From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@ecto.org To: fegmaniax-digest@ecto.org Reply-To: fegmaniax@ecto.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@ecto.org Subject: Feg Digest V4 #152 Fegmaniax Digest Volume 4 Number 152 Send posts to fegmaniax@ecto.org Send subscribe/unsubscribe commands to majordomo@ecto.org Send comments, etc. to the listowner at owner-fegmaniax@ecto.org FegMANIAX! Web Page: http://remus.rutgers.edu/~woj/fegmaniax/ Archives are available at http://archive.uwp.edu/pub/music/lists/fegmaniax/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Topics: ------- ------- ripoffs, perspex, and diverse and sundry opinions btw Clueless remarks about Brian Wilson Brian Wilson (my final word) The Hitchcock/Wilson/Kingston/Bragg Axis Re: The Hitchcock/Wilson/Kingston/Bragg Axis Alt takes, pre Perspex, & homebrew Re: Alligator Man Embrodiered threads Re: Brian Wilson (my final word) Alt takes, pre Perspex, & homebrew (fwd) Re: Brian Wilson (my final word) Re: Select review Re: ripoffs, perspex, and diverse and sundry opinions ripoffs Re: Brian Wilson (my final word) I Just Couldn't Leave Well Enough Alone Re: I Just Couldn't Leave Well Enough Alone Evershot Gig moss/mossy Re: Not like Brian Wilson? Blasphemy! Robyn in the New York Times ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Aug 96 21:26:51 CDT From: Truman Peyote Subject: ripoffs, perspex, and diverse and sundry opinions First off, re: Brian Wilson- my own personal feeling is that it's a ripoff if you don't like the artist doing it and a tribute if you do. The only exception I can think of is ripoffs so blantantly obvious they boggle the mind and make one furious (such as Elastica's "Connection"- I didn't have much of an opinion of Elastica one way or the other prior to hearing this, but the rip is SO blatant that there isn't even a question- as with Peter Schilling's "Major Tom". Shame on these people!). I'm not a big Brian Wilson fan myself and in fact find "smile" a really torturous listening experience, but I think the rip-off accusation is ludicrous, as is the "just a surf musician" claim. Secondly- as to PI, it's as Aaron Sparrow so aptly stated- the songwriting is really thin. I have no objections to elaborate production per se, but I do object to its use to disguise songwriting weaknesses. And I do not just mean lyrical deficiency, although that is certainly one of PI's flaws (don't flame me, you know who y ;)). And that little slam (forget who said it, sorry :)) to the effect of "don't any of you like the Beatles", well, I for one take that amiss. I spent a whole year of my life listening to NOTHING ELSE, which drove lots of people crazy, including my parents, who seemd to think I had already been driven to that state :). The Beatles overalll had a very fine sense of songcraft and structure, and the production (with the exception, possibly, of "Let It Be") was used to enhance the songs rather than prop them up. This isn't just a matter of being obsessed with acoustic instruments, ya know, so don't be accusatory :). It's a matter, at least in my case, of being obsessed with well-written, structurally and lyrically sound pop music (what the hell, we all must have a hobby), which is not to say that you PI and Respect heads are not discerning judges or similarly obsessed, just that I think maybe we should all Respect each others' ability to judge for ourselves rather than insist that those who fancy the acoustic material are a bunch of Luddite cranks :). Lastly- is perhaps the reference to the great Ray a three-sided one? I fancy that Ray Davies might be referred to as well, since "Celluloid Heroes" is jokingly paraphrased in the short story. Susan who is a great admirer of lo-fi, low production gems like "Country Life", "Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde", and "Spike" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Aug 96 22:05:25 CDT From: Truman Peyote Subject: btw Something I forgot to tack on the last note (bear with me, I'm a forgetful sort :))- I'm going to be in the Seattle area from the 21st to the 25th, so if there are any fegs in the area who would like to get together, or recommend good book/record stores, bars, etc., I'd be really happy to hear from you :). Thanks for your patience, everyone! Susan P.S. Was anyone else really irritated by that reviewer who referred to RH as a "professional Englishman"? Grrrr...... