Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Fri, 18 Dec 1992 10:55:06 EST
From:         "Michael H. Bloom" <MHB@MITVMA.BITNET>
Subject:      Avant moi la deluge, part 1

From:         jkh2001@ANDY.BGSU.EDU
Subject:      Fond Farewell

> OMC:  Does anyone out there know the lyrics to their alma mater?

We are ever true to Brown
For we love our college dear
And wherever we may go
We are ready with a beer
And the people always say (What do they say?)
That you can't out-drink Brown men
With our Scotch on rye
And our whiskey dry
And our B-O-U-R-B-O-N.

> King Jeremy the Wicked (who graduates tomorrow)

My sincerest congratulations.

From:         Elf1154 <elf1154.dsc1@PCMAIL.DCCCD.EDU>
Subject:      Frustration...non-musical -Reply

> I agree with you!! I am tired of subsidising other people's
> insecurity and desire to make everyone join in their indulgences.
> It's about time we quit worshiping alcohol and sex.

Alcohol I can take or leave, and generally prefer to leave (my alma mater
as quoted above notwithstanding), but I hold sex in deep and heartfelt
reverence. And so does Libby Doe.

> We need to also realize that we could save a lot of $$$ if we cut
> out some of the overindulgence these activities.

Then what are you saving your money for?

From:         Leonard Watkins <ISTS024@UABDPO.BITNET>
Subject:      Best Band Ever

> Was reading the new Guitar World (it was free i wouldn't buy this trash)
> and there is a great article on the History of The Allman Bros and it
> said that Duanne would pay the roadies b4 the band got paid, that's great
> they lived off two of the roadies gov checks for a few years and the roadies
> were a big prt of the band and that's why their picture is on the cover of
> FIllmore East.

And that's also why it was such an asshole maneuver for Gregg to testify
against his roadie for drugs just to save his own sorry ass. But by then,
with Duane and Berry dead, the band had ceased to matter to me. Their new
live record made a number of critics' Best of 1992 lists, but I don't think
they're much more than a nostalgia act now.

> Question: The artice said that at one time "The Bros" were considered the
> best rock band ever.....Personally I can't argue with that, but i'm sure
> everyone has their choices....What would be your choice...I know it's hard
> to choose one, but what the hell try it anyway..........L.W.

Actually that's easy: Henry Cow. The CD reissues are horrid remixes, butyou
can still get some of the flavor of their absolutely groundbreaking modern
electric chamber compositions, like the best of instrumental Zappa with a side
of Soft Machine in Olivier Messiaen sauce. _The Henry Cow Legend_ is the acme
of jazz-rock fusion (I think even Beer likes it, and I doubt Drummer does :-).
_Unrest_ is quiet and somber, starring the non-rock'n'roll instrumentation--
violin, bassoon, xylophone, etc. _In Praise of Learning_ is their political
album, very Brechtian in its righteous wrath against capitalist alienation :-)
but the remix on this one particularly sucks. _Western Culture_ was their
swan song, industrial music as Anton Webern might have done it. Their double
live album is scheduled for reissue next year, with bonus tracks.

From:         Ken Koester <MAINT2@ERS.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Catching up with ALLMUSIC

> On Thu, 17 Dec 1992 10:52:57 EST <RTURNBUL@TOROVM1.VNET.IBM.COM> said:
> >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...

Yes, I'm afraid _The Power and the Glory_ is their most difficult record--
the contrapuntal writing is at its most convoluted here, and overall it's a
pretty angry record. (Its release coincided with Richard Nixon's resignation
over Watergate, although Gentle Giant claimed that was just a coincidence.)
The most immediately likeable tunes are "Play the Game," where that guitar
figure stays constant and the bass part modulates behind it; "Cogs in Cogs,"
with all those loops, especially in the break (note how the rhythms of the
bass, the voice, and the solo synth mesh); and the gorgeous vocal resolution
of the track after that, whose title I forget... "No God's a Man," maybe?

