9/23/2023 0 Comments Chris cornell songbook reviewThe night offered a bit of everything, but at its core this was high-level singer-songwriter fare, a night of music that would have been great in a bar but sounded sensational in a theatre. The singer, who is of Sri Lankan descent, has a Cornell-like weapon at his disposal, and though he comes across as more gentle and less intimidating than the night’s headliner, his vocal power was no less impressive.īhiman offered a mix of originals and a lone cover song by Talking Heads which, in his hands, became a tender ballad. With a rotary-dial telephone beside him, one that was owned by the late Jeff Buckley, Cornell was a master communicator.īhiman, 31, will open every date on Cornell’s six-week Songbook tour, a solo showcase that should earn him hordes of new fans. It all sounded impeccable, as did the many cover songs he performed. He dove deep into Temple of the Dog’s catalogue, most of which he wrote. Cornell has been paying tribute to Pearl Jam (his Temple of the Dog bandmates) plenty of late, even performing Footsteps, a Pearl Jam rarity, Monday night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He would only get more adventurous - and hit-heavy, thanks to standouts like Fell on Black Days, which drew a standing ovation - from there.Ĭornell played everything from Audioslave songs to Soundgarden smashes, and was joined by opening act Bhi Bhiman for another Temple of the Dog hit, Hunger Strike, which came across beautifully. Like the last Songbook tour, his set consisted of solo material, songs from Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, and various cover songs. He opened his two hour-plus set with a cover of Tom Waits’s The House Where Nobody Lives, which he transformed from its haggard original into a listener-friendly ballad. “This is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world,” he said. He was genuine, however, in his love of Victoria, a city he visited while growing up in Seattle. It was the first of many indications that Cornell was in a frisky mood. He rode onto the stage - to a standing ovation, no less - on a tricked-out bike made for him by a local teen, a Cheshire grin plastered across his face. Cornell is known for having one of the biggest, boomiest voices in rock, and you could hear every muscle of it Tuesday at the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium, one of the best listening rooms in the city.Ĭornell, 49, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Much like Cornell’s previous solo date in Victoria, a sold-out 2011 stop at the Royal Theatre, the full house simply couldn’t get enough of the powerful singer. The first of seven dates in Canada on Chris Cornell’s acoustic tour of small theatres went into the history books Tuesday as something truly special, to the delight of 1,060 boisterous fans gathered to see the Soundgarden singer in a stripped-bare setting. As for Cornell, while he does talk, he sets up the scene and lets it get on its way.Where: Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria It sounds sharp and the audience only appears in atmospheric hoots and hollers that don’t compete with the music. Normally live albums get bogged down with loud audience chatter or too much talky-talk from the performers. The sparseness of the recording comes shining through with Cornell’s emotive voice sounding crystal clear, the mood and clarity resonating with each strum of the strings. The fitting song selection isn’t the only thing that stands out here: The album sounds fantastic. There’s even “The Keeper”, a catchy number that was written for Marc Foster’s film Machine Gun Preacher. From his solo album Scream, there’s “As Hope and Promise Fade”, a heartbreaking, personal track where Cornell is “never more than two drinks away from crying.” There’s a few covers like “Imagine” and the tear-inducing “Thank You”. Audioslave is toned down with the haunting “I Am the Highway”, Soundgarden’s distortion is intricately simple on “Black Hole Sun”. To those unfortunate enough to miss the shows, they are now a part of his solo acoustic live album, Songbook.Įvery musical project that Cornell has had a part in is featured in this album. Earlier this year, Cornell went on a quick solo tour playing an acoustic set in various intimate settings. Chris Cornell‘s career has spanned the spectrum of rock and roll, from his start in Soundgarden to the beloved Temple of the Dog, to his supergroup Audioslave and his solo work.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |