From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V7 #180 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, May 7 1998 Volume 07 : Number 180 Today's Subjects: ----------------- New Feg/Lightbulb head spotting [fred is ted ] Re: eno [Eb ] dan bern in portland, or 6 may 98 [John B Jones ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [dlang ] Re: clear it up with a dose of Eno [dlang ] 60's music [dlang ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Jonathan Turner ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Terrence M Marks ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Bayard ] Re: MMM [kenster@MIT.EDU (Ken Ostrander)] RH,GF!,Fgmn~x, and shark content too... [Mark_Gloster@3com.com] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Rich Plumb ] Re: 60's music [MARKEEFE ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Eb ] Re: takin' the Eb bait [Eb ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Eb ] winkiephonics ["Chaney, Dolph L" ] Re: veteran cosmic rockers [Terrence M Marks ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 19:56:31 -0700 (PDT) From: fred is ted Subject: New Feg/Lightbulb head spotting Avert your eyes, junior, and you may yet be saved! A foul new feg is on the loose... Hey everybody! I've just gone on-line off-campus and so have had a chance to *really* prowl the net for the first time--and lo! I find Robyn fans! JOY! As fer myself, I am a history Ph.D. student at Ohio State. My diss. topic is the history of napalm. Beat that! Been trout-hooked by Robin since BDSR. Only (sad but true) RH concert was the blissful Lisner/D.C. show in 1989. I feel RH to be the only flat-out musical genius I have come across in my considerable musical travels. Incredible *intensity*, *melody* and wordplay. He's always struck me as having a Rasputin-like demeanor, what with his bulging eyes and monobrow... Rasputin, eh, maybe that's why he's always going on about fish! A partial listing of other faves (back off, Eb!): The Fall Breeders/Amps/Pixies Ramones Iggy Lush Camper v.B. Pere Ubu The Clash The 3 Johns Wire The Minutemen. I could go on, but won't. In a trivial bid to be of use to the list, I will point out that the new Garbage video features *a* man with a lightbulb head. In a suit, even! He pesters ol' Shirley a bit, but not much else. Is fashion photog turned viddy director Andrea Giacobbe a RH fan? Giacobbe did a fantastic video (Dirt) for Death in Vegas, but the Garbage vid is not of a piece. Ted (not Woody or Junior) "yeah, we get high on music" :) Kim Deal/The Amps, "Hovering." _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 20:27:22 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: eno >Sgrifennodd Ben: >>Check out "Music For Airports" (I wonder if anyone has ever actually played >>this music over an airport PA?) > >I just caught the tail-end of a report on the TV news last night about a >New York avant-garde classical ensemble giving live "acoustic" performances >of "Music For Airports" at ... airports. They had a little interview with >Eno about the purpose of complex yet ignorable background music. Anyone >know anything more about this story? The group was probably Bang on a Can, whose new album (on Point, I believe?) is a complete rendition of Music for Airports. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 01:16:00 -0700 From: John B Jones Subject: dan bern in portland, or 6 may 98 Hey butch, and everyone else who likes dan bern, its like 1am, just got home from dan's gig at key largo here in portland, or. I haven't had time to go through the tape and write down a setlist, but let me just share some facts with you: a) key largo is a cool little bar. it was tables and chairs in front of a tiny stage. probably 100 people in attendance. not much more. 1) Dan played 1 and 1/2 songs, and then pulled the old switcheroo, unplugged, and made everyone move up front. Luckily I was already pretty close, so I snagged a spot right in front of him. But "unplugged" gigs are the shittiest kind to tape in my opinion. You have to turn the recording levels WAY UP to try and get stuff onto tape, but when each song ends, there is loud thunderous clapping, causing distortion. I tried to deal with this by turning the level down in between songs, but the result will no doubt be annoying (levels changing all through the show). I listened to a bit or two of it, and it sounds alright. 