Superunknown

This is what straight men listen to, huh?

Some albums are great because they meant a lot at a specific point in your life. Some albums are just great. This one is both.

Chris Cornell had such a voice.

Disclaimer: Can't be objective about this one. This is literally the first record I ever purchased. I just finished the new Chris Cornell biography Total Fucking Godhead... I'm a bit of a fan of this band. What a classic album! Love the sort of dark, evil psychadelia of this record. Huge riffs, Matt "Fucking" Cameron on drums with bizarre time signatures, and one of the all-time greatest rock voices... it just doesn't get much better. On my all time favorites.

S U P E R O V E R R A T E D

Chris Cornell is one of the greatest rock singers ever. This album has some of the best riffs of all time (Spoonman, Fell on Black Days). It's filled with metaphors about loneliness and depression (Black Hole Sun, Day I Tried to Live, Like Suicide). The album is filled with great, memorable choruses that have the staying power and melody of pop, without sacrificing the heaviness of the subject matter and genre of grunge. In my opinion, it's a top 4 grunge album with Nevermind, Dirt, and Ten.

Absolutely essential grunge album. It will rock the fuck out of your soul from the first track to the last. Chris Cornell was an unparalleled talent and killer vocalist, a tremendous credit to the genre. This album is a stone cold masterpiece.

Lol, I don't know why everybody likes this album so much

I went into this thinking I liked Soundgarden more than I actually do. Quite boring to be honest. 3.33 average per track,

Psych and prog infused grunge; this album was so formative to my musical tastes when I first discovered it back in freshman year of high school. I may not go back to Soundgarden as often as I did back in those days, and there is definitely some valid criticism here (particularly about it being a long and exhausting listen for one sitting) but this album could never be anything but a 5 for me.

Soundgarden was my favorite of the grunge bands because of Chris Cornell (RIP) and his ridiculous vocals. Hits hard all around. Love it.

I love Spoonman and Black Hole Sun, but otherwise this album is another example of mostly bland 90's mainstream rock. I just hate the 90's aesthetic, the chugga chugga guitars, the stereotypical singing style. That isn't to say it is bad, it just isn't something I want to listen to.

Just phenomenal. Still so very good. R.I.P. Chris Cornell.

Knew the band name, couldn't have named a song they had made which is how I learnt they made Blackhole Sun. Otherwise, my standard complaint of this being way too fucking long. Could have cut 30 minutes from this and made a solid album since it gets really boring after a while.

After Chris Cornell passed, my mom bought every Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog cd and it was the only music she would listen to, in the car and at home, for like two years. I moved out during that time

Okay, this is badass. Grimy and heavy and with a distinctive feel. This is great workout or writing music.

This album is full of jams. Sometimes I think I like Badmotorfinger better, but goddamn, this album fucking rules

Some good tunes on this album. However, I think a lot of the songs sound the same.

Initial Critique - Chris Cornell is a vocal god. A masterclass in 90's rock. Despite listening to many of the songs on the album as singles, had never listened to it as an album.

Nothing but bangers, a lot of distortion, reminding me of the roots of what rock is today.

top tier grunge album

Before listening: If anyone asked me whether I like Soundgarden I would say yes. If they asked me how many songs I actually know, I would say, "Um, Blackhole Sun?". I think out of all the big 90s alt bands, I know Soundgarden and Alice in Chains the least. I was much more of an Audioslave fan in the early 00s than I ever was of Soundgarden. I'm looking forward to this album, although I must say that at the time of writing, I'm not really in a 90s mood. Nevertheless, here we go! After listening: I liked it, there was a lot of good songs here. But oh my God, so much filler. Songs were too long and there were too many of them. Chris Cornell's voice though ... There's a reason people rank him as one of the best vocalists of the era. Overall, still very good.

A record I still own and I'm so not going to approach this objectively, haha. How could I, as I had scribbled a part of the "Fell On Black Days" lyrics on my bedroom wall? This was the shit then, it's still an equally important blip in music history now. I may not enjoy all 70 minutes of it, today, in one sitting but I can't bring myself to let this detract any .points from 5 stars.

