Fegmaniax Digest Volume 3 Number 8 Today's Topics: ------- ------ AT LAST I'VE FOUND YOU!!! Buying the Ryko Soft Boys CDs Hello, world... Reissues Reissues: My 2 cents worth reissues stuff [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 17:45:02 -0800 (PST) From: Bayard Catron Subject: Re: stuff To: father bungholio Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply-To: Bayard Catron woj said: > > 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. Yes, that was a trifle short-sighted of me wasn't it? I hope he does get net access soon, and will join us. His information is, again, excellent. And his opinions are balanced-- it's just that they go to extremes! I'll have my questions for Robyn to you straight away! thanks very much. bayard [][][][][][][][][][] From: mikester@bix.com Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 19:42:59 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: stuff To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply-To: mikester@bix.com > the first version has never apreared on disc and i *suspect* that that is the >one on the bsdr reissue I think it is too. It has Morris Windsor and Mathew Seleigman on it. ---Mike ----------------------- "People ask me why I'm obsessed with fish, but it's not true. They're just there." ---Robyn Hitchcock, 3/25/88 ----------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 20:43:53 -0500 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John B. Jones) Subject: Re: Reissues Reply-To: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John B. Jones) >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 purchased all 3 Rhino reissues, going to great lengths to find them at discount prices ($12.99, 12.99, and $11.99 respectively). I, too, have these CDs and some of the bonus material already. My main reasons for buying the reissues are as follows: 1) I get the entire album plus bonus tracks all in CD quality all on 1 CD (my Happy The Golden Prince has pops and crackles in it). 2) I get fairly interesting liner notes and new pictures and artwork that I haven't seen before. 3) It is sad to admit, but in this day and age of corporate America, you have to cast your votes with money. Robyn is my favorite artist and I buy all his releases. I want him to continue making records---I want him to release his spoken word stuff on CD. Rhino has done a better-than-satisfactory job with the reissues thus far. If the reissues sell well, they would be more likely to release his spoken word stuff. If the reissues sell well, Robyn would have an easier time of shopping for a new label. He would be happy, and we would be happy. I think Robyn is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to releasing music through a corporate-type record label. He is an artist, not a commodity and he acts accordingly. And most record labels aren't into art, they are into profit, commerce, and hit singles. Robyn is "not their man" when it comes to this. But, if I, as a fan, can get some good reissued Robyn tunes, and cast my "Yea" vote at the same time, then so be it! Mind you, I don't have the spending money to do this with all the artists I like, just my favorite one. As for my old CDs, I am passing them on to the friend that introduced me to Robyn and his music. He just purchased his first CD player, and besides, no Used CD store would take my old Robyn discs anyway---they have the scars of constant play on them. And as for my friend, well, he'll have to find someone to pass all of his Robyn cassettes onto....... One final note: Aidan (the editor of Positive Vibrations, the UK Robyn fanzine) is a fan, but a critical one. I've never known a fan (of anyone) to hold the object of their admiration under such scrutiny, but it makes for an interesting magazine, and for most of his criticisms he's able to give you concrete reasons for it. Have a good week folks......... ____________________________________________________________________________ John B. Jones jojones@mailbox.syr.edu LYRIC OF THE MONTH: "You don't know what I'm thinking cuz I'm not thinking anything, I used to have a thought or two but now I only smile...." -Lisa Germano ____________________________________________________________________________ [][][][][][][][][][] From: RAdams7@aol.com Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 22:17:41 -0500 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Reissues: My 2 cents worth Reply-To: RAdams7@aol.com I've picked up all the reissues. BSND sounds VASTLY improved over the original CD and vinyl, and the "new" version of "The Man Who Invented Himself" sounds like the version that I always heard in my mind. I always HATED the horns on it. The other reissues also have much better sound. GD is worth having just for all of the various material in one place. (By the way, the "previously unreleased" version of "Kingdom of Love" is the same one that's on the "Trinidad" 12"; it just isn't faded out as fast and goes on for quite a bit longer. Nice to have it.) IODOT sounds a bit cleaner, with more definition; the demos are pretty lo-fi, though. They're three-track stereo but have obviously decayed in storage. Still, all in all, I think the package is worth the upgrade. I managed to find the reissues at a store for $13.99 apiece; you may want to shop around. Wholesale on them is slightly above $10, so anyone charging $15.99 is RIPPING YOU OFF. