Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 02:00:07 -0400 Subject: SOMMS Digest - 26 Aug 1997 to 27 Aug 1997 There are 21 messages totalling 633 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Updated release schedule summary 2. hiro 3. "foo cameron" 4. SG on 98 Rock 5. Terry Bozzio (2) 6. Jerry Garcia's Finger (3) 7. SG in Seattle Times editorial 8. SG Quotes/Pop Music 9. New Chris Cornell music news 10. sg-chicago-ect. 11. rockabilia/SG BLACKLIGHT 12. WWC etc. (2) 13. Somms Shirt 14. SG GAME!! 15. dance around now baby, dance around and play the part... 16. Ben Question 17. Soundgarden news from Rolling Stone Online.. To UNSUBSCRIBE from SOMMS, send email to LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU with the following in the body of your message: SIGNOFF SOMMS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 01:27:19 -0500 From: Vince Varkey Subject: Re: Updated release schedule summary I believe the Great Expectations soundtrack is supposed to come out in October, not December. One of the early reports that I read mentioned that the soundtrack would be preceding the actual movie date by two months. I might be wrong about this since it was an early report. Does anyone have any more info on this? -vince ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 04:28:38 -0400 From: Catherine Veit Subject: Re: hiro i'm sure every other sommster is going to answer your question, but i happen to be online as of now sooo.... hiro is currently in truly, another seattle band, never heard them myself but the word around town is that they're pretty good. i'm sure someone else will give u more info than i just did -CATS4KIM ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 04:47:37 -0400 From: Catherine Veit Subject: "foo cameron" earlier this evening i returned to my television set after a long day to find a b rated cult movie on my screen. yes boys and girls ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES which you all should know by now was where matt, under the alius "foo cameron", made his 1st guest vocal performance. amongst the SHAG carpets and hairstyles, and the stick shift dukes of hazard type roadsters, young matt's voice could be heard from inside the car's stereo & you guys thought that chris had great pitch, it's so high it sounds as if he was on the verge of puberty. it was made in 79' so i guess that wouldn't make him prepubecent, unless there was something terribly awry. so if that really was you matt, my hat's off to you for keeping your dignity by not showing your face. i'm not torturing your flick, well i guess i am....it was bad -CATS4MATT i didn't forget thayil ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 10:20:45 -0400 From: Anna Mehrer Subject: Re: SG on 98 Rock Do you recall when and where this performance took place? --Anna __________________________________________________________________________= _____ It came on last night at around... uh, 12:30 or 12:00 They played... 1. Outshined 2. Slaves and Bulldosers 3. Room a 1000 Years Wide 4. Big Dumb Sex 5. Jesus Christ Pose 6. Searching with My Good Eye Closed It was sooooooooooo AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I taped it on = two ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:21:16 -1200 From: Kris Subject: Terry Bozzio Hi sommsters! About a week ago I went to see a very famous drummer by the name of Terry Bozzio. He was incredible! GOD ON DRUMS :) It wasn't until yesterday that I found out that in Ultramega OK's inlay booklet, it thanks him for something. Damn! I wish I knew then because he let us ask questions about himself. I wonder what they thanked him for. Does anybody know about this? Kris Hermansen ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 13:43:29 -0400 From: Arie Elmaleh Subject: Jerry Garcia's Finger Hey everyone, Does anyone know what the story behind the song Jerry Garcia's Finger is? I mean why did they choose that name? Thanks, Michelle ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 13:51:47 -0400 From: Elric&Dagny Subject: SG in Seattle Times editorial Hi guys! A few days ago, the Seattle Times ran a story about SG and PJ's donation to the Land Conservancy. Today in their editorial section, the Seattle Times salutes them. Once again, I don't have time to copy it, but the address is: http://www.seattletimes.com/extra/browse/html97/jammed_082697.html I just love those guys! :) Life Rules! Dagny ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 12:57:21 -0500 From: Like Suicide Subject: Re: Jerry Garcia's Finger Well, just in case anybody doesn't know, you can find Jerry Garcia's Finger on Songs from the Superunknown (I own a copy myself, great stuff if you don't feel like paying money for the CD+), and they also use it as background music on the stair sequences on the CD+. Haven't