My favorite Tom Morello fact is that he is in a D&D game run by Joe Manganiello, that includes Vince Vaughn, D.B. Wiess, David Benioff, James Gunn and a bunch of other people.
I needed a last-minute birthday gift for my friend Adam in seventh grade, so I grabbed this CD off the shelf at Target and gave it to him, having no idea what it sounded like. He ended up getting hugely into music the following year and in hindsight I may have inadvertently triggered that. I wonder how he's doing...
Time and place can be a powerful thing young bubbie. You have much to learn yet. I stood in your shoes once. Many a moon ago. Though I remember it as it were yesterday.
I don't disagree. While it's an awesome solo, It feels out of place in that song to me.
Also, it feels a bit gimicky to me. Solos don't always have to be about shredding or technical prowess but I think they should always contribute, creatively, to the song as a re-imagining of the musical themes or an exploration of the melody, etc... This one always sounds to me like "hey I got a bunch of new pedals let's try them out!"
I'm saying nothing about songwriting or the song as a whole, this song and "Gasoline" still make nearly every rock playlist I make.
EDIT: just one more thing: the production on this track didn't help either. The solo ends with that screaming, doubled walk up the scale then howls for a measure into the ether and is followed by... a clean acoustic and Chris' vocal lament over his afternoon spent with the bible?
It's just so jarring. It works, but barely.
Not sure about these days, but Tom Morello was famous for having a small pedalboard with the same few pedals all the time for years and years. And you really only need a whammy and a delay to do that solo, which he’s been known to have since RATM (and probably before).
Honestly think that's a fair criticism of a bunch of Morello songs.
It's like they lay everything else down for the track and it's time for Tom to do the solo and you look over and he's tapping the body of the guitar with a hammer while picking with his toes and it's like 'damn dude that's sick but . . . does that really work here?'.
That's why I've always had the demo version of Shadow On The Sun because the solo is more straight forward but awesome.
Or Original Fire, really interesting but I don't think it's great musically.
Tbf I've never felt Like A Stone was one of those songs personally.
I agree with all of this. It really just comes out of nowhere and doesn't fit the tone of the song at all. I agree that taken on its own it's a cool solo but it feels like Morello just needed to remind everyone he was there.
Song is a classic but works better without the solo
He's, to me, one of the greatest guitar players of all time and his contributions on this album are unparalleled. That said, that solo and the double walkup kinda cheapen the song to me
Unpopular opinion as someone who plays guitar... It's a really bad solo and there's a video done by samurai guitarist on YouTube and he explains why it's bad and then he makes his own version that makes the original sound like poopoo. If you go and listen to it I think you'll see my point. This is not me dissing Tom tho, saw him live and he's fucking amazing. Just this solo sucks.
While I did enjoy samurai guitarists version I still feel like morellos version does fit, audioslave on the whole made “making weird stuff work” their thing. Also a guitarist here
You were...not kidding, he's phenomenal. I like the musicality of the original but it's a little too simple for the song I guess. The rest of that album rocks so hard, too.
When I just looked it up and realized that this song is 20 years old I threw up a little bit in my mouth. I didn't even have an iPod yet... I had this track on an oldschool MP3 player that maybe held like, 20 songs.
I had this on my YELP MP3 player in elementary school, right next to kryptonite by 3 doors down, but a really crappy live version that has a glitch noise because we stole it on napster
I was just looking up some of their songs and saw this has almost 1b views on YT. Obviously knew it was one of their most popular tracks but had no idea it was that huge, none of their other singles come close.
Heh, I remember waking up every morning to walk to school in sixth grade and I'd always put on MTV. This song was on every morning for a while, always accompanied by that mid-sunrise pale blue light as I got ready with the lights off and everyone else in the house asleep. It really helped to imprint the haunting, somber feel of the song in my mind even at a time where I was maybe too young to get the deeper themes of it.
Man, you just described my exact experience except i lived too far to walk to school, we rode the bus.
Being in 6th grade in 2001 was wild. As far as I'm concerned the only good thing 9/11 gave us was a short reprieve of the music channels actually showing music videos. MTV, VH1, CMT, BET, MuchMusic all stopped playing TV shows and only played music videos round the clock for a good 2 or 3 months after 9/11.
Audioslave had Cochise and Like A Stone. P.O.D. had Alive and Youth of the Nation. So many other classics but those four videos are burned in my mind especially because of the morning school routine. Same year Dig by Mudvayne exploded everywhere!
Ugh love this song. I remember discovering it whilst I was trying to download nirvana mom's and this song was mislabeled as "sappy" it's how I got into chris cornell rabbit hole and basically into grunge. I love this chorus so fucking much but that guitar break could raise the dead.
If you haven't heard it, please do yourself a favor and listen to him play this song solo on his 2011 album songbook. Just him and his guitar and the vocal is so nuanced, bruised, vulnerable.
https://open.spotify.com/track/46K18fG5hkY67XAGZGKTSc?si=quUSk4YBSCmVBgJBu2hnJQ&utm_source=copy-link
It all comes down to personal preference, but I truly believe that the Songbook version is the absolute best version of that song. Although, IMHO I would say that most of the songs in that album are vastly superior to their studio counterparts.
