Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Thu, 17 Dec 1992 10:52:57 EST
From:         RTURNBUL@TOROVM1.VNET.IBM.COM
Subject:      Catching up with ALLMUSIC

A few random ramblings...

Libby said:

>>Hopping Penguins

>Ahhhhhh ha ha... never heard of this crew.  Fill me in... (oh baby oh)

Hey, my Christmas wish comes true! B-)

OK, I think I've mentioned the Hopping Penguins before, but once more can't
hurt. They're a group from the East Coast who play a rock-flavoured ska that
just kills live. A good friend of mine is the sister of the recently departed
guitarist Steve (he left to get his PhD in Oceanography) and he once wished me
a Happy Birthday from the stage...Another of their former guitarists (who is
featured on their album) is also a PhD. The one and only album available is
called _Trombone Chromosome_. Has some good bouncy stuff, slower reggae and a
very good cover of "Hey Joe". Live is where they really stand out though...

>OMC: Pure's _Pureafunalia_ is great... get it mr. tee...

OK, now you help me out a bit. Just on the recommendations I've heard so far, I
do believe I will pick up Pure, but howz about some additional info?


Rosemary had said:

>>with all that so-so talent out here, is it no wonder why I import my preferred

And Libby responded:

>Oh gad...  *sputter*  *spit*   someone... cummon... hold me back!  Typical
>apathetic Canadian remark.... gad...

I know we've covered this already, but I do have to agree with Carol here. I
know enough people that just assume we don't have as much talent as the US or
Britain. "You mean they're from here?" or "Never heard of them before" are
standard refrains heard...Put some effort into learning what's out there
before making blanket generalizations...


Jade asked:

> Anyone else have a few cents on this? How many songs/stupid ads
>can you name?

I guess the one that bugged me the most was actually a TV show's theme. The
show was called "Doctor, Doctor" and used a butchered version of "Good Lovin'".
I've also noticed many commercials that "pretend" to have their own music, but
it's really a basic ripoff of another tune. A recent perfume commercial uses
"My Definiton of a Boombastic Jazz Style", but changes it just a little. Of
course that song sampled the theme from an old Canadian game show to start
with, so...


Paul was digging for some dirt:

>Gentle Giant: Acquiring the Taste, Free Hand, Gentle Giant, Octopus,
>              Three Friends

I recently picked up _The Power and The Glory_ and _Octopus_ because of some
recommendations. If you don't quite know what to expect, this is very difficult
music to get into. I've only given both of them 2 or 3 spins, but there's a lot
of quirky stuff that surprised me. I prefer _Octopus_ at the moment and I think
I'll come to like that one...

>Hawkwind has quite a few titles available as US CDs and a ton that
>haven't crossed the pond yet.  _Hall of the Mountain Grill_ is probably
>my all-time favorite album.  _In Search of Space_ and _Space Ritual_
>are a bit more hard core.

_Hall of the Mountain Grill_ is superb. Johnny Mac said the closest he could
pinpoint them to was Blue Oyster Cult. Throw in some FM (the group, not the
radio frequencies) and you're getting closer. I'd also recommend _Levitation_,
although it sounds like they rushed through that one just a bit...


L.W. was pondering:

>What is your favorite album cover.

I always liked _Moving Pictures_ by Rush. The group of people are watching men
move pictures and are also being moved (emotionally) by these pictures as they
move in front of them. Also, one of the pictures is "Dogs Playing Poker"...

I recently picked up Husker Du's _Warehouse: Songs and Stories_ and I love the
wonderful mix of colours on the cover. This is when I miss the full size albums
as compared to the smaller surface areas of the CD packages.

For strangeness, the new Tragically Hip _Fully Completely_ is right up there.
Body parts drawn all over the place.

>_Mom's Apple Pie_, a completely forgettable band produced by one-time Grand
>Funk impresario Terry Knight.  I believe the estimable Mr McIntyre described
>the details of this album-cover painting once before (the group was from his
>neck o' the woods, after all), but for those who missed it: the painting
>depicted a young lady holding a freshly-baked pie with one slice missing.
>The cut-out section of the pie thus faced the viewer; at the point of the
>cut was a clearly detailed vaginal opening. The young lady was licking her
>lips. Rarely does one get a chance to see such exquisitely detailed
>tastelessness.

Kind of similar to an album released a few years ago by Warrant called _Cherry
Pie_ (completely worthless musical trash). On the cover was a waitress who had
just dropped a wedge of pie from her plate. The piece is in mid air located
just in front of her genital region. Ah, sublety!


Mike was commenting:

>Ahh, yes.  I did the same thing too.  My parents had a Panasonic portable
>with one of those microphones with an on-off switch.  I carried that around
>the house like an appendage.  I remember recording songs off the radio
>and from the weensy-weensy speaker of the color tv, complete with the
>high pitch tv whine that accompanies them recordings.

Yeah, I taped a bunch of TV themes as well. "Emergency", "Barney Miller" (my
all-time fave - what a great bass riff!), etc. The rest of my family thought it
was really strange. They didn't understand that this was important archival
work!!


I went to see Handel's Messiah last night performed by the Toronto Mendelson
Choir. It was actually the first time I've ever heard the whole thing. The
first half was quite slow and, well, boring. The second half however, took a
much improved turn and was very enjoyable. Especially the part where the whole
choir sings "We all like sheep"...

Bob Tee
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