From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #327 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, August 26 1999 Volume 08 : Number 327 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Ringo songs [Eric Loehr ] Re: Puff Daddy, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls ["Jason R. Thornton" ] paulie [hal brandt ] Re: White Album [Joel Mullins ] Beatles For $ale [hal brandt ] Re: White Album [hal brandt ] hello again ["sue riley dodge" ] Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! [digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (Jame] Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! [Eb ] being just contaminates the void ["Russ Reynolds" ] The BEATLES (Now 33% Whiter!) [Michael Wolfe ] Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! ["victorian squid" ] Multiple Songwriters [Joel Mullins ] Re: The BEATLES (Now 33% Whiter!) [Joel Mullins ] Re: Sheesh!! [Joel Mullins ] Re: Puff Daddy, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls ["Capitalism Blows" ] Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! [Tom Clark ] Re: Multiple Songwriters [David Librik ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 18:44:51 -0400 (EDT) From: Eric Loehr Subject: Re: Ringo songs On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, Jeff Dwarf wrote: > Eric Loehr wrote: > > On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, Jeff Dwarf wrote: > >> choosing ringo songs is cheating. especially the ones he > >> wrote. except "good night." > > Just to be accurate (sorry, everybody hates it when I do this, > > but I can't help it), Good Night was written by Lennon. > > which of course i know, but since my sentences we're malformed > and unclear...i hate when i do that. i blame mike oquist. Sorry, Jeff, on re-reading I see what you mean. > > but "good night" is proof that, if nothing else, Julian Lennon > could take solace in the fact that he inspired better songs from > his father than sean did (even though sean got the better > parenting). > I may have to quibble with you here though -- for what it's worth, I like Beautiful Boy probably as much as Good Night. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Beatles vs. Beach Boys debate. Beatle Eric ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 15:58:13 -0700 From: "Jason R. Thornton" Subject: Re: Puff Daddy, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls >> And by the end of their career, they were >> even making respectable rock'n'roll records like 'Get Back' and 'One after >> 909' Of course, "One After 909" was written back before they were making "respectable" rock'n'roll records, weren't it? Back in their "weedy" days... although, that really says nothing about the execution of the "Let It Be" version, which does admittedly rawk. >I'm astonished to find that my Beach Boy-lovin', >Morrissey-lovin', quasi-goth girlfriend is becoming >infected with Hitchcock. My Ricky Martin-lovin', Erasure-lovin', quasi-mainstream girlfriend requested that I pop in an Olivia Tremor Control CD during our recent trip up to the Yosemite area. "Black Foliage" even. So there. And...she was singing a track from "Explanation II" the other day: "I was listening to a CD on your stereo that went, 'eeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-whoooooooooo.'" You know, I'm a little pissed off that I was on vacation for the whole Bauhaus/Peter Murphy discussion. - --Jason "I survived Six Flags last week & that actually means something" the Jasonster ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 18:02:55 -0500 From: David Librik Subject: Re: a really dumb Liz Phair question Christopher Gross writes: >Someone has offered me a copy of Liz Phair's "Girlysound Demoz" as part of >a trade. I'm ignorant, but surely someone out in Fegland is familiar with >said item. Is it a commercial release, a bootleg, or what? Is it like >her later stuff? Is it worth having? Thanks, Hi Chris, Liz Phair recorded a number of songs after she graduated from college and came back to Chicago to hang out with the indie crowd there. These were written over a few years (a few of them date from her days at Oberlin but most are from Chicago and the previous year spent slumming with friends in SF) and vary from interesting to disposable. Some of them are just parodies of famous rock songs (Wild Thing, I Walk The Line, Funtime, etc.) The best ones, to my mind, were all rerecorded and improved on _Exile In Guyville_ and subsequent discs. The tapes were made on a four-track at various times, and the sound quality was poor to begin with. She sent assorted versions of the tapes (different collections of songs) to friends, and they were widely copied until someone sent a copy to Matador Records, who decided to sign her. I have an eleventh generation copy of one of her Girlysounds, with some songs from another set added to it (these latter are of considerably worse sound quality but their rarity makes them curiosities). I do recommend these tapes for fans of Phair's music. They're very interesting listening. She