From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #281 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Saturday, July 31 1999 Volume 08 : Number 281 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Major Label Blues [Michael Wolfe ] Re: Major Label Blues [steve ] Re: Austin show [tanter@tarleton.edu] A very annoying Test [The Great Quail ] re: F WB ["Russ Reynolds" ] metro article [four episode lesbian ] More about RH in Santa Cruz, 7/29, Chyme Thrills Enjoy Ewes Bike Dislexic Tan Frogs [Mark_Glos] mo oar (skippy spence) ["Shane Apple" ] Re: Ehh [ultraconformist@mail.weboffices.com] when robyn REALLY goes solo [David Dudich ] Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo ["John B. Jones" ] Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo [normal@grove.ufl.edu] Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo [David Librik ] paging Flydaddy? Bar/None? [Eb ] Terrascopic News [press release] [Eb ] Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo [tanter@tarleton.edu] beware of proggies bearing gifts. [dlang ] Fukuoku 9000 [hal brandt ] Brain Degeneration ["Russ Reynolds" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 23:36:04 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael Wolfe Subject: Major Label Blues >I can just see some cigar-chompin' exec at WB moaning about >financing vanity projects like a double-gatefold vinyl LP for an >artist that doesn't $ell. It's inevitable that they dump him. I think the problem that record execs have with Robyn is that his fans are smarter than they are. This is less of a problem when marketing an act like, say, Ricky Martin. BTW, that was meant more as a compliment to all of y'all than as self-congratulation. - -Michael Wolfe ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 19:44:18 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: Major Label Blues Talk about major label blues - looks like Atlantic has dumped Jon Brion before even releasing his debut solo album. - - Steve _______________ We're all Jesus, Buddha, and the Wizard of Oz! - Andy Partridge ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 20:18:52 -0500 (CDT) From: tanter@tarleton.edu Subject: Re: Austin show Alex just ordered his ticket--he's going to the show but the kids and I aren't (well, I can hardly bring a 3 wk old..!). The doors open at 7--we could have dinner before or something? I'd love to show off my kids!! Marcy ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 16:22:41 -0400 From: The Great Quail Subject: A very annoying Test This is just a test, because I am an idiot and don't know if posts with my nifty new return address will make it to the List. For those of you that care, my normal "panix.com" address will continue to work fine. I now return you to your regularly scheduled List. - --Quail, off to stop LJ from looting a hardware truck ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Great Quail, Keeper of the Libyrinth: http://www.libyrinth.com The places I took him! I tried hard to tell Young Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell A few brand-new wonderful words he might spell. I led him around and I tried hard to show There are things beyond Z that most people don't know. I took him past Zebra. As far as I could. And I think, perhaps, maybe I did him some good... Because finally he said: "This is really great stuff! And I guess the old alphabet ISN'T enough!" --Dr. Seuss, "On Beyond Zebra" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 18:46:54 -0700 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: re: F WB >I can just see some cigar-chompin' exec at WB moaning about financing >vanity projects like a double-gatefold vinyl LP for an artist that >doesn't $ell. Well as far as I can tell WB isn't doing shit to promote Robyn's new album, unless you count third billing on the lips tour as shit (I guess maybe that could qualify as shit after all). So they've got nobody to blame but their cigar-chomping selves. Quite frankly I'm very happy with the two studio albums he's done for WB, but I'm puzzled as to why there's been absolutely no push for airplay when both albums have contained suitable material. Who knows, maybe they're just happy to have him. - -rUss ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 23:07:28 -0400 From: four episode lesbian Subject: metro article A Rocker Grows Roots Flat-Out Emotional: Alternative rock demigod Robyn Hitchcock gets wrapped up in relationships on 'Jewels for Sophia.' Robyn Hitchcock gets emotional about a new low-tech record By Gina Arnold RECENTLY, I INTERVIEWED a techno artist who referred to rock as "music played on traditional instruments." The guy made me realize that