Chris Cornell talks about his new solo album

Marie CurieMarie Curie Posts: 1,250
edited November 2006 in Other Music
Chris Cornell Tackles Gospel — And Michael Jackson? — On Solo LP

Audioslave frontman says his band won't tour anytime soon; plans for solo trek in the works.

According to Chris Cornell, fans should expect a few surprises from his second solo studio LP when it lands in stores in March — like, say, his cover of Michael Jackson's 1982 hit "Billie Jean."

"I didn't plan on it," he said with a chuckle. "It just sort of happened organically. I changed the music quite a bit, I didn't touch the lyrics. And it's not a joke. I took a completely different approach to it, musically. It's like when Johnny Cash did [the Soundgarden song] 'Rusty Cage,' " on Cash's 1996 LP Unchained, "and people started calling me and leaving messages saying, 'I heard the Johnny Cash version and the lyrics are really, really great.' No one ever told me that before. Ever. Not once. This is kind of like that. It does that to this song, because it's really an emotional song.

"The lyrical content is kind of panicky, because — well, it's a pretty bad thing, someone coming and lying to you, saying you're the father of their kid and you're not."

Cornell, who has played the cover during live gigs in Europe, said the track has to be heard to be believed. But in truth, the cover is rather apropos. The lyrics the Audioslave frontman wrote for the 12 cuts on the follow-up to 1999's Euphoria Morning deal with all kinds of relationships (see "Chris Cornell Working On Solo LP -- But Dismisses Rumors Of Audioslave Split").

The rocker, who began recording the LP four weeks ago and is just about finished with it, said one song — "She'll Never Be Your Man" — tells the story of a guy "whose woman leaves him for another woman, which is sort of hard to deal with because men know how to compete with other men for something like a woman and a relationship."

Not that Cornell's speaking from experience. "I know a couple of different people who were married and their wives left them for women," he explained. "It's like a special kind of weird dis, in a way. It's never happened to me, but just in thinking about it and hearing stories about it, it's like, 'Maybe I was so bad, not only did she dump me, she gave up men entirely?' "

There's also "Arms Around Your Love," which is about "a guy whose girl leaves him for another guy, but she didn't really want to — it was just that he was such a loser," Cornell said. "And now, this guy's got to deal with seeing her around with someone else. That song should really be called 'You're an Idiot.' Maybe it will be when it ends up on the record."

The album, which Cornell said has its "gospel and R&B" moments, will also feature the tune "Disappearing Act," an acoustic version of which appears in the upcoming movie "Bug," directed by William Friedkin ("The Exorcist") and starring Ashley Judd. The album cut is going to be a plugged-in rendition, while the film version was recorded in Cornell's living room.

In fact, Cornell revealed it was writing "Disappearing Act" and "You Know My Name," the theme from the upcoming James Bond film "Casino Royale," that inspired him to release a second solo LP. The songs are also part of the reason why Audioslave — who issued their third album, Revelations, two months ago — won't be touring anytime soon (see "New Audioslave LP: 'Led Zeppelin Meets Earth, Wind & Fire' ").

"I started working on songs for the James Bond film and that song for 'Bug,' and I started writing more and more and more, and decided that I was going to make another record, right away," he said. "I had a lot of song ideas I wanted to work on, and I kind of want to get back to making my own records and touring for a while. But I mean, we made three records in four and a half years. Three of the four of us have had children since we became a band. We don't have any touring plans at all.

"I like the idea of making some music," he continued. "This coming year will be the 20th anniversary of me being a recording artist, so I am looking forward to the idea of putting out another record and going out, doing my own tour and playing everything from my entire history. There's a lot there. It's actually staggering when I think about it."


http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1545231/20061108/cornell_chris.jhtml#/news/articles/1545231/20061108/cornell_chris.jhtml



Intesting article, specially the part where he says he´ll do his own tour, "playing everything from my entire history". This is a tour I would like to see!!
“Life is life everywhere. Life is in ourselves and not outside us. There will be men beside me, and the important thing is to be a man among men and to remain a man always, whatever the misfortunes, not to despair and not to fall - that is the aim of life, that is its purpose.”
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Comments

  • chris05chris05 Posts: 347
    Cornell would be amazing to see solo, cant wait for the new solo album.

    By the way i still can't get the new Audioslave album out of my cd player, love that album.
    Who cares if the world is going down the toilet? Eddie Vedder got his mojo back!
  • LedZepFanLedZepFan Posts: 1,009
    'billie jean' eh? odd choice indeed

    im interested to hear the soul tinted stuff. really looking forward to this album
    I've faced it, a life wasted, and I'm never going back again.