The album in which the Grunge took so much of a presence that some consider this to not even be Alt-Metal & Grunge but only Grunge even when a huge majority of the songs show to be some sort of Alt-Metal. Still, Grunge is the main genre of the album and should therefore be the main focus point. Soundgarden had easily the best studio Grunge album. Sadly, or luckily (depending on how you view it), Nirvana had their legendary MTV Unplugged album released the same year. But the achievements that this album brought to the table make this an essential album even 30 years later. The album opens on 'Let Me Drown', a perfect example of the heavy and Stoner Rock inspired metal sound the band is so good at creating. It starts with loud and catchy layered guitar riffs and an incredible vocal delivery. The song just makes you want to headbang. It's an energetic and sonically perfect intro into the album. The next song 'My Wave' is much less Metal, even if it's still a very heavy song. Interestingly is this a much more psychedelic sound and I think the guitar pedal effects that is sometimes sprinkled throughout makes this really interesting. The chorus also works really well, it's just that I think that the song streches a bit too much near the end. It should've been cut to 4 minutes max as the last minute doesn't really add more to the song. 'Fell on Black Days' is one of the best known songs here and it most resembles the Grunge sound most people are familiar with through Nirvana. It's a really good songs but it doesn't really reach the edge that I loved so much with the opener. Compared to most of the album, this seems much more conventional and basic and I personally am not greatly interested with most of what the song does. With 'Mailman' they get back to the heavier sound and there is a lot of heavy and "sludgey" guitar on here. In return the song comes out much more interesting and formed than its predecessor but unlike that, this is feels a little stretched towards the end of it and there isn't much of a catchy "something" that makes the song stick. The title track 'Superunknown' follows with a very Hard Rock and Blues Rock inspired instrumentation that really drives the song and works much better as a point of focus. The vocals are killer and the chorus is simply epic. I absolutely see why this was chosen as the song to name the album after as it does summarize the album pretty neatly. 'Head Down' removes a lot of the heaviness and replaces it with a more psychedelic approach that works within the context of the time. The dreamy vocals and the washy guitars make this a noisy and dense but lovely and dreamy song that flows within itself. Even if I mainly prefer the more metal sounding songs on the album, this is easily one of the best they ever put out. The song that everyone knows, 'Black Hole Sun', shows an even more Neo-Psychdelia rooted sound than before and like before it works perfectly. It starts with the legendary and dreamy guitars and the melodic and surprisingly clear vocals that seamlessly blend into the chorus that is even better. Even if it's a basic opinion, this is the best song on the album or at least in the Top 3. The whole song works and feels much less streched than most songs here. I absolutely adore every second from the guitar solo, the slightly changed chorus in the second half, the background vocals and the general structure. The albums second half starts with 'Spoonman', a song that is much more complex in comparison to most of stuff you find on here. It has multiple, seemingly random, additions thrown in that make this together with the abstract lyrics a very weird but great listen. 'Limo Wreck' sounds like a very early Doom Metal song with the thick, slow and atmospheric guitar riff that goes the whole way through the song. It's dark, unsetteling and really feels like something Black Sabbath could've cooked up if they had Grunge back then. But the song suffers a little bit from a lack of focus near the end. With 'The Day I Tried to Live' was the albums lead single and is therefore another pretty well known song. And although I prefer it over 'Fell on Black Days', I have similar criticisms towards it. It doesn't interest me for the most part and feels too basic and average. Of course it has some great moments but they are not worthy. It's a good song but just nothing more. The short and not even 2 minute long 'Kickstand' is one of the few instances of a Punk sound that gets through. And although Punk isn't what they are used to do, it is a very solid song and is actually really interesting and does not feel like an Interlude at all. 'Fresh Tendrils' keeps a small amount of the Punk energy from before but turns it into a more Metal sounding track again. And unlike before, this doesn't work really well. It is still a good song but it feels very unfocused and unsure about itself. To my ears the song is either uninteresting or a little bit annoying. A really underrated song is '4th of July'. It is easily the most Doom Metal the album gets. It is heavy and dark and the slight hints of Psychedelia make this an even more atmospheric and anxious listen. A perfect blend of all genres they are capable of using. The short 'Half' that is another left-turn with the introduction of Raga-Rock (Indian Classical music inspired Rock) and hints of experimental parts. And although that might sound like it would derail the whole album, I think it works pretty good right before closing the album. And the album closes with the dark and depressive 'Like Suicide'. The title pretty much says what the song is about and it gets the anxious and suicidal feeling very intensely across and closes the album with another perfect song even if it is the longest one but this time it definitely needed that length. favourites: Black Hole Sun, Head Down, Like Suicide, Let Me Drown, Superunknown, 4th of July least favourites: Fresh Tendrils, Mailman, Fell on Black Days, The Day I Tried to Live Rating: light 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Chris Cornell = Automatic 5. It's fair to say that seeing Temple of the Dog play at the kickoff show November 4th, 2016 in Phila. not many months before his tragic and untimely death was probably the best show I've ever seen-- and I've seen some good f******g shows. What a damned legend. This album rocks. Watch the Phila. show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OJAhB5Cark

