SOMMS Digest - 5 Dec 1998 to 6 Dec 1998 [ 11KB. ] [ Unable to print this part. ] There are 12 messages totalling 279 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Solo album-related news from SonicNet 2. Irony (5) 3. Chris in a silver porsche? (2) 4. this and that 5. Rockview Interview (2) 6. just thought I'd share something entertaining... To UNSUBSCRIBE from SOMMS, send email to LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU with the following in the body of your message: SIGNOFF SOMMS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 12:16:17 EST From: Shawnte Orion Subject: Solo album-related news from SonicNet With the multibillion-dollar merger of label giants PolyGram NV and Universal Music looming, it's shaping up to be an unusually cold and bleak winter for some recording artists.Musicians and numerous industry insiders expressed dire speculation as to what the pending deal means. They predicted that dozens of mid-level and lesser-known acts, such as God Lives Underwater, Local H and, possibly, even once-quite-popular Weezer would be let go. At A&M, home to such big names as singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow and blues-rock band Blues Traveler, a staffer describes nearly all of the label's upcoming- release schedule as "on hold." At PolyGram-owned A&M, highly anticipated releases, such as ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell's solo debut, aren't likely to be affected, according to a source who requested anonymity. "[But] everything else is pretty much on hold," the source said. Oh, and one more Chris quote...."You guys up front are pretty quiet. Maybe you could sit down Indian-style or something for this one." ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 12:53:44 -0500 From: MICHAEL APPLE Subject: Re: Irony Date sent: 5-DEC-1998 12:47:19 >then again, its the "cool" thing to call bands that sell a lot of records in >a particular genre "rip-offs". it happens to nine inch nails. it happens to >the crystal method. it happened to the beatles. it happened to >nirvana....... I don't think there's anything wrong with calling a band a rip-off when they suddenly appear, copying the "Seattle sound" right in the middle of the grunge boom, without any real cultural ties to the music. >>Funny, how they've changed >>their sound now that Seattle isn't "the hip thing" anymore. >their last real album (razorblade suitcase) was very much "seattle >sounding". they haven't changed their sound since then because they haven't >released anything since then......(well, except that remix album.......but >bush didn't do any work on it besides production on one track i think). Razorblade Suitcase was rather mediocre because they were trying to change their sound, since grunge wasn't "cool" anymore. The result was that instead of sounding like a very good imitation of grunge, they sounded like an incredibly poor imitation of grunge. Later, Mike Apple ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 10:25:30 -0800 From: Mark Miller Subject: Chris in a silver porsche? Wasnt there an article in Details magazine where Chris talks about his car, a silver porsche. Of course when you have as much money as he does he could have a porsche, a mercedes (sp?) and a brown jeep. Somehow I think a jeep fits him more than a porsche but... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 15:23:38 -0500 From: Geoff Kleemola Subject: this and that Hey sommsters, First, a warning. I just heard that Soundgarden interview disc sold at various sources, including CDNOW. I do not recommend it. In fact, I recommend you do not buy it, unless you have alot of money to spare and you want a laugh. After listening to how crappy it was, I remembered another sommster mentioning this disc, but this is the dirt. The cover is extremely misleading. It contains a Superunknown-era picture of the entire band, using a Superunknown-looking font. The interview is with Matt and Jason Everman around the release of Louder than Love. The interview is nothing special. The interviewer is terrbile. The sound is mediocre. Jason does a lot of talking. Way too much talking, considering he just joined that band. If you didn't think he was a goofball before hearing this interview, you will after. This disc is not an A&M release. I wonder if it was authorized by the band. Buyer beware. Second, I also heard the boot Seattle 1990 today. According to the insert, the show was from Bumbershoot 1990. Out of curiosity, were any of the current sommsters at this show, and can they offer any background or info about it? For example, what was the venue? It sounds like it was a fuckin coolio show. Lastly, I also saw the video boot from Seattle Lolla '92. That is a seriously cool boot. If anyone gets a chance to see it I highly recommend it. The sound and video are excellent. It is a pro-shot if I am not mistaken. Pieces of this show may appear in Geoff's video clips of the week real soon (which is actually more like clip of the fortnight, or month). Ciao for