From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V6 #27 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, October 7 1997 Volume 06 : Number 027 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: I Heard Nick Drake? [Peter Gordon ] Re: I Heard Nick Drake? [M R Godwin ] Da Da Da [Sumiko Keay ] The Rolling Stones [Terrence M Marks ] Spoken Word Tape [mrrunion@tng.net (Runion, Michael R.)] My Wife & My Dead Wife [mrrunion@tng.net (Runion, Michael R.)] Re: Spoken Word Tape [Ross Overbury ] Re: The Rolling Stones [dy288@freenet.carleton.ca (Gregory Watson)] Re: Da Da Da [BC-Radio@corecom.net (Brett Maverick)] Robyn mentioned in Bjork review??? ["Chaney, Dolph L" ] Re: Robyn mentioned in Bjork review??? [nicastr@IDT.NET (Ben)] The night is black and thick. I wander past your window and I catch a cigarette thrown from a jewel encrusted hand ... ["Matt] Re: Spoken Word Tape [Bayard ] Re: Rolling Stones [Russ Reynolds ] Re: The Rolling Stones [Noah Shalev ] Re: I heard Nick Drake [Eb ] Re: The Rolling Stones [Eb ] Re: King Crimson advice? (light-RH) [Mark_Gloster@3com.com] Re: King Crimson advice? (light-RH) [Tom Clark ] Re: I heard Nick Drake [dee zed stroke zero one five ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:53:19 -0800 From: Peter Gordon Subject: Re: I Heard Nick Drake? I should just like to speak up as a Nick Drake fan. If only for his first and third albums, Five Leaves Left and Pink Moon, he should be remembered as the creater of some the finest and most sublimely beautiful music ever written [and I'm not just saying that cos he's dead]. The disputed nature of his death, from an overdose of barbituates [which may or may not have been suicide] has lead some to accuse his of miserabalism, others find him just a bit too fey and wispy and generally folksy kitch, but I have always found in his music and lyrics a gentle appreciation of the world, tinged with a wistful melancholy and sadness for a world lost to his particular brand of Robert-Graves-ish magic. And his sister was in Crossroads [defunct crappy British soap opera]. Possibly not an interesting fact, completely irrelevant to Hitchcock, but undeniably true. - -- Instant Ubik has all the fresh flavour of just-brewed drip coffee. Your husband will say, Christ Sally, I used to think your coffee was only so-so. But now, WOW! Safe when used as directed. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 14:45:08 +0100 (BST) From: M R Godwin Subject: Re: I Heard Nick Drake? There was a major article on Nick Drake in Mojo magazine a few months ago, including a typically wistful cover pic of him in a wood wrapped in a blanket. I rather agree with Eb about Nick Drake, but if you like melancholy stoned bedsitter songs, you can file him along with Leonard Cohen and early Al Stewart. Incidentally, there is a possible Cambridge connection with RH, as Nick Drake was at university there in the late 60s/early 70s. They might have overlapped or (more likely) just have missed each other. Does anyone know whether they met? - - hssmrg ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 09:00:45 -0500 From: Sumiko Keay Subject: Da Da Da There's a "Best of" Trio cd out now (because of the VW ad -- can you believe that Da Da Da is now a big hit!) Ciao, Sumiko ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 10:11:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Terrence M Marks Subject: The Rolling Stones After having heard "In Another Land", I'd like to take back all the bad things I've said about the Rolling Stones... (Or at least, all the bad things I've said about The Rolling Stones 1966-1969) (n.b. Don't rush out and buy this on my account. Every Stones site I saw was real negative about this song and the album it's on, which only goes to show.) Sorry for the short post, but I don't have much to say. Terrence Marks normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:01:04 -0700 From: mrrunion@tng.net (Runion, Michael R.) Subject: Spoken Word Tape Hey all, Just wondering in whose hands rests John Jones' RH Spoken Word Tape? I've been maintaining info as it goes on a web site (http://www.spacecoast.net/users/mrrunion/wordtape.htm), but haven't heard from anyone in several weeks. If you have the tape, please let me know so I can keep the page current. Thanks, Mike Runion ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:09:29 -0700 From: mrrunion@tng.net (Runion, Michael R.) Subject: My Wife & My Dead Wife Hey all, Just thought I'd fill you in on my wife's Robyn dream that she had the other night. As a precursor, let me say that she's not like a mega-fan or anything, but she's been with me to see the man twice ('92 and '96) and of course hears his music at all hours of the day because of yours truly. Here it is... She's just been chased through a dark and cavernous warehouse. She escapes in the street and runs into a nearby bar. It's actually a smoky dim restaurant kinda of thing with booths set back in the walls. As she passes one of the booths, she recognizes Robyn sitting there alone writing or drawing. She approaches, thinking