rock & roll is essentially becoming folk music, which seems odd when referring to hard rock bands like Pearl Jam and the Flaming Lips. But such a concept is not much of a stretch when applied to British singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. Hitchcock's work in the seminal late-'70s psychedelic rock act the Soft Boys and, later, as what he jokingly calls an "alternative rock demigod" has always sounded good when performed just on acoustic guitar. He writes lovely, folky jangle pop with complex, surreal lyrics, half Roger McGuinn, half Pink Floyd, and his new LP, Jewels for Sophia, is no exception, although the songs on it are far less detached usual. Instead, for the first time, on songs like "NASA Clapping" and "I Feel Beautiful," Hitchcock sounds fully emotionally engaged. The whole record is a love story--specifically, about the joys of new relationship, and less specifically, about his old relationships with musicians like R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and former Soft Boy bandmate Kimberley Rew, both of whom appear on the album. Hitchcock is beloved by all rock critics, not just for his delicious music but for his personal charm and verbal wit. In both music and speech, he has a way of phrasing ideas that lights them up. I caught up with him by phone last week in Seattle--a city he sends up on the new LP "Viva! Sea-Tac"--and posed the idea that, compared to the techno holocaust of the late millennium, he is now a venerable folk artist. Hitchcock: "Well, I use real hands! But actually, I've always had a large injection of folk in me. I always listened to old British and Irish stuff--and I've long been homesick for 1967. But I see what you mean; nowadays, I'm practically a roots musician. Soon my records will only be found in the roots section in the store, me and Leadbelly. "I think there should be room for both types of music--techno and rock. I don't think we should be eternally frozen in a golden age of Byrds-like rock. But nowadays there's no such thing as artist development. The corporations will concentrate only on safe returns. It's all about economics, a subject I never wanted to know anything about. But I do understand that the way record labels have been swallowing each other up is just like a little fish being eaten by a bigger fish and on and on and on until there's just one beached fish gasping on the beach with this big undigested weight in its belly. "In short, I don't think capitalism has served us that well. But then, culture is also changing, and popular music is increasingly rhythm-based. As has always been the case, the blacks come up with the best stuff and the whites profit by it. But I don't know. You can proclaim anything dead--like three-minute jangle pop--and then turn aside a curtain and find it thriving away behind it. "The good thing about now is you can do anything. I think the '90s are all about mixing and matching. It's like we went through five decades of youth culture so fast that they've all been chopped up into each other. Like in an advert, you'll see a '50s head on a '70s body within a '40s background. It's like all these styles are swirling around in bits in a toilet, just before they're about to be flushed down the drain forever. "Anyway, the more technological crap there is, the more inclined I am to do without. I still don't have a computer, just on principle. I heard Bill Gates say he wanted to see one on every desk, and I thought, 'Not on my desk, you won't!' "Right now, I'm just touring by myself. I carry my own guitar and amp around. Soon I'll get rid of the guitar pedals and the P.A. You know, I wouldn't want to have to make a living busking on Haight Street, but on the other hand, when Y2K happens and everything crashes, you'll still just be able to ring me up on a manual phone and I'll strum my songs to you." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 20:37:20 -0700 From: Mark_Gloster@3com.com Subject: More about RH in Santa Cruz, 7/29, Chyme Thrills Enjoy Ewes Bike Dislexic Tan Frogs I left work early yesterday and went to Saint Kruhz to hang wif da pipples. I called Tom and reached him on his sell-you-lard fone and he said he'd meet me there about sebum. This gave me about an hour and a half to entertain myself, but rather than grab a curb and start doing what comes nachurl to my Aint-a- cruise mall bretheren, I decided to go over to Palookaville. Robyn was outside, and I said hi and told him that I had just purchased his CD and liked it very much. He had that terror in his eyes kind of look about facing somebody that could actually like his music which made me want to keep the conversation short. I told him that I was going