EM Survey 4 (Part 05 of 19)

[datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu (David Datta)]

                Eclectic Music Survey #4 Results

Survey Posting                                      February 1990

Part 5 of 19 (Thru Suzanne Ciani)

Kate Bush

     "Hounds Of Love" is her best. Her new album "Sensual World" is patchy.
          - Iain Smith & Jonathan Habrovitsky
          jhabrovi%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Buy _The Dreaming_. Listen to it. Over and over. Loud.
          - John M. Relph relph@presto.ig.com

     Certainly a dangerous, dangerous topic on the net. I, like many others,
     find her music beautiful and classy; some think she's... well, I don't
     understand what they think, naturally.
          - Kevin Martin sigma@pawl.rpi.edu

     Ethereal, sensual, wacky, brainy cult heroine responsible for doggedly
     personal recordings heavily laden with emotions we'd often prefer not to
     talk about. Very inventive in sonics and production.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Geez, I love the woman, but I think THE SENSUAL WORLD was definitely
     *not* one of her best albums. A couple of good tracks but her sound on
     there is at once not cohesive enough and too uniform . . . huh. Pick up
     HOUNDS OF LOVE instead . . .
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     I've heard a few albums of hers, and I liked what I heard. Her musical
     style is fairly unique.
          - Frank J. Schima francis@pawl.rpi.edu

     Never heard of her (ha ha just kidding). Used to be great - buy The
     Dreaming and Hounds Of Love, DO IT NOW - listen to the rest first,
     before you decide, however. The Sensual World continues to disappoint.
          - Jon Drukman jsd@GAFFA.MIT.EDU

     One weird chick.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     The best female art-rock singer to ever grace the planet. Especially
     recommended: her 4th album, _The Dreaming_. If you listen to this album
     and don't like it, there's obviously no hope for you :-).
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Very sensual (please, nobody call her sensuous -- that's a term reserved
     for inanimate objects), very well-developed music. I like the fact that
     she sings on a much wider variety of topics than the usual group.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Well the place I saw this survey was rec.music.gaffa.....
          - Wingerde van FJ fjvwing@cs.vu.nl

     Who else has had at best one top 40 hit yet has a bulletin board section
     devoted to her. Love her voice, great range. Will leave it to everyone
     else to RAVE
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     Wonderful lyrics, bizarre (good) songs, just don't get fanatical about
     her or people will avoid you.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

Butthole Surfers

     Any group who starts out a song by screaming "SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!"
     can't be too bad...
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     I am dying to hear these guys.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     I have a few records of theirs, which contain an extreme variety of drug
     induced tunes, varying from short tripped out guitar bits, to a cover of
     Sabbath's "sweetleaf" (redone as "sweatloaf"), to songs with lyrics that
     will make anyones head spin, over excellent progressive music. Now, what
     really makes the 'Surfers excellent is their live show, which I've seen
     twice. They had an ugly, naked dancer (f), intense, but not too fancy
     lights, and Gibby, the lead singer, banging a cymbal filled with burning
     kerosene! If you aren't sure, but interested, I recomend getting
     "Hairway to Steven", a record any diverse minded person would love.
          - Paul Harding guru@pnet51.orb.mn.org

     I have their album `Hairway to Steven'. A gift from a friend who either
     didn't know what he was doing or suddenly wanted to be sadistic towards
     me. The lyrics become intelligible when you play the album at 45 rpm.
          - Hans Huttel  hans%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK
Buzzcocks

     essential early punk pop. this cassette is live cassette-only release.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

David Byrne

     "Hey! What's with the big suit!"
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     Done some interesting music with the Talking Heads, but alas never
     achieved enough commercial success to where he could afford to buy suits
     that fit. :-)
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Good guy, good tunes, go see "True Stories".
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     I found that, though I like his solo stuff, I don't think it has the
     same continuity and "zaniness" that Talking Heads had.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Mastermind of the Talking Heads, he's very sly at incorporating
     different sounds into his unconventional pop. Could turn out to be an ax
     murderer, who knows?
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     The worst thing ever to happen to Phillip Glass.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Very few people know that he is Scottish by birth. I like the stuff he
     did with Talking Heads; he is a good singer and songwriter but lately it
     seems that he has run out of good ideas.
          - Hans Huttel  hans%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

