From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V11 #309 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Monday, September 30 2002 Volume 11 : Number 309 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Raga, Beck, etc. ["Rex.Broome" ] oops, call the cops ["ross taylor" ] Multi-culti breakdown ["Rex.Broome" ] I'm moving to Nextdoorland ["Eugene Hopstetter, Jr." ] next door land [Jim Davies ] Re: Multi-culti breakdown [gSs ] Re: I'm moving to Nextdoorland [Brian ] RE: Multi-culti breakdown ["Bachman, Michael" ] np. ["Rex.Broome" ] And... ["Rex.Broome" ] #308 [Eb ] re: NDL Vinyl ["Marc Holden" ] Nextdoorland (not a review; not much of anything really) [Christopher Gro] re: NDL Vinyl [Brian ] Re: #308 [Ken Ostrander ] Re: raga [grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan)] Re: Enhanced, Death, Horses, and Scary Monsters [Tom Clark ] Re: interesting list (0%Robyn, SB) [Steve Talkowski ] Nextdoorland ["Michael Wells" ] Re: ragas [Jeff Dwarf ] Re: interesting list (0%Robyn, SB) [Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Raga, Beck, etc. Eb: >>Well, Verlaine made a notable appearance on Luna's Penthouse album. Yeah, that record contains an actual 12-string solo by Verlaine, which is pretty cool. (There are 12-strings as seasoning on his other records, but this is the only real solo he's recorded on one, I think)... that Luna record is pretty great. All of them are, in fact. >>I don't believe "Eight Miles High" even falls in this category. The >>big story about that song isn't the influence of raga music -- it's >>the influence of modal jazz and Coltrane. Yeah, but they showed up to the press conference to announce the single with a sitar in hand. McGuinn wrote a song called "Moog Raga". And the guitar tone on stuff like "Why" was specifically engineered in imitation of a sitar. The influence is there, although I don't believe the Byrds ever used an actual sitar on any recording. Mostly, though, I was making fun of liner note and not trying to really figure out the non-riddle of raga rock... see below: Jeffrey FF: >>when someone says "raga rock." But then, when >>someone says "raga rock" they're usually just finding a fancy way of >>saying "modally inflected, vaguely non-Western-sounding rock." I meant pretty much "what you said", but I was really talking about whatever all the millions of people who've used the term in liner notes & rock reference books mean by the term, which I don't think they usually know what they meant. But I myself truly enjoy ragas both real and fake. Max: >>The Beck album is okay but is just SOOOOOOOOOOO soft rock. That's borne out especially if you've ever heard the original, superior, lo-fi version of "All in Your Mind". But I feared it would be worse since much of the pre-release hype invoked James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. Turns out to be much more like Drake, as had been said. I like it okay, but not as much as "Mutations", which also initially disappointed me, so who knows. Beck has become a really annoying media personality lately... he was annointed the poster-boy for how labels should hang in there and develop artists like they used to, and seems to have taken the label way too seriously. I mean, the guy used to release three indie albums a year, and now he's taken to adamantly referring to his official releases of all new material on his major label as "unofficial" to hedge his bets ("Mutations"), and spending years brooding over the disappointing sales of "Midnite Vultures". Plus he won't admit he's a Scientologist. But I still largely enjoy his music, so whatever. And I'll probably go see him with Flaming Lips. Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 13:16:53 -0400 From: "ross taylor" Subject: oops, call the cops I should say that in my last post I inserted a line into Mr. Kennedy that wasn't there, "call the cops," joking around. I assumed everyone was already familiar w/ the record but many haven't had a chance to hear it yet. Ross Taylor Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 10:39:24 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: Multi-culti breakdown Eb again: >>Speaking of computer-savvy musicians, I received totally >>out-of-the-blue email from Carla Bozulich today...neat! Isn't her record of "Red Headed Stranger" overdue? I've been really looking forward to that... Michael G: >>* Both Rex and Eb claim 'Paint it, black' as a raga rock record. This is >>totally new to me I didn't really claim it, I just said it had been claimed; again, I was kinda just tweaking the kind of debate that this thread has turned into. Howeva... >>the Byrds certainlyclaimed to have pioneered raga rock, and I can't think of any >>other song on which they could have based this claim. Again, "Why". Way more raga'd out then "8MH". BTW: Re: "Paint It, Black": do the new US reissues restore the comma to the title? Anyone? >>I'll