Revelations | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 4, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 48:28 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
Audioslave chronology | ||||
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Singles from Revelations | ||||
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Revelations is the third and final studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on September 4, 2006 internationally and a day later in the United States through Epic Records and Interscope Records. Chris Cornell quit the band in February 2007 and the remaining members disbanded Audioslave rather than looking for a new vocalist since they were busy with a reunion of Rage Against the Machine.
According to guitarist Tom Morello, most of the 20 songs that Audioslave brought to the studio for possible inclusion on Revelations had been written before the band went on their most recent U.S. tour, so they were able to "[work] out the kinks of some of these songs in front of a live audience". [2] Many of the songs incorporate 1960s and '70s soul and funk influences that were new for the band, with Morello saying the album "sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Earth, Wind & Fire", [2] and Chris Cornell referring to his new "Seventies funk and R&B-flavor vocals." [3] The song "Wide Awake" was written to criticize the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. [4] [5] [6] The band had completed recording the album when producer Brendan O'Brien requested one more song to close it, so they wrote and recorded "Moth" the next day, making it the last song Audioslave made together; in it, Chris Cornell sings: "I won't fly around your fire anymore". [7]
While promoting the album, Morello stated in an interview that "Revelations is the first record [Cornell] didn't smoke, drink or take drugs through the recording." [8] [9] However, he later clarified that "Chris was stone sober during the making of our Out of Exile album. Chris was also sober during the making of Revelations and prior to recording he gave up smoking as well. I apologize for any confusion or concern that was stirred up by the original article. Sobriety can be a matter of life or death and Chris' courage in maintaining his health for years has been an inspiration." [8]
After leaving the studio, Audioslave went on hiatus to allow Cornell to complete "You Know My Name", the theme song for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale , and Morello to pursue his own solo work under the moniker of The Nightwatchman.[ citation needed ] In July 2006, Cornell denied that his work on a new solo album meant he planned to quit Audioslave, saying: "We hear rumors that Audioslave is breaking up all the time ... I always just ignore it." [10] The band never toured behind Revelations, however, and on February 15, 2007, Cornell officially announced his departure from the group in a statement that read: "Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band Audioslave. I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors." [11] The other three members were busy in 2007 with a reunion of Rage Against the Machine and Morello and Cornell each released a solo album that year, so Audioslave officially disbanded. [12] As a result, most of the songs on Revelations were never performed live by the band, except for those that were debuted live prior to recording the album: "One and the Same", "Wide Awake", "Original Fire", and "Sound of a Gun". [13]
On July 3, 2006, a private listening party was held for fan club members and non-fan club contest winners. The album received a strong fan review that noted the album's darker tone and anthemic choruses.[ citation needed ]
Prior to the release of the album, the songs "Wide Awake" and "Shape of Things to Come" were prominently featured in Michael Mann's 2006 film Miami Vice , and the title track appeared in the video game Madden NFL 07 . The marketing campaign also included getting the fictional nation from the album art, dubbed "Audioslave Nation", featured on Google Earth for a time. [14]
"Original Fire" was released as a single seven weeks before the album, and "Revelations" was released as a single two months after the album.
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 60/100 [15] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | (B) [18] |
PopMatters | 6/10 [19] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Skinny | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The album received mixed reviews, earning a score of 60 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 15 reviews. [20] Rolling Stone wrote: "Most of these twelve tracks are impressive structures with periodic highs ... that never resolve into songs." [20]
Revelations was released in the United States on September 5, 2006. It sold 150,631 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has been certified gold in the U.S. (for shipment of 500,000 units), Canada (for shipment of 50,000 units), Australia (for shipment of 35,000 units, which occurred its first week of release) and New Zealand (for shipment of 7,500 units, which occurred its first week), and it has sold nearly one million copies worldwide.
