Fegmaniax Digest <==----------==> (Send posts to the list to fegmaniax@nsmx.rutgers.edu) (Send adminstrative requests to majordomo@nsmx.rutgers.edu) (Send comments, etc to the listowner at owner-fegmaniax@nsmx.rutgers.edu) <==----------==> Volume 3 Number 31 Today's Topics: ------- ------ Tabs for a beginner? BASS Big Gun Robyn Desperately Seeking: Howie Gilbert Kiss the messenger! Mathew Sweet and Robyn Matthew Sweet and Robyn Metcalfe-bass Python at Cantab RE: Robyn & KISS Recent Singles Robyn & KISS Robyn's favourite artists. Tabs for a beginner? World Cafe stuff all the news all the news that has a fit. andy metcalf ftping invisible history no subject zipper in my spine [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 18:26:55 -0500 From: father bungholio To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Recent Singles so, i was just polishing up the mrs. wafflehead list based on the info that jonathan sent me (thanks!) and noticed that there is a cd single listed for "driving aloud"! no record label is given. does anyone know anything about this? three pounds to mrs. wafflehead will get you a copy. woj [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 18:28:41 -0500 From: father bungholio To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: invisible history fellow fegs, i have come into an extra copy of _invisible history_ which i don't need. i picked it up locally for $25 and will sell it to anyone for the same price or trade it for stuff. if you're interested in this, please send me a note and we'll work something out. first come, first served. woj [][][][][][][][][][] Subject: Desperately Seeking: Howie Gilbert From: MSKOOR31@maine.maine.edu (The Great Pumkin of Doom) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Sun, 05 Mar 95 14:11:14 EST Hey Gang! Sorry for the interruption - This is sort of Robyn related, but not directly. I'm searching for Howie Gilbert, a long time pal of Robyn's and his tour manager of many years. We first met in '86 at a Tower NY instore (Howie and I, that is- I first met Robyn the year before at Maxwells). Anyways - Howie and I kept in touch for ages, but now I've lost contact with him. The last time I saw him, he was tour managing for KISS (of all bands - great show by the way) in October, 1992. I'm moving to Rhode Island soon, and would like to find him before we both fall off the face of the earth. Bayard tried to help me, to no avail thus far (much thanks for the solid effort though!). If anyone knows his whereabouts please tell him I'm looking for him! Oh yeah, my office number is: 207-581-2123 Home is: 207-866-7693 I should be around for another month or so. Thanks a bunch! -Michelle [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 05 Mar 1995 15:14:44 -0600 (CST) From: JAY LYALL Subject: Robyn & KISS To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu OK so what song by kiss would you like to hear Robyn cover? "I want to Rock N Roll all night and swim with little flesh eating fish that dive between your toes nipping at you, tugging at you, kissing at you before they swallow you in one giant gulp---every day!" jay [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 05 Mar 1995 21:33:22 -0500 From: alex & marcy tanter Subject: ftping To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Hi. We just tried to get into the ftp sites but couldn't gain access because we don't know the passwords. Can someone please help? Thanks. Marcy and Alex Tanter (parents of a son, Robyn!!) [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 21:53:23 -0500 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John B. Jones) Subject: Tabs for a beginner? Hey Feggies! Hope you had a nice weekend. I was in Montreal, found a great record store with Robyn boots! (just Invisible History and Stand Back Dennis tho) It is called Rock En Stock. If you ever get out there, they have a good selection of imports and boots. Now to the point: James, and those others who regularly post Robyn tablature: I am a beginning guitar player, wanting to play for recreation. What is the simplest Robyn song to play? (i.e. something without barre chords, or chords with complicated sounding names like Daugmentedsharpmajorsquaredwithalemontwist) I've tried figuring out the two and three chord songs like Listening to the Higsons, & Clean Steve, but they are never in the right key, and never come out too good. Help please, oh mighty guitar gurus! P.S. My goal someday is to play Swirling. Then I can die peacefully. ____________________________________________________________________________ John B. Jones jojones@mailbox.syr.edu LYRIC OF THE MONTH: "The fish went through the trees The planes went through the seas And you were still with me..." -Robyn Hitchcock, "Aquarium" ____________________________________________________________________________ _ [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 16:11:18 +0900 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re: Python at Cantab >About Python's days in school, [...] >All of them would have been graduates by 1965 or so, I think, so >they would have predated Robyn by quite a while. John Cleese is >14 years older than Robyn Hitchcock. Ah yes, but remember there is a long tradition of British comedy at "Oxbridge" (the two University cities). After Python left, they were replaced by The Goodies, who were replaced by Rowan Atkinson, who was replaced by the Young Ones... So if not Python, there may have been some other comedy connection in Robyn's formative days. He would have been in Cambridge contemporary with late Goodies and early Atkinson, in particular. James James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago. Ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk St., St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand pixelphone james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz / steam megaphone NZ 03-455-7807 * You talk to me as if from a distance * and I reply with impressions chosen from another time, time, time, * from another time (Brian Eno) [][][][][][][][][][] From: Andy Ruppenstein Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 21:28:30 -0800 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Tabs for a beginner? > What is the simplest Robyn song to play? Raymond Chandler Evening is pretty simple. Even I can play that one, and that's saying a lot. Don't ask me to tab it though. I can't do tablature. Andy / ruppen@demog.berkeley.edu [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 95 14:03:02 GMT From: jturner@rpms.ac.uk (Jonathan Turner) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Recent Singles > so, i was just polishing up the mrs. wafflehead list based on the info > that jonathan sent me (thanks!) and noticed that there is a cd single > listed for "driving aloud"! no record label is given. does anyone know > anything about this? three pounds to mrs. wafflehead will get you a > copy. > > woj > It has 'Allright, Yeah' as a second track. Mine came in a soft plastic folder, with no picture sleeve. As far as I can remember (and I can remember very little from after about 1987) it's a promo single, US issue. On A&M, I think. 'Driving Aloud' sounds the same as the standard album version. The UK CD single on Sequel (My Wife.../I Something You/Zipper/Man With Woman's Shadow) appears to be a promo only release, certainly at the moment. The UK reissue programme seems to have reached 'Gravy Deco' only so far. At least some of the K singles have made it over. My letter to Mrs Wafflehead telling her to get her act together will be on its way soon. A review of the London gig should appear soon too. Jonathan. [][][][][][][][][][] From: MJK.APA@email.apa.org (Knox, Joseph) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu (-) Subject: Big Gun Robyn Date: Mon, 06 Mar 95 09:46 I was reading through an article on SXSW in Interview magazine and was pleased to see the following sentence, "The highlights for '95: big guns like Robyn Hitchcock and Matthew Sweet...." On a similar vein. I caught Matthew Sweet opening for Robyn Hitchcock at First Avenue in Minneapolis during the Perspex Island tour. The concert was highlighted by Robyn dedicating a pre Respect rendition of the Yip Song to Vera Lynn, someone who could make you feel warm and cosy at night, not like Nine Inch Nails in his opinion. However, Matthew Sweet's voice sounded like someone had jumped up and down on his throat a couple of times. I've since warmed up to his music somewhat but I was wondering if he sounded this way to anyone else who caught him on that tour or did I just hit him on a bad night? Joe Knox (mjk.apa@email.apa.org) P.S. I've got tickets for the Washington D.C. show on the 28th ($15.00, doors open 7:30) and will probably go to the other D.C. show and/or some New York shows. Is four Robyn Hitchcock shows in four nights overkill? Is it the sign of an addiction? [][][][][][][][][][] From: seven@cs.utwente.nl (Susan Even) Subject: zipper in my spine To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu (pleasure of the aching void) Date: Mon, 6 Mar 95 15:39:56 GMT Beste mensen, Zipper In My Spine is a new song. Robyn said so when I asked him about it after the Soft Boys gig in Brighton last year. He said he thought it fit in with the old songs. Something the newly-released version seems to be missing is the pantomime he did with it last year. (But none of us were in the basement with him when he recorded it...) Smiles, Susan p.s. I'll post a setlist of the Dingwalls gig tomorrow. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 08:24:19 -0800 (PST) From: Mike Minahan To: father bungholio Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Recent Singles On Sat, 4 Mar 1995, father bungholio wrote: > so, i was just polishing up the mrs. wafflehead list based on the info > that jonathan sent me (thanks!) and noticed that there is a cd single > listed for "driving aloud"! no record label is given. does anyone know > anything about this? three pounds to mrs. wafflehead will get you a > copy. I have a promotional copy of Driving Aloud; but it only has the one song. It is the same as the album version. I don't know of any other singles from Respect. Possibly Railway Shoes or Arms of Love? toad [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 95 17:38:31 GMT From: jturner@rpms.ac.uk (Jonathan Turner) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: all the news Vendetta wrote: > the last thing is that i was wondering if any of the UK's list members might > know why it is that robyn doesn't seem terribly popular there... the only > thing i could think of was this speech that Vyv gives in the "Young Ones" > (coming back to comedy central on 11 march) about felicity kendall (sp?)