** 4AD: MUSICA IMPACT #2 (long: save & reply)

[well!okay@LLL-CRG.LLNL.GOV (S. Yano)]

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   MUSICA IMPACT         23 October 1988        Vol. 1, No. 2

     Interactive  communication devoted to incredible alternative 
music, with focus on 4AD and other arcane matters.

     This  digest  depends on your input,  so  please  send  your 
comments  to  the editor.    Extensive reviews of recordings  and 
performances are especially welcome.   

     All participants will be placed on a distribution list.   We 
hope   that   this   will  develop  into   a   worthy   inter-net 
correspondence  among enthusiasts.    You may re-distribute to an 
appropriate news group or computer system, especially to the U.K. 
and continental Europe.

   S. Yano, editor                        Berkeley, California

            UUCP:        ucbvax!hplabs!well!okay  
            ARPA:        well!okay@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU
            MCI Mail:    209-9813
            Compuserve:  use Easyplex with MCI addressing.

          { my comments appear between curly brackets }

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     We are going to scrap the title TYPE FOR.A.D. DIGEST.   It's 
clear from the responses that our scope should extend beyond  the 
4AD recording label.



                  FOLLOWUP ON PREVIOUS ISSUE

     RE:  xmal deutschland, _fetisch_
     "xmal, as i remember, was slightly pop german ranting (i did 
not care for it  much)."

{  I  would  agree.     Xmal  needs  to  get  more  diverse   and 
sophisticated with respect to their compositions. }


     "i  thought  _Wings of Desire_ was the best movie i've  seen 
this year. Nick Cave as a plot device.  who woulda thought."

{  For  those  interested in tracking down the tune  called  'The 
Carny' played in the movie,  it's on Nick Cave's _Your Funeral My 
Trial_ .    The cut is very reminiscent of the Door's 'The  End.'   
I  thought  Cave  was rather impressive in the  Berlin  nightclub 
scene, but the disc in its entirety was just so-so. }


     "... the Pixies and the Throwing Muses (both Boston bands on 
4AD) also the The was on 4AD for a while."

{ I heard that the Pixies played in Berkeley several weeks ago at 
the  Berkeley  Square.    Anyone want to comment on  their  show?  
Throwing Muses' _House Tornado_ seems to be now on Sire  Records, 
and hence domestically priced. }


     "...  my  girlfriend saw { XYMOX } twice on their last tour, 
once in New York,  and then again in Chicage and as neither  show 
did they perform _no words_.   wonder why?"

         { Any conjectures?   Where was Pieter Nooten? }


     RE:  Harold Budd collaboration with Eno
{ Check out:
          _The Plateaux of Mirror_  EG-EGS-301
          _The Pearl_               EG-EGED-37
     John Schafer [1987]:  "... Budd's music is drifting, cosmic, 
and often has an ominous undercurrent running through it.   These 
recordings practically define the term ambient."   }


                 UNFINISHED STUFF (ie. projects)

Colorbox  sounded  awfully  fragmented and  chaotic.    Are  they 
generally that way?  

Comparative analysis between:
     Pieter Nooten's _Sleeps with the Fishes_
     David Darling's _Journal October_ 1979, ECM-1-1161
       (Listen especially to the tracks called 'Clouds'.)

Cocteau Twins has a cd out on 'conversation series'
    supposedly it's  in-depth  interviews...      
    Is it worth getting?   { probably not; see below }

What are the Cocteau Twin's musical influences? 



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From: cogsci!pyramid.com!garth!hal (Hal Broome)

     If you want some scoops on the Cocteau Twins, I can probably 
help;  a  friend  of  mine in Scotland (are you  ready  for  this 
classic  bit?)  has  a girlfriend whose friend's boyfriend  is  a 
famous soccer player that the Twins love .  .  . anyway! they run 
into  them occasionally and can probably come up  with  something 
interesting for you; I'm writing him in a few days and can try to 
weasel something out of him.

{ Cocteau Twins seem pretty evasive when it comes to  interviews.   
My suggestion is to avoid the word 'interview' altogether.   Just 
get  drunk over warm beer and chat...    We'll stand-by for  your 
followup on this.  }

     When I lived in Scotland I caught them live: simply amazing. 
Although  Fraser  was having trouble with her  voice,  she  still 
overwhelmed the other two members,  a guitar player/boyfriend and 
the bass player;  drums were supplied by tape,  and when they had 
an unexpected second encore,  she said "you'll have to wait until 
we rewind the tape!"

