The "Audioslave" (album) Appreciation Thread

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  • chris01chris01 Posts: 559
    When Rage were a band in the 90's I always wondered what the music would be like with a 'Rock' singer more than someone rapping over it.... then i found out when i heard Cochise and it was awesome.
    I love that album to bits, the follow up's werent as strong and i absolutely cant listen to Cornell's solo album after heard it once, but Audioslave self titled is in my top 5 albums since 2000.
  • pirlo21pirlo21 Posts: 534
    Prefer the first Audioslave album personally. Just got the stronger tracks, in my opinion. Think it's a great 'driving album'.

    As for Carry On, still don't think it works as an album, and it certaily feels rushed. But as others have said, there are some really great songs on there and I'm sure his next solo effort will be a more cohesive album.

    As for Cornell himself, I saw him live earier this month and he was awesome. Vocals were blistering, really on the money.
    Watched Soundgarden's Motorvision recently, and I feel Cornell's voice is much stronger now.
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  • ii44ii44 Posts: 430
    Audioslave debut is one of the best records ever. There' not one weak song to be found.

    It's a shame that their later albums (though good) did have the time, effort, and material that was put into this one.
  • ii44ii44 Posts: 430
    Mike, I know these things are subjective, and a lot of the perceptions people have about recorded vocal sound are to do with production in the studio - but it really seems unlikely that his voice would be in best condition on the 1st Audioslave album when he was still drinking and addicted to painkillers. That album was recorded pre-rehab when he was still in pretty bad physical shape. In contrast, he was healthy and sober for OOE, and Revelations and Carry On were recorded when he was even off the tobacco.

    I think there's a lot of evidence that his voice was at its worst early-Audioslave and has just gradually gone on recovering as he's got stronger. Certainly that's the story that comes over loud and clear when you look at the live work - part from the odd glitch like the nasty throat infection he had in Cuba. He's singing better live now than he has at any time since I don't know when. And I think he'll capture that on the next album - I for one can't wait.

    I'd tend to agree with this. Cornell sounded pretty bad live at the beginning of AS, there's one soundboard quality show (the one with Techno Ted) that is simply unlistenable because it sounds like Chris is trying to sing in 100 degree heat, in a sandstorm, while sucking on a blow dryer that's been set to maximum.
  • ii44ii44 Posts: 430
    DOSW wrote:
    It's the song Exploder from the debut album. The lyrics actually don't look GREAT on paper, but when you add in the music and the vocal delivery, it's almost perfect. Check it out.

    They look just dandy on paper, to me.
  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    Mike, I know these things are subjective, and a lot of the perceptions people have about recorded vocal sound are to do with production in the studio - but it really seems unlikely that his voice would be in best condition on the 1st Audioslave album when he was still drinking and addicted to painkillers. That album was recorded pre-rehab when he was still in pretty bad physical shape. In contrast, he was healthy and sober for OOE, and Revelations and Carry On were recorded when he was even off the tobacco.

    I think there's a lot of evidence that his voice was at its worst early-Audioslave and has just gradually gone on recovering as he's got stronger. Certainly that's the story that comes over loud and clear when you look at the live work - part from the odd glitch like the nasty throat infection he had in Cuba. He's singing better live now than he has at any time since I don't know when. And I think he'll capture that on the next album - I for one can't wait.

    The self-titled record is my favorite of the three but his voice sounds haggard on a lot of it. He sounds way, way better on Revelations and Carry On, not perfect, but better. Right now he is singing better than he has in 15 years. Not that he still doesn't have a slighty off-night from time to time. I can't even listen to the early AS shows; he sounded awful for the most part. Quitting smoking and drinking and feeling healthy has obviously been good for his vocal recovery.
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  • Wow, opinions huh? He sounds better to me on the first album, maybe it's because of the production, but the high notes sound SO much better than on Out Of Exile and Revelations (two albums that don't feature any particularly high notes as it is, not that that's a problem). Listen to the live at Letterman stuff when Audioslave first started. Pitch perfect. When Cornell was good on that tour he was damn good. When he was bad, he was really bad.
  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    Wow, opinions huh? He sounds better to me on the first album, maybe it's because of the production, but the high notes sound SO much better than on Out Of Exile and Revelations (two albums that don't feature any particularly high notes as it is, not that that's a problem). Listen to the live at Letterman stuff when Audioslave first started. Pitch perfect. When Cornell was good on that tour he was damn good. When he was bad, he was really bad.

    Are you referring to their first live peformance ever, that Letterman performance? CC sounded so freakin' bad when they did Cochise, I don't know how anyone (all opinions aside) could think that was good... Nothing personal and you are certainly entitled to our opinion, but seriously?
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  • eyedclaar wrote:
    Are you referring to their first live peformance ever, that Letterman performance? CC sounded so freakin' bad when they did Cochise, I don't know how anyone (all opinions aside) could think that was good... Nothing personal and you are certainly entitled to our opinion, but seriously?
    Sounded like the recording to me and a hell of a lot better than any other live recordings before now. Find me a better one from that tour, or for that matter, any Audioslave tour?
  • seanw1010seanw1010 Posts: 1,205
    funny how this thread came up...
    this whole week ive been on a major audioslave kick, basically only listening to them this whole week
    the 2 albums ive been mainly been listening to are out of exile and audioslave
    they call them fingers, but i never see them fing. oh, there they go
  • eyedclaar wrote:
    Are you referring to their first live peformance ever, that Letterman performance? CC sounded so freakin' bad when they did Cochise, I don't know how anyone (all opinions aside) could think that was good... Nothing personal and you are certainly entitled to our opinion, but seriously?