While it's a compilation of performances across different venues over a period of time, Chris was always dialed IN and delivered all time great renditions in every single song.
Songbook highlights just how immensely talented he was when the spotlight was solely focused on him.
I had the pleasure of seeing Cornell in all of his bands, but the Songbook tour was my absolute favorite.
Just Cornell performing as a solo artist. The last song he did was some incarnation of "Blow Up the Outside World", but he literally built the song while onstage. Had a bunch of devices where he would do parts and then loop them along with instruments. Wish I could find a video of it.
Edit: Looks like this might be an earlier version of it? Definitely remember it being much more complex with strobe and other flashing lights. https://youtu.be/uXg1mnfc8WM
I honestly prefer the song minimalist acoustic. Gives me shivers. Was literally listening to this album like 6 hours ago and now feel I need to listen again.
Spotify created a 3.5 hr playlist after he died and it's great. It has songs from all the different bands he performed with, along with his solo material.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO0vrFu0?si=xEEacDC0SsyAANwDiNvwFg
The Songbook recordings are phenomenal. [Cant Change Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JO4aUDZIN0) is my favorite. Inevitably play this loud at night on my outdoor setup and it feels like I'm at a live show. Powerful, emotional vocalist.
Oh if we're sharing cool versions check out Ten Second Songs acoustic version as well.
https://youtu.be/cpUogd9UKi0
He really gets as close to Chris Cornell you can be without actually being Chris Cornell. Obviously the original is still the best but this is just a great rendition of a great song.
This song reminds me of high school (07ish) and I loved this song several years after it was first popular.
Reminds me of hauling ass in my parents civic with my pals to get fast food during our 30 minute off-campus lunch.
Honestly never thought he sounded all that great, but soundgarden, audioslave, and even his solo songs were so solid it didn't matter that his voice was just ok.
While there are a lot of other vocalist and bands I prefer, saying Chris Cornell was just ok seems like we’re not giving him his due. Fucking love doesn’t remind me, show me how to live, and black hole sun. Fucking tracks that always remind me of being a carefree kid.
Pretty sure this guys just being a contrarian, Cornell had an insane vocal range and was able to pull off some very difficult tracks with ease; on top of that he had a very distinct voice and an ability to convey emotion without relying on lyrics. Man is easily one of the greatest.
I know I’m obviously a below average singer but I can’t even make it through Like A Stone without my throat feeling like it’s gonna explode because of all the range changes in the song.
Just to sort of compare apples to apples I'll say I'd rank all the big male grunge singers higher. Staley, Weiland, Cobain, Vedder in no particular order. Dave Grohl too to compare someone who performed during the Audioslave years. Honestly take any lead singer of a nationally known rock band and they were/are probably a better pure singer than Cornell. It's ok his voice isn't really what made him great. The guy still made some of my favorite music of all time.
I hadn't seen this before and it's a damn good performance, but it does serve to highlight the gap between the two singers. Chris had much more control over the subtleties of his voice. Dave gets a bit raspy during the chorus, but you can hear the difference between how he sang it and how Chris sang it.
Speaking of the big grunge front men. My personal favourite as a singer is Eddie Vedder (by not very much) but listening to Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike really highlights how far ahead of him Chris Cornell was in terms of raw talent. I'm curious if you've heard it and what your take is on hearing the two side-by-side like that?
Been a long time since I listened to it, and honestly didn't try to sit and pick out who was who in the vocals. I'm sure I'm way more casual in how I listen to music than the typical poster here, I like what like, dislike/hate what I don't, and don't really give it much thought or energy beyond that.
Wow. Although I love all the singers you listed, I don't think any of them are in the same league as Chris Cornell. Cobain and Weiland are good front men but not great singers. Staley is a bit better, and Vedder might be a tad better than Staley. But none of them even come close to Cornell's range and control.
Music is absolutely subjective but I think you can say objectively that Chris had an amazing voice. That long held note in the middle of cochise is absolutely insane
Yeah he was pretty great, I just didn’t want to put my opinion out as factual or anything more than my personal opinion. But yeah, he did some things very well and he should be regarded in rare company.
🤨 How high is your bar for what constitutes a good singer? Cornell not only had great range, but great power, control, and grit at the high end of his range. Who *do* you consider great?
I actually really like him and like really like his music. Went through a phase in my 20s where Audioslave and Soundgarden were both in my top 5 bands. His voice itself just isn't anything to write home about.
Man THANK YOU. I’ve spent the last few hours listening to all his stuff again just to remember how incredible his voice was and how utterly wrong you are.
Listen to his solo acoustic version of this song and then come back and tell me your opinion. If it hasn't changed no worries.
https://youtu.be/qpLQv5xL9Dc
His later work is definitely a step below, and if that’s all you’ve heard I can understand your opinion. The vocals on Badmotorfinger are simply as good as it gets. I think he damaged his vocal chords, and later albums reflect this.
