Track Listing

1. Let Me Drown
2. My Wave
3. Fell On Black Days
4. Mailman
5. Superunknown
6. Head Down
7. Black Hole Sun
8. Spoonman
9. Limo Wreck
10. The Day I Tried To Live
11. Kickstand
12. Fresh Tendrils
13. 4th Of July
14. Half
15. Like Suicide
16. She Likes Surprises

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8929 in Music
• Released on: 1999-03-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds
• Running time: 73 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Fell on Black Days", indeed. Seattle sludge slingers Soundgarden made a living out of cathartic, woe-is-me wailing (we're talking the banshee vocals of Chris Cornell and the crypt-creaking guitar of Kim Thayil), but this wallowing in grim depression ironically proved to be the band's most uplifting career effort. When the reclusive Cornell ventures out of his shy-guy shell, it's typically via a primal scream of cathartic emotion--he might camp it up with a sophomoric "Spoon Man", but most of this vicious disc leaps straight for your jugular. Generations in the post-millennial future will one day refer to this record to discover exactly how 1990s rock & roll was done. --Tom Lanham

CD Description
As the first grunge band to be signed by a major label, Seattle's Soundgarden opened the pop floodgates, and a deluge of thrash-o-rama bands began swamping the airwaves. Followinga series of trend-setting releases on the independent Sub Pop and SST labels, Soundgarden's initial A&M releases LOUDERTHAN LOVE and BADMOTORFINGER signaled the return of the classic guitar band to popular consciousness.
Using the time-honoured Led Zeppelin/Aerosmith approach as a jump-off point--not to mention influential bands like Black Sabbath, MC5,The Stooges and Killing Joke--Soundgarden has formalised their own approach to raw power. Their stylised melodic hooks,however, along with their sometimes surreal lyrics, set them apart from the pack. Whether they get dazed and confused on the vamping "Limo Wreck", or cut loose with a wham- bam-thank-you-ma'am 4/4 cruncher like "Kickstand", Soundgarden canrock and roll with all the jet-propelled, no-nonsense crunch of all your favourite bands, from Zeppelin to the Ramones--and lead guitarist Kim Thayil's chops never outrace his melodic imagination.
But Soundgarden is doing a lot more than simply recycling their best bits for another run up the charts. With SUPERUNKNOWN, they're stretching out and putting some distance between themselves and their imitators, incorporating different styles into their own mix, and creating a fresh modern sound. Certainly, there are not many bands who could rock convincingly in 5/4 time without sounding like slumming jazzbos, but Soundgarden's "My Wave" is a fist-shaking anthem that suggests the tone of the Stones' "Get Off My Cloud". The curious mixture of psychedelic blues elements, Near-Eastern tonalities and Indian ragas which make "Head Down", "Black Hole Sun" and "Half" so distinctive indicates thatSoundgarden didn't simply cop their ideas from a Hollywood soundtrack. With his guttural Steve Tyler-like growl, frontman/songwriter Chris Cornell can turn a spoon player into a street shaman on "Spoonman", give in to despair on "Let Me Drown", or rail against authoritarian types on "Head Down". With slamming production by Michael Beinhorn, SUPERUNKNOWN is the hard rock event of 1994.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic album from an underrated band
It was just great in the early to mid nineties to have a really top grunge band that didn't present you with drug problem (as great as Nirvana and AIC were), or a rubbish attitude (like Pearl Jam). Soundgarden were just a fantastically unique band, who released 3 or 4 albums before disbanding towards the late nineties. Superunknown would have to be the best of the lot. Best known for the classic Black Hole Sun, it features Spoonman, Fell on Black Days, The Day I Tried to Live and My Wave. It really combines a classic rock sound, unique vocals, and that grunge production (terrible term, but they were from Seattle) that kept us all spoon-fed with tunes during this time. And you get 16 tracks for your money - not bad going!

One Of My Top 10 Rock Albums
Before ill-advised facial hair, pink sleeveless vests, bleached tips and every member of Rage Against The Machine except the hyperactive rapping one, there was this. Before that very different, very experimental, but ultimately very good solo album that unfortunatly got him nowhere, this is where Chris Cornell lay his hat.

To those who don't know, Soundgarden were one of the greatest bands flowing through the Seattle trend of the early 90's known as grunge. Combining Black Sabbath-esque, muddy guitars, with a voice like no other, Soundgarden were a force to be reckoned with already thanks to the impressive Badmotorfinger, but when Superunknown hit right in the middle of the on rush of teenagers in flannel tops running out buying Nirvana and Pearl Jam albums, they weren't just one of grunge's finest bands, they were and still are one of rocks finest gains.

