Okay, back in business, folks! For the newcomers, you can check out what was just written by reading the Archives - there's a link at the top of the page.
I have my degree, my house guest just left, and although I have a part time job, I can devote a lot more time to Cope stuff now.
Trav
By the way, I fixed up the subscription list; there were some weird entries. If you are suddenly getting mail when before you weren't, or vice versa, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by following the instructions at the top of this page.
Hey, I've got a question... Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and maybe even Explorer itself have been acting very sluggish for the past month or so. The slowness is usually when loading them up for the first time, or whatever. I tried defragging a while ago, but defrag kept starting over. Do you think my system might be stuck in some intermediate (highly fragmented) state? Or is there a virus floating around that slows Microsoft apps down to a crawl?
Gotta eat!
Trav
Someone called shrimp on the last page was asking about ambulance.
If you like the QE type stuff then you will like Ambulance. Loosely based around I come from another planet baby, it has loud bits, quiet bits, glammy bits and also has the rather amusing line, "Now let us drink the reindeers piss".
Apparently this is something to do with reindeer eating psyco-active mushrooms which in their base form can kill a human being. Their wee wee on the other hand...
Just make sure the reindeer has actually eaten some first, or else it would be an unpleasant and rather futile affair.
But anyway, ambulance comes heartily recomended from me. I even bought the T-shirt. ("why have you got Ambulance written on your back?")
Trav, What happend to your telephone? I've got 15 songs for you by at least 5 different artists (INT. Vol 2). Do you still have my number? If so, Please call me. I was planning to visit you today, but your phone is not working! You've got to hear these tunes! Please call me. 8043929954. later
Hey Andrew, good to hear your news from the drude. What exactly does possibility of a tour next year mean? Was is a case of;
Andrew-So when are you touring next?
JC - Ahh, I don't know, maybe next year.
or was it more definite than that. Did he say whether he would consider going outside the UK? Or is that just too hopeful? Questions, questions, questions. This is the sort of info I'd love to see on Head Heritage. What was he doing anyway. Just popping out to the shops or chilling? Cammoflage and black!?! I thought fake fur was de rigeuer.
worst job i ever had.....
Slán go fóill, St.
drude rumours part one......
anymore ?
yes
thank you.
Billy - Hey there! I moved apartments a while ago, so my old number is defunct. I gave Mickey my new one.
Odin... Woo-hoo!!!! :)
That's news I certainly don't mind reading three times! :)
Trav
I made a simple search engine this morning. Right now it lets you search the Rail On archives. Feedback is welcome! Once I get it tested for a bit, I'll add it to the Rail On Archives page.
Trav
HI
CHECK OUT WWW.EBAY.COM FOR SOME JULIAN COPE AND TEARDROP EXPLODE RARE ITEMS FOR SALE
Hi!
I'm Japanese and I live in Tokyo.
I found this page today.
The first time I listened Julian's song was 11 years ago.
My favourite song is"Reynard the fox".
I think Julian is ignored in Japan and I can hardly meet who likes his music.
Reeding this list , I think there are many fans!
I'm very happy.
Yumi
I've got me a case if serious megalithamania , I live in London which sucks,any heads out there interested in seeing some sites -mail me, I can't drive, but all this stuff in the Modern Antiquarian is really tripping me out !!!!!!
Morning all,
Well Del, I am planning a little visit to Avebury, Glastonbury and places nearby when I pop home to see my parents on the 13th- 15th Sept. (Leaving from Yeovil - YIPPEEE) I am borrowing a car for these trips, but some places you can get to by train and bus!! There are a few places of interest on the outskirts of london, some which aren't listed in The Good Book.
I know you can definately get to Maiden Castle on the Train from London (get out at Dorchester) and probably a few others. Try www.railtrack.co.uk and a have a good map of England with you. Despite what British Rail say England still does have a few little railway stations left!!
Nice to here from someone in Japan too!! The Word is spreading....
Natxxx
'Oi Gerard got yer vibes man'
Any new info on the QE gigs
So, I'm in Ohio on business this week. Am I correct in recalling that the serpent mound in the liner notes of Jehovahkill is in Ohio??
Can somebody please grab their copy and tell me where?? I think I'll have to take a look before I go back home...
Derek
Derek-
well at least you have a good reason to be here~l~
The Great Serpent Mound is in Adams County which is in Southwest Ohio..it's near Locust Grove;if that's any help.
steven
hey nat!
so there you are.
I keep doing searches for Drulian related stuff but only washed up at the Culture Bunker and Soul Desert. Glad to see this site is here.
simon
A proper mailing list? I thought that's what this was, unless of course you mean it's an improper mailing list.
Have a fun and fabulous weekend all,
St.
Regarding "proper" mailing lists... I am finding them less and less pleasant and effective these days.
Non-digest mailing lists flood my inbox and in my compulsion to keep my mail directories clean, I find myself frequently deleting anything with "[swerve]" or "[chameleons]" in the title, without even reading it, simply to remove it from sight. As [swerve] messages keep pouring in, making my little mail icon appear, they begin to irritate me, so I become less and less likely to actually read them. Eventually, no matter how [initially] cool the subject matter, I end up unsubscribing.
With digests, the relentless influx is curbed, and hence interest in the subject matter is maintained, but there are disadvantages. For one, with a digest, you almost always lose the ability to quickly whip up a reply to a specifc post or poster. This, and the sense of time-lag ["has someone else already replied? guess I'll find out tomorrow..."], discourages casual contribution, so those lists end up with a vocal few (who have increasingly little new to say) and a bunch of lurkers. Some people like this because it keeps the list [in general] more on-topic by discouraging whimsy. I for one don't value that trend; I often find that silly, off-topic threads from a variety contributors tend to be the most interesting ones.
I also find that once I [inevitably] get behind on reading digests, it gets harder and harder to make myself read them. I find that because they are big and need to be mined for info, I tend to collect them, and I can't just start with today's digest, but have to go back to the earliest unread one I have. So they collect and collect and collect...
The end result: non-digested lists become annoying, so I end up deleting messages before reading them; and digested lists require larger and larger blocks of time, so I end up procrastinating and not reading them. Either way, I end up NOT reading and discussing the subject matter, so why bother having joined the list???
Traditional WWW message boards get rid of the instrusiveness of email, but the downside is that you can get behind pretty quickly, and you have to actively find your bookmark and go to the site in order to read the content. You also lose the feeling of being kept up to date, since content is being generated without your awareness. Plus, not everyone has access to a web browser all the time.
That's why Rail On has the subscription option. The read-only emails let you keep up to date on the latest postings, and it also provides a quick link to the site. Plus, you can delete the Rail On mail without even looking at them, at no cost to yourself, since the content is available at the same time on the web page. There's therefore no guilt associated with deleting messages, and no compulsion to collect.
So, if I want to have the latest and greatest news, I can subscribe; if I prefer to minimize the load on my inbox, I can stay unsubscribed and check the site periodically on my own schedule. Rail On gives me (the user) control over how and when I receive my Julian Cope information, and that's why I like it.
The Culture Bunker was a "proper" mailing list. So were the American Cope list, the Echo Cope list, and a couple other short-lived Cope lists. Patrick and I preserved the Culture Bunker posts, but for the other lists, whatever brilliant thoughts people had and posted at the time are now lost, swept away. Dust.
Okay, gotta work.
Trav
Afternoon,
I think this list is a corker.... far far far far better than the others. Don't go changing.
Just stay the way you are... better than the Bunnymen list I was on oooo dodgy stuff.
Anyway, I'm off home, stay special!!
Hello Steve!!
Love to you all
Nat xx
errm, regarding proper, I hit the 'post' button before my brain had finished reading the copy above this here box. oops.
There's recently been a discussion of drulian on another list I sub to. Widely held view is that whereas he is indeed god-like, his recent book tour was a piece of sh*t and described as being like getting stuck in a lift with a scientologist.
I half forgive him for his loonier ideas and half like him because of them. know what I mean?
simon
and another thing...
who's got the SP on Repossesed. What is it? Head On Part Deux?
cheers
simonf
Two cents on mailing lists:
non-digest mailing-lists are indeed a nuisance, but _only_ if you have no way of automatically sorting your mail into folders.
I use procmail to do that; dunno what options Windows users have.
The rest of Trav's analysis still holds though. I was annoyed by Rail on! not being a proper mailing list at the beginning, but I've adjusted now.
Well
I've added some new general links to some of my fave bands so check them out. I've also started to add lyric's all TX at the moment but cope lyric's should be up soon. The links to the bands are Regurgitator and TISM two of my fave bands they are both Australian and are both worth checking out. The links from both these pages should give you a good idea of what these bands get up to. Thanks Verian for the lyric's its helped loads well back to work yes it is sunday but you have to sometimes!!!!
Russ
For info on the forthcomming Skray Album 'Mind Lagoons' and details on the Ochre 5 Gig in November at the Gloucester Guildhall featuring both Skyray (Paul Simpson)Glide (will Seargent) and the Serpents (feturing Both Paul And Will as well as a host of other artists) then Visit the Ochre records Website at: http://www.ochre.co.uk/
Richard Taunton Somerset
Sorry to bother you on an unrelated Julian topic but I really need some help.
About 3 years ago I read a book by Danny Sugarman, it was his Autobiography and I think it was called 'Sunset Boulevard'. I am now trying to get hold of a copy.... does anyone have one, they are willing to sell or swap for a nice yellow frisbee! (yep still got some!). I was under the impression it was only available in the USA, but I could be wrong. Its a brilliant book, lots of tales of Iggy Pop and the lovely Jim. Can't find it on the Web buying books thing and The Doors web page. If anyone can help please mail me.
Anyway, I'm off to Avebury next week anyone else going to be there on Monday 13th (apart from Izzy!!) I'm taking a picnic......
Ttfn.
Nat xx
Does anyone know anything about the newly discovered stones at Avebury?
Nat- the book you're looking for is called "Wonderland Avenue: Tales of Excess and Glamour"....barnesandnoble.com has it listed as available with a 3-5 week waiting period. Good luck! -kevin
Heads up... try this search engine 'dogpile.com' - no kidding. It combines several searches into one. Pretty cool. Found a place that had a St. Julian tour poster, no T-Shirts yet.. Also, looks like UBL has been working on their site. Much more Cope content than I have previously seen although, nothing new to anyone familiar with the cope ring. I just found it all interesting, thought I would pass along.
er uhm Pristeen take two...
Thanks for the book thing Kevin youhave the right one. God only knows where I got that title 'Sunset Boulevard' from!! I have obviously been watching &listening to far too many Lloyd Webber Musicals lately!!! (JOKING)
I've actually got it from Waterstones this lunch time so can start reading it later when I tuck myself into bed. Hoorah....
Lots of people seem to be unsubscribing lately. Hope its nothing I've said!!! :-)ho ho ho.....
Nat xx
the newly discovered stones at Avebury are part of the Beckhampton avenue - does anyone know any more about this recent find?
Okay, folks, I've added a search tool to the Rail On Archives. It searches both the Rail On archives and the Culture Bunker archives. I've made lots of changes to the search engine since that test, so in case you hated it before, well, maybe this time you'll only dislike it. :)
All right, second topic. Interpreters Volume 2! Time for me to rattle the cages (my own included)... I bought a bunch of jewel cases yesterday, and I have about 80 CDs on a spindle just begging to be used. I'd like to release Vol 2 before the end of the month. At the very latest, we can aim for the one-year anniversary of Vol 1, which I think is October something or other. I have it written down.
So anyway, if you'd like to contribute songs, now's the time to send them in! My mailing address is: [snipped - Trav]
[The local post office says we have to spell out country names now. This means we can't write "UK" or "US" anymore!]
I'm excited about it!
By the way, my regular email server is down. If you need to mail me, you can try [email snipped -- Trav]
Lia, I mailed your CD yesterday. :)
Trav
Is it true that Julian has a new record slated for January, as Jim mentioned recently, entitled "Odin"?
with a title like that, I can't help thinking of Norwegian black metal, Burzum, and his nazi ilk. Has Julian flipped? I guess I should wait to see what's what, but the Norse god of war? Hopefully it's sarcasm!
-kevin
Regarding the new LP I have heard that it might be called 'ODIN' though as far as I can gather it's title has not been finalised yet, though a friend of mine who spoke to Julian recently told that it wont be a new rock album but another Experimental/Ambient Album along the lines of the Rite Albumns. It will probably be released through Head Heritage.
Also regarding Repossed. Plans are already being drawn up for a book signing tour to promote the book around the time of the books release in October. The signings are likely to take place in waterstone type bookshops.
Richard Taunton
Hello,
I've just got back from Amsterdam. If anyone goes I can heartily recomend buying some jack herer grass. Superb!
Nothing much to tell except that we lived in a hotel next the the dodgyest bridge and took mushrooms and freaked out. How can they have found new stones at avebury, they are all thousands of years old.
Bye Bye.
wow a discussion list for julian how did I miss this...
and a new album???? wow
I'll be keeping a good eye on this
What became of the Teardrops BBC Radio One disc allegedly to be released on Windsong in the mid 90's?
[Posted by Travis]
Hello!
I've got a musical project called Pigmalion Insense and we do two Cope covers [...]
We'd like it if these were considered for the next edition of "Interpreters" !
Please let me know how the selection process works.
Thanks!
James
Hey guys, my mail is working again. :)
James, I tried to email you, but either my SMTP server or your POP/IMAP server rejected your email address. So here's my response:
James -
Hey, everything is pretty casual around here. So far, if people have sent in songs, I've put them on the CD. Sometimes they'll send in multiple takes of songs, and ask me to pick the one that sounds best and fits the flow of the rest of the CD the best.
For Volume 1, we had *just enough* songs collected over the years to squeeze get everyone who contributed on the CD, with only one duplication (Paranormal). I spent a lot of time sequencing and fading the tracks so that the differences in sound quality and singing quality [I was the worst!] wouldn't make it a too uneven listen. It's all in the segues!
For Vol 2, there might be a lot more songs, and more duplicates than before. I'll try to split up any duplicates between Vol 2 and Vol 3, unless dups are different enough to make side-by-side listening and comparison interesting. My first priority will be to either get at least one track from every contributor on Vol 2, or else release Vol 3 soon afterwards.
So, if you send your songs, at least one will get on Vol 2, and the other will go on either Vol 2 or Vol 3. I'm interested in hearing them!
Trav
Phew, thought I'd lost you all there!!
Just a quick one, to let anyone who is interested know that a group of us are meeting in the Stone Cafe in Avebury at 12.30 on Monday 13th Sept. For a picnic and a game of frisbee if its sunny!! If its raining then it will be herbal tea, cake and Julian chat in the cafe.....
May see some of you there, we'll be the ones in the pointy hats, fairy wings and the 'We love Julian' flourescent badges!! :-) (not really!!) Subtle as always....
TTFN - back next Thursday.
Nat xx
'Missed you Gerard'
I am trying to decide whether I should order The Modern Antiquarian from Amazon.com today. It's selling for $36, as a 448 page paperback. Is this a different version from the one that came out in the UK?
Have non-British, non-archaeologist enjoyed reading it so far? I loved the pretty Jehovahkill sleeve (my favorite Cope sleeve), and I really enjoyed Cope's other two books (especially the humor), but I don't know all that much about standing stones, don't know if I'll be able to visit the UK any time soon, and don't know how much of his endearing humor is in this book. Does he wax religious/righteous a lot? Are there lots of cool pictures in the book?
Also, has anyone tested out the search engine yet? [I probably should have searched on "Modern Antiquarian" before writing this post! I need to get in the habit of knowing that it's there...]
Trav
Trav,
It's a good book. Amazing collection of places and some quite good descriptions. He's done some fairly serious research too, but the archeologists who dig these sites really have no clue what they are about either. Anyone who thinks early days werew a mother worshipping hippy idyll is off the map, I reckon.
There are drawbacks: don't get me wrong, I love copey, but some of the fully megalith flying, ley line following hippy stuff irritates me. There is some of that, but it tends to be neatly boxed so you can choose not to read it.
Beautifully put together.
I'd reccomend it.
cheers
simon
steve- the stones are "newly discovered" by some archeologist geezers -I presume they where buried. I read it in the Independent on Sunday last week. Did you try any "Great White Shark" skunk ? It ripped my brain in two last time I was in the Dam- DEL
I found a place called BUY.COM that has The Modern Antiquarian for $33.75, I ordered on 8-18-99, the page said it was due to be released on 9-1-99 - Nothing yet - but a good price if it comes through. Shipping is an additional 3.95.
I had called Head Heritage last Xmas to order MA but it never came, though they never charged my credit card either.
I would still recommend ordering from Head Heritage. I got my copy of the Mod. Ant. from there with no problems. It actually only took about a week to get here, plus the price was pretty good to. Sorry to hear that they screwed up on your order Jennifer, I really hope that that is a one off occaision for them.
Andrew
Does anybody out there know how on earth I could SEE the latest videos? i.e.Planetary sit-in, I come..., try try try, etc. or the ones not in Copeulation.
Living outside the U.K. is soul desert
Hi everybody,
I may be stating the bloody obvious but this is a question that has always swum around in the back of my mind and I've never actually asked it, quite simply, Is Charlotte Anne a play on words of Charlatan?
MNU seemed to be a period of low esteem and insecurity for Cope and the lyrics appear to bear out the fact that he didn't really believe in what he was doing. Hence the expression that he was just a Charlatan.
This is not to criticise MNU which has some really good tracks on it. I've always thought that the progression of the albums was somehow the wrong way around. WSYM, FRIED, MNU, ST Julian seems to be the order they should have appeared.
If they had then perhaps MNU would have been more highly rated having not followed St Julian. Who knows?
My splendid art, oh my sad profession
Now stick with me and I'll betray you
For should I lose my bad depression
My splendid art I will betray you
Any thoughts on all this?
Verian
I Definitely 'second' the Head Heritage order method. I had good luck ordering from them. I also got the Skellington Chronicles and the Beautiful Love Promo. Plus... you get the cool UK International packaging, kinda makes it more authentic. I mean anyone can order from Amazon, plus I don't wonder if all the hits we put into the Amazon Counters didn't finally make them take notice...greed head detector? hummm.. Anyways my two cents. Also, as a non-UK resident and non-archeologist I find it facinating reading, and yes Julian's wonderful personality shines through-out. fyi.. MTV site has some Julian stuff on it... finally, It includes a fairly complementary review of 'Interpreter'. Still I wonder whatever happened to that 'Slap' fellow, and the infamous chippy girl.
Ron
re: Verian's post-
The last archive of Rail-On! had a bunch of word play examples by Cope. Some great examples posted.
The lyrics from Charlotte Anne (yes, Charlatan) didn't show their ominous truth till things like the QE projects...
*Does anyone know who that is on the back of the St. Julian cvr?*
Hello all, been along time.
Day out at Avebury yesterday was wonderful, though Nat was not able to make it in the end - we missed you!
Apparently just missed Cope by half an hour - after he had dropped Brian off at the junk shop (on the same side of the road as the post office) on the way back from taking photos at the new excavation.
Shall I start at the beginning?
Stuckley's vision saw two avenues leading to/from the henge (Jehovahkill), the second of which has now been found. They are excavating near Beckhampton but will fill this in on Thursday - so now is a good time to visit.
So yes, apparently JC was along at the junk (I call it that, but its really worth a browse as advertised outside) shop after dropping the girls off at school to take photos of Brian with the Stuckley book at the excavation. Also, if you are around Avebury ask in the shop to see the fire pits photos. Quite spooky.
Also met Mike Pitts up at the sanctuary filling in his excavation there - he will have a book out with the first new research on stonehenge, the santuary and others since the fifties. Good to see an academic doing the legwork, what a star!
'Cuckoo' and 'GM Tom' are still there at the end of the Avenue to the Sanctuary, resplendent in green canvas jackets with peep-holes. Not sure whether these are to preserve the paintwork or to protect the cows from it.
gone on my hols. Love on y'all, S.
[Posted by Travis]
Hi,
Do you know if the Teardrops BBC Radio One CD was ever released by Windsong? Some people tell me it was never out, others it was released and then quickly removed due to problems, per Julian. Which show was it, the June 5, 1981 one in Guildford? Is this show active in trading circles if it hasn't been legitimately released? Much obliged...
Loronzo
I asked about the Windsong CD some time back and the resources of Rail On didn't come up with an answer. I do know it is listed in various discographies (eg The Great Rock Discography by M C Strong) and I did come across a dealer in Paignton who said he had had it on his books/in his shop.
I've never seen one, never seen a review and know nothing more about it. Info please!
Namdam am I...
re. : QE gigs
does anybody know if the QE gigs mentioned below are fixed already ???
I thought the Windsong CD was going to be a selection of the Radio 1 Teardrops sessions? I know the Guildford '81 gig was broadcast as an In Concert program, and that it also exists as a vinyl lp (the BBC made disks of most of their In Concert programs to sell and distribute to radio stations around the world), it does also exist on tape (bootleg). If any of the "Ridgeway Walkers" out there ever run into Julian, you should ask him about this.
On a different subject, the Northern Lights here in northern Alberta are blowing my mind away. Nature never ceases to amaze me with her talents. Nightly displays of colour and sound thats like an acid trip without the acid. Winter is on the way though...-4ºC the night before last, ouch!
Andrew
Hey guys! I got Billy and Mickey's tape, lots of songs for Vol 2.
Let's set the deadline for Vol 2 submissions to the end of this month (30sep99). That'll give me enough time to finish the CD and make a bunch of copies before going on vacation. I need to be in Colorado by 12oct99 (my sister's bday), and will probably be on the road until either Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Hey, Andrew, how is it up there this time of year? I plan on going up to Alaska sometime in October or November. I'd also like to do that transcanadian rail trip from Vancouver to eastern Canada, through the canadian rockies and all that. Have you ever done much Canadian travel in the Fall? Is is pretty? Are the trains crowded this time of year? Is camping a reasonable way to go, or do most travellers stick to hostels when it gets this cold?
Trav
Afternoon my merry munchkins.
Sorry I couldn't make Avebury! Maybe next time. I actually spent the day in Glastonbury in the end, sat on top of the Tor - wooshy wind, very blowy but lovely and sunny.... I met a very lovely but bizarre woman in a cafe later on the same day who knew things about me, though, I'd never met her before!! Wooo spooky. She has sorted my life out no end, new start for me (also introduced me to the delights of herbal tea!). She also gave me a statuette of the Mother Earth which was very bizarre (Looks just like the fabulous woman on the cover of Peggy Suicide but carved from black wood).
Looks like strange things were happening all over the place on Monday, maybe its because it was the 13th?
I drank some water from the spring too, if you have never drank from the spring then I suggest you do, talk about life force! I felt so good....
Now I am back at work and highly stressed. Roll on Friday..... Oh yeah came back via Maiden Castle yesterday, fabulous place, very windy and wooshy there too!!
See you Sunday Izzy.
Nat.x
I've noticed that whilst away on holiday the question has been posed as to who the person is on the rear of the St. Julian LP. In the April edition of the Q magazine, the St Julian cover featured in a regular feature called 'Where It's At...'
The feature does not identify who that person is, but some of you may be interested in the story behind the LP cover, which I've reproduced below:
Cover: Designer P. St. John Nettleton (otherwise known as Julian Cope's manager "Cally") and the singer had been inventing a mythology for Cope's hometown of Tamworth and its surrounding areas. The Saint Julian album continues this artificial history with the sleeve artwork, which re-creates a mythical alien landing in G.T. Cuttler's Car Dismantlers. According to Cally, "Julian imagined that if he was an alien who'd just arrived in this strange place, it would appear to be the most beautiful location on earth". Cope found the yard which used to be a pig farm until the owner started racing Minis there in the '60s. After a few years he built up a massive collection for spare parts. "The place was like a fort with corrugated iron walls around it. Then inside he'd arranged all the cars in rows according to their make, so he'd created these bizarre, beautifully arranged streets. We pre-lit the shot on the day before and then when we went to shoot the cover, it had snowed overnight and created this magic scene."
Location: G.T. Cuttler Car Dismantlers is still at Freezel, just outside Tamworth.
(The article is accompanied by a location map, a shot of the yard today and the St. Julian album cover).
Tim Maher
Ah, Cuttlers scrap yard, know it well. I thought the guy on the back cover was actually Cally, may be wrong though.
Andrew
and if you carry about the map which is in "Floored Genius 1" and go to Alvecote near Tamworth you will find all the places which are featured in the lyrics of "Reynard the fox" ...
( the mound near a railway lying with canals and a freezing swamp ). If you are on top of the mound, to the left, you can see Polesworth and to the north, you can just make out the ruins of the priory ( where they used to play cricket as children ).
The priory is also the sleeve of "World shut your mouth" ( album - Julian standing inside of the bow ).
Somebody should write a book on album sleeves and their origins !
...rainy Friday afternoon, yeah I wandered lonely as a cloud...
Just received my copy of MA through BUY.COM. It's beautiful, I can't wait to devour each page of it!
Hey Trav--
Did you think I'd miss Vol. 2--"Treason" is finished, mixed and en route to you on Friday...
Now I've done a whole single...
Blessings and greetings to all--
le Modfather
P.S. Has anyone ever noticed how incredibly similar The Icicle Works sounded like The Teardrop Explodes, especially on "Hollow Horse" and "All The Daughters Of Her Father's House"? Just food for thought. Liverpool bands! Who can figure them?
I've spent many an hour wandering round the polesworth mound (it isn't by the way a neolithic thing but actually an old slag heap from the mine that used to be at Polesworth a hundred years ago or so, and the ponds and lakes there are the old open cast mines). The M42 motorway that now runs very close by almost destroyed the mound.
Alvecote Priory, although now a mere ruin has a great story behind it. It was built by some lord in the 11th or 12th century after he killed his brother for screwing his wife and then found out he hadn't, so he felt really bad and had the priory built. If you go there be sure to look for the dove cote, a few yards from the priory and completely intact.
I was born and raised in a village not too far from Polesworth and used to live about 6 miles from julian, but didn't know it at the time!Agghh! Just as I was getting into Julian's music, he up-sticked and moved to London. Bah!
