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| Tuesday, September 19, 2006 |
| 'Follow the leaders were it an eye for an eye they'd all be blind...' |
 When I first discovered that Chris Cornell was going to join the remaining members of Rage Against the Machine, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the news. I was a big fan of both Soundgarden and RATM but I couldn't grasp how this was going to work. Surely Cornell wasn't going to start rapping like De La Rocha?? I was really worried that this was going to be a disaster. I mean, how could two of my favourite bands possibly join together and be anywhere near as good as either of their previous bands. I could certainly never envisage that they would be as good as Soundgarden (who were up there with Nirvana and Pearl Jam as my favourite bands of all time). I had massive doubts that they could produce anything as memorable as Superunknown (to my mind, the quintessential grunge album). Perhaps I was being unfair on them. I mean, they were legends and Audioslave were a new proposition that needed to find their own sound and place among their contemporaries.
When they released their eponymous first album, I was more than a little relieved. It sounded fresh and interesting. It certainly wasn't the disaster I feared it could turn out to be. However, the overall impression I got of that album was potential. Although the album had its moments, it failed to really grab me and demand that I take notice. I felt that perhaps the second album might see them really settle down and produce a truly great rock album. Maybe even one that could compete with some of their glorious early work. Out of Exile, however, turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I didn't really feel like they had moved on as a band. Don't get me wrong, it was a good album but that's all it was. Once again, they failed to really get me going and make me believe that they are the great hope for rock music (which has kinda died of late with everyone turning their heads at the sight of the mighty $). Again it was good music that failed to reach greatness. However, I persevered with them as I believe that Chris Cornell is one of the finest singers in the business. Plus, I still had hazy memories of listening to my first Soundgarden album and being totally blown away with the music (I remember reading somewhere once that when Kurt Cobain first saw Soundgarden, he considered giving up because they were so amazing that they made Nirvana look shit in comparison).
So we come now to Revelations. I think it is definitely a step up from their previous effort. The album hammers away from beginning to end, barely giving you time to draw breath. Once again, Cornell is faultless and on this form I can't wait for his efforts on the new Bond soundtrack. Original Fire is a particular early favourite of mine. It fairly stomps along like an old fashioned rock song with a driving chorus and some fantastic guitar work from Morello, who tones down his more elaborate guitar style for a change (apart from the solo of course). I think this is part of the problem I have had though. I sometimes find Morello's guitar to be a little over the top at times. In fact, it is fair to say that some of his solos give me a bloody great headache, but then you could blame that on age I guess!! The title track opens with a gentle soothing melody (perhaps the only example on the album) before kicking into some typical heaviness. As with Original Fire, the over-the-top guitar work is kept to a minimum and the band keep it simple throughout. I think that, perhaps, this is an indication that that the band feel comfortable with each other.
Unusually for this album, Cornell even injects a little political commentary into his lyrics. Although he has been a politically active for sometime, he has kept this side out of his lyrics in the main. In fact, on the DVD that comes with the album, Cornell states that he is not so interested in writing political songs. This obviously contrasts with the rest of the band, who come from a background of overt political music. However, some songs have an obvious political message. Perhaps the best example being Wide Awake. With lyrics such as:
'Down on the road the world is floating by The poor and undefended left behind While you're somewhere trading lives for oil As if the whole world were blind, hey'
it is pretty obvious what the message is. And let's face it, it would be pretty difficult not to write such lyrics in the current environment. So in short, this is a big improvement on their previous effort but just fails to touch the greatness that they should be more than capable of achieving. I don't think they have quite done enough to break into my top five bands of all time, but I certainly think they are one of the most talented rock bands around. Let's just hope that they can fulfill their potential and produce a truly great rock album to rank with the finest albums of the past 15 years. |
posted by korova @ 9:20 pm  |
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| 5 Comments: |
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I am a huge fan of Soundgarden and RATM, but I have never liked Audioslave. There is just something about it, maybe I keep comparing it to their former bands and I find they always come up WAY short. Superunknown is a great album (In Utero is the best grunge album though), and Battle Of Los Angeles ia a landmark album. Audioslave just seems to pale in comparison to such greatness.
I find the same thing with Velvet Revolver. I love GNR and STP, but VR just seems so crappy when compaired to those bands. Oh well. :)
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Hey wes. Yeah, I do think Audioslave lack a certain something but I don't think they are as bad as they might have been.
Interesting to see you rate In Utero as the best grunge album. It is my favourite Nirvana album, but I don't think it is quite as good as Superunknown. I keep thinking of doing a series of posts on what I consider to be the definitive albums of the early 90s - could be interesting.
As for GNR, I never liked them. When I was at school it was either Nirvana of GNR. For me it had to be Nirvana. As for STP, neath is a big fan and we often talk about their albums. I loved Purple and Tiny Music, but I kinda checked out after that. And yeah, VR are pretty crappy!!!!
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STP rocks! I like Tiny Music and No.4, those are my favs. I hear you on the GNR vs. Nirvana thing, lots of people are like that, but I never was. I love both bands. GNR was my first concert ever, and really got me interesting in making music. And Nirvana has just had such a large impact on me and my life, I can't even put it into words. Yes Superunknown is good, but for me In Utero is it, and there is nothing else. Even compared to non-grunge albums, I have a hard time finding something I like more then In Utero. I still get goose bumps to this day when I hear Pennyroyal Tea. :)
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Agreed, wes. The whole VR project is a bit weak. It just sort of washes over you leaving no stimulus in it's wake, which is dissappointing as I used to have so much fun with both original bands. It's sort of what you'd expect musically but the whole thing seems like camp irony. Are they taking the piss? Have you seen the videos?!
Neath: Feather boas AND a gong!? Are you kidding?!
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I am a huge fan of Soundgarden and RATM, but I have never liked Audioslave. There is just something about it, maybe I keep comparing it to their former bands and I find they always come up WAY short. Superunknown is a great album (In Utero is the best grunge album though), and Battle Of Los Angeles ia a landmark album. Audioslave just seems to pale in comparison to such greatness.
I find the same thing with Velvet Revolver. I love GNR and STP, but VR just seems so crappy when compaired to those bands. Oh well. :)