My review of Grace by Jeff Buckley referenced how 1994 was the most incredible year for music (Portishead, Weezer, Beck, Jeff Buckley, Beastie Boys, Green Day, Live, Tori Amos, Cranberries, the list goes on) and Superunknown is part of what made 1994 incredible. Chris Cornell is one of the best male rock vocalists of all time, his range is ridiculous, and his voice is just raw power. Soundgarden may not be my favorite of the projects of Chris Cornell since I prefer Audioslave to the more heavy metal sound of Soundgarden, but his voice is nothing short of 5 stars every time.

Not sure how to describe this album and ive known it for most of my life. Very human of an album. Its a perfect mix of the grunge sound, hard rock ballads, psych sludge sound, heavy stoner riffs, and really catchy choruses. Chris Cornells voice is unreal with how talented it is.

Is it perfect? Nah. Does it have Black Hole Sun and Spoonman on it? Yesh. Five stars. SPOOOOONMAAAANNNN

Easy, easy 5. Up there with some of my most listened to albums of all time and a shining example of top tier grunge. Love it

Chris Cornell is probably my favorite rock singer after Freddie Mercury, so talented and so much range. I just happened to listen to his collection this weekend, not knowing this album was upcoming (I was behind and stuck trying to decide on Sonic Youth so turned to Cornell). I know most call this album their magnum opus but I always wondered if it was really that good...despite the fact that Spoonman, My Wave, and The Day I Tried to Live are some of my all-time favorite alternative songs (the chords & guitar progressions & drumwork on all three...brilliant). I really got into music in college, mostly listened to radio and didn't own many albums in high school so I didn't own this. Even now I don't own it, even though I profess to be a late Soundgarden fan. I saw Jeremy's review and I feel the exact same way about Black Hole Sun. Maybe that's why I have these hesitations, like some of it is overplayed and overhyped. Nah. I have listened to it a fair number of times since college, but finally listening to it really intently here, it's awesome. Like my favorites, the other songs have awesome guitar work, humming basslines, solid percussion, Cornell's vocals (of course), and profound lyrics. Even the non-hits are great (e.g., Let Me Drown, Mailman, Fresh Tendrils, 4th of July). Shame on me for ever thinking this was less than amazing.

Having relistened to this album after having last listened to it over 20 years ago, it's incredible how current it still sounds. I remembered how heavy it felt back then, and I was afraid it would lose its magic in the current landscape of today's music. This is not the case.

Timeless classic.

