---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===-- Note: The file below may have several references to old addresses for the //Skyway\\. The new, correct addresses are: ** Skyway listserver: majordomo@novia.net ** Skyway submissions, to write to Matt: skyway@novia.net --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- / // The \kyway \\ / Summer 1994 -- Issue #19 June 5th, 1994 (c) 1994 Bastards of Young (BOY/BetaOmegaYamma) Productions --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- ** Subscriptions, comments, contributions, anything you want to read: ** --> skyway@phoenix.creighton.edu <-- ** Manager: ** i261%nemomus@academic.nemostate.edu (Matthew Tomich) --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- The manager of this list, Matthew Tomich, and the school's facilities that this list is produced from, Creighton University of Omaha, Nebraska, are not responsible for the contents of the following mailing except for that which they themselves have originally contributed. --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- "It beats pickin' cotton and waiting to be forgotten..." WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET: ----------------------------- + Happy Town [M@] + "Hello!" [Allen Merry] + An excerpt from a letter about list format [Leah Weaver] + Letter sent to _Details_ magazine about this get-together thing [HillDruid] + "I sponsored a 'Mats concert" -- cool story by [Scott Hudson] + Taper's Quarterly article reply stuff [Charles Ford himself] + Hilarious motorcycle story, whether it's true or not. [Lanner] + Transcription to "I'll Be You" wanted! [Joe Reid] + Big Star Fan Club info - passed along by [John] ---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===-- Date: Sun, 05 Jun 94 15:17:03 CDT From: "M@" Subjekt: HAPPY TOWN "The plan was to set the world on fire, but it rains every day..." Back in small town, MO. I guess I love it here for now...all of my friends here live within a three block radius and there's nothing to do at night except make noise and go walk around and find other people or just sit on the porch. I kinda miss the physical exertion of all that grass work, but I can't say I miss the unrestrained elegance of my co-workers. I guess I just can't permanently break free of my middle-class upbringing, either up or down. Well, the overwhelming majority of you out there wrote me and said enthusiastically/extremely/estatically "Don't change the format!" Hey, you got it! I was just seeing if there was some silent majority out there that was dissatisfied and was looking for a change. Uh, guess not. There were one or two people out there that wrote in and said that the issues were too long and sometimes threaten to crash their mailbox. If you have this problem, let me know and I'll split the thing up for you and send it to you that way. Tell me about how many lines you want each letter to be. (Note: this offer is only valid for as long as I have the free time, sadly enough.) In the near future though, there will probably be the option of an automated mail server that will automatically subscribe and unsubscribe users by request, as well as mail out back issues, "best of's", lyrics, etc. That way, people that don't have/want gopher can get instantaneous access to those files. But as always, no matter what, you'll be able to write to me and I'll manually send you anything you want or subscribe or unsubscribe you in case you have a feverent dislike of automation! K00L NEWZ: LETZ ALL HANG OUT AND GET DRUNK| (jus' kiddin...or maybe not) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check this out! I don't know where this started (I think it was those maniacs on On-Line America, which I'd subscribe to if I had my own computer for more than 1-3 months out of the year when I go "home"), but there's plans for a big Replacements get-together in Minneapolis in late August (19-21, I believe is that date that's been set). I don't know who the contact people (if any) or what the plans are (if any, or if any are even necessary or wanted), but I'll keep you updated as stuff gets send into the 'Way. Tenatively, I'll be there. I'm lookin' forward to this...! (From what I understand, the working title for the event is "Swingin' Party '94".) I revised the 'logo' thingie at the top for the summer...as well as my address in the .sig. Which, by the way, this is the first time that I've really lived on my own without the support of a dorm food service or anything. I'm not starving, but I sure could use some recipies, because oatmeal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches andapples and turkey burgers and cereal and Lipton "Cup o' Soup" are microwaved potatoes are startin' to get kinda old. (And Taco Bell got old eons ago.) So if you've got a kick butt, easy-to-do recipie, send