From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V7 #289 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, July 28 1998 Volume 07 : Number 289 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: eddie asks: ["Capitalism Blows" ] can robyn f*** to indie rock? [Karen Reichstein ] Re: Robyn Does Dodge [Eb ] don't read this [hal brandt ] Robyn Does Vegas ["JH3" ] from randi - trying to find an RH link to this... [Tim Fuller Dan Bern [Tom Clark ] Re: RH, Bern and fertility symbols [Eb ] RobynH in MUSICIAN [hal brandt ] Just a thought. [Patrick Welker ] Re: RH->Dan Bern ["Glen E. Uber" ] Re: It's not exciting, but it's better than writing about the , Kazakhstani economy [dlang ] unmasking dimsie [JudeHayden@aol.com] from Ms. Randi - Mr. Hal confirmeed my suspisions [Tim Fuller ] Re: Rock Stars Children [M R Godwin ] Re: video nasties [Eb ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 11:28:43 PDT From: "Capitalism Blows" Subject: Re: eddie asks: <>2. does a song have to be the same exact same title as a record to be >considered the "title track"? for example, is Airscape considered the >title track to ELEMENT OF LIGHT; or is Rock of Ages considered the title >track to PYROMANIA? I'm pretty sure this question is just an excuse to fire up some heated discussion over which is the better album.> i'll say this much: HIGH 'N' DRY and PYROMANIA are both fuckin' GREAT albums. <"I'm in the middle of a CONVERSATION" - --annoyed woman in San Francisco bar on Bayard's birthday> in case you're wondering, she was holding a poodle in her lap. i thought for a second she was gonna slug me. who wouldn't want to sing for BAYARD????? ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 13:05:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Karen Reichstein Subject: can robyn f*** to indie rock? Of course, this thread could lead to a discussion of whether or not listmembers have actually fucked *to* Robyn Hitchcock's music, but that's a whole other can of worms. karen - ------------------------------------------------ Eb thoughtfully posted: >Survey question: "Can you fuck to indie-rock?" >Hitchcock's answer: "Um, I can't fuck to any music at all. I can't >concentrate. Because...I think you get more sensitive as you get sexually >aroused, so sounds become magnified. If there's music, I give it my whole >attention, and I simply can't "fuck," as you put it. It takes two to >fuck, >you don't just sit there like frying an egg. I think both fucking and >music are things that you should take very seriously, and they demand >your complete attention." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 98 13:35:42 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: can robyn f*** to indie rock? On 7/27/98 1:05 PM, Karen Reichstein wrote: >Of course, this thread could lead to a discussion of whether or not >listmembers have actually fucked *to* Robyn Hitchcock's music, but that's >a whole other can of worms. Is Robin Trower close enough? I had a girlfriend in high school who *had* to put on "Bridge Of Sighs" before the fucking could commence. Every time I hear that now I smell patchouli incense. I agree with Robyn. Music and sex are two things that require complete attention. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 14:00:32 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: Robyn Does Dodge Eddie: >attention, and I simply can't "fuck," as you put it. It takes two to >fuck, you don't just sit there like frying an egg.> >robyn did some radio interview right before they were getting ready to >open for rem on the GREEN tour. the interviewer asked if these would be >the largest audiences he'd ever played for. he said, probably, but >since they weren't the headliners, it didn't really matter, 'cause >nobody would be paying any attention to them anyway. he said that they >may as well go up there and fry an egg for all it mattered. OK, I get you. So you're suggesting that if we apply AJ Weberman-style "decoding" to Robyn's comment, he was *really* saying that he could open for REM by *fucking* onstage, and it still wouldn't matter? Hrm, interesting.... Oh, and thanks to the Halbrandt for removing his nose from his tape stacks long enough to post some more snitty anti-Ebbisms. He looks forward to the day when he can call home a prefab on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Eb, who did make out to Roxy's Avalon once, which contains "More Than This," which RH has covered, which... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 15:53:36 -0600 From: hal brandt Subject: don't read this Eb wrote: > Oh, and thanks to the Halbrandt for removing his nose from his tape stacks > long enough to post some more snitty anti-Ebbisms. Looks like Eb isn't the only one on the receiving end of the dreaded personal attack. Can't I join in the good-natured ribbing without a response like this? I sure didn't mean to bruise your ego. Sorry I hurt your field, mister. /hal ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 16:57:41 -0500 From: "JH3" Subject: Robyn Does Vegas Eb writes: >Oh, and thanks to the Halbrandt for removing his nose from his tape >stacks long enough to post some more snitty anti-Ebbisms. >He looks forward to the day when he can call home a prefab on the >outskirts of Las Vegas. Really? That's strange, I don't remember Hal Brandt ever indicating a desire to relocate... JH3 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 18:25:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Tim Fuller Subject: from randi - trying to find an RH link to this... Okay.... > karmafuzzz wrote about Sarah McLachlan: > ...not that I'm being critical of your company's decision, but it seems > - at least to me - more fair to say what the record company wanted and > what you gave them didn't quite fit. nobodys fault ultimately, but they > hired the wrong director company for what they wanted Well, I see your perspective...and perhaps I didn't state my case properly. Arita *chose* our company, and the director's treatment to do these videos. We had every director we represent doing treatments, as did G-d only knows how many other companies...but...they chose us...because of our track record, 'cause of the director's treatment, 'cause of the director, 'cause they wanted what we were offering them... Part of my job - when I'm working, not in hospital ;} - is to make things available to the client - so they can say ___*NO*____ at any time. "The client" is the record company, the management team and the artist. When I'm doing a job I speak to the client a few times a day...send them storyboards, send them production information - including who will be on the crew as a grip, a focus puller, even a production assistant. As the shot list is developed the client gets a new copy everyday, including camera angles - what kind of shot - wide - medium - closeup... The client and director have to approve wardrobe together...as a producer I offer my comments - if asked. And Sarah has done all her videos though us, and yes, mostly using the same director, who has done a few David Bowie videos { - are you from Arista karmafuzzz? :}... So, the way *I* see it, "the client" is always being completely appraised of every single thing - they are on set during the filming of the video too - and they sit through the editing. So, we don't feel slighted, we feel kinda lied to and taken advantage of. If a "Sarah being beautiful" video is what they wanted - they should have told us - and we would have made it happen. Or, they should have accepted another treatment where *Sarah looking pretty* was the main focus. It just seemed kinda sneaky that they took the two videos {and all the footage} back to L.A. and had someone at the record company re-edit it for them. We would have done it - that's our job. So - point is - with "the client" being involved every single step of the way - it's hard for me to accept a statement like - "it's more fair to say what the record company wanted and what you gave them didn't quite fit..." We delivered exactly what was promised... Does this make more sense? I don't mean any bad vibes in this reply - I just thought I'd explain the situation so it would be made more clear. My fever is getting lower and lower everyday, so I'm trying really hard to write in a coherent manner...is it working? I really hope so :} Hope this is a better explanation karmafuzzz {I love typing that :} To add some Robyn content to this - he told me he'd never make another video again - and I don't blame him at all - "Storefront Hitchcock" seems like an exploration of an artist - rather than a commercial... Oh - and thanks Eb for posting the Robyn and sex comment - a man who only makes love without music and without frying eggs at the same time...then I start to think about the concentration he must put into sex and then - aaaaaaahhhhhhh - help me Susan!!!! fading back into yesterday before tomorrow comes, Randi *what scares you most will set you free* ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 98 15:14:44 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: RH->Dan Bern This must have been pointed out already, but I was just perusing the liner notes of Dan Bern's "Fifty Eggs" and I noticed that Sara Lee plays on about four tracks. That puts Dan just one hop away from Robyn. It sure would be interesting to see DB & RH on stage together... - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 15:36:43 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: RH, Bern and fertility symbols Tom: >This must have been pointed out already, but I was just perusing the >liner notes of Dan Bern's "Fifty Eggs" and I noticed that Sara Lee plays >on about four tracks. That puts Dan just one hop away from Robyn. Egg, egg? Did someone say "egg" again?? I'm sensing a real Enigma beginning here! Perhaps some obsessive soul can post all the usages of "egg"/"eggs" in Robyn's catalog (or Pink Floyd's, for that matter), and we can see if they're all just thinly disguised references to fantasies about doin' the nasty onstage.... Good-annoying: That squalling little girl in the "Mafia!" trailer, crying "Ruuuun, [something indecipherable], ruuuuuuuun!" That gets under my skin every time. This album is called Psycle for three reasons. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 16:54:45 -0600 From: hal brandt Subject: RobynH in MUSICIAN randi, who'll be at 98.6 before you know it, wrote: > > To add some Robyn content to this - he told me he'd never make another > video again - and I don't blame him at all - "Storefront Hitchcock" seems > like an exploration of an artist - rather than a commercial... Some RH quotes from the new MUSICIAN magazine article (Sept 1998): "Doing videos is not a stimulating experience unless they've built some incredible tableau for you to cavort around in. All you're doing is repeating fragments of a song and miming to it. I guess if you're really high on yourself, you can rave around and holler and look good. But significantly, the last time I did a video, the only thing the director kept in the final cut was all the outtakes; he didn't use any of the parts we were miming." "Ten years ago, if you got signed to a record label, you had to make a video no matter what, but the stakes are upped a bit now. They don't want to put the money into a video these days unless they feel you're going to have a hit. Try and maintain as much control over these things as you can. Once they get out of your hands, people will start coming up to you and saying, 'Oh, I'm your biggest fan, I love what you do...Now why don't you stand over there with a bucket on your head?' You need to have some say in the direction of your visual presentation. Mind you, your ideas might be terrible; it might be better if a director strong-arms you into something. But you should at least be given the chance to voice your own ideas. Of course, if you're working with someone you know you can trust, it's much better to defer to them." "What's most important to remember is that musicians aren't actors, and you shouldn't feel pressured to become one. There are people whom the video genre suits, like Michael Stipe, but videos involve miming, which you don't do in real life. Live performance is what music is really about, not acting. Even in front of the cameras, you've got to be you." "What was really nice about _Storefront_ was that we got the best of both worlds. Capturing a live performance does away with the sterility of video, but doing it in something other than a standard live situation, so you don't have the usual sweaty discomforts of a club gig, was brilliant. I'd recommend that approach to everyone." "...I don't mind being filmed. I'd rather face four movie cameras than one 35mm Nikon anytime, because the movie cameras will catch you in motion and you don't have to worry so much about how well your face composes in a single shot." /hal ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 14:24:11 -0700 (PDT) From: Patrick Welker Subject: Just a thought. As I was walking past one of our downtown shopping malls, I had noticed that there was a sign for a certain record(Camelot) store that was having a sale. Never missing the opportunity to save a buck I proceeded inside. While browsing through their shamefuuly bad selection I had a thought. Not that thoughts are a rare occurence to me, I have them quite regularly. But there was something special about this one, it was "think I'll FINALLY pick up 'You and Oblivion'". Whilst I was rooting through the letter H I found no Robyn, no proof that Robyn had even been there. Nothing, there wasn't a crab to be seen! The clerkette who was pleasent asked me if I needed any assistance, I replied "I'm looking for Robyn Hitchcock". She quickly scuttled to the safety of her counter and gazed into the computer. After several moments of anticipation on my part she looked up at me and said "we no longer carry Robyn Hitchcock, you may want to try some of our other stores, they may have some leftover". No Robyn!! I was horrified, this once mighty record conglomerate that had it's grip on mall rats everywhere ceased to carry Robyn. As I staggered away confused, heartbroken, bewildered, I carried with me the pain of Fegs everywhere. No Hitchcock - lost revenue, store closings. Coincidence, maybe-maybe not. "The truth is out there"! 