Chris Cornell - RIP

[19]

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/ap-rocker-chris-cornell-from-soundgarden-has-died-at-age-52-in-detroit

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

This sucks.

[boomhauertjs]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Sick to my stomach. Superunknown is a "desert island album" for me. I'm fortunate that I got to see him play with Audioslave, but never made it to a Soundgarden show. Really regretting that this morning.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Really love Soundgarden (especially Superunknown and Down On The Upside) , but his best work (imo) came with the Temple Of The Dog project.

That is a Desert Island album for me. I wore out that cassette back in 1991 2 times. An iconic rock album.

And his song Seasons on the Singles soundtrack is legendary.

Just a great rock icon......lost far too soon. Chris was not a user. Must be something so sudden and unexpected.

I am really sad this morning.

[roadman]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

RIP Chris Cornell.

First Cobain, then Layne Stayley Scott Weiland and now Chris Cornell.

Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends.

[LowerWolf]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Just an amazing voice and an incredibly talented guy. This sucks.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

I can't even process this yet. Cornell was and is a large part of my musical identity. He was the leaping off point for me as I started to really dive into music. Audioslave was the first concert I went to and I still remember it vividly. I managed to get to see Soundgarden when they got back together several years at the same venue.

I feel there's a lot to say in an attempt to show my appreciation. All of the Soundgarden albums have clicked with me at different stages and moods in my life. Temple of the Dog will forever be my favorite album of all-time. Euphoria Mourning is an apt title for his first solo album right now. There's a lot to say, but I can't find the words. Try as hard as I can, but words aren't coming to me - only songs.

Spoiler

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[19]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Well put, Fresh. Well put.

[JBH3]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

I can't even process this yet. Cornell was and is a large part of my musical identity. He was the leaping off point for me as I started to really dive into music. Audioslave was the first concert I went to and I still remember it vividly. I managed to get to see Soundgarden when they got back together several years at the same venue.

I feel there's a lot to say in an attempt to show my appreciation. All of the Soundgarden albums have clicked with me at different stages and moods in my life. Temple of the Dog will forever be my favorite album of all-time. Euphoria Mourning is an apt title for his first solo album right now. There's a lot to say, but I can't find the words. Try as hard as I can, but words aren't coming to me - only songs.

I always thought that your screen name was for the Soundgarden song of the same name...which is an awesome song.

RIP Chris..

Proud to say I saw Soundgarden at Constitution Hall in 2013....

So sad today... listening to SG now...4th of July...

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

I always thought that your screen name was for the Soundgarden song of the same name...which is an awesome song.

RIP Chris..

Proud to say I saw Soundgarden at Constitution Hall in 2013....

So sad today... listening to SG now...4th of July...

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

It is. One of my favorites.

[roadman]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

It is. One of my favorites.

For the many years of posting with you in the music thread, I know Chris is one of your favorite artists and singers.

This world has lost a great artist.

[Blzer]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Ugh, this sucks.

[LowerWolf]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

My soundtrack for work today:

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[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Below is my eulogy of sorts. It has helped a minimal amount putting into words my appreciation for his craft and the connections it made to me. I'm still processing it all.

Spoiler

Like most mornings I got into my car and pulled my cellphone from my coat pocket to play something from Spotify. As usual its slow to load so I open up Facebook to pass a couple seconds. The first thing I see is NPR reporting that Chris Cornell died after performing with Soundgarden in Detroit. Chris's post from yesterday about enjoying the camaraderie of touring with his band mates immediately came to my mind. My stomach felt heavy. My body felt numb. I just sat there for a couple seconds as Spotify finally loaded. I thought about putting on Sweet Euphoria or Seasons, but I couldn't. My mind was racing to find some kind of reasoning or begin to comprehend the news.

Anybody who knows me knows that I don't typically cling to musicians as deities or connect to them on a personal level. I appreciate their craft, but outside of their art I don't typically venture. While I was never the fan who knew every detail about Chris and his life, his music certainly connected to me on emotional and spiritual levels throughout the years. Music has grown to be an outlet that is more than entertainment to me. Often times I find it easier to express my moods and thoughts with playlists and albums. As much as music means to me now I've really only been actively searching and listening since my late teens.