While some couldn't stand Nirvana's overly dirty production and Kurt Cobain's strained vocals, Soundgarden were creating rock music that could not only be liked by those of long hair and knee-length shorts, but fans of traditional hard rock. And that doesn't mean they sold out since it was always this way. Sure, Superunkown's production is a lot cleaner than previous albums but it only adds to SG's qualities, not take them away. 'Let Me Drown', is one of the finest opening songs of all time, combining a greasy riff, with a rock attitude, no-way-out lyrics and a Cornell scream that is like no other. One thing that Soundgarden were doing best was writing memorable songs. The likes of the previously mentioned, 'Let Me Drown', and the two singles, 'Fell On Black Days', and the epic, 'Black Hole Sun' stick in the memory and will have you humming along despite their slightly overpoweringly strong scent of depression. But when Soundgarden rocked, they rocked and rocked you too. The title track is possibly the most 'rock' song on the entire album, with a cracking riff, while still sticking to those grungey roots.

There's also plenty of chant-alongs on Superunknown, and when I say plenty I do mean that in a prolific sense. There's, once again, the opening track, there's the clunky 'My Wave' which harbours a fine chorus, there's the two singles I already mentioned, the superb 'Head Down', 'Spoonman' and 'Limo Wreck' add varying songs that sound different but always stay in line and don't let go of your attention. The fact that this album is 16 tracks long could also be pretty daunting. If asked if I'd prefer a sprawling piece of work, or a tight 40 minuter, I'd go for the latter. But Soundgarden not only have enough appeal to keep you going, they also have a certain aura about them that makes you want to keep listening that you can't quite explain. 'Fresh Tendrils' may be pretty much a one riff song, but it's a good riff and that's what matters. '4th of July' is positively storming and over-bearing, especially in its introduction, and adds to a very diverse album that sticks in your mind, doesn't overbear you and ultimately does what it's supposed to, only with a much more sure-fire style than ever before.

So this is a rock album that has grunge roots, but written by a grunge band with rock roots, and it certainly works well. I believe 'Superunknown' to be better than Nirvana's 'In Utero', to be better than Pearl Jam's 'Vs' and better than any album that modern day wannabe's try to put out. Cornell never sounded better (listen to him now...), and the band were tight and wrote a few classics in the process. Who says listening to grunge is depressing?

5 Stars.

EPIC
A true masterpiece in music, the sheer consistency and quality of this album is frankly, at times, astonishing. Across the 16 tracks and 71 minutes of music there is virtually no excess baggage or filler.

There are heroic moments aplenty. The awesome opener of "Let me drown" (check out Chris Cornell's awesome scream near the end of this track) and the epic title track, which builds in intensity with each chorus, are both fantastic high watermarks on an album overflowing with excellence.

For the grunge fans, "Fell on black days" and the gutteral "mailman" are as dark as anything you could wish for. The latter offers a glimpse inside a relationship gone so sour that the protagonist almost delights in the destruction wrought by it, noting that while he is "heading for the bottom" he is not alone-"I'm riding you all the way."

There are some decidely spooky songs in the fray too. Cornell's voice on "Head down" is enough to make the hair on your neck stand up-his tone and technique are quite different from what the casual listener will expect from a man with one of the most spectacular voices in the history of rock. Following this is "Black hole sun," a song which should be familiar to anyone with an interest in alternative music. Although this is one of the more accessible songs on the album, the tone and subject matter are as bleak as anything surronding it, with Cornell noting that "times are gone for honest men" in a line that expresses great weariness and cynicisim with latter day society.

There are some true gems in the second half of the album. Chief among these are the devastating mire of "4th of July" in all her psychedelic glory and the jaw dropping "The day I tried to live" which showcases the immense talent of all four members of Soundgarden.

Soundgarden even throw in some humour, in the fantastic "Spoonman" and the even better "She likes surprises."

The term "grunge" will forever be applied to Soundgarden, but this is far too restrictive a term to encompass an album of this quality. At it's best it simultaneously wallows in despair and soars above anything produced by contemporary artists. This was the album that truly broke Soundgarden from a large underground act to mainstream success. But don't let that put you off. This is an uncompromising album, one that belongs in the collection of all rock fans and indeed, in the collection of all music lovers, as a paradigm of late twentieth century alternative rock music.