From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V9 #164 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, June 22 2000 Volume 09 : Number 164 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: edinburgh festival ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: icons -- 50% Titus Groan content ["Stewart C. Russell" ] RE: icons -- 50% Titus Groan content ["Thomas, Ferris" ] for Scott (only scant RH) ["Thomas, Ferris" ] Sometimes I Wish I Was... [Eb ] eb all over the world ["The Kielbasa Kid" ] Eb: Re all over the world [Eb ] Re: Bottom Line setlist...the final word? [johann johann ] Re: Re Re your boat, gently all over the world [JH3 ] Re: Re Re your boat, gently all over the world [Eb ] From Today's Headlines: ["Thomas, Ferris" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 10:26:19 +0100 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: edinburgh festival sofa king wrote: > > they currently list robyn playing at the dynamic earth on august 25 and 27. This is so apt, as the original tv advert had a trilobite that clicked as it scooted about the screen. Dunno if it was called Johnny Pesto, tho'. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 10:49:45 +0100 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: icons -- 50% Titus Groan content Scott Hunter McCleary wrote: > > Mac and Windows icons based on the BBC series These look as if they've been lifted from http://www.bbc.co.uk/gormenghast/ where you'll find the originals. Is it true that Gormenghast is doing okay in the US ratings? It bombed in the UK. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 08:58:06 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: icons -- 50% Titus Groan content Stewart C. Russell: >Is it true that Gormenghast is doing okay in the US ratings? It bombed >in the UK. It's on BBC America, so it depends on how many people get it on their cable package. It is doing well enough to spark some interest in the books, but the only US edition (omnibus from 1995) is not in print at the moment. - - Steve __________ Iąd sit down and meditate but my ass is on fire. - Bill Nelson ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 10:12:05 -0400 From: "Thomas, Ferris" Subject: RE: icons -- 50% Titus Groan content I'm in the process of watching it...got 1/2 way through the first episode last night. Too early to form an opinion (though I don't think the protaganist is going to wind up being a terribly sympathetic character). > -----Original Message----- > From: steve [mailto:schiavo@home.com] > Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 9:58 AM > To: Fegmaniax > Subject: Re: icons -- 50% Titus Groan content > > > Stewart C. Russell: > >Is it true that Gormenghast is doing okay in the US ratings? > It bombed > >in the UK. > > It's on BBC America, so it depends on how many people get it on their > cable package. It is doing well enough to spark some interest in the > books, but the only US edition (omnibus from 1995) is not in > print at the > moment. > > > > - Steve > > > __________ > Iąd sit down and meditate but my ass is on fire. - Bill Nelson > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 10:38:06 EDT From: "brian nupp" Subject: Groovy Decay Sleeve Yo Yo YO! This is a question for anyone who has Groovy Decay on vinyl. Is the inner sleeve just white, or was there a version w/ art on it? Thanks Fellow Fegs! Brian The Nupp ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 10:51:22 -0400 From: "Thomas, Ferris" Subject: for Scott (only scant RH) Ahoy, all. Scott Schleenz (sp?) : could you mail me off-list? I've got a question for you about the Bottom Line shows but don't haven't your address at work. ______________________________________ Ferris Scott Thomas programmer McGraw-Hill Technology Division 860.409.2612 ferris_thomas@mcgraw-hill.com (email) According to James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Earth was created on October 23, 4004 BC at 9 AM Greenwich Mean Time. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 14:10:24 -0700 From: plpalmer@ix.netcom.com Subject: RH/GLP Troubadour 6-20-00 You can check out last night's set list here.... http://home.netcom.com/~plpalmer/H-Z2.htm Peter ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 17:27:19 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: RH/GLP Troubadour 6-20-00 In a message dated 6/21/00 2:18:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time, plpalmer@ix.netcom.com writes: << You can check out last night's set list here.... http://home.netcom.com/~plpalmer/H-Z2.htm >> Cool! So, how did the show actually, ya know, work? Does Robyn sing/play a song of his own while Grant plays some rhythm guitar and sings back-up, and then they trade roles for the next song? Or is there some mixing and matching goin' on? I don't suppose Jon Brion mentioned anything like, "Yeah, and I'll be heading up the West Coast with Robyn and Grant, so come on up to Portland, too!"