Louder Than Love

Infobox Album |
Name = Louder Than Love
Type = Album
Artist = Soundgarden


Released = September 5, 1989
Recorded = December 1988 – January 1989 at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, Washington
Length = 53:15
Label = A&M
Producer = Terry Date, Soundgarden
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A3kq2g4sttv3z link]
*Robert Christgau (C+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=soundgarden link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/soundgarden/albums/album/106219/review/5946839/louder_than_love 6/17/97]
Last album = "Ultramega OK" (1988)
This album = "Louder Than Love" (1989)
Next album = "Badmotorfinger" (1991)
Misc = Singles
Name = Louder Than Love
Type = Studio
single 1 = Loud Love
single 1 date = August 30, 1989
single 2 = Hands All Over
single 2 date = 1990

"Louder Than Love" is the second album by the American alternative rock band Soundgarden, released on September 5, 1989 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its first full-length studio album, "Ultramega OK", released in 1988, the band signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label. The songs on the album featured a heavy rock sound with some songs featuring unusual or unorthodox time signatures.

Because of some of the song lyrics the band faced various retail and distribution problems upon the album's release, including the addition of a Parental Advisory sticker on the album packaging. "Louder Than Love" would become the band's first album to chart on the "Billboard" 200. The band supported the album with tours of North America and Europe. It was the last Soundgarden album to feature the band's original bassist, Hiro Yamamoto.

Recording

The album's recording sessions took place from December 1988 to January 1989 at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington. The band worked with producer Terry Date. The album was mixed by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero.

Regarding the sessions, frontman Chris Cornell said, "At the time Hiro [Yamamoto] had excommunicated himself from the band and there wasn't a free-flowing system as far as music went, so I ended up writing a lot of it.""Colour Me Badmotorfinger!". "Raw". October 30, 1991.] Cornell would end up solely writing seven out of the album's twelve tracks. Cornell stated that there "was plenty of angst, anger, frustration and hell...but none of it had anything to do with Terry. He was very supportive."White, Richard. "Soundgarden Rocks". "Rockpool". October 1, 1989.] He said that the sessions as a whole were a "positive experience." Bassist Hiro Yamamoto would leave the band once the sessions were over."How Does Your Garden Grow?". "Sounds". October 21, 1989.] Yamamoto was becoming frustrated that he wasn't contributing much, and opted to go back to college.

About the album's production, Cornell said that the band tried to avoid 1980s production techniques. On the album's sound as a whole, Cornell stated that the album "was just a few degrees too produced and too clean, although I wouldn't want to change any of it."

Music and lyrics

Steve Huey of Allmusic said that Soundgarden took "a step toward the metal mainstream" with "a slow, grinding, detuned mountain of Sabbath/Zeppelin riffs and Chris Cornell wailing." [Huey, Steve. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A3kq2g4sttv3z "Louder Than Love"] . Allmusic.] At the time the band was trying to avoid the "heavy metal" label, with guitarist Kim Thayil stating that the band's sound was "as much influenced by British bands like Killing Joke and Bauhaus as it is by heavy metal."Kot, Greg. "Seattle's Big Noise Soundgarden Leads a Rock Invasion from the Northwest". "Chicago Tribune". October 18, 1989.] Cornell said that the band's sound is "enough for anyone into speed metal, but we're heavy rock...Neo-metal maybe." Some songs on the album feature unusual or unorthodox time signatures. "Get on the Snake", for example, is played in a 9/4 time signature. A lot of the songs on the album are tuned down to an open D tuning. [Gilbert, Jeff. "Soundgardening Tips With Kim Thayil". "Guitar World". December 1989.]

Cornell said that "Hands All Over" is about how humans defile the environment,Gilbert, Jeff. "Big Ugly Truth". "The Rocket". March 1990.] and that "Full on Kevin's Mom" is about "a friend of mine who slept with another friend of mine's mom. The guy who did it said to us, 'Yeah, full on Kevin's mom'." The lyrics of "I Awake" were originally part of a note written by Yamamoto's then girlfriend Kate McDonald. In the late 1990's, an urban legend circulated on internet message boards which stated that Yamamoto, after writing the music, penned some lyrics on the back side of McDonald's note. When Yamamoto gave the paper containing these lyrics to Cornell, Cornell looked at the wrong side of the sheet and believed McDonald's note was the lyrics to Yamamoto's song. There was less material on the album intended as humorous compared with "Ultramega OK", however the song "Big Dumb Sex" was written as a parody of glam metal bands, who often metaphorically addressed sexual intercourse in their lyrics.Gilbert, Jeff. "Primecuts: Kim Thayil". "Guitar School". May 1994.] The song was the reason the album gained a Parental Advisory sticker upon release.

Release and reception

"Louder Than Love" peaked at number 108 on the "Billboard" 200 chart in 1990. It was the band's first album to chart on the "Billboard" Top 200. "Louder Than Love" spawned the EP "Loudest Love" and the video compilation "Louder Than Live", both released in 1990. Because of some of the song lyrics, most notably on "Hands All Over" (the "kill your mother" line) and "Big Dumb Sex", the band faced various retail and distribution problems upon the album's release. [Barber, Patrick. "Soundgarden". "Pit". 1990.]

