May 21, 1996 - Down On The Upside

Two weeks after my last release and two years since "Superunknown", Soundgarden released their fifth album "Down On The Upside" on May 21, 1996. Main songwriter Chris Cornell wanted to move away from the heaviness and darkness of their last album and do some more experimenting which is why this album doesn't sound quite like the Soundgarden you'd expect, and this decision led to tensions between Cornell and Kim Thayil during recording. The band also self-produced this album and made a conscious effort to sound more raw and less polished. Let's see what all that adds up to!

The album kicks off with it's lead single "Pretty Noose" and things sound solid, but everything seems like it's been toned down. The notes don't hit as hard, it's not nearly as heavy and it seems this is what Cornell wanted, though I definitely prefer the heavier style. Chris still sounds great singing overtop and Thayil plays a distorted guitar solo that sounds pretty good, but things just generally sound flatter. Up next is "Rhinosaur" and it's another decent, toe-tapping main riff but Thayil's guitar just sounds a bit blander and Ben Shepherd's bass is barely noticeable. The guitar solo on this one is pretty cool as Thayil plays some great stuff and it carries over to spice up the final verse. Track 3 is called "Zero Chance" and this one is at least meant to be softer as Cornell plays some pretty cool acoustic guitar and he sounds pretty great softly singing overtop as well. Thayil adds some electric guitar to this slow headbanger and while I still prefer the heavier stuff, they do a nice job with this softer song. The next track is "Dusty" and it has a light verse that moves nicely into a catchy chorus. They don't really stray from these two riffs, which makes it a bit repetitive, but it was still a cool song. Track 5 is another single titled "Ty Cobb" and after a weird opening they kick into the fast-paced main riff with some great fast guitar and bass and Cornell sounding his heaviest yet this album and he's dropping lots of F-bombs too! Thayil even plays some mandolin that adds an interesting spin on things and this is easily the best song on the album so far! They pack a lot of good music into this three minute song and this is the kind of experimenting that I can get behind! Up next is another single titled "Blow Up The Outside World" and it has a pretty chill verse that is fairly quiet but they ramp nicely into the chorus with some louder guitars and Cornell sounding pretty good. They never stray far from this verse and chorus and while things sound solid, I don't think the song needed to be as long as it was, felt like it dragged at the end. Track 7 is the second and final single "Burden In My Hand" and it's yet another lighter, toned down song and it's easy to see why it was a single with a pretty catchy main riff. Cornell sounds good as usual and everyone else is playing some interesting stuff that makes for a unique Soundgarden track, but it's just crazy how all the grunge-y darkness has been stripped away. They got what they wanted: it sounds more raw and less polished, but it's not what I wanted. Anyway, the next song is "Never Named" and it's got a nice fast pace with Thayil playing some cool guitar. It's a pretty short song, and it still seems to be toned down, but it's a cool little tune. Track 9 is "Applebite" and it's a slow, trippy song with Thayil playing some simple but space-y guitar and Shepherd playing some trippy bass to back him. After two full minutes Cornell finally joins in with some distant, echoing vocals that fit the psychedelic mood perfectly. Once again though, I think the song goes on for too long with no change to what's going on, they just continue to jam this riff for over five minutes. Up next is "Never The Machine Forever" and they kick right into a pretty rockin' riff that might be one of the heaviest on this album, and of course that means I like it! The distant, echo-y vocals are back in this one but they fit in less I find. Cornell sounds way better holding long notes and being his usual awesome self. Thayil plays some pretty cool guitar, especially in the instrumental break in the middle and this is probably my favourite song on the album! Great stuff! Track 11 is "Tighter & Tighter" and it's driven by a slow but groovy main riff by Thayil that sounds pretty good. Cornell sounds pretty good in the chorus and Thayil delivers a pretty sweet and lengthy guitar solo. Things quiet down after the solo, but Thayil continues to show off as they jam out the chorus until a nice flourish ending. Lots of good guitar on this one! Up next is "No Attention" and it's a nice fast-paced rocker with Cornell sounding great almost screaming in the chorus. After a couple pretty cool minutes, they completely break things down to a slower, heavier version of this fast riff and it's a really nice transition! The breakdown sounds pretty sweet and they nicely jam out the rest of the song in this new riff. It's a little repetitive, but still pretty solid. Track 13 is "Switch Opens" and it's got a light and breezy feel to it and Cornell's distant-slunding vocals add to this effect. It's like psychedelic, dreamy, pop-rock and while this is some more experimentation away from their grunge-y roots, they do a nice job with this one. Not a headbanger, but interesting. The next track is "Overfloater" and it's got a nice slow groovy beat and there's lots more experimentation as we hear keyboards and even strings on this one. Both are unusual for Soundgarden, but they make them fit in quite nicely with this slow main riff. The chorus is still nice and loud and Cornell goes pretty high. Another solid but not spectacular experimental song. Track 15 is called "An Unkind" and it's pretty fast and reminds me more of their older stuff. Thayil's guitar is on point at a fast pace and things sound pretty cool to me! The song is only about two minutes long, but it's a good one for sure! The final track on the album is "Boot Camp" and it has a slow, trippy vibe with some incoherent talking for the first minute before Cornell takes over with some nice vocals that match the mood perfectly. It's a cool little song, and an interesting way to close out the album.

That is the end of "Down On The Upside" and I thought it was a decent album, but it's a very different feel than their last album that made them superstars. Soundgarden definitely went outside their comfort zone, and it's not like this was a bad album at all, but it pales in comparison to "Superunknown" or "Badmotorfinger". I think overall I do like it better than their debut "Ultramega OK", but I don't think it surpasses "Louder Than Love" and so 4th place will have to do. It might be a while, but there's more Soundgarden to come!