Soundgarden have been one of my favourite bands ever since I was a teenager, here is one of my favourite songs of theirs.
Soundgarden’s journey began in Seattle, Washington,. Initially, Chris Cornell was the drummer, but in 1985, he took the role of singer The band’s had a lot of early lineup changes which were crucial to the formation of this band, I was going to say Grunge band but I hate that term, I don’t understand how bands labelled as grunge can be so different what is the common denominator? I typed into AI list me some grunge bands, top five I got were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in chains and Stone Temple Pilots. To me these are all completely different sounding and In my opinion shouldn’t all be lumped into the same category, I hate the word Genre to me its all just music and I don’t think it should be categorised as anything else, never mind some negative sounding term made up by MTV.
The bands first major success came in 1991 with the release of the album ‘Badmotorfinger’ It was their 3rd album and for me their best album, it incorporates heavy sounding riffs with abstract lyrics with great instrumentation and odd time signatures, It’s aggressive and raw and has unconventional song structures, The album played a key role in establishing Soundgarden as a major force in alternative rock movements in the early 90s.
Despite the bands success they faced internal tensions and challenges especially during the making of Their 1996 album ‘Down on the upside’ and the subsequent tour promoting the album was marred with many conflicts. Here is my favourite song from that album.
Soundgarden broke up in 1997 until their reunion in 2010 to the delight of fans, they released a new album in 2012 called ‘King Animal’ and continued to tour until the tragic death of Chis Cornell in 2017, Here is my favourite song from that album.
Soundgarden’s legacy is one of groundbreaking music and enduring influence. They were not just a band but a cornerstone of a musical movement that defined a generation. Their contributions to grunge and rock music continue to resonate with fans old and new, ensuring that their music will live on for years to come.
Regards
Patrick. M
I Love Chris Cornell! A beautiful and distinct voice.