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 #161 Fegmaniax Digest Volume 4 Number 161 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: ------- ------- oh no there won't 100% Robyn; 0% Bitterness Funny, I don't FEEL hipper than thou... Re: August 23rd Isle of Wight - Part 3. The Soggy End! NEVER LIKED THE BEATLES? Album Poll Update odd bits Re: August 23rd Groovy Decoy/cay Re: Groovy Decoy/cay Re: Groovy Decoy/cay Re: Groovy Decoy/cay ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 15:43:30 +1200 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: oh no there won't E.B. wrote: >There will never be a Mariah Carey argument on this list... Oh yes there will! :) J. (awaiting, panto-like, a reply) ------------------------------ From: RxBroome@aol.com Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 00:23:48 -0400 Subject: 100% Robyn; 0% Bitterness Sorry for the bile and vitriol of my earlier post-- I hadn't had much sleep for about four days and was afraid that, due to circumstances beyond mu control, I'd destroyed a very important friendship. I'm better now. I'm curious about the transcripts from the Demme film-- I've been enjoying the hell out of them, but I must've missed some preliminary explanation of them. Who's transcribing and are they officially associated with the film? Since the film is obviously in production, I suppose it's safe to ask some real questions about it. What I know is this: it's a Jonathan Demme documentary about Robyn on tour. That's about it, but Demme's previous treatment of documentary and musical subject matter suggests that there might be some other creative angle to it-- the guy did make one of the, er, one and a half rock movies that aren't by and large awful. Here's some of the stuff I'd like to know: 1) What's the goal of the project? It's being called a "film", which implies some plans for theatrical release, but that raises a few questions. I work in the film exhibition biz-- on the artier end of it, in fact-- and the project has a sort of bizarre dichotomy to it: many people have heard of Jonathan Demme and would be interested in his new film, but not many people have heard of Robyn Hitchcock. Demme did manage to get "Stop Making Sense" over, but Talking Heads had recenly scored a top 10 hit and all that. The film is therefore a hard sell that will have to rely on its own merits, not artist recognition, to get much play. 2) If it is for theatrical release, does it have a distributor yet? If not, where's the money coming from? 3) If not for theatres, then what? There are a number of shows on cable that feature artists like this, some of them quite inventive, but it's always someone like Tom Petty or Bonnie Raitt or Jackson Browne. Maybe they'd go for someone fringe-y like Robyn if it's the pet project of someone with Demme's clout, though... dunno. 4) Other than the tour, are there plans to shoot anything else with Robyn? 5) Here's an obvious one: is there a soundtrack album planned? Seems like a natural, but as Woj has mentioned, Robyn product is very close to the saturation point-- depending on when this comes out, it could well technically be his fifth release within a year! (All of which will probably contain "Alright Yeah"...) Enquiring Fegs want to know. Rx (PS-- until I saw the transcription of "Oceanside", I'd always thought that the line "See the giant rocks upon the cliffside" was actually "See the giant LOBSTER on the GOOD side" (yeah, I know)-- meaning that in the post-apocalyptic future where the big red sun won't go down, there's a tremendous clash between good and evil, during which a giant lobster aids the forces of justice. Which just goes to show you that, if you get too used to Robyn's writing style, you start to hear crustaceans even when they're not there.) ------------------------------ From: RxBroome@aol.com Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 01:03:02 -0400 Subject: Funny, I don't FEEL hipper than thou... Lordy, lordy, things has gotten nasty while I was away! Lemme see if I've read this correctly: I would be one of the prime offenders of the "hipper than thou", "snobbish" posts about "music trivia". That's because I, like many others, occasionally post little tidbits about artists that have been brought up in connection with, uh, who's that guy who did "Balloon Man"? Waldo Hitchcock or somebody; whatever. The most recent instance in which I'm guilty of this was a little blurb about the chronological chain of influences on "Rubber Soul", "Pet Sounds", "Revolver" etc. This somehow makes me "snobbish" or indicates a "hipper than thou" attitude. Well. I've got a few things to say about that. 1) Good God, I'm not a fucking moron. I don't live under the delusion that a knowledge of Anglo-American pop music "history" makes me "hip"!!! Fer chrissakes, admitting to an extensive knowledge of the Beach Boys is about as unhip a thing as can be done-- at parties, online, or wherever, probably even in Clyst Honiton. 