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Rating: At almost thirty years old, Bruce Pavitt (collaborator of the local music magazine "Rocker") and Jonathan Poneman (concert organizer and collaborator of the KCMU radio station) decided—after thoughtful reflections regarding their discographic projects—to leave their previous jobs, dedicating physical and mental energy (and economic resources) to the creation of an unusual independent record label named Sub Pop. Two words for six letters that are nothing more than the contraction of Subterranean Pop Magazine, a magazine initially niche-focused that would soon attach cassette compilations.
Probably without Sub Pop today there wouldn't be talk of grunge or much less of Soundgarden. The first core of the group forms around the lively voice of Chris Cornell (also a drummer when needed!), the meditative Hiro Yamammoto (bass), the shrewd Matt Dentino (guitar), and the willing Scott Sundquist who would soon free the singer from the role of drummer. These last two (although Sundquist would play on "Heretic" and "All Your Lies" included in the historic compilation "Deep Six" of 1986) would soon be replaced respectively by the capable Kim Thayil and the professional and creative Matt Cameron from Skin Yard.
The band immediately had opportunities to rehearse a lot and perform locally, thus releasing a perfect sonic blend where anguish, psychedelia, and powerful riffs converge, taking due distance from stereotypical and crudely derivative sounds. The inclinations of the four tend toward a sound honorably descended from the best British rock produced between the late '60s and the '70s, incorporating an indispensable punk attitude and new wave reminiscences.
The band's first single for Sub Pop is "Hunted Down" (June 1987), and its limited edition of 500 copies quickly sells out, motivating with determination the recording of what would be the modest "Screaming Life" (October 1987) and the successful and even more convincing "Fopp" (August 1988), also released as an extended play like the previous one.
With "Louder Than Love" the baptism by fire occurs with "Ugly Truth", introduced by Cameron's drumsticks that open to a fresh rhythmic compactness where Thayil's stinging notes prepare a layered sonic pavement perfectly suited for Cornell's impetuous yet balanced vocals. The chaotic introduction of "Hands All Over" lets an apparent base dissonance flow perfectly in line with the opening track, creating a vortex of sound with an unequivocally suggestive appeal. The oscillating rage of "Gun" allows the altered states of consciousness in "Power Trip" to stay on beat, while "Get On The Snake" and "Full On Kevin's Mom" equally corrosive, can show the album's less engaged side without sacrificing quality. It is probably with "Loud Love" that Cornell (seven tracks are entirely his) shows a regularly and qualitatively prolific pen, conceiving a fluidly heavy track, leaving the dark progression of "I Awake" (Yamamoto) and "No Wrong No Right" (musically composed four-handedly with the creative bassist) to balance with a greater atmospheric refinement. Blues and hard rock meet and merge in the compelling "Uncovered" laying the groundwork for the epidermal "Big Dumb Sex" which seems to mock the contemporary and more popular glam metal, thus pretending the application of the Parental Advisory sticker on the album cover.
With the release of the surprising "Ultramega OK" (November 1988) Cornell & Co. had already confirmed their commitment to continue the arduous path started at the beginning. The transition to A & M Records did not destabilize the internal balance at all, instead resulting in an injection of positivity into their compositional vein, which was well optimized by the skillful hands on the console of the promising Terry Date, later also with Pantera, Overkill, and Limp Bizkit. "....Love" is a marble and edgy album enough, where any further artificial polishing would have risked losing the polish that still distinguishes it today, proudly bordering perfection.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Hands All Over (06:00)
CAN'T TOUCH ME
Hands all over the Eastern border
You know what I think we're falling
From composure
Hands all over Western culture
Ruffling feathers and turning eagles into vultures
Yeah, Into vultures
Got my arms around baby brother
Put your hands away
You're gonna kill your mother, gunna kill your mother
And I love her
Yeah, and I love her
Hands all over the coastal waters
The crew men thank her
Then lay down their oily blanket
Hands all over the inland forest
In a striking motion trees fall down
Like dying soldiers
Yeah, like dying soldiers
Got my arms around baby brother
Put your hands away
You're gonna kill your mother, gunna kill your mother
And I love her
Yeah, and I love her
Hands all over the peasant's daughter
She's our bride
She'll never make it out alive
Hands all over the words I utter
Change them into what you want to
Like balls of clay
Put your hands away
You're gonna kill your mother
And I love her
(she loves me)
03 Gun (04:42)
I got an idea of something we can do with a gun
Sink load and fire till the empire
Reaps what they've sown
Shoot shoot shoot till their minds are open
Shoot shoot shoot till their eyes are closed
Push push push till we get some motion
Push push push till the bombs explode
I got an idea
We can do it
All on our own
Nothing to worry
Regret must weigh a ton
Kick kick kick till the laws are broken
Kick kick kick till the boots are worn
Hit hit hit till the truth is spoken
Hit hit hit till the truth is born
I got an idea of something
We can do with a gun
04 Power Trip (04:11)
POWER TRIP
I want to be
A cowboy star upon the screen
Oh hey and I want to drive
My cowboy car across the scene
Oh hey and I want to write
The magazines housewives read
And I want to be
In control of everything
I want to be King
I want to make the toys
You buy for Christmas Eve
Yeah and I want to be
The father of the ethnic child
Who stars on T.V.
