From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #266 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Friday, July 23 1999 Volume 08 : Number 266 Today's Subjects: ----------------- REM [Tallulah Bankhead ] JfS track by track [Joel Mullins ] fall of the fromage [DDerosa5@aol.com] RE: #4 [Griffith Davies ] Re: Attention Texas Fegs [Zelda Pinwheel ] Re: Dallas show [GSS ] Re: OK< then here's the Onion review [ultraconformist@mail.weboffices.com] Jewels not quite a gem.... [tanter ] Guildford ["Russ Reynolds" ] Re: #4 [Joel Mullins ] Re: Attention Texas Fegs [Joel Mullins ] Re: Attention Texas Fegs [Zelda Pinwheel ] sonicnet review [four episode lesbian ] news from 33 degrees [Zelda Pinwheel ] Miscellaneous. ["Dr.Sticky" ] Re: Attention Texas Fegs [Joel Mullins ] Re: news from 33 degrees [Joel Mullins ] It remains consistent [digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)] Re: REM ["D B" ] eb all over the world ["Capitalism Blows" ] guildford ["Ghost Surfer" ] Antwoman ["Russ Reynolds" ] Guildford, JfS Lyrics [The Great Quail ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 16:04:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Tallulah Bankhead Subject: REM four episode lesbian wrote: > > MC 900 Ft Gene Hopstetter, Jr. rapped: > > >Regrets: I never did see REM before Warner Brothers (did anybody > >else? It's funny that this came up, because I was just watching this old tape of 80's videos that I recorded off MTV when I was 16 or so (most of it shameful) and there were a couple REM videos on it. I had been thinking about what a nice low key band they used to be. I saw thier Fables and Life's Rich Pageant tours. I am a big fan of the REM before their lyrics started making sense, but then they started writing love songs and that blew everything. sigh. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 18:22:32 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: JfS track by track Well, since everyone seems to enjoy the track by track thing, I'll guess I'll conform: MEXICAN GOD I think this is the perfect album opener. That "doo-wap" part is great and the song has a terrific melody. However, it does seem a little bare and somewhat monotonous at times. I think he could really have improved it a lot by adding a little clean-electric guitar line during the verse breaks. Something small and simple there would have made it perfect. But overall, I like this song quite a lot. THE CHEESE ALARM I didn't like this song much the first few times I heard it. I'd heard this one previously (Ram's Head) and didn't care for it then either. It's starting to grow on me though. I especially like the electric guitar bits, but I'm not really fond of the melody. VIVA! SEA-TAC This is a fun song. Not one of my favorites, though. The guitar parts are really cool and I like the "spaceneedle's such a nice guy" line. His ranting at the end is a little annoying however. I FEEL BEAUTIFUL I'd heard a RealAudio clip of a demo of this song, but I'm not sure where (possibly Cyberspace Hithcock). I only heard about 30 seconds but I loved it then and I still love it. The melody is just perfect and the acoustic guitar sounds great. It's a nice progression that really soothes. I also really like that thing that sounds kind of like a toy piano. Is that a marxophone? YOU'VE GOT A SWEET MOUTH ON YOU BABY This is another really nice song with great lyrics. I really can't think of anything to say about it. NASA CLAPPING Fucking rocks! SALLY WAS A LEGEND I wasn't really impressed with this when he did it on VH1. But it sounds much better here. ANTWOMAN I didn't care much for this the first time I heard it, but now I love it! The "being just contaminates the void" line is awesome and so is the "everybody" that has caused so much controversy. And great guitar! ELIZABETH JADE Fucking rocks! NO, I DON'T REMEMBER GUILDFORD This version is much better than the one on Storefront, IMHO. I wasn't very impressed with Storefront in general. I mean, it's not any different than the many live tapes from the last few years that are floating around. (I think the previous sentence is semantically ambiguous). But this version of the song is great. It makes me wish I could hear a full-band version of "1974." DARK PRINCESS This is probably my favorite song on the album. It's simply beautiful. And the melody to the bridge is gorgeous, especially when he sings, "turn up the love you show." JEWELS FOR SOPHIA This song is pretty cool, but not one of my favorites. And I'm glad the album doesn't end with this. HOOT HOOT I love this! The structure of the song isn't very clear and there's nothing really special about the melody, but it's got the best harmonies on the entire album. That just makes it for me. GENE HACKMAN A great end to a damn good album. I still laugh