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 #162 Fegmaniax Digest Volume 4 Number 162 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: ------- ------- self-intro yes, yes, yes, YES! Moss Elixir - 15 thoughts Robyn Is on Microsoft Music Central! Re: Groovy Decoy/cay Hello Decoyed decay Details 12 Bar 27/8/96 Re: Decoyed decay This is how it feels Robyn review at Hotwired Re: 12 Bar 27/8/96 CRD:If You Were a Priest, Somewhere Apart and others Re: 12 Bar 27/8/96 Final Poll Update Lunacy, No Robyn content Re: Robyn review at Hotwired Elixir Progress Re: Moss Elixir - 15 thoughts messages of dark Re: messages of dark Groovy Dung Globe Of Frogs ------------------------------ From: "Christine Du Bois" Subject: self-intro Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:36:44 -0700 Greetings, all! My name is Christine, and I'm an avid, long-time RH/Soft Boys fan. It was truly a pleasure to locate this mailing list, believe me! Although I'm not quite as rabid as I once was (you should have known me 4, 6 or 8 years ago! my goodness, I would've scared you!), I still love keeping abreast of all the latest Robyn news. And the desire for his music never dissipates.... I'm 27, a queer witch, and a little bit subversive. I love the following: my girlie (Catherine), my dog (Carley), my books, my writing utensils, my guitar, my access to the Internet, my movie collection, my public relations position, my sexual politics, my music, my.....Oh, did I mention I was possessive, too??? Other musical fave-raves include: Ani DiFranco, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sky Cries Mary, Swamp Mama Johnson, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Smithereens, Sue Foley, Candye Kane, Tori Amos, Pearl Jam, Loreena McKennitt, Melissa Etheridge, and perhaps I should quit here! Bright blessings, Christine Du Bois Descendant of the Strega, Inhabitant of Lesbiana, and Public Relations Whore COYOTE/Seattle: The Sex Workers Rights Organization http://www.coyotesea.org NOTE: We do NOT provide sex worker referrals! ******************************************************************** Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman... ******************************************************************** ------------------------------ From: "Mike Hardaker" Subject: yes, yes, yes, YES! Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 11:08:03 +0200 I've been sitting here in the frozen wastes of the South African winter reading about how everyone's getting first Mossy Liqor and then Moss Elixir, thinking "BASTARDS!". I think the last time a Robyn Hitchcock record was released here was some time in a parallel existence. Certainly, no one I've met since I got here has heard of him - unless they picked up a record while overseas. So I walk into my local CD peddlar (the largest in Cape Town and roughly comparable in stock levels to the largest in, say, Winchester), look - with a resigned expression in my eyes - under the 'H' section of New Arrivals and.... Whassup? I see Moss Elixir. OK, so it's the equivalent of $25 but that's what CDs cost here... It's now playing :-) Mike (sorry, I just felt it was my turn to be smug. Oh, and sorry for the lack of any Brian Wilson references. Except that one, of course.) ======================================================= Mike Hardaker e-mail: hardaker@iafrica.com mike@sacb.co.za mhardaker@cix.compulink.co.uk WWW: http://mickey.iafrica.com/~hardaker/ (The Hole In The Wall) Tel: +27 ((0)21) 419 0799 Fax: +27 ((0)21) 419 0787 ======================================================= "I'd like to reassure you, But I'm not that kind of guy." - Robyn Hitchcock ======================================================= ------------------------------ From: "Mike Hardaker" Subject: Moss Elixir - 15 thoughts Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 16:18:30 +0200 I thought I'd just jot down a few initial thoughts about Moss Elixir partly to get 'em clear in my head and partly because everyone else seems to have done so, and I didn't want to feel left out... Remember that these come from the Hemisphere In Which Tours Don't Happen, so this is the first time I've heard the songs, as well as the arrangements. 1. Bits of it really grab me, but others strike me as very second-rate, almost like self-parody or a search to work out what the 'Hitchcock Formula' is and then reproduce it. 2. Some of the lyrics really feel as if the weirdness/psychedelia was grafted on rather deliberately, with lines feeling forced. The verses of Devil's Radio are a case in point as though the thought was '"tentacles" is a really groovy word: let's shoehorn it into a song'. Some of the very heavy-handed rhymes and words remind me of Eye, but there seemed to be a lot more, well, honesty about them there - it came across as naivity rather than deliberateness. 