RIP Chris Cornell - in his softer moments sounds a lot like Josh Homme, whose voice I adore. "Mailman" could be QOTSA song. Soundgarden have such a distinctive sound, different from what was going on in the 90s, it's not metal it's not grunge, it's not stoner rock. Really enjoy "Head Down" - sweet singing Obvs "Black Hold Sun" is an absolute classic. "Spoonman" driving rhythm is so great High 4 / 5

What a bomb album. Chris Cornell is the main star here with his incredible vocal performances, but the rest of the band does a commendable job creating that heavy, grunge-y sound throughout. Everyone knows 'Black Hole Sun' and 'Spoonman', but there's so much here to enjoy - 'Head Down', 'Superunknown', 'Fell on Black Days', 'Let Me Drown'. Yeah, really terrific. I would give it 4.5, but I'll round up to 5.

Well, I’m guessing there’s no way now we’re getting Loud Love or (still my personal fave) Badmotorfinger, but I fuckin’ love this band. Great voice over an even better rhythm section. I could probably listen to an entire record of just Kim farting around with a wah wah pedal and be a happy camper. So I’m a little biased over here. This album though has always felt like a bit of a weird mix of tunes, (even when you just compare the singles) but I think it was the first thing I ever bought on CD and I really, really love the production. This shit sings through headphones. Soundgarden was at their best, imo, when they were trudging through the chugs and then just randomly would shift into some weird tinkly melody that somehow made the whole tune come together. This record has a bunch of those moments: “Mailman,” “Head Down,” “4th of July,” etc. But yeah… at the end of the day, it’s the “Black Hole Sun” record. There are worse legacies.

I really dig this. I like how it was heavy, but also clear what they wanted to get across and not overcrowded. Great songs, black hole sun is a classic obvi

Several solid songs. RIP Chris Cornell

Like the Pumpkins' album I saw earlier, this one was a staple for anyone in school when I was. It's a classic, and the songs are amazing. Kim Thayil's guitar sound is unique, and Chris Cornell's voice is unmistakable.

There's been a weird influx of latinx music in the past week after not getting any previous to that. Overall it was pretty cool, though I really hated the parade song (perhaps because I don't really enjoy actual parades either). Some of the other songs were a bit cloying as well. This works really good as a kids album, but I don't think that's how it was intended. It's fine, but I don't ever see myself coming back to it 3/5

love this album, have listened to it countless times

One of the best grunge albums, full of emotions and big riffs. Chris Cornell is as impressive as ever, showing of his vocal abilities. The riffs are grand and range from punk/rock to doom/sludge. Lyrical themes are powerful, dark and perfectly convey the emotions of the 90s.

The angst was there, the guitar solos were so there, I just couldn’t quite give it a 5.

This was a terrific time. I love Chris Cornell's voice and the entire fabric of this album is woven through with his singing like gold thread through a tapestry. The whole thing is a touch long, which is why I was ready to move onto different sounds once it wrapped up.

I wasnt into it at first but from Head Down and onwards it was amazing. It made me think of how well this album would go together with the joining together of hands, not in marriage, but solely for the purpose of sating the fleshly desires of the soul. Indulging in lustful hedonism for no purpose other than to drown in pleasure for but a few moments, together. tldr: I want to fuck to this album

☝️☝️☝️ ⚠️Whiteboy on the mic⚠️ Exciting rethinking of rock ideas of both their past and present with inspired playing (particularly the drumming). Could’ve been shorter though

The foundation of grunge, though you can hear the other influences so clearly. I’m not a big fan of grunge and all these songs sound the same to me — muscle and testosterone. Good hooks, but they’re all hook, with no space to reflect and contemplate between the riffs. Still, Soundgarden influenced pop rock for a decade, which is impressive and probably led to something interesting. I’ll give it a 3, but it’s so 2-dimensional, i could give it a just as easily.

I would say I definitely liked this more than anything else I have heard labelled as grunge by this list. Either the genre is growing on me, I'm getting more of an ear for it, or this album is just better. I'm still not in love with the sound though. Certain songs will strike me (in this case "Let me Drown", "Fell on Black Days", "Black Hole Sun", and "Spoonman") but I seem to not like whole albums so far. I would even say I would prefer to not listen to all the songs I really liked in a row. Part of a bigger playlist with other styles on it put on shuffle, I think each of those would be a refreshing change of pace. However as a whole this definitely felt like a 3* to me.

