From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #361 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, September 23 1999 Volume 08 : Number 361 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Yellow Sub again ["Russ Reynolds" ] a quick hi from the bobbypin girl herself ["**twofangs .... aka .... rand] Re: Yellow Sub again [Michael R Godwin ] Re: Yellow Sub again [overbury@cn.ca] the new zero ["Andrew D. Simchik" ] Beatles and gawd knows what else [Doc ] ice cream hands? (fwd) [dmw ] Re: Yellow Sub again [Michael R Godwin ] Re: Beatles and gawd knows what else [Michael R Godwin ] tour dates [DWPoppe@aol.com] Re: Beatles and gawd knows what else [lj lindhurst ] Re: Loudon on M*A*S*H [Tom Clark ] Re: Loudon on M*A*S*H [lj lindhurst ] tour dates. ["Ghost Surfer" ] proggies to the left of me, psychos to the right/here I am, stuck in the middle with you... [Eb Subject: Re: Yellow Sub again >>Finally got the new Yellow Sub CD. In short: Ill-advised remixes mar an >>otherwise great collection of tunes. > >Hrm...feel free to explain in more detail. > >Eb Well, let me preface my remarks by saying that I am probably what you would call a "purist" (I'm one of those anti-bonus track people and I hate the Designated Hitter rule too) and I realize I am probably more familiar with the songs on this album than the average listener. Maybe even more than the above average listener. I also have a keen ear for detail since I mix sound for a living. Those factors combined make the alterations to these songs stand out in a BIG way. The casual listener would probably not notice any difference. This CD is for that guy, not me. Overall the tunes are mixed more toward the center, which not only takes away some of the original crispness from many of the tunes, it also destroys a good deal of the charm. "Eleanor Rigby," for instance, always seemed like a narration with musical accompaniment...voice on the left, music on the right. That's gone now. There is also a good deal of heightened reverb, and instruments and backing vocals mixed noticably higher or lower in spots. The lead guitar on "It's All Too Much" is mixed so much higher than the rythm that the song completely loses it's oomph and takes on a completely different feel. When these things are that noticable it means the engineer has become the focal point rather than the music itself. One of the biggest disapointments on the CD is Hey Bulldog which is not only muddied up by the centered mix, but I believe there are two full measures of music missing from the song's intro. Some of the remixes could arguably be considered improvements but my feeling is that any perceived improvements are akin to the improvements Ted Turner made to classic films by creating color. I just don't like people messin' with the classics. The unfortunate thing is that this is a really great collection of tunes and a nice lookin' package. The fortunate thing is that even purists like me will get over it, get used to it and learn to live with it. No, wait...that too is UNfortunate. Because it's just another case of the bar being lowered. - -grumpy old man. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 09:09:42 -0400 From: "**twofangs .... aka .... randi**" Subject: a quick hi from the bobbypin girl herself ..................................................................... I'm sneaking around as the nurses change shifts With my eye on their clock if you catch my drift I hope all you fegs are cosy and safe Me, I'm starting to look like Kate {?}the waif I just wanted to stop by and say *hi* To the collective apple of my eye I gotta run and try not to get busted Had a dream ... and after *me!* Robyn lusted But of course then the nurses woke me up Just so that I could pee into a cup ..................................................................... as Eb would say "sheeeesh" ggggrrrrhhhh aaaarrrrgggghhhh Miss you all ...don't get the digests ... but the personal emails I do You have all become a support system that I can rely on too :-} Thanks from the bottom of my heart ... No, not enough, how about all of my heart ... Okay, okay, all of me says thanks to some very special people ... Loving fegs, loving the email, loving the pics and the jokes, Randi *if what scares you most will set you free then why won't the crohn's just let me be*? ~~ Robyn Hitchcock & Randi Spiegel p.s. - Miles ... shine on! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 14:20:25 +0100 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: Yellow Sub again On Wed, 22 Sep 1999, Russ Reynolds wrote: > Overall the tunes are mixed more toward the center, which not only takes > away some of the original crispness from many of the tunes, it also destroys > a good deal of the charm. "Eleanor Rigby," for instance, always seemed like > a narration with musical accompaniment...voice on the left, music on the > right. That's gone now. That's a very early stereo mix trick. You find the same thing on 'Something Else' by the Kinks, and some of the first Traffic songs. > There is also a good deal of heightened reverb, and instruments and backing > vocals mixed noticably higher or lower in spots. The lead guitar on "It's > All Too Much" is mixed so much higher than the rythm that the song > completely loses it's oomph and takes on a completely different feel. When > these things are that noticable it means the engineer has become the focal > point rather than the music itself. Why do they do these things? I was bad-tempered enough when I heard a version of 'Hey girl don't bother me' on the radio today with the backing vocals mixed further down. But when they start tinkering with classic recordings, it's like ... it's like ... chopping the legs off a Chippendale chair and replacing them with glass-fibre mouldings. - - MRG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:28:58 -0400 From: overbury@cn.ca Subject: Re: Yellow Sub again Warning: 1) This might look remarkably like a flame, but I love you guys so try not to think of it that way. 2) I've said this before, but so have you. 3) I really like lists. > > On Wed, 22 Sep 1999, Russ Reynolds wrote: > > Overall the tunes are mixed more toward the center, which not only takes > > away some of the original crispness from many of the tunes, it also > > destroys a good deal of the charm. "Eleanor Rigby," for instance, > > always seemed like a narration with musical accompaniment...voice on the > > left, music on the right. That's gone now. [snip] > Why do they do these things? I was bad-tempered enough when I heard a > version of 'Hey girl don't bother me' on the radio today with the backing > vocals mixed further down. But when they start tinkering with classic > recordings, it's like ... it's like ... chopping the legs off a > Chippendale chair and replacing them with glass-fibre mouldings. You've still got the originals. Listen to them and be glad they were made absolutely perfect the first time. If you know that remixes upset you, why buy and listen to remixes? I have a hard time believing that all original mixes were done the first time around by the most qualified human on the planet and with the perfect equipment for the job. A lot of material must have been compromised by the schedule or the budget, or the production talent or equipment available. Pop music is a business, and things get done in the name of business that aren't necessarily the right thing for the artistic aspect. When a song's had time to become revered as a classic instead of being this month's product, it might be more likely to be produced with more care. Of course, it could also be remarketed with a cynical focus on today's pop culture or marketing trends. Face it, some of us are still addicted to the crackles from vinyl, and that's arguably got a lot more to do with someone defiling our memories rather than the music. I listen to some '60s pop and get infuriated that good songs were tossed out with obvious technical flaws. There's a Hendrix song (can't remember the name) with an unforgivable SCRITCH as the engineer pans one track frantically from side to side with noisy potentiometers. Jesus, he couldn't even bother to use that channel for something that wasn't to be panned and take a better pan pot for the thing designed to command the most attention in the mix? Likewise, if I could get a mix with much less of that honky dork saying "purple haze" at the end of the song I wouldn't feel violated at all. Personally, I find it really interesting when the vocals are on one side and the music on the other, because it's easier to isolate and analyse each part, but I don't find the effect particularly musical. Now that there's alternate centred mixes, I'm not upset that the originals are still around, either. I'd like to have a ton of remixes. Better yet, how about a WAV format release of all the tracks so I can mix my own? The Chippendale's still in the corner where you left it. Sit down in it with a nice cuppa and you'll feel better. - -- Ross Overbury Montreal, Quebec, Canada ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 07:30:54 -0700 (PDT) From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: the new zero > From: James Dignan > PPS - Andrew sez: 'n.p. Tori's latest (_To Venus and > Back_). I suspect there > are few Tori fans on the group'. There are a few of us > still around, > including the great wojbeing himself! Oh, of course -- I don't know how I could have overlooked woj. :) So then I'll mention that disc 1 (the new music) gets even lower-key toward the end...pleasant but not remarkable. (Then again, *every* Tori release so far has taken between three and seven listens to fully enchant me, so I'll give it time.) Disc 2 (the live tracks) is quite excellent, though. It leans more heavily on _Under the Pink_ and _Little Earthquakes_ than I'd like, but perhaps this is to showcase these songs in their full-band versions. > From: Eb > > >"Adia" is such an incredibly vapid and circular song. > >Naturally, it was the biggest hit from a