Date:     Sun, 5 Apr 1998 02:00:19 -0500
Subject:  SOMMS Digest - 4 Apr 1998 to 5 Apr 1998

There are 5 messages totalling 207 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. moving sale part 3!!
  2. tee shirt
  3. Song Interp Site
  4. part 3
  5. Anything and everything!

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Date:    Sat, 4 Apr 1998 07:28:30 -0500
From:    Deborah Servey <riker@VELOCITY.NET>
Subject: moving sale part 3!!

Good morning Sommsters!

I'm moving in one week....how weird that's going to be, but that's besides
the point.  I STILL have some items that were claimed in my last 2 sales
but are still gracing my presence.  So let's see if the 3rd time is a
charm, and please-- only respond if you're serious about wanting this stuff!

POSTERS--**prices include postage**

Soundgarden collage from 92(?)  $10

Gigantic Chris poster--UK or European(I forget which exactly)  measures 39"
wide by 60" long
        black and white, incredible close up, arms crossed in front of himself
pouty look $30

VINYL--**prices include postage**

BHS/My Wave(live)/Beyond the Wheel(live)--UK limited edition pic disk $12

Rusty Cage/Touch Me/Show Me 12" single  91-92 World Tour Commemorative
Limited Edition #3500   out of 5000 poster bag (single comes wrapped in a
poster of the band) AND the single is   etched vinyl   $28

First come first served.  If I see a huge list of inquiries, I'll check
times and dates.  I don't know what else to do....I'm still going to end up
moving this stuff but if I can move it in ready to mail condition (ie,
packed and even labelled) I'd be oh so happy.  Serious inquiries only!

Many thanks b/c you people have been great about buying from my other 2
sales and I can think of no other people I'd rather see have this
collectible stuff!
later....deb


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Date:    Sat, 4 Apr 1998 07:43:47 -0500
From:    Deborah Servey <riker@VELOCITY.NET>
Subject: tee shirt

You guys are never going to believe the cool shirt Lin just gave me to
offer to you!  We can't even put a date on this tee shirt but we do know
exactly where it came from and you can ask me that if you are interested.
Here's a description

T-shirt--white, XL.  Back has a red block w/ white letters that says
                                TOTAL
                                FUCKHEAD
                                BY GOD
front has Soundgarden down right side and then the rest of the front is a
caricature of Chris (no mustache btw), long hair flying, jumping in the
air, using his mike stant to bash a devilish looking head with long horns.

Lin wants to best offer for this shirt b/c A) we've never seen any like it
(until it was given to us that is) and B) we have no idea of the date of
the thing, like what tour it may have been for.

So....make an offer and quickly please.  I'm moving next Friday and tho I
won't disconnect here until then, I'll be busy....so let's say TUESDAY is
the deadline.  (Sommsters on digest, I'm sorry for the rush)  Oh, and
serious offers only please.  I'm sorry about that, but after getting stuck
holding some items from my "moving sales" for people who said they wanted
the stuff, well, I'm just getting a little gunshy about doing stuff like
this.  You people are great but it just seems to be a small group of you
who are serious about buying stuff for your collections!

Good luck!   ready, set, go.......deb

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Date:    Sat, 4 Apr 1998 20:08:32 EST
From:    SpoOnArTis <SpoOnArTis@AOL.COM>
Subject: Song Interp Site

Hi all.  The Song Interp Site is up and running at
http://members.aol.com/spoonartis/interp.html  As of right now I only have 2
interps though, I am working on mine.  I really need some other people to send
in some interps to me.  Anyway, check it out, mabye it will inspire you to
write something and send it in :)

~Matt

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Date:    Sat, 4 Apr 1998 23:03:01 -0500
From:    Deborah Servey <riker@VELOCITY.NET>
Subject: part 3

I may only have the BHS limited edition UK pic disk left folks.

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Date:    Sat, 4 Apr 1998 22:44:09 -0600
From:    Kathie and David <oponfam@IOLS.NET>
Subject: Re: Anything and everything!

> I'm
> interested in finding out what you guys all think about Birth Ritual
> though.  Here's what I got out of it

I LOVE Arden's interpretation. Personally I think alot of Chris' songs are
about the experience of "becoming" Soundgarden, and the process of "making
it". I never could figure out Birth Ritual, mostly because I couldn't decipher
the lyrics. Now after really studying them with this interpretation in mind -
it blows me away because it totally fits! I'd like to add a little to it (and
I've been agonizing over this for several days, trying to made it cohesive).

This song could easily be a description of the experience of being noticed,
being pursued by the record companies, getting signed and the feelings involved.

> "Lying like needles on forest earth"  I think forest earth is whatever
> you want to call it.. the "seattle scene" for lack of better title.
> Soundgarden would be but a mere needle on the ground, in comparison to
> the billions of bands we seem to have here..

Could also be the quiet before the storm. The guys have often talked about how
beautiful Washington is.

> "Euphoric rush, the trees bend to pray for us"  the euphoric rush would
> be maybe the thrill of eluding record labels?  trees bending and praying
> for them would be the very origional fans.. been around as long as the
> damn trees, or so it would seem.

Or the Euphoric rush could refer to the record companies pursuing them,
bending to pray for them, offering them whatever they can think of to sign them.

> "You can drive my tail to watch the circus"  The circus would be the
> literal chaos of shit going on up here in the northwest, and chris is
> saying that they can (or are) using him to get at everyone else.  (I
> always have trouble with this line.. any help throughout this is
> appreaciated!)

This could also be a "before" picture, where they're watching other bands
getting hyped.

> "I woke up blessed, good strives for heart ache"  All of the sudden (or
> maybe not so suddenly..)  he's getting attention, and though he trys to
> remain unchanged, it's hard, and it hurts.
>
> "Marked for the death ritual"  He feels that by getting signed/famous
> (what have you) that they may be ruining him and all he stands for.

I really like this - sounds like Chris :)

> "As you start the song and face the garden"  The song could literally be
> the meeting between the band and the A&M rep, or some other important
> figure, who is quite literally facing THE 'Garden.

I see this as the experience maybe of playing a demo for the rep, waiting for
the reaction, lighting "a cigarette before the execution", expecting the worse.

> "Now you see your crime, for every miracle"  Whomever chris is singing
> this to (the record rep or who ever.) is finally seeing that though he's
> making money off all these "grunge" bands he's signing, he's ruining
> them.

Or it could be Chris talking about the band- what they had to do to "make it".
I'm not talking about selling out here. I'm just talking about dealing with
major labels when they really didn't want to. Chris has described his music as
"sacred" to him, so miracle would certainly fit.

> "add another drug at every birth ritual"  Each new band the guy is
> signing he adds a few more catches to the contract...

I see the "drug" as being money. Or it could be Chris medicating himself to
deal with his perceived crime.

> "I took the drug to make me stay"  With this line, I'd go with the first
> of the two above interpretations.  He took the contract, hooks and all,
> and since it's so damn long (hey, that A&M contract was for 7 albums..)
> it basically will force him to stay.

Again, could be money or self-medication.

> "Now everything dies in shyness"  he feels a bit scared and suppressed
> dealing with such a huge touchy audience today.

This and "The snake retreats..."line could also refer to the band. They may
have backed off (as they kept doing with the majors). Or, here's a thought,
maybe Chris disagreed with the decision to sign, but they did, so he retreated
to sulk and wait for the shit to hit the fan.

Arden I think this was brilliant. If you look hard enough you can see the
whole process of growth as a band in this song. I would have never thought of
 that.

Kathie

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End of SOMMS Digest - 4 Apr 1998 to 5 Apr 1998
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