" or so, perfect white teeth and a lovely melodious laugh. when i saw robyn at tramps in new york, she was selling t-shirts... i went and after standing near the sound mixer in the back i struck up a conversation with the owner, who was a big robyn fan and a nice guy to boot .... he asked me if i would like to meet robyn after the show, but i felt bad, like this guy was going to drag robyn away from the crack pipes and groupies backstage to meet me.... so i was wandering around after the show... there was this piece of paper that he had taped to a lamp (his only prop onstage).. he had read from it during the show ("want to know what it says?" it says, "there are many things a man may know about god, but i know this, that my name is juanita and i am cracked. i am sorry about this, but if you take me home i will give you many good rubbings") it said something like that on the paper, so i took it... then i waited, talking to cynthia about the t shirts... i had had one years ago that said "he never make love to a loaf of bread" which had been stolen from me and i asked if it would ever be available again.) as i was standing there, he just walked up, kissed her on the lips and cynthia said, "we did well with the t-shirts, shall we get some dinner?" and there was this girl there (and if you are out there on this list, you were a total psychopath) who had been talking to me before robyn showed up.... she was going on and on about how she was robyn's biggest fan and she had all 3 of his albums (ha, ha) and then she said that robyn would have to love her because she also loved to eat fish. then she was lying on the stage on her back and wriggling like a fish. i think she scared robyn.... anyway, i got cynthia and robyn to sign a shirt and sign the piece of paper with juanita on it... i didn't find out until later that my friend rich had been taping that show... he was polite, but i felt bad because i realized after they left that i had been flirting with cynthia and i wouldn't've done that if i had known.... no wonder i got nowhere. i am actually only 25, and have 20/18 vision. but i am a boy. when i was a freshman in high school, they played robyn on WUSB at SUNY Stony Brook... but i didn't buy anything, even though i liked the music... the first time i think i was aware of robyn was when i was a freshman in college.... i used to hear "Tell Me About Your Drugs" on WLIR (now WDRE) on long island.... at the time, the guy that i always used to buy pot from was this guy named Morris... and every time i heard the song, i would sing, to Morris, "yeah, tell me about your drugs, tell me, morris!" and laugh my head off.... then when i visiting my grandmother in florida, i was in a record store, and i found that they had a section.... i found the CD of Element of Light, then the tape and vinyl (they were still available back then) and only the CD had Drugs on it, but it was $23.99... that was a lot to spend for one song, but i also remember hearing "If You Were A Priest" and i remember someone at school telling about The President being a diatribe against Reagan, so i took a chance, and i have never regretted it.... i loved the whole damn thing, and i still thing of Morris when i hear "Drugs" i wanted to know if there was a difference in sound quality or anything between the Ryko Reissues of the Soft Boys catalog and the original CDs... i bought Trains and Deco but didn't get Role, because i thought it was enough to get the other 2...i don't really know who it is that i think i am kidding.... but i got the double CD set from Ryko, but kept all my original soft boys CDs.... is it worth it? i mean, i don't think i need to get invisble hits, but i was wondering if there is something extra or neat-o on the soft boys CDs that i should get them for.... i have also had a few dreams about robyn, but all of them took place when i lived in san francisco... i walked passed the Hyde Street studios one sunny afternoon and could've sworn i felt him wandering around, searching for mullet or mackarel.... most of my dream are Babel-esque.... i find myself communicating through grunts or with flags or something, and robyn will wander up, usually in a sedan chair, and say, "the thing is, the roots never see the sun, and the leaves never eat dirt, so plants survive on hatred and entropy, but that doesn't explain why water is wet, does it?" and for some reason, in dreams, it always makes perfect sense, and when i wake up and write it down, i wonder which of us is crazy. lastly, if someone wants a tape of Invisible History, i would be glad to make it.... the coolest thing i ever got was some charity from a fellow fan... and i just get an account on a real service and look forward to seeing what is out there.... thanks. josh, or whatever name this is. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 12:14:26 -0500 From: father bungholio To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: the covers tape Reply-To: father bungholio hear ye hear ye! there have been a few queries recently about the availability of the covers tape. note, this is not _glass fish_ which is a tape of covers of robyn's song by fegmaniax list members. the tape in question is affectionately known of as "the a&m covers" since robyn recorded it at one of the a&m studios (gene can give a better history if its origins). after thinking about it for a while, i've decided to offer copies of this to whomever missed the tape tree and needs a copy. all you have to do is send me a blank tape, enough return postage (stamps preferably, not money) and your address. toss all that in a mailer and send it to woj's world o'muzak 319 lathrop ave #1 boonton, nj 07005-2219 usa please realize that i am often embroiled in many trades so these dubs will be low tape on the totem pole. however, any requests will be honored - just remember that my turnaround time will be slow. woj [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 12:21:09 -0500 From: father bungholio To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: virtual interview Reply-To: father bungholio hey fegs, one last thing. through the miracles of technology, robyn has agreed to do a virtual interview for the members of fegmaniax. if you have any questions or queries that you'd like to ask robyn, send them to *me* (woj@remus.rutgers.edu). i'll compile them all into a single list and get them sent to robyn. i'll also handle getting the answers back to the list and will post them when i have them. so, this is your chance! sick of stupid, clueless radio deejays and rock critics asking senseless questions which any hitch-head worth their salt could recite the answer to in their sleep? here's an opportunity to ask questions that really matter! i'll arbitrarily sent a deadline of next weekend for questions to be sent to me. at that point, i'll package 'em up and send 'em off. after, say, next sunday, no more questions will be accepted. go wild! woj [][][][][][][][] End of this Fegmaniax Digest. Archives can be found on fegmania.wustl.edu:/fegmaniax and ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/music/lists/fegmaniax. For administrative questions, subscription requests, and all that boring crud, send mail to fegmaniax-digest-request@nsmx.rutgers.edu. Slipping you the midnight fish...