First, SOUNDGARDEN RULES! Second, thank you so much for taking time & effort to make this excellent video on my favorite band of all-time. Since before Cornell's passing I've awaited a solid, hi-production "rockumentary" on Soundgarden because they absolutely deserve one. And while your video isnt that rock-doc it still is an in-depth look at the band's early days and that is just awesome for fans like myself and I thank you. Great work!
Chris’s voice is what definitely stood out. It seemed like Chris always wanted to make sure his voice was heard over the music, it should have been and it was. His voice changed over the years, more like a soulful sound. I loved his voice in the beginning, when he reached those high notes, it would blow me away. and I loved his voice as he aged and it changed into a beautiful soulful sound. I still listen to all of Chris’s music. I miss him.
I saw them February 3rd 1990 Cuban Club Tampa,Fl. We were walking up an alley just as the show started, his voice hit is smack in the face, we started running and stood front and center, the rest is history. I thought Robert Plant was it, Chris changed all of that, life changing band.
Yeah man, Plant from 68-71 was godlike but Chris could match him in his day. Chris voice lasted far longer than Roberts. I always felt bad that Plant lost that powerful high register at such a young age. Chris could pretty much still do it through Audioslave which really taxed his voice. He did recover and the chris from the 2010's on was solid but no match for the beast mode chris. Then again, whom of us can compete with our 21 year old self? Being 55, I sure as hell cant.
I saw Soundgarden in 1990, opening for Faith No More, and Voivod. Cornell was a brutally beautiful dude, with a voice unmatched. Ne was born to be a rock god.
The crowd at rhino records is blowing my mind. Like you, I thought the songs from Louder than Love were amazing. I cannot imagine standing there and not totally rocking out. I think, based on this performance, that I would be able to notice that this band was special. Thank you for putting this together. The quality of your video is great and the content is awesome.
I was at that show at the Lingerie in '88. Can't remember who we went to see, but it wasn't Soundgarden. The crowd was a usual L.A crowd, but I remember this show distinctly. I was there with my drummer at the time, and when we heard Cornell's vocals we both looked at each other and we knew "that guy" was gonna be a star. He had that "thing"... We really liked the guitar player, and Cornell was a superstar in the making, but we didn't think much of the rhythm section (a little professional jealousy perhaps? IDK), so when I later saw them (with a way better rhythm section) on MTV I wasn't that surprised. Peace.
I'm so jealous! I've been watching and re-watching that show here on TH-cam for months. Young Chris in a performance trance is absolutely some vital rock history that needs to be preserved and shared. God, he was... _spellbinding._ And you got to see Hiro do Circle of Power! Yeah, maybe some jealousy, because Matt + Hiro = grooves. Nothing against Ben, who certainly brought his own special talent to their sound -- the two are pretty distinctly different, though, I agree.
Dang...the girl who was taking pictures right in front of Chris. Those Hollywood kids didn't know what hit em! Matt MF Cameron 🥁 The chemistry, and synergy of Chris, Kim, Matt, and Ben made the difference in Matt's playing IMO. They may not have been fully formed upon arrival, but they got there. And that's all that matters. On the east coast I was late to catch on to them, but I'm glad for the opportunities I got to appreciate the F out of them LIVE while 🎤Chris was still with us! 🎼
Ultra mega OK was released October 31st on SST records . Sub pop did a re-release. Louder Than Love came out September 5 1989. I was in my early 20’s living in Seattle and they were kings here by 89
The Rhino Records show was a release concert for Louder Then Love that came out a couple weeks earlier. This is also about 6 months before Andy Wood’s death.
