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 197 Today's Topics: ------- ------- Airscape Re: Airscape... Live, Guitar Re: Airscape... comix! Re: Golden Showers (aka Airscape) Re: Airscape Re: Live, Guitar Tonight's Gig Re: Misprint, "I Often Dream of Trams"? Re: Misprint, "I Often Dream of Trams"? RE: Live, Guitar Re: Misprint, "I Often Dream of Trams"? Oceanside correction Re: Live, Guitar Re: Live, Guitar Re: Tonight's Gig airscape Re: Live, Guitar Backwards Guitar (WAS Re: Airscape) Shared-fate Re: airscape Re: airscape Cartoonists, authors (NRC) Golden Shower of Hits Eureka! The Difference CD with Hitch track backwards guitar Re: Shared-fate ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 19:01:36 -0500 (EST) From: Bayard To: Livia cc: your insect Subject: Airscape On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Livia wrote: > my mind) nothing special, just a kind of middle-of-the-road piece of album > filler. the music is pleasant but not exciting, and the lyrics don't seem > to say anything he hasn't said elsewhere and better I think EoL was a kind of turning point for RH. Aircape gets high marks from me (and others, apparently) b/c it is the high point on what is arguably Robyn's first "Mature" album. Filler it is not. Mind you, I am not saying seriousness is superior to silliness. I feel he does both quite well at times. But EoL is the time when he's really found his voice, and I personally feel he went a bit astray with the A&M albums. To me it is just a happy and sad bittersweet piece about the distance btw. reality and pain. As for elsewhere and better, I'd be interested to know what songs you have in mind. Linctus house? 52 stations? BTW, is anyone knowledgeable about where RH fits in, in the Evolution of the Backwards Guitar? REM seem to be doing a Robyn on "WtF,K?". But who did backwards guitar work before RH? Other backwards stuff: the stome roses do very interesting backwards stuff on "she's a waterfall". And if the intro to "Agony of Pleasure" really is German forwards, that's quite a feat, b/c it's English when backwards... also there's a bit in the backwards intro to "How do you work this thing" about "Golden Showers," whatever those might be... any meteorologists in the audience? ------------------------------ Date: 7 Dec 1995 16:11:32 -0800 From: "Mark Gloster" Subject: Re: Airscape... To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Reply to: RE>>Airscape... I was originally kind of down on Airscape. I have realized in time that I just didn't like the backward masked solo guitar effect (it kind of makes it sound like a Sitar that came from the Sears catalog) and that it got in the way of the beauty of the song. If one might be able to get by that or hear a live version and/or acoustic version, this song is clearly a gem. In time I have found that it has become my second favorite song from Element of Light, even with the irritating guitar. I have learned to appreciate the beauty and love intimated in the poetic lyrics that I am not necessarily capable of understanding in corporeal form. I am sure that my opinion is just plain incorrect in many of your eyes (ears) and I'm okay with my clear misconception of truth. About comics and graphic novels, I am really big on "Flaming Carrot" and "The TICK". I used to read "Reid Flemming, the World's Toughest Milkman", but it is no longer being drawn. I recommend them all, but you kind of have to read Reid Flemming from the beginning. Smiles, -Mark Gloster Mouth at Large ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 18:23:09 -0500 (EST) From: Terry Marks Subject: Live, Guitar To: The Devil You Know Could someone who's been to his shows answer me this question: I noticed that on at least two live tapes, he's playing a fret above what he plays on the album. Does he: (a) Use a Capo? (b) Tune his guitar to F instead of E? (c) Just play everything a fret up? And...does he use a pick? Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks a013645t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 19:28:38 -0500 From: "32 flavors...and then some" To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Re: Airscape... "Mark Gloster" sez: >In time I have found that it has become my second favorite song from Element >of Light, even with the irritating guitar. funny. i think that guitar bit is one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful pieces of music known to mankind. or at least wojkind. >About comics and graphic novels, I am really big on "Flaming Carrot" and "The >TICK". spoon! i only follow one comic anymore: a distant soil. i read sandman when meredith buys it. she's been bugging me to read books of magic, but i haven't gotten around to it (i'm afraid it will start a headlong spiral into hellblazer). comics seem to have fallen by the wayside with time and energy. woj ------------------------------ From: sprano@cvax.ipfw.indiana.edu Date: Thu, 07 Dec 1995 20:04:28 EST To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: comix! Robyn Hitchcock mentioned on a Chicago radio program not long ago that Fantagraphics Books in Seattle had asked him to do a comic book for them. Hope that project eventually materializes! My favorite comic artist is the often-overlooked creator of Cheech Wizard...Vaughn Bode! Check him out if he is unknown to you. Another comic that has gone unmentioned so far is Dave Sim's epic "Cerebus"...now on issue 201 of 300. Unparalleled in it's scope and as original to "sequential art" as RH is to music! BTW, I love "Airscape". If you don't...you need to venture out into Nature more often. Hit a beautiful beach on a sunny day and listen to the song again. Pure art! -HAL. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 17:20:52 -0800 Subject: Re: Golden Showers (aka Airscape) From: Tom Clark To: "Bayard" , "Livia" , "fegManiax" >also there's a bit in the >backwards intro to "How do you work this thing" about "Golden Showers," >whatever those might be... any meteorologists in the audience? I don't think a fine, upstanding citizen such as yourself would want to know. But if you do, email me directly; I feel uncomfortable explaining to the entire world. -tom "A fine, downsitting citizen" ************************************* * Tom Clark * Apple Computer, Inc. "Knowledge Is Good" * tclark@apple.com -Emil Faber * tclark@netgate.net * tclark@eworld.com * http://www.netgate.net/~tclark ************************************* ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 17:30:11 -0800 (PST) From: Glen Uber To: Bayard Cc: Livia , your insect Subject: Re: Airscape On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Bayard wrote: > BTW, is anyone knowledgeable about where RH fits in, in the Evolution of > the Backwards Guitar? REM seem to be doing a Robyn on "WtF,K?". But > who did backwards guitar work before RH? The Beatles, "I'm Only Sleeping" Adrian Belew, too many songs to list Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic), "Wars of Armageddon" In addition, Robert Fripp's "Frippertronics" is based on the concept of several tapes of guitar sounds running backward and forward at different speeds. And don't forget _Are You Experienced_ by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. At least two songs contain backward sounds: "Third Stone From The Sun" and the title track. > the intro to "Agony of Pleasure" really is German forwards, that's quite > a feat, b/c it's English when backwards... It is English backward AND forward. Compare one, two, three, four with eins, zwei, drei, vier (pronounced eye-ns, tsvy, dry, feer). > also there's a bit in the backwards intro to "How do you work this > thing" about "Golden Showers," whatever those might be... any > meteorologists in the audience? > You really don't know??? I would enlighten the list, but I was once told that there are certain things about which one can know to much...and I don't want to turn the list into a discussion of sexual practices. "Bach had twenty children because his organ had no stops" --Leo Kottke "Don't concern yourself with people's peception of you, but rather, with the true essence of who and what you are. You can't change the world, but you can change yourself." --Coach John Wooden Glen E. Uber Department of Linguistics hirsute@u.washington.edu University of Washington 206.547.8936 Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Dec 1995 20:03:13 -0300 From: jegolub@vaxsar.vassar.edu (jessica s golub) To: Fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Umm....golden showers? I don't think you need a meteorologist to explain that one. Just think about oh, I don't know, urine, and see what you come up with. daveR. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 17:36:56 -0800 (PST) From: Glen Uber To: Terry Marks Cc: The Devil You Know Subject: Re: Live, Guitar On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Terry Marks wrote: > Does he: > (a) Use a Capo? I have never seen him use a capo. > (b) Tune his guitar to F instead of E? As far as I know, no. > (c) Just play everything a fret up? Maybe your tapes were recorded a tad slow and, upon playback, sound one-half step higher. Or maybe you should add "tape player" to your Christmas list. > > And...does he use a pick? On most things, yes. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen him play without one. --g "Bach had twenty children because his organ had no stops" --Leo Kottke "Don't concern yourself with people's peception of you, but rather, with the true essence of who and what you are. You can't change the world, but you can change yourself." --Coach John Wooden Glen E. Uber Department of Linguistics hirsute@u.washington.edu University of Washington 206.547.8936 Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 02:40:12 GMT To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: redsfan@dircon.co.uk (Mark McKeown) Subject: Tonight's Gig Hello all, I haven't heard from any U.K. fegs about tonight's gig at the Borderline. I know it's short notice but If anybody feels like meeting at the bar, I'd be happy to buy the first round and have a pleasant chat. Anybody bringing radishes? I've never been to a Robyn show where this occurs. How does it go over? Send me an e-mail if you want to meet up. I haven't really decided what to wear, but I think I am in the mood for some black attire. Long hair and a beard are my other distinguishing characteristics. Hope to see somebody -- mark mckeown Mark McKeown Reds News: The Reds released Gold Glover 16 Wellington Court Darren Lewis in an off-season move. The Mayfield Road former Cal player who also toiled for both London W12 9LU the Giants and A's, came over in the Deion England Sanders trade along with Mark Portugal and Home: 011 44 181 743 0164 Dave Burba. In a 3-way minor league trade Work: 011 44 181 742 2422 with the Royals and the Cardinals, the Reds Internet: redsfan@dircon.co.uk acquired OF Andre King for P Mike Remlinger and IF Luis Ordaz. King hit .252 with nine homers in 111 games with Class A Durham last year. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 21:56:01 -0500 (EST) From: Eve To: Hitchcock List Subject: Re: Misprint, "I Often Dream of Trams"? I recently bought the re-released CD of _I Often Dream of Trains_ after having the casette version for ages. On the cassette listing, the song is listed as "I Often Dream of Trains," but on the new CD version, the song is listed as "I Often Dream of Trams." What gives? Is this a misprint? Eve eemsho77@ursa.Calvin.EDU ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * _Just and Unjust_, Lord Bowen * * * * "The rain it raineth on the just * * And also on the unjust fella; * * But chiefly on the just because * * The unjust steals the just's umbrella." * ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 19:21:39 -0800 (PST) From: Glen Uber To: Eve Cc: Hitchcock List Subject: Re: Misprint, "I Often Dream of Trams"? On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Eve wrote: > I recently bought the re-released CD of _I Often Dream of Trains_ after > having the casette version for ages. On the cassette listing, the song is > listed as "I Often Dream of Trains," but on the new CD version, the song > is listed as "I Often Dream of Trams." What gives? Is this a misprint? Check your cassette. Mine lists "Trams of Old London" as "Trains of Old London". I went over the CD reissue with a fine toothed comb and couldn't find the misprint of which you spoke though. Anybody else notice the misprint on the cassette? And can anyone tell me where to find the misprint on the reissue? Cheers and Beers, --g "Bach had twenty children because his organ had no stops" --Leo Kottke "Don't concern yourself with people's peception of you, but rather, with the true essence of who and what you are. You can't change the world, but you can change yourself." --Coach John Wooden Glen E. Uber Department of Linguistics hirsute@u.washington.edu University of Washington 206.547.8936 Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Dec 1995 20:02:47 -0800 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: Grant Burnell Subject: RE: Live, Guitar >I noticed that on at least two live tapes, he's playing a fret above what >he plays on the album. Does he: >(a) Use a Capo? >(b) Tune his guitar to F instead of E? >(c) Just play everything a fret up? > I'm ashamed to say that I've been to a bunch of RH shows and I play guitar yet I can't give a definite answer except that I've never noticed a capo being used. He has mentioned different tunings, but his on-stage tunings only seem to involve the low E string (although I can't say for sure since I'm usually in too much of a trance to notice that detail). >And...does he use a pick? He uses a pick in most songs. This is amazing given the speed and complexity he sometimes plays. The pick gives a much clearer and sharper sound than fingerpicking, and when I try to play songs like Never Stop Bleeding by fingerpicking, they lack the "twang" of flatpicking (do RH and the word "twang" really belong together?) Last fall saw him in Portland play "The President" strumming. Can't think of any other "unpicked" songs. Grant :) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 23:15:35 -0500 (EST) From: Eve To: Glen Uber cc: Hitchcock List Subject: Re: Misprint, "I Often Dream of Trams"? Eve wrote: > > I recently bought the re-released CD of _I Often Dream of Trains_ after > > having the casette version for ages. On the cassette listing, the song is > > listed as "I Often Dream of Trains," but on the