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 23:22:09 -0400 From: Rich Rosen Subject: Clueless remarks about Brian Wilson Sigh... Oh well, time to show my age. Not in the same league as Lennon and McCartney, eh? Well, gee, Paul McCartney himself surely seemed to think he was. While most of the clueless people assumed that the big studio "rivalry" was between the Beatles and the Stones, closer examination reveals that the REAL rivalry was between the Beatles and the Beach Boys. McCartney thought that Pet Sounds was THE most important album he'd ever heard, and was driven by its clever production to prod the other Beatles into the "concept album" idea that became Sgt. Pepper. Those who think "Help Me Rhonda" and "Surfer Girl" are representative of what Brian Wilson was capable of probably have never heard OF Pet Sounds, let alone HEARD it. "Caroline No" and "Just Wasn't Made for These Times" show what kind of songwriter and arranger Wilson was. Not that his talents were appreciated by his fellow Beach Boys. His well-known extended vacations in his room, brought on by the usual drinking/drugging/pressures-of-being-a-big-star-oh-my, led to the others wresting control of the band away from him. Mike Love (a cousin of the Wilsons, and the scurrilous scoundrel who ruined the band) remarked that the Beach Boys' hit "Kokomo" (in contrast to Brian Wilson's just released solo album) "proved" that Brian Wilson needed the Beach Boys more than the Beach Boys didn't need Brian Wilson. If "Kokomo" is something to proud of in your eyes, Mike, then I suppose so... But even the ragged offhanded inclusion of "lost" Brian Wilson songs on the "Surf's Up" album (including the title cut and "Til I Die"), and the Brian-influenced compositions of the others (Love's wastes of time notwithstanding) proved that if the Beach Boys didn't "need" Brian Wilson, it was because (at least at that point in time) he had left them a legacy to build on. OK, I'll shut up now... -- "It's not an idea for a film, it's my actual life!" Rich Rosen rlr@panix.com http://www.panix.com/~rlr ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 19:53:16 -0900 From: BC-Radio@corecom.net (Brett Cooper) Subject: Brian Wilson (my final word) Look, I think my unflattering opinion of Brian Wilson started all of this. I've been sitting back and listening to all of this crap about how great he is and what-not, and it's getting OLD! First off, to the fella who quoted me and THEN proceeded to ask me if I had ever heard "Pet Sounds", the answer is YES. In fact, I own "Pet Sounds." My initial point was this: While Wilson's songs are timeless due to the era that they were written in, it still doesn't help the fact that Brian Wilson CANNOT be taken seriously as an artist. If you put Wilson up against muscians like Leonard Cohen, Bernie Taupin, Randy Newman, David Byrne, Robyn Hitchcock, and Tom Petty, Brian Wilson just shrivels away like a dip in cold water. I think he writes drivel. I'm sorry, that's my opinion. Brett ------------------------------ From: RxBroome@aol.com Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 00:03:00 -0400 Subject: The Hitchcock/Wilson/Kingston/Bragg Axis I: "Love "Song #4". I think it's the last entry on the SB 1976-1981 CD. It ends (fittingly) with Robyn's voice in the studio saying something like "alright, that's it then...". I've always cosidered it a "see ya, mates. i'm off on my own!" type of thing." --This little dialogue snippet also contains something I spent a great deal of time ranting about a while back: Robyn or somebody twice uttering the word "Clickot", which as far as I know has no meaning outside of the "Eye" track "Certainly Clickot". Any newer Feglisters care to comment? II: This isn't in any way a Brian Wilson list, and I think we've said enough on the subject, but I will add that "Pet Sounds" made a believer out of me... IN 1995. A rare so-called "classic" album that deserves the label. Many people assume that it has many well-known Beach Boys staples on it-- probably due to all the "Sgt. Pepper's" comparisons-- but the truth is that most of the songs in the collection are alien to "oldies" format stations, which hew towards the cars-n-surf-n-gurlz stuff. If you haven't heard "Pet Sounds", you don't know it. Hie thee hither. III. "The Speed of Things" obviously betrays a massive folk influence (smile), but does anyone besides me directly equate it with the old folk song "The Shape of Things, The Ballad of"? Doubtless recorded and performed in countless versions with countless titles by countless artists, the version I know best is a loose, novelty-type arrangement by the Kingston Trio (egads, I've mentioned the Trio TWICE in recent posts, and must therefore be becoming my father). "Shape" is far less heartfelt than "Speed", but features some similar bass runs in the guitar part. IV. US Tour Dates! Must have US Tour Dates!!! Regardless of your Moss(y) opinion, it's clear that these songes were born of the road and there they shall remain. I suppose that it's all contingent upon Billy Bragg's album release, so could one of you "industry types" please spare us at least a little of the speculation and tell