From kosky@saul.cis.upenn.edu Wed Feb 15 21:07:16 1995
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 23:55:05 -0500
From: really-deep-thoughts@gradient.cis.upenn.edu
To: "Really-Deep-Thoughts digest recipients"@saul.cis.upenn.edu
Subject: Really-Deep-Thoughts digest 15/02/95 Part 1

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                                    CONTENTS

[...]
                               Initiation Stories
[...]
From: estephen@netcom.com (E. Stephen Mack)
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 22:10:34 -0800
Subject: Initiation Stories

I love stories.  While we're waiting for a new album from Tori (gaffans
are used to this wait), I'd love to start a thread here like the one
that's limping along on the P.J. Harvey list:

    ***  How did you first become a fan?  ***

I'll start:

    I used to read rec.music.gaffa, the Kate Bush group.  In '91, a
debate started about whether Tori sounded like Kate (and how unfair it
is to compare two artists anyway).  I was between albums at the moment,
so I picked up Little Earthquakes.  My friends laughed at the somewhat
obvious drawing on the back, and one friend expressed the opinion that
Tori sang through her nose.  I liked the album a fair amount, but
didn't think Tori was in the same clubhouse as Kate.  Honestly, I always
felt a little guilty and embarrassed listening to LE, almost like
reading personal e-mail sent to you by mistake or accidentally reading
a page from someone's diary.  I never listened that closely; I liked
Leather a lot but never even noticed Me And A Gun (until much later, in
'93, when I saw how obsessively my girlfriend-at-the-time Katherine
would skip past that song on the CD player).  I could have seen Tori
in concert in '91 if I had gone out of my way.  I didn't bother to.

    When Under The Pink came out, I bought a copy for Katherine as a
"just because" present -- and a copy for myself.  A day later, on the
phone to her, we both realized how taken we were with it (for me,
especially Past The Mission, which I would play over and over again).
Not long after, I subscribed to RDT.  Maybe I wasn't ready to immerse
myself this deeply, because I think casual fans are overwhelmed by the
sheer quantity of what we write each day.  But now I never read
r.m.gaffa and rarely listen to Kate -- yet I read RDT every day and
listen to Tori almost every day.  I saw Tori twice in concert in '94
and have all but the obscure singles.  I even subscribe to the RDT
paper fanzine, which I'm very impressed by (although a little
disappointed they reprinted some letters that appeared here first).

    Although I don't post much, I love hearing from all of you
each day.  Tori changed my life, it's safe to say.  I love her music
and it's no coincidence that I write this on St. Valentine's Day.

    Hearts to Tori and to all of you.
    Zeigen
    estephen@emf.net

[...]