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 19:34:04 -0800 From: librik@netcom.com (David Librik) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Buying the Ryko Soft Boys CDs Reply-To: librik@netcom.com (David Librik) I know that the new Rhino Robyn CDs have been remastered so that they sound light-years better than the old ones. But how do the American Ryko Soft Boys discs compare to the (apparently physically identical) import CDs, on Two Crabs and Glass Fish? Since the track lists are the same, I always assumed the sound quality was too, and that Rykos were just the American release of the French original CDs. Can anyone set me straight? - David Librik librik@cs.Berkeley.edu an extremely innocent boy [][][][][][][][][][] From: u01klt@abdn.ac.uk (Kieran Turner) Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 16:08:00 +0000 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Reissues: My 2 cents worth Reply-To: u01klt@abdn.ac.uk (Kieran Turner) On Jan 29, 10:17pm, on the subject: Reissues: My 2 cents worth, RAdams7@aol.com wrote: < I managed to find the reissues at a store for $13.99 apiece; you may want to < shop around. Wholesale on them is slightly above $10, so anyone charging < $15.99 is RIPPING YOU OFF. I've had a bit of trouble finding the latest reissues in the UK yet but they're readily available at CDnow on the 'Net if you trust them with your credit card details. BSDR was shipped an hour after I ordered it (for $13.97, which works out great when it's listed at UKpounds13.99 here!) CDnow is on WWW at: http://cdnow.com/ ;) K [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 16:49:04 +0000 To: father bungholio , fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: andyh@pavilion.co.uk (Andy Holyer) Subject: Re: stuff Reply-To: andyh@pavilion.co.uk (Andy Holyer) At 10:43 am 29/1/95 -0500, father bungholio wrote: >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. We'd love to. Only 17.75 reg, 14.75 per month. Someone give me his snail mail address. -&. Andy Holyer, Managing Director, Pavilion Internet plc, Brighton, UK http://www.pavilion.co.uk/ [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 11:05:53 -0600 (CST) From: JAY LYALL Subject: Re: reissues To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply-To: JAY LYALL I burned the credit cards yesterday and picked up all three reissues and had to ask myself other than the profit motive why didn't Rhino and Robyn put the bonus tracks on another disc as part of a double rarities collection? The sound is a little cleaner, but ya know the sound was fine on the old midnight issues too. I dunno I refused to buy the REM reissues so Robyn better enjoy the extra cash I threw his way and have a nice dinner with it. Though I'll probably buy the EOL and GOF cd's I really don't like having to do it. Now on an upbeat side...does anyone know what the lithograph you get for turnign in two Robyn fans to Rhino looks like? And if I turn myself in do I get the sampler? And whats on the sampler? And for those I failed to include on the demographics blurb let me ammend it now by saying Robyns fans include all sentient life forms in this arm of the Milky Way with the possible exception of Newt Gingrich, who I'm still trying to figure out what planet he's on. jay %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Jay Lyall "Capy Toad Blast" "I'd never belong to a club that hist1a@jetson.uh.edu would have me as a member." --Groucho Marx "Some things come in, Some things come out, "We'll inherit the Earth, And next time round But we don't want it." I'll be a trout." --Replacements --Robyn Hitchcock %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 30 Jan 95 23:23 GMT+0200 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: hardaker@iaccess.za (Mike Hardaker) Subject: Hello, world... Reply-To: hardaker@iaccess.za (Mike Hardaker) Just to introduce myself, actually. I'm (as your mail header alost certainly told you) Mike Hardaker or hardaker@iaccess.za. That means I'm in South Africa, even though I'm English - I've just been here long enough to change my toothbrush. I suppose (having read the archives and deduced the Done Thing To Do) that I ought to say a bit about how/why/where I like Mr. Hitchcock. I was introduced to his music a few years ago in a bar in Nice, France (where I was then living - Nice, that is - and working [the bar]). I scrounge a living by being a combination hack-journalist/musician and I had played four sets at the bar, or rather on the stage - at The Hole In The Wall, recommended if you're in the area - and the bar was closed, with only me, the owners and another gutarist who played there on the nights I didn't. We were playing all the songs we liked that we couldn't do at work on the grounds that the customers left if we did - Velvets, Television, Duke Ellington (not, in other words, Mustang Sally, Hotel California or Hey Jude) - when I played a couple of Tom Lehrer numbers from the fifties. Joe (the other guy) then said: 'If you like that stuff, you'll like this' and played me 'Ye Sleeping Knights of Jesus.' He was right. I borrowed a tape off him and really enjoyed the songs. So I looked around for RH albums. In Franec these are about as common as rocking-horse shit, but I found one or two, learned some songs off them, incorporated these into my set, and found that people didn't leave when I played them. To this day, I can generally get appreciative applause (after silent consideration) from a noisy bar when I play 'I Used To Say I Love You'. And that's why I like the music. Nobody knows it (although the occasional HitchcockHead passes by) but everyone seems to be put on pause by the combination of the music and the lyrics. That's class songwriting, in my book, and earns my deep respect. The fact that I am deeply fond of fish, and appreciate the fact that RH has written more songs about fish than anyone else, is pretty incidental. As is the fact that I am automatically in awe of someone who is that much taller than me... As I say, I've browsed through the archives, and I get the impression that quite a few of the mailing-list members are musos. One thing I'd like to get (and to which I would obviously be willing to contribute) is some of the chord sequences of The Man's songs - particular bete noirs including the first chord of the first bridge in 'So You Think You're In Love?'