Songbook (Chris Cornell album)

Last updated
Songbook
CCSongbook.jpeg
Live album by
ReleasedNovember 21, 2011
RecordedMarchMay 2011
Genre Acoustic, alternative rock
Length67:23
Label UMe
Producer Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell chronology
Part of Me Remix EP
(2009)
Songbook
(2011)
Higher Truth
(2015)
Singles from Songbook
  1. "The Keeper"
    Released: 2011

Songbook is an acoustic live album by American musician and Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, released on November 21, 2011. [1] The live album features songs recorded during Cornell's Songbook Tour, an acoustic solo tour which took place from March to May 2011 in the US and Canada, and is his first live album as a solo artist.

Contents

The songs on the tour varied in every show, and the album was recorded during various shows on the tour, and includes songs from Cornell's whole career: solo material, Soundgarden songs, Audioslave songs, Temple of the Dog songs, as well as covers of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" and John Lennon's "Imagine".

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 69. [2] It has sold 86,000 copies in the US as of August 2015. [3]

Song Information

The album includes a new song by Chris Cornell, entitled "The Keeper"; the song was written exclusively for the Marc Forster directed 2011 film, Machine Gun Preacher , and released as the lead track from the film's soundtrack in August 2011. Another new song on the album is "Cleaning My Gun", a song Cornell had been playing live during his acoustic shows for years but was never previously released on an album.

The first track on the album "As Hope and Promise Fade", was previously released as a hidden track on Cornell's third solo album, Scream , under the title "Two Drink Minimum".

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Recording Date / LocationLength
1."As Hope and Promise Fade" Chris Cornell, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley 4/20/11 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada3:47
2."Scar on the Sky"Cornell4/10/11 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania3:40
3."Call Me a Dog" (Temple of the Dog song)Cornell4/20/11 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada4:51
4."Ground Zero"Cornell, Harmon, Mosley, James Washington 4/22/11 at the Vic Theater in Chicago, Illinois2:58
5."Can't Change Me"Cornell4/15/11 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey4:18
6."I Am the Highway" (Audioslave song)Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk 4/20/11 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada4:56
7."Thank You" (Led Zeppelin cover) Jimmy Page, Robert Plant 4/27/11 at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada4:48
8."Cleaning My Gun"Cornell4/23/11 at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin5:18
9."Wide Awake" (Audioslave song)Cornell, Morello, Commerford, Wilk4/17/11 at the Sixth I Historic Synagogue in Washington DC3:33
10."Fell on Black Days" (Soundgarden song)Cornell4/10/11 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania5:05
11."All Night Thing" (Temple of the Dog song)Cornell4/17/11 at the Sixth I Historic Synagogue in Washington DC3:25
12."Doesn't Remind Me" (Audioslave song)Cornell, Morello, Commerford, Wilk4/24/11 at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota4:08
13."Like a Stone" (Audioslave song)Cornell, Morello, Commerford, Wilk4/20/11 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada4:04
14."Black Hole Sun" (Soundgarden song)Cornell4/30/11 at the Red Robinson Show Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada4:37
15."Imagine" (John Lennon cover) John Lennon 4/23/11 at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin4:06
16."The Keeper"Cornellstudio track3:59
Best Buy Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording Date / LocationLength
17."As Hope and Promise Fade"Cornell, Harmon, Mosley4/15/11 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey4:16
18."Call Me a Dog" (Temple of the Dog song)Cornell4/10/11 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania5:13

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [4] 21
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [5] 20

Related Research Articles

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

Staind is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki. The lineup has been stable outside of the 2011 departure of Wysocki, who was replaced by Sal Giancarelli. Staind has recorded seven studio albums: Tormented (1996), Dysfunction (1999), Break the Cycle (2001), 14 Shades of Grey (2003), Chapter V (2005), The Illusion of Progress (2008), and Staind (2011). The band was most successful in the early 2000s, with Break the Cycle going five times platinum in the United States and producing a top-five Billboard Hot 100 hit with its lead single "It's Been Awhile". Break the Cycle, along with the band's following two full-length albums, also topped the Billboard 200, and the two after peaked within the top five. Several of their other singles also became rock and pop hits, including "Fade", "For You", "Price to Play", "So Far Away", and "Right Here".

<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 1990 and was replaced initially by Jason Everman and shortly thereafter by Ben Shepherd. The band dissolved in 1997 and re-formed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017 and a year of uncertainty regarding the band's future, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden had disbanded once again, though they did reunite in January 2019 for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audioslave</span> American rock supergroup

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Cornell</span> American singer and guitarist (1964–2017)

Christopher John Cornell was an American singer, songwriter and musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and 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 Andrew Wood. Several music journalists, fan polls and fellow musicians have regarded Cornell as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.

<i>Superunknown</i> 1994 studio album by Soundgarden

Superunknown is the fourth studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994, through A&M Records. It is the band's second album with bassist Ben Shepherd, and features new producer Michael Beinhorn. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger (1991). Superunknown captured the heaviness of the band's earlier releases while displaying a more diverse range of influences.

