Chris Cornell dead at age 52...

[TAC]

    Being on the East Coast - and thus not being there at the "creation" - I always felt that Nirvana was "Grunge for the masses" - the over the counter, pink sweet tasting antibiotic you get when you're a kid - and Soundgarden (and The Mother Love Bone) was the potent, mainline, need-an-IV-drip, and it burns when it goes in antibiotic they give you in the hospital when you don't have time for niceties.

Other than Back Hole Sun, I couldn't name a single Soundgarden song, but I agree with what you say. From here, Soundgarden just looked like a band that you had to respect. They were a working band doing it the hard, but right way.

[wolfking]

Black Hole Sun was never really one of my favourites to be honest.  It's a shame that's what they were noted for when they had so many better and heavier songs.

Jesus Christ Pose yesterday in the car was just heavy as fuck, what a song.

[TAC]

Black Hole Sun was never really one of my favourites to be honest.  It's a shame that's what they were noted for when they had so many better and heavier songs.

Well, even I knew that it wasn't in the style that defined them. I did see them twice on Dec 5 & 6, 1991 opening for GnR. They worked it pretty good.

[wolfking]

Black Hole Sun was never really one of my favourites to be honest.  It's a shame that's what they were noted for when they had so many better and heavier songs.

Well, even I knew that it wasn't in the style that defined them. I did see them twice on Dec 5 & 6, 1991 opening for GnR. They worked it pretty good.

Didn't mean you guys, just the general masses really. 

[TAC]

When it comes to Soundgarden, I am general masses.

But it's not unlike other bands that have big hits, like KISS with Beth.

[wolfking]

When it comes to Soundgarden, I am general masses.

But it's not unlike other bands that have big hits, like KISS with Beth.

Don't sell yourself short Tim. 

[Rattlehead]

I'm still in shock over this... I've been a big fan of Cornell since I was a kid back in the 90's. Superunknown will always be one of my favorite albums of all time. 

[jammindude]

Anyone who has never heard their cover of Smokestack Lightning from Ultramega OK, please remedy that soon. The ending from Chris is unbelievable

[TAC]

As expected, there's an absolute FLOOD of Soundgarden/Cornell shows on Dime.

[pogoowner]

Seems the dude was taking benzodiazapines, as a ton of us do. I was unaware but there are a variety of circumstances where benzos have been known to cause suicidal ideation. Overdose, withdrawal and combining with alcohol all qualify. His wife's statement is that they're mystified as to why he might have killed himself, but noted that when she spoke with him he was fucked up on Ativan. It would be a pretty tragic thing if a side effect of his meds caused him to do this.

And I want to point out that I'm not suggesting that drugs killed him. Quite the contrary. A whole lot of people take professionally prescribed anti-anxiety meds. As a rule they're very well tolerated and generally safe.

And an added observation, if he really wanted to kill himself, an overdose of benzos is about the best way to do it. If I'm not mistaken some states are executing people via a massive dose of midazolam. If he had a bottle full of lorazapam there's no reason whatsoever the he would have hanged himself.

I hate that we have to go through another one of these situations where we desperately wait for the toxicology report. But the statements today from his wife Vicky really put a new spin on this. I'm just so deeply saddened by this whole thing. This is by far the worst "celebrity death" that I've dealt with. I had trouble with David Bowie, but I was an absolute mess yesterday, and I choked up again today when I read her statement.

[TioJorge]

This definitely sucks big time and it's even worse to hear of the situation surrounding his death.

I grew up listening to Soundgarden and while they were by far my favorite band, Audioslave's self titled got me through a lot of my formative years and I can remember listening to Hypnotize for hours on end on repeat. I loved singing along to that shit, especially since my voice just dropped around the time I got into them and I could hit those notes.  Funny, great, pure memories. Didn't listen to him much in the recent decade but they were a big part of getting me into the alt/rock scene and formed a good bit of my musical journey.

Listening to the S/T now. Sad. Rest easy you groovy, groovy son of a bitch.

[Samsara]

    Being on the East Coast - and thus not being there at the "creation" - I always felt that Nirvana was "Grunge for the masses" - the over the counter, pink sweet tasting antibiotic you get when you're a kid - and Soundgarden (and The Mother Love Bone) was the potent, mainline, need-an-IV-drip, and it burns when it goes in antibiotic they give you in the hospital when you don't have time for niceties.

Other than Back Hole Sun, I couldn't name a single Soundgarden song, but I agree with what you say. From here, Soundgarden just looked like a band that you had to respect. They were a working band doing it the hard, but right way.

Tim,

Honestly, do yourself a favor and pick up the Badmotorfinger album. Or if you want to listen to some songs first:

Jesus Christ Pose
Outshined
Room a Thousand Years Wide

If you like those, you'll love the album.