new CD version, the song > > is listed as "I Often Dream of Trams." What gives? Is this a misprint? And Glen answered: > Check your cassette. Mine lists "Trams of Old London" as "Trains of Old > London". I went over the CD reissue with a fine toothed comb and couldn't > find the misprint of which you spoke though. > Anybody else notice the misprint on the cassette? And can anyone tell me > where to find the misprint on the reissue? I was checking my copies again, and my Rhino re-release DEFINITELY says "Trams of Old London", on the inner sleeve and on the back in the song listing. My old casette copy, put out by Relativity, lists on the cassette and inside, the song as "Trains...". That's definitely an M on the Rhino re-release, not an AI. Eve eemsho77@ursa.Calvin.EDU ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * _Just and Unjust_, Lord Bowen * * * * "The rain it raineth on the just * * And also on the unjust fella; * * But chiefly on the just because * * The unjust steals the just's umbrella." * ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 17:25:47 +0300 To: The Glass Hotel From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Oceanside correction >To the bright green lobster draped in seaweed nice Robynesque image, Terry lad, but I hear "bright green rocks all draped..." As to Airscape, it'ds one of those things... if you can't understand why a song is sublime, it can't be explained. For me though, it's one of those marvellous tracks that transports me to a different place and time, beyond the bounds of this humdrum world. James ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 01:20:27 -0500 (EST) From: Terry Marks Subject: Re: Live, Guitar To: Glen Uber cc: The Devil You Know On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Glen Uber wrote: > On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Terry Marks wrote: > > Does he: > > (a) Use a Capo? > I have never seen him use a capo. Ok.. > > (b) Tune his guitar to F instead of E? > As far as I know, no. Ok.. > > (c) Just play everything a fret up? > > Maybe your tapes were recorded a tad slow and, upon playback, sound > one-half step higher. Or maybe you should add "tape player" to your > Christmas list. No. It's not the tape deck....unless it's playing half my tapes normal and half a fret up... Any answers, anyone? (Check out Stand Back Dennis or Jazz Cafe, someone...proove that I'm not crazy) Terry ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 11:19:21 +0000 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: Jim Subject: Re: Live, Guitar >On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Terry Marks wrote: > >> Does he: >> (a) Use a Capo? > >I have never seen him use a capo. > >> (b) Tune his guitar to F instead of E? > >As far as I know, no. > >> (c) Just play everything a fret up? > >Maybe your tapes were recorded a tad slow and, upon playback, sound >one-half step higher. Or maybe you should add "tape player" to your >Christmas list. > He often tunes his top E and bottom E strings to D, which I noticed last time I saw him. Any tabulators out there might like to try this tuning if they get stuck. Jim Bower ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 11:19:27 +0000 To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu From: Jim Subject: Re: Tonight's Gig >Hello all, > >I haven't heard from any U.K. fegs about tonight's gig at the Borderline. >I know it's short notice but If anybody feels like meeting at the bar, I'd >be happy to buy the first round and have a pleasant chat. > AAARRRRGH!!!! I can't make it...why did they have to put London so bloody far away from civilisation??? Why is my car not working? Why is there a f***ing blizzard outside my window on this day of all days?? Last time I was at the Borderline to see RH, it was that gig where Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Peter Holsapple, Glen Tilbrook and Billy Bragg joined him on stage...was anyone else there? Around 1989 I think. Really. Have a nice time. You bastards. Jim Bower ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 95 13:05:34 GMT From: Jim Davies To: a013645t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us Cc: Jim@jimbower.demon.co.uk, fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: airscape Airscape is definitive. Had I voted, all of my votes would have been for this. It has always been my favourite. The images it evokes, the way the melody rises and falls, the way that the simple rhythm moves like a train through your field of view. The emotions, too. I know someone who had an orgasm just listening to it. Of course, she could have been faking. It's hard to tell with music like this. You can feel yourself drawn in, you can sing along, but it's always to your own copy. It's never the real thing. The real thing? It's a moment from someone else's