From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #103 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, March 18 1999 Volume 08 : Number 103 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Kubrick [Tom Clark ] an interesting Kubrick link [Eb ] Re: an interesting Kubrick link [Ben ] Re: touch the pu-pu-puppet head [Bayard ] William Campbell [digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)] uh oh sleater-kinney [dmw ] Possible Feg book alert [steve ] Tape Weenie-ism [Michael Wolfe ] Re: [Joel Mullins ] re: NRs [Eb ] Probably NOT a Feg book alert ["JH3" ] "how the fuck do you split a fucking car, ya dummy? with a fucking chainsaw?" ["Capitalism Blows" ] Clive Gregson located [Michael R Godwin ] Re: re: NRs [MARKEEFE@aol.com] Re: RE: Summer Teeth [MARKEEFE@aol.com] Re: "how the fuck do you split a fucking car, ya dummy? [somehow,i have a fe ["Capitalism Blows" ] RE: Summer Teeth [Eb ] Re: Cher [MARKEEFE@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 14:23:04 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Kubrick Since we all to seem to love Stanley Kubrick AND TheOnion.com, here's what the latter has to say regarding the former: Mourners Unable To Comprehend Last 20 Minutes Of Kubrick's Life CHILDWICK GREEN, ENGLAND--Mourners at Stanley Kubrick's funeral expressed confusion Friday over the baffling, non-narrative final minutes of the director's life. "I really didn't get it," attendee Ron Blum said of Kubrick's climactic death scene. "I understood the convulsions and heavy sweats, but the whole swirling-colored-lights part of the 'beyond infinity' sequence? It just didn't make sense." Fellow mourner Steven Spielberg said he thought the disorienting editing of the deathbed sequence was meant to represent the chaos inherent in nature, but admitted that he "wasn't positive." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 14:58:46 -0800 From: Eb Subject: an interesting Kubrick link http://www.wendycarlos.com/kubrick.html I have nothing further to say at this time. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 18:18:00 -0500 From: Ben Subject: Re: an interesting Kubrick link Why is the picture of Salman Rushdie? ;) Eb wrote: > http://www.wendycarlos.com/kubrick.html > > I have nothing further to say at this time. > > Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:07:32 -0500 (EST) From: Bayard Subject: Re: touch the pu-pu-puppet head On Wed, 17 Mar 1999, Capitalism Blows wrote: > pictures Just remember, Eddie- sheep go to heaven... GOATS go to HELL! could anyone who has these slabs o' wax write me? I'm trying to figure out which version of "Have a heart, betty" I have. A Tin of Crabs, 1987 (Vinyl 7") Crabs Moon Records CRUST 001 The Day They Ate Brick, 1986 (Vinyl LP) Polarad POL 121 045 Invisible Hits, 1983 (Vinyl LP) Midnight Music CHIME 00.02 Aural Wax, 1980 (Vinyl 12") Aura Records BAUL 601 A Can of Bees, 1980 (Vinyl LP) Aura Records AUL 709 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 15:16:53 +1300 (NZDT) From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: William Campbell That was the name of the winner of the Paul McCartney look-alike contest in the hoax. Just doing my part in fulfilling your daily useless information quota... > Not So Weird Science Lab, when Vinny "Voltage" Vollono cranks up the >volts, you won't believe your eyes and ears as you learn about the >electricity which helps power transit vehicles and other wonderments of >nature. the most frightening thing is that "...power transit vehicles and other wonderments of nature" bit. If the power transit vehicle is one of the wonders of the natural world, what did it evolve from? And does it give birth to live young or lay eggs? James ("vertically striped blue-yellow-red, similar to Rumania's. Adopted in 1959, immediately before independence from France") PS - I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned that on SH (the CD at least...), Robyn almost-but-not-quite segues from "Freeze" to "You'll have to go sideways". James Dignan ***NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS*** Dunedin, New Zealand ***NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS*** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:27:11 -0500 (EST) From: dmw Subject: uh oh sleater-kinney ok, i have a hundred messages to catch up on, but i didn't see this in a subject line anywhere. the dc sleater-kinney show (along with other east coast dates) is postponed until late may, due to a back (re)injury on the part of (my guitar hero) carrie brownstein. bummer. - -- d. "pictures of perfection make me sick and wicked." -- miss jane austen - - oh no!! you've just read mail from doug = dmw@radix.net dmw@mwmw.com - - get yr pathos:www.pathetic-caverns.com -- books, flicks, tunes, etc. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 20:32:54 -0600 From: steve Subject: Possible Feg book alert Coming out in May: CRYPTONOMICON by Neal Stephenson Sez Avon books: Profound and prophetic, hypnotic and hyper-driven, CRYPTONOMICON is a monumental work of art, thought, and creative daring, and Neal Stephenson's most ambitious, accomplished work to date. In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse is assigned to Detachment 2702 on a secret mission to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. It is a cryptographic chess match dictated by abstract mathematical analyses which are then translated into action by gung-ho Sergeant Bobby Shaftoe. In the present, Waterhouse's crypto-hacker grandson, Randy, has joined forces with Shaftoe's tough-as-nails granddaughter, Amy Shaftoe, to create a "data haven" in the South Pacific, free of repression and scrutiny. Their attempts to thwart the governments and multinationals attacking Randy's endeavor lead them to a sunken Nazi submarine that holds the key to keeping Randy's company afloat -- and to a massive conspiracy with roots in Detachment 2702 that could mean a future of personal and digital liberty....or universal totalitarianism reborn. Wow! It's one of those huge conspiracy jobbies -- 928 pages and $29.50. Haven't looked, but there's a website at . - - Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:43:56 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael Wolfe Subject: Tape Weenie-ism Does anyone know what compression scheme the MZ-R50 uses? woj, Gregory? ATRAC 4.5, I would think. On a different subject, I would like to back up Michael Keefe in defense of Summerteeth. I have been enjoying it very much over the last week. They use a number of Beach Boys -esque pop devices, wedded to an inventive set of keyboard colors as well as the expected guitar-drums-bass motifs. I wouldn't say that it's a "concept" album, but the themes that the songs deal with do form a coherent cycle, often touching on the dark side of relationships. On the whole, it's quite a departure from Mermaid Avenue, but I think they're to be comended for not sticking with a winning formula. It's also simply viscerally satisfying album, for me. - -Michael Wolfe np: Sleater-Kinney - La Luna, 2/27/99 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 23:33:46 -0800 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: Russ Reynolds wrote: > > >Hey, has anyone heard any good albums lately? It's already March, and I > >haven't heard about many new albums. I've quite a lot about the new > >XTC, but any other recommendations would be very appreciated. > > Jason Falkner. > Elliott Smith XO is pretty nice too. > > Betcha 20 people have mentioned these already... Actually, you're one of the only people who replied. I have both of the albums you mentioned. But thanks anyway. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 22:27:45 -0800 From: Eb Subject: re: NRs Joel: >> >Hey, has anyone heard any good albums lately? It's already March, and I >> >haven't heard about many new albums. I've quite a lot about the new >> >XTC, but any other recommendations would be very appreciated. >> >> Jason Falkner. > >Actually, you're one of the only people who replied. I have both of the >albums you mentioned. But thanks anyway. All right, since few others replied, I'll chime in. And no, there haven't been many good releases lately. I've already heard about 65 new releases this year, but only eight made it into my permanent stack: 1. XTC 2. Beth Orton/Central Reservation (Arista) 3. Paul Westerberg/Suicaine Gratifaction (Reprise) 4. Beulah/When Your Heartstrings Break (Sugar Free) 5. Falkner 6. Sebadoh/The Sebadoh (Sub Pop) 7. Adrian Belew/Salad Days (Thirsty Ear) 8. The Ladybug Transistor/The Albemarle Sound (Merge). Those are basically in order of preference, as well. Also, next Tuesday is a big day, according to my info: Olivia Tremor Control, Frank Black, Super Furry Animals and Blur albums hit the racks, plus a Swervedriver EP. An Of Montreal disc is also coming very soon on Bar/None, but I'm not sure of the exact date. Then of course on April 27th, the new Tom Waits epic enters the mainstream ether, and all time and space will grind to an awestruck halt. Oh, and the new Sleater-Kinney album is probably good, but I don't have it yet. I know that Eddie loves to listen to it while building bombs in his basement, however, and that's a fairly powerful endorsement. Undrunkenly, Eb PS How long before "The Heart Will Go On" replaces "Music of the Night" as THE unbearable show-stopper every solo singer has to know? Not long, I'm afraid. This ugly realization just popped into my head. Thank you for letting me purge and disseminate it. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 00:45:04 -0600 From: "JH3" Subject: Probably NOT a Feg book alert Coming out in... well, maybe: FEGMONOMICON by T.G. Quail Squishy and insectoid, hypnogogic and hyperthyroidal, FEGMONOMICON is a monolithic work of art, cheese, and smoked herring, and Thelonius G. "The Great" Quail's most amphibious, acco-fastened work to date. In 1942, Lawrence "Professor" Fanemeister resigns from Detached Bemusement Theatre 3000, Inc., in order to go on a nocturnal "e"-mission to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Van Lines drivers have discovered their fabulously enigmatic butt-cracks. It involves a pornographic watercress sandwich ingested by an abstruse mathematician on holiday which is then regurgitated into an ash-can by a gun-toting Sargent's Flea & Tick Collar. Meanwhile, in the President's closet, Fanemeister's weed-whacker grandson, Dandy Nandy Pandy, has lighted farts with tough-as-quails grand inquisitor, Amyl Nitratoe, in order to create a "DAT-taper's heaven" in the South Bronx, free of introspection, scruples, and Phish bootlegs. Their attempts to tweak their own noses attacking Dandy Nandy Pandy Fandy's Ford Explorer lead them to a sun-tanned but not-so-subtle Marine drill instructor who holds the key to Handy Dandy Nandy Pandy Cosi Fan Tuttandy's floatie-pens collection -- and to a massive confusion of roots, tubers, rotting leaves, and other vegetation in the backyard at Detached Bemusement Theatre 3000, Inc.'s Fresno office that could mean a future of digitally-enhanced personal hygiene products... or Universal Studios tote-bags, ad infinitum. There's a web site somewhere, I'm sure... - -John H. "But they don't seem to have it at amazon.com for some reason" Hedges III PS. Steve knows I'm just having a bit of fun, right, Steve? ...uh, Steve? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 01:13:29 PST From: "Capitalism Blows" Subject: "how the fuck do you split a fucking car, ya dummy? with a fucking chainsaw?" for john p. and/or marc h. and/or anybody else that gives a fuck: is selling a coupla test pressings - --STOREFRONT, and "compilation. 1996 12-track promo." don't know what this second one would be. the sequel catalog sampler, maybe? or perhaps it's a various artists compilation? i just don't know. my weenieism waxes and wanes with the tides. it's currently on kind of a downswing, i guess, as $80 bucks for two test pressings doesn't seem quite worth it to me, although i've at other times spent more for less. (though "less" is probably subjective in this context.) ANYHOW, that's why i'm telling the feg populace at "large" rather than snapping them up like the dirty stinking bastard that i am. i've been meaning to mention how great michael's recording of this show is. honest, michael, i have! i *really* wanted to grade it B+, but it's just a little muddy in parts, so i had to give it a straight B. one really cool thing is, between one of the songs, corin starts talking about how when they were in vancouver, they were interviewed by, "this guy called 'nardwuar'", who, you'll remember, is the guy (assuming there's only one person in vancouver called "nardwuar" that interviews rock and/or roll artists) that interviewed nikki sixx and hank rollins to such great hilarity. hopefully the sleater-kinney interview will be in The Rocket also! i guess he tested them on their "portland knowledge", but janet is the only one who lives in portland, so she was the only one that did well on the test. probably. and the new chris chandler rekkid, COMPILATIONS, is work he's done with other artists, recorded sort of, whenever-and-wherever. includes him and danny b. doing Hannibal!! saw him again wed. night at a house show, and damned if they didn't rip it to fucking shreds again! go see 'em, west-coasters. this means you, eb! they'll be in portland on saturday, santa cruz on monday, berkeley on tuesday, monterey on wed., and the city of angels on thurs. the 25th. . i'm telling you, these motherfuckers are