2) So why did I write that little blurb? Because SOMEONE ASKED and I KNEW THE ANSWER, okay? That's the usual reason for those kinds of posts. Has to do with the nature of communication, see? If somebody wants to know something, they ASK. If somebody else has the desired information and isn't an asshole, they ANSWER. Sometimes I ask, too, about artists who have been mentioned on the list. Nice people answer me, I am enriched by this information or whatever, and no harm done to anyone else. If anyone can recall me spontaneously posting an elaborate history of an unrelated artist without it being an answer to a question or comment about the list, he/she has a better memory than I, and I apologize to everyone psychologically or physically wounded by such a rash action on my behalf. 3) I was gonna go on, but I've decided to quash my burning desire to demonstrate my awesome brainiac powers of ultra-cool hipness by detailing every single historical lineup of the Teardrop Explodes, but fuck it. Later. Rx ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 96 02:12 PDT From: upstart@mindlink.bc.ca (Renee Lynn) Subject: Re: August 23rd > >I somehow think the date has a stronger significance to Robyn Hitchcock than >any of these events. His Dad's Birthday? Deathday? The day he signed with >WB? Anybody know? According to interview he did on CBC radio earlier this summer, Aug 23 was "one of " he and his partner's "anniversaries" and that they had decided to have "as many as possible." It sounded quite nasty and delicious, the way he said it, btw. RLT ------------------------------ From: NJARMAN@frmail.rosemount.com Subject: Isle of Wight - Part 3. The Soggy End! Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 06:11:41 -0500 Yarmouth Bus Stop Set (We arrive soggy and wet at Yarmouth Bus Stop near the ferry terminal and squelch our way down the steps to say farewell to Robyn. He is standing under the bus shelter) RH: The pubs over there... Oh wait a minute, Tim did we do D.C. Lets do that. Oh I'll do one on my own OK. (Robyn opens up his guitar case and leaves it on the floor) Audience member: Do we have to throw some coins in there? RH: No you have to see how much money I've got. Oh all right. (re-tunes guitar) (Singing) Heliotrope my love. Her face to the heavens. Her petals all around the dial. Her shadow follows her. It looks like a serpent. And I'm as loaded as a gun. She worships the sun. She worships the sun. I lie beneath the ground. My eyes are unseeing. My name is gone from all the dials. The tombs are shimmering. Deep into her being. It could be lethal but it's fun. She worships the sun. She worships the sun. She worships the sun. She's full of happy beans No shadow within her. Your paranoia makes her smile. And when the cats head grins. It's ready for dinner. You know your going to be the one. She worships the sun. She worships the sun. I said now, she worships the sun. (Applause) (re-tunes guitar again) RH: This is for the lady with binoculars up there looking through that window. You know were kinda real rad, like Cliff Richard yeah, we're "Rocker Billy Rebels". Oh hang on this is in ordinary keys. Is that a wholesome B? I'm going to tune this down. Don't worry you still have time to go to the pub. I mean anyone who's getting the nine 'o' clock. She's gone! Oh right lets go... (Singing) I was followed home by a weighing machine, on De Chirico Street. It said what do you know, I said what do you mean, on De Chirico Street. And the numbers turned to fingers, and the fingers turned to flies, And they buzzed around your portrait. I was followed home by a 73, on De Chirico Street. It was advertising you and me, on De Chirico Street. In the photograph we kissed, the conductors name was Milo. As the bus went passed he hissed, "Flesh Head". A hyena sprang she was on all fours, on De Chirico Street. And an outline showed through a strip of gauze, on De Chirico Street. If you meet me by the clock, I could kiss you through the window. 'Cause you love that sudden shock, don't moralise, get on with it. You can go know you've discharged all your responsibilities. Now, now, now, now, now, now, on De Chirico Street. Ahhhhhh. Ahhhhhh. Where the sun dial fell It was o sublime, on De Chirico Street. And a lizard's tail slithered in the crack, on De Chirico Street. And the pale yellow globes, flickered softly in your window. As you paced the night with strobes. Its the darkest dream in the whole wide world, on De Chirico Street. It's a bat, it's a bat, it's a bat, it's a girl, on De Chirico Street. In my pocket nightmares dress, I said Jasper this ones evil. But I love my lioness, my lioness! Ahhhhh. Ahhhhh. Hmmmm. Ahhhhh. (Applause) US: Favourite buildings. RH: Um. Sorry? US: Favourite buildings. US: Agony of pleasure. US: The yip song. RH: You guys don't know yip do you? It's in E but the chord changes are really frightening! (Laughter) RH: Um.. just thinking about this urrr.. US: Acid bird. RH: Oh, Acid bird, we've