Andrew
Just got back from my birthday hols in the Peak District,We saw no less than 9 stone circles 2 burial chambers and Lud's Church . A visit to the Peaks is highly recommended-very, very beautiful I didn't want to come back to London! Thank the Goddess (and Julian Cope!) for the Modern Antiquarian -possibly the book that saved my life!!!! bye for now and back to work tomorrow.
Hi all,
Oh for more time to just wander around the British countryside! I love all the descriptions recently posted. How about days out in the States? Japan (or has cuece truely left us now)? Germany? To fill in until the next bit of Julian news.
Hi Jennifer - good isn't it? I'm not convinced by every argument but the MA can be read at any level starting as a guide the UK.
I'm standing in for Nat as I think she is suffering from spending too long up Glasonbury Tor bar tat. But sorry no chupa chups.
Anyone fancy a beer? I'll be up the Crown...
Rob - Great! And yeah, I noticed the Icicle Works similarity, and also Lightning Seeds (I think).
Todd, I got your CD (just in case you didn't get my email). Thanks!
I have nailed down a departure date for my big Western excursion: Wed 6 October 1:53 PM. This means that if I plan to go ahead and finish Vol 2 before I leave, I need to have a stack of CDs printed and ready to be mailed (by my parents) by that time.
I will be leaving on my East Coast trip tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest (I've had to put it off in order to plan my West Coast trip). I plan to travel the East Coast until the 3rd of October.
This gives me the 4th and 5th to pack everything I own into boxes (I plan to have my parents ship them out to me if I find a cool place to stay), finish the tribute CD, buy some warm clothes, kiss my computers goodbye, and wind up any needed last-minute work at my job.
Therefore, the real, final deadline for tribute submissions is going to be the 4th or 5th of October. If there are tapes in transit to me at the time, and I'm aware of them, then I'll wait until the 5th. Otherwise I'll try to finish the CD on the 4th.
So far I've collected and digitized about 100 minutes of music, though unfortunately haven't had any time to work on a cover of my own (okay, so I'll try to do two for Vol 3!) I've done most of the cover design, but can't complete it until I know what all the tracks are going to be. I have all the CDs, jewel cases, and envelopes ready to go. All I'm waiting for now is the incoming songs. (bad grammar)
I'll probably wait until I'm done traveling to assemble the contributors' biographical info into a nice web page. I could also upload the info before I leave and then work on it when I'm on the road (assuming I can sneak into some computer labs somewhere). I won't be completely out of touch. I might take my laptop, but I don't know; I'm gonna take it on my East Coast trip and see how much of a burden it is.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you can contribute a song (or more) and can get it to me by the 4th or 5th. That's two weeks from today, easily doable for anyone in the U.S. (and most other countries if you mail within the next week). So, now's the time to finish up your songs and send in your tapes!!!
As for placing orders, I'd say go ahead and email me if you want to order one. I'll burn a CD for each request I get. Make sure you tell me which cd(s) you want!
The CDs are all "made to order." I make them here at home, usually three or four at a time, whenever people order them. So, as long as my hard drive is still working, the CDs are still available.
As for the price of Interpreters 2, let's stick to $10, and make the pair be $18. Once I get back, I might put together a special where you can get Vol 1 and Vol 2 for $15 or so in a single 2CD jewel case. But that'll have to wait.
As for a title, I've tentatively picked "Interpreters Vol 2: Second Heads". Another one I like is "Everyone Playing At Once", which someone mentioned a while back for the first CD.
Please let me know your favorite title!
Also, after my travels I will work on the surveys. I have results from the February survey that I need to tabulate, and I also have a bunch of questions lined up for a form-based survey.
Has anyone tried the Search option in the Rail On archives? I haven't heard anyone talk about it.
Hey Andrew, I've made plans to spend 9 days in the Jasper and Banff area! I can't wait! Man, this trip is gonna rock! Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Alaska... Ahhhh..... <contented sigh>
If you're curious, you can check out my itinerary: [link dead]. I'll try to keep it updated when I am on the road. Right now it just has from here to Fairbanks, and doesn't include my East Coast trip. If you have any suggestions on nice places to visit in those areas (including hostels!), feel free to email me!
The blue numbers are options; if you change them, they affect the red numbers. Some of the transportation options only leave on certain days of the week; that's why I have the red numbers. You'll know what I'm talking about if you look at it. Something like this might be useful to those of you who are trying to plan trips, or maybe not. It was a big help to me, but it's not very robust (a single change in the durations affects all subsequent times).
Okay, that's enough gabbing for now! Sorry!
Trav
Achhoooo sniffle sniffle....
I'm back! full of fluey cold stuff but fighting on!! Hoorah..
Anyway, I've been having a chat with 'Mr Belbin' about Julian and can someone answer this question for me. What was Julian singing on TOTP when he flashed his 'little bits' He had a mohecan (Excuse the spelling) hair cut and was wearing an outfit that looked like a hospital gown, white with orange flowery sort of bits on.
Was it for this he then got banned from the BBC? Or was it the road protesting episode, or both?
I'm probably confusing this experience with something completely different...! :-)
Forgive me I am ill!!
Nat x :-(
In 1984 Julian released a video to Sunshine Playroom, directed by photographer David Bailey, that was banned by the BBC for its so called violent images, which in my mind is bull shit, because the video simply depicts a nanny pushing a pram, and the pram runs away down a hill. I have certainly seen way worse videos on regular tv.
The TOTP appearance I think you are refering to is Julians performance of "I Gotta Walk", featured as an album track performance, in which he wore nothing but the little number you mention. I don't think he was banned for that as he went on to host TOTP that same year. He did get into trouble for that though because he was wearing a Newbury by-pass protest t-shirt and also sporting his flourescent jacket with "polite" on the back, instead of police. This did supposedly trigger the largest number of telephone compliants to the BBC, and needless to say he hasn't be asked back since, but I don't think he has actually been banned.
Andrew
I just had a thought, and that is that I am sure that most Cope fans haven't seen the video to Sunshine Playroom as for some reason it wasn't included on Copeulation. I do have a copy of it on vhs and I am wondering whether anyone out there has the know-how to digitize it and post it for us all to see, maybe as a quicktime movie or real video or something, and then we can see what we think of it. Trav, is this something you would be interested in doing or would it be an utter violation of copyrights etc? Responses please...
I am totaly sick of my life. I was fired from a family job and need to somke many joints a day. At least I have somewhre to vent
Andrew,
E-mail off-list about digitizing that video. I might be able to help, but I can't guarantee it.
Er, sorry it this is a dumb question but is Copeulation still available anywhere? No shop that I have asked seem to have heard of it. I keep my eyes open but to no avail. Any ideas on how I might get my hands and eyes on this vidja?
Just back from Cornwall. Has anyone else seen that wee bungalow down a tiny back road near St Merryn (Wadebridge) where the owners have filled the back garden with all manner of megaliths and standing stones of various shapes and sizes. (watch out for the local drivers the're a bit whacky)
baaah
And
Julians hit the big time!! There was a question on The Modern Antiquarian on University Challenge last night!! A section on famous Julians!! :-) Hoorah.....
Nat x
The whole question for those who give a monkeys was (yes I'm a sad bastard who actually wrote it down):
"Julian Cope, formerly of The Teardrop Explodes, recently surprised his fans by producing a scholarly [?!] work on ancient monuments. What was it called?"
And, happily, it was correctly answered by a Mr Mills, of the University of Sheffield - we know our Copey oop 'ere.
It's been such a long time since I posted anything here that I thought I'd just say hello.
Hello everyone.
This pathway's been just fine...
From todays nme:
Patti Smith, Asian Dub Foundation, Marc Almond, Saint Ettienne, Billy Bragg, Nick Cave, Tjinder Singh, and JULIAN COPE are among those contributing to an exhibition as part of National Poetry day on October 7, which this year celebrates song lyrics.
The exhibition is being held at London SE1 Royal Festival Hall.
I AM NOW VERY HAPPY I HAVE JUST DOWNLOADED THIS FROM WATERSTONES ONLINE WEBSITE: JULIAN COPE WILL BE SIGNING AND READING FROM HIS NEW BOOK REPOSSESED AT THE FOLLOWING VENUES AROUND THE COUNTRY:(THESE ARE THE ONLY DETAILS THE SITE HAS AT PRESENT)
CANTERBURY 20 - 21 St Margarets Street
20 Oct 1999 19:00 - 21:00
Champion of stone circles, Julian Cope will talk about his two volume
autobiography Head On/ Repossessed the story of his travels through the
sacred sites of Britain, his music and the break with punk band The
Teardrop Explodes. Tickets for this event are £2.
Related book: Head on: Memories of the Liverpool Punk Scene
GLASGOW 153 - 157 Sauchiehall Street
25 Oct 1999 20:00 - 22:00
In 1995, rock 'n' roll druid Julian Cope self-published and distributed
his searingly honest autobiography Head-On. It has never been widely
available, although it has always been in great demand. Now Head-On is
being published with the new instalment Julian's odyssey Repossessed-
together in a unique back-to-back volume. Tickets £4/£3 (£2 redeemable
against the cost of the book).
Related book: Head on: Memories of the Liverpool Punk Scene
GOWER STREET 82 Gower Street (LONDON)
18 Oct 1999 20:00 - 21:00
The driving force behind the Teardrop Explodes, and a unique chronicler
of ancient Britain with The Modern Antiquarian, Julian Cope will be
recounting his experiences from his autobiographies Head On and
Repossessed. Tickets: £3, redeemable against the price of the book
on the night; available from Waterstone's Gower Street or by calling
0171-4671613.
Related book: Head on: Memories of the Liverpool Punk Scene
RICHARD HAYWARD
WINCHESTER
Trav--
I sent the "Treason" cassette out via Airborne Express--please let me know if you get it (as your supposed to) on Monday--I worry because Airborne can't suck enough.
Thanks!
Rob
I was reading issue 15 just now and there's been a lot of talk about b-sides and live mp3's/cdr's. Did any of this materialize? I have a feeling that the collections of the listmembers thrown together will have just about everything Julian's ever recorded. Why not get it all out in the open? As for the "have nots" that were mentioned (no mp3-, real audio player or cd-recorder) anything can be discussed... but off list for some topics ;)
Frank
Aaaargh! Julian book-signing. And I had to decide by LAST Friday whether or not to travel to London for a cheapo airfare.....
Well, at least I know where to look for the most up-to-date Cope information....maybe I'll get lucky with the airfare again.
Jennifer
Here is another signing date added to the waterstones list
MANCHESTER 91 Deansgate
01 Nov 1999 19:00 - 21:00
At The Dancehouse Theatre. In 1995, Julian Cope self-published and
distributed his searching and honest autobiography, Head On.
Although in great demand it has never been widely available.
Julian is here to celebrate the re-publication of Head On (Thorsons)
with a new instalment of Julian's odyssey. Tickets are £5 including
a £5 book voucher.
Related book: Head on: Memories of the Liverpool Punk Scene
Richard Winchester
I've just got hold of a copy of East Easy Rider CD Single CID 492
When I play it I find that the disc has 14 tracks by some crooner possibly from the late sixties, early seventies! All the packaging etc is as normal.
Can anyone shed some light on this.
Cheers
Sorry the disc has 16 tracks and is 47:56 minutes long.
I believe that the first 2 tracks are Lonely Is A Man Without Love and What Now My Love.
Weird!!!
How odd
I hope you plan on returning it..It could be any number of smaltzy crooners,but the only name that I had come up under both titles(besides Herb Alpert,which I guess would be instrumental)is Englebert Humperdinck.
Back away from it slowly....very slowly
Steven
heylooooo nat!
really quick...
Later,
Trav
Afternoon, my lovlies...
Just a quick apology to everyone I have promised things too! It will be done at some point but everything in my life is completely mad at the moment. House move, looking for a new job, and so on and so forth. And I am crap too!! (Just ask Steve in the USA about that one!! Hello my dear!!)
Give me a clear day and all those pics, posters, info and novelty items etc. etc. will be done and sent out to you all.........
I live in a crazy world at the mo.!! Bear with me......
natxx
Mark - have you seen Gerard?
Repossessed is out. My local Waterstones received their copies on Saturday. £12.99.
The book comes with Head-On, which has some additional photographs.
I have only read a few pages. Great so far.
Tim
Hmmmmm, has anyone had a postcard about this book? I've moved around so much in the last year I can't remember which address I put down!! Don't want to miss out......
Have to go and get my copy tomorrow!!
Nat xx
Gerard - Still waiting on the shores of lake placid?
Head Heritage Site updated Today
Richard Winchester
I am working on the new tribute CD as we speak... I need to have it done by tonight. I've got some questions and comments.
First of all, we need a title for it. Right now I have "Second Heads". Please post your other ideas here.
Secondly, I've decided it's best to keep bio and credit info off of the CD sleeve. The main reason is that I don't want to misspell or miscredit anyone on a "permanent" medium such as a sleeve. I just got some songs yesterday and today, and am missing bios and credits from some of the bands, so in the interest of consistency, fairness, and overall quality I think it's best that I provide a URL for a biographical website, which I can always edit whenever I get feedback from contributors. So, the CD will contain band names, and possibly members' names (where provided), but will refer to the web site. If people want hard copies of the bio information, then maybe I'll put together a bio/newsletter packet, which I can mail to everyone who ordered either Vol 1 or Vol 2. I think that'll be a lot of fun!
For Vol 2, I have received songs from: Billy Oertel, Rob Ross, Pigmalion Issue, Marc, The Sour Krauts, and Brian Warren.
I have enough songs to get us well into Vol 3! In addition, there are at least 3 bands who missed the Vol 2 deadline (4 if you count me), but will hopefully get their songs in for Vol 3 (no deadline set for that yet).
Contributors seem enthusiastic about the idea of an all-originals compilation CD. There are some *really* cool songs by these guys. That's gonna be a very interesting project.
Okay, so, what I need to know from you guys, between now and this evening, is:
Travis
I am so happy to have had a chance to submit a song for part 2and I hope to get my version of ouch monkeys done in time for part 3..
THat brings mre to this question I have not found a web site that I can check the lyrics I have against someone elses got out of it?
so if anyone else has a site taht I can't find please let me know
thanks
brian
cheesesuede@hotmail.com
Vol 2 is DONE! I have been churning out CDs. Contributors, please let me know as soon as possible to what addresses I should send your CDs. I can dig up old addresses, but I'd prefer to make sure I have the current ones now. The most urgently needed addresses are for:
Please send these addresses as soon as possible.
I'll be getting back on here in a couple hours.
Trav
Hi,
I was just having a look at WWW.CDNow.com and they have a japaneese import of Interpreter with 2 bonus tracks. WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY! CDNOW don't seem to think that anybody really wants to know and haven't listed them.
Can anybody enlighten me?
Ta
Verian
Tim,
Which Waterstones did you buy your copy of Repossessed from as my local branch and the Head Heritage Site say its not out until the 18th October!! I feel a complaint to Anne Robinson coming on!! ;-)
Or are you an employee so get special privilages!!
Nat
Verian,
I believe the extra tracks on the japanese version of Interpreter are Cummer in Summertime and Baby Let's Play Vet. Both of which are available as b-sides to cope singles. I may be wrong though as I also thought that the two tracks were both from the cd singles of off of the Interpreter singles.
Andrew
Andrew your quite right about the 2 tracks. I've got my ticket for the Book Tours visit to LEEDS on the 2nd Nov so see you there
Russ
You have to get tickets? I'm going to the Leeds one. Where do you get them from Russ and how much?
M
(Gerrard hasn't got his book yet either)
The tickets are from Waterstones and are £5 but this includes a £5 voucher
Russ
Cheers Russ. So who is going to the Leeds one from the list then?
Can't wait to see him again. Loved the Modern Antiquarian 'talks' he did.......but that was ages ago......have to drag a few people down to this one
M
Okay, folks, I'll be on the train in 3 hours...
I kept making CDs until I ran out of labels. Right now I have a dozen or so Vol 2 CDs in addition to the ones going to the contributors. I'm gonna mail each contributing group one CD so that they can hear it while I am on travel. I have two Vol 1 CDs ready to be mailed out (can't make any more until I get some more labels).
The cost of each CD (whether it's Vol 1 or Vol 2) is $10 US; sending a check is best since I can't guarantee there will be any CDs still here. When I get settled again, of course, I will finish filling all the orders. That might be as late as December or January. We'll see!
My address is: [snipped - Trav]
By all means, feel free to order a CD! Please don't order in bulk, though, until I'm settled again and am able to burn as many CDs as people want.
If you are overseas, you can add a couple dollars if you want, for the increased postage. Or not. Use your judgement.
I'll be checking Rail On and my email periodically when I'm on the road. I need to do an archive soon, but have no time this morning.
And lastly, I created a web page (still embryonic) which will give you some info on the contributors to both Vol 1 and 2. I'll add more info to it. You can get to it through my main Cope page. Click on the Second Heads link (in the CDs section).
Trav
Nat
The branch of Waterstones I got my copy of Repossessed from, was my local branch at Northampton. They put it on display last Saturday. It was still on display yesterday when I went past.
Complain.
Tim.
Tim,
Don't worry I already have complained, they just basically told me that it was hard cheese!! And that its not out till the 18th and they can't get me a book that is not out yet!! Boooooo :-)
Not that it really bothers me, I just like complaining!!
Anyway, people. If you want to moan at me then you have 3 weeks to do so as unfortunately I am off to pastures new! I'm off to work with the Homeless of Southampton..... and will be off line for a very long time. :-(
Cheers my lovlies, last chance of getting your hands on a frisbee!!
Nat xx
Oi Gerard Brrrrrrrrr chilly....
I can personally vouch for the frisbees.....dead fashionable they are!
(Gerrard's got his hand-knitted scarf on)
back again after three weeks hols :(, from 30 degrees in N. Cyprus to the ice box that is Germany and finding it hard to knuckle down to work. HO hum. Good to hear about repossesed, is it as good as Head On (sorry for the dreaded need to compare). Also heartening to see Head Heritage is promising to get it's finger out, we'll see about that. Now to see if I can get my mate in London to pick up a copy of Repossessed. Will JC be doing book signings? Pathetic I know, but what the hell, I need it to go next to my signed copy of MA. Oh well back to the hard graft.
Thank jiggity (sp?) for the list it makes being back that little bit easier.
Love on y'awl, St.
Monday 18th October 8pm
Dillons/Waterstones, Gower Street, London W1 (0171 467-1613)
Wednesday 20th October 7pm
Waterstones, 20-21 St Margaret's St., Canterbury (01227 456343)
Monday 25th October 7pm
Waterstones, 153/157 Saucihall St., Glasgow (0141 332-9105)
Tuesday 26th October 7pm
Waterstones, Edinburgh (0131 556-3034)
Wednesday 27th October 7pm
Ottakers, Unit 3/7 Union Bridge, Aberdeen (01224 592440)
Monday 1st November 7pm
THE BOOK SIGNING FULL DATES
The Dance House Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester
(ticket enquiries from Manchester Waterstones, Deansgate 0161 837-3000)
Tuesday 2nd November 7pm
Waterstones, 93/97 Albion St., Leeds (0113 244-4588)
Wednesday 3rd November 7pm
Waterstones, Liverpool (0151 709-0866)
Monday 8th November 7pm
Waterstones, Oxford (01865 790212)
Tuesday 9th November 7pm
Waterstones, Bath (01225 448515)
I rang Oxford and they confirmed that there is a date booked and that it was ticketed but no tickets are actually available yet.
Verian
can someone please explain all the "Oi, Gerard" messages?
Nice to see you back Gerrard!!
Gerrard is a really good mate of mine and Marks. He's also a massive Julian fan, but cause of his work can't get to the e.mail very often. He'll probably be at the Leeds Signing thing so some of you might get to meet him. He's really nice. I like him anyway!! So I like to leave him a little message now and again, so sorry if they bother you!! ;-)
The three of us had a super duper time at Glasto this year. All round good egg... (You owe me £20 for this Gerrard - not singing your praises again!!):-)
Anyway thats Gerrard.
Miss you mate!! Sorry if some of you find the messages are too much, I'll stop.
Nat x
I have the following news from Ochre Records that might interest some of you. SKRAY(Paul Simpson) will be headlining the Ochre night upstairs at the Garage, Highbury on Thursday October 21st 1999.Tickets £5.00 on the Door. Doors Open 8pm. Support comes from AMP and 90 Degrees South.
If you like Skyray then check out The New Album on Ochre called 'Mind Lagoons' It is a fantastic album definately one of my favourite albums released this year. The Melody Maker called it "Heaven on earth" and they gave it 4 out of 5.
Richard Winchester
From a review in Uncut of a new Madness box set:
Q. Psychedelics played a part in early Eighties Britpop. Did you get involved?
A. Julian Cope gave us a tab on his birthday and we went on Tiswas tripping. But I don't think they liked us too much, we couldn't take it too seriously. They never asked us back.
That's our boy.
See some of you at one (or more) of the book signings I hope.
But it's strictly one seater...
Hello my friends! I feel sure my friend Jim is around here someplace. It's a foregone conclusion.
Can anyone supply lyrics for Come Back by Wah? I looked all over the net for them and this seems the most likely place, sad to say.
Love, Andy xxx
Checked out amazon.co.uk and they now have a photo of the cover of Repossessed up in the listing.
The new book is priced at £7.99 at amazon.co.uk but no mention of 'Head on' on the reverse.
I wonder if this is a different edition ?
Mr Postman delivered my copy of REPOSSESSED from Amazon this morning and i'm impressed already
Russ
Hi
There is a copy of Skellington CD (original Zippo) for sale at http://eil.com ESPRIT INTERNATIONAL for £19.99 not a bad price for the CD
Russ
Odin's to be another bloody ambient album - bugger
Book tour not coming to Sheffield &going to Leeds the night I'm going to see the Super Furries in Nottingham - doubleplusbugger.
oh well...
MINDLESS TRIVIA DEPT:
I just bought the new Guinness Book of Hit Singles (everything up to 1998) which contains a list of the artists who have had the most hits without ever getting into the top 10. Julian comes in at Number 4, with 14 hit singles, behind AC/DC, The Alarm (!!), &The Mission, tied with about 6 others including the Inspiral Carpets (!). The Fall will have actualy overtaken him by now, having had 13 hits by the end of 98 &at least one this year. The Clash were the league leaders prior to the rerelease of Should I Stay Or Should I Go, with 21!
CDR WARNING
This might well be blatantly obvious to many people, but it wasnt to me, so I continue. Whilst copying a load of cd's the other week, it was thought (not by me, honest) that they would look nicer if written on in a nice looking pen, so we used one of those nice looking silver markers. Upon playing the cd's we discovered that all the ones written on in this pen skipped to buggery, and were completely screwed - the 'ink' had scorched right thru the cd so that even when it had been rubbed off the surface you could still holdit up to the light &read what had been writen.
Still, I've now got an excellant pigeon scarer at least.
Anyone in Glasgow fancy a meet up prior to the Sauchihall Street event this month ? I know of a pub where we could play some of The ArchDruids sounds - interested ?
Greetings all you groovy f**kers!
Just a quick hello and to say "yes, I've also jumped on the "Repossessed" bandwagon"--I just ordered my copy from www.amazon.co.uk, who are wonderful!
Good luck.
There will be a test once you've all gotten copies...
Love,
le Modfather
Hmmmmm a test after you have read Repossessed..... I did actually think that 99% of the people on this site would know the answers without reading the book.....!! Woooooo
Anyway.... For anyone who lives in the Southampton Area (ie. Izzy and me) I am having my leaving party on the 27th October in The Crown Public House, Highfield, can't promise you Julian Cope but can promise you, an excellent array of lagers and fine wines, a varied menu and a barman who looks like a fat lookalike of Will from TFI! Oh and me and Izzy, so pop along....
'11 days of this crap job to gooo ooo'
Nat xx
Hey belbin - I'm just wondering if I should take offence at your post... I was rather fond of those bands which you've put exclamation marks after! (We can't all be hippies y'know...) :-)
louise
the exclamation marks were merely to indicate my surprise at the success of the repective bands, not any judgement on their quality. The Inspirals were/are a fine band, and the Alarm....
okay the Alarm are shite (does anyone know whether The Clash's final British 'dates' those they busked outside the Alarm tour? I have a feeling they were)
(incidentally, The The were in equal 4th with 14 as well)
There is a small review of Repossed/Head On in this weeks Melody Maker. They give the book 4 stars out of 5 and they call it "Easily the best value music tome of the year."
Richard Winchester
Anyone doing Echo &the Bunnymen in December? Bristol 4th Dec, may see you there. Izzy you mad fer it?
Or are you all TRUE to The Drude?
Ta for my messages, didn't realise you all loved me so much!! Gonna miss you all too.....sob sob..... ;-)
Nat xx
Nat,
I'm doing Liverpool Nov 7th
And Gerrard's doing Manchester Dec 2nd
M
I've just recently picked up an item known as a "test pressing" from a second-hand store. It's the Teardrop's Kilimanjaro on what appears to be some kind of white-label. There's no artwork or anything on the sleeve. Well, actually there's a slip of paper with a listing of the songs and credits tacked on. It mentions Mercury with even a catalog number included. Does anyone know what this is? Is it some kind of promo type thing they give DJs to play or is it merely a plain-Jane bootleg?
Well you lot, you may have Julian Cope in your respective Waterstones bookshops over the coming weeks. But here in Sunny Southampton we've got 'Adam &Joe' Hoorah.... any takers for a book there? its free!!
Southampton still haven't got 'Repossessed' as far as I'm aware, maybe we live in a different time warp space continuum, to the rest of England...
'Boldly going to Lunch'
Nat xx
Repossessed has come in the post! I'm overjoyed! (Sorry, Nat).
Early chapters don't show the same snap as Head-on, but then it wasn't a great time for the Drude so maybe that's to be expected. Still funny though.
For those still waiting, Kakalog 4 came too. New things to order include the Odin CD, Head-on tour mug and the MA spoken word CD. Also, there is a Rooster Cosby (and somebody - sorry!) CD but you'll have to scour the bottom of the Kakalog for details.
Liverpool or Manchester for the signings? Probably both. And maybe Oxford. So many people miss out the Midlands (maybe with good reason) but then we do lack venues. I guess a book signing at the NEC would be daft, but we do have Dillons, Waterstones and Ottakers.
Bad planning from Head Heritage, particularly as the Drude says in Repossessed (and on the MA tour) that he is Midlands Man.