to see him and he said something about hoping that he was going to be able to play, I guess after the previous night's problems. He was polite, but clearly uncomfortable. We kind of parted ways and I stood outside the venue. Someone inside let me in and I sat down to watch the Flaming Lips go through their soundcheck. I really enjoyed it. Kinda surprised me. Then I sat there for over an hour while SebaciousDough set up for their sound check. In more years than a guy with few brain cells can count on his digits of going to concerts, I have never seen anybody set up more slowly and inefficiently. Robyn, Tim, and Michelle sat down at the table next to mine to eat some of the indefinable, yet not-too-good-smelling asian cuisine which was available at the venue. I decided not to bother them. By the time Sebydo started playing, it was time to go to meet Tom. We had some pizza, then hung out at the brewery and came back to see the show. I enjoyed Iqu some, perhaps less than Tom. And kinda liked the noise generated by Sonic Boom, but, c'mon, you aren't going to tell me that the "songs" were different. Yes, the songs seemed to be linked more or less to the length of time it took to ingest a cigarette. The hubris of this performer wasn't lost on me for having to smoke indoors. RH was fun to watch. It was a good excercise for him to be "ready to go" and have to hit stride immediately instead of being able to wait for a big moment after an hour of playing. For me, the pricy admission fee was worth it for Robyn's set, but if money were a bit tighter I would have happily waited to see him when he rolls around in November(ish.) There were a few monitor problems for Tim, who only really caught stride on the last song. Robyn did a nice job. It seemed that the crowd was really receptive, and participated from the getgo. They really wanted an encore, but, alas, none. Set: Gene Hackman Madonna Of The Wasps Jewels For Sophia Queen Elvis (dueling harmonicas!) Viva Sea-Tac! Tom had the songs right, with a minor error in order. "If it's too loud you're too old," say the wise kids these days. I just couldn't take 45 minutes of Sebadoh's volume to get to the Flaming Lips show, so I opted to go. Tom left with me. As we were trolling (hey, good word!) down the pacific garden mall- you know, the place that mostly fell down 10 years ago from the earthquake whose epicenter was next to my house- Tom was provided some reminders of what he doesn't like about Santa Cruz. One guy was urinating on a tree, and another member of the "local color" brigade of sternoholics was trying to be friendly with us and was only being obnoxious at best. Of course there was the girl in the short skirt that was the object of some level of amusement- sensitive, new-age guy kind of amusement, yea. It's not all bad, Tom. So on the way back home I drove along the coast toward my house. I listened to "Mexican God" on infinite repeat. I honestly believe that it is the best song he's written in years if not ever. It is simple, honest, devastating, witty, visual, etc. I really can't get enough of it. I woke up this morning and Donne asked me if I ate pesto pizza last night. The answer is yes. I took a two hour bath in very hot water and expected the water to turn green. It did not. Later in the day after I sweated out the garlic and we could be confined in a car together, we listened to "Mexican God" together. She said that it seemed to be full of female energy, and that some woman should cover the tune. Well, that's enough outa me for now. Happies, - -Markg ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 03:58:19 GMT From: "Shane Apple" Subject: mo oar (skippy spence) hi, the tribute album was discussed earlier. i like the album quite a bit, but i don't care much for the hitchcock track. it's one of my favorite songs on the original album, but the hitchcock version doesn't actually explore new territory. but, it took me 2 1/2 weeks to discover the super hidden bonus track that is spence himself from a recording in 1995. boy, that's a strange little piece. i love his voice, and i'm wondering if there were any more tunes recorded in '95. - --shane apple _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 23:07:53 -0600 From: ultraconformist@mail.weboffices.com Subject: Re: Ehh >Both of these artists have their redeeming qualities, so I fail to >appreciate why people are enough intimidated (?) by them that they have to >slag them so mercilessly. I can't speak for anyone else, but personally I'm as intimidated by James Taylor as Gnat is threatened by Steve Malkmus's irony. /Hard Day's Night/"He's a drag. A well-known drag. We turn the sound down on him and say rude things"/Hard