Remembering Chris Cornell: 1964-2017

Post #349

It is never easy to hear about a beloved musician passing away. On Wednesday, May 17th, we lost Chris Cornell, the founder and front-man of Soundgarden, and Audioslave, when he tragically took his own life. I heard the news the following morning.

I was shocked. I was in disbelief. I couldn't believe it fully until seeing a credible report with my own eyes. I still didn't want to believe it. I still don't...

How do I say what Chris Cornell's music meant to me? I was not a fan of grunge when it first came along. As an MTV kid, I wasn't into their music videos, and I didn't buy into the Seattle grunge bands nor the alternative rock scene until years later. But the seed that planted an appreciation for it in my mind wasn't from Pearl Jam, or Alice In Chains, or even Nirvana. There was no video that sold me. No radio single that caught my ear. Rather it was an automatic 'selection of the month' shipment from one of the mail-order music clubs I forgot to respond to (I think it was Columbia House, but it could have been BMG- remember those?) It was Badmotorfinger- by Soundgarden. I might have heard 'Jesus Christ Pose' once or twice, and not particularly cared for it, but the opening track, 'Rusty Cage' had me hooked.

Badmotorfinger grew on me as a whole. After just a couple listens through it, front-to-back, I had numerous favorite songs, and had become fan enough that when SuperUNKNOWN hit a couple years later I was ready for it, and would follow Soundgarden, and Chris Cornell, through all his other projects and bands from that point on. His songwriting and vocal abilities were so unique, so versatile, and appealed to the fan in me that appreciated heavy music, strange music, acoustic music, melodic music, grungy music... and now that voice has been silenced.

Remember Chris Cornell through his music, celebrate his life through his lyrics, and reach out to support those in your own life who may need help, who may be struggling with depression, or any challenging issue, health related or otherwise. Life is precious.

Suicide prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

I for one will miss his voice, and mourn the loss of all his words and songs that will forever remain unwritten.

My own memorial playlist for the late legend, Chris Cornell:
-Burden In My Hand
-Hunger Strike
-Mood for Trouble
-The Day I Tried to Live
-Room a Thousand Years Wide
-Doesn't Remind Me
-Can't Change Me (acoustic-live)
-Fell On Black Days
-Mind Riot
-Original Fire
-Loud Love
-Like A Stone
-Rusty Cage
-I Am The Highway
-Thank You (Live)
-Nothing Left to Say But Goodbye
-Say Hello 2 Heaven

...and since I can't stop there, here are a few rarities and covers Chris Cornell has done recently that are fitting testament to his captivating vocal abilities.














Remember Chris Cornell...

Pearl Jam-Ten

Post # 173 [Poll Winner: Favorite Pearl Jam Album of the 90's]

It is perhaps a little overdue that I finally review some Pearl Jam on this blog. Though there were polling opportunities before, they never managed to come out on top (they failed to win the Favorite Grunge-Band poll, and Favorite Debut Album poll.) Over the 2nd half of 2011, I decided to focus on the 90's with my reader's polls, and I finally made my way to Pearl Jam. They have had the most staying power of all the grunge-era bands, and deserve some attention for it.

It may have been expected that Ten would win favorite album of the 90's, but it is also poetic, as it celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2011. This album was a major cornerstone for the entire Grunge genre. Ten is well known for the several smash hits it includes: 'Even Flow', 'Alive', 'Black', and 'Jeremy'. Beyond those songs is a top-notch rock album from one of the biggest rock bands to emerge during the 90's.

Through a persistent commitment to follow their own agenda, and to write music from the heart and not follow trends, or bow to the will of producers or critics, Pearl Jam have established a very loyal and devoted following. Many of these fans first developed this obsession with Ten. This album brought a certain appeal to the hard-rock music scene of the early 90's. By the time 'Jeremy', the album's 3rd single, was released people were catching on. Along with their contemporaries Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden; Pearl Jam were offering a different sound, and new take on angst-driven hard rock. Leagues of new fans, who had perhaps grown tired of the pop-driven Hair-Metal scene, flocked to this new 'alternative' scene, and gave the grunge movement its primary fan-base.

I invite you to go back to your CD archives, dust of your scuffed-up copy of Ten, and give it another listen...
The singles you have probably heard several times over, unless you've lived in a cave for the last 20 years...
-Jeremy
-Even Flow
-Alive
-Black

My other recommended tracks from this genre-defining masterpiece:
-Once (Perhaps the best of several overlooked tracks on this album)

-Porch
-Release (The hidden track at the end, 'Master/Slave', fades out, and if you have your player on repeat, picks up again as the intro of 'Once', bringing Ten full circle.)

Alice In Chains-Live at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

Post #90
Just saw Alice In Chains at the Aragon Ballroom yesterday. Venue was packed, actually too crowded for comfort if you ask me. Made it difficult to enjoy the show, or even view the band. May have gotten a better spot, but we were late arriving to the show. The music was great however. The band works well with new singer, William DuVall. Unfortunately I never got to see the original line-up live when they still had Layne, so I cannot rightly compare the two. They did pay tribute to him several times during the show. May they carry on for many more years, and hopefully, play a bigger venue next time they're in town!