See me living in the middle of England...
Oh well nevermind. Going back to Somerset this weekend, so I may find it there.... my parents have my postcard and my Kakalog so thats something at least. (My mum thinks I know Julian personally and get these cards as a personal hello!! Ahhhh sweet, must get round to telling her one day!)
Still plenty of time to get the book....
Nat xx
Gerrard got yours yet? Steve in Ohio watch your mail box, correct postage this time!!
This mornings Guardian has a most fine interview with Julian in that anyone (who can) should get a copy of. Somewhat too long to copy the whole of it onto the list, the highlights include:
What is the ultimate art form "Rock 'n' roll without a doubt...even a facsimile of rock and roll can work - Oasis arent any good, but they can inspire perople to shake their booty."
The interviewer (Tom Cox) also says that Cope is the sanest musician he has ever interviewed (on a self-awareness/self-comfort level)
A very good way to start the day. Shame that if rock 'n' roll is the ultimate art form he doesnt do a bit more of it, but...
and the quote about integrity - it can almost seemlike a forgotten word in modern music, when there's so much fakery and shamming in music today, brinmg back the good old days of punk (I'm not a hippy you know) when integrity &authenticity were key - the "we mean it, maan" at the end of Anarchy in the UK was pretty much always the most important/best bit of the song (the age even) for me.
An unconnected point:JC actually had 15 hit singles to put him in 4th on the list I mentioned before. Saxon had the same number. Ahem.
it's in the on line Guardian as well,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/friday_review/story/0,3605,92079,00.html
ahhhh Friday afternoon reading methinks :)
St.
Do you know what, I think that I am cursed!! Not only can I not get a copy of Repossessed for what ever reason, I can't even buy a copy of the Guardian!! Of all the days, today is the day that the delivery people forgot to drop them off at the shop!! Grrrrrr.... sorry Steve!!
By the time I get out later, after work they'll probably all be gone. :-(
Blimey, I'm Doomed.....to a life of Copelessness....
Sad, but munching a large supply of chocolate....
nat xx :-(
The Guardian article - the "churlishly undervalued Interpreter". Absolutely!! (Good article, Nat!)
Here's an idea for discussion:
While it may be a bit sad to admit to being a regular reader of Record Collector, it is because I am that I know that the Drude has been sadly ignored by them. He's not the most collectable artist in the world, but he features regularly in their annual round up. The last piece done on him was way back in the mid-80's when St Julian was just surfacing.
Given the considerable amount of obscure releases that our boy has put out over the years, he would be ideal Record Collector material. The Safesurfer &Propheteering singles and the MA CD spring to mind, but there's loads more. Plus the overseas stuff.
Russ Sanders has done a remarkable job at his website with his discography and I've been wondering whether the combined resources of Russ/Rail On/others could produce a piece to submit to Record Collector. There has to be a written piece to go with discographys, which is supposed to pick up from where the last piece left off.
That's as far as my idea has got.
I'm coming from behind...
Here's the Guardian on-line article.
Away with the fairies
From floppy post-punker to New Age mystic, Julian Cope has been a professional weirdo for more than 20 years. But the twisted genius has some remarkably down-to-earth views on the music biz, says Tom Cox
Friday October 15, 1999
The first time I met Julian Cope, he stuck his tongue in my ear. It's a fully functioning, shapely ear, and I'm proud of it, but I'd be optimistic to think that the incident represented a significant life event for a man who routinely necked between 10 and 30 teenage girls per night during his time fronting the psychedelic post-punk band, the Teardrop Explodes.
Then again, this is Julian Cope: the man who can recall what he and the Teardrops' drummer, Gary Dwyer, named the imaginary horses they rode around Rockfield Studios in 1980, and precisely what kind of breakfast they'd slipped into their acid beforehand.
I ask Julian about remembering - something most pop stars make geriatrics seem adept at. "I think there's something very cool and 90s about not being able to remember," he observes. "We've got to a point where people are more exact in their memory of the 60s and the 70s than they are about the 80s. But I remember everything about the 80s." Did he keep a diary? "No, just loads of half-completed lyric books."
Bring up the 80s in front of the average 40-ish icon who made their name in that tacky decade, and they'll visibly shrink and change the subject. Ask the same question of Cope, an artist royally screwed by the 80s and at odds with everything they stood for, and he'll tell you about his most terrifying drug experience, show you a picture of his most preposterous hairstyle, and quote gamely from his worst review. Repossessed, the forthcoming second instalment of his autobiography, is one of the best books about the 80s ever written and without doubt the best book about toy cars, hermitting, integrity and drug paranoia.
When the 70s began, Cope was a shamanistic teen idol, middle England's own leather-panted, smelly-haired, absurdist answer to Jim Morrison; a year into the 80s, he was in danger of becoming post-punk's Syd Barrett ("the more people talked about it, the more I obsessed about it"); by 1989, he was the music press's whipping boy, token lunatic and all-round laughing stock. The 90s began; Cope was born again as Father Earth, hippy spokesman, prog explorer and alternative archaeologist - no better or worse than the Cope of the preceding decade, but immediately, inexplicably more credible.
No other artist epitomises the style bigotry and rampant short-termism of the 80s quite so comprehensively. Did it feel strange to be suddenly venerated by the same people who had previously vilified him? "Yeah, it was a bit weird. But I was determined not to become one of those Steve Winwood old gits who say, 'Ooh, you should have seen me then, but look at me now, I'm really together.'"
"I regret shitloads of stuff," he continues. "But it's always been me, and I've always been searching for the truth. Lester Bangs [deceased insurrectionary rock critic] said the difference between the Stooges and the MC5 was that the Stooges were unrighteous and the MC5 were righteous, but that neither of them were self-righteous. I was unrighteous and then righteous, but I've never been self-righteous. I believe if I'm misunderstood, then it must be because I'm shit. There are a lot of churlish people my age - 'Nobody gets us.' Nobody gets you cos you're crap. Try harder. It's not a right that you have to be listened to."
You've no doubt heard that Julian Cope is bonkers. Yet since the beginning of the 90s he's managed to write four books, raise a family and make nine albums - some work rate, especially for an alleged "new age weirdo" who's supposed to spend most of his time taking acid and wandering the ancient sites of Wessex. In fact, on a level of sheer self-awareness and self-comfort, he's the sanest musician I've interviewed. He is, however, brilliantly, exhaustingly enthusiastic to speak to, the kind of person whose handshake sends ripples up your arm. He attempts neither to cloak his normality with wacky energy nor cloak his wacky energy with normality. What other hell-raising rock'n'roll icon would own up to spending his first royalty cheque on a living-room carpet?
"I didn't make a good punk musician," he confesses. "I didn't want everything to sound the same, I never lost the social graces, and I was never bored. I'd be doing a disservice to old ladies because I'd go into a corner shop dressed as a punk and say, 'Thank you very much,' and she'd say, 'Oooh, these punks are all right.' Then my mate Robbo would come in, nut her, steal everything, and tell her to fuck off."
Brought up in Tamworth, Cope became the displaced psychedelic posh boy of the Liverpool punk scene - the hippy "poof" who would walk into the spit-splattered Eric's nightclub pronouncing garage rock as "garahge rock". Had Cope come of age a decade earlier, he might have been in Blue Cheer or the Guess Who. As it was, he was in The Teardrop Explodes, one of the most underappreciated and contradictory groups Britain has produced - a new-wave band with horns, a speed band whose favourite drug was LSD, a psychedelic Joy Division who knew what joy was.
"I was really forged in Liverpool from 1977 to 80. Those were my fundamental roots, the first people to accept me as a weirdo who was capable of something and not just a weirdo." Cope continues to keep one eye on his rivals from Eric's to this day - Echo and the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch, Wah's Pete Wylie, former Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns. He once cycled across London to see McCulloch, only to be told the sulking Bunnyman was "busy".
While his peers have faded into a thin facsimile of their old angry selves, Cope has pushed ahead, striving to keep rock'n'roll as a currency that only a select few comprehend. "In Liverpool I didn't realise that a lot of these people were as developed as they were going to be. My problem with someone like Mark Smith (from The Fall) is that he's fastidious to his trip and he's totally true on a 1977 level but the goalposts have changed so many times since then that to me the mere fact that he's still allowed himself to be in that position" - he pauses, choosing his words - "well, he's quite lucky, really!"
Many people can't quite pin Cope down, and that's why he's so vital. He shows me upstairs, to his workroom, where we find an enormous collection of ordnance survey maps, fantastic rolling views of Wiltshire, a computer, several 18th-century archeological tomes, and a batch of proto-metal records. It's possible there's not a more eclectic room in Britain.
Julian sticks Master Heartache by Sir Lord Baltimore on the turntable, which sounds like Neanderthal Man covering the first Van Halen album. Then he grins manically and pulls out something which might, in another century, have been mistaken for footwear. "These are made by a Spanish company called New Rock," he explains. "I've formed an ambient metal group called Brain Donor, and the rule is that everyone in the group has to wear them." This seems impractical, since the boots are twice the size of Julian's lower legs, but Brain Donor plan to tour soon: "We'll probably turn up as a support act on the Nottingham metal scene," he announces without irony.
With more books than records released in the last five years (his last "proper" album was 1996's churlishly undervalued Interpreter), what does he think is the ultimate art form? Rock'n'roll, without a doubt. A good book can inspire you to acts of heroism on your own, but it lacks the community aspect. Even a facsimile of rock'n'roll can work - Oasis aren't any good, but they can inspire people to shake their booty, feel each other up, and go home and listen to the Beatles.
"When I was 20, someone who was 28 was an old bastard, but now there's an acceptable side to rock'n'roll people in their 40s. Rock'n'roll has made us a better-looking bunch. It means that I can keep growing my hair long, or appear on Top of the Pops with a mohican and no knickers. The great thing about rock'n'roll is that it's a movable feast. We can turn up in a place like Calne [a small town west of his home], or in Devizes Corn Exchange, and say, 'Hi. We're Brain Donor!' and for that moment people will suspend their disbelief and allow us to be Brain Donor. I think that's very powerful."
The infectious conviction with which he puts this across is difficult to convey, but suffice to say that I'm still buzzing an hour later, heading back to London, stripped of all cynicism, ready to break some rules.
Not to worry Nat..you just enjoy your choccies and I'll read it here..no ink smudges to worry about..have a fab weekend(thinking it may have started for you already)..pics on Monday!
watchin' my box..'cause it's the thing to do
steven
..and Shrimp..thanks muchly for the print out..very good friday afternoon reading..and a cool Fall day perfect for a little Copian sunshine..
I saw the "sulking" Bunnyman last night. He seemed to be in an ornery mood. His voice was shot due to a cold (or at least I assume it was a cold) and he could barely talk yet alone sing. Not that it mattered because the mix was a muddy mess. For those of you planning on seeing EATB in the upcoming months don't expect to be knocked out of your bunnymen socks. The rhythm section was totally pedestrian and provided no spark. It was a disappointing show.
Sorry to interrupt the Copian flow of things, but I feel better now.
"I would prefer to be counting sheep than fighting in the war."
Just made my first ever online purchase!!
An advanced copy of Repossessed.
They've got my VISA number, but they don't have any books! I'm trusting corporate America with my money... Julian makes me do things I ought not to.
Derek
Initial comments on Repossessed: Intriguing stories, some of which we didn't go public on because they were so harrowing (mad fans - gasp!), Alan Gill in prison! Well, guess who told Copey where he was in the first place? Lotus Eaters bad but Jim Morrison good! Big fat dead guy in a bathtub versus sublime toons band. No contest. Coyle's demos post Lotus Eaters kick ass as well.
New Screaming Secrets site nearly finished! Includes to die for discography! More news to follow.....
Paul B
I finished reading Repossessed last night!!! Its a great read and I recommend that you get it as soon as possible. I think I might have to start collecting toy cars!! I wonder whether the 'Fried' truck is still rusting in a Drayton Bassett shed? It would make a great start to the collection.
The book gives a great insight into the Archdrude's thoughts on the eighties albums. I always thought that he was not entirely happy with 'My Nation Underground' as it stinks of 80's crap production techniques.
While I was at Avebury the other day I visited the West Kennet Long Barrow.
It is a really surreal trip to listen to Paranormal Part 1 via a walkman in the very place it was recorded. Far Out! This might give some of you copeyists some wacky thoughts for cover versions!
As I'm in East Anglia I am dissappointed that the Book Tour is coming no-where near me - not even Cambridge!! Ba B a Ba B aaaaa!
Anyone heard Odin yet?
Julian H. Cope is being interviewed together with Vic Reeves(Oh Yes!) on GLR(Greater London Radio) on Sunday 17th Oct(tomorrow!) between 10am and 12 noon 94.9FM. Oh and by the way, the guy who runs the Stones mailing list (Chris Tweed) thinks that the Modern Antiquarian is a load of codswollop, so I mailed him, and in a
roundabout way told him to fuck off!(I was more polite than that)
Book reviews in the Times Metro suppliment and in Select magazine.
doing an artical + discography for Record collector I'm up for that one
Hi
I've started going through my scrapbooks all 23 of them to add to the site i'm going to link reviews to each of the records in the discography to start with and then gig's and magazine articles
so it's ack to work
Russ
Screaming Secrets will be attending tomorrow's signing in London, but anyone who can't make it might want to tune into Radio 1 at 8pm. Lamacq Live apparently features a piece on the Liverpool scene with contributions from Holly and Jayne Casey.
Hi all
Thanks to Belbin for bringing the Cope Guardian interview to our attention, and to Shrimp for uploading it. It'll be passed around in my circles as the full Guardian is a bit difficult to get here in Australia. One thing though Belbin (and at the risk of being accused of pedantry) the Pistols line "we mean it maaan" - isn't that on "God Save the Queen"? rather than on Anarchy? I totally agree with your point on integrity though. Last Sunday morning the guys from Suede were guest programmers on our local all night music TV show "Rage" and they made similar points, and played God Save and many other good things. I was hoping they might play Cope or TE but when I nodded off about 4am they hadn't.
My local pub has got a Cope song on its jukebox! Incredible. Unfortunately it's on a Britpop compilation from Island and is "World Shut Your Mouth"...a good song but wouldn't it be great to find more recent Cope stuff on a jukebox...What's the jukebox situation like elsewhere in the world? During my time in the UK I never once found a Cope track on any jukebox...but maybe just didnt go to the right places.
Must check Head Heritage's (allegedly) updated site.
Bye
Morning Angels,
Finally, I have my copy of the Guardian, what a lovely pic. Found it at Salisbury Train Station on Friday in the end!! It was the last one too. Hoorah!! Just have to get my book now, so Waterstones at lunchtime for me......maybe as the release date is today, they may have one. Also Teardrop Explodes are on TOTP 2 this week. Do you think that maybe to do with a certain persons birthday! Hmmm ponder on that for a while.
I'm off to see The Bunnies in Bristol in Dec. I should think Macs sore throat should have cleared up by then. But if not who cares, he's still pleasing on the eye.....!! :-)
TTFN...
Nat xx
(Mark are you there?)
Arse, pants!
I was in my native Woking this weekend too - and I missed the GLR interview ... did you get a recording Derek, PLEASE? I miss GLR these days now I've bin down south for so long, is it still as good as the good old days - when even Chris Evans was funny (although I'm now beginning to doubt the stability of my mind in those days!)
Nat, Ginge got the Guardian interview so you should pop over mine. Looked in every bookshop for Repossessed, but nothing. Just about to book tix for Waterstones, Bath. Nat, you sure you won't change your mind?????
Afternoon,
Still no sign of the book...... Izzy mate, I have been drawn to the conclusion that Southampton has been completely missed out on the delivery run of 'Repossessed'. I'm going to order mine from Headheritage. Do you want me to order yours too? I think its a definate conspiracy.... bum....thats all I can say.
No can do Bath. Nevermind eh! Give him a big kiss for me!
Pub?
N
TOTP2 - great. Thanks for the tip Nat. Just got to get someone to tape it for me as I'll be doing the usual M4 thrash from Bristol at the time. Got my ticket for Oxford lined up - Ashmoleum Museum no less. Get the book there I guess and get the great man's scrawl on it at the same time with luck.
And
and when I dream
Yes, I got a recording of the GLR show Izzy. Got to go to work now - speak to youse awl later!!!!!!!
Copey's initial signing at Waterstones in London was as entertaining as you'd expect. Julian has taken to dressing in a retro-glam style complete with face paint (why it's just like the good old days of the Treason video...) and a pair of fuck-off platform shoes. Hey, he even brought out his electric guitar at one point! The crowd was easily 130+ who squeezed in at the back between the book racks. "Where's Frog?" I asked Bruce "Uh, I think he's under 'Applications'..."
Oddly enough, while browsing in a London record shop earlier in the day, Copey had snuck up behind us in his hunt for some records (including some Blue Cheer stuff) where, get this, they actually had an original copy of the Liverpool Explodes book (anyone who wants this - get in touch and we'll talk..).
To the strains of Odin (*and* on Copey's original CD player) Julian pointed out that he felt all rock n roll was Odin-esque (including even the likes of Oasis!) and that perhaps some bands weren't being retro enough. This led into a reading of THAT poem about the eyebrow brothers. Bouncing easily between TMA and Repossessed, Julian also teased us with some manicdotes including one about a couple shopping for glass. I couldn't possibly repeat it here but it brought the biggest laugh of the evening...
There's a great story involving a murder victim whose only source of identification was a Teardrop Explodes concert ticket (This story had actually dogged the early Screaming Secrets when the zine had been asked to "help the police with their enquiries"). This connects in with Copey's Scott Walker compilation album and some significant missing press cuttings from the Copey publicity office, allegedly taken away by the police. Spooky.
More importantly, we learned that Copey has in fact retrieved the Fried truck! We all thought it had been burnt and destroyed, but Julian has it filed away in the same room he stores all the old stage sets at home.
I've nearly finished the book, which is a cracking read, so watch out for a review on the all new singing and dancing Screaming Secrets website which is almost (but not quite) finished.....
Paul B
Head Heritage's "Merchandiser" now up to date.
www.headheritage.co.uk
Paul Simpson will be performing as the excellent Skyray at The Garage, London this coming Thursday 21/10.
We'll be there shouting out for 'Flaming Sword' etc..
Paul B
Julian is in NME on-line today at:
Julian Cope's spoken word tour - http://www.nme.com/newsdesk/19991019124202.html
The repo man cometh. I'll post if people can't access this.
TOTP2 being repeated on BBC2 this evening at 6pm. Let's all marvel once more at how truly appaling Curiosity Killed The Cat Were !
The weekend saw a rather interesting interview with Copey in our local quality Sunday paper, The Sunday Herald. Go to http://www.sundayherald.co.uk
and scroll down to the directory section. Enjoy !
Cammy
Ebay currently has a copy of the Anal cd up for auction, right now it is at $25US, but there is still 4 days to go on it. Not sure whether anyone out there is still looking for it.
Ordered my copies of Odin and Repossessed this morning from Head Heritage, hope they come soon!
Andrew
Wow what a book. Just jam packed with fun funky stories that remind me of exactly why I love Julian Cope. Ticket for Manchester just has to be booked. Many many questions arise from it, the most important of which must be:
WHY IS ALAN GILL IN JAIL?
I am intrigued &have a burning desire to know.
Mark - you are of course absolutely right - we mean it man is from God Save the Queen _ my only excuse is that I always try to leave my brain at home when I come to work. Pedantry? A desire for truth, surely.
btw I finally got round to ordering the Universal Pnsies cd along with Odin &the MA cd - does any know if its any good? Is it really a cross between Hawkwind &Joy Division (surely two of the greatest groups ever)
Questions, questions, questions....
After watching TOTP 2 last night (Ahhhh how I adored the Bay City Rollers!) I have two questions..... How many appearances did the Teardops and Julian make (together and solo) on TOTP? And why do they only ever show the Treason performance every year? Does anyone know? ;-)
And also talking of Prison, Does anyone know what the outcome was of Pete Wylies appearence in Court for stalking? Just being a curious orange....
Nat x
Nat,
As far as I know these are the appearances by Teardrops Cope on TOTP that I know of:
There may well have been more, these are all the ones I know of.
Andrew
Been waiting for someone to say Happy Birthday to Julian all day!! I couldn't remember if it was today or tomorrow!! 42 eh..perfect... wonder if Dorian will bake him a cake!
Ta for those TOTP performances too. Just useless things I like to know... might come up in Trivial Pursuit at Christmas.....
Nat xx
Makes me smile and boggles the mind to think what 'kind' of cake Miss Dorian would cook up for Sir Jules...
Fruit cake or Fairy Cake?
I like to think of him as a chocolate sponge kinda guy myself.
Nat xx
Hmmm, just brought back a few of those cakes from last weekend in the Dam, jolly good they were too :)
Talking about JC's birthday, for the other (minor) JC's birthday on the 31st dec I'll be hitting Barcelona, any Spaniards on the list. Speaking of which, which nationalities do we have on the list anyway? I think that was one of my suggestions for the next survey, more personal info on the contributors (nationality/age group/no of kids/job/all that kind of info). But then i am a nosey bugger, what does anyone else think? To start the ball rolling I'm a paddy (though livin in Germany), I know we have another German correspondent (though i think he's an auslander as well), there's a fair few english and american and.....??? Was/is Vava Spanish? Haven't heard much from her lately, are you still there??
Finally speakin of the january 99 survey, if you haven't done it yet get to it, I'm curious to see the results.
Happy Copeday y'all, St.
hello there peoploids,
My phones been cut off the last month and now Its not.
I'm no longer in southampton (i'm back in HI WHY-COME).
Hello Nat and Izzy whom I didn't meet this summer in Soton, although I almost did on my last weekend when i visited the dungeon and two of my very drunk friends almost had a fight over their names allegedly being rubbed off the waiting list for the pool table. I tried to talk sense to a few people but decided I'd best not get involved (alcohol eh?).
Anyway, last wednesday I once again made the remarkably short joutney to Avebury and watched the sun set from atop silbury. I can now honestly say I have seen the sky turn green. Didn't meet any druids this time though.
Has anyone else finished reading Repossessed yet? Very uplifting ending I felt, and it also answered a lot of questions that have been posed on this site previously.
Anyway, its almost time for me to go, ahem, "build" so to speak, so I'll leave you all to it. Oh by the way, does anyone know where i can get a copies of Psychotic Reactions and Carburretor Dung by Lester Bangs and Guitar Army by John Sinclair?
Why is Alan Gill in jail? We couldn't possibly tell you that on an open forum. Well, it was me that relayed to Copey that he was in jail in the first place as Alan wanted to get back in contact with him.
Did I tell you about the Dalek I website I'm also working on? So many websites, so little time....
Off now to see Skyray.. wha-hey!
Pablo B
Actually, I can answer the Vava question to an extent. She is a lovely and sweet Italian girl--she and I have become friends through this chatroom. She works many long and difficult hours as a schoolteacher--that's probably why she hasn't had a chance to say anything lately. I usually e-mail her, but she was having some kind of computer problem about a week or two ago.
Anyhow--
who finished "Repossessed" already? It's a one-evening read!
And yeah, someone tell us why the remarkable Alan Gill is in jail.
And why is Gary driving a forklift and not playing drums somewhere?
And why is Balfey...
Hey folks, i'm in bellingham, washington. a lovely town! I might move here.
my parents mailed some CDs. please email me your addresses if you haven't yet (for those of you who either contributed or are ordering a CD).
lots of great discussion on here! i'm anxious to read repossessed.
hey, does anyone read a mag called mojo or something like that? i saw a copy in omaha, and it looked really cool.
Trav
Happy Birthday, Julian!!!!!Hope you have many more to come!!!!
hello space people...hope you're all well. Panzies just back from touring N/france and working on final mix of the 3rd CD. sorry to everyone about the delay with the "new" CD, takes money rather than time and we plan a spring release with a free cd for the folks kept waiting. The Sleeve by Head heritage is a beautiful match to the T/Floss cd, with Neu Snee as Goddess in yellow...tons ofplans afoot-but we'll wait until it's finalised before making some noise, check the Head heritage page for future announcments
Anyone wanting a link to the Panzies Community page,lots of nice pics etc, then e/mail me at christophe.f@talk21 or droolian@hotmail.co... still a few EP's left, LPs and some radio promo cd's + photo packs. want them? then get in touch.
off to hang with Julian in Glasgow on monday so say hello if you're there. love and lugh. chrsitophe.f
Isi and Dorcas...get in touch,e/mail me as I've lost your info.
richard...how ya hangin?
Only one way to sum up the Skyray gig : Effing Excellent. Paul S has been reading Repossessed *and* is also working away on the long awaited book Magnetic North.
Alan Gill? Well, he need not concern you at this time...... (in fact he should be out by now)
Paul B
"Are we the only ones to realise our destiny?"
Repossessed - It's a really bloody good read isn't it! I don't know about anybody else but when I finished reading it I really wanted to listen to some of the live tracks mentioned. Loved the story about shopping at the co-op (don't want to give anything away though for those who haven't read it yet).
It was interesting to see Julian's perspective of the 'underachieving years' , to be honest, I think it was much worse than he portrayed it in the book. Not a month seemed to go by without a story about him being:
[Where's item d? - Trav]
It appears that he was so reclusive during this time that he may well have missed a lot of this and knew about it in only a general sense. I remember being incensed at some of the articles that where written. During the Fried period for instance, some of the reviews seemed to have been written following a glance at the cover and without a listen to the music.
WSYM was and is a brilliant piece of work but there was a load of shit written about this as well.
Along comes St.Julian and the same tossers who tore him to pieces are saying that they could see it coming and attempting to claim that they have been staunch supporters during an experimental period. Journalists......Pah!
I appear to be ranting and must stop now because my crayon is running out
re. : to st.
- did you think of me when you mentioned "another German correspondent" ?
Anyway, I feel like being one of the only heads in Germany
just trying to get what is going on abroad...
But - I am a real Kraut - no "Auslaender" ( at least in Deutschland though we are all foreigners in a way, aren't we ? )
Marc
Any other Germans contributing ???
st.:
in answer to your question about Barcelona:
any heads into Spain do contact me; I have also lived in Germany with a bunch of paddies; by the way, that's where my Krautrock fixation started.