us when Billy's record comes out? Rex ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 03:42:47 -0500 From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John, Jacci, & Madison) Subject: Re: The Hitchcock/Wilson/Kingston/Bragg Axis >IV. US Tour Dates! Must have US Tour Dates!!! Regardless of your Moss(y) >opinion, it's clear that these songes were born of the road and there they >shall remain. I suppose that it's all contingent upon Billy Bragg's album >release, so could one of you "industry types" please spare us at least a >little of the speculation and tell us when Billy's record comes out? Mssr. Bragg's album "William Blake" comes out either Sept 3 or Sept 10th, I can't remember which. John ------------------------------ From: BLATZMAN@aol.com Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 03:57:33 -0400 Subject: Alt takes, pre Perspex, & homebrew Sorry about those bad vibes earlier folks. I have enjoyed hearing everyones opinions about the tracks. This is the stuff I relish. Keep them coming!!! A few things: Someone recently said that we shouldn't complain because We have a double ablum to pick and choose from. I have a very violent reaction to this. I will take quality over quantity ANY DAY!!!! Releasing all these alternate takes is actually beginning to bother me. It seems to reflect a lack of self confidence about what to do with the material. A lack of conviction. What's this crap about there being too much material for 1 album? So much material he had to include Man with a Woman's Shadow? I really don't care if it's a good song. He already released it. Replace it with Wide Open Star. Which goes into my next point. I laughed out loud (seriously) when someone tried to note the difference between Pre-Perspex and Post-Perspex material. "before Perspex he was writing songs because he had to and now he merely wants to." Oh yes, the old glory days of Vegetable Friend and Give Me A Spanner, Ralph. Respect of course was dedicated to his dead father. Basically a painfully honest album about love, relationships, life and death. Perhaps more honest than anything he'd ever written before. And that loss is still reflected on the new album... Sorry dude, but Respect was the album he had to write. People write about prawns cause they WANT to, and they write about loss cause they have to I've changed my opinion of ME. I don't think it's sh_t, now it's just lousy. DeChirico makes me sooooooooooooooo sick. AND THOSE STUPID CAROUSEL HORNS IN BEAUTIFUL QUEEN????????? WHAT WAS HE THINKING?????? Blatzman I can't be a part of the homebrew recipe for Moss Elixir cause I would really try to capture the essence of the album by throwing in some Hersheys squirts. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 96 04:25:48 EDT From: Alarming fanzine trash <101356.2516@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Alligator Man Thanks to everyone who replied to this query. I assume the version with Robyn is different to that on Alex Chilton's album, although I've not heard that. The version I have was the b-side to 'Gigolo Aunt', and features: Robyn Hitchcock (guitar/vocals) Ian Carmichael (aka Knox) (guitar/vocals) Alex Chilton (guitar) Nicky Hallam (guitar) Matthew Seligman (bass) Nick Gibson (drums) The single is on Armageddon, code AS003. Robyn Hitchcock just described me as "Alarming fanzine trash". Why, thank you. Aidan ------------------------------ From: LORDK@library.phila.gov Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 10:28:44 -0400 (EDT) CC: LORDK@library.phila.gov Subject: Embrodiered threads As an amateur"textile artist'(meaning the compulsive need to always be doing something with a needle)(yeah, yeah,read in the double meanings)-- I am enthralled by the myraid threads currently offered up for further embellishment. In short, the joint is jumpin. Due to lack of mobility, have not yet aquired the vinyl--but some thoughts on the CD. Speed of Things--Im one of those hoplessly verbal people for whom the words count. And the words here are as good as anything he's ever done. Sublime, superb, and once blended into song--ineffably affecting. Also I hear the guitar as a really first class tribute to Martin Carthy--in that it combines romantisism and classicism, balladic-olden(mountain) tyme melencoly with a disciplined starkness. Opposattes consolidted into the eternal alive in time. And--to further carry on pretensiously(ohhh- the crimes of the critic in us all)--I will add that this song adds ammunition to one of my most irratating opinions... when people ask me who my favorite living poet is--I blithely reply"Im not sure youve heard of him. a musician called Robyn hitchcock, ... Oh, and I guess Geoffrey Hill too." , Sinister but happy--Love it, love it, loveit. when they make the movie of my life, sweetie