the faintest where the title comes from, but I do know that I listened to it backwards and sounds just as confusing forwards. Maybe this SG's interpretation of how Greatful Dead music sounds while you're stoned? ;) Larry -- "I'm just a regular man, now I'm a regular mess" http://www.inlink.com/~myershse/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 14:42:07 -0500 From: Like Suicide Subject: SG Quotes/Pop Music Well, I was skimming a few SG articles on Seth's page, and found this great little speech by Chris that kinda summed up why I know alot of us go off on Pop and mainstream crap that's out there right now. "That's what happens in a society when music is exposed and hyped one song at a time," says Cornell. "Whatever song they grab the ball and run with is the song they're gonna remember you for. There are a few songs that sound like Soundgarden in a nutshell. I don't think "Outshined" is one of them, but that's the one all the kids cheer for. You might play a song that you feel is the best thing you've done in a while, and it kind of falls on deaf ears; then you play that song half-heartedly, and they love it. It can be depressing if you let it." I just thought of all the singles out there on MTV as I read that... Larry -- "I'm just a regular man, now I'm a regular mess" http://www.inlink.com/~myershse/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 15:54:14 -0500 From: "John D." Subject: Re: New Chris Cornell music news Ave Maria is a very beautiful song. I kept on thinking last night how he would go about signing a song that was even played at my parents wedding! I can't wait till the album comes out!!!!!! -John ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 16:03:24 -0400 From: Mike Smith Subject: sg-chicago-ect. hey list, i just got back from chicago/ and surrounding areas and since this is a soundgarden list i wont give all the details of my awsome trip like the venture to six flags theme park, and the lincoln zoo......wait a min, i know how to tie sg into this, while i was at the zoo they were setting up a portion of it for a jazz fest later that day and during the interm of the sound guys setting up they were blasting the white album, but more specifically (helter skelter), "which sg has covered".. phewww. close one, thought my intro wasnt gonna have any sg content......... To the few chicago/naperivlle area sommsters who sent me the boot leg locations, thank you. i only got to visit one of them, (which is a sg poster goldmine) i saw a promo poster anouncing the release of badmoter finger, and another one anouncing the coming of lolapoloza 2 with only sg on it. THIS ONE WAS AWSOME !!!!! it had the group dressed up in suites. thats all i can remember, but they had a few more. and wernt to bashful on the pricing, they all went for about 15 bucks, and i was on a low budget trip so i regretfully could not pick any thing up. :( "you have to ask because they were in the back out of view" i dont remember the name of the place, the sommster that sent me the address didnt know the name either. but i do remember it had the word (cherry) in the title.. im sure a couple of public posts can solve this mystery....... anyway, i just got back and have more mail than santa on december 23, see ya. mike. "yelling with my mouth shut" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 18:26:41 -0400 From: Rohin Bhalla Subject: Re: rockabilia/SG BLACKLIGHT << Rockabilia catalog today.I think every on this list should have one!!! There are sooo many items relating to Soundgarden in there that I might go completely broke >> I wouldn't count on it being *that* great as over time Rockabilia with soundgarden stuff is VERY unreliable and a good portion of the soundgarden stuff is not even availible to order anymore.. so before you go spending a ton of $$ on their stuff, Email them at sales@rockabilia.com and ask if they actually have it or if it is on backorder or anything. One thing they used to have was the Superuknown blacklight poster, and i NEED it so if anyone please could tell me from where i could buy one from.....?? please? -pencapchew ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 16:01:53 PDT From: power child Subject: WWC etc. seth said: <> i thought it was *ted* dameron, actually....? and you forgot to mention the presence of the great barrett martin of the screaming trees on the Flyin' Traps compilation. The only other drummer in rock today that approaches mr. cameron's abilities, imho. did that rumor about kim, barrett, peter buck and jeff ament in a band never pan out? i heard it on the radio here. the only question was who was going to sing -- they said that mark lanegan was going to originally, but they were still looking for a vocalist? ~the power child ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 20:26:03 -0400 From: Paul Sandhu Subject: Somms Shirt I was wondering how i could get a somms shirt. And has Matt ever used two base drums?? Paul ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 20:26:48 -0400 From: Charlie Mccutcheon Subject: SG GAME!! i've been reading the list thinking...hmmm that's neat. well how about this: an interactive sg game ....drum roll matt...6 DEGREES OF SOUNDGARDEN!! for example sg & communism. ok: 1). . .uh, i saw them up close in concert... 