No. 213/1001 Let Me Drown 3/5 My Wave 4/5 Fell On Black Days 4/5 Mailman 2/5 Superunknown 3/5 Head Down 3/5 Black Hole Sun 4/5 Spoonman 3/5 Limo Wreck 3/5 The Day I Tried To Live 3/5 Kickstand 3/5 Fresh Tendrils 3/5 4th Of July 3/5 Half 3/5 Like Suicide 4/5 Average: 3,27 Pretty good grunge record.

drags on too long

A couple solid tracks and overall I like this group but after a while I'm like "when will it end?"

The production feels kind of compressed. The influence of Led Zeppelin is here, which in turn goes back to some delta blues sound. Black Hole Sun stands out from the rest of the songs. The album as a whole feels a bit underwhelming. The potential was there, just needed better producing.

Mid

It's taken me a while to revisit all this 90's grunge and give it a proper listen, because growing up in the 90's these songs were all over the radio and I was so sick of hearing Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, etc. that I actively avoided them for two decades. I'm glad to finally spend time with this Soundgarden record. I liked a lot about it, from Chris Cornell's vocals to Kim Thayil's guitar work. This album is considered a cornerstone of the grunge movement for obvious reasons. Two main complaints: 1) It's way too long of an album. With so little variety in the tracklist until towards the end, it feels bloated and a few of the songs blend together. There's no reason this thing should be over an hour long. 2) (And this is a deep dark secret I've harbored since I was a kid hearing this band all over the radio in the 90s) "Black Hole Sun" is such a boring ass song. It's tedious, it's repetitive, it's plodding...I think "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" has more lyrics. I hated hearing it on the radio when I was 10 and I hated hearing it as an adult. That being said, good album, worth a listen.

There are things I enjoy about this record. But it became a monotonous chore to get through. At 30 minutes, I would probably like it quite a bit more.

Right, here we go, day 1! Solid start to the journey, avoiding some of the more controversial albums on the list that will go down better once I’m settled into the routine. Having heard a few individual songs from this record before, I was relieved when I saw it as album 1 and dived in with a fair amount of anticipation. And for the most part was not disappointed. The highs here are high, “Black Hole Sun” and “Let Me Drown” being in my top 2. I just feel that it went on a bit too long with a run time of 70 minutes, maybe cutting a few of the tracks would have been beneficial. That being said, I can see why it’s regarded as one of the defining albums of its genre and would be one I’d like to return to in the future. Overall, I’ll go with 3.5, but that might increase over time. Looking forward to what the next 3 and a bit years will bring!

The best song on this album is definitely “Black Hole Sun” and they knew it while recording this. 5/10

Overlong and mediocre. The style wasn’t terrible, but it got repetitive and a little grating. Not something I’d listen to in its entirety again. 2.5 rounded up.

HEY DUDES, DO YOU LIKE HARD MUSIC THAT ALSO MAKES YOU GET HARD Wikipedia lists this as Grunge but this is 100% Butt Rock for me. I only know "Black Hole Sun" which was everywhere at the time and still has a lasting legacy but... overall this is the music of my middle/high school days. Feels like I'm way past this. But, it's competent at what it's doing and I don't begrudge anyone who likes it. I think it's mostly down the vocals, just too monotone.

This sounds like what some dude would blast at full volume in his Impala after he just gay bashed a kid outside a bar in the mid 90s.

Glorified singles band 2

There were some songs that I didn't hate.

Not for me, but I bet Nickelback loved this record.

This sounds like a garbage nickleback

Won’t waste a second listening to this again. Despised it and everything it stood for back in the 90s. Snap out of it! Oh me oh my…whoas me 😖

Hated this from the get-go. Plodding grunge with few melodies, I can see how this might be intriguing live in a big arena, but listening to it was painful. Even “Black Hole Sun” which I always turn up and sing along to when it comes on in the car wasn’t as fun in the context of the whole album. I hate Pearl Jam as well, except for “Jeremy”.