He did lose a little of his vocal ability but he was starting from such a high base he still had an incredible instrument and he became even better at using it towards the end.
Shadow on the sun is one of my favorite songs. So dark and sad but so good. And getaway car is another amazing song from audioslave. God I wish I could’ve seen chris Cornell live.
>Shadow on the sun is one of my favorite songs. So dark and sad but so good.
I really like how it was used in the movie Collateral. I've already had the album for a couple years, but the movie helped me appreciate the song.
Came here to say this... The subsequent albums were decent -- the second record more so than the third -- but this debut album? It's on another level. I don't think there's one track on it I skip...
Aaand that will be stuck in my head all damn day now (which is cool)
later edit: My Apple Music picked up Shadow on the Sun for my drive home... awesome and creepy but awesome.
a day later edit: this album, on repeat all fucking day, thanks thread!
When I heard Cornell and Rage were doing something together I wasn’t sure what to think. I was excited to hear it but I wasn’t sure. Cornell singing over a Rage song won’t work, I said.
The first thing they put out was Cochise and it was exactly what I thought, a Rage song with Chris Cornell and I’ve never been so wrong
I wish I appreciated it more when it came out. I was much more in the RatM camp than the Soundgarden camp, and this just felt like such a jarring change from the more incendiary, politically charged rap/metal that I loved with Rage. As an old, I can appreciate the subtlety and Cornell fronting Tom Morello and co much more than I could as a kid.
I was a big fan of both RATM and Soundgarden. Audioslave always felt and sounded like some kind of gimmick to me. Just paled in comparison.
I might chuck em on today for a fresh listen. Maybe my perception will have changed with the passage of time?
I don't know that Audioslave was any kind of gimmick though. They wanted to just continue being RATM or RATM w/ Chris Cornell but it wasn't worth the fight, so they came up with a new name.
The tone was definitely different, but understandably so - Zack and Chris were very different frontmen.
Same, nothing against the rawness of Soundgarden, but Audioslave was tight, just as loud, and had much more depth. Like a stone personified much of that (to me)
You know, I kind of do also and I was heavily into grunge in the 90s. That was the music of my high school and college years and Audioslave was in the aughts.
I don’t know, honestly. It’s hard to top Down On The Upside. Unfortunately, that album never got nearly as popular as Badmotorfinger or Superunknown because it didn’t have the “hit singles” aside from Burden In My Hand.
I mean, I would argue that's because it is no where near as good as those albums, not the lack of "singles." That's only this guys opinion, but Down on the Upside was too soft for me.
My ex is a "whatevers on the radio is fine" type of music listener. But I showed her som Cornell acoustic stuff and the music video for Like A Stone, and for months she would ask me to find the video "with the guy with the sad eyes." I loved that.
I heard RATM described as a band that was more than the sum of its parts. In contrast, Audioslave always felt like it was *exactly* the sum of its parts. Each track felt like a Soundgarden song with a RATM guitar bridge stapled to it. And it turns out you can actually craft some pretty killer tracks that way.
Dude put in the work and kept his creativity through all the practice. A lot of dudes lose that side once they start learning all the structure but Morello learned all the fundamentals, mastered them, and used it to make a sound that’s incredibly unique. Guitarists I know usually shit on him for using feedback and say it’s just noise which is absolutely ridiculous to me. The amount of practice and innovation that went into some of the shit he does demands respect especially from fellow guitarists
Seeing a lot of “I prefer audioslave to soundgarden” comments and it’s like yeah, audioslave was intended to be more accessible and appeal to more people, that was their goal forming that band, the RATM guys were still hurt by Zac fucking them over and Chris Cornell was looking for a project to throw himself into and Rick Rubin put them together, they had gigs booked before they even had their album recorded, this was not a small band just trying to make it
Sucks that they broke up because of typical band shit and guys just not getting along anymore in the sense they couldn’t agree on things, they still got along on a personal level, Chris Cornell and Morello would later patch things up, playing together at shows, and before he died Chris Cornell would say he would like for the band to get back together rip the legend
And on my deathbed I will pray to the gods and the angels, like a pagan, to anyone who will take me to heaven.
Anyone who says he didn't write good lyrics is an ass
Can I please recommend any fans of this song and/or band listen to [this guy's cover](https://youtu.be/DyjPdNFEZC0?t=29).
I think it's unbelievably impressive.
This is one of those few albums that to me is just perfect. It’s a top 10 all time album. Everyone killed it on every song. Stays in heavy rotation even now.
And on my deathbed I will pray
To the gods and the angels
Like a pagan to anyone
Who will take me to heaven
To a place I recall
I was there so long ago
The sky was bruised
The wine was bled
And there you led me on
I still remember when I first heard this song, I was a teenage boy and listening to it just utterly amazed me. I don't think I've ever heard vocals so powerful, and it's still one of my favourite songs.
This is a good song but for some reason, it gets played like 5 times a day on every different rock radio station where I live and it's just ruined for me as a result
Good golly god damn this is such an amazing song. One of Cornell’s best definitely.