2) Dan only played for 90min, if that. More like 80. He didn't seem to be all that into it, which would explain the unplugged campfire thing. He did alot of talking, and played some good songs, all really long versions. One of the highlights was a singalong to "Fascist In Me". Anyway, I think tonight he was trying to give his voice a rest. 3) I didn't go bowling, I didn't meet Gordy or Evan, and least of all Wil (he had the night off), but I talked to Dan after the gig, and he wants a tape of the first song because supposedly its an improv! He says he made it up on the spot. But its hard to tell if he was being honest or sarcastic, so I don't know. Dan will be talking, and half the stuff he says is just him riffing.(for instance, I asked him how Salt Lake was and he said it was wild -there was about 300 people there, the place was packed and goin crazy, and he got a police escort out of town afterward) But has anyone else heard this song at another gig recently?? It was a great tune, something like "She's A Witch". It was riveting. 4) So Wil the keyboard guy had the night off, but a big treat for the night was the fact that Josh Zawaduck (the guy who does throat singing on "Go To Sleep"--and he also toured with dan up until last summer) just coincidentally happened to be in town! So he did his throat singing bit on "Go To Sleep", and played his accordion on a few songs. Pretty weird yet cool, that he happened to be around. Apparently he is on tour with someone else, and they just happened to be in Portland on the same night. I talked to him after the show about the Vin Scelsa tapes with him on them. 5) Martha didn't open for Dan, Chris Chandler did. But I missed it, got there late. Damn. Oh well, anyway, Martha was up on stage, singing with Dan on most of the songs. 6) Songs that were played (in no particular order): She's A Witch, Black Tornado, Bright Lights, Cure For Aids, Tiger Woods, Fascist In Me, Estelle, Go To Sleep, One Thing Real, The Mc Donalds in Russia song, Jew From Kentucky, Einstein Was Wrong. No Swoosh Swoosh, no Krautmeyer, no Bob and Woody, Dan and Bruce. Those were the ones I was looking forward to. Oh well. Glad I went. Definitely one gig to tell the grandkids about. - -jbj - -*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-# John B. Jones Email: lobstie@e-z.net ICQ: 8301543 AOL IM: Lobstie House of Figgy-- http://web.syr.edu/~jojones/hitchcock.html "Well, we went to the punk bar, then we went to the heroin bar, we had pasta at Fellini, and then we went to the pretty bar." -overheard at work - -*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-#-*-# ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 May 1998 21:36:24 +2910 From: dlang Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers Eb chimed in to Terry's comment of I dig the Incredible String Band. They're not shiny at all, but they're>pretty seamless. Does that count? eb replied obscurely .>Not really. Eb baby, please explain, I'm mortified,as I think the ISB count a lot m'dear. I'm busy rolling my eyes over this comment and I'm very close to going zzzzzzz (but I'm too inhibited to do so in your presence , as it may be construed as copying your style) However, I have to concur over the Moodies.I loathed them always , even theirearly stuff, but I defend Marksies love of them to the death and if he wantsto like "shiny and seamless music" as you put it then who cares,its his choice and its not harming anyone is it? dave Np -captain beefheart . Old Waldorf SF 1-24-81. whoooo! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 May 1998 21:25:35 +2910 From: dlang Subject: Re: clear it up with a dose of Eno Eno, fucking A , right on, like wow!. ( he sez reverting to sixties speak ) There was a time when I listened to little else but Eno, Bowie, Can ,Steely Dan, Robert Wyatt,Devo and the Dead.I know,I know ,bit of a weird mixture, but it was the late 70's and there seemed little else of consequence at the time . Anyway Eno was a major talent and I still can get worked up into mild fugue state by "Before and after science", Tiger mountain" and "Another green world" of the ambient stuff, I like "music for films" its great stuff. However, the only Eno i really listen to frequently now is a tape from the BBC of Eno and the Winkies.I don't believe Eno ever recorded with this group, but they did tour as I have a fairly crappy tape of a Paris gig from 1974. The beeb tape has such gems as Baby's on Fire","Paw paw negro blowtorch" and "Fever "( which as to be heard to be believed) has anyone else got anything on tape or any more info on this lineup ? dave ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 May 1998 21:32:38 +2910 From: dlang Subject: 60's music Jm Brown had the audacity to say >and anyway, tell me what