Awful, awful music. I only persisted with this for Black Hole Sun - hardly the cheeriest of tunes. I'm proud of my musical prejudices. Ultimately I know I am right. You always need some Roll with your Rock. No soul, no ta.

Très bien. Une bonne énergie sur tout l’album.

Steadily grew on me as it went on. I'm a believer.

One of my favorite albums of all time. Will forever be dear to my heart. Rip Chris, we'll always love you.

One of my favorites of the era and all time for that matter. Like a doomy version of zeppelin. Chris Cornell can wail.

One of the best albums from the grunge era!

Favorite 90s band. Best album.

One of my all time faves

Another awesome album. Back in the days when I was 12, the video for Black Hole Sun was totally fascinating to me—and well, it still is! :D

One of my favorite albums of all time. Despite my apathy towards spoonman which comes off wrong to me. I never cared for that track but the rest of the album make it up.

One of the genre defining grunge albums of the 90s. Dark,heavy,and a soaring voice that takes it to new heights.

This was the 5th CD I bought, on release day (after Prince Diamonds and Pearls, Nirvana's In Utero, MJ's Dangerous, Therapy?s Troublegum). At the time I mostly liked the standout tracks, like Black Hole Sun and Spoonman. The Day I Tried To Live became a regular cassette mix entry. I found it more dreary and less interesting though than the likes of Therapy? and Nirvana. Over the years though, relistens have been hugely helped by identifying more with the themes, and maturing with a more discerning taste for the songcraft and Cornell's voice. I appreciate it far now than I did then. Although this is a great album, I still much prefer Therapy?s Troublegum, and my favourite Soundgarden song is still Pretty Noose (from Down on the Upside).

Absolutely deserves its place among these albums. Badmotorfinger is my favorite album of theirs, but this is a close second. Not a bad song in the bunch, from the one-two punch of "Let Me Drown" and "My Wave" through album closer "Like Suicide." I still listen to it a few times a year. Can't tell you how welcome this was after a week of duds.

Black Hole Sun is easily one of the top 100 songs ever written.

Takes me back. One of the greatest rock singers of all time. This was a CD I listened to on repeat when it came out, and it holds up.

Grunge classic.

Consistently awesome rock riffs + kickass rhythm section, particularly drums + honestly one of the top 3 rock vocalists of all time + an undeniable stone-cold classic hit ("Black Hole Sun") = this is a 5-star album. Wow it's good. Yes, it's long, but honestly I was surprised when I discovered that after the fact. It keeps up the quality, I think. I'm really not a huge grunge/hard rock fan in general, but selectively I enjoy things here and there...this might be the best grunge album. It's so good. Must-listen #96.

5/5 - black hole sun & spoonman!

Ya, before I finish the album I know im gonna give it a five. Just such a good album Ive heard the famous ones like Black Hole Suns but the lesser known tracks were still super solid. Great Band RIP Chris Cornell

Absolutely tapping into my youth here 1001. Some albums are made for driving. Some are made for drinking. Some are made for existential dread. This one covers all three. It’s sludgy but melodic, like someone let Black Sabbath borrow some Seattle rainwater. The riffs slap, Chris's vocals soar, and it sounds like it was recorded in a haunted, smoke-filled cathedral. Absolutely nasty in the best way. At the time this came out I was still soaking in the Seattle sound, and this wasn't missed at all. It might hit even harder than it did back then, in retrospect. Rest In Peace, Chris. Spins: All Day Playlist Additions: - My Wave - Fell On Black Days - Black Hole Sun - Spoonman - The Day I Tried To Live

I've been meaning to listen to this one for a while, and god damn have I been missing out. Love me some heavy shit and these guys so it insanely well with the guitar tone and the riffs. Add Chris' vocals on top and you've got one of the best grunge records of all time. Only slight - and I mean slight - downside is 1 or 2 of the tracks at the beginning are a tad weaker than the rest. But when you're given Head Down, Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, Limo Wreck and The Day I Tried To Live in succession, you cannot complain.

