From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V7 #491 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Friday, January 1 1999 Volume 07 : Number 491 Today's Subjects: ----------------- paging richard thompson collectors [desmond in a tutu ] Songs for Christmas, Getting up - falling down [james.dignan@stonebow.ota] Re: Songs for Christmas [Eb ] Re: yip up the cornhole [Eric Loehr ] Re: yip up the cornhole ["Capitalism Blows" ] Re: yip up the cornhole [Eric Loehr ] Canadian royalty non-tax (non-Canucks can skip this) [overbury@mustang.cn] Re: Songs for Christmas, Getting up - falling down ["D B" ] Songs and their place on an album [Michael Wolfe ] Re: Bryan Maclean RIP [Michael R Godwin ] Re: useless debate [Michael R Godwin ] Re: Songs and their place on an album [VIV LYON ] Re: humorous! [Michael R Godwin ] movies (was another annoying list for you...woo!) ["she.rex" ] Re: Brown mucus don't make it [Aaron Mandel ] Re: Brown mucus don't make it [Tom Clark ] Re: Brown mucus don't make it [Eb ] Misc (Soul Coughing/TMBG/Metronomes/etc.) [normal@grove.ufl.edu] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 20:39:16 -0500 From: desmond in a tutu Subject: paging richard thompson collectors fegs, i'm slowing sorting through the piles of discs stashed about the desk, shelf and floor and came across a disc called "it" by senor thompson. it's a promo, culling five songs from _you?me?us?_. nothing otherwise unreleased, but maybe a nice thing for the rt collector to have. if any one wants it, drop me a line. woj ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 14:50:41 +1300 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Songs for Christmas, Getting up - falling down Re: Songs for Christmas - Did anyone mention Joni Mitchell's "River"? Oh, and I second whoever it was said Martin Newell's "Christmas in Suburbia". >(TC fans call themselves Timbos, in case you're interested.) Timbo... Whatever happened to Bill and Graeme? Everybody make a daft noise for Christmas! James (puts on "Land of Hope and Glory". Stands to attention and salutes) PS - Eb, I hope your new year is better than your Christmas was (and that the cough goes away soon!) 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, 30 Dec 1998 18:22:34 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: Songs for Christmas James: >PS - Eb, I hope your new year is better than your Christmas was (and that >the cough goes away soon!) Man, you wouldn't believe what color my mucus is right now...I mean, I've seen yellow before, but *brown*? Eb, waiting for the antibiotics to kick in while furnishing way too much information ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:56:41 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Loehr Subject: Re: yip up the cornhole On Wed, 30 Dec 1998, Capitalism Blows wrote: > i have placed a basic lyrical evolution (including explanations) of The > Yip Song at > > > probably still some bugs in it and all. but it looks pretty good, i > think. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet, but this looks fabulous! All of you other RH dissertation writers eat your hearts out. Eddie amazes again! Eric ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 19:58:23 PST From: "Capitalism Blows" Subject: Re: yip up the cornhole no, no, no, no, no. i wrote about three sentences. maybe four. everything else is pure transcription. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 23:10:32 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Loehr Subject: Re: yip up the cornhole On Wed, 30 Dec 1998, Capitalism Blows wrote: > Eddie amazes again!> > > no, no, no, no, no. i wrote about three sentences. maybe four. > everything else is pure transcription. Well, maybe, but it's still well worth checking out; a lot of work obviously went into the transcription (not to mention all of the listening to the tapes, if you could call that work.) Eric ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 23:50:01 +0000 From: overbury@mustang.cn.ca Subject: Canadian royalty non-tax (non-Canucks can skip this) It was on the news tonight. The tax (oops, sorry -- "levy". The money doesn't go to the government so it's not a "tax") is in effect on friday, but they don't know how much it will be yet. Retailers will be charged retroactively to January (although by how much nobody can say). The decision on the exact amount of the levy won't come down until mid or late 1999. How are retailers supposed to set prices based on this information? I'm looking forward to sending Bryan Adams some of my money whenever I back up my hard drive or record songs I've written. Idiots. Brown mucus to them all! - -- Ross 1 hour from the US border ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 20:55:49 PST From: "D B" Subject: Re: Songs for Christmas, Getting up - falling down >Re: Songs for Christmas - Did anyone mention Joni Mitchell's "River"? Oh, >and I second whoever it was said Martin Newell's "Christmas in Suburbia". > Chris DeBurgh: "A Spaceman Came Travelling" ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 10:58:19 -0500 (EST) From: Natalie Jane Jacobs Subject: All right, Eb, you win! My last album purchase of the year: frenzied with Hanukah money and post job interview anxiety, I finally gave in to Eb's relentless pressure... yes, I bought the Rufus Wainwright album. And I like it, Eb. Damn it, I like it! Are you satisfied?? I saw that Rufus Gap ad