3. The intro to Sinister But She Was Happy is really lovely. 4. Is it just me or is the 'na nanana' bit of Devil's Radio pinched straight from the Velvets' (or rather Lou Reed's Street Hassle version of) Real Good Time Together? And that Bigsbied guitar is *very* familiar - has Quentin Tarantino managed to infect the whole planet with his music taste?. 5. A lot of the vocals feel like really throwaway, first-take efforts with the pitch all to hell in places and some real straining for the high notes. 6. Heliotrope could come straight off IODOT. I like its whimsey, and the way it avoids [2] above, somehow. The Speed Of Things sounds like it's from a similar period too, but I don't think it's as good, maybe because the vocals seem to be an awkward fit, physically, to the music. 7. The production is, er, 'interesting'. Or rather, it isn't. There's some really clumsy work here, particularly with the vocals which seem to flucuate between nearly 'dry' and absolutely 'soaked'. With the exception of Heliotrope (which manages to work despite the heavy-handed reverb), Robyn's voice rarely sounds at its best. The production's OK on Filthy Bird, actually, but the vocal take should have been canned, or maybe the tape slowed down to bring it into the man's comfortable vocal range. The mixes sound like (very) rough mixes. 8. Alright Yeah is a great pop song which fits straight into the So You Think You're in Love category. Love it. 9. Beautiful Queen's got such a great sound, but those strained vocals again... Odd mix, too. 10. The guitar and harmonica on Man With A Woman's Shadow are out o tune with each other. Why? Rule number 1 when recording harp is to *tune the guitars to the harp* and not a tuner, because harps tend to be, er, erratic in pitch. Shame, 'cause it's a lovely song (although it's another highly strange mix, with the vocals rather lost in the middle). 11. I Am Not Me is really wonderful, but that percussive acoustic guitar is mixed rather oddly. Is it meant to be there or is it spillage on Deni Bonet's tambourine track? 12. De Chrico Street is a giggle. *Love* the opening horns, but I'm not sure about them when they come back in. I get the feeling the song would be better if they were less 'there'. And on this one the vocal seems too *high* in the mix... 13. You and Oblivion feels like it could use another draft or two. There's a great song trying to get out of there. The mantra-like guitar seems to be an attempt to get the same sort of effect as the Velvets got on Some Kinda Love, one which doesn't quite work. 14. Horrible vocal take on This Is How It Feels. Pretty crappy production too, I think. Great song. Is the chorus influenced by Lou Reed's How Do You Think It Feels? 15. Was Robyn listening to a lot of Lou Reed recently? Several times I was forcefully reminded of songs I haven't heard for years... 15. I suppose I'm pretty disappointed, actually. The songs feel half-finished, the production was barely started and it strikes me as an 'oddments' album like Invisible Hithcock. I can't helf feeling that the guiding hand of a producer (and/or the influence of Andy and Morris say 'no man, do it *properly*) would have helped. Flame away... Mike ======================================================= Mike Hardaker e-mail: hardaker@iafrica.com mike@sacb.co.za mhardaker@cix.compulink.co.uk WWW: http://mickey.iafrica.com/~hardaker/ (The Hole In The Wall) Tel: +27 ((0)21) 419 0799 Fax: +27 ((0)21) 419 0787 ======================================================= "I'd like to reassure you, But I'm not that kind of guy." - Robyn Hitchcock ======================================================= ------------------------------ From: jlaw@qucis.queensu.ca (Jeffrey Lawrence) Date: Wed, 28 Aug 96 11:46:32 EDT Subject: Robyn Is on Microsoft Music Central! Not sure whether anyone mentioned this or not but today (Aug. 28) that MS Music Central has a huge interview etc. with RH. The URL is http://www.musiccentral.msn.com/ and the interview etc. is located on the front page.... -- Slainte!, Jeff " Jesus said: "Love thy neighbor." (Matthew 22:39) Elvis said: "Don't be cruel." (RCA, 1956) Jesus walked on water. (Matthew 14:25) Elvis surfed. (Blue Hawaii, Paramount, 1965)" - anon, from "Why Elvis is god" (this is meant tounge-in-cheek ;-)) ** JEFF LAWRENCE (jlaw@qucis.queensu.ca) ** Systems Specialist, Robotics and Perception Labs, Dept. of Computing and Information Sciences, Rm.729, Goodwin Hall, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, CANADA, K7L 3N6 Ph:(613)545-6656 FAX: (613)545-6513 URL : http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/home/jlaw/home.html ** ALBUMS OF THE WEEK (Aug. 21 edition) **: 1) Robyn Hitchcok - Moss Elixir 2) Elvis Costello - Mighty Like A Rose 3) Elvis Costello & The Attractions - All This Useless Beauty 4) "Trainspotting" soundtrack 5) Tasmin Archer - Shipbuilding EP *************************************************** ** CHECK OUT THE CANADIAN JOB SOURCE!!!!!! ** ** http://www.irus.rri.uwo.ca/~jlaw/job_can.html ** *************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 96 09:35:00 -0800 From: Russ Reynolds Subject: Re: Groovy Decoy/cay >That being said, did anyone else regret that Robyn hasn't trotted >out "St. Petersburg" with Ms. Bonet helping out? I'd be happy if he trotted that song out with a trombone. I think it's brilliant. I agree that the songwriting on GD was there from the start, but I disagree with the notion that GD was despised because RH despised it himself. At least that's not the case with me. I remember thinking when the record came out that this wasn't really the sort of album I'd like to listen too much, especially not when compared to his previous efforts. Later I was surprised to read in an interview that Robyn wasn't too fond of the record either. (maybe HIS opinions of his work were swayed by fan reaction?). It wasn't until I saw him perform several of those songs live ('85 I think?) that I discovered how good those tunes were. Personally, I much prefer the DecOy mixes. -rr "By the conduct of his daily life, Lindsey Nelson showed me how to be a gentleman. It's not his fault I never quite got the hang of it."-SF Giants' announcer Hank Greenwald, who announced his impending retirement yesterday ------------------------------ From: Terrence M Marks Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 12:33:25 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Hello Just like to tell everyone that I'm back, with a different address, a different email address, and (finally) the complete collection... Reminds me...I've got Mossy Liquor on vinyl, but no turntable. Could someone help me out on this one? Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks ------------------------------ From: LORDK@library.phila.gov Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 13:00:30 -0400 (EDT) CC: LORDK@library.phila.gov Subject: Decoyed decay I personally have always been fond of Midnight Fish. It is so aweful it trascends itself. Ive always wondered just how drunk he had to be to sing it, obviously more drunk than hes ever been in concert, since I dont believe hes ever covered it live. I see it now--a mirrored ball descends from the ceiling and starts spinning, a drum machine is set on top volume, and our hero starts to, errr, shall we say, emote.. Do you think Demme would include that in his documentry? K ------------------------------ From: Terrence M Marks Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 13:10:06 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Details Oh yeah....July 1996 issue of details has Robyn and several other rockers doing rorshach tests. The evaluation of Robyn was somehtingalongthe lines of [Sorry...bad spacebar on this keyboard] "He'sgot an overactive imagination and doesn't know how toturn it off. Sounds like ahealthyindividual. I'dliketo meetRobyn." Dang...I'mgoing tologoffandtryfor abetterkeyboard. Oh..btw...there'sa big shipment oftabs coming your way... ------------------------------ From: jturner@rpms.ac.uk (Jonathan Turner) Subject: 12 Bar 27/8/96 Date: Wed, 28 Aug 96 18:12:20 BST What a difference a week makes. Last week Robyn was distant, messing up several guitar intros and generally looking like he wished he was elsewhere. This week he looked like he'd rather be nowhere else but the stage of the 12 Bar. Jumping on stage in plain purple shirt, and the return of the green jeans, he strummed his acoustic and slowly counted in 5...4...3...2...1...I DREAM OF ANTWOMAN taken at a nice gentle pace. Then "this had lots of verses, then I pruned alternate verses" DE CHIRICO STREET sounding good. Hitting his stride, EACH OF HER SILVER WANDS hit home like never before, preceded by a rant about how the UK was being destroyed by the forces of Conservatism - upper class yobs controlling lower class yobs. On with the harmonica holder (whatever you call those things) and a story about how you need to do more than just practice the mouth harp; you need to lie in bed wearing harp & holder with glycerine dripping into your mouth. Then into SERPENT AT THE GATES OF WISDOM followed by ONE LONG PAIR OF EYES played like it had been written that morning with Robyn still wondering at its beauty. "This song was written in the same key as that last one, but has a completely different mood" and next up was BEAUTIFUL GIRL sung with a big grin