Day's Night/ People always say these kinds of things when someone really doesn't like an artist that they like or have some sort of attachment to. I don't know why. I don't like James Taylor because he writes sappy, cliche-ridden, music that lacks any discernible spark of imagination and irritates the shit out of me. It is not because I find him threatening. Where's the threat? If there were something threatening about him he might be interesting. It is in part his complete lack of ability to be threatening to anyone at all that makes him so boring. Love on ya, Susan 'Momus? That guy is sinister!' Marilyn Manson, as reported by Haig Bedrossian ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 01:15:01 -0500 From: David Dudich Subject: when robyn REALLY goes solo Hey yall- I just got JfS and lov eit, but I realize, quite simply, it is NOT going to sell well, no matter what we do. Mark Eitzel got booted from WB after 2 solo albums, Robyn will probably lose his contract soon too. (Mean while, ass holes who provided rape soundtracks at "Woodystalk 99 : burn the fucker down" like Limp BizKit hold onto their contracts (though they are hopefully in an XTC-Geffen type arrangement, leaving the band with diddle/shit )). So (ESPECIALLY since I know Robyn's people, AND WARNER BROS. people are monitoring this list, lemme say:) 1. Robyn is an ARTIST. NOT a commodity. WB in the 70's could appreciate the 1st. Time Warner is only concerned with the 2nd. 2. DON'T PUNISH ROBYN BECAUSE REM's LAST 2 ALBUMS HAVE NOT SOLD AS WELL AS "OUT OF TIME"!! 3. BOY, YOU - REALLY- DID A LOT TO PROMOTE "STOREFRONT HITCHCOCK"- NOT!!!!!!! So, accepting this inevitiablity that Robyn looses his contract, 2 questions: 1. What Next? 2. Will we still support him? How? I mean, only 20,000 of us bought "ME" (same sales figures for Mark Eitzels last solo record, before he got the boot, btw). What next? WE know he is brilliant. But HOW can he REALLY get over, especially when "Dark Princess", "Antwoman", and - especially "Sally was..." don't become the hits they should be? -luther ------------------------------ Date: 30 Jul 1999 22:36:01 -0700 From: "John B. Jones" Subject: Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo >So, accepting this inevitiablity that Robyn looses his contract, 2 questions: >1. What Next? >2. Will we still support him? >How? We download .mp3's of his songs as he writes them from robynhitchcock.com . For a dollar a song. He gives us at least 2 a month. We get JH3 to do the artwork for the cd we each eventually burn for ourselves. >I mean, only 20,000 of us bought >"ME" (same sales figures for Mark Eitzels last solo record, before he got >the boot, btw). Hey, is that figure confirmed? I thought I heard the figure 32,000 bandied about at some point. =jbj= ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 02:16:38 -0400 (EDT) From: normal@grove.ufl.edu Subject: Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo On Sat, 31 Jul 1999, David Dudich wrote: > like Limp BizKit hold onto their contracts (though they are hopefully in an XTC-Geffen type > arrangement, leaving the band with diddle/shit )). Fred Durst of LB is a senior vice president of Interscope now. Even if they screw themselves over, they get a cut. > 3. BOY, YOU - REALLY- DID A LOT TO PROMOTE "STOREFRONT HITCHCOCK"- NOT!!!!!!! The album or the movie? The movie wasn't too promotable, and thus the album looked bad. I mean, youu have a limited advertising budget. You get more return per dollar spent on new, hip bands than on some aging folkster's "Soundtrack from the unsuccessful movie" disc. Also, they've got us. With or without promotion, we'll buy what he records. What should they have done to promote it? Terrence Marks Unlike Minerva (a comic strip) http://grove.ufl.edu/~normal normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 01:19:24 -0500 From: David Librik Subject: Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo Well, I just got _Jewels For Sophia_ -- more on it later, but for now I can simply say that the existence of new Robyn Hitchcock records may be one of the few sure-fire things that keeps me going in life. This man is just so consistently fantastic, and although JFS doesn't exactly "rawk an' roll!" as much as advance publicity had promised (except for "Nasa Clapping," one of his best songs in the last ten years), it never fails to be rewarding. He can't write a bad or boring song, and yet he doesn't repeat himself. On to Luther's comments, though... >Mark Eitzel got booted from WB after 2 solo albums, Robyn will probably lose >his contract soon too. I certainly hope not, but of course I can't be sure. Why did WB sign him to begin with? A&M had dropped