Fegmaniax Digest <==----------==> (Send posts to the list to fegmaniax@nsmx.rutgers.edu) (Send adminstrative commands to majordomo@nsmx.rutgers.edu) (Send comments, etc to the listowner at owner-fegmaniax@nsmx.rutgers.edu) <==----------==> Volume 3 Number 134 Today's Topics: ------- ------ Subject: worst... Subject: Re: worst... Subject: RE: worst... Subject: Least favorite RH songs Subject: Re: worst... Subject: the worst Subject: Re: worst... Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs Subject: worst song Subject: Worst RH Songs Subject: Least Fave RH song(s) Subject: Re: Worst RH Songs Subject: Worst songs..... Subject: un-favorites Subject: Re:worst Subject: Yip Subject: Re: Worst RH Songs Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs Subject: least favorite RH Subject: worst Subject: Worst Song Subject: worst?? Subject: Worst(?) Song Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs Subject: Re: least favorite RH Subject: Queen Elvis (was Re: least favorite RH) Subject: Re: soundalikes Subject: Queen Elvis (the song) Subject: Re: least favorite RH Subject: Re: worst (i LIKE "nightride") Subject: least favorite... Subject: Re: least favorite RH Subject: Re: worst... Subject: Re: worst... Subject: shovels on the wurst Subject: Re:worst Subject: Re: Queen Elvis (was Re: least favorite RH) Subject: Re: worst... Subject: Re: shovels on the wurst Subject: uncarved pumpkins Subject: it's so cold in Alaska Subject: Re: least favorite RH Subject: Re: least favorite... [][][][][][][][][][] From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 14:55:05 +0800 To: The veins of Her Majesty the Queen Subject: worst... Okay folks, time for a new thread! Dave Baker says of Queen Elvis >However, I view it very differently. Superman doesn't really work and I >personally find that One Long Pair of Eyes is a fairly dreary song which >doesn't move me in any way but apart from that, I feel it is a very strong >album. Now, Superman just happens to be the one Robyn song that I'm most likely to reach for the "skip track" button during. What song by our beloved maestro do YOU regard as his woprdst? Or worst, for that matter? 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) [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 11:47:34 +0100 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: andyh@pavilion.co.uk (Andy Holyer) Subject: Re: worst... At 2:55 pm 7/9/95 +0800, james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz wrote: >Now, Superman just happens to be the one Robyn song that I'm most likely to >reach for the "skip track" button during. What song by our beloved maestro >do YOU regard as his woprdst? Or worst, for that matter? The Fly. Always hated it. Could never understand why he always did it live. Andy Holyer, Brighton, UK At Home, +44 973 405836 [][][][][][][][][][] Date: 7 Sep 1995 06:59:24 U From: "King Chuck" Subject: RE: worst... To: "fegmaniax" James asks: > Now, Superman just happens to be the one Robyn song that I'm most likely to > reach for the "skip track" button during. What song by our beloved maestro > do YOU regard as his woprdst? Or worst, for that matter? To which I answer without hesitation: Wafflehead! Chuck king_chuck@mn15-gw.mavd.honeywell.com [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 07:02:19 -0500 (EST) From: tracy aileen copeland To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Least favorite RH songs On Thu, 7 Sep 1995 james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz wrote: > What song by our beloved maestro do YOU regard as his woprdst? Or worst, > for that matter? "Wafflehead" makes me cringe. I feel so embarassed when I listen to it that I've only played it once deliberately. I have an acquaintance who worships Madonna, and when _Sex_ and _Erotica_ came out I had to hear a great deal about "sexual candor as the most personal and therefore most profound art" and the like. _Respect_ arrived at roughly the same time, so the next time the fellow came over I put "Wafflehead" on. Didn't convert him to fegism, but did put an end to the Madonna talk. Tracy though had there been toast in "Wafflehead" I might have forgiven everything [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 08:30:55 -0400 From: mikeb@usa1.com (Mike Breen) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: worst... >What song by our beloved maestro do YOU regard as his woprdst? Or worst, for >that matter? Let's put it this way. If I had a choice to listen to either Superman or I Something You, I'd choose Superman. ---Mike (THIS SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION) Check out the Other Days home page at http://www1.usa1.com/~mikeb/odays.html mikeb@usa1.com mikester@bix.com [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 07:32:51 -0500 (CDT) From: JAY LYALL Subject: the worst To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu My vote goes to Luminous Rose, one of the most annoying songs I've ever heard...and it just goes on and on and on... jay %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Jay Lyall "Capy Toad Blast" "If you