#see chris cornell from audioslave

[cyarsk52-20]

10 Years Ago: Rage Against the Machine Reunite at Coachella

Michael ChristopherPublished: April 28, 2017

Play Rage Against the M… 

on Apple Music 

When Rage Against the Machine headlined the inaugural Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in 1999, they did so alongside Tool, and shared the two-day bill with heavy hitters At the Drive-In and A Perfect Circle. Eight years later, on April 29, 2007, they once again topped the lineup of the fest. This time, Rage were all alone when it came to hard rock, a sharp contrast to Damien Rice, Björk, et al. They were also the band most people came to see on the third and final night.

Rage had called it a day in late 2000, with frontman Zack de la Rocha keeping off the radar for the most part while the instrumental core of guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk linked up with ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell in the successful project Audioslave. As the years went on though, especially with unrest in the political climate, specifically the second term of U.S. President George W. Bush, many were looking for an aggressive activist voice in music.

Shortly after the mid-January 2007 announcement that Rage Against the Machine would headline Coachella, Cornell revealed his intentions to restart his solo career and leave Audioslave behind. The focus was then entirely on the former and, come the Sunday afternoon of the festival, there were powder-keg levels of pending explosiveness.

Gone was the happy-go-hippy vibe that had dominated the weekend at Coachella. There was a discernible air of tense, testosterone-fueled aggression. Whereas single-day tickets for the first two days had been available up until each respective gate time, day three had sold out instantly. Hardcore fans of Rage Against the Machine planted themselves right against the guardrail of the largest platform on the grounds, the Coachella Stage and sat somewhat patiently through Explosions in the Sky, the Roots and Willie Nelson. But their endurance in the 100-degree plus heat was put to the test when Crowded House took the stage.

The antipodean pop act was also celebrating a reunion, but that wasn’t the one many viewing their set wanted to see. Chants of “Rage! Rage! Rage!” rang out between each song, and when the group went into their biggest hit, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” frontman Neil Finn was hit right in the face with a bottle. He took it in stride, even attempting to talk down the rowdy audience by saying, “They’re coming, they’re coming.”

At 10:40PM, they came. “Good evening. We are Rage Against the Machine from Los Angeles, California,” said de la Rocha without pause, prefacing the build-up which exploded when the group launched into “Testify,” the third single from their third and final LP – to date – The Battle of Los Angeles. Following Morello’s mounting, otherworldly airy swath of guitar histrionics, the Empire Polo Fields began to bounce like slowly rolling trampoline. Hundreds of yards back, the vibrations could be felt underfoot.

Ripping through a set of well-planned/maximum numbers like “Sleep Now in the Fire,” “Bombtrack” and “Bullet in the Head,” it was like Rage never left. Morello leapt about, Commerford belied his intensity by putting his arms behind his back when not delivering thumping bottom end in tandem with Wilk. And de la Rocha? Uncontainable, having grown out an Afro, wearing a simple outfit consisting of a dark salmon collared shirt and black cargo pants, the singer spat lyrics like a sermon directed at white collar criminals in or out of jail.

Although he said virtually nothing between songs, de la Rocha finally spoke out in the middle of "Wake Up,” the set closer, saying, “This current administration…should be hung and tried and shot, as any war criminal should be.”

A faction of the audience then attempted to light a fire in the middle of the field, but it was quickly stomped out as cooler heads prevailed. The obligatory encore kicked off with “Freedom,” but took a surprising turn when, immediately after it ended, Morello dove into the coda of “Township Rebellion,” leading to yet another blast of energy coursing through the grounds, continuing through the expected sure shot salvo of “Killing in the Name.”

The night was over for all intents and purposes after the final lines of “F--- you I won’t do what you tell me,” rang out, but that didn’t stop amped up revelers from destroying art installations on the Coachella compound, turning what was originally a laid-back weekend into a post-frat party debacle. It was an even balance though, the return of one of the most important hard rock bands of an era coupled with a misguided youth’s appropriation of their message.

21 Artists Inspired by Rage Against the Machine

Sent from my iPhone

[darkskywishes]

I was tagged by @derpinathebrave — Omg, I’ve never been tagged in one of these before. I’m so happy! Thanks for tagging me! :D I also love learning about new music, so this is great, especially as I love pretty much all genres.

Rules: shuffle your “on repeat” playlist from spotify/the music service of your choice and post the first 10 tracks. 

1. Guilty - MARINA (I love her! Glad she appeared in this music shuffle game—also an underrated song by her, as I never hear people mention it)

2. Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart - Chris Cornell (I love everything Chris Cornell’s been involved in: Soundgarden, Audioslave, his solo work, etc. I was so sad when I first learned of his suicide a couple years ago)

3. Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers (They’re not my favorite band, but I absolutely love this song! The lyrics are very poetic and the song itself is so atmospheric and gloomy. From what I’ve interpreted myself of the lyrics and what I’ve read, it seems to be about heroin addiction. Really gets me in my feels, even though I’ve never experienced substance addiction myself. The song is relatable to a lot of mental issues in general)

4. You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween - Muse (My favorite band! Going to see them live later this month! This is from their newest album!)

5. Careless Whisper - Seether (Honestly, I love this song in general, both the original and all the covers. I like this cover in particular!)

6. Te Aviso, Te Anuncio - Shakira (Shakira’s music was actually the first I ever heard when I was a kid. Definite nostalgia factor, although her music is genuinely very good! I prefer the Spanish versions of her songs)

7. Tempest - Deftones (I always enjoy a good metal song, and Deftones releases consistently great music!)

8. One Step Closer - Linkin Park (Love this song when I want to vent out some anger! Another band where I’m sad about the lead singer, Chester Bennington, dying by suicide)

9. Monster - Lady Gaga (My personal favorite Lady Gaga song)

10. DLZ - TV On The Radio (Breaking Bad introduced me to this! That show introduced me to so many songs I listen to regularly now!)

Tagging: @tiggymalvern @spinsterennui @whaillord @memories-are-all-we-have @kiyaar @rhymingteelookatme

No pressure to participate if this is not your thing! :) Also, if anyone wants to participate, feel free to even if you’re not tagged

[something-tofightfor]

Root Pearl Q&A

@mandoshoney​: 

I wanted to actually answer this in a post so that other people would see it / it wasn’t hidden in the comments of a chapter. 

THANK YOU for asking this question - and thank you so much for reading and recommending Root Pearl. I talked about this with @the-blind-assassin-12​ a little while ago, and I’ve come up with this: 

Root Pearl Ezra’s singing voice is sort of a mixture of Ben Burnley from Breaking Benjamin, Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots and has a little of Chester Bennington’s anguish/the throaty quality to it.* Unlike those three, though, Ezra doesn’t utilize the “scream” often - so when he does use it, it HITS.  

* Another candidate for his style of singing is Chris Cornell, whose voice is smooth as HELL and so damn soothing to listen to.

I’d say that his (and The Fringe’s) music is melodic rock - think  Incubus, Audioslave, Starset, early Breaking Benjamin with more of a focus on the vocals for his solo stuff. It’s approachable for most listeners, but has an edge to it, especially lyrically. 