'Ta Pythagoras p.s. I ended up having to "special order" 'YAO', but have enjoyed it tremenously ever since. _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 03:10:31 -0700 (PDT) From: "Glen E. Uber" Subject: Re: RH->Dan Bern On Mon, 27 Jul 1998, Tom Clark wrote: > This must have been pointed out already, but I was just perusing the > liner notes of Dan Bern's "Fifty Eggs" and I noticed that Sara Lee plays > on about four tracks. That puts Dan just one hop away from Robyn. Dan also mentions Andie MacDowell in one of the songs on the album (can't remember which; don't have it handy; so sue me ;-P ). Coincidence? - -g- - ----------==========**********O**********==========--------- Glen Uber uberg@sonic.net "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." --Henny Youngman - ----------==========**********O**********==========--------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 21:53:17 -1850 From: dlang Subject: Re: It's not exciting, but it's better than writing about the , Kazakhstani economy terrance quoth: >why did so many people work towards imperialism and against >socialism? Because a good portion of our species seems to take self interest and making a profit off the backs of the rest of us plebs into account a lot more it does the general good of the whole community. I make no apologies regarding communism,its suppression of opinions other than its own makes for a moribund and totalitarian society not unlike facism. .However we should remember that it took Western societies hundreds of years to work towards democracy , whereas socialism is a relatively new system and was only conceived as a tool against the excesses of capitalism. If capitalism had been a more benign system there would have been no need for socialism at all. . Arguably if socialist /communist governments in the eastern block had not been so aggressively undermined by the capitalist countries there might have been a chance for these systems to have avoided their worst excesses and eventually evolved into more democratic systems. We also seem to forget that there have been socialist governemtns in a number of countries that have not been totalitarian, but even these Labour governments in Australia and Britain were viewed with extreme suspicion by right wing elements in the US , if not actively connived against by the CIA , etc.May i also point out that without trade Unionion ( which in Australia and The Uk at least were left wing organisations and the early US unions also fell into that category) , we would not have most of the decent wages and workplace conditions that we have enjoy. Unchecked capitalism also has its downside and I doubt if anyone can argue convincingly that any country that follows the extreme economic rationalist-free market,"government is intrinsically bad for its citizens so lets cut it back untill it almost ceases to exist " policy has a really decent system that adequately cares for its poor or disadvantaged. More wealth is now owned by a smaller percentage of the population than it has for many decades and the trend shows no sign of slowing.. I don't totally agree with the substance of lot of Eddies statements ,but he does have a point in as much that if we left our system in the hands of the most rabid capitalists we could all still be working 16 hour days for a pittance and so too would our kids. "Mr Burns" is'nt entirely a fictional character you know, his counterparts are out there and have existed on all sides of the political fence since the very beginning of our species. The shit always rises to the top,without proper checks and balances , no matter what the system. dave Now retiring back to lurking again for awhile, as its amazing how much more work I can do on the website when I stop posting. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 22:13:24 -1850 From: dlang Subject: Re: RobynH in MUSICIAN Thanks for the Video postings Randi and Hal, I'm doing rock videos next term with senior classes in media studies and I'll be using the quotes as examples , keep em coming. dave sorry, I"ll relurk again now. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 09:46:54 EDT From: JudeHayden@aol.com Subject: unmasking dimsie Well, to me, "dimsie" could easily be "maisie" scrambled, with a quick typo to throw off the scent. So it isn't Robyn himself that's lurking here, it's his daughter! Hmmm... Jude ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 10:39:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Tim Fuller Subject: from Ms. Randi - Mr. Hal confirmeed my suspisions On Monday, 27 July 1998, Mr Hal wrote: > Some RH quotes from the new MUSICIAN magazine article (Sept 1998): > > "Doing videos is not a stimulating experience unless they've built some > incredible tableau for you to cavort around in. All you're doing is > repeating fragments of a song and miming to it. I guess if you're really > high on yourself, you can rave around and holler and look good. But > significantly, the last time I did a video, the only thing the director > kept in the final cut was all the outtakes; he didn't use any of the > parts we were miming." > > "Ten years ago, if you got signed to a record label, you had to make a > video no matter what, but the stakes are upped a bit now. They don't want to > put the money into a video these days unless they feel you're going to > have a hit. Try and maintain as much control over these things as you > can. > "What was really nice about _Storefront_ was that we got the best of > both worlds. Capturing a live performance does away with the sterility > of video, but doing it in something