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 #192 Fegmaniax Digest Volume 5 Number 192 Thursday August 7 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: ------- ------- "Hang the judges high, Hang the wise men of the realm." Re: "Hang the judges high" One long pair of eyes acridnyms the pauper/popper question Re: "Hang the judges high" Re: "Hang the judges high" popping the question (Re: the popper/pauper question) RE: popping the question (Re: the popper/pauper question) perverse twists RE: perverse twists RE: popping the question (Re: the popper/pauper question) ------------------------------ From: "Eddie Tews" Subject: "Hang the judges high, Hang the wise men of the realm." Date: Wed, 06 Aug 1997 17:56:21 PDT another note for seattle area fegs: after searching high and low, i finally found UNCORRECTED PERSONALITY TRAITS at silver platters in bellevue. i'd guess they *might* have it at the northgate store as well. anybody else running into this problem, or is it just the west coast? where are they shipped from, anyway? i was thinking, you know, BACK EAST. but it's probably kansas or something. griffith, your quote kicks ass. eb said he wished that robyn would write more topical songs. i think what it is, it doesn't really seem like he has that many, but really there are quite a few: I Wanna Destroy You, Innocent Boy, Zipper In My Spine, Love, Surgery, Balloon Man, The President, Earthly Paradise, [can there possibly be a more vicious album closer anywhere? such a lovely song, too.] Watch Your Intelligence, Devil's Radio, Veins of the Queen, Queen Elvis, Cynthia Mask, My Favourite Buildings, Eaten By Her Own Dinner, Do Policemen Sing?, Uncorrected Personality Traits, Trams of Old London, Young People Scream, The Yip Song, Take Your Knife Out of My Back, The Ruling Class, Legalized Murder all come to mind. there must be others. granted that this is over a twenty year period. but it's still quite a few. and, i think listening to him a lot, you get a general feeling that he really hates commerce/consumerism, pretention, the music business, class warfare etc. even where it's not explicitly stated, it still feels like that's what he's driving at. as for the music not being diverse enough, i kinda see where you're coming from; but i guess i don't agree finally. you've got the all-out assault of BEES, the saxophone driven DECAY, the jangly GLOBE OF FROGS, the acoustic rekkids, the pianofied mayhem of THOTH BOYS and LIVE DEATH, the electronic weirdity of INVISIBLE HITCHCOCK (c'mon, he plays a fisher price activity centre, and a wok for chrissakes!,) the strings on QUEEN ELVIS, the horns on RESPECT, deni on ELIXIR, the no-nonsense pop of MOONLIGHT and ELEMENT, some a cappella thrown in. the dueling electric/acoustic on Take Your Knife just blows me away. while the tours have been somewhat similar in orientation of late, he's still a master of different arrangements and instrumentations. it's so fun to hear the same old song in a whole new way almost every year. and, like, take sea-tac. some acoustic. some electric. some harmonica. adding musicians gradually. playing other peoples' songs with them. ending up with a full-on punk attack. could neil young boast this kind of diversity, or bob dylan? i don't think so. who else has been recording for twenty years? lou reed? maybe. the stones? get outta here. yes? clapton? no, not really. and who else is also a great painter, story-writer, and orator? i acknowledge that i lack the gene that allows me to dislike anything the man touches. but am i totally on the wrong side of the shore, here? ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 19:17:12 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: "Hang the judges high" Eddie Tews wrote: >it doesn't really seem like he has that many, but really >there are quite a few: >I Wanna Destroy You, Innocent Boy, Zipper In My Spine, Love, Surgery, >Balloon Man, The President, Earthly Paradise, [can there possibly be a >more vicious album closer anywhere? such a lovely song, too.] Watch Your >Intelligence, Devil's Radio, Veins of the Queen, Queen Elvis, Cynthia >Mask, My Favourite Buildings, Eaten By Her Own Dinner, Do Policemen >Sing?, Uncorrected Personality Traits, Trams of Old London, Young People >Scream, The Yip Song, Take Your Knife Out of My Back, The Ruling Class, >Legalized Murder I wish I knew Hitchcock lyrics better, because several of these songs really don't give me a "gut instinct" impression of being topical. But I can't back up my instinctive reactions. For instance, what's topical about "Uncorrected Personality Traits?" Or "I Wanna Destroy You?" And the above list really ISN'T too many, considering the number of songs that RH has written/recorded. Anyway, overall, RH gives a strong picture of being in his own little world, sealed off from modern culture, etc. Sure, that's an interesting/difficult stance to maintain, but it gets tedious after awhile. I've really had about enough of fish and sinister feminine creatures, etc. >you've got the all-out assault of BEES, the saxophone driven DECAY, the >jangly GLOBE OF FROGS, the acoustic rekkids, the pianofied mayhem of >THOTH BOYS and LIVE DEATH, the electronic weirdity of INVISIBLE >HITCHCOCK (c'mon, he plays a fisher price activity centre, and a wok for >chrissakes!,) the strings on QUEEN ELVIS, the horns