Oh yeah and I, I want to write
The magazines that housewives read
Oh hey and I want all the leaders
Of the Third World
To answer to me
I want to be King
I want to be King
So maybe now the Pope
Will bow and kiss my ring
I wanna be king
05 Get on the Snake (03:43)
Get on the snake
With a swarm of motor flys
Get on the snake
Under the cola colored sky
Don't worry, everything's clean
Road worthy, hungry and mean
Get on the snake
Where the metal river bleeds
Get on the snake
Where you never will believe
Hey baby, what's your disease
My hearts bleeding
I'm dying to leave
Get on the snake
Where the water turns to steam
Get on the snake
With a suicide machine
Don't worry, everything's clean
Road worthy, hungry and mean
Hungry and mean...
Hungry and mean...
06 Full on Kevin's Mom (03:37)
You don't get nothing for free
Kev & me were two of three
Three brothers to the end
The one went full on Kevin's mom
Now things have changed
Full on Kev's mom
Full on Kev's mom
Full on Kev's mom
Full on
You don't get nothing for free
And this one took the long way
This one took the hard road
I ain't saying who
But it wasn't me
We were three
Kevin's mom made four
(We don't come around anymore)
07 Loud Love (04:57)
There's no time to keep it low
I've been deaf and now I want noise
You stay down
But I won't be quiet
I'll hammer on until you fight
Loud love
Loud love
Loud love
Loud love
Hammer on, till you fly
If you've got some time to kill
Slow resistance wins the war
Well I know
Yea, but that's no way to go
You can't resist the louder pull
Loud love
Loud love
Loud love
Loud love
Cant resist, Loud love
All right
Well that's right
I want something to explode
I've been deaf
Now I want noise
Loud love
Loud love
Loud love
Loud love
08 I Awake (04:21)
Woke up depressed
I left for work
You have a good day
It's not your fault
I know it hurts
Remember, I love you, love you
Remember, I love you, love you
I love
Woke up depressed
I left for work
You have a good day
It's not my fault
I know it hurts
09 No Wrong No Right (04:48)
Watch for vipers and poison snakes
Feeling fingers make no mistake
Grabbing that pull your hair
Stealing everything there, everything
Restless widow in the dark
Carelessly looks for a spark
Near the trap fate rears its head
No hesitation, victim dead
Just from the start it's the end
And it's all the same in the end
It's all the same in the end
Spider moving up your wall
To the ceiling he slowly crawls
Weaves a web above your bed
Egg that cracks falls on your head
And it's all the same
It's all the same
No hesitation, victim dead
Just from the start it's the end
No wrong no right or guilt admission
It's all the same
You've been bitten, you've been bitten
10 Uncovered (04:32)
Small creature are you
Small creature you are
How quickly you are uncovered
Naked and cold
Maumbling and crying
Knowing everything's been discovered
Many secrets have you
Many secrets you have
But it's only a matter of time
Did you finally decide
There's nowhere to hide
And really no reason why
Hey Mr. Shame
Have you got a name
I don't feel like calling you Buddy
I don't want to hear your story
I don't want to hear why
And I don't even care if you're sorry
Many secrets have you
Many secrets you have
But it's only a matter of time
Did you finally decide
There's nowhere to hide
And really no reason why
Strong is your body
Strong are your bones
Strong as your bloody lie is uncovered
Small creature are you
Small creature you are
How quickly you are uncovered
Naked and cold
Mumbling and crying
Knowing everything's been discovered
11 Big Dumb Sex (04:11)
Don’t you don’t you want to thrill me
Don’t you be afraid to tell me
Tell me if you think it’s ugly
But now don’t you want to touch it anyway
I’ve been looking for a reject
And you ain’t had nothing like me yet
Don’t you think it’s time for motion
I can take what you’ve been pushin’
Hey I know what to do
I’m gonna fuck fuck fuck fuck you
Fuck you
Ya I know what to do
I’m gonna fuck fuck fuck fuck you
Fuck you I’m gonna
I’m the beast and you’re the master
You’re the meat of the matter
I’m no fool for discretion
When it’s on the tip of my tongue
Don’t’ you don’t you want to thrill me
Don’t be afraid to tell me
Tell me if you think it’s ugly
But now don’t you want to touch it anyway
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Other reviews
By Teo
"Cornell's high notes are amazing, perhaps the young frontman exaggerates, but his qualities are indisputable."
"Tahyil's guitar has literally gone crazy, managing to create impenetrable walls of riffs."
By gate
This album is simply a bombshell, as it should have been.
Imagine the satisfaction of seeing friends stare at each other’s stunned eyes while you pump 'Get on the Snake' into their sickly eardrums?