"Rolling Stone" gave "Louder Than Love" three and a half out of five stars. Reviewer J.D. Considine said that "Chris Cornell has the sort of soaring, muscular voice Ian Astbury can only dream of, while guitarist Kim Thayil comes across like The Edge with an attitude." He stated that "the songs on "Louder Than Love" are mean, lean and fighting fit." However, Considine criticized Cornell's lyrics, observing that "much of what the band has to say is clichéd, confused or generally incomprehensible." He ended his review by saying that "even when his lyrics are as dumb as rocks...Cornell delivers them with such full-throated intensity that they actually sound impressive." [Consideine, J.D. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/soundgarden/albums/album/106219/review/5946839/louder_than_love "Soundgarden: "Louder Than Love"] . "Rolling Stone". June 17, 1997.] Critic Robert Christgau gave the album a C+, stating that it is "covertly conceptual, arty in spite of itself, and I bet metal fans don't bite." [Christgau, Robert. [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=soundgarden "Soundgarden"] . robertchristgau.com.]

Two singles were released from the album, "Loud Love" (1989) and "Hands All Over" (1990), each with accompanying music videos. "Get on the Snake" was featured in the movie and soundtrack "Lost Angels". Guns N' Roses covered "Big Dumb Sex" on its 1993 album ""The Spaghetti Incident?"" as part of a mash-up with "Buick Mackane".

In 2001, "Q" magazine named "Louder Than Love" as one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time." ["50 Heaviest Albums of All Time". "Q". July 2001. p.90.]

Imagery and design

The cover of "Louder Than Love" was taken by grunge photographer Charles Peterson, and features Cornell. Cornell called the album cover "the quintessential angry young man." [Cromelin, Richard. "Fertile Ground". "Los Angeles Times". August 25, 1991.]

Regarding the title, Cornell said, "It's sort of making fun of heavy metal bravado. Metal bands would say "Louder Than Thunder" or something. So "Louder Than Love", what is "Louder Than Love"?" Thayil said that the band really wanted to call the album "Louder Than Fuck". ["Kim Thayil's A-Sides". "Metal Hammer". January 1998.]

Tour

A month before touring for "Louder Than Love" commenced, Yamamoto left to go back to college.Loera, Carlos. "Soundgarden". "Loud". 1990.] He was replaced by Jason Everman, formerly of Nirvana. The band embarked on a North American tour that went from December 1989 to March 1990. On this tour the band served as the opening act for Voivod on the band's "Nothingface" tour, with Faith No More also serving as an opening act at the beginning and end of the tour. Cornell's roommate, Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, died on March 19, 1990 of a heroin overdose, the day Cornell got back from touring in support of "Louder Than Love".Turman, Katherine. "Life Rules." "Rip Magazine". October 1991] cite web|title=KISW 99.9 FM: Seattle, Radio Interview by Damon Stewart in The New Music Hour with Chris Cornell, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard|author=Nicholls, Justin|publisher=Fivehorizons.com|url=http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/radio041491.shtml|accessdate=2007-10-03|date=1991-04-14]

As Cornell went on to tour Europe with Soundgarden a few days later, he started writing songs in tribute to his late friend. The result was two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven", that he recorded as soon as he got back from touring. The two songs would eventually lead into the Temple of the Dog project. Bassist Jason Everman was fired immediately after Soundgarden completed its promotional tour for "Louder Than Love" in mid-1990. Thayil said that "Jason just "didn't" work out." [Neely, Kim. "Soundgarden: The Veteran Band from Seattle Proves There's Life After Nirvana". "Rolling Stone". July 9, 1992.] The band later released the video compilation "Louder Than Live", which was filmed at the Whisky a Go Go in 1989.

Track listing

All songs written by Chris Cornell, except where noted:
#"Ugly Truth" – 5:26
#"Hands All Over" (Cornell, Kim Thayil) – 6:00
#"Gun" – 4:42
#"Power Trip" (Cornell, Hiro Yamamoto) – 4:09
#"Get on the Snake" (Cornell, Thayil) – 3:44
#"Full on Kevin's Mom" – 3:37
#"Loud Love" – 4:57
#"I Awake" (Kate McDonald, Yamamoto) – 4:21
#"No Wrong No Right" (Cornell, Yamamoto) – 4:47
#"Uncovered" – 4:30
#"Big Dumb Sex" – 4:11
#"Full On (Reprise)" – 2:42

Personnel

*Chris Cornell – vocals, guitar
*Kim Thayil – guitar
*Hiro Yamamoto – bass
*Matt Cameron – drums
*Terry Date – production, engineering
*Soundgarden – production
*Stuart Hallerman, Jack Endino, Nelson Ayres – studio assistance
*Steve Thompson, Michael Barbiero – mixing
*Howie Weinberg – mastering
*Art Chantry – design & art execution
*Bruce Pavitt – Third Eye/Front Cover
*Charles Peterson, Michael Lavine – photography

Chart positions

;Album

;Singles

References

External links

* [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/releases/louder.shtml "Louder Than Love" on the Unofficial Soundgarden Homepage]