CHRIS CORNELL SLOWLY BACKING AWAY FROM TIMBALAND-PRODUCED ABORTION
Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 3:30pm by Gary Suarez
Some months back, Chris Cornell took the first step to undo the self-inflicted damage caused by his god-awful Timbaland-produced solo album Scream: he re-recorded one of its songs as a straightforward soft rock tune. Since then, the former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman has taken some considerable steps towards restoring his rocker reputation, including performing John Lennon’s “Imagine” on the September 11th episode of The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien and unexpectedly reuniting grunge rock one-off Temple Of The Dog at a recent Pearl Jam concert.
Now comes news that the much maligned Scream will receive a full-blown “rework” to better reflect the rest of Cornell’s easily digested radio-friendly solo discography. Though, Cornell has yet to make any public statement about this, the existence of another re-recorded Scream cut says it all. Listen to this new version of “Never Far Away” and imagine just how positively banal Scream (Naked) will ultimately sound.
-GS
[Gary Suarez is simply irresistible. He usually manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No. Say, why don't you follow him on Twitter?]
I love Soundgarden. I own every album except ‘The A Sides.’ Never bought a single Chris Cornell album. Just didn’t appeal to me. Glad that I didn’t buy Scream, but I have to say that this song really isn’t that bad. Sounds like a much poppy-er Soundgarden [late era] song. I did like the single from the Casino Royale movie though. Really wish he’d just go back to Soundgarden, but I’m glad that he’s attempted to correct whatever his producer[s] destroyed.
I think you kind of have the wrong idea. His producer didn’t destroy anything. He went in, knowingly and willingly, with a well known pop/dance/hiphop producer to create an album that his label expected to be a gigantic megahit. It’s not like he had some songs and the label said, “oh, let’s throw some dance beats behind this shit.” He’s not “correcting” anything. He’s trying to regain what little cred he has left with rock radio and the rock crowd.
I can’t argue with that…. still, it’s not that bad of a song, as far as this version goes.
There aren’t enough Zs on my keyboard to fully express how dull Chris Cornell, this album, and pretty much anything he’s done since Down on the Upside is.
Just walk away, Chris….walk away and never look back.
yeah, i guess this sounds pretty par-for-the-course with regards to the rest of anything else he’s done on his own. that is to say, as was stated above, extremely wank. honestly, i think this could’ve been a good song, but this has shitty (read: radio) production all over it which lacks any subtlety whatsoever. and that seriously has to be the most limp drumming i’ve ever heard. if you listen closely, you can almost hear the drummer snoring. wait a minute…did i hear an egg shaker in there? well, that’s just insulting.
Cornell’s first solo album, “Euphoria Morning,” is one of the best rock albums of the 90s. Period. I love every song on that record.
His second solo album was a snoozer with only a few meagerly interesting tracks.
And this third one, thanks to Timbaland’s participation, is gawd-awful. It is nigh irredeemable. He just needs to chalk it up to a bad idea horribly executed, lay low for a while, and stage a monumental comeback with great material we all know he’s capable of.
And let us hear no more about a Soundgarden reunion. It’s unlikely at best. And even if it were to happen, it would be just as lame as every other reunion.
I agree! I love “Euphoria Morning”…but his second release wasn’t on par!
Im sure what ever he is working on now will be just as boring as everything else hes done since soundgarden broke up
Rerecording the album will change nothing. The songs are all horrendous. Seriously, somehow a rock arrangement will improve the line “That bitch ain’t a part of me?” Your god is dead.
Are you kidding? I can’t wait to hear “That bitch ain’t a part of me” over rock guitar!
Chris Cornell is desperate – so embarassing. if Kim Thayil smile and wink at him he’ll go running back to Soundgarden. I hope this won’t happen. he lost the right to sing in a band so awesome.
that said, “Euphoria Morning” has some passable tracks indeed. but that’s where he died and his gigantic ego started to make him a fool.
This should be interesting. Strangely enough I didn’t abhor Scream at all, but I’m still excited to hear this.
Chris cornell became a student of Tom Petty and epic failed.