has an odd, unpracticed guitar style that's very appealing (...cue the discussion on whether Art=Craft here...), as though she were trying to play on her acoustic guitar the sounds she hears on heavily produced rock records. There are also radically different versions of "Stratford-On-Guy" and "Shitloads of Money" which make for rewarding comparisons -- the latter has gone from cynically deadpan to almost joyous in five years. Numerous versions of these tapes have been floating around the Net for years, and there's no telling what you'll get. Someone did an electronic clean-up of the tape hiss for a CD bootleg once, but I haven't heard it. - - D ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 18:06:33 -0500 From: David Librik Subject: Re: Elvis, Beatles, Beach Boys Duh. Everybody knows the real question is THE BEATLES vs. THE BEE GEES. It says so right here in this 1978 copy of Dynamite! magazine. How can you argue with Saturday Night Fever?? - - Dave "Don't forget the Bay City Rollers" Librik ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 17:43:49 -0600 From: hal brandt Subject: paulie Eb wrote: > Paul McCartney sang real purty and real rockin' too (sang = past > tense) I really don't want to raise your hackles by disagreeing, but I thought that Flaming Pie had some good stuff on it. His new CD of rock oldies will be out shortly and it'll be interesting to see if he can still belt 'em out. /hal ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 18:31:20 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: White Album Jeff Dwarf wrote: > > Compare "Don't Talk" or "Caroline, No" to "Everybody's Got > > Something To Hide" or "Don't Pass Me By", please. > > choosing ringo songs is cheating. especially the ones he wrote. > except "good night." Ringo didn't write any of these songs. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 17:51:10 -0600 From: hal brandt Subject: Beatles For $ale > > Beatles For Sale was their biggest mistake. They were tired and under lots of pressure (especially for more 'product', hence the title of the LP.) Look at the cover and you can see the stress etched on their faces. Not their best, but better than most groups do under similar circumstances. Of course, not many bands have similar circumstances...all the more reason to cut them a break for this minor misstep during the hectic Beatlemania period. /hal ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 17:57:35 -0600 From: hal brandt Subject: Re: White Album > "Don't Pass Me By" > Ringo didn't write any of these songs. The songwriting credit is Starkey. It was the first song he ever wrote in the early sixties, finally showing up in 1968. /hal ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 13:15:44 -0700 From: "sue riley dodge" Subject: hello again Don't be fooled by the name above the title :). It's Susan here, having vast mail trouble and subscribed through this account for now. If anyone sent me anything since last night, and you've still got it, could you re-send it to this account please? I'll have a new pop in a day or so, but in the meantime, mail to this address (v.squid@eudoramail.com) will get where it's supposed to go. Thanks. Love on ya, Susan Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 14:25:48 +1200 From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! >What other examples are there of albums >containing an obvious hit which was not released by the original artiste >and was then covered successfully? Anyone for "Going Down to Liverpool"? ;) I don't suppose "Twist and Shout" counts, as it was released by its original performers. The following are guesses at best: Judy Collins' version of Clouds (Both sides now) was bigger than Joni Mitchell's, ISTR. Not sure how long it took Neil Diamond to record "I;m a believer" (was it before the Monkees' huge hit?). Country Roads was ISTR, recorded by John Denver before Olivia Newton-Tremor had a gimungous hit with it. And what about Because the night? Wasn't that a big hit for Patti Smith after Brooce recorded it? And didn't someone have a huge hit with Leonard Cohen's "First we take Manhattan" not long after he released it? I agree completely with the comments about the Beta Band. That 3EPs album is weird, dense shit that will take years to fully appreciate. For all that, it is also worthwhile, but not if you're looking for an instant hit. >costumes they wore--like a sinister Banana Splits, not hmmm. Youseall can help me with another stupid question. Bingo, Fleagle, Snorky, and... aauugghh!!!! Who was the fourth Banana Split??? James 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, 25 Aug 1999 19:20:36 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! >hmmm. Youseall can help me with another stupid question. Bingo, Fleagle, >Snorky, and... aauugghh!!!! Who was the fourth Banana Split??? Drooper!!! Eb, font of trivial wisdom ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 19:25:02 -0700 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: being just contaminates the void Recent discussion of dwarves had me