tell you the most influential raga rock record of all, and that is "East West" by >>the Butterfield Blues Band And I am embarassed not to own it. >> np - Paper Sun (Traffic) Just yesterday I saw a very rave-y bumper sticker on a gasoline pump that simply read "Traffic". Couldn't be the band... or has someone ignorant named their rap or techno band the same thing, as has happened with Wire and the Replacements? >> I think the fact that Bryan Maclean lived in Southern California explains a touch >>of Mex influence. Am I right, West Coasters? But Mexican music doesn't sound like Flamenco. Not even much minor-key stuff in there... more like, um, polka. "Alone Again Or" sounds straight-up Spanish to me. It makes sense that Pacific Coast of the US is where a lot of diverse cultural influences seeped into rock, but why d'ya figure "far east" music never made any inroads? My guess is that either the music followed religious trends, or that Indian music sounds intriguing and beautiful to most Western ears, whereas Chinese and Japanese music-- especially the singing-- just sounds "annoying" to a lot of folks. Not to me, but I've heard a lot of people use that very word, including some people with lots of Ananda Shankar LP's. ______________ Nuppy: >>Geek fact: I have 8 copies of Underwater Moonlight! 5 on vinyl and >>3 on CD. Good lord! Wow. That's somethin'. Although I admit that UM is one of the very few records I have more than two copies of (vinyl, Ryko, Matador)... Verlaine's first solo LP is about to join the club... _________ Just got NDL and smiled a lot on first listen. Then my daughter fell off a chair and was unhappy about it, which kinda broke the spell. But my first impression is very positive and I will elaborate later today... - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 10:51:28 -0700 (PDT) From: "Eugene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: I'm moving to Nextdoorland I bought NDL on CD and vinyl, and have listened to it about ten times. I prefer the sound of the vinyl to the CD, but we won't go there. My LP set has a small pressing flaw on one side (five or six clicks during "My Mind..."), but it sounds great, and the sound of the 7-inch is amazing. Anyway, in a nutshell, I love it. Compared to the guitar-rock I've heard lately, it's an breath of badly needed fresh air. I am especially surprised and pleased by two things: 1) the production, and 2) Matthew's sinewy bass. I think Pat Collier nailed the mix. The tones are natural and vibrant, and the sound of the recording space is lovely. There is a good natural active reverb to the space, and I don't hear much artificial echo (especially on the drums, which is a peeve of mine). I can hear very well the tone of Kimberly's Gibson SG in the right channel and Robyn's Telecaster in the left, and the record just jumps out of the system and fills the room when they get into it, like during "Mr. Kennedy." (Though I know I could be wrong on the guitars; I would love to read a breakdown of the guitars played on the record, what guitars were used for overdubs and so on.) Sure, Robyn's voice may be a little high in the mix, but I can't complain about that during the vocal harmonies. I think the mix has a good, intimate, immediate feel to it, almost like the band is playing in my living room. The harmonies sound great, Matthew's bass is solid, and I can just see Morris in the back, with his sunglasses on and his head tilting left to right as he plays along. The hi-hat on his ride cymbal comes through well, and he's using lovely bright cymbals (Sabians?) and the drums are tuned well. I think Matthew's sinewy bass has a role just as active as Robyn and Kim's guitars, so the guitar interplay is always spot-on. To me, this is an album played by four men who like to play music together. It's the kind of album that makes me want to finally get off my ass and start a band. I think it is a Soft Boys record. A good Soft Boys record. They were, after all (and to me), basically a guitar-bass-drums band who loved to sing harmonies, and play tricky signatures, and have fun. NDL does to me what the other Soft Boys albums do: turn up the volume, air drum, and air guitar like a mad fool. And giggle. And hum song lyrics for days afterwards. The opening of "Strings" kills me, and how can you not grin with the opening of "Sudden Town"? "Yeah! It's just a sudden town!" Even though I have enjoyed Robyn's recent albums -- the "pick up a band, find a producer, rent a studio, and make a record" Robyn, I have always missed the "playing with a full-time band" Robyn -- the Egyptians, the Soft Boys. He's back to that, and I like it. What's more interesting to me is not what he does for the time being (i.e., tour with the Soft Boys), but what he does *next.