could free my inner child hist1a@jetson.uh.edu Then I could free your inhabitions." University of Houston --Lloyd Cole "I was born to cheese you." "They're telling me questions --Robyn Hitchcock And asking me lies." --Replacements %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 09:41:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Dimitrios Kouroussis Subject: Re: worst... To: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz Cc: The veins of Her Majesty the Queen Robyn Hitchcock has composed 20-30 of the best songs I've ever heard. He's also the proud composer of the worst: How do You Work This Thing I can't figure out how, on earth, he worked it out... P.S. I like Superman, BTW. Dmitri [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 09:55:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Gary Assa To: tracy aileen copeland cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs Do Policemen Sing --------------------------------------------------- 1. Earth is 98% full. Please delete anyone you can. 2. I came, I saw, I deleted all your files. 3. The world will end in 5 minutes. Please log out. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 10:26:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Jordan M Anderson To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: worst song Excerpts from internet.music.fegmaniax: 7-Sep-95 RE: worst... by "King Chuck"@mn15-gw.mav >To which I answer without hesitation: Wafflehead! Yes, it was nice of A&M to put it at the end of the cd--no programming necessary. -Jordan [][][][][][][][][][] From: ZeroSummer@aol.com Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 10:27:51 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Worst RH Songs To respectfully counter Jay's criticism, I adore Luminous Rose. You know what really annoys me? The Man with the Lightbulb Head. I know it has its fans, but . . . I agree Superman and Wafflehead are weak, but they stretch into the realm of novelty (as does Lightbulb Head). But these can be excused as such. In general, Robyn's worst songs are those few that are simply boring, like Cathedral and The Fly. Of course, some would stick Luminous Rose in this category, but I think it's too great lyrically. [][][][][][][][][][] From: sprano@cvax.ipfw.indiana.edu Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 09:53:47 EST To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Least Fave RH song(s) I like "Superman"...I love "Wafflehead"...In fact, I like every song in the Hitchcock catalog except "Arms Of Love" and "Oceanside". They put me to sleep...ZZZZZZZZ...every time. I just start PERSPEX at track three! I just put it down to a hit-making attempt during the A&M period. He, of course, has since redeemed himself with such beautifully unconventional fare like "Statue With A Walkman". IMHO, obviously! HAL. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 10:08:28 -0500 (CDT) From: JAY LYALL Subject: Re: Worst RH Songs To: ZeroSummer@aol.com Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >From: IN%"ZeroSummer@aol.com" 7-SEP-1995 09:50:23.55 >Subj: Worst RH Songs > >To respectfully counter Jay's criticism, I adore Luminous Rose. well then why don't we just step outside for a minute there Tex...:) > >You know what really annoys me? The Man with the Lightbulb Head. I know it >has its fans, but . . . > >I agree Superman and Wafflehead are weak, but they stretch into the realm of >novelty (as does Lightbulb Head). But these can be excused as such. In >general, Robyn's worst songs are those few that are simply boring, like >Cathedral and The Fly. Of course, some would stick Luminous Rose in this >category, but I think it's too great lyrically. but oi that accordian....anyone want to take a jab at defending Furry Green Atom Bowel? jay %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Jay Lyall "Capy Toad Blast" "If you could free my inner child hist1a@jetson.uh.edu Then I could free your inhabitions." University of Houston --Lloyd Cole "I was born to cheese you." "They're telling me questions --Robyn Hitchcock And asking me lies." --Replacements %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 11:49:35 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John B. Jones) Subject: Worst songs..... I can't pick an all-time worst song, but I can tell you my least favorite from each album..... Can of Bees: Human Music Invisible Hits: Let Me Put It Next to You Underwater Moonlight: none Black Snake: Meat Groovy: The Rain, It Was the Night, Young People Scream IODOT: Mellow Together (it needs to be there, but its hard to take) Fegmania: Strawberry Mind Gotta Let: The Cars She Used to Drive Element: The Crawling Invisible Hitchcock: Blues in A (like the guitar, but not the vocals) You & Oblivion: Don't You Globe of Frogs: Shapes Between Us Queen Elvis: none EYE: none. at gunpoint, I would say Transparent Lover Perspex: Ultra-Unbelievable, Child of the Universe Respect: Arms of Love (LOVE the song, HATE the arrangement) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John B. Jones e-mail: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu "Death by envy is the only way" - O+> "My headphones....they saved my life" -Bjork -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 10:40:59 -0500 From: "Chuck Tomlinson" To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: un-favorites My Un-Favorites: Superman The Presdent Luminous Rose Executioner Furry Green Atom Bowl (no defending here...) "Wafflehead" on Respect gets dull; it rocked when I saw them do it live. Child of the Universe (on PI; again, I loved it in concert) And I finally got my hands on the Sequel comp, and "Statue with a Walkman" is great. I found myself craving more multi-tracked recordings and more Metcalfe-aided arrangements. But that's just me... Chuck [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:43:17 +0000 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: h.l.osullivan@herts.ac.uk (Helen O'Sullivan) Subject: Re:worst I hate all those bluesy tracks. At least I think its blues: I HATE them with a passion! And slow drony nowhere songs like Give Me a Spanner Ralph. (I like Superman though; I still giggle helplesslessly at those lyrics.) And count me in for hating The Fly,too (lack of melody, perhaps?) What really amazes me is that there are quite a few of Robyn's songs that I just can't listen to and yet the ones I DO like are up there with some of my favourite songs EVER. This never happened with any of the other bands that I love. Strange but true... Yours totally puzzled, Helen. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 10:40:20 -0600 (MDT) From: David Scales a/k/a Captain Oblivion To: david baker cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Yip On Thu, 31 Aug 1995, david baker wrote: > And "The Yip Song" would also be right up there (exhilarating melody, > great juxtoposition(?) in the lyrics) except for the pointlessly > irritating `yip` business. Hmmm. I always liked that bit. Who else could get away with something like that? Dave Scales / Captain Oblivion "He wonders if he, too, might have made a similar mistake." --Talking Heads [][][][][][][][][][] To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Thu, 7 Sep 95 12:12 CDT From: bwayne@computek.net (Bret) Subject: Re: Worst RH Songs >>From: IN%"ZeroSummer@aol.com" 7-SEP-1995 09:50:23.55 >>Subj: Worst RH Songs >> >>To respectfully counter Jay's criticism, I adore Luminous Rose. > >well then why don't we just step outside for a minute there Tex...:) >> >>You know what really annoys me? The Man with the Lightbulb Head. I know it >>has its fans, but . . . >> >>I agree Superman and Wafflehead are weak, but they stretch into the realm of >>novelty (as does Lightbulb Head). But these can be excused as such. In >>general, Robyn's worst songs are those few that are simply boring, like >>Cathedral and The Fly. Of course, some would stick Luminous Rose in this >>category, but I think it's too great lyrically. > > > >but oi that accordian....anyone want to take a jab at defending Furry Green >Atom Bowel? Well, someone had to do it, I adore the aforementioned song, What realy annoys me is Superman........What in the worls was he thinking?????? then again, it is on Queen Elvis (The song by the same name is incredible..) the entire record seems quite lacking to me........even makes Respect look wonderous.......... -----Bret -----Telephones and Viruses, -----and the Passion of it All. ----- 'Robyn Hitchcock [][][][][][][][][][] From: rhunter@ugcs.caltech.edu (her nice virtual halo) Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 10:20:30 -0700 (PDT) Gary Assa wrote: > Do Policemen Sing Well I find this kind of funny. This is the favorite song of all of my friends. For a while (before some frosh overloaded our transmitter and amp) we had our little radio station running here (it only broadcasts to about half the student housing here at Caltech, very small), and I played an hour of Robyn every week. And every week people would come running over to the radio room asking me to play "Do Policeman Sing?" It was a big hit. And "Superman" used to be one of my favorite songs back when I only had Queen Elvis, Eye and Perspex Island. As far as actually disliking a Robyn Hitchcock song there is really only one I always dislike, and it seems to be a popular one to dislike: Wafflehead. It turns my stomach. I like the sexual overtones in something like "Agony of Pleasure", but Wafflehead is just disgusting. I also almost always skip over "The Man Who Invented Himself". -Rachel Olivia Hunter [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 11:15:56 -0700 Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs From: Tom Clark To: "her nice virtual halo" , "fegManiax" This thread is more eye opening than the "favorites" threads that have gone around. To think that some fegs actually hate "Let Me Put It Next To You" and "Do Policemen Sing?" just blows my mind. I guess I feel obliged to add my $00.02, so here goes: I hate "Heaven." While it's really no worse than any of Robyn's other pop songs, it just ruins the whole _fegMania!