The biggest WTF?! music moment of the year will probably be...

Boy howdy, that makes me sad.

Yikes. So Cornell is playing around with electronica now? This might not soothe things at all, but whatever he does next surely can't be much worse than the bulk of Carry On. That's what I'd like to believe, anyway. That album was depressingly god-awful aside from a couple of songs. Which is too bad because Euphoria Morning is a solid album that I still enjoy every now and then. It's become so common to see the once mighty eventually fall from grace, though.

In regards to this being a commercial: the sell-out aspect is never a pleasant thing, but I try not to let it bother me too much anymore. Just about everybody does it now. I was still surprised when songs from Wilco's Sky Blue Sky started popping up in car commericals - just a recent example that comes to mind. Is it just a matter of time before we hear Fugazi's "Waiting Room" playing over a Gap ad? I still like the idea of artistic integrity, but it's such a rare thing anymore.

I've been revisiting Soundgarden's Louder Than Love quite a bit lately, by the way. What a badass batch of songs it still is. And my how things have changed.

Jesus wept. So will I.

At least he is changing as an artist, and not doing the seem thing over and over. Peoples tastes change. Also it is tough to pass out to much hate in the 'selling out' thing. I generally do not like out, but most people go for the highest paying job (or the one they are most comfortable with), and musicians are no exception.

I have no problem with him changing up his style. Hell, I have enough love for the guy that Carry On having no teeth didn't even bug me. But cutting a deal with Verizon, and having Timbaland produce your album is one of those steps I NEVER expected or would ever want. The little snippet in the commercial gave me the impression that one of the best voices in the business is getting muted into some generic electronic bullshit, and that's a goddamned disgrace for a guy who, I continue to believe, has the fucking voice of God.

Gasp! I heard an interview with Chris Cornell and Timbaland by Ryan Seacrest on American Top 40 about 3 weeks ago. Chris seemed extremely excited about the new album and Timbaland says its his best work ever.

Take that for what its worth when selling an album. But I'm still tempted to give it a whirl.

I hate people crying sell-out at every opportunity with a passion but for some reason this just makes me so angry. Timbaland? Really? What's next, being a judge on American Idol?

Jesus, as an ex-flanaletted, cut-off-denimed, goateed, doc martined child of the early nineties when Seattle was the musical heart of the universe, Im sure you can all imagine my thoughts on this.

But then, I couldn't get on board Audioslave either (every time I heard Morellos guitar I kept expecting Zach De La Rochas voice and every time Cornell opened his mouth I pined for Kim Thayalls guitar). Im happily stuck in an era when Chris Cornell was one of the greatest rock gods in a very large and esteemed pantheon.

You guys seem to all be tip-toeing around the obvious, this is a deep betrayal of everything Cornell supposedly stood for and with back in the day. The Seattle grunge movement was the last gasp of anti-establishment punk before everyoone became a fucking soundtrack to a Tony Hawk game. Im not saying go live in a box and give away all your earthly posessions, but jesus, TIMBALAND?

Either get some dignity and stick with your strengths, or even chuck a few decent songs at films a la Eddie Vedder. I mean, what the hell would Mark Arm say?

I love that in a world where bands make their names thanks to iPod commercials, 'selling out' seems like such a quaint idea these days.

Bah - Kurt had the right idea in the face if this bullshit he could see coming.

I honestly did not see this sort of move coming from Chris Cornell. It seems disingenuous and creatively bankrupt, and it really sours my mood. Pop culture, thou hath eaten me.

Verizon commercial. Music video.
Is there really much of a difference?

Where are you going to see a YEAH YEAH YEAH SONG video?
Might as well get paid by KRAFT. At least people will hear the music.

In an interview with John Watters, he was asked if he had gone mainstream. he replied that he did, that he had to grow and not be a fake rebel asshole.
You can not be anti-establishment in the music business for ever, not unless you never achieve any major success. Sound garden broke through and made a lot of money. That changes the game. You do not have to like his shift, I know I don't (I still have my flannel and boots in my parents old house), but at this point he has moved far away from those early days. It is not selling out or even going mainstream. He became main stream simply by the success of Sound Garden.