I agree thank you for putting that together and alllowing us to be able to listen to it was great Chris's was a true musician from birth his taken showed at a very young age but then I believe that there a very musical talent for singing in his family listen to his brother sing he also has a amazing voice Chris Cornell will truely be missed by the world and myself I listen to all his music every night
Regarding the Club Lingerie crowd's reaction: according to someone in the comments on that video, there were only about 50-75 people there, so I don't think they were as unappreciative as you assumed. To your question of "Can you tell there's something special about this band?": honestly, at this stage in their career, it's hard not to be pretty overwhelmed by Chris's *_presence._* His sheer physicality would probably be enough of an answer on its own. But musically I'd absolutely say yes. It's in the way they somehow melded psychedelia, punk, post-punk and blues into a sound that was both all and none of those at once. It's even more evident from the other songs in that set, actually -- the ones from _Screaming Life._ Power Trip by itself doesn't fully display the strange magic they were weaving here, but if for example you keep going to the next two songs, Little Joe and Hand of God, you get at least an idea. Little Joe has been a favorite of mine ever since the first time I heard it (1990/1991?). That riff just feels euphoric, so oddly juxtaposed with the lyrics (which beg to be sung along). Oh, and Chris absolutely _owned_ Communication Breakdown. Robert who? As for the Rhino Records crowd... maybe it's because they were afraid of breaking shit? I mean, it was a record store. I dunno. But yeah, I reacted like you did to _Louder Than Love._ I still do. Maybe they were paralyzed by Chris's beauty. If I'd been there I'd have caused thousands in damage during Hands All Over alone! Well, maybe not, because I think I'd have felt compelled to hold that busted-ass mic stand for Chris so he wouldn't have to keep folding himself nearly in half. Kim Thayil is a very experimental and unique guitarist, don't dismiss him as irrelevant to their success. No, the Rhino show isn't the first on video of Chris playing guitar... he started not long after he got out from behind the kit. If you'd watched the whole thing you'd see him play in the 1988 Club Lingerie set as well as the 1986 KCMU show that you included in this video. (And I can't take anyone seriously who calls Mike McCready merely a "good" guitarist. Are you kidding? Go watch him in Mad Season, the live performance of November Hotel at the Moore.) But yes, Matt Cameron is certainly integral to Soundgarden's excellence. He plays more subtly in Pearl Jam because that's what Eddie wants -- he felt Dave Abbruzzese was an overplayer. These guys didn't have to go looking for a major label. The majors came to them based on circulated tapes, around the time of the Lingerie show if not earlier. So yes, they absolutely were early geniuses. Your Big Dumb Sex argument sort of falls apart when you realize that Ty Cobb included 21 repetitions of the same word, and that was on _Down on the Upside,_ the followup to _Superunknown._ Soundgarden weren't looking for radio hits, necessarily. They were an album band from the start, and that was what they wanted. That doesn't mean they didn't develop and become more sophisticated in their craft; obviously they did. But they were pretty brilliant from about 1986/1987 onward.
Regarding Woodstock ‘99, the Red Hot Chili Peppers decided to play “Fire” when vendor’s trailers were being looted and destroyed by arson. UltramegaOK was Grammy nominated for the best heavy metal category, first introduced and which heavily favored Metallica lost to Jethro Tull.😂😂 Heavy blues? Maybe covering Howling Wolf’s Smokestack Lightning, but the Zep and Sabbath-like riffage is more like hard rock and metal from the 1970’s. Bauhaus was a big influence on the band, Goth. Plus Fopp is an Ohio Players’ song, so funk music wasn’t out of the realm of music that influenced them. Plus them recording for SST in the late 80’s had a lot of groups that were experimenting with sounds of all types. If Soundgarden ever does get the RRHOF, it’s gonna be one helluva task to find people who will sing on their set.
I just watched a rig rundown with the band premier guitar did and we find out the wild tunings on kim and chris guitar and what tunings were used on certain songs that became huge hits ,its a awesome interview at a venue Soundgarden were set up to play ,so you see the setup and tunings that Kim especially used and its so badass ,Iwas in Europe when they started out so I when I came back in 88 the first I heard from chris was from Temple of the Dog and that was badass, and instantly knew this was a band that had thier own sound and I loved it
The crowd reactions to Soundgarden in those early shows was not too dissimilar from how Led Zeppelin was received in their earliest shows. This was something new in both cases, and the crowds didn’t know how to react.