_ experience for me. There, I've said it. And I feel better for it. -tc ************************************* * Tom Clark * Apple Computer, Inc. * tclark@apple.com * tclark@netgate.net * tclark@eworld.com * http://www.netgate.net/~tclark ************************************* [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 14:41:42 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: srtinsky@cftnet.com (Karen Collins) Subject: least favorite RH Balloon Man, because in that song RH follows one of his best lines ever ("And it rained like a slow divorce") with one of his worst lines ever ("And I wished I could ride a horse"). I hate it when my heroes show their weaknesses like that. Karen Collins (joe positive) [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 07 Sep 95 13:20:35 From: Russ Reynolds To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: worst "Nightride to Trinidad" blows thick chunks. I became a Hitchcock fan because his music was pretty much the polar opposite of all that disco "dance mix" crap that the masses were embracing at the time. As someone who completeley despises the very idea that music must have a certain beat before you can dance to it, I didn't need to hear Robyn throwing in the towel for the sake of a "hit record". Thankfully he never got his "hit"--who knows what path that might've led him down. I know there's at least a couple of you who like this song...I'd love to hear your thoughts. In defense of... "Luminous Rose"...I didn't care much for it either at first, but eventually I fell in love with the imagery. I think it falls in line rather well with Robyn's unique view of the world. "The Fly" ...yeah, not a great tune but I've never heard anyone so accurately replicate the sound of a buzzin' fly on a guitar. "Superman"...the simultaneous 3/4 & 4/4 intro is awfully annoying, but once the song kicks in it rocks...nice sounding chorus with the harmonies and all. "I Something You"...okay, so it's a little silly and not particularly deep--doesn't that describe about half his songs? I find this one quite charming, and just another in a long line of hummable tunes that Robyn so consistantly writes. "wafflehead"...um...er...well, it's kind of...interesting. Actually, I think if it were about larvae hatching in blood vessels we'd all love it. -Russ. today's changer tracks: Neil Young/Mirror Ball Robyn Hitchcock/Invisible Hitchcock Badfinger/The Best of Badfinger Smashing Pumpkins/Siamese Dream Beatles/Let it Be [][][][][][][][][][] From: MILLER@nzdri.org.nz Date: Fri, 08 Sep 1995 08:46:58 +1200 (NZST) Subject: Worst Song To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Ahhhhhh! So much negativity! For what it's worth, my vote goes to Strawberry Mind. (Is anyone keeping count on this?) Sally. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 07 Sep 95 14:15:08 From: Russ Reynolds To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: worst?? I'm amazed at some of the tunes that are being named as "least favorite"! "How Do You Work This Thing?"??? that's always been one of my favorites! "Do Policemen Sing?"???? gotta agree with HER NICE VIRTUAL HALO--that's a crowd pleaser, alright. "HUMAN MUSIC"????? That one's a staple on my "convert" tapes! "Arms of Love"? there are people who DON'T LIKE THIS??? :) This is a helluva thread! I must say I'm rather enjoying it all, negative though it may be. BTW, someone wrote about "Mellow Together" that it "has to be there..." actualy it doesn't. It's a bonus track. The original vinyl version of IODOT actually worked quite well without it. In fact, it always struck me as kind of jarring that those bonus tracks were placed in the MIDDLE of the CD instead of at the end. I suppose they blend right in if you've never heard the original, though. -Russ. (least favorite Beethoven song: "Moonlight Sonata." Puts me to sleep. Needs drums or something.) [][][][][][][][][][] To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Thu, 7 Sep 95 16:39 CDT From: bwayne@computek.net (Bret) Subject: Worst(?) Song Negative or not, I'd have to admit this is one of the most active days I have ever seen from the mailing list. or maybe it is just the most entertaining to myself, and I am paying close attention.......(today is a big day for me while locked at work and getting all my news from a machine...........living in Dallas and being a football fan....hehehehhe) AND while here, I have spoken to people whom are allegadly working on tour stuff for me, but if anyone here on the list has an E-mail addres for a US tour-type persons and would mail them to me, I woul;d be most grateful.........trust me, you will love what I'm working on...........thanx all......... -----Bret -----Telephones and Viruses, -----and the Passion of it All. ----- 'Robyn Hitchcock [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 17:47:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Gary Assa To: her nice virtual halo cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Least favorite RH songs > Gary Assa wrote: > > > Do Policemen Sing > > Well I find this kind of funny. This is the favorite song of all of my > friends. For a while (before some frosh overloaded our transmitter and amp) > we had our little radio station running here (it only broadcasts to about > half the student housing here at Caltech, very small), and I played an hour > of Robyn every week. And every week people would come running over to the > radio room asking me to play "Do Policeman Sing?" It was a big hit. > And "Superman" used to be one of my favorite songs back when I only had > Queen Elvis, Eye and Perspex Island. > Wow! Why does it seem my choice is the only one that got a MAJOR resonse to. I bow to your response and will listen to it tonight. Maybe now that I am older, I will like it more. Thank you for opening my mind. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:49:59 -0700 (PDT) From: Livia To: your mom Subject: Re: least favorite RH > Balloon Man, because in that song RH follows one of his best lines ever > ("And it rained like a slow divorce") with one of his worst lines ever ("And > I wished I could ride a horse"). > > I hate it when my heroes show their weaknesses like that. that bugs me too. there are a few other great songs with really lame lines. sometimes i find myself mentally substituting something better, and then wincing the next time i hear the real thing i like most of everyone else's least favorites. even wafflehead songs that i don't like that come quickly to mind are tropical flesh mandala (irritating musically) and queen elvis (there's something unpleasantly presumptuous about a straight guy doing a song about overt gayness) i just went and had a quick look through my cds for other songs i can live without. (mystic trip, linctus house, insect mother, strawberry mind, winchester, america.) none of them are really bad, i just find them boring and want to skip past them to something better [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 16:19:40 -0700 Subject: Queen Elvis (was Re: least favorite RH) From: Tom Clark To: "Livia" , "fegManiax" >queen elvis (there's something >unpleasantly presumptuous about a straight guy doing a song about overt >gayness) um, I never took this song to be anything other than an indictment of superstardom. Am I missing something? -tc ************************************* * Tom Clark * Apple Computer, Inc. * tclark@apple.com * tclark@netgate.net * tclark@eworld.com * http://www.netgate.net/~tclark ************************************* [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 18:24:25 -0500 (EST) From: tracy aileen copeland To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: soundalikes On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, Helen O'Sullivan wrote: > I was just musing on a couple of bits of Robyn's stuff that really sound > like other people. Syd Barrett's "Opel" has always reminded me of "Ghost Ship." The song would fit in nicely on the second side of _Eye_. Has Hitchcock ever covered it? Tracy, anthropomorphic personification of toast [][][][][][][][][][] From: treefrog@netcom.com (Edward of Sim) Subject: Queen Elvis (the song) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 16:22:52 -0700 (PDT) Livia said: > songs that i don't like that come quickly to mind are tropical flesh > mandala (irritating musically) and queen elvis (there's something > unpleasantly presumptuous about a straight guy doing a song about overt > gayness) I really don't the song has anything to do with gayness, overt or otherwise. At an acoustic gig I saw, Robyn introduced it by saying (paraphrased) "I've read a lot of reviews saying what they think this song is about, and all of them are wrong. It's actually about the descent into stardom." The song makes perfect sense in that context (and actually rather little sense in the other). IMHO, of course. peace (and toast) Edward -- Edward of Sim treefrog@netcom.com "Let's work without theorizing," said Martin; "it's the only way to make life bearable." [][][][][][][][][][] Date: 7 Sep 1995 20:02:07 -0500 From: "Wayne Grgurich" Subject: Re: least favorite RH To: "Society of Dark Birds" Mail*Link(r) SMTP RE>least favorite RH Livia sez: ...queen elvis (there's something unpleasantly presumptuous about a straight guy doing a song about overt gayness)... Whaaa ? It's always been my impression that Bob was doing a take on the absurdity of hero worship (US -> Elvis, UK -> th' Queen). Plus, I particularly dig that song 'cause I do such a cool cover of it ! IM less-than-HO, - Wayne [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 20:22:38 -0400 (EDT) From: roLLerCOasTEr boy To: Fegmaniax List Subject: Re: worst (i LIKE "nightride") On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, Russ Reynolds wrote: > > "Nightride to Trinidad" blows thick chunks. I became a Hitchcock fan because > his music was pretty much the polar opposite of all that disco "dance mix" > crap that the masses were embracing at the time. As someone who completeley > despises the very idea that music must have a certain beat before you can > dance to it, I didn't need to hear Robyn throwing in the towel for the sake > of a "hit record". Thankfully he never got his "hit"--who knows what path > that might've led him