Yeah, but terrible music is terrible music.

That is one truth that is the truth.

There's selling out and there's giving up. They even use The Band to sell cheap crap nowdays, but growing up and making some money doesn't mean Robbie Robertson has to start taking duets with Rob Thomas or Lil Jon or Lil Wayne or Lil Kim.

I think Cornell mostly gave up a long time ago, but haven't heard anything since his last album so can't say whether this is rolling over or if he is trying to stretch after the mediocre Audioslave.

It's just sad because unlike most of the people being autotuned to hell Cornell has one of the best and most prolific voices on the planet. Then again I dont think he's been at his full potential since Audioslave got together. He's just there for the paycheck. Giving up is the right term.

Damn. That sucks.

Ouch, ouch. This is terrible. Sounds like a crappy 90´s "Euro-Trash" vs. Shannia Twain remix abortion.

Does anyone have that "WTF is this shit?" picture with Picard?

What the fuck, Cornell?

While appropos, I'm gonna have to go with this one:

Now someone just has to photoshop Cornell's head in there.

Sounds like something from the soundtrack to a summer movie from the 1990's. Batman Forever shit.

I bet it's a huge hit. We'll probably hear it over montages during the Olympics. Ugh.

That Smashing Pumpkins song from Batman & Robin wasn't all that bad though. They used it in the Watchmen trailer of all things.

I know that doesn't make what you said any less true, but I just wanted to point out the one good thing that movie did for us.

That's because that Pumpkins song is fucking awesome.

It is so weird for me to see Cornell going down this path. I am not hating it completely, but for a guy with all the talent that Chris has, I hate to see him wasting it on music that is so by the books and disposable.

One of the most interesting things that happened when Soundgarden broke up was the divergence among the band members; Cornell went on to write a few good songs, but his albums were mostly disappointments (let's face it, the guy has a fantastic voice, but he isn't that great of a song writer) while Kim Thayalls used the money that he made in Soundgarden and went out and joined fucking anti-mainstream bands like Khante, Burning Witch, and even collaborated with SUNN 0))) and Boris.

God, I love Kim Thayalls.

...Cornell becomes Nelly Furtado with a dick and my inner-teen dies a little more inside.

Great.

My apologies to all gay men and their families, but that is fuckin' awesome.

I just now listened to that song, briefly. I couldn't take much of that. That's pretty inexcusable.

I find it hard to fault Matt Cameron for joining a "mainstream" band after the just-as-mainstream Soundgarden broke up, though.

Euphoria Morning was pretty far from a disappointment.

According to the Popbitch newsletter. Cornell outright refused to work with Timbaland until he got a hold of his phone number, called him and talked for a while about Early Soundgarden stuff. Turned out Timbaland was quite the fan. Doesn't excuse these shitty tunes but still.

Sounds to me more like Timbalands a savvy businessman who knows how to stroke Cornells massive ego personally...

Oh boy. From bad to worse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkJNBBBQHgs


I am flabbergasted. I knew he made a wrong turn down a bad road a while ago, but...damn.

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And you know that's bad, because Trent Reznor's been making many of us feel uncomfortable in a similar way for well over a decade. From what I've heard of the new album, though, Cornell wins in this particular contest. It's very, very bad. It takes self-parody in a fascinatingly new direction.

Oops, sorry, I just saw this thread after starting the other one. But yeah, this really, really, really sucks.

funny, i saw the title of this thread and was about to jump in and yell "CHRIS CORNELL!" but.. clearly.. word has gotten out.

i was listening to dave navarro's radio show on wednesday and none of them could stop laughing as they watched the music video.

look, i loved soundgarden, and even found great things in his solo albums. shit, i went out of my way to eat at his (overpriced yet deliciuous) nearly secret restaurant in paris when i was there. im a fan. but... jesus.