rehearsed that. This isn't very good but we have rehearsed it. Has anybody got any water? Patsy, can I have glug? It's not spiked is it? Have to watch out for hostile organisms and parasites. (singing) Sucking on a tap that never dries. Could you take it right between your eyes? Bending blood, bending blood. The father stood, the father's hood. Black shadow on an acid bird. That etched her way across a field. So long ago. Walking through the field in summer heat. Look at all the creatures round your feet. Pumping blood, pumping blood. Your mother gave, your mother gave. White ointment on an acid kiss. That burned upon the lips she gave you. So long ago, so long ago Fun in the sun, black in the blood stream. Shallow bodies writhing on the grass. Fun in the sun, air in the slipstream. Tadpoles shooting through a hollow glass. Cutting out a silhouette of dreams. Everything is older than it seems. Son of blood, son of blood. The baby wakes, the baby shakes. And crawls across the acid ring. That flickers on your corpuscles One sunny day, one sunny day. Fun in the sun, everyone knows it. They could be as yellow as the hay. Fun in the sun, everyone blows it. They grow up and instantly decay. Like shadow of an acid bird. That etched her way across the field. So long ago. (Applause) RH: I'll just do this. I'll just do one on my own and then we should all go. As the guys from Brighton got here late, you caused an extension. If anybody wants to head off to the pub your welcome. I mean we'll be along in a minute, so its after hours. You can get food at most of the four major pubs in Yarmouth. (singing) I'm completely grey, your completely mad. You're a middle aged baby, and the world is bad. Let's go thundering. In a juicy chasm, down a mossy chine. I can feel your tongue running down my spine. Let's go thundering. Let's go thundering. Oh your breath is sweet, it's beyond belief. And your mouth curls round, like a leaf. And the sky is bruised, kinda of overcast. It's about to rain, which could always go so fast. Let's go thundering. Let's go thundering. If you gotta go, oh you gotta gun now. yes you gotta go... (RH: that requires a bit of delicacy) When the thunder breaks, and the lightning flash. I'll be in your heart, even if we crash. When the thunder breaks, and the rain comes down. In the jewelled light, I will kiss your gown. Let's go thundering. Let's go thundering. thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, thundering, Let's go thundering. RH: Right that really is it! (Applause) RH: Yeah, try some of the pubs. NJ: Thank you Robyn that was great. RH: Oh, glad you enjoyed it. (Robyn and the band start to pack everything away, a load of the audience had already ran away, half way through the last verse, to get onto thier ferry that was pulling out, the rest of us who were staying on the island drifted off in different directions.) The End.. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 20:32:20 +0800 (SST) From: Kevin M Mathews Subject: NEVER LIKED THE BEATLES? Hamish ... yer not serious, are you ? Let the flames begin ... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 10:23:12 -0500 From: mlang@inch.com (Steven Matrick) Subject: Album Poll Update Susan asked when the deadline for this album poll is. I think it should be Friday, unless this is protested. It is very clear that there is a real consensus on what Robyn's top five records are, then there is much variety later on. The following people have voted: Steven Matrick Russ Reynolds Dmitri Gokhman Daniel Saunders Ryan Godfrey Tim Bugbee Mike Godwin Aaron Sparrow TchdnJesus Bill Rooney shane brashear Susan Dodge If your name isn't on this list, then I have not received your vote. I wish some more people would vote because the race for best album is really heating up and the more imput the better. Thanks, Steven Matrick The Favorite Color ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 10:50:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: odd bits anyone who has a copy of the 1987 maxwells show or another show where robyn played sure as an ant, the yellow snake, the main thing or dark globe, please get in touch-- my tape is a bit soft. i need it for the DAT rarities archive. also, i'm still waiting for the lyrics to "a most peculiar voice" so i can tell if my version is cut at the beginning! thanks. bayard ------------------------------ From: George Spigot Subject: Re: August 23rd Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 10:57:47 -0700 At 17:23 26.08.96 -0800, Russ Reynolds wrote: >I think someone asked recently about the significance of August 23rd (as in >August 23rd Music). Did anyone ever give an answer? [Trivial info deleted] >I somehow think the date has a stronger significance to Robyn Hitchcock than >any of these events. His Dad's Birthday? Deathday? The day he signed with >WB? Anybody know? Maybe it's Michele's birthday...or perhaps the day they met... --g "Cher is doing a televison commercial for