down. > > I know there's at least a couple of you who like this song...I'd love to > hear your thoughts. ...actually, a lot of my faves have got picked on, and i haven't leapt over their bruised and bloody middle-8's to defend 'em, so i think it's about time for me to stand up for nightride... i like it not so much for the music, but for the lyrics...it reminds me quite a bit of _dracula_ (the book) ...and the old blue oyster cult song about dracula's journey from transylvania to england... (yeah, i know trinidad is not transylvania, but still...) and i love the spoken word bit at the end: ** by the way, watson, have we got any of those sticky things left? ** on another of the lists i read (liz phair methinks) there was recently a thread about inappropriate bits of songs that people are sometimes given to hum or sing at inopportune moments, and the spoken word bit in "nightride" is definitely one of them...along with the making love to bread bit of "bass" my least favorite rh tunes? since you ask: i'll go with the masses on "wafflehead" and "furry green atom bowl" second "a skull a suitcase and a long cold bottle of wine" (what a waste of a great title!) and add "dancing on god's thumb" and "wading through a ventilator" ======================================================================= = ...nous devons cultiver notre jardin... = = INET:dmayowel@access.digex.net AOL:DougMhyphW Compu$erve:102432,355 = = check out my cruddy homepage! http://www.access.digex.net/~dmayowel = [][][][][][][][][][] Date: 7 Sep 1995 17:53:13 -0800 From: "Mark Gloster" Subject: least favorite... To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply to: least favorite... ( Long winded I M H O ) I guess on each album there are songs I >> around, but I like the idea of RH bearing his "weak" moments for all to see. He seems to show his intellectual side most of the time while sharing his poetic spirit. He fences us out with his words, and while we seldom get to look into his insides, we often get to see through his eyes. I think he lets his guard down a little on the "throwaway" tunes. Fortunately there has always been a strong melody, harmony, and musicianship in his work- so there has been at least something to listen to even if we were not wild about the songs. F'rinstance, the Y&O album is pitted with poor recordings and some songs that are truly on the weak side, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm kind of iffy on some of his silly-brit-self-parodying signature pieces like "I Something You" (I'm assuming that if I hear it very many more times I'll really get tired of it). (There's another one that he used to do every time he played live that I didn't like much for the same reasons- my brain is much too soft and fuzzy to remember its title at the moment.) His Lenonesque and Birdsesque stuff doesn't usually fill me with joy, but I'm starting to like his Dylan-inspired selections (and I am not a Dylan-buff). I am quite grateful that Robyn puts it all out there, and that the songs that others like that I don't and vice versa still show up. - crunchy little Mark Gloster ps. I like Wafflehead, Do Policemen Sing, One Long Pair of Eyes, Furry Green Atom Bowl, Superman, Balloon Man, Mellow Together. There are at least a hundred others I really like. I think my sweetheart is going to do Luminous Rose for GF3. pps. I'm all for extremely amplified backhoe, eleven distorted guitars w/amps at eleven, Taiko drumming, Michael "thud- was that a note?" Anthony on bass and a steel band together on Moonlight Sonata. ppps. Not big on Executioner, The Fly, Goodnight I Say, America, okay, I can live without Ultra Unbelievable Love too. I guess there are more, but the convolutions of my brain have been sanded to such smoothness that I can't remember much of anything. [][][][][][][][][][] From: Beebster@aol.com Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 21:15:53 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: least favorite RH >> Balloon Man, because in that song RH follows one of his best lines ever >> ("And it rained like a slow divorce") with one of his worst lines ever >("And >> I wished I could ride a horse"). >> >> I hate it when my heroes show their weaknesses like that. > >that bugs me too. there are a few other great songs with really lame >lines. sometimes i find myself mentally substituting something better, >and then wincing the next time i hear the real thing. I believe that there is often a very fine line between true brilliance and utter stupidity. My favorite songwriters tend to be those who prove this point. ; D - Cath [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 21:52:30 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Marks Subject: Re: worst... To: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz Cc: The veins of Her Majesty the Queen Best: Flavour of Night or Beautiful Queen Worst: Blues in A, Bright Flesh Flower, Silver Wands, Vegetable Girl or Point it at Gran Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks a013645t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 