lambchops's Full Review: Superunknown by Soundgarden
Soundgarden was one of the earliest examples of what came to be known as the Seattle sound…a.k.a. grunge.
Formed in the mid-1980’s amidst a sea of hair bands and metal gods, Soundgarden was something a little different. Their sound was derived from mixing pomp-rock like Led Zeppelin with punk rock like that of The Ramones. The resulting musical style wasn’t strictly metal, rather it was more accessible and less self conscious. The sound appealed to many listeners, and during the late 1980’s the band was able to gain a pretty large cult following.
The band bounced around to various record labels before becoming household names. Soundgarden released an EP titled Flower in 1988 on SST. It was followed almost immediately by their first full-length effort, Ultramega OK. During that same time, indie label Sub Pop also released two EP’s. Both Screaming Life and FOPP became word of mouth hits.
Finally, in 1989, Soundgarden was given their big chance with their major label debut Louder Than Love on A&M. It never became a huge hit (it peaked at #108), but it managed to earn a coveted Grammy nomination nonetheless. By this time, the band’s lineup was complete. Chris Cornell was on vocals, Kim Thayil on guitar, Matt Cameron on drums, and Ben Shepard rounded Soundgarden out on bass.
1991’s Badmotorfinger cemented Soundgarden’s place at the top of the rock hierarchy. Despite having the unfortunate luck of being released the same month as Nirvana’s Nevermind, the album managed to be a relatively big hit. Spawning two singles (of which both are still played on rock radio on a daily basis), the album also marked a change in the record company’s marketing strategy. They were initially considered metal. With the introduction of ‘grunge,’ Soundgarden suddenly was of a different classification. The two notable singles from this album were ”Outshined” and ”Rusty Cage”.
Superunknown was released in 1994 and marked the pinnacle of Soundgarden’s success. It is by far the most popular album of the band’s career selling to multi-platinum status. This album went on to earn the band two (yes, two) Grammy awards. This was quite an impressive accomplishment for a simple ‘grunge’ band. The most popular track is probably ”Black Hole Sun”. It’s the one that drew many listeners to Soundgarden. That said, it’s not my favorite. I prefer faster and harder tracks like ”My Wave”, ”Fell on Black Days”, ”Spoonman” and ”The Day I Tried To Live”.
Somehow, ”Black Hole Sun” managed to hit a chord in music listeners. Soundgarden demonstrated a very calculated and unobtrusive approach to making music with the track. The MTV-ready video honed in on strange and spooky imagery to match the song’s quirky characteristics. Cornell sings above sparse and strange guitars. The mid-tempo beat is actually somewhat annoying. It’s certainly a departure from the band’s earlier successful sounds and the other tracks even on this album. This is an overrated track. Listeners should be more impressed by some of the other offerings.
With that said, ”My Wave” is one of my favorite tracks of the ‘grunge’ era. Although, this song is harder and heavier handed than many of the other songs from that genre. It’s really a mix between metal and straight rock and roll. The rhythm is driving and interesting. Cornell’s voice is clear and smooth (something that was often not the case with ‘grunge’ music). I love Thayil’s guitar (though it is repetitive and does little to exemplify his talent) and Cameron’s truly driving and classic drum work.
”Fell On Black Days” is understated and emotional. Beginning with soft mournfulness and breaking into an emotional chorus, this is one of the best songs from the band on this album. It’s not a headbanger, rather ”Fell On Black Days” is simply great rock without really abrasive guitars. Some of these same things can be said for ”The Day I Tried To Live”. Pleading emotion and great music are marked characteristics of this track. Thayil’s guitars and Shepard’s bass are much louder and pointed than ”Fell On Black Days”.
Another of my favorite ‘grunge’ tracks is ”Spoonman”. It’s one of the top two tracks of Superunknown. The sound of the track is metal more than anything else. The percussion on this song is more interesting and diverse than in most other music from Soundgarden. Cornell sounds absolutely perfect, and with the addition of spoons as an instrument this is a perfect song.
As a whole, this is a great album. You may consider skipping one or two tracks. ”Half” lacks the drive and musical direction of most of the other songs on this album. I suspect that Soundgarden wanted to experiment with their sound a bit. The result is a strange and utterly useless example of rock music gone bad. The ‘bad’ is the addition of a Middle Eastern element. Skip. The only other song that is a bit boring is ”Kickstand”. This track is fast and driving, but seems forced and repetitive. You may or may not like ”Kickstand”. I don’t like it.
This is the epitome of great music. Sure, there are a few duds (if looked at honestly, every album has a dud or two), but as a whole Soundgarden was awarded the attention they deserved. I wish that casual fans recognized that they did something besides ”Black Hole Sun”. But, since that track was such a success many people don’t realize that this entire album is a gem.
I give this album 4/5 stars. I docked it a star because of ”Kickstand” and ”Half” besides that, every song is worthy of at least a listen or two. Soundgarden’s sound may be too abrasive for people who don’t like rock music. If you enjoy rock, or ‘grunge,’ then this is an essential addition to your music collection. I highly recommend it.
Track Listing
1. Let Me Drown B+
2. My Wave A
3. Fell On Black Days A-
4. Mailman B+
5. Superunknown B
6. Head Down B+
7. Black Hole Sun B-
8. Spoonman A
9. Limo Wreck B+
10. The Day I Tried To Live B
11. Kickstand C
12. Fresh Tendrils B
13. 4th Of July B
14. Half C
15. Like Suicide A-
One last note. Soundgarden broke up in 1997 following the less-than-stellar sales of 1996’s Down On The Upside. Cornell has since pursued a solo career, but more importantly is his current work as vocalist for Rage Against The Machine. Watch for an album from RATM in the New Year.
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