Audioslave : Classic or Dud?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not to be confused, mind you, with Audiovent.

Picked up the album yesterday. My first thought was "LOUSY COVER ART". Yet another faux-enigmatic image that aspires to a pompous Pink Floydian mystique. Looks like something the Cranberries passed on. Sure enough, when examining the liner notes, the sleeve was designed by Storm Thorgenson, one half of Hipignosis...the design team behind the Floyd. Looks a bit likes he's lost 'the touch.' But, who cares, how're the tunes? Well, I'm still absorbing it, but it definetely sounds as if the RATM gents did more to fit Chris Cornell's aesthetic than the other way around (i.e. it sounds like a slightly sharper Soundgarden).Definetely burly of sound and histrionic of sentiment. No real surprises (i.e. no bagpipe solos and/or flirtations with Salsa rhythms). Incidentally, I thought RATM's first record was actually pretty damn brilliant when it came out (`93?), despite Zach De La Rocha's purple-faced polemics and pose-heavy "politics" (very absent here....apparently a stipulation before Cornell would agree to take part). And as far as I'm concerned, Soundgarden never put out a bad record (even the last one had moments of gargantuan, rifftastic, Godzilla's scrotum-sized greatness). I'm not saying this disc scales those same heights, but it ain't horrible....although it just makes me want to slap on BADMOTORFINGER and get on with my day. It should also be remembered that Cornell used to cite Killing Joke as a favorite band.

Oh, and I'm sure it's been covered, but c'mon....how crap a name is "Audioslave"!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 20:27 (twenty-three years ago)

You're right, the name "Audioslave" is pretty lame.
They were originally going to be called "Civilian,"
that's boring but better. I still say they
should have retained the "Rage" label.

My background: Took me a while to come around to
RATM, but now I really approve of them. Sure,
Zack's voice would purely hurt in a hip-hop
context, but he fits in the band. And the riffs
are simple enough for an eighth-grade band, but
the band does have a great groove.

Soundgarden, on the other hand, I've always
loved. Along with Tool, they were highly skilled
purveyors of heavy, dense, but very smart rock.
Much better band than RATM, and not the least
because of Chris Cornell's golden pipes, which
never fails to raise goosebumps, 'specially
when he goes for (and magnificently reaches)
those high notes.

As for Audioslave? Well, it sounds like a
compromise between two very different sounds.
And you know what they say about a good compromise:
it leaves everyone unhappy. The "Rage" bits are
a bit more dynamic and interesting, the "SG" bits
are a bit simpler and dumber, but overall there's
nothing too memorable on this album.

Sure, the first track (with the "Save Yourself" chorus)
and the track with the "Dah-dum-de-dah-dah"
scat singing stick in your head for a while, but
I've only listened to this all the way through
2-3 times and I'm already sick of it. Final verdict:
A must for fans, but don't expect a revelation.

― Squirrel Police, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

cornell needs a cough drop.

Most entertaining thing about Audioslave: looking at a bit of an interview with Morello, where he says something to the effect of "of course we weren't going to ask Chris to rap, and he wasn't gonna ask us to play any crazy time signatures!", which I assume is an admission that Soundgarden was a much better band.

― Adrian Langston (Adrian Langston), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:37 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm just curious who the long married Cornell is singing to. Sounds like people are still trying to pull him down. Ironic, since I don't think anybody gives that much of a shit about him.

Cornell = Ozzy - humor + self-absorption
RATM (instrumental trio) = a faster, funk-aware if not funky, Black Sabbath

Audioslave = humorless but faster Black Sabbath

Plus, being under the assumption their name was Civillian, I really assumed the Audioslave who was rocketing up the modern rock charts were just some new shmoes like Trustcompany.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 23:12 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

HOT BUTTERED AUDIOSLAVE!

THEY ARE THREATENING A SOUL ALBUM!! YIKES!

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9520537/audioslave_reveal_their_soul_side?rnd=1143401917065&has-player=true

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Sunday, 26 March 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

"I love rock music, but my favorite singers are not in rock bands," Cornell confesses. "They're Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, the Chamber Brothers."

Great, we now have a US Paul Weller.

(I'm still amused by the fact that Audioslave have now created as many albums as Rage did [covers one aside] in less than half the time. BOY THAT PRODUCTIVE ZAC DE LA ROCHA, DONCHA KNOW.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 26 March 2006 18:49 (twenty years ago)

i saw he was playing music on a ukelele or something for a protest abt. migrant workers in california...i think spin or rolling stone did a little thing on it.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Sunday, 26 March 2006 18:56 (twenty years ago)

My appreciation for the first Audioslave record eroded with the swiftness of a sand castle in a monsoon. Probabl haven't played in since the latter end of `02.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:59 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

Seconded, Alex.
Over the years, one thing becomes more and more clear:
Putting Tom Morello into a position where he has to
replace Kim Thayil is VERY unkind.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Wednesday, 26 July 2006 22:14 (nineteen years ago)

I heard they were splitting up after this new album thats coming. Chris Cornell is going solo.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 26 July 2006 22:37 (nineteen years ago)

the new song i heard on the local hard rock station is garbage.

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 26 July 2006 22:38 (nineteen years ago)

well, it looks like they're eager to squash the breakup rumors:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1537179/20060726/cornell_chris.jhtml?headlines=true

the first Cornell solo album sucked but Soundgarden/Temple Of The Dog sometimes ruled and I'm weirdly kind of optimistic that his Bond theme will be awesome.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Thursday, 27 July 2006 00:31 (nineteen years ago)

Logically, I read 'weirdly' as 'wearily.'

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 27 July 2006 00:46 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, both work when you think about it. but as much as Audioslave suck and as much as his voice sounds all hoarse and burnt out now, he really is one of the only currently popular rock singers who I could see pulling off a Bond theme.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Thursday, 27 July 2006 00:50 (nineteen years ago)

"She LIVED LIKE A MURDER but she died...another day"

― Louis Jagger (Haberdager), Thursday, 27 July 2006 00:54 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.