yesterday as well. He is *awfully* easy on the eyes. I'll never doubt you again, Eb (except sometimes). Anyway... here's hoping all of you have an excellent New Year's... take care, little Fegs, and remember, don't drink and drill. n. np: Rufus fuckin' Wainwright ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 17:49:51 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael Wolfe Subject: Songs and their place on an album I own the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack (first disc), and it's good clean, campy fun. Under Pressure, I Can See Clearly, and so on are all very enjoyable (though I really wish they'd included the muzak version of "Live and Let Die".) The Clash songs, and the Specials songs are pretty cool, too. Anyway, I bring it to work to listen to sometimes, and let it play all the way through. It's a pretty well compiled soundtrack, in that it tends to flow together very well and establishes a consistent tone. The songs sort of build up, and crest with Los Fabulosos Cadillacs' frenetic "El Matador". This is immediately followed by Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door", which is kind of a sweet, sappy love song that I'd quite likely overlook anywhere else. But in the context of that particular soundtrack, it's such a relief, after all of the tension established up to that point, that it's almost overwhelming in its effect. I'll be listening to the disc, typing, brow furrowed in concentration, and then that song will come on and just yank away my attention. It's kind of disturbing, and kind of nice. Like I said, I doubt that it would have a similar effect all on its own. This happens for me for a couple other albums as well, for instance with the song "Honey Don't Think" on Grant Lee Buffalo's Mighty Joe Moon (although the wags (eg, eb) would probably just say that I'm subconsciously reacting in relief to the album being almost over.) I actually think this song is fabulous on its own, but it also comands my attention when I'm listening to the album straight through, and has a heightened impact. So, my question is, has anyone else experienced this effect? A sort of, "Oh!... I forgot that was there!" type feeling, sort of getting taken by surprise, with one's emotional guard down. If so, where? - -Michael Wolfe (Who loves the line on the Storefront lp: "Julius Caesar would have only come up to your pelvis. You could have broiled him.") np: Grant Lee Buffalo - Mighty Joe Moon ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 18:17:08 +0000 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: Bryan Maclean RIP On Tue, 29 Dec 1998, Eb wrote: > Did everyone hear that Bryan MacLean (formerly of Love, writer of "Alone > Again Or," older brother of Maria McKee) died of a heart attack on Xmas day? This is really bad news for music lovers (and for all people of a certain age). You may remember that I raved about the recently issued Bryan Maclean CD, which consisted of demos and small studio recordings mainly dating from the 70s and 80s, but with a couple of '66 items too. Several of the songs apart from 'Old Man' and 'Alone again or' were of a high standard, but apparently Arthur Lee always fixed it so that BM would get a maximum of 2 songs per Love album. BM got cheesed off and left Love, but never found another outlet for his songs - very sad. - -> ACHTUNG TERRY: There was a TV show last year about four people who failed the auditions for the Monkees, and Bryan was one of them. Did anybody see that? - - Mike Godwin PS Test cricket and St Stephen's Day item to follow... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 18:20:51 +0000 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: useless debate On Mon, 28 Dec 1998, hal brandt wrote: > "Blackbird" was always credited to The Beatles; it was > never released as a solo single. "Father Xmas" was a single > by Greg Lake. The fact that it was an inclusion on an odds & sods > compilation ("Works Vol 2") doesn't change that fact. Aha! Then the Dave Davies songs on the Kinks album 'Something Else' are not by the Kinks? I think you'll find that Something Else is an official, non-odds-and-sods bona fide Kinks album, which includes songs which were released as Dave Davies singles... - - Mike Godwin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 10:47:45 -0800 (PST) From: VIV LYON Subject: Re: Songs and their place on an album - ---Michael Wolfe wrote: > So, my question is, has anyone else experienced this effect? A sort of, "Oh!... > I forgot that was there!" type feeling, sort of getting taken by surprise, with > one's emotional guard down. If so, where? Well, not to be disgustingly on-topic, but I feel that way about 'This is how it feels' at the end of Moss Elixir. The preceding song, which I feel ridiculous for even thinking that I have to name but here I go anyway- You and Oblivion- seems like a natural closing song, melancholy and beautiful. Then this even more beautiful song sneaks up and thwacks you in the sternum. I just about fall down every time I hear that song. (It seems to me that Y&O is about saying goodbye. Perhaps Robyn didn't want to say goodbye just yet, so he put this achingly sincere love song at the end of the album to remind (himself?) us (?) that love can transcend death and time. Unless Y&O is really about people changing so much that they can't be together anymore, in which case love can't do a goddamn thing. I am reading