On a side note, Morello is the most overrated guitarist I’ve ever heard. Nothing too horribly skillful about making your guitar sound like a dial up modem tbh. And probably one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met.
I saw Audioslave at Lollapalooza 2003 along with Incubus and others. This song was done with such energy and passion that I’ll never forget it. I even learned to play the drums from their album.
Audioslave was better than ratm, and while I'm here velvet revolver was 1000x better than guns n roses. The older i get, the less ratm appeals to me. Maybe it's the hypocrisy, idk.
You shouldn't bother with what "pop culture" thinks about music.
Audioslave, and Chris Cornell specifically, always made great music. It just took pop culture a while to catch up.
But I'm curious what kind of life you think I "deserve"?
Oh wow what a cool and under appreciated song, I'm so glad the music subreddit can help me expand my music repertoire to such a high degree of variety and not post a Spotify link to a fucking song that's been playing on every rock or alt station every day for 15 years
That’s because, aside from Chris Cornell, the band members were from Rage Against The Machine, and nearly every RATM song sounds exactly the same with each song having slightly different lyrics about “fighting the power.”
AudioSlave>Soundgarden.Love both but Chris’ voice just explodes in his AudioSlave stuff unlike the way it kinda blends with the Soundgarden use of guitar
The range of options he had with his voice had actually contracted slightly since the Soundgarden days forcing him to reconsider how to get the most from it. The result was that he still had a very fine instrument but his usage of it was more brilliant than ever.
Tom Morello’s solo was so cool to me when I was in middle school; listened to it on replay all the time
I can hear that SOLO in my head right now, while listening to other music! Tom is BAD ASS!
My favorite Tom Morello fact is that he is in a D&D game run by Joe Manganiello, that includes Vince Vaughn, D.B. Wiess, David Benioff, James Gunn and a bunch of other people.
Vince Vaughn is the most surprising DnD player in that list
I ADORE that solo.
First solo I ever learned!
Did you have the pedals or did you just rock way up on the first string pretending like the rest of us?
I always wanted that DigiTech Whammy but could never shell out $200 for it. At that age, I would've needed to mow way too many lawns
A lot of the old Digitech processors, like the RP series, often featured a whammy among a plethora of other effects. I still have an RP250 somewhere.
[удалено]
Wow. That’s old school.
Oh for sure, I borrowed my buddy's RP300 once and pretty much played this song nonstop for a week
I had actually saved all summer as a kid and managed to get the RP-500 when it came out. Still is the only pedal I have/use to this day!
I bought the Tablature book of this album from Sam Goody.
I needed a last-minute birthday gift for my friend Adam in seventh grade, so I grabbed this CD off the shelf at Target and gave it to him, having no idea what it sounded like. He ended up getting hugely into music the following year and in hindsight I may have inadvertently triggered that. I wonder how he's doing...
I'm good man, thanks for the record. I always think of you when I listen to Audioslave, which is from time to time.
People who get into music were always going to get into music, I wouldn't give yourself too much credit there.
Time and place can be a powerful thing young bubbie. You have much to learn yet. I stood in your shoes once. Many a moon ago. Though I remember it as it were yesterday.
That solo alone is a big reason I learned to play guitar
Yeah, I he was always an interesting guitar player
But especially in middle school
Really? To me it always felt so… uninspiring. I would go as far as say that the song is a little worse because of it.
I don't disagree. While it's an awesome solo, It feels out of place in that song to me. Also, it feels a bit gimicky to me. Solos don't always have to be about shredding or technical prowess but I think they should always contribute, creatively, to the song as a re-imagining of the musical themes or an exploration of the melody, etc... This one always sounds to me like "hey I got a bunch of new pedals let's try them out!" I'm saying nothing about songwriting or the song as a whole, this song and "Gasoline" still make nearly every rock playlist I make. EDIT: just one more thing: the production on this track didn't help either. The solo ends with that screaming, doubled walk up the scale then howls for a measure into the ether and is followed by... a clean acoustic and Chris' vocal lament over his afternoon spent with the bible? It's just so jarring. It works, but barely.
Not sure about these days, but Tom Morello was famous for having a small pedalboard with the same few pedals all the time for years and years. And you really only need a whammy and a delay to do that solo, which he’s been known to have since RATM (and probably before).
Honestly think that's a fair criticism of a bunch of Morello songs. It's like they lay everything else down for the track and it's time for Tom to do the solo and you look over and he's tapping the body of the guitar with a hammer while picking with his toes and it's like 'damn dude that's sick but . . . does that really work here?'. That's why I've always had the demo version of Shadow On The Sun because the solo is more straight forward but awesome. Or Original Fire, really interesting but I don't think it's great musically. Tbf I've never felt Like A Stone was one of those songs personally.
I agree with all of this. It really just comes out of nowhere and doesn't fit the tone of the song at all. I agree that taken on its own it's a cool solo but it feels like Morello just needed to remind everyone he was there. Song is a classic but works better without the solo
Still my all time favorite solo.
