What has happened to the revolution that was the Seattle grunge movement; why do the people that gave Seattle her voice keep leaving us? I live in Vancouver Washington. I kind of get it I guess. If we are lucky we may get 3 months of sunshine for the whole year. It’s one of the things that I actually love about living up here but depression in all of its ugliness is a serious issue here in the land of gray. By late 1988 the Rock and Roll that I grew up with was gasping for air. Hell, U2 had sold out with Rattle and Hum on their quest to become the most powerful band in the universe. Who would save the rockers that by this point were a quarter of a century old and completely lost. There was no more Zeppelin, and Sabbath definitely were just as lost as we were. As lost as I was. Who would save us or me for that matter. You had Sammy Hagar singing for Van Halen for cryin’ out loud. I seriously thought the end was nigh. But just when it seemed darkest something stirred in the heart of Seattle? I can honestly say that Seattle would be the last place I would expect a music scene to explode. I mean Los Angeles with the hair metal? check. Austin Texas for electrified blues ala Stevie Ray Vaughan, check. But Seattle?
The whole world was about enter into the blast radius that was becoming Seattle grunge scene. In the same year 1988 you had not only Nirvana giving us their gut wrenching album Bleach but another Seattle band was about to put their stamp on the world. Ultramega Ok was the debut album for Soundgarden. Featuring Chris Cornell, Kim Tahyil and Hiro Myamoto, Ultramega Ok sounded like The Stooges had made love to Sabbath and this album was their illegitimate love child. The follow up was even better in my opinion and quickly cemented itself as my favorite Soundgarden album of all, Louder than Love.
Chris was my age and hadn’t fit in very well with his peers. Ditto for me. He was born in the middle of 1964 and I was born in early 1965. He got into trouble a lot when he was young as did I. His parents divorced when he was young, as did mine. And even though I could not seem to make music my salvation, Chris appeared to have done just that. He had an almost 4 octave range with his voice which absolutely blows me away to this day. Honestly I think maybe Freddie could be the only guy that I would put ahead of Chris on vocals. The things that Chris could do with his singing still gives me chills some times.
Soundgarden went on along with Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam to deliver the promised revolution for Rock and Roll just when we needed it. Filled with anger at the establishment and a lot of jeans and plaid they went on to redefine what was possible for Rock when we were all getting assailed by Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul and sweet heaven above…Milli Vanilli. Chris’s voice was a strident challenge to the Gods of old to put up or shut up and if they were able to do either then we were coming after them as we approached a new uncertain millennium. They were nominated 8 times for grammys over the years and in 1995 they won two. One for best Rock album and one for best hard rock performance for their album Superunknown.
And now another one of that singular Seattle scenes voices has been stilled and we are all the poorer for it. Curt Cobain left us in 1994. Layne Staley left us in 2002. And now in 2017 yet another one is gone. I can feel yet another piece of my heart literally break off and fall to the floor as a blackened shriveled thing that I cannot even look at.
I am not going to pretend that I understand suicide or drug overdoses because I don’t. All I know is that for me to be willing to not see my family and loved ones again would mean feeling more pain than I have ever known in my life. I suspect it is this kind of pain that takes these brilliant people from our lives.
I am and will always be grateful for the tough and angry times that Chris’s voice got me through during my life. And while his pain has now ended it must still be a hollow gaping wound for his friends and loved ones. My heart breaks for them. I especially wish that I could somehow ease the pain for them but I can’t. But what I can say to them if given the chance would be this. I am beyond grateful that Chris Cornell was in my life. He helped me get through some tough treacherous days that I have had. After all when I am gone if my my children can stand up and say “my Dad helped a lot of people”, then it all has to count for the good and the better right? I am also grateful that he left a great body of work that I will be able to take solace in until the end of my days. The visible light in the world just got slightly dimmer for us all. Rest well Chris, you shan’t be forgotten.