Tracks like “Can’t Change Me,” “Preaching the End of the World,” and “When I’m Down” – especially “When I’m Down” – were given a second chance to be rediscovered by the masses.Īfter four years of performing acoustically, Chris Cornell channeled this momentum into a brand new LP H igher Truth. During his acoustic tours, I believe that Cornell and audiences alike rediscovered the majestic beauty of his criminally underrated masterpiece Euphoria Mourning. This is what longtime listeners had always wanted – to see Cornell maximize his musical talent as both a solo artist and frontman for Soundgarden. The “Songbook” tour eventually morphed into the Songbook live album, which garnered widespread acclaim from both fans and critics alike. Unfamiliar listeners could pull up YouTube videos from any of his acoustic shows and hear the riveting power in his voice, especially in such an open setting. In between tours with Soundgarden, Cornell embarked on his first ever “Songbook” tour in 2011– an intimate unplugged performance highlighted with gems from his entire catalog. If you watch this video of “Beyond The Wheel” from Soundgarden’s first show in 2010, it once seemed highly unlikely that Cornell could ever sing anything off Ultramega OK after his stint in Audioslave, yet those walls definitely shook in Chicago. To meet the demands of his past material, Cornell took proper measures to get his voice in top shape. Soundgarden’s reunion sent shockwaves throughout the rock community – their mysticism hadn’t wavered over the years. Back in 2010, I truly believe that he needed to rediscover his roots and reconnect with his bandmates Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd on both a musical and personal level. And that’s exactly what Chris Cornell has accomplished over the past six years. So, what do you when you fall? You get right back up if you’re determined to prove the world wrong. Most listeners despised hearing him adhere to modern pop standards. I’ll admit – look past the glossy production, autotuned vocals, and hip-hop inspired beats – there was some quality material in there but nothing came close to matching the eminence of “Say Hello 2 Heaven.” The beauty of Chris Cornell’s songwriting is found in his ability to create elegance in the darkest territories, emotionally breaking barriers no other artist could achieve. Hench why 2009’s Scream received one of the fiercest backlashes in recent memory. However, something just didn’t sit right hearing someone of Cornell’s caliber – an Edgar Allen Poe meets Leonardo DaVinci talent in the rock community – pursue a pop direction. He was responsible for jumpstarting Justin Timberlake’s solo career and he himself released a bunch of popular hits accredited to his name. Especially in 2008, there was no producer more popular than Timbaland. In theory, Cornell had already reached millions of people through his three successful bands, and millions of dollars were on the table if this caught on. In my opinion, the management team surrounding Cornell wanted him to capitalize on this momentum and pursue a pop direction to attract this massive American Idol audience. Sometime in 2008, David Cooke from American Idol performed this same acoustic rendition of “Billie Jean” to critical acclaim and commercial success, which saw both artists shoot up the iTunes music charts. Back in 2007, Chris Cornell performed this haunting cover of Billie Jean, which was the perfect musical palette to display his artistic brilliance. Well, my prediction eventually came true but nobody could’ve predicated what would happen next. In fact, I saw him perform at the Starland Ballroom right after he announced his departure and he tore up the venue with a bunch of heavy hitters from Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog.ĭuring that show, I felt it in my bones that he would eventually return to Soundgarden and maybe even write another solo record in the vein of Euphoria Mourning (Yes, the title has been changed as of 2015). Harkening back to 2007, he left the highly successful Audioslave to concentrate on his solo career. It’s been quite the journey for Chris Cornell over the past eight years – one filled with redemption, reinvigoration, and rediscovery.
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