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Yo La Digest Volume 2, Number 6

From tim@vestek.com
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 95 16:11:06 PDT
From: Tim McGinnis 
Subject: yldv2n6

80% percent of Aquarians would punch
themselves in the face for a mere $35. 

...my horoscope

 Hello Everyone,

 I may be getting World Wide Web Access soon, so email me your web page 
 address and I'll have a look.  From what I've seen thus far, the web is
 a great time waster, man!

 ciao,

 tim



 from: "Hargrove, Matthew G." 

 Camp Yo La Tengo


 Just got the Matador mailer and it has some info on what our heroes are 
 up to:

 "Ira plays on Stanton Miranda's version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on 
 the Joy Division compilition (Virgin)".

 And a 7"/CD5 is slated for release on Sept. 12 called _Camp Yo La Tengo_. 
 The 7" has an edited version of "Thin Blue Line Swinger", an acoustic "Tom
 C" and an organ "fragment".  The CD5 has all of that plus "Can't Seem to
 Make Mine" [sic], and "Mr. Ameche Plays the Stranger". 

 Barbara Manning's SF Seals are releasing their second album on that same 
 day called _Truth Walks in Sleepy Shadows_.

 Matt



 from: hurleysm@nmia.com (Sean)
 
 Please add me to your list for the Yo La Tengo Digest.  I've recently moved
 to Nashville (Where, of course, Electr-o-Pura was recorded) and have some
 interesting info for any other Nashville or vicinity residents that might be
 on the list.  I was recently fortunate enough to 'hang out' with (i.e. quake
 in the presence of) Georgia, James and Ira before their San Antonio show
 [thanks, Craig].  They mentioned that the songs subtitled Hot Chicken #1 and
 #2 refer to an apparently excellent dish at a restaurant here in town, the
 #1 and #2 indicating the degree of hotness to which you can order your
 chicken. The name of the restaurant  escapes me, but Georgia said its on
 Nolensville Pk. somewhere near Phonolux Records.  Also 'Electr-o-Pura' is a
 reference to an exhibit at the Museum of Beverage Containers in
 Goodlettsville, TN (who says the South is devoid of culture?)
 
 Anyway, thanks for putting out the Digest, and I'll look forward to future
 copies.

 -Sean
 hurleysm@nmia.com



 from: imprint@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca 
 
 Dump show in NYC

 Saw a Dump gig at Brownie's in NYC last weekend (Sunday August 6); 
 they/he was headlining a bill that also included the Softies (pink 
 guitars & sweet harmonies-- ex Tiger Trappers I believe), Honey Bunch 
 (Claudia from Magnetic Fields on drums) the Ropers (bad sound, shaky 
 vox, but some surprisingly likeable songs), and a person whose name I 
 disremember.

 Dump consisted of James and two other young dudes, all on electric 
 guitar. James seemed shy and nervous; didn't want to look at the crowd at 
 all really. The sound was alternately noisy and ragged or soothing and 
 pretty, and the set list touched on most every aspect of the Dump career, 
 even the "Bunny Boy" 45 track. Other highlights were "Secret Blood," "How 
 Many Bells?" and the Quincey Jones--Georgia's parents collaboration "So 
 Sedimentary." He also did a version of Tracey Ullman's/Kirsty MacColl's 
 "They Don't Know" that was kind of cool.

 For the encore, the three guitarists started a long instrumental jam 
 (which I guess in retrospect was probably that long one from the 
 *International Airport* 10"), and about midway through it a bassist and 
 drummer suddenly appeared from the crowd, took their places, and started 
 to fill out the sound-- whether by prearrangement or surprise, I can't 
 even guess-- so it all ended on a truly rocking note. Cool.

 Cheers,
 DW.
  


 from: Marc Odo 

 
 Covers


 Yikes.  Just read my post regarding the show I saw at The Backstage, and 
 was appalled at my grammar and spelling.  Guess I should sober up a bit 
 before posting, huh?

 Anyway, I have been thinking about cover songs a lot lately.  To the best 
 of my knowledge, noone has ever covered a Yo La Tengo song- have they?