As a performer, he’s focused on giving his best onstage. He’s not a perfectionist when it comes to nailing every single note/his delivery every single time, but live vocals are definitely CD quality; his voice holds up - and he doesn’t skimp out when it comes to actually playing the guitar. 

He isn’t super “active” - he doesn’t jump around or rely on theatrics, but he makes use of every inch of the edge of the stage - playing to the entire audience. His solo stuff is a little more mellow compared to when he has a full band, but in both scenarios, he’s very very interactive with the crowd - meaning he talks a lot, takes requests, tells stories etc. 

You can tell he’s not just making music or touring for a paycheck - he truly loves it, and that’s why the accident was such a harsh blow.

[awholelottayeehaw]

🎶✨️when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)🎶✨️

I gasped when I got this! My first ask!! Hi!! I love you!

I'm so sorry this took so long to respond to, but I have absolutely overthought which songs I wanted to share that have been on repeat for me lately.

1. Dead in the Water by Spelles

This song got me through some tough times recently. It captures that feeling of panic, isolation, rejection, and resentment of someone you love hurting you and reminds you to take back that power and be the person you need at that moment rather than relying on someone else to do that for you.

2. Heaven Sent by Parker Millsap

This song hits home for me being queer and from the deep south. Especially with some recent drama between myself and my family this past week. I love Parker's voice and the vulnerability he portrays in his songs and the vividness of his lyrics just paints such beautiful pictures and this song makes me cry every time. I get halfway through singing along before I start sobbing.

3. Priest by William Crighton

This kinda ties in with the first two songs' theme-wise about taking back power and finding freedom in doing the right thing even if it's hard to do or might result in your downfall. His voice is so emotional and powerful and you can feel his relief in the chorus over his choices in the song that makes a normally dark song light and happy and hopeful.

4. Raise Hell by Brandi Carlile

I wouldn't be a good gay if I didn't include the woman who got away from me because she was older and happened to get married when I was in college but whatever. This song is just so powerful as a long song and one of empowerment that I feel like a lot of straight singers just don't quite get in their music and this is a song I can see myself maybe have at my own wedding someday.

5. Like a Stone by Audioslave

The one song on the list that's a different genre but god Chris Cornell has a spot in my heart that will forever ache with his loss. His voice always cut through me in ways that most other singers just don't with how it captures emotion in the different octaves he's able to sing at. Just such extraordinary talent gone too soon and I listen to this song at least once a week and have since he died 5 years ago.

[sirjuhi]

Heads up, heavy themes ahead, read the tags. Don't do anything drastic, every situation is recoverable except death, have hope, you are loved and have so much to offer and experience.

I would like to show off thus drawing I drew a while ago, probably the first visual art piece I put a lot of effort into. I drew it as a Chris Cornell tribute, he of soundgarden, audioslave, and temple of the dog. I chose to base it off of two of his songs, black hole sun, obviously, and a lesser known song by him called Moth, performed by audioslave.

Most of the inspiration is from the latter obviously. Something about the way he sings and the vibes that the instruments really speak to me at some of my lowest points. The instrumental creates a proper sense of the feeling when you finally, in a fit of frustration, throw in the towel, and abandon persistence because you realize that it isn't worth it to struggle with it anymore.

Meanwhile the vocals, I feel do a good job of portraying the hesitancy, knowing that you truly do want to make this thing work, you wish that everything could work together, but it just won't, and you need to struggle and accept that. Though rather than a person I used it to refer to life in general, though morso the fantasy of ending it is what was forgone, because the idea of suicide was something that I would unknowingly fantasize about in my truly lowest points. Don't do it by the way, though it may seem like the easier path, there is no catharsis, nor relief, nor is it what you need. I am doing better now btw.

Black hole sun is obviously his most famous work, but what I never see talked about is what it means. I believe I remember that Chris said in an interview that an aspect of the song that he really liked was the dichotomy between something good being portrayed in an evil or dark tone. Death and suicide were major themes throughout Chris' writings. He had been very open about his struggles with depression and how it came across in his work, which I always found very commendable.

It would seem to me that the song itself is a longing for death, as a form of release from pain, death being the black hole sun. What would seem to be a good thing when you're at your lowest, but would truly bring only your literal ruin. Wash away the rain, take away the bad times.

The vocals and lyrics are moreso what I focused on in that song, as Chris' delivery of the chorus, I feel truly got across a feeling of morose yearning and defeated Tone that I don't find often in other music.

These songs really helped me to understand what I was feeling at times, and in that way they were truly beautiful. It was able to put into words and vibes what I had been feeling but struggling to articulate for years. I never viewed them as a glorification of suicide, and I don't think that is what was intended when writing them either, despite the man's eventual fate. RIP Chris Cornell.

I do not mean to bring anyone down, nor to glorify the depths of depression, I am just absurdly grateful that someone put art out onto the world that helped me understand myself and not feel alone, and that is why I feel he is worthy of tribute.

[heavenforblog1111]

Like a Stone is the 2nd single from the debut album of Audioslave 'Audioslave' released in 2003. Audioslave was formed when Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell joined the Rage Against the Machine members, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QU1nvuxaMA So, one might probably think that Like a Stone is a regular love song. When I first listenend to Like a Stone, I thought that Chris Cornell was so deep in love that he had nothing else to do apart from waiting for someone who he desperately wanted to be with. But surprisingly, the song is actually about something totally different from love. The song as Chris Cornell explained was about death. Chris spoke about the song being about someone who is sitting in a hotel room contemplating death, where you go after you die, what it means and what are the various possibilities of that. If one has been been good enough one might go to heaven as a lot of philosophical stories talk about good people going to heaven after they die. So, the guy sitting in the hotel room has lost all his friends. He is waiting for death to happen to him and meanwhile he is contemplating about where he would go after that and would he meet his friends in the afterlife or not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb9Mgtw9c04 Even band member Tim Commerford originally thought that Like a Stone was a typical love song. He was pretty amazed to learn that it was about a guy waiting to die. He then went back and check a lot of songs by Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog to see what they actually meant. I went back and looked at the song and I got kinda saddened by what he is singing about is like a guy waiting alone in a house of death. And all his friends are dying and he is just waiting there and I'm picturing this man in a rocking chair like waiting to die and it changed everything for me. That made me go back and look at all the songs like Temple of the Dog songs and Soundgarden songs and I started going 'Ohk, I get Cornell now and he is a genius'. He fooled me for 15 years where I maybe thought that some of the things he was singing about were slightly trivial but, they are never trivial. He is deep. He is really deep. Tim Commerford Interesting fact: The video for 'Like a Stone' was shot in Jimi Hendrix's old house where he wrote 'Purple Haze'.

[cyarskaren52]

Every Rage Against The Machine album ranked from worst to best

When Rage Against The Machine's incendiary debut album was unleashed in the winter of 1992, it felt like an atomic bomb being set off at the heart of the metal scene. Matching the snarling bars of talented rapper Zack de la Rocha with the earth-shaking riffs and experimental eccentricities of guitarist Tom Morello, anchored by the powerhouse, groove-driven rhythm section of bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk, it was unlike anything else in alternative music at the time.

