November 2 - Hands All Over

I think we'll stay in Seattle today. Soundgarden's first album on a major label was 1989's Louder Than Love, released on A&M Records. Their sound is still raw on this album, but not quite as raw as on their debut, Ultramega OK. For many bands this would have been a very transitional album, but Soundgarden hasn't really stuck to much of a formula, so just about all of their album shows a band in constant growth (although I know a lot will claim they peaked with Superunknown from 1994. However, it is a transitional album as far as lineup goes. Chris Cornell sings and plays the occasional guitar, Matt Cameron is rock steady behind the drum kit, and Kim Thayil lays down guitar tracks like no other. However, this was the last album to feature Hiro Yamamoto on bass - Ben Shepard joined in time for their next album, and that has been the line-up ever since.

While Superunknown ironically is their best known album, my personal favorite album of theirs is 1991's Badmotorfinger, which gets a deluxe edition release later this month, but I still have a very sweet spot reserved for Louder Than Love, and especially the song that was selected as a single from the album: Hands All Over. I love the rolling groove that seems to be able to go on forever - and Chris Cornell sings otherworldly here again...