else from this period stands up to today? (presumably talking about the late 60's ). Too much of a generalisation.The list of what stands up to the test of time would be endless, but heres a few ( and lets see what this list produces in the way of dissension and insults from the more prickly listmembers out there). Cap'n Beefheart, Family, Fairport, early Floyd,.The Fugs, Syd Barrett, Kinks, Bowie, Can , Roy Harper, John Martyn, Pete Brown, Cream, Miles, Roland Kirk, Hendrix, The Who,early Van Morrison, James Brown, Hot Tuna,Airplane, Dead ( please , no comments on this inclusion , I think we've had more than enough discussion on that subject) , Spirit, Doors, String band , Bert Jansch, Traffic, Zappa,Joni , Beachboys and of course, the Beatles. I'd argue that nearly all of the above have produced work that has influenced a significant number of contemporary musicians or they have a musical legacy that can still sound fresh even in the jaded 90's . the proof is , young people are listening to the music right now for the first time and finding it valid, if music doesn't stand up to the test of time ,it generally dies , although I'm sure I'll be reminded of the exceptions. dave ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 13:51:08 +0000 From: Jonathan Turner Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers (Am I the only one to see that subject line and think "Cool! Hawkwind!" ?) Ben noted: >The one cool Moody Blues song, however, was their cover of that tune that >goes "You better go now... go now-ow-ow...". Of course that was very early, Especially cool, since it was number one in the UK on the day I was born! Ain't life strange ? Of course, it's been downhill for both me and the Moodies since, in both pomposity and paunch... Jonathan "psychedelic warlord" Turner PS someone mentioned the Tim Keegan & Homer Lounge/NMH UK dates - they're at the 12 Bar on May 22nd and 23rd. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 11:05:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Terrence M Marks Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers > Heh heh. Well, you also demonstrate it by the bands whom you endorse. I > mean, when you rank the Rain Parade and Viva Saturn amongst your all-time > favorite artists, that says a lot about your tastes to me, just like when I > see other folks say that the Cocteau Twins are their favorite band. It's an > embrace of empty prettiness and dreamy inertia over any sort of textual > substance or conceptual challenge. I really can't see how you could call Viva Saturn vapid. They've got dreamy inertia, yeah, but it's depressed prettiness, not empty prettiness. Some of their songs are meaningless, some aren't. > Cocteau Twins a lot. I like the Rain Parade too. But those bands' lack of > viewpoint and lyrical content puts a very firm ceiling upon how much I can > enjoy them. You don't have this ceiling, and you make me very aware of this > almost every time you post. I could expand the same argument to the High > Llamas and to a lesser extent, the Beach Boys and Monkees. So far your > tastes seem kinda pigeonholeable, to be frank. Lyrical content, he says. We appear to be listening to different Beach Boys. The VU and Nico's "Look ma, we're on smack" lyrical content desn't have more "viewpoint" than "Pet Sounds". I can't see "Heroin" or "Run Run Run" or "Waiting for the man" as being on a level above "Words", "Salesman" or "Daily Nightly". Check out any songs written by Peter Tork, too. Way I see, it's not a matter of pigeonholing. I just can appreciate lyrics that happen to sound pretty as much as I can lyrics that make sense. I don't appreciate grittiness for the sake of grittiness or unappealling sound for the sake of unappealing sound. You mind telling me precisely what you mean by 'shiny' and 'seamless', since we appear to be workign under different definitions? > Days of Future Passed once was regarded as a concept-album classic -- now > it's more like "that record which has 'Nights in White Satin.'" Even > "Tuesday Afternoon" has faded from pop-culture memory. Most of the other > albums are forgotten altogether. The general perception of the Moody Blues > has shrunk from "a band who made heady, cosmic concept albums" to a "a band > who made some pleasantly melodic singles." They've been on a slow fade from > relevance for at least 15 years (or whenever Long Distance Voyager came > out). This seems difficult to deny. Eh, whatever. I'll shut up now. Umm...so? Isn't this the same general perception that has never heard of Robyn Hitchcock, has never bothered with the post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys and thinks that Family Circus ought to be in every newspaper? > Ebenezer So *that*'s what "Eb" is short for. Terrence Marks normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 11:30:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers > > [...] your tastes seem kinda pigeonholeable, to be frank. Which reminds me... though i've teasingly likened his comedy style to that of andy rooney, the character Eb *really* reminds me of is my all time fav from my all time fav show, MASH (or is it spelled M*A*S*H?)