it in. And if you're looking for some, write me and I'll forward all the ones that I get to you. THANKS to anybody that obnoxiously wrote to my injured friend Katie. The offer still stands to write...especially you international people, which provide an optimal potential for confusion| If you need some kind of incentive for me to send you something in return for the postage of a postcard, write me and I'll send you something stupid and American in return. "If you can't stop in, wave as you pass by." (sign at the local Amoco) -- M@ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 11:01:09 -0400 (EDT) From: ALLENM@queens.lib.ny.us Subject: The Replacements and Me Hi. I'm a librarian for the Queens Borough Public Library in New York, and we finally got connected to Internet, so the first thing I did was subscribe to Skyway. I was first exposed to the Replacements in 1982 when I was a 16- year-old kid growing up in the cultural wasteland known as Duluth, Minnesota. One of the few good things in Duluth back then was a relatively new rock station KQDS. The station's sense of adventure has long since disappeared (they're strictly classic rock now), but back then KQDS actually played the Clash, Elvis Costello, the English Beat, and other punk and new wave gods in between the Van Halen and ZZ Top. They also sponsored a contest for Minnesota bands called the Miller High Life Rock to Riches Talent Search. The Replacements were among the top ten bands that made it on to a compilation album called "Trackin' Up the North." [Regarding Charles Ford's "Collecting the Replacements" article in issue #11, this is where the Replacements song "Lookin' for Ya" appeared. You might still be able to find the album in Minnesota used record stores. The Mats song rocks and is THE highlight, but it was too raw and unpolished to beat out Sussman Lawrence's "Torture Me" (actually a catchy tune). Most of the other cuts are dated and/or completely amateurish, but there are some gems from the Flamin' Ohs ("Smart Girl"--different from the version on their first album), Johnny Rey and the Reaction ("Edge of Night"), and the Crash Street Kids ("My Jolene"--a great guilty-pleasure power-pop song). There's also a totally sappy ballad called "Oh Love" by a group called Chameleon that's notable only because New-Ager Yanni played on it. Unfortunately, the Suburbs didn't enter the contest, and the Suicide Commandos were long gone. Still, anyone who followed the Minnesota scene back then would probably get a kick out of this album if they could find it.] Anyway, I liked the Replacements' song, but I thought they sounded just like any other punk/thrash band, so I didn't make any effort to pick up their first three albums. In 1984, though, when I was a freshman at the University of Minnesota, I heard "I will Dare" (still my favorite Replacements song) on the college station WMMR (where I later hosted a 60s show called "Paisley Al's Groovy Shindig" and an occasional 70s show called "The Freddie Prinze Power Hour") and immediately bought "Let It Be." It's definitely the album of the 80s. Shortly after that I bough "Stink" and "Hootenanny" and liked them a lot too. I just loved their snotty, who-gives-a-fuck attitude. As far as I'm concerned, none of the albums after "Let It Be" comes close to albums two through four. Each of the major label albums has a handful (sometimes much more) of songs I like, but to me the Mats just weren't as vital after they got rid of Bob. I knew things were going downhill when Paul Westerberg referred to himself as an "artist" in a 1989 Musician article. Years before he would have probably scoffed at anyone who called him that--or anyone who called themselves that. I never bought "All Shook Down" or "14 Songs," but I did like the Paul songs on the "Singles" soundtrack. I thought for sure that "Dyslexic Heart" would be his first top 40 single. I only saw the Replacements live twice (I wasn't industrious enough to get into their shows when I was under-age, nor industrious enough when I was legal to get tickets to their always sold-out Minneapolis shows). The first time I saw them was in May, 1987 at First Ave; the other time was February, 1991 in Champaign when I was going to library school at the University of Illinois. Although the albums they were touring in support of weren't my favorites, and although I don't like slim as much as Bob, I had to admit they were great shows. The only time I saw Bob play was on the 1986 SNL appearance (which I still have on tape, of course). I remember having to contain my euphoria because my culturally deprived Duluthian friends who were watching with me kept saying the Replacements sucked because they weren't as slick as the Eagles or GTR. Well, that's all I have to say for now. I'm really glad I finally have access to this mailing list. Allen Merry ALLENM@queens.lib.ny.us ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Jun 1994 01:44:25 -0500 (CDT) From: KYKYRI Matt, and all- Oh, and a big hello to all 229 list members! If any of you ever feel the need to visit the Twin Cities, feel free to crash with me - I'm about 45 minutes south of the Minneapolis suburbs and will be in this dinky little college town all summer. Matt can vouch for me - I'm not a psycho killer or anything like that. It's time for Animaniacs, Leah [She's not a psycho killer or anything like that. -- M@] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 01 Jun 94 00:52:38 EDT From: HillDruid@aol.com Subject: Fwd: Mats Rendezvous Skyway, This is a little note I sent the folks at Details magazine about covering a possible unconventional "convention" of the Mat-heads here on AOL. As it explains, we are all getting together and would love for any other members of the Skyway to join us as we attack Minneapolis what looks to be the weekend of August 19-21 to visit historic Mats sites, hang out with our cyberbuddies and basically get tanked Mats-style on the way. We'd love to have everyone there...let me know for details. _________________________________________________________ Details Magazine, As you publish articles that let the rest of the world in on cutting edge issues, I was wondering why you haven't done one on the on-line rlationships that go on in systems such as America On-Line here? If such an article is being planned, I wanted to make you aware of a happening in August of this year. Last summer, The Replacements folder in Rocklink's music messaging system started to become frequented by the same group of people who banded together due to their love of the now-defunct late 80's band, The Replacements. While they discuss their new projects such as Paul Westerberg's new album and such, they spin yarns and ancedotes about old times at Mats shows, experiences that relate to certain songs, etc. While this may sound weird to most (rock critic Gina Arnold even found place to mention us in one of her columns), the group is committed to this folder in such a way that 2 new folders had to be created by AOL's system as they kept filling the folders to capacity. AOL, seeing that this is important to a group of their consumers, decided last months to create Permanent Sections in the Rocklink files. Size would limit them to only 10 categories, and the Matsheads were given the first one, a credit to their cameraderie since the band never became a commercial success. In the last two weeks, I brought up the issue of all of the Matsheads getting together as we have become great friends and we have never actually met each other. This brought an overwhelming response and a rendezvous is being planned for August. People from the folder from both coasts are going to be getting together in Minneapolis to hang at old Mats hangouts, studios and whatnot, drink and get to know the ir friends behind the screen names for a weekend. As a participant, I can't wait as I don't really know what to expect but a strange but good time. Will we all clique? Who knows? If you'd like to be there to join us, we'd love to have you. Drop by and let us know in the folder or E-mail me. Hill Druid hilldruid@aol.com (219)745-0801 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 01 Jun 1994 11:43:42 EDT From: MR SCOTT D HUDSON Hey Matt, I've been promising this little contribution for quite a while, so here it is. Before I begin, though, I want to add my opinion about changing the Skyway format. Don't do it!!! I don't think there's enough to put out a digest every day, and it just wouldn't be the same to get a couple of messages a day compared to a huge compilation of reports every 2-4 weeks. Ok, I first heard the 'mats in '82. I had just started college and had begun doing a radio show when I first noticed "Sorry Ma." I hate to say it but it didn't do anything for me at the time. Although I had gone through a big Pistols, Clash, and Costello phase, my tastes were still pretty mainstream. So I missed out on an infamous show here in town in '83. I finally got into them with the release of "Let it Be". I was in the process of graduating from college, and filled with the dread and loneliness of not having that crutch in my meaningless life. Suddenly working at the local record store was not good enough for my family, and so many, many nights were spent screaming "I'm so Unsatisfied." It still brings chills. Shortly after college, I got a job DJ'ing at a club. Although I had to spend the majority of the night playing Madonna, Prince, Frankie GTH, and other similar crap, I developed quite a following with my short sets of "good" music. Obviously, R.E.M. and U2 were the mainstays of those sets, but I always snuck in one or two newer things that I thought