    Some die just to live.
  • ToshalaToshala Posts: 200
    potential deep debt, here I come............I'd pay dearly to see CC solo......maybe the album will come out in time for Christmas????

    which is ohsoclose.......
  • Marie CurieMarie Curie Posts: 1,250
    LedZepFan wrote:
    'billie jean' eh? odd choice indeed

    im interested to hear the soul tinted stuff. really looking forward to this album


    Didn´t you listen to his unplugged in Sweden? He did an amazing cover of Billie Jean
    “Life is life everywhere. Life is in ourselves and not outside us. There will be men beside me, and the important thing is to be a man among men and to remain a man always, whatever the misfortunes, not to despair and not to fall - that is the aim of life, that is its purpose.”
    Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  • thanks for the post - so now my only option is to give up my life, go into heavy debt and follow Mr. Cornell around on tour.

    hey, if I did it for Pearl Jam...

    It isn't a WANT it is a NEED to see type of tour...
    IF YOU WANT A PLATE OF MY BEEF SWELLINGTON, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THE COVERCHARGE.
  • mike_s_6mike_s_6 Posts: 160
    LedZepFan wrote:
    'billie jean' eh? odd choice indeed

    im interested to hear the soul tinted stuff. really looking forward to this album

    Odd choice, turned out to be a good one! ;)
  • DOSWDOSW Posts: 2,014
    I just want Audioslave to friggin' tour already. At least by next summer. I haven't seen them live before, and I'm really anxious to finally see them.

    Of course, seeing Cornell live would be cool too, but the place would probably be filled with swooning ladies who care nothing about the music.
    It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win
  • mike_s_6mike_s_6 Posts: 160
    ^ And that isn't the case with Audioslave concerts? :D
  • He was actually on the radio today on Rock 105.3 (San Diego station) and said he would like to play Seasons during his tour, but he forgot how to play it :p.

    He is in New York right now doing something for the James Bond movie (press and the like).
    Stone Gossard...riffmeister extraordinaire!

    I am a man, I am advanced.....I am the first man to borrow Stone's leather pants!
  • reeferchiefreeferchief Posts: 3,569
    Cant wait for March, hopefully some concerts in England too, please come to England, ohh that would be fucking awesome.
    This album sounds like it is shaping up to be really good.
    Can not be arsed with life no more.
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    , so I am looking forward to the idea of putting out another record and going out, doing my own tour and playing everything from my entire history.

    YES!!!!!! :D
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    DOSW wrote:
    but the place would probably be filled with swooning ladies who care nothing about the music.

    :eek: :confused:

    You have no idea, have you?
  • DOSWDOSW Posts: 2,014
    redrock wrote:
    :eek: :confused:

    You have no idea, have you?

    Umm... yes? No?
    What I meant was, if the album turns out to be very popular and 'easy,' like I predict it will be, then the concerts will be filled with the aforementioned swooning ladies who care nothing about the music.

    Not like all swooning ladies care nothing about the music.... but you know. ;)
    It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win
  • pjtaperpjtaper Posts: 3,020
    yeah, I have seen him solo for Euphoria Morning, and it was a great show! so small and intimate, hopefully he'll do more soundgarden covers and play a few more songs by himself!
  • dharma69dharma69 Posts: 1,275
    There's also "Arms Around Your Love," which is about "a guy whose girl leaves him for another guy, but she didn't really want to — it was just that he was such a loser," Cornell said. "And now, this guy's got to deal with seeing her around with someone else. That song should really be called 'You're an Idiot.' Maybe it will be when it ends up on the record."
    I dare him....I'd love to see such a song title!!!

    Thanks for the article....I really look forward to his individual music.

    On point, my local radio station played "Say Hello To Heaven" this morn(nothing new...my radio station is brilliant that way!), and after the DJ mused on Cornell's upcoming solo album whether we would hear more of the "old-fashioned" Cornell soulful wailing versus the crooning that he does with Audioslave. I wondered that myself.
    "I'm here to see Pearl Jam."- Bono

    ...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.

    FaceSpace
  • I know it says he was inspired to write and record a new solo album while he was doing the two soundtrack songs, so does that mean that those songs will be on the record?
    9/4/05 Calgary
  • billy jean?!

    well, that's strange...and cool

    a german punk band called the bates did a cover of this song...well they were not really good but the only at least a bit popular band from my home town Kassel...because of this i know...it's a true rock'n'roll song!

    soul/r&B sounds great...i love his soul songs...like all night thing, when i'm down, etc...want more!

    and you know my name sounds really great, too!
    "now i've got room to spread my wings and my messages of love...yeah love was my drug but that's not what i died of"

    "I don't wanna think, I wanna feel"

    "Go then, there are other worlds than these!" - Jake Chambers

    09/02/2005 Vancouver
    09/23/2006 Berlin
    06/21/2007 Düsseldorf
  • VEDHEAD27VEDHEAD27 Posts: 3,091
    THANKS YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS Marie Curie!

    "playing everything from my entire history".
    :eek:

    Holy god!!! That is one of the greatest things I have EVER heard. :D
    And what a history it is! :o A musical world without this man would simply not make sense.

    CC solo is by far my biggest anticipation. The holy voice ....an album..a tour?! I can't even wrap my head around this but I know it's going to be beyond epic. :D
    ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤

    "Lo√e, you know the word
    ...YOU invented it!" ~ E√

    ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤
    ...::STONE--YOU--OWN!::...
    ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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