From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V6 #146 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Saturday, June 9 2001 Volume 06 : Number 146 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Alloy: lyrics etc [Brian Clayton ] Alloy: The drug cathedral, shape of an octahedron [jonathan.chiddick@noki] Alloy: Puppet Theater ["Andy Venables" ] Alloy: lyrics, Zim, Tommy Awards prizes, and flying :( [Robin Thurlow ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 22:26:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Clayton Subject: Re: Alloy: lyrics etc On Thu, 7 Jun 2001, Jon Drukman wrote: > >I'd always heard it as 'distill' rather than 'to > >still'. > > me too but i went back and listened again and now i'm not so sure. argh. Then wouldn't it be "hand on bible distillS the urban tribal"? Though Thomas hasn't let little things like grammar stop him (see below.) > >While we're on the topic though, can anyone send in the lyrics to > >"Puppet Theatre"? as they best understand them anyway? Here's my take on some of Jon's lines: > one more pawn for the puppet master I used to hear this as "one more born for..." but this is more likely correct. > and we make the machines a dozen at a time "and we played the machines a dozen at a time" > there's a soldier on every freighter I hear "soldier on every fader" which provokes the odd image of guys in camouflage manning a very large mixing console! > and to break the machines four arrows at a time "and he played the machine for hours at a time" > the only song we know "the only song he know" (the madman in this case...yes, it should be "knows" then, but like I said... :) ) BC - -- "No one can predict with certainty what the ultimate meaning will be of mastery of space." -- John F. Kennedy, May 25th, 1961 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 15:36:23 +0300 From: jonathan.chiddick@nokia.com Subject: Alloy: The drug cathedral, shape of an octahedron Hi all, Tim wrote: > re: the Urban Tribal lyric its Harlesden in London. Hmmm, possibly. I certainly sounds like it could be from the audio but... > Being into Geography.......heres a Journey between Harlesden and White > city featuring the Bakerloo line on the London Underground.......all > mentioned in Thomas's songs..... Yeeees, but White City is in fact about Milton Keynes if my memory serves me correctly. 'white powder film on everything but soot is the colour'. I love that line! This song was written pre 1980 so I'm not sure whether a connection with London fits there. It certainly doesn't come up in other early songs. Please correct me if I'm wrong. > Another sideways look at the Geography of TMDRs music......:-)...... > > Harlesden : 'Urban Tribal single The jury is still out on this one! > White City: 'White City' from The Golden Age of Wireless Album Actually from the Flat Earth and it is about Milton Keynes. The city is white with cocaine. (well that's my interpretation anyhow) > Bakerloo line: from 'Silk Pyjamas' on the Astronauts and Heretics Album What a great fun song that is. > If anyone else has any Ridiculous London Underground Journeys > via places mentioned in Thomas's songs I'd be glad to work them out ! :-) It reminds me of Great Bus Journeys Of The World written by Alexi Sayle that was published during the 80's by Time Out magazine. Has anybody any recollection of those? They were hilarious! I've got a load of them filed away somewhere. If I ever break my leg and have two months with nothing to do I'll transfer them from paper to the web. > I would like to write 'The Geography of Thomas Dolby' and > derive a huge long list of places and significance's of what happened where and why > they are or were special. Hell - we could even make it up ! Born in Cairo etc... I had a discussion with someone recently about this very subject. In some cases by reading the lyrics to songs and picking up on influences and place names you can draw a rough history of that part of their lives. I did an experiment with this from Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones after reading his biography. It was amazing how much of it tallied. Interesting if you have time on your hands - which I unfortunately don't much anymore. > 'The Geography of Thomas Dolby (From Harlesden to White city Via the > Bakerloo Line)'. 