Rusty Cage

Last updated

"Rusty Cage"
Rusty Cage album by Soundgarden cover.jpg
Single by Soundgarden
from the album Badmotorfinger
B-side "Big Bottom"/"Earache My Eye" (live)
ReleasedMarch 3, 1992
RecordedMarch–April 1991
Genre
Length4:26
Label A&M
Songwriter(s) Chris Cornell
Producer(s) Terry Date, Soundgarden
Soundgarden singles chronology
"Outshined"
(1991)		"Rusty Cage"
(1992)		"Spoonman"
(1994)
Music video
"Rusty Cage" on YouTube

"Rusty Cage" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Rusty Cage" was released in 1992 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). The song became an instant hit and was released as a single in several different formats. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides and the 2010 compilation album Telephantasm.

Contents

Origin and recording

"Rusty Cage" was written by frontman Chris Cornell. Guitarist Kim Thayil on the song:

The tuning on that song was pretty nutty. It's recorded with a wah wah in the low position used as a filter. That was the first time we did anything like that. It was Chris's idea; he wanted to get that weird tone that you can't really dial in on an amp. But if you use the wah wah as a filter, it gets an incredibly weird sound. And if you listen to that riff, especially if you've heard the original demos of it, it almost sounds backward. [3]

Composition

On "Rusty Cage" the bottom E string is tuned all the way down to B, [4] with Thayil stating that "the string was all wobbly but it had a good effect". [5] The song features a striking tempo change towards the end of the song. The phrasing and meter also change: the first part of the song is in 4/4 but the second, slower, part is in an irregular, recurring metric pattern containing nineteen beats that could be interpreted various ways: either as 4 bars of 3/4 followed by one bar of 2/4, followed by a bar of 3/4 and a bar of 2/4 (3+3+3+3+2+3+2), or as 3+3+3+5+5, or even as one long bar of 19/4 or 19/8. Thayil has said that Soundgarden usually did not consider the time signature of a song until after the band had written it, and said that the use of odd meters was "a total accident". [6]

Release and reception

"Rusty Cage" was released as a single in 1992 in various versions with a previously unreleased B-side titled "Touch Me". Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The song gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations.

In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number nine on their list of the 15 greatest Soundgarden songs, [7] and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number eight on their list of the 20 greatest Soundgarden songs. [8]

"Rusty Cage" was part of the soundtrack of the 1994 bike racing game, Road Rash , [9] which received 3DO's 1994 "Soundtrack of the Year" award. The song appeared on the fictional radio station "Radio X" in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . [10] However, these versions are all 1 minute and 43 seconds shorter than the album version. The majority of these versions end as the breakdown at the end of the song comes in. It is also featured in the 2008 racing game, Burnout Paradise , [11] where the full version is intact. The song is a part of Soundgarden's compilation album Telephantasm DLC Pack for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock . The song was added to the Rock Band 3 downloadable content catalog on July 19, 2011. The Johnny Cash version also appears in the Mob of the Dead zombies map in Call of Duty: Black Ops II's Uprising downloadable content. Like previous songs in the Call of Duty series' DLC, it is triggered by activating objects in the environment. [12] It also appeared on the official trailer for Prey 2, which was later cancelled. Toyota also used the song for the 2014 Corolla advertisement.

Music video

The music video for "Rusty Cage" was directed by Eric Zimmerman, who had previously directed the "Jesus Christ Pose" music video for the band. [13] The video features Soundgarden performing the song in a white room amid scenes of the band members being chased through a forest by dogs, farmers, and a man in a truck. The video was released in March 1992. [13] It gained considerable airtime on MTV.

Live performances

A performance of "Rusty Cage" can be found on the Motorvision home video release.

Track listing

All songs written by Chris Cornell, except where noted:

Promotional CD (US) and Promotional 12" Vinyl (UK)
  1. "Rusty Cage" (edit) – 3:52
  2. "Rusty Cage" – 4:26
Promotional CD (US)
  1. "Rusty Cage" (edit) – 3:52
  2. "Rusty Cage" – 4:26
  3. "Girl U Want" (Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh) – 3:29
  4. "Show Me" (Shepherd) – 2:47
CD (Australia, Germany, and UK)
  1. "Rusty Cage" (edit) – 3:52
  2. "Rusty Cage" – 4:26
  3. "Touch Me" (Fancy) – 2:51
  4. "Stray Cat Blues" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 4:46
12" Vinyl (UK)
  1. "Rusty Cage" (edit) – 3:52
  2. "Touch Me" (Fancy) – 2:51
  3. "Show Me" (Shepherd) – 2:47
7" Vinyl (UK)
  1. "Rusty Cage" – 4:26
  2. "Touch Me" (Fancy) – 2:51
    • Lead vocals by Stephanie (Barber) Fairweather
CD (The Netherlands)
  1. "Rusty Cage" (edit) – 3:52
  2. "Big Bottom"/"Earache My Eye" (live) (Spinal Tap)/(Tommy Chong, Gaye DeLorme, Richard Marin) – 10:46

