To many rock fans, he was the clear-cut break-out star of the early 90's rock scene- the most recognizable face and voice of the so-called Grunge Era. He was more charismatic than Vedder, more dynamic than Staley, and more engrossing that Cobain. But things have now clearly changed for Chris Cornell. More than 2 years have passed since the band he helmed, Soundgarden, decided to call it a day at the very peak of their career. And nearly 5 years have gone by since the time when Seattle was the unquestioned capitol of the hard rock world.
Today, Cornell finds himself preparing for the release of his 1st post-Soundgarden solo disc. And while many of his former group's still-faithful followers hope and pray that their beloved band may one day decide to resurface on the rock and roll scene, Mr. C holds back no punches when he refutes rumors that Soundgarden will ever again reform. These days his focus remains firmly on his solo disc, an album where the raw rage that so often characterized Soundgarden's best work has been replaced by a more contemplative- though no less compelling- approach. Rather than featuring pure guitar overdrive, Cornell's new outing favors everything from acoustic rockers to electric rants, all of which allow plenty of room for the singers unmatched vocal dexterity to shine through in all its glory.
"I know people will want to compare what I'm doing now to Soundgarden," Cornell said. "But this isn't Soundgarden. This is more of a vocal album than anything we did in Soundgarden. I'm not trying to compete with that band, or with any success we may have had in the past."
Clearly, while he may now wish to bury (or at least temporarily cast aside) certain elements of his musical past, when Cornell opens his mouth and lets those magical, mystical vocal chords loose, there's no way that listener's thought process won't invariably drift back to the halcyon days of Soundgarden. After all, it's hard to forget a band that sold over 10 million copies of such albums such as Badmotorfinger and Superunknown- in the process rather unwittingly helping to establish trends in music and fashion that literally and figuratively rocked the world. But much like his Seattle rock brethren, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Nirvana's later, lamented Kurt Cobain, Cornell never sought out the spotlight of public acclaim- even after that spotlight came pounding on his door. Rather than living in the harsh glare of stardom, Soundgarden decided to disband at the top of their game in 1996... and since then the rock scene has awaited with baited breath to see what Cornell's next musical move might be.
"I don't believe that Chris wanted to rush things for any number of reasons," a label insider revealed. "First off, I don't think he wanted to have anything he did on his own directly contrasted to Soundgarden. That's a lot to ask, but enough time has passed for what ever he produces to now stand on its own merit and not exist in the shadows cast by his previous accomplishments. Secondly, I don't think it was that easy for him to find the direction in which he next wanted to go with his songs. In addition, he had to find other musicians who shared his vision, and people who understood what he wanted to do. That all takes time."
The fact is that the musicians Cornell ended up working with on hi solo effort- Eleven's Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider- have been rumored to be the vocalist's cohorts for more than a year. In fact, Cornell first encountered Eleven when that band opened a series of shows for Soundgarden in the mid 90's. Since then a mutual admiration between these multi- talented artists, and when the time finally rolled around last August for Cornell to begin work in earnest on his disc in an LA recording studio (which actually turned out to be Johannes' home), Johannes and Shneider were the obvious choices to round out his musical cast. Mixing a variety of uncharacteristic, or at least unexpected instruments- including sitars and organs- with more conventional rock fare, the trio spent the next 8 months working at leisurely pace in order to bring Cornell's artistic vision in full fruition.
"It was a really relaxed environment," Cornell said. "When we'd come up with an idea, we'd record it. There really wasn't any rigid recording schedule. A lot of it was spur of the moment inspiration."
The results, as shown on such songs as "Sunshower" (which gave anxious listeners a hint at Cornell's future direction when it popped up on the Great Expectations movie soundtrack late last year), manage to simultaneously pay homage to Cornell's roots and venture into bold, new musical territory. While some long time fans may yearn for the full throttle intensity that was so often Soundgarden's calling card, perhaps it is the often somber lyrical mood that fills many of Cornell's new tunes that most characteristically recalls his previous work. At first listen, some may also note that Cornell has seemingly turned his back on presenting the occasional radio-friendly tune, preferring to feature continually challenging work rather than music destined to bring instant acclaim to his efforts. This time around, fans really have to listen to fully absorb the varied nuances and subtleties that distinguish Cornell's solo outing.
"I don't believe that Chris really cares how many albums he sells," our source said. I'm sure there's a degree of professional pride involved with making music where you'd like to think that you can still be successful even after leaving a highly acclaimed band. But fame and money have never motivated Chris, and they're not going to now. He's created something very special, something that isn't riding a wave of 'hipness' as Soundgarden did. I think we'll all be very interested to see how everyone responds to this one. If talent and skill still mean anything in rock and roll, then this should end up being as successful as anything he ever did in Soundgarden. But in today's rock market, who really knows what to expect?"
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