way too much into this, I think.) Vivien _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 18:49:46 +0000 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: humorous! On Tue, 29 Dec 1998, Capitalism Blows wrote: > i don't know why i find the term "test" so interesting in this context. > does it have something to do with, this is supposed to be the most > rigorous test of one's cricketing abilities? is there a cricket world > cup? (such an ignorant question!) which has been the most dominant side > in test matches of late? I think it's called a test simply because it puts the relative strength of the two teams 'to the test'. I'm sure there have been some knockout 'world cup'-type contests, but only as a recent marketing ploy. It is geographically too complicated for all the first-class nations to play each other every year. Sri Lanka have been doing extremely well recently. West Indies were the top team for many years, but I think they may have faltered. The Aussies do pretty well. You can rely on certain members of this list to keep you up to date on the successes of the Kiwis. England have been unspeakably awful for a long long time now. - - Mike Godwin (again, rushing to beat the 1998 deadline) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 13:56:14 From: "she.rex" Subject: movies (was another annoying list for you...woo!) Mark G piped up: > I also really enjoyed >scar trex instant erection. Oops - nearly forgot about that one. They finally broke the lousy odds, swell evens rule: every odd-numbered Star Trek flick has basically been lousy and every even-numbered one has been swell. Has anyone else noticed that? Anyway this one was all right but not as good as First Contact. At least they seem to have realized what many of us fans already knew - stick to the formula of a double-length good episode instead of going for the philosophically grand, which for some reason in their hands always flops! Not sure who's to blame for that, it just happens - every time. >I'm looking forward to the new star wars flick Me too - in spite of Eddie's misgivings. Steve said: >It looks like TPM is pretty much an action film, so the real test will be >how well Lucas sets up the foreshadowing of Anakin's fall. This is good news - action usually serves these types of films better, including Star Trek ones. Insurrection could have used more action and higher stakes. Eddie: Thanks for the Yip Song piece - very interesting! She.Rex - -------------------------- You slide so good With bones so fair You've got the universe reclining in your hair ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 13:54:06 -0500 From: LORDK@library.phila.gov Subject: back and there Hello, Im back, have just skimmed the digests, leaving me with... Susan , are you there? Please say yes. This listserve wouldnt be the same without you. James, thnks for amswering my question. I enjoyed reading how you experience spirituality. I especially liked how you talked about not caring what label people put on "god". Finding myself in the same situation in my 20s, I went for the religion I was raised in, having read an essay by a Golden Dawn trained Christian Magician that it was most "effacious" to practice the rituals of ones childhood, since these, by their very nature, carry the greatest possible subconsious resonance. Time, for me, has proved him right,thou I also keep up an active intrest in Neopaganism and Hermeticism. (If you get me drunk enough, I will explain to you how Crowley, experiencing an extreme reaction formation to Christianity which nesseccitated a veil of blasphamy in his works, actually , ended up expressed certain Christian ideas ) Robyns POPularity, I have always wanted Robyn to be popular so he could make a decent living. At the same time, I have always been skeptical as to its likelyhood. I like Robyns songs because Mind( in a Neoplatonicsense) works in a way analagous to the way the songs work. Therefore, listening to the songs helps connect my personal mind to Mind, leading to release from personal ego, and into true self. This, however, is not something the majority of humanity has ever found pleasant. It just irratates them as a rule. utm K ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 11:46:41 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Brown mucus don't make it Meanwhile, I'm wondering just how much dough Prince has made off "1999" royalties and licensing during the past couple of weeks. Eb PS Checked the Replacements newsgroup for the first time in ages last night...all those Mats fanatics already have tapes of the new Westerberg album, and word is that it's absolutely *dreadful*. When even THOSE swooning Westerberg yaysayers are coming down on it, it MUST be bad.... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 15:22:10 -0500 (EST) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: Brown mucus don't make it On Thu, 31 Dec 1998, Eb wrote: > Meanwhile, I'm wondering just how much dough Prince has made off "1999" > royalties and licensing during the past couple of weeks. yeah. for those of us who don't like any of the purple one's work, let alone that song, worldwide cataclysm may feel like an appropriate end to next year... > all those Mats fanatics already have tapes of the new Westerberg > album, and word is that it's absolutely *dreadful*. When even THOSE > swooning Westerberg yaysayers are coming down on it, it MUST be bad.... or might be brilliant but unlike his previous output. though i admit i have trouble envisioning that. a n.p. Momus - Circus Maximus why didn't chilton sue the replacements? why didn't jesus sue chilton? feh. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 12:30:56 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Brown mucus don't make it On 12/31/98 11:46 AM, Eb wrote: >PS Checked the Replacements newsgroup for the first time in ages last >night...all those Mats fanatics already have tapes of the new Westerberg >album, and word is that it's absolutely *dreadful*. When even THOSE >swooning Westerberg yaysayers are coming down on it, it MUST be bad.... Maybe they don't like it because it has some balls? yeah, I doubt it too. - -tc p.s. Eb has bronchitis. Try standing on your head and coughing all that shit out. p.p.s. Happy New Year ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 12:58:18 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: Brown mucus don't make it Tom: >>PS Checked the Replacements newsgroup for the first time in ages last >>night...all those Mats fanatics already have tapes of the new Westerberg >>album, and word is that it's absolutely *dreadful*. When even THOSE >>swooning Westerberg yaysayers are coming down on it, it MUST be bad.... > >Maybe they don't like it because it has some balls? Here is the most detailed post on the newsgroup, concerning the Westerberg album. It's telling enough that the guy could post this, and no one flamed him! Heck, another newsgroup regular said the record company shouldn't have even allowed the album to be released! (EVERYONE seems to say that "Actor in the Street" is just *staggeringly* bad.) As for me, I think I'll just wait for the finished product -- delay the agony. Eb - -------------------------- i lucked into an promo cd of suicaine (on christmas eve, no less) and thought that, since i'd be dying to know what others thought of it if i didn't have a copy, i'd post some comments. the album is easily the weakest of the entire replacements/westerberg catalog. it makes "eventually" seem better than it actually is and "don't tell a soul" seem like a fucking masterpiece. many of the songs are in the "eventually" style that we're all familiar with -- sugary, sappy and not dynamic. someone here used the word "mawkish" to describe the ubl samples, and that word does a good job of describing many of these songs. and the album's lyrics are mostly straightforward and uninteresting. the album sounds as though the grandpaboy releases never even happened -- it has none of that playfulness, and the songs don't seem as alive. i don't know what's more upsetting -- the lack of clever lyrics or the lack of catchy melodies. and on top of all that, a few of the songs are unbelievably wretched. but five of the songs (it's a wonderful lie, lookin' out forever, tears rolling up our sleeves, whatever makes you happy and bookmark) are pretty good or better, and i've been playing those a lot. - --- here are some song-by-song comments: it's a wonderful lie -- i like this song quite a bit. the melody is simple but good, and the lyrics are engaging and are also the most personal-sounding he's released in a long time. it kinda reminds me of "things," although it's not as good. self defense -- the first of many songs prominently featuring the piano. i don't really like this one all that much, but i guess at least it's kind of different-sounding initially (but some production flourishes, sappiness, and grandiose lyrics soon follow). and it's not as bad as some of the other pap on here. and some of the lyrics are kind of okay, i guess. but i don't like it. best thing that never happened -- this song is such a b-side. it's not good, nor is it terrible. the only adjective that fits is "serviceable." and does he really think that singing "the best thing that never happened" (as opposed to "the best thing that ever happened") is clever? kind of like "you've had it with you," i guess. the lyrics remind me of "love untold" because of how generic and general they are. the music is okay but pretty undistinctive. incidentally, i'm guessing that this is the other song with the hearbreakers. lookin' out forever -- not only is this the best song on the album, but it's also a really good song. when i first heard the sample on ubl, it sounded pretty generic and the chorus seemed like a less catchy version of the "seein' her" chorus. but now i really, really like it. it also doesn't hurt that this is the closest thing to a rocker on an album with lots of bland mush. it's got a pretty good premise through which he gets off some really good lines. and i bet this'll sound even better live. born for me -- what a lame fucking song. as sappy and uncompelling as you can get. couldn't paul have made a better song about how he feels about laurie (whose voice, i'm assuming, is the one singing along)? most of the lyrics sound as though they're right off a greeting card. i actually cringed when i heard this song for the first time. one of the worst he's released. and it's not even the worst song on the album. final hurrah -- another lame song. not as bad as "born for me" or some of the others, but it's still a bad song. i actually haven't even listened to this one all that much -- i've been sticking to the pretty good ones and the god- awful ones. tears rolling up our sleeves -- the first couple times i played the album, i didn't really notice