to just say hi. They start to talk and before she knows it, he takes her by the hand and pulls her towards him and he moves to kiss her. She staggers, wondering what she should do. "Would Mike think it was cool that his wife kissed Robyn Hitchcock, or would he be insanely jealous?" Anyway, that's the dream. I of course answered her dream question like so..."Man, that would be so cool!" Back to work, Mike Runion ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 97 12:06:19 EDT From: Ross Overbury Subject: Re: Spoken Word Tape > Mike said: > > Just wondering in whose hands rests John Jones' RH Spoken Word Tape? > I've been maintaining info as it goes on a web site > (http://www.spacecoast.net/users/mrrunion/wordtape.htm), but haven't > heard from anyone in several weeks. If you have the tape, please let me > know so I can keep the page current. > > Thanks, > Mike Runion > How about putting snippets of this tape on the web page? It wouldn't suffer much from 8-bit mono sampling, so it wouldn't have to eat a lot of space. I'm sure a lot of fegs who wouldn't go as far as participating in the tape tree are still interested enough to fetch bits of the tape from the web. - -- Ross Overbury Montreal, Quebec, Canada email: rosso@cn.ca ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 12:08:08 -0400 (EDT) From: dy288@freenet.carleton.ca (Gregory Watson) Subject: Re: The Rolling Stones Terrence wrote: > >After having heard "In Another Land", I'd like to take back all the bad >things I've said about the Rolling Stones... > That's kinda funny since "In Another Land" was released as a single by Bill Wyman (he wrote and sang the song, along with Mick and Steve Marriot from the Small Faces singing backups). I think the Stones threw that one on Their Satanic Majesties Request because it was a psychedelic song, and a good one at that! > >(n.b. Don't rush out and buy this on my account. Every Stones site I saw >was real negative about this song and the album it's on, which only goes >to show.) > Their Satanic Majesties Request is always getting dumped on by reviewers, etc., but it has some really cool songs on it (ie. Citadel, In Another Land, 2000 Man, She's a Rainbow, The Lantern, and of course, 2000 Light Years From Home). Some of it may be kinda quirky, but it's definitely worth taking a listen to, especially the aforementioned tracks. Actually, it's the only Rolling Stones CD I own! Greg - -- ******** Gregory Watson ******** "I woke up, and my room was all weird; *** dy288@freenet.carleton.ca ** It was everything that I had feared - * www.ncf.carleton.ca/~dy288/ * I had suddenly grown a beard, of bees." ******************************** - "I Woke Up" (The OAM) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 08:14:02 -0900 From: BC-Radio@corecom.net (Brett Maverick) Subject: Re: Da Da Da >There's a "Best of" Trio cd out now (because of the VW ad -- >can you believe that Da Da Da is now a big hit!) That's kind of overstating the matter. It's more of an issue where the song is a bit of a curious oddity more than anything else. Radio stations play it generally by request or due to the fact that it is a novelty. Brett ************************************************************** Cooper Collections P.O. Box 876462 Wasilla, Alaska 99687 (907) 376-4520 BC-Radio@corecom.net http://www.corecom.net/~no6pp/BC_Radio_Online.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 13:42:01 -0400 From: "Chaney, Dolph L" Subject: Robyn mentioned in Bjork review??? In the recent Addicted To Noise review (http://www.addict.com/html/lofi/Reviews/44.1kHz/Bjork/Homogenic.html) of Bjork's new CD, HOMOGENIC, Kembrew McLeod has this to say about our man: "Sure, I've heard plenty of weird 'n' wacky couplets by professional acid casualties such as Robyn Hitchcock, but the way Bjork delivers her verses is completely without pretension and artifice." Two paragraphs up, he admits that "I usually don't pay any attention to lyrics." Hmph. Anyway, just wanted to share. Dolph ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 10:37:26 -0700 (PDT) From: misplaced joan of arc Subject: I heard Nick Drake Nick Drake is absolutely superb. Aside from his being an exceptional guitarist, his music is beautifully raw and genuine, quite unlike a lot of the marketed crap that you get with most other musicians. One could make a comparison between Nick Drake and Van Gogh, in that their work puts a big frame around their inner problems (both suffered severe depression), but, at the same time, they have a hopeful childlike sincerity that seems almost healing. Might I suggest _Five Leaves Left_. It's got the song _Man in a Shed_ (one of two recorded versions), which is optimistic in it's sweetness. And, if you can get past the incredibly dated production of _Shoot Out the Lights_, you will have no problem with any of Nick Drake's stuff (both are on the same label: Hannibal (I think)). In fact, there's a recently released album of home recordings he did in his mom's kitchen, that (obviously) have no icky production coating whatsoever. Unfortunately, I can't remember the label or the name of the album, although I have it - I have a terrible memory for names. Help me out, anyone? It upsets me that a bunch of musicians are cashing in on making this Nick Drake tribute album, kind of in the same way that it upsets me every time I see a Van Gogh on a bathroom wall or on some businessman's tie. Most "tribute" albums strike me this way, but that's just my opinion. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 14:28:34 -0500 From: nicastr@IDT.NET (Ben) Subject: Re: Robyn mentioned in Bjork review??? >In the recent Addicted To Noise review >(http://www.addict.com/html/lofi/Reviews/44.1kHz/Bjork/Homogenic.html) >of Bjork's new CD, HOMOGENIC, Kembrew McLeod has this to say about our >man: > >"Sure, I've heard plenty of weird 'n' wacky couplets by professional >acid casualties such as Robyn Hitchcock, but the way Bjork delivers her >verses is completely without pretension and artifice." > I don't know what this guy is talking about, both Robyn and Bjork are good lyricists (though I often find it difficult to understand what she is saying). By the way that new album "Homogenic" is pretty good. Has anyone else checked it out? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 19:58:46 +0100 From: "Matthew Knights" Subject: The night is black and thick. I wander past your window and I catch a cigarette thrown from a jewel encrusted hand ... Finally, on Saturday night I made it back to the tiny 'Hope & Anchor' = pub in North London. Oh Joy, Oh Rapture, it has hardly changed in the = intervening 16 years or so since I last squeezed in to see live bands = there. It is still full of happy drunken students playing around, busy = falling over tables and playing 18 year old jokes on each other like = trying to set fire to each others clothes. My date was impressed too - = although we couldn't agree what the DJ was playing ? -Transglobal = Underground (my choice) or Prodigy (hers). =20 They still have live music 7 days a week and they run a snail-mail = mailing list. I shut my eyes and I thought I could hear The Soft Boys playing = 'Insanely Jealous' downstairs ... Matt _________________________________________________________________ Matthew Knights mknights@harrywasp.prestel.co.uk =20 `Ton =E2me est un lac d'amour dont mes desirs sont les cygnes...' _______________________________________________________________=20 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 15:32:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: Re: Spoken Word Tape just wanted to chime in about the spoken word tape-- please let Mike know what's happening with it, i check the page often. I can hardly wait til i get to put my stuff on, I have some great soundbites of his thoughts on pornography (sent to me by hal) and religion. very enlightening. the idea of putting samples on the web page is a good one, but depends on contributors having digitization capability as the tape travels around the world to different fegs. The thing comparing RH to Bjork is beneath comment, but i will anyway. sounds like the person has RH confused with someone else (he doesn't aspire to be a casualty of any drug, nor is he) or perhaps knows him only through "wacky couplets" quoted by millions of reviewers (remember the leeches?) =b ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 97 12:35:00 -0800 From: Russ Reynolds Subject: Re: Rolling Stones Terry says >After having heard "In Another Land", I'd like to take back all the bad >things I've said about the Rolling Stones... >(n.b. Don't rush out and buy this on my account. Every Stones site I saw >was real negative about this song and the album it's on, which only goes >to show.) you can rush out and buy it on my account. With the exception of "Sing This All Together" which lasts several minutes too long, this is a great sounding record. BTW, I've always assumed the snoring was Brian Jones passed out in the studio. Anybody know for sure? BTW #2: at the end of the album are they whispering "we like you" or "we hate you"? or neither? RH Content: I bet Robyn Hitchcock likes it too. - -rr ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 22:51:52 +0200 From: Noah Shalev Subject: Re: The Rolling Stones Gregory Watson wrote: > > > Their Satanic Majesties Request is always getting dumped on by reviewers, > etc., but it has some really cool songs on it ... Their Satanic Majesties Request is a great record. it is very conseptual, a quality thw stones lacked back in the 60's. i think it's a master piece. i highky recomend listening to the all record in that prespective. yours NOE ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 13:29:19 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: I heard Nick Drake >And, if you can get past the incredibly dated production of _Shoot Out the >Lights_, What's so dated about Shoot Out the Lights? Eb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 13:50:02 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: The Rolling Stones >Gregory Watson wrote: > >> Their Satanic Majesties Request is always getting dumped on by