Chris told a story about how a hostile crowd threw a heavy glass ashtray at them once. He said reactions like that were great because they knew it meant the music was making people feel like they didn't know if they should love the band or kill them. At least they weren't boring. Personally I can't swear that if I were at such an early show I wouldn't have stood in awe, too. Chris doing his thing was kind of hard not to just stop and watch, dumbstruck.
I know this is about Soundgarden (i am a huge fan especially of Matt's drumming) so I apologize in advance if this gets categorized as "who cares" information. But...Def Leppard's Hysteria didn't come out until August of 87' and it wasn't an instant hit. If memory serves (i was 13 when it came out and bought it immediately after seeing "Animal" on Dial MTV) it didn't blow up until until "Sugar" came out as a single in America. I don't think it hit number one until 1988.
Well, iimagine that in the early days people were still expecting all rock bands to be like Poison or Mötley Crüe, bands like FNM, SG, Mother Love Bone, were all too anti-hair metal for that time...
You can say what you want to but I think they were about tripping on LSD too, what you call sub pop sound... Throughout the years I've been there done that, especially loud love and motor vision
Lost me 4 minutes in. I love Temple and CC, but he did not write two of the songs on that album in terms of music.... Therefore "wholly" is inaccurate.
First, SOUNDGARDEN RULES!
Second, thank you so much for taking time & effort to make this excellent video on my favorite band of all-time.
Since before Cornell's passing I've awaited a solid, hi-production "rockumentary" on Soundgarden because they absolutely deserve one. And while your video isnt that rock-doc it still is an in-depth look at the band's early days and that is just awesome for fans like myself and I thank you.
Great work!
omg yes I wish they had a documentary
Chris’s voice is what definitely stood out. It seemed like Chris always wanted to make sure his voice was heard over the music, it should have been and it was. His voice changed over the years, more like a soulful sound. I loved his voice in the beginning, when he reached those high notes, it would blow me away. and I loved his voice as he aged and it changed into a beautiful soulful sound. I still listen to all of Chris’s music.
I miss him.
I saw them February 3rd 1990 Cuban Club Tampa,Fl. We were walking up an alley just as the show started, his voice hit is smack in the face, we started running and stood front and center, the rest is history. I thought Robert Plant was it, Chris changed all of that, life changing band.
Yeah man, Plant from 68-71 was godlike but Chris could match him in his day. Chris voice lasted far longer than Roberts. I always felt bad that Plant lost that powerful high register at such a young age. Chris could pretty much still do it through Audioslave which really taxed his voice. He did recover and the chris from the 2010's on was solid but no match for the beast mode chris. Then again, whom of us can compete with our 21 year old self? Being 55, I sure as hell cant.
I saw Soundgarden @ The Reseda Country Club around 1990 with Prong & Voivod - unbelievable…
Chris Cornell would go into “American Woman” by “The Guess Who” in the breakdown verse of “Hands All Over”…
Wow wow wow what a bill ❤ so lucky.
I saw Soundgarden in 1990, opening for Faith No More, and Voivod. Cornell was a brutally beautiful dude, with a voice unmatched. Ne was born to be a rock god.
The crowd at rhino records is blowing my mind. Like you, I thought the songs from Louder than Love were amazing. I cannot imagine standing there and not totally rocking out. I think, based on this performance, that I would be able to notice that this band was special. Thank you for putting this together. The quality of your video is great and the content is awesome.
I was at that show at the Lingerie in '88. Can't remember who we went to see, but it wasn't Soundgarden. The crowd was a usual L.A crowd, but I remember this show distinctly. I was there with my drummer at the time, and when we heard Cornell's vocals we both looked at each other and we knew "that guy" was gonna be a star. He had that "thing"... We really liked the guitar player, and Cornell was a superstar in the making, but we didn't think much of the rhythm section (a little professional jealousy perhaps? IDK), so when I later saw them (with a way better rhythm section) on MTV I wasn't that surprised. Peace.
