R.I.P. Chris Cornell

Truly shocking. Grunge was never one of my favorite genres, but Cornell was a genuine rock star.

Died at 52. He almost made it to two Cobains.

I know Soundgarden isn't a big favorite around here, but for me this is crushing. One of the great rock singers, an imaginative writer (at least in the original Soundgarden run) and by most accounts a decent human being. I can't imagine how his family is feeling right now.

I never cared for Audioslave or his solo work, but I know both had their passionate adherents. A lot of fans in mourning today.

Truly sad. Soundgarden's work was kinda hit or miss (and Audioslave was mostly miss), but Superunknown is a genuinely good album, with some top-notch rock and a great sense of flow. And "You Know My Name" is the last great James Bond movie theme. (Which isn't to say there won't be others in the future.) R.I.P. Chris, you will be missed.

Sad and surprising. TP calls Soundgarden the American version of the Cult, which is pretty accurate - buncha knuckleheads makin big dumb fun (tho Soundgarden didnt seem to take themselves as seriously as the Cultists). I confess I haven't given them a thought in ages, I associate 'em with my own younger big dumb knucklehead era. Good times.

And hey, how 'bout Steve n Edie's cover of "Black Hole Sun", eh?
[vimeo.com]



Post Edited (05-18-17 16:01)

The only album that was "big dumb fun," to my ears, is Louder Than Love. I sort of see the Cult comparison, but where the Cult's arty pretensions got in the way of their music, I'd argue Soundgarden's informed their music and made it special. One of the things I love about Badmotorfinger is that it's a damn weird record - yeah, it's got "Rusty Cage," but it's also got "Slaves and Bulldozers" and "Jesus Christ Pose." (What A&R rep thought that latter song was a good idea for a single?)

Though I think you're right in that SG didn't take themselves nearly as seriously as Ian Astbury and co.

From a musical standpoint, this doesn't phase me one bit since I don't go out of my way to listen to any of his output (though I'm familiar with a good bit of it and do recognize his talent). On a human level, I'm pretty shocked. The article I read stated that suicide is a possibility. Whatever the cause of death, it sucks, and he's gone way too soon.

> And hey, how 'bout Steve n Edie's cover of "Black Hole Sun", eh?

Or Peter Frampton's!

It's sad. He had a powerful voice. However, give me the Cult - Love album any day of the week compared to any Soundgarden album.

Quote

It's sad. He had a powerful voice.

He had one of those voices where he could've practically been singing anything at all and it would have sounded like a million bucks.

RIP

...

I saw Soundgarden at Lollapalooza 2.0 (I think ... my 90's Mental Rolodex is fairly dog-eared and ratty) ... and they were loud and bombastic.

During their set, my friends and I slowly retreated up the ski slope to escape the noise ... and then when Ice Cube hit the stage, he cussed us out for "sittin' 'round like it was a mutha#$ckin' funeral."

So I truly owe Soundgarden a debt I can never repay.

Yeah, the second Lollapalooza tour was the one that included both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

I enjoyed both those bands, and nearly all the others on the main stage that day. But when Ice Cube came on, I listened for a couple of his songs, then decided, "Hmmm, good time for a bathroom break and a beer, and yeah, maybe to check out those booths." I can take or leave most hip-hop, but when the MC sounds like he's hollering at me, I leave it pretty quickly.

As it turned out, members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam were playing on the second stage at that time, as Temple of the Dog. Glad I didn't miss that.

Shamefully, I somehow missed seeing Soundgarden in the 90s. I don't know how, as I was a diehard fan. At least the show I saw a few years ago during the King Animal tour was a damn good one.

I rather enjoy their album Down on the Upside. It is a little bit different than their other releases. Burden in My Hand is a great tune and many others on that disc. It has a very distinctive sound to it, not sure if it was the mix or what but it was Soundgarden. IMO this is the disc where they put it all together as a band. I could take or leave the earlier hits, occasionally good driving song I guess.

I never really connected to DotU, and I'm not sure why. It's not really that different from the previous album. It's one of those records I keep meaning to go back and revisit. The songs from it that made it into the setlist of the show I saw a few years ago sure sounded good in that context.