like he'd just rediscovered love. "If you miss someone too much you turn into them... though it doesn't seem to work for the Christian Church" and I"M ONLY YOU with it's gorgeous guitar denouement. Then the new I DON'T REMEMBER GUILDFORD sounding like it'll be one of the highspots of the next album; and closing the acoustic set a "song about a fragile place" - GLASS HOTEL. On with the electric and the first few chords of I AM NOT ME, stopped as Robyn asked if we minded if he "cranked it up a bit." Getting a pretty positive response, up went the amp to 11 and I AM NOT ME got a sound thrashing. Next up was "YOU AND OBLIVION" and its death trains, followed by "A song I wrote in the piano in 1982," I OFTEN DREAM OF TRAINS with the electric guitar and the "Baby" cries at the end fading into oblivion as we hung on in silence until the very last note."I wrote that in 1982 on the piano" said Robyn (again) "and I wrote this in 1988." FREEZE rocked as never before to finish off the main set. Encore time: white shirt and back to the acoustic. FEELS LIKE 1974 and then back on with the harp for what sounded like it was going to be Only The Stones Remain but became MY FAVOURITE BUILDINGS complete with the fake showbiz "Thankyou Thankyous" and manic grins. This time there was also a duff chord which inspire Robyn into some bizarre story about invisible mooses (meese ? moosen ?) as he felt there was "several pounds worth of encore to go, and it shouldn't be spoilt by me not remembering the right chord" and the a gorgeous THE LEOPARD complete with a "go tell Jack Nicholson, this time it must be....love" line. "None of these (encore) songs are on my new album, though they will all be on old ones or the next one. So if you don't like any of them, buy the new one" finishing with LET'S GO THUNDERING by which time we all felt too struck by lightning to demand any more. Sorry if that went on a bit, but it was one of the best solo shows I've seen him do. I can recommend RS Isopropanol Cleaning Solvent as an inspiration to reviewing if anyone's doing next week's show (it's OK, I have a valid work use for the stuff, it's just that the ventilation here isn't as good as it could be...) Or the 12 Bar Fantasy Lasagne if you prefer reviewing on a full stomach. Just don't fall for the extra-salt-in-the-free-peanuts trick. I'm off for a lie down. Jonathan. ------------------------------ From: "Aaron J. Sparrow" Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 13:57:03 -0500 Subject: Re: Decoyed decay > I personally have always been fond of Midnight Fish. > It is so aweful it trascends itself. It does have a catchy middle 8! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 14:04:58 -0500 From: mlang@inch.com (Steven Matrick) Subject: This is how it feels Just realized something that upset me a bit. This Is How It Feels is Aquarium recycled. Listen to it. Same chords on the verse. I couldn't escape the feeling that it sounded familiar. You can sing "Everything revolves around the sun over the beginning part" 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 ____________________________________________________________________________ __ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 11:40:27 -0700 From: lroberts@oacis.com (Laurence Roberts RD) Subject: Robyn review at Hotwired There's a very positive review of Moss Elixer at Hotwired, written by Jim DeRogatis (the guy who got fired by Rolling Stone for writing a negative review of Hootie, and also a member of the Wire cover band Ex-Lion Tamers.) It's at http://www.hotwired.com/music/96/35/robyn.html Larry-bob lroberts@oacis.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 15:23:07 -0400 (EDT) From: normal@grove.ufl.edu Subject: Re: 12 Bar 27/8/96 Sounds great... Does anyone have tapes of this or any of the other post-Elixer shows? Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 15:27:29 -0400 (EDT) From: normal@grove.ufl.edu Subject: CRD:If You Were a Priest, Somewhere Apart and others @SONG: If You Were a Priest [I'm not sure if it's G# or G#(add D). Personally, I can't figure out a way to play a G#(add D) so I play it as G#. If someone with more gifted fingers could help me out, please do] A G#(add D) If you were a priest G F# B I would wait at least A G# up until confession time and G F# B creep into your box A G# breathing like a fox G F# B hunting for obsession time and B E B E I've thrown a lot of time away to be with you B E B E So please don't lock away your eyes If you were a nun I would surely run down on to the hospital and cover all your charts with decorated hearts A palpitating ritual My grapes are where your oysters are] I've thrown a lot of time away to be with you So please don't lock away your eyes If you