everytime he says he "bought a dog named Lazlo at a Lazlo shop." That's fucking great. Okay, so I guess I got lazy. I didn't really say much of anything, did I? Oh well. - --Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 19:33:51 EDT From: DDerosa5@aol.com Subject: fall of the fromage doc wished: 5. Never play Lounge Ax again. Fucking hate that place. sorry doc, thought I told you, that's where Robyn told me he'd be playing this fall. Have no idea what that bodes for a full band backup. And shane, you're right you haven't tried those cheeses--you didn't come to Viv's party! (I still have seven of them at my house, including the Stilton and Chaume, if you wanna try em...) dave I've met cynthia plaster caster, so blow me down.... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 19:38:35 -0400 (EDT) From: Griffith Davies Subject: RE: #4 Doc wrote: >4. Tour JFS this fall with the musicians that >recorded the album. I totally agree with this. Did anyone on this list see the Magnificent 7 tour? It was pretty amazing. The Magnificent 7 was the name for the tour that featured Tuatuara, Mark Eitzel, & The Minus 5. The show started with a "set" from Tuatara, then Mark Eitzel joined them do a few of his songs with Tuatara as the backing band. Tuatara left, leaving Eitzel to do a few songs by himself, only to be rejoined by Tuatara. Eitzel exits, leaving Tuatara on stage, but now they are being led by Scott McCaughey - therefore this incarnation is The Minus 5. (shit, does this make any sense?) A tour like this would be _optimal_ for Robyn. This format would allow him to do the solo (i.e. just Robyn and a guitar) material he has been doing for the past few years, and it would give him a chance to do some stuff with a full band. Plus, didn't some (was it Scott McCaughey) say that Robyn is now a member of The Minus Five? griffith ps - If the Minus 5 thing can't happen, I'd like to see Robyn tour with Jon Brion, Grant Lee Philips, and the drummer from Grant Lee Buffalo (whose name escapes me). _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 18:45:18 +0100 From: Zelda Pinwheel Subject: Re: Attention Texas Fegs >Gene Hopstetter, Jr. wrote: > >> I sure is sad news, but good work on your part anyway. Robyn's been >> doing instores in Austin for years, so I'm sure there's some record >> store which wouldn't mind having him stop by. And Joel said: >We could check Tower. They have instores quite a bit I sent an e-mail to 33 degrees, and I'll harass Tower if that comes up dry. I'll let y'all know as soon as I hear something. . > >> BTW, anybody have any pre-show plans in Austin? Like a good beer and >> bbq pigout at Threadgill's? > >Sounds good to me. Who all's going? Polly? Zelda? > >Joel Zelda (the vegan) shudders at the thought of Threadgill's, where "pork" is considered to be a vegetable. Since I have to work until 3:30, I'll probably need to take a nap before the show anyway, but I'd be game for heading to Highlife Cafe or Magnolia after the show. Whadya think? Jay Lyall...are you out there? xoxo-zelda ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 18:51:46 -0500 (CDT) From: GSS Subject: Re: Dallas show On Thu, 22 Jul 1999, tanter wrote: > who's going??? Be there or be square!! GSS ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 18:58:37 -0600 From: ultraconformist@mail.weboffices.com Subject: Re: OK< then here's the Onion review >who just remembered that Randi told me she'd come see Storefront in Chicago >if we got it booked here. Anyone had any word on her? I'd like to know too! I'd love to finally meet Randi, and that would make any Fegmeet that happened special indeed. Love on ya, Susan P.S.- this is kind of cute: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/3072/camera_saving.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 19:12:21 -0500 From: tanter Subject: Jewels not quite a gem.... Well, I"ve heard it now and I have to say that I'm not overly impressed. The music is pretty good but those lyrics! Some of the songs are just too silly for me--not even up to par with "Balloon Man." It's not the worst thing I've ever heard and I wouldn't object to hearing Robyn sing them live, but I can't agree that it's a great album. I wasn't expecting too much so I'm not greatly disappointed or anything, but I am a little surprised that several of the songs' lyrics seem to me to be, well, weightless. Marcy ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 18:32:12 -0700 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: Guildford >OK, I have a few questions about this. I am totally convinced that "I Don't >Remember Guildford" is about an old relationship, and a very very sad and >haunting song at that. I do not think it has anything to do with the >bombing, the Guilford Four, or a dead guy. Hmmm . . . . maybe...If