... > he says that he hates that show, (neighbours?) because it gives the bloody > impression that everyone in england is a lovable middle-class eccentric..... > which is not the case, to hear Vyv shout it..... > I think the show with the divine Felicity was 'The Good Life', where she and her husband (Richard Briers) attempted to reject their conventional lifestyle and become self-sufficient (ie growing vegetables and keeping a few animals in the back garden of their suburban home). I assume Vyv doesn't like Robyn because of Robyn's quote 'there's two things worse than country music... and one of them's punk'. But seriously folks, I don't know why Robyn's not so popular here. It may have something to do with musical fashion - bands can gain popularity here faster than I think they can in the US, but unless someone is huge, it's difficult for them to keep the publicity momentum going. I get the impression that he's gained few new (younger) fans here in recent years, and the older audience is thinning out as they take on life's little responsibilites. Though a lot of the oldies turned out for the Soft Boys reunion shows. The London show must have been bigger than any show they played the first time around. But I thought we all WERE lovable middle-class eccentrics! I saw the Young Ones live once; Vyv came on playing the intro to "Pretty Vacant'. What a guy. Jonathan. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 12:39:04 -0800 (PST) From: Bayard Catron Subject: no subject To: dark birds well, I'm about to miss my plane, but I promised to leave my address one more time, so here goes: bayard catron 17514 sabrina terrace derwood, md 20855-1253 every time I post about the GLASS FLESH tribute to robyn, I get more offers of songs and artwork, but this time I won't be able to see them for a month. Just send everything to me and I'll sort though the pile when I get back. Thanks to all who have participated thus far. carpe diem, bayard [][][][][][][][][][] From: Sharon Northern To: Fegmaniax Subject: RE: Robyn & KISS Date: Mon, 06 Mar 95 09:16:00 PST >OK so what song by kiss would you like to hear Robyn cover? Oooh..another fun one! While I'd LOVE to see what he'd do with "Detroit Rock City," I think he'd do a better job with "Beth." -Sharon [][][][][][][][][][] From: mad5c@server.cs.virginia.edu Subject: Re: Robyn & KISS To: Hitchcock Fan-List Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 12:53:00 -0500 (EST) You know, I miss Robyn's contributions virtually every time I see a copy of an all-too-abundant-now-a-days tribute album. I think the recent Richard Thompson t.a. would have benefitted a great deal from Robyn's touch. Ditto the Leonard Cohen tribute, and the procession of Velvet Underground tribute albums. Not to mention the Merle Haggard album. :) Given what he did with Caroline Says 15 years ago I'd like to see dismantle any number of KISS tunes.... Mike. Says Sharon Northern: >> >> Oooh..another fun one! While I'd LOVE to see what he'd do with "Detroit >> Rock City," I think he'd do a better job with "Beth." --- Michael DeLong - UVa Department of Computer Science - mike@virginia.edu --- "Road to hell paved with unbought stuffed dogs. Not my fault." - Hemingway [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 10:33:51 -0800 (PST) From: Francis Owen McDonnell To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Mathew Sweet and Robyn On Mon, 6 Mar 1995 MJK.APA.email.apa.org wrote: > However, Matthew Sweet's > voice sounded like someone had jumped up and down on his throat a couple > of times. I've since warmed up to his music somewhat but I was wondering > if he sounded this way to anyone else who caught him on that tour or did > I just hit him on a bad night? No. I saw the Sweet/Hitchcock double bill in Portland, Or., and Mathew was not up to par. I agree with your description of his voice live, but the main problem that I had was with his lead guitarist. I was up against the stage in the center and the only thing I heard was the lead guitar. It was the most painful live experience of my life. I was really quite worried about my hearing. This guitarists' play totally ruined Mathew's set. - Frank McDonnell fmcdonne@reed.edu [][][][][][][][][][] From: Andy Ruppenstein Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 11:21:21 -0800 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Matthew Sweet and Robyn On Mon, 6 Mar 1995 MJK.APA.email.apa.org wrote: > However, Matthew Sweet's > voice sounded like someone had jumped up and down on his throat a couple > of times. I've since warmed up to his music somewhat but I was wondering > if he sounded this way to anyone else who caught him on that tour or did > I just hit him on a bad night? I saw him on the Sweet/Hitchcock double bill in San Francisco. It was OK - better than mediocre, maybe good, but not even very good. Too loud, muddy singing. I was left wondering what the hype was about, since I'd heard about him. I've since come to like some of his recordings, but haven't been at all tempted to see him live again. Andy / ruppen@demog.berkeley.edu [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 06 Mar 95 15:04:10 EST From: kenster@MIT.EDU (ostrander) To: am497@freenet.buffalo.edu (Michael J. Swedene) Subject: Re: Metcalfe-bass Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >he is highly under-rated as a bass player. I think >that his bass lines really enhance Robyn's songs. the bass bits really bring everything together on many tracks. "lady waters and the hooded one" has some of his best grooves. (we'll have a dollar before long) ken [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 14:06:36 -0600 (CST) From: JAY LYALL Subject: Re: Matthew Sweet and Robyn To: ruppen@demog.berkeley.edu Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu I like sweets work with Lloyd Cole on Coles first two solo albums best... the rest leaves me unimpressed, or rather shall I say underimpressed jay [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 17:30:45 -0500 (EST) From: Pamela A Lowy To: Susan Even Cc: pleasure of the aching void Subject: Re: zipper in my spine Susan even addressed us: > Beste mensen, > Judging from this, we are all to be considered the best student cafeterias. I