Chris Cornell: Carry On
Chris Cornell penned the recent Bond tune
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Friday, 25, May 2007 04:42
Interscope Records, out May 28th.
In a nutshell.
The name's Cornell, Chris Cornell.
What's it all about?
Cornell is famed for his unique gravelly voice and he is still hitting the right notes on this album. A few tracks reminiscent of Audioslave's Cochise or Soundgarden's Spoonman would have been welcomed but the man who lent his voice to the soundtrack of the latest Bond franchise is getting on a bit now at 42.
No Such Thing begins with a meaty riff that seemingly announces Cornell's intentions and when Cornell bursts into the chorus, the hairs stand up on the back of your neck; such is his vocal dexterity.
Poison Eye follows on from the opening track in terms of offering an infectious hook and this is a typical toe-tapper. Cornell is at his best on this type of track when he is posturing to high tempo rock and roll.
Ballads then become flavour of the month as the album's lead single a distorted, reflective Arms Around Your Love kicks in, followed by the smooth She'll Never Be Your Man.
A stripped down, basic cover version of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean is ambitious but just fails to hit the right notes. Top marks for the attempt though.
Casino Royale track You Know My Name is classic Cornell, all talk of dying and other morbid masculine angst as is his forte
Who's it by?
Soundgarden were one of the pioneers of grunge and formed back in 1984 in Seattle. They began to see success in the 90s when Pearl Jam and Nirvana hit the big time.
1994's Superunknown was the critically acclaimed album that launched Soundgarden into the big league and spawned such classics as Black Hole Sun and Spoonman.
When the band parted ways in 1997, Cornell decided to go it alone and released Euphoria Morning two years later.
The supergroup Audioslave was created in 2001 along with three of the members of Rage Against the Machine and enjoyed success with their three albums before calling it a day in February of this year.
Cornell has fought off depression and alcoholism in the past and his new album probably eclipses his first solo effort but certainly doesn't match up to previous output with Soundgarden.
As an example.
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you / The odds will betray you / And I will replace you." - You Know My Name
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Although there are a few decent tracks here, on a 16-song album that just won't cut the mustard and so in short, there is no chance of a trip to the Grammys for this former Grammy winner.
So is it any good?
By far the best track on the album is the Bond theme You Know My Name. It is what the rest of the album should be but isn't - raw, beguiling and effortlessly cool. Cornell seems to be enjoying himself on this well-produced track.
The best of the rest on Carry On include No Such Thing, which is perhaps a little lyrically naive but is a stomping rock song all the same.
Poison Eye is another high point, as Cornell goes for an edgy number about redemption, "I saw the light," he croons. Arms Around Your Love is catchy but unmemorable.
Aside from the She'll Never Be Your Man, Ghosts and Scar on the Sky, it is all downhill. Safe and Sound could have been penned by Wet Wet Wet which is not what you want from one of grunge's founding fathers.
Another sour point is that the self-reflective, personal tracks that Cornell has previously written for Soundgarden appear to have been replaced with nothing lyrics that have no great significance - disappointing considering his voice is still hugely and idiosyncratically powerful.
Cornell should get out his old Soundgarden records and stick songs like Black Hole Sun and Burden in my Hand on repeat until he can come away and write some songs with meaning rather than pedestrian middle-of-the-road album fillers. Cornell's voice works best when there is an edge to the music and that edge is sadly lacking here.
6/10
Adam Bushby