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 105 Today's Topics: ------- ------ "He's a Reptile" A Robyn-esque Fourth O' July Cliff's evil soul Huh #11 part one Lyrics Queen Elvis CD RH & Julian Cope? Seperated at birth? Robyn's near miss? The Guy w/ the GUitar au pair mailing list respect? [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 3 Jul 1995 16:09:05 -0500 (EST) From: tracy aileen copeland To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Lyrics On Sun, 2 Jul 1995, Bayard wrote: > au pere (oh pear?) girl's headless torso An au pair girl is a bit like a governess, only foreign and paid less. So there is such a phrase ... can't tell whether that's what he's singing, though. Tracy "laissez le bontoast rouler" [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 16:54:24 +1200 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James) Subject: Cliff's evil soul Re: the ELO connection Evil Woman is definitely ELO. I think it's either off Eldorado or Face the Music. The Cliff Richard track you're confusing it with is Devil Woman. --- A Tree-frog asked: >I'm just listening to my Invisible Hitchcock CD (Glass Fish; I don't have >any of the Rhino re-issues yet). The Pit of Souls (Country Version) was >on, and it crossed my mind to ask: Is The Pit of Souls full-length version >available on CD anywhere, like maybe on the re-issues? There's a 10 minute instrumental called The Pit of Souls Parts 1-4 on the Fegmania! reissue. Is that what you mean? 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: RobertZ919@aol.com Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 09:41:49 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Huh #11 part one Hey everyone ! Here is PART ONE of 3 of the "HUH" story about Robyn. Not much new info. here though. from: HUH issue number Eleven Typed without permission (but It was the only worthwhile thing anyway, so they owe me)! "The Mixed Up Files Of Robyn Hitchcock " by Dean Kuipers There is this man standing in front of me, twitching violently and randomly in a prim. wood-furnished, university ballroom in Texas., and because of the crowd I have to look over his snap shrugging shoulder and through his spasming hair to see ROBYN HITCHCOCK. Which is perfect. This man seems to be performing a kind of abstract interpretive dance, not to the beats or the inflections of Robyn's music-all of his songs are so pop-perfectly constructed, so straight, so awfully pretty-but to the ideas of the songs. And Robyn is up there standing very tall, making the stage look very empty, a sort of Neil Young presence-if Young were to be rendered by Monty Python-and he's saying things like, "This is a song about being menaced by solid objects and seeing your future in them," or, before the terrific song 'Queen Elvis':" I think the reason people are so afraid of CD'S is that they remind us of pieces of salami, which is what we get cut up into during relationships." And I'm thinking that, if he could take a moment out from his focused, riveting performance, Robyn himself would be pleased by this spectacle- a palsied (albeit smiling) frug inspired by the abstract boy oh-so-everyday obsessions that fill his songs. For it seems that Hitchcock is very much amused with random events as they become casual relationships-you know, how one man's uncontrollable shaking seems to embody another man's song called "I'm only you," which, he says, "is just about cross- dressing," and how the palsy disturbed by the dancer's palsy walks to the bar and picks up a Graham Parker fan (who was also on the bill that night in Texas) who actually turns out to be not only a woman underneath the leather jacket but also a psychotherapist who believes that L. Ron Hubbard is still alive, and together they run off to open a home for emotionally disturbed children just across the bridge from Juarez, Mexico. That kind of thing. He must be amused by that kind of thing, because he writes about it all the time, and seems to be laughing at it while he does. Way back when he was one of the principals in the fab late-70's longhair Brit-psychedelia-pop quartet Soft Boys. these preoccupations with how God manifests itself in appliances, or the terrible Syd-Barretesque price we pay for simple thinking and eating in an absurd universe, or the unfathomable complexity of two people organizing their lives in such a way that they might think and eat together-all that found its way onto an unbeatable album called "Underwater Moonlight." Very soon after, around 1980, the Soft Boys evanesced into such bands as Katrina and the Waves (itself something of an oddment), and Robyn put out a terrific first "solo" album (with all the same people on it) called "Black Snake Diamond Role." And since then he's deposited many more albums at various labels, some of them with former Soft Boys Andy Metcalf (bass & keys) and Morris Windsor(drums and stuff) as Robyn Hitchcock and/or Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians. Now eight of these albums have been re- released on CD by Rhino records, chock full of rare tracks and hilarious/poignant demos, along with a new CD of never-before released tracks called "You & Oblivion." (end of part one) ________________________________________________________ [][][][][][][][][][] From: Alex Dennis To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 14:42:10 BST Subject: Queen Elvis CD Does anyone have the 'phone number or e-mail address of a record shop that still stocks the Queen Elvis CD and does mail order please? I got ALL my CDs stolen a few months back, and this seems to be the hardest one to replace (apparently it's been deleted?). I've tried all the obvious UK specialists. Also, if anyone catches sight of either Time Between (the Byrds tribute with Wild Mountain Thyme on) or Alvin Lives (the anti-Poll Tax UK release with Kung Fu Fighting on) I'd be grateful if they'd let me know. I'm resigned to not having these two again though... Thanks Alex [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Tue, 04 Jul 1995 22:21:33 -0500 (CDT) From: JAY LYALL Subject: A Robyn-esque Fourth O' July To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu So I'm back from a 4th of July that can either be called Robynesque or kinda sick...Four of us snuck into a graveyard, plopped down on Howard Hughes grave, ate some chicken, drank some beer and watched a fabulous fireworks display...America, gotta love it... jay %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Jay Lyall "Capy Toad Blast" "You might call it ultra-violet radiation" hist1a@jetson.uh.edu But it's only sunlight." University of Houston --Lloyd Cole "I'm a pigworker, momma, "We'll inherit the Earth, And I'm gonna work my pig on you." But we don't want it." --Robyn Hitchcock --Replacements %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 10:44:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard To: JAY LYALL cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: A Robyn-esque Fourth O' July On Tue, 4 Jul 1995, JAY LYALL recounted: > So I'm back from a 4th of July that can either be called Robynesque or kinda > sick...Four of us snuck into a graveyard, plopped down on Howard Hughes grave, > ate some chicken, drank some beer and watched a fabulous fireworks > display...America, gotta love it... Just a note: Robyn stopped eating chicken in '87. ;) not sure if he's started again-- but substitute some _fruits de mer_ and I'm sure this is a party he'd of joined you for. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 5 Jul 95 17:53:03 EDT From: jlaw@irus.rri.uwo.ca (Jeff Lawrence) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: RH & Julian Cope? Seperated at birth? Now that the subject grabbed your attention ;-) I thought I'd mention something that I've noticed and see what you folks think of it. Has anyone noticed the striking similarities between Julian Cope and RH? I've only gotten into Cope (who I will shortform to JC from now on to save my poor hands!) very recently and I've started to noticed a lot of similar things between JC & RH. They both had brilliant first bands that very virtually ignored at the same time period. JC's band was the Teardrop Explodes who realeased 2 albums with JC and a couple without him. TE started around 1976, about the same time as the Soft Boys - however TE *did* manage to get signed to a big league label since record companies thought they were "new wave" - fat chance! Then they both went onto brilliant & neglected solo careers, briefly flirting in "reunion" concerts with their old bands (though the Egyptians can be considered to be the old band in *some* senses). Both of them can easily also be called "eccentric" (and I mean that in the nicest of possible manners :-)) and both have had one near miss "Top 10 hit" in their careers (we all know RH's, and JC had "World Shut Your Mouth" in 1987 which almost went Top 10). Also both their lyrics are very clever "montage" type of word-paintings that require you to think rather than just sit there....... However, Cope is a "bit" more mainstream sounding in terms of music than RH (but JC is *still* light years away from the true mainstream) and JC has the good fortune to have a major label distribution through Island. Any other conincidences you can think of???? :-) For those who are interested, I'd start with "Floored By Genius" (I think that's the right title) which is greatest hits from 1977-1991. There is some great music on this disk, especially "Safesurfer" from "Peggy Suicide" (1991) which has to be the greatest AIDS song behind "The Slim" by Sugar - brilliant stuff!! Highly recommended :-) Slainte!, Jeff --- "I should have caught the mistake on that spelling bee card. But as Mark Twain once said, `You should never trust a man who has only one way to spell a word'." - Vice President Dan Quayle, actually quoting from President Andrew Jackson. ** JEFF LAWRENCE (jlaw@irus.rri.uwo.ca) ** Grad Student, Imaging Research Labs, Robarts Research Institute University Of Western Ontario, P.O. Box 5015, 100 Perth Drive London, Ont., CANADA, N6A 5K8 Ph:(519)663-5777 ext. 4028 URL : http://www.irus.rri.uwo.ca/~jlaw/home.html [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 10:38:45 +0100 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James) Subject: au pair Cc: Bayard Bayard 's lyrics included: >au pere (oh pear?) girl's headless torso au pair. Sort of combination housekeeper & babysitter. At one time French & German teenagers wanting working holidays in other parts of Europe (and particularly Britain) would work as au pairs, usually in return for free room and board. Dunno if it's still as common a practice though. 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: Meadam@aol.com Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 18:48:39 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: mailing list Is this the address for the Robyn Hitchcock bulletin board. If so, how do I join [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 16:06:59 -0700 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: tclark@ftp.netgate.net (Tom Clark) Subject: Re: RH & Julian Cope? Seperated at birth? >Now that the subject grabbed your attention ;-) I thought I'd mention >something that I've noticed and see what you folks think of it. > >Has anyone noticed the striking similarities between Julian Cope and RH? >I've only gotten into Cope (who I will shortform to JC from now on to save >my poor hands!) >very recently and I've started to noticed a lot of similar things between >JC & RH. > > Any other conincidences you can think of???? :-) > One is an acid casualty who revived his career The other is oft compared to an acid casualty who lost his career > For those who are interested, I'd start with "Floored By Genius" >(I think >that's the right title) "Floored Genius" - of which there are now two volumes, I believe. Cheers, tc Tom Clark tclark@netgate.net tclark@apple.com tclark@eworld.com