so it's probably about a relationship that ended when the narrator died suddenly. The guy falls onto a taxi, the sky blackens, he becomes a number in a drawer (like, you know, at the morgue), etc. I visualize a newly disembodied soul visiting people and places from his past. - -rUss ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 20:32:03 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: #4 Griffith Davies wrote: > A tour like this would be _optimal_ for Robyn. This > format would allow him to do the solo (i.e. just Robyn > and a guitar) material he has been doing for the past > few years, and it would give him a chance to do some > stuff with a full band. I like this idea. Maybe one way for Robyn to do this is if Jon Brion took his act from the Largo shows on the road. Then it could be an all-night extravaganza with Robyn solo, Robyn with a band, plus all Jon Brion's stuff with all the guests. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 20:35:53 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: Attention Texas Fegs Zelda Pinwheel wrote: > Zelda (the vegan) shudders at the thought of Threadgill's, where "pork" is > considered to be a vegetable. Since I have to work until 3:30, I'll > probably need to take a nap before the show anyway, but I'd be game for > heading to Highlife Cafe or Magnolia after the show. Whadya think? Jay > Lyall...are you out there? What time does the show start? Can't we just meet up somewhere around 6:00? Wouldn't we still have plenty of time to hang out, eat, have a beer and get to the show on time? Or does the show start really early? As far as where we go, I really don't care. I'm gonna save money and eat something before I go out, but I will come hang out and have a beer. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 21:18:59 +0100 From: Zelda Pinwheel Subject: Re: Attention Texas Fegs Joel sez: > >What time does the show start? Can't we just meet up somewhere around >6:00? Wouldn't we still have plenty of time to hang out, eat, have a >beer and get to the show on time? Or does the show start really early? >As far as where we go, I really don't care. I'm gonna save money and >eat something before I go out, but I will come hang out and have a beer. The tickets say the doors open at 7:00. Parking can be tricky downtown, so I plan on getting there around 6:00. Bear in mind that I am 5'3, so it is *very* important for me to get there early so I can stand near the front and see. zelda ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 22:15:28 -0400 From: four episode lesbian Subject: sonicnet review Lovesongs For The Strange At Heart R.E.M.'s Peter Buck guests. By Seth Mnookin Robyn Hitchcock shows no signs of slowing down or shifting gears, but he does seem to be growing up. The eccentric Englishman has been revitalized by Rhino Records' re-release of his back catalogue in 1995; since then, he's released his best work in more than a decade. The new Jewels for Sophia continues this trend: to find a Hitchcock album this consistently hook-laden and satisfying, you'd need to go back to Fegmania!, one of the top 20 albums of the '80s. But while Fegmania! was filled with surrealist wordplay, sexual ambiguities and emotional ambivalence, Jewels seems to be filled with paeans to Hitchcock's personal relationship with Michele Noach, who in recent years has also served as Hitchcock's unofficial archivist. (Hitchcock says there will be a whole new version of Jewels available in the fall.) Once upon a time, the songwriter sang about the terrors of making breakfast for his dead wife. Now, with the shimmering gentle syncopation of "I Feel Beautiful," he builds a composition around this decidedly grounded foundation: "I feel beautiful/ Because you love me." While "You've Got a Sweet Mouth On You, Baby" does have its Syd Barrett flashbacks -- "I've embraced you in my coffin/ And I haven't seen you since," for instance -- for the most part, it is another celebration of the enduring power of love. Indeed, Hitchcock hits closest to home when he deals with issues close to the heart rather than the fantasies flung from the head: "I Don't Remember Guildford" (RealAudio excerpt), a heart-wrenching song about the resentment that comes with growing apart (the song was initially recorded for last year's live Storefront Hitchcock), is fleshed out with a full band and is one of the most satisfying songs on the album. As Hitchcock's grown older, he's become less enamored with wit for wit's sake. While there are the usual semantic shenanigans -- "The Cheese Alarm" (RealAudio excerpt), a tabla-fueled affair, is built mainly around a Monty Pythonesque listing of various dairy delights -- a good half of these songs are about as straightforward as one could expect from a man whose most enduring song