Listening to Chris Cornell climb the seemingly infinite ladder of his vocal range on tracks like Loud Love and Jesus Christ Pose remains thrilling and a new release of Soundgarden A-Sides, the tasty compilation originally unleashed in 1997, offers the chance to renew your appreciation for him and them. These seventeen essential tracks from Cornell’s signature band are an invitation, sixteen months after Cornell’s unbearable suicide, to relegate the experience of learning about the end of his life to the very minor position it insists on holding aside the experience of hearing one of rock’s most exciting and vital vocalists.

Sure spending some time with this set spurs my memories of a colossal ’94 show at the Tower Theater outside Philly and the surreal breakup show at Honolulu’s Blaisdell Arena in ’97 that I was lucky enough to see but I’m not being nostalgic. I’m just playing Soundgarden on the merits that recommended them the first time around: The power and precision…and the riffs of Kim Thayil, the astounding vocals and sometime rhythm guitar of Cornell, and the mostly ferocious but pliant rhythm section of Matt Cameron and either Hiro Yamamoto who is on bass on songs 1 – 5 or Ben Shepherd the rest of the way. They never sounded as dynamic as a result of the re-mastering on two black vinyl records inside a spiffy gatefold sleeve.

Soundgarden A-SIDES [LP]

Side A:

1. NOTHING TO SAY

2. FLOWER

3. LOUD LOVE

4. HANDS ALL OVER

Side B:

1. GET ON THE SNAKE

2. JESUS CHRIST POSE

3. OUTSHINED

4. RUSTY CAGE

Side C:

1. SPOONMAN

2. THE DAY I TRIED TO LIVE

3. BLACK HOLE SUN

4. FELL ON BLACK DAYS

Side D:

1. PRETTY NOOSE

2. BURDEN IN MY HAND

3. BLOW UP THE OUTSIDE WORLD

4. TY COBB

5. BLEED TOGETHER

Gorgeous Gift Boxes For 2016 Holidays – December 6, 2016

Another year almost in the books and a fine crop of holiday box sets has emerged.   These creatively and lovingly packaged collections are anchored by knob turning prowess that has this timeless music sounding better than ever. 

The Bad Boy box, curated by label head Harve Pierre, is comparatively bare bones.  Its makers eschewed oversized packaging and souvenirs while delivering a definitive history of the influential label founded by Sean Puff Daddy Combs.  You get five discs and a good little book that tells you crucial information on the eighty tracks presented and an essay by Michael Gonzalez.  The set leaves no doubt to Bad Boy’s hip hop legacy while making a case for the R&B artists on the roster as well.

How did the Badmotorfinger album swell to a seven disc collection!  It’s overkill of course but, with a box fronted by a battery powered spinning logo, it’s hard not to be endeared to this kind of indulgence.  As with the Soundgarden, the Temple Of The Dog 25th anniversary is being celebrated with various formats and levels of frivolity.  Regardless of how nuts you want to go, a pair of outstanding albums worthy of the attention.

Entombed in some kind of super sexy case that if pleasing to the touch, you can choose between sixteen Lou Reed CDs or six albums.  The CD set covers 1972 to 1986 beginning with his first self-titled effort after leaving The Velvet Underground album and ending with Mistrial.  This period includes some of the material Reed is best known for as well as some that will be of interest only to hard core fans.  Exhibit A in the latter category being Metal Machine Music.  However, when considering an artist of Lou Reed’s stature, I’m thrilled to have copies of relatively lesser titles like Growing Up In Public and Legendary Hearts that were meticulously remastered by the man himself.  On the vinyl front, arguably the most essential half dozen albums of the Aritsta/RCA era are offered in a box encouragingly titled Volume One: Transformer, Berlin, The Blue Mask, Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle, and Rock n Roll Animal.

Lastly, one can only marvel at the tremendous trove that is Pink Floyd: The Early Years 1965-1972.  It sets a new standard for luxury in a box set while offering a fascinating, multi-dimensional experience that shows the pre Dark Side evolution of Roger Waters and pals.  It’s glorious!