* Morris, Kimberly, and Morris are all great musicians. Now that they're full-timing it with Robyn again, what will the Soft Boys grow into? The new Soft Boys have gelled. They're gonna kick serious ass on this tour. And I'm gonna be pissed if they don't book a date in Austin or San Antonio, TX, real soon. Heck, they can spend the night at my house if they want. I'll supply the beer and seafood. . New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 12:55:49 -0500 (CDT) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: Multi-culti breakdown On Mon, 30 Sep 2002, Rex.Broome wrote: > >> I think the fact that Bryan Maclean lived in Southern California explains > a touch >>of Mex influence. Am I right, West Coasters? > > But Mexican music doesn't sound like Flamenco. Not even much minor-key > stuff in there... more like, um, polka. "Alone Again Or" sounds straight-up > Spanish to me. Not as if I'm an expert on Mexican music - only what gets played by little trios in Mexican restaurants..but that sounding like a polka isn't an accident, although it's more Tex-Mex. Rafts of Germans settled some particular part of Texas (I forget where), and they brought their damned accordions and two-steps with them, and the locals seemed to pick up on that sound. - --Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html ::American people like their politics like Pez - small, sweet, and ::coming out of a funny plastic head. __Dennis Miller__ np: Neilson Hubbard _The Slide Project_ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 19:10:37 +0100 (BST) From: Jim Davies Subject: next door land My second copy of Nextdoorland, the Japanese version with the extra track, turned up this morning. And I love it. It's the same album (apart from the addition of `Each of her Silver Wands') but it sounds better now, somehow. I didn't love it at first. I liked it, but didn't love it. The silence between the tracks. The fact that I'd already heard all the songs (but I guess I'm not the target market - I'd better not be, because I can't afford to keep the band in shirts, let alone in the style to which I've become a customer). New stuff. Give me more new stuff. It's all wonderful. Particularly `The Disconnection of the Ruling Class' - which is `The Ruling Class' take two. But more so. Mount Vesuvius. Was a member of Slade. Eleanor and I have been singing that since last September. Honest truth. Not some kind of one-up-man from Dorset. The disappointment, for my ignorant ears, was Mr Kennedy. That was so powerful live, by the end, and the sheer menacing strength of it hasn't come across on the CD. Not to me. Maybe not yet. But the rest is the best thing I've ever heard. It grows on you. It still sounds so silent in the spaces between tracks, sudden. So sudden. Is it the way that the tracks start and end, perhaps? Anyway, it reminds me of Underwater Moonlight. Think of how `Queen of Eyes' starts and ends. You can keep the nostalgia. I think that this is the best Soft Boys album. x Jim ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 13:13:18 -0500 (CDT) From: gSs Subject: Re: Multi-culti breakdown On Mon, 30 Sep 2002, Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey wrote: > Not as if I'm an expert on Mexican music - only what gets played by little > trios in Mexican restaurants..but that sounding like a polka isn't an > accident, although it's more Tex-Mex. Rafts of Germans settled some > particular part of Texas (I forget where), and they brought their damned > accordions and two-steps with them, and the locals seemed to pick up on > that sound. the story is, everywhere a german went he left five or six accordians. they forced us to learn. it was like inversive assimilation by saturation. gSs ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 14:01:09 -0400 From: Brian Subject: Re: I'm moving to Nextdoorland At Monday, 30 September 2002, Hoppy wrote: >I think Pat Collier nailed the mix. The tones are natural and vibrant, and the >sound of the recording space is lovely. I would love to >read a breakdown of the guitars played on the record, what guitars were used >for overdubs and so on.) I completely agree. While others are complaining of the mix, I love it. I think it sounds completely natural. I played it for a friend and asked him what year he thought it was from and he said the late 70's. And yes it would be very cool to read a breakdown of the instruments and mix. >Sure, Robyn's voice may be a little high in the mix, but I can't complain about >that during the vocal harmonies. I think the mix has a good, intimate, >immediate feel to it, almost like the band is playing in my living room. Yep. I don't think Robyn's voice is mixed too high. It sounds right to me. Sounds good at home, in my car (the bass really kicks in my car!), and on the headphones (good bike riding music). >Even though I have enjoyed Robyn's recent albums -- the "pick up a band, find a >producer, rent a studio, and make a record" Robyn, I have always missed the >"playing with a full-time band" Robyn -- the Egyptians, the Soft Boys. He's >back to that, and I like it. What's more interesting to me is not what he does >for the time being (i.e., tour with the Soft Boys), but what he does *next.