darlings, this will be the theme song. For the jeanne moreau in us all. Im Not you--another home run. Man With a womans shadow--Bingo Filthy bird--makes me a happy bird. Alright Now--I hear Led Zepplin is trying to re-unite(Theyll invoke the drummer), but the *only*thing they can agree on is covering this song. Now, why does that totally illogical thought pop into my head?I cant begin to explain such a thing. Can anyone else? I seem to like it better than the rest of you, but hear Robert Plant singing it with Page doing a folky thang in the background. Will someone please make sense out of this nonsensical image for me. thank you. As for the rest, well, either they're all right yeah, or well, I have specific objjection which probobly arent worth going into and can be summed up with the notion that I miss Morris and andy. As for Mr Wilson---someone named Bernie Taumpon(not to be confused with the one on john Lennons head) as a superior musician. Ahhh-not in mho. And while L Cohen is a better lyracist than Mr Wilson, I dont think hes a better songwriter. For wlison to have been truely great, he needed someone of equall merit to pen the words. And he still did awefully well with the basic, plaintive rock lyric. we can argue forever, but I do think he was a contender. Sue--I loved youre remark about the Breatles and good solid craft. The great green ray--daddy, the Kinks and theosophy all in one gulp. Someone also put their fingure right on my problem with Perspex(as in transparently , perplexed ?)--Somehow I didnt want to face the truthso I never worded it to myself--but yes--I do find much of it musically boring. Sorta meandering tunes that dont take me anywhere. I dont dislike them, but I dont really like them either. Oh dear. How disheartening. I like music that lodges in your head and runs its continious tape thru the my day. Like the songs I mentioned on the new Cd. I agree with the rob's interview about CD packaging being a let down. No matter how good the images are, theyre too bloody small to have impact. their are LP covers I will never forget, and which instantly pull me back to all the specifics of a time and place. I miss that. Bye now---K ------------------------------ From: "Brian Huddell" Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 10:50:41 +0000 Subject: Re: Brian Wilson (my final word) > Bernie Taupin, [ . . . ] Tom Petty, I think this explains a lot. Never mind. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 12:27:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: Alt takes, pre Perspex, & homebrew (fwd) [...] "honest album about love, relationships, life and death. Perhaps more than anything he'd ever written before. And that loss is still reflected on the new album... Sorry dude, but Respect was the album he had to write." ... because A&M was in a hurry to boot him out of his contract! "People write about prawns cause they WANT to, and they write about loss cause they have to" I'd say _eye_ and _iodot_ were more albums he "had" to write, than was respect. they seem much more cathartic and representative of a jagged or living-in-a-glass bubble mental state (respectively) than that campfire-kitchen-experiment-gone-horribly-wrong. More than any other record _eye_ was obviously something he had to get out of his system. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 08:49:18 -0900 From: BC-Radio@corecom.net (Brett Cooper) Subject: Re: Brian Wilson (my final word) >> Bernie Taupin, [ . . . ] Tom Petty, > >I think this explains a lot. Never mind. Oh, give it up! I'll put Tom Petty against Brian "I Wear a Gurdle When I'm Singing" Wilson any day! Look, I was just explaining my opinion. However, this is simply not just my opinion. Most of the people that I talk with about music these days agree with the fact that Brian Wilson can't hold his own in the music business. Brett ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 11:18:41 -0700 From: glen@net5.com (Help, I'm a Rock!) Subject: Re: Select review At 18:32 16.08.96 +0100, rkarstro@cap.se wrote: > Hang on! Here's a possible new thread!!! The swedish band John Lenin > (they were not allowed to call themselves John Lennon, and with a few > hardcore socialists in the band - and a tounge in their cheeks - they > changed the name to John Lenin) did record a version of RH's 'Heaven' > for a single b-side. But they translated the lyrics into Swedish. > Is there any other cover versions like that? "My Way" originally had French lyrics and was translated into English by Paul Anka. "It's Now Or Never" began life as "O Sole Mio". English into another language? Can't think of any that were covers. Some artists (Beatles, Sting, Peter Gabriel) have recorded their own songs in other languagees, but I don't think that counts. --g P.S. Speaking of "It's Now or Never", some guy in Finland has taken 12 songs recorded by Elvis and covered them -- IN LATIN!!! I haven't heard it, but it sounds just interesting enough to listen to once, maybe twice. Hey, I need to put my three years of Latin to _some_ use... "Hic nunc aut numquam..." "A promise never made cannot be broken and can never break a heart." --Jimmy Ibbotson ********************************************** Glen Uber | Business Internet Specialist | Pager +1 707 973 0237 | Email glen@net5.com | World Wide Web http://net5.com/~glen/ | ********************************************** NET5.COM | 5715 Redwood Dr, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 USA | Tel +1 707 585 1470 | Fax +1 707 585 0366 | ********************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 11:19:00 -0700 From: glen@net5.com (Help, I'm a Rock!) Subject: Re: ripoffs, perspex, and diverse and sundry opinions At 21:26 16.08.96 CDT, Truman Peyote wrote: >The only exception I can think of is ripoffs so blantantly obvious they boggle >the mind and make one furious (such as Elastica's "Connection"- I didn't have >much of an opinion of Elastica one way or the other prior to hearing this, >but the rip is SO blatant that there isn't even a question- as with Peter >Schilling's "Major Tom". Shame on these people!). Which song is "Connection" lifted from? "A promise never made cannot be broken and can never break a heart." --Jimmy Ibbotson ********************************************** Glen Uber | Business Internet Specialist | Pager +1 707 973 0237 | Email glen@net5.com | World Wide Web http://net5.com/~glen/ | ********************************************** NET5.COM | 5715 Redwood Dr, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 USA | Tel +1 707 585 1470 | Fax +1 707 585 0366 | ********************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 96 13:48:26 CDT From: Truman Peyote Subject: ripoffs As per ripoffs: Listen to Elasica's "Connection" and then dig up a copy of Wire's "three Girl Rhumba" :). At that point you will know why Wire is currently suing them. ObRobyn: Yes, US tour dates please. Now! I hope his Chicago date doesn't conflict with Johnathan Richman's. Also, to Aidan: when did Robyn call you 'Alarming fanzine Trash" and in what context? I'm very curious! Susan ------------------------------ From: "Brian Huddell" Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 16:02:34 +0000 Subject: Re: Brian Wilson (my final word) > Oh, give it up! I'll put Tom Petty against Brian "I Wear a Gurdle When I'm > Singing" Wilson any day! > Look, I was just explaining my opinion. However, this is simply not just > my opinion. Most of the people that I talk with about music these days > agree with the fact that Brian Wilson can't hold his own in the music > business. At last, in one place, all my favorite things: jabs at an artist which have nothing to do with her/his work (girdle); opinions bolstered by the assertion that "most of the people I talk to" hold them; and artistic merit correlated with "holding one's own" in the music business. For better or worse, BW has had more success in the music business than Robyn Hitchcock ever will, not that that's the least bit relevant to a discussion of their work. I probably should have left it alone but I'm feeling a bit dodgy today; I've got this haunting Bernie Taupin melody running through my head and I can't seem to shake it. Cheers, Brian ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 96 20:40:30 CDT From: Truman Peyote Subject: I Just Couldn't Leave Well Enough Alone Ok, here's my unasked for and probably unwanted two cents: BERNIE TAUPIN? BERNIE TAUPIN THAT WRITES ELTON JOHN'S LYRICS? You must be joking there, or perhaps there is some other Bernie Taupin laboring away writing brilliant songs and constantly frustrated and annoyed that everyone mistakes him for that hack who writes for Elton John. Though I am not at all a fan of Brian Wilson, I will admit that he was and is a gifted composer and arranger. Tom Petty, though certainly a decent songwriter himself, cannot be put in the same class- he's never exactly been an innovator. I can't imagine Mr. Petty using a theremin in a hit single, as Mr. Wilson did in "Good Vibrations", to cite only one example. And to imply that not being successful in the music business (emphasis on the word business) indicates a lack of musical talent is patently absurd. One only has to look at Robyn Hitchcock for an example here, but there are gazillions more- Captain Beefheart, John Cale, Richard Thompson, Tom Waits, the list of talented writers and performers who have failed to sell huge amounts of product, as it is known in the biz, goes on into infinity. And as was pointed out, Brian Wilson has actually made a pretty decent amount of money