436pages. Alloy Press ISBN 1345-3232. > (Hudson and Thurlow) > Ed. Bailey. with a forward by Mathew Selligman. #8.50 > Westchester Thruway > Steampress Ltd.......he jokes....... Hehe, that's a thought! > Well ......I reckon geography is a good way in if your doing a biog. It certainly works in some cases but some artists are much more abstract with their references than others. > In the middle would be a series of his old photos of some of > the places and then how they look like today. Did anyone see the BBC's tribute to 25 years of Monty Python? Eric Idle went back to the places around London where they had filmed famous sketches and knocked on the doors of the houses, shops etc. that they used to ask the people if they knew about what had happened there. It was amazing. Really interesting to see the streets in the sketches and then today. The roads were empty as there were far fewer cars then and so on. He gave a wall-plaque to each of the places stating it's historical comedy status. It was great. I wish I hadn't recorded over it now. > Tim. > Going nuts today with stress cos my Mums in intensive care > after a long cancer op yesterday .....so I've been needing the Dolby Muse > Distraction.....forgive me. Theres usually a reason for my ramblings but this ones more valid > than most. Oh jees, that explains it! Fingers crossed for you then Tim. All the best to your mum and her recovery. Get well soon Tims Mum! Have a nice weekend all! Jon ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2001 20:39:27 +0800 From: "Andy Venables" Subject: Alloy: Puppet Theater Hi Jon D., P.T. is one of my faves too. Listening to a clear CD version, I wonder if it's "a soldier on every fader" - as in mixing desk faders. Theatres have them... or is it just me and my radio obsession ;o) Also, I hear it as: "and we played the machines a dozen at a time the only song we know" and then later : "and he'd play the machine for hours a time the only song he know" Otherwise, spot on! Nice coincidence though, I just mentioned Puppet T. to someone else a few minutes before reading Alloy. As for Urban Tribal, I can't make my mind up now between distill and to steal - but admit that distill makes more sense. There was a definite EEL sound in there yesterday LOL. Back to lurking through the digests then, before I break the prat-o-meter. Again. Cheers, +AndyJ+ - -- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 09:54:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Robin Thurlow Subject: Alloy: lyrics, Zim, Tommy Awards prizes, and flying :( Jon Drukman wrote: :: oh ps robin: i am doing another piece for zim... watch for a character called "poop dog" in a future episode. :: yay! I will be waiting very anxiously :) You know, Jhonen's work is incredibly popular here. However the lack of distribution of related products is tragic. According to one person I talked to, there were still no "Spooky" rubber squeak toys from I Feel Sick available as of about a month ago. It made me feel mildly guily for having had mine for almost a year now I think... but just barely, since my ferret keeps trying to steal it :) Anyway I hope Nickelodeon are making efforts to get Zim over here. Thanks for your (and everyone's!) observations about lyrics, Mr Magic's Wand (LOL), and for writing up 'Puppet Theatre'! I think I'll have to hear this in headphones on the plane and listen all over again. Also I want to relisten to Urban Tribal now. To all who've received your prizes from the Tommy Awards, I'm very glad you like them!! Isn't that a fantastic portrait of Thomas (Lissu, you and I are definitely on the same page I think..! It cheered me up endessly to read your post) okay, off i go to fly on another plane... ~faint~ Discouragingly enough, I've just bought an OTC motion sickness remedy at Boots, but the inside packaging warns of potential side-effects including 'nausea, staggering, headache, dizziness, dry mouth' etc... which I had *before* I blew the #1.70. Sheeesh. But like I said, here goes... xxxx Robin T sorry this is so long but I think I've developed a tendency to ramble on a lot in letters when I'm nervous. Yet the machinations are in place and I can't get out of it now. help...! Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 19:52:12 +0100 From: "janet latham" Subject: Re: Alloy: My Tom Collection Again! Howdy, Unfortunately Hunger City is just the same track from Howard the Duck sung by Cherry Bomb and not Tom. However ive only seen this item mentioned twice over the years - one of them mine - so I was please to add it to my collection . In regards Fever Pitch and Fern Gully - ((ahem - sssh, dont tell anyone but they arent unfortunately originals )) I watched Fever Pitch the other day - not the greatest of films - but great watching people in a night club dancing to a version of Puppet Theatre,oh look there that songs getting a mention again. In regards the Birmingham 1984 Live tape - unfortunatly the sound quality is pretty poor - but ill certainly get a copy sorted for you - you were certainly lucky to get to see Tom - my biggest regret is never getting that priviledge ., I might be wrong but I dont think he got anywhere near us in Blackpool.