reaching for my Spinal Tap CD last night, and about an hour after reading the liner notes the actual meaning of the closing sentence finally hit me. The sentence reads: "Though neither a critic's nor a public favorite, Spinal Tap continues to fill a much needed void" This is a brilliantly worded sentence, providing the verbal equivilant of an optical illusion. While at first glance the sentence seems to be saying that while nobody gives a crap about this band they are still to be heralded for filling a void. This is hilarious enough for its moronic assumption. But what is actually being stated is that that the void itself is the thing that is "much needed", yet there's this cruddy band filling the void. We need the void but instead we have Spinal Tap! That's funnier still! I don't remember if that's a line from the "Rockumentary" or if it's exclusive to the CD's liner notes (taken from the pages of the "rocklopedia britannicus") but it's brilliant because it seems to me it was written in a way that was meant to be misunderstood and is funny whether you get the actual meaning or not. In short, it's a microcosm of the film. Bloody brilliant. - -rUss sorry...what were we talking about? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 21:36:29 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! James Dignan wrote: > > >What other examples are there of albums > >containing an obvious hit which was not released by the original artiste > >and was then covered successfully? > Country Roads was ISTR, recorded by John Denver before Olivia > Newton-Tremor had a gimungous hit with it. Country Roads was a big hit for John Denver before Olivia covered it, I think. I'm not sure what "ISTR" means, so maybe I'm making a mistake here. One good example is Billy Joel's "Shameless." It was on Storm Front and I don't think he released it as a single. But very shortly after Billy Joel released the album, Garth Brooks covered it and it was a huge success. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 19:58:16 -0700 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: originals/beatles >> top of my head is Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't she lovely?', and I can't even >> remember the name of the bloke who covered it Maybe I'm old and out of it but I don't know of a cover of "Isn't She Lovely" that was bigger than the original. Okay, I *am* old and out of it. But I do know that "Pastime Paradise" was one of my fave trax of SITKOL, and it became a pretty big hit for (I forget the rapper) as "Gangsta's Paradise". >The amount of talent >that was in the Beatles is very rare. You just hardly ever see a band >with that many members who are that talented. At the risk of being laughed off the list I'm going to include Queen here. All four members could write and three of them could sing. Granted, most of what they did after A Night At The Opera was crap musically but Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack and ANATO show what a talented quartet they were. And I love Brian May's guitar playing. What other bands were there that featured strong writing & singing contributions from all members? I agree, it's a very rare thing. Probably has more to do with egos than anything else. Let's take the Soft Boys as a fer instance. Kimberley Rew obviously had some talent as a songwriter and a vocalist but was virtually a non-factor in either department with the Soft Boys. Why? They weren't a band in the true sense of the word, they were Robyn's group. - -rUss ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 23:46:30 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael Wolfe Subject: The BEATLES (Now 33% Whiter!) >1. Beatles/White Album: brilliant. Probably my third favorite >Beatles record, after Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. Never worried >about the "filler" issue, like other folks. Maybe "Long, Long, >Long" could get the axe -- that's about it. Yup, I get a kick >out of "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" and "Wild Honey Pie," >and I'm always fascinated by "Revolution #9." Heck, you could've >almost stretched this into a triple album, adding "Hey Jude," >the rocking "Revolution," "Not Guilty," "Goodbye," "Junk," "You >Know My Name (Look Up The Number)," "What's the New Mary >Jane".... A wise man once said to me, just about everyone will agree that The White Album could use trimming. The accompanying lemma, though, is that no two people will agree on what should be trimmed from it, and indeed, will come to blows. To me, that's part of the beauty of the album. Personally, I *love* Long, Long, Long. It's *so* subtle, so... fleeting, like a gentle breath felt on your cheek. It, in a weird, stream-of-consciousness kind of way, reminds me of Anton Weber's stuff (or, at least, what little I've heard of it). I didn't think that "rock & roll" could work on such a level. If I had to trim something, it'd probably be Birthday, which is a bit grating for me at this point. Your triple album idea, though, certainly does make the mouth water... - -Michael