From: owner-sycophant-digest@smoe.org (sycophant-digest) To: sycophant-digest@smoe.org Subject: sycophant-digest V4 #151 Reply-To: sycophant@smoe.org Sender: owner-sycophant-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-sycophant-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk sycophant-digest Monday, November 22 1999 Volume 04 : Number 151 Today's Subjects: ----------------- sycophant the dresses song [Xian ] Re: sycophant the dresses song [Kathryn Case ] Re: sycophant the dresses song ["Kevin Kormylo" ] Re: sycophant the dresses song [Kathryn Case ] sycophant Re: happiness on capitol & 4ad ["Roderick Saunders" Subject: sycophant the dresses song Wait, that song is supposed to be cynical? I haven't heard the Capitol version, but it sounds sincere to me on the 4AD release. Please explain why it's ironic and cynical Emily Female trouble. Evening the score. Hysteria. Resistance. Whatever you want to call it - we've had enough. It all starts and stops here. -Siobhan McCracken of Homewrecker Foundation, an all female electronica record label - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 17:20:02 -0600 From: Kathryn Case Subject: Re: sycophant the dresses song OK, since Emily came forward so bravely, I'll chime in. I, too, think the song is sincere. Just imagine she is singing it to her little cowboy. I don't hear the "dark and nasty" that Robey hears. Like Emily, I've only heard the 4AD version. However, assuming the song is sincere, it's sad that she doesn't like to sing it any more. Alas, sincere love is so ephemeral! ~Kathryn - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 17:18:51 -0800 From: "Kevin Kormylo" Subject: Re: sycophant the dresses song You have to hear the Capitol version to answer that, they are completely different takes on romance and vulnerability! - -----Original Message----- From: Xian To: sycophant@smoe.org Date: Sunday, November 21, 1999 3:41 PM Subject: sycophant the dresses song > >Wait, that song is supposed to be cynical? I haven't heard the Capitol >version, but it sounds sincere to me on the 4AD release. Please explain >why it's ironic and cynical > >Emily > >Female trouble. Evening the score. Hysteria. Resistance. Whatever you want >to call it - we've had enough. It all starts and stops here. > > -Siobhan McCracken of Homewrecker Foundation, an all female > electronica record label > > > > > >------- >The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ >------- >To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: >unsubscribe sycophant > >If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, >they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list >address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before >unsubbing. > > - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 20:23:22 -0600 From: Kathryn Case Subject: Re: sycophant the dresses song One more reason for me to look for the Capitol "Happiness." Or is it "happiness?" ~Kathryn - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 14:56:56 GMT+0930 From: "Roderick Saunders" Subject: sycophant Re: happiness on capitol & 4ad Had always assumed Happiness on 4AD would be better than the first attempt, and hadn't thought there was much room for improvement, but reading the comments lately has made me not so sure. If I ever find a copy of the Capitol version I'll have to hear for myself. Rod - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 23:14:17 -0600 From: Brian Binder Subject: Re: sycophant Re: happiness on capitol & 4ad Rod I felt the way you do and just happened to see a Capitol copy on ebay for a reasonable price and ended up winning the bid. Much to my surprise I liked most of the versions on there better than the 4AD version. "Dresses" is way better... Brian Roderick Saunders wrote: > Had always assumed Happiness on 4AD would be better than the > first attempt, and hadn't thought there was much room for > improvement, but reading the comments lately has made me not > so sure. If I ever find a copy of the Capitol version I'll have to hear > for myself. > > Rod > > ------- > The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ > ------- > To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: > unsubscribe sycophant > > If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, > they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list > address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before > unsubbing. - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 00:56:32 -0500 (EST) From: jason and jill Subject: Re: sycophant Re: happiness on capitol & 4ad On Sun, 21 Nov 1999, Brian Binder wrote: > Rod I felt the way you do and just happened to see a Capitol copy on ebay for > a reasonable price and ended up winning the bid. Much to my surprise I liked > most of the versions on there better than the 4AD version. "Dresses" is way > better... > > Brian The Capitol's a much poppier, tamer, easier to digest, and more quality pop album vs. the 4AD, which is more conceptual, more densely produced, and edgier. Dresses pretty much points out the difference. There are all kinds of versions of Dresses (not just the Capitol and 4AD, but also multiple 4AD versions--the Inconsiderate Bitch EP's Late Night Dresses is NOT the 4AD Happiness Dresses Song). Dresses got Lisa the Capitol album, and she went through version after version hating the thing b/c all Capitol wanted was an album of Dresses songs. Hence changing the name to "The Dresses Song" and her generally hating the thing. We can debate about whether or not the song is sarcastic. I've always taken "So much safer in your castle--mine got lost somewhere" as the meaning of the song--she's lost, kinda pathetic, and dependant on the guy. In other words, Puppet without fully realizing what's going on. The problem with a sarcastic song, like Paula Cole found out with her cowboy song, is that most people, americans in particular, don't get sarcasm. Worse, people that don't get sarcasm don't even notice it is there, and take things literally. The main differences between the Capitol and 4AD versions are that 4AD has more dissonant mixes, have some instrumental ticks meant to spotlight where the lyrics are being sarcastic, and the song order puts more aggressive tracks first. I listen to the 4AD version MUCH more, and the Capitol seems much more like there were a bunch of suits checking by the studio every day saying, "C'mon, Lisa, let's seem a big CHEERFUL grin, happy songs, Lis'. You can do it--come on, one more dresses song." Jason - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ End of sycophant-digest V4 #151 ******************************* ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to sycophant-owner@smoe.org