this song 'cuz it just kind of blended in with the mush around it. but it's actually better. the lyrics are better, the singing is better and the song isn't as produced. the beat is from a drum machine, but i don't think that hurts the song any. the lyrics aren't fantastic or anything, but they're pretty decent and are much better than those of its neighbors. the sound reminds me a little of the versions of "sadly beautiful" and "black-eyed susan" that he played on the eventually tour. now, it's nowhere near as good as those, but in terms of the way the song sounds, i don't think the comparison is unjustified. fugitive kind -- oh, man, this song fucking bites. six minutes of agony. i couldn't believe how bad this song was the first time i heard it. . . the first half minute or so is just paul singing while playing piano, and that part doesn't sound all that bad. but then the other instruments kick in, along with grandiose, lame, cliched and just plain bad music/lyrics, and it becomes unbearable. the chorus is the most annoying thing since the oooh-la-la-la-la- las on "ain't got me." this thing makes "my little problem" sound good. and this *still* isn't the worst song on the album. sunrise always listens -- another of the "eventually" style of songwriting. this definitely is not a good song, but it's not all that bad. it's a guilty pleasure for me in that i don't think i should like it but i kind of do, like some of the stuff on eventually. the lyrics about sunrise always listening are greeting-cardish, but the part about paul staying up all night boring himself, his lampshade, his television and his bed are not only good but, given this album, also appropriate. whatever makes you happy -- supposedly earmarked as the first single, i think this song is pretty good and pretty catchy. i've been playing it a lot. now, don't get me wrong, it's absolutely nothing great, but it is pretty good. although its somewhat generality might make it seem similar to eventually's first (only?) single, "love untold," i think it's better and it's definitely catchier. it might even do well on radio/MTV. and does anyone else who has the album know if that's paul's baby at the end? that's a great little touch. overall, a well-crafted song. actor in the street -- finally! -- the worst song on the album. also the worst song ever released by paul. also one of the worst songs i've ever heard. and i'm not exaggerating. i wish it weren't placed between two pretty good songs so i could more easily not listen to it. not only are the lyrics fucking terrible, but they're repeated over and over. not only is there no melody, but the non-melody is embellished by annoying fucking strings. the only thought this song provokes is "how he could he write, record and release this piece of shit?" bookmark -- i like this song. it's very unlike the rest of the album. this song is pretty much just paul singing and playing piano with thankfully few production additions. his voice sounds kind of different and pretty deep -- a nice contrast from the breezy, fluffy, sappy, grandiose sound it had on the previous song. this doesn't sound at all like previous piano and voice efforts like "androgynous", "the last" or "good day" -- the melody is very understated but still good. and the lyrics are pretty good. a good song. - --- that run through can't have sounded too good, but this album isn't a complete waste. as hard as it is to believe that paul could release an album of this quality, it's much, much harder to believe he could ever release one without *any* redeeming qualities. and some of the good songs should sound even better live. . . and who knows? - -- maybe there are some quality b-sides (a la "seein' her" and "men without ties") to be released. . . still, it's hard to not be disappointed. kannan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 03:28:10 -0500 (EST) From: normal@grove.ufl.edu Subject: Misc (Soul Coughing/TMBG/Metronomes/etc.) Is Soul Coughing's new album any good? I've heard "circles" and it sounds very very generic (How generic? The local generic station has it in heavy rotation. The keyboard sound is normal and Doughty sings on beat. The best I can say about it is "Soft Serve, pt 2"). Is the rest of the album like that? (I had their previous two albums, and while there were some standout tracks [like Down to This, Is Chicago or Super Bon Bon] the album as a whole left me pretty nonplussed). Is the album worth listening to? And I'm looking for TMBG tapes (partic. Dial-a-songs and studio outtakes.) Would anyone be willing to oblige me and trade for a few? And I'm looking for a good free digital metronome sort of thing. I've got a fairly lousy sense of timing and whenever I try to record something I shift tempo a few times and wind up not being able to overdub well, which I guess comes from playing a lot of Syd Barrett stuff when I was learning. Anyhow, the only metronome software I've found demands to be registered before it can change tempos, which I severely dislike. Has anyone any recommendations? I saw this item called a "rhythm bandit" advertised in a music catalog for appx. $30. It supposedly lets you play back just rhythm guitar, and I thought that that might be neat for that tab project we've got. Has anyone seen one of these things and how well do they work? Terrence Marks normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V7 #491 *******************************