2) my friend/drummer is a communist. 2 steps! every so often someone will come up w/ something/one to connect sg to within 6 steps. note: NO OBVIOUS ONES LIKE ALICE IN CHAINS,PEARL JAM, ETC. just thought it'd be cool... charlie ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 10:53:28 +1000 From: justin nicholls Subject: dance around now baby, dance around and play the part... song of the week, number six. I hope you all dig it. hand of god. if you were a fan of soundgarden when this song was first released, I applaud you. I'll even stand. maybe even grin and slap you on the shoulder. those must have been heady days indeed. I myself only became a fan after hearing _badmotorfinger_ for the first time, and I wish that even though I may not have appreciated their music at that point of my life, I had managed to come across their work before then. over the last week, my respect for early soundgarden material, song writing and sound has probably doubled, and that I can only feel this admiration in retrospect, some five months after their separation, makes me a little unhappy. kudos to those who had the good sense or good fortune to be there at the time. 'hand of god' is the sixth and final track of soundgarden's very first ep, the somewhat tempestuous _screaming life_. the record doesn't really indicate who wrote the song, but I am told it was composed jointly by chris cornell (lyrics) and kim thayil (music). it probably would have made a good single, but was never given it's day in the sun by sub pop (I was just thinking that if 'hand of god' were a dog, I'd scratch his belly, but that is a bit of a tangent that isn't worth investigating). I haven't been able to track down any shows where the song was actually performed, but I imagine few seattle-ites were booting soundgarden shows in 1987, and the band seems to have left it out of most other recorded shows. a shame, really. maybe someone who was at one of the screaming life world tour shows could post and tell us how it sounded. and just so I can get it out of the way early, I have no idea where the sample used throughout the song is taken from. I'm sure the answer is out there somewhere, but I can't find it. if it is well known and you are all privately laughing at me from behind your computer screen, I apologise. I am a dope. if the band grabbed it off tv at three in the morning, then I am relieved (but no less frustrated). any offers of relevant information would be appreciated. I do, however, know a little about the song, considering that I spent a couple of hours with it last weekend. and I must admit that before I started scouting and preparing for this week's sotw (yes, I do actually do a small amount work for this), I wasn't looking forward to it. "hmmm", I thought, "I told the list I'd do a song or two from the band's first couple of records next, and then the week after that I can get back to the good stuff". I didn't consider that much of their earlier material would really stand up to any sort of critique, analysis, or whatever you might want to call this. I thought their song writing, or architecture, if you will, was not quite as mature or rich on their first two records. simply put, if soundgarden 1989 and soundgarden 1994 were to put on their gloves and shorts with tassels, 1994 would in my mind be the undisputed champeen of the globe. no contest. not even close. sad, isn't it? I was wrong. 'hand of god' undeniably rocks the house down. it is strong with a capital STRONG. it is almost magical in it's strongness. the band just amazes me. how did I miss it for so long? a good question, one that I prefer not to think about. today, however, is 'hand of god' appreciation day, so I want you all to go and get your record and put it on, because it deserves to be played a hundred times over by each and every one of us. and if you can't hear it, just sit back and let me give you the good word. "now I would like friends if this evening..." mercifully, 'little joe' has just come to a close. nope, still can't appreciate that one, even in my new, flavour enhanced _screaming life_ mode. the music gets a thumbs up, but the lyrics and chris' delivery swing between boring and irritating. maybe one day I'll like it, but today I'm just waiting for it to finish. ah...now we have the hand. the song opens with the above mentioned sample, what might be described