on RESPECT, deni on >ELIXIR, the no-nonsense pop of MOONLIGHT and ELEMENT, some a cappella >thrown in. the dueling electric/acoustic on Take Your Knife just blows >me away. Y'know, but all you're talking about mostly is surface stuff...window dressing. The same songwriting style wrapped up in different packaging. It's still all jangly and folk/Beatles-derived. How many power chords has RH ever played? And then Eddie went too far and said: >could neil young boast this kind of diversity? i don't think so. Um...how many Neil Young records have you heard?? He blows away Hitchcock in the "diversity" category! Hell, he blows away almost ANYONE...except of course my beloved Elvis. ;) Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 15:26:39 +1200 (NZST) From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: One long pair of eyes >p.s. I know a lot of fegs don't like the Queen Elvis album...but do any >of you like OLPOE? I like QE as an albu, although it's not my favourite, but OLPOE is one of Robyn's true masterpieces. Also masterful is the rendition of it on Glass Flesh! - one of the standouts from that CD IMHO... James ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 15:29:13 +1200 (NZST) From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: acridnyms > >Sometimes this acronym thing gets WOOH (as in way out of hand). as an official member of COCOA (the council to outlaw contrived and outrageous acronyms) I have to agree with you! James ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 15:33:55 +1200 (NZST) From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: the pauper/popper question >>I don't think it can be 'pauper' because it doesn't rhyme > >Huh? If these two words weren't pronounced exactly the same we wouldn't be >having this discussion in the first place! If "pauper" is pronounced like >"popper" and "popper" rhymes with "stopper" it must therefore follow that >"pauper" rhymes with "stopper". (I sense we're headed for Seuss territory >here...) remember that they rhyme in American English (most accents) but NOT in most English English, and certainly not in Robyn's Home counties filtered through Norflunnen. Pauper is pronounced there (as here) as though the first part of the word was a Paw. The -o- sound in popper is completely diff3rent (and also unlike the puhper sound of American poppers, but very like the -o- in stopper) James (with a Norflunnen filtered through Newzild accent) James Dignan___________________________________ You talk to me Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University As if from a distance ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street And I reply. . . . . . . . . . Dunedin, New Zealand with impressions chosen from another time steam megaphone (03) 455-7807 (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 22:45:53 -0500 (CDT) From: amadain Subject: Re: "Hang the judges high" On Wed, 6 Aug 1997, Eb wrote: > can't back up my instinctive reactions. For instance, what's topical about > "Uncorrected Personality Traits?" I couldn't tell you. Could someone explain to us unenlightened ones? :) > Or "I Wanna Destroy You?" On that one I'm with the illustrious Mr. Tews. Listen again. >And the above > list really ISN'T too many, considering the number of songs that RH has > written/recorded. As Buddy Holly once so aptly remarked, "well, boolah boolah!". Let's go hang Robyn by his toenails for such a grievous offense :). > Anyway, overall, RH gives a strong picture of being in his own little > world, sealed off from modern culture, etc. Er, so does Bob Dylan. I remember people were making some complaint like this about him around 1965-66, about how he had abandoned topical songwriting to live in his own little world, and how he owed it to humanity to quit it, pronto, or something like that. >Sure, that's an > interesting/difficult stance to maintain, but it gets tedious after awhile. > I've really had about enough of fish and sinister feminine creatures, etc. Basically I think the problem you have is not so much that he lives in his own universe, but that you are BORED with said universe or find it too limited for your tastes. Did I read you right? That would certainly be a complaint I could understand even if I don't sympathize- it's often a perspective that's hard for me to see, since I share many of his obsessions and consequently his world continues to fascinate me, but I -can- manage to see it. But one possible reading of your statements was as coming down very hard on personal songwriting, which I really can't understand. > dressing. The same songwriting style wrapped up in different packaging. > It's still all jangly and folk/Beatles-derived. How many power chords has > RH ever played? Again, I refer you to the illustrious Mr. Holly's comment above. > Um...how many Neil Young records have you heard?? He blows away Hitchcock > in the "diversity" category! Hell, he blows away almost ANYONE...except of > course my beloved Elvis. ;) I would argue Tom Waits and John Cale are in the running here as well and agree with Eb that Neil Young was a pretty bad example to give for "non-diversity". Love on ya, Susan ******************************************************************************* "The worship of the beautiful always ends in an orgy"- Benjamin Disraeli, "Lothair", lxxvii ******************************************************************************* ------------------------------ From: Terrence M Marks Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 23:49:30 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: "Hang the judges high" >Um...how many Neil Young records have you heard?? He blows >away Hitchcock in the "diversity" category! Hell, he blows >away almost ANYONE...except of course my beloved Elvis. ;) Hmm....I've got to say that The Kinks, The Beach Boys and The Monkees are probably more diverse than Neill Young... Btw...which Elvis? Terrence Marks Remember-Jesus is your friend. normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 00:22:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: popping the question (Re: the popper/pauper question) sez jl: > Of course RH, like Dylan, doesn't always rigidly follow rules of > pronunciation, just as long as he's pretty close. Remember this golden > oldie: "Darling, you don't have to call me starling/Stalin..." Not to mention "she the one i love/I put her on the stove.." when you read it, it looks like it rhymes, yes? I've noticed lately he's prounouncing Maryland the way I pronounce it, Marilynd. He used to say "Mary Land". As in, rhymes with Scaryland. Or Scary Maryland. I would add the recently-mentioned Brenda and her Iron Sledge to Eddie's excellent list of "topical" rh tunes. (what is topical, anyway? you apply it to the surface of your skin instead of putting it in your ears?) Anyway, I for one am not about to try to make RH into something he's not. =b ------------------------------ From: "Baker, David(KWI-C09)" Subject: RE: popping the question (Re: the popper/pauper question) Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 01:12:00 -0400 >Not to mention "she the one i love/I put her on the stove.." when you >read it, it looks like it rhymes, yes? I always assumed it was 'she the one i loave....' because that would rhyme and it seemed to be the kind of perverse twist that Robyn would be prone to doing, especially around the time of Invisible Hits. I could well be wrong though..... Speaking of perverse twists, in terms of OLPOE and Queen Elvis, I love the album (probably around my fifth or sixth favourite RH/SB) but find that particular song a bit on the dull side and even slightly annoying lyrically. Which is not to say I fast forward through it but it is one of my least favourite songs on the album and I was always was puzzled that it was released as a single. On the other hand, the other single (LMOTW) is a gem. Dave. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 01:31:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: perverse twists On Thu, 7 Aug 1997, Baker, David(KWI-C09) wrote: > >Not to mention "she the one i love/I put her on the stove.." when you > >read it, it looks like it rhymes, yes? > > I always assumed it was 'she the one i loave....' because that would rhyme > and it seemed to be the kind of perverse twist that Robyn would be prone to > doing, especially around the time of Invisible Hits. [...] i know what you mean, but i don't quite get it.. if she's getting ready to loave, she should be rising, not simmering, right? Also, if i recall correctly, wey wey hep a hole was written in 1973, probably the earliest song of his he still plays (or played until recently). just more grist for the mill. np: robyn & mike mills, 'man on the moon' ------------------------------ From: "Baker, David(KWI-C09)" Subject: RE: perverse twists Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 01:44:00 -0400 >> >Not to mention "she the one i love/I put her on the stove.." when you >> >read it, it looks like it rhymes, yes? >> >> I always assumed it was 'she the one i loave....' because that would rhyme >> and it seemed to be the kind of perverse twist that Robyn would be prone to >> doing, especially around the time of Invisible Hits. [...] > >i know what you mean, but i don't quite get it.. if she's getting ready to >loave, she should be rising, not simmering, right? Also, if i recall >correctly, wey wey hep a hole was written in 1973, probably the earliest >song of his he still plays (or played until recently). Whoops - I actually meant to write 'She the one I Loathe', although 'she the one I loave' is even more of a twist. It might be easier to make out the lyric on the early version on 1976-1981. Dave. ------------------------------ From: "Elvis Christ Superstar" "Baker, David(KWI-C09)" Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 22:52:55 -0800 Subject: RE: popping the question (Re: the popper/pauper question) A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Baker, David(KWI-C09) wrote: > > >Not to mention "she the one i love/I put her on the stove.." when you > >read it, it looks like it rhymes, yes? > > I always assumed it was 'she the one i loave....' because that would > rhyme and it seemed to be the kind of perverse twist that Robyn > would be prone to doing, especially around the time of Invisible > Hits. I could well be wrong though..... Seeing as how that song is, at times, sexist and misogynistic, I always assumed that the line was, "She's the one I loathe...". Talk about perverse twists!!! More than usual, --g "Turn that shit off!!!" --Bob Dylan, upon first hearing the Beatles' SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. *sob* .