? No, didn't think so :-| But, hey, that's cool. Robyn on Friday night! :-) To those seeing the pdx show: Any plans yet for before or after? If yes, I'm hoping it's for after. Gracias! - ------Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 01:38:19 -0700 From: plpalmer@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: kcrw? I taped this directly to CDR. You can check it out here: http://home.netcom.com/~plpalmer Peter woj sven-woj wrote: > well? who heard it? what happened? who taped it? > > inquiring minds, et. al. > > woj ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 17:32:09 -0400 From: "Tom X. Chao" Subject: Robyn Hitchcock @ Bottom Line 6/16/2000 Hello, Fegs! I've been away from the list for a long time since I became a Bill Bruford fanatic last fall and so I've become a Crim-head. However I still make time for Wire, Sex Pistols, XTC, Lloyd Cole, and Robyn. I see the list is still full of off-topic posts. Robyn Hitchcock solo The Bottom Line, NYC Friday, June 16, 2000 (late show) $20 opening act: Sheila Nicholls went by myself, sat next to some very nice women from New Haven at the audience right-hand side of the room, right on the stage (after some old **** nastily asked me not to sit in front of her) Very exciting show, much different than the shows that pre-dated Storefront and Jewels for Sophia. Robyn wore a brown shirt with very large (2" diameter) polka dots. He also had on two pairs of glasses, one pair of reading glasses and another pair of sunglasses that he kept taking off and putting on during the show. He kept consulting a tiny piece of paper before each song, presumably a set list, and he complained each time that he couldn't read the tiny print. [He only played acoustic, no electric onstage.] He continually shook his head, closed his eyes, and bobbed back and forth at the mike, as captured in "Storefront Hitchcock." At times he seem to degenerate into a self-parody, then he'd subtly indicate he was completely aware of his odd behavior. Many songs I had not heard live before. [Also, I did not know Robyn played the piano.] Afterwards I hung around and waited for him to come out to sign autographs. I started chatting with other Hitchcock [fans] and they gave me some bootleg CD's that some guy had burned and left for any and all to take! These included the Bowery Ballroom show that I attended last November! [So thanks to that dude who provided the free discs! You da man! However the set list for the Bowery Ballroom show was incorrect.] I did get Robyn's autograph but it was a completely anonymous exchange due to [unknown reasons]. Robyn was clearly tired and in a hurry to get over to his family and pals sitting around the bar. He signed his name as "Roby H."; that's how tired he was. Left at 1:30 am. Set list: [already posted] [If any persons have taped the show, please e-mail me off-list. Of course, we Crim-heads have powerful feelings about "loot-begging" live concerts. "What? Mr. Fripp doesn't want me to tape the show!? I had no idea! Of course I'll stop right away!"] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 16:44:36 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Sometimes I Wish I Was... Well, I went to the Troubadour last night. Not to see Robyn, but to see that visiting Torontoan. Somehow, I must've missed the message saying Randi absolutely wasn't coming down here. I only remember hearing things like, "Well, the doctor said she shouldn't come, so I'm not sure...." Blah. I really had other ways I should've spent this time. I made my usual pre-show stop at Aron's, mainly to buy the new Sugarplastic disc. I bought that, plus secondhand cassettes of Charles Mingus' "Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus," "The Simpsons' Yellow Album," Ornette Coleman's "Something Else!" and "The Wit & Wisdom of Andy Griffith" (the latter being sort of a belated Father's Day gift). I suspect this is the first time in Earth's history that this particular mix of artists was purchased in a single transaction. ;) When I got to the Troubadour, the first thing I did was buy A Star for Bram. However, I probably won't give an opinion on it for awhile, because I have several other albums to check out first (for various reasons). Were those discs really pressed in the Czech Republic? I instantly gathered from Eddie that Randi wasn't there, and it was pretty much downhill from there. It was a good Robyn show, but deja vu, deja vu, deja vu. It's possible that I will never see Hitchcock live again, unless it's a "social thing." I just feel like I've absorbed the full experience, at this point. I don't have an awful lot to say about the music, itself. The middle was strong, but the beginning and end were fraught with that same self-conscious, smarmy quality which always drives me up the wall. You could just *see* the gears turning in the gaps between the early tunes, as Grant Lee and Robyn strained