real > >dud of an album. > > I thought it was real purty, I guess, but what Sarah McLachlan song can't you say that about? Some are purtier than others -- "Sad Clown" is high on the list in my book -- but in terms of character that's not a real standout trait in her catalog. I can hear Kenny Rogers singing it, though, which tells me all I need to know. > and it's my favorite SM > album as well. That's astounding. When I bought it I was expecting a letdown, and for a change I got just what I expected. "Building a Mystery" is OK, "Sweet Surrender" a fun singalong, but "Full of Grace" is the only can't-miss track (miles lovelier than "Adia," for a start) and I already had that on the B-sides album. The rest of the album is worthless (IMO, obviously). It sounds half-written both lyrically and musically, and is as obvious an on-the-road album as _New Adventures in Hi-Fi_. I just don't think it compares at all to _Fumbling_, and it doesn't have the character of any of her albums. It's all smoothed over with a bland adult contemporary uniformity. I can't imagine what you see in it. I'd assumed that everyone was just buying it because they'd worn out their copies of _Fumbling_ and needed more McLachlan Product. In its favor I can say that the moodiness of it, that sleepy, inky quality, is really pleasurable and would probably have made the album sublime if the songs had been strong enough and rewarding enough. Perhaps it's the straight-up piano on songs like "Angel" that you like? > >I really admire the band Rasputina > > What's not to like? Three cellos, a great sense of humor, some fun-poking at gothitude ("Transylvanian Concubine," "How We Quit the Forest"), and some really gorgeous tunes ("Any Old Actress," "Signs of the Zodiac," "Sister Sleep"). The covers are a little nauseating at times, and Melora's voice probably puts off some people, but on the whole it's great stuff. > From: Michael Wolfe > like "Viva Sea-Tac" before ending with a medley of David > Bowie's > "Sound and Vision," Dr. Hook's "When You're in Love With *Sound and Vision*???? Drew ===== Andrew D. Simchik, schnopia@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 08:00:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Doc Subject: Beatles and gawd knows what else Russ wrote: >And what's this about an extra verse in "It's All Too Much"? In the film, the last verse of "It's All Too Much" is missing. The bit with "We are all dead!" isn't in the film, but it is on both versions of the CD. Also, in the film version, there's an extra bit of lyrics in the middle of the song that aren't on the CD version. (Not a big to-do, though, cos the lines are fluff. Despite that, I wish I could remember what they are.) ("Rain" and "It's All Too Much" are my favourite Beatles tracks...) I could understand why the Beatles newsgroup would want to storm ABC studios after their presentation of the "Hey Bulldog" footage. Constant voice-overs, with a running commentary about how "pivotal" this moment was in the Beatles' careers... "Six months after this footage was shot, John would meet Yoko... George will board a plane for India... Paul will eat nothing but eccles cake, but he adds pickled onions... Ringo will strap a Converse All-Star to his head and model for the animators as chief Blue Meenie." I got annoyed real fast. Although I do agree with Eb, seeing John and Paul do the hysterical rant at the end of the tune was great! Went to see "Mystery Men" last night. Wow. Good movie. Kinda long, but big fun. Eric wrote: >I view it as analagous to Mr. Spiggott applying for the Tarzan role* - -->nothing wrong with the one good leg, but it doesn't appear to meet the >minimum requirements for the role. And Mr. Godwin wrote: >Apparently the sketch originally ended with a two-legged man applying >for the role of Long John Silver, but they dropped it as unnecessary. Now you're just taking the piss. Rufus' dad is appearing at Martyr's (around the corner from my house) tonight. Should I go? The last time I saw (I can't spell the guy's name, so don't lambaste me) Loudon Wainright was on a re-run of *M*A*S*H*... Randi... Jesus I'm sorry. Goddammit. I wish I had a place where you could stay. It's not right, meting out healthcare with a fucking eyedropper. Look after Eb, - -Doc __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 11:51:34 -0400 (EDT) From: dmw Subject: ice cream hands? (fwd) just got a review copy of a multi-national pop compilation featuring a track by a band called "ice cream hands." chilton-esque almost to a fault; but i liked it. feg reference, or coinkidenk? they're in hawkshorn, australia. - -- d. n.p. well, duh. - - oh no, you've just read mail from doug = dmw@radix.net - get yr pathos - - www.pathetic-caverns.com -- books, flicks, tunes, etc. = reviews - - www.fecklessbeast.com -- angst, guilt, fear, betrayal! = guitar pop ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 16:53:57 +0100 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: Yellow Sub again On Thu, 23 Sep 1999 