as a preacher giving his sermon. over the top of this is kim and his guitar, playing some *very* wicked harmonics. think rats in a tunnel, gnawing through a cable, setting up the groove. the preacher prattles on for another line or so, while matt warms to his hi-hat. I'd like to say at this point that the production is great; that guy jack endino seems to know something about mikes and speakers that other producers don't. at roughly the same time (0.18), hiro also enters with his bass, surging from underneath the harmonical madness. as the preacher hits his last word, matt and hiro let loose the shackles of restraint and come in strong, establishing that yummy rhythm we hear for the next four minutes and twenty seven seconds. they really lock this one down, allowing kim's six-string virtuousity to shine. I'm totally impressed. just so you can follow (and as sommsters, I'm sure that you all can), I'll note here that the song's structure is highly ordered, but far from traditional. for one thing, there is no chorus. the number of lead breaks also outpace the number of verses by one. weird. but like I said, 'hand of god' is air-tight, arranged with almost with military precision - introduction, lead break, verse, bridge, lead break, verse, bridge, lead break. I haven't done the math, but 'hand of god' may be the only song in soundgarden's entire catalogue where just about every part is the same in length - .35 seconds. see what I mean about air-tight? back to the music. kim has now hit the first of his three lead breaks, and starts slow. his guitar is right in the middle of the mix, where it should be for a number like this (I like agreeing with jack endino). this solo begins somewhat cautiously, but kim finds his stride after about three bars. a cool and unhurried blues feel is the solo's main attraction, contrasting well with the opening harmonics. the dynamic pauses and surges laid down by hiro and matt are also none too shabby, the rhythm section once again supplying the meat necessary for the song's success (I hope neither of them are vegetarian, otherwise I just made a small goof). hiro's bass notes on the upbeat are particularly strong. so after about one minute of instrumental goodness, chris can finally stop tapping his foot impatiently and give us the first of his verses. looking at the lyrics, I'm guessing that they were written *after* he heard the sample. otherwise it seems pretty coincidental, but certainly not out of the question. I don't think it really matters what he's singing anyway, it is the *delivery* which is important. and, of course, it is more than satisfactory, as all cornell delivery is (unless we are talking 'little joe', which may sound okay live, but stinks on record). his throat and lungs sound great, perhaps better here than on all of the other songs from _screaming life_. and unlike newer material, his vocal track is unencumbered by distortion or other electronic devices. pure soul that melds perfectly with the song's sound. I also like the synergy between his vocals and matt's hi hat during the song's verses. it sounds cool. then the song dives into a short bridge, featuring more words of holiness from preacher x and dominated by hiro's massive bass tone, which adroitly leads to another solo from kim. this second lead break is faster than the first, more urgent. I don't like it more than the first one, though. matt sounds *wonderful* during these lead guitar sections, his snare, crash and floor tom all sounding beautiful (music to my ears, you could say). his double snare beats are also enormously strong, as are all the fills. repeat after me, "drum god, drum god, drum god, drum god" ;) the band now gives us the last verse, dominated again by hiro's hulking bass line. he really is the power behind this number; I think kim's repeated harmonics might sound a little cheesy if it weren't for hiro kicking my ass with his bass. perhaps the song was written on bass. anyway, even though the rhythm section *owns* the verse sections, chris opens his mouth and hits all the right notes again through this verse. his performance is spot on, not only does he get the notes right, but he pauses just like matt and hiro, rather than just deliver the lines straight up. it sounds good. lyric of the verse (and perhaps the album) goes to "the hand of god has got a ring about the size of texas." I like that one a lot. a short bridge later (with obligatory ranting included) and we have the last of the solos. the song's momentum has built to gargantuan proportions, as the last sample features increased instrumentation from hiro and matt, but kim's last lead doesn't make me shiver. I like the first two a lot more. they build the suspense, and then his solo sort of doesn't quite hit where you want it to hit. it comes on strong at the end, but is buried