Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 02:00:04 -0500 Subject: SOMMS Digest - 14 Nov 1997 to 15 Nov 1997 There are 12 messages totalling 458 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. "Objective" Viewpoints (4) 2. far away from here... (4) 3. MTV 12 angry viewers review (2) 4. I'm A Bootleg Virgin! 5. Wellwater To UNSUBSCRIBE from SOMMS, send email to LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU with the following in the body of your message: SIGNOFF SOMMS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 23:16:35 PST From: John Galt Subject: "Objective" Viewpoints Greetings! Allow me to share a story with the group and then ask a small favor.... The Setup: I have been working out of the country for the last five years and have been virtually cut off from the American media (no TV, new music, magazines, etc.) My musical diet has consisted almost exclusively of Chopin, Liszt, The Cure, Bauhaus, and Black Sabbath CDs as well as a few others from my personal collection. I recently returned to the States starved for new phonic experiences! The Story: I arrived in the US last week at the airport and as soon as I got into the rental car, I turned on the radio and hit "Scan". About halfway up the dial, I found a decent station. I drove for a short while, and had just gotten onto the interstate when a song on the radio grabbed me. I turned it all the way up ("This one goes to 11") and felt the rush you get when you hear a great song for the first time. I was literally oblivious to my surroundings until the flashing lights behind me brought me back to reality. I left the radio on (at about "2") the whole time the trooper was talking to me (I HAD to know who the band was!) Apparently, I was going about 75mph in a 55 zone. (oops... The music made me do it, honest!) Anyway, I guess this station had a music marathon going because it took about a half hour for the DJ to come on and say the song was called "Bleed Together" by Soundgarden. Now, I had heard of them before I left in '92, but never really heard the music. When I got to my brother's house, I demanded he take me immediately to the nearest CD store! He obliged (I bought him some Corona in return) and we went and picked up "A-Sides". He loaned me his boom-box and I listened to the CD while I was unpacking and again that night after his kids went to bed.... and again in the morning ... and again (you get the idea.) I kept going on and on about how great Soundgarden was. Steve is into country music (I know, I know... I should shoot him and put him out of his misery.. but he is my brother), so he was NOT interested. I just had to share my revelation with SOMEBODY!!! So.... I jumped on the net, found the SGI site, read about SOMMS and here I am; imposing my story on each of you ("Victims, aren't we all?" - I finally saw The Crow last night! Awesome movie....) You can imagine my dismay at the news of their recent break-up. Anyway, this finally brings me to the point.... (yes, Virginia, there is a point) The Favor: I am about to embark on a journey of discovery. I would like some input about which order I should purchase and listen to the Soundgarden albums. (Chronologically, Newest to Oldest, Random?) I will say this... out of all the songs on the CD, "The Day I Tried To Live" was definitely the one that affected me the most (what incredible emotion that song has!) So, should I buy Superunknown first? You people are the gurus... please share your wisdom. Thank you for your patience while reading this post; I do apologize for its length. I anxiously await your responses. JG "That which you do not know, is not a moral charge against you; but that which you refuse to know, is an account of infamy growing in your soul." Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 02:16:48 -0600 From: Bill Flanders Subject: Re: "Objective" Viewpoints So, indeed, A-sides has served a positive purpose in bringing lost lambs home. And I quote myself: "There is one good reason that the greatest hits album is being released so soon after the band's demise: so people can get into them before they fade out completely. In other words, there is some maturing 25 year old out there who always liked what he (or she, etc) had heard of Soundgarden, but never bought a CD. Is he going to go out and buy every CD? No, that's too risky. So he'll buy the GH CD and figure out that Soundgarden had a lot of great songs that he never encountered on MTV. And he just might go out and get into some of the older material. And before you know it, he's wearing a 'Posting with my good eyes closed' shirt! " About buying order... I don't think there were many people who weren't from Seattle who bought Soundgarden albums in strictly chronological order. Most people started off with