overbury@cn.ca wrote: > You've still got the originals. Listen to them and be glad they were made > absolutely perfect the first time. If you know that remixes upset you, > why buy and listen to remixes? Well, suppose my vinyl record has worn out and I go into the record shop to buy a new CD, expecting to replace it with a similar sounding recording? > I have a hard time believing that all original mixes were done the > first time around by the most qualified human on the planet and with the > perfect equipment for the job. We do have a big difference of opinion here. As far as I'm concerned (and I'm the Chippendale round here, not Russ) this has nothing at all to do with the perfection of the technical whatnot and everything to do with artistic integrity. For the Beatles, recording was part of the creative process, and any tinkering or remixing which has not been approved by all the Beatles is wrecking of their work of art (just think of the fuss that Paul made about the string section on 'Long and winding road'). And you aren't going to get approval from all the Beatles, because they aren't all here any more. And when George Martin says "Oh, and I added a few instrumental passages to the CD remixes of Beatles albums A B C and D because I thought the sound quality wasn't up to scratch" I am _appalled_, because he is fouling up a recording which was made decades ago for the conditions that existed decades ago. > A lot of material must have been compromised by the schedule or the > budget, or the production talent or equipment available. > Pop music is a business, and things get done in the name of business > that aren't necessarily the right thing for the artistic aspect. When a > song's had time to become revered as a classic instead of being this > month's product, it might be more likely to be produced with more care. > Of course, it could also be remarketed with a cynical focus on today's > pop culture or marketing trends. I really don't think that's the point. I think this may be a dispute between the concept of a recording as a finished product and of recording as a continuing process. Once a record is released, it's a finished product and exemplifies its era - like an old photograph. If you want to tinker with faders and things, go and make a new record. > Likewise, if I could get a mix with > much less of that honky dork saying "purple haze" at the end of the > song I wouldn't feel violated at all. Sacrilege! I only listen to Purple Haze to hear Noel's vocals. And I only listen to Electric Landlady in order to hear 'Little Miss Strange'. {And incidentally, does anybody agree with me that Hendrix's guitar solo on 'Little Miss Strange' is lifted from Kenny Everett's Radio London T-shirt jingle ("our T-shirts are a regular dream, I'm wearing one and just look at me", that one) }. > Better yet, how about > a WAV format release of all the tracks so I can mix my own? I'm sure it's on its way. > The Chippendale's still in the corner where you left it. Sit down in > it with a nice cuppa and you'll feel better. Hrmph! It occurs to me that I don't even like the Beatles much. But I do like 60s records. Why tamper with them? - - Mike Godwin PS If you still like lists, there is a top 100 British movies out today - Carol Reed's 'The Third Man' at No. 1 followed by sacksful of David Lean films. And no sign of 'Two way stretch'! PPS All right, I do listen to some of the Hendrix songs too - but those things with Billy Cox - bah! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 16:56:57 +0100 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: Beatles and gawd knows what else > And Mr. Godwin wrote: > >Apparently the sketch originally ended with a two-legged man applying > >for the role of Long John Silver, but they dropped it as unnecessary. On Thu, 23 Sep 1999, Doc wrote: > Now you're just taking the piss. I refer you to 'The Complete Beyond the Fringe', Mandarin Books, 1987, pp 148-150. - - Mike Godwin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 15:40:56 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael Wolfe Subject: RIP General Buck Turgidson, a.k.a. George C. Scott - -Michael Wolfe ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 12:50:50 EDT From: DWPoppe@aol.com Subject: tour dates Greetings Fegs- I received the following E-mail this morning. Dan Subj: Lounge US dates Oct-Nov 99 Date: 9/23/99 9:19:33 AM Central Daylight Time From: departurelounge@meekgiant.com Tim Keegan & Departure Lounge supporting Robyn Hitchcock October Sat 23 Austin, TX Cactus Cafe Sun 24 Austin, TX Cactus Cafe Tue 26 Carrboro, NC Art Center Wed 27 Baltimore, MD Fletchers Fri 29 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts Sat 30 Boston, MA Paradise November Mon 01 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Tue 02 Hoboken, NJ Maxwells Fri 05 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud Sat 06 Ferndale, MI Magic Bag Sun 07 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage Tue 09 