By the end of the decade and following three more studio albums, Rage Against The Machine's time as a creative output was already done, the band split up and with three quarters of its members soon to team up with Soundgarden's Chris Cornell under the banner of Audioslave. Nonetheless, in a recording career even shorter than The Beatles', Rage Against The Machine changed heavy music forever, and their influence is felt as keenly now as it was thirty years ago.

Here is the band's explosive back catalogue, ranked from worst to best.

Every Metallica album ranked from worst to best

Every Megadeth album ranked from worst to best

Every Korn album ranked from worst to best

Every Tool album ranked from worst to best

4. Rage Against The Machine – Renegades (2000)

Covers albums can be hit and miss affairs, but fair play to Rage Against The Machine, Renegades hits the target way more than it misses. The lead single was a fattened-up groove through Afrika Bambaataa’s classic Renegades Of Funk, but whether they’re going gangsta rap on Cypress Hill’s How I Could Just Kill A Man, hardcore punk on Minor Threat’s In My Eyes or garage rock on The Stooges Down On The Street, Rage prove they can adapt without losing any of their own identity. The true highlight though is their brilliant re-imagining of Bob Dylan’s counterculture war cry Maggie's Farm, which brings some musical muscle to fit those seething lyrics.

3. Rage Against The Machine – The Battle Of Los Angeles (1999)

Coming in 1999, three years after the release of Evil Empire, it was a new musical climate that RATM found themselves returning to. The blueprint of rap and hard rock that they had perfected had been co-opted by the hugely popular nu metal bands of the time, but Rage still stayed ahead of the game. The Battle Of Los Angeles is maybe not quite as consistent as the first couple of albums, but it remains a brilliantly powerful piece of work all the same, with the swirling march of Testify, the rhythmically dexterous Calm Like A Bomb and the bouncing, crushing Sleep Now In The Fire (complete with its iconic video where Rage shut down the Stock Exchange) all becoming definitive moments in the band's career.

2. Rage Against The Machine – Evil Empire (1996)

Seen as a bit of a dip at the time of release in 1996, it’s good to see that RATM’s sophomore album now gets the dues that it richly deserves. It’s really only due to the fact that it followed one of the greatest albums ever made that it has to take the silver medal here, and even then, it is only by the very smallest of margins. Evil Empire is a phenomenal record, spawning mega hits like Bulls On Parade and People Of The Sun, but it’s when you dig a little deeper that you can really get the genius of this record. Songs like the psychedelic punk of Revolver or the scattergun jazz of Down Rodeo are as good and as experimental as anything Rage have ever written. It might be number two here, but this is still a ten out of ten album.

1. Rage Against The Machine – Rage Against The Machine (1992)

One of the most revolutionary albums in the history of music, the 1992 debut album by Rage Against The Machine remains legitimately groundbreaking and utterly perfect. By the early 90s, rap and rock had started to become closely linked, but no one could have seen the amalgam of the two styles being so perfectly realised as it is here. It’s really no exaggeration to say that almost every track on Rage Against The Machine has gone on to become an anthem of the era which still stands up today; Know Your Enemy, Bullet In The Head, Freedom, Bombtrack and, of course, Killing In The Name, there are plenty of bands who have released greatest hits albums that couldn’t hold a candle to the track listing here. Morello’s unique guitar style, the perfectly synched, tightly wound rhythm section and De La Rocha’s furious and intelligent raps...you’d not change a single second of this record, an all-time great.

Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.

With contributions from

Merlin AldersladeExecutive Editor, Louder

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Sent from my iPhone

[eddiemunsons-missingnipple]

I love your playlists!! You do so well choosing songs that give Eddie's vibe. I was wondering how you feel about 90s alternative/grunge with Eddie? I think he'd enjoy the genre but especially Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and Audioslave. Hope you're doing well btw 💖

Thank you so much anon that'd very sweet of you. I try my best to find songs that fit well with his voice and how iimagine he would sound in that specific genre.

I do have a grunge playlist already in my masterlist if you wanna check it out.

I think he would absolutely love Chris cornell in general especially when Chris sings those very high notes. I can also see him just being a big fan of the genre as a whole.

[mueritos]

Being a man with long hair gives me so much gender euphoria. Sometimes I get self conscious, thinking “what if people mistake me for a woman because of it?” but like, that shouldn’t stop me if it makes me as happy as it does

dude i feel you...Ive had a few awkward interactions in bathrooms when men think theyre in the wrong bathroom when they see my long hair, but once they get another look at me theyre like o nvm thats just a dude with beautiful long hair HAHA. Having long hair as a dude has been so awesome, I always encourage every man to try growing it out at least once to see how it changes your perception of yourself. If it makes you happy, keep that hair long :)

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

Johnny Kay *Supporting character

Voice Claim: (Noah Schnapp) https://youtu.be/bfSadeGIp0U?t=87

Partner(s): Single. Parents: Beth and Arthur Kay. Kids: None. Age: 17 (2021) Birthday: 30th of April  Height: 170cm (5.5ft) Body type: Slim Eye color: Hazelnut/Sapphire. About: Anxious, Emotional, Neutral, Private, Obedient, Noncompetitive, Reserved,  Clumsy, Quiet, Restrained, Aimless, Confused, Forgetful, Asocial, Loyal, Disorganized, Nervous, Gentle, Awkward, Silly, Patient and Kind. ~ Virgin. ~ Sexuality: Bi, but closeted. ~ Has dusty blonde hair with leftover green dye. ~ Is fearful of his parents disowning him if they figure he isn’t straight. ~ Has a lot of anxiety, and often suffers strong panic attacks. ~ Basically afraid of his own shadow. ~ Not a very good student, not that he isn’t smart, his mind is just elsewhere when he should be focusing on school. ~ Terrible at Math. ~ Very much an outsider at school, no one even cares enough to bully him. ~ Feels invisible most of the time. ~ Cries a lot. ~ Often contemplates running away, but he doubts it will be better anywhere else. ~ Tends to lock himself into his room for hours, listening to loud music. ~ Parents doesn’t care much. ~ Feels it would be better if he didn’t exist. ~ Often plays with fire, wondering what would happen if the flames swallowed him? ~ Smells like: Teenage boy room and matches. ~ Doesn’t make friends easily. ~ Even his cat left.   ~ He’s just miserable. ~ Really need someone to hold him till the panic attacks are over. ~ Tired, constantly, from the tense feeling of living with anxiety. ~ Hangs around the beach, watching waves for hours. ~ Doesn’t drink alcohol, feeling out of control is scary to him. ~ Tried smoking weed to calm down, only made him panic even harder. ~ Has tried medication, but it lead to a depression.  ~ Considers himself the weakest person alive, is actually very strong and brave. ~ Just want everyone to feel good. ~ 100/10 would calm down if someone would just care enough to take his hand. ~ Sometimes doodles or cuts detailed paper silhouette cutouts, to try to distance his thoughts. ~ Takes long showers, cause it makes him space out and have a break for a while. ~ Also struggles with OCD. ~ Would love to learn to play guitar. ~ Loves: The stars, the moon, music, chocolate, shrimps, bacon, fries, Nachos, fruity yogurt, strawberry ice cream, long showers, cucumber, the beach, long walks in the rain, raspberry flavored anything, fantasy movies, lizards, cats, Adventure Time, Rick & Morty, BoJack Horseman, Nutella, warm bread with butter, pickles and Pistachios. ~ His style is: Usually some band shirt or old worn tshirt. Baggy sweatpants and Converse All Stars. ~ Is actually a really lovely person, if you’re patient enough to get to know him, you’ll have a friend for life.