him after "Perspex Island" was swept aside by Nirvana, and "Respect" faltered. He spent a couple of years releasing the odd single and reissue, then Warners took him on. Why? The story at the time was that he'd been signed as a prestige act, the way big studios are willing to finance the occasional Shakespeare flick. His albums are cheap to produce, and as long as WB doesn't have to promote them or fund tours, he's just a feather in their cap. The people involved who love music are happy -- which matters to the extent that their opinion counts. Robyn himself seems cheerfully resigned to his current level of success. But of course inside every organization like Warners is a struggling band of bean-counting greedheads waiting to pounce at the first sign of corporate financial distress. Without knowing something about the internal politics of the company, I can't know if they're feeling expansive ("sure! fund Hitchcock -- he's good, and we make money on big acts to support smaller ones") or scared ("it's a big, changing global marketplace, and we can't afford to cling to the past"). Mega-corporate mergers make this all worse. We already saw how Orion, distributing "Storefront Hitchcock" essentially as a Jonathan Demme prestige film (nobody thought this was gonna be "Silence of the Lambs") got eaten by Miramax (I think it was). To pay for the cost of the merger, what was left of Orion had to strip itself of everything but guaranteed winners. In book publishing, the sales of Judith Krantz novels could support Isaac Asimov annotating _Paradise Lost_, but now when everything's owned by a huge German entertainment multinational, the purpose of Doubleday isn't to produce books anymore, it's to make revenue for the use of other branches of the conglomerate. The mass success of Stephen King's latest opus funds expansion of digital satellite TV systems, the fledgling DVD market, or -- most likely -- the buyout of other companies. Corporations that are in the business of expanding themselves indefinitely work differently, and more cruelly, than those that are primarily cultivating a field. The only hope is that whatever vast multinational owns WB isn't quite ready to run their entire empire as a single organism. If their only goal is wealth, expansion, and power, Robyn Hitchcock won't do them much good. - - David Librik ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 23:23:01 -0800 From: Eb Subject: paging Flydaddy? Bar/None? You know, returning to an indie label isn't the worst fate which could befall Robyn. He might sell MORE records, with a small label doting on him and promoting him for all they're worth. For instance, I've been told that the last Archers of Loaf album (on Alias) outsold the previous Elektra-distributed one.... I know I haven't weighed in with a verbose opinion on JfS...I dunno, maybe the moment has passed. And I really could not be in a less of a mood to discuss Warner Bros. product right now. I'll say this much: It's not a bad album, but it ranks pretty low in Robyn's catalog for me. I liked Moss Elixir and Respect quite a bit more. "Third tier" release, if you know what I mean. I was really excited about Jon Brion producing the album, and indeed, he did a great job. I love that he threw out that retro gothic reverb which has plagued Robyn's other releases, and brought Robyn into the '90s with a "dry"-sounding record. And there are some neat touches which Brion contributed -- I also think those isolated handclaps on "Jewels for Sophia" are a brilliant hook. However, I just don't think the songwriting is very strong, by Robyn's standards. To me, "Dark Princess" and "Jewels for Sophia" are the only tracks which feel like substantial additions to his catalog. A lot of the others seem fairly one-dimensional. I almost like "Mexican God" a lot, but it feels half-finished. Needs another melodic idea, instead of just four repeating stanzas. I'm still kinda sorting out my feelings about the album, but as far as 1999 releases go, I guess JfS ranks around the same level as Jason Falkner, Fluid Ounces, Moby and Paul Westerberg. Somewhere in there. On an entirely unrelated note, is anyone else laughing his *ass* off at those new commercials for the "Fukuoku 9000"? I mean, first, there's the name (no explanation required). And then there's the product itself. A finger massager, you say? Relief for your aching neck and shoulders? Come on! It's a goddamn SEX TOY! Sheeeeesh! Eb np: http://users.deltanet.com/~gondola/np.