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats Wed 10 Chicago, IL Metro Thu 11 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Sat 13 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater Tue 16 Seattle, WA Crocodile Wed 17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater Fri 19 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Sat 20 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 13:04:59 -0400 From: lj lindhurst Subject: Re: Beatles and gawd knows what else doc says: >Rufus' dad is appearing at Martyr's (around the corner from my house) >tonight. Should I go? The last time I saw (I can't spell the guy's >name, so don't lambaste me) Loudon Wainright was on a re-run of >*M*A*S*H*... No no, that's WAYNE ROGERS!!! (must confess, I've always had a crush on Crapper) Hey, does anyone have an opinion of Loudon Wainwright's new record? (Eb?) I've been contemplating picking it up. When we saw Rufus earlier this year, Loudon came onstage and did a couple of songs with him (as did Martha and his mom and his aunt). He was WONDERFUL! Such a beautiful, rich voice. Hell, if he was playing around the corner from my house, I would go. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * LJ Lindhurst White Rabbit Graphic Design http://www.w-rabbit.com NYC ljl@w-rabbit.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Every head is a head and there is no head which is not suitable for any creature." --Amos Tutuola ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:15:30 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Loudon on M*A*S*H On 9/23/99 10:04 AM, lj lindhurst wrote: >doc says: >>Rufus' dad is appearing at Martyr's (around the corner from my house) >>tonight. Should I go? The last time I saw (I can't spell the guy's >>name, so don't lambaste me) Loudon Wainright was on a re-run of >>*M*A*S*H*... > >No no, that's WAYNE ROGERS!!! (must confess, I've always had a crush >on Crapper) No no, that's Loudon Wainright!!! From imdb: Notable TV guest appearances 1. "M*A*S*H" (1972) playing "Capt. Calvin Spaldling" in episode: "Big Mac" (episode # 3.21) 2/2/1975 2. "M*A*S*H" (1972) playing "Capt. Calvin Spalding" in episode: "There is Nothing Like a Nurse" (episode # 3.10) 11/19/1974 3. "M*A*S*H" (1972) playing "Capt. Calvin Spalding" in episode: "Rainbow Bridge" (episode # 3.2) 9/17/1974 - -tc p.s. Say "Loudon" repeatedly out loud. Wierd, huh? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 13:21:18 -0400 From: lj lindhurst Subject: Re: Loudon on M*A*S*H >>No no, that's WAYNE ROGERS!!! (must confess, I've always had a crush >>on Crapper) > >No no, that's Loudon Wainright!!! >>From imdb: >Notable TV guest appearances > >1. "M*A*S*H" (1972) playing "Capt. Calvin Spaldling" in episode: "Big >Mac" (episode # 3.21) 2/2/1975 >2. "M*A*S*H" (1972) playing "Capt. Calvin Spalding" in episode: "There is >Nothing Like a Nurse" (episode # 3.10) 11/19/1974 >3. "M*A*S*H" (1972) playing "Capt. Calvin Spalding" in episode: "Rainbow >Bridge" (episode # 3.2) 9/17/1974 No no, that's Shelly Winters!!! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:32:56 PDT From: "Ghost Surfer" Subject: tour dates. Tim Keegan & Departure Lounge supporting Robyn Hitchcock October Sat 23 Austin, TX Cactus Cafe Sun 24 Austin, TX Cactus Cafe Tue 26 Carrboro, NC Art Center Wed 27 Baltimore, MD Fletchers Fri 29 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts Sat 30 Boston, MA Paradise November Mon 01 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Tue 02 Hoboken, NJ Maxwells Fri 05 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud Sat 06 Ferndale, MI Magic Bag Sun 07 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage Tue 09 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats Wed 10 Chicago, IL Metro Thu 11 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Sat 13 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater Tue 16 Seattle, WA Crocodile Wed 17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater Fri 19 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Sat 20 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour - ----------------************************************************------------ "There are times when i can't think about the future, when all my days seem so dark and life seems cruel" - Mojave 3 & "Make a moment last forever, gaze across the ocean to the sun" - Unknown !