Johnny’s tag Johnny’s house/home Johnny’s moodboard Handwriting/ask answer pic:

One song to describe him: 3 Doors Down - Loser Personal Playlist: 1. ★ nirvana songs but it's lofi remix vol. 2★ 2. Nirvana - Something In The Way 3. Skunk Anansie - You'll Follow Me Down 4. Metallica - The Unforgiven 5. Nirvana - All Apologies (MTV Unplugged) 6. Pearl Jam MTV Unplugged - Black 7. Audioslave - Show Me How to Live 8. Green Day - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams 9. Chris Cornell - Patience 10. Creed - My Own Prison 11. Incubus - Anna Molly 12. Nirvana - In Bloom 13. Foo Fighters - Everlong 14. Soundgarden - Fell On Black Days 15. Pearl Jam - Oceans 16. Temple Of The Dog - Hunger Strike 17. Skunk Anansie - Because of You 18. Alice In Chains - No Excuses 19. Tonic - If You Could Only See 20. Manchester Orchestra - The Silence 21. Bush - Glycerine 22. Goo Goo Dolls - Slide 23. Tripping Daisy - Piranha 24. Cracker - Teen Angst 25. Silverchair - Tomorrow

[engagemachine]

Man, one of the greatest blessings of my life was getting to see the late and forever great Chris Cornell perform live, back in 2014, approximately twenty years after Soundgarden’s Superunkown 1994 debut. I arrived to that concert late because I’d (stupidly) written the time down wrong and I didn’t realize until the last minute. I remember my dad driving us through this absolute torrential downpour and me begging him to drive faster even though we could barely see two feet in front of us and the windshield wipers were flying across the dashboard at full speed. Luckily, I hadn’t missed that many songs from the opening set, and one of my most cherished memories was getting to hear Black Hole Sun live. 

I grew up with Audioslave (and later Soundgarden -- I know, it’s a bit backwards) but loving Chris Cornell was as easy as breathing. His music, his voice, the lyrics, it all just spoke to me in a way that nothing else ever really had, even at the tender age of nine and ten, and it has continued to follow me onwards throughout the rest of my life. His music shaped me and was there for me when nothing else ever was. I just think that that’s the power of incredibly evocative and timeless music, and Chris Cornell gave us that gift. Rest in peace, man, and thank you so much for everything. 

[timeaftertime-chriscornellfanfic]

Chapter 34 - Remember To Let Her Into Your Heart Then You Can Start To Make It Better

Houston Texas, May 25 2017

(Chris is 52, Andi is 29)

CHRIS: Swiping the steam from the mirror in the hotel bathroom, I grab my shaving cream, pouring some in my hand then pat my cheeks and grab the razor to clean up this stubble a bit. I rinse my razor a few times and continue on, leaning in close and gently swiping it across my cheek when I suddenly hear my acoustic in the other room being softly played for a few chords. I stop for a second to listen, and hear Andi softly singing and strumming.

I missed that voice of hers, no matter how much she always said she never had one, that playing was her thing, she always sounded so beautiful when she would just let go and sing. I close my eyes for a moment and just focus, listening to her then turn my attention back to finish shaving. Once I've rinsed my face and gently slap on some after shave, and with the white towel around my hips I make my way out of the bathroom.

"Happiness is like an old friend I miss, How can I tell you what it feels to be like this...?" She sings, sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard with my guitar across her lap, in one of my white v-neck t-shirts with the collar slipped off her shoulder, and nothing else. She stops for a moment and picks up her phone, typing something and then glances up to see me.

"Hi," She smiles and bites her lip nervously.

"Hey," I chuckle as I approach her.

"Sorry, I just had an idea, or a melody... something, and I just didn't want to lose it," She says, setting her phone back down beside her.

"S'ok baby, don't stop on my account," I smile at her. She then dismissively waves her hand and sets the guitar aside on the bed, moves to her knees and crawls over to me.

She places her hands on my chest as I reach out for her, leaning down and placing my lips on hers. My hands cup her face holding her to me as she begins to suck on my bottom lip.

"Chris?" She says when she pulls away from me but I touch my forehead to hers.

"Yes baby?" I breathe. It was all I could do to not just lay her back down on the bed and make love to her again... for the third time today.

"Am I coming with you, when you head home this afternoon?"

I lift my forehead from hers and look at her confused by that question.

"Um, yea, why? Do you not want to?" I ask, raising my eyebrow and she flicks her eyes to mine.

"No, I mean, yea I want to, I'm just worried is all,"

"Worried about what?" I ask.

"I don't know... I think I'm just worried about us. Me... specifically. I don't want to slip again," She says as she studies her hands on my bare chest.

“I don't want you to slip again either," I say as I brush a few curls out of her eyes. She stays quiet for a few moments and I touch my forehead back to hers, her fingers reaching up and playing with my damp curls.

"I'm so sorry Chris - "

"Shhhh, you need to stop apologizing to me," I chuckle.

"But - " She starts.

"No,"

"Chris - ?"

"Shhhh," I hush her again and she starts to laugh.

I take her hands and bring them up to my lips, placing soft gentle kisses to her fingers, then lean in and place my lips back on hers determined to convince her that I've long forgiven her for whatever it is that she feels guilty of - her time slipping. I deepen the kiss, making it long and passionate while my hands make their way down her sides, to her hips, slowly inching up my t-shirt that she's wearing so that I can feel her perfect ass in my hands. She then presses her body to mine, her fingers lacing through my hair.

"Ok, go on and take your shower before I end up back in bed with you again, making us late for our flight," I say pulling away from her. She giggles that cute little laugh and places a quick kiss on my chest, then climbs off the bed as I watch her remove my shirt. Her curls falling down around her as she sets my shirt on the bed and heads into the bathroom.

*****

A short while later, we meet with Kim Matt and Ben down in the lobby of the hotel to make a plan to meet up in Seattle in a week to start more work on the new record. Once we say our goodbyes, Andi and I head out to the airport.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Martin Kirsten is no longer in the picture. I fired him just after Andi had figured out that he was slipping me unknown pills. I still don't know the motive as to why he would do that and after an argument with him privately, I fired him. I am determined now to fix every mistake I've made over the last 18 years, starting with getting back to my roots like Kim said.

"Alright, Mr. Cornell here is your exchanged ticket and you'll be boarding at terminal 11" The receptionist says to me as she hands the tickets over to me.

"Thank you," I say and turn to Andi to hand her one of the tickets.

"I thought you had set up the private jet to fly us back home?" She says sweetly.

"I try not to fly in that thing too much. It freaks me out sometimes. Anyways, this is more economical," I explain as I take her hand in mine while we head over to the waiting area.

"Wait... Chris, these are for New York?" She says as she looks over her plane ticket.

"Uh huh," I say as we find a few empty seats in the waiting area and set our luggage down.

"You live in New York?" Andi looks up at me as I fumble with my jacket for a second.

