Soundgarden
Screaming Life/Fopp

THE REVIEW

Published in November 1990 by Sub Pop, "Screaming Life/Fopp" collects the first two works of Soundgarden, the EPs "Screaming Life" and "Fopp", produced respectively in 1987 and 1988.

The album presents all the characteristics of a debut work: short and simple songs (the quartet is famous for generally complex and monolithic compositions), style not yet fully defined, recording and production not outstanding. Anyway, it is a fundamental album in the grunge field: these are in fact songs dating back to '87 and '88, a period when Seattle's specialty was still in the gestation phase. This album, like many other grunge albums of the time, outlines a raw style, very focused on restoring the more intense aspects of '70s rock (especially hard, psychedelia, and punk), not the superficial ones as the contemporary Californian street-metal did.

In this album, the debts to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are evident; not surprisingly, critics of the time renamed them, perhaps a bit mercilessly, Led Sabbath: in fact, their music also contains echoes of garage, punk, and metal, nevertheless proposed with commendable personality. The first track, "Hunted Down", immediately demonstrates the descent from Black Sabbath: sinister riff and crescendo of tension, even Chris Cornell's voice bears a resemblance to Ozzy's. "Entering", one of the best tracks on the album, masterfully alternates punk fury and psychedelia, while the third track, the short and intense "Tears To Forget", is even more furious. "Nothing to Say", however, rhythmic and martial almost to the point of doom, once again bears witness to the Sabs' influence. "Little Joe" is pure psychedelia, which is not even shunned in "Hand Of God", although it prefers heavier tones than the previous (the ironically blasphemous lyrics anticipate the group's future irreverence towards religion). Here ends "Screaming Life" and we have confirmation that we are in the presence of a tough band, destined to make history.

If the initial track of "Screaming Life" (and of the entire album) demonstrates the debt to Black Sabbath, the opening song of "Fopp", "Kingdome Of Come", demonstrates instead the debt to Led Zeppelin: a short and brisk hard rock piece that recalls the simpler compositions of the English quartet. "Swallow My Pride" is a cover of fellow Seattleites and friends Green River, also considered among the pioneers of grunge, while "Fopp" is an excellent hard-style cover of Ohio Players, a '70s disco-funky group. It all closes with another version of Fopp, "Fopp (Dub)", a sort of somewhat disjointed remix of the previous version, accompanied by strings and samples. Although the compositions are not among the most memorable of the Seattle combo, "Screaming Life/Fopp" is a highly enjoyable album, a must-have for Soundgarden and grunge fans and recommended to all rock lovers. A record that is indeed raw and not fully mature, but very genuine, fresh, and impetuous.

To those who don't know Soundgarden: what are you waiting for to do so? Don't waste time with Audioslave, listen to Chris Cornell's old (and true) band! Maybe start right here.