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:46:57 -0800 From: Eb Subject: proggies to the left of me, psychos to the right/here I am, stuck in the middle with you... Andrew: >> >"Adia" is such an incredibly vapid and circular song. >> >Naturally, it was the biggest hit from a real >> >dud of an album. >> >> I thought it was real purty, > >I guess, but what Sarah McLachlan song can't you say >that about? Some are purtier than others -- "Sad Clown" >is high on the list in my book -- but in terms of >character that's not a real standout trait in her catalog. > >It's all smoothed over with a bland adult contemporary >uniformity. I can't imagine what you see in it. Aren't ALL her albums bland and uniform? It's like this: McLachlan's lyrics are trite, self-conscious entries from a "sensitive" teenager's journal, and her music is completely listless. What it comes down to is that she has a beautiful voice -- though I sure get tired of that "sob" thing she does at the beginning of lines...really, it's the same cheap trick which all the "boy bands" use -- and if she has a good melody to wrap her voice around, her music becomes very "pleasing" on a superficial level. To me, Surfacing has better melodies than her other albums (and less baroque excesses), so I like it the most. Which is not to say that I'd ever recommend anyone else buy it. It is purty, though. Up until this album, I was always on the fence about whether to keep or dump all my SM discs...now, I figure I'll keep 'em around. For awhile, at least. And oh yeah, I do a right purty rendition of "Adia" on piano, too. ;) >> >I really admire the band Rasputina >> >> > >What's not to like? Horrifying pretensions, utter tunelessness, dreary sentiments, contrived image, miserable bovine singing...oh yeah, and I saw them live once, and the singer opened the concert by complaining that she needed to take a dump. I imagine their gothic portentousness has a certain appeal to the eyeliner crowd, however.... I will pay Rasputina this one compliment: The computer-enhanced portion of their last CD is neat. Eb, who still kinda likes Blackgirls, however, and wonders why practically no one else even remembers them ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 14:00:04 -0400 (EDT) From: dmw Subject: Re: proggies to the left of me, psychos to the right/here I am, stuck in the middle with you... On Thu, 23 Sep 1999, Eb wrote: > Eb, who still kinda likes Blackgirls, however, and wonders why practically > no one else even remembers them woj and i do! two of 'em had an album out last year, akshully, that was praised widely over in the estrogen camp. i'm convinced that there's a shrink-wrapped copy somewhere in my apartment, but i'm not sure where, and can't comment. i'd buy the new tori amos record, too, but i'm too broke. - -- d. n.p. _pop goes the world_ v/a - - oh no, you've just read mail from doug = dmw@radix.net - get yr pathos - - www.pathetic-caverns.com -- books, flicks, tunes, etc. = reviews - - www.fecklessbeast.com -- angst, guilt, fear, betrayal! = guitar pop ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 12:16:34 -0700 From: "Jason R. Thornton" Subject: Yet another Jewels fer Sophia review (Eb will like this for at least one reason...) From SLAMM San Diego September 22 - October 5, 1999 issue Robyn Hitchcock Jewels for Sophia Warner Bros. (Three Stars - same as Gomez) From his post-punk days with Soft Boys to this latest release, Robyn Hitchcock has always been regarded as an original sgonwriter and arranger, and has even achieved a cult status of international renown. No stranger to British pop, Hitchcock peaked with Soft Boys in the late 70s/early 80s during their tour with Elvis Costello, but Hitchcock has always been more on the musical level of bands such as Soft Cell and so-called cult classics of the "Tainted Love" ilk. Jewels of Sophia is all about this dry spell in musical history and much more. It's the way music might have gone, but didn't. After a few listenings, it can best be pigeonholed into an outdated yet alternative sound, but one that nevertheless a chance of regaining stature in the musical landscape, as with everything else dubbed as "retro." Hitchcock's sound does fit in sonically — with current pop standards other British or Brit-sounding bands. In fact the first few chords of "Mexican God" sounded just like Marcy Playground. But the lyrics have an irreverant, dry wit, and at the same time are also kind of cute and whimsical — think of that character Potato Bug in the 1960s Frankie and Annette films. Actually, several of these songs have somewhat of a nursery rhyme quality. Most of the songs are of a relaxing speed, not exactly easy listening, however. The title track of the CD is a well-orchestrated effort, and hands-down the best pick of the bunch. Jewels of Sophia was released in late July, in the United Staes and elsewhere. — Kristen Collier http://www.slammsd.com/ There's also an amusing article on Bumbershoot(!) with some good Mojo quotes for what's his face. ;) A sample of the article (you can read the whole thing at the URL above): I was expecting Seattle to be a city full of nothing but ripped jeans, bad haircuts, and multi-piercings. I was prepared to write that Bumbershoot sucked and Seattle sucked more. But this varied and well-run festival made me realize -- it’s San Diego that sucks. Seattle rules! At least when it comes to rock and roll. But, hey -- we still got the weather. . . Heh. - --Son of Ja "Only the few know the sweetness of the twisted apples." - Sherwood Anderson ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #361 *******************************