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January 5th, 2010 at 4:04 PM
The Soundgarden Reunion Reconsidered
Am I the only one who feels a little weird about Soundgarden’s reunion? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they’re back. I’m optimistically pondering a 2010 with slightly better mainstream rock than the year before. But, at the same time, I can’t help but feel a little weird about the whole thing.
Like everyone else, I enthusiastically greeted Chris Cornell’s New Years Eve Twitter announcement. I thought to myself, I’ll be just like it used to be, before the break–before Mr. Cornell’s consecutive, and progressively worse, musical strikeouts. But then a funny feeling began to brew inside me.
I remembered the band Soundgarden became during their waning years, full of in-fighting, and barely distinguishable from the modern-rock acts that populated the mid and late-’90s. And what came after their split was far worse. Audioslave, with Cornell and Rage Against The Machine’s instrumentalists, probably sounded good on paper at the time, wound up treading mainstream-rock-water, and eventually sank under the weight of their own mediocrity and irrelevance. Not content with his remaining crumbs of credibility, Cornell released the Timbaland-produced Scream, a failed attempt to Nellie Furtado himself into a pop star.
Suddenly Soundgarden’s reunion had an air of failure and compromise, like getting back together with an old girlfriend after she left to date some rich jerk or a jock or something. You’re glad she’s back, that she finally realized what you two have together is way too important and special to deny, but, at the same time, it doesn’t feel right. Instead of being energized by the reconciliation, you’re merely relieved to put past indiscretions behind and comforted by a familiar presence; you’re just happy not to be alone. But, of course, this is doomed to fail. You realize everything from the jokes you used to tell each other to sex have been drained of life, and soon it feels like you’re playing the role of someone in a relationship as opposed to actually living in one. There’s also the lingering reminder you’re only back together because nothing else worked out.
Soundgarden’s regrouping feels very similar. Sure, most bands get back together for money, or sometimes, like with Pixies or Mission of Burma, to claim a piece of the pie they themselves helped to bake in the first place. I’m no idealist, but Chris Cornell’s transgressions over the past decade have been so grievous, and so unabashedly fame-grabbing, that they undermine the integrity of Soundgarden’s reunion, making it just one more attempt by Mr. Cornell to achieve the status he seems to think deserves. Hopefully, for the sake of Soundgarden’s fans, it won’t be another strikeout.
Filed under Featured Posts, Rant
Comments
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
Great analogy about “reunions” and a pretty honest assessment of the motivational factors behind the reunion – the last Audioslave album disappeared quickly from the charts, and Cornell’s two solo discs were widely perceived as commercial failures. In actual fact, the three albums contained some of the best material of his career. Nor do I begrudge Cornell for wanting commercial success – it must have completely pissed him off that it took David Cook – an American Idol winner – to get a platinum record with one of his songs.
All of that said, can’t wait to see them on tour and hear the unreleased material and hopefully a new album too.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
“I’m no idealist, but Chris Cornell’s transgressions over the past decade have been so grievous, and so unabashedly fame-grabbing, that they undermine the integrity of Soundgarden’s reunion, making it just one more attempt by Mr. Cornell to achieve the status he seems to think deserves. ”
You’re kidding, right? Did you ever stop to think that Cornell makes music, just because he loves to make music? If he wanted “fame-grabbing” I’m sure he would have pursued a Soundgarden reunion long before this. Maybe he’s feeling nostalgic himself and just wants to get together with his “buds” a few more times for old times sake.
Then again…. his tweet may totally be taken out of context considering that a B-side box set may be all that he meant when he twittered.
I highly doubt that Cornell was pissed about David Cook getting a platinum with a Cornell song. Look at it this way, it took a Chris Cornell song to get David Cook a platinum record!!
I wish everyone would lay off Cornell and Soundgarden and just look forward to whatever experience results from Chris’ tweet: “The 12 year break is over & school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again! http://www.soundgardenworld.com ” (Hah! Nice little plug for the new site!)
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you Ben. The main reason for the
Soungarden reunification is due to two reasons. Number 1, soundgarden fans have been demanding this for years and number 2 the timing is perfect for all of these guys! As for Cornells talents, they are unquestioned. The fact is, he works extremely well with talented musicians, such as Tom Morello, Kim Thayil, Matt Camoren and Timbaland. Scream was not a great album, but it was not produced for ” Cornell-esque” fans, it is a pop album for “pop” fans. His work with Audioslave is very underrated and plus they were only together for barely six years, but they still managed to invent heavy pounding-sonic athems that rocked are world. His other two solo ablums were sub-par but decent. Now, he has done it all; played with two of the best rock-grunge bands in the last 26 years and established himself as a tireless open- minded solo artist. Plus, his work with TOTD was just to the tee!!!! -
January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
“I highly doubt that Cornell was pissed about David Cook getting a platinum with a Cornell song. Look at it this way, it took a Chris Cornell song to get David Cook a platinum record!!”
Actually, no it didn’t. Cook got his first platinum record for Time of My Life which was the Idol coronation song he sung. Then Light On went platinum after and his album went platinum after only three months. Also, Cook paid his dues being in bands for 10+ years playing instruments and writing his own music. It’s not like he was an AI manufactured pop singer. He’s a very talented musician in his own right which does not take anything away from Chris Cornell, which I believe he’s said is one of his music idols.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
Chris Cornell song is not what got David Cook a platinum record (which BTW was his second platinum). It was David’s amazing vocal and interpretation of the song that did that. I really don’t get this disrespect to other musician.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
Whats with the ’schools back in session’ quote? Sounds like basketball trash talk. I live in Seattle and see the members of Soundgarden on a regular basis around town and I dont see them as a competitive musical source to be reckoned with. I don’t think any of them are composers in the classical sense of the word, or release music (besides Pearl Jam) on a regular basis. I love Soundgarden and I have every single album in addition to bootlegs and many side project albums. I personally think somebody is in debt or is being manipulated by a production company and has to drag the last unbesmirched Seattle band though the mud. I wonder what Susan Silver has to say?