throughout his career, more than any of those listed above will probably ever see, so he isn't really the best example of someone who has been unsuccessful (the fact that he ended up squandering quite a bit of his money is certainly regrettable, but doesn't indicate a lack of success per se). Everyone's entitled to an opinion, obviously, but when you put forth your opinion you must also expect that some will disagree with you, especially on a list that contains so many passionate musichead types. It's probably better to defend yourself via reasonable arguments than remarks about a given performer's physical appearance or the assertion that "most people I talk to agree with me". Susan who, even though she vehemently supports each individual's right to their own musical opinions as stated above, still has a sneaking suspicion that people who don't like the Beatles are probably from Mars :) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 22:13:12 -0900 From: BC-Radio@corecom.net (Brett Cooper) Subject: Re: I Just Couldn't Leave Well Enough Alone >Everyone's entitled to an opinion, obviously, but when you put forth your >opinion you must also expect that some will disagree with you, especially on >a list that contains so many passionate musichead types. It's probably better >to defend yourself via reasonable arguments than remarks about a given >performer's physical appearance or the assertion that "most people I talk to >agree with me". Who died and made you President of the National Debate and Forensics League? For your future reference, when you show that more people agree with you, it gives your statement/opinion more weight with numbers to back it up and shows that you're not just a minority. While it may be a relatively small group that agrees with me that Brian Wilson isn't as gifted as people make him out to be, it makes my claim more empirical just that tiny bit more. >Susan >who, even though she vehemently supports each individual's right to their own >musical opinions as stated above, still has a sneaking suspicion that people >who don't like the Beatles are probably from Mars :) I don't doubt it, Debate Coach. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 96 17:38:51 EDT From: Doc <75602.2577@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Evershot Gig Hey all... Just thought I'd post the results (what I can remember) of the Evershot Robyn and Homer did Saturday 17th August. Geography: (my UK geography is a little weak, being an itinerant American, so jets off if I get the locale wrong). Evershot is a village in Dorset, in the west of England. For those people what like maps, it's south of a town called Yeovil on the A37. Why did Robyn agree to play here? Well, he's played there before, I guess. The man that manages the village hall, Andrew, dates Robyn's sister. The village hall was VERY small-- about the size of a badminton court. In fact, it IS a badminton court when it's not being used for village meetings, concerts, etc. Admission was 4 pounds! Homer Set: I wish I could remember the songs. I've never seen or heard them before this occasion, just in their respective other bands. They're a great band in their own right. Check out their web page at http://www.foresight.co.uk/homer/ for more info, and go see 'em if you get a chance. Robyn Set (incomplete and in no particular order, acoustic and electric): --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cynthia Mask Beautiful Girl The Wind Whispers Mary Heliotrope She Doesn't Exist The Yip Song (Another tune from PI, has the "doctor, doctor" refrain...by this time the beer was kicking in) Only The Stones Remain Robyn And Homer (likewise incomplete and in no particular order) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ Acid Bird DeChirico Street Queen Of Eyes The Cars She Used To Drive If You Were A Priest Alright Yeah Oceanside (Jake played the bass perfectly on this one!) The Devil's Radio Good gig. Like being in someone's house! The sound was excellent (thanks, Jen). Robyn and Homer play well to-gether, despite the fact they've only played together a couple of times. Some of those tunes are nasty HARD to play. I haven't been able to lay my mitts on a copy of either of the "Mossy" twins, but I liked the new songs I heard last night very much. Thanks a lot...look after yerselves... -Ed, Doc, amazed at how GORGEOUS England is. P.S. Listening to The Tragically Hip, "Trouble At The Henhouse". Another stunning album. P.P.S. Robyn was wearing lime-green pants. Amazing. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 18:36:37 -0400 From: MichaelHooker Subject: moss/mossy hello, having been listening to mossy liquor for quite a while, and having had a few listens to moss elixer as well, i have finally come to a bit of an opinion on both. I like both very much, although it took me longer to like moss elixer. Robyn's voice on moss sounds kinda tinny on some cuts, and the arrangements do take a bit of getting accustomed to. After a couple of times. however, you begin to appreciate what Robyn seems trying to do, give something a bit different than he has. I may be wrong, but it seems that mossy liquor is the record Robyn would make, and moss elixer the record warner bros. wanted. i dont think that moss elixer is a record that will make new markets for Robyn. in truth, i dont think Robyn will ever make a record for the mass market. i really think that there is just a certain percentage of the population that is predisposed to what Robyn offers and the lucky ones actually get introduced to his music somehow, and the rest die unfullfilled. Before anyone gets discouraged about Robyn's lack of record sales and airplay, think about what actually does sell and get airplay.( Hootie sucks so bad i get physically ill ) On an up note, i recently ( via the internet, YEAH!)turned on two sixteen year old girls in Alabama( of all places) to Robyn , and they think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I might add they are full of personality and quite fun. like i said, i think you probably like Robyn before you actually here him,you just dont know it yet. by the way, for those in the metro NYC area, there was a fairly decent article about Robyn in todays(8-18) NY Times. You may be able to get it on America on line, as they carry Times stuff daily.` Keep listening, Mike Hooker ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 10:54:39 +0100 (BST) From: M R Godwin Subject: Re: Not like Brian Wilson? Blasphemy! On Fri, 16 Aug 1996, Laurence Roberts RD wrote: > Sorry if I was harsh about your opionion of Brian Wilson -- we're > all entitled to our own opionions. > > Larry-bob > lroberts@oacis.com That's OK - I am full of well-being and charity today having just seen a comeback gig by Peter Green (former leader of Fleetword Mac) who I hadn't seen for 25 years. He looked a trifle confused but sang and played all his parts correctly, and actually took off a few times. I think that people like me who grew up on blues and Bob Dylan tend to think in terms of lead vocal and lyric (1), guitar (2), other instruments (3) and backing vocals (last). Practically all the Robyn Hitchcock albums which I like score high on this "system" (e.g. EoL, UWM). Most of the British blues groups had no backing vocals at all; the more poppy ones like the Stones and the Animals uttered sort of "Yeah Roberta" type yells occasionally without much musical content. The result is that harmonies are the last thing I listen to, and if they are the main point of the group (which is obviously the case with the Beach Boys), it doesn't make much impact on me. Maybe I'm just missing out! - Mike PS I love that Gram and Emmylou version of Love Hurts, so I don't think I'm totally deaf to harmonies... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 19:17:09 -0500 From: Jay Brownlee Subject: Robyn in the New York Times [The following appeared in today's (08-18-96) New York Times. ] Often when musicians are said to have cult followings, it simply means they don't sell many records. The British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, however, is a cult artist in the truest sense. For nearly two decades his fans have displayed a loyalty rare in the fickle world of popular music. In turn, he writes songs with immediately appealing melodies but with lyrics that read like letters from a faraway dreamscape, exquisitely wrought bulletins from the farthest shores of his imagination. Entering the world of his music is like stepping into the looking glass. It's exciting, but a little frightening too. And it requires the sort of commitment that creates devotees rather than casual listeners. It would be lovely to think that Mr. Hitchcock's new album, "Moss Elixir," his first release since signing with Warner Brothers earlier this year, might significantly expand his audience. (His albums have tended to sell in the low six figures.) Even though the album ranks among the most satisfying work he has done, that prospect is farfetched. The title itself reveals a couple of reasons why, betraying, as it does, Mr. Hitchcock's obsessions with Surrealist punning and natural science. Not that the 44-year-old Mr. Hitchcock, who lives in London, has ever envisioned himself in the spotlight. He seems almost to have been bred for his cult status. He and his two younger sisters -- reared, he says, in a "relatively wealthy" London environment by a father who wrote and painted and a "pretty cosmic" mother -- "were brought up to be beautiful, precious creatures strolling around on the lawn." Even when