to make their every conversational line into Something Quirky and Humorously Offbeat. The crowd ate it up, naturally. Not much in the way of overextended surreal monologues, at least. As those who read the setlist know, Robyn obviously had inhaled some Bowie fumes before the show. But boy, a couple of those songs reminded me why sometimes I wish Robyn would *never* play cover songs. "Ashes to Ashes" was absolutely loathesome, as Robyn took this brilliant, deeply emotional song and smirked and hula'ed his way through it in exaggerated fashion. I felt like *heckling* him, afterwards. Ditto for "All the Young Dudes." Totally trashed. Robyn, if you can't sing a classic song with sincerity, just skip it and play "Kung Fu Fighting." The only saving grace with these two tracks was intermittent guest-star Jon Brion, whose spontaneous piano artistry impresses me very, very much. He even added a bubbly little vocal noise to the piano riff of "Ashes to Ashes," to give it the same "underwater" feel as on the record. A brilliantly creative musician, though his own writing skills have yet to be proven to me. I don't have a lot to say about the other tracks. The "Sudden Judge" improv was a lot of fun. Weird, seeing that viciously buzzing, distorted tone coming out of Grant Lee's sweet l'il acoustic axe. I was also very happy to see Robyn play piano for the first time (I think??) on "Flavour of Night" (which is a great song, anyway). On the other hand, "Cynthia Mask" and "Queen Elvis" may be fine songs, but I've heard them enough times for one lifetime, thanks. I was also frustrated by Robyn's innocent sabotage of the *one* Grant Lee Phillips song I like, "Mockingbirds." Robyn attempted sort of a low-register harmony (paging Glenn Tilbrook...) to Grant's falsetto chorus, and it didn't work at all. The alleged "disco version" of "Mexican God" didn't come off, either -- that was one track where I thought Brion did steer the song in the wrong direction. Hitchcock ended up smarmy-izing his *own* song, that time. I guess that's all I wish to say. I'd like to leave you with the lyrics of "Washington," a track off the new album by Dogstar (yes, Keanu Reeves plays bass). These are the worst lyrics I've heard in a long, long time: I feel something near Is it misery or fear It's a mystery unclear What am I doing here A breeze upon her face Smells sweet as your embrace A smile across my face As I think about that place And I feel like I know What's going on Like roses reach to Kiss the morning dawn I'm Washington tonight And all is calm I'm coming home to you We're moving on We rode upon a town People all around It's a good place to lay down And I dream about you now Holding pictures near I think of you my dear My body knows no fear What am I doing here Note: In a different song, singer Bret Domrose complains that "I'm trying to live a life/That cuts me like a knife." Thanks for your attention, Eb np: the new Deftones album, which is so willfully tuneless it seems like a performance-art prank ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 17:53:32 PDT From: "The Kielbasa Kid" Subject: eb all over the world grant later also sang the first line of Science Fiction Double Feature (or whatever it's called: the first song from Rocky Horror). not sure if either of these should be included in the canonical songlist, as robyn had no participation in them (except for instructing the soundperson on how to properly eq the mix to make phillips' voice sound more like roger daltry's). *Southern* Judge All I Have To Do Is Dream is the full title, yes? prompted by robyn's "mishearing" a request for I Something You. Satellite Of Love, incidentally, was (presumably) prompted by my request for Sweet Jane. ebmoment: eb was his usual stick-in-the-mud self regarding the show (reference his recent post for confirmation). he was, however, full of witty rejoinders and insightful asides on other topics. favorite moment was as follows. he'd been boasting about how california is the most important agricultural centre in the world, whereon i reminded him that it was only so because the powers-that-be had put up a billion and one dams. he kind of shrugged, and nonchalantly replied, "yeah, well, you do what you gotta do," then accused me of being a "troublemaker". you had to be there, i suppose. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 18:15:50 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Eb: Re all over the world >favorite moment was >as follows. he'd been boasting about how california is the most important >agricultural centre in the world, whereon i reminded him that it was only so >because the powers-that-be had put up a billion and one dams. he kind of >shrugged, and nonchalantly replied, "yeah, well, you do what you gotta do," >then accused me of being a "troublemaker". you had to be there, i suppose. "Boasting"? We were discussing the California border patrol's policies on trafficking fruit into the state, and I said something like "Well, I guess we're about the biggest agricultural state, so they do have to worry about fruit flies and things...." Whatever, Eddie. Now, go track down a copy of "ABBA: The Movie," or risk my eternal wrath. Eb, waist deep in big muddy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 23:00:45 -0400 From: johann johann Subject: Re: Bottom Line setlist...the final word? when we last left our heroes, FS Thomas exclaimed: >Ah, Master Woj...I'll play the trainspotter: you missed 'I Wish I Liked >You' from set one and 'When I Was Dead' from round two. yeah. i know. i realized that after posting the first round of corrections on monday. didn't have time to do anything about it last night since i was off seein jill sobule at the turning point (yes, black bart aka jet! was in attendance). woj ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 23:37:37 -0500 From: JH3 Subject: Re: Re Re your boat, gently all over the world >Now, go track down a copy of "ABBA: The Movie," or risk >my eternal wrath. Naturally, I've got a copy of "ABBA: The Movie," as you'd expect. Still looking for the DVD, of course... But man, what a great film! The reporter's fantasy sequence in the Old West bar is priceless! Likewise, that *hysterical* bit where Agnetha freaks out over the "sexiest bottom in Europe" issue! And how did Bjorn manage to deal with a different children's choir in every city? Amazing! The guy's a freakin' musical genius! So... what's this about "eternal wrath," then? John "thank you for the muzak" Hedges ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 22:55:06 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: Re Re your boat, gently all over the world >The reporter's fantasy sequence in the Old West bar is priceless! That's *exactly* what I was telling Eddie! I was just *hysterical*, watching that sequence! :) Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 07:46:13 -0400 From: "Thomas, Ferris" Subject: From Today's Headlines: Saw the following on Yahoo this morning: Hitchcock, Phillips in blissful union By Phil Gallo HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Removed from major label ties, two ace songwriters and performers try their hand at a bit of formalised busking and leave their audience pleased and puzzled: why haven't they been embraced by a wider public? Robyn Hitchcock, the Brit eccentric with a marvellous wit and endless pop inspiration who was the subject of a Jonathan Demme documentary, and Grant Lee Phillips, Angeleno and leader of the quietly put to bed Grant Lee Buffalo, take the stage together and rely on Rat Pack giddiness and Beatles-esque tunefulness to get them through 95 minutes of good fun. Collectively, they give each other's songs depth through vocal and guitar harmony that had been previously limited to recordings. They are just now learning each other's tunes for a short Pacific Coast tour, yet it hardly shows -- this feels like a sturdy marriage with a few years under the belt. Both artists emerged from the Warners family of labels last year after making several well- received albums, yet neither established significant commercial high marks. They have now brought their recording careers inhouse, Hitchcock releasing tunes that didn't make his last Warners disc as "A Star for Bram" on his Editions PAF! label; Phillips has made a stunningly hushed album, "Ladies Love Oracle," and issued it on his Magnetic Field Recordings imprint. Phillips is open to label offers; Hitchcock is undecided. Phillips used one of his new tunes, "Squint," to establish the easygoing pace and tone of the evening, holding that timbre steady through such Grant Lee Buffalo classics as "Mockingbirds" and "Honey Don't Think." Hitchcock, with a 20-year catalogue of nearly 20 albums, followed suit with melting ballads such as "Queen Elvis" and "The Trams of London" that are a distant cry from his recent visits that emphasised newer raucous material such as "The Cheese Alarm" and "Viva Sea- Tac." The two, who were backed on occasion on piano by Jon Brion (he scored the film "Magnolia"), proffered a tribute to their antecedents during the encore, starting with the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and the Beatles' "Across the Universe." Until the end of the evening, wackiness was left to the stream-of-conscience between-song commentary. Then the boys rolled out the David Bowie catalogue for hilarious yet exceedingly accurate versions of "Sound and Vision," "Ashes to Ashes" and "All the Young Dudes." ______________________________________ Ferris Scott Thomas programmer McGraw-Hill Technology Division 860.409.2612 ferris_thomas@mcgraw-hill.com (email) According to James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Earth was created on October 23, 4004 BC at 9 AM Greenwich Mean Time. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V9 #164 *******************************