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 V5 #1 Fegmaniax Digest Volume 5 Number 1 Thursday January 2 1997 To post, send mail to fegmaniax@ecto.org To unsubscribe, send mail to majordomo@ecto.org with the words "unsubscribe fegmaniax-digest" in the message body. Send comments, etc. to the listowner at owner-fegmaniax@ecto.org FegMANIAX! Web Page: http://remus.rutgers.edu/~woj/fegmaniax/index.html Archives are available at ftp://www.ecto.org/pub/lists/fegmaniax/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Topics: ------- ------- 1996 in retreat Re: 1996 in retreat Yep- missed a couple Re: Gigs/Pistols The Year in Music Storefront blurb in SJ Mercury THE YEAR IN MUSIC Re: Years Best (no-no-no RH) Byrds Tribute LP Another Year Over, A New One's Just Begun ------------------------------ From: Hedblade@aol.com Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 14:30:40 -0500 Subject: 1996 in retreat Well, Fegs, I've slapped a "little" list together. This is off of the top of my head, which is probably best, but it will insure there are a few gems I've left by the side. That said, here's my ego speaking out on the greatest records of 1996: 1) Jolene - Hell's Half Acre (EVERYONE check this young SC band out NOW) 2) Grant Lee Buffalo - Copperopolis (the beauty took me by surprise) 3) Suzanne Vega - 9 Objects Of Desire 4) Me'shell Ndegeocello - Peace Beyond Passion (finally- SOUL music again) 5) Robyn Hitchcock - Moss Elixir (I find it one of his best) 6) Los Lobos - Colossal Head (not a fan, but they won me with this one) 7) Beck - Odelay (God, I hate to be so trendy, but... it IS great) 8) Cast - All Change (from the dust of The La's comes a great little combo) 9) Sam Phillips - Omnipop 10) Aimee Mann - I'm With Stupid (end of 1995? Played to death in '96) 11) Jason Falkner - Presents Author Unknown 12) Los Straitjackets - Viva! Los Straitjackets (surf rock that isn't trad) 13) Cocteau Twins - Milk & Kisses 14) Fiona Apple - Tidal (if "Shadowboxer" is all you've heard, hold judgement) 15) Barenaked Ladies - Born On A Pirate Ship Honerable Mention: Ween "12 Golden Country Greats," Daniel Tashian "Sweetie," The Mysteries Of Life "Keep A Secret," Squeeze "Ridiculous," The Blue Nile "Peace At Last," Sugarbuzz "Three Mil Thick," Moxy Fruvous "The B Album," Craig Ross "Dead Spy Report," Nora O'Connor "Cerulean Blue," They Might Be Giants "Factory Showroom," Frazier Chorus "Wide Awake," Barbara Kessler "Notion," Cake "Fashion Nugget," Yazbek "The Laughing Man," Kostars "Klassics With A 'K'," Everything But The Girl "Walking Wounded," Fun Lovin' Criminals "Come Find Yourself," Eels "Beautiful Freak," Nil Lara "Nil Lara" Stuff From 1995 That Rocked Straight Into 1996 Black Grape "It's Great When You're Straight, Yeah!", The Rugburns "Taking The World By Donkey," Old 97's "Wreck Your Life," Swales "What's His Name," The High Llamas "Gideon Gaye," Ivy "Realistic," Poi Dog Pondering "Pomegranate," Lloyd Cole "Love Story," Francis Dunnery "Tall Blonde Helicopter One Record From 1994 That I Just Discoverd This Year, So It Counts Brian Leach "The Sunrise Nearly Killed Me" Hmmmmmmm, anything I left out? How about Kula Shaker and The Sugarplastic? ;) All the best to you all in 1997!!! Sincerely, Jay ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 13:43:07 -0600 From: LSDiamond Subject: Re: 1996 in retreat At 02:30 PM 1/1/97 -0500, you wrote: >12) Los Straitjackets - Viva! Los Straitjackets (surf rock that isn't trad) oh yes! Someone finally gave Los Straightjackets some recognition!!! *grin* i dicovered them about this time last year (just after Christmas '95) on Conan O' Brian and searched for about half a year before i found them! what a great band. oh yeah, Robyn is great, isn't he? *grin* (had to make SOMETHING on-topic, right? LOL) LSDiamond PS any word on those posters? is there no way of knowing whether you'll get any at all until they either do or do not come? how long was the delivery time for anyone else? ------------------------------ From: Hedblade@aol.com Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 16:57:54 -0500 Subject: Yep- missed a couple Sorry, you've indulged me far enough already, but I missed a couple of goodies on my list: 1) Semisonic- Great Divide (should have made my top 15) 2) The Bluetones - Expecting To Fly (good psych-pop) 3) Paul Westerberg - Eventually (most hated it- I think it's pretty fab) That's it. No more "best of '96" for me... Unless we want to start counting gigs..... Sincerely, Jay ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 15:34:41 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: Gigs/Pistols >From: Tony Blackman > >THE SEX PISTOLS at Finsbury Park - What a surprise! Expected nothing, got >the world. 