- maybe Manchester ??. Oh and by the way - anyone else remember - please do - or it means im going mad - an episode of 'The Kids From fame ' when the kids all freaked out to She Blinded me with Science in the corridors' -- marvellous a delight to behold. Oh but of course i didnt see it either - I just heard about it , wouldnt catch me watching Fame , or singing along to songs like Starmaker,or Hifidelity , or Friday Nights ---- oops got to go now , kettles boiling . Paul - ----- Original Message ----- From: Blagg & Norling To: Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 12:20 AM Subject: Re: Alloy: My Tom Collection Again! > > > > > > > Paul, > > This is one hell of a collection........I thought I > had everything when I won the My Brain Is Like A Sieve > CD this week on Ebay (still yet to receive it > though...Touching a very large chunk of wood.) but you > can certainly add me to those who feel inadequate.... > > However, there are couple of items that intrigue; > Firstly, that live recording from Birmingham you have. > I was actually at that concert. Where did you get it > from? This is amazing!!!!! I would kill for that! > > Also, what is 'Hunger City' under your 12" listings? > Is this a Song with Dolby vocals? > > Paul you really impress with your video collection > too. How the hell have you managed to get hold of > Fever Pitch and Ferngully? I find these impossible to > obtain. > > Fantastic Paul....You are a credit to Thomas & > Alloy.... > > Trevor...... > Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 > a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 19:10:32 -0400 From: "Mary A. Brown" Subject: Alloy: Urban Tribal and rarities advice Hi, esteemed members of the Alloyed! I've really enjoyed reading all the posts of the past few weeks and can't restrain myself from jumping in. Speaking as someone who has a pretty extensive Dolby collection, there's a lot of stuff to be had if you know where to look for it. I've had a lot of success with a place called Vinyl Vendors in LA and the magazine Goldmine enabled me to buy a (shh) bootleg of the Aliens tour but the best source has really been eBay. I doubt I'd have a copy of Fever Pitch or the Pirate Twins book otherwise. I recently obtained some singles from a dear man named Andy Booth via eBay and he told me of other things he was selling. Since he's been very kind to me (he even sent me a little extra gem in my last package!), I offered to make an announcement here of what he's got since we're probably the largest collection of Dolby fans in one place. I want to stress that I *volunteered* to do this because I thought maybe someone might like to have a copy of "The Wreck of the Fairchild" or "Therapy/Growth" and it would come from someone who has a history of treating people well. I'd buy some myself if I were in a better financial position. Here's the list: 7" vinyl Radio Silence/Radio Silence(version) = Venice in Peril VIPS 102 Science/One of Our Submarines = VIPS 105 (no picture sleeve) Windpower/Flying North = VIPS 103 Airwaves/The Wreck of the Fairchild = VIPS101 Fieldwork (London and Tokyo mixes) = ten 112 12" Airhead (extended and 2 dubs) = 12MT38 Europa/Leipzig (Oct. 79); Therapy/Growth = VIP 1a k052z-07590 Dissidents:The Search for Truth Pts.1 & 2; Urges =12R6071 Mini LP Blinded By Science = MLP 15007 Fieldwork (Long-lon)/Exhibition = Ten 112 -12A Onward to the Urban Tribal discussion...I am so glad that you folks have come up with reasonable endings to the line about the power plant lighting the way! Being that my family is from Chicago, my mind kept wanting to put the street name "Halsted" in there, even though I knew it wasn't right. And I vacillate about still vs steal but grammatically (and BC, you are absolutely right about TMDR not letting correct grammar get in the way of a lyric, see: Hyperactive) steal makes more sense. As far as the vibe of the song goes, however, still seems more appropriate. Never thought of it as distill, though, but it also seems more in keeping with the atmosphere. I'm surprised no one has had a go with the meaning. Is it just too obvious? I see it as a story of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks managing to get a boy from a higher social class to marry her but