21:54:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Marks Subject: Re: worst... To: Andy Holyer Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, Andy Holyer wrote: > At 2:55 pm 7/9/95 +0800, james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz wrote: > > >Now, Superman just happens to be the one Robyn song that I'm most likely to > >reach for the "skip track" button during. What song by our beloved maestro > >do YOU regard as his woprdst? Or worst, for that matter? > > The Fly. Always hated it. Could never understand why he always did it live. Hmm...I've always loved that song. Not as one of my very favourites, but enough to make it worth listening to. Also, if you slow it down a bit, it makes a great folk song.. Terry "The HUman Mellotron" Marks [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 22:02:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard To: glass toast Subject: shovels on the wurst the only songs I feel any great liking for on the a&m albums are vibrating, and... well, that's it! balloon man, wax doll, long eyes, chinese bones and veins of the queen are nice enough. I'm not crying sellout, those albums just don't move me like the others. maybe it's just me. I love pretty much everything else, including pretty much all of invisohitch and decay. i also like all the new stuff he's been doing, mostly. Can't wait to hear the new album, hope he'll put it out himself if no labels sign him up. it only costs $1 a cd or so in lots of 1000, right? so what's stopping him? [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 22:00:53 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Marks Subject: Re:worst To: "Helen O'Sullivan" Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, Helen O'Sullivan wrote: > > I hate all those bluesy tracks. At least I think its blues: I HATE > them with a passion! And slow drony nowhere songs like Give Me a Spanner > Ralph. Ok. I have to defend this one. Find the Soft Boys version of this song. *MUCH* better, in my opinion.. Oh...and I really hate September Cones, Keeping Still, Stranded into the Future and a good portion of the rest of Y&O > with some of my favourite songs EVER. This never happened with any of the > other bands that I love. Strange but true... Hmm...Pink Floyd does that sometimes.. I love all of Piper at the Gates of Dawn, except for Take up thy Stethoscope...just a bit of fluff separating whatever the two songs on the other sides of it.. Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 22:15:24 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Marks Subject: Re: Queen Elvis (was Re: least favorite RH) To: Tom Clark Cc: fegManiax On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, Tom Clark wrote: > >queen elvis (there's something > >unpleasantly presumptuous about a straight guy doing a song about overt > >gayness) > > um, I never took this song to be anything other than an indictment of > superstardom. > Am I missing something? Hmm. I took it as about homosexuality also.. That bit about hanging in drag before dawn, "coming out's the hardest part" "it could break your mother's heart it could break your sister's heart" "justify your special ways" Oh...and as for lines..I always substitute "ticking like a clock" for "breathing like a fox" in "If You Were a Priest", mainly because I don't believe in foxes. (Foxes Do Not Exist!) Terry Marks [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 00:07:50 -0400 To: Terry Marks From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John B. Jones) Subject: Re: worst... Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu >Best: Flavour of Night or Beautiful Queen >Worst: Blues in A, Bright Flesh Flower, Silver Wands, Vegetable Girl or >Point it at Gran > > >Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks >a013645t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us Wow! Hard to believe your opinion of Robyn's worst songs includes Bright Fresh Flower and Silver Wands--two of my more favorite songs! Oh well, I suppose that's what makes this thread so bloody interesting.... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John B. Jones e-mail: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu "Death by envy is the only way" - O+> "My headphones....they saved my life" -Bjork -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 00:14:36 -0400 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John B. Jones) Subject: Re: shovels on the wurst Bayard said: >i also like all the new stuff he's been doing, >mostly. Can't wait to hear the new album, hope he'll put it out >himself if no labels sign him up. it only costs $1 a cd or so in lots of >1000, right? so what's stopping him? Here's hoping Robyn brings copies of his new CD with him and sells them at the 3 or 4 upcoming gigs! Along with some new T-shirts! Los Angeles (and other Southern Calif.) Fegs that get KCRW-FM: Please keep an eye out for a Robyn appearance. He always stops by there, he always plays a few songs while there, and they always seem to coax rare new songs from him. Last summer's gem was the song "Surfer Ghost" (if you have the Netsurfer Ghost tape, this is where that song came from; a session he did at KCRW-FM). If you get a good clean tape of it, could you please let me know? I would love a copy and have some things I could trade with you. Thanks. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John B. Jones e-mail: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu "Death by envy is the only way" - O+> "My headphones....they saved my life" -Bjork -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 00:26:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard To: clowns and jugglers Subject: uncarved pumpkins I've heard tell of a collection of unreleased Hitch songs culled from concert tapes called 'uncarved pumpkins'. i was thinking of doing this (on DAT), but if someone has saved me the trouble, I'd like to hear this collection. also, has anyone had any luck locating the surfer ghost demos? oh, and I'm working on this robynbase thingie again. I've decided against using any ready-made programs-- too slow-- so I'm building it from scratch. anyone who collects RH tapes or info, I need whatever you can readily email or snail mail to me. email preferred, of course, so that I don't have to do as much typing. so send those tape lists! [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 21:45:26 -0700 From: librik@netcom.com (David Librik) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: it's so cold in Alaska This excerpt comes from an article about the new album by The Oyster Band called "The Shouting End of Life." I've thought the Oysters were getting radically better and better, and this news gets them connected (indirectly) to the brilliant Mr. Hitchcock: >'Deserters' was the first lp with the current line up, more downbeat and >melancholy although 'Granite Years' is a strong, upbeat and almost archetypal >Oysters' song. It was re-mixed by Pat Collier, their present producer. This >particular line up has gone form strength to strength, now fully five years >evolved, the Oysters are strong and powerfully uplifting live. And 'The >Shouting End Of Life' captures the power of these live performances (albeit >in a studio setting' far more consistently than previously. Since I've always thought that the overall "sound" of the Egyptians' studio albums has suffered since they parted company with Pat Collier, I'm really looking forward to hearing what he's doing now. These L.A. engineers just turn out too much murky and "wall-of-sound" recordings to suit Robyn's intricate layering of instruments. - David Librik librik@cs.Berkeley.edu [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 8 Sep 95 18:53:36 WST From: baker_d@ee.uwa.edu.au (david baker) To: livia@eskimo.com Subject: Re: least favorite RH Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu OK, my turn... I'm amazed (though perhaps I shouldn't be) at the number of songs that people have chosen as their least favorites which I love. Do Policemen Sing? in particular but also Mystic Trip, Let Me Put It Next To You, Ballon Man, How Do You Work This Thing?, Meat, Shapes Between Us , The Fly... I also really like numbers like Furry Green Atom Bowl and WaffleHead which I presume people do not like because of their novelty feel. But musically, I still enjoy them after repeated listenings, which I guess is the ultimate test. The one novelty-style number that really grates on me is Mellow Together. I found it funny the first time I had heard it but since then I've reached for the fast-forward button everytime. But in general, the songs that I really dislike are the dead-dull ones which drag on in an unaffecting way. It Was The Night, Ride, Earthly Paradise, are ones that come immediately to mind. By the way, I think I unwittingly started this thread when I stated that I thought Superman did not really work. However, I still quite like it. I just feel that it could have been great song (offbeat out-of-time introduction building to a rousing, rocking conclusion) but for some reason it doesn't quite click. Anyway, that's my two bobs worth at least, Dave [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 07:59:32 -0400 From: beach house tiki god To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: least favorite... "Mark Gloster" sez: >(There's another one that he used to do every >time he played live that I didn't like much for the same reasons- "i got a message for you" which is at the top of my list of dislikes, if only because, as mark said, he played it every farking show of the eye tour. it's not a bad song, and it's pretty funny the first few times you hear it (provided you *don't* hear the explanation about what it's about), but i'm sick *sick* *SICK* of it! augh! what kills me the most about this song is the huge response he gets from audiences when he plays it. susan and i used to plan dastardly things to do to robyn when he played this song. these missions were never completed, mind you, but we have a standing committment to scream whenever he plays this at shows we go to. woj [][][][][][][][] End of this Fegmaniax Digest. 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