... Frank Burns! the witty rejoinders, the non sequiturs, the sexual prowess (well that's what i heard..) Ooo, another analogy... this one's kind of a toughie.. i suppose the Eb-debater du jour gets to be Hawkeye, except that Terry is obviously Radar... woj is col. Blake... Susan D. or Dani is Maj. Houlihan (who do you prefer, Eb?) I'd cast myself as Klinger but I don't have the looks or panache.. this role goes to Quail (he also has the legs for it.) O' course my other fav all-time show is Twin Peaks... I'll leave that one for another feg or another day. Jeez it really sucks not having time to follow up all the threads i'd like. I never even got to write a long message about Titanic. =b ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 14:43:05 -0400 From: kenster@MIT.EDU (Ken Ostrander) Subject: Re: MMM >>can't get that great song from _metal machine music_ outta my head. >> > what song!!!! > > the one that goes, "EEEEEHWWWWWWWWWWWWW AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR > EWWWWWWWWWARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR'!over and over? ooh yes! the very same. i was really in a bad way when i had it going through my head. sort of soothing when your head aches like a slow moving city construction job or the neverending gregory hines tap solo. > that album is, uh, well, there is a webpage devoted to it. I >suggest anyone with a little free time hunt it up. > it says it all. > > who here OWNS a copy of this monstrosity? i do, and though i'll admit i don't pull it out all that often, it makes a great soundtrack for desert helicopter combat video game my roomate has. really dense and sensual stuff. music to quit heroin by. i don't even notice the pops and snaps on my vinyl copy. KEN "EEEEEHWWWWWWWWWWWWW AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR EWWWWWWWWWARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" THE KENSTER listening to the mekons non-stop today. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 11:52:19 -0700 From: Mark_Gloster@3com.com Subject: RH,GF!,Fgmn~x, and shark content too... There is a review several things relating to fegmaniax (I noticed a couple of minor inexact details [3 continents, Washington]) at the site listed below, and is good reading. Strangely, the section, about 1/3 of the way down is entitled: "Listening to the Gloster" Remember, I'm not paying this guy anything and have never met him face to face. He called me up and we chatted for about an hour last Sunday. He seems very nice, and doesn't seem to be a crustacean at all. But he has heard of Eric Broome. That same article goes on to mention Kieth Emerson as a relative side note. It didn't bring forward any evidence regarding the whereabouts of Carl Palmer. http://www.gdtimes.com/pages/night.htm I'm a lot like a celebrity. Spleens A-GO GO R Us or bust, - -Markg ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 14:51:54 -0400 (EDT) From: Rich Plumb Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers > Eb wrote regarding some of Terence Marks views: > > Heh heh. Well, you also demonstrate it by the bands whom you endorse. > I mean, when you rank the Rain Parade and Viva Saturn amongst your > all-time favorite artists, that says a lot about your tastes to me, > just like when I see other folks say that the Cocteau Twins are their > favorite band. It's an embrace of empty prettiness and dreamy inertia > over any sort of textual substance or conceptual challenge. Or to > paraphrase Susan, it's not worrying about whether the music has a > "there" or not. Now, I do like the Cocteau Twins a lot. I like the > Rain Parade too. But those bands' lack of viewpoint and lyrical content > puts a very firm ceiling upon how much I can enjoy them. You don't have > this ceiling, and you make me very aware of this almost every time you > post. I could expand the same argument to the High Llamas and to a > lesser extent, the Beach Boys and Monkees. So far your tastes seem > kinda pigeonholeable, to be frank. > 1) Because Terence Marks views are pigeonholeable does this mean his tastes are inferior to yours? 