would work. It was during this time that "Tim" came out, which became THE after-hours disc. During work, I turned "Kiss Me on the Bus" into a dance-club hit, and snuck in "HML" and others on occasion. Still, I had yet to see them live. This changed with the release of "PTMM". They played a couple of shows in Minneapolis right after the release, so my buddy Don and I went, sat in the balcony at 1st Ave, and clipped a mike to the rafters. What a night!! Throwing an old George Jones song early in the set, Paul mumbled "we can do whatever we want. This is our hometown." A few months later, a friend of mine who books shows had an opportunity to book the 'mats in our little town, but didn't have enough money. I borrowed $1000 and became a 25% holder in the show. We rented a mobile home to use as their dressing room. After hanging out a while, watching their soundcheck and a local TV interview, I brought some ice to the trailer. Sitting in the trailer was the band and a local guy who we call Zap, who was singing and dancing to the Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me." Paul was joking they would bring Zap onstage for the encore. Slim was sprawled out on the back bed, and didn't really say anything, but the rest of the band was doing what they do best, drinking and joking. I sat in the trailer until it was time to hit stage, when Paul shot some cough medicine into his throat on his way. Halfway there, I noticed we had left the Jack Daniel's in the trailer. I ran back, grabbed it, jumped onstage to hand it Tommy. Before I gave it to him, I turned to my friends in the front row, took a big swig, and then gave it to Tommy. After the show we went to the Holiday Inn, where we had rented rooms for the band. Sitting in the bar was Tommy (who was still only 20) and their sound guy. Tommy had just ordered a pizza, and when I attempted to grab a piece, thanking him for thinking of me, he snapped "you touch my pizza, you die." He must have felt bad, though, because a few minutes later he offered to share with me. Over the years I saw them a couple of more times, interviewed Tommy for our local paper, and saw the various new bands, but nothing will compare to listening to Paul's road tapes in the back of a trailer. Or the high I felt knowing that I had a hand in bringing the world's greatest band to our little town. (BTW, I made $600 profit.) Scott Hudson ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 3 Jun 94 13:32:27 CDT From: cford@VNET.IBM.COM To: skyway@phoenix.creighton.edu Subject: Feedback I have recieved some good feedback from my two Tapers Quarterly articles, Mat's Outtakes, and Mat's Videos, that I posted on Skyway recently. I received several comments and offers to trade. I'll share some of the info I received. 1) 'Mat's Outtakes' - I received a convincing correction. The song that many traders refer to as 'Birthday Carol' is probably actually called 'Birthday Gal.' (I know, the title 'Birthday Carol' did have a nice ring to it, but it's incorrect in all likelihood.) 2) 'Mat's Videos' - I got the most comments on this one, as I expected, since it was the more incomplete of the two. I've even received some new videos out of the deal. I've received: Mat's - Alumni Hall: Bloomington, IN 9/15/87 - This video turns out to be one of the 'unknown' videos I refer to in the article. 70m. Mat's - Grosse Freheit: Hamburg, Germany 3/31/91. - This is a pretty good quality video. It starts off with a shot of the club from the outside which gives the video sort of a documentary feel. It's a good, still, shot of the three principle Mats from sort of a stage left angle. Drummer Steve Foley is totally invisible (who cares?). It's a full two hour workout. Mat's - Madison Square Garden: NYC 6/22/91. This video captures only 30 minutes of the Mats openning for Elvis Costello. The camera operator lost the first 15 minutes. It's hand held and sort of clumsy but the operator is able to zoom in close enough to view the entire band. Not bad. For those that are interested in post Mats stuff (and I assume everybody is) there is a wealth of Paul Westerberg '93 concert videos floating around. I've seen the 7/22/93 San Diego, CA outdoor show (excellent). I've also heard about an 8/5/83 Irving Plaza, NY show and a 8/20/93 1st Ave. Minneapolis show. (I have not seen them, however) And of course there is Westerberg's SNL appearance back in 12/93 which everybody has. Also, I'm sure everybody is also aware of the Bash&Pop appearance on Letterman back in 2/93. Charles ('Chuck') Ford [Really? You don't think it's "Birthday Carol"? Hmm...doesn't "Day" sound too short to you for what he's singing? Does anybody have any recollection or copies of the 'Mats playing this song live? -- M@] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 03 Jun 94 17:24:40 EDT From: Lanner@aol.com