were a ghost I would treasure most time I never spent with you and things you never said tattered, grim and dead 'til I knew what I meant to you and I've thrown a lot of time away to be with you So please don't lock away your eyes @SONG:Somewhere Apart [Note: This song is based around the fifth fret. The chords as they are played are: A : 577655 F :XX7565 G#: 466544 Dm:X57765 C7: XX5557 ] A G# A G# A G# Somewhere apart A C7 Somewhere you must be dreaming F Dm somewhere the world is screaming A G# A Somewhere apart C7 a space between is not a final answer F Dm I'll never ever be a dancer F Dm G so get me fish eggs and a violin F G A G# A I'm gonna burn your bongos tonight C7 and let Graham have a chance F Dm cause no one ever lets him dance F Dm A and all the see-through things are crawling from the sea A G# A C7 Somewhere apart oh whistle someone's up the lava we must be somewhere east of Java Oh shed your bags, here comes a mule A phantoms of the disposessed G# travel through the wilderness A crying out in mortal stress C7 never ever come to rest Somewhere apart Somewhere apart Somewhere apart with flowers and a geiger counter stumbling and forest for his keys is fumbling mule-headed man Somewhere apart @SONG: The Leopard E A G#m F# E A G She walks like a leopard E A G#m F# her feet padding down down down with spars on her shadow that sway as the sun goes round he lies in the orchard and gazes into the sun his body is burning but not for just any one. D one more animal A E one more fox will slip away D you're an animal A E like your father in his day I walk through the winter I watch and I go insane I see the formation but don't make me look again one more animal no one thought would get away hear the orchestra of the leopard and the prey The Rain (4:20) [Tab based on second version (Groovy Decay)] -------- D I G I can't believe my luck D Seems G I'm well and truly stuck A Wow G It's coming on again A G My only friend D The rain You You took me by surprise When You opened up my eyes All I noticed was a stain My only friend The rain My only friend The rain I I've watched big chimneys fall But you Went through me like a wall Are You sure you're not insane My only friend The rain My only friend The rain My only friend The rain My only friend The rain When I Was A Kid (4:01) [tab is correct for either GD version] ---------------- B When I was a kid I finished what I did I screwed down the lid and Then I went and hid in the A# Eiderdown As soon as I was born About the hour of dawn My father took a horn and Chased me down the lawn in his Dressing gown F Ain't it strange how People get older F# They waddle and drool and Eventually moulder B They moulder away F# There's nothing I can do for you E Darling When I was a lad I never had a dad Just an elder brother who Got married to my mother in a Thunderstorm By the time that I was four I melted on the floor I bolted out the door and Made damn sure I Never came down F I swear I could murder that guy though I F# Smile at him when he passes by B He turned me into a businessman he F# Turned me into a E When I was a kid I hated what I did I strangled all my relatives Heaven isn't hell if it's Just the same [Not the same] By the time that I was three I decided to be me I'm trying to remember that Evening in December when the Angel came Au pair girl's headless torso Moves me and even moreso Coral edged groove [Coral it grew] F# Let's go and start a family E Let's go and start a family F# Let's go and start a family E Let's go and start a family Let's go and start a family Let's go and start a family Let's go and start a family Let's go Let's go Midnight Fish (3:45) ------------- Bass Riff A:-0--0-2--3-5--5-7p5-7p5-7-3----- or A:-0--0-2--2-3--5-7p5-7p5-7-3----- A B C E Some peole make it and Some people don't Some peole take it and Some people won't Now you've got everything A girl could wish Excepting one thing I haven't seen any fish So I'm slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Honey watch me drown Rubbing like strangers In a filthy hole Cool Moist and expectant Sardines in a bowl C'mon boy Cut all their heads off So they can breathe Go Somewhere in my Baby's tunnel I get lost and Think I'll drown Somewhere in my Baby's tunnel Lord I feel I'm Going down A B C E Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Slipping you the midnight fish Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 15:36:29 -0500 From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John, Jacci, & Madison) Subject: Re: 12 Bar 27/8/96 >Sounds great... >Does anyone have tapes of this or any of the other post-Elixer shows? > >Terry "The Human Mellotron" Marks >normal@grove.ufl.edu Me too! John (pretending he logged in from America