2) Wouldn't you say requiring textual substance and conceptual challenge (whatever they are) in music are a matter of taste? 3) Wouldn't you say different people have different ideas about what "there" is? >> Terence said: >> Well, I know you're being sarcastic, but I think that that pretty >> much sums it up. I just dig songs with melodies more than songs >> without melodies, and MB are more melodic than the VU. > > Eb replied: > Well, even if we disregard the Velvets' lyrical impact and daring sonic > textures, I personally can hum a lot more VU melodies than Moody Blues > ones. > I'll bet that's because you like the VU more and Terence likes the Moody Blues more. > And I do own about six Moody Blues albums, I'm embarrassed to admit, > and I even owned Moodies records for about three years before I ever > bought a VU album. However, comparing the two at this point is no > contest at all for me. Nor is it for most eclectic music fans, > nowadays. I think it's interesting how about 15-20 years ago, the Moody > Blues seemed to be regarded on one of THE British Invasion bands of the > '60s, not as big as the Who/Stones/Beatles, but maybe on the level of, > say, the Kinks, Cream, Traffic and early Pink Floyd. But time has really > swept the band under the rug. The group's years of inconsequential > albums through the '80s and '90s hurt them, and their outdated > production ideas, silly pothead lyrics and inability to play believable > rock 'n' roll have doomed them to an ever-decreasing sphere of > influence. Not to mention their rather embarrassing visual image today, > where they all cling to their old '60s hairstyles and hope that fans > ignore their growing paunches. Ugh. > They may be embarrassing to you, but I'll bet they still bring in crowds that are 10 times as big as Lou's. They may be a nostalgia act now, but so what. In my opinion Lou is a bit of a nostalgia act. Ever-decreasing sphere of influence? They never were what I would describe as influential. They had lots of hits in their day and went out of fashion. It's happened to nearly everybody from their era. Does that make their music bad? Can't somebody like them and hate the VU. Can you explain what an eclectic music fan is and how I can become one? > Days of Future Passed once was regarded as a concept-album classic -- > now it's more like "that record which has 'Nights in White Satin.'" > Even "Tuesday Afternoon" has faded from pop-culture memory. Most of the > other albums are forgotten altogether. The general perception of the > Moody Blues has shrunk from "a band who made heady, cosmic concept > albums" to a "a band who made some pleasantly melodic singles." They've > been on a slow fade from relevance for at least 15 years (or whenever > Long Distance Voyager came out). This seems difficult to deny. Eh, > whatever. I'll shut up now. > You are revealing your rock critic esthetic. Where does this general perception come from? Do you mean the critical perception perhaps? Does anybody but rock critics care about the relevance of a band? There seems to be only 2 ways in which a band is relevant, either be popular or be written up rock critics. Rock critics are just as much followers of fashion as anyone else. I don't mean to disparage rock critics (I've gotten too many suggestions from them), but things like relevance and pop-culture memory are only important to them and a tiny percentage of the population. OBRobyn: Robyn Hitchcock has never been part of the pop-culture memory and has almost no relevance (except to us his adoring fans), but I imagine an eclectic music fan would know who he is. rich ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 14:58:36 EDT From: MARKEEFE Subject: Re: 60's music In a message dated 98-05-07 08:22:16 EDT, you write: << Jm Brown had the audacity to say >and anyway, tell me what else from this period stands up to today? (presumably talking about the late 60's ). Too much of a generalisation.The list of what stands up to the test of time would be endless, but heres a few ( and lets see what this list produces in the way of dissension and insults from the more prickly listmembers out there). Cap'n Beefheart, Family, Fairport, early Floyd,.The Fugs, Syd Barrett, Kinks, Bowie, Can , Roy Harper, John Martyn, Pete Brown, Cream, Miles, Roland Kirk, Hendrix, The Who,early Van Morrison, James Brown, Hot Tuna,Airplane, Dead ( please , no comments on this inclusion , I think we've had more than enough discussion on that subject) , Spirit, Doors, String