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
Why doesn’t someone just give him and the members of the group the benefit of the doubt, and assume that perhaps they make music because they actually LIKE making music? I understand there’s many cases where greed takes over and the musician part gets burned away, (ex. the band Live, and their singer Ed), but for me personally, following Soundgarden for many years, reading as many interviews I’ve read, and seen as many interviews as I’ve seen, it really doesn’t feel like this is some lame attempt to try to cash in on the “Reunion Fad” that seems to coincedentally be going on. From what I’ve read/seen, Chris Cornell is an experimentalist when it comes to music, has always been since Soundgarden started back in the mid 80’s, if you just look at Soundgarden’s catalog of songs, call it what you will, but there is a very impressive progression of musicianship from all members from their first album to their last. And Cornell just wanted to further that, to a point that no other “band” would really want to go, (Timbaland.) And I think that now that he’s had his fun experimenting with different genres, he feels as though it’s time to get back on the SG saddle, now that everything will be fresh to them (writing music, touring, etc.) Call me biased cause I am indeed a SG fan (among all the 90’s greats), but I just wish people wouldn’t jump to conclusions so quickly making generalizations about musicians without doing their homework on it first.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
The first Audioslave record was a great success, a heavy rock masterpiece. Every song is good; the record is good from start to finish. One of the only the great rock records of the post-Alternative era. It’s been in regular rotation for me since 2002.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
to tell you the truth, what i read about the soundgarden that “waned” Cornell was ready to jump back in the studio after Down on the Upside was complete. he felt energized by the work, the song-writing. Something happened, yes…what that is remains still between the members. There were changes to Cornell’s voice, obviously. Sheppard had more song writing credits than Thayil, one of the founding members, and Ben was a newcomer as far as they go. Maybe the business had something to do with it. In 1996 They were playing arenas, something they stated many times over they did not enjoy because of the sound, and they broke up during a show, Sheppard totally pissed about the sound. What I do know the band can’t understate at all. The quality of their work, the fact they weren’t girl, sex or drug driven, the music, that’s what made this band. All members contributed so much to their total sound none of them could be replaced.I don’t think there is anything wrong with Cornell saying I want to go back to what I loved, or back to a crew that really worked, maybe after failing individually this is some evolution process that makes sense now. I thank them so much for it. i dreaded the day they broke up, Down on the Upside just made me want even more. tunes like Tighter and Tighter and a handful of other unknown songs off that album were mind-blowing. I wanted more…. I could see Robert Plant not wanting to do Zeppelin, although I wish he was in it, there is a difference between being 60 years old and drudging up the past which was 40 years ago as opposed to Cornell who is fourty and thinking about 12 years ago. Soundgarden also holds up rather well in this dry well of a music scene we got going on now. Mastodon is the only honorable mention, and yes Tool… I don’t have the same view of this as you, though I understand your point of view. What works for these guys is that they didn’t leave on a sour note.. Maybe they can beat expectations here by starting where they left off at, like no band before. Soundgarden remains relevant and I look forward to this getting going and strong
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
All this heat over speculation over one tweet. Cornell has a loyal fan following and wether he moves forward on his own, which I have completely enjoyed as much if not more than the soundgarden days sheerly because he seems happier, or if soundgarden puts out a box set or videos or whatever becomes of this mystery tweet, he will continue to have loyal fans, and haters. That is the sign of a good artist who isn’t resting on the same old thing, different day. ALways fun waiting to see what comes next for Cornell!
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
“There’s also the lingering reminder you’re only back together because nothing else worked out.”
I get that impression too. Ive read Cornell interviews in the past where he said he wasn’t interested in going back. His tune changed after Scream, when he became a laughing stock. He lost a hell of a lot of credibility and this is the way to remind and gain it back. I think the Tadgarden reunion and response shook his ego too.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
Well I disagree with this blog on several points. The most obvious is the ‘waning’ of Soundgarden which he alludes to.Waning? In what sense? Soundgarden in my mind only became better song writers and a more distinctive band as their career developed. Their last three albums are the best three consecutive albums I have ever heard and I really would love to here what other mid-Late 90’s bands Soundgarden was “barely distinguishable from”.
In addition Euphoria Morning was ommited from this write-up like it has been in every criticsm I have read of Conrell post Soundgarden. That album is gold if you have a more than 15 second derivative hard rock attention span. Despite being a commercial failure it was a truly impressive album in terms of vocals, lyrics and melody as was the Audioslave self titled (which was hardly a commercial failure).
I agree that with a few notable exceptions much of the subsequent work he has been assocaited with has been sub-standard compared to earlier work. In the case of Audioslave I simply think it reflected more of an inability of the ‘Rage” outfit to progress musically in the same way Soundgarden did and could.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:13 PM { # }
I agree with whoever it was said the Cornell solo albums contain some of the best songwriting of his career. I don’t think the question here is whether he has any need to salvage his credibility now by rejoining his old band – it’s whether his semi-retired bandmates in Soundgarden can keep up with him musically if they do reform. OK, Matt Cameron’s been behind the drums in Pearl Jam, but Cornell’s been a prolific musician and songwriter for the whole of the time he’s been away from Soundgarden – what have Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd done, exactly? Not a lot.
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