Cabaret Voltaire

     among the founders of industrial music, their early works play with
     effects and feedback. the later works depend upon samples & disco beats.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

     They seem to have mellowed as the years go on. Their early output is
     what would be termed 'industrial' today (was it called that back in the
     late seventies?) but they've progressively moved towards dance music as
     time goes on. A comment in the last survey said they had split up. Have
     they? I picked up what seemed to be a new single just a couple of months
     ago. My favourite album is 'Micro-Phonies' - not too dance-oriented but
     not too harsh either.
          - Alan Crawford awrc%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     originally an industrial noise group, degenerated into disco.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

John Cage

     " "
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Interesting, maybe even disturbing, but possibly good.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

     try the "Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano", on Tomato records,
     composed in the 1930's. Or "HPSCHD" on Nonesuch. Great stuff. He doesn't
     care if his music sounds good or not, or even if people listen to it, so
     a lot of it is unlistenable.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     _Atlas Eclipticalis_ was written in the library across the hall from
     this office (at Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University). Wanta wager
     how?
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

Randy California

     Drummer(?) for Spirit.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

The Call

     This one tends to get forgotten, I believe, because it's a "The C*" band
     and one normally thinks of The Cure, The Clash, occasionally The Cult.
     I think The Call has a definite style but it is broad. My favorites
     include "Oklahoma" and "Everywhere I Go" -- the latter is haunting; try
     listening to it some dark and stormy night. Progressive, a little bit
     hardcore-ish at times.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

Camouflage

     I have their album _Voices and Images_. My favorite song off it is "The
     Great Commandment." Their songs are good (tho I thought TGC was the best
     off the album by far), but their pronunciation of English is horrid.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

Camper Van Beethoven

     californian hippies with a real flair for songwriting. early works used
     strange foreign influences and tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. they since have
     lost their GREAT violin player (jonathan segel) but continue onward.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Can

     a 1970's European space-rock group. Holger Czukay was a member; he also
     did an album more recently with Jah Wobble of Public Image Ltd. and the
     Edge of U2.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Experimental German music group of the mid-70s. Don't know too much
     about them and have never heard their music. Holger Czukay was in them,
     I believe.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

Caravan

     a fun poppy 1970's progressive rock group. "For Girls Who Grow Plump in
     the Night" was a good album.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Probably the best musical group to come out of Canterbury (and there
     were a *lot* of excellent musical groups to come out of there).
     Especially recommended: _Caravan and the New Symphonia_. Think of the
     Moody Blues's _Days of Future Passed_, but with more of a jazz influence
     and not so heavy on the keyboards.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

Wendy Carlos

     Interesting musician. Lots of synthesizers, worked with Moog in the
     early years.
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

     great stuff. try "Switched on Bach" or the soundtrack to "A Clockwork
     Orange".
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     I liked Walter better... Columbia/CBS/Sony/whatever it's called should
     get off their duff and reissue the long out-of-print early albums: "The
     Well-Tempered Synthesizer", "Walter Carlos' Clockwork Orange" (the
     all-Carlos version, NOT the film soundtrack album -- this one's probably
     hopelessly mired in legal snarls, from what we've heard about the delays
     in releasing the official sdtk.), and "Sonic Seasonings", the last of
     which should sell well to the New Age/Ambient crowd.
          - Ken Josenhans 13020KRJ@MSU.BitNet