Badmotorfinger or Superunknown, and after hating it the first time and thinking it was a masterpiece the hundredth time, bought the rest of the stuff. If your favorite song on there is "the day i tried to live" there are a few albums that have that kind of vibe. 1)Superunknown with Fell on Black Days, Like Suicide, Fourth of July. 2) Badmotorfinger with Mind Riot. 3) Down on the Upside with Zero Chance and Tighter and Tighter. - WARNING - OPINION - WARNING - OPIONION - WARNING - I'm going to get flamed for this, but I'm not a big fan of old Soundgarden. Even the songs I do enjoy on the first three albums seem more like ear candy than the deep impact of a song like "The Day I Tried to Live" or the unrelenting intensity of "Jesus Christ Pose." To me, there was a huge maturity level jump between Louder than Love and Badmotorfinger. So, I'd say start off with the last three albums. Bill ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 03:16:37 -0500 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: far away from here... Soundgarden melancholia has been with me a lot lately, too. I've been wearing it like a favorite shirt. I'm coming up on the anniversary of my first (and last) show. What a difference a year has made. Just today as I was listening to A-sides in my car I was thinking about some stuff I came up with while playing my bass last night, and how when I'm just improvising I lapse into this punk/speedcore type stuff. It's what I listened to, what was important to me for years, so it's no surprise, but thinking back on it today I was wondering what kind of stuff Ben plays when he's just goofing around in his basement, what he's playing or working on these days, and wondering if I'll ever get to hear it. (I have my order in for the first Desert Sessions 10" and I'm dying of curiosity). It really hit me what Dezhy said about hearing Chris without the other guys. I haven't heard it yet, but I know it is going to feel sad and strange, no matter how beautiful it might be. It's going to be that way with anything any of them put out now. My heart is split into 4 pieces going in different directions. Jen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 05:32:32 -0500 From: Nadezhda Ball Subject: Re: "Objective" Viewpoints Hi SoMMSters! An eerie thing..... I just finished researching a project.... and decided to check my mail......just as I see some new posts, like this one, Sunshower comes on the radio.....SOMMS has its evil ways...... Well Mr. Bill, I tend to disagree with you on this one, not entirely.....those albums are great. I just considered the thought that if I liked the Cure (which I do) and Bauhaus (cool beans) I would probably like listening to Ultramega OK, but that's just me. It's a little bit more uptempo then the Cure, but it has it's moments, also considering the fact that John likes Bleed Together so much, I'm sure he can find some songs that would fancy him just fine. It would be a nice combination of the three, ya know what I mean? But if it were up to me, I'd buy the kid the whole discography. DeZHy "if this isn't makin sense, it doesn't make it lies." "the truth don't look that good on me." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 09:17:07 -0500 From: Jamesetta Simpson Subject: Re: "Objective" Viewpoints JG wrote: >The Favor: >So, should I buy Superunknown first? You people are the gurus... >please share your wisdom. Okay IMHO you should get Badmotorfinger right off. As much as I liked Superunknown I still feel it was pushing the commercial side of Soundgarden. Badmotorfinger gives you more of the raw down to earth sound of Soundgarden. Also make sure you check out your local used CD shops for all of Soundgarden older stuff you can usually pick up two of their CDs for the price you pay for one in a normal CD shop.. Have fun!! Jamie (SOMMs Mom) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 09:34:48 -0500 From: Jamesetta Simpson Subject: Re: far away from here... >sorry for being dramatic, but over the past couple of weeks I've become a >little disheartened. soundgarden is gone, and I don't think they will ever >come back. more importantly, soundgarden is gone and I don't think anyone >will ever be able to grab my heart like they did. Justin I know how you feel. This time last year my life was so full with emotions of every level. I met member of the SOMMs list, I met Soundgarden, and I met and fell in love with a very special man (we met because of the SOMMs list). It was a high point in time for me because I had been so removed from the music I love. I lived in a world where no one understood the music that touches my soul. I had been a fan of Soundgarden from the first seconds that I heard "Rusty Cage" on the Badmotorfinger CD. But there was no one to share it with, no one who