    Actually I think they fucked up the sound on the version that aired, MTV aired the whole performance and it all sounded much better including Cochise - perhaps they performed Cochise a couple of times, who knows? I must say though, that whilst not a perfect performance, I remember being utterly blown away by it, they all looked so fucking into it. Watching it now, Cornell was built like a brick shit-house back then!
  • ChazzChazz Posts: 1,135
    ii44 wrote:
    Audioslave debut is one of the best records ever. There' not one weak song to be found.

    Yeah I loved this album when it came out but forgot how good it was. Saw CC recently in London and have been listening to SG and AS non stop (just before and ever since). But the first Audioslave is by far the best of the 3, like you said not a weak track to be found.
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  • i rate the audioslave output

    1. revalations. its coherent and he sounds on the money, the band had gelled.

    2. Audioslave. its great, but i think the vocals were tinkered with a little too much, plus they were struggling to find their sound.

    3. out of exile. too much filler, songs like heavens dead, the curse. poobag tunes.
  • DOSWDOSW Posts: 2,014
    The vocals on the first album are for the most part spot on. The primal screaming in Cochise is AMAZING... not many singers could pull that off without sounding monotone. His normal singing voice is great too on the album. I think the only cringe-worthy vocal is at the end of Shadow of the Sun, which is a little overboard for me.
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  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    DOSW wrote:
    The vocals on the first album are for the most part spot on. The primal screaming in Cochise is AMAZING... not many singers could pull that off without sounding monotone. His normal singing voice is great too on the album. I think the only cringe-worthy vocal is at the end of Shadow of the Sun, which is a little overboard for me.

    For me, Cochise and What You Are both sound forced vocally and the screaming in Cochise definitely has some vocal manipulation going on with the production. Who cares though, really? I still love CC and I get to see him in about a week so I’m totally psyched.
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  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    i rate the audioslave output

    1. revalations. its coherent and he sounds on the money, the band had gelled.

    2. Audioslave. its great, but i think the vocals were tinkered with a little too much, plus they were struggling to find their sound.

    3. out of exile. too much filler, songs like heavens dead, the curse. poobag tunes.

    Claire,

    I never thought I would hear you refer to a CC song as a "poobag" tune. Funny stuff. I remember reading that CC's favorite song from OOE was Heaven's Dead. It's the rockers on OOE that fall flat for me (something in the mix), with the exception of #1 Zero.
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  • Nah man, me and my bro were not impressed with ooe. disappointing.

    drown me slowly is cool, as is #1 zero, that was my fave. yesterday to tomorrow is wench, as is out of exile.

    its not that those two songs are mellow, i love dandelion to bits, but man, those are bad songs. and heavens dead was his fave? wtf? Thank Christ it didnt get a live outing. gives bon jovi a run for their money.

    i was never that keen on doesnt remind me, be yourself (at least that album version) or your time has come. I still get a little irritated by the fact that doesnt remind me keeps popping up on the setlist so frequently.

    man or animal and the worm are ok, but verging on poobag variety, lol.

    my bro also thinks that 'roads we choose' qualifies and it was going to be on ooe. i like that song though, its too honest and powerful to be dismissed out of hand.

    off carry on, poison eye, billie jean rank as poobag. i love the live versions of bj but not the studio one. finally forever was nearly in there as well, but it got rescued coz it made me go all girlie.

    hopefully he will pull something worthy of his vocal ablity out of the hat for the next one. though i think most of carry on is a good record and can appreciate he was experimenting a little there.
  • I just want to jump on here and agree, Audioslave was one of the best bands ever in my lifetime.
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  • eyedclaar wrote:
    For me, Cochise and What You Are both sound forced vocally and the screaming in Cochise definitely has some vocal manipulation going on with the production.

    See I heard that before, but I've heard him pull off that scream in the middle loads of times live, somtimes even longer than the album version.
  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    See I heard that before, but I've heard him pull off that scream in the middle loads of times live, somtimes even longer than the album version.

    CC uses effects on his voice when he sings live as well. Sometimes so much delay it’s distracting. Most singers do though. There are multiple screams mixed together for the big Cochise scream on the album. Again, not at all uncommon when recording and mixing records.
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  • T-CaseT-Case Posts: 186
    "Audioslave" was an amazing and very underrated album, one of my favorites
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  • pirlo21 wrote:
    Prefer the first Audioslave album personally. Just got the stronger tracks, in my opinion. Think it's a great 'driving album'.

    As for Carry On, still don't think it works as an album, and it certaily feels rushed. But as others have said, there are some really great songs on there and I'm sure his next solo effort will be a more cohesive album.

    As for Cornell himself, I saw him live earier this month and he was awesome. Vocals were blistering, really on the money.
    Watched Soundgarden's Motorvision recently, and I feel Cornell's voice is much stronger now.



    I was thinking the same thing with that album. Audioslave and the road are perfect for each other
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  • eyedclaar wrote:
    CC uses effects on his voice when he sings live as well. Sometimes so much delay it’s distracting. Most singers do though. There are multiple screams mixed together for the big Cochise scream on the album. Again, not at all uncommon when recording and mixing records.

    Oh yeah, he uses some delay on his voice live, but that can't extend a scream (by much), and it doesn't create it from nowhere, the guy can still scream with the very best of them.
  • all i can say after roundhouse , hyde park and astoria is:

    i back that,


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