[rec.music.gaffa] Snappy Happy

stern@CHEM.NWU.EDU (Charlotte Stern) (04/17/91)

I finally got a hold of Happy's latest work, the Warpaint CD, and
from first listen it seems commensurate with everything else she's
done.  Though, I still have a weak spot for her first and *especially*
her second albums.  These, along with Ecto and Rearmament are available
only on cassette from Aural Gratification, POB 8658 Academy Station, Albany,
NY, 12208.  Each tape is $9.95, each order is $2.00 P&H.  The CD
is $13.99.  The quality of the tapes is very high, considering they
are cassettes.  They are recorded on high bias (CrO2) tape, with dolby,
although I'm sure they could do otherwise if you so specified in your order.
Playing time on Rhodes I is around 45 minutes; all the others are around
50 or more (the CD is 55).  If you haven't already ordered your copies,
I'm not exactly sure how you have been living with yourself on a day to
day basis.

The latest from our incommunicado love-hound in Chicago, Vickie, is
that she and Chris suspect that Kate's message at the Ohio con was a 
dub of her message at the Canadian BreakThrough con several years back.
Also, she recently spoke to Happy and Kevin... they received the lyrics
that Jeff Burka transcribed with comments from myself and Vickie.
Happy was verily amused, in particular at the attempt to figure out a
vexing line in Moonbeam Friends:  Jeff was clueless, I though I heard
"my oxy and my toe" and Vickie claimed it was something else that I
don't remember.  Anyways, Happy said the line is actually
"my oxy and nitro", where oxy is short for oxygen, and nitro is short
for something as well (I guess either nitrogen, or nitroglycerin).
In any case, she threatened to re-record the song using "my oxy and my toe"
because she was so amused by this...  Gee, what an honour that would be!

I asked Vickie if Happy would ever tour (like maybe in Chicago) and
apparently she used to perform just herself and Kevin around Albany,
but they haven't for a while since they feel they would need more of
a band, and of course they're short on cash.  As for the possibility
of producing the earlier work on CD, she said there was a good chance
Ecto would get done (eventually) but that the other 3 might be made
into a "best of" project.  PLEASE NO!!!!  There are no songs, at least
on I and II, that bear omission!

As for Kate these days, the album I have been listening the most (almost
exclusively) is (gasp!) Lionheart.   The more I think about Lionheart,
the better it gets.  I literally find myself consumed by some of its
songs, singing them spontaneously in public.  In particular, there is
a pattern in chord progression and change that I have noted in a majority
of the songs on that album, that is just all-consuming... absolutely
Kate at her peak of brilliance.  I can't for the life of me figure how
*she* figured out how to put those sequences together.  Absolutely
miraculous.  This for me is where Kate's divinity surfaces *without
a shadow of doubt*.  It is there for the asking... one need only
discover to be sure.

-mjm (mike mendelson, chicago)

nrc@cbema.att.COM (Neal R Caldwell, Ii) (04/18/91)

From article <9104171426.AA00211@chem.nwu.edu>, by stern@CHEM.NWU.EDU (Charlotte Stern):
> 
> The latest from our incommunicado love-hound in Chicago, Vickie, is
> that she and Chris suspect that Kate's message at the Ohio con was a 
> dub of her message at the Canadian BreakThrough con several years back.

Very nice.  Basically Chris & Vickie are saying that they believe the 
folks at AAHP and _Little Light_ or perhaps more specifically Bill 
Barwick and Jeff Medkeff are frauds and liars.  What, pray tell, are 
they basing the this slur on?  

In any case, the message was not on tape, it was written down by Jeff
as given to him over the phone by Kate herself.  The phone call was a
last minute response to _numerous_ unanswered registered letters.  If
they were going to commit fraud they wouldn't need to dub anything,
they could just make it all up.

Jeff told me this himself and I see no reason not to believe him.
Do C&V have any reason not to believe it other than their irritation 
with Jeff and company for calling out "Homeground" on some of their 
nonsense?  


