No more suicide/death talk this week, unless you count the creative death of Chris Cornell.
Soundgarden
Fell On Black Days (Video Version)
She Likes Surprises (International LP Version)
Like Suicide (Acoustic Version)
Jerry Garcia’s Finger
Cold Bitch
Exit Stonehenge
My Wave (remix)
Rhinosaur (remix)
Spoonman (Steve Fisk Remix)
Dusty (Moby Remix)
I’m not the first person to ask, but what the fuck is wrong with Chris Cornell? Have you heard anything from his new solo record? It’s fucking awful. And it’s not just awful because it’s not “rock” its awful because it’s shitty fucking music. This shit would sound like shit no matter who sung it, whether it be Chris Cornell, Freddie Mercury or motherfucking Curtis Mayfield (random selection I know but you get my point).
I understand that Cornell wanted to branch out and try new things, but this was not the way. Hiring the hack plagiarist Timbaland to put up shitty beats behind some shit songs that he didn’t even write by himself wasn’t the way to go. People have defended him by saying that he should have the right to do what he wants with his music, and yes that’s true, but don’t go say he did this shit because of some artistic belief or cause, the dude wants to make money and he figured this would be an easy way to do it. Thankfully the record is bombing.
Someone should get Rick Rubin on the phone STAT to guide this motherfucker back to the light.
Ah, but Chris Cornell wasn’t always a two-bit has-been, he used to be the frotnman for the bigget, baddest, rockingest grunge band in the world, Soundgarden! I remember an article in Spin that said while Nirvana saved “rock” Soundgarden saved “RAWK,” bad-ass, balls-to-the-wall ass-kicking metal made for bikers and weight lifters. I agreed at the time, Soundgarden was my first favorite grunge band, and Superunknown was my favorite album. I remember thinking that the album had to be the longest record ever, it was over 70 minutes long! No filler! Bad-ass supreme shit featuring Cornell’s heavenly wails! There hasn’t been an epic rock album as good as Superunkown since. I listened the shit out of that album.
Soundgarden also has an epic amount of b-sides, remixes and rarities. And since there is still no box set collecting them all finding them can be quite a drag; here’s what I managed to drag up. The first four tracks are from an EP called Songs From The Superunknown, and the second two are from the CD single of “Spoonman.” The remixes are from various EPs and singles…I think, I really don’t know where some of those are from. These are all excellent tracks, but the Moby mix of “Dusty” is a real standout, he deconstructs the shit out of that motherfucker. Maybe Cornell should call Moby for his next album, could save both of their careers.
I loved that album. It was the first non hip-hop cd I ever bought in highschool from a kids locker who worked at sound warehouse back in the day. I swear a friend of mine killed that band when she got Soundgarden tattooed on her butt. They announced the break up the next day.
Amen on the Soundgarden/Chris Cornell Post, brother. You don’t have the FOPP EP do you? My copy has long disappeared into the mists of time, but it would be good to hear it again someday…