500 >30-somethings at the front frightening the youngsters, and >spot-the-celebrity backstage >(one question though, why was Daryl Hall there?) I wasn't that impressed by the Pistols out here in Hollywood. Lydon's voice was in great shape and the band was tight, but then again, who needs tight when it comes to the Sex Pistols? ;) No group interaction either -- they just stuck to their corners and ignored each other. The show had a disturbing "canned" quality about it, not helped by the cheesy headline-collage backdrop. I kept having flashbacks about when I saw Beatlemania years ago! Honestly! Out here, the only celebrities I saw at the show were Brian Setzer and Billy Idol. Blecch. I did meet a guy who saw Roxy Music in the Eno days, though. That compensated! :) Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 11:14:30 -0500 From: mlang@inch.com (Matrix) Subject: The Year in Music This was really tough to do... 1996 yielded a below average number of five star albums (3)(indulge my rating system please) this year but probably a larger number of four star albums than any year I can remember (over 15!). The best "trend" in music this year for me was the rebirth of hip hop. Not only are there 3 hip hop records in my top ten but there are a slew of new hip hop records coming out in January (Camp Lo, Jungle Brothers, Large Professor & Common).... I realized that indie music has really lost something for me since Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain came out. Very little of this stuff has that, "I am too cool to try to make this sound good" feel that is so common in indie music. 1. De La Soul- Stakes is High(*****)- This record is so dense lyrically and so enjoyable musically. Will go down as one of the most underrated records of all time.... even you highly informed people aren't buying it. Yes, this is one of those top 20 of all time records that you know you will hear 500 times in your life. I am now either a total De La Soul nut/lunatic or they are one of the most formidable artists of the 20th Century. Brilliant. 2. Tori Amos- Boys for Pele(*****)- Okay, Okay. I never liked Tori Amos. I as with many people on this list, thought she was to Kate Bush as Kingdom Come was to Led Zeppelin. I refused to believe that she had talent. But this record is amazing. I have not been able to prevent myself from listening to it once a day for the past 4 or 5 months. It is like a drug addiction. There are at least 10 totally amazing songs on this record. She really lets loose being free from here producer/boyfriend Eric Rosse. I wouldn't even compare this record to Kate Bush, it reminds me much more of one my 10 favorite records: Joni Mitchell's Blue and I never thought I would compare anything to Blue. 3. Sammy- Tales of Great Neck Glory(*****)- Yes, it's true. When you first hear this record it sounds like a bunch of Stones or if you prefer, Pavement knockoffs. But listen closely. Anyone who has ever lived in a suburb outside of a big city (in this case Long Island, in my case New Jersey) will love this record. And these guys can really write songs. This record has the added advantage for those of you who don't have it of retailing at $5.99. 4. The Loud Family- Interbabe Concern(****)- I do love this record. Don't get me wrong. It's just that I really don't enjoy hearing "I No Longer Fear the Headless" or "Uncle Lucky" anymore. Thus there is a lull for me in the middle of the record that reminds me of what JR Taylor's NY Press Review said. Of course, I think that "Not Expecting....", "Where They Walk Over St. Therese", "Screwed Over..." and "Just Gone" are some of the most beautiful songs ever written. Now that I know this record really well, I kinda wish Scott would go back to Analog Recording. The Cold Digital sound of this record makes each instrument sound so separate from every other instrument. It's like you can hear every track at once, which in general I think is a bad thing. Don't hate me for saying any of that. 5. Ride- Tarantula (****)- 1994's Carnival of Light which has an unbelievable production job by John Leckie is a really classic record, totally beautiful, transcendent music on side one. This year's followup was originally dissapointing... it is produced really dryly. But I wound up listening to this record about 200 times.. it is really wonderful. Side one is almost perfect (one clunker), side two has it share of flaws but some really great stuff. This record was thrown into record stores after the band broke up and completely neglected. How sad. Mary Anne is the best song of Ride's career, and one of the best jams of all time on record... completely reminiscent of Neil Young's Down by the River and Cowgirl in the Sand jams. 6. Seely- Parentha See (****) This is a record out of Atlanta on a label called Third Eye (I kid you not). It was rerecorded with John McIntyre of Tortoise producing at Brad "Exile in Guyville" Wood's Idful studio in Chicago. I thought it would be even better but the production job is really terrible. If you ever find a copy of Parenta See, buy it for me, my roomates have the only copy I have ever seen (I think there may only be 500. The rerecorded version was release by American/Too Pure a couple of months ago and is called Julie Only. It is still worth having: the songs are wonderfully beautiful and they