Wolfe ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 22:59:41 -0700 From: "victorian squid" Subject: Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! >think. I'm not sure what "ISTR" means, so maybe I'm >making a mistake here. I Seem To Recall. Some examples that came to mind: "Poncho and Lefty"- a huge country hit in its Willie Nelson incarnation, orginally done (better) by its author Townes Van Zandt "Sweet Jane"- a much bigger hit by the Cowboy Junkies than it ever was by the VU. "Louie Louie"- this one's obvious- few people have even heard of the Richard Berry original, let alone heard it. "Land of A Thousand Dances"- the famous version by Cannibal and the Headhunters, a slightly less famous version by Wilson Pickett, a virtually unknown original by Chris Kenner "Where Have All The Good Times Gone"- I dunno if it was a hit, but certainly the Van Halen cover is a lot better known than the Kinks' original >Joel released the album, Garth Brooks covered it and it >was a huge success. I am now completely fascinated by Garth Brooks. He had always appeared to me as an icon of the super bland.......until I found out about his other personality. This is some interesting shit, not least because- I mean, we're not talking David Bowie, we're talking Garth Brooks, Mr. Middle America, Mr. "Hat Country". Wow. What goes on here? (check out www.chrisgainesfans.com- I think you have to see this to really know what I'm talking about) Love on ya, Susan Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 23:23:57 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Sheesh!! AND THEN THERE WERE THREE: OASIS LOSES BASSIST Just over two weeks after Oasis lost founding guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (allstar., Aug. 9), the band was reduced to three as another founding member, bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, announced his departure from the group as well. A statement released on Wednesday (Aug. 24) by Creation Records -- the band's U.K. label -- reports that the split was amicable. "Bass guitarist Paul McGuigan has informed Oasis he has decided to leave the band," reads the statement. "Paul has finished his work on the recordings of the new album and feels now is an opportune time to leave before the band undertakes touring and promotional activities later on this year." The statement continues, "He'd like to thank the fans, as well as everyone he's worked with along the way, and wishes Oasis all the best for the future. The remaining members of Oasis have accepted Paul's decision to leave at this time." McGuigan's departure skims Oasis down to vocalist Liam Gallagher, guitarist Noel Gallagher, and drummer Alan White. The band held a press conference at London's Water Rats -- the first place to host an Oasis gig in the city -- to reassure the press and fans that the band was not imploding. No reason was given for McGuigan's departure other than, like Arthurs, he had family commitments that were likely to be neglected if he continued on in a rock & roll band of Oasis' caliber. "We've got to just carry on with it -- we're skint, anyway," said guitarist Noel Gallagher as quoted by the BBC. "I feel a bit subdued -- but they've both got kids, and there's no point in us trying to knock down their doors to get them to stay. We've got to respect their decision as family men." At the conference, the Brothers Gallagher also announced that the band would tour the U.K. in the new year -- with whom in tow remains to be seen. In a separate statement released on Wednesday, band manager Marcus Russell also reassured fans of the band's vow to continue. "Fans of the band should be left in no doubt that Oasis will be back in action with a great new album and single early next year," he said. "A world tour is scheduled to begin at the end of February, following the release of the fourth album. We have plenty of time to prepare, and bed in two new musicians between now and Christmas. As soon as we finish mixing the album this week, Liam, Noel and Alan will concentrate their minds on the new line up." Both McGuigan and Arthurs have finished their respective guitar and bass parts on Oasis' as-yet-untitled fourth album, which is still due in January 2000 on Epic Records. - Kevin Raub ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 01:26:34 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Multiple Songwriters Russ Reynolds wrote: > At the risk of being laughed off the list I'm going to include Queen here. > All four members could write and three of them could sing. Granted, most of > what they did after A Night At The Opera was crap musically but Queen II, > Sheer Heart Attack and ANATO show what a talented quartet they were. And I > love Brian May's guitar playing. Queen is one of those bands I've always wanted to hear more of. I've only heard some of their greatest hits, all of which I love. And I wasn't aware that they all wrote. Can anyone else suggest good Queen albums? > What other bands were there that featured strong writing & singing > contributions from all