| Soundgarden | |
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Soundgarden in 1991, left to right: Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Genre(s) | Alternative metal, alternative rock, grunge |
| Years active | 1984–1997 |
| Label(s) | Sub Pop, SST, A&M |
| Associated acts | Skin Yard, Temple of the Dog, Pearl Jam, Hater, Wellwater Conspiracy, Audioslave |
| Members | |
| Chris Cornell Kim Thayil Matt Cameron Ben Shepherd |
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| Former members | |
| Hiro Yamamoto Scott Sundquist Jason Everman |
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Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by lead singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band's permanent drummer in 1986 while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990.
Soundgarden was one of the key bands in the creation of grunge, a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle and was based around the band's record label Sub Pop. Soundgarden was the first grunge band to sign to a major label, though the band did not achieve commercial success until Seattle contemporaries Nirvana and Pearl Jam popularized grunge in the early 1990s.
Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album, Superunknown, which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and yielded the Grammy Award–winning singles "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman". In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction. Soundgarden has sold eight million records in the U.S.,[1] and an estimated twenty million albums worldwide.[2]
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Soundgarden was formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell (drums and vocals) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass); they were later joined by Kim Thayil (guitar). Thayil had moved to Seattle from Park Forest, Illinois[3] with Yamamoto and Bruce Pavitt, who would later start Sub Pop Records. The band named themselves after a wind-channeling pipe sculpture, "The Sound Garden," located in Magnuson Park, Seattle, Washington.[4]
Cornell originally played drums while singing, but in 1985 the band enlisted Scott Sundquist to allow Cornell to concentrate on vocals.[5] The band traveled around playing various concerts with this line-up for about a year. The band's first recordings were three songs that appeared on a 1986 compilation for C/Z Records called Deep Six. It also featured songs by fellow grunge pioneers Green River, Skin Yard, Malfunkshun, The U-Men, and the Melvins. Kathleen C. Fennessy of Allmusic stated that the compilation "documents a formative period in Northwest rock history."[6] In 1986, Sundquist left the band to spend time with his family,[7] and was replaced by Matt Cameron, who was the drummer for Skin Yard.
KCMU-FM DJ Jonathan Poneman was impressed after seeing Soundgarden perform one night, later saying, "I saw this band that was everything rock music should be."[8] Poneman offered to fund a release by the band, so Thayil told him to team up with Bruce Pavitt. Poneman offered to contribute $20,000 in funding for Sub Pop, effectively turning it into a full-fledged record label.[9] The band signed to Sub Pop, releasing the Screaming Life EP in 1987, and the Fopp EP in 1988. A combination of the two was issued as Screaming Life/Fopp in 1990.
Though the band was being courted by major labels, in 1988 it signed to the lesser known SST Records to release its debut album, Ultramega OK, released on October 31, 1988. The band's first music video, "Flower" (sample), was directed by Mark Miremont, and aired regularly on MTV's 120 Minutes. Soundgarden supported Ultramega OK with a tour in the United States in the spring of 1989 and a tour in Europe, which began in May 1989 and was the band's first overseas tour.[10] Ultramega OK earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 1990.
On September 5, 1989, the band released its first album for a major label, Louder Than Love, through A&M Records. The signing caused a rift between Soundgarden and its traditional audience. Thayil said, "In the beginning, our fans came from the punk rock crowd. They abandoned us when they thought we had sold out the punk tenets, getting on a major label and touring with Guns N' Roses. There were fashion issues and social issues, and people thought we no longer belonged to their scene, to their particular sub-culture."[11] Because of some of the song lyrics, most notably on "Hands All Over" (sample) and "Big Dumb Sex", the band faced various retail and distribution problems upon the album's release.[12] Louder Than Love became the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 108 on the chart in 1990.
A month before touring for Louder Than Love commenced, bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who was becoming frustrated that he wasn't contributing much,[13] left to go back to college.[14] He was replaced by Jason Everman, formerly of Nirvana. The band embarked on a North American tour that went from December 1989 to March 1990. On this tour the band served as the opening act for Voivod on the band's Nothingface tour, with Faith No More also serving as an opening act at the beginning and end of the tour.[14] The band then went on to tour Europe. Bassist Jason Everman was fired immediately after Soundgarden completed its promotional tour for Louder Than Love in mid-1990. Thayil said that "Jason just didn't work out."[15] Louder Than Love spawned the EP Loudest Love and the video compilation Louder Than Live, both released in 1990.