     I'm still looking for the release on CD of the solo Clockwork Orange
     album. More Carlos and less soundtrack filler.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     Nee Walter Carlos, pioneer of "serious" use of electronics in music.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Pretty influential dude . . . uhr . . . person. Best stuff's the
     CLOCKWORK ORANGE s'track and the recent goofy disc with Weird Al . . .
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     The pioneer of electronic music. She is not only a genius with the
     machines she uses, but she is a musical genius as well. Really
     understands everything about music and recording. Lately she has been
     fiddling with non-traditional tones and scales and has come up with some
     interesting stuff. Recommendations: _Switched On Bach_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

Larry Carlton

     a dull disco guitarist who got severely mutilated in a robbery and
     turned Christian. yuck. Some people mistakenly call him a jazz player.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

Carmel
John Carpenter

     Hey, Spike Lee may be able to do just about anything but he still hasn't
     managed to WRITE AND PERFORM HIS OWN SOUNDTRACK MUSIC! Haaaaa! Love the
     music for BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA -- pure cheese.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

Jim Carroll Band

     the author is convinced to make a record. studio band plays while he
     recites. typical rock lineup. interesting at times.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Martin Carthy
Cashbow and the Marvelous

     2 rappers from NYC. Not the best rap, but their "A real Mutha for Ya" is
     always in my mind!
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Castlebeat
Jimmy Castor Bunch

     "what we gonna do here is go back" sampled alot. experimental funk.
     _birtha butt_ was a big hit.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Eugene Chadbourne

     a wild dude who plays electric rake, etc. and makes obnoxious
     country-acid noise. Shockabilly was the name of his group for a while.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Country and Western music will never be the same again....
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     I once ate pizza with him.
          - Jon Kincaid dsrekjk@prism.gatech.edu

     Loose cannon rock revisionist, has recorded with Camper van Beethoven as
     Camper van Chadbourne.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Champagne

     I can remember a record they made with Shana Douglas called "My love is
     Right". Meaningless.
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Sheila Chandra

     a/k/a Monsoon (pretty much everyone on the Monsoon album is on her solo
     efforts, right down to the songwriting credits). I like the way she (and
     Steve Coe & company) blend New Wave and traditional Indian music; sort
     of like Ofra Haza half a continent eastward and five years too early.
     Nice to see her stuff on CD now . . . pick up THIRD EYE for "Ever So
     Lonely", the best song she's ever worked on.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     Very young English woman of Indian descent who issued five fine albums
     between 1983 and 1985, the first as the band Monsoon. The albums mix
     dance pop and Indian motifs in varying proportions. I don't know why
     Chandra disappeared; I have hoped that it was to complete her education.
     She re-emerged in 1989 with one vocal track on the "Ancient Beatbox"
     album. While we're waiting for new material, fans might want to check
     out "Qareeb" by Najma, in a similar style but more Indian traditional,
     I think.
          - Ken Josenhans 13020KRJ@MSU.BitNet

Harry Chapin

     a folksinger "Taxi" was his big hit. He died in a car accident.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     A one hit wonder in my book. 'Cats in the Cradle' was an excellent song,
     but I can't name another.
          - Frank J. Schima francis@pawl.rpi.edu

     Good music, not quite rock-n-roll, but still good.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     I heard "Cat's in the Cradle" last night. His songs still hold up. He is
     missed.
          - rmiller@sbcs.sunysb.edu

     The man who put his money where his mouth was (World Hunger) long before
     it was fashionable to support Whatever-Aid. Is there a funnier song than
     Six String Orchestra?
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     WOLD is still a great tune.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     Yarnspinner with an acoustic guitar beloved by many for open-eyed
     exploration of personal relationships. Deceased.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Tracy Chapman

     Depri-Pop. Nothing on the second album she hadn't already stated on the
     first.
          - Wingerde van FJ fjvwing@cs.vu.nl

     I like Tracy Chapman if for no other reason than because she sings about
     things that are important, and the sings them well. I can't listen to
     too much Tracy Chapman at a time, though, because it is very
     self-similar (excuse me, I've been doing fractals).
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     It's rumored that she is the girl who played "Dee" on the old TV show
     "What's Happening".
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