Back in 2001, I interviewed Kelly Gray (then of Queensryche, but he gained fame producing Candlebox's first record). We were sitting in the Frontier Room in Seattle, and were talking the whole "grunge" phenomenon. He said that Nirvana was "the pop version of grunge, if anything." He and his buddy Scotty Heard (ex-Slave to the System) mentioned Green River, and a bunch of other acts.

Soundgarden, at least to my ears, was the perfect hybrid between grunge and traditional hard rock and metal. Badmotorfinger was their most "metal" record, and not surprisingly, my favorite (I just picked up the Super Deluxe Box Set this morning). Alice in Chains, to me, was not a grunge band. They were a hard rock and metal band who just happened to latch on to the grunge era and appeal to audiences. But they weren't really "grunge."

Anyway, Cornell was just such an amazing talent. I mean, as a singer, very few guys could wail with the best of the old school tenor guys, and then switch gears completely and become a soul singer, and then, oh by the way, screw it, lets be a great pop singer. Cornell could do it all. And as a writer, he was just so...unique. Really diverse. I was (and am) a big fan. His solo albums wouldn't be your thing, Tim, but man, the guy was just so deep.

Just a tragic loss...

[Tick]

    Being on the East Coast - and thus not being there at the "creation" - I always felt that Nirvana was "Grunge for the masses" - the over the counter, pink sweet tasting antibiotic you get when you're a kid - and Soundgarden (and The Mother Love Bone) was the potent, mainline, need-an-IV-drip, and it burns when it goes in antibiotic they give you in the hospital when you don't have time for niceties.

Other than Back Hole Sun, I couldn't name a single Soundgarden song, but I agree with what you say. From here, Soundgarden just looked like a band that you had to respect. They were a working band doing it the hard, but right way.

Soundgarden...Spoonman? Fell on Black Days? Blow Up The Outside World? Outshined?

 Audio Slave was amazing as well.

[Kotowboy]

I didn't mind the Audioslave debut but I thought the following two albums were really bland.

Cochise is a great song though.

[j]

RIP, although I can never be totally surprised by stories like this, this one came close.  One of the best voices ever in rock music.  Made some really great stuff with both his main bands and solo.  Feel sorry for his family.

And an added observation, if he really wanted to kill himself, an overdose of benzos is about the best way to do it. If I'm not mistaken some states are executing people via a massive dose of midazolam. If he had a bottle full of lorazapam there's no reason whatsoever the he would have hanged himself.

Mostly agree with the first part of this post which I didn't quote, I think you're probably spot on.  But to actually OD on lorazepam is much less likely; it takes a LOT to cause respiratory depression (a debatable topic on its own) and the LD50 is some enormous dose that it's highly doubtful any individual would be in possession of.

-J

[Kotowboy]

When I have Insomnia really bad - I sometimes got 10mg Diazepams.

I was always told not to take them for more than 3 days in a row.

[DragonAttack]

https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/05/18/chris-cornell-final-performance-detroit-soundgarden/330051001/

I'm sure most have seen segments of the available youtube clips of the Detroit performance.  They are hard to watch for various reasons (especially 'Slaves And Bulldozers/In My Time Of Dying')

[wolfking]

I really can't bring myself to watch any of the final concert yet.

Just reading about how he infact killed himself is just awful.  This whole thing is just tragic.

[DebraKadabra]

Last night I just listened to everything that came up from him on YouTube.  Could NOT hold myself together.  One of my favorite songs was "Say Hello to Heaven" but I wasn't even going to attempt to listen to it.  In fact, I don't know if I will be able to ever again.

"Say Hello 2 Heaven" broke me. I could not hold it together while I listened to that. It was almost the same with "Hunger Strike". Just a hell of a fucking sad loss.

[El Barto]

And an added observation, if he really wanted to kill himself, an overdose of benzos is about the best way to do it. If I'm not mistaken some states are executing people via a massive dose of midazolam. If he had a bottle full of lorazapam there's no reason whatsoever the he would have hanged himself.

Mostly agree with the first part of this post which I didn't quote, I think you're probably spot on.  But to actually OD on lorazepam is much less likely; it takes a LOT to cause respiratory depression (a debatable topic on its own) and the LD50 is some enormous dose that it's highly doubtful any individual would be in possession of.

-J

I stand corrected. I really thought benzos were considered a good L pill, but those are some high LD50s. Also mistaken about its use in executions. They're using pentobarbital in the 1 drug protocols, and midazolam is only used as the anesthetic for 3 drug executions.

[rumborak]

Just showed up in my Google feed, DT did a Soundgarden tribute at the Bucharest show:

https://youtu.be/Xy1ezqxuT9I

I personally don't think it's particularly good, but everybody will draw their own conclusions.