I will admit up front that I am biased on this one. During the summer of 1994, I drove from Lubbock, TX to Temple, TX almost every weekend. This album was my accompaniment for those trips. I’d missed the boat on Soundgarden’s previous album Badmotorfinger but jumped on board with Superunknown. Fell on Black Days and My Wave are my two favorite tracks but every song is great on this album. Even Kickstand, which I always found fun and silly. The only “filler” on this album is the short next to last song Half but it’s just a little over two minutes long so I can let it play through with no issue. It doesn’t hurt my rating here at all. I still enjoy this album regularly. 5/5

Greatest Buttrock album of all time. If there were no Soundgarden there'd be no Nickleback or Creed. Take that as you will

Greatest grunge album ever. Yeah I said it.

great album, bunch of hits on here but some of the best songs are deep cuts

Superunknown's blend of complex song structures, rich with tempo changes, dissonance, and odd time signatures, show their technical prowess while staying raw and relatable. Cornell’s powerful vocals, from soaring highs to gritty lows, resonate on every track and provide an emotional punch. Certainly one of the cornerstone albums of the 90s grunge movement.

another grunge classic, "Black Hole Sun' one of my favourites

Outstanding album by one of the seminal Seattle grunge bands. Their masterpiece.

If there was a holy trinity of grunge that wasn’t Nirvana, it would be Ten by Pearl Jam, Dirt by Alice In Chains and Superunknown. Would I say that this is my favorite of my made up trinity? No, but it’s still excellent. I think my biggest concern going into this was whether or not the tracks outside the hits would have the same punch. A 70-minute album can’t rely just on Black Hole Sun and The Day I Tried To Live. For me thankfully, the answer is yes. The likes of My Wave, Like Suicide, and Mailman do hit as well as the hits. So it makes the 70 minutes not seem at long. Trust me, there’s probably worse. Chris Cornell (may he rest in peace), had a gifted voice. The things he can achieve through his vocals were legendary. The Day I Tried to Live is probably the best example of it. The way he can belt the high notes made him one of a kind. It’s easy to see how this was the moment that Soundgarden broke out. Even though they have some good stuff in Badmotorfinger (which I hope is part of this project), this feels like the band at its best. As a result, this is one of the core albums of the grunge movement and one of my favorite albums from the 90’s. Favorite track: Black Hole Sun Other hits: The Day I Tried to Live, Spoonman, My Wave, Superunknown, Mailman, Like Suicide, Let Me Drown, Fell on Black Days

This is one of those albums that’s so perfect it’s hard for me to pick a favorite aspect of its creation. Whether it’s Kim’s destructive and layered force on guitars, something he perfected on this album. Or Matt Camron’s insane drumming with Ben Sheppard’s innovating bass locked in forming a deadly rhythm section. Or the once in a lifetime hyper dynamic vocal performance of Cornell. Another aspect along side the band, is Michael Beinhorn and his team of engineers who produced and mixed the hell out of this album, giving the band the best environment and guidance for them to explore the recording process. Over all, Superunknown is a rare occurrence where the parts are as spectacular as the sum. To say this album was influential to me is an understatement, this is an easy 5 for me.

Well, this is an easy 5 for me. Takes me back to being a lonely 14 year old sitting in my room listening to music. This album was one of my friends. Soundgarden stood out amongst the "other" bands of this "genre". They had a sludginess to them, and extremely powerful vocals. Tough to name a favorite on this one, but maybe Head Down or 4th of July, or Limo Wreck, hell, I can't pick one.

A very easy 5 here. Soundgarden were one of my bands during this era along with STP and Nirvana. They really could not do much wrong. Black Sabbath meets the Beatles with a freak of nature, once in a generation singer .Pretty Much every song is a banger. My favorites are Let Me Drown, Half and Fell On Black Days. Forth of July is a one of a kind also. RIP Chris Cornell.

classic

Outshined

This was grunge's high water mark and one of my all-time favourite albums. 5 stars doesn't feel like enough.