life. A day spent on holiday when you're slightly too young to remember. A photograph taken from the window of a speeding car, of a wedding, on a warm day in June, in a small English village. Robyn may have been thinking of the view from the cliffs. The South Coast, and the Isle of Wight. But to me it's the entire countryside: from Sussex to Dorset. Fossil creatures in damp shale, Victorian lighthouses, a fleeting glimpse of the past. More than that, it's a promise of love made in solitude. A resolve born in a moment of wonder. A unspoken feeling that is somehow shared. Not a celebration, more of a melancholic reflection. An achingly beautiful song of inevitable sadness. Oh, but you have to feel it. Jim ------------------------------ From: seven@cs.utwente.nl (Susan Even) Subject: Re: Live, Guitar To: a013645t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Terry Marks) Date: Fri, 8 Dec 95 14:07:48 MET Cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu (pleasure of the aching void) Hoi, Terry You asked about capos and picks. . . The Egyptians played two nights at the Park West in Chicago during the summer, 1992. (That was the acoustic tour with the tour dates listed in the Live Death promo.) I believe Robyn used a capo for Heaven. I also remember noticing that he was wearing those metal finger picks that wrap round the fingers at some point early on. But I couldn't tell you what songs he played that way now. Was anyone else at those gigs? If my memory's not completely gone, then Robyn really did wear a paper mask over his head when they played Egyptian Cream the second night. It looked like he'd made it in his hotel the night before. This was also the same day they recorded the ON-XRT live version of Railway Shoes. Groetjes, Susan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 08:29:07 -0500 From: mikeb@usa1.com (Mike Breen) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Backwards Guitar (WAS Re: Airscape) >BTW, is anyone knowledgeable about where RH fits in, in the Evolution of >the Backwards Guitar? REM seem to be doing a Robyn on "WtF,K?". But >who did backwards guitar work before RH? George Harrison, for one ("Revolver" comes to mind, and the tracks "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Tomorrow Never Knows."). Lots of the psychedelic people. Jimi Hendrix. Not many people in the 70's with the possible exception of Fripp and Belew, but it got a resurgance in the 80's, probably due to that whole "paisley underground" thing. Daniel Ash used it quite a bit in Bauhaus and Tones on Tail (probably because he couldn't solo fowards. Do'oh!). Roger "Mission of Burma" Miller used backwards guitar on his No Man albums and on his most recent album "Elemental Guitar" (recomended for any fan of amazing (experi)mental guitar playing), except that he's got a digital rack unit that does it for him, so he can actually get that effect live. He let me borrow that once, and it was lots of fun. Robyn, I imagine, is directily decended from "Revolver" in his use of backwards guitar. The thing that p*sses me off is that these days if an unknown artist were to record a piece with backwards guitar and it was played for the general public, their immediate reaction would be "He's just trying to sound like REM," nevermind the fact that countless people have done it _long_ before and much better than PB. ---Mike (THIS SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION) Check out the Other Days home page at http://www1.usa1.com/~mikeb/odays.html mikeb@usa1.com ------------------------------ From: LORDK@FLP.LIB.PA.US Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 9:31:55 -0500 (EST) To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Shared-fate Save your illusions For someone else-- Save your illusions for yourself. If this dosnt rip the heart out of you, You are one of the blessed. For the rest of us- its alittle TOO poignent but the beauty of the music carries you over and thru, Rather like life, that-- Kay, the bittersweet ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 07:02:56 -0800 (PST) From: Livia To: your mom Subject: Re: airscape thanks to everyone who took the time to explain to me why they love this song however, i just went and listened to it again (it *is* the song between bass and never stop bleeding, right?), and i have to say that i still don't get it or rather, while i can more or less see where most of what's below (and in other messages) comes from, it still leaves me fairly likewarm. which i don't mean as a criticism of the song or anyone who likes it; it just fascinates me that we all have such wildly different responses to the same body of work. this particular example seems even weirder to me than all the best/worst stuff a few months ago, because back then other people's bests were either also my bests, or they were my