believe that Mensen is the plural form of the German word for student cafeterias, is it not? Ah well, no biggie. Flachwichser = one who masturbates, but not very well. A terribly useful German word, and one which we Robyn Hitchcock fans should use at every opportunity. Sorry for the correction, I'm a tad anal. =), Pam * [][][][][][][][][][] From: mikester@bix.com Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 17:32:24 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: World Cafe stuff To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >I can tape the WXPN Philadelphia World Cafe broadcast at 1 on 3-26. Is Robyn on? I mustive missed something... ---Mike ----------------------- "People ask me why I'm obsessed with fish, but it's not true. They're just there" ---Robyn Hitchcock, 3/25/88 ----------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] From: mikester@bix.com Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 17:32:28 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Robyn's favourite artists. To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >BTW - Just been listening to Perspex Island through speakers with good bass >response. That's fantastic bass playing (listen to Oceanside, ferinstance). I think it was Musician Mag who said that "Perspex" has the best and most melodic bass playing in recent years. Andy Metcalfe is probably the best bassist in rock ("alternative" or not) today. It really grates on me that someone like Flea is "the best bass player!!" in every music mag (IMO, the guy overplays and can't even hold a groove or lock with the drums) while Andy isn't even known outside of a small circle. 'Nuff rantin'. ---Mike ----------------------- "People ask me why I'm obsessed with fish, but it's not true. They're just there" ---Robyn Hitchcock, 3/25/88 ----------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] From: mikester@bix.com Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 17:32:31 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: andy metcalf To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >I'm not sure of my Cambridge entertainment history, but didn't the Python >guys in large part come from Cambridge about the time that Robyn was >playing there They were in Cambridge in the mid-60's. ---Mike ----------------------- "People ask me why I'm obsessed with fish, but it's not true. They're just there" ---Robyn Hitchcock, 3/25/88 ----------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] From: mikester@bix.com Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 17:32:56 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Robyn & KISS To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >OK so what song by kiss would you like to hear Robyn cover? On the other side, the perfect Robyn song for KISS to cover is "Rock N' Roll Toilet." ---Mike ----------------------- "People ask me why I'm obsessed with fish, but it's not true. They're just there" ---Robyn Hitchcock, 3/25/88 ----------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] From: mikester@bix.com Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 17:32:39 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: all the news that has a fit. To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >i wanted to add that it shows you what a hack this person is, because he >obviously has no problem heisting his vocabulary from the assholes at MTV Also giving BSDR and IODOT two stars while giving GD three? GD, either version, is, IMO Robyn's worst album. This guy's obviously more into slick production values than songs and actual _albums_ that hang together as a whole. ---Mike (thinking of changing my sig to "critics suck") ----------------------- "People ask me why I'm obsessed with fish, but it's not true. They're just there" ---Robyn Hitchcock, 3/25/88 ----------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] From: mccalls@netcom.com (Fred and Sandy McCall) Subject: Re: Kiss the messenger! To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 14:41:25 -0800 (PST) Cc: mccalls@netcom.com (Fred and Sandy McCall) > Of all these tracks, I've only heard of Birdshead and Ghost Ship. > Have any of the others seen the light of day before? > > And unless I'm mistaken, Polly on the Shore was the title of a Tangerine > Dream album several years ago. I can't imagine... Well, somewhere we (Trudi and I) have a boot of Victorian Squid, and I know at least one person who will be in paroxyms of ecxtasy to finally have a real copy of it. (Does the name Carolyn Hamilton mean anything to anyone?) Sandra [][][][][][][][][][] From: mccalls@netcom.com (Fred and Sandy McCall) Subject: Re:BASS To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 14:46:30 -0800 (PST) > Also! Bonus! Upon being hard-pressed to find a birthday gift for > my sister, who introduced me to Robyn's music, I recall reading about > Trudi (or was it Sandi) who was presented with a copy of Robyn's birth > certificate. Remembering this, I sprinted as fast as the bus could take me > to St. Catherine's House at Aldwych. This is home to the Office of > Population and Census Services. In the big red book marked E-K March > 1953, listed as being page 184 d, born on March 3, 1953 near Paddington, > was Robyn Hitchcock. I bought my sister a little copy of history for six > pounds. Trudi tracked that down while in England. And I didn't realize until just now that Robyn is actually *older* than my seemingly very ancient husband! Wow. :) Sandra (There is no "i" in my name) [][][][][][][][] 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-request@nsmx.rutgers.edu. Slipping you the midnight fish...