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Get Breaking News on your cellProjekt Rev: Chris Cornell, continued
7:00 AM Mon, Aug 25, 2008 | Permalink |
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November 2008
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Back in 2007, I gave ex-Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell's second solo CD, Carry On, a reasonably positive review (generally, reviews were mixed on the album). Though it lacked any strong singles beyond "You Know My Name" (the theme from the James Bond movie Casino Royale), I called it a watershed work because of its subtle and playful reimagining of 1970s and 80s pop rock and soul. Somehow, Mr. Cornell saw the review and thought well enough of it to request an informal meeting Saturday at the Projekt Revolution tour. What was supposed to be a hey-thanks, great-to-meet-you, two-minutes-tops rendezvous backstage turned into a 13-minute discussion about art, music as escapism, technology, and the effect of place and experience on expression. If you've ever seen the backstage outtakes in the Audioslave documentary DVD Live in Cuba, then you know that Mr. Cornell is quite affable, candid and thoughtful in conversation. (He wouldn't have gotten along with Tom Morello for so long if he wasn't that way). What surprised and pleased me during my talk with him was how open-minded and idea-driven he is. That verified something that I've always sensed about Mr. Cornell: he's a highly experiential person who is driven to immerse himself and define himself based on his immediate surroundings and recent experiences. That's been a curse earlier in life (depression, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.), but it's also been a blessing, especially as a musician. The Seattle native embodied grunge with Soundgarden; it and his parents' old 1960s and 1970s pop and rock albums were all he knew. After stardom hit, his jones to express his experiences expanded with his travels (and travails, as it were). Today he's sober, married, fatherly and seemingly relaxed and philosophical - as well as heavily informed by French fashion and culture since he's lived in Paris for several years now. (Those boots and capri-like pants that he wore onstage at Projekt Revolution? Not American fashion, folks). With that in mind, be sure to think of Mr. Cornell's upcoming CD, Scream, in terms of his present, not his past. It's highly influenced by dance, club beats and R&B -- all hallmarks of European pop -- spun through Timbaland's inclusive yet wholly recognizable knob twisting and rhythm twiddling. Think of what Timba did to make OneRepublic's "Apologize" rise from plainness to poignancy, but add dirtier tones, pinches of Mid-western soul and Mr. Cornell's unmistakable vocal whallop, and you'll about have it nailed. That's Mr. Cornell deal as a musician: expression through experience. I doubt that he'll ever be one to try to disown his seminal past, but he's not about to dwell on it to a fault, either. He certainly didn't with me. |
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Comments
Posted by Warriorwoman @ 10:12 AM Mon, Aug 25, 2008
Mike, this article was a pleasure to read. Too many old fans are knocking Chris choice of direction with the album "Scream". I say, wait until it comes out to judge.
Thanks for your positivity!!!
Posted by Tosh @ 10:46 AM Mon, Aug 25, 2008
I agree with WW!! It's refreshing to read something that basically agrees with those of us fans who embrace the different things Chris is doing now. We love that we never know what's coming next!! Thank you Mike!!
Posted by Don @ 4:18 PM Mon, Aug 25, 2008
Another good read, Mike...thanks!
Posted by hear4cc @ 7:56 AM Thu, Aug 28, 2008
Thank you for realizing what Cornell is trying to do here. He is not trying to escape his roots, but they are not the focal point of his life and direction, either.
Jill
Posted by hear4cc @ 8:25 AM Thu, Aug 28, 2008
It's cool that you realize what Cornell is about. His roots will not be forgotten, but they are not the main focus of his HEAR and now. Some people are like that.
Me for one
Jill
Posted by Sue @ 11:36 PM Thu, Aug 28, 2008
Thank you for a great article. It was a pleasure.
I am looking forward to the "Scream". So far I like what I've heard.
I'm a longtime fan of Chris and I like how he changes it up.
Posted by Sue @ 11:37 PM Thu, Aug 28, 2008
Thank you for a great article. It was a pleasure.
I am looking forward to the "Scream". So far I like what I've heard.
I'm a longtime fan of Chris and I like how he changes it up.
Posted by E-Dogg @ 10:00 AM Sun, Aug 31, 2008
Hello.
I just wanted to say that I was VERY impressed with this article and I even wrote a "blog" in tribute to it - lol.
What you have described here is an AWESOME experience with Chris Cornell. And that is one of the things I have always appreciated about him: his down-to-earth nature and you have depicted it well here.
Chris Cornell, as you said, expresses through experience. I'm very excited to see what he'll do with "Scream" . . . and Projekt Revolution kicked some serious ass.
Sincerely Yours,
"E-Dogg"
myspace.com/upontheshelf
Posted by esther @ 9:41 PM Tue, Sep 02, 2008
Thanks Mike for a wonderful article. It's nice to see some positive reviews written about Chris.
I'm a huge fan of Chris' and l love how he experiments and creates new music.
I love a couple new songs from Scream that I've heard so far. He really rocked the PR stage when he debuted his two new songs (Watch Out and Scream). I can't get that song "Scream" outta my head. I love it! The PR crowd really seemed to love it too. Thank goodness I was quick to capture this new song and recorded it on my digi camera. :)
That's all I've got until his new album is released in October.
Take care.