members? I agree, it's a very rare thing. Probably > has more to do with egos than anything else. Let's take the Soft Boys as a > fer instance. Kimberley Rew obviously had some talent as a songwriter and a > vocalist but was virtually a non-factor in either department with the Soft > Boys. Why? They weren't a band in the true sense of the word, they were > Robyn's group. That's the problem. The Soft Boys were Robyn's band. The Velvet Underground was Lou's band. The Pixies were Frank Black's band. Most of the time, one member of a band will kind of take over. Egos get big and people don't want to accept anyone else's contributions. I think it's probably really hard for a band with 3 or more songwriters to get along for very long. Eventually, someone's gonna say "I don't need these assholes. I can start my own band." The Eagles are a good example of bands with multiple songwriters. But of course, it didn't last very long. Six albums and they'd all had enough of each other. So they went on to making mediocre solo albums. The Grays only lasted for one album. And Jason Falkner quit Jellyfish after one album because the other guys wouldn't play any of his songs. There was a really good band in Waco, Texas back in the late 80's and early 90's called The Spin. They had three talented songwriters and three singers. They were a really strong band, but after playing together for over 8 years and still not going anywhere, they broke up and got various jobs. (I often wonder how many of these kick ass bands never get noticed and finally give up. It's kind of sad). I was lucky enough to move to Waco just in time to see one of their final shows (which was about 4 or 5 months before the whole David Koresh thing started, but that's another story). Ya know, right then I was wanting to say, "that's a whole nother story." But "nother" isn't a word. That's what we say down here in Texas, though. I just don't know how to spell everything we say down here in Texas. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 01:33:01 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: The BEATLES (Now 33% Whiter!) Michael Wolfe wrote: > A wise man once said to me, just about everyone will agree that > The White Album could use trimming. The accompanying lemma, > though, is that no two people will agree on what should be > trimmed from it, and indeed, will come to blows. To me, that's > part of the beauty of the album. Personally, I *love* Long, > Long, Long. It's *so* subtle, so... fleeting, like a gentle > breath felt on your cheek. It, in a weird, > stream-of-consciousness kind of way, reminds me of Anton Weber's > stuff (or, at least, what little I've heard of it). I didn't > think that "rock & roll" could work on such a level. I don't think anything needed to be trimmed from the White Album. It's perfect the way it is. Every song is fucking great! Whereas many bands release single albums that should've been trimmed into EPs or maybe even singles. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 01:36:46 -0700 From: Joel Mullins Subject: Re: Sheesh!! Eb wrote: > > AND THEN THERE WERE THREE: OASIS LOSES BASSIST Now if they can just get rid of that asshole Liam, they might have a good band. Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 00:18:44 PDT From: "Capitalism Blows" Subject: Re: Puff Daddy, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls <--Jason "I survived Six Flags last week & that actually means something" the Jasonster> The Viper fucking RULES! i used to have a Viper key chain and everything. seems to me they slowed it down, though, somewhere between christmas '91 and christmas '92. still rules, but not as much as it did before that. _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 08:22:48 +0100 (BST) From: Stewart Russell 3295 Analyst_Programmer Subject: Re: Pet Zounds! >>>>> "Andrew" == Andrew D Simchik writes: Andrew> Lately Robert seems to be really trying for these happy Andrew> songs. Sometimes they work ("The 13th," Andrew> "Friday I'm in Love," . . . I've always thought that "Friday I'm in Love" was about manic depression, cheery soul that I am. Stewart (who would opine that the first nine tracks of the 11/20/98 Mercury Lounge performance might constitute the finest introduction to Robyn's live work ever . . . and all in 46 minutes too.) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 09:15:28 -0400 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: The Real King Elvis And Aimee Mann turned 39 a couple of weeks ago. I think I'll listen to 'Til Tuesday's "The Other End (Of The Telescope)". Aimee and Elvis wrote it together and Elvis sings on it as well. Michael - -----Original Message----- From: Joel Mullins [mailto:skmull@swbell.net] Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 1999 5:53 PM To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Subject: The Real King Elvis Elvis Costello turned 45 today! Woohooo. Let's have a party! - --Joel ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 08:33:40 -0700 (PDT) From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: queer, my ass > From: lj lindhurst > The original "Mama Told Me Not to Come" is on Randy > Newman's first > album, which I coincidentally heard for the first time > yesterday > (yes, I'm continuing on my obsessive Randy Newman > Revival). It's > really not much different than 3DN's version...a bit less > funky, and > a bit more bluesy. Yes, but what about the Wolfgang Press cover?! > Hey, has anyone else heard this song that they're playing > on the > radio right now that is an exact fucking RIPOFF of the > melody to > "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da"? I don't know who it's by, but it > is PAINFULLY > obvious that they are-- to use a much-abused expression > around here-- > "ripping off the Beatles". I assume we're not talking about the Offspring song to which Eb alluded ("say no way, say no way-uh...no way-ay- ay-ay...na na, why don't you get a job!"). > From: Joel Mullins > > By the way, how can I get Smile? I've never heard it but > I'd really > love to. See, I like Brian Wilson, just not Pet Sounds, > so maybe I'd > like Smile better. So I must be really confused. I always thought _Smile_ was a famous lost album, and that _Smiley Smile_ was a sort of salvage of it. I was under the impression that _Smile_ is simply not accessible to anyone. A later poster alludes to this but I'm still not sure I understand. What is the story here? > From: Joel Mullins > The biggest difference between the Beatles and the Beach > Boys is that > the Beatles were a kick ass rock n roll band and the > Beach Boys were > backing vocalists for Brian Wilson's solo albums. I'm > not a Beach Boys > scholar, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think > anyone but Brian > Wilson did jack shit! Well, they sang. Just to clarify my feelings on the matter, if anyone cares: I'm not a devoted fan of the Beatles *or* of the Beach Boys / Brian Wilson. I like both, but I'm religious about neither. It's true that I only ever listen to Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, and Endless Summer, and have little use for anything else by the Beach Boys. But it's also true that I only ever listen to Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, the White Album, and occasionally Past Masters vol. 2. 2 albums and a comp vs. 5 (6?) albums and a comp. Not bad for the Beatles there, I guess. Thing is, at their best, the Beatles are for me merely excellently cool. But, at their best, the Beach Boys are for me *exhilarating*. One problem is that the Beach Boys have continued sans Brian Wilson, and have turned out some gawdawful tripe since their peak. The Beatles broke up, and now only put out gawdawful tripe on solo records. So that's also a plus. I guess. Anyway, it's not much of a surprise that a list devoted to Robyn Hitchcock would be chock full of people who prefer the Beatles, is it? Drew, who, when you get right down to it, more admires than likes about half of Pet Sounds === Andrew D. Simchik, schnopia@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 08:55:22 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Covers that are bigger, beta, banana! On 8/25/99 7:25 PM, James Dignan wrote: >hmmm. Youseall can help me with another stupid question. Bingo, Fleagle, >Snorky, and... aauugghh!!!! Who was the fourth Banana Split??? George Martin? - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 11:43:20 -0500 From: David Librik Subject: Re: Multiple Songwriters rUss rEynOlds wrItEs: > Let's take the Soft Boys as a > fer instance. Kimberley Rew obviously had some talent as a songwriter and a > vocalist but was virtually a non-factor in either department with the Soft > Boys. Why? They weren't a band in the true sense of the word, they were > Robyn's group. "When Andy was in the band, I felt we had to come up with something different to keep him interested. He always wanted an angle on things, which is what made the original Soft Boys quite exciting and unique. After he left, it was more just a band playing my songs." - Robyn Hitchcock Which is to say, indirectly, that I think you're focussing too much on songwriting. The Soft Boys in their Can of Bees days were definitely a band, four guys engaged equally in a project of turning pop songs on their heads and pushing the limits of listenability. Take Live At The Portland Arms -- although Robyn does most of the talking, it's clearly not only "Robyn's group" in that performance. Andy and Kimberly, especially, were messing around with things musically even more than Robyn was. By the time of _Underwater Moonlight_ (which I love dearly, far more than any other Soft Boys album, mind you), they had become Robyn's group, playing his retrodelic pop masterpieces. They had started to concentrate on the sort of things that make for a good rock band rather than a heavy metal death folk parody ensemble. That was the point where they started to transform from the Soft Boys into Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. - - David Librik ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #327 *******************************