[rec.music.gaffa] Kate, Michael Penn -- Synchronicity

ewing@se-sd.NCR.COM (David Ewing) (01/04/90)

As many of you have mentioned, MTV has been highlighting
Kate lately along with a few other artists (I can't remember
how they are categorizing them).  One of the artists grouped
with Kate is Michael Penn.

Talk about synchronicity !  I used to see a great band from
L.A. called Doll Congress (circa 1982-84) playing occassionally
down here in San Diego.  The band was led by Michael Penn and
included a wonderful female singer named Gabriel Morgan.  They
sounded somewhat like Slapp Happy, only much more interesting.
After the first show of theirs that I saw, I was talking to
the keyboard player (Patrick Warren, who is apparently the only
remaining musician from Doll Congress still with Penn).  I
asked what music he had been into lately, and he strongly
recommended "The Dreaming".  I purchased it shortly thereafter,
and became a Kate fanatic. 

MTV had a little spot on Michael Penn about a week ago.  It
was a brief interview with Penn and Warren.  Among other
things they discussed Warren's old Chamberlain keyboard
(a great instrument, the precursor to the mellotron).

I haven't heard Penn's new album, but I STRONGLY recommend
any old Doll Congress material that you can find.  I
believe they put out at least two EPs on Enigma.  I may
purchase the record just as a partial repayment for turning
me on to Kate Bush.

I discovered years later that Penn is Sean Penn's brother.
His band (not Doll Congress) appeared on Saturday Night Live
when Sean Penn hosted it a few years ago.  They didn't
sound as good as Doll Congress, but it was just one quick
listen.

Dave Ewing
ewing@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com

) (01/04/90)

In article <2269@se-sd.NCR.COM> ewing@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (David Ewing) writes:
>I haven't heard Penn's new album, but I STRONGLY recommend
>any old Doll Congress material that you can find.

My editor gave me a copy of Penn's new album (titled "March") and I
find it to be rather unremarkable.  There's one decent song on it ("No
Myth" - which mentions Heathcliffe - can this be MORE THAN JUST A MERE
COINCIDENCE?  I say NAY!) but the rest is sorta dullish
Beatlesesque-cum-Bob-Dylan pop with very little new to say.  "No Myth"
has some great hooks, though I got bored of it pretty darn quick.  In
my review I said, "It's by no means appalling.  There are a million
worse things you could spend your money on, and probably a million
better things as well." Let me take this opportunity to tell plug one
of my preferred million better things - Negativland.  Their latest
album, "Helter Stupid" is a brilliant collage of noise indicting the
media and pop music.  Don't be dumb!  Buy or die!

+---------------------- Is there any ESCAPE from NOISE? ----------------------+
|  |   |\       | jsd@gaffa.mit.edu |      "Suck on this,                     |
| \|on |/rukman | jsd@umass.bitnet  |       planet of noise bimbo!"           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

tracyr@UUNET.UU.NET (The one wearing wax lips) (01/05/90)

In article <9001032129.AA11786@GAFFA.MIT.EDU> gaffa!jsd (Jon Drukman) writes:
>
>My editor gave me a copy of Penn's new album (titled "March") and I
>
>  [.. not to impressed with album ..]
>

Jon, does this album contain a song that has a chorus like "maybe
all she wants is somebody to dance with" (or something like
that)?  I heard this song on KITS once, and really liked it--I
believe the DJ said it was by Michael Penn (or something that
rhymed with Penn, anyway).  When it first started, I thought it
was a new upbeat song by Squeeze...

Thanks to Dave Datta for solving the mystery about that very
pretty Sinead O'Conner song!  

3 more days of being in my twenties.  

Tracy,
uunet!sco!tracyr,
tracyr@sco.com

P.S. Where is IED?
-- 
"I only wrote _some_ of Elvis' songs."               --rr

jsd@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (Give me back myself for I am held by something else above) (01/05/90)

In article <4295@scolex.sco.COM> tracyr@uunet.uu.net (The one wearing wax lips) writes:
>In article <9001032129.AA11786@GAFFA.MIT.EDU> gaffa!jsd (Jon Drukman) writes:
>>My editor gave me a copy of Penn's new album (titled "March") and I
>>  [.. not to impressed with album ..]
>
>Jon, does this album contain a song that has a chorus like "maybe
>all she wants is somebody to dance with" (or something like
>that)?  I heard this song on KITS once, and really liked it--I
>believe the DJ said it was by Michael Penn (or something that
>rhymed with Penn, anyway).  When it first started, I thought it
>was a new upbeat song by Squeeze...

Er, yeah, that's "No Myth" by Michael Penn all right... The only
decent song on the album, as I mentioned in my earlier article.  If
you like the song that much, get the single - avoid the album.
Actually, if you really want it, I'll sell you my CD...

>3 more days of being in my twenties.  

Happy birthday to yoooooooo...
+---------------------- Is there any ESCAPE from NOISE? ----------------------+
|  |   |\       | jsd@gaffa.mit.edu |      "Suck on this,                     |
| \|on |/rukman | jsd@umass.bitnet  |       planet of noise bimbo!"           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+