dope fucking city! you mean, while giving "how to build bombs in your basement" seminars in the park, right? ha! you just outed yesself, ebbard. (mis)quoting dan bern lyrics while at the same time pretending not to have heard him 'cause you're afraid you wouldn't like him or whatever your pitifully-fucking-lame-rationalisation-which-is-now-revealed-to-have-all-along-been-a-deception is. you should've known you couldn't sneak that one past the feglist, sucka! don't know Music Of The Night. but as some of you may recall, i used to work at a golf and/or country club before getting the hatchet for using "unacceptable" language. well, we had at least one wedding reception there purt near every saturday. lots o' fridays and sundays, too. there were definitely songs you'd hear at every reception for a whole summer. you know: Funky Cold Medina...um, jeez, i'm drawing a blank here. uh, what was that fucking bryan adams song from the robin hood movie or whatever the fuck it was? erm, uh, Bust A Move, probably. the garth brooks one about "i got friends in low places" was a biggie for a while. anyways, the point is, that while there were certainly songs that were in vogue throughout the entire ten year period that i worked there --your Electric Slide, your Rock Lobster, your Radar Love, your Saw Her Standing There (and various and sundry other "oldies" and "classics"), etc., etc.-- there was only one song that got played at EVERY single fucking wedding reception for the whole ten years. EVERY SINGLE FUCKING ONE. any guesses? first one with the right answer wins that glossy photo of eb that was supposed to have been the grand prize for the WHITE ALBUM contest. http://leb.net/iac/ "As we often see in US foreign policy, other nations' attempts to defend themselves from US attacks are defined as aggression." --Jake Sexton Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 01:34:15 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: "how the fuck do you split a fucking car, ya dummy? [somehow, i have a feeling this is yet another indicator of Eddie's overzealous Coen obsession] Eddie: >basement, however, and that's a fairly powerful endorsement.> > >you mean, while giving "how to build bombs in your basement" seminars in >the park, right? ha! you just outed yesself, ebbard. (mis)quoting dan >bern lyrics while at the same time pretending not to have heard him I have no idea what you're talking about. I can't quote a single Dan Bern line, and any common ground with my above quote is pure coincidence. >Night" as THE unbearable show-stopper every solo singer has to know? Not >long, I'm afraid. > >don't know Music Of The Night. Oh suuuuuuuure you do. It's impossible not to know that damn song. Andrew Lloyd Weiner rewrites Barnes & Barnes' "Fish Heads." And to think the song was immortalized by that quivering-lipped goofball who was once so cool in "How I Won The War" and "The Knack (And How To Get It)" 30 years ago. Now, he's whoring for PBS pledge drives. Horrors. >there was only one song that got played at >EVERY single fucking wedding reception for the whole ten years. EVERY >SINGLE FUCKING ONE. any guesses? >first one with the right answer wins that glossy photo of eb that was >supposed to have been the grand prize for the WHITE ALBUM contest. Wow, that's quite a brain teaser! And I've always wanted a picture of myself, too. Hmmmmmmm...is it a love song or a dance number? I think I'll toss out "What I Like About You" as my first guess. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 13:34:39 +0000 (GMT) From: Stewart Russell 3295 Analyst_Programmer Subject: Re: the dream po-lice >>>>> "Brett" == Brett Cooper writes: Brett> And, last time that I heard, Ireland has virtually no Brett> regulation when it comes to low-power broadcasting. As long as you don't interfere with anything else. Brett> Does anyone know if Radio Caroline is still up and running? Seems to be; try http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/ - -- Stewart C. Russell Analyst Programmer, Dictionary Division stewart@ref.collins.co.uk HarperCollins Publishers use Disclaimer; my $opinion; Glasgow, Scotland ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 13:36:10 +0000 (GMT) From: Stewart Russell 3295 Analyst_Programmer Subject: Re: Minidisc trading (100% tape hoarding weenieism) >>>>> "Gregory" == GSS writes: Gregory> Sony is now using ATRAC 4.5, and 5.0 is on the way. Even Gregory> the new MDS-JE520, Sony's low-end MD recorder/player uses Gregory> v4.5. These schemes are