describes "The Man With the Lightbulb Head." On Jewels, Hitchcock also produces the strongest pop record since his glory days with the Egyptians. "Viva! Sea-Tac" is a charging celebration of the greater Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area ("They've got the best computers and coffee and smack"), and "NASA Clapping" is a harmonica-led romp. For the effort, Hitchcock brings together a wonderful array of musicians: R.E.M.'s Peter Buck plays guitar on three tunes, Grant Lee Phillips (formerly Buffalo) sings backup on a couple of numbers, and Hitchcock reunites with his one-time Soft Boys partner Kimberley Rew for the first time in 17 years. Longtime Hitchcock aficionados should not fear: Hitchcock shows no signs of relegating his through-the-looking-glass past to the dustbin of pop history. The album's title track, led by Buck's iconic, chiming lead notes, starts off with "I've got a flashlight in my pocket and it goes right through the socket/ Of a dead man's strum my thumbs so numb" and takes off from there ("Jewels For Sophia" [RealAudio excerpt]). It would be naive to think Jewels for Sophia will gain the audience it deserves: nothing else the man has done ever has. But that seems fine just now. Hitchcock has a record contract, is happy in love and is making some of the best music of his career. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 21:22:13 +0100 From: Zelda Pinwheel Subject: news from 33 degrees Hey, I already got a response from 33 degrees! Everyone keep their fingers crossed. >>Hello, >> >>I'm just curious if there's any way you'd consider luring Robyn Hitchcock >>to your fine establishment for an in-store to coincide with his performance >>at Stubb's on August 7th. He's been doing in-store performances in other >>cities with this tour, and I know that lots of people would be interested!! >> >>Thanks, >> >>Zelda > >Zelda - we would love to do it, but do you happen to have a contact name? >Otherwise we can try fishing around and see what we can work up. > >all the best > >Dan Yesss!! Contact Steve Martin at the Agency 212.581.3100. Please let me know how this turns out. You guys are the greatest! Zelda ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 23:35:31 -0400 From: "Dr.Sticky" Subject: Miscellaneous. >> >> [] Quail says: > Hey. > > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/home/music.html/ > > There's an interview, too. - - --------------------------------- >An interview by Lois Maffeo, nonetheless -- who records beautiful indie-folk >as Lois, on K Records. Woohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Only >thing better would've been if Amazon had picked up Viv's interview. And, >like Viv's fridge, it has the goofy scary silly '99 Robyn promo photo a-gogo >right there on it.<< Appaerently I was a bit too late. Couldn't find either interview. Does anyone know what's going on with Lois? Haven't heard anything from her in a quite awhile. >Regrets: I never did see REM before Warner Brothers (did anybody >else? like did they tour for "Murmur"?), Am I the lone wolf who absolutely hates R.E.M.? > 2. Hawiian shirts for sale at Robyn shows. The pattern of a little Feg >hiding amongst the palm trees. He's got the gaudy lime green shirts on >this tour. They're loud, but nothing says LOUD like a Hawiian shirt. I had actually thought about this recently. I am a huge fan of Hawiian(Aloha) shirts. I pick them up from www.bananajack.com . It would be really interesting if Robyn himself would do the artwork himself. Hmmm....... Dr.Sticky "Being just contaminates the void" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 22:54:28 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: Attention Texas Fegs Zelda Pinwheel wrote: > The tickets say the doors open at 7:00. Parking can be tricky downtown, so > I plan on getting there around 6:00. Bear in mind that I am 5'3, so it is > *very* important for me to get there early so I can stand near the front > and see. In that case, how about we meet downtown somewhere around 5:00 or so. Then people can just walk over to Stubb's whenever they're ready. There are quite a few places in the area where people can eat if they so desire. What does everyone else think about this? And BTW, I've never been to Stubb's. Are there seats or will we all be standing for 5 hours? - --Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 23:08:39 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: news from 33 degrees Zelda Pinwheel wrote: > > Hey, I already got a response from 33 degrees! Everyone keep their fingers > crossed. I bet this will come down to whether or not Robyn can get into town by the afternoon. They're playing Oklahoma City on the 6th and that's probably a 9 hour drive, if not more. I wonder if they're staying in hotels or on a bus. I guess if he needed an early ride, I could go pick him up late Friday night and we could spend the early morning hours driving to Austin. I'm sort of right in between the two cities. That'd be pretty fucking weird. I wouldn't have any clue what to say. Oh well, let's all just keep our fingers crossed (like Zelda said). Hopefully, Zelda won't get to take her nap. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 16:26:49 +1200 (NZST) From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: It remains consistent > > >i will say that i didn't listen to it for an entire week, but then listened >to it once each yesterday and today, and liked better than i had previously. "I went a whole week not looking at it, then looking at it again to see if I still liked it... I did!" Adr...um...James ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 00:18:02 PDT From: "D B" Subject: Re: REM > > > > > >Regrets: I never did see REM before Warner Brothers (did anybody > > >else? > >It's funny that this came up, because I was just watching this old tape of >80's videos that I recorded off MTV when I was 16 or so (most of it >shameful) and there were a couple REM videos on it. I had been thinking >about what a nice low key band they used to be. I saw thier Fables and >Life's Rich Pageant tours. I am a big fan of the REM before their lyrics >started making sense, but then they started writing love songs and that >blew everything. sigh. You've got to be kidding... ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 01:23:50 PDT From: "Capitalism Blows" Subject: eb all over the world if you're talking all-round player, honus wagner. except that some people argue --quite convincingly, truth be told-- that wagner was actually even better than ruth. either way, ruth doesn't "far outdistance" the field. if you're talking purely hitters, williams was the greatest hitter of all time, ruth second. Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar (London, England UK), 8/20/96 (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar (London, England UK), 9/24/96 with Morris Windsor & Tim Keegan (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: Coach House (San Juan Capistrano, California US), 11/9/96 (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: Keswick Theater (Glenside, Pennsylvania US), 11/14/96 with Deni Bonet (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: Knitting Factory (New York, New York US), 3/14/97 (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: Sweetwater (Mill Valley, California US), 6/2/97 (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar (London, England UK), 7/16/97 with Ntshuks Bonga and the Dear Janes (Concert) Robyn Hitchcock: The Mercury Lounge (New York, New York US), 11/20/98 with Deni Bonet and Terry Edwards (Concert) i was at the mill valley show. as were glen and dan poppe, and stephen from benitia. he also played Nick Drake that night, as well as Insect Mother. damn, that was a great show! jennifer blair ran the fan club quite briefly as "antwoman." however, the song predates the job title. you've got to be shitting me? i've nothing against the lyrics on JEWELS, but, jesus, they're not even close to touching ELIXIR's. come on. Filthy Bird, You And Oblivion, Heliotrope, DeChirico Street, Sinister But She Was Happy... i don't get the feeling that's why he retired, though. rather, it was that the making of DECAY was such an abysmal process for him, that he just decided to fuck off the music business entirely. which is also why he rarely plays anything from DECAY live. semi-un-retired in the interim, writing lyrics for the captain. remember also that hard on the heels of TRAINS came FEGMANIA!, HEN OUT!, INVISIBLE HITCHCOCK, and ELEMENT OF LIGHT. wow, i've never thought about it in quite this light before. has anybody, save the beatles, ever released so many magnificent albums in such a short time span? yes, yes, one was a live album, and one an album of odds and ends. but still. that's pretty fucking impressive. it's funny you should say this, because i was just listening to it, and thinking pretty much the exact opposite. well, what i was thinking was, this is more less the same group of musicians that comprised the viva sea-tac boys, and that the deuce just totally blows JEWELS out of the water. the three songs they have in common --Jewels For Sophia, Elizabeth Jade, Viva Sea-Tac-- are unquestionably superior on the duece's reading. now, this may be a bit of an unfair comparison, as the egyptians, and robyn solo, have always been better live than on record. but the record certainly doesn't sound like a "'live' atmosphere" to me. i don't want to make it sound like i hate the album, because i surely don't. but i think the production does the songs a disservice (and not knowing anything about "production", i can't say anything more specific than that). it's kind of surprising, because the largo shows are always so great. <(with the possible exception of the daisy song).