http://www.netgate.net/~tclark/ [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 19:41:15 -0400 From: das freshmaker! To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: RH & Julian Cope? Seperated at birth? jlaw@irus.rri.uwo.ca (Jeff Lawrence) sez: >Has anyone noticed the striking similarities between Julian Cope and RH? um, i dunno. personally, i never found julian's solo albums to be that intriguing and i never understood the attention he got. as for the teardrop explodes...well, i bought the two albums that julian's on and _everyone wants to shag_, but haven't listened to 'em more than once or twice...however, now that you mention it, i think i'll listen to 'em tonight as i really haven't listened to them - they just played in the background. woj [][][][][][][][][][] From: GodComplex@aol.com Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 19:56:30 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: respect? who knows, really. from the most recent details, tho i don't have the rest, a friend sent me the page with a big "What the fuck?" in the margin...... The Circle Jerks lucked into a reunion album thanks to the recent success of their LA hardcore inheritors, but the new kids on the block do it better. The main attraction on _Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities_ (which, BTW is close to the name of a robyn tape that i made called Oddities, Extremities and Curiosities) proves to be Debbie Gibson, singing along with a cover of the Soft Boys' classic, "I Wanna Destroy You".... that's all. maybe they will put it out as a single, 'cause otherwise, i can't be bothered, and no offense to those of you still into punk rawk, but the kids today have no idea, and when i was kid, i had no idea either. JhC [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 20:54:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Marks Subject: The Guy w/ the GUitar To: Pretty Girls and Anglepoise lamps I keep hearing people tell me that there's this guy on this list keeping an archive of all the posted TAB/CRD... Unfortunately, no one seems to know who it is, or else they tend to be wrong about who it is. So...will the guy keeping track of the TAB/CRD on here please stand up? Oh...and if anyone knows how to play "Listening to the Higsons", let me know, ok? Thanks. Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks a013645t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us [][][][][][][][][][] From: Kalikoolin@aol.com Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 21:10:37 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: "He's a Reptile" This may seem to be an exceedingly small point, but please bear with me... Years ago, when I would hear "He's a Reptile" on the local college radio station, I swear that during the fadeout Robyn said "reptiles keep swinging". Personally, I found this one of Robyn's alltime most amusing lines. But on every version I've ever heard on record, that line is missing -- is there another version out there somewhere? Thanks for any help. Tom [][][][][][][][][][] From: jonathan@eta.pha.jhu.edu (Jonathan Gelbord) Subject: Re: au pair To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 01:06:46 -0400 (EDT) > > Dunno if it's still as common a practice though. > Hey y'all - I'm new to this group, and I think it's odd that my first posting would be about au pere's (then again, what could be called odd in THIS group?)... Personally, I'd never heard of au pere's until a few years ago, but apparently there are a few agencies set up that put prospective au pere's in touch with prospective hosts around the world. I learned about this when my sister up in New York hosted an English woman for several months. Of course, this doesn't speak for how common the practice is... - Jonathan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110 W39 St, Apt.703 | Jonathan Gelbord | Dep't of Physics & Astronomy Baltimore, MD 21210 | jonathan@jhu.edu | The Johns Hopkins University ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Then I got on the Internet, which is the ultimate time-waster. It's like the Ginsu knife of time-wasters. It slices, it dices, it reduces time to virtually nil." - Robert Poss, co-leader of Band of Susans ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 6 Jul 95 08:20:03 BST To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: jturner@rpms.ac.uk (Jonathan Turner) Subject: Re: "He's a Reptile" Tom wrote: >Years ago, when I would hear "He's a Reptile" on the local college radio >station, I swear that during the fadeout Robyn said "reptiles keep swinging". > Personally, I found this one of Robyn's alltime most amusing lines. > >But on every version I've ever heard on record, that line is missing -- is >there another version out there somewhere? I don't think I can remember that line, but if I try hard enough I can hear it. The 7" of "He's A Reptile" was shorter than the "Invisible Hits" version, and would have been release shortly after David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging," so maybe it is on there. If I ever see my "Reptile" 7" at the same time as being near a record deck, I'll check it. I'd always assumed it was an edited version from the take that appeared on "IH" but I may be wrong. I used to have a nice "He's A Reptile" badge. Jonathan. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 09:21:09 +0100 From: S.Roberts@astronomy.cardiff.ac.uk (Simon Roberts) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Robyn's near miss? > both have had one near miss "Top 10 hit" in their > careers (we all know RH's... Not if you've been living under a bucket - what was Robyn's near miss? I'm sure he hasn't had one in the UK. Simon [][][][][][][][] End of this Fegmaniax Digest. Archives can be found at ftp://fegmania.wustl.edu/fegmaniax/archives/ For administrative questions, subscription requests, and all that boring crud, send mail to fegmaniax-request@nsmx.rutgers.edu. Slipping you the midnight fish...