compatible, no? A disk recorded on a Sharp will work on a Sony? - -- Stewart C. Russell Analyst Programmer, Dictionary Division stewart@ref.collins.co.uk HarperCollins Publishers use Disclaimer; my $opinion; Glasgow, Scotland ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 05:46:37 PST From: "Ghost Surfer" Subject: RE: Summer Teeth >From: Joel Mullins >Subject: Summer Teeth >. >Hey, has anyone heard the new Wilco album yet? I just heard a few >clips and it sounded pretty good. But it is pretty hard to tell much >from just hearing a 30 second clip of a song. Eb, I know you've >probably heard it. What's the consensus? I want to know if I should >buy it. > >Later >Joel Yup. It's great. Another bonus with this album is that you don't have to skip the badly sung tracks like you do with "Mermaid Avenue". Who let that fog-horned voice on that record, Tweedy's tracks are the best by a mile. - ----------------************************************************------------ "There are times when i can't think about the future, when all my days seem so dark and life seems cruel" - Mojave 3 & "Make a moment last forever, gaze across the ocean to the sun" - Unknown !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 14:16:56 +0000 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Clive Gregson located woj recently mentioned that Clive Gregson is touring the US in the near future. Imagine my surprise when I read in my local paper yesterday that he is performing at the Wiltshire Music Centre, 5 miles from here, on Saturday, as a member of Plainsong - the almost-forgotten (by me) band featuring Ian Matthews (ex-Fairport) and Andy Roberts (ex-GRIMMS). The fourth memember of the band is ex-Matthews Southern Comfort bassist Mark Griffiths. To coin a phrase, whee! I have no idea whether this is a one-off or whether Plainsong are seriously going back on the road with Clive as a member. I will report on the gig next week. In the meantime, all Matthews Southern Comfort / Plainsong info would be welcomed. And did Ian Matthews ever really make an album with manic David Surkamp, the voice of Pavlov's Dog? - - Mike Godwin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 11:47:21 EST From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: re: NRs In a message dated 3/17/99 10:29:42 PM, gondola@deltanet.com writes: << An Of Montreal disc is also coming very soon on Bar/None, but I'm not sure of the exact date. >> Eez already being out. Last month sometime. It's too twee for me. In fact, it's a gooey ball of twee, wrapped up in cotton candy and drenched in maple syrup. It's music for rotting the enamel right offa your ears! - -----Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 12:02:37 EST From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: RE: Summer Teeth In a message dated 3/18/99 5:49:23 AM, surferghost@hotmail.com writes: << Yup. It's great. Another bonus with this album is that you don't have to skip the badly sung tracks like you do with "Mermaid Avenue". Who let that fog-horned voice on that record, Tweedy's tracks are the best by a mile. >> Oh, yeah. Jeff Tweedy's a *great* singer ;-) Okay, as you all know, I totally dig the new Wilco album and I really, really liked "Mermaid Ave" a ton, too -- but, jeez, Tweedy is not even as good a singer as Billy Bragg . . . but Billy's gotten a lot better over the years, too. Now, shit, I don't want to reopen the "good singer" debate from last year. Suffice it to say, I *enjoy* both of these guys as singers to varying degrees; I just don't happen to think that they're terribly accomplished. Evocative, yes. Emotionally committed to their songs, definitely. Interesting and full of character, you bet. Likely to have a latter day career as a jazz vocalist, no way in hell. Could go back in time and get discovered and Star Serach, uh-uh. But both Bragg and Tweedy make the best of what they've got to work with, which is really all that matters. - -----Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 09:34:26 PST From: "Capitalism Blows" Subject: Re: "how the fuck do you split a fucking car, ya dummy? [somehow,i have a fe yikes! did i write that? i've just *gotta* stop smokin' that fly-paper before i send in posts. it's called COLLABORATIONS. oh, suuuuuuuuuure it is, eb. cat's outta the bag, man. too late to turn back, now. no. well, i suppose people *did* dance do it. but they shouldn't have been. not a bad guess. that was definitely one of the in-vogue-for-the-entire-period songs. incidentally, the second-most played song during the period was most likely La Bamba. Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 12:54:16 -0500 From: MCINTYRE@pa.msu.edu Subject: re: more prog rock! just what you wanted! >From: The Great Quail >Yes, King Crimson really is the only band from that era that escaped with >their dignity intact; good Lord I even hate to *look* at the Moddies or >ELP. Genesis is not what they were, and Yes fragmented far too much into >a Jekyll/Hyde thing. (Though I do have a fondness for any Yes that does >NOT have Rabin in it, including ABW&H. I think Trevor Rabin is the >Antichrist. No, I really mean it. He is.) And some groups, like Van der >Graaf Generator and Eloy just sort of vanished. . . . While their songwriting skills seem to have diminished with the years, ELP, the Moody Blues, and Yes still put on great stage shows. And they do have impressive back catalogues to draw upon. (-8 Van der Graaf Generator did split up, but most of the members are still making music, although it seems like Peter Hammill's records are the only ones you have a chance of finding in America. Eloy has reformed and released new albums. The _Chronicles_ series (two so far) revisits the back catalogue. The band leader felt the old tapes were too far gone to be rescued by a simple remastering, so he made new recordings of the old songs, taking advantage of modern technology. As a nice touch, where possible, he brought in old band members to recreate their parts. There is also a new album _Ocean II_ that is a sequel to the original _Ocean_ album. There's also a ton of Genesis clone bands, 90% of whom seem to end up on the Cyclops label. (-8 John McIntyre Physics - Astronomy Domine Dept Michigan State University mcintyre@pa.msu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 13:22:42 -0500 From: Natalie Jacobs Subject: A book recommendation for y'all... http://www.e-horizon.com/eventhorizon/commentary/womack/0499.html She.Rex, can you put this on your page? :) n. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 13:21:37 -0800 From: Eb Subject: RE: Summer Teeth Ghost Surfer: >Yup. It's great. Another bonus with this album is that you don't have to >skip the badly sung tracks like you do with "Mermaid Avenue". Who let >that fog-horned voice on that record, Tweedy's tracks are the best by a >mile. Well, I agree with Michael (sort of). I think Tweedy has a glaringly weak voice, and it's a significant reason why I'm not a Wilco fan. He can't do ANYTHING with his voice, beyond shakily carry a tune. He can't emote. He can't sustain a note. He can't howl or wail. He can't do NUTTIN' except putter along in his light, little forlorn puppy-dog mode. The "pathetic" aspect of his persona is what attracts many of his fans, I guess. But not me. As for Bragg, I do wish he didn't always sound like he needs to blow his nose, but he's a far better singer anyway. He CAN emote. He CAN sustain. He CAN wail. Etc. Speaking of bad singers, I was forced to endure Cher's Greatest Hits this morning and was struck again by how REMARKABLY terrible the singing is on "I Got You Babe" (both hers AND Sonny's). Eb, who still likes Mermaid Avenue better than anything by Bragg or Wilco on their own, except for Talking with the Taxman About Poetry and Back to Basics PS Did someone REALLY say that the Moody Blues still put on good stage shows? Oof. All I can think of is fat, graying Ray Thomas, doggedly trying to make pounding a tambourine seem "macho." He's about the most embarrassing old-fart rocker I can think of, except for, of course, Mike Love. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 17:32:06 EST From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: Cher In a message dated 99-03-18 16:23:29 EST, you write: << Speaking of bad singers, I was forced to endure Cher's Greatest Hits this morning and was struck again by how REMARKABLY terrible the singing is on "I Got You Babe" (both hers AND Sonny's). >> I hate to admit it, but she did a damn fine job with the National Anthem before the Super Bowl this year (that'd be the game in which the Broncos kicked ass(!) for the second year in a row, by the way). It was a nice, straightforward interpretation -- thankfully unadorned by the all-too-common addition of a million extra notes. But, yeah, other than that and "The Beat Goes On," I'd be just as happy if she'd never sung a (or would never again sing another) note. - ------Michael K. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #103 *******************************