     If  you are ever in Edinburgh,  they like to have picnics in 
"The Links," which is south of Edinburgh Castle;  it is part of a 
larger  park,  and has the characteristic bumps and greens  of  a 
golf  course  (which  is no doubt why golf  was  invented  there; 
natives  of  Edinburgh  claim  the Links is where  the  game  was 
invented,  but St.  Andrews begs to differ!).  I used to pass the 
C.T's on the way to school there about 11:00 in the morning; they 
were already into the champagne. Probably were recording there, I 
suppose;  their hometown is Grangemouth, which is at the mouth of 
the Firth of Forth.

     I  have  some  John Peel sessions which  never  made  it  to 
record,  heh,  heh. A friend of mine from Scotland who just moved 
here  has some E.P.'s that may not be available here:  would  you 
like a list?

{ Sure... a complete C.T. discography would be very informative.}

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From: cogsci!Xerox.COM!"Hildegarde_E._Minstein.LAX1B"

     I  appreciate  being put on the  digest.  What  a  wonderful 
surprise!  I  don't have any more to contibute at his  time,  I'm 
just  now  learning  about 4AD.  Please keep  the  digest  coming 
though, as I hope to be able to contribute in the future. 

{  Hilly,  I thought your comments on This Mortal Coil were good.   
I  bet  you  bought _It'll End  in  Tears_  anyways...   Feedback 
appreciated.  }

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Article 19507-8 of rec.music.misc:
Path: pacbell!ames!elroy!aero!venera.isi.edu!schur
From: schur@venera.isi.edu (Sean Schur)

The  boxed,  limited edition,  of _Lonely Is An Eyesore_ (the 4AD 
compilation)  has a COMPLETE 4AD discography listed (up  to  that 
album  which  was Fall,  1987),  I will type this up and post  it 
tomorrow,  I have to go home and get the album first. Also, check 
out the Video for _Lonely Is An Eyesore_,  it contains a clip for 
EVERY song on the album and it is spectacular.

{  We'll  look forward to getting an electronic  version  of  the 
discography from you.   The magazine EMIGRE (issue #9; see below) 
carrys the 4AD catalogue up to April 1988. }

>>>>  Rumor  going  'round  that 4ad has started  a  domestic  US 
      operation.
This is true.  I run videos for clubs in Los Angeles and I get my 
stuff  sent  to me directly from  (most)  record  companies.  The 
American promotion of 4AD material used to be handled by the same 
company  the  handles  American promo of  Beggar's  Banquet,  the 
company  is  called "Thirsty Ears" and is out of  New  York.  Two 
months  ago  my contact at "Thirsty Ears" gave me  the  name  and 
office  of  4AD's new American contact explaining that  they  had 
started their own American offices.

                           *    *    *

>From lamc!netsys!pyrdc!RELAY.CS.NET!uunet!tektronix.tek.com!
     reed!tart   <Stephanie Shelton  pyrdc!uunet!reed!tart>
     Eddie Tarantula.  p.s. I am not Stephanie Shelton. 

     RE:   BAUHAUS.      ...  the  burning question for a lot  of 
people would be Is It Appropriate to Discuss Bauhaus?  They  were 
4AD's first and biggest stars, but now they're no longer together 
and their constituents, while having done lots of neat stuff, did 
it on other labels.
     If  Bauhaus is included in this 'digest,' then someone ought 
to include the complete geneology.  Here it is as I know it  (and 
there area few holes):
     Bauhaus:  Peter Murphy, David J., Kevin Haskins, Daniel Ash. 
They broke up (I don't know the dates), and . . . Ash and Haskins 
formed  Tones  On  Tail  along with a  bassist  who's  name  I've 
forgotten. Lots of 12-inch singles and _The Album POP_.
     Meanwhile,  David  J.  recorded 2 solo records (not so  well 
known).  One  was called _Crockidile Tears and the Velvet  Cosh_, 
and  I'll review it someday if anyone's interested.  I don't know 
if  it was on 4AD --I doubt it.  The other one I forget the  name 
and  I've  never heard it.  David J.  also spent some time  as  a 
psuedo-member   of  The  Jazz  Butcher   Conspiracy.   On   their 
compilation  album _Bloody Nonsense_,  he plays assorted  tracks. 
Daniel Ash produced one track on this, I think.
     Meanwhile,  Peter  Murphy  got  together and did  all  those 
things that rec.music.misc has been going on about (_Dali's  Car_ 
and  2  solo albums).  Then J.,  Ash and Haskins formed Tones  On 
Tail. The rest is open to interpretation.