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 23:35:06 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Terrascopic News [press release] Silver Apples is booked? I thought they were finished, due to Simon's accident. Huh. Good for Simon. Eb >The "discounted rate" for tickets to Terrastock 3 in London, 27-29 August, >expires 31 July. Here are the details, for those of you who've missed the >previous announcements. > >Terrastock III is scheduled to take place the weekend of August 27th, 28th >and 29th 1999 at the ULU (the University of London), Malet Street, London >WC1. The first home fixture for this prestigious event aims to build on the >runaway success of the first two Terrastock festivals, which were held in >Rhode Island and in San Francisco, USA during 1997 and '98 respectively. >This upcoming three-day festival is conceived in a similar spirit of >adventure and co-operation in order to celebrate the music championed by >the long-running independent fanzine The Ptolemaic Terrascope. This time we >are pleased to be associated with our good friends at Dreamy Records and >Rocket Girl, and with the added bonus of this being the first Terrastock on >home turf, it promises to be even bigger and if possible even better than >in previous years. > >Below you'll find a list of confirmed bands to date, including many who are >travelling across vast oceans and continents under their own steam simply >in order to attend. THIS IS BY NO MEANS A FINAL LINE-UP as we are still >awaiting a number of confirmations. > >Weekend passes can be purchased for GBpound 45.00 until July 31st, >thereafter a still reasonable GBpound 55.00 (subject to availability). >Cheques or money orders should be made payable to "Rocket Girl" and sent in >to the Rocket Girl address shown below. ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS are also >accepted. Orders must be post-marked by the cut-off date in order to get >the early supporter rate. Please note that places are limited, and as both >previous Terrastock festivals have sold out in a matter of weeks please do >not delay making a reservation if you have any intention of attending. > >If you have questions regarding directions, travel information, sleeping >arrangements etc., feel free to ask Kate for >information (we are amassing tons of it - and have secured special prices >for accommodation near to the venue) OR check our web site at >http://www.terrascope.org > >(signed) Phil McMullen, Festival "mentor" (for want of a better word) > >Here is a current list of bands that have confirmed to play Terrastock, >including a large number of debut UK performances. The ones with *'s are >veterans of previous Terrastocks. > >1. Abunai! * >2. Air Traffic Controllers >3. Arco >4. Autumn Leaves, The >5. Azusa Plane* >6. Bablicon >7. Bardo Pond * >8. Broken Dog >9. Brother JT & Vibrolux * >10. Damon and Naomi * >11. Freed Unit >12. Green Pajamas, The * >13. Green Ray, The >14. Hood >15. Kirk Lake >16. Lothars, The * >17. Lucky Bishops, The >18. Mac McLeod >19. Man >20. My Drug Hell >21. Pat Orchard >22. Piano Magic >23. Pop Off Tuesday >24. Silver Apples >25. Spaceheads * >26. Spacious Mind, The >27. Sundial >28. Supreme Dicks >29. The Alchemysts * >30. The Bevis Frond * >31. Tom Rapp * >32. Warser Gate >33. Windy and Carl * > >CONTACT INFORMATION >Tickets: >Rocket Girl >PO Box 13969 >London E18 2UZ >Ph. +44 (0) 181 926 6289 >Email: t3@rocketgirl.demon.co.uk >http://www.rocketgirl.demon.co.uk > >Festival Management and Accommodation Queen: >Kate Saunders >Email: Kateterrastock@hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 07:54:48 -0500 (CDT) From: tanter@tarleton.edu Subject: Re: when robyn REALLY goes solo After the way WB treated Prince, nothing should surprise anyone. Marcy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 23:28:14 +0930 From: dlang Subject: beware of proggies bearing gifts. A warning- this post contains prog rock content. I just finished posting some more 60s and 70s rock festival memoirs with much prog /blues, psyschedelic rock content , if any fegs are interested , go here to view the results, many thanks to our very own Mike Godwin , who helped sort out just what did happen when Arthur Brown was dropped out of a helicopter at the 1968 National jazz fest. There are pages of photos of Traffic, The Nice, Fairport Convention, ISB, Tull, Cocker ,arthur Brown,etc- a prog/hippie dream and an alt/punk persons nightmare ! go to http://users.senet.com.au/~tortoise/index.html to see the full horror. feg xxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 09:09:20 -0600 From: hal brandt Subject: Fukuoku 9000 > is anyone else laughing his *ass* off at > those new commercials for the "Fukuoku 9000"? I mean, first, there's the > name (no explanation required). And then there's the product itself. A > finger massager, you say? Relief for your aching neck and shoulders? Come > on! It's