[ChuckSteak]

Just showed up in my Google feed, DT did a Soundgarden tribute at the Bucharest show:

https://youtu.be/Xy1ezqxuT9I

I personally don't think it's particularly good, but everybody will draw their own conclusions.

I kinda have to agree with the comments on youtube.. how can he forget the lyrics on a tribute, specially when it is just one song..

[KevShmev]

I am sorry, but those YT comments are silly.  He is getting ripped for forgetting a line from a song he NEVER sings?  It was likely a tribute they decided to do the day of the show.  Some people need to get a grip.

[El Barto]

There are a variety of people wanting to pay tribute to him that really shouldn't try. Dude had a pretty unique voice and more often than not you're going to sound bad trying. Best effort is that Klinghoffer dude from RHCP. Best tribute I've seen is U2 and Aerosmith who both had the good sense to not try. They both rolled tape of BHS with pictures of him and let the audience sing along to begin their sets.

[TAC]

  Best tribute I've seen is U2 and Aerosmith who both had the good sense to not try. They both rolled tape of BHS with pictures of him and let the audience sing along to begin their sets.

Wow, that's cool.

I personally don't think it's particularly good, but everybody will draw their own conclusions.

Who cares? Jeez. It's the thought that counts isn't it?

I am sorry, but those YT comments are silly.  He is getting ripped for forgetting a line from a song he NEVER sings?  It was likely a tribute they decided to do the day of the show.  Some people need to get a grip.

Yeah, fuck them!


My question would be...why would DT do a tribute to Cornell? I've never heard them even comment on the guy, or Soundgarden. When John Lord died, it's not like they through together some Deep Purple, which at least they have in their repertoire.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Seen so many tributes to Cornell by all kinds of bands and artists and some more surprising than others.
Train did an awsome Black Hole Sun:

https://youtu.be/Msfag1w6uYA

[rumborak]

I personally don't think it's particularly good, but everybody will draw their own conclusions.

Who cares? Jeez. It's the thought that counts isn't it?

Wtf dude, are you seriously giving me major flak for thinking it's not a particularly good tribute?

I **personally** feel it neither captures the spirit of the song, nor is it good that James didn't bother learning the 5 lines necessary. It's not the end of the world, it's simply not a good tribute.

[erwinrafael]

My question would be...why would DT do a tribute to Cornell? I've never heard them even comment on the guy, or Soundgarden. When John Lord died, it's not like they through together some Deep Purple, which at least they have in their repertoire.

They are contemporaries, forming in the mid-1980s and hitting it big in the early 1990s. I think they came from a generation with the same angst, which DT tapped in Awake.

[SystematicThought]

I agree with rumbo. Yeah, it's a nice thought but when you forget the lyrics (it's not the whole song, it's the verse and chorus, which aren't hard) and replace it with "forgot the fucking words" and "shit" at the end, you're better off not doing a tribute. It just seemed in bad taste.

But then again, I'm sure Chris Cornell would laugh if he was in the room.

[TAC]

I personally don't think it's particularly good, but everybody will draw their own conclusions.

Who cares? Jeez. It's the thought that counts isn't it?

Wtf dude, are you seriously giving me major flak for thinking it's not a particularly good tribute?

I **personally** feel it neither captures the spirit of the song, nor is it good that James didn't bother learning the 5 lines necessary. It's not the end of the world, it's simply not a good tribute.

Chill man, I'm not giving you "major flak". I'm just saying that it's the thought that counts. Everything doesn't need a critique.

I agree with rumbo. Yeah, it's a nice thought but when you forget the lyrics (it's not the whole song, it's the verse and chorus, which aren't hard) and replace it with "forgot the fucking words" and "shit" at the end, you're better off not doing a tribute. It just seemed in bad taste.

OK, I follow that.


I still don't understand why Chris Cornell would move them to do something like this?

I do have some cynical thoughts on this, but it has nothing to do with the performance.

[El Barto]

Could have been worse. Before his ill-advised attempt at Outshined Dave Mustaine had to tell a guy SHUT THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLE!   

[SystematicThought]

Wasn't Cornell an option for MP when he considered replacing JLB?

Could have been worse. Before his ill-advised attempt at Outshined Dave Mustaine had to tell a guy SHUT THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLE!   

I didn't know that happened

[TAC]

Wasn't Cornell an option for MP when he considered replacing JLB?

When was that? I don't remember reading that.

[ChuckSteak]

If you cannot take the time to learn the lyrics to a 5 minute song to homage someone, better not to do it at all.

[erwinrafael]

I still don't understand why Chris Cornell would move them to do something like this?

I do have some cynical thoughts on this, but it has nothing to do with the performance.

As I said earlier, I think it's because Chris is from their generation. As Mike Portnoy said in his tweet:

"Wow...this one is shocking. Chris Cornell was one of the benchmark vocalists of our generation...devastating loss"