understood the feelings that one gets when Soundgarden is filling the air with their music. You said no other band "will ever be able to grab my heart like they did". I agree but it was more than just from their music. There was something about Soundgarden that bonded people together. I never picture Soundgarden as your normal rock 'n' roll band. They were the guys next door. They were the local band playing in a small club. They made a group of people on a mailing list a family. They were just every day guys with a wonderful talent that they shared with the world. I haven't purchased "The A-Sides" yet. I know I will be like Toni when she told us that playing this CD made her sad. I don't want it to be the last CD, I don't want it to be the last music created by Soundgarden.. A flame has gone out in my heart, a flame called Soundgarden. Jamie (SOMMs Mom) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 10:11:25 -0500 From: "Freer, Nicole A." Subject: Re: far away from here... justin mournfully wrote: > soundgarden and melancholia. > > two words that just seem to go so well together these days, I think. > ya know, i think i was going through the same exact thing. i've been listening to older SG, trying to get a friend into them more than he is, trying to find that spark in my life again. you see, and i'm sure this is the case for more than just me, soundgarden came along for me right when i needed something i could count on. they appeared into my life just when i needed a shoulder as comforting and powerful and so damned profound as they turned out to be. i haven't been a soundgarden fan for the longest time ever, not over two years. down on the upside was what really grabbed me and made me work backwards. i'd had SU, but it didn't clench me. funny now how i see DOTU as not complete and a bit unorganized compared to the rest... but it sure got me then. i've never been the happiest person alive, and hearing the words of chris and kim and ben and matt, somehow the most beautiful words ever written, wrapped up inside of a magical, mystical type of music i'd never before stumbled upon... it just got to me. overnight, i was dead serious about them. dead serious. never before had one listen to an album changed me so much. they became an instant part of my soul, of my being, of my mind and heart. i could never explain what they meant to me then, and still do now. when i needed comfort, i could reach over and push play and Head Down would come drifting out to me... or Seasons... or maybe even Ty Cobb if i needed it. it was all there. everything i'd ever wanted and needed out of music. i was blindly walking the streets of rock before i took that turn into SU and DOTU. > sorry for being dramatic, but over the past couple of weeks I've > become a > little disheartened. soundgarden is gone, and I don't think they will > ever > come back. more importantly, soundgarden is gone and I don't think > anyone will ever be able to grab my heart like they did. > no, dramatism isn't wasted when it comes to this. this is the one thing in my life i knew i could count on. hell- once i found out they'd been together for 11 years already, i figured i had something that would last for a very long time still. the music didn't seem stale to me, it seemed so progressive and so amazing and just too damned beautiful to ever end. that reverb in the close of Boot Camp echos in my mind all the time... fuck, these guys saved my life. music in general saved me from destruction, but real salvation only came with the band called Soundgarden. somehow that name, that word, that sound, that voice... somehow is managed to capture me. it's like a siren song, just like a damn charm that a witch has placed upon me. i cannot explain it. i don't know what it is... because it's everything about them. no, dramatism is not the wrong thing in a case like this. > I haven't listened (really *listened*) to any soundgarden for a > fortnight. > no, i haven't been able to really sink my soul into them lately. i've been stuck listening to go-nowhere punk bands and old nirvana... i mean, i just feel so damned lost now. As jenny said, the time is coming for that dreadful day: the anniversary of my first and last SG show. i don't want it to come. i've got the concert shirt on me right now, i've got the photos and the bootlegged tape and the memories and the exualtation still from that November night... but hell... i'll never be that excited to see a show again in my entire life. i keep kidding myself. "oh, in ten years they'll be back! hell, i'm going to every single one of their reunion shows, and i'm gonna meet every damned sommster i possibly can..." but it's just a comforting thing. i wish it would happen, i wish on everything that i've ever loved that it would happen... but