worsts, with no real in-between. whereas in this case, other people are having orgasms (!) from a song that i couldn't even remember (or even remember which album it was on) (to me, the melody seems flat, and the rhythm somewhere in that middle ground that's too slow for intensity, but not slow enough for atmosphere. the lyrics are ok, although i personally find the stuff about angels a bit offputting. someone else said that if i don't like it, then i probably don't spend enough time on the beach, and there may be some truth in that: i am an extremely fair-skinned night person whose idea of an enjoyable time outdoors is a walk in the woods on a cloudy fall day, or feeding the ducks in april) for what it's worth, i tend to prefer soft boys and earlier solo/egyptian albums (through about fegmania or so), while also liking many specific songs from later on. (i like respect too: go figure) hmm, that's interesting. i just looked at the list i made a while ago of album order, and i see that element of light is the first album after the point at which i stop liking them as much. someone else (bayard, i think) posted that it was a major turning point for robyn, and the beginning of his 'mature' period, and that airscape was the high point of that album. (nb: does anyone know WHY he had a turning point in 1986? i'm quite curious now) so i guess i have to say that -- on the whole -- i prefer him immature just for kicks, here's what i sent in as my top ten (though trimmed down from the original list of twenty or so) 1: all i wanna do is fall in love 2: my wife and my dead wife 3: if you were a priest 4: dancing on god's thumb 5: agony of pleasure 6: listening to the higsons 7: cathedral 8: sleeping with your devil mask 9: dark green energy 10: city of shame feel free to rip my unenlightened tastes to shreds :) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 11:13:54 -0500 (EST) From: Bayard To: Livia cc: your mom Subject: Re: airscape hi livia and everyone, > who likes it; it just fascinates me that we all have such wildly > different responses to the same body of work. it is fascinating, and a good thing too, otherwise there wouldn't be much point in having this list, other than arranging meetings before gigs (how was the one last night btw, uk fegs?) > for what it's worth, i tend to prefer soft boys and earlier > solo/egyptian albums (through about fegmania or so), while also liking > many specific songs from later on. (i like respect too: go figure) > > hmm, that's interesting. i just looked at the list i made a while > ago of album order, and i see that element of light is the first > album after the point at which i stop liking them as much. someone > else (bayard, i think) posted that it was a major turning point for > robyn, and the beginning of his 'mature' period, and that airscape > was the high point of that album. (nb: does anyone know WHY he had > a turning point in 1986? i'm quite curious now) i don't mean to paint RH as a black-and-white character. I just feel that on the timeline of all the records he's made, airscape is at the tip of the tip of the iceberg. he was kind of building up to it, then got a little self-conscious starting with GoF. i don't know if any real life events contributed to this, aside from getting more in tune with himself ad his bandmates and then signing to a major label. or even if these things contributed. > > so i guess i have to say that -- on the whole -- i prefer him immature you'll be glad to know maybe (if you don't already) that lots (most) of the new songs he's playing lately are light and humorous, not deadly serious and mature like the song in question. or perhaps these are a different blend of immaturity. anyway, seems like he's blended his different aspects rather well at this point. > these are the songs from your top ten that i see as potentially being love songs (I am pretty sure airscape is one!) > > 1: all i wanna do is fall in love > 2: my wife and my dead wife > 7: cathedral your fav is a much more innocent kind of song that airscape. sort of "before the fall", so to speak. the other two are peculiar hitchcockian blends. i think what sets airscape apart from his other love songs is how real it is-- only a few of his songs address anything so directly. And I must agree with what Jim D. and woj said (and said very well, i might add): the imagery and feelings in the song are incredible. I think the ideas it raises are quite valid too. And the ocean setting is lovely, better than that of oceanside even (i liked the bit about the bright green lobster, btw). But all that said, I have fallen a bit out of love with the production and sound of the song as it appears on EoL. The backwards guitar and glass harmonica are neat, but perhaps he should record a more stripped-down version. bayard ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 