"Uh huh," I say and slide the luggage handle down then flip my curls out of my eyes to look at her. She looks back at me with an inquisitive expression but I'm not quite sure how to explain how I don't exactly live in Seattle anymore, at least I haven't lived there fully since 2001.

"Flight 52 to New York City, now boarding. Flight 52 to New york City, now boarding"

"Well, that's us babe," I smile at her and she gives me a half smile back as I pull up the luggage handle and she takes her bag, slinging it over her shoulder once more. I take her hand in mine and place my lips to the back of her hand as we walk to the board the plane.

*****

New York City, New York

(Andi is 29, Chris is 52)

ANDI: Pulling up to Chris's house was an unreal experience to say the least. Never mind me time slipping 18 years in the future, I never even thought that he would find himself living in New York of all places. It wasn't exactly right in the city part, more so just on the outskirts in a small suburb. The house was beautiful. A dark red brick 2 storey home and very upscale. Different from the gothic home that he and I bought around '97 in Seattle. It was large, 4,500 square feet to be exact - from what he explained - and it definitely looked that way on the outside.

"Come on babe, let me show you inside," He says as the cab drives away and he picks up our bags. I follow him to the porch, while he takes a few minutes to find his keys and he opens the door.

Once I step inside, it's just as beautiful as I had thought it would be, and so entirely different than I thought. There is a large foyer at the front door with an incredible chandelier that hung over head. Straight ahead was what looked like a sitting area/living room that was completely made up of black and white furniture with a white shag throw rug underneath the glass coffee table. Once he sets our bags down and hangs up his jacket, he takes my hand and shows me the rest of the house. He first leads me into the kitchen which was also large and very white, with stainless steel appliances, the dining room which again was white with white leather dining room chairs and a black steel framed dining table. He then leads me to another room that was more of the living room than the first one, with a huge 60 inch TV and surround system - still in the pattern of black and white but mostly white.

Upstairs were 4 bedrooms and a Master, 2 of the rooms once again very white and 'clean'. The other two you could tell were a little more lived in, sort of like a teenagers room, but looked like no one has lived in those two rooms for months. Then there was the Master bedroom that also had an ensuite bathroom with a jacuzzi tub. Again, so much white. I was beginning to get the coldness feeling from this house. I think Chris could tell what I was feeling so he saved the best room for last.

Down in the basement, was one of the most beautiful studios that I had ever seen. It was warm and inviting but yet so simple. Hardwood floors throughout, sound proofing on each wall, inset warm lighting and his guitars lined beautifully along one side. At the far end was a drumset and opposite of that was a desk with a mixboard, and a computer for mixing and recording. Along with the soundproofing hung each award for each album that had gone Gold - selling 50,000 copies or more, Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. There were also plaques and frames for all the soundtrack work he did, and even ones for...

"Audioslave?" I ask as I turn and face him, pushing my curls behind my ear while he stand near the doorway.

"Yea it's uh... The band I had after Soundgarden. After you um... y'know, Susan helped get me in touch with the guys from Rage after Zach left. Apparently Rick Rubin  really wanted me to work with him and the guys since they wanted to try something different I guess," He explains.

"You did three albums?" I say looking at each one framed. The first record with a 3 x Platinum award for selling more than 3,000,000 copies in the U.S and Canada. The  second - Out Of Exile - and third -Revelations - with Gold awards much like Badmotorfinger and Superunknown did when they were released.

"Uh huh," He says as he watches me walk to the other side of the studio and see his original pressings for Ultramega Ok, Screaming Life and Fopp, Louder Than Love and Down on the Upside all framed.

"I remember these though," I giggle and he smiles as he walks over to me. I then find the record that he was working on before I slipped, The album cover with him on the front, exactly how he looked before I lost 18 years with him  and framed with a dedication plaque on the front.

"You finished it?" 

"I did," He says sweetly.

"To my disappearing one: forever and always, this is for you,"  I read the plaque more to myself than to him, hearing my voice shake.

"It's uh... that's also written in the album credits too," He says quietly as I glance down and see the row of guitars in which the first three catch my eye.

"You kept them?" I ask as I run my hand along the first - the silver sparkle Gretsch I got for my 20 birthday - then the one that he stole for me when he was 15 - the jet black Gibson Standard and the next one, the one  that my dad had given me for graduation.

"Well yea, I mean... they're yours, what am I gonna do get rid of them?" He chuckles.

I turn and look up at him, my brow furrowing as I desperately try to not bawl like an absolute baby in front of him. I really had no idea what to say. He should hate me. He should never want to have anything to do with  me again for all the times I left him alone and all the years that I wasn't with him.

"Chris I - "

"No, don't say it. I told you I don't want you apologizing anymore," He says and he cups my face in his palms as I look down, still feeling so guilty of everything that's happened. "Hey, baby look at me... you saved me remember?  You saved me from the biggest mistake I could've made remember?"

I glance back up into those beautiful blue eyes of his and he presses his lips to mine. Softly and gently at first then once again quick becoming passionate and full of hunger as he draws me into his arms. He then lifts  me up and I giggle against his lips while he carries me out of the studio.

[dreamofmysoul-tsc]

More TLH music

Chris Cornell songs that give me STRONG TLH vibes (I’m gonna apologize in advance for how long this post is):

Burden In My Hand by Soundgarden - Matthew

“Oh no, there she goes/ Out in the sunshine/ The sun is mine/ The sun is mine/ I shot my love today, would you cry for me/ I lost my head again, would you lie for me”

Limo Wreck by Soundgarden - Shadow James and/or Belial

“Under the shelf/ The shelf of the sky/ Two eyes, two suns/ Two heavenly blinds/ Swallowing rivers/ Belongs to the sea/ When the whole thing washes away/ Don’t run to me”

“And the wreck of you/ Is the death of you all/ And the wreck of you/ Is the break and the fall”

Getaway Car by Audioslave - Thomas

“The first time I saw you/ You were chasing down/ A cyclone/ All alone in a field/ With rail yards and clovers/ I kept rolling on and never thought/ You’d wind up chasing me

Settle down, I won’t hesitate/ To hit the highway/ Before you lay me to waste/ Settle up and I’ll help you find/ Something to drive/ Before you drive me insane”

Say Hello 2 Heaven by Temple of the Dog - Matthew/ Alastair

“Please, mother mercy/ Take me from this place/ And the long-winded curses/ I hear in my head/...My warmth from the candle/ Though I feel too cold to burn”

“He came from an island/ Then he died from the street/ And he hurt so bad like a soul breakin’/ But he never said nothin’ to me”

“Oh, I said, poor Stargazer/ She’s got no tears in her eyes/ But fool like a whisper/ She knows that love heals all wounds with time”

Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden - the series in general

“Boiling heat, summer stench/ ‘Neath the black the sky looks dead/ Call my name through the cream/ And I’ll hear you scream again”

“In my shoes, a walking sleep/ And my youth I pray to keep/ Heaven send Hell away/ No one sings like you anymore”

I Am the Highway by Audioslave - Alastair

“I am not your rolling wheels/ I am the highway/ I am not your carpet ride/ I am the sky”

“Friends and liars/ Don’t wait for me/ ‘Cause I’ll get on/ All by myself/ I put millions of miles/ Under my heels/ And still too close/ To you, I feel, yeah”