reviewers, >> etc., but it has some really cool songs on it ... > >Their Satanic Majesties Request is a great record. it is very >conseptual, a quality thw stones lacked back in the 60's. >i think it's a master piece. > >i highky recomend listening to the all record in that prespective. All right, I'll chime in. I think Satanic MR is underrated, but it's still not very good. There are a few great songs lurking beneath all the ridiculous decoration (Citadel, She's a Rainbow, In Another Land, 2000 Light Years From Home), but there IS all that silly decoration and pointless filler. I like the adjacent Between The Buttons a LOT more. Not to mention almost all the other pre-1973 Stones albums. Of course, it's no surprise to see Terrence turned onto this album. ;) Eb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 16:22:54 -0700 From: Mark_Gloster@3com.com Subject: Re: King Crimson advice? (light-RH) Gene clicks: >Hey you King Crimson People, >I'm ready. I'm hungry for some new stuff, and I think King Crimson is what >I need, so if you're a raving fan of theirs, email me privately and give me >your raves. Tell me why you love them, what your favorite album of them >is. I'm no stranger to the ways of prog (I've been enjoying National >Health, Happy Family, the Muffins, Curlew, Zappa/Mothers of Invention, etc. >for quite a while) but I've never indulged in any the Crimson/Fripp/Belew >stuff. Should I start with "Thrak", or "Lark's Tongue in Aspic"? Is the >newer mathematical stuff better than the older, grandiose stuff? Do tell, >do tell. BTW, I was just kidding about the RH "Indicipline" picture disk. I ripped that tease off from someone else, but it may still be funny. Though it's not cheap, try _B'Boom_, the official bootleg of a concert in Argentina of the current configuration of the band: 2 guitarists, 2 chapman stick players, and 2 drummers. They show a wide variety of their material, going back to "The Talking Drum," "Red," and "Lark's Tongues in Aspic Part II." This stuff isn't for wussies. It is of the highest violent sonic intensity possible. At proper volume it can disinfect an entire western US state of residual Barry Manilow or 101 Strings sound vibrations. It is a really well-mastered, good recording of one of the greatest live bands ever. Quite simply "Red" is the greatest piece of instrumental music written in my lifetime (I M H O). Aaron Copeland has come pretty close as have Zappa, and King Crimson. If you want to get your feet wet more slowly not in any exact order: 1. Discipline is my favorite studio album of theirs 2. Beat is easiest for most people to relate to 3. Red has "Red" on it (and some other cool stuff) 4. Lark's Tongues has that on it (and other cool stuff) 5. Thrak is well-executed, but less coherent (lyrics seem a wee bit weaker) 6. Three of a Perfect Pair kicks some chunky butt with alacrity 7. Court of the Crimson King has 21st Century Schizoid Man and other bits and was one of my first albums (I went from the Banana Splits to Crimson). Unless you really like their '69 band, don't buy this one first. There have been a number of "greatest hit" compilations which, for a band that has never had a hit becomes a bit esoteric. Theres "A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson," there's a Discipline era best-of, there have been a few box sets. I think that these are for the completists among us, though. Some of their early-mid stuff wanders around lost, but the unit's dedication to their craft has kept me from trading back in those CD's to which I scarcely listen. Those are things like _In the Wake of Poseidon_, _Starless_, etc. I am still waiting for Robyn to give these guys a nod live. I think he could really pull off "21st Century Schizoid Man," but I would want Andy and Morris to join him. How 'bout Kimberly R on second (fecund?) guitar? ogawdimbabblingagain. More Robyn stuff next post. Really. Happies, - -Markg ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 97 17:19:00 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: King Crimson advice? (light-RH) On 10/6/97 4:22 PM, Mark_Gloster@3com.com wrote: >There have been a number of "greatest hit" compilations which, for a band >that has never had a hit becomes a bit esoteric. Theres "A Young Person's >Guide to King Crimson," there's a Discipline era best-of, there have been >a few box sets. I think that these are for the completists among us, >though. There's also a new 2-CD release of recordings from the original band, including a complete live show at the Fillmore West in 1969. It's called "Epitaph". Interesting, CDNow lists KC under "Pop/Pop-Dance". Although neither of these classifications come to mind when I think of Crimson, I can picture in my mind Mr. Gloster dancing happily to "Elephant Talk". - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 21:59:31 -0400 From: dee zed stroke zero one five Subject: Re: I heard Nick Drake also sprach misplaced joan of arc: >It upsets me that a bunch of musicians are cashing in on making this Nick >Drake tribute album, kind of in the same way that it upsets me every time I >see a Van Gogh on a bathroom wall or on some businessman's tie. Most >"tribute" albums strike me this way, but that's just my opinion. speaking of which, more info on the nick drake tribute thang, courtesy of rocktroplis.com : September 08, 1997 Robyn Hitchcock, Syd Straw, Richard Davies & Others Sing The Songs Of Nick Drake Nick Drake fans are in for quite a treat -- that is, if they happen to be in the New York area on Nov. 8. On that day, St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn Heights will host "The Music of Nick Drake" night, featuring such artists as Robyn Hitchcock, Syd Straw, Richard Davies, and Katell Keineg performing their favorite Drake songs. Singer/ songwriter (and sometime R.E.M. sideman) Peter Holsapple will serve as music director for the evening, which will also feature such singer/ songwriters as Susan Cowsill (Holsapple's wife), Terri Roche of the Roches, cult artist Peter Blegvad, Mimi Goese, Rebecca Moore, and Sloane Wainwright, as well as musicians Dave Mansfield, Deni Bonet, Chris Cunningham, and Michelle Kinney. Some of the songs the artists are expected to perform are "I Was Mad," "River Man," "Poor Boy," "Cello Song," "Pink Moon," and "Black Eyed Dog." woj ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 08:03:50 -0500 From: Nigel.Jarman@frco.com Subject: Private Feg Gig There has been some chat on the list about a privately booked Feg gig. Recently (when I got back from this years 'Isle of Wight' event) I had been thinking about exactly the same thing. Completely independently. It was obvious how much Robyn enjoyed this kind of thing, especially if the venue is a little bit 'strange'. Last year I saw Robyn at the Princess Charlotte Pub here in Leicester (UK) and it got me wondering how much Robyn makes at an event like that. As best I can estimate there were under 100 people there. Probably about 80 paying punters. The tickets were 5 pounds each, all sold on the door on the night. So we have a total take of about 400 pounds. The 'Charlotte' would take a hefty percentage of this. I would guess about 25%. Which leaves Robyn with 300 pounds. He had Homer with him that Night. So I guess Jake and Tim (plus drummer who I can't remember the name of just now) must get 40% to divvy up amongst them. Leaving Robyn with 180 pounds less traveling expenses. This is not a huge amount! I'm sure if we could organize a venue 'suitably strange and witty', pay his traveling expenses, put him up for the night and be prepared to fit into his busy calendar, Robyn would be prepared to do such a gig for a quite modest sum. I guess there would have to be two events. One in the US and one in Europe. I mean I really like the guys music, and all that, but 800 pounds (make that 1600 pounds; I would need two tickets) for just flight tickets would make the cost a tad prohibitive. If you US Fegs can pick a time when he is already over there for something else, it would make his travelling expenses much cheeper. I love the idea of us lot picking the songs we want to hear and lining up the mini disk recorders on the front of the stage. Maybe Bayard could make us a 2 CD boxed set with both the US and European concerts :) So - can anybody think of suitable venues? I think the list should contact Robyn officially rather than individual fans. I have a habit of drying up and an inability to form coherent sentences when talking to Robyn, as anybody with a recording from the 'Isle of Wight' bus trip last year can hear. Yes it's me wondering up to Robyn at the bus stop and saying. "Thank you Robyn that was really great." Aghhh! Cheers, Nigel Jarman P.S. Looking forward to this years gig at 'The Charlotte' 6th December. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Oct 97 23:28:18 -0800 From: Karen Reichstein Subject: Re: I Heard Nick Drake? M R Godwin wrote: >There was a major article on Nick Drake in Mojo magazine a few months ago, >including a typically wistful cover pic of him in a wood wrapped in a >blanket. I rather agree with Eb about Nick Drake, but if you like >melancholy stoned bedsitter songs, you can file him along with Leonard >Cohen and early Al Stewart. > >Incidentally, there is a possible Cambridge connection with RH, as Nick >Drake was at university there in the late 60s/early 70s. They might have >overlapped or (more likely) just have missed each other. > >Does anyone know whether they met? I'm starting to get a good idea of what this guy sounds like. I do adore Leonard Cohen, and I've always been secretly fond of Al Stewart's cheesiest hits like "Time Passages" and "Year of the Cat," so maybe Nick Drake is for me.:-) Maybe Robyn just likes to sing about guys named Nick in his songs (i.e. the "nick lowe cassette" mentioned in "Clean Steve." Now that I think of it, I think Robyn seems to like mens' names in songs, period: Probably Bruce Nick Lowe Nick Drake Clean Steve Moose Mark Beatle Dennis Mr. Watson Kevin! Supper's Ready! Do the Higsons count? - -- Karen >Does anyone know whether they met? ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V6 #27 ******************************