other than a standard live > situation, so you don't have the usual sweaty discomforts of a club gig, > was brilliant. I'd recommend that approach to everyone." Me too! Even being in the video industry, this is at the crux of the problem with the Sarah McLachlan issue - she *may* have wanted to keep "Building A Mystery" and "Sweet Surrender" the way they were, which was really great - especially "Sweet Surrender" - it had very "dark overtones" which "the client" was going "ra-ra-ra-give-us-more" through the entire shoot - then they snuck back to L.A. to change it completely. The best videos I've ever worked on were ones the bands did the treatment..."Sandbox" and "Sloan" - I don't know if these bands are well known other than in Canada. But as a producer - no - I think I was assistant producer back then - anyhoo - what ever the band said ruled! Also - these bands paid for the videos themselves - so the only - yet very demanding {in a great way I think} "client" was the band themselves. I wish it could always be like this - 'cause often *the outtakes* or *mistakes* are so much more fun them lip-syncing {sp?} which I personally don't like - unless the whole band is actually playing... I mean, what was more fun, Robyn's *Man With The Lightbulb Head* - or - A&M's *So You Think You're in Love*. RH&E felt idiotic doing SYTYIL - but A&M forced them...to make a commercial - in my opinion - 'cause even though I work in the "industry," I always feel like I'm making a commercial that may or *may not* ever get picked up by MuchMusic or MTV or VH1 - and *that* happens sooooooooooO} much you would not believe it. Having been in NYC while "Storefront" was being made - made me see why films like that are way better for the artist than a video. And, I said before Robyn will never make another video again {so he told me} - I wonder if WarnerBros. will chop up "Storefront" into "mini-videos" to sell the soundtrack album - G-d forbid - but still possible if they put into any money into it. It will be interesting to see... Hope Robyn wins... fading back into yesterday before tomorrow comes, Randi {who's big dream is to make a documentary of Robyn on tour} *what scares you most will set you free* - Robyn Hitchcock ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 11:38:37 -0400 From: kenster@MIT.EDU (Ken Ostrander) Subject: Re: two questions, numbered >1. has maxell discontinued making the xlii-100? i can't seem to find >any anywhere. it looks like they may have replaced it with xlii-110, >for the same price even. that'd be great, except that last time i asked >about 110-minute tapes (about a year ago, i guess) the jury was pretty >mixed: quite a few people said there were no problems with them, but >there were also a lot of people that said you could expect to experience >some breaking tapes. i use a lot of the 110's. i've had a few break; but that's 'cause i don't keep them in their cases; but just toss them in my bag. i can still count the ones that broke on one hand and i couldn't say how many i've used. they get my thumbs up. >2. does a song have to be the same exact same title as a record to be >considered the "title track"? for example, is Airscape considered the >title track to ELEMENT OF LIGHT; or is Rock of Ages considered the title >track to PYROMANIA? i think i like it better when the "title track" isn't the same title as the album; so you have to search for it. i guess i need more hobbies. KEN "untitled" THE KENSTER ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 11:59:58 -0400 From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: video nasties Tim Fuller, trying to understand the tennis ball, said: >I mean, what was more fun, Robyn's *Man With The Lightbulb Head* - or - >A&M's *So You Think You're in Love*. RH&E felt idiotic doing SYTYIL - but >A&M forced them...to make a commercial - in my opinion - 'cause even though I >work in the "industry," I always feel like I'm making a commercial that >may or *may not* ever get picked up by MuchMusic or MTV or VH1 - and *that* >happens sooooooooooO} much you would not believe it. Well, as far as I'm concerned, *everything* (i.e., every single second of everything shown) on Mtv is a commercial (OK, maybe they slip in a PSA every now and then). The distinction between "product" (soap commercials) and "non-product" (the tv show, the video, or the performance) has disappeared. Sure, that distinction was always pretty thin in the past, but since cable tv increased the competition, it got thinner. And then Mtv made it disappear altogether. It doesn't matter if the video is a live, authentic performance by either Sarah McLaughlin or Cecila Bartoli, or a staged production of people painted silver and dancing in the desert. Put it on Mtv and its commercial reasons become more important than any aesthetic or civic reasons. And it doesn't matter if it inspires some kid in Iowa to do volunteer community service or take his/her own life -- the video is being shown only because somebody