Rob
St:
I live in Spain. Not in Barcelona but not very far: Valencia. I follow tour discussions everyday, but i'm not contributing because i don't feel very confident with the language.
I have ordered "Repossesed" from Amazon.com but nothing by now.I'm eager to put my hands on it.
Contact me if any of you you need anything from this piece of land.
Cheers.
Can we have some spanish sunshine sent over please... blooming rain, makes me depressed....
Izzy - Pint or 10 Sunday @ 8, Bellemoor? I'll phone you....
Yawn...zzzzzzz
Nat x
Hello you international lot!
Nat - more like the usual 2 and I'm bladdered! Yep, um acht Uhr es ist. StrawberryBlonde has Avebury photo's, can you get the Arlott Bar for 3:30 today? Includes the recent excavations...
Derek - sorry not replied, I'm starting a new job on the 1st (4 days before my birthday, hint hint, how many scorpios on this list?) and I still have a lot of thesis-writing to do...will get back over the weekend.
T'ra
Not this afternoon I can't - can you borrow them for sunday!! Which is Strawberry Blonde - Gary, Barry, Harry or Clive? (Simon?)
5th hey!! Party party - I can feel it coming.... How about an archaelogical dig Party in my new garden!! Beer and shovells! (Ahh told you I'd get it in Belbin my potato!)
I'll phone you Sunday to confirm Izz..
Nat x
I'd reckon that Floored Genius 2 has to be the soundtrack to Repossesed. Read it through last night and couldn't sleep at all, I had to spend the small hours going through what I've got of 80s Cope and consequently I'm fuckin knackered, so it goes......
I attended Julian's talk at Waterstone's in London on the 18th and have some front row photos of Odin / Julian of which I'm quite proud. Mail me if you're interested in having a look and I'll get some to you - I would particularly like to let all you webmasters have copies for consideration for your sites.
At the signing afterwards, I gave Odin a big hug and travelled home on the crowded train for an hour. When I got home, my wife asked what all the crap on my face was - looked in the mirror and it was Odin's yellow slap. Awwlright!! - I will probably wash my face soon.
I fully accept accept that at 34 I am far too excited by this experience, but what can I say, the man is fucking brilliant.
Finished Repossessed today - its really, really good, but I think Head On is slightly better. I can't fucking wait for 'Can I Talk To The Driver' though - let's hope its not another 8 years.
Cosmo.
The mailman delivered some double happiness to my home today: MA and Repossessed from amazon.co.uk (amazon.com lists the release date of Repossessed as - yikes! - Feb 2000: can't want that long). MA impresses immediately: what a tome! Looking forward to a couple of weeks of pleasurable reading...And the new kakalog should come soon too, I reckon.
Here's my contribution to today's Cope-around-the-globe theme: I was visiting my wife's hometown of Mokp'o, S Korea, and of course gravitated directly to the local record shop. Dreck mostly, but there amongst the racks of excremental Korean pop was a cassette copy of ... Interpreter. I bought it, natch, and passed it on to some of my wife's friends. They tell me they sport around Mokp'o in their Tico listening to it regularly. My small contribution to the spreading of Cope-awareness.
Yer humble Hong Kong follower,
Daniel
There are more of us a-comin'...
As Julian's past is currently front page news at the moment, you might like to know that in my home city of Liverpool, Pete Wylie is playing at a venue called the Picket, on Sat. 30 October, as part of the "Liverpool Now 99" festival. Looking forward to seeing Julian at Liverpool's Waterstones in November.
Hail fellow cope's.
Package from Head Heritage arrived this morning.
First to play was Odin.
It's exactly as you would imagine 'a 73-minute meditation on Silbury &Waden Hill' unfortunately I live near Ipswich and we haven't any hills round these parts.
The back of the sleeve says 'A simultaneously-synthesized parallel-harmonic Breathing Meditation of 73 minutes and 45 seconds' That sums it up perfectly and I recommended it totally. Perhaps I'm just weird though. Hands up all those of you who uncontrollable have danced on the top of Silbury Hill. I never even noticed the road next to it.
There's a great picture of the Drude on the inner sleeve in his 'space gear' complete with huge platform moon boots.
Anyway next - The modern antiquarian CD - 20 minutes long readings of 1. In Search of Megalithic Britain 2. The Landscape Temples: Avebury and the Marlborough Downs 3. I First Saw Callanish Stones 4. Fifty-Nine Stone Circles in Aberdeenshire 5. In Dedication: from the Hunter (poem) - I recommend this to all you stone freaks.
Repossessed - Yes the 'visit to the Co-op' is a great story!!!
Help - Does anyone know where I can lay my grubby hands on QE2 and Part 1 of the Fear Loves This Place CD Single.
At last I've managed to get a copy of Rite - That's tonights listening sorted out.
Last but not least - What's the lowdown on the Universal Panzies? Are they any good? Are they worth £12.99? Answers please fellow drudes.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
The Universal Panzies are obvious Head music disciples. Four huge pieces of powerful neo-Krautrock stuff for the end of the millenium. Very deep but also aggressive and expanding as well.
I also recommend T.C. Lethbridge and Anal. These 3 are among the best music of the 1990s. Of course, nobody will realize this til humanity has properly evolved and stopped listening to crap.
Could anyone tell me what Odin's like then ?
Rite ? QE ? or somewhere in between ?
For those peeps interested you can get Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung for $12.80 from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679720456/scuk/002-9193613-1349039
Odin is somewhere in between Rite 2 and Queen Elizabeth 1 - Think of mellotron voices and a few stringy swirls thrown around - It's definetely going to provoke lively debate - Some of you will thinks its crap and others, like me will let it grow and flow before making total judgement. Think Tangerine Dream circa Atem take away Zeit and you may be getting there.
Rob - you sound a touch biased - but you've sold the Panzies to me.
Anal - Are they crap?!
Russ - Thanks again.
Cheers Drudes
Shrimp
Hi y'all
I'm back from seven months in sunny France, five of which were spent in the megalithtastic Carnac in Britanny. Nice to see some old and new names about and what have you.
As I am now back home with nowt to do I think I might try and get a new web page thingy together so watch this space.
I'll have to get Odin and Repossesed... Does it finally confirm when Skellington was recorded?
Back soon,
Spaceship Mark
shrimp
Anal has nothing to do with music as we know it. It is an industrial sound odissey which will absorb the atmosphere in your house like some huge vacuum cleaner. It really is gorgeous head stuff. However, it requires huge amounts of open-mindedness (or beer) as you will hear no melody, tune or rationality in the whole 73 minutes or whatever. That is why I strongly recommend it. Far out, baby.
Who played on Odin ???
Who knows anything about Julian's new group ??
Who are the members of that group ??
Any well-known names ??
Hi
Apparently they're called Brain Donor and are a proto-metal outfit who want to turn up unannounced doing support slots in Nottingham...
Or maybe it was just J bullshitting Select magazine.
Awl love
Mark
I must admit that i thought Brain Donor was JC taking the piss as well, but if he mentioned it in Select he also mentioned it in the Guardian interview and really seemed quite serious about it there. Who knows, the arch drude moves in mysterious ways.
Who's going to Manchester and/or Liverpool then?
Might be nice to put a name to a face or two, but how would we know?
I'm doomed to lie and cross my fingers...
Here's a response I got from Head Heritage re why QE2 is not mentioned in the discography.
'because we havent' got it together! but we are completely updating the site to be ready for 2000 - and we will sort out the discography.'
Odin - all played by the Arch drude - vocal = lots of MMMMMMMM's and lots of AAAAAAAAGH's and lots of MMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM's i.e. mother (for all you MA freaks) noises - Also listed Mellotron 400 &Starchamber 1 -all Produced by Thighpaulsandra &recorded live at the John Stewart Hall in Yatesbury 1999CE. There's a pic of the hall with the Drude outside in his latest weird gear. Recorded by Cliff Cheerio (Who!!!) not another Double De Harrison (aka Arch Drude)
Happy to oblige
Shrimp
I've just noticed that the front of Odin says 'A 73 minute meditation on Silbury &Waden Hill (One in the 3rd Eye Series)
One in the 3rd Eye Series - this suggests that there is likely to be a Two or even a Three! All answers on a post card please!!!!
Anybody any idea what the 3rd Eye Series means?
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
The 3rd Eye is just above the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows. By lightly touching it you can enhance your inner awareness. If you want to progress further, meditate on this point for five to ten minutes each day, and within a few weeks, you may notice that your intuition will begin to increase. Concentrating on the 3rd Eye Point can nourish your spiritual nature. - So now you know!
Some initial thoughts on Odin - Trying to describe the music to yoy in words:
Odin - Think of a fish tank full of cloudy water viewed from a darkened room. As your eyes adjust you start to pick out amongst the shadows in the background shimmering weeds. As you assemble various parts of the picture, fish start appearing of various shapes, colours and sizes. They float up and down and swim amongst the weeds creating more gentle movement. This continues for a while and you become aware that you are yourself a fish swimming amongst the weeds looking up through the water at various skies and scenes. Along the way you encounter numerous floating objects but all in slow gentle motion.
AAAAArghhhh !!! This is driving me crazy.
Am I alone in my Odin's cave?
Cheers Again
Shrimp
Odin and Repossessed. (are they good- worth buying) or are they like Queen Eliz part 1?, and head-on.
Two years down the track and we will be hanging out for more of the same. The pressure we put on the poor man who runs across the old earth screaming, in joy or fair game. We are lucky humans to be able to choose the time to listen and read between the lines for tomorrows children. love on ya S
Hey guys, sitting here in Edinburgh wondering when the worms up my arse will settle down for a good nights kip so I can finish my pepperoni pizza in peace. ooh baby, any suggestions y'all,
Very interested in this page but unfortunately still too stoopid to work out where to begin ...... keep on going see ya, Big H. Hello spaceship .......
3rd Eye?
See QE2 sleeve for a representation.
Pivotal to Don't Take Roots on 20 Mothers.
The very place from where Julian went Upwards At 45'.
You say there is no creator...
Hi
Anyone going to Leeds next week
Russ
Saw copey in Glasgow last night ----- Pure brilliant - A movable feast no less
I was gonna go Russ seeing as I live in Leeds, but I'm afraid (to my shame) I will be exchanging a night with Julian for a night with the lovely Ed Tudor Pole....
M
hello!!
Morning. I finally got my copy of Repossessed from Amazon.co.uk was very suprised at how soon it arrived! But as my run of misfortune continues, it has now been grabbed by my other half and I probably won't get to read it until he's finished!! Booooo... nice pictures though... Joss has grown into a fine young man!!!;-)
Well I'm off for good in three days time. So anything you want to say to me say it now or forever hold your peace.....
Ta for my card Izz.. you off climbing Golden Cap?
House move went fine! Thankfully.... novelty bathroom well on its way!
Nat xx
Oi Gerrard - you got a Tudor Pole?
Explain yourself, Nat!
Going from your job, yes. But going for good? No e-mail where you're going to?
Losing regulars is a downer.
The icecaps are melting...
Well, what can I say!! you lot are the nicest bunch of people I have ever met.... But then I've never met a Cope fan I didn't like.
I'm leaving my job at the University this Friday to start a new job. I'm going to be working for a Homeless Charity in Southampton. As far as I am aware they don't have e.mail. But if they do then I'll be back..... I am contactable on my other address above, but probably won't get a chance to view it that often... Myself and my lovely other half, Steve, have just moved into our own house and when finances sort themselves out we'll probably be connected at home. (Russ those bits you sent me are now stuck on the wall in our novelty loo!! a shrine to Julian!)
But I will miss you guys, I've met some super people. Especially Izzy - she's really really lovely....and Richard...what can I say!
Anyway, Hope that explains it all Jon, I really wish I'd bumped into you all earlier. But thats the way things go....
Nat xx
Nat-
Oh bop Steve in the noggin and take the book;you've waited long enough~l~..seriously though,you will be missed..your posts here and in my box always brighten my day..take care of yourself and get yourself back here asap..you'll be missed
Agree with Vybik Jon..a downer..just keep a space at the house open for me,ok?..it will come in handy when I go on my tour of British novelty bathrooms:)
..I was happy for awhile,but the joke is over...
steven
Ahhh what a sweetie...
Things could get mighty sickening around here!! I think I may cry!
(I actually do feel ill - just stuffed my self with three packets of Skittles!!)
I'll pop in and say hi when I can! Izzy can always keep you up to date with my comings and goings!
Anyone passing this way is more than welcome to come in and see our novelty bathroom. Be warned you may have some sandpaper thrust into your hands to do our floorboards!!
Steves alright reading the book - he's as big a Julian fan as me! I can't 'bop' him one as I need him to buy me a washing machine!!! :-)
I'll be back as the georgeous Mr Schwartzeneger said.....
Nat x
In todays nme (but not apparently online)
EX-TEARDROP AND TOP SCRIBE JULIAN COPE
In recent years Julian Cope has often been more acclaimed as a writer than a rocker. Head On his memoir of fleeting pop stardom and lysergic madness in the Teardrop Ex-lodes, Krautrocksampler his delirious assessment of the 70s German underground scene and The Modern Antiquarian, his acclaimed journey round Britains ancient mystic sites have all revealed a potent and versatile literary talent.
Now, with Repossessed, published in the same volume with Head On, Cope tells the story of his lost years - post-Teardrops comedown, paranoia and personal crises, and an end of 80's rebirth.
"I wantd to write it to show how the 90's came about" enthuses the arch-drude. "I didnt want people to think I went on some sort of Eastern trip. It was totally rock 'n' roll that got me back into where I should be.
"I'm rock 'n' roll the way someone like John Sinclair (MC5 manager) was rock 'n' roll. Though he was a writer and a poet he was also a forward thinking motherf-er. Even my publisher is rock 'n' roll - Thorsons. Thors sons! What could be more rock than that!"
Indeed. Repossessed is Cope's rocking writing at its most infectious and hilarious. Record company execs and former Liverpool colleagues get skewered, he's never afraid to paint himself as a foll or a simpering wreck and the late great Pete DeFreitas, the one-time Bunnymen drummer and Cope drug buddy, is a constant presence.
"He was like a brother, the only person I knew going thought he same thing I was. He was getting counselling off Dorian (Cope's wife) and simultaneously he was counselling me.
Drug-free for the first time in over 20 years, Cope is currently busier than ever. The Modern Antiquarian is being made into a major BBC series.
"If it goes well it will be brilliant; if it just comes over as Copes personality cult it will be crap."
He's already writing Let Me Talk To The Driver, Antiquarian's epic 600 page follow up. "It's About reconnecting with stuff we should never have lost in the first place - language as the root of culture, the shaman as the root of monotheism"
Then there's his new musical direction - 'ambient metal' trio Brain Donor.
"Its where my Midland psyche takes over. Its going to be the opposite of uplifting, exhausting the physical to give spiritual release."
A busy man then.
"The more you do the more there is to do," he concludes, "If you free your mind and your ass does follow it takes you to so many different places.""
That's the lot. Looks like he's serious about Brain Donor. Drug free?
Re John Sinclair - my local bookshop says its long out of print, but it should be available in some library, you know, try an inter-library loan if its not in your local, you should be able to borrow any book that is held in a British public lending library.
Anyhows - see some of you in Manchester
(Mark how can you prefer a night with The Tudorpole, even if I did buy Swords of 100 Men only last week)
Swords of 100 Men
The other 900 having been shot for desertion, I presume
Hi,
Looking forward to seeing Julian on Monday. Who else in Manchester is going? From St Julian on there have been references made to shamanism, kundalini and contactee business. Does anyone else live these out? Second to Julian Cope in my estimation is Frank Black, who also doesn't let on all he knows. If you've got The Cult Of Ray, listen to the 1st track about kissing an alien - behind the feedback he's singing "All this to say I know".
Tom
Who killed Bambi?
Yeah, I know it's bad of me, but there you go. I missed Tenpole a few weeks ago when Arkid and his mate went. Then I got back, they played the Great Rock 'n Roll swindle to me and got dead jealous, so I have to go this time round really.
Glad this book thing is still on the cards! Julian Cope, Sunday tea-time family household name!
When's the Manchester date? Maybe I can make that instead.
Mark - as Im sure you've sussed from the previous post, JC is at Manchester Deansgate Watertsones on monday, '6.30pm for 7' - very formal. I shall be going to that one rather than Leeds, cos, uhh, I've just remembered I'm going to see the Super Furry Animals on the tuesday.
And I had a go at you for going to see 10PoleTudor. Ahem.
Ah....might have to take a trip accross the Pennines in that case, seeing as I have the week off.
Have to say, I wouldn't trade Julian for the Furries!
Good job the Bunnymen aren't playing that night.....then I would have been stuck...
M
nothing to do w/ copey, but it since there are so many of you "Brits" on this list could you please sort something out: is what we call milky way here in the states actually a snickers over there ?
santisan in valencia: what'd you think of ray heredia ? by the way you're english is better than mine and i've been speaking it all my life, so don't worry.
to all of y'all: this list is getting better and better ever since repossessed and odin dropped, maybe it's inspired everyone.
Repossessed question: on page 2, our hero is comparing being pressured to finish the 3rd Teardrops record to other shite records by classic bands who went on after the fire was gone...he says (paraphrasing):
etc, etc, and he ends up with one I can't figure out:
like SAHB without Alex.....who is this? I can't figure it out.
Thanks all.
-kevin
All this talk of John Sinclar got me revved up! Back in my college daze, when Teardrop could be heard on my radio show and very few other places, I worked for a local record label. And the manager ofone of our bands was none other than John Sinclar. What a great history...he had some incredible stories to tell.
The MC5 and the White Panthers weren't that political, they just liked to get high. But how many people do you get to meet who had John Lennon do benefit concerts for you when you busted for a couple joints? I've got nothing to compare with that!
We also had Gary Grimshaw doing art work for a few of our bands, thanks to John. Gary was famous for doing those psychadelic concert posters for the local clubs in Detroit in the late 60's. He did some great MC5 posters and national acts for the Grandy Ballroom and other clubs.
So, Rest in Peace Mr. Sinclar.
SAHB = Sensational Alex Harvey Band, best known (by me at least) for the classic glam slam (There Ain't Nothin Like A) Gangbang! A must have.
I know I am supposed to have gone for good, BUT, I just thought I add that my other half finished 'Repossessed' last night and said it was brilliant, but not as good as 'Head On' - but thats mainly to do with the fact that in 'Head On' Julian went to the Mermaid Hotel in Yeovil - where we are from. And we feel proud....Loved to have seen that carpet...
Anyway - we went to the pub last night and got a tad tipsy and he just kept killing himself laughing about the tale of Bill Drummond, The Bunnies, Teardrops and Lay lines!!?!! Can't wait to read it now!! Ahhhh thats praise indeed from my Steve to be honest. Grumpy old bugger most of the time.. but I love him ahhhhhhh.
Big Yank - a Milky Way is a treat you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite. A Snickers used to be a Marathon and has peanuts in it!
Bye,
Nat xx
Julian is featured in this month's issue of "Select".
He says that a "proper" album called "Citizen caned" has been finished a long time ago, but he doesn't want to release it in the nineties, after releasing so many records in this decade...
er... the new millennium, I'd say !!!
...whatcha call a guy who's got no-one in the world ???
Hey Guys,
Haven't written for ages, but that's what comes of having neither personality, nor conversation!
Sorry to lose Nat, I've enjoyed her ramblings.
Big Yank, Milky way is congealed mush covered with chocolate, whereas a snickers has toffee + peanuts in it.
Saw Julian in Aberdeen last night. Excellent monologue followed by a bit of banter afterwards at the signing. Started reading the book last night and could hardly put it down. I took my new digital video camera last night and got the first 35 minutes of Julians talk before the tape ran out. Good picture + sound too considering I'm no photographer/videographer, or whatever. I could run copies off for anyone who may be interested, but I'm not sure about overseas compatibility; PAL/NSTCC or is it NTSSC, or sumfink like that! Might even be able to add copy of Copeulation as well. Mail me off-list at the above.
It's nice when your favourite musician actually remembers me + partners name + where we ambushed him in the Highlands 4 or 5 years ago. But I try never to get Star or C#*t struck.
S'later,
Johnny.
There's a CD sale downstairs today (I work in an student union) and there's a copy of a CD called Mysterio by Ian McCullough for £5.00. Never heard of it and can't stand the man myself, but some of you do and I'll pick it up if anyone wants me to, provided you reimburse me.
We'll probably get back to you...
Nothing to do with JC, sorry..
Big Yank,
thanks for your support, your words gives me a little bit more of courage...
Refering Ray Heredia...well, I'm not very much into that kind of music, let's say flamenco-fussion, i guess,and I don't know very much about him, only that he was in the first line-up of Ketama, and after leaving he released only an album before dying.
Do you like his music especially? Do you want me to look for some record here?
Don't hesitate to tell me.
Cheers.
By the way, I alway refer to Julian Cope as JC.
Have you noticed that are exactly the same initials as Jesus Christ.
That makes me think of JC as the new messiah. And even more if we here his latest ambient records, that for me sound kind of messianic stufff ¿?
Maybe he's heading to where he is trying to run away, I mean, all that religious stuff. Or is just me being suspicious.
P.s. Sorry for double hitting the "post" button.
...a mistake...
"if we hear..." instead of "here".
:-)
Oi Neal!!
I'm actually a 47 year old Welsh Gurner called Clive I'll have you know!!
The Internet has eyes and ears.
Flattery will get you everywhere!! Keep it up!
Maybe Julian thinks he's John Cleese!
nat xx
(NOW I AM DEFINATELY OFF O.K!) Byeee
This is what you get for being lazy.
Rummaging around in the CD singles box downstairs, I found East Easy Rider. At £3.00 I thought it was worth investing in as I don't have it on CD. Took it up to my office and played it.
Over the years I've clearly never played my vinyl version all the way through, because the version of Little Donkey included is not the Skellington one. It's an okay track, but never my favourite on Skellington. This version is lovely.
I'm going to have to check out other album tracks put on to singles and see if the same is true.
If I close my eyes...
Fair thee well, fair Nat.
Anyone heard from Travis lately? Is he being held hostige in Bill Gate's Basement in Bellingham, or maybe just can't find his way out of the Vancover 'coffee' bars? :o
my car is a polluter and it's messin' up my future
Vybik,
most of the b sides of the 12" are (for me) even better than a-sides. Some times I play some of them. It's worth to make an effort to review the singles. For instance, china doll, sunspots, trampolene ...
Santisan
Alright - Hands up all those of ye who have heard Odin. Am I still the only one or are you unwilling to tell us what you think of it?
I've played it a few times now and its definitely a grower like all albums should be, however I'm uncertain as to whether I'd play it in company as I consider that it is designed as a personal meditational experience and therefore group playing is verbouten.
the list is endless!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Thanks to those concerned for the Milky Way clear up..what johnny described as the UK milky way is called Three Musketeers here..no wonder y'all lost the Revolution (jes playin').
I think the eye on the cover of Odin is actually Julian's eye from the My Nation Underground lp sleeve and he's recycled it. Anyone notice that ?
Just got Reposessed "in the post" and was flipping thru the newly typefaced and reset Head-On and randomly noticed a small change: where he's first falling for Dorian and writes "What a dude for getting married" as the last "Take It Now" chapter line. In the original edition, the line was "What a plank for getting married." Has anyone noticed any other revisions, or did I get some sort of Scousism-free revised edition ?
To Santisan: I just dig Ray H.'s cd cause it sound like Camaron singing for the Pale Fountains.
Sorry for the triple post, didn't mean it, but ties in w/ the 3 Musketeers thing in a way
[I remove duplicate posts when I archive -- Trav]
I have been doing a seach and have come up empty on this one. Is Julian Cope's real name Julian Cope? Does he have a middle name?
The reason I ask is that my wife is expecting and we like the name Julian, but haven't decided on a middle name. Maybe we'll name him after Julain Cope (assuming it's a boy).
Thanks,
Ken
Yee ha, looks like I have to go to London for work on the 10th, which means I'll fly in on the 9th, which means......drum roll.......I might be able to catch the drude at Bath, neee hah. I've never seen the drude live before and while I must admit I'd rather he was gigging, it's better than a poke in the eye.
Still it'll be tight, i only get in at five and the gig starts at seven,any of y'all know how long it takes too get from Heathrow to Bath? Have these things tended to kick off on time? Anyone else hitting bath for that one?
Ooh, i'm all in a tiz!
What else...oh tatty bye Nat if your still watching over us, hope you're not gone too long.
Ken, what about calling the little tike Julia Cope if it's a girl.
Interesting the change in the new edition Head on, it seems to totally go against what he formerly said. Which reminds me, does it make any difference to read repossesed pre gig (St. jumps out of seat, punches air and lets out a whoop, to the bewilderment of colleauges)or is it enjoyable anyway?
I must go and plot.
Look after you leathers, St.
Still around like a bad smell unfortunately!! I still pop in occassionally so anyone else who wants to sing my praises can do, makes my head swell!!
It will probably take you a good couple of hours from Heathrow to Bath, esp. at that time cause of the traffic if you are driving. And god only knows how long by train!! Probably 2hours plus....
I might be there so look out for me!! Mad blonde in a pink dress... I'll wear a badge with my name on!
Take Care y'all....
Nat xx
Arrghhhh, the pressure. Barring delays the plane touches down at 16:55. If i only carry hand luggage and me mate is waiting for me in his motor. Maybe, just maybe. I'll be the only one there looking like a right nonce in my suit.
Ken, what about calling the little tike Julia Cope if it's a girl.
Julie Ann surely
or Charlotte Anne!
I agree with that assessment of the East Easy Rider version of Little Donkey. I had that single before the Skellington Chronicles, and when I saw that LD was on the SC, I though "ugh". But, it again proves genius needs no re-mix -- nor should he do one.
I'm very surprised that other artists haven't really used JC's habit of recording first-takes. Just get the guys together, play it once, and print it. I tell my friends this and they're blown away. "It must be Kak then", they'll say. But we know better.
Are other artists too afraid of falling on their arse and ruining their image? Or is JC just nuts?
Derek
Well, this is it, you guys have finally reduced me to tears!! thank you Steve.... I feel like Gwenyth Paltrow at the oscars, but with out the flouncy frock!!
I am just about to go, just about to switch off my machine... so thought I really would say a final bye!!!