in the mix for some reason, and could have come better prepared. the song fades with kim's guitar shuddering from the attack. a nice little song . a good closer for their first ep, an ep that probably sounds better than most first ep's in the universe. and while 'hand of god' is tight in terms of structure, the band manages to be creative within it's confines, which is laudable. the samples sound cool, the vocals are good, kim's guitar work is good in parts, great in others, and the rhythm tandem of hiro and matt are a force worthy of much praise. a song for sitting on the porch, sipping lemonade and enjoying life, fair weather or foul. next week, 'cold bitch'. a song for hiding in the attic. may the hand of god lay high above you. justin ----- in your real life, treat it like it's special in your real life, try to be more kind in your real life, think of those that love you in this real life, try to be less blind words by vernon reid ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 22:32:24 -0400 From: Leia Rose Subject: Re: Jerry Garcia's Finger It's like some tribute to Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. He was missing one finger. That's all I know. Leia Well, just in case anybody doesn't know, you can find Jerry Garcia's Finger on Songs from the Superunknown (I own a copy myself, great stuff if you don't feel like paying money for the CD+), and they also use it as background music on the stair sequences on the CD+. Haven't the faintest where the title comes from, but I do know that I listened to it backwards and sounds just as confusing forwards. Maybe this SG's interpretation of how Greatful Dead music sounds while you're stoned? ;) Larry -- "I'm just a regular man, now I'm a regular mess" http://www.inlink.com/~myershse/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 22:50:18 -0400 From: Jeff LeAnn Subject: Re: Terry Bozzio That's pretty cool, but I think Danny Carey (tool) is god on drums. And of Course, Matt Cameron (if you or anyone else dont know what band he's or was in...then...what the heck are doing on this mailing list??????). ----------Jeff----------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 23:57:24 EDT From: seth Subject: Re: WWC etc. I said: > < Mackenzie's excellent WWC website at http://www.spots.ab.ca/~cmackenz/ > for more details (including exclusive artwork by WWC drummer Tad > Dameron!).>> And then the Power Child said: > i thought it was *ted* dameron, actually....? This is a point of much debate (well, between Kleemola and I, anyway). It varies depending on which release you look at. Both Tad and Ted appear over the course of 3 7"s and an LP. However, the original Tad Dameron, aka Tadley Ewing Dameron, was a famous jazz pianist and arranger and knowing that Mr. Cameron digs jazz... -seth ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 23:58:24 -0400 From: Scott Hammer Subject: Ben Question I just got a copy of an SG show here in VA from '96 and it hit me...I figured out what was wrong with Ben. Now before y'all get your panties in a bunch let me say this is NOT Ben bashing. From what I saw it seemed he didn't dig the music from SU or DOTU. They'd hit a song from BMF or LTL and he was all over the stage, but play a song from the last 2 albums and he just stood there and hung his head. It seemed like he wasn't happy with the music. Any comments? ~^v^OzzY^v^~ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 00:24:56 -0500 From: Vince Varkey Subject: Soundgarden news from Rolling Stone Online.. Hello. I was perusing the fine work of the Rolling Stone site on AOL just now when I ran into this interesting Soundgarden news (it's not news to us but it might be to the general public): Where It's At A weekly dose of music news, new releases and whatever else we feel like writing about Word has it that A&M Records is pressuring the former members of Soundgarden to sign off on a "best of" compilation that could hit stores as early as October. Sources say one or more members of the now defunct band are pushing for A&M to release a "B-sides" album, while the label favors a more marketable greatest hits album that would be in stores in time for Christmas. "We're trying to work with the band to put something out by the end of the year," says A&M's head of marketing, Morty Wiggins. Some might say rushing such a collection to market would prostitute Soundgarden's reputation, but Wiggins says, "the fact of the matter is, we're a record company, and this is what record companies do." Die-hard Soundgarden fans can be assured that, no matter what form the compilation takes, it will most likely include material not available on previous albums, according to Wiggins ... -vince ------------------------------ End of SOMMS Digest - 26 Aug 1997 to 27 Aug 1997 ************************************************