. The nearest I've got is a weird inversion of F#7, which looks like this: EADGBe 012320 But I'd be really grateful if someone could give me a better alternative... Cheers, Mike *********************** * Mike Hardaker * * * * hardaker@iaccess.za * *********************** [][][][][][][][][][] From: daramsey@vaxsar.vassar.edu Date: 31 Jan 1995 21:36:15 -0300 To: Fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply-To: daramsey@vaxsar.vassar.edu Hi...a warning in advance- this a non-Robyn post, and I apologize. But I know that there are many fellow musicians on this list, and I want to ask for assistance from anybody who is interested. If you're looking for Robyn content, skip this message... I'm 20 years old, at school at Vassar College in beautiful (well, umm...okay, not really) Poughkeepsie NY. And I'm in a band called the CrimeDogs. We've been together for about six months and have just put together our first demo-tape. We have been playing for audiences here at school basically every weekend for the past two months, and not to brag, people seem to enjoy us. Basically our sound is maybe best described as a combination of Velocity Girl, Stereolab, Jawbreaker, with major emphasis being placed on having fun. The band consists of myself, who plays bass, Matt the guitarist, Nicole the singer, and Aubrey the drummer. We're loud, noisy, and melodic. Essentially, I'm asking any of you fellow musicians if you might be able to assist me in getting ourselves a little further off the ground- I'm trying to gain contacts for distributing our tape, and for possible gigs. If any of you guys (and gals) know of any radio station djs (college or otherwise), record labels, bands, club owners/bookers, etc, that might be even remotely interested in hearing our demo-tape, I would be forever in your debt if you might share any pertinent info. with me... And if you yourself want a copy of the CrimeDogs demo-tape, just drop me some e-mail. Thanks incredibly much for putting up with this non-Robyn post; again, I apologize. "He's the President of Europe and he's talking to the dead, They're the only ones who listen or believe a word he says..." daveR. _______________________________________________________________________ | | | "I promised only that you would see some sign of Unicorns, and so | | you have...As for you and your heart and the things you | | said and didn't say, she will remember them all when | | men are fairy tales in books written by rabbits..." | | | | | | -The Last Unicorn | |______________________________________________________________________| *** Another 100% natural S.M.I.L.B.U. production *** [][][][][][][][][][] From: ST56T@jetson.uh.edu Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 20:54:27 -0600 (CST) Subject: AT LAST I'VE FOUND YOU!!! To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply-To: ST56T@jetson.uh.edu Hello, all! I am as new as I can be to Fegmaniax, but not to the genius of Robyn Hitchcock. I became a fan in 1989 with Queen Elvis. I've read disparaging comments on QE from the press, but I *still* love it. Maybe part of it is sentiment; I learned to sing and play the entire album on guitar, and it quickly became a formative album in my own songwriting. Plus, I still crack up every time I hear the monologues in "Autumn Sea" and the Robyn-in-one-tempo-and Egyptians-in-another 2nd verse of "Superman". Currently, I own the first three Rhino reissues (having gladly traded in my deteriorating cassettes and Dutch Groovy Decoy CD), an import cassette of Gotta Let This Hen Out!!! w/ bonus tracks, Element of Light, Globe, QE, Eye, and Perspex Island. I am panting for the opportunity to finally hear Fegmania! for the first time when it comes out next month, since I'm already convinced that "My Wife And My Dead Wife" is my favorite Hitchcock song. I'm buying up all the reissues hungrily. Fish is cool. I found out about the re-establishment of Fegmaniax through XTC's Chalkhills mailing list. Along with Elvis Costello and Bob Mould (more than just a token Yank), Robyn and Andy Partridge are my favorite songwriters. Incidentally, my band is called Port Radium, and we're playing some clubs in Houston while shopping for an indie label. Favorite Hitchcock songs/moments: Kingdom Of Love (I forgot to mention that I've got Underwater Moonlight) Do Policemen Sing? all of I Often Dream Of Trains the spoken intro to The Cars She Used To Drive from Gotta Let This Hen Out!!! My Wife And My Dead Wife all of Element Of Light Luminous Rose Chinese Bones all of Queen Elvis and Eye She Doesn't Exist Railway Shoes (the only song on Respect except Arms Of Love that I remember fondly) Take care, thanks for existing, and would someone e-mail me with info that should be considered common knowledge among Fegmaniax? I seem to be having trouble FTP'ing, and I don't want to ask anything bone-headed among people with such obvious good taste. Slipping you all the Midnight Fish, Dolph Chaney st56t@jetson.uh.edu [][][][][][][][] 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...