Like A Stone by Audioslave - James

“And on my deathbed, I will pray to the gods and the angels/ Like a pagan to anyone who will take me to heaven/ To the place I recall, I was there so long ago/ The sky was bruised, the wine was bled, and there you led me on”

Chris Cornell's cover of Patience by Guns N' Roses - Jesse

“I’ve been walkin’ the streets at night/ Just tryin’ to get it right/ It’s hard to see with so many around/ You know I don’t like bein’ stuck in the crowd/ And the streets don’t change, but maybe the names/ You know I ain’t got time for the games ‘cause I need you/ Yeah, but I need you”

The Last Remaining Light by Audioslave - tbh I imagine this song playing during like the final scene of Chain of Thorns

“Roll me on your frozen fields/ Break my bones to watch them heal/ Drowned me in your thirsty veins/ Where I’ll watch and I’ll wait/ And pray for the rain”

“And if you don’t believe the sun will rise/ Stand alone and greet the coming night/ In the last remaining light”

[josiebelladonna]

it got lost in the notifications but i was tagged to do a thing

A - age: 27-soon-to-be-28

B - birthplace: ventura, california

C - current time: 5:06 p.m.

D - drink you last had: Coffee

E - easiest person to talk to: alex and joey (to the point it actually weirds me out)

F - favorite song: take a deep breath with me... echoes by pink floyd, fade into you by mazzy star, planet caravan by black sabbath, change (in the house of flies) by deftones, seasons by chris cornell, long gone day by mad season, damage inc (of wolf and man, too) by metallica, a skeleton in the closet by anthrax, electric crown by testament, holy water by soundgarden, what you are by audioslave, the birds by skin yard, a history of bad men by the melvins, grind by alice in chains, blue flame ford by truly, out of focus by love battery, sex and candy by marcy playground, titanium expose by sonic youth, dig lazarus dig by nick cave, beat the devil’s tattoo by black rebel motorcycle club, kitchenware and candybars by stone temple pilots, aqueous transmission by incubus, gave up by nine inch nails, live with me by the twilight singers, danger! high voltage by electric six, misery by green day, le disko by shiny toy guns, hey pretty by poe, fat bottom girls by queen, fight like a brave by the chili peppers, retrovertigo by mr. bungle, idlewild blue by outkast, volare by dean martin (yes), a little less conversation by elvis, lilac wine by jeff buckley, ballad of a thin man by bob dylan, you sent me flying by amy winehouse, locomotive breath by jethro tull, working man by rush, i want you by elvis costello, you could be mine by guns n’ roses, aurora by foo fighters, aneurysm by nirvana, jennifer’s body by hole, soma by smashing pumpkins, the battle of evermore by led zeppelin, norwegian wood by the beatles... man, i could literally be here all day

G - grossest memory: pre-pandemic: oh my god, one time when i was in school, and i was taking the bus, there was this older homeless guy who always came on who always - not even kidding, always - smelled like someone pissed in an ashtray. i remember having to stand near the front of the bus because it was just abhorrent, but i felt so sorry for him, though. as for during the pandemic: really, any time i see someone not wearing a mask. i have a visceral reaction every time.

H - horror yes or no: yes, but to an extent. i’m more towards the fusion horror, like horror-comedy, and also the more goth side of it

I - in love: ...i’ll never tell

J - jealous of people: only when i feel like they deserve my jealousy

K - first kiss: ...would you believe i’ve never been kissed. in my late 20s and it never happened to me.

L - love at first sight, or should i walk by again: i’ve found it depends on the person. when i first saw joey, i felt like my heart was going to jump right out of my chest, whereas it took me a few months to warm up to alex.

M - middle name: christine

N - number of siblings: 1

O - one wish: i really, really want to be back in the northwest. heck, i’ll take nor-cal, i love oregon and washington, and i’m sick of the southland, you know? i wanna live in a place that rains regularly and also has clear-cut seasons. and to be honest, i actually wouldn’t mind the east coast, either.

P - perfect date: coffee and then a show, baby

Q - question you’re always asked: what are you doing? (constantly); could you do this for me? (apparently people look at me and think i’m a servant of some sort idk)

R - reading anything right now: i’m currently rereading the bell jar from sylvia plath and also the monkeywrench gang, and i want to get back into reading poetry at some point. i also really want to get my hands on scott and alex’s memoirs, and rust in peace, too.

S - song you last sang: like suicide by soundgarden. unbelievably profound.

T - time you woke up: 6:45 am (i’m usually up early anyways, but this time change has me all out of whack; it’s funny because it usually happens to me the other way, when we “fall back”)

U - underwear color: beige

V - vacation destination: well because of this godforsaken pandemic, the last time i really took a vacation was labor day weekend 2019, when i saw alice in chains and korn. stayed in a hotel about ten miles from the mexican border down in chula vista. fue muy erotico~

W - when was the last time you really laughed: yesterday. i was going over the next chapter of amped and wired before i go into drawing it out tomorrow and you know when you see or hear something funny after not having any exposure to it for a long time and it makes you laugh your ass off? it’s like that.

X - x-rays: actually, no. even with as much as i’ve played rough before.

Y - your favorite food: my dad’s barbecue, my mom’s cincinnati chili, my grandpa’s pizza, and my grandma’s fried chicken

Z - zodiac sign: aries

i tag anyone who wants to do it 💜💜💜

[historytaker]

He knew he was dying. He gave us a farewell as only he could – manic, sardonic, tip-toeing on the periphery of the numinous.  Yet, David Bowie bowed out with Lazarus. It was, as only these 4 short years later, a powerfully humbling take on a life taking account of itself.

           I resented that he died. “The gall,” I’d half mutter with exhaustion to myself. “To go off and die when the world needed his thoughts the most.” The starman took off, nonetheless and the world did continue—a little less. But for my money, anybody who had a bit of Bush-era angst and a penchant for subversive scream matches with music knew they still had Chris Cornell to turn to. And that was very much me.

           In fact, the love affair I cultivated with the Audioslave front-man began in earnest when I was a moody teenager on the back of beyond Missouri. What did I even begin to know of the deep, deep text Cornell was singing about? Not much. But everything struck a chord. I loved his voice. He carried the whine of a trained vocalist recovering from too many cigarettes and nights prolonging themselves from the pull of hard liquor. He managed to be at the top of his craft despite the negligent behavior. I loved the wind tossed black locks of hair and how they fell so defiantly to either side of his temples. Men in those days still very much catered to a tighter look. Not Chris. He defied and made it look sexy. I enjoyed seeing his pouty lips crested by the careless growth of chin strap beard. His eyes bore through any picture of him I ever saw. I suppose buried beneath the incredible vocals, fallen-angel looks and guitar riffs were years of layered pain. But artist carry pain for a living. He simply did something with it.  The very first moment I heard Chris Cornell, he was singing that mystical song constructed with the discarded boards of symbolism, “Like A Stone.”