I'm so jealous! I've been watching and re-watching that show here on TH-cam for months. Young Chris in a performance trance is absolutely some vital rock history that needs to be preserved and shared. God, he was... _spellbinding._ And you got to see Hiro do Circle of Power! Yeah, maybe some jealousy, because Matt + Hiro = grooves. Nothing against Ben, who certainly brought his own special talent to their sound -- the two are pretty distinctly different, though, I agree.
saw them at the Ritz NYC early days - 90 I think - also at Roseland - voice was raw, loud, crazy range - a powerful experience.
The greatest band ever
I love Soundgarden from early days to KA
They sound legendary in their earliest videos
First tIme I heard of Soundgarden was in the movie Pump up the volume 1990.
Dang...the girl who was taking pictures right in front of Chris. Those Hollywood kids didn't know what hit em! Matt MF Cameron 🥁 The chemistry, and synergy of Chris, Kim, Matt, and Ben made the difference in Matt's playing IMO. They may not have been fully formed upon arrival, but they got there. And that's all that matters. On the east coast I was late to catch on to them, but I'm glad for the opportunities I got to appreciate the F out of them LIVE while 🎤Chris was still with us! 🎼
Ultra mega OK was released October 31st on SST records . Sub pop did a re-release. Louder Than Love came out September 5 1989. I was in my early 20’s living in Seattle and they were kings here by 89
Gun is still one of my very favorite soundgarden tracks gets me every time
Chris's Cornell voice is amazing he became a legend in his time he will be missed By the world I loved him with allmy heart
The Rhino Records show was a release concert for Louder Then Love that came out a couple weeks earlier. This is also about 6 months before Andy Wood’s death.
I agree thank you for putting that together and alllowing us to be able to listen to it was great Chris's was a true musician from birth his taken showed at a very young age but then I believe that there a very musical talent for singing in his family listen to his brother sing he also has a amazing voice Chris Cornell will truely be missed by the world and myself I listen to all his music every night
LTL came out september '89. Wikipedia.
Regarding the Club Lingerie crowd's reaction: according to someone in the comments on that video, there were only about 50-75 people there, so I don't think they were as unappreciative as you assumed.
To your question of "Can you tell there's something special about this band?": honestly, at this stage in their career, it's hard not to be pretty overwhelmed by Chris's *_presence._* His sheer physicality would probably be enough of an answer on its own. But musically I'd absolutely say yes. It's in the way they somehow melded psychedelia, punk, post-punk and blues into a sound that was both all and none of those at once. It's even more evident from the other songs in that set, actually -- the ones from _Screaming Life._ Power Trip by itself doesn't fully display the strange magic they were weaving here, but if for example you keep going to the next two songs, Little Joe and Hand of God, you get at least an idea. Little Joe has been a favorite of mine ever since the first time I heard it (1990/1991?). That riff just feels euphoric, so oddly juxtaposed with the lyrics (which beg to be sung along).
Oh, and Chris absolutely _owned_ Communication Breakdown. Robert who?
As for the Rhino Records crowd... maybe it's because they were afraid of breaking shit? I mean, it was a record store. I dunno. But yeah, I reacted like you did to _Louder Than Love._ I still do. Maybe they were paralyzed by Chris's beauty. If I'd been there I'd have caused thousands in damage during Hands All Over alone! Well, maybe not, because I think I'd have felt compelled to hold that busted-ass mic stand for Chris so he wouldn't have to keep folding himself nearly in half.
Kim Thayil is a very experimental and unique guitarist, don't dismiss him as irrelevant to their success. No, the Rhino show isn't the first on video of Chris playing guitar... he started not long after he got out from behind the kit. If you'd watched the whole thing you'd see him play in the 1988 Club Lingerie set as well as the 1986 KCMU show that you included in this video. (And I can't take anyone seriously who calls Mike McCready merely a "good" guitarist. Are you kidding? Go watch him in Mad Season, the live performance of November Hotel at the Moore.) But yes, Matt Cameron is certainly integral to Soundgarden's excellence. He plays more subtly in Pearl Jam because that's what Eddie wants -- he felt Dave Abbruzzese was an overplayer.