I hope you say nice things about me when I'm gone... thing is I may be back in two weeks time!! So keep it up....
Love you all...and I've no idea what you all look like!!! Not very fickle am I. Esp. Mr Organic Potato Head..
Nat xx
Gerrard - "You think its cool to wear a smiley..." Miss ya...
Real name: Julian David Cope, born 21/10/57
I agree with Nat that you will be lucky to make the centre of Bath in two hours. However, if your driver is prepared to bale down the M$ like a maniac it might be on. As I recall the MA talk last year it started well after the publicised time so that might be on your side too. Got to be worth a go. Be interesting to see if Bath Waterstones repeat the free wine fiasco of last time. Offer you a glass of wine after you've been waiting ages in a queue and then tell you that you can't take it with you upstairs to the talk. Well sod that then.
All this chat about other talks and reviews of the book makes it even harder to wait for the Oxford gig on the 8th. I hope h's not running out of steam by then.
And
aint no getting around getting around
A non-Cope friend of mine sent this to me;
Odin will destroy you for turning against him and adopting your false god.
Hail Thor!
Splendid isolation!! I just realized that I'm hardly ever on my lonesome, that I'm almost always with my missus or friends. Hence JC, not being everyones cup of tea, generally ends up being played down low. Today, however, I'm back at my crib, not working, not going to the gym, not running aound like a maniac, in fact doing sweet FA, with Peggy Suicide blasting out of the stereo and pissing off my neighbours. F**k it is sooooo good, makes my heart ache. And for my next trick, floored Genius methinks. Very self indulgent entry, but what the hell.
I'm alone in my room, St.
Hi
I know what you mean, I'm on my own today the wife has taken little Joel Dylan (JD) who's now one!!!! to his grans so its copefest time. I've listened to Wilder and Fried i'm now going to play Jehovah very loud as it should be because Shrimp has just e-mailed me and reminded me just how good it is. I'm also adding things to the site but with all this music going on its slow progress
Russ
And tiny children have away of falling down (well Joel has anyway!)
I'm looking for any recorded version of revolutionary spirit by wild swans. anybody out there can help please email.
PM@mail.hkapa.edu
Todays task -
JehovahKill - Listen to it now and discuss in not more than 30 words.
I forgot to mention that I saw this bloke last night at the Drum and Monkey in Ipswich - Robb Johnson - I suggest that you check him out if he comes to your town - Great social awareness - Happy Birthday General Pinochet was brilliant! English Folk at its best.
Anybody going to the Oxford do on Monday?
is there a decent pub or owt near Waterstones that I can get a drink/owt to eat in priot to tonights performance? Having to come straight from work, so I think I'll need one
if yer going to the manchester thing, it's at the Dancehouse theatre on Oxford rd and not actually at Waterstones...
Anyway it's got it's own bar so yer can drink a drink there, as for food there's loads of places on Oxford rd and the whole shebang isd quite nr town anyway
mark
hi all,
i've been staring at that belt that was available from head heritage a while ago and the same image that's on it and the charlotte anne picture disc...
large sun with wavy arms and the words:
battle ye not with monsters lest ye become a monster
any ideas where it's from?
--actally just found it from summer 1988:
14th May, my dog Smelvin eats enough rat poison to kill him. we look after the little dude &in 10 days everything is cool again
...great white shark...great white way...great white hope... great white wonder...great white hoax is me point down on you
GREAT WHITE HOAX or Carve a headstone for humanity...Fred Nietzche said "battle ye not with monsters lest ye become a monster"... i'm making a glitterstompf out of saying it.
"end my life is all there is...i get no help from me shame myself into something real, cause that's what i'm going to be."
jason.
Divid
If you are still looking for a copy of Revolutionary Spirit then you should try www.gemm.com. They have a couple of copies listed for sale at present.
Regarding Odin I think it is excellent. Not only is the cover the great but the music is also a pleasure to listen too, Especially the last 15 or so minuets which is my favourite bit of the album.
Richard Winchester
At last, someone else has expressed an opinion on Odin.
I agree with you Richard re the last few 'minuets'. It grows and grows.
Re JehovahKill - Did any of you actually listen to it? - do you possess it? or are you all just groupies of St Julian and Peggy Suicide?
The Can influence has been there since the Teardrop days - the basslines are the biggest giveaway. Give Can a listen especially the first 4 albums as recommended by the ArchDrude. Brilliant.
Have any of you noticed how many articles and reviews in NME namecheck Krautrock. I bet most of the writers have never even listened to the stuff.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
PS I'm missing Nat already! - Izzy is now quiet also!
hi,
Finished Repossessed the other day and found it great. Cope certainly is turning into a skilled writer. Can anyone imagine him doing fiction ome day?
Does anyone feel a bit dissappointed that there's not a word on Kate St. John and her contribution to especially WSYM (or did I miss something???). How about the Rabbi Single? It's only mentioned as a comparison to the China Girl Sessions, so perhaps someone could enlight me on this one.
Ah, Shrimp.
Dig in to the Rail On archives and towards the end of number 12 you'll find a few pieces on Jehovakill that started from a discussion about Upwards At 45'.
An immense track. A gargantuan album.
Just remember women aren't supposed to fart...
Hey guys! Up here in Fairbanks. Brr! It's currently -5.
Thanks to all the posters of Reposessed/Odin news and reviews! You're getting me all excited about it -- too bad it'll be a while before I can check 'em out.
In a climbing magazine, which I was leafing through and just about to throw away since I'm not into climbing, I saw references to Julian Cope! There's 2 pages talking about a bunch of boulders that were named after Cope references. Like Jellypop Perky Jean, Hanging Up, etc. I'll scan it in and post it when I get back.
God, I miss music! Every time I hear a radio playing Sebadoh or the Clash or whatever I get all inspired to dig into my CD collection. But I don't have it with me! Argh! So be thankful, folks, that you have easy access to music.
Trav
Dear god where does that man get his clothes from!
That is most definitely what i would call an outfit - all you who have yet to see the tour have a reet treat to look forward to.
A bloody enjoyable night, well worth travelling to - cheers to Spaceship for actually letting me know where it was at (I knew it was at the Dancehouse, but thought that that was next door to Waterstones -somewhat seriously wrong) - even if Julian is overhard on the poor old Vikings.
The bloke before me in the signing queue asked about Citizen Caned, to which the reply was "well, I've recorded it, and it sounds pretty good stuff to me - but then it would wouldnt it. I'll release it, not before the millenium - well i couldnt could I, probably late next year. Maybe incidentally - Waterstones were very tight on the signing - hand your book (singular) over to get signed, quick chat, bugger off. There isnt really any other way to do it I suppose, unless those at the back of the queue want to wait four hours, but... Hats off to the bloke who got round it by secreting all his cd covers within the book - Julai nseemed to appreciate it, even if the Waterstones bods didnt.
And finally:just about the oddest Teardrops rarity I've come across Vinyl Tap in Leeds (http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/) have a copy of Bouncing Babies 7" for 20pounds, that is actually a mispress that plays Noel Harrison Windmills of Your Mind.
Sounds unmissable. Or maybe not.
...just finished Repossessed: decent read, but less of a treat than Head On, I'd say. Maybe it's because all my vinyl is in a warehouse in Ottawa and I couldn't read the book with its contemporaneous soundtrack. At least I have Skellington on CD...
Too bad no info on the origin of the "Iggdrassil": that thing totally freaked me out when I first saw it, and it's one of the most rawk-and-roll things Cope's ever done. Anyone know the story behind it? And er,... Burton Cummings??! Scott Walker, krautrock maybe but... The Guess Who? (and hell, I'm even Canadian!) Don't think I'll be pursuing that particular Cope connection. On attend le prochain.....
Interesting to read the reports from the book tour: keep 'em er,... cumming(s).
PS: listenin' to The Flaming Lips "The Soft Bulletin" as a I post: highly recommended.
ATTENTION!
Just saw that ebay currently has a copy of the Rabbi Joseph Gordan 7" (Cope pseudonym) listed. Right now it is at $10.49US, but there are still 2 days to go. There may not be too many Cope fans who know about this, so any one looking for a copy of it might get a bargain, check it out. And no, its not me whos selling it.
Ebay also has disc 2 of the Fear Loves this Place single set, which is now quite rare, just in case there is anyone looking for the second disc to complete their set, although right now it is up to $31US, with 18 hours to go.
Coincedence ? The last cd I listened to prior to reading "Reposessed" was The Moody Blue's "In Search Of The Lost Chord" and lo, it is named checked in the mighty tome ! And here was me thinking that I was the only dude that truly regarded early Moody Blues as gargantuanly psychedelic grooves ! Ride My See Saw indeed !
HI- I'll be in Oxford next monday evening if anyone is interested. I shall be wearing clothes.
Trav - how are things? I've not written for ages, but I'm about to change jobs at the end of next week, so I may be cut off from you for quite some time. Thanks for everything.
Mikef
ps - I shall also be hanging in Avebury on a couple of days in November, if anyone fancies a Stones munchout?
Just want to say hello to Travis. I'm really glad we got to meet when you came through Omaha.
A question for the group. I showed Travis some 12" picture discs that I have from Peggy Suicide (Fear Loves This Place, for one). I'm just curious as to how hard these are to find. I'm not looking to sell them but wondered if they can still be obtained.
Hi dudes, was wondering if anyone had any idea how to get hold of "Fear loves this place" Part 2.
Good to see all peoples hope for more music and books been a happening thing, so it is good to help the dude in that way. keep the page rolling and the sun will shine.
spontaneous search-party
For the Bunnymen fans.
They've parted company with London Records and play London Kentish Town Forum 3/12/99 and Liverpool Royal Court 7/12/99 (from todays NME).
And I'll do it again...
Hello
Was anyone at Reading 1996?
Has anyone seen it shown on the television?
I am trying to get hold of some video footage of Julian Cope!
They did have the big screens there but I was too close to the front to see them!
Tim
hi,
31$ for Fear pt. 2!!!! Perhaps that is a bit beyond what any normal thinking person ought to pay. I saw a copy of Fear pt.1 &2 in Sister ray last Sunday, and I picked up a copy of pt. 2 at a record fair in Coventry at 2.50£ not long ago. Just keep looking the right places. Thinking about it, I think Esprit had a copy of it some weeks ago, so it's not that rare when it comes to it.
I found a 4 track WSYM sampler flexi with some Spirit tracks on the other side. Does anyone know that one? Haven't seen it before.
The only thing is that Spontaneous is in New Zealand, so a copy of Fear Loves Pt 2 would probably be pretty rare. Perhaps someone going to the record fairs could pick him up a copy. I too thought $31 was scandalous, and that was yesterday, not sure what it went for in the end. I saw that the Rabbi 7" was now at $10.99US, with not too much time left. This single is currently going for about $50US, so someone could get a bargain! I do have the WSYM flexi sampler, there were quite a lot produced, not sure how many though, but you see it from time to time. I think I paid about £1 for it back in the mid 80s.
Sorry about that. I hit post, then tried to stop it as I wanted to add the bit about the Rabbi 7". Just saw that it is now up to $13.49 with 1 day to go. It'll probably shoot up in the final few hours.
well I am the current hi bidder on the rabbi, so lets no keep reminding people because I would like to get this one :)
anyone find an american place to get repossesed?
I can remember when the WSYM flexi came out Virgin Records in Sheffield had a box on the counter and you just picked them up for free, I wish I'd have picked a few more up now!!!!
Russ
Amazon.com (US) has Repossessed listed but it supposedly won't be published in the US until Feb 2000. Your best bet is Head Heritage, Good price, great service, plus you may just recieve an autographed copy!
Dereck - the pic discs are not particularly hard to find (over here anyway) I've seen them going for between £4 &£7. Very pretty &worth having they are.
The flexi disc - I came across this a couple of months ago, and paid £8 or £10 - but I'm a bit of a mug
So is everyone checking ebay yet? I just saw that a copy of Copeulation, the video collection is up for grabs, although theres still 9 days to go before it closes. I've had a lot of people ask me where they can get a copy, here's your chance. It looks like it is the north american NTSC VHS version too (The PAL VHS version came in a plastic case with fold out cover, this one doesn't, just in a cardboard sleeve) Still worth grabbing though!
well last time I seen copulation on e bay it ended up going for $90 I bid up to $75 and that was more then I could afford. well see how this one goes
bri
And none of you better bid on it 'cos I did and I can get downright ornery...
You forget, we Americans are nuts...
Saw you up there Modfather Rob, good luck, I hope you get it, although I have a feeling you may have to end up paying a bit more than that unfortunately. I love watching the auction in the final hour as that is when it goes crazy, I noticed that the Rabbi 7" was now up to $31US!
In addition I have to say that I don't think in my honest opinion that the Rabbi single is really worth that, for what it is. OK, so it is rare and a unique piece of Coperabillia (?) but the tracks themselves have never really impressed me that much. I know when I bought my copy and listened to it I was kind of disappointed. Having said that, I don't think I will ever part with it, well, maybe not until copies start going for four figures on ebay :-)
Not as exciting as the Rabbi/Copeulation/Fear Loves stuff, but in a similar vein.
I found a copy of the free Vox cassette Class Of 94 for 50p, which contains the remix of I Gotta Walk. I have a copy myself and just wondered if anyone wants this one?
Feel it when it's red hot...
Rob, we never forget that Americans are nuts, it isn't that that scares us, its the fact you're nuts and have guns! :-)
Oi, Andrew...
Yeah, wouldn't you know it--somebody already outbid me. It figures. There weren't any bids when I got on there, but now someone has already done me in. Well, fine--all i want is to say is I'm being deprived of seeing the videos of "Colours Fly Away" and "Treason".
And no one seems to ever have the full video of "When I Dream".
Damn and blast!
Hey Andrew--
I am not nuts and I don't have a gun. However, I do have a small cat (a runt) who is poised as an attack/guard kitten. CAll me nuts again and I'll have her hiss right at you!
I am all peace and love, dammit.
Rabbi final price: $41US I guess that's about market value for it.
Ummmm... Tasty Rabbi!
Asmasher, I sincerely hope you're not disappointed with it when you get it. It seems like an awful lot of money for one 7" single in my mind, but thats mostly because to me it works out at about $60 Canadian.
I wonder how many copies were actually pressed. Anyone know? It actually amazes me how many copies seem to be in the US, I think I know more fans in North America that have it that in the UK.
Been waiting to hear those two damn songs for 13 years! They could suck worse than anything and the closure alone would still be worth it :)
BURTON'S CUMMING! (just wanted to type that)
well I didn't get the rabi oh well....
more money for the next purchase
Vybik - vox class of 94, cheers for that mate, long since forgot the Copey track was on there - is it a remix or a straight lift from the album though. Sheesh, those where the days when I still thought that Oasis (track no 1 rock and roll star) might turn out to be something, how wrong could i ave been. Still interesting Mark E Smith/spirals track on the other side.
Question, Blur's "Modern Life is Rubbish" track number 3 is "Colin Zeal", now maybe it's just me but it sounds like a definite copy of the ass kickin "Sleeping Gas", anyone else notice this. BTW, track no 4 is "Pressure on Julian" and no 13 is "Coping", spooky eh!
St.
it's so ethereal
Good question, St.
The cassette liner notes refer to the original version being available on Autogeddon, and the this version does have extra squiggles, bleeps and noises. Certainly not a straight lift, but does it qualify as a remix?
Different topic.
Teardrops namecheck by Feeder in the MM singles review section. (I'll get my anorak!)
But I shouldn't say that...
Regarding the Ribbi Joseph Gordon Single, I have been told that only a 1000 copies were pressed making it a very rare record.
Richard Winchester
Hey Brian,
There's another copy of the Rabbi 7" at ebay up for grabs!
Another copy of the Rabbi single is up for sale at eBay.
Richard
I was recently shown a copy of the Teardrop Explodes Ha Ha Im drowning 7" single double pack in the withdrawn picture sleeve.
I was also told that this was the rarest Cope/Teardrop Explodes Record in existance. Can anybody tell me how many copies are in existance? I have been told that there are only a handfull of the double pack and the single 7" with withdrawn sleeve in existance. The rest were destroyed at the time. Does anybody have a copy?
Richard Winchester
The ultra-rare Ha Ha I'm Drowning single is scarce indeed. Literally a handful escaped the incinerator. Copey has a copy and we've also got one in the Screaming Secrets archive.
More details will be posted up on the new Screaming Secrets discography. At the moment we're trying to sort out the new hosting service for Screaming Secrets, as soon as that's done we'll be up and running.
Hey guys! A really quick post from Anchorage...
Contributors, please email or post your address so that I can send you a vol 2 CD! If you haven't gotten a CD yet it's because I haven't been able to tell my folks the address to which it should be mailed.
Trav
I have that Ha-Ha double-pack single set, I bought it in 1983. I had no idea it was even rare. Can someone out there fill me in on why it was ordered destroyed ? Thanks.
I too, think the Rabbi 7" isn't worth that kind of money. For completists only. Not for listening.
re: Ha Ha I'm Drowning
Some slight confusion over the rare version. The arabic writing version is the redesigned release. The rare version features a photograph of dried ground. If you've got *that* version then hold on to it as it's worth a fair bit......
Here is an article/review I thought you might all be interested in.
NCUT Magazine December 1999 - Music, Movies &Books - A good all round read and thoroughly recommended - includes a free CD each month which are also better than the average. Available from IPC Magazines Ltd, Freepost SEA 4394, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3BR. £3.50
Book of the Month
Repossessed - Julian Cope - 4 stars out of 5
Two-part, charmed and demented autobiographical odyssey gathered in one scintillating, ruthlessly honest and consistently hilarious back-to-back volume.
In 1983, Julian Cope found himself regarded by press and public as a poppariah and everyday fruitcake, a commercial washout and self-parody living in the psychedelic burnout zone.
Burdened with the (ever-increasing) debts he accumulated as a result of his total reluctance to endure the inevitable horror of recording a third album by The Teardrop Explodes, exasperated by the new conformity of British pop and contemptuous of former associates - David Balfe ("a gormless bug-eyed non-mystical fucker"), Ian McCulloch ("not built to endure"), Bill Drummond ("an old hippy") - Cope favoured a strategic withdrawal.
Specifically, this mean holing up in his childhood hometown of Tamworth, retiring to his grandmother's bed with his America lover, Dorian, for long periods, and leaving the house rarely. Such expeditions were usually to further Cope's new-found love of toy collecting, the latest obsession in a life fuelled by all-consuming passions and fascinations.
Near the beginning of Repossessed, the second instalment of his barn-storming autobiography, Cope writes: "My life had changed drastically, I had not rejected the world outside; I could just no longer live in that world." Considering the outlandish behaviour and mind-bending debauchery already recounted in Head-On (previously available in a self-published and distributed single volume), this hardly comes as a surprise.
In the parochial hothouse of the Liverpool punk scene, Cope defined himself by being at odds with those around him. A one-time non-drug taking puritan, he eventually took to acid and spliff with a zeal that had him declared "evil" and "amoral" by Balfe and Drummond. His sense of artistic fulfilment with The Teardrop Explodes proved to be short-lived. When he finally sampled the delights of pop stardom - tripping on Top Of The Pops, being assailed by teenyboppers - it was "cool - if you like being fawned over by pre-menstrual, flat-chested virgins".
The Teardrops were finally rent asunder in a battle featuring buckets of shit, Cope's cracked bloody skull and a shotgun in the Welsh countryside.
Repossessed, then, is the story of a rock'n'roll exile who can't help but return again and again to the scene of myriad crimes. Barbed and cruel, penetrating and perceptive, it again shows Cope's blitzkrieg writing talent to full effect. His descriptive powers - recreating the ugly hysteria of an on-stage self-mutilation belly-slashing ceremony in front of a tearful Japanese crowd, or a shopping trip at the height of his paranoid and fitness phase - are acute. While a pre-punk love of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange has evidently left him with an infectious and specialised feel for language which gives the text an evangelical fervour.
In many respects, the period covered by the second volume was a bleak one for Cope. Dorian had an abortion (cue for a well measured Pro Lifer putdown), and an out-of-control speed habit, and in Tamworth and London "hoboes, mongrels, village idiots" and the neighbours from hell were on his doorstep.
Occasional chart success was never enough to assuage his vaulting ego and, to his abiding consternation, he faced consistent ridicule in the press and remained at loggerheads with his record company. Cope doesn't try to mask any of this, but neither does he submit to a slough of despond. He retains a rationale that is funny and combative, rabid but resilient.
Repossessed stands as a defiant riposte to the stifling conformity of the Thatcher era, and by the end of the Eighties, Cope's toy collecting fascination has given way to a flood of new inspirations. The work of unlikely bedfellows Carl Jung, Lester Bangs, Burton Cummings (frontman with Canadian rockers The Guess Who) vie with the memory of the late Pete De Frietas (ex-Bunnymen drummer and Cope's cosmic companion for most of the book) to bring a visionary enlightenment.
This is in keeping with the surging momentum and restless quest in the prose and the sense of optimism and rejuvenation borne out by the next 10 - as yet undocumented - years of Cope activity. Time enough for all that in Part Three.
Meanwhile, these two volumes - cautionary and animated, dark experience tempered with life affirming resilience - should be required reading for anyone fascinated by the rock'n'roll freakshow.
Gavin Martin
Good one Gavin!
Between the lines with Julian Cope
You've written books on stone circles and Krautrock as well as your autobiography. Do you consider yourself more a writer than a musician?
"I think I'm a rock'n'roller who writes. The Modern Antiquarian did very well, but what was important to me was it was clothed like a rock'n'roll book - loud and outrageous. I'm still a utopian rock'n'roller. One of the reasons I wanted to write Repossessed was I wanted people to realise I didn't go off on an Eastern trip. It was very obviously rock'n'roll that got me back into where I was at."
Is the book an act of revenge?
"I wouldn't like to think so. I'm more compassionate than I was five years ago. I've seen t Bunnymen reform because they have to. I'm not so judgemental anymore - I know that there, but for the grace of the gods, go I."
What are you up to at the minute?
"I feel I've got to achieve so much. I'm writing a follow-up to The Modern Antiquarian called Let Me Speak To The Driver. Antiquarian is being made into a BBC TV series. I've also just formed an ambient metal band called Brain Donor.
Intellectually, we're brought up to believe that by aiming high you can have a spiritual release - but you can also attain that by aiming very low. It's very symbolic, very Midlands. Me and Dobbin play double-neck guitars and wear five-inch platforms. Kev is on drums. It's Hendrix without his rhythm section - if he'd had Gene Simmons going 'Bleugggh!' in the background."
It's strange that there is no mention of Odin!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
hi,
I have just got back from a Record Rair in Rugby. A guy was selling a copy in the WSYM Radio Promo box (limited edition numbered 12) for 25£ I didn't have that kind of money on me, but thinking about it, it might not have been all worth that kind of money as the guy was also selling the Sunshine Playroom and Greatness.. 7" for 15£ each. I see those go for about 3-6£ pounds regurlarly. Hovever, I got A Tiny Children 12" Promo for 10£ and a Fear... 7" for 2£. Suppose that's alright. (He also mentioned something about the Skellington LP being worth at least 80£ - I didn't buy anything from him!)
I'm trying to expand my cope-collection as much as possible these days, as I'm only staying in the UK untill december. I'm originally from Denmark (saw Cope for the first time in Waterstones in London in October!), where his stuff is usually quite rare or simply just goes for the most outlandish prices (Eve's Vulcano 12" in Copenhagen: 22£) The Record Fares in the West Midlands are really perfect places for Completists to go compared to what I'm used to back home.
For those who have been searching for Fear pt. 2, there is one for sale at http://www.disc-coveryrecords.com/ for 4£ At least that's better than 31$!!!
Thomas,
If those are market prices then perhaps I should look at insurance for my collection! I think they are a bit inflated, but what do you expect from someone who is trying to make a living by selling the stuff. I have generally seen the Skellington original vinyl lp for about £25 and I paid about £10 for the WSYM radio box set.
Also, I guess the only drawback about the ebay thing is that you can get caught up in the rush at the end and end up paying way more than you should for something, especially if it is rare. Remember that the items you see on ebay aren't the only copies, there are other sources out there and certainly with the rise of the internet the job of tracking them down has become so much easier.
If anybody wants to attend the Oxford book reading this evening there are two tickets going spare. Due to a family illness I am unable to attend but I have already paid for the tickets under my name (Verian Thomas) and they are awaiting collection on the door. I guess whoever gets there first gets the tickets but if you go and they're already gone I'm sure there will be some places available anyway.
Enjoy
Verian
A word in yer ear...
Having said all that below I just went and checked out ebay to see what is up for grabs and I saw a listing for "My Nation Underground plus Free Live Video". I saw that it is a copy of a Cope bootleg from Glasgow Pavillion Oct 88.
I recently did a trade with the person who is selling this and one of the videos I exchanged was the Glasgow Bootleg as I have a second generation copy of this. A short while ago there was a similar offer, with a copy of the cassette plus free video of cope in Dublin.
It is a really neat way of getting around the fact that selling bootlegs is illegal, package them with a pretty worthless item and you know everyone is really bidding on the video!
Anyway, after the Dublin one was listed I contacted the person as I was really interested in a copy of it as I don't have it. In the end we did an exchange for some of the stuff I have, one of those being the Glasgow video. So now it looks like that is being packaged too.
So folks, don't be fooled into paying big bucks for this. If anyone is tempted to bid on it then drop me a line and I'll run anyone here off a copy of it for the cost of a blank tape and postage, you can even send me a blank tape to record it on. I'm not interested in making any profit, just expanding my collection and spreading the good word.
Also, getting a copy from me will cut out a generation as I copied it for the seller and he is then copying it again for the winning bidder.
Andrew
Forgot to mention, Oxford reading is at the Ashmolean Museum Lecture Rooms not Waterstones Bookshop.
Verian
Damn, changed addresses.
There was an interview with JC in the Independent Review section on Monday - a brief chat supposedly about the man's attitude to technology. It was accompanied by a photo of Julian in Brain Donor mode - twin head guitar, 6" platforms, etc.
And now a request for advice.......
I'm currently considering expanding my CD collection as I have never bought any of the mail order only releases (Skellington, Droolian, Rite, QE, Odin). Any thoughts out there on what is essential listening, what is ok and what is dross. Also, are the Interpreter singles on sale through Head Heritage any good?