     RE:   COCTEAU TWINS Performance.     My friend Benjy told me 
that  when he saw the Twins in concert,  they played with a  huge 
reel-to-reel in the back of the stage where a drummer would be. A 
lot  easier than bringing a whole drum machine with effects racks 
and sequencing everything.  (Although they may have done that  --
the tape deck could have been a prop, like in Stop Making Sense.)
     Elizabeth  Frasier  taught  Sinead O'Connor  everything  she 
knows.

     Please put me on the distribution list for future issues  of 
whatever  tasteful phrase you change the name to.  I'm sure  some 
4AD  artist  must  have  a  sufficiently  neat  &  obscure  lyric 
somewhere you could use.

{  I  got the digest's new name MUSICA IMPACT from my  first  4ad 
disc that just blew my mind, Dead Can Dance (CAD-404). }


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From: hplabs!ucbvax!uwvax!oddjob.uchicago.edu!nsacray!paul
      Paul Guthrie   ihnp4!chinet!nsacray!paul

     RE:    EMIGRE  magazine.      Its  nice  to  see  other  4AD 
enthusiasts on the net. Has anyone seen the 4AD fanzine, Emigre'? 
Its full of interesting facts. I just got to browse one once. You 
can't even get it at Chicago Wax Trax,  so it must be hard to get 
a hold of.

{ EMIGRE,  issue no.  9, is devoted to 4AD musicians and artists:  
eg.  Ivo,  Cocteau  Twins,  Throwing Muses,  23 Envelope  (Vaughn 
Oliver  and  Nigel Grierson).    It contains wonderful quotes and 
excerpts from interviews,  but it is apparently NOT an  exclusive 
4AD fanzine.   Previous issues have nothing to do with 4AD.   The 
emphasis  seems  to be graphics,  which is excellent.    I  would 
highly  recommend  getting issue  no.  9,  especially  for  those 
interested in the production and design aspects of 4AD.   I think 
it can be ordered by mail for $6.95 + $1.00 handling, from:
               Emigre Graphics, 48 Shattuck Square, #175,
               Berkeley, CA  94704   (Tel:  415-845-9021)       }

     RE:    XYMOX.       Anyway,  I am mostly into Xymox (ex Clan 
of).  I  like the self-titled album the best,  but enjoy it  all. 
Rumour has it that there is a new album due out at the end of the 
month,  but  I  have no further info,  like if `Blind Hearts'  EP 
tracks will be on. With any luck they will tour. I saw them twice 
last tour (fantastic!), in Chicago and Milwaukee.

     If anybody gets a chance, go see bands in Milwaukee. Beer is 
cheep,  but  most  places bands play (like the  Oddrock)  are  so 
small,  they  play to less than a hundred fans.  I'm  considering 
driving  up  to  see  Flock of Seagulls (are  they  really  still 
together) on Thursday.  I've also seen Throwing Muses a couple of 
times, and enjoyed both shows thouroughly.

     The Pieter Nooten (of Xymox)/ Michael Brook CD `Sleeps  with 
the Fishes',  could only be described as uninspired,  and frankly 
boring.

     As  for  the  new  Cocteau Twins,  I  must  agree  with  the 
overproduced  crowd.  It  is  still very  enjoyable,  and  sounds 
fantastic on CD.

     As for the Wolfgang Press,  I personally love `The Legendary 
Wolfgang  Press and Other Tall Stories' -they give  `Respect'  an 
original, and (excuse the pun), respectable cover.

{  Could  someone  please compare _Legendary_ with  _Standing  Up 
Straight_?    The latter took me six listenings until it grew  on 
me.    One  could easily flippantly discard them as they could be 
sort of annoying at first... }

     By  the way,  on a non-4AD note,  the new Skinny Puppy album 
should be out any day,  along with a movie,  `It Aint Dead  Yet'. 
Also a new Ministry single, `The Land of Rape and Honey'.