As a kid I never listened to much music outside of a handful of CDs and tapes. I would ride my bike around the yard listening to CCR. I remember being sick and Mom taking me to pick up Will Smith's Gettin' Jiggy Wit It along with my medicine. I remember buying Britney Spear's debut album in middle school. High school was filled with haphazard Napster mp3s and mixed CDs. Everything changed with the death of my cousin.
Nathan died on a class trip to Mexico. It hit hard. We were the same age. We were family. There were things I knew about him, but much more that I didn't. At the funeral, as my brother and I passed by his casket, I noticed a CD case laying on top. It was Audioslave's debut album. A part of me took this as a sign; an opportunity to be closer with my cousin that I didn't get before he died.

As a starting point Audioslave was an amazing band. As an actual band they never lived up to the sum of their parts or their previous legacies, but they had moments of masterpieces throughout their library. While his vocals were sometimes over powered the man still had some lungs to power through Morello's funky power chords and riffs and flat out impress. Jumping off from Audioslave into Soundgarden (and Rage Against the Machine) was natural and obvious. I wanted more. More music. More range. More emotional power. More of Cornell.

Following Cornell lead me to Soundgarden. That was obvious. I bought Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. While the music isn't as bombastic as Audioslave it worked towards Cornell's strength in tremendous ways. Cornell's banshee power bowls you over on songs like Jesus Christ Pose, Outshined, and Rusty Cage. His control and ability to be emotionally intimate while powering small towns with his vocals always impressed me. Even as he refined his vocals from Superunknown onward he still displayed that power when necessary such as on The Day I Tried to Live, but his range seem to broaden somehow. He brought an intimacy to the brooding, dark instrumentation of Superunknown such as with Like Suicide.

As I processed these albums I wanted more. Picking up the rest of Soundgarden's library was a no-brainer. What wasn't obvious (at the time) was finding Temple of the Dog and his solo album. I vividly remember buying both albums together at Circuit City. Temple of the Dog completely blew me away. It is, without a doubt, the best encapsulation of Cornell's greatest talents. Raw power, intense emotion, and incredible intimacy propels each song into a stratosphere few vocalists dream of reaching. The duet Hunger Strike with then unknown Eddie Vedder. The soothing, sensual All Night Thing. The intimate eulogy of Say Hello 2 Heaven. For me, Call Me A Dog will forever be my favorite song off of my favorite album. It is Cornell at his peak. Every time Chris lets go and just belts out the chorus as McCready's solo comes in (and somehow, miraculously matches Chris in intensity) I am floored. I have spent many nights driving around listening to this album. It is the first CD I play in any new vehicle I have. There is something about it that just releases pent up emotions and frustrations.

Perhaps its a coincidence that I bought Temple of the Dog and Euphoria Mourning together. Considering the fact both are eulogies of sorts to two of Cornell's friends (Andrew Wood and Jeff Buckley) it makes sense that the level of emotion and intimacy on both are miles above anything else he has done. If Call Me A Dog is my 1a then Sweet Euphoria is my 1b. Stripping down to just an acoustic guitar his vocals push through an emotional reconciliation with death and longing for those lost.

Audioslave was my first concert back in October 2005 at George Mason's Patriot Center. When Soundgarden reunited several years ago I was finally able to see them at the exact same venue. Cornell's vocals demanded so much that at times he seemed to part the music with his banshee wailing and elevate everything around him. I vividly remember his solo set and being ecstatic at hearing Call Me A Dog. I lost my voice at Audioslave. At the merch booth after the show I could only point to the shirt and make an "X L" with my hands in a rude form of amateur sign language. I still have the shirt. I still have the ticket stubs. I even have the cheap bracelets from both shows.

While these mementos are great reminders I will forever be thankful for what Cornell provided me and countless other fans with his music. His voice has often times been substituted for my own when nothing but his songs could express myself. I don't typically catch feelings when people I don't know personally pass away. Prince and Bowie are two big examples, but their actual impact on me is minimal. Cornell is a pillar to my foundation. And this morning it cracked.

RIP Chris. Go join Andy, Jeff, and Nate and rest your lungs forever.

[LambertandHam]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Damnit. Big fan of his from Soundgarden to Audioslave. RIP.

[Sheamazin]

Re: Chris Cornell - RIP

Damn this really sucks!! My wife and I are huge fans of his music. Soundgarden, Audioslave and all the solo stuff he did. I wish we could have seem him live solo or with one the bands. We used his version of the Led Zeppelin song "Thank You" as our wedding song. He will be missed greatly.

Thank You!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbQKTD3dR3s