WTTM
1991 was an incredible year for music. One can not deny it. The amount of iconic and groundbreaking albums that have been released in its 12 months is simply staggering. no matter, Blue lines, Screamadelica, The low-end theory, the list is endless. Even Metallica’s controversial “Black Album” was released that year.
Apparently the year the future broke away from the past, 1991 brought us into the next musical era. The musical standards that were rewritten and established that year are still visible today in all musical genres.
There was an album, among all the grunge and dance and everything, that also came out that year, October 8, which is also hailed as a classic, but is often overlooked in favor of changing the l tune with the times. No matter.
The album in question is of course Badmotorfinger, the third album from Seattle grunge legends Soundgarden. The record saw the introduction of the band’s secret weapon, their new bassist Ben Shepherd, who had joined the band to replace outgoing Hiro Yamamoto.
Shepherd’s introduction announced to the world that Soundgarden had truly arrived as a force of nature. In retrospect, the late band frontman Chris Cornell said Shepherd brought a “fresh and creative” approach to the writing and recording sessions and, as a unit, the band said their knowledge of music and his skills as a writer had helped redefine the group.
With a new focus on the art of songwriting, Soundgarden created an album that shocked fans and critics alike, but in the best possible way. Critically and commercially successful, he found this ideal spot between the niche and the general public.
It’s interesting because the band chose to work with producer Terry Date with whom they had worked on their previous release, the 1989 metal record. Stronger than love. However, the group felt they had a healthy relationship with Date and didn’t want to risk the time to find a new producer that they potentially wouldn’t hook up with.
It also turned out to be a wise move. Intensely cerebral and arty, it looks like this record has taken grunge to its limits. Using a greater variety of time signatures, chords, and instruments than any of their Seattle peers, Soundgarden has created a body of work that still has plenty of surprises in store today. Back then, guitarist Kim Thayill jokingly called the album “heavy metal.” White album“, and he was right.
Following its release, Cornell also gave his take on the character of the record: going out and doing something more commercial than Stronger than love, so I’m glad they were surprised.
Encompassing grunge, metal, and hard rock, the band has also encroached on the experimental with their use of trumpets, saxophones, and storytelling. Much more musically than a simple metal album and more dynamically complex than a grunge record, the album perfectly bridges the gaps between all the best elements of the best heavy music of the time.
Hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time by their Seattle friend and Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne, Badmotorfinger does not really have a downside. You might add that Cornell’s lyrics can be a little questionable at times with all of his talk of ‘paradigms’ and ‘Jesus Christ poses’, but we have to remember that the record came out thirty years ago. , and it was more acceptable then.
The opener, ‘Rusty Cage’ is a classic. Heavy and muddy, on the track, Cornell proved to be truly something of Gen X’s response to Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, theatrical and howling in the wind, his vocal range was truly remarkable. Plus, the ‘upside down’ feel that Thayill’s guitar line gives the song upon cocking its wah pedal was a stroke of genius.
The meaty guitar movements of Thayill, Cornell, and Shepherd are one of the best facets of the album, and almost every track features their unique, towering riffs, and they fit together in a way that no other grunge band does. did. They took the mud from Melvins and the obscurity from Alice in Chains and moved them in a more artistic direction, like the melodic chorus of ‘Outshined’.
We could spend the whole day discussing at length each highlight of Badmotorfinger, the subtle politics of ‘New Damage’, the dynamic glow of ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ or the haunting ‘Slavs & Bulldozers’, but we feel the need to mention what we think is the highlight of the ‘album, and one of the most underrated alternative rock gems.
Track eight, “Room a Thousand Years Wide,” is an atmospheric masterpiece. Thayill’s quirky guitar riff, reverb-drenched gothic production or buzzing guitar line in the verse sets it apart from the album’s 12 tracks. Since it wasn’t a single, and the album was kinda forgotten, this track was largely forgotten, which is a parody because it’s awesome. Little known outside of the Soundgarden fandom, the song is a producer and it has it all.
Muddy riffs like hell, Cornell’s signature melisma, a drone that almost makes it a shoegaze track, and the screaming saxophone at the end, make it sound more like a record Creation would have released at the time rather than A&M. The last 30 seconds literally sound like a cut from Swervedriver Mezcal Head, rather than a Soundgarden offer. The song slowly builds up to a visceral crescendo, and it’s always worth revisiting.
Since the current era appears to be one of musical revisionism, we believe it is time that Badmotorfinger receives more praise. Obviously, it’s hailed as a modern classic, but it’s overlooked in favor of Pearl Jam’s. Ten and No matter.
no matter is unmatched and it is a fact. However, the real injustice is that people like Ten are often held in the highest regard because, in the end, Badmotorfinger wins in all departments. We would even go so far as to say that Badmotorfinger was one of the most interesting rock records released in 1991.
Psychedelic, metal, pop and experimental, it linked disparate elements that many tried and failed to do, making Soundgarden one of the most interesting and electrifying bands of the era. This was just the start, as the likes of ‘Black Hole Sun’ and ‘Fell On Black Days’ were yet to come.
to listen Badmotorfinger in full below.