now, Geoff ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 15:33:35 -0500 From: MICHAEL APPLE Subject: Rockview Interview Date sent: 5-DEC-1998 15:31:16 I was wondering what everyone thought of the Rockview Interview CD of Soundgarden, with Chris Tetley as interviewer. I was seriously disappointed with it. The sound quality was horrible and the questions inane. Also, they called the disc "The Upside Talk", suggesting that the interview was done around the time of Down On The Upside's release, but the interview was actually conducted back in 1990 during Jason Everman's stint with the band. Does anyone else have the disc? Later, Mike Apple ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 15:42:49 EST From: Tammy Read Subject: Re: Chris in a silver porsche? 1978 Porsche Targa. Silver would be the color :) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 12:23:52 +1300 From: "Carl." Subject: Re: Irony >>then again, its the "cool" thing to call bands that sell a lot of records in >>a particular genre "rip-offs". it happens to nine inch nails. it happens to >>the crystal method. it happened to the beatles. it happened to >>nirvana....... > > I don't think there's anything wrong with calling a band a rip-off >when they suddenly appear, copying the "Seattle sound" right in the middle >of the grunge boom, without any real cultural ties to the music. i just thought that i would give my point of view as a musician... how else does one's style evolve? you listen to music and take what you like and play it. are you saying that because i live in new zealand i must not write anything with any hint of influences from music from any other part of the world because i have no 'cultural ties?' ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 19:19:46 EST From: Holly Winkler Subject: just thought I'd share something entertaining... I'm sure everyone has heard the metallica cover of turn the page by now, and the dj's here hate it, so they made up this little parody kind of thing to sell an "album" called Cover me, and one of the bands they had on there was soundgarden (set to the tune of blow up the outside world) doing some 70's song. (not really soundgarden, but a guy that sounds like Chris cornell singing a 70's song to the music of butow) they also had pearl jam, alice in chains, u2, and a couple of other bands. it was kind of funny. Holly Winkler- beyondthewheel@hotmail.com "I close my eyes and walk a thousand years, a thousand years that aren't mine..." --Chris Cornell ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 19:39:06 -0500 From: MICHAEL APPLE Subject: Re: Irony Date sent: 5-DEC-1998 19:29:39 >> I don't think there's anything wrong with calling a band a rip-off >>when they suddenly appear, copying the "Seattle sound" right in the middle >>of the grunge boom, without any real cultural ties to the music. >i just thought that i would give my point of view as a musician... how else >does one's style evolve? you listen to music and take what you like and play >it. are you saying that because i live in new zealand i must not write >anything with any hint of influences from music from any other part of the >world because i have no 'cultural ties?' Being influenced by music and copying it to two separate things. In my own songwriting, I'm influenced by Soundgarden and Nirvana, but also by pop groups like The Posies and Collective Soul, as well as metal like Tool and Faith No More. Influences are merely the building blocks of your own musical identity. Have you seen the Mtv spots for Chris Cornell talking about his influences like Elvis Costello? He never tried to imitate Elvis Costello, but listening to Costello helped shape his songwriting style. When bands like Stone Temple Pilots or Bush come along and duplicate the musical style of Soundgarden, or Alice in Chains, or Nirvana, they can't seriously be seen as merely a consequence of influence. You get "Monkees syndrome", like during the 60s with the Beatles, where suddenly hundreds of bands form, all carbon-copies. Later, Mike Apple ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 17:10:18 PST From: rachel reisman Subject: Re: Irony Umm...didnt we discuss the differnence between *influence* and *copying* a few months ago...in fact...wasnt it me who defined the differences??...people..read ur old posts...:) Rachel* (IWIWSS, Mrs. Spack) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 20:23:49 EST From: Hess Michelle Subject: Re: Irony very good point ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 20:28:13 EST From: James Connolly Subject: Re: Rockview Interview i have rockview and I think it sucks dick, chris tetley(interviewer) doesn't know what he's talking about. he kept comparing sg to lame bands and asked a bunch of shit about teenage punks in seatle. but hey at least it came with a pick and a cool sg poster(in which chris looks like eddie vedder) see ya, jimi ------------------------------ End of SOMMS Digest - 5 Dec 1998 to 6 Dec 1998 **********************************************