Albums by this artist

Euphoria Morning (1999)

Chris Cornell

Euphoria Morning

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» JONATHAN COHEN | SENIOR EDITOR

Chris Cornell Euphoria Morning A&M, 1999 RiYL: Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Pearl Jam

The long-awaited solo debut from Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell will certainly appeal to fans of Soundgarden's psychedelic post-metal assaults. But Cornell's willingness to tone down some of his old band's classic rock theatrics is the most striking aspect of Euphoria Morning, touching on the songcraft of Jeff Buckley and even the experimental leanings of Radiohead through its 12 tracks. Recorded over the course of a year, the albums sports contributions by Eleven's Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider, ex-Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, in-demand session skinsman Josh Freese and Ministry's Bill Rieflin.

Because Cornell dabbles in so many methods, Euphoria Morning has a bit of a choppy flow. Nevertheless, the songs are packed with slick production values and vintage Cornell-isms, picking up most audibly where Soundgarden left off on its final album, 1996's Down On The Upside. In general though, the Big Rock© flexing has been shelved. "Flutter Girl" doesn't rise above a sexy swagger, benefitting from hazy guitar effects and Cornell's trademark muscular vocals. "Preaching The End Of The World" and "Moonchild" operate within this same mid-tempo groove, perhaps aiming for an even wider audience than would have traditionally procured the Soundgarden catalog.

A familiar Led Zeppelin influence graces the stately chord progressions of "Follow My Way," but on this and the unadorned R&B piano ballad "When I'm Down," Cornell never stoops to needless mockery. "When I'm Down" is probably the likliest candidate for skipping by any Soundgarden metal-head, but this is the type of song that Cornell could never do justice to back in the day. On "Wave Goodbye," he ruminates on the death of Buckley, adopting a semblance of Buckley's croon for lines such as "everything of beauty that you see / only brings a tear when you miss somebody."

Cornell indulges his grittier side on "Mission," "Pillow Of Your Bones" and the melodically memorable "Moonchild," hearkening back to the thick, head-nodding sounds of post-1993-era Soundgarden. The solo acoustic "Sweet Euphoria" recalls "Seasons," Cornell's excellent contribution to the soundtrack for the film "Singles," and "Times Of Trouble," a track penned for the 1991 Seattle all-star album Temple Of The Dog.

Lyrically, Cornell seems much more willing to let the tone of his storytelling dictate the feel of a song, rather than the other way around. There's the familiar references to Jesus, metaphors about the end of the world, lost love and personal confusion. Yet, Euphoria Morning possesses a rather upbeat feel, grounded in Cornell's desire to move beyond the territory covered in Soundgarden and experiment with all aspects of his sound. It's a well-executed leap into a new chapter of Chris Cornell's musical workbook.

JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"