The evolution of Soundgarden

Thu 12th Jan, 2012 in Features

In less than two weeks grunge icons Soundgarden will land on our shores to play the Big Day Out. The last time they were in Australia was for the very same event in 1997, barely months before the band broke up.

Fast forward to 2012 and Soundgarden are back; reunited and recording their first album since Down On The Upside. With over a decade between recordings, we decided to look back at the evolution of Soundgarden’s music and the band’s ten most defining songs.

Nothing To Say

The first single. Producer Jack Endino called it “amazingly heavy…way too good for eight-track and way too good for a crappy little Seattle band”. In dropped-D. The birth of grunge.

Flower

First single from their 1989 debut album Ultramega OK. Dated production, but this strange fusion of metal and ’70s psych-rock came to define their early sound. What sounds like a sitar is actually guitarist Kim Thayil blowing on the strings

Loud Love

Soundgarden were the first grunge band signed to a major label. Second album Louder Than Love came out through A&M, and while the production still sounds completely of its time (gated drums, anyone?), singles like Loud Love and Hands All Over showed they had pop smarts as well.

Jesus Christ Pose

Ben Shepherd replaced bassist Jason Everman (who in turn replaced founding member Hiro Yamamato), making his presence felt on this brutal single from Badmotorfinger, which makes Wolfmother sound like the Wiggles. Features in ’90s cult classic S.F.W, starring Stephen Dorff.

Outshined

Also off Badmotorfinger. An out-and-out grunge masterpiece that inspired the title of the 1996 film Feeling Minnesota (starring Cameron Diaz and Keanu Reeves). Features several references to dogs, a recurring motif on the album (later replaced by snakes and spoons).