Charts

Chart performance for "Rusty Cage"
Chart (1992)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [14] 80
Australia Alternative (ARIA) [15] 4
UK Singles (OCC) [16] 41

Johnny Cash version

"Rusty Cage"
Single by Johnny Cash
from the album Unchained
Released1996
Recorded1995
Genre
Length2:56
Label American Recordings
Songwriter(s) Chris Cornell
Producer(s) Rick Rubin

"Rusty Cage" was covered by Johnny Cash on the 1996 album, Unchained , which won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and Cash's version earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. During at least three live performances by Soundgarden (July 21, 1996, in Knoxville, Tennessee, at Forks In The River, early November 1996 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, and at Soundgarden's last pre-breakup show at the Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii, on February 9, 1997 [18] ), Cornell introduced the song with a dedication to Cash. On Cornell's Higher Truth acoustic tour in late 2015, he started including "Rusty Cage" in the set-list, employing Cash's country-rock arrangement of the song.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soundgarden</span> American rock band

Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially by Scott Sundquist, and later by Matt Cameron in 1986. Yamamoto left in 1989 and was replaced initially by Jason Everman and shortly thereafter by Ben Shepherd. The band dissolved in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden would not continue, though they did reunite in January 2019 for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell. Cornell, Thayil, and Cameron appeared on all of the band's albums.

<i>Badmotorfinger</i> 1991 studio album by Soundgarden

Badmotorfinger is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991, through A&M Records. Soundgarden began the recording sessions for the album with new bassist Ben Shepherd in the spring of 1991. The album maintained the band's heavy metal sound, while featuring an increased focus on songwriting compared to the band's previous releases. AllMusic considered the album's music to be "surprisingly cerebral and arty"; alternative tunings and odd time signatures were present on several of the album's songs, and lyrics were intended to be ambiguous and evocative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Thayil</span> American guitarist and songwriter

Kim Anand Thayil is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil remained as the original members of the band until Cornell's death in 2017, and the band's subsequent split in 2018. Thayil was named the 100th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2010, and the 67th greatest guitarist of all time by SPIN in 2012. Thayil has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spoonman</span> 1994 single by Soundgarden

"Spoonman" is a song by the American band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman, Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 14, 1994, as the first single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown (1994). "Spoonman" is credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career into the mainstream. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number nine on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. A remixed version of the song by Steve Fisk appears on the "Black Hole Sun" and "My Wave" singles. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album A-Sides and the 2010 compilation album Telephantasm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus Christ Pose</span> 1991 single by Soundgarden

"Jesus Christ Pose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in 1991 as the first single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flower (Soundgarden song)</span> 1989 single by Soundgarden

"Flower" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by guitarist Kim Thayil, "Flower" was released in May 1989 as the only single from their debut album, Ultramega OK (1988). The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides. An alternate BBC version of "Flower" recorded on May 14, 1989, appeared on the Deluxe Edition of the band's 2010 compilation album Telephantasm.

<i>Screaming Life</i> 1987 EP by Soundgarden

Screaming Life is the debut EP by American rock band Soundgarden, released in October 1987 by Sub Pop. Screaming Life was later combined with the band's next EP, Fopp (1988), and released as the Screaming Life/Fopp compilation album in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunted Down</span> Song by Soundgarden

"Hunted Down" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by guitarist Kim Thayil, "Hunted Down" was released in June 1987 as the band's first single. It is the first track on the band's first release, the Screaming Life EP (1987). The song was included on the band's 2010 compilation album, Telephantasm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hands All Over (Soundgarden song)</span> 1990 single by Soundgarden

"Hands All Over" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by guitarist Kim Thayil, "Hands All Over" was released in 1990 as the second single from the band's second full-length studio album, Louder Than Love (1989). It also appeared on the band's EP Loudest Love, released in 1990. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides and appeared on the band's compilation album Telephantasm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Room a Thousand Years Wide</span> 1990 single by Soundgarden