wanted to make money off of it. And hey, I *like* TV. Mostly. Howsabout that new "Melrose Place" last night? Woo-hoo! >Hope Robyn wins... Somehow I doubt he'd have much power over the Warner Bros. juggernaut if they decided they might make a dime or two off of his product. I'm a visual thinker. I have my own personal "videos" for most of Robyn's songs, many of which I cherish dearly (i.e., what "Flavour of Night" does for me I can't put into words). That's one of my favorite reasons for listening to music. But A&M's video for "Madonna of the Wasps" has actually forced me to have negative associations with the song, which I knew well before I saw the video, and which I *do not* appreciate. I'd hate to have that to happen to any other songs of Robyn, whether I've heard them already or not. F'rinstance, who here would *really* like to see a video of NMH's "King of Carrot Flowers"? Honest? Not me. No way, no how, not at all. Oh well. Sure, I have my own ideas and concepts about "Art" and I don't expect them to jibe with what sells in the marketplace, but hey, I gotta be me. ++++++++ Gene Hopstetter, Jr. + Online Design Guy http://extra.newsguy.com/~genehop/ ++ All hail Brak! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 17:10:06 +0100 (BST) From: M R Godwin Subject: Re: Rock Stars Children On Fri, 17 Jul 1998, dmw wrote: > i don't think i recall seeing these yet: > > chris stills - stephen stills > dweezil zappa - frank zappa > moon unit " - " > liza carthy - martin carthy That Zappa reference reminds me that 'Hot Rats' features lead guitar by Shuggie Otis, the son of Johnny Otis (of 'Willie and the Hand Jive' fame). Declan McManus is the son of a fairly successful jazz band musician - does that count, or do they both have to be rock musicians? Incidentally, it's Eliza (not Liza) Carthy. - - Mike Godwin PS to Ross O.: I may remember everybody, but I couldn't remember the title of Leo Sayer's only #1 at pub quiz on Sunday... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 13:24:05 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: video nasties Gene Gene the Posting Machine: >Well, as far as I'm concerned, *everything* (i.e., every single second of >everything shown) on Mtv is a commercial (OK, maybe they slip in a PSA >every now and then). The distinction between "product" (soap commercials) >and "non-product" (the tv show, the video, or the performance) has >disappeared. Sure, that distinction was always pretty thin in the past, >but since cable tv increased the competition, it got thinner. And then Mtv >made it disappear altogether. Right. To me, nothing better demonstrates the current irrelevance of a video's artistic value than the fact that any video awards show will only give awards to *hit songs*. You read MTV's nominations for any of their video awards, and it's just the same as what's selling best as music. It's not "Best Video," it's "Most Popular Song Amongst Our Target Demographic, Thank God The Video Didn't Suck." When videos first entered the culture, there were videos which became notable purely based on visual terms. Maybe the song wasn't so commercial, but everyone wanted to see the video because it was so clever and well-conceived (think David Bowie, for instance). The medium of the music video was such a fresh concept that the visual aspects took precedence. Now, the video is just a backdrop for a catchy single. There aren't many chances taken anymore. Musicians don't stretch themselves by attempting to "act" like they did in the early days (I think Billy Squier may have a hand in killing off that approach). Few videos are "jarring" and dare to go against the grain of being pleasant background ambience. Few videos can stand alone as visual art, with the sound removed. It's very rare to see a video today which self-reflexively comments on the medium, like say the Replacements' classic '80s videos. So I say, phooey. I've never had MTV, and years go by, I'm happier and happier to be without it. >And hey, I *like* TV. Mostly. Howsabout that new "Melrose Place" last >night? Woo-hoo! Ehh, I think it's about time for that show to be put to sleep, before it plunges into utter tedium. And will Heather Locklear EVER become a regular cast member, and not a "Special Guest Star"? Keeerist. Especially given all the recent talk about how the show will soon be streamlined to be about nothing but Heather, Heather and Heather.... First, because The Tokens thought of it, second, because it demonstrates The Happenings' enormous versatility, with material that embraces the Psycle of modern musical style -- from jazz to hard rock to R&B (note particularly "Lord, I Think I'm Growing Old" and "When I Lock My Door," with whistling "Toots" Thielmans on guitar), and third, because it shows what can happen when a forty-year-old standard such as "Bye Bye Blackbird" is brought full Psycle and treated as an up-to-date riot. Eb ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V7 #289 *******************************