CHRIS CORNELL CASHES IN THE REMAINDER OF HIS CREDIBILITY ON SCREAM
Thursday, February 19th, 2009 at 10:10am by Sammy O'Hagar
Let me begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoy Timbaland. His work with Ludacris, Jay-Z, and especially Missy Elliot has yielded great, forward-thinking results for his genre of choice. Yes, metal faithful, I think Justin Timberlake’s work with him is damn fine pop music as well. However, Timbaland’s best work has been within the confines of pop music, and I have yet to have a problem with that. His first foray into rock – or rock music as I (and many others, in that his work with No Doubt, Duran Duran, and OneRepublic haven’t exactly strayed far from the bands’ roots) know it is a spectacular, bordering on legendary, misfire. Chris Cornell – Soundgarden’s former golden-throated front man that has spent the better part of this decade coasting with Audioslave – picked perhaps the worst partner for his gravelly shout on his latest (even terribly titled) solo album, Scream. And though I am far from one to decry someone’s sense of artistic exploration, I must say that this one is hilariously misguided. The only thing keeping this album from being a so-horrifically-bad-it’s-good triumph is the familiar sound of Cornell’s shriek over a terribly mismatched backing track, a ploy seemingly utilized for the sake of a desperate stab at commercial relevancy. He’s a long way from Louder than Love, Badmotorfinger, and Superunknown, and it’s hard to see how he’d be able to make his way back.
The album’s biggest and most obvious problem is the lack of artistic compromise. When I initially heard about a Timbaland/Chris Cornell collaboration, I laughed at the hypothetical song in my head: a Timbaland club anthem with Chris’ Lollapalooza-headlining scream over it like F-1 Bombers zooming over a rave. Usually, both parties know to reign it in, filing their signature elements down to properly suit the other one’s talents. But, lo and behold, with Scream’s opening, “Part of Me,” you get a bona fide Timbaland “club banger” with Chris Cornell bellowing, “That bitch ain’t a part of me” over the synth driven beat like Kim Thayill or Tom Morello were still playing behind him. The song itself is a surreal mess; it sounds exactly as bad as you think, at once hilarious, depressing, cognitively dissonant, and confusing. It’s biggest issue isn’t the song itself, but the man singing it. Were it one of today’s R & B superstars singing the semi-misogynistic chorus and verses telling a tale of a night where the protagonist has “one too many” then finds said bitch “rubbing up against me,” ending in “just a fling,” it wouldn’t feel as much like an invasion. But the result feels offensive, albeit hilariously so.
Lyrically, Cornell either had Timbaland help him pen the songs or made the conscious decision to borrow from the vernacular of radio R &B and hip-hop (I personally hope it’s the former). A disturbingly large portion of the album – more than none – is Cornell dictating what “bitches” are doing (the aforementioned “Part of Me” and screeching about how “bitches wanna take my advance” on “Sweet Revenge”). Other places – like the near-unbearable tale of a woman who drives recklessly in “Watch Out,” or a story about a girl “he met at a party about 2 years ago” (so when you were 43, Chris?) on “Other Side of Town“ – show him either describing the goings on of a man literally half his age (for some reason) or depicting his day-to-day routine as a creepy old man. Cornell was never more than an average lyricist, but here he embarrasses himself spectacularly. I’ll take a faux-clever line about “looking California and feeling Minnesota” over “Long Gone”’s “sometimes my confessions are hard for me/ I’m telling you now I’m setting them free” any day.
Scream’s worst moments conjure up a serious series of questions: Why? Why do this? What possible audience could this be appealing to? Was literally anyone in the world wondering what it would sound like if Chris Cornell started singing R&B hits? Were there a large quotient of club goers saying, “You know, I really like this music, and I really like Soundgarden, but hate how I have to go two places for them?” Were there kids listening to Timbaland’s string of radio hits thinking, “I really like Nelly Furtado and Aaliyah, but is there a way it could sound like they were gargling motor oil and then got punched in the throat right before someone hit ‘record’?” Does Chris Cornell have the worst manager in history? Did none of Timbaland’s hangers-on hear the tracks and think, “Gee, Tim, this sounds pretty bad. Maybe you wanna shut this down and work with someone else?” Did it really not dawn on either of them that this would be a terrible idea, that sometimes some people just shouldn’t work together no matter how much they admire one another? If this kind of album can happen with no one stopping it, how far off can a Mark Lanegan/ Just Blaze collaboration be? Josh Homme/Will.i.am? Are Eddie Vedder and the Neptunes going to make an album or two? Are unreleased vocal tracks of Layne Staley going to get the Rick Ross treatment?
The best songs on Scream – “Take Me Alive,” “Climbing Up the Walls,” the title track – are simply bland, not embarrassing. They hint at the album Cornell perhaps should have made, appeasing his mainstream rock crowd with appropriate bones thrown to his female fans there for the abs and maybe some music as opposed to flat out courting chart success and the young, tweeting masses fueling it. Though his past solo material is spotty at best, Chris Cornell has yet to sink this low outside the confines of his bands (and, including Audioslave, not in them, either). Bland is one thing; thinking that you’re Billboard Hot 100 material – 25 years into your influential rock recording career, no less – is another. Midlife crises usually manifest themselves in new, expensive cars or pursuing significantly younger significant others. Chris Cornell decided to put his to tape.