Bassist Ben Shepherd replaced previous bassist Jason Everman and the new line-up recorded Soundgarden's third studio album in 1991. The resulting album, Badmotorfinger, was released on October 8, 1991. The first single from Badmotorfinger, "Jesus Christ Pose" (sample), garnered attention when MTV decided to ban its corresponding music video in 1991.[16] Many listeners were outraged by the song and its video, perceiving it as anti-Christian. The band received death threats while on tour in the United Kingdom in support of the album.[17] Cornell explained that the lyrics criticize public figures who use religion (particularly the image of Jesus Christ) to portray themselves as being persecuted.[18] Although overshadowed at the time of its release by the sudden popularity of Nirvana's Nevermind, the focus of attention brought by Nevermind to the Seattle scene helped Soundgarden gain wider attention. The singles "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" were able to find an audience at alternative rock radio and MTV. Badmotorfinger was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1992. The album was among the 100 top selling albums of 1992.[19]
Following the release of Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden went on a tour in North America that ran from October 1991 to November 1991.[20] Afterward, the band took a slot opening for Guns N' Roses in North America on the band's Use Your Illusion Tour. Soundgarden was personally selected by Guns N' Roses as its opening band.[21] The band took a slot opening for Skid Row in North America in February 1992 on the band's Slave to the Grind tour,[22] and then headed to Europe for a month-long headlining theater tour.[15] The band returned for a tour in the United States and subsequently rejoined Guns N' Roses in the summer of 1992 in Europe as part of the Use Your Illusion Tour along with fellow opening act Faith No More.[15] Regarding the time spent opening for Guns N' Roses, Cornell said, "It wasn't a whole lot of fun going out in front of 40,000 people for 35 minutes every day. Most of them hadn't heard our songs and didn't care about them. It was a bizarre thing."[17] The band would go on to play the 1992 Lollapalooza tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, and Ministry, among others. The band later released the video compilation Motorvision, which was filmed at the Paramount Theatre in 1992. The band also made an appearance in the movie Singles performing "Birth Ritual". The song appeared on the soundtrack, as did a Chris Cornell solo song, "Seasons".
Released on March 8, 1994, Superunknown became the band's breakthrough album, driven by the singles "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried to Live", "Black Hole Sun" (sample), "My Wave", and "Fell on Black Days". Upon its release in March 1994, Superunknown debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.[23] The songs on Superunknown captured the creativity and heaviness of the band's earlier works, while showcasing the group's newly evolving style. Lyrically, the album was quite dark and mysterious, as much of it is often interpreted to be dealing with substance abuse, suicide, and depression. The album was also more experimental than previous releases, with some songs incorporating Middle-Eastern or Indian music. Reviewer J.D. Considine of Rolling Stone said Superunknown "demonstrates far greater range than many bands manage in an entire career." He also stated, "At its best, Superunknown offers a more harrowing depiction of alienation and despair than anything on In Utero."[24] The music video for "Black Hole Sun" became a hit on MTV and received the award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. Soundgarden won two Grammy Awards in 1995; "Black Hole Sun" received the award for Best Hard Rock Performance and "Spoonman" received the award for Best Metal Performance. Superunknown has been certified five times platinum in the United States and remains Soundgarden's most successful album.
The band began touring in January 1994 in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand,[25] areas where the record came out early,[26] as well as regions where the band had never toured before.[27] This round of touring ended in February 1994, and then in March 1994 the band moved on to Europe.[25] The band began a theater tour of the United States on May 27, 1994,[28][25] with the opening acts Tad and Eleven.[26] In late 1994, after touring in support of Superunknown, doctors discovered that Cornell had severely strained his vocal cords. Soundgarden cancelled several shows to avoid causing any permanent damage. Cornell said, "I think we kinda overdid it! We were playing five or six nights a week and my voice pretty much took a beating. Towards the end of the American tour I felt like I could still kinda sing, but I wasn't really giving the band a fair shake. You don't buy a ticket to see some guy croak for two hours! That seemed like kind of a rip off."[29] The band would make up the dates later in 1995.[30]
The band's final album would be the self-produced Down on the Upside, released on May 21, 1996. The album spawned several singles, including "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand" (sample), and "Blow Up the Outside World". The album was notably less heavy than the group's preceding albums, and marked a further departure from the band's grunge roots. Soundgarden explained at the time that it wanted to experiment with other sounds.[31] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said, "Few bands since Led Zeppelin have so crisply mixed instruments both acoustic and electric."[32] However, tensions within the group arose during the sessions, with Thayil and Cornell reportedly clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become the band's trademark.[33] Despite favorable reviews, the album did not match the sales of Superunknown.[1]
The band took a slot on the 1996 Lollapalooza tour with Metallica, who had insisted on Soundgarden's appearance on the tour.[34] After Lollapalooza, the band embarked on a world-wide tour.[35] Tensions continued to increase during the band's ensuing tour in support of the album. When asked if the band hated touring, Cornell said, "We really enjoy it to a point and then it gets tedious, because it becomes repetitious. You feel like fans have paid their money and they expect you to come out and play them your songs like the first time you ever played them. That's the point where we hate touring."[36] At the tour's final stop in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 9, 1997, Shepherd threw his bass into the air in frustration after suffering equipment failure, and subsequently stormed off the stage.[37] The band retreated, with Cornell returning to conclude the show with a solo encore.[38] On April 9, 1997, the band announced its disbanding. Thayil said, "It was pretty obvious from everybody's general attitude over the course of the previous half year that there was some dissatisfaction."[39] Soundgarden's final release, a greatest hits compilation entitled A-Sides, was released the following fall.