Subject: storytime Hi--- I posted this on AOL and somebody suggested that stories such as this should be sent to //Skyway\\. So that's what I did... Here's a pre-Hootenanny story told me by someone close to the source. Like all Mats' stories, I'm sure it's developed a life of its own over the years, but, after listening to Run It and Mr. Whirly again, if this one ain't true, it should be. As I heard it, a well-lubricated Paul and Chris wandered out of the CC Club and saw this motorcycle---complete with keys---so they decided to go for a little test drive, Chris drivin, Paul hangin on, callin out directions. Now somehow these guys attracted attention and pretty soon they were leading a parade of cars with flashing lights through the streets of Minneapolis. And it seems the boys were doing pretty well until Paul fell off the back of the bike. Splat. So Chris continued on gamely while Paul explained to the cops that he'd been drinking alone, that his only mistake was in accepting a ride from this maniac-stranger. They let Paul go, but eventually they caught up with Chris and gave him a ride downtown and a room to stay in while they looked for the owner of the bike. Luckily, the bike's owner turned out to be a Mats fan who refused to press charges. I'm wondering if this guy now has that bike up on blocks in his living room with a little brass plaque attached explaining its history. I would if it were mine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 09:41:19 -0300 From: "Joe B. Reid, Esq." Hey There, As a new subscriber, I'm enjoying catching up on all the 'Mats chatter and such. However, I'm in search of one piece of information which has hitherto eluded my grasp: transcription to "I'll Be You". I'm pumped to introduce the rest of my band to some 'Mats material, but I can't find either "I'll Be You" or "Bastards". I accessed your gopher location but couldn't find it. Am I not on the right track, or do you just lack these? Does anyone have them? Of course I could figure them out for myself, but I must confess that I've hacked away on "I'll Be You" with only limited success and I'd really love some input from those who have nailed it. I've figured out G5-D5-C5-D5 and part of the refrain, but more than a few chords still escape me. Can you help out a fellow bass player in distress? I surely do appreciate any help. ========================================= Joe B. Reid, Esq. Corporate Counsel jbr@intercon.com InterCon Systems Corporation 950 Herndon Parkway, Suite 420 Herndon, VA 22070 Vox 703.709.5521 Fax 703.709.5555 ========================================= ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 02 Jun 1994 17:39:26 -0400 (EDT) From: KRUSTY2@delphi.com Subject: TEENAGE FANCLUB?????? Just found this little bit on the alt.music group. Teenage Fanclub more obvious than the Mats??? Oh well, thought somebody might be interested... -john Subject: Bands influenced by/cover BIG STAR/Chilton? From: Judith Beeman Date: Thu, 26 May 94 19:24:11 -0700 (P (2 screens) Hey everybody, Judith from Vancouver here. Plans are going well for the new Big Star zine, BACK OF A CAR which will debut this August with its Fall/Winter issue (twice a year schedule). Articles on the band/solo careers must be in by June 30th for #1 issue (Feb 15, 2nd issue for those of you who may plan ahead). Each issue will profile a few groups who cover the bands music or are influenced: The obvious being This Mortal Coil and Teenage Fanclub to name two. I'd like people to both write profiles, listings, discography AND to write in suggestions -- I may be a big fan of the band, but I am not above expanding my knowlege about the band I'm also trying to compile a list of bands who cover BS material. Published contributors get a free zine. I'd also dig regional reports on local bands who have that Big Star feel. More? #1 issue will profile local hotshots Pluto who have a song which mentions Chris Bell. Other than that I've got my ticket for the San Francisco gig! Pinch me ;) Looking forward to seeing a few email friends in the flesh down there. I'll be back on June 14th and will reply to any new letters concerning BACK OF A CAR then. best, Judith ---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===-- fin. --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- || Matthew Tomich || <<>> || || 416 South Florence #2 || ----> skyway@phoenix.creighton.edu <---- || || Kirksville, Missouri 63501 ||(administrative, contribution, all purpose)|| || (816)-665-4979 ||--==--==--==--==--==-*-==--==--==--==--==--|| || "You are not what you own." || ** Non-Skyway address: ** || || /\\/\\/\ - Fugazi /\\/\\/\\ || i261%nemomus@academic.nemostate.edu || --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- "And you're the kind of girl I like Because you're empty, and I'm empty..." -- Pavement