 Then I started thinking about all the covers that YLT has done, and was 
 impressed by the diversity of bands to whom they have paid tribute.  
 There's the Fakebook album with the covers:

	NRBQ- "What Can I Say"
	Escorts- "The One To Cry"
	The Scene Is Now- "Yellow Sarong"
	Cat Stevens- "Here Comes My Baby"
	Peter Stampfel- "Griselda"
	Daniel Johson- "Speeding Motorcycle"
	John Cale- "Andalucia"
	Flying Burrito Brothers- "Tried So Hard"
	Kinks- "Oklahoma USA"

 Then on various other albums and singles we have:

	Beat Happening- "Cast A Shadow"
	Kinks- "Big Sky"
	Bob Dylan- "I Threw It All Away"
	"The Whole Of The Law"- (can't remember who)
	Beach Boys- "Farmer's Daughter"
	Jad Fair (?)- "Ashes On The Ground"
	Tara Key- "Orange SOng"
	Lou Reed- "It's Alright"

 Then I know they've done some of these live:

	Dream Syndicate- "Halloween"
	Kinks (again)- "Tired Of Waiting"
	Hank Williams- "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"

 They've also done songs by Graham Parsons, Great Plains, and Barbara 
 Manning, but I can't remember the titles.  Then there's "Artifical 
 Heart", but I don't know if that counts or not.  I'm sure there are tons 
 more, both live and recorded, but that's all that comes to mind at this late 
 hour.

 Pretty interesting, I think...

 -Marc 


 from: "Hilmer, Craig" 


 G & I were on NPR Fresh Air last night.  Bizarre to walk out of a 
 local watering hole to hear this guy saying in heavy psuedo-Dutch 
 voice, like the guy on sprockets, "Your music does not interest me; it 
 makes me tired; it is like a sleeping pill"  At that point it was 
 pretty apparent who was on the air.  Confirmation came when Terri 
 Gross said, brightly, "So you had an instant song title."  Good 
 interview, must have missed a lot of it.  Georgia discussed her 
 parents' and sister's animation background, no live performance, I 
 heard at least. No real earth-shattering revelations. Got home just as 
 it ended, so no tape, if you were interested.  Anyone else?


 from: bernat@rohan.sdsu.edu

 ...just passing along a shred of info: after the conclusion of a short 
 interview with Ira & Georgia on NPR (aired 8/24/95 but conducted after 
 the YLT appearances with Lollapalooza), the host said that upon completing
 its current european commitments, the band will begin a new US tour in 
 October...

 ...cheers, bernat@rohan.sdsu.edu

 

 Tape Offer

 A reader in the L.A. area, let's call him Bill W. because that's
 his name, recently recorded YLT @ The Alligator in Santa Monica.
 Bill has been kind enough to donate this very fine recording
 as a seed for a tape tree. Tony Lopez will organise the tree -
 his address is . If you're interested
 fill out the following and mail it to Tony. 
 
 ----------------------------clip here--------------------------------  
 name:
 email address:
 u.s. postal address:
 # of copies willing to make:
 type of equipment:
 questions/comments:


                           Yo La Puzzle #2 

 To follow you will find my initial transcription of the lyrics to a
 Yo La Tengo song.  Please help me by correcting any lyrics you think may 
 be different and by filling in the blanks and guesses"[?]".  Also, please
 take the time to give me your interpretation of what the song [is
 about/means/reminds you of], or any miscellaneous observations you may
 have about the song. 

 Aside from the ongoing process of building a database of YLT lyrics, it is
 hoped that this will induce thought about the music and spur conversation
 among the loyal many of the Hoboken three.  PLEASE PARTICIPATE.  Others
 *are* interested in what you have to say. 

 Please send your responses to me (mghargrove@ucdavis.edu) for compilation
 and future publication by Tim in the Yo La Digest.  Remember:  These
 lyrics are just my initial transcription and any word may be subject to
 change.  Things in brackets [] are words or phrases where I finally just
 took a guess, and [?] means I had absolutely no clue! Listening to the
 song very loud in a relaxed atmosphere with a Red Tail Ale at your side
 may help with this excersise.  Have fun! 