All lyrics written by Chris Cornell, all music composed by Audioslave.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Revelations" | 4:12 |
2. | "One and the Same" | 3:38 |
3. | "Sound of a Gun" | 4:20 |
4. | "Until We Fall" | 3:50 |
5. | "Original Fire" | 3:38 |
6. | "Broken City" | 3:48 |
7. | "Somedays" | 3:33 |
8. | "Shape of Things to Come" | 4:34 |
9. | "Jewel of the Summertime" | 3:53 |
10. | "Wide Awake" | 4:26 |
11. | "Nothing Left to Say but Goodbye" | 3:32 |
12. | "Moth" | 4:57 |
Total length: | 48:28 |
No. | Title | Length |
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13. | "Set It Off" (live at the Quart Festival) | 4:25 |
14. | "Doesn't Remind Me" (live at the Quart Festival) | 4:50 |
15. | "Gasoline" (live at the Quart Festival) | 5:34 |
16. | "Out of Exile" (live at the Quart Festival) | 5:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
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13. | "Show Me How to Live" (live at the Quart Festival) | 5:02 |
Note
A Special edition of the album was released that included a DVD with a 16-minute film directed by Danny Clinch. The film featured interviews with the band members and some performance footage.
Audioslave
Production and design
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [24] | 1 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [25] | 6 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [26] | 52 |
Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [26] | 32 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [27] | 70 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [28] | 1 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [29] | 6 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [30] | 21 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [31] | 2 |
French Albums (SNEP) [32] | 46 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [33] | 8 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [34] | 7 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [35] | 12 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [36] | 1 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [37] | 5 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [38] | 25 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [39] | 22 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [40] | 10 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [41] | 28 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [42] | 6 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [43] | 8 |
UK Albums (OCC) [44] | 12 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [45] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [46] | 2 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [47] | 1 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [48] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [49] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [50] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] | Silver | 60,000* |
United States (RIAA) [52] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California. The band consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. They melded heavy metal and rap music, punk rock and funk with anti-authoritarian and revolutionary lyrics. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk (drums). Critics first described Audioslave as a combination of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, it was noted that they had established a separate identity. Their unique sound was created by blending 1970s hard rock and 1990s alternative rock, with musical influences that included 1960s funk, soul and R&B. As with Rage Against the Machine, the band prided themselves on the fact that all sounds on their albums were produced using only guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, with emphasis on Cornell's wide vocal range and Morello's unconventional guitar solos.
Audioslave is the debut studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on November 18, 2002, through Epic Records and Interscope Records. In the United States, it has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album spawned the singles "Cochise", "Like a Stone", "Show Me How to Live", "I Am the Highway", and "What You Are"; "Like a Stone" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 46th Grammy Awards.
Thomas Baptist Morello is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is known for his tenure with the rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello was a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage. Morello was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Under the moniker the Nightwatchman, Morello released his solo work. Together with Boots Riley, he formed Street Sweeper Social Club. Morello co-founded Axis of Justice, which airs a monthly program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK in Los Angeles.
Christopher John Cornell was an American musician. He was best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a solo career and contributed to numerous movie soundtracks. Cornell was the founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute band dedicated to his late friend, musician Andrew Wood. Several music journalists, fan polls and fellow musicians have regarded Cornell as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
Temple of the Dog was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. It was conceived by vocalist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden as a tribute to his friend, the late Andrew Wood, lead singer of the bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. The lineup included Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament on bass guitar, Mike McCready on lead guitar, and Matt Cameron on drums. Eddie Vedder appeared as a guest to provide some lead and backing vocals and later became lead vocalist of Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten, was released four months after Temple of the Dog's only studio album.
Bradley Joseph Wilk is an American drummer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).
Renegades is the fourth and final studio album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on December 5, 2000, by Epic Records. It consists of covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa, Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, the Stooges, MC5, the Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, Devo and others. The cover is a take on Robert Indiana's Love artwork series.