(1 out of 5 horns)
-SO
I personally would love to hear another Temple of the Dog album. That was one of the best albums of the 90’s and I still get chills everytime I hear Hunger Strike. What a fucking powerful song
I laughed out loud at this line.
Were there kids listening to Timbaland’s string of radio hits thinking, “I really like Nelly Furtado and Aaliyah, but is there a way it could sound like they were gargling motor oil and then got punched in the throat right before someone hit ‘record’?”
I second that.
Well written review – I’m impressed with your knowledge of contemporary pop/r&b. I’m going to have to download this, just to hear it. I will admit that the video posted awhile back made me cry – and not because I was moved, but because the guy who’s voice could peel paint of walls was doing work over mediocre club beats (even by Timbaland’s standards)…
PABLUM OF THE YEAR!
this album is a joke but so is this multimilioner-commie.
@elvispresley
I know you’re King Troll round these parts but at least do it right – you’re confusing him with Tom Morello I think.
I always thought Cornell was a talented lyricist in the Soundgarden days but my how things have changed. The question is whether he’ll ever come out of the other side of this joke.
I kinda feel bad for Chris, wanting to try something different but completely sucking at it. I was actually kind of excited for this project until I actually… ya’know… HEARD some of the music.
“Cornell was never more than an average lyricist…” He may have fallen off in the past fifteen years, but if you think what he did in Soundgarden was average or below, I’d love to know what you consider “good.”
Blackthorned
elvispresley can’t be talking about Tom Morello either, since Morello is neither a multimillionaire nor actually a communist.
I must add that this isn’t actually Timbalands first time working with rock musicians…He also has a song featuring She Wants Revenge….I think the song’s called “Time”
Good review Mr. Hagar, and your point about the lack of compromise is a great one. I always felt that way about Audioslave, too – it felt exactly like what you’d expect from a Soundgarden/Rage merger, nothing more and nothing less, and therefore sorta useless.
Chris Cornell decided to finally start making music that appeals to the deaf.
I CANT GET OVER THE VIDEO…
Perfect review bro,
Why The Hell Chris ? WHY THE FUCK ?
Its like he’s digging his own grave with a smile on his face.
@Paul
Ferchristsakes man I know that. Here in the UK we understand the breadth of the political left and and have at least taken time to understand the general political standpoint of former Audioslave members. Actually I can only speak for myself but nevermind. I’m merely trying to see through the perspective of a Blabbertroll when dealing with one.
Hey! I’m likin’ Scream BIG TIME. Once I got past the initial shock of the different sound, I allowed my self to listen with an open mind and without prejudices. Once I learned the lyrics ….. I couldn’t stop playing the music. The lyrics are Cornellian… not as complex as in the past. But then, wordy lyrics wouldn’t fit with the rythms of this type music.
Also …. the correct lyric in Sweet Revenge is, “They just wanna take my advance.” No bitches in this song!
@Blackthorned
I appreciate your efforts to combat trolls. I was really more interested in taking a swipe at the ill-informed elvispresley than criticizing your comment.
LOL @ elvispresley being the king troll.
Pfft.
I can’t believe I wasted minutes of my precious time to read this crap! For somebody who gives the illusion of being educated about music, you certainly live under that peroverbial rock of haters who cleary don’t understand artistic progression. UltraMega OK kicked ass…and so does Scream. Calling Cornell’s lyrical genius ‘average’ proves how misinformed you are.
Chris Cornell is so full of shit!! He’s literally ruined at least three bands that could have gone very far, if his HUGE ego had not gotten in the way. Now, he can’t even get real musicians to stay in the same (recording) room with him.
This career will die a sad. albeit WAY overdue, death.
Rock on muthafucka!!!
@ The Dude
Ouch – but you’re right. He could have collaborated with Run Through The Desert is backing band. He threw that all away, for what?
Greed that’s what is it…
Is there anyone here who appreciates someone like Chris Cornell attempting to do something new-artistically? Yeah-he could have done the same old thing and I hope he gets it going with Soundgarden again. But all you nay-sayers would think differently, if you were the ones writing & singing the stuff.
chris looks like he’s about to get rammed in the shitter on that album cover… how fitting
“Is there anyone here who appreciates someone like Chris Cornell attempting to do something new-artistically?”
- Sure. However this album is complete shit.
Going through videos today. Every time I run across this or hear mention of it, I just have to yell, SCREW YOU! Can’t an artist try something new once in a while. Why does everyone get so freaked out! He’s still every bit as talented as ever. I guess it’s just the difference between the mind of an artist and that of a critic. Anyone can criticize, but not everyone is an artist. Personally I’m not a fair weather. My mind is very open. I’m pretty sure C. Cornell’s is too. That’s why he follows his creative instincts instead of allowing ridiculous (even though you have a right to them) comments to keep him in a box.
Still such unbelievable rigidity!
jal
Wait. Sammy Hagar calling CC an AVERAGE lyricist???? This coming from the brainchild of:
“One shot. Hey, Mas Tequila”.
Give me a fuckin’ break. Listen to Birth Ritual, Jesus Christ Pose. Shit, even Big Dumb Sex is better than anything Hagar has done.