The officially unofficial site for details and discussion about the history and legacy of Mike Porco's Center of Folk Music, Gerde's Folk City (&other pertinent stuff)
Motion Suggests (Itself) on YouTube was recorded and published the day after a boyish fling at the Open Mic at The Towne Crier in Beacon. That night on October 12th I sang Galaxie by Blind Melon and Fell on Black Days by Soundgarden. I needed more practice on that instead of this latest Pavement song I've committed to. Even learned another solo. The other ten takes you'll never hear. Here is take eleven.
Here's a companion video with the actual rendition of Fell on Black Days recorded at Phil Ciganer's place the other night. A little flat but OKay for Open Mic.
Last night, he hung himself in Detroit, said reports. I was just looking at the ticket stub I have in my bathroom when they open for Voivod.
Cornell had a big ’90’ on his chest because it was, finally, January 1990. It was a black shirt with a white number in a white circle.
This was January 1990. We had not a fucking care in the world. The Seattle scene wasn't a 'thing' yet. Mudhoney and other bands were making a lot of noise in the Pacific Northwest.
I turned 20 that year I got my first apartment. My buddy, Jim, turned me onto the EP ‘FOPP’ when it came out on cassette.
“What is this craziness!!??’’
Soundgarden was differently tweaked Rock and it even had a peculiar off-tuned nature to it. To the core, it was hard. Black Sabbath was hinted at in their songs but they had a unique sound for sure.
The vocals of Cornell stole the album from the other players.
They got signed and they put out “Louder than love’’ and eventually ‘Badmotorfinger’ which sprung them into being headliners.
There was an innovative soul expressing himself with those unreachable screams. His songs were eventually covered by Johnny Cash and Paul Anka. Seriously.
This was grunge.
Grunge was being invented.
Seattle meant Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in chains, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone and the like.
It was a natural progression from the LA Guns /Guns-n-Roses Los Angeles Rock sound.
Rusty Cage
You wired me awake
And hit me with a hand of broken nails
You tied my lead and pulled my chain
To watch my blood begin t boil
But I'm gonna break I'm gonna break my
I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run
Yeah I'm gonna break I'm gonna break my
I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run
Too cold to start a fire
I'm burning diesel burning dinosaur bones
I'll take the river down to still water and ride a pack of dogs
I'm not saying I can hear what was in his heart as he was singing ‘Slaves and Bulldozers’ but the words are there. And try as he might, he could just about get his voice to reach its own height. It LOOKS physically draining to vocalize the way he did last night.
The crowd ate up his swan song.
There was huge acceptance of this incarnation of Soundgarden. Little did anyone know he would not leave Detroit alive.
Pleasure with his own performance could not be detected.
Chris Cornell was just one musician to inspire many others with his innovative arrangements and howling pleas. I hope he enjoyed his life.
I brag about seeing Soundgarden in Poughkeepsie back then in 1990 and I still brag about seeing a very young Chris Cornell today.