"Room a Thousand Years Wide" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by guitarist Kim Thayil and music written by drummer Matt Cameron, the song was released as a single in 1990 by Sub Pop. A re-recorded version later appeared on their third album, Badmotorfinger (1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outshined</span> 1991 single by Soundgarden

"Outshined" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released as the second single from their third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). It became the band's first single to reach the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts, where it peaked at number 45. It was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides, the 2010 compilation album, Telephantasm and the live album Live on I-5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretty Noose</span> 1996 single by Soundgarden

"Pretty Noose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman, Chris Cornell, "Pretty Noose" was released in April 1996 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside (1996). The song reached number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart, and peaked at number 10 in Finland. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Wave</span> 1994 single by Soundgarden

"My Wave" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil, "My Wave" was released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fell on Black Days</span> 1994 single by Soundgarden

"Fell on Black Days" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Fell on Black Days" was released as the final single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides and the 2010 compilation Telephantasm as the Superunknown version on the single disc version and the video version on the Deluxe Edition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burden in My Hand</span> 1996 single by Soundgarden

"Burden in My Hand" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Burden in My Hand" was released on September 18, 1996, as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside (1996). The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it spent five weeks at number one. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides.

"Slaves & Bulldozers" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. It is the third track on the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger, released in 1991.

<i>Telephantasm</i> 2010 greatest hits album by Soundgarden

Telephantasm is a compilation album by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring songs that span 23 years of the band's career, it was released on September 28, 2010, through A&M Records. The album was certified platinum by RIAA after its first day of retail availability based on the one million discs that were included in packages for the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Rain (Soundgarden song)</span> Song by Soundgarden

"Black Rain" is a single by the American rock band Soundgarden, featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by bassist Ben Shepherd and guitarist Kim Thayil. The single debuted at number 24 and number 14 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the US Billboard Rock Songs chart respectively in August 2010. It is also Soundgarden's only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #96. The song appears on the compilation album Telephantasm and on the music video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and Guitar Hero Live. It was the first single that Soundgarden had released since 1997.

<i>King Animal</i> 2012 studio album by Soundgarden

King Animal is the sixth and final studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on November 13, 2012, through Universal Republic and Loma Vista Recordings in North America and Vertigo Records elsewhere. Produced by the band alongside Adam Kasper, it was Soundgarden's first studio album in 16 years, following Down on the Upside (1996). King Animal was also the final studio album released by Soundgarden prior to the death of frontman Chris Cornell in 2017 and the subsequent dissolution of the band in 2018.

"Taree" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by bassist Ben Shepherd with lyrics by frontman Chris Cornell, the song appears as the seventh track on the band’s sixth studio album, King Animal (2012).

References

  1. ↑ Ostroff, Joshua (2014). "Nine Inch Nails Is The Best Band Of The 90s (And The 2000s, Too)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ Terich, Jeff; Blyweiss, Adam (October 3, 2012). "10 Essential Alternative Metal Singles". Treblezine. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  3. ↑ Gilbert, Jeff. "Primecuts: Kim Thayil". Guitar School. May 1994.
  4. ↑ Woodard, Josef. "Soundgarden's Kim Thayil & Chris Cornell". Musician . March 1992.
  5. ↑ Leonard, Michael. "Unknown Pleasures". The Guitar Magazine. December 1996.
  6. ↑ Rotondi, James. "Alone in the Superunknown". Guitar Player . June 1994.
  7. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (May 18, 2017). "The 15 Greatest Soundgarden Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  8. ↑ Law, Sam (May 10, 2021). "The 20 greatest Soundgarden songs – ranked". Kerrang . Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  9. ↑ Brown, Matt. "Road Rash: Review by Matt Brown". ibiblio . Retrieved December 26, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Soundtrack". Rockstar Games.
  11. ↑ "EA Announces The Adrenaline Infusing Soundtrack For Burnout Paradise". Electronic Arts. December 18, 2007.
  12. ↑ RoosterTeeth (April 17, 2013). "Achievement Hunter : Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - Mob of the Dead Hidden Song". YouTube . Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Soundgarden music videos". Music Video Database. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
  14. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 261.
  15. ↑ "Top 20 Alternative Charts". ARIA Report . No. 145. November 8, 1992. p. 11. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Soundgarden: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Johnny Cash's 11 Coolest Cover Songs" Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 19, 2015
  18. ↑ Gary C.W. Chun. "Tantrum mars Soundgarden show" The Honolulu Advertiser. February 10, 1997.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.