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From: hplabs!ucbvax!seismo.CSS.GOV!convex!infoswx!athens!bert
      Bert Campbell  convex!infoswx!bert

     I  heard my first Cocteau Twins (CT) less than a year ago  -
they are probably my "favorite" band at this time.  I have 80-90% 
of their stuff on one medium or another.

     RE:   COLIN  NEWMAN.     However,  they were not the 1st 4AD 
artists I listened to. Colin Newman (of Wire [in?]fame) did three 
interesting 4AD albums at the turn of the decade.

          A-Z (1980) A great album.  A cover of one song, _Alone_ 
          appears on the This Mortal Coil _Filigree and Shadow_.

          Provisionally  Entitled  the  Singing  Fish  (1980)  -a 
          collection of instrumentals titled Fish 1 through  Fish 
          12. Decent stuff.

          Not To (1981) -Another conventional (songs with vocals) 
          work  with  a strange cover of the Beatles'  _Blue  Jay 
          Way_ (probably before your time)

     In any event,  reading the notes about _Filigree and Shadow_ 
prompted me to listen to it some more.  When I first bought it, I 
was  disappointed  -having got it because of the  supposed  heavy 
inclusion  of  CT  work,  only  to  find  very  little  of  same. 
Musically,  it is more enjoyable on subsequent listens,  although 
the vocals on _The Jeweller_ makes my skin  crawl.  However,  the 
covers  of Colin Newman's _Alone_ and the Talking Heads'  _Drugs_ 
are respectably performed....

     Speaking of which.. would someone care to post a list of all 
of the CT stuff they've seen on CD?  Of special interest or  some 
EPs  including the one with _Peppermint Pig_...  anyone seen that 
one on CD???

     RE:  COCTEAU  TWINS  conversation interview.     I  have  an 
"interview  picture  disk" that has a ~40 minute  interview  with 
Robin  Guthrie  (sounding  very much like he has a  bad  cold  or 
permanent  nasal  blockage) and Elizabeth Fraser talking to  some 
rock-journalist type.  It is not particularly enlightening but  I 
enjoyed listening to it...  There are bits of conversation that I 
can't  decipher due to strong accent and poor miking.  Maybe this 
(and   other  interview  stuff)  appears  on  this   CD...   just 
speculating.

{ Your remarks regarding CT interview are on target.   One of the 
guys did sound like under the influence of excessive cough  syrup  
:-).      
     Cocteau Twins were generally low-key,  and the interview had 
many awkward pauses.    The questions were reasonable,  but their 
answers  tended  to be rather vague.    The interview  went  like 
pulling  teeth.     At one point,  Fraser expressed her  fear  of 
getting misquoted and misrepresented, of having "no control" over 
print, etc.
     They  described their way of making music as  playing  along 
with the drum machine on tape, building up on the bass lines...
     The  lyrics,  contrary  to  many  speculation,  is  not  old 
English,  not  Hungrian...    Lyrics  on _Treasure_ based on  old 
Scotish words...
     Thanks to Keith Franke for his copy of the interview disc. }


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Article 19517 of rec.music.misc:
From: hplabs!ucbvax!seismo.CSS.GOV!convex!convexs!strike 
      (Professor Fate)

     RE:   Peter Murphy Stuff.     The other solo album by Murphy 
is called "Should the World Fail to Fall Apart." In comparison to 
Love  Hysteria,  the  record is more like Bauhaus -very  dark  in 
sound and emotion.  On "Fail to Fall Apart" Murhpy has a cover of 
Magazine's  "Light  Pours Out of Me" and one other cover  on  the 
second  side  (I forget the title and the group he  covers).  The 
other  songs  are good but not as polished as the  Love  Hysteria 
record.  "Never  Man" is one of my favorite songs off that  first 
solo record.   It is definitely not like Love and Rockets. 

     By the way,  I heard somewhere that Murphy has a solo record 
out  before "Fail" although I have never found the  title.  Also, 
check out Murphy's work on "Dalis Car" with Mick Karn from Japan. 
If  you  like Japan and Bauhaus and Love Hysteria you  will  like 
Dalis Car.


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     Thanks to all who replied.    This digest is NOT intended to 
be  read  only.    Interactive  participation is the key  to  its 
existence,  so  if you have derived enjoyment or look forward  to 
the  next  issue,  please kindly write back.    (Or  introduce  a 
friend who will submit something.)   Let's keep it going...

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