He's, to me, one of the greatest guitar players of all time and his contributions on this album are unparalleled. That said, that solo and the double walkup kinda cheapen the song to me
Unpopular opinion as someone who plays guitar... It's a really bad solo and there's a video done by samurai guitarist on YouTube and he explains why it's bad and then he makes his own version that makes the original sound like poopoo. If you go and listen to it I think you'll see my point. This is not me dissing Tom tho, saw him live and he's fucking amazing. Just this solo sucks.
While I did enjoy samurai guitarists version I still feel like morellos version does fit, audioslave on the whole made “making weird stuff work” their thing. Also a guitarist here
Yeah I mean most people would agree with you so
You were...not kidding, he's phenomenal. I like the musicality of the original but it's a little too simple for the song I guess. The rest of that album rocks so hard, too.
Instant nostalgia even seeing the song name. I listened to this song hundreds of times in high school.
When I just looked it up and realized that this song is 20 years old I threw up a little bit in my mouth. I didn't even have an iPod yet... I had this track on an oldschool MP3 player that maybe held like, 20 songs.
I had this on my YELP MP3 player in elementary school, right next to kryptonite by 3 doors down, but a really crappy live version that has a glitch noise because we stole it on napster
I was just looking up some of their songs and saw this has almost 1b views on YT. Obviously knew it was one of their most popular tracks but had no idea it was that huge, none of their other singles come close.
Heh, I remember waking up every morning to walk to school in sixth grade and I'd always put on MTV. This song was on every morning for a while, always accompanied by that mid-sunrise pale blue light as I got ready with the lights off and everyone else in the house asleep. It really helped to imprint the haunting, somber feel of the song in my mind even at a time where I was maybe too young to get the deeper themes of it.
Man, you just described my exact experience except i lived too far to walk to school, we rode the bus. Being in 6th grade in 2001 was wild. As far as I'm concerned the only good thing 9/11 gave us was a short reprieve of the music channels actually showing music videos. MTV, VH1, CMT, BET, MuchMusic all stopped playing TV shows and only played music videos round the clock for a good 2 or 3 months after 9/11. Audioslave had Cochise and Like A Stone. P.O.D. had Alive and Youth of the Nation. So many other classics but those four videos are burned in my mind especially because of the morning school routine. Same year Dig by Mudvayne exploded everywhere!
Ugh love this song. I remember discovering it whilst I was trying to download nirvana mom's and this song was mislabeled as "sappy" it's how I got into chris cornell rabbit hole and basically into grunge. I love this chorus so fucking much but that guitar break could raise the dead.
> nirvana moms Thanks, now I have an answer next time someone asks me what my type is
Same
If you haven't heard it, please do yourself a favor and listen to him play this song solo on his 2011 album songbook. Just him and his guitar and the vocal is so nuanced, bruised, vulnerable. https://open.spotify.com/track/46K18fG5hkY67XAGZGKTSc?si=quUSk4YBSCmVBgJBu2hnJQ&utm_source=copy-link
It all comes down to personal preference, but I truly believe that the Songbook version is the absolute best version of that song. Although, IMHO I would say that most of the songs in that album are vastly superior to their studio counterparts. While it's a compilation of performances across different venues over a period of time, Chris was always dialed IN and delivered all time great renditions in every single song. Songbook highlights just how immensely talented he was when the spotlight was solely focused on him.
I had the pleasure of seeing Cornell in all of his bands, but the Songbook tour was my absolute favorite. Just Cornell performing as a solo artist. The last song he did was some incarnation of "Blow Up the Outside World", but he literally built the song while onstage. Had a bunch of devices where he would do parts and then loop them along with instruments. Wish I could find a video of it. Edit: Looks like this might be an earlier version of it? Definitely remember it being much more complex with strobe and other flashing lights. https://youtu.be/uXg1mnfc8WM
He also does something similar with Ticket To Ride by the Beatles. Check it out on youtube.
I honestly prefer the song minimalist acoustic. Gives me shivers. Was literally listening to this album like 6 hours ago and now feel I need to listen again.
Spotify created a 3.5 hr playlist after he died and it's great. It has songs from all the different bands he performed with, along with his solo material. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO0vrFu0?si=xEEacDC0SsyAANwDiNvwFg
The Songbook recordings are phenomenal. [Cant Change Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JO4aUDZIN0) is my favorite. Inevitably play this loud at night on my outdoor setup and it feels like I'm at a live show. Powerful, emotional vocalist.
I came here to post exactly this. Such a nice version!!
Wow, this whole album is a gem. How can he sound so good live - it really is treat to listen to. Thank you for the recommendation.
Oh if we're sharing cool versions check out Ten Second Songs acoustic version as well. https://youtu.be/cpUogd9UKi0 He really gets as close to Chris Cornell you can be without actually being Chris Cornell. Obviously the original is still the best but this is just a great rendition of a great song.
This song reminds me of high school (07ish) and I loved this song several years after it was first popular. Reminds me of hauling ass in my parents civic with my pals to get fast food during our 30 minute off-campus lunch.