Chris Cornell released a solo album in September 1999, entitled Euphoria Morning. Later, in 2001, he formed the supergroup Audioslave with the former instrumental members of Rage Against the Machine. Cornell recorded three albums as Audioslave's vocalist until his departure (and the band's breakup) in early 2007. His second solo album, Carry On, was released to mixed commercial and critical success in June 2007.
Kim Thayil joined forces with ex-Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Gina Mainwal for one show, performing as the No WTO Combo during the WTO ministerial conference in Seattle on December 1, 1999. Thayil later contributed guitar tracks to Steve Fisk's 2001 album 999 Levels of Undo, as well as Dave Grohl's side-project album, Probot, released in 2004. In 2006, Thayil performed guitar on the album Altar, the collaboration between the bands Sunn O))) and Boris.
Matt Cameron initially turned his efforts to his side-project Wellwater Conspiracy, to which both Shepherd and Thayil have contributed performances. He then worked briefly with The Smashing Pumpkins and was even rumoured as a replacement for Jimmy Chamberlin. In 1998, he stepped in on drums for Pearl Jam's Yield Tour, and subsequently joined the band as a permanent member.
Ben Shepherd was the vocalist on Wellwater Conspiracy's first studio album, Declaration of Conformity, released in 1997, however he left the band in 1998. He has toured with Mark Lanegan and released the second Hater album in 2005.
Regarding a future Soundgarden reunion, Cornell stated in an October 2005 interview that it would "probably not happen." He continued, "It's almost like we sealed the lid and said, this is Soundgarden and this is its lifespan, and put it out there. And it looks really great to me. I think getting back together would take the lid off that and then could possibly change what... to me seems like the perfect lifespan of the band. I can't think of any reason to mess with that."[40] In interviews following his departure from Audioslave in February 2007, Cornell reiterated that the members of Soundgarden had no interest in reuniting.[41] In an interview in early August 2007, Cornell mentioned that Thayil has wanted to release a box set or B-sides album of Soundgarden rarities, although no further information was given.[42]
Soundgarden was a pioneer of the grunge music genre, which mixed elements of punk rock and heavy metal into a dirty, aggressive sound. Soundgarden's sound during the early years of the Seattle grunge scene has been described as consisting of "gnarled neo-Zeppelinisms."[43] The influence of Led Zeppelin was evident, with Q magazine noting that Soundgarden were "in thrall to '70s rock, but contemptuous of the genre's overt sexism and machismo."[44] Sub Pop viewed the band as having an angle that featured "a hunky lead singer and fused Led Zeppelin and the Butthole Surfers."[45] The Butthole Surfers' mix of punk, heavy metal and noise rock was a major influence on the early work of Soundgarden.[45] Soundgarden and other early grunge bands were also influenced by British post-punk bands such as Gang of Four and Bauhaus, which were popular in the early 1980s Seattle scene.[46] Soundgarden broadened its musical range with its later releases. By 1994’s Superunknown, the band began to incorporate more psychedelic influences into its music.[47]
Soundgarden would often utilize alternative tunings and odd time signatures in its songs. Many Soundgarden songs were performed in drop D tuning, including "Jesus Christ Pose", "Outshined", "Spoonman", and "Black Hole Sun". The E strings of the instruments were at times tuned lower, such as on "Rusty Cage", where the bottom E string is tuned all the way down to B. Some songs use more unorthodox tunings: "My Wave" and "The Day I Tried to Live" are both in a E-E-B-B-B-E tuning. Soundgarden's use of odd-meter time signatures was varied as well; while such songs as "Jesus Christ Pose" are in typical 4/4 time, "Outshined" is in 7/4, "My Wave" uses 5/4, "Fell on Black Days" is in 6/4, "Never the Machine Forever" uses 9/8, "Rusty Cage" uses 19/8, and "Spoonman" alternates between 7/4 and 4/4 sections. Thayil has said that Soundgarden usually did not consider the time signature of a song until after the band had written it, and said that the use of odd meters was "a total accident."[48]
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