sugar substitutes. In it, she says women should be careful of what they put in their bodies. This comes from the woman who was married to Gregg Allman." --Bruce Baum ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 15:52:04 -0500 From: mlang@inch.com (Steven Matrick) Subject: Groovy Decoy/cay Over the years, this record has really held up for me. Unfortunately the rerelease is not made like an album and therefore probably very few of you have re-evaluated it. But think of what great songs are on this record Fifty Two Stations & America were HUGE influences on the sound of my band. Doesn't seem like anyone is too fond of this one. Take it out again and listen. I am not saying it is not flawed, but it is not his worst studio album.... Steve ______________________________________________________________________________ FAVORITE COLOR RELATED LINKS: http://www.eden.com/zines/deadangel/da21.html http://www.westnet.com/consumable/1996/08.16/revbroke.html http://www.umd.umich.edu/~haibachi/Forklift/new.html - http://members.aol.com/AuralAdven/index.html http://www-dept.cs.ucl.ac.uk/external/twicks/ill/O.html ______________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ From: "Aaron J. Sparrow" Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 16:21:05 -0500 Subject: Re: Groovy Decoy/cay I heartily agree. It seems like Groovy Decay/oy has been disparaged mainly b/c of the production, primarily the fact that it tried to make RH sound like something he wasn't. But you're right -- the songwriting is definitely there. Aaron ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 18:35:51 -0500 From: Miles Goosens Subject: Re: Groovy Decoy/cay At 04:21 PM 8/27/96 -0500, Aaron J. Sparrow wrote: >I heartily agree. It seems like Groovy Decay/oy has been >disparaged mainly b/c of the production, primarily the fact that it >tried to make RH sound like something he wasn't. But you're right -- >the songwriting is definitely there. I'll chime in also -- I'm a longtime fan of _DecAy_ especially, since it contains my all-time favorite Hitchcock song, "52 Stations," plus gems like "The Cars She Used To Drive," "America," and "St. Petersburg." I even enjoy "Night Ride to Trinidad" and "Grooving on an Inner Plane," to name two frequent flashpoints on this list. I think the album's bad rep comes from not only the production, but from RH himself. We know that this album came from a very troubled time in Robyn's life, hence some of his dislike for the album, which will probably be forever linked in his mind to the dissolute state he was in at the time. Also, over the years, he's tended to believe his own bad press a bit too much, especially where _DecAy_ is concerned. So we have plentiful examples of Robyn badmouthing the album, including his release of the Seligman demos for the album (_DecOy_), an act which in itself implies that the released album wasn't up to snuff, and Robyn's own liner notes to _Gravy Deco_. That being said, did anyone else regret that Robyn hasn't trotted out "St. Petersburg" with Ms. Bonet helping out? It seems like if any song in the RH catalog would benefit from an acoustic guitar/violin arrangement, this would be it. And didn't Robyn say in the _Deco_ notes that he originally envisioned the song with a violin, not a saxophone? Later, Miles ===================================================================== Great Hard Rock/Metal albums: 1) AC/DC -- Powerage 2) Judas Priest -- Screaming for Vengeance 3) Accept -- Balls to the Wall 4) Ozzy Osbourne -- Blizzard of Ozz 5) Metallica -- Master of Puppets "It wasn't called 'Heavy Metal' when I invented it." -- Dave Davies Miles Goosens goosenmk@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu ===================================================================== ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Groovy Decoy/cay Date: Tue, 27 Aug 96 17:03:42 -0700 From: Tom Clark "Aaron J. Sparrow" , "The Lobster Gang" Miles sez: >That being said, did anyone else regret that Robyn hasn't trotted >out "St. Petersburg" with Ms. Bonet helping out? It seems like if any >song in the RH catalog would benefit from an acoustic guitar/violin >arrangement, this would be it. And didn't Robyn say in the _Deco_ >notes that he originally envisioned the song with a violin, not a >saxophone? I was under the impression that he wanted to do the whole album with violin instead of sax. After listening to Moss Elixir today I got more of a feel for it and I think GD would've turned out quite a bit better. It would make for an interesting experiment with a MIDI system, no? is it Friday yet? -tc ************************************* * Tom Clark * Apple Computer, Inc. * tclark@apple.com * tclark@netgate.net * http://www.netgate.net/~tclark ************************************* It seems like I'm high But baby, I'm crawling through the unbearable days I threw away but I should have savored. - David Lowery ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. *sob* .