These guys didn't have to go looking for a major label. The majors came to them based on circulated tapes, around the time of the Lingerie show if not earlier. So yes, they absolutely were early geniuses. Your Big Dumb Sex argument sort of falls apart when you realize that Ty Cobb included 21 repetitions of the same word, and that was on _Down on the Upside,_ the followup to _Superunknown._ Soundgarden weren't looking for radio hits, necessarily. They were an album band from the start, and that was what they wanted. That doesn't mean they didn't develop and become more sophisticated in their craft; obviously they did. But they were pretty brilliant from about 1986/1987 onward.
Regarding Woodstock ‘99, the Red Hot Chili Peppers decided to play “Fire” when vendor’s trailers were being looted and destroyed by arson.
UltramegaOK was Grammy nominated for the best heavy metal category, first introduced and which heavily favored Metallica lost to Jethro Tull.😂😂
Heavy blues? Maybe covering Howling Wolf’s Smokestack Lightning, but the Zep and Sabbath-like riffage is more like hard rock and metal from the 1970’s. Bauhaus was a big influence on the band, Goth. Plus Fopp is an Ohio Players’ song, so funk music wasn’t out of the realm of music that influenced them. Plus them recording for SST in the late 80’s had a lot of groups that were experimenting with sounds of all types.
If Soundgarden ever does get the RRHOF, it’s gonna be one helluva task to find people who will sing on their set.
I just watched a rig rundown with the band premier guitar did and we find out the wild tunings on kim and chris guitar and what tunings were used on certain songs that became huge hits ,its a awesome interview at a venue Soundgarden were set up to play ,so you see the setup and tunings that Kim especially used and its so badass ,Iwas in Europe when they started out so I when I came back in 88 the first I heard from chris was from Temple of the Dog and that was badass, and instantly knew this was a band that had thier own sound and I loved it
I definitely felt that they got better as they progressed.
The crowd reactions to Soundgarden in those early shows was not too dissimilar from how Led Zeppelin was received in their earliest shows. This was something new in both cases, and the crowds didn’t know how to react.
Chris told a story about how a hostile crowd threw a heavy glass ashtray at them once. He said reactions like that were great because they knew it meant the music was making people feel like they didn't know if they should love the band or kill them. At least they weren't boring. Personally I can't swear that if I were at such an early show I wouldn't have stood in awe, too. Chris doing his thing was kind of hard not to just stop and watch, dumbstruck.
I know this is about Soundgarden (i am a huge fan especially of Matt's drumming) so I apologize in advance if this gets categorized as "who cares" information. But...Def Leppard's Hysteria didn't come out until August of 87' and it wasn't an instant hit. If memory serves (i was 13 when it came out and bought it immediately after seeing "Animal" on Dial MTV) it didn't blow up until until "Sugar" came out as a single in America. I don't think it hit number one until 1988.
Well, I thought 'rusty cage' was hard to play in the 9th grade after my jazz final on the drums bro...
Well, iimagine that in the early days people were still expecting all rock bands to be like Poison or Mötley Crüe, bands like FNM, SG, Mother Love Bone, were all too anti-hair metal for that time...
Ultramega OK was released on SST, not subpop.
I stand corrected.
You can say what you want to but I think they were about tripping on LSD too, what you call sub pop sound... Throughout the years I've been there done that, especially loud love and motor vision
Hiro🎉🎉🎉
en tenate
I hear a heavy U-men influence in early SG.....to me Chris is immolating John Bigley..
Kim and Chris would have a field day with this comment. 🤣🔥
Lost me 4 minutes in. I love Temple and CC, but he did not write two of the songs on that album in terms of music.... Therefore "wholly" is inaccurate.