Wishing anyone sang like you still

 

Chris Cornell is arguably the second most important artist to ever come out of Seattle — second only to the late great Kurt Cobain, of course. As leader of Soundgarden, then Audioslave, as well as a solo artist, Cornell built himself not only a remarkable musical legacy — but a bona fide cult following. It’s easy to understand why: like very few other artists, the man managed not only to cross over into mainstream chart topping fare, but always while managing to keep his very particular universe and personality. Much like Mr Cobain. And that’s the last we’ll make that comparison. Maybe.

In any event, the tragic news of Cornell passing back in 2017 shocked many people for many reasons, not the least of which being that the artist had always appeared so strong and powerful. That probably has a lot to do with this voice of his that was up there with the very best vocalists in the history of Rock, along with Bowie’s, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson’s, dare we say Freddie’s… Or that atmosphere of wonder and mystery Cornell always managed to recreate in any of his musical incarnations, somewhat more reminiscent of a Trent Reznor than a Kurt Cobain (sorry), although with arguably more distorted guitar riffs… You know, the lot.

Then, last Friday, we all woke up to the beautiful surprise of a posthumous release from the great man, prophetically named No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1. Not entirely clear if there ever will be a Volume 2 down the line there, but no matter: the very fact of finding that incredible and familiar voice again, playing familiar tracks no less, was enough to have everyone forget their follow up questions for a bit. The first track of this 10-song strong cover collection is none other than “Get it while you can”, not only sung by the late Janis Joplin, but perhaps even more tragically — twice — by the late Howard Tate (lots of lates here, probably no wonder). And it only goes uphill from there: a perfect rendition of the Guns ‘n’ Roses’ “Patience”, a melancholic “Watching the wheels” that effectively creates a long forgotten bridge between John Lennon and Paul Simon, a refreshingly symphonic “Showdown” Jeff Lynne could only salute… Nothing to criticize, nothing to discard, everything to enjoy.

Of special note is the sheer variety of the pieces selected here: across several musical generations, wildly different musical styles, performed by superstars or the more indie Ghostland Observatories of this world… that and the fact that Cornell interestingly included a sizeable chunk of female numbers, poignantly proving that gender has nothing to do with rock: energy does. One more historically significant detail: 3 songs out of the 10 here were penned by the late great Jerry Ragovoy, one of those unsung heroes of musical history responsible for more than one song which effectively shaped it…

All in all, this album is a perfect reminder of the talent Chris Cornell showcased his entire life: remarkable, yet always totally original. Even when working on covers. Now wishing there will indeed be a Vol. 2…