Online) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 16:09:16 -0500 From: mlang@inch.com (Steven Matrick) Subject: Final Poll Update OK. That last post was very effective and now 26 people have voted for their top ten Robyn Hitchcock records. This number still seems a bit low especially since I have not received any voting from woj. I will provide a long winded running analysis of this poll on Friday at 5:00 PM when I publish the results. Thus, that is indeed the deadline. Steven Matrick ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 96 17:42:06 EDT From: KeN SaBaTiNi Subject: Lunacy, No Robyn content On Mon, 26 Aug 1996 06:56:41 -0400 Livia said: >From: Livia >Subject: RE: Holier-than-thou trivia vs. holier-than-thou Fegs >Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 17:04:40 -0700 > >>The personal attack on Kay, however, was offensive. The fact that no one >>mentioned it was even more appalling. The fact that Livia rarely posts, yet >>found it important to post *that*, was creepy. These were the vibes that >>caused my fegsister to quit, I imagine, and I happen to think that the tone >>of the list at that time may have brought out the worst in some. > >yes, the evil and creepy livia, driven to distraction by a year's worth of >seeming incoherence and carelessness, gives way to a momentary 'attack' >of minor pettiness, never thinking that it might bring an entire mailing list >crashing down. oh, the guilt > >belated apologies to kay. but before i crawl back into my murky obscurity, >might i suggest that she either use a spell-checker or mention her >dyslexia in her signature, since a single initial notification will do little to >inform those who joined the list after her Your sarcasm is laughable and your apology insincere to say the least. You are sorry but you feel justified in your attack because someone doesn't mention her disability in her sig file? That is ridiculous. Surely you don't believe this! Internet posting is not at the same level of a formal letter or memo, hence puctuation and spelling errors are to be expected and are not used (by normal people) as a source of flamage. Good GoD! Ken ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ken Sabatini The value of the average conversation Dept. of Psychology could be enormously improved by the University of Georgia constant use of four simple words: Athens, GA "I do not know." -Andre Maurois ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 17:08:27 -0500 (CDT) From: sdodge@inforel.com (Susan Dodge) Subject: Re: Robyn review at Hotwired >There's a very positive review of Moss Elixer at Hotwired, written by >Jim DeRogatis (the guy who got fired by Rolling Stone for writing a >negative review of Hootie, and also a member of the Wire cover band >Ex-Lion Tamers.) > >It's at http://www.hotwired.com/music/96/35/robyn.html > >Larry-bob >lroberts@oacis.com Chicagoans also know Jim as the former rock critic for the Chicago Sun-Times (which he left for his ill-fated Rolling Stone job) and host of the now defunct "Sound Opinions" talk show which aired on a local "alternative" station for about 18 months. He co-hosted it with another Chicago (now San Francisco) critic Bill Wyman, a fellow much disliked around these parts for overhyping a certain local chanteuse and for mistaking stupid statements for provocative ones (i.e., "David Bowie is the worst songwriter in rock history", referring to the Kinks as "rather silly"). As far as I know, this was the first rock critic call-in show on radio- please correct me if I am wrong- and with all its faults was an enjoyable program. They also had Robyn on one of their Radio ID carts :). As for l'affaire Hootie, I hear that Jan Wenner got really pissed off when De Rogatis revealed that negative Hootie review as the reason he was fired and that RS is suing for libel. Is this true? If so, how is the suit going? I find it rather ironic, since DeRogatis was hired to "shake up" Rolling Stone and help them become more cutting-edge and less stodgy. A positive Hootie review would hardly be a step in this direction, obviously :). Also, I wanted to say rehi to our much missed tabmaster Terry Marks! He appears to be at work on Element of Light songs at this moment, which delights me as that's one big gap in my own tab collection. I appreciate the mighty effort :). And finally, as to Groovy Deca-o-y: I think that Robyn's dislike of this record may be what started the whole bad vibe that most people seem to feel surrounds it, since he was absolutely miserable while making it (my instinct is that this had to do with feeling a lack of control over his own material). Fan dislike would of course add to this, but I have a feeling if Robyn really loved the record and loved