16:39:29 +0000 (GMT) From: M R Godwin To: The apparatus in your car Subject: Cartoonists, authors (NRC) Come along now, why has no-one mentioned B KLIBAN, the world's number one cartoonist? Remember "Quick as a wink, the sly cat had grabbed Monroe's cheese sandwich"? Glen Baxter's "We don't hold with Puccini at the Lazy S" is good too. And how about Carl Barks, who drew all those fabulous original Disney Duck adventures, like "El Dorado, the Gilded Man"? And here are a few books I liked, including a trilogy by the great Robertson Davies who died this week: Chinua Achebe, Things fall apart Robertson Davies, The Cornish Trilogy Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan (read this long before RH recommended it) Anthony Burgess, Inside Mr Enderby William Golding, The Spire George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying Pelham G Wodehouse, Leave It To Psmith (best of 90 terrific books) Barbara Comyns, Sisters by a River (read this because RH recommended it) - Mike Godwin "Loving could be easy if your colours were like my dreams, red gold and green" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 08 Dec 1995 11:00:02 -0600 (CST) From: JAY LYALL Subject: Golden Shower of Hits To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu ..ah the title is one of the best Circle Jerks albums around... ...anyways the results from the poll will be up on the web next week...I posted the results and got another dozen lists... ...and off RH topic completely...does anyone have a copy of the Replacements single with "If only you were lonely" on the b-side...I think its "I'm in trouble" single...if so please contact me... chairs jay %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Jay Lyall "All my friends do the model girl thing hist1a@jetson.uh.edu So I found me one University of Houston Now she wears my nose ring" --Lloyd Cole "Yip Yip Yip Yip Yip Yip" "There's liquor on my breath --Robyn Hitchcock And you on my mind" --Replacements %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 09:20:51 -0900 (AKST) From: Brett Cooper To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: Eureka! Somebody wrote yesterday that they were looking for the audio adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". I just came across that tape yesterday at school. I can get you a copy if you want it. It's read by Basil Rathbone. Whoever you are, e-mail me back and I'll hook you up with a copy! Brett (Cooper) cooperb@chs.mat-su.k12.ak.us ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 95 14:04:18 EST From: the future never happened Subject: The Difference CD with Hitch track To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Hey now. I notice in the current Goldmine that The Old Hippie is selling Todd Rundgren "The Difference" radio show CDs. The 4-30-95 one has a live Robyn track and interviews. Its $50 for the two CD set. The address for the Old Hippie is: The Old Hippie PO Box 1914 Lawrence, KS 66044-8914 Tel (913) 749-9315 Fax (913) 749-9318 I dont know anything about The Old Hippie but I thought Id pass that along to you because I happened to hear this particular "The Difference." The Robyn track is "DeChirico Street" and its pretty cool, so you collectors might be interested. And sorry about the nonHitchness of this, but has anybody heard the tribute to XTC album and what do you think? Have a good day. Monty (the fegMANIAC formerly known as jay) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 08 Dec 95 14:12:17 From: Russ Reynolds To: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: backwards guitar >who did backwards guitar work before RH? Beatles, 1966, Revolver LP "I'm Only Sleeping" contains what could well be the first backwards guitar solo ever. keep changing oil and changing gears, Russ. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 17:38:13 -0500 (EST) From: Terry Marks Subject: Re: Shared-fate To: LORDK@FLP.LIB.PA.US cc: fegmaniax@ns2.rutgers.edu On Fri, 8 Dec 1995 LORDK@FLP.LIB.PA.US wrote: > Save your illusions > For someone else-- > Save your illusions > for yourself. > > If this dosnt rip the heart out of you, > You are one of the blessed. > > For the rest of us- > its alittle TOO poignent > but the beauty of the music > carries you over and thru, Well, I mean, I think that the sentiment is better put in "Love Poisoning", "Trams of Old London", "Autumn is Your Last Chance" and "52 Stations". The lyrics are great, but after a while, the melody starts to chafe.. Terry [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. Archives can *not* be found at ftp://fegmania.wustl.edu/fegmaniax/archives/ The Archives are temporarily unavailable. For administrative questions, send mail to owner-fegmaniax@nsmx.rutgers.edu For subscription requests, send mail to majordomo@nsmx.rutgers.edu. Slipping you the midnight fish...