From the best of my recollection, here's the setlist:
1-All Secrets Known
2-It Ain't Like That
3-Again
4-Check My Brain
5-Them Bones
6-Dam That River
7-Rain When I Die
8-Your Decision
9-Got Me Wrong
10-We Die Young
11-Looking In View
12-Nutshell
13-Sickman
14-Lesson Learned
15-Acid Bubble
16-No Excuses
17-Angry Chair
18-Man In The Box
-------
19-Would?
20-Rooster

Alice In Chains-Black Gives Way To Blue

Post #73
After a long period of silence, one of the greatest bands from the grunge-era finally return. Alice In Chains have picked up their bones, filled some voids, and recorded some new music that is surprisingly reminiscent of their previous material. For a band to choose to continue their career after the death of a key member has to be a hard decision to make. For Alice In Chains, they took their time.

After several years of mourning the loss of original vocalist, Layne Staley, and much soul searching, the band decided to reunite. At first they just performed a couple of benefit shows, and had a variety of different performers fill the role of lead vocals. At some point, they called on William DuVall (who'd performed with Jerry Cantrell on his solo tour) to take the lead vocals part. What started as a last-go-around tribute to Layne Staley tour grew enough camaraderie among the band members that they decided to keep going.


DuVall has proven to be the defibrillator that jump-started Alice In Chains' black & blue heart. If you've heard any of the band's new music from Black Gives Way To Blue, then you know why. The first time I heard "Check My Brain" the similarity to Staley's unique voice sent chills down my spine. When I first played the album all the way through, almost every song did the same. There are some places where DuVall is singing solo that you can hear how his voice differs from Layne's, but in the next melody he'll slip into another instance of eerie resemblance.

William DuVall's voice is not exactly like Layne's, but it's damn close! Even more important, the 2-part harmonies between DuVall and Jerry Cantrell sound just like classic Alice In Chains. Casually listening to the music you probably couldn't tell it wasn't Layne. DuVall's performance on this album is the perfect compliment to Cantrell's songwriting. The reflective and cathartic nature of the lyrics depict the mournful mindset of this band at this point in time, sometimes with heartbreaking clarity. If you've ever been a fan of this band, you owe it to yourself and to them to give this album a listen.

Every song has a place on this album, and sounds like a perfect fit among the band's previous material. I will try to narrow down my recommendations, but do yourself the favor of listening to the complete recording.
My picks:
-All Secrets Known (First track- themed around a new beginning, without going back to the start. Sort of a mission statement for this album)
-Check My Brain (The first single, you can probably hear it now on your local radio station... great harmonies between William & Jerry, not to mention a classic AIC riff that sounds almost out of tune.)
-Last of My Kind (Maybe the heaviest song on this album. Great song to hear both similarities and uniqueness when comparing/contrasting DuVall and Layne Staley)
-Your Decision (An acoustic/clean guitar, mellow song. It does have a tone of melancholy, as do many songs on this album- hey, it's AIC!)
-When the Sun Rose Again (Another acoustic number. Pretty much like "Your Decision"...)
-Private Hell (All the elements of a classic AIC song, but one of their slow-tempo electric numbers. DuVall sings an echoing "Uh-huh" that weighs on your ears with heavy emotion.)
-Black Gives Way to Blue (A perfect closing track. The lyrics reflect on the sentiment surrounding Layne perhaps the most of any song here. Awesome guest appearance by Elton John on piano. Layne, we'll all remember you.... rest in peace.)

Nirvana-The 1st Name in Grunge

Post #22 (Poll Winner: Favorite Grunge Band)
That Nirvana won the "Favorite Grunge Band" Poll was a fact I probably could have predicted. You have to admit that the first song of the whole Grunge scene you can probably recall is "Smells Like Teen Spirit", right? And don't forget the video that was always playing on MTV.... the flannel wearing teens with the unkempt hair, cheering Nirvana in their high school gymnasium, while cheerleaders sporting tank-tops emblazoned with the anarchy symbol shook their ratty pom-poms... it was pretty much a snapshot of the image that became know as "grunge".

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the whole Nirvana phenomenon
is probably Kurt Cobain himself. He truly became the prototype
image of grunge. The scraggly hair, and scratchy-scream vocals he
provided to the music... these were aspects of grunge that were
endlessly emulated by the alt-rock bands that followed in the footsteps
of grunge. And lastly the fact that Cobain took his own life during the
peak of his band's career was sure to leave an impression on the
hearts of those who loved the grunge scene, and particularly fans of
Nirvana.

Without further adieu, my picks from Nirvana:
-Heart Shaped Box
-Smells Like Teen Spirit
-Rape Me
-Big Cheese
-About a Girl
-Pennyroyal tea
-Polly
-Something in The Way
-I Hate Myself & Want to Die
-All Apologies

(covers)
-Do You Love Me (You can find this one on the Kiss tribute entitled "Hard to
Believe", it is a pre-Bleach recording by Nirvana)
-Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam
-The Man Who Sold the World
-Lake of Fire
-Where Did You Sleep Last Night (trad. also done by Bob Dylan & The
Grateful Dead)