"Don't drive too slowly."                 Richard Caldwell
                                          AT&T Network Systems
                                          att!cbnews!nrc
                                          nrc@cbnews.att.com

ed@DAS.LLNL.GOV (Edward J. Suranyi) (04/18/91)

In article <1991Apr17.174249.7362@cbnews.cb.att.com> you write:
>From article <9104171426.AA00211@chem.nwu.edu>, by stern@CHEM.NWU.EDU (Charlotte Stern):
>> 
>> The latest from our incommunicado love-hound in Chicago, Vickie, is
>> that she and Chris suspect that Kate's message at the Ohio con was a 
>> dub of her message at the Canadian BreakThrough con several years back.
>
>Very nice.  Basically Chris & Vickie are saying that they believe the 
>folks at AAHP and _Little Light_ or perhaps more specifically Bill 
>Barwick and Jeff Medkeff are frauds and liars.  What, pray tell, are 
>they basing the this slur on?  
>
>In any case, the message was not on tape, it was written down by Jeff
>as given to him over the phone by Kate herself.  The phone call was a
>last minute response to _numerous_ unanswered registered letters.  If
>they were going to commit fraud they wouldn't need to dub anything,
>they could just make it all up.

All we need, to clear this up, is a complete transcript of the message
to the Ohio convention.  The reason Vickie is suspicious is that what
we've heard of this message so far sounds the same as the Winnepeg 
convention.  Some phrases are identical, in fact.  If we could get
a complete transcript we could easily decide.  If Vickie is wrong
I'm sure she will apologize.

>Jeff told me this himself and I see no reason not to believe him.
>Do C&V have any reason not to believe it other than their irritation 
>with Jeff and company for calling out "Homeground" on some of their 
>nonsense?  
>"Don't drive too slowly."                 Richard Caldwell

Have you read the spring issue of _Little Light_?  While it's true
that they have some legitimate complaints, they cover it up with
tons of garbage of their own.  To summarize:

1)  They complain that Homeground is hypocritical for not mentioning
the BBC "banning" of "Army Dreamers" during the war.  I pointed out
that there hasn't been an issue of Homeground published since
the war started, so this criticism is ridiculous.

2)  They say that Homeground is always trying to spread the rumor
that the real video for RUTH was never played on MTV.  Well, as far
as I can tell, from sources such as the love-hounds archives, this
is absolutely true, with the one exception I've mentioned.

3)  They quote Peter Fitzgerald-Morris's message in Homeground #40,
but put several (sic)s in for no reason that I can see.  One is
specifically because he used the British spelling of "Centre".
Another comes after a mention of "Love-Hounds", which we all know
IS the name of this list.

As for the letter from that lawyer about how the PMRC could (and,
he implies, should) sue Homeground for libel, nobody I've read
it to has been able to keep a straight face.  The whole thing
is utterly absurd!

Ed
ed@das.llnl.gov

nrc@cbema.att.COM (Neal R Caldwell, Ii) (04/18/91)

From article <9104171933.AA18085@das.llnl.gov>, by ed@DAS.LLNL.GOV (Edward J. Suranyi):
> In article <1991Apr17.174249.7362@cbnews.cb.att.com> you write:
>>
>>In any case, the message was not on tape, it was written down by Jeff
>>as given to him over the phone by Kate herself.  The phone call was a
>>last minute response to _numerous_ unanswered registered letters.  If
>>they were going to commit fraud they wouldn't need to dub anything,
>>they could just make it all up.

Ok, at this point I have to sheepishly correct myself -- or rather
Jeff and my wife, Missy have corrected me -- the message itself came
recently via Novercia, the phone conversation was evidently back in
December.
 
> All we need, to clear this up, is a complete transcript of the message
> to the Ohio convention.  The reason Vickie is suspicious is that what
> we've heard of this message so far sounds the same as the Winnepeg 
> convention.  Some phrases are identical, in fact.  If we could get
> a complete transcript we could easily decide.  If Vickie is wrong
> I'm sure she will apologize.

The message will be in the upcoming issue of "Little Light."  Jeff
wants it to appear there first and I think that's reasonable.  In the
mean time, if anyone would care to post a copy of the Winnepeg message
I can tell you whether it sounds at all similar to what I rememeber
from the Cleveland show.  Or perhaps I'll use my wife's memory just to
be safe.  I'm not sure why anyone would expect the messages _not_ to 
have a lot in common considering the similarity of the occaisions.  

> Have you read the spring issue of _Little Light_?  While it's true
> that they have some legitimate complaints, they cover it up with
> tons of garbage of their own.  To summarize:

Yes, I have.  I'm glad you recognize that they have some legitimate
complaints.  Hopefully my next message will be able to clear up some
of the 'garbage'. 

"Don't drive too slowly."                 Richard Caldwell
                                          AT&T Network Systems
                                          att!cbnews!nrc
                                          nrc@cbnews.att.com