XTC info & assorted stuff from a new reader

[FULIGIN%UMass.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Peter E. Lee)]

Hi-ho, I'm new to the net, but fairly knowledgeable about 'new music',
so here goes :
On XTC :
     (My favorite group)
     As of the last issue of 'The Little Express' (the Canadian fan-club
newsletter), the band have not yet chosen a producer or studio for their
next album, but they have already written around 20 tracks.  A complete
list of song titles is available, my favorite being "Gang way, electric
guitar coming through".  They hope to have the album out by Easter.
     I find that "25 O'clock" is all the more brilliant if you realize
that it was done as a joke.  It was released on April Fool's Day in England
last year, and is meant as a tribute to/send up of the psychadelic bands that
XTC grew up on.  All of the lyrics and music on that EP were recorded in
one take.  I think, however, that the band have really captured the soul of
the music - each of the songs has a timeless quality which the best of the
original psychadellic music did, but which so little of the music of the
'paisley underground' does today.  (The preceding was an incitement to riot
for some parties I'm sure).

On The Golden Palominoes :
     The line-up which played at UMASS (the first official date of their
first official tour) was :
     Anton Fier, Syd Straw, Peter Blegvad, Chris Stamey (SP?), Bernie
Worrel, Jodie Harris, Jack Bruce, and a female singer/synth-player whose
name escapes me.
     I got to talk to the band before the show for awhile, and it sounds
like Stype will be joining them for the west coast dates.  It also emerged
that the current line-up is basically settled and won't be changing too
much in the future.  IE, those people who are on tour are the 'real'
Golden Palominoes, and will be appearing on all future albums.

On Peter Blegvad :
     Now playing with the Golden Palominoes, Peter Blegvad is one of my
three favourite songwriters (the other two being Andy Partridge and
Declan McManus/Elvis Costello).  He was formerly a member of the bands
'Faust' and 'Slapp Happy', and has also released two excellent solo LP's,
six or seven songs from which the Golden Palominoes are doing live.  The
albums are 'The Naked Shakespeare' - Produced by Andy Partridge, and featuring
Anton Fier, Chris Stamey, Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Dave Stewart, and
(on one track) Maggie Reilly (singer with Mike Oldfield) - and 'Knights
Like This' (which was produced by David Lord, and features Chris Difford
(of Squeeze and Difford & Tilbrook) among others).  'The Naked Shakespeare'
(Virgin records, UK 1983) is truly brilliant, mixing slightly warped,
extremely intelligent pop songs with some very odd sung/spoken poetry.
'Knights Like This' (Virgin Records, UK 1985) is, in Blegvad's own words,
"Over-produced" and sounds a little too slick most of the time, but it, too,
features some exceptional songwriting with a few good hooks thrown in here
and there for good measure.  The musicianship on both LPs (as you can guess
from the artists involved) is exceptional.

On Shriekback :
     'Tench' was Shriekbacks first LP (EP? - 6 songs as I recall), the
  single from it was 'Sexthinkone'.  One or two tracks from it (I don't
  have my copy near the terminal) also appear on 'Care'.  The limited
  edition double pack of 'Nemesis' (both 7" and 12") feature live verions
  of 'Mothloop' and 'Feelers' - both of which appear in studio form on
  'Tench'.
     The other version of 'Jam Science' (I have both) was released by Y
  records without the permission of the band when the band went to Arista
  from Y.  It consists of what the band had finished for the album at the
  time of the label change.  Two or three songs appear on it which are not
  on the Arista version at all, and those songs which do overlap are
  entirely different versions.  The Y album is far more like like 'Care'
  than is the Arista version - It has more of the dense, murky sound and
  less of the slickness.  Better or worse I couldn't say, but definately
  different.

On life in general :
     Any other fans of XTC, The Jazz Butcher, Peter Blegvad, Colourbox,
  or Propaganda out there?
     What do the Kate fans think of the 'Organnon Mix' of "Cloudbusting"
  and "Alternative Hounds Of Love"?  Anyone else seen the vid for
  Cloudbusting?
     And how do the Cocteau Twins fans like Dead Can Dance?

                              Oh well...
                                Space Antlers For Peace,
                                        -Peter E. Lee
                                     Fuligin%Umass.BITNet@WISCVM.ARPA