But yeah, _Octopus_ is a better introduction to Gentle Giant.

Late news: CD copies of _In a Glass House_ have been spotted, imported from
England!

> Perhaps not that difficult.  The 2 albums I have--courtesy of net
> recommendations--sound not-quite-like-early-Jethro-Tull, but as if the band
> had *listened* to early Tull & decided to go out and do something similar.

Yeah, that's a fair statement-- they have a certain folkie-cum-early music
orientation in common. Gentle Giant were a bit more academic about it, with
actual fugatos in their repertoire, something Anderson wouldn't bother to do.
The other notable difference is that Giant were a much more democratic band--
where Tull is firmly centered around Anderson's voice and flute, Giant allowed
the focus of a tune to wander around amongst all the bizarre instruments at
their command: sax, violin, cello, xylophone, their ad hoc recorder consorts,
etc.

From:         Mick Jeffries <MICK.JEFFRIES@UKWANG.UKY.EDU>
Subject:      re: Negativland

> Yeah, I guess that interview took place a little while ago 'cause Negland also
>  put it in this zine of their own which was dedicated to documentation of the
>  whole U2 thing.  It's a great package complete with a "Crosley Bendix" cd
>  discussing the matter in philosophical, often comic terms.  Just another
>  peice of "obscura" from the gurus.  No major (or minor) label backing here!

Not only no backing, but the latest news is that Greg Ginn, who runs SST, is
reputed to be suing the Negs to prevent them doing a second printing of that
magazine, entitled _The Letter 2 and the Numeral U_. I shoulda bought it when
they came to play-- but I had limited bucks and really wanted the Amy Denio
cassette instead.

From:         crispen <crispen@EFFTOO.BOEING.COM>
Subject:      Teddy Bears' Picnic

> Who would know better than ALLMUSIC what these lyrics are?  And
> so I ask you kind people for help.  Help!

I truly wish I could help you with this one; it'd be so much less of an
embarrassment than "Strangers in the Night" :-) But no, I don't know it.

From:         "OUT,
              OUT - YOU'LL NOT FEEL THE FALL-OUT..." <OLIVOTTO@ITNCISCA.BITNET>
Subject:      Happy Xmas + 1993

>         I'll leave you all with a kuzmic question: I got "Automatic For The
> People" yesterday. I find it good -- wouldn't die for it, but I like it --;
> but only if it comes through my loudspeakers. I can't stand it in headphones!
> Why, in your opinion? 8-)
>
>         Oh, before you ask: both speakers and headphones are functional and
> work well... :)

Oh. I was going to suggest that your speakers were defective :-)

BTW, I'd be delighted to see you when you hit Boston.

From:         Michael <EVK102@URIACC.URI.EDU>
Subject:      Lemonheads

> The Lemonheads are a group somewhat like the Decendants, 7 Seconds,
> Greenday, etc.  If you like this kind of stuff, I suggest buying Create
> Your Friends, which is a combination of two different albums (sort of
> raw and hard.)  The Lemonheads just released a new album.  I have only
> heard the ffirst single off of it, "It's a Shame About Ray."  It completely
> surprised me when they announced that it was the newest from the Lemonheads
> because its sort of easygoing and slow and peaceful.  A complete 360.
> Don't get the newest one unless you know what you arre getting into.

The Lemonheads used to be a real band, but now it's just Evan Dando going
into the studio with whoever, so you lose that visceral quality of a live
band cranking it out. That notwithstanding, it's acceptable post-Husker Du
pop songwriting, albeit pretty unfocused at times. A friend of mine claims
the Lemonheads' (former) other songwriter was much better at it than Dando,
but apparently Dando got to keep the band name.

I recently received a press release from Relativity, bragging that they'd
signed a real hot Boston band called Contagious, reputed to be packing them
in in club dates all over town. I swear I've never heard of them. Anybody?
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