I only bought Interpreter recently having lost contact with Cope after the release of Autogeddon, which seemed to me to be a very great fall after the heights of Jehovahkill. Interpreter has renewed my faith (and my willingness to part with hard earned cash).
Cheers
Mark
But only for a wee while. Fingers crossed for Bath tonight, but my mates cars in the garage and even JC can't justify the price of British Rail these days, boo hoo. Later, St.
Read all about it!Glam Descender in 6" Platforms http://www.independent.co.uk/news/Digital/My_Technology/juliancope081199.shtml shocker
Mark: Skellington Chronicles is a must! I really enjoy Rite II as well, but I have a feeling that is sold out at Head Heritage.
And on that subject...Once again, in my mind, Head Heritage has truly excelled. Yesterday I received a package with my order of Odin and Repossessed. It only took a week to get here, from Wiltshire to northern Canada in 7 days! Plus the added bonus of the book being personally signed by Julian! Woo-hoo! (Homer Simson-like exaultations).
Head Heritage...deffinately the way to go.
Andrew
Mark-
In total agreement with Andrew re:Skellington Chronicles..two great releases on one cd...Warm,fun(ny),spontaneous,relaxed and yet all frenzied and mad...some great sessions,indeed..I found mine at GEMM..you may want to check there..I paid $25 for it;which I don't often shell out for a disc,but it's well worth it.Listened to it while helping my bro paint his home the other day and it was just fa-fa-fa-fine
steven
Gizmos for old punks
Julian Cope, writer and ex-lead singer of The Teardrop Explodes, talks about double rock guitars, wah-wah pedals and getting his head around modern gadgetry
Interview by Jennifer Rodger
8 November 1999
The wah-wah technology is very symptomatic of the way I am: I came out of the punk scene, and the whole thing for me about punk was to get there whatever way you can. I started using the wah-wah and pedal board because I was originally a very crap guitarist. A big pedal board gave me lots and lots of different sounds, although I played very basic guitar.
My set-up was a double neck guitar made with 1968 Gibson Firebird electric and 1967 Gibson Thunderbird bass guitars, melded together in 1970 by a famous Californian called Valdez, when neither guitar had any special value. A guy playing a double neck looks Herculean - and kind of ridiculous.
My fluorescent level pedal board, which is about 6in high and 2ft across and 1ft deep, was made by Pete Cornish of England, and includes a wah-wah pedal, fuzz, boost and phase. I keep the sound effects really simple as it's my palette of primary colours, my palette of sound. It came in useful in 1990 when I was doing a lot of shows on my own. I really didn't want to be this guy doing a solo shows who comes on with acoustic guitars and is suddenly very worthy and folky.
It's simple technology but everyone has a slightly different way of approaching it, which appeals to me. To be honest I am most interested in the physical look as much as technical specification. When Pete Cornish made my effects box, I told him it had be done in fluorescent yellow as I didn't want to look like a serious musician, what with me being some kind of punk, or ex-punk.
The simplicity suits most Julian Cope songs, as they follow a fairly standard pattern of four archetypes. A ballad, for example, starts quietly, then builds up and moves to the instrumental section, and then all hell breaks loose. It's really a repetition of the earlier verse, but louder. Almost like a barbarian orchestra.
I still make music now and again, that I call ambulance sounds. It's post ambient. The last single I put out was a 73-minute track, and it sounds like turbulence, like cosmic wind. I call it ambulance as in the Liverpool punk scene there was something called an ambulance spliff when five spliffs were put together, and people would say: "Call an ambulance." It's music for when you are lying on the floor. And I happily use computers to make it.
I think any sound is valid music. Switching on the drum machine and dancing around without touching anything is valid. Music purists are actually unhistorically aware: if you go back to 3,000BC a purist would not go down into the echo valley as that'd make the sound false. We would still be beating bones here on this hillside.
Humanity is capable of fakery. I am very much somebody who thinks that if the technology suits me, I'll use it; and if it doesn't, then I won't. I certainly won't complain about technology being inferior because it doesn't suit me.
The only reason I became a writer was because technology made it easier for me. There was no way I could have become one otherwise. When I think that The Modern Antiquarian: [A Pre-Millennial Odyssey through Megalithic Britain] was 9,000 short of a quarter of a million words, the book could not have been got anywhere near that figure without a computer. Technology makes you look good, not bad.
I personally can recommend that you get the lot - but Ambulence is definetely fine by me if you have a liking for Krautrock.
Paranormal is also worth it just for the Krankenhausmusik mix - more Krautrock - I love it and Krautrocksampler has pushed me in the right direction. Droolian has similar overtones or undertones to the simplicity of Skellington. Odin grows and grows on me and relates back to early Tangerine Dream but with vocals instead of synths. Queen Elizabeth was a disappointment but is growing on me. More Krautrock. Beautiful Love is only worth it it you have not already got the tracks. Interpreter you should all already possess. Rite 1 &2 are essential listening and should be purchased as soon as possible. Radio Sit-In is a waste of time except for you anoraks, likewise The Modern Antiquarian disc - no real music on it. The mug is quite good for drinking tea or coffee but you've probably got enough mugs already.
Have any of you noticed how virtually all album reviews in NME namecheck Krautrock - I bet that few of them have ever heard it.
I can't wait for the Ambient Metal phase! Are we all going to be wearing 6 inch stacks when the Drude is a worldwide star following the new BBC Modern Antiquarian Series or will he end up like a totally wacko David Attenborough character? I can't wait!!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Quick note to let you all know the glorious Vava is back on line and will probably be rejoining us soon enough.
Welcome back to the dear girl. She has been missed!
Thanks Modfather, that's the best news I've heard in awhile !
Rail On, Z
Andrew/Steven/Shrimp
Thanks for the tips. I'm putting in an order for Ambulance, Rite 2 and Skellington today. The others will have to wait.
I remember seeing Rite for sale at a concert and always suspected I'd regret not buying it. You live and learn.
Mark
The chorus of Rail On - Sing "row row row your boat gently down the stream - merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream"
I have no idea why I first did this but now I can't seem to get it out of my head.
Verian
Vava returning? That is good news.Now if we could get Nat back,all would be right in the world.(it's that easy,steven??)
thanks for the article Shrimp
steven
-who has had a good week for shows..Robyn Hitchcock on Sunday and last night Olivia Tremor Control(wow!)...Just hope the Drude decides to walk them big ol' boots over stateside for a change.
...life is but a dream I dream about you
7 days from wiltshire to canada!
Bloody Head's - three weeks and waiting from Wiltshire to Sheffield, I dont know
When Island tried to cash-in with 'The Followers of St.Julian' did I imagine it or did they say it was going to be the first part of three B-side collections.All I've seen from them since is that pointless 'Leperskin' collection.
My 'Jehovahkill Companion' is No.2702 - How many were released?
This is from Select December 1999 so you don't have to spend £2.50. Its on the last page if you want to see the picture!
Q: Have you ever been approached to do an advert?
A (JC): Yeah, Levis asked me to do a song for them. We were working on giving them 'Drive She Said'. In the end I couldn't be bothered. I always said if I was going to do an advert it would be for something iconic so Levis fit that but my bluff was called. After that 'Beautiful Love' was doing well in America and TDK asked me to do an ad. When I said no my manager just said, 'Well why am I managing you then?'
This might be a bit jumbled, I didn't spend £2.50 either!
I had a wonderful night last night getting out all the CD Singles following my ramblings re whats available at Head Heritage.
Isn't it stange how you think you know what something sounds like and then when you actually play it, it is something totally different. Re Radio Sit-In - I thought that it was just a lot of rambling radio crap but when I came to listen to it I found that it includes a great deal of music, some of it rather good me thinks.
Well that's lesson one for today.
Package from Head Heritage came this morning - Universal Panzies Cd - I'll let you know what I think, and hopefully won't bore you too much with my ramblings.
Boo Boo Hiss Hiss my copy of Repossessed is not signed!, but then again I've put my own signature on it and I'm available for book signing tours at a small price. You must be sad people if you find a signature important! Are you more interested in the future value or the content?
I also can't wait to get Nat back as I'm sure she would have a great deal to say on that!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Universal Panzies - Transcendental Floss
The description in the Head Heritage Katalog is spot on yet again.
Ah! But is it any good I hear you say? That's up to you to decide and the only way to do that is to send £12.99 to Head Heritage and get yourself a copy! I'm sure that Christophe will welcome all your contributions as he looks like he could do with a good feed. Perhaps Nat could send him a parcel or two.
Has Izzy gone the same way as Nat?
I'm a sad old bugger and I must get put more often.
Ps - The Longpigs - Waterfront Norwich - Not bad but I don't think that they'll be around much longer - Catch them while you can!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Shrimp: Sad people? Actually no, I couldn't be happier, or are you just saying that because yours wasn't signed? It being signed came as a total suprise, and it just reinforces my belief that he cares about his fans. Julian Cope has been my hero for a long time so it is a purely ego thing from my point of view that when something comes signed to me personally it makes me feel like I have been noticed, I mean deep down we are all looking for love and approval you know, always looking for some way to fill that hole where we don't love our selves! To answer the question though, I am more interested in the content, I think it being signed "To Andrew, awl-love, Julian Cope" would only really make it more valuable to me.
Joy Division without the depression? oh dear.
It's like all those people who seriously, with no irony intended, considered the likes of Joy Division and The Smiths "depressing", despite the comments of people like John Peel, and were happy to live in a world of primary colour emotions.
These characters were awl fundamentalist. Then Radiohead came along and they *really* got the definition of depression..
Pablo
Am I the last person on the list to have bought Repossessed? I finally got it yesterday &spent a fun evening reminiscing...
In particular, on the last page of the Repossessed photos, there's the one taken by Bruce M-C. This was taken at a particular Cope gig I went to - at the Bristol Colston Hall. It was the MNU tour, I think. During Julian's set I found myself right at the front, standing next to a very tall Welsh bloke. He'd noticed that I had a carrier bag with me &asked if it was "for Reynard"? I hadn't a clue what he meant, so he asked if he could have the bag. Who was I to refuse such an odd (well I thought so, then) request? I shrugged &handed it over. As the first notes of the final encore - Reynard the Fox - sounded, a flurry of bags was offered up to the stage. Perhaps because of Nigel's height (as I discovered later was the Welshman's name) Julian selected this particular carrier bag, and it's the one you can see covering his head in the photo. The other bag, I seem to recall, actually belonged to Bruce, the photographer. He and Nigel had been to an earlier gig on this tour (Cardiff, I think) where a similar thing had happened - so they knew what to expect!
At the end of Reynard, Julian removed the checked blouse he'd been wearing for the encore and teasingly made as if he was going to throw it into the audience. I don't think he actually intended to actually let go - however he hadn't expected a cheeky girl immediately below him in the audience to grab it. Julian let go - and the shirt was in my possession! This was much to the annoyance of a man stood immediately behind me, who decided that the shirt should be his. As the house lights went up, I was desperately trying to keep hold of my prize, when tall Nigel came to my aid &told the annoying man where to go - as the shirt was fairly (?) mine! We were even. Afterwards I hung around outside the gig with pals talking with Nigel &Bruce. Nigel gave us a copy of the fanzine (Screaming Secrets!) he'd started &we all arranged to meet up later in the tour. We were waiting by the tour bus &as Julian came out I got him to autograph the shirt, which, although a little tattered, (of course) I still have to this very day.
There's another photo in the book - of Mike Mooney. I did a double-take when I saw it, because it was so familiar to me. It looked very similar to one I had taken. In my past life I went to quite a few of Copey's gigs - often smuggling in a camera. I'm not the most organised of people, so I don't have a filed archive of my photos - however I dug around &found several of the same gig. I don't recognise the venue - however the remaining photos I have seem to be shot from a similar angle to the one in the book - so if it's not mine it was taken by someone standing very close to me! (I was too generous in my youth - I gave many of the photos away to people who liked them, including one of this set to Mike himself! I'd asked him to autograph it - only for him to say he loved the piccy &wanted it himself. I didn't have the heart to say no!) I'd love to find out whether this was one of mine, wrongly credited - as it does look so familiar! I doubt if I could find the negatives these days (too many house moves &I'm lousy at filing!). I was wondering if anyone had any idea of how I could find out for certain (like does anyone know Mika Anzai - the person credited with the piccy - or who I could contact to compare the original in the book with the remaining ones from that set in my possession...)
Those were fun days....
Well, what do you know? Insult Head Heritage's tardiness one day, and then get home to find a postcard from the Post Office saying the package has arrived. All looks very nice too, now just to listen to it...
Shrimps description of the Universal Pansies cd makes me look forward to it most I think - it DOES sound like Hawkwind and Joy Division - flaming marvellous (tho' gotta say I'm with Paul B on them being 'depressing' - raw emotion, frustration, anger, and depression all get a look in, but that don't make them depressing in my book.
ps - new Primal Scream single is FUCKING FANTASTIC
p.p.s - forgot to say on the previous message - if anyone in the Swindon area fancies a night out tonight - my partner Jay's band is playing their first gig at the Victoria pub. They list Copey as one of their influences (naturally!), and they'll be supporting a band by the remarkable name of Spacehopper (a good omen, or what?) Contact me if you need any more info... L -x-
Hi,
This may be old news to some but I have just received and read 'The Battle for the trees' by Merrick. It's not exactly a huge tome coming in at only 132 pages but it is an incredible story of the righteousness of the protesters at the Newbury Bypass. Merrick was there for the majority of the protest and was at one of the last camps to fall. Throughout the book it is made clear that the protesters (on the whole) carried themselves with dignity against overwhelming odds. I was not involved in any way with this protest other than seeing the news coverage on the television at the time and I feel a great deal of sadness and loss about this. The book makes you want to go out and DO SOMETHING. By that I don't mean save the first tree you come to, I mean that it makes you AWARE of all the shit that's going on that nobody does anything about.
I live in a village or at least I did. It was just two streets with about 70 houses and a couple of pubs (good ratio) but over the past five years 80 new houses have been built. Now this doesn't constitute a massive building program or anything but there are now more brand new houses than original buildings and my village is having it's character and community sucked out every time a new building goes up. This is happening almost everywhere. It pissess me off, but, right now, I don't know what to do about it but I do now know that something must be done. [end of rant]
The Cope's turn up on a number of occasions in the book:
"Diggers work away around the field, dragging logs, tearing out roots, mangling rabbits while tearing up young trees. Meanwhile as we're surrounded by security, ready to give our best for these trees, with Dorian Cope videoing it, Julian Cope is at a studio in Wales recording the seven minute epic The Battle For The Trees. By coincidence, if that's what you want to call it."
Buy the book! It's pretty cheap at £4.00 and is available from www.amazon.co.uk (or .com probably).
Has anybody read Copse by Kate Evans?
Verian
I agree 'The Battle for the Trees' is well worth owning. I have had the book for about a year now and it is definately one of my favourite books. It is a great read and I agree the book has also made me aware of what is going on and that not enough is being done to prevent such major environmental destruction from happening in the future.
Richard
Winchester
What is this? Head Heritage get-yer-packages-day? I just got mine--"Audience With The Cope" t-shirt (high quality--very nice) and "Head On" tour mug [the aforementioned are Chanukah presents for Modmother Liz] and the "Odin" cd pour moi--funnily enough, it really does have a curiously soothing effect.
Who else hates the Foo Fighters (a/k/a Husker Foo)
Ahh! That's more like it - genuine passion has been extracted from your veins at last.
We are all aware of what a wonderful bloke the Arch Drude is, which is why whe're here after all, but is it the signature that you treasure - i.e. a squiggly line of ink or the thought and memory of the occasion? Come on go for it!
OK if I was to send you a copy of Repossessed and had signed it myself but in the name of the Arch Drude would you think it more valuable? i.e. either in the momentary or personal sense just because I had told you that the signature was the Arch Drude's.
Joy Division were definetly not depressive, it was merely meant to be a descriptive way of trying to explain what the music sounds like.
The new Primal Scream single is a pile of shit and could have been written by a computer on autopilot. i.e. it is repetitive in the best sense, entirely dance driven, loud, sounds like every car that keeps me awake at night, is ideal for the neighbours from hell and the student population will rant and rave about them well into the year 2000 CE. It is therefore fucking brilliant!
Keep it coming
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Like the sad person that I am, I've still got my single collection out of the rack and if you haven't done it already catch Page 170 of Repo - Listen to Crazy Farm Animal, Rail On and Desi from China Doll - now put on My Nation and 'Fuck, what was all that '80s shit when we were doing . . .Nation? I felt as though I'd been hoodwinked and the blinds were beginning to finally fall away.' .... 'I'd had the right team all along, but the wrong attitude.' This is exactly for me when the Drude finally hit the mark and 'decided to reassert myself there and then.'
Nation includes some great songs but if only they'd come out of the melting pot with the same attitude as the China Doll EP sessions.
Check it out now, you junk-mail brothers!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
I saw JC at Bath on tuesday evening and he was on fine form, he spoke for just over an hour on such topics as:
The best story concerned how he overcame a hostile crowd of oil workers at a concert in the Oakney's, by imitating the sound of a digeridoo and chasing them to the bar.
Afterwards, the Waterstone staff didn't rush people through the signing, and he spent a considerable time talking to people and signing books.
He told me that he has no plans to tour for the forseeable future. The good news is that he intends to issue the Propherteering and Citizen Caned albums next year. The latter is incomplete at present and he described it variously as "cosmic", "acoustic" and "orchestral garage".
He even promised to sell me his 5" platform boots when he's finished with them. I'll be surprised if I hear from him.
Despite my initial hesitation in going, it was well worth the six hour round trip.
Tim
Hiya
I'm always meaning to respond, but..
Wonderful evening at the Ashmoleum on Monday. I'd forgot the previous warning about the facepaint and the boots! Highly entertaining and he hardly lost his flow throughout. I've had fewer laughs at some alleged "Comedy Clubs".
Mercifully close to the head of the queue for book signing (near the back for the MA in Bath last year chiz, chiz) and I really value the signature especially as my wee daughter had written Julian a note asking him to give me his autograph as I was such a big fan! Talked about foghous and magic wells in Cornwall.
A pal with me talked about the BBC series. JC said that he was happy to do voice-overs and walk about in shot occasionally but didn't want to the the main presenter. If the man's got any sense he'll stick to his guns otherwise the media moghuls will try to turn him into some new Alan Titchmarsh or summat even worse. We'll see.
Louise - love to see your man's band but I'm stuck in Reading tonight. In Swindon tomorrow though to watch the currently omnipotent Norwich City trounce SWFC. (Shrimp - are you from Norch?) I guess I ought to apologise for intruding footy into this - not really Copean is it?
Yeah, I visited Newbury a couple of times during the construction, well the destruction really of the by-pass. Staggering sights which I shall never forget. Although I wasn't able to do anything practical, just exterting some moral support and adding to the pressure of numbers of people clearly unhappy with what was going on seemed worth taking the days off for. You had to admire the people stuck up trees on a windy, wet snowy day.
I even went over one evening when posters in the area were promoting a free concert at one of the camps at which Julian was going to appear. He hadn't shown by the time me and my brood headed for home but it was a bit of a weird set up out there in the dark in the woods. Made me realise just how safe and straight my life is! Does anyone know much about JC's appearances down on the bypass?
Oh and an answer to a question of a week or so ago. Yes I was at Reading in '96, down the front too. No, I've never seen it on TV. Perhaps Julians sexual assualt on the camera that wasn't in use buggered up the works?
I'm off to read Repossessed, acquisition of which was a damn good excuse to buy Fried which, until now, I've not heard in its entirety - shock admission.
See y'all
Andrew
Tim, what would you do with the shoes?
Shrimp, Spot on - the china doll stuff is so much looser than the uptight MNU, that isn't to say that MNU isn't any good (that road has been travelled here before) but a different attitude could have transformed MNU into something great rather than something good.
On another note, I have a new web site at www.safesurfer.co.uk that exists to allow the easy trading of live and rare Cope stuff (there is some other stuff there but my motivation was Cope stuff). If anybody is interested in putting a trading list up then just get in touch with me - it's free. I can either link to a web page that you already have or if you send me a Word document I can put it on my web space. It doesn't matter how little there is on your list as it will soon build up. Anything can go on your list, tapes, cd's, MP3, video etc. it's entirely up to you.
On yet another note - it sounds like I really missed out not being able to go to the Oxford reading - Did anybody use my spare tickets? I hope so.
Verian
What did the Alien say?
Well, that's Odin then. Most like Rite 2 I'd say, very mellow indeed. Quite enjoyable, possibly slightly more so than the others. But, like the others, I'm just not sure when I'd want to sit down and listen to it/let it float over me.
Unlike the Universal Panzies cd, which is absolutely brilliant. As Shrimp has said, think Hawkwind, think JD at their bleakest &most definitely think Gong on Cunnyan Crags. As someone's worst single once said - 'I want more'
The Guardian reports bizarre stories about arson (!) attacks on ancient stones in Cornwall - Men an Tol & Lanyon Quoit especially, and threats to 'reduce them to rubble'. They accuse that the stones have (in a nutshell) been mucked around with - notably by Victorian antiquarians and as 'we' dont 'deserve the heritage of these stones...an attempt to make them better, or at least more aesthetically pleasing' was carried out, and further attacks are threatened.
Full story at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,102557,00.html
Well, I couldnt get that link to work, so here's the complete article:
Vandals threaten stone age monuments
Alert in Cornwall after fire attack on sacred circles and threat to 'reduce them to rubble' as police admit isolated sites cannot be protected
Maev Kennedy, Heritage Correspondent
Friday November 12, 1999
Arsonists have attacked the ancient Men an Tol and Lanyon Quoit stones in Cornwall, and threatened to "reduce them to rubble" in protest over unspecified mistreatment of them in the past.
The stones, massive lumps of granite which have stood in isolated moorland for the past 5,000 years, are badly scorched and coated with a thick sticky mess, which the arsonists claimed was "stolen napalm".
The Men an Tol - the 'stone with a hole' - is one of the best known and most picturesque of all the thousands of west country stone age monuments.
A photograph showing fire blazing around the stones, and a letter claiming credit for the attack, were sent to the Cornishman newspaper, which has passed both to Devon and Cornwall police. The letter claims three people, calling themselves Friends of the Stone, carried out the attack "on the sacred night of November 5", and described it as "an attempt to make them better, or at least more aesthetically pleasing". There is an explicit threat of further attacks on both stone groups. "You do not deserve the heritage these monuments hold and therefore we intend to act further."
Some of the stones, which date from 3500 to 2500 BC, were re-erected and possibly rearranged by Victorian antiquarians - which may be the origin of the accusation in the letter that Lanyon Quoit is "a fake prophet" and that the Men an Tol was not correctly aligned. A police spokesman said forensic tests are being carried out at the stones, and on the letter and photograph. He added that the county's wealth of field monuments, many far from roads or buildings, are impossible to protect.
Archaeologists are aghast at the attacks, which follow a disturbing sequence of vandalism at other ancient sites. Three years ago some of Wiltshire's famous white horse chalk carvings were daubed with paint, and stones at Avebury were daubed with paint 18 months ago and again this summer.
A group calling itself 'Cuckoo' claimed the last attack as a work of art, and in an email to the Guardian warned: "In years to come and as cuckooism spreads, I'm certain that your fellow hacks and art correspondents will be writing much more about exhibitions that have sprung up overnight on public and private property."
At the Cornish archaeology unit yesterday, Steve Hartgroves said: "I am at a loss to know what we can do. This is a new phenomenon. These monuments have been protected in the past by a respect, or suspicion, or dread - a general feeling that it is not a good idea to mess with them. That is now gone."
His unit helped mount guard on the stones over the period of the solstice last summer, when it was feared they would be sites for illegal rave gatherings, but that passed off without incident. The unit has been working recently with self-styled pagan groups, whose behaviour he praised as "highly responsible - they come, they hold their ceremonies, they take everything away with them, and they check next day that there is no rubbish lying about."
He said there had been a recent increase in damage to monuments. "We find people have been digging up the ground in front of the stones, and leaving little offerings, crystals, plastic beads, even 2p coins. It might seem harmless, and it is clearly intended as a sort of reverence, but it will make the stone circles archaeologically worthless when all the ground around them has been disturbed."
The Lanyon Quoit and Men an Tol are in the guardianship of English Heritage but stand on National Trust land. English Heritage, whose experts were examining the damage yesterday, issued a statement appealing to local people to report anything suspicious.
The trust's countryside officer, Jon Brookes, said: "This is craziness. I am appealing to these people: if you have got a problem, come to me and talk about it and let's see if we can work something out."
Woooa! Slow down you lot, that's way too much chat for me to wade through in one go.
I went off for a little walk from Weymouth to Lulworth a while ago then came back to my life which resembled (the ups and downs of) that coast path (though I emphasise I had no Scratchy Bottom).
Had a lot of time to read so Head On/Reposessed arrived in perfect time. Find them strangly very 'feel-good' books. Can't attribute that to anything apart the energy with which they were written perhaps.
Anyway, peak of this week was the book signing in Bath. Wow! Boots and make-up and 'Iron-age Sharon'. Copey always seems to have moved on to his new venture come the promotion. He was plugging new books (yet to be published) on the MA tour and he talked a lot about his book about rock and roll during this signing. How many books does this man have on the go at once? Got my brother's book signed with "even a fax of rock and roll IS rock and roll", but don't tell him, its his crimbo present.
So who else was there? Steve from Southampton/High Wycombe (?) we met you in the queue.
I can see you are all missing the lovely Natalia, any messages I may see her over the w/e.
Dereck - do you want to do a tape swap? I need an address, promise I won't stalk.
Sorry, I'll shut up now.
Izz
Shrimp, ever noticed how you never see Nat and me in the same room together?
Izzy. Just wondering if you've seen anything of Nat since she changed jobs.
Any ideas how she's getting on?
M
Hi Mark,
Not spoken to her since she started in Monday. Shall get the goss as soon as I can. I hear the new house is coming along, all freshly decorated ... any messages?
Izza
Mark - Autogeddon - A very great fall - NO NO NO NO NO.
You are totally entitled to your opinion and I can see exactly where your coming from but NO.
Autogeddon is fucking brilliant.
I offer no argument as to why, it is and that's that.