then finds that she really has nothing in common with him. Her feelings, or lack thereof, also apply to the children she has with him and therefore she starts to neglect them. She starts sneaking back to have an affair with someone in the old neighborhood (you have to figure being near a power plant is not prime real estate!) but feels guilty about it. Therefore, she goes to confession and turns to religion to drive the "urges" out of her head. I've always felt that the so-called developed countries are really no different than the "primitive" cultures in that we all will do outrageous things to make ourselves attractive to potential mates. Is having breast implants any weirder than putting a plate in one's lip? I think the song is actually just the sort of social commentary one might expect from the son of an archaeologist. Does anyone watch Battlebots? I don't but I was struck by a photo of Jamie Hyneman who has a robot named Blendo. Has anyone seen him? He looks like he could be TMDR's mustachioed brother, complete with beret and round glasses! Speaking of photos, will the Tommy Award winners please tell us what the prize looks like, i.e. old or new photo, is Thomas wearing a hat, etc.? Europa ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 20:23:20 -0400 From: "Mary A. Brown" Subject: Alloy: Playing catch up Hi, again, There has been so much good stuff on Alloy lately that I wanted to make some more comments. There's been quite a bit of discussion about TMDR writing about WWII/Cold War and I just wanted to add that WWII had a devastating effect on his family so it's not surprising. On top of the loss of his maternal uncle, Stephen, in a submarine, if I remember correctly, he lost both of his maternal grandparents in a bombing raid of London. I had an MRI a couple of days ago I was amused to learn that the noises the machine makes (and it is painfully loud - thank goodness for earplugs!) sound very much like the percussion and atmospheres of Dissidents! Odd, I know, but I "had to find something that I could use while my head (and body) were stuffed in a tube". Like Tim, I am trying to comfort myself with Dolby stuff (hence my multiple postings) because I just found out that I am going to have to live with my shoulder pain for *two* more months on top of the three months I've already suffered through. My insurance wouldn't cover the surgery scheduled for July because it wasn't at an approved institution. I'm seriously considering having acupuncture again but knowing my luck, I'll probably get waylaid (that was for you, BC!). And I won't even go into how my financial situation is screwed since I can only work limited hours. Granted, it's nothing compared to what Tim is going through - and you have lots of sympathy from me, Tim - but you guys are my friends and I figured you'd let me vent for a bit. So did anyone watch the VH-1 One Hit Wonders show again? I was very surprised and pleased at how much time they spent on Thomas. It seemed appropriate that Toni Basil should be on there too. There were a couple of ironic things, I thought. The Kentucky Headhunters were included who, when interviewed in Rolling Stone while they were enjoying their 15 minutes, said something like, "We're gonna last. Years from now when people are asking, 'Who's Thomas Dolby?' we'll be going strong." And Dexy's Midnight Runners were part of the list which I derived satisfaction from since Thomas has said that Kevin Rowland was terribly rude and condescending to him when they were both on some music panel. Some of TMDR's collaborators have played the San Francisco area in the past couple of months. Besides the Soft Boys, Akiko Yano and Eddie Reader were here. Anyone on the list see either show? Just my two cents worth about Tim's inquiry about lengthy posts here, I lost messages while I was away for a week because my Compuserve account has an inbox limit (I'm only on one other list). While that was an unusual occurrence, it's still something to think about if you're debating about sending something. I really appreciate that Tim had some misgivings about the anagrams because I admit that I was annoyed when I saw them. But then again, I've got my cranky pants on this week, due to reasons mentioned above. :-) One last thing, very warm wishes, albeit belated, to the lovely Robyn on her birthday. We're all very grateful that you were born! Europa PS P2, if you do not see Neil Finn with his special guest Johnny Marr this month then, well, I may have to disown you! ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V6 #146 ***************************