* >Morris, Kimberly, and Morris are all great musicians. Now that they're >full-timing it with Robyn again, what will the Soft Boys grow into? > >The new Soft Boys have gelled. I wonder what will happen after the tour. I'd be surprised (but certainly not disappointed!) if there was another Soft Boys album after this. I can't see RH doing the same thing for too long. I hope it does stick for a while longer. I too love the band thing. And the line- up is killer. Hell, maybe there will be an Egyptians reunion. What is Andy up to anyway. Nuppy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 14:30:20 -0400 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: Multi-culti breakdown >>>I'll tell you the most influential raga rock record of all, and that is "East West" by >>the Butterfield Blues Band Rex: >And I am embarassed not to own it. I'll go with PBBB and "East West". The guitar solos by Mike Bloomfield are very raga-esque. Nuppy: >>Geek fact: I have 8 copies of Underwater Moonlight! 5 on vinyl and >>3 on CD. Good lord! Rex: >Wow. That's somethin'. Although I admit that UM is one of the very few >records I have more than two copies of (vinyl, Ryko, Matador)... Verlaine's >first solo LP is about to join the club... My most copies would probably be Layla, 2 on LP (one from January of 1971) and 2 on CD (one is the 20th Anniversary CD box set). Has anyone picked up the re-mastered Peter Gabriel #3 Melt and Security yet? I have them in the original CD forms and wondered about the sound improvement on the re-masters. I just bought bought #1 Car and #2 Scratch on CD (re-mastered) for the first time, having only the LP versions heretofore. Michael B. NP Buddy Guy Sweet Tea ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 14:34:41 -0400 From: Brian Subject: Hard as a Diamond Unprotected Love: still seems like a song about sex to me. Probably still my fav on NDL. Japanese Captain: Really growing on me. Didn't to it at 1st, but now it's connecting. Best line on the album is "But under your fingers is better" again very sexual. I hope they do BLACK SNAKE DIAMOND ROCK on this tour. That would rawk. Slooow monday, Nuppy PS did anyone else notice that The Bible Of Bop is being re-released? Bonus cuts? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 11:53:52 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: np. "I Love Lucy" from NDL, on KCRW. Cool. When you hear it on the radio, next to anything by anyone else, it damn well sounds like the Soft Boys... even without a big Robyn lead vocal. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 11:55:04 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: And... Nic Harcourt just confirmed the SB's live on the program Nov. 4. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 12:18:00 -0700 From: Eb Subject: #308 >From: Michael R Godwin > >* Both Rex and Eb claim 'Paint it, black' as a raga rock record. This is >totally new to me - I just don't see it. 'Paint it, black' >is obviously flamenco rock. Flamenco? Sounds like "Bolero"? Huh? I suppose "Paint It Black" is more Arabic/Turkish than Indian, now that I think about it more. But I'm sure not buying the "flamenco" theory -- the rhythm is far too manic and up-and-down insistent. And it does have a raga feel, in as much that the central hook wiggles around a single drone pitch. >* IIRC, 'Norwegian Wood' is the first actual use of a sitar on a pop >record, but even that isn't raga rock, it's just a folky tune. The verse has a very raga-like feel where, again, all the music is layered over one sustained drone pitch. The bridge breaks from this style, but I'd definitely say the verse is raga-influenced. > OTOH, that >Harrison one which goes "dung diddy dung, de diddly ung DUNG - make love >all day long" is definitely raga rock. What's it called? Right, "Love You To." Non-Beatlefans, I tell ya. >PS Have you noticed how "White Rabbit" often gets credited to 'Slick', so >that you assume it's by Grace, and not by her brother Paul? Seems like you don't have your facts straight. "Slick" is Grace's *married* name (maiden name: Wing), so her brother wouldn't have the last name Slick. And my recollection is that "White Rabbit" *was* written by Grace, but that "Somebody to Love" was written by her brother-in-law *Darby* Slick. No? Somebody wish me happy birthday, or I'll whine. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 12:30:12 -0700 From: "Marc Holden" Subject: re: NDL Vinyl >Alright. I bought both the vinyl and CD version of NDL. >Question before I open the record: Does it have a picture sleeve. >And does the 7" have a picture sleeve or is it just white? Anything >specially different from the vinyl and the CD cosmeticly? >Geek fact: I have 8 copies of Underwater Moonlight! 