Down on the Upside

"Chris Cornell is one hell of a singer and he's out to prove it again on this new Soundgarden recording. With the worldwide success of Superunknown, it's not surprising that they don't steer too far from what's tried and true, which is just fine with the fans.

The single "Pretty Noose" is a good indication of the hard edge style of most of the album, although there is some experimentation here and there, to keep things interesting (there's even mandolins evident on "Ty Cobb"). The other band members do have more input in the song-writing department this time, although Cornell has the lion's share.

Being such a long album, the sixteen songs on 'Down On The Upside' are going to take a while to get that lived-in feel but it should be fun getting there. Soundgarden are one of the best bands in the business these days - as anyone who saw them at the Powerstation in '94 will attest - and this is a major release.
- GEOFF (May 1996)