Forgot to put my name on it, So true it had to be said twice!!
Louise, What a great story, loved it!
Awlriiiight!!! Mad news about the Mel an Tol - these people sound like they are total and utter loonballs - what makes them think they have the right to commit such acts?????? I REALLY would like to meet them and reduce THEM to rubble! B A S T A R D S- excuse my language, but this type of behaviour really gets my goat up AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! Anyway, on a lighter note, Izzy, tape exchange sounds good. I've just lashed out loads of dosh on the Head Heritage thang so I shall soon be the proud owner of Rite,Q.E etc so don't worry about doing me a tape (unless you really want to and have something else of equal groove!) I'll just do you a copy of the interview- Whatever,Idon't mind!!!
See youse awl later!
Oh no, I'll now have to put the singles away and get out Autogeddon!
Are we talking about a drop from the top to still way above most other artists or a large gap?
Never mind the gap feel the width!!
Andrew - 'That's alright bouy! Unfortunately I had the misfortune to have been Suffolk born and bred (Needham Market near Ipswich)and therefore Norwich do not possess much appeal round these parts (for the majority of our overseas chums please ignore this sentence as it relates to issues which you probably do not understand or would appreciate) - the problem with this is that nothing much ever happens in Ipswich and I therefore have to travel to see bands at Colchester, Cambridge or Naaarrwiich! On a personal note I couldn't really give a toss because football is just a minor blip in time compared with the culture that we should be celebrating.
Anyway its good to hear that the Arch Drude is in fine form.
Izzy - I'm a bit thick so can you give me a clue? - It's strange how you start imagining what all you weird characters might actually look like - the wonders of current technology!!
Re the trade situation - I have been totally unable to get my hands on QE2 - Elizabeth Vagina - Have any of you got facilities for producing a copy CD of the CD which you could arrange for me?
Catch you later with me thoughts on Autogeddon - now that's something to look forward to as I've had a totally crap week!!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Autogeddon - The Copeman Cometh
See s.t.a.r.c.a.r. everybody for the missing link to Odin!!!!!!!
Autogeddon - Major Far Out Trip!! - Get it out and listen bums, it's a lot better than you think!!!!
I fall down but I get up again!!! A fall, where are you coming from!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Interesting spot the difference for today:
My copy of Head-On (Third Edition) contains the following discography:
Repossessed lists
Can you spot the difference?
It's strange to me that there is plenty of room on the page to list a complete discography but only gone awol on the 'selected' LPs list are:
When somebody suggests a selected list are they trying to tell us something about the items not selected?
Check out the Panzies at www.excite.com head for Excite Clubs and join The Universal Panzies
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Exactly, Shrimp. But who ever said Autogeddon was a lesser album?. I have always ignored those comments and always will. Perhaps not a pop album, but Autogeddon has got the most intense, emotional and personal songs I've ever heard. Who isn't moved by the magical beauty and incredible life-passion of S.t.a.r.c.a.r.r.?
I cannot even attempt to "compare" albums. They are the best statements of the last decade by anyone with a vision. Time will tell.
Genuine Rock is the expression of a moment. Expectations are what closes people's ears. Whatever comes, in whatever form it comes, is part of the Game, and The Cope Concept is much more than music...
Find the right moment to listen to Autogeddon and listen to it. Do not use it as background music for the washing-up. Play Starcarr at full volume while you walk up a hill of your choice and you will see my point. Free your mind and your ass will follow.
Hello to you all
Thankyou to Andrew (Drum) for your reply about Reading Festival '96
I am still wondering if anyone has seen it on TV yet?
Tim
Hi,
There is an 8 page Interview/Feature with Julian Cope in The New December 1999 issue of MOJO magazine which is out now. The feature contains lots of photographs, an interview with Julian as well as two pages called the complete cope a guid to all the albums released by the Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope. All his solo albums are featured except for Rite 2, The followers of Saint Julian, Leaperskin, an introduction 2... and his most recent Album ODIN.
Richard
Winchester
I have just received "Odin" and "The Modern Antiquarian" CD, and also in the parcel was "Synus" and the mug, wich I haven't ordered and i have been charged for them.
When I opened the parcel I thought H.H. didn't know what to do with the mug and the Synus Cd, and the were trying to get rid of their stock. I'm just the only one who has suffered this mistake?
After all I don't mind having the Synus Cd, because is more interesting than Odin, although I have the sensation of having heard all that stuff a million times before.
Santisan
I haven't posted in quite some time. But now I have something worthy of posting. I've heard the new Interpreters Cd. It's righteous. Everyone who contributed did an excellent job. The quality of both production and performance is amazing. If any of you are Cope fans, which if I were a betting man then I bet you probably were, you should check it out.
Interesting read in Mojo on Julian with some snippets from the old characters (nice to see Paul Simpson's excellent Skyray get name-checked for a change!). In fact it's nice to see writer David Cavanagh paying attention to detail and spelling things like wot they should be (check out the official Liverpool website's cack-handed approach to the Eric's scene by comparison).
Mind you, all these retro-articles always come with the obligatory discography which always seem to only feature the CD covers. Both Wilder and Fried are represented by the CD covers so we lose Wilder's wonderful colourful sleeve. Also, Shag.. isn't *really* the third Teardrops' album but a hastily put-together compilation by some genius who lost Log Cabin and Suffocate in the process (actually Richard it was Rite they missed in the discog).
BTW, all the Kate St John stuff was first revealed in Screaming Secrets issue 5. For more on Kate and The Ravishing Beauties check out the Virginia Astley website:
http://users.netmatters.co.uk/pabs/VA/index.html
Paul B
Just finished watching the 'Universe' on Channel 4 - Check out the Hubble Heritage web site (I'm assuming that this is an offshoot of Head Heritage Ha!) for loads of pics etc - but I guess you've beaten me to it again!
Wadda ya mean you find it more interesting than 'Odin', you ...!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
If anybody saw any of the Music of the Millenium show on Saturday night they might agree that it was not much cop.
Haviving said this I was flicking through the accompaning magazine in my Local newsagents today and in it they had a section called the music books of the Millenium. They stated that there are "few truly great rock biographies". Included in the list was Julian's 'Head ON' So 'Head ON' can now be called one of the great Rock biographies of the Millenium.
If you are still wandering why Donald Ross Skinner has not worked with or spoken to Julian for some years,(since 1994)then you should look at the Mojo feature for in the "Complete Cope" section under 20 Mothers they say that it is the "first Album in 11 years not to feature Skinner, who resented being forbidden to play guitar for Nick Heyward and hasn't spoken to cope since."
Richard
I've been meaning to ask:
what do you say when you meet your 'hero', and more particularly what did people who met Julian on the recent book tour ask when they got to meet him?
I've had the privilege three times, the first of which (post-gig) I managed the traditional, if uninspired, "Hey, that was really good, man"; the second (on the autogeddon/Head-On book tour) "I cant believe you remember your trips so well" - which led into a conversation about falling out/making up with old friends (including the Donald Ross Skinner story Richard posted) this time: "You were a bit hard on the Vikings, you know, they didnt rape and pillage any more than any other invading army" -which Julian agreed with "but I like to have somebody to rail against"
I've never been able to think of anything that won't sound really crap until I'm actualy about to meet him.
What about the rest of you's?
also:Nat sends love to all - new job/house both lovely, but distinctly offline for the forseeable future
belbin-
Thanks for the Nat-update..now awaiting more word on Vava
If you see dear nat again soon ..give her my hugs and hellos
wish I could help you on your 'what to say to an idol' quest.I'd probably just stutter or babble something(even if I had rehearsed)or just say something some damn obscure that he's never get what I meant
..or would he?
Been listening to Autogeddon more..partially due to Shrimp's 'review'..While I really didn't like it initially when It forsy came out;I have to admit that is has grown on me considerably and listening to it over the weekend really opened it up even more
notice how this album and MNU seem to ellicit the strongest and most vaied reponse from the Heads?
one last note..$$ is pretty tight right now,but would anyone be willing to tape Odin for me?..I'd really like to hear where our boy is going..also VERY intrigued about where Brain Donor will be like..what a deardear goof..loved the boots and all pic
must run
peace to y'awl,
steven
Hi,
I was looking for Recdord dealers on the Web and I came across the following site that might be of interest. It is a fairly new site similar to Gemm, in which dealers around the world list the Items they have for sale. I feel it is better presented and easier to use and by the looks of things easier to purchase from.
At present they have 305 Items listed for Julian Cope and about 75 for Teardrop Explodes. However There are not many rarities listed at present and for many items there are multiple copies. It is still worth checking out
To visit the site go to:
Music1Search.com
Richard Hayward
Except of course that Donn-eye is on 20 Mothers, both on the cover (with his partner) and on 2 tracks - Lonely Guy and Senile Get. He's one of the Heavy Friends referred to on the back cover. (This is not a pop at Richard by the way, but poor research by Mojo).
What did I say to the Drude? It was backstage and I was so overcome that I started talking about Smelvin. (Nice to hear he has a new dog - Iggy Pup. Excellent!). The only other thing I can recall is refusing to share his spliff or have any drink, as I don't indulge in either. It was this part of the conversation that led to his claiming I was a natural head and the Vybik naming.
You can think of all the things you'd want to say to him, but I'm willing to bet that stuttering or babbling would come first.
If you haven't seen/read the Mojo article yet, it's worth it. Some pictures I've not seen before too.
Endless walking round and round the garden...
Forgot to add that there are even more Items when you their Memorabilia Pages and That at present they they have 75 dealers from across the Globe. Also by clicking on the price you are able to convert the US Dollars Price into any currency you want making it easier if you want to find out how much the item costs in UK pounds.
Music1Search.com
Richard.
Thanks for the info on Donald Ross Skinner I did not know that he appeared on 20 Mothers
Richard
How do you introduce yourself to the Archdrude?
Easy tell him that you are from Rail On and could you hang around for a quick interview - (make sure you take a notebook and a pen or tape recorder)
We all know that:
Above all make sure that you are pre-prepared. Sort out your questions and don't be afeared to ask them - throw in a few references to Faust, Can and Neu! also the Callanish Stones you can't go wrong!! Perhaps take a fine example of a 1963 Dinky Toy and present it to him! Bribery will get you everywhere!
In reality you'll probably slobber, stammer and make a right prat of yourself but heh who cares you've met your alltime hero!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
PS Any idea of Verian's address?
You conjured me up, boys, so I thought I'd give a knock on the table... Vava here sends a big hug to all. Yes, I'm back, although I've been disconnected for some time, in many senses. And to be sincere, I felt a bit isolated recently, also from a certain witty spaceman in platform shoes, although I know it would be too much to ask him to land on my humble asteroid (people living in dark corners will probably understand me). Anyway, your postings always help my mind not to float too much, or better, help it floating in a more positive way.
Shrimp - your creative "reaction" to 'Autogeddon' really hit me with the right rhythm stick! Being ignorant of secret discography details and deprived of personal memorabilia, that's the sort of tasty meditation on music I like to share, thank you! As for the album itself, it was exactly 'Autogeddon' that made me think Julian was, words and music and person, my sort of knight, my sort of super-hero. Naive? Laughable? Maybe, but I said "my sort".
Bye bye now. And if I don't chirp, it doesn't mean I'm not there or that I don't care.
A kiss,
Vava.
Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll! Whoah! I'm astounded that anyone would read my ramblings! I must admit that I tend to listen to music in a weird way and sometimes it just ends up on the page.
I like that:
Julian Cope - words and music and person, my sort of knight, my sort of super-hero.
Now that would be a great way to introduce yourself to him!!!!
Thanks for being there
Shrimp
Well unlike everyone else I never had head on so I have choosen to read that first. I was totally shocked to read that at some point in his life julian has passed through my little neck of the woods (utah).Mind you I was 6 at the time.
I ahve a question for all the brits on the list? Why is every english musician I see obsessed with the osmonds. I am in the same state as they are and I don't know any of there songs. Yet there was a small mention of donny in head on not to mention I recent days I have seen both the damned and mission uk ahve done cover version when they have played in our little land of zion.
Somebody was looking for John Sinclair - Guitar Army?
There's a copy on Ebay currently $20.00
V
subscribe:eurstm@eur.sas.com
back again, time to read what's been goin on. Missed Bath and ended up going to some mediocre gig (can't even remember the name) in the Shepards Bush Empire instead, bah humbug. Still got my copy of Repossessed, trying to discipline myself to savour it.
St.
Brian - the Osmonds were kind of ubiquitous in the UK in the seventies, and still haunt the dreams of many of us. Little Donny &his Long-haired Lover from Liverpool was inescapable, and Crazy bloody Horses still does the rounds. Apparently they are/were just incredibly cute. Also, we have never heard of anybody else ever from Utah, other than the Utah Saints.
(yes I know)
The nme reviews Repossessed this week - briefly - not particularly noteworthy except it says he 'recorded two stunning solo Lps' - not what they said at the time. The book receives a 7, or a 9 if you havent read Head-On, which it describes as 'the greatest pop autobiography ever'
Everybody's talking on the new glam look of J.C. but I haven't still seen a photo. Can anybody of you e-mail me a photo?
Thanks.
just listening to this months free uncut cd and track two is a number from Iggy Pop's new album, called Nazi Girlfriend. I've played through the CD a few times and each time this track comes on I keep thinking it's JC. The effect doesn't last much longer than the first couple of lines but it is marked, anyone else feel this way about it? Oh yeah, has nobody ever listened to Blur's modern life is rubbish (question Nov 5) or was my question just to boring.
I recommend the Uncut CD btw, it's a goodun this month
St.
Do you get the Donny &Marie talk show in the UK? Perhaps if you did that would change your minds about them. God, they are still like kids. Didn't Marie Osmond just have her seventh kid or something?
P.S. It snowed all day yesterday, about 5cm in total. Beautiful!
Modern Life is rubbish not only steals the sleeping gas vocal hook on one song, but features kate st. John on oboe and is produced by lovell the dog. Not to mention the possibly coincidentally titled Pressure on Julian. I think I know what album you're talking about. I've toyed with the idea that it was some kind of concept album about Cope. But I think it's a rather good album whether it is or not.
St. - Iggy Pop - yeah I agree it doesn't last long but its rumoured to be the best that the Ig has produced in a long time.
If this track is anything to go by then I reckon its worth a listen.
Verian - John Sinclair - I managed to get the bid up to $20 but have still been outbid!!
Crazy Horses WWWHWWWHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAA!! WWWWHHHHHAAAAAA!!! - the only one worth listening to!
Keep it coming
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Santisan: You can see a sort of picture of the current JC by clicking on the 'shocker' part of Devdev's Nov. 9 posting to Rail On. No face paint though.
I've been listening to Autogeddon again recently since your posts. Sure the album has some great songs on it but it's the attitude that turns me off. About three minutes into the first song we hear
Then a man drives up in a 4x4
Looks at me all alone on this lonely moor
And my rock says hello to his gaping jaw
And my rock says Bye Bye to his bleeding head
Well I never saw a dead man but he looked dead
This doesn't sound like "my sort of knight, my sort of super-hero". I don't know what was going on in JC's mind at the time; sounds to me like he was on some kind of self-indulgent guilt trip which resulted in a lot of the vitriol on Autogeddon. Fortunately this has now passed.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with a lot of what JC says about road culture and its impact on the environment on Autogeddon, I just don't want to listen to someone twisting this concern into violent hatred. I guess the fact that this all happens within 3 minutes of the album starting puts a nasty taste in my mouth for the remaining play time.
On a different note, got my copy of Skellington the other day. I've only listened to the first few tracks but noticed that the insert has an extract from Repossessed. This says that the only prerequisite of Skellington was that it have 13 tracks. According to the track list there are only 12!
Also noticed Perry Farrel getting name checked on Rite 2. I've always thought he was similar to JC - sound basic philosophy ruined by a few wacko ideas. I remember he once suggested using colours as currency!!!???
Finally, has anyone noticed that QE2 is not on the HH discography?
Mark
Synchronicity maaaan...
mention the Osmonds one day, and what happens - Beck goes and rips off the keyboards from Crazy Horses for 'Peaches &Cream' on the new album - so it's not only us Brits.
mark - I presumed QE2's missing from the discography cos its completely sold out, certainly not out of 'embarassment' or anything
But Mark - Autogeddon Blues - have you never felt like that? When someone you love has been threatened by one pigheaded driver. Isn't driving dangerously on a par with throwing rocks at people? Isn't ripping the environment up for the sake of pleasure like ripping up the future of other peoples children? That's way I hear it. I admit I was sickened at first (but far less than when I first REALLY listened to Patti Smith Horses during my a-level art exam), but its fantasy, not a real act.
God, doesn't she go on? Heathcote William's Autogeddon (paperback) is available thruogh Amazon, I think at 4 pounds. Not only do you get the poem, but the pictures alone make one hell of an essay, and the press cuttings at the back are very thought provoking.
Someone asked about Jehovahkill ages ago. I listen to it in my office loads! I find it very singalongable. Upwards at 45 degrees, aaah. And I love the build up in The Tower, steady, measured with a fine climax of multiple - er harmonies ...
Photo from the Bath signing coming soon, anyone interested?
Izz
Autogeddon - Still one of my favourite Cope albums. I've always loved it. Autogeddon Blues is one of my top ten for sure. Ironically I love driving while blasting out that song and singing along at the top of my lungs! The story has to be taken in context to what Julian exerienced, wasn't with a ferrari driver or something?
I managed to get a copy of the book Autogeddon earlier this summer and found a nice quiet spot down by the river and read ot cover to cover in one sitting. It blew me away. I can't recommend it enough. The poem is unbelievable and the quotes and essays at the back will sicken you and truly make you reconsider the world situation in a different light - what did it say, something like that there have been more people killed this century by cars than all of the worlds wars put together? Something like 17 million people killed in auto related accidents. I got my copy from Amazon. the book is out of print now, but they will track down a good used copy for you if you order it. I know I paid a bit more than 4 quid for it though, I think about $25Canadian, but worth every single penny, think I'll re-read it this weekend.
-14ºC and dropping...
Mark - I listen to music as a whole picture. Lyrics whilst important, are just one of the elements added to the canvas. The chosen colours and the way that the elements are placed and arranged on the canvas are the most important criteria to me. This I believe is why I can relate to the Archdrude when he tells us that MNU is crap. I'm also a retired musician myself and can associate totally with the fundamental role of the 'vibe'. It always frustrates me when somebody states a few lines of words to me as I haven't a clue what they relate to without actually listening to the music itself. With regard to Autogeddon you also need to listen to it as a album - but not a concept - how the songs are sequenced, the production and the overall presentation. Where I agree with you is that the Archdrude's head was at the time on another planet. But so what! that's up to him.
Music is in essence a piece of work that you can make whatever you want of it and that is up to you individually to decide.
I think that Autogeddon is one of the best, however I might listen to it again when my head is on another planet and think that it is a pile of shit. That is what music is about.
Just turned me head inside out and squeezed the juice outta the sponge.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
In Repossessed, JC mentions how much he liked the Trouble Funk remix of WSYM. My 12" sounds identical to the regular version. I know others have said the same. Were a bunch of the 12"s mispressed???
Thx,
Deemo
WSYM remixes...The drums are a different mix...bass heavier... all very subtle.
There must be at least 10 diff' mixes/edits of this track.Some with stickers, boxes, osters, double singles, etc etc etc...The double sided-12" radio promo being the biggest bass mix of the lot...
The punk demo has to be the most accurate.
You'd be better off hunting out Cosmic Jokers CDs and sticking with the top notch Island CD issues.
All this talk about what's a record worth etc... ho hum... either you're buying into the trip and you'll pay whatever that trip is worth to you - or your're a bread-head investing for the future.
For any further debate on money versus art etc...listen to anything by Bill Hicks.
"Odin" ... perfect.
"AutoGeddon"... perfect.
Get the point???
The best one is the one you're listening to...if not you'd be listening to something else.
love and Lugh. christophe.f.
the 13th track on Skelly is the run-out groove Safe Surfer, not on the CD though...
Christophe.f - Spot on mate - now why couldn't I have said it so simply - Got you thinking about the Cosmic Jokers did I? - Hope your new stuff goes down that sort of groove and adds in a bit of can bass lines.
Shrinkwrapped me head and basted it in magarine.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
I'm totally in love with all of the cosmic jokers/A.R.Tempel and their LP's...ha!
The EP's we've produced over the last year being proof of that....Promenaden/Kelt McGhandi'e linear nightmare/Baldr in Hal'...
Track one on the Next Panzies CD is the 16 min "Kosmiche Prank..."
bread head DETECTOR
. Where I agree with you is that the Archdrude's head was at the time on another planet. But so what! that's up to him.
ROTFL
teat
hi folks
can anyone help, we are looking for a copy of jehovahkill on vinyl, pref in good nick.
this is a great list, we have only just found it.
mark - i have to say that autogedden is a favourite of ours,and although the opening lines appear quite vicious - it always strikes a chord, for i have always felt that this is JC's attack, not upon an individual but on the whole corporate/government system that keeps car culture in its place. come on lets look at the metaphor and the bigger picture
they take a rock to our heads everyday.
What Cave says is what I thought myself about 'Autogeddon': they take a rock to our heads (and to our minds) everyday. And I believe also that JC's attack is upon a whole system that manifests itself with intended ugliness, with impertinence regarding individuals AT PEACE with their world (and with disrespectfulness of the PEACEFUL and respectful choices of those individuals), upon the wrong conviction that the land is "ours", to do what we want with it.
I don't think Julian's mind was that much on another planet while writing 'Autogeddon', on the contrary, I think it was very much THIS planet he had in mind.
There was a time when I was also contented to play in a room with colourful toys, but then the world was outside and I discovered it was 'mine', to love with infinite love, like you love your kin.
I would consider Julian many things but mainly stupid and not a hero at all if he went and killed Mrs. Thatcher for true, as that wouldn't count for fighting on any "good" side. But many of his songs and attitudes do, and mostly the way he went on, surviving many major dangers (insignificance, for example).
"My sort" of knight and super-hero is peaceful, but not a peace-freak: it's not his hand, but his mind that must be actively AT WAR, and in the meantime also able to grasp, enjoy and protect the riches we inherited and we receive every day.
...Er, yes, I'm finished with it... But didn't anybody say they wanted to hear from me?
P.S.
Super-hero is maybe too unpleasant a word, but what should I call him after seeing that "shocker" picture?!
Vava the Ranter
Put off by a guy in a car "stoned to death"?
IN AUTOGEDDON WE'RE BURNING: doesn't that put you off?
The dream in Autogeddon Blues of a ROCK smashing the Driver's head is Pure Prehistoric Rage At Modern Mindless Mother-Fucking Auto-Culture. Should the driver have been spared of his life, with maybe just a few stitches instead so it was more palatable?
Autogeddon is so autogeddonal, it just wouldn't be the same without the anger, you hippy. I don't believe there is no-one out there who has never felt Autogeddonal themselves and wished to break a few skulls. Not very PC, not very New Age, not very Christian. Just full of anger, violence and passion. There is a real Drude.
I want to be a savage. And remember to always let your rock do the talking.
Christophe.f - wouldn't the title "Kosmiche Plank.. " therefore have been more appropriate?
Still up but always down.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Plank or Planke ???
I was thinking more in terms of Conny!
Anybody got any interesting thoughts of Reynard the Fox?
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Seriously guys, this is all just a load of tree-hugging hippy crap.
Copey tunes kick ass!
Eric
*The* Authority
AshRaTempel/CosmicJokers? Legendary, intense, sublime...I can't think of anything better to say. Give me them in large doses at any place, any time of the day. Never cease to be amazed.
Just wondering if anyone out there has got Tarot...perhaps it should be made into tapes and sent out to every one on this list. Have you heard Agitation Free? Also classic cosmic rock. Not wanting to turn this into a Krautrock list I bugger off.
Reynard The Fox is underachieving cack (sacrilege!!!!).
I like Fried a lot and Reynard has it's place there but it's the worst song on the album without a doubt.
Why did Fried bomb, because Reynard sets the tone.
If you put yourself in the place of a reviewer at the time it makes complete sense that it was slated (rightly or wrongly). Theres all this stuff going around that Copey has gone off his head and suchlike and the first song they get to disprove this is Reynard. There you go!
I now sit back and prepare to be called a wanker
Verian
In reply to the request for any photos of Julian, complete with face paint. I have some photos that I took at Waterstones, Gower Street. If I can get to the scanner here at College then I will E-Mail some of the better photos to Russ, and perhaps he can put them up on his site
Richard.
Richard if you send them i'll put them up. I should have the new site up tomorrow (finished or not!). I have some photo's from Manchester but I won't get them back untill next week.
Verian, sit back and try to listen to Reynard on one speaker only, and then the other one. You may change your mind. There is more to Reynard than meets the eye.
I can understand Verian's point that Reynard was kinda bound to piss of the music journalists, who all thought Julian was an arse at the time, but that's no reason to be down on what is one of my very fave tracks. I've always thought that the song 'updates' the old folk tune in a witty and exciting manner. I love the line 'How we rode into freedom on whimsy and greed', and the changes in tempo towards the end - makes it an absolute moshpit classic. And as 'Mr Cartman' pointed out (at least I think that that was what he was doing)Copes top talent is (imo) the TUNES, not the lyrics, and I just love playing Reynard to my sister (hates Cope, loves Beck) to point out where Beck got the tune for Devil's Haircut from - needless to say I forget to mention that (as previously pointed out here)they both actually got it from Van Morrison.
the smell of terror brings a thousand eyes
Interesting talk about Reynard, which comes after just finishing reading about the writing of Reynard in Repossessed. That book is a much darker trip than Head On, but fuck, it illuminates all the stuff off those first 2 albums for me.
I got into Julian in 1986 when my then girlfriend gave me a tape of WSYM lp. It blew me away. I had no idea what it was all about, all I knew was how it made me feel, and after all isn't that what life is all about? And now all those years later I am reading about what is behind them. Incredibly refreshing. Get Repossessed and you'll understand why Reynard had to be "kack" in the grandest, ass-kicking way imaginable.
Love on ya Julian and a thousand blessings on all of us.
Andrew
Reynard The Fox is a good tune. Because it's so totally Cope. The spoken word part in the middle is so intense. Although I agree that it's different in many ways from the rest of Fried. I don't think the music journalist ever stood a chance at understanding that magnificent album. It's far too trippy but trippy in the way that only the guy who you wouldn't invite to the acid campfire would make it.