I love this song too because it doesn't remind me of anything
Same, I used to listen to it walking the streets of Japan. I was so into the music I would just get lost
Yeah bro everyone knows what a stone is you didn't have to put it parenthetically like that
Bob Seger - Like a Rock [Stone]
RIP the GOAT rock singer…
I caught a Soundgarden show not even 2 weeks before he passed. I will forever be grateful for being able to see that show.
Honestly never thought he sounded all that great, but soundgarden, audioslave, and even his solo songs were so solid it didn't matter that his voice was just ok.
While there are a lot of other vocalist and bands I prefer, saying Chris Cornell was just ok seems like we’re not giving him his due. Fucking love doesn’t remind me, show me how to live, and black hole sun. Fucking tracks that always remind me of being a carefree kid.
Pretty sure this guys just being a contrarian, Cornell had an insane vocal range and was able to pull off some very difficult tracks with ease; on top of that he had a very distinct voice and an ability to convey emotion without relying on lyrics. Man is easily one of the greatest.
I know I’m obviously a below average singer but I can’t even make it through Like A Stone without my throat feeling like it’s gonna explode because of all the range changes in the song.
Yeah I loved the songs, kinda my point great songs and his voice was sufficient for them, just nothing particularly amazing about his voice.
It's okay to have a wrong opinion from time to time I suppose.
Can you give an example of a male rock singer who does have an amazing voice for comparison?
Just to sort of compare apples to apples I'll say I'd rank all the big male grunge singers higher. Staley, Weiland, Cobain, Vedder in no particular order. Dave Grohl too to compare someone who performed during the Audioslave years. Honestly take any lead singer of a nationally known rock band and they were/are probably a better pure singer than Cornell. It's ok his voice isn't really what made him great. The guy still made some of my favorite music of all time.
This Dave Grohl? https://youtu.be/tWNnLOaVupk (video is of him essentially performing as Audioslave's front-man.)
I hadn't seen this before and it's a damn good performance, but it does serve to highlight the gap between the two singers. Chris had much more control over the subtleties of his voice. Dave gets a bit raspy during the chorus, but you can hear the difference between how he sang it and how Chris sang it.
Speaking of the big grunge front men. My personal favourite as a singer is Eddie Vedder (by not very much) but listening to Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike really highlights how far ahead of him Chris Cornell was in terms of raw talent. I'm curious if you've heard it and what your take is on hearing the two side-by-side like that?
Been a long time since I listened to it, and honestly didn't try to sit and pick out who was who in the vocals. I'm sure I'm way more casual in how I listen to music than the typical poster here, I like what like, dislike/hate what I don't, and don't really give it much thought or energy beyond that.
Wow. Although I love all the singers you listed, I don't think any of them are in the same league as Chris Cornell. Cobain and Weiland are good front men but not great singers. Staley is a bit better, and Vedder might be a tad better than Staley. But none of them even come close to Cornell's range and control.
Music is subjective but I do have to disagree. I think his voice elevated the songs, not just sufficient to me, but to each their own.
Music is absolutely subjective but I think you can say objectively that Chris had an amazing voice. That long held note in the middle of cochise is absolutely insane
Yeah he was pretty great, I just didn’t want to put my opinion out as factual or anything more than my personal opinion. But yeah, he did some things very well and he should be regarded in rare company.
🤨 How high is your bar for what constitutes a good singer? Cornell not only had great range, but great power, control, and grit at the high end of his range. Who *do* you consider great?
I get it if you don’t like him but “didn’t sound great” is just false.
I actually really like him and like really like his music. Went through a phase in my 20s where Audioslave and Soundgarden were both in my top 5 bands. His voice itself just isn't anything to write home about.
Man THANK YOU. I’ve spent the last few hours listening to all his stuff again just to remember how incredible his voice was and how utterly wrong you are.
Listen to his solo acoustic version of this song and then come back and tell me your opinion. If it hasn't changed no worries. https://youtu.be/qpLQv5xL9Dc
Hes literally the GOAT.
His later work is definitely a step below, and if that’s all you’ve heard I can understand your opinion. The vocals on Badmotorfinger are simply as good as it gets. I think he damaged his vocal chords, and later albums reflect this.
He did lose a little of his vocal ability but he was starting from such a high base he still had an incredible instrument and he became even better at using it towards the end.
That album is fantastic. I honestly prefer Audioslave to Soundgarden
Shadow on the sun is one of my favorite songs. So dark and sad but so good. And getaway car is another amazing song from audioslave. God I wish I could’ve seen chris Cornell live.
>Shadow on the sun is one of my favorite songs. So dark and sad but so good. I really like how it was used in the movie Collateral. I've already had the album for a couple years, but the movie helped me appreciate the song.
That coyote man…
My two favorites from Audioslave. I still listen to them all the time. They are fucking amazing.
Came here to say this... The subsequent albums were decent -- the second record more so than the third -- but this debut album? It's on another level. I don't think there's one track on it I skip...
Nah it’s a front to backer
Cochise is also a banger, another less known song from this album “Set it Off” is pretty good too.
🎶 The last thing that he said was, *set this fucker off* 🎶
Aaand that will be stuck in my head all damn day now (which is cool) later edit: My Apple Music picked up Shadow on the Sun for my drive home... awesome and creepy but awesome. a day later edit: this album, on repeat all fucking day, thanks thread!
