‘Silver Dream’ underwhelms Chris Cornell shines on ‘album of covers’
C“No One Sings Like You Anymore” hris Cornell, (UMe)
No disrespect to Sinead O’Connor, but there’s another version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” that might be even better than the one the Irish singer delivered. That would be the cover by Chris Cornell, which is ragged with heartbreak.
It’s the highlight of “No One Sings Like You Anymore,” a batch of 10 covers that the leader of Soundgarden and Audioslave recorded in 2016, a year before his death. Included are tunes originally made famous by giants like Janis Joplin and John Lennon.
Throughout his career, Cornell covered other artists and was covered himself, once by no less than Johnny Cash, who recorded Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage.” Cornell seemed to relish tackling other artists’ music, including “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson and “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin. His live sets included songs by Black Sabbath, the Beatles and Dolly Parton. None of those made this latest collection, which focuses on more polished gems, overseen by producer Brendan O’Brien.
Cynics might say this new album is just a money grab from those who watched Cornell’s cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience” go to No. 1 on Billboard’s mainstream rock songs chart earlier this year. But there’s nothing here that Cornell touches which isn’t fascinating, excellent or lighters-in-the-air cool. Many are simply better than the originals.
What he does with Ghostland Observatory’s “Sad Sad City” is remarkable, taking a synth-heavy, New Wave-ish tune into a momentous foot-stomping rock classic. He does the same with Electric Light Orchestra’s “Showdown,” stripping the original of its bed of strings and adding a driving funkiness.
His version of Joplin’s “Get It While You Can” is simply unrecognizable. Cornell knows he can’t outwail the electric Joplin, with all her vulnerability and fear, so he goes in a different direction, transforming what was a bluesy ballad into an arena rocker. Cornell turns soulful when he tackles Lorraine Ellison’s “Stay With Me Baby,” letting his voice soar by replacing the delicateness of the original with a powerful neediness.
He keeps the vocal distortions in his version of Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into the Fire,” but tightens the meandering arrangement and ups the bass. His cover of John Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels” is very respectful — maybe even too much — but the song interlinking the two men is heartbreaking: Both dads, taken too soon, enjoying the little things in life.
The album is bittersweet — another chance to hear a voice that’s deeply missed. Nothing compared to him.
Moon Taxi,“Silver (BMG)
Moon Taxi have a new album with a dozen songs, but you may be forgiven for losing track of them.
One unmemorable, formulaic tune bleeding into another leaves the listener underwhelmed by the effect. Has it been 20 minutes, really? How many bland songs have been offered?
But perhaps “Silver Dream” — the Nashville altrockers’ sixth full-length album — is not intended for music lovers. The band has already sold the single “One Step Away” to ESPN’s SEC Network for coverage of college football.
That deal is just the latest in which deep-pocketed brands have snapped up Moon Taxi music — Maker’s Mark, Jeep, Microsoft Surface Pro, BMW and McDonald’s. Is this the real silver dream of the title?
We are witnessing the natural effect when a band loses the last of its edge, lured into writing mainstream fluff. They even have a song on the new album called “Take the Edge Off.” It’s all the musical equivalent of the gradual bleaching of coral.
After the sadly underwhelming — sonically we mean, clearly not monetarily — album “Let the Record Play” in 2018, there was a glimmer of hope in 2019 that the band had righted its course with the terrific song “Restless.” But that was a false dawn.
Moon Taxi just doubled down on mediocre, dad jeans alt-rock and are now so distant from their brilliant 2012 album “Cabaret” that it’s too far for a taxi to drive. “It’s a long walk back from yesterday,” lead singer and guitarist Trevor Terndrup seems to acknowledge on the new album.
So let’s just call them what they really are right now: jingle writers.
Dream” Also:
LONDON: Simon Rattle is set to leave his job as musical director at the London Symphony Orchestra to lead the Munich-based Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the two organizations have said recently.
Rattle, one of the world’s most acclaimed conductors, will become the German orchestra’s chief conductor in 2023. He will retain a role with the British orchestra as conductor emeritus, the LSO said.
The German company said Rattle, 65, has signed an initial five-year contract to lead the orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Chorus.
Rattle said he was “thrilled” to accept the post and honored to succeed conductor Mariss Jansons, who died in 2019.
The UK-born Rattle took up the job in London in 2017 after 15 years as head of the Berlin Philharmonic. He said when the appointment was announced in 2015 that it would be his last major job in music.
News of his departure was lamented by many in the British arts community, who worry the country will lose cultural clout because of its departure from the European Union.
Rattle said his reasons for taking the job in Munich were “entirely personal, enabling me to better manage the balance of my work and be close enough to home to be present for my children in a meaningful way.”
Although Rattle’s exit is not directly linked to Brexit, but the lack of a world-class concert hall in London may be a factor. Rattle took up the London job in expectation that a new home would be built for the orchestra, which is currently based at the Barbican center, a multipurpose arts venue.
Plans for a new concert hall in London have stalled. In a statement, LSO chairman David Alberman and managing director Kathryn McDowell said Rattle “will be taking forward a number of significant projects with us over the coming years working from our home base at the Barbican.” (AP)