           As so often is the case with love at first octave—I had to hear more. Fortunately for me, at 14, I had boon companions that were persuaded in the aesthetic of Audioslave like me. My best friend certainly appreciated the first Audioslave album. In fact, our high school years could be characterized by a joint disdain in George W. Bush being president, rural life cultural indifference, and Cornell’s work to anthem us between milestones. Among our group, I was the first to get a job. And who was there to give the newest take on managing school life, puberty, and work? Chris of course. “Be Yourself,”  or “Yesterday to Tomorrow,” “Doesn’t Remind Me,” were all standout songs in the band’s newest album  Out of Exile. Many of the songs on that album could just as easily have described our murky take on this time. And no good high school experience could be complete without long drives at night—preferably a Friday—jamming to the plethora of songs in the cd holder. True to form, there was Chris Cornell telling us what he knew about grief.  Naturally we would slide back and forth between the newest album and the older original. In fact, by the close of sophomore year, I recall distinctly the stuffy humid Missouri early summer working as a veil. Outside, filled with the determination of conquering our minor life major goals, “I Am the Highway” playing low in the background while our group discussed the lovelorn musings of feminine mysteries. None of which mattered to me, I was with the guys I liked. But it mattered to them, so I suppose it mattered to me on second thought.

           2005 produced a lot to be upset and genuinely angry about though. The war on terror was only reported as an aimless mission between ill-defined moving targets. As far as my young self was concerned, Bush – who should not have won—did win and proceeded with the war effort. More Americans were dying and being sent to overwhelm the region. I was inching closer to 18 and not at all ready to be a part of that mess. I saw what cultural conservatism did when it married itself to neo-conservatism—nothing worth being an advocate for. As a closeted gay youth, it was nationwide rejection and state constitutional amendments confirming the position.  Worse still, hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans. For the first time in my life, I saw what racism and failure looked like in one catastrophic moment.  Once again – as so many times before in high school, Chris Cornell was there to put that anger, anxiety, disappointment, righteous indignation to words. “Wide Awake,” called out the failings of the Bush administration. He called out in no uncertain terms just what was going on, and nobody was blind to the motivations of our president.  The album featuring this song, Revelations, was that last time the band would produce anything together. The timing was almost fortuitous because within because our time in high school was nearly finished. But first….

           Chris Cornell returned to a solo career for a while. His celebrity has risen dramatically in the years since being part of Audioslave. In many ways, he was taken more seriously as an artist since his early days in the grunge scene with Soundgarden in the early 90’s. For me, 2007 might as well ought to have been the apogee of his prominence in my heart and life. I was staring at a senior year that was about to begin in the quick few months that separated it from May. Cornell released Carry On that month. His songs were less invective and were touching on something more ephemeral – fleeting love. In love with my best friend, closeted, yet joined by a shared enthusiasm for life and this incredible artist; it had a poetic way of playing itself out.  

           Throughout that senior year, with Chris Cornell’s newest album and everyone of his Audioslave cd’s, we enjoyed his music in abundance. From lung-filled burst of matching pitches, attempting to mirror Cornell, to inventive recreations of his songs in our mundane daily observations, my friend and I enjoyed his music obsessively. With that year came the definitive conclusion—a farewell—to the structured preparedness of oblivious youthful musings; and in that sense, enjoying music superficially. Over that summer, my friend burned a cd that was of Chris Cornell’s first attempt at a solo career—Euphoria Morning. The power, pain, and pros he employed in that cd was much of the same that I would later associate Chris Cornell with. This genre of fusions between genres pulling from rock and blues was astounding. He laments that at 24 that he knows he has everything to live for but this love was not meant to be. It just as well may have been a song aimed at me in my comeuppance. My freshman year in college was an important one. I came out. Additionally, by the end of it, I had finally fallen in love in a way I could accept. But I also drifted from my high school friends. Cornell’s music just could not hit the same—not then, without my best friend to explore its meaning with.

           As it were, I grew beyond his music or my fervor for it anyhow. I never tuned him out. In fact, I did enjoy anything he lent his talents to. But the music just could not hit the same with the estrangement from friends, and the budding introduction to successful attempts at failed love.  In many ways then, my observation and enjoyment of Chris Cornell’s work was largely passive—never fully immersing myself so completely as I did as a zealous teenager. Nevertheless, I recall distinctly the feeling in my gut—being bereft of words and filled with despair in hearing of Chris Cornell’s death. In many ways, all those high school days and summer nights, all those drunken nights in college sleeping with headphones on and drifting in and out of sleep with Chris playing in my ear, comparing my heart’s desires with his wise songs all collided in this ebullition before bursting in what amounted to a inhaled sob.

           I was stunned. Stunned because his death was more than a celebrity death, but also a reconciliation with life having moved on for me so much. After that introspection I then looked into what happened, and the general consensus is that Chris Cornell had been depressed for a long time. He ended his own life. And immediately all of those songs, defying himself, or his lover, were also proclamations against this pain that he carried so completely for so long. He clearly felt things deeply in a way that so many of us could never understand. Surely his joys were a high that could not be comprehended, but I imagine if Hell exists, he dwelt there many times; always climbing out from it, and often with a new message to give us.

           I could not listen to his music for months after he died. It hurt too much. I could not enjoy his gifts to the world or particular contribution to my life while knowing he was gone. Slowly, incredibly slowly, his music crept back in to my occasional listening. This would generally be my new relationship to his music; Always reminded with each passing song as it randomly played on my phone that Chris Cornell was gone.  Then, suddenly, like a grasp at the heart from somewhere beyond—I stumbled on his song “Misery Chain.” Then, years after the passing of the poor man, then I felt the gravitational pull of his heart. The pain, the truth, the baring of his soul is plainly displayed in his song. Nothing unique to him, but the missing piece was the tragedy in knowing how it all ends. Each whine, each extra effort in carrying the note—pushing himself ever forward despite the futility of the exercise, is underscored in knowing in a few short years he would commit suicide. He snubs that misery he knows so well, but we know it was never far away.

           I could not say goodbye. I was not ready. He teaches still, even now from beyond. What he gifted the world in music and honesty, I can only assess through my own life. I lament that his brilliance is bookended by infinity. But I am glad that someone who knew how to share their heart ever existed at all. Indeed he felt, and I felt with him.  I know that now.

[radramblog]

Linkin Park Retrospective Part 6: The EPs

I can’t listen to One More Light yet. Don’t have it in me to tackle that. So instead, we’re going to cover the two EPs released by the band, Collision Course and Songs from the Underground.

Collision Course

…who’s idea was this?

Apparently MTVs, as part of an “Ultimate Mashups” series, though their involvement seemed mostly hands off. A 6-track Jay-Z/Linkin Park crossover album isn’t an idea I would have tried to sell, but Mike and Jay seem pretty into it based on the snippets of studio chatter you get in between tracks. The album opens with that, in fact- Chester (?) going “I ordered a Frappucino where’s my fuckin Frappucino?” is certainly one way to start things off.

I’m just going to make it clear now that I’ve never heard most of the Jay-Z tracks being mashed up here, so I can’t really comment on that end. As these tracks are mashups with songs I am quite familiar with, though, I can at least give some degree of assessment. And unfortunately, I’d argue Collision Course compares unfavourably to Reanimation as far as crossover albums go. Largely speaking the remixes done to the Linkin Park instrumentals are uninteresting, though they do match the new vocals done over the top of them, and Jay-Z is basically fine but not overwhelming.