are a great band, it just doesn't have as much magic on it. My Bloody Valentine fans should really dig it. 7. A Tribe Called Quest- Beats. Rhymes, & Life (****) A real grower. They will probably never put out a record as great as the Low End Theory again but this is much better than 1993's crappy Midnight Marauders. The music on this record is like snare driven jazz, if there is such a thing. Has maybe the funniest line of the year on it: Phife: "You see you, your career is done like Johnny Carson, Get me vexed, like Left Eye, I'm starting arson." Cracks me up every time......... 8. Suzanne Vega- Nine Objects of Desire (****) I love this record. The musicianship is excellent and I love 11 of its twelve songs. I just don't understand why it kind of wore out after 30 listens. These songs were all better live too. Still, it pushes Suzanne Vega closer and closer into the inner circle of the Greats..... 9. Outkast- Atliens (****) This is one of the most unique hip hop records ever. Lots of singing and R&B stuff, five really intense wonderful songs... If you hear the song Atliens or Elevators (Me & You) on the radio, don't shut it off... you will wind up buyin this record if you listen closely enough. 10. Kula Shaker- K (****) Yes this record is slightly disposable (in the Britpop tradition). But it also has some really kick ass songs on it. And these guys really don't sound like everyone else (I didn't say anyone else because they really sound like Pink Floyd in spots). 11. High Llamas- Hawaii (****) A double album masterpiece of Brian Wilson influenced pop from sometime Stereolab/former Microdisney member Sean O Hagan. Not as good as 1995's Gideon Gaye, much harder to "crack" but well worth the effort. This record should be released domestically in January so Y'all won't have to pay $25 for it like my friend Steve did. 12. Velocity Girl- Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts (****) Very sad that they broke up. I am suprised how high this album finished. It would be very easy to write this band off as fluff pop but their songs don't leave your mind for months at a time and "Go Coastal" and "Same Old City" are two of the best songs of the year.... 13. The Favorite Color- Color Out of Space (****) no comment 14. Robyn Hitchcock- Moss Elixir (****) I was actually dissapointed in this record considering that his two previous solo, acoustic efforts Eye & I Often Dream of Trains are both masterpieces. But it is still really enjoyable and well worth having.... 15. The Roots- Illadelph Halflife (****) Live drums on this entire hip hop record makes this come off much more as a set of songs than most records in this genre. Edged New Adventures in Hi Fi out of my top 15.... sad. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 97 08:50:00 -0800 From: Russ Reynolds Subject: Storefront blurb in SJ Mercury When I got home from work Tuesday evening my wife greeted me at the door with the Life section of the San Jose Mercury News, saying "did you see this?"...I glanced at the big photo of the Beatles and accompanying story and said "pretty cool" and she said, "no, THIS," pointing to a tiny blurb on the side titled "British singer subject of new concert film"...this from the newspaper that completely ignored the Hitchcock/Bragg show last year. Text follows (nothing new here): ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A concert performance film starring British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock is set for theatrical release next fall. Orion Pictures has acquired worldwide rightes to "Storefront Hitchcock," which was directed by "Silence of the Lambs" director Jonathan Demme. The film was shot the week of December 9 in New York City, with Hitchcock performing in a downtown storefront before an audience ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BTW, below that was a blurb about Bob Dole doing a cameo in "Suddenly Susan" I'm not sure if the Hitchcock story appearing above the Dole story says more about Hitchcock's increasing popularity or the DECREASING popularity of Dole and Brooke Shields. -russ. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 97 11:55:50 EST From: kenster@MIT.EDU (Ken Ostrander) Subject: THE YEAR IN MUSIC ALBUMS (listed in some semblance of order for me): SET THE TWILIGHT REELING lou reed NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI r.e.m. DANCE HALL AT LOUSE POINT john parish & polly jean harvey LIMBO throwing muses ODELAY beck LIFE IS SWEET maria mckee MOSS ELIXIR robyn hitchcock WILLIAM BLOKE billy bragg DILATE ani di franco EMANCIAPATION o}+> UNDER THE BUSHES UNDER THE STARS guided by voices UNITED mekons the finn brothers NO CODE pearl jam HARMACY sebadoh ELECTRIC LARRYLAND butthole surfers NINE OBJECTS OF DESIRE suzanne vega THE BURDENS OF BEING UPRIGHT tracy bonham SOUTHPAW GRAMMER morrissey PLEASURE CLUB james hall NOW I GOT WORRY jon spencer blues explosion FEVER IN FEVER OUT luscious jackson LATHER frank zappa BREATHE midnight oil K kula shakur ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY elvis costello CHAOS AND DISORDER o}+> GO TO THE SUGAR ALTAR kelly deal 6000 BON BON LIFESTYLE josephine wiggs experience BILLY BREATHES phish CRASH dave matthews band THE ROAD TO ENSENADA lyle lovett SURRENDER TO JONATHAN jonathan richman sheryl crow TRAGIC KINGDOM no doubt GONE AGAIN patti smith AMONG MY SWAN mazzy star bob mould TIDAL fiona apple THE CULT OF RAY frank black ELECTRONIC raise the pressure FACTORY SHOWROOM they might be giants SUNFISH HOLY BREAKFAST guided by voices CAR BUTTON CLOTH lemonheads MERCURY FALLING sting MUSIC FOR LOSERS the good life PUSSY, QUEEN OF THE PIRATES mekons/kathy aker CONCERTS (somehow i had money left over): pj harvey lou reed throwing muses morphine/they might be giants/cardigans flunky incredible casuals tears for fears robyn/billy maria mckee/james hall ass ponies elvis costello supersuckers combustible edison sextiles union label NEW FAVORITE BANDS (as in, i got an album and then proceeded in an unholy [still going...] quest for the back catalogue): mekons guided by voices ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 12:02:12 -0400 From: lj lindhurst Subject: Re: Years Best (no-no-no RH) Now, come on! No one has named three of the BEST CDs of the whole year/decade/universe: "All This Useless Beauty" - Elvis Costello and "Under the Bushes Under the Stars" -Guided By Voices and "Unchained" -Johnny Cash (God do I love Johnny Cash)(I wish the world was made outta Johnny Cash) Or are those too "mainstream" for you guys? :) And how about Vic Chesnutt? BTW, one of my favorites that no one else seems to have heard about is an album called "Admiral Charcoal's Song" by Rebecca Moore (late '95, it's on the Knitting Factory Works label). If anyone sees this, pick it up-- I see it from time to time here in the used bins. It's very dark and eerie and beautiful, and well worth the $4.99 I paid for it. Back to my Berkeley Breakfast...see ya's! lj ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 11:17:24 -0600 From: mbrage@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu (Michael Brage) Subject: Byrds Tribute LP Fegs, The local used record store by my house has a vinyl copy of the Byrds Tribute album that contains the Nigel and the Crosses cover of "Wild Mountain Tyme". The cost is $2.99 cheap. If anybody wants it, I am only to happy to pick it up. Michael ------------------------------ From: Merkin Pie Subject: Another Year Over, A New One's Just Begun Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 10:49:03 -0800 Hey all, I've been reading the "Year In Review" posts and now realize one thing: I NEED TO GET OUT MORE OFTEN!!! :) I bought fewer "new" albums in 1996 then I ever had before. I don't know if that is a commentary on the state of music or my ever changing moods. I did happen to "discover" a lot of things I hadn't been aware of before, so some of those things are included in my lists. The items in these lists are in no particular order: **Best Music of 1996: Robyn - Mossy Liquor The Feud - A Feud Good Men Stupid White People - The Unbearable Whiteness of Being Ween - 12 Country Greats Beatles - Anthology(s) Rutles - Archaeology Kula Shaker - K Willie Nelson - Revolutions of Time (Box Set) Get Shorty Soundtrack Beck - Odelay The Mavericks Gary Allan - Used Heart For Sale Schleprock -(America's) Dirty Little Secret Me'Shell Ndegeocello - Peace Beyond Passion Vic Chesnutt - About To Choke King Crimson - THRAK! (Came out in 1995; I didn't buy it until this summer) **Best Old Music I Discovered In 1996: Ween - Chocolate and Cheese Ry Cooder - Jazz Davey Graham The Rising Sons **Best Live Shows: Didn't get out much last year, so I guess it would have to be Robyn and Billy at the Warfield in SF on Nov. 8. The Specials show in Petaluma at the end of October was also pretty good. **Best Beer of 1996: Lagunitas IPA, Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA. No other beer came close this year. **Best Movies (That I saw in 1996): Braveheart Sense and Sensibility The English Patient Putney Swope (Came out in 1972; I was deprived until last year) The Usual Suspects **Worst Movie: Mission Impossible **Things I hope fade away in 1997: Hootie and the Blowchunks Alanis Morrissette Reunion Tours/"Comebacks" (KISS might be the exception) Movies that are remakes of old movies or TV shows **Things that sucked about 1996: I wasn't asked to do a love scene with either Elizabeth Hurley or Emma Thompson I had 4 friends die within 5 weeks Technology progressed much quicker than I could keep up with Still no new XTC album Another Jim Carrey movie I hope 1997 turns out to be the best year ever and I look forward to continuing the lively discussions. Pax in annum novum, --g "Every man has a right to his opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts." --Bernard Baruch ******************************************************* Glen E. Uber glen@metro.net http://metro.net/glen/ ******************************************************* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. *sob* .