> hey, what ever happened to Daisy Bomb? he oughta dig that one back out. that and Ring Them Bones. although if i get a chance, i'm going to request As Lemons Chop first of all. well, i've taken it to mean that you don't like the live shows from the fall '96 period. and that, my friend, is nothing short of criminal. she e-mailed me a week and a half ago, i think. said something about having had problems with her e-mail, and being quite proud of herself for having fixed it herself... _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 01:55:32 PDT From: "Ghost Surfer" Subject: guildford >BTW I recently checked a map of Guildford on the internet and saw >no trace >of a "Jenner Road" (is this correct?  I haven't seen the actual lyrics > >yet). >Faulty map or ficticious road?  What say, Brit fegs? > >- -rUss Yes it's there, just to the east of the city. I heard from a good source that Tim Keegan lived down the road back in the Ringo days. Guildford also has a swimming pool (lido) and a cathedral. Hope this is of some help. - ----------------************************************************------------ "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: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 05:13:09 -0700 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: Antwoman >Does anyone have any insight into this song? Antwoman was a real person, >right, she ran the RH Fan club or something, yes? Why did she measure >necks? I think Antwoman, the "real person," surfaced about the same time the song did. Song probably came first, I bet. I wonder if the song was inspired by Adam and the Ants...seems to have that same drum heavy feel, and there's the line about a punky reggae party some years back. Perhaps Antwoman was a fan of AatA? - -rUss ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 12:15:42 -0400 From: The Great Quail Subject: Guildford, JfS Lyrics This is a drooling fanboy letter. I make no apologies. Regarding Guilford -- I still contend that this is Robyn's best end-of-a-relationship song. I think the whole "Now there's a butterfly on my face/and I'm a number in a drawer" is a reference to leaving. The butterfly? Well, look at another song -- this new lover, her lips are like a butterfly, yes? And a number in a drawer, well, the woman who was left behind, of course, in her life he is reduced to a new phone number. Very sad. "No, I don't remember falling/From a flagpole/onto a taxi/to leave my imprint/and my entrails/for you to kiss/in the morning sun" Wow. How many relationships in the movies end with the man taking a taxi away? And the whole entrail bit -- such pain. Really, I think this song is brilliant, because it deals with such pain in such a poetic way, In my opinion, if it were really about a ghost, I think the song would be diminished. I *love* the cute or clever Robyn, but what makes him my favorite artist is the "serious" songs, the beautiful and haunting songs. And what's this about the lyrics being inferior to Moss Elixir? No way! I think JfS is so much more poetic and mush more *honest* than ME, which veered a little too close to English Folkie realism for me, especially on "Devil's Radio" and "Filthy Bird." (Even though the later is a GREAT song.) I mean, even in Guilford, the whole delivery -- "Or the pool -- if there's a pool," that's just brilliant. And other songs that have that *poignant* brilliance are "Mexican God" and "I Feel Beautiful." While "Elizabeth Jade" and "Jewels for Sophia" are just mesmerizing in their rapid-fire sexual imagery -- it always just skirts to the top of meaning; then swirls away to back to subterranean world of suggestive nuance. And "Sweet Mouth" is practically *arousing* to listen to. Really, Robyn's the only still-active artist whose lyrics *really* blow me away, really dig down and haunt me; become a part of me, and color the way I make sense of the world. And even "Cheese Alarm" and "Sea-Tac" are *fun* rockers. Oh, and then there's "NASA Clapping," and -- oh, whatever. I fucking love this album. I give it 4.5 outta 5 Buzz Aldrins. In the fingers of the night I've got - --Quails, for Sophia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Great Quail, K.S.C. (riverrun Discordian Society, Kibroth-hattaavah Branch) For fun with postmodern literature, New York vampires, and Fegmania, visit Sarnath: http://www.rpg.net/quail "With the quail you had to stay on the move... Quail was king. Only the quail exploded upward into the sky and made your heart bang away so madly in your ribcage." --Tom Wolfe ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #266 *******************************