making it he wouldn't give two noggins and a firkin for fan opinion. IMHO, at this point it's safe to say that Robyn himself dislikes it, (most) fans dislike it, and each dislike feeds off the other. There is some good songwriting there (esp. Cars She Used to Drive), but overall it sounds to me as if something went horribly wrong (yeah, I know, that isn't exactly a novel opinion). Might have made a better acoustic record, or maybe nothing could have saved it, I don't know, but in any event there's nothing for it but to salvage the good ones and perhaps put better versions of these on live records (as with America and Cars on GLTHO). Susan the long-winded :) ******************************************************************* "if you get gloomy just sdodge@inforel.com "Horrible sins I've got. take an hour off and sit sdodge@midway.uchicago.edu I suppose it's the wages"- and think how DJ at WHPK 88.5fm Chicago Peter Cook, "Bedazzled" much better this world Support College Radio! is than hell "As the judge said on the day of course it won't cheer that he acquitted my Aunt Hortense: you up much if To be smut it must be utt- you expect to go there"- terly without redeeming social archy the vers libre cockroach importance"- Tom Lehrer, "Smut" ******************************************************************* ------------------------------ From: ben@deafkhan.com Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 20:34:33 -0700 Subject: Elixir Progress For those of you keeping score, this appeared in the September 2 CMJ New Music Report (weekly): #1 BREAKTHROUGH ROBYN HITCHCOCK "Moss Elixir" Warner Bros. Chart Position: #41 With "Moss Elixir", his first album for Warner Bros., Robyn Hitchcock continues to charm college radio with his wit and songmanship, something he's been doing for longer than he'd probably care to remember. With his eccentric style and undeniable charm, Hitchcock earns the title of Radio Breakthrough, gathering plenty of moss in these stations' top 10s: KGLT, KUNI, WCSB, WVBU, and WWUH. The chart listing showed "Moss Elixir" as being among those albums which were most requested, had a significant increase in airplay, and greatest upward chart movement. There was a favorable review (4 out of 5 stars, I believe) in the British magazine, Q, along with an ad for the CD. Vox Magazine "brought to you by New Musical Express" was pretty scathing with 3 out of 10 and dismissed Hitchcock outright as an artist. Ben ------------------------------ From: George Spigot Subject: Re: Moss Elixir - 15 thoughts Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 17:07:19 -0700 At 16:18 28.08.96 +0200, Mike Hardaker wrote: >15. Was Robyn listening to a lot of Lou Reed recently? Several times I was >forcefully reminded of songs I haven't heard for years... > >15. I suppose I'm pretty disappointed, actually. The songs feel >half-finished, the production was barely started and it strikes me as an >'oddments' album like Invisible Hithcock. I can't helf feeling that the >guiding hand of a producer (and/or the influence of Andy and Morris say 'no >man, do it *properly*) would have helped. > >Flame away... Uh, Mike...There were 16 thoughts here... Were two somehow connected? Wasting away again in Macarenaville (apologies to J. Buffett), --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 ------------------------------ From: LORDK@library.phila.gov Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 20:02:09 -0400 (EDT) CC: LORDK@library.phila.gov Subject: messages of dark Hi I have an idea for a new thread. Think of it posed by some half-craked, overly-academic jungian--the esteemmed fraulien Docktar Adailidenhildengardn Schmidn. It has come to my attention that certain behaviors on the "Net" are perfect illustrations of some of Jungs main theories(op cite ad on Hillman,J; Jung,E,; Crowley,A, et non, bibliotechagraph infinetium.) I am referring, of course, to jungs theories of balance, of realizing both the dark and the light sides of all matters (ipso facto Alchemical prime matter), of accepting, nay, inviting the shadow , the dark, into manifestation, so as not to be too abruptly broiled to a crisp by the sudden inflamation brought on by denial. Im talking flame wars here. Im talking the fegmania listserve, which, while striving to keep an ever-smiley face on its doing, neverthrless, periodically breaks down into insult matches. Woe to said fegs, who remain blind to the irony of their actions. For is not the personnage at the very epicenter of their small, and oh so fragile universe, is not the great robyn himself, an intermittant source of sarcasm, misanthropy, murderous fantasy and occasionally bristling hostility? Does he not even derive some enjoyment from the