band , Bert Jansch, Traffic, Zappa,Joni , Beachboys and of course, the Beatles. >> Well, I have kind of a tendency to think of "the late 60's" as actually extending to about 1971 or '72 (I mean, you can't really say that the 60's ended *before* Jim Morrison died!), in which case I definitely *would* include David Bowie in that list of great and sustaining artists from that period. I'd also add Tim Buckley and, of course, Bob Dylan (although I really like his mid-60's and mid-70's material better than the period in between; still, "Nashville Skyline" is a good album, depending on what day of the week it is and whether or not his peculiar singing style can be appreciated on aid day). It's amazing how many great bands/artists saw either their birth or their demise during this time period. - ------Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 13:08:48 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers >Eb chimed in to Terry's comment of >I dig the Incredible String Band. They're not shiny at all, but >they're>pretty seamless. Does that count? >eb replied obscurely >.>Not really. >Eb baby, >please explain, I'm mortified,as I think the ISB count a lot m'dear. I'm busy >rolling my eyes over this comment and I'm very close to going zzzzzzz (but >I'm too inhibited to do so in your presence , as it may be construed as >copying your style) I like the Incredible String Band. I just don't think they're a worthwhile example to use as counterargument, in the "shiny/not shiny" discussion at hand. And LJ is the only one on the list allowed to call me "baby." Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 13:23:59 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: takin' the Eb bait DLang wrote: >[Eno/Winkies] did tour as I have a fairly crappy tape of a >Paris gig from 1974. The beeb tape has such gems as Baby's on Fire","Paw >paw negro blowtorch" and "Fever "( which as to be heard to be believed) "Fever" -- wow! >Too much of a generalisation.The list of what stands up to the test >of time would be endless, but heres a few ( and lets see what this list >produces in the way of dissension and insults from the more prickly >listmembers out there). >Family, The Fugs, Bowie, Pete Brown, Cream, >Hot Tuna, Spirit Family? The Fugs? Hot Tuna? Ehhhh, I don't think so (and I even like the Fugs). And Cream and Spirit, BARELY. Bowie's SIXTIES work really doesn't stand up, either. As for Pete Brown, I barely even know the name, which is almost argument enough for his lack of influence/relevance today. Some jammin' boogie-bluesman, I'm guessing? That was a very puzzling list you posted. Are those REALLY the best examples you can think of? I mean, you ignore the Rolling Stones and Dylan, and list THAT stuff? Are you really that hippiejam-focused? Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 13:45:41 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers Terrence wrote: >I really can't see how you could call Viva Saturn vapid. >They've got dreamy inertia, yeah, but it's depressed prettiness, not empty >prettiness. Some of their songs are meaningless, some aren't. Well, I didn't say "vapid." I said what I said. And do you even realize how little interest this band generates, in general? I mean, even college radio brushes them off! Come on, this sort of retro psychedelia is pointless. If you want to find a modern band who can make '60s psychedelics relevant, go chase the Flaming Lips. Also, just because Viva Saturn's songs are slow and dreamy doesn't make them "depressing." >Lyrical content, he says. >We appear to be listening to different Beach Boys. Yes, I think so. To start with, the Beach Boys I know didn't even write the lyrics for most of their songs. And I did say "to a lesser extent, the Beach Boys" -- not a flatout lyrical dismissal. Still, the list of Beach Boys lyrics which deeply resonate with me is a pretty damn short list -- "In My Room," "Caroline No," "Still I Dream of It," "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," umm.... >The VU and Nico's "Look ma, we're on smack" lyrical content desn't have >more "viewpoint" than "Pet Sounds". I can't see "Heroin" or "Run Run Run" >or "Waiting for the man" as being on a level above "Words", "Salesman" or >"Daily Nightly". Check out any songs written by Peter Tork, too. Oh, dear. This is where I give up and write off this discussion as an utterly lost cause. >Isn't this the same general perception that has never heard of Robyn >Hitchcock, has never bothered with the post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys and >thinks that Family Circus ought to be in every newspaper? No. And it's hardly a given that the Beach Boys were great after Pet Sounds. You could compile one very good anthology disc of their post-Pet Sounds work, but that's about it. I'm willing to let "The TM Song" rest in peace. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 17:01:48 -0400 From: "Chaney, Dolph L" Subject: winkiephonics The BBC tape mentioned by dlang -- this sounds like the same recording put out by Griffin (CD 137) as _Dali's Car_. Here's the info from the All-Music Guide: - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Brian Eno Album Title: Dali's Car Date of Release: 1994 (approx.) inprint Genre: Rock Styles: Electronic, Art-Rock/Progressive-Rock, Experimental   CD Griffin 137 Phil Manzanera-Guitar Francis Monkman-Clarinet Simon Phillips-Drums Michael Desmarais-Drums Brian Eno-Synthesizer, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals Guy Humphries-Guitar, Vocals Bill MacCormick-Bass, Vocals Brian Turrington-Bass Lloyd Watson-Guitar, Vocals Philip Bambow-Guitar, Vocals 1. Pow Pow Negro Blowtorch 2. Fever (Cooley/Davenport) 3. Fat Lady of Limbourg 4. Third Uncle 5. Baby's on Fire 6. I'll Come Running - ------------------------------------------------------------ note it says "inprint," but I haven't seen it in over a year, whereas I used to see it in stores rather frequently. I haven't heard it, but this sounds like the same thing. Dolph ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 18:12:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Terrence M Marks Subject: Re: veteran cosmic rockers > Well, I didn't say "vapid." I said what I said. And do you even realize how > little interest this band generates, in general? I mean, even college radio > brushes them off! Come on, this sort of retro psychedelia is pointless. If > you want to find a modern band who can make '60s psychedelics relevant, go > chase the Flaming Lips. Yes. I have an interest in this band. That is sufficient for me to listen to it. How much radio interest does, say, Mr. Dignan have? (James, how much radio interest do you have?) Mr. Dignan's music is very good, popular or not. Whether other people like it doesn't make it better or worse. My mother used to tell me something about everybody else jumping off of a cliff. It seems mildly relevant. > Also, just because Viva Saturn's songs are slow and dreamy doesn't make > them "depressing." Not depressing. Depressed. > >Lyrical content, he says. > >We appear to be listening to different Beach Boys. > > Yes, I think so. To start with, the Beach Boys I know didn't even write the > lyrics for most of their songs. And I did say "to a lesser extent, the > Beach Boys" -- not a flatout lyrical dismissal. Still, the list of Beach > Boys lyrics which deeply resonate with me is a pretty damn short list -- > "In My Room," "Caroline No," "Still I Dream of It," "I Just Wasn't Made for > These Times," umm.... Doesn't matter who wrote the songs. They were written, and that's the important bit. And VU happens to not resonate with me at all. I borrowed "White Light/White heat" yesterday, and regret it greatly. "The Gift" wouldn't've won an 8th grade writing contest. ("Disney Girls", "Until I Die", "Wake the World", "Surfs Up", "Day in the Life of a Tree", "Wonderful", "Deidre" and "I Went To Sleep"....) > >The VU and Nico's "Look ma, we're on smack" lyrical content desn't have > >more "viewpoint" than "Pet Sounds". I can't see "Heroin" or "Run Run Run" > >or "Waiting for the man" as being on a level above "Words", "Salesman" or > >"Daily Nightly". Check out any songs written by Peter Tork, too. > > Oh, dear. This is where I give up and write off this discussion as an > utterly lost cause. Can't blame you. Comparing "lyrical content" of psychedelic songs is not a worthwhile pastime. That's why I don't compare lyrical content. I don't imagine that stacking up "Glass Hotel" against "Tapioca Tundra" against "Femme Fatale" against "Song against sex" is worth spending any amount of time on. > No. And it's hardly a given that the Beach Boys were great after Pet > Sounds. You could compile one very good anthology disc of their post-Pet > Sounds work, but that's about it. I'm willing to let "The TM Song" rest in > peace. I think you could get at least three discs out of it. I'm not by my albums, so I won't list the songs unless someone asks me. (And I happen to like "The TM Song" [is that the one off Friends or 15 Big Ones? I always get those confused.]) Terrence Marks normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V7 #180 *******************************