Review Summary: Switch Opens.. Garden rises!
For what seemed to be no reason, 1990’s turn of the decade threw a spotlight on a new rock scene called "Grunge". Grunge emerged from the Seattle, Washington area. Its sudden popularity put the almost non-existent city back on the map. Back in 1984, Soundgarden was created. Starting ruckus in Seattle, they became one of the first groups on the scene, along with acts such as Green River, Melvins, Skin Yard, and Malfunkshun. Fast forward ten years later, Soundgarden releases
Superunknown (1994). It is regarded by many a classic album and grabs rock nation’s attention. With it, a brighter light is cast on previous albums
Badmotorfinger (1991) and
Louder than Love (1989). After touring their breakthrough album, in 1996 the band begins throwing around some creativity. By this time, a splurge of new rock bands is morphing the Seattle sound into a post-grunge pair of jeans that America can fit into. Meanwhile, Soundgarden stays on course and delivers a solid album.
While each Soundgarden album contains several elements of the band, at first glance
Down on the Upside is more peculiar than the rest. It seems more experimental; diverging from previous song arrangement and structure. Also, the album casts a mellower mood than those of previous albums. This can be product of the bassist, Ben Sheppard, taking a larger role in the song creation department. Speaking of bass, the bass is unusually clearer in this album! This is a good thing! Immediately on
Pretty Noose you can hear Sheppard bass-shredding on the chorus.
The vocals are good throughout the album. You can feel Cornell’s passion towards his lyrics, not just for his singing. Whether be it in angst, despair, sarcasm, or optimism, he makes it a declaration with his signature voice. Take for example
Zero Chance, where Cornell brings the listener down into a well of melancholy. While
Zero Chance isn’t one of Cornell’s most impressive or powerful vocal demonstrations, it is one of the cleanest and more passionate ones.
Lyrically this album is just as impressive as
Superunknown, spawning subjects from society’s fixation on technology to the acknowledgement of eternal death. Cornell’s philosophical songwriting is exemplified in
Boot Camp, a song about retaining individualism in a conformist world. Chris questions whether or not we have to settle for what society has told us to be, what we are capable of, and what to believe in. Other tracks
Burden in my Hand,
Never the Machine Forever, and
Switch Opens are also lyrical highlights.
Guitar guru, Kim Thayil, and Cornell lays down some swell riffs on the album. Tracks like the frantic
Ty Cobb, acoustic gem
Burden in my Hand, and the pop-bluesy
Blow up the Outside World show off Soundgarden’s versatility. Thayil displays his prowess on
Tighter & Tighter. It has a feel of
Badmotorfinger and has the best solo of the album;
Pretty Noose’s is a close second.
This leaves us with Matt Cameron. What can say? He’s solid all through
Down on the Upside, but you'll find he is most interactive on
Blow up the Outside World,
Never Named,
Never the Machine Forever,
No Attention and
Switch Opens. The implemented techniques found on some of these tracks make the song feel more complete.
Down on the Upside is essential album for any Soundgarden fan, marking their last studio album released. It displays some of Soundgarden's most versatile moments. Furthermore, this album marks a moment in Soundgarden’s musical maturity, where the members are growing out of their comfort zones. Rumors of a new Soundgarden album (2012), is one that will supposedly draw from a Down on the Upside experience. Look forward to that and thank you for reading the review.
Recommended Tracks- Ty Cobb, Pretty Noose, Boot Camp, Burden in my Hand