same, and even admire those who bask in the pleasures of the wicked(hey--they may be sinister, but darn it all, they're happy.) In short, would it not be medicinal to perscribe for these poor fegs, not prozac, not lithium,---but some good old fashioned negativity? Perhaps a review of the various mean-spirited and insulting remarks made by their favorite little godling at differnt times during his carreer would be restorative? I will begin by remarking on his sexual preference for photos over actaul female bodies, since photos do not smell. Perhaps others have equally favorite tidbits of nastiness to share. K, the my goverment-provided, lowest-bid, computer does not include a spellcheck, or even the capability to download a spellczek Cap ------------------------------ From: "Aaron J. Sparrow" Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 21:17:17 -0500 Subject: Re: messages of dark LordK, the Cap, wrote: "...is not the great robyn himself, an intermittant source of sarcasm, misanthropy, murderous fantasy and occasionally bristling hostility? Does he not even derive some enjoyment from the same, and even admire those who bask in the pleasures of the wicked..." Sarcasm, murderous fantasy, bristling hostility, yes. I think misanthropy is taking it a bit far, and as for sadistic tendencies, it's important to differentiate between the artist and his songs. Not knowing him, I really can't comment... Nevertheless, your suggestion sounds like fun: "Perhaps a review of the various mean-spirited and insulting remarks made by their favorite little godling at differnt times during his carreer would be restorative?" How about this little passage from St. Petersburg, demonstrating willful indifference to the death of a loved one: She hangs from a hook She hangs like a crook Had gone and hung her up there She spins round and round Three feet off the ground But why she does I don't care And then there's the entire song "Trash", my favorite parts being: Last time you went down to the Hope I saw you hustling for a piece of dope God you're embarrassing! (Of course, the "sometimes" that follows that passage keeps the tone from being over-the-top insulting) and: Don't put your arms 'round me I don't want to be...a loser Aaron ------------------------------ From: BLATZMAN@aol.com Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 21:38:37 -0400 Subject: Groovy Dung As suggested, I pulled out my copy of Groovy Decay today and gave it another listen. It sent me rushing to the bathroom. The CD was actually too big and didn't flush down the toilet, but at least I tried. Keep the earth green, baby. I placed it in the garbage. Oh yeah, I guess I have to start using :-). It seems like if you put one of these annoying symbols after everything you write, people tend not to get all bent up :-) But then, I don't really care anyway :-) And by the way Rex, you're hep, not hip :-) :-)B:-)L:-)A:-)T:-)Z:-)M:-)A:-)N:-) BABY!!!! ------------------------------ From: avarice@getnet.com (Christopher Donnell) Subject: Globe Of Frogs Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 01:45:49 GMT I can't see what everyone's deal with 'Decoy/Decay/Deco' and whatnot. I've always has Globe Of Frogs as the album that I react to the most negatively (well, Flesh Number One is a great song - coulda been a number one iht if it only had a different title). Before I got into Robyn Hitchock I was going to an REM concert that he was opening up for (I remember reading 'with Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians under REM's name and thinking... hmmm, sounds like a bunch of kooks). Around the same time I was borrowing a bunch of CD from a friend and she accidentally gave me the Globe Of Frogs CD. Since I was going to be seeing them I decided to listen to it. I remember thinking at the time, 'that balloon man song is okay, but the rest... hmmm'. (These days's it's pretty much the same thing excpet I'd say 'that balloon man song and the flesh number one song are good, and I must prefer the electric globe of frogs on the balloon man single'). Sometime a week or two before the show I saw the video for 'Madonna Of The Wasps' and was like, 'Wow, this is really cool'. I went to the show, thought, 'Wow, this is really cool'. Went to the store the next day and bought Queen Elvis and spent the rest of my life listening to everything else by Uncle Bobby and thinking, 'Wow, this is really cool'. Even when I got the Groovy Decay vinyl. Just my thoughts - I think people should figure out why Globe Of Frogs isn't very good. Maybe Brian Wilson helped out with it. (Incidentally GoF is the other album that Robyn always says that he doesn't like, hmmm.) -Qrys ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. *sob* .