the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Syd Barrett, a founding member of Pink Floyd, led Mr. Hitchcock out of his hothouse background, inspiring him to form his first band, the Soft Boys, in the mid-70's, he had modest expectations. "I didn't necessarily want to be the face of a generation or change the world," he says "I was much too timid and inward-looking for that." Lanky and shaggy, a look of perpetual puzzlement on his face, Mr. Hitchcock greets each moment of his life as if it were entirely new and entirely befuddling. His manner is that of an absent-minded professor, hipster genus. Offhand intimations of mortality litter Mr. Hitchcock's conversation, as well as his songwriting. And he has affected the music scene -- through his work with the Soft Boys and his former backing band, the Egyptians, as well as his solo albums. Peter Buck, R.E.M.'s guitarist cites the Soft Boys -- whose albums rejected the punk esthetic to move in a more eccentric direction -- as an influence on R.E.M. Mr. Buck sees Mr. Hitchcock's songs as having a literary ancestry. "It's like Edward Lear, the continuation of an English tradition," says Mr. Buck, who has frequently played guitar behind Mr. Hitchcock. "I also like it that one or two themes keep cropping up. Death is in there, fear of the body, sexual terror. It's as if sex, like death and nature, is just another part of this gaping maw of existence." The director Jonathan Demme, a Hitchcock fan since the early 80's, intends to make a film of a performance by Mr. Hitchcock. "There's a wonderful performance-art aspect to Robyn, with all the stories he tells between songs," Mr. Demme says. "It's like something between Spalding Gray's 'Swimming to Cambodia' and Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense.' " The musical interplay Mr. Hitchcock sets in motion between his whimsical lyrics, chiming melodies derived from 60's folk rock and a sense of dread inherited from Anglo-Celtic folklore persists on "Moss Elixir." But this time, he has streamlined his sound, jettisoning his longstanding backup band, the Egyptians, while opting for the occasional violin, saxophone and horn or rhythm section to support his own deft guitar playing and singing. "The basic idea was to make something that only had what was necessary on it," he says. "I decided to go for the old-fashioned approach that Dylan used to have, where you build it all up around the voice and guitar." That approach has brought with it a greater degree of accessibility. "Like a chandelier festooned with leeches" is still the sort of disturbing simile that springs naturally to Mr. Hitchcock's mind. But "The Speed of Things" "The Speed of Things" is a powerfully compressed -- and moving -- meditation on the passing of time, while "This Is How It Feels" artlessly captures the accidental nature of love as "a sideways glance in a full-on world." But it is seldom easy to pin down the meaning of Mr. Hitchcock's songs. Those meanings are as elusive as the beautiful birds, skittering insects or slippery sea creatures that are among his most recurrent images. "I think very often my words get in the way," he admits. "Maybe it's because I'm not really using words to say anything. They're just the words that come to me when I have a certain feeling." "If you'd just had an orgasm," he continues," 'There goes the fence' might come into your mind. You wouldn't necessarily know why. My words are just a reaction, rather than a way for me to hack my way through the jungle to tell the folks how I feel." Mr. Hitchcock may be a cult figure, But he has something of a media assault under way. In addition to "Moss Elixir," Warner Brothers will simultaneously release a vinyl-only companion piece for collectors. Titled "Mossy Liquor (Outtakes and Prototypes)," it consists of alternate versions of six of the songs on "Moss Elixir," along with six additional tracks. In September, Hitchcock's former label, A&M, will release a compilation of his earlier work, and Rhino Records, which has reissued the bulk of his extensive catalogue, will release a compilation of its own next spring. In October, Mr. Hitchcock will begin his North American tour, and Mr. Demme will make his film that month as well for theatrical release next year. So even if his audience is small by pop music's inflated standard, Mr. Hitchcock takes the long view. "I think if you look back on it all in 50 or 100 years, my stuff will actually blend in very well with the late 20th century," he says. "It's pretty emotionally accurate about these times. Because I don't appear to be an overt commentator, I'm not seen that way. That means I'm not trendy. But it does give me longevity." *Anthony DeCurtis is writing a biography of the rock band R.E.M. * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. *sob* .