<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">Temple of the Dog</span> American rock band

Temple of the Dog was an American rock supergroup 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.

<i>Euphoria Morning</i> 1999 studio album by Chris Cornell

Euphoria Mourning is the first solo studio album by American musician Chris Cornell. It was released through Interscope Records on September 21, 1999, and Cornell embarked on a tour in support of the album in 2000. Cornell's only album from between the dissolution of Soundgarden and the formation of Audioslave, it did not sell as well as much of his work with those groups, though it did sell over 75,000 copies in its first week of release and has gone on to sell over 393,000 copies in the U.S. The album was well-received critically, and its lead single, "Can't Change Me", was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>Down on the Upside</i> 1996 studio album by Soundgarden

Down on the Upside is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996, through A&M Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Superunknown (1994), Soundgarden commenced work on a new album. Self-produced by the band, the music on the album was notably less heavy and dark than the group's preceding albums and featured the band experimenting with new sounds.

<i>Louder Than Love</i> 1989 studio album by Soundgarden

Louder Than Love is the second studio album and major-label debut by American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on September 5, 1989, by A&M Records. After touring in support of their debut album, Ultramega OK (1988), Soundgarden left SST, signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label. The songs on the album featured a metal-leaning grunge sound with some songs featuring unusual or unorthodox time signatures.

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

"Black Hole Sun" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). Considered to be the band's signature song, it topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it spent a total of seven weeks at number one. Despite peaking at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, "Black Hole Sun" finished as the number-one track of 1994 for that listing. Worldwide, the single reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, and Ireland, while in Iceland, it reached number one.

<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 Mainstream 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">Outshined</span> 1991 single by Soundgarden

"Outshined" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Outshined" was released in 1991 as the second single from the band's 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. The song 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">Blow Up the Outside World</span> 1996 single by Soundgarden

"Blow Up the Outside World" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Blow Up the Outside World" was released on November 18, 1996, as the third 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 a total of four weeks at number one. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunger Strike (song)</span> 1991 single by Temple of the Dog

"Hunger Strike" is a song by the American rock band Temple of the Dog. Written by vocalist Chris Cornell, it was released in 1991 as the first single from the band's sole studio album, Temple of the Dog (1991). It was the band's most successful song, peaking at number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soundgarden discography</span>

The discography of Soundgarden, an American rock band, consists of six studio albums, two live albums, six compilation albums, eight extended plays, 24 singles and 23 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Cornell discography</span>

This is the discography of Chris Cornell, an American rock musician. This list does not include material recorded by Cornell with Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, or Audioslave, of which he was the main vocalist, frontman, and rhythm guitarist. His four solo studio albums released during his lifetime were Euphoria Morning (1999), Carry On (2007), Scream (2009), and Higher Truth (2015). A fifth, No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1, was released posthumously in 2020. His two compilation albums were The Roads We Choose – A Retrospective (2007) and Chris Cornell (2018). He released one live album, titled Songbook. Cornell made numerous soundtrack contributions and released nineteen singles. With Soundgarden, he produced six albums, five EPs, and two greatest hits compilations. He released three albums with Audioslave and one with Temple of the Dog. Cornell also co-produced the Screaming Trees album Uncle Anesthesia.

<i>Live on I-5</i> 2011 live album by Soundgarden

Live on I-5 is a live album by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was recorded during the West Coast leg of their 1996 tour, and released on March 22, 2011. They announced the album, the band's first live album, on their website on January 13, 2011. The title is a reference to Interstate 5, which runs along the Pacific coast of the United States. The band hired Adam Kasper to record several shows with a rented 24-track machine/truck. They planned to release the live album after the tour, but they disbanded and the tapes were left in Studio X. A live version of "Blow Up the Outside World" was released as a 256 bit MP3 download to those who pre-ordered Live on I-5 from Soundgarden's official website.

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

King Animal is the sixth and final studio album by American rock band Soundgarden—their first in sixteen years. Produced by both the band and Adam Kasper, it was released on November 13, 2012, by Seven Four Entertainment and Republic Records in the United States, and by Vertigo Records in the rest of the world. It was the first of Soundgarden's albums not to be released on A&M Records since 1988's Ultramega OK, though Republic, Vertigo, and A&M are all owned by Universal Music Group. The album was the final studio album released by Soundgarden before the death of frontman Chris Cornell in 2017 and the subsequent dissolution of the band in 2018.

<i>Higher Truth</i> 2015 studio album by Chris Cornell

Higher Truth is the fourth studio album by American rock musician Chris Cornell, and the final album to be released during his lifetime and his final album of original material. It was released on September 18, 2015.

References

  1. Jessica Letkemann (November 14, 2011). "Exclusive: Chris Cornell 'Songbook' EP2 First Listen". Billboard.
  2. "Billboard 200: December 10, 2011". Billboard.
  3. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015.
  4. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  5. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.