REVIEW: Chris Cornell, Euphoria Morning (A&M)
- Scott Hudson
As former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell steps up to the plate to release his debut solo effort, Euphoria Morning, no doubt he will have his share of detractors. Perhaps the biggest will be those diehard Soundgarden fans who feel that, by leaving the band, he sold out his bandmates and his loyal fans.
The inescapable fact is that Chris Cornell was Soundgarden. He was both the voice and the vision. In order to expand his musical horizons he needed to blaze his own trail, in his own way and on his own terms.
With Euphoria Morning, Cornell moves away from the grunge/metal trappings that typified Soundgarden and into the arena of the emotional and experimental.
Eleven alums Alain Johannes (guitar and backing vocals) and Natasha Shneider (keyboards and backing vocals) were beckoned by Cornell not only to play, but to co-write and co-produce the record as well. Together, they weave a tapestry of tones and textures that provide a brilliant backdrop for Cornell's often introspective lyrics while showcasing his laryngellic virtuosity.
The hooky "Can't Change Me" combines an Eastern influence, prevalent in mid-period Beatles music, with a classic Lennonesque, monotone counter-harmony. "Flutter Girl" has a "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" groove that anchors Johannes' outstanding "bumble-bee" guitar vibrato.
"Preaching The End of The World" finds Cornell singing the verses in a David Gates (Bread) falsetto against an acoustic guitar backdrop. But once the chorus kicks in, all similarities to Bread come to a screeching halt; Gates would be spitting up pieces of lung in an attempt to reach the notes Cornell effortlessly nails.
"Wave Goodbye" is a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley that feature tender, gut-wrenching lyrics amidst a funky "wah-wah" guitar groove.
The title track, "Sweet Euphoria," is a powerful solo effort featuring just Cornell and his acoustic guitar lamenting a lost love. "When I'm Down" is smoky lounge-room R&B number that wreaks of Ray Charles, accompanied by Natasha Shneider's outstanding jazzy/blues piano chops.
Also noteworthy are great tracks like "Follow My Way," "Disappearing One," "Moonchild," and the acoustic flourishes of "Pillow of Your Bones," which are reminicent of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android."
In Euphoria Morning, you have one of best releases of the year, bar none. It is work that bears more of a resemblence to the Temple of the Dog project than anything Soundgarden ever did.
In Chris Cornell, you have one of rock's greatest voices creating musical magic in his own way and on his own terms.