     Last year's Next Big Thing. Incessantly downer folk surely not aimed at,
     but succeeding at, assuaging the guilt of the Greed Decade.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Music for listening to in cars or when you have something else to
     concentrate on. I don't like it.
          - Stephen K Mulrine
          smulrine%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     what do you think, her 3rd album will go nowhere and in a year her first
     lp will be a $1.99?
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

Cheap Trick

     I really enjoyed the LIVE AT BUDOKAN album and I have another one by the
     name of NEXT POSITION PLEASE (or something like that) which is quite
     enjoyable.
          - Neil Ottenstein OTTEN@UMCINCOM.BitNet

     I used to really like their older stuff a lot, but I definitely do not
     like their recent pop songs. I don't listen to them much anymore, but I
     do still enjoy their first few albums. Heavy rock style. "I Want You to
     Want Me" is NOT their typical older style. Recommendations: _In Color_,
     _Live At Budokan_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     Standard rock outfit with the reincarnation of Huntz Hall doing a pretty
     good imitation of Pete Townsend. Mostly teenybopper stuff, but "Live at
     Budokan" delivers the goods.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Chicago

     Older music is heavily jazz oriented. A clear example is their fifth
     album. The new vocalist sound a lot like Cetera. New music sounds the
     same...unfortunate...
          - TRM900@PSUVM.PSU.edu

Chick Corea

     excellent Latin jazz pianist, played with Miles Davis in experimental
     fusion "Bitches Brew" period, then formed Return to Forever with Stanley
     Clarke.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Jazz -- I hate jazz.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

Chieftains

     Good music for studying. The arrangements are good. Fun music.
          - rmiller@sbcs.sunysb.edu

     hot Irish band.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     If you want to listen to traditional Irish music this is your first
     stop.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     Traditional Irish folk.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Fredric Chopin

     Another classical biggie.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Is this the Chopin? If so, then he's another master, you gotta love him.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     try the piano nocturnes. Very moody.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

The Chordettes

     Lollipop-lollipop-oo-loll-i-lollipop. Used to sing with Arthur Godfrey.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

Christmas

     not quite as retro or psychadelic as some bands. but, live, christmas
     are intense and talented.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Chubby Checker

     A classic case of the right place at the right time. Probably made the
     charts more times with the same song than anyone else.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     Popularizer of "The Twist".
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Chuck II Booker

     Sort of a soft soul/dance vocalist guy, I think "Turned Away" was his
     one big single (it's "Chuckii," btw). I picked up his album as a promo
     from work once, didn't impress me too much but then I haven't gotten rid
     of it either.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     Very good funk. I love the new remix of "Turned Away".
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Church

     the best guitar pop band. try to figure how they make these songs
     without synths.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

The Church

     You didn't include this band in your original list, but it deserves to
     be there, so I added it. The Church are an Australian band who have been
     working together for about 10 years. They could be described as a blend
     of rock, neo-psychedelia, and folk. Lead singer Steve Kilbey writes
     brilliant, poetic lyrics. They achieve an original sound and feel, and
     are not to be missed -- better albums include _Starfish_, _Heyday_, and
     I would guess their upcoming release _Orange Afternoon Fix_ would be
     equally high in goodness.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

Suzanne Ciani

     Her music is very simple and soothing electronics. Just very relaxing to
     listen to. Her _Seven Waves_ album is older than the rest, quite
     different, but in my opinion, quite possibly the best one.
     Recommendations: _Seven Waves_, _Neverland_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     Mellow, kind of mushy, boring
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

     More synthesizer-laden New Age music. Quite good, from what I've heard,
     especially stuff from her _Neverland_ and _The Velocity of Love_ albums.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

--
-Dave 	datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu
	....uwm!uwpvacs!datta
	uwpvacs.UUCP!datta@cs.wisc.edu