5 on vinyl and >3 on CD. Good lord! Plain white sleeves on both the 7" and inner sleeves. Black vinyl. 11 copies--7 vinyl and 4 CD. Later, Marc I think the mistake a lot of us make is thinking the state-appointed psychiatrist is our "friend." Jack Handey ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 15:55:23 -0400 (EDT) From: Christopher Gross Subject: Nextdoorland (not a review; not much of anything really) I haven't actually heard NDL yet, but according to Amazon.com's package tracking, it and the Buffy musical CD are waiting in my mailbox even as I write this. Woohoo! And I'd like to add that Amazon's "Super Saver" shipping is a pretty good deal -- I've used it a few times now, and each time it was just as fast as their regular shipping. Happy Birthday, Eb! But don't let me stop you from whining, so long as you can whine in an entertaining fashion. - --Chris now searching for: strings of purple Halloween lights. I've only seen orange ones so far. ______________________________________________________________________ Christopher Gross On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog. chrisg@gwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 15:53:53 -0400 From: Brian Subject: re: NDL Vinyl At Monday, 30 September 2002, Marc wrote: Underwater Moonlight: >11 copies--7 vinyl and 4 CD. Later, Marc Christ! Now I don't feel so geeky. You win! Interested to hear Eddie, Bayard, and Woj's opinion of NDL, Nuppy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 16:20:19 -0400 From: Ken Ostrander Subject: Re: #308 >Somebody wish me happy birthday, or I'll whine. happy birthday you raga-flamenco madman! according to _the secret language of birthdays_ today is the day of glaring truth. hmmm... by way, i've seen the title listed both "paint it black" and "paint it, black". who could they be addressing in the later? is it another case of the glimmer twins trying to get people riled up? ken "tomorrow never knows" the kenster np sea change beck ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 09:55:30 +1200 From: grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan) Subject: Re: raga Jeffrey Fortissimo a dit: >"White Rabbit," yes on the "Bolero" - but not the other two. You're right >about the flamenco influence...but where does that come from? THat's right >- - the several centuries of Moorish dominance of Spanish culture, and so >the characteristic flamenco sequence of E, F, G (implying a flatted second >minor scale) is Arabic in origin. Once again, an Eastern influence. for further proof of this, have a listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's album "Devotional songs". Despite being (virtually) pure Pakistani Qawwali, it has a very Spanish feel in places. In part this is no doubt strengthened by the use of a guitar among the usual mix of harmonium, tabla and mandolin, but even so, the structure of a piece like "Haq Ali Ali Haq" is a clear indication of where the Spanish got a lot of their musical ideas. Similarly, and for much the same reason, some very old central European traditional dance rhythms have a very Celtic feel. James James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand. =-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= .-=-.-=-.-=-.- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-. -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= You talk to me as if from a distance =-.-=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time -=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 15:12:30 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Enhanced, Death, Horses, and Scary Monsters on 9/27/02 7:23 PM, mary at mad@loona.net wrote: > Does anyone know a woman who has achieve an orgasm while riding? I've > been riding since I was a little girl and have never had the pleasure ; 0 I think you're supposed to mount the horse on the underside. Apparently it's a "Great" ride. Thank you, - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 20:16:30 -0400 From: mary Subject: interesting list (0%Robyn, SB) For a mere 100k + you can have Radiohead play in your living room: http://www.clearchannelcollegeentertainment.com/SearchResults.asp?Artist=%25 s.Mary np - Voltaire, "When You're Evil" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 20:36:45 -0400 From: Steve Talkowski Subject: Re: interesting list (0%Robyn, SB) On Monday, September 30, 2002, at 08:16 PM, mary wrote: > For a mere 100k + you can have Radiohead play in your living room And Carrot Top for only 30k - what a bargain! *shudder* ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 19:57:58 -0500 From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: Re: NDL Vinyl >From: Brian > >Question before I open the record: Does it have a picture sleeve. >And does the 7" have a picture sleeve or is it just white? Anything >specially different from the vinyl and the CD cosmeticly? Both LP and 7" come in white paper sleeves. Cosmetically there isn't any difference between the LP and CD (other than that Lal's sculpture looks much better on the LP cover). ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 21:38:40 -0500 From: "Michael Wells" Subject: Nextdoorland Gene: > Sure, Robyn's voice may be a little high in the mix, but I can't complain about > that during the vocal harmonies. I think the mix has a good, intimate, > immediate feel to it, almost like the band is playing in my living room. Hmm, can't go along with that. I agree with Matthew on this one, I think there's too much distance. Would love to hear Kim much higher in the mix, I find myself having to actively FIND his parts rather more than I would like. This is my only complaint. Gene again: > I think it is a Soft Boys record. A good Soft Boys record. They were, after > all (and to me), basically a guitar-bass-drums band who loved to sing > harmonies, and play tricky signatures, and have fun. Amen. Firstly, I'm not entirely sure what was meant by the remark that reviews were coming in "light," except that maybe that they should have been taken at face value. There is a damn good reason, and that's because this album is really quite good. I adore "Underwater Moonlight," and "Can of Bees" is fun as hell...but (cue sfx: silly French accent) I've already got one, you see? I don't want another album that sounds like "Rout of the Clones," I want to hear what the SB's are feeling today, what they've learned in the past twenty years, what it felt like to get back together again. If something like 'UM part II' had been released instead, I would have been pretty pissed. I also appreciate the concerted effort put into making sure that this new music was well worked out, and indeed road-tested, before being released. Over half the album has been in fegdom for at least a year now; hell, RH started playing Mr. Kennedy in 2000 IIRC. I've been actively listening to and trading the 2001 shows, so I've had the chance to hear "Pulse," "Mind is Connected...," "Sudden Town," and "MrK" well over a hundred times each. They are perfect little gems. "Unprotected" and "La Cherite" where both played on RH's Spring tour as well, and exhibit a similar polish. IMHO this is an object lesson in songwriting and if perhaps Ross was right about the commercial slant, I still like it. A lot. "Unprotected" is lyrical dynamite, but is the only one where I prefer a different treatment (give me the solo RH percussive acoustic version, like Chicago 4/16/02). I really do enjoy the slightly more sinister aspect "MrK" seems to have on the album vs. solo RH and the SB's tour. But overall "Pulse" is my favorite new song, has been since the very first time I heard it, and I think improves on the record from live. What an AMAZING song, capturing a very delicate emotion/ripple/thread/pulse. God, I wish I could write like that! This is also an album where the music matches up to the lyric on each every track, enhancing and further defining what is being said. No mean feat, that. Jim: >You can keep the nostalgia...I think that this is the best Soft Boys album. I'm going to reserve that judgement for a bit, but from what I see so far I'm likely to agree. Michael "did I mention that I liked it?" Wells Ps. we should have a caption contest for the inside cover table photo! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 20:10:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Dwarf Subject: Re: ragas Michael R Godwin wrote: > PS Have you noticed how "White Rabbit" often gets credited to > 'Slick', so that you assume it's by Grace, and not by her brother > Paul? Grace's maiden name was Wing -- Slick came from her first husband, Jerry who was in The Great Society with her, and his brother Darby, who wrote "Somebody to Love." My copy of _Surrealistic Pillow,_ for what it's worth lists both Grace and Darby's first names in the songwriting credits. ===== "If we don't allow journalists, politicians, and every two-bit Joe Schmo with a cause to grandstand by using 9-11 as a lame rhetorical device, then the terrorists have already won." -- "Shredder" "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt . New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 22:44:32 -0500 (CDT) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: interesting list (0%Robyn, SB) On Mon, 30 Sep 2002, Steve Talkowski wrote: > On Monday, September 30, 2002, at 08:16 PM, mary wrote: > > > For a mere 100k + you can have Radiohead play in your living room > > And Carrot Top for only 30k - what a bargain! *shudder* I think we should take up a collection - only it'll be a *special* living room, like equipped with rotating knives. - --Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html ::[clever or pithy quote]:: __[source of quote]__ ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V11 #309 ********************************