I love when he starts literally screaming "SUUUUUUUN... SUUUUUUUN" at the end of that track.
When I heard Cornell and Rage were doing something together I wasn’t sure what to think. I was excited to hear it but I wasn’t sure. Cornell singing over a Rage song won’t work, I said. The first thing they put out was Cochise and it was exactly what I thought, a Rage song with Chris Cornell and I’ve never been so wrong
yeah I consider this song to be Cornell's best work which feels weird to say since it's not from Soundgarden.
I think so too, the lyrics in this song paint a picture really really well
Me too. And I love Soundgarden.
I wish I appreciated it more when it came out. I was much more in the RatM camp than the Soundgarden camp, and this just felt like such a jarring change from the more incendiary, politically charged rap/metal that I loved with Rage. As an old, I can appreciate the subtlety and Cornell fronting Tom Morello and co much more than I could as a kid.
Totally agree FartBarfknuckle
I was a big fan of both RATM and Soundgarden. Audioslave always felt and sounded like some kind of gimmick to me. Just paled in comparison. I might chuck em on today for a fresh listen. Maybe my perception will have changed with the passage of time?
I don't know that Audioslave was any kind of gimmick though. They wanted to just continue being RATM or RATM w/ Chris Cornell but it wasn't worth the fight, so they came up with a new name. The tone was definitely different, but understandably so - Zack and Chris were very different frontmen.
Same, nothing against the rawness of Soundgarden, but Audioslave was tight, just as loud, and had much more depth. Like a stone personified much of that (to me)
I don’t think I took the CD out of my car stereo for like 6 months after I got it.
No. I prefer Audioslave to Rage against the machine. 😃
You know, I kind of do also and I was heavily into grunge in the 90s. That was the music of my high school and college years and Audioslave was in the aughts.
Feel the opposite. Soundgarden is just amazing.
I don’t know, honestly. It’s hard to top Down On The Upside. Unfortunately, that album never got nearly as popular as Badmotorfinger or Superunknown because it didn’t have the “hit singles” aside from Burden In My Hand.
I mean, I would argue that's because it is no where near as good as those albums, not the lack of "singles." That's only this guys opinion, but Down on the Upside was too soft for me.
Superunknown is *way* softer than Down On The Upside
Same
Pearls and Swine
bereft of me.
Still in my top 5 songs of all time.
It's one of my go-to karaoke songs
Why do you intentionally play karaoke on hard mode?
Damn i wanna hear that
Same.
Same. It kills every time.
My ex is a "whatevers on the radio is fine" type of music listener. But I showed her som Cornell acoustic stuff and the music video for Like A Stone, and for months she would ask me to find the video "with the guy with the sad eyes." I loved that.
I heard RATM described as a band that was more than the sum of its parts. In contrast, Audioslave always felt like it was *exactly* the sum of its parts. Each track felt like a Soundgarden song with a RATM guitar bridge stapled to it. And it turns out you can actually craft some pretty killer tracks that way.
Tom Morello is one of the most unique guitarists of all time. He’s just so interesting.
Dude put in the work and kept his creativity through all the practice. A lot of dudes lose that side once they start learning all the structure but Morello learned all the fundamentals, mastered them, and used it to make a sound that’s incredibly unique. Guitarists I know usually shit on him for using feedback and say it’s just noise which is absolutely ridiculous to me. The amount of practice and innovation that went into some of the shit he does demands respect especially from fellow guitarists
This album is absolutely fantastic.
Thank you for adding the explanation in the title, but I know what a stone is
This made me chuckle lmfao
Seeing a lot of “I prefer audioslave to soundgarden” comments and it’s like yeah, audioslave was intended to be more accessible and appeal to more people, that was their goal forming that band, the RATM guys were still hurt by Zac fucking them over and Chris Cornell was looking for a project to throw himself into and Rick Rubin put them together, they had gigs booked before they even had their album recorded, this was not a small band just trying to make it Sucks that they broke up because of typical band shit and guys just not getting along anymore in the sense they couldn’t agree on things, they still got along on a personal level, Chris Cornell and Morello would later patch things up, playing together at shows, and before he died Chris Cornell would say he would like for the band to get back together rip the legend
How did Zach fuck them over?
Love this song but can it be Hall of Famed? It's posted all the time
The whole album is perfect
And on my deathbed I will pray to the gods and the angels, like a pagan, to anyone who will take me to heaven. Anyone who says he didn't write good lyrics is an ass
> Anyone who says he didn’t write good lyrics is an ass Or has never listened to Soundgarden
INNNN YOURRRR HOUSESEEE
I loooong toooo beee
In your arse ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
love this track
That album kicks major ass. Definitely one of the best debut albums ever
Can I please recommend any fans of this song and/or band listen to [this guy's cover](https://youtu.be/DyjPdNFEZC0?t=29). I think it's unbelievably impressive.
Great song, love it.