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the second live album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on November 25, 2003, by Epic Records. It is a recording of two shows Rage played at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in their hometown of Los Angeles on September 12 and 13, 2000. The album was originally planned to be released in November 2000, but was delayed due to the break-up of the band shortly after the September concerts. It was then slated for release a year later, but was again delayed due to the formation of Audioslave by the remaining three members of Rage with vocalist Chris Cornell. The album was released amid mixed reviews in November 2003, mainly due to poor mixing rather than musical performance, where on the other hand the DVD version was praised by fans and critics alike.
Out of Exile is the second studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on May 23, 2005, internationally, and a day later in the United States, through Epic Records and Interscope Records. It is the band's only album to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned the singles "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", "Doesn't Remind Me", and "Out of Exile"; "Doesn't Remind Me" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards.
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"Cochise" is a song by American rock supergroup Audioslave. It was released as the lead single from their self-titled debut studio album on September 25, 2002, through Epic Records. The band produced the song alongside Rick Rubin. The song reached number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the top ten of both the Mainstream Rock and Alternative Songs charts.
"Show Me How to Live" is a song by the American rock supergroup Audioslave. It was released in June 2003 as the third single from their first album, Audioslave, released in 2003. It peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and number 4 in the Modern Rock Tracks.
"Like a Stone" is a song by the American rock supergroup Audioslave, released as the second single from their eponymous debut studio album Audioslave on January 20, 2003. The song topped both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts, and reached number 31 on the Hot 100 chart, making it their biggest US hit. "Like a Stone" has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP). It is also certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It became the fifth best performing alternative song on the Alternative Songs chart of the decade and the eighth best performing rock song on the Mainstream Rock chart of the decade.
Black Holes and Revelations is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Muse, first released on 3 July 2006 through Warner Bros. Records and Muse's Helium-3 imprint. It was produced by Rich Costey over four months in New York City, London, Milan and southern France.
"Original Fire" is a song by American hard rock band Audioslave. It was released in July 2006 as the first single from the album Revelations.
The discography of Audioslave, an American hard rock band, consists of three studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), fourteen singles, two video albums and ten music videos. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001, Audioslave was a supergroup featuring vocalist Chris Cornell alongside three former members of Rage Against the Machine: guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Signed to Epic and Interscope Records, the band released its self-titled debut album in November 2002, which peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard 200. Supported by five singles, all of which reached the top ten of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, Audioslave was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The band's first video album, also self-titled, was released in 2003 and reached number 5 on the Billboard Top Music Videos chart, receiving a gold certification from the RIAA.
"Revelations" is a song by American rock supergroup Audioslave. It was released in November 2006 as the second and final single from their third album Revelations and also the final single of their career.
This is the discography of Tom Morello, an American rock guitarist who is most known for his work with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Street Sweeper Social Club and as his folk alter-ego The Nightwatchman. Morello started playing guitar in the mid 80's in the band Electric Sheep together with future Tool guitarist Adam Jones on bass. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University in 1986 with a BA in political science, he moved to Los Angeles, where he briefly worked as an aide to Senator Alan Cranston. Later Adam Jones moved to L.A. as well; Morello introduced Jones and Maynard James Keenan to Danny Carey, who would come to form the band Tool. In the late 80's Morello was recruited to replace original guitar player Mike Livingston in the rock band Lock Up. In 1989 the band released its only album Something Bitchin' This Way Comes. In 1991, Morello left Lock Up to start a new band. After being impressed by Zack de la Rocha freestyle rapping, he invited him to join. He also recruited Brad Wilk, who had previously auditioned as a drummer for Lock Up. Zack convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford to join as the band's bass player.
Chris Cornell is a posthumous compilation album by American musician Chris Cornell, released on November 16, 2018. It compiles his solo work, as well as his work with his bands Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave, and includes a new song titled "When Bad Does Good". The album was released in a variety of versions, including standard and deluxe versions in both digital and physical formats, and a super deluxe box set that includes a total of 64 tracks, including 10 unreleased songs. Cornell's "When Bad Does Good" won a Grammy award in the Best Rock Performance category at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019, and the album's package won a Grammy for Best Packaging at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020.