 YLP # 2: "DON'T SAY A WORD (Hot Chicken #2)" (Yo La Tengo), _Electr-o-Pura_

	Don't say a word
	I'm only sleeping 
	I haven't the nerve to tell you anymore
	You won't mind, if I won't go
	And you won't know what [color] I'm in

	To [????] me
	And I want more from you, I'm half of a man
	That shadows that place we call [?]
	[And we're in control] to swim through anywhere

 Please tell me something about the song.

 Remember send your responses to "mghargrove@ucdavis.edu" Tim doesn't need
 anymore work! 


 RESOLUTION OF YO LA PUZZLE #1, "PAUL IS DEAD":

	Walking on 10th Street
	The guy in front of me,
		walkman headphones on, Stones cranked
	Thing that caught my ear; singing loud and clear
	Well every coupla' steps I heard "Woo-woo"
	And he sang so unselfconciously,
		like it never would occur to me
	He revealed himself by offering a clue
	[I'd] offer a clue

	Well I was drunk the night we met
	I might try to forget, except I know--and so were you
	Well I don't really care, `cause we went on from there
	And I try not to hide from what is true
	The other night I had this dream, 
                you told me what you want from me
	I gave it to you instantly,
		then I woke up without a clue


 From: Wilson Smith 

 I have no answers but I like your questions...  

 -------------------[indicates separate emails--M.] 
 Hey, really, nothing to say about this song except that it jumped right
 out the first time I heard it, and it's still pretty darned close to
 perfect.  Sure do wish I felt certain about what came after the "he
 revealed himself" in the first verse. Something about a clue, definitely
 -- that and the later "without a clue" are obviously the key to the
 title... [Wilson went on to interpret the lyrics for almost the whole 
 song--M.]
 ------------------- 
 I think the title is just a weak joke... I think it probably should be
 called "Without a clue" but Ira, rock crit that he is, did some sort of
 free-association between the term "clue" and the song's slight spookiness
 and the Beatles "Paul is dead" thing... 
 
 I took the "I was drunk the night we met" as the narrator ruing the fact
 that his relationship seemed ever-so-slightly tainted by that fact. They
 went on from there, but still... 

 And ya know, it's REALLY hard not to interpret something like this without
 projecting your own experiences/emotions on it, so I'm gonna cut this
 short except to say that the song, for me, is about inhibition and opening
 yourself up and feeling free to express yourself and yearning for
 something that seems to come really easily to some... 


 From: MR JUSTIN C ROBERTSON 

 great idea about the lyrics here are my thoughts on "paul is dead", the
 implication being he's listening to the rolling stones- from the "woo woo"
 quote I would guess "sympathy for the devil" 


 Benito Vergara  (Sunny)

 My guess is that the line goes something like "Walkman headphones on,
 Stones cranked." And the "woo-woos" could refer to him singing along to
 "Sympathy for the Devil" or something. Just a wild guess. :) Otherwise
 your lyrics in brackets were the exact same ones I couldn't figure out
 (had a Pete's Wicked Red by my side for that one, though). 


 Derek Weiler 

 --note that this is at least the second YLT tune to namedrop the Stones,
 after "Big Day Coming"  ("We can play a Stones song, 'Sitting on a Fence,'
 and it'll sound pretty good 'til I forget how it ends")... for some reason
 I keep thinking they might have mentioned the Stones in still another
 song, but I disremember what it might have been. [anyone...anyone....--M.]


 From: Frazer Dobson <73773.2460@compuserve.com>
 
 Interesting idea you have here, and I think one which will be helpful. 
 It's always seemed to me that YLT never printed lyrics because they were
 really secondary--not that they were bad lyrics, but the music and the
 sound have always been the focus.  It seems they've spent a bit more time
 with them on this last album, though.... 

 Second verse I think you got right except for the first three lines, which
 to me sound like: "I was drunk the night we met I might try to forget,
 except I know so were you."  And next line is, I think, "We went on from
 there," not "move my arm."  What does it say?  I just think it's a nice
 little slice- of-life in the first verse, a telling detail, a keen
 observation that comes out really well.  I don't know where the title fits
 in.  But "PID" is one of the few YLT songs to be a favorite of mine on the
 basis of lyrics, and thus I think it's a good place to start here! 

angry men
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