I think my biggest issue with this album is that a bunch of the songs just drop just about everything new about them and are just the Linkin Park track for the last like minute or so- Dirt off your Shoulder/Lying from You, Jigga What/Faint, and Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer are all pretty guilty of this. That isn’t to say that the rest of these tracks aren’t good, but this in particular is a sticking point I couldn’t ignore.

Track-by-track, then. Dirt off your Shoulder/Lying from You is the most straightforward track on the whole project, and probably the biggest sufferer from eventually just being Lying from You (seeing as that’s kinda the worst of those three LP tracks). I have no idea whats going on in the instrumental from Big Pimpin’/Papercut, but the Papercut verse on top of that sounds just sort of weird- Jay-Z’s verse fits better, but also, that’s probably the one written for that instumental isn’t it. Jigga What/Faint is interesting, with the first half’s backing being a heavily remixed version of the verse instrumental from Faint, but a minute in it’s just Faint oops. With that said, Jays bars over that instrumental actually does fit pretty well.

I don’t know rap that well, I can’t really comment on the flow or anything, but while the vocals are new recordings, they are the same verses from the songs being mashed up, so some originality is lost there.

Numb/Encore is the one single from this album, and it’s definitely one of the better ones, yeah. You’ve got Mike and Jay both working together in bits, the remixed Numb instrumental feels like exactly the extrapolation you’d want for a track like this, and that “what the hell are you waiting foooooor” is super satisfying. Unlike some of the other tracks, the final bit (with Chester, yknow, doing Numb) maintains that remixed instrumental, making it stand out a bit better from the original versions, which is nice. However, Jay-Z basically just isn’t on the latter half of the track, making it extremely awkward when he did a live performance of it after Chester’s passing.

For a song called Encore, however, it’s a bit weird that it’s not the last track on the album.

Izzo/In The End opens with this really bright instrumental and Mike, thanking a live audience like it’s a concert, sure. It’s just super odd that this is the same song with the In the End vocals, the emotions not really fitting the fun of the instrumental and previous verse. It is performed significantly more light-heartedly, but it still feels like an odd fit. To be fair, though, I’m not sure what Hybrid Theory/Meteora era track would have worked better there, so fair play. The album ends with Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer, ther first half of which I actually think is better than Numb/Encore. It’s got an actual fresh verse from Mike over Points of Authority, and him doing the cop bit from 99 Problems’ pull over bit actually works super well. Unfortunately, when the instrumental switches over to One Step Closer, the song gets a bit worse- the mix on Jay-Z’s vocals is way too low for a lot of it, being drowned out by the instrumental most of the time, and the last minute is just One Step Closer again but also Jay-Z is occaisionally repeating the 99 Problems line. It’s a weak finish to an otherwise solid song and album.

 Songs from the Underground

Released in 2008, Songs from the Underground is a collection of tracks from Linkin Park Underground collated into an EP along with a couple of unreleased live recordings. Linkin Park Underground, or LPU, is the official fan club, which gets a yearly CD as part of membership that has assorted demos and live versions on it, which is where this EP pulls its tracks from- its also a set of CDs I desperately want to get my hands on but their limited nature makes their price obscene. I have managed to get LPU 9, which is the one I wanted most, but the remainder have eluded my grasp.

My precioussssssssssss

Side note, this album isn’t on spotify, and the only Youtube upload I could find was a shit recording, so you’re best off looking for each individually.

This compilation opens with Announcement Service Public (from LPU6), a pretty decent instrumental with Chester screaming unintelligibly in the background. This is more of a joke than anything- as the name suggests, it’s a PSA reversed, and reversing Chester’s vocals reveals he’s yelling a reminder to brush your teeth and wash your hands. I mean, I’ve been in an LP mosh once, and I can confirm that this was an announcement that needed making.

The second track QWERTY (LPU6), sounds like it wasn’t even written by Linkin Park, rather, one of their contemporaries. Allegedly, they wrote it on a long, long plane flight, which I could see- a non-studio environment leading to a more different track. Honestly, this could fit right on to Meteora, as much like Faint or Nobody’s Listening it’s a different take on the sound they’re known for. This one’s a lot of fun- the riffs are sick, and the chorus, if simple, is solid to sing along to. This deserves main album status.

And One is one of the tracks on this album that’s actually a rerecording off of the EP made by the band when Hybrid Theory was their name and not just their first album (though the EP was self-titled, so it’s pretty confusing). This album would later be rereleased as the first LPU, and then again (with an official video) along with the 20th anniversary edition of Hybrid Theory. And One is interesting, as it’s the first track recorded after Chester joined the band back in the day, and it’s so fucking edgy holy shit. I think it’s pretty decent, but unlike with QWERTY I’m kinda ok with this being a little by the wayside. With that said, I really like the little breakdown at the end, and the verse Mike is doing over it.

Sold My Soul to yo Mama (LP4) is a real track, huh. It’s a short, heavily electronic piece, ganking lyrics from Points of Authority and Papercut, but like, it’s mostly just Joe Hanh fucking around for 2 minutes. Not a huge fan of this one.

Dedicated (LP2) is another of this album’s better songs. It’s very Lose Yourself, that sort of emotional rap track about doing a rap track, and while obviously it’s not at the same level as that one it’s still excellent on its own. This is just such an excellent demo, one of Mike’s best performances- and considering he’s carrying it on his own (I’m not sure Chester’s even on this, unless those background aaaahs are him) that means a lot.

The next track is Hunger Strike, actually a live recording by Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame) with Chester as a feature. They were good friends, which is going to come up tragically when we get to One More Light. To be honest, though, this track kinda sucks dick. It is far from Chris’s best performance, nor Chester’s, and the instrumental is fucking boring. It picks up around the two minute mark, but at that point it just sounds like a bad Audioslave song, and I’m not really down for that, yknow. Just go listen to Like a Stone or Black Hole Sun again.

Another live recording is next, My December (a B-Side from One Step Closer, also on LPU2). My December is far from my favourite track- I think it’s kinda overdone, and this live version is so much worse. Look, it’s just Chester singing over someone (maybe him?) playing the song on piano? It doesn’t work, man. Not a fan.

The album’s final track is called Part of Me (HTEP/LPU1), and feels a lot like a better version of And One, if I’m honest. Mike’s actually going hard here in the verses, especially in the pre-chorus, and said chorus is actually pretty solid, even though the instrumental there is a little weak. It’s a slow, chugging song, heavily affected through Hahn’s DJing, that does do a nice little build to the track’s ending.

Except it doesn’t end, because there’s a hidden track in it. I don’t think this one has an official name anywhere, but it’s an electronic instrumental. It’s basically ok. Tangent, but I remember thinking when I was younger that if I was ever in a band, I’d want to write an electronic instrumental named Oxymoron- because of course, it wouldn’t have any real instruments in it.

That closes out Songs from the Underground, and I’ve never really broken it down in my head before, but it’s a lot more mediocre than I thought. The live songs are not good, and several demos or rarities that should have been on it absolutely weren’t- Across the Line, Drawing, A6, and where the fuck was High Voltage? Honestly, more of a miss than I remember. If I’m low on ideas, I might break down LPU9 individually, but I probably won’t spend any other time on LP demo stuff- I’m sure you’re sick to death of me talking about Linkin Park by now.