Chris Cornell
Euphoria Morning

THE REVIEW

First of all, I reiterate my respect for Chris Cornell and what he represented, even though the star rating might suggest that this review is not entirely positive. An extraordinary singer, charismatic frontman, and highly gifted composer, during his years with Soundgarden, he was the driving force behind masterpieces like "Louder Than Love" and "Superunknown." Not to mention his eclecticism: think of the fact that he was also the leader of the spontaneous and legendary supergroup Temple Of The Dog (with him the trusty Matt Cameron and three-fifths of the then-emerging Pearl Jam), as well as the principal author of the excellent self-titled album. Thanks to his versatile and prolific talent, he rightly became an icon of American rock over the past twenty years. But unfortunately, with time, creativity runs out, and he is no exception to the rule. On the other hand, the initial symptoms of his artistic decline were already evident in "Down On The Upside" (1996), the last and modest episode of the Soundgarden saga. The confirmation of this decline arrives promptly with his solo debut, "Euphoria Morning," released in 1999.

The opener "Can't Change Me", a catchy single but certainly not outstanding, leaves no doubt: Chris has abandoned the lush and murky hard rock textures that characterized the works of the band from which he hails. You might say, "What's wrong with that?" Nothing, I say. After all, it's understandable that after many years of an esteemed career, an artist feels the need to change, to explore new horizons... So why be so harsh? Simple: because the results do not measure up. Except for "Preaching The End Of The World", an unplugged ballad that is a bit tearful but ultimately appreciable, the prized pieces are those most tied to Cornell's past: a "Flutter Girl" that was not included in "Superunknown" and whose roots are clearly recognizable, despite an arrangement more suited to the subdued and intimate tones of the album, and the absolutely splendid "Follow My Way", a powerful midtempo halfway between the third LP of the Zeppelin and robust rock with the essence of Sound Garden. A bit paradoxically, the credits for these last two tracks include friends and colleagues Natasha Shneider (author of "Pillow Of Your Bones", another noteworthy piece) and Alain Johannes, who also participate in the album's production: it's as if they mediate between the old Chris, the one of glory and fame, and the new one, too hasty in wanting to prove to the whole world that he can walk on his own. And indeed, elsewhere in the work, the falls are frequent.

As the main source of inspiration, Jeff Buckley has often been cited, a personal friend of the author, moreover, honored in the album (the song dedicated to him is "Wave Goodbye", a torpid funk where it's almost like hearing narcoleptic Red Hot Chili Peppers). Indeed, it seems that his spirit hovers over certain rarefied and airy sounds ("Steel Rain" is an example of this), but what the solo Chris Cornell lacks compared to his reference is class and credibility. Jeff Buckley knew how to enchant, move, and thrill, while Our Artist does not convince and often bores. Elsewhere, he unsuccessfully attempts to revive the ancient glories of the Temple Of The Dog, especially in "When I'm Down" and "Mission": the first is an exhausting soul-blues lament that crudely imitates precious ballads like "Say Hello 2 Heaven" and "Call Me A Dog", the second is a pale and brief imitation of "Reach Down", for which, however, joint responsibility applies, since it was conceived together with his two collaborators.

In a semi-songwriter context, Cornell seems to have repeated the formula of "Down On The Upside": a handful of commendable songs, for the rest, convoluted and uninspired writing. A bit disappointing, for someone like him. That's why I opt for such a low rating, although the album honestly deserves at least half a star more. Mine is more of a judgment on the artist, who, as already mentioned, is not yet ready to venture into a solo career. It was legitimate for him to try, and it is equally legitimate for listeners to judge. And my opinion is that this Chris Cornell is decidedly subpar.