a goddamn SEX TOY! Sheeeeesh! As Howard Cosell once said, you have a firm grasp of the obvious. Of course it's an adult novelty. Not a bad one, either! Marketing genius, I say. You can't really buy ad time on TV promoting a 'goddamn SEX TOY', now can you? /hal 9000 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 08:30:33 -0700 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: Brain Degeneration I found this story interesting and somewhat relevant considering the theme of the tour Robyn is currently involved with. > 'Mozart Effect' Revisited and Challenged > > Eine Kleine Not Musik? > > By Neil Sherman > HealthSCOUT Reporter > > FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthSCOUT) -- You > won't find much harmony between two > professors trying to figure out whether > listening to Mozart makes you smarter. > > A researcher from Appalachian State > University claims the 1993 California > experiment, which gained worldwide > attention for the Mozart Effect, can't be > duplicated. But the scientist who conducted > the original research says that doesn't mean > a thing. > > The Mozart Effect is an intriguing premise. > Scientists have long suspected that music can be > used to gain an understanding of how the nerves in the brain > interact. Dr. Gordon > Shaw, professor emeritus of physics at the > University of California in > Irvine, came up with research he says indicates > Mozart's music taps > into our genetic nerve-firing sequences. The result: > We're better at > music, chess and math. > > If that's so, why can't the experiment be replicated? > > "A bunch of people have tried to reproduce the > Mozart Effect and have > failed," says Kenneth Steele, an associate professor > of psychology at > Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.. "So we > set about > copying the original 1993 experiment, to see if we > could get the effect > and find out why researchers were having so many problems." > > So far as the Mozart Effect originator is concerned, > "Steele's research > proved one thing and one thing only: He couldn't > duplicate our > results," says Shaw. "He's clearly got errors in his > protocol." > > Steele says he followed -- to the letter -- every > element of the California > study. "We had three groups of people, ages 18 to > 21. One group > listened to Mozart. A second group listened to [contemporary > composer] Philip Glass and the third group just sat > quietly. They > couldn't even talk to their neighbors," Steele says. > > Prior to the musical interlude, 42 males and 83 > females were asked to > solve 16 standard IQ test problems "involving paper > folding and > cutting". After sitting in silence or listening to > music, the participants > were given 16 new problems. "We then compared across > the three > groups to see if the Mozart group did a little > better then everyone else. > They didn't," says Steele. The original study and > one two years later > revealed an 8 to 9 point temporary (15 minute) > improvement on IQ > tests in 36 college students > > Steele's findings were published in the July 1999 issue of > Psychological Science. > > Steele says he has no idea why Mozart is supposed to > increase > intelligence. "The guys at the University of > California never explained > that. Why wouldn't it have happened with Glass' > music? Are they > suggesting that Glass isn't as complicated as > Mozart?" he asks. > > "Here's what I think our research shows," Shaw > counters. "Mozart is > tapping into, and activating, various brain circuits > with his magic > genius. That's giving us a better idea of how > various brain circuits are > being activated." > > Steele suggests the effect can be partially > explained because "music > allows people to focus and eliminate distraction." > But he still > challenges the exclusivity of Mozart's works. > > "It's not only Mozart's music," Shaw insists. "It > could be any music; > we just haven't found another composer that gains us > the effect." > > Shaw says that Steele's experiment can't possibly > invalidate 25 years of > research. "We are working with a math model of the > brain, trying to > figure out how you think and reason. We've done a > lot of other studies > that are relevant, that show a positive effect on > Alzheimer's patients or > epileptic patients. Clearly, this guy just doesn't > understand." > > What To Do > > Steele and Shaw's participants listened to Mozart's > Sonata for Two > Pianos in D Major (K. 448). > > For more information on the Mozart Effect, see > M.I.N.D. the scientific > Web site devoted to its research. http://www.MINDinst.org/ ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #281 *******************************