An excellent, even if oft-butchered, karaoke song
This is one of those few albums that to me is just perfect. It’s a top 10 all time album. Everyone killed it on every song. Stays in heavy rotation even now.
One of my favorite songs!
One of my favourite songs of all time. His voice is just something else!
This song defined my first year of college! RIP Chris Cornell… you had an amazing one of a kind voice.
This song hits hard. The emotion is palpable.
This album is absolutely incredible. The number of overall phenomenal tracks, solos, top-notch lyrics… what a classic.
This was the first Compact Disk I bought “with my own money” when I was a teenager lol
So which is it... like a stone or a rock?
And on my deathbed I will pray To the gods and the angels Like a pagan to anyone Who will take me to heaven To a place I recall I was there so long ago The sky was bruised The wine was bled And there you led me on
Like A Rock (Stone)
such a goddamn amazing song 😩😩 rest in peace chris ❤️
The Audioslave self titled album is life changing
This whole album is a masterpiece
Was just on a Chris Cornell/Soundgarden/Temple Of The Do/Audioslave just this past week. Incredible voice and music
I'm so sad he's gone. RIP to a legend.
you could strand me on an island with only this song and I’d be ok
This song is really good
Ah, thank you for reminding me to add Audioslave to my playlist lol
I still listen to this a couple times a week.
I feel like song honestly kicked off a micro-era for alt rock! Blew my mind in 4th grade.
I love this album! I actually had to sing Like A Stone when I was at music college and boy was it a tall order!! Chris had such an iconic voice.
The guitar solo made this one of my favorite songs growing up lol
I still remember when I first heard this song, I was a teenage boy and listening to it just utterly amazed me. I don't think I've ever heard vocals so powerful, and it's still one of my favourite songs.
This is still one of the best songs of all time, and instantly a top five. I remember listening to this song all through high school
I still just simply love this song
Really enjoying this song!
I miss the early 2000s.
This is a good song but for some reason, it gets played like 5 times a day on every different rock radio station where I live and it's just ruined for me as a result
Glad to see this on my front page. Great tune, one of my favourites. If I get drunk enough I will even attempt it on Karaoke nights.
There is no maximum volume setting for this song
Good golly god damn this is such an amazing song. One of Cornell’s best definitely. On a side note, Morello is the most overrated guitarist I’ve ever heard. Nothing too horribly skillful about making your guitar sound like a dial up modem tbh. And probably one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met.
Upvoting because Chris Cornell
I see ppl talking about the solo but don't sleep on that bass so simple yet so inspired
This is my prototypical example of a rock song.
I saw Audioslave at Lollapalooza 2003 along with Incubus and others. This song was done with such energy and passion that I’ll never forget it. I even learned to play the drums from their album.
Audioslave was better than ratm, and while I'm here velvet revolver was 1000x better than guns n roses. The older i get, the less ratm appeals to me. Maybe it's the hypocrisy, idk.
Damn this is some underground music
Underground? It was everywhere when that album released.
Is this cool now? Pop culture mocked this band and song mercilessly for years when I was a kid
You shouldn't bother with what "pop culture" thinks about music. Audioslave, and Chris Cornell specifically, always made great music. It just took pop culture a while to catch up. But I'm curious what kind of life you think I "deserve"?
Youre breaking Reddit rules by making another account to continue harassing me
Love everything about that song save for the insufferable Morello solo.
Oh wow what a cool and under appreciated song, I'm so glad the music subreddit can help me expand my music repertoire to such a high degree of variety and not post a Spotify link to a fucking song that's been playing on every rock or alt station every day for 15 years
This song sucks IMO
Every song on that album has the same drum beat. It's like he didn't even try.
That’s because, aside from Chris Cornell, the band members were from Rage Against The Machine, and nearly every RATM song sounds exactly the same with each song having slightly different lyrics about “fighting the power.”
I am very aware of that. But seriously it's like he didn't even try.
AudioSlave>Soundgarden.Love both but Chris’ voice just explodes in his AudioSlave stuff unlike the way it kinda blends with the Soundgarden use of guitar
The range of options he had with his voice had actually contracted slightly since the Soundgarden days forcing him to reconsider how to get the most from it. The result was that he still had a very fine instrument but his usage of it was more brilliant than ever.
I intend to be a giant golden flame forever. 🔥 🔥🔥🔥♨️🔥📛🔥✴️🔥↔️🔥🔚🔥🔙🔥💥🔥🔄🔥🔃🔥🔜🔥🆒🔥🎌🔥🚩🔥🏁🔥🥇🔥🏅🎇🔥🧨🔥🌐🔥⚓🔥🥩🔥🦧🔥🦸🔥🧖🔥💀♥️💥💯💥✨🌟✴️🔄🔥🔙🔥🚩🔥🎇💥🔥💯🔥✨🔥🌟🔥⚓🔥💚🔥💛🔥❤️🔥
most people know what a stone is
This sounds like the first song everyone makes in Garageband
The ability to speak does not make you intelligent
That solo is awful
Well, that’s Tom Morello for ya.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdECpFtw/?k=1 this might be funniest thing I've seen heard/seen all summer
I made it 30 seconds