Reynard the Fox
See Repossessed Page 64 - 'For Fried I had a head full of ideas and a clear plan of action. It had begun with early strumming late '83 and had built up over the past months to a sound distinct and different from anything I had recorded before. I wanted to capture the pastoral flow of the songs. The crystal clear electric-guitar lines which Donald so effortlessly contributed was my first attack. Also, I wanted shimmery Hammond organ and lots of plucked acoustic guitar.'
Page 101 - 'We played 'Reynard the Fox' until all the bullshit disappeared - now it was streamlined and direct, and the poetic talk-down jarred less and less.' Check out the slimmed down version on Floored Genius 2.
Myself I've yet to hear a decent version as it sounds to me like a cut and paste job which is highlighted in how much was ripped off (see Page 46).
I'm with Verian on this one - Reynard is possibly the sole track on Fried which is out of place. The re-issue which includes Mic Mak Mok and Land of Fear really shows how Fried might have been. Try listening to Fried minus Reynard.
Reynard is a pile of Kak, I still like the simple bass line though, and it is considerably overstated in value due to its association with the slashing incident.
I tried listening to it from each speaker in turn and it still didn't shine.
Now if I heard a version which was simple and focused i.e. crystal clear electric-guitar lines, shimmery organ and lots of plucked acoustic guitar, then that would be a different matter.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Rob - Agitation Free - Last arrived in the post this morning! Are you a mind reader or something? I'd be interested if anyone has got a copy of Tarot (Christophe.f?) that could be put on a CDR (Whoops!) £50 they want for it still!!
Cheers again me dears
Shrimp
Pastoral!!! That word describes Fried spot on. The whole album possesses that distinctive pastoral quality. Beautiful sound.
I could work in a car factory for one week just for a CD copy of Tarot. It sells for 50 bob and will still do for a long time.
Shrimp, I can see in my crystal ball you ordered from Ultima Thule but cannot make out the title of AF's album. Hazy...
AF - Last
One of the most sought after classics of cosmic Krautrock, live in concert March 1973 &February 1974, &only ever released in France (in 1976), with lengthy tracks &all instrumental, featuring shimmering (that word again!) spiralling guitars &synths. Ultima Thule currently £11.
Hope you checked out the Universe on Ch4 - Don't let the sun go down on me!
Shrimp
anyone wants a copy of Tarot then get in touch.
personally I have always loved reynard since the first time I heard it, though I think it could have done with out the guitar solo...
and for the auto discussion, when I first started to get fanatical about getting everything julian does, my friend that worked at a music store gave me some promo copies of auto and 20 mother that they had sitting about. I listened to auto first I thought it was absolutly fantastic, I was very disapointed with 20 mothers to this day I still cannot fgure out why I can't get into it, the songs seem ok I just don't find myself drawn to them.
uncool for not liking 20 mothers
brian
cdparadise.com are selling Tarot (under the name of Waler Wegmuller) for about £10.95 &I just ordered a copy. Christophe.f, but it'll take ages to arrive like most of the other stuff I've ordered off them.
Over promise, under deliver...
Under promise... well... wait and see.
Patrick
Soul Desert Keeper
Shrimp, check out Looping IV for similarities with Odin. Last is one of AF's brainblowers. Extreme cosmic beauty.
Hello!!
Just a quickie to say Hi and to let, you who are interested, know that I am still 'alive alive o'. The new job is brilliant, Other half buying me a pc in the New Year (Oh the life of a kept woman - forget feminism its great!! (Only kidding before you shout me down!!) So I should be railing back on in the New Year. (If we are still here wooooooo!!)
Anyway, mustn't waffle on.
Have a brilliant Xmas and a Fabbo New Year. Anyone in Southampton, give me a shout....beers in my new abode!!
Nat xxx
I agree with Shrimp, try listening to Fried "sans Reynard". I used to skip past Reynard everytime I listened to Fried, I guess it just didn't fit. The song has gained its mythical reputation in my mind solely beacuse of the violence and the fact that it was/is a Cope live classic, the violence always makes it the final explosion of the Cope full band live experience, but does that make it a good song? No not really, it just makes it a great song to get sweaty in the mosh-pit to.
The first time I heard Mik Mak Mok was on the demos bootleg tape, which is the extended version that Cope talks about in repossessed. I always wondered why it wasn't on the album. Love that song.
Reynard is a classic on its own, but maybe I've heard it too many times now. Having said that, check out Reynard in Tokio, on the b-side to the 5 O'Clock world 12" or cd single.
Andrew
Brian, I guess I'm uncool too as I have never got into 20 mothers. I know it was Cope's "love" album, and there are some great tracks on it (1995, Highway to the Sun, Greedhead Detector), but there is also some kack on it too (Just like Pooh Bear? Oh, come on...). From the first time I heard this album I have always thought is should have been a single album only. Too much filler and not enough fibre.
Andrew
20 Mothers has only as much filling as an above averagely set of very healthy teeth. The more I listen the more I love. There's a whole lifetimes worth of subtleties and wonders to explore. Aren't ears brilliant! Head-on to the future, Howard.
Hooward - Yes Yes Yes! I just can't stand plastic boxes like it comes in though!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Rob - Just checked out Looping IV - Pretty damn good What!!!
Careful Andrew..don't want to rouse that sleeping(Pooh)bear once again*l*..I must add as much as I do like Reynard I'll admit that I skip over it from time to time when I listen to Fried..it is in a slightly different tone;yes,but Fried is just such a brilliant album that I don't think it affects the overall quality in the slightst...and if you do the channel breakup on Reynard you really do hear more..at least I did..wonder how many vocal tracks he did on that one?
20 Mothers as a single?hm..I donm't know..I still enjoy it and really even Julian's 'filler' is much better then many artists' 'proper' work....heck..I just love the guy;if it's his groove at the time;then fine by me..rail on,drude
steven
--heydo Nat..good to hear all is well
Reynard the fox - I've listened to it several times again recently, given it a good chance but in the context of Fried I just can't get on with it. In isolation from the rest of the songs it's not that bad, Reynard in Tokyo is great, but it's coming from a completely different place to the version on Fried and it doesn't form part of Fried.
As for 20 Mothers - 11 Mothers wouldn't have been such a good title really would it?
Not only that, there would have been songs that would probably never have been released, I'd rather hear them and decide for myself than not hear them at all. I thought that the extra tracks on the Try Try Try single could have fitted in really well on 20 Mothers as well. Far to good for B-sides.
Verian
Hi
Anyone fancy a trip to Avebury before christmas
Russ
What ever happened to "Second Heads ?" Is it out?
Russ,
I was planning a day out at Avebury on the weekend of the 4/5th December. Not sure which day yet.
I am intrigued by some of the new things on the web site - what is COPE CAM! I hope your not following in Chuck Berry's footsteps (an explanation of this is available for anybody who doesn't know the story)
Andrew
Listened to MIK MAK MOK again last night - Yeaaahhhhhhhh. Great track.
Verian
I might just like to tag along - if the s.t.a.r.c.a.r. is up to it!
I know that there are a couple of pubs there where a meet up could be arranged. Perhaps we could turn it into an annual Avebury convention?
Lester Bangs book arrived today - this is getting expensive on the old plastic!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
ODIN ODIN ODIN
ODIN RULES......
stop your life right now and LISTEN to it
Elizabeth Vagina is better
I never met a hero I didn't like. But then, I never met a hero. But then, maybe I wasn't looking for one. - Lester Bangs
Sod the booksigning, just read the books!!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
I just got Texas Flashbacks Vol 1, one of Copey's top tips in the Tales from the Drug attic article (still on the soul desert site).
Fully on-the-One as yer man might say. Anyone looking for this and other 60s garage should try http://www.delerium.co.uk/intro/home.html a really brilliant on-line record shop with a really good encylopedia of psyche attached.
simonf, back to the toy room
If you let me know what day for Avebury I'll make one. Right Cope Cam I could do a Chuck Berry but the people round here are not that photogenic if you know what I mean!!!!!. I don't know what to do with it yet I could put up an item of the day or something like that. I have the cam and the software so I have got to use it. The Fan Base would be a list for fans with their location (Russ Sanders Worksop, Notts, UK) and their e-mail address so that people could get in touch if they were going to be in that area. If you would like putting on the list e-mail me and any ideas for the cam
Russ
and belbin your only 20 miles down the road if you would like a lift to Avebury let me know
Hello all!
A trip to Avebury, sounds great! You'd all better go on the weekend of the 4/5 cos I can't make it (big karate course thing). But if you do go, pop into the junk shop (the one with the 'come in and browse' sign outside) and ask to see their photos of the excavation of the second Avenue (if you have the nerve). I was a little spooked, but maybe that's just me. Likely to have a weekday trip before Christmas - especially if it snows - if there are any dossers out there who ca take time off!
No JC photo yet - its still in Iron-age Sharon's camera. Soon hopefully.
Have yourselves a Stone's scone on me.
Izz
Shrimp,
Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung? It sounds like this is worth getting, what do you reckon to it?
Verian
Elizabeth Vagina "better" than Odin? I don't understand the use of that word. Can anyone be better than someone else?
Verian,
Bangs' book is definately a good read;pick it up if you have a chance..and again;let me mention 'Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll' by Richie Unterberger..covers loads of performers including Syd,Nick Drake,Scott walkerSkip Spence and Arthur Lee as well as some Krautrock and a nice passing refernce to Krautrocksampler and a mention of Copey hisse'f (as being an endearing nutter,as I recall)..plenty of options for you holiday needs*l*
seen it in your eyes and I've read it in books,
steven
Can someone be better than someone else??? Un-huh, yes. I believe that Ghandi was probably a tad better than Mister Hitler. Jehovahkill is vastly better than MNU. Soz but that's the way it is, I can't stnad that kinda non committal, trying to be clever, hippy crap.
Look after your leathers, shitty clothes mean a shitty mind and I shall not have it.,
If your going to say someone is better than somebody else it may be neccessary to be specific. Ghandi was not better than Hitler at genocide. I know it's pedantic but some people are.
Jehovakill is better than MNU at being a good piece of music. MNU is better than Jehovakill at being second rate. Can you imagine actually talking like that! Jehovakill is better than MNU is surely enough. Everybody knows what is meant and the 'in my opinion' bit is taken for granted.
Bollocks to pedantism (this may be a new word I just made up)
Verian
I suck on a sausage
And another thing, Floored Genius if said the right way can be pronounce Flawed Genius. Am I stating the obvious or has this not been noticed before?
Verian
I still suck on a sausage
Verian - I can't imagine Ghandi sucking on a sausage though!
Once I've given Lester Bangs the once over I'll mail it to you, or bring it to Avebury, if I can make it.
The Jewish people do not exist. They did not exist before Hitler, and were a myth created by his propagandists to cover up the fact that he killed 6,000,000 Jehovah's Witnessess. - Lester Bangs, Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung.
On the back of the book it states 'what this book demands is a willingness to accept that the best writer in America could write almost nothing but record reviews'.
Perhaps the Archdrude's records should state 'what this record demands is a willingness to accept that the best songwriter in England could write nothing but books'.
I think it deserves a look.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
What about pedanticality?
Must add Floored Genius to the pun list. Cheers, Verian.
Ba-ba-ba...
'what this record demands is a willingness to accept that the best songwriter in England could write nothing but books'.
I love that.
Ghandi was never seen sucking on a sausage but nobody can prove he didn't.
Sorry, I'm not being pedandilicious (huh?)
A book, to borrow, great if you can bring it with you.
Verian
I have put my sausage down as it is all sucked out and its just that horrible flacid skin stuff that they wrap it in left.
and another thing....
I have been playing the tracks from Fried on my PC in MP3 having substituted Reynard for MIK MAK MOK. This would have kicked ass if released this way.
Sorry to drag out the Reynard debate!
Verian
Mik Mak Mok bubble flubble hubble zing zang
and another thing....
Recently finished reading COPSE by Kate Evans. A very good book indeed and a snip at under a tenner, however, it lacks the emotion of Merrick's Battle For The Trees and, (non sexist remark coming up)it's written by a woman which makes the perspective a little more difficult for me to grasp. Still a great book though.
If anybody would like more info on it then drop me a line.
Verian
enough already
Now lets get this straight - How many and who wants to meet at Avebury next weekend?
Who? When? Where? - I need to get a cat sitter!!!
Verian?
Russ?
Belbin?
Shrimp? y
Any others?
Izzy (Karate Kid) n
Too few questions but too many answers
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Avebury just tell me where and when and i'll be there
Sorry, I just came all over Lionel Ritchie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
eBay Bid History for Julian Cope Fear Loves This Place 2xCD Single (item #206947826)
Bid £29.00
Twenty Nine Quid???????????????
Sorry, that should have been 'over all' not 'all over'
I have a spare of the Fear CD (part 1). Email me and we'll talk *sensible* prices.
"written by a woman": time for some clues, methinks.
Best songwriter in England? Ooo - I know people who could vote for Bono or even Gary Barlow. Is it really that much of a popularity contest?
Lots of discussion on various mind fucks. Here's my 10p worth: The Vietnam war never happened and was constructed purely to give credence to The Citadel (aka The US Military/Industrial Complex). The fact is, we're all living in Consensus Reality which is a cute term for saying whatever the majority believes is actually "reality".
Like I said... ANYTHING by Bill Hicks should sort out your confusion over better,best, worse, corporate mind fux etc...
Lester Bangs ten page review of FUNHOUSE by the Stooges has to be a benchmark on rock writing.
Perhaps everyone should try stepping out of their white anglo saxon consciousness for a while. trust me...you'll enjoy it.
Pedantication? Ghandi vs Hitler? Verian, next time "better" find a less extreme example if you don't want to sound like a politician, I am sure you knew what I meant so no need for all the obvious stuff. Surely we all know what is meant when we express our own personal "better's" ourselves but non-commital baby crap is when some One says "A is better than B". This list would be reduced to 5 words for every two albums if we all did that. And I still want to hear someone say something about Odin instead of MNU.
...there's a place for everything
Never in all my life has such a derogatory word as 'Politician' been aimed in my direction, am I sounding like a lying, bribable bung taking whore shafting purgerous scumbag.
Ghandi vs Hitler is not even my bloody example.
(oops, add buck passing to that as well)
Christ vs Warhol!
Hee hee, I think that was the first insult I have seen on this list - bad luck Verian, but taken well.
Yes, I'd like to hear some comments on Odin. I've not bought it for fear I will discover some JC that I hate. I've heard bits, I think, played at the intro to books signings. Am I right? So tell me, is it good, mediocre or seriously dull. Honestly! As a benchmark, perhaps we could use the didge players in West Kennet long barrow ...
Christophe - 'Perhaps everyone should try stepping out of their white anglo saxon consciousness for a while. trust me...you'll enjoy it.' - did I miss something?
Right! heads up yer arses peoples, eyes down and look in for a full house.
Now I want to tell you a story about a trip I had.
Now if you go down into the depths today what will you find? If you climb onto your roof and look at your world what will you see? If you end up in the desert surrounded by trees bearing serpents what will you hear? If you were to be in a spaceship hurtling through a meteor storm of eyes and ears and lips and heads what will you feel?
Sorry I digress as usual, so you want to go down the shops do you? Now say that your nearest supermarket was located at the bottom of the sea. You are in a rowing boat with your hand trailing in the water. The light from the lapping water is casting rainbows. You jump into your Jacques Cousteau submersible Ford S.t.a.r.ka and are flung overboard - it is cold and dark and you are back in the womb surrounded by dead fish and huge floating dinosaurs. As you plummet through the depths you pass planes, trains and automobiles and gently settle on the ocean floor. To the right you can see Hitler giving the troops a pep talk to the left you see Lenin reading from the book of ten non-commandments, but the only sound you hear is from inside your own mind. Flicking you eyes you adjust to your newfound tranquillity and press the forward button. A jet of compressed air is expelled from you rear passage and the star.ka lurches forward grinding against the rocks. You pass the McDonald's float-in and head into town. You are mesmerised by all the activity coming towards you. First it appears that a hammer or a chisel is coming straight at you before it suddenly veers off course and misses by a couple of inches. You duck, you dive but your safe inside your craft. Whooooaaaaaaahhhhh!!! Get that nose up or we'll crash into the mountainside. PPPhhheeeww!! We just made it.
Then you see the sign OceanMart the shop for Heads. You park up and go fetch a trolley, the one with the clipboard for your list, but you have no list. You have one task and one task only. There is only one isle in the shop - a diagonal, arrow shape addresses you simply - KRAUTROCK!!!! Special Offers for one day only. The CD's are arranged in one long row marked 1 to 2000 and are 10 deep. There are no sleeves telling you what the discs contain so how do you choose? you know that you are instructed to complete your task - you have one choice only and one ?10 bill. AAARRRgggghhhh!. Dilemma dilemma lemmings! Brainwave, thoughtwave Yes yes yes! You crouch over disc number 1 and blow silently. The disc glows hot, cold and colours pierce the heavens. It topples and topples into the next and the next and the next. Suddenly discs are toppling all around you and colours and patterns are everywhere. SSSSUUUDDDEEEENNly!WWWHHHHHOOOOSSSSHHHHH!! Silence.There are no discs left to topple and darkness descends. Then a warm glow catches your attention and you turn
You pick it up and on the sleeve are written the following words:
ODIN
Julian Cope
A 73-MINUTE MEDITATION ON SILBURY HILL &WADEN HILL (One in the 3rd Eye Series)
If you don't buy it then you won't make the trip!!!!!!!
Cheers Me Dears
Shrimp
Izzy, the first insult on this list was pedantic.
As a self-proclaimed pedant - I would never recogise that as anything other than an admirable trait. No, really! :-))
OK, OK Shrimp, Rob, I get the point. The idea of trollys and supermarkets fills be with horror but I get the picture. Oh, and will my Ford Star.Ka be a yellow and red push-bike?
Just off to fill in the Kak orderform...
Hi
Well i've updated the site i've put some photo's of Cope on the main page from the signing at Manchester. Is the trip to Avebury on for this weekend is it the 4th or 5th
Russ
Avebury - How about Saturday?
re. : ODIN
Am I the first one to say anything negative about Odin now ??
I did like parts of QE 1+2 and the other "Glambient" albums, but this time, I am afraid the Drude went too much over the top.
I wish I could get my money back - no joke.
There is no change throughout the 73 minutes, it is really crap.
There are LOTS of far better new age albums on the market, go out and find them, if you are NOT excludingly into Cope.
Do not buy it, if you don't have to.
Your collection of great Cope albums will not lack this album.
The thing is, after having gone completely independent, Julian can do whatever he wants, and sometimes it is utter crap.
See, I don't want to say anything general, the only thing I want to point out is that this album is not worth buying it - which is just my opinion.
Go and get an old album by TD or the likes, they are much better!
Marc
the alleged first insult on this list, pedantic, was not directed at anybody other than the person who said it!
So doesn't that make Izzy correct?
marc,
Sit and listen to it in a meditative state. Get confortable with your spine straight and your chin slightly tucked in to extend the spine at the back of the head. Then start breathing, the length of your in breath being equal to the out breath. Breathe through the nose deep into the abdomen. feel your abdomen expanding in all directions, front back, and sides. Concentrate on the breath and all its nuances, as it enters you, travels down you, expands the space inside of you and is then released. If your mind wanders to to other things don't worry, just come back to the breath. If you start thinking about other things, simply watch them go by as if you are observing them. This is the vipasan meditation.
The sound should be all eminating and deep cell cleansing. It isn't about the musicality of it, it is about the sound. This isn't about "songs" or "melodies" its about sound. Don't listen to the sound, concentrate on the breath, the breath is the life force and should be witnessed travelling through you, just as sound can. Odin is very cleansing and I am so happy to see Julian realising the universal force it holds and taking a very brave step in this direction. Too often we get caught up on what someone has done in the past, especially when they have achieved greatness and we are disappointed when a new direction is taken.
namaste
Apologies. It is Vipasana, or the witness.
Quite, Andrew. Odin is also not intended to "change" (although it DOES change a lot throughout) Maybe the right place to listen to it is the pantry as it is the place closest to a fogou in a house. Or place both speakers by the side of the bed and let it play over and over all night. My Mongolian friend digs it to death so maybe the WASP argument is not so far-fetched after all.
By the way, non-commital One, your last message WAS pedantic. Correctness...?? Alleged first, second...?? Right / Wrong? Mmmmm...
What a trip.
Politician Rob
Wasn't me
Pedantic Verian
Hi,
Just got back from The Ochre 5 festival. It was superb, all the performances on the day were excellent including great sets by the Serpents, featuring(Will Seargent), Glide (Will seargent), and Skyray, which was watched by Julian Cope. Julian had turned up briefly to See Paul, Will, Mike Mooney amnd others.
The highlight of the festival has to be the Headlinners Creeping Meetball. They performed a stunning set which lasted about 50 mins The Ochre Records Home page has the follwing to say:"The collaborative ensemble includes recently sacked Spiritualized members Mike Mooney, Damon Reece and Sean Cook. Joining them on the night will be Portishead's Adrian Utley &John Baggot. Mooney, Reece and Cook along with Baggot have now formed their new group Lupine Howl of which the 'Vaporizer' single is scheduled for release within the next few months. (Check out this months Face magazine for interview and full colour page pic). The Creeping Meetball's performance is a total one-off and is being described by Mooney as a 'vaguely rehearsed improvisation for the Millennium'. Expect full-on psychedlic light show. Sources close to the Meetball are describing it as Pink Floyd Live At Pompei meets Spiritualized at the Albert Hall!"
If the Lupine Howl single Vapourizer, which is out January 10th on CD and Vinyl limited to 500 copies, as as good as this performance then it is will be well worth checking out.
Richard Winchester
So it looks like we have a bit of a split between the old skool and the nu skool, or is that the even older skool or stool?
Anyway for me Odin gets better with time - the same cannot be said to apply to the likes of MNU!
Avebury on Saturday then - Any idea of what time to meet and venue - what about the pub in the circle, is it the Red Lion?
Remember that some of us i.e. me will be travelling from Ipswich which is in the dark reaches of Suffolk about 3-4hrs away depending on traffic.
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Who are you - Mr or Mrs unnamed person or peoples?
Are you afraid to come out?
Cheers me dears
Shrimp
Avebury
Shrimp - Depends what time you want to set off - I'll be arriving between 10 &11am and am happy to meet up any time after that. I will amuse myself for a couple of hours if need be until everybody else gets there.
Russ - Thanks for the very generous offer but as things stand at the moment I will be OK. This, of course, may change but I'll let you know if it does. Thanks again. What time are you planning on arriving?
Anybody - Is anybody else coming?
Tomorrow I get to open my advent calender - It's got chocolate in it - Hoorah!
Verian
I should be there about 10-11 maybe a bit sooner depending on the traffic
Russ
Last Sunday I played MNU twice, straight off. It's not that bad,in fact it's perfectly acceptable. Be seeing you, Howard
Verian - two hours to amuse yourself? its a lot cheaper to buy a bar of chocolate.
Avebury in the pub (Red Lion? at 12.30 (ish)) This Saturday
Anyone else wanna join us?
Howard - So you played MNU twice, straight off and it was still only perfectly acceptable? Not bad you say also - if I take that literally I assume that it was possibly over-ripe and that sums it up perfectly!!
Cheers me dears
Shrimp the ex-politician (Which is in fact true as I polled over 1000 votes in the last County County election!)
When you post something - who is the anonymous . with no address on the list of e-mails? Are you afraid of us? Me?
Co Coo CCoooo CCCooo
Shrimp
By the most cosmic of cosmic coincidences, I just happen to be going to Ye Olde Avebury Henge on 4th Dec.
IZZY!!!!! If you're going I could bring your interview tape
Awlriiiight!
See you there, Derek
Well there's a cosmic cosmic cosmic coincidence!
See you there
Shrimp
Shrimp - I have several answers, all rude, some involving chocolate but none involving livestock.
Derek - See you there.
Hi
Well see everyone on sat are we all going to wear dark glasses so we know who's who. well nearly finished the Discography cope singles and lp's done (ex ODIN) and Photo's added to the followers pages. Anyone wanting photo's adding bring them on sat i'll take them home scan them and bring them back or just bring them on disc. Well i've also been listening to MNU its good and I won't have anyone say different. It just depends on the frame of mind at the time of listening, but then again if julian had just gone for his gut feeling it could have been better (but then again could so many of his albums)
Russ
Russ - I don't need dark glasses I'm blind enough as it is.
Cheers
Shrimp
Hey beautiful people the mission that you's are on to the beautiful stones of the land is what alot of us folk on other lands keep us going , hearing on your daily travels. I hope you all have a great day and maybe one day there will come the day when more of us who don't live in the u.k will get to see what it is that leads the man Cope to live out his life on a great land of pass beauty dating beyong our time here.
best of all from ss-p.
Yeah, it's quite a way from Leeds as well....
M
Hey
I'll be leaving from Worksop near Sheffield at 7.30- 8.00
so if anyone needs a lift
Russ
Richard,
so what was "The creeping meetball" like ??
Who sang, or was it instrumental ??
Did they play Spiritualized stuff ??
Got a chance of talking to Julian ???
What was EAR ( sonic boom ) like ???
Anyone fancy my copy of ODIN ??? ;) ;) ;)
Marc
Nelson Mandela, the Birmingham 6, Guildford 4 and now free Odin?
Anybody know anything about the following?
SOMETHING PRETTY BEAUTIFUL their 1st LP on CREATION Records CRELP 075. Cover : Mint, LP : MINT. Classic pop psychedelia, with Julian Cope's brother. shipping to France : approximately $9. Payment : International Money Order or cash in a registered enveloppe. Shipping Buyer pays fixed shipping charges, Seller ships internationally. Please check my other auctions.
Cope in the press
Uncut Magazine full page review
Q Magazine 2/3 of a page review
Russ
Thinking about nice things that could happen, I suddenly thought that I would love to hear music made by a joint Julian and Mike Scott collaboration. Judging by Mike's more recent work, he shares a lot of Julian's interests, especially in ancient ways; they are both terrific song-smiths and I'd love to hear an albums worth of stuff. Be seeing you, Howard.