i just don't know. but then again, i can't see how 4 friends so close and so beautiful when one could possibly stay away from a creation they made that turned out so... perfect. so divine. it doesn't make sense. > soundgarden were, and still are, special. the future of music is just > that > much bleaker without them. > > I will miss them. > i've missed them everyday of my life since April 9th. i can't even read digests from before the breakup. it's too depressing. i know that once i get A-Sides this weekend, i'm going to hit that dead-on depression again. i just don't want to do that. all i can think is why? why the hell did i have to find the perfect drug only for it to become too expensive for even the creators to produce any longer? why? it's a terrible feeling, this desolate musical emptiness. as we all know, the music scene now is shit. techno and Korn is the popular and revered type of genre now... throw in a little Third Eye Blind or Hanson and you've got a top 40 chart. it's disgusting what people will listen to and give awards to. *sigh* maybe it's just me... mind riot ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 11:06:29 -0500 From: Elric&Dagny Subject: Re: far away from here... > never before stumbled upon... it just got to me. overnight, i was dead > serious about them. dead serious. never before had one listen to an > album changed me so much. they became an instant part of my soul, of my > being, of my mind and heart. i could never explain what they meant to me > then, and still do now. Niki, you are my soul's sister. Instead of saying "me too" to most of your post, I will just add this from Shelley: we look before and after, and pine for what is not: our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught; our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought... But Life Rules! Dagny ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 18:05:59 -0500 From: Rachel Potter Subject: MTV 12 angry viewers review Well they played black hole sun AGAIN on MTV... but this time it was different.... It was on 12 angry viewers (a show where 12 people vote on viedos and give comments and stuff). I watched it and I wrote down things about it. It was #111 on the top 500 mtv countdown. At first all the people had puzzled looks on their faces. Mtv didn't play the whole song :( They skipped my fac part where it says hang my head drown my fears till you all just disapear. The viewers said they liked: the burning barbie, chris cornell, and the special effects. The rateings were (1-5... 5 being the highest) 5 4 5 4 2 4 5 1 5 5 3 4. Total of 47... it beat Vanilla Ice by 6 points! -Rachel ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 17:08:51 -0800 From: "S. Kutz" Subject: Re: MTV 12 angry viewers review were they voting on all the videos on the countdown? i can't believe there was only a SIX POINT DIFFERENCE between black hole sun and *ugh* vanilla ice! that is SICK AND WRONG! anyway, any other SG vids get a high-ish number on the countdown? (I've missed the entire thing) sarah =) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 21:58:03 -0500 From: Dave George-Cosh Subject: I'm A Bootleg Virgin! Hey there, Well, I'm not really a bootleg virgin. I found a SG boot called "This is = Boston, Not Seattle" at a local Beat Goes On (Southern Ontarian's - you = know what I'm talking about :) ). I love that CD, especially Big Bottom. = But I would like to get more. For example, I was looking through the = Bootleg Discography on the website, and I found 3 boot's that I'm = interested in. They are: Blow Up The Outside 09/19/96 Violently Happy 1994 Push 03/23/94 Now, I know my boot might not be the best in the world, but if you don't = have it, and you got one of those boot's, just privite e-mail me so we = can talk about how I send it to you and all that shit. BTW, I also have = The Wellwater Conspiracy, Ty Cobb single, a really rare promo of just = interviews called "Superuninterviews", and various singles (most from = SU, all from DOTU, one from BMF). So if you need those, and you got soe = boot's, gimme a shout, and we'll talk. That's my time, thanks Dave=20 P.S. Ben Shepherd shaved his head. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 23:07:37 -0600 From: Geoff Subject: Wellwater Hey, I just thought I would mention that CDNOW is selling the Wellwater CD, declaration of Conformity. They don't have it listed in any other formats besides CD. You can also register to win the guitar autographed by SG on the CDNOW site. http://www3.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=259001260/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/discog raphy.html Geoff ------------------------------ End of SOMMS Digest - 14 Nov 1997 to 15 Nov 1997 ************************************************