Stuff and nonsense

[FULIGIN%UMASS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu (Peter E. Lee)]

For some odd reason, the digest I am replying to here took over a full
week to get to our site - other more recent ones have arrived in the
mean time - anyway, my appologies if these have been answered in yet
another previous digest that hasn't yet reached me here...

Bill Peregoy asks about the availability of Roger Millers new "Big Industry"
LP, originally scheduled for release in late April.  According to Sue Miller
(Roger's wife and manager), the release has been pushed back to June.  I
didn't get  a chance to ask about the reason...

Mark LaForge asks if da Smiffs' "Louder Than Bombs" is a two-record set in
the US - yes, it is.  The single disk UK release has a different title, as
I recall.  BTW, whoever flamed them a while back for releasing compilations
should bear in mind that not every fan is willing or able to plunk down
$6 or $7 (or the UK equivalent) for every new 12" as it comes out.  For those
fans, these compilations must be a real boon.  As to repeating the release
of LP material - I'm fairly sure that neither UK nor US release contains
tracks that were available on LP in the appropriate country - remember,
"Hatful of Hollow" was not released in the US.  Of course, us import happy
record geek types tend to forget this easily at times...

Finally, John White writes about an interview with Andy Partridge he heard
on College radio, and asks why the band don't tour.  The interview is from
"The Warner Brothers Music Show" and was distributed on disk to various
interested stations.  It consists of the whole of 'Skylarking' (the new
version, with 'Dear God', and without 'Mermaid Smiled'), with Andy
introducing each track - except for DG which is introduced by Rundgren.
If people want copies of this, feel free to contact me via E-Mail.  Be
warned of two things though - the disk itself was mastered at very low
levels, so the S/N ratio is high (everything sounds fine, on the whole -
but the surface noise is quite noticeable at times) and the special is
just over 60 minutes long, and cannot be broken conveniently in any way
so that it doesn't take up the first 32 or so minutes of each side of a
C-90, leaving lots o' blank space at the end of each side.  People with
other XTC rareties to trade especially welcome!  As for touring, it's
Andy who is the limiting factor I'm afraid - he has a form of claustrophobia
which prevents him from performing in front of large audiences.  He
collapsed one or two dates into their final tour ("Mummer", I think) and
has been unable to work live since.  The other band members would like to
tour, and Prarie Prince (drummer with the Tubes, and on all of 'Skylarking')
is rumoured to want to tour with them as well, but it doesn't look too
likely.

                                      Putting ends to evil-doers games,
                                                 -Peter Lee
Fuligin%UMass.bitnet@WISCVM.WISC.EDU