From: MHB@MITVMA.BITNET (Michael H. Bloom)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Subject: Mysterious semblance at the strand of nightmares
Date: 14 Oct 92 17:15:10 GMT
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU

From:         TBUCK@KNOX.BITNET
Subject:      Re: New Thread

> On a similar topic, what are your favorite "various artists" CD's? And I'm
> really not refering to those Billboard compilation CD's, or other
> compilations made simply to try and sell some top-ten hits to people who
> only listen to the radio. A couple of my favorites are:

I like a lot of the tribute records, especially the ones Hal Willner's done on
jazz guys like Monk. Has anybody got the Mingus tribute _Weird Nightmare_ yet,
and interested in posting a review?

Some of the Imaginary Records series on seminal (mostly) British artists are
nice, although they suffer from a kinda textbook "alternative" orientation. I
like the Hendrix record (Monks of Doom doing "Spanish Castle Magic," Bob Weir
with Henry Kaiser's band doing "If 6 Was 9," and someone that I suspect is XTC
in paisley drag doing a surprisingly accurate "Third Stone from the Sun"). The
Beefheart and Syd Barrett tributes are also real good, and the Kinks and Byrds
tributes have their moments. I didn't like the Stones tribute much, but that's
possibly because I kinda feel like at least half of all the rock music there is
already owes its soul to the Stones, so why bother making an explicit tribute?

Also of note: when Alternative Tentacles observed that they were getting up to
their 100th release, they decided to make a Dead Kennedys tribute. As far as I
know, it has no other title than _Virus 100_, but it's got some inspired covers
on it, including Napalm Death and Sepultura doing straight speed metal, Mojo
Nixon doing his scuzzy hootenanny thing, Kramer doing something quite spacey
and contemplative-- some real surprises. I recommend it.

From:         crispen <crispen@EFFTOO.BOEING.COM>
Subject:      Reve ou cauchemar

> What everybody seems to be forgetting is that Sinead is babe-a-licious!

Hmm, I prefer my babes with hair.

From:         MCINTYRE@MSUPA.BITNET
Subject:      re: Lifeless Air Pudding

> >(wonder what the Bloom-man thinks of your aspersions on "ambience")
>
> I think he's playing a similar game of confounding expectations.
> The imagery associated with ambient music is rural, if not bucolic.
> Urban Ambience must seem an oxymoron to New Agers.

Substantially correct. I fear we've been losing the "urban" part lately, as
we've been leaving the drum machines home and under-utilizing the delay lines.
We've gotta get back some of that aggressive noise. We need to concoct some
newer material anyway; I'm getting sick of most of our book.

From:         Dave Hall <USTS060@UABDPO.DPO.UAB.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Irish music/religion

>      If you think about it artists who use their media to make a point or
> express their views are really few and far between.  U2 started as a political
> band, but have since given up on that (Political bands don't make much money,
> just look at Elvis Costello).  Even Bob Dylan's latest work seems to lack
> it's earlier power and voice.  What's happening here?  Why has speaking
> out become such a major deal?  And why do we chastise people who do?

I dunno. Everybody I know who likes Midnight Oil likes them for their political
stances first and foremost, and then maybe mentions as a footnote that they
rock the house. Zappa's pretty outspoken about various issues that interest
him, including the notorious record labelling hearings-- and it's interesting
to me that the attack dogs of the far right, who you'd expect to be clamoring
for his head on a family values platter, never do. I guess they really are your
classic schoolyard bullies, who'll stop picking on anyone who ever fights back.
I think Zappa gets more respect than about 80% of his music actually deserves,
just because of his willingness to remind people what the First Amendment says.
And I certainly endorse his efforts to do so, I just don't feel like a reissue
of "Titties and Beer" is the pinnacle of musical achievement.

Of course, it depends what it is you have to say. G.G. Allin considers himself
a political prisoner-- he appears to think that beating up women in the cause
of rock'n'roll is constitutionally protected speech. I think he's a fruitcake.
I wonder what would happen if somebody like Roky Erickson came out and said he
saw George Bush personally meet with the Ayatollah's reps in Paris. I doubt
anybody would believe him, even if his "gremlins have pictures" :-)

On a related note:

From:         S1MBM@ISUVAX.BITNET
Subject:      Re: you read it, you call it

> the Pope.  Let's be honest:  Don't O'Connor and Madonna bug you because they
> are virtually the only women covered by worldwide media who refuse to act
> in the compliant ways you think women should.

Well, they bug me because neither one can sing their way out of a paper bag.
I'm familiar with the media-feminist position that Madonna's a great liberating
force for convincing women they can take control of their own sexuality, and
I have trouble squaring that notion with her belt buckle that said "Boy Toy."
Surely I can't be the only one that sees some inconsistencies here.

As for Sinead, she's gonna be perceived purely as an airhead until she stops
losing her temper in public fora. Whoever produced Peter Gabriel's _US_
also accomplished a minor miracle in getting Sinead to sing on key in
"Blood of Eden."

From:         WK7@CORNELLC.BITNET
Subject:      everything

> Paul - you're the 1st person in ages that even has heard of Curved Air.
> Is there any way I can get copies of any of their stuff from you...I'll
> send the blanks if you like. I remember them from the early 70's and I
> really liked the psychedelic sound of them. Let me know, either on this
> net or at wk7@cornellc.bitnet. Thanks.

My favorite Curved Air record is _Phantasmagoria_, where Way wrote some of his
best tunes ever and Monkman got to mess around with some musique concrete
techniques. This album also contains "Not Quite the Same," one of the cutest
songs about masturbation this side of "Pictures of Lily."

>   Pride of Man                           Quicksilver

I bought this record because of "Gold and Silver," which they used to play on
WBCN, back when there was such a thing as mass-market free form radio...

From:         WEINDAN@HWS.BITNET
Subject:      XTC, how are they?

> Can anyone give me their opinion of the band XTC?

Yes, they're brilliant. They haven't made a bad record yet. I would advise a
neophyte to start with _Skylarking_, or maybe _Oranges and Lemons_, and then
work your way up to _The Big Express_ and _Black Sea_.

From:         "(Jeff Preston)" <bt979@CLEVELAND.FREENET.EDU>
Subject:      Re: XTC, how are they?

>  "Dear God" is but a speck of excreta compared to "Wake Up" or "Yacht Dance"
> or even "No Thugs In Our House," so there.  :)

Yes, but what great excreta! And how can you not go on to mention "The Everyday
Story of Smalltown" or "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her" or "It's Nearly
Africa" or "Respectable Street" or...

Here's another group that takes some quite outspoken positions and never gets
tagged as a politico. I think superior craftsmanship helps XTC pull it off.
When Sinead writes a song as good as "Scarecrow People," "This World Over,"
"Ball and Chain," or, yeah, "No Thugs in Our House," then I'll take her
seriously.

From:         "Sebastian J. Welton ECNOD/CS" <SWELTON@ESOC.BITNET>
Subject:      Up coming music events in the Rhein-Main area (updates)

> 01/11 # 24th German Jazz Festival Frankfurt feat. Melody 4 (Tony Coe,
>         Lol Coxhill, Steve Beresford), Sonny Sharrock, The Art Of The
>         Slide Guitar feat. David Lindley, Henry Kaiser, Bob Brozman,
>         Freddie Roulette, Scott Colby, and others - Bockenheimer Depot,
>         Frankfurt

How come they never book festivals like this in my country? :-(

(Holds up a picture of George Wein and tears it up.) Fight the real enemy!