Record Boy Ink:

When lead singers do solo projects, more often than not they are spotty affairs that usually makes ol’ Record Boy wonder why they felt compelled to experiment outside their band in the first place, when clearly their musical vision isn’t any different, just surrounded by different musicians. (For some reason Mick Jagger’s name comes to mind). Of course, David Lee Roth for example, was a lead singer who definitely had a different vision from his band, but by choosing to become a novelty act, relegated himself to becoming a modern trivia question.

1999 had way too many releases by artists who I have lots of respect and fondness for that, in a word, were disappointing. Which makes it even more of a pleasure to put on a record that I fully anticipated loathing and ended up loving!

Chris Cornell was the lead singer of Soundgarden, a band that never did much for me. So I expected when I picked up Euphoria Morning (A&M) to hear “Soundgarden lite.” What a tremendous surprise awaited my ears! Cornell is a singer with range and emotion and an ability to color his vocals to fit the mood of each track. Yes, this is actually an album! I mean a collection of different sounding songs that still manage to maintain a mood throughout. There are traces of Led Zeppelin on “Follow My Way” and the Beatles and David Bowie on “Preaching The End of the World”. He pours his heart out on “When I’m Down,” sings soulfully on “Wave Goodbye” and like a wizened folkie on “Sweet Euphoria”. Lest you forget he’s a rocker, Cornell wails with the best of ‘em on “Mission,” “Disappearing One,” “Pillow Of Your Bones” and “Steel Rain.” Cornell wrote or co-wrote every song as well as co-produced, arranged and mixed the album.

The result is truly the realization of an artist’s vision as opposed to a Producer’s or A&R guy’s vision. Record Boy thanks Chris Cornell for not only making a great album but for providing hope that he has a lot more of this stuff in him for years to come.