336 - Soundgarden - Superunknown

I enjoyed Badmotorfinger's raucous style of metal grunge. But it was a heavy album that had nothing smooth about it. It was a big hairy beast of music. With Superunknown, the band took that same attitude and songcraft from the previous album but put a polish to the music that made this an album for the masses. Not that it is a bad thing.

The audio mix is one of the more striking changes on this album. Where Chris was screaming to break through the guitar dissonance, here he is front and center. Actually, the guitars seem to actually be put back quite a bit in the mix. Vocals and drums get the spotlight on Superunknown - every soft tap of the drums can be heard as well as the layered vocals and psychedelic harmonies (think of the harmonies Aerosmith used on Pump, such as in "Love in an Elevator."). Another vocal trick that can be heard on a few tracks (most notably on the second half of "Black Hole Sun") is the layering of Chris singing and screaming the lyrics, but with the scream track mixed lower than the singing track. Don't think that the guitars are ignored, the rumble and roar are still there and the fact you can hear the vocals and other instruments more easily doesn't lessen the power of the guitars.

Also thrown into this album are some softer songs, too. Not power ballads, just songs such as "Fell on Black Days" and "Black Hole Sun" that don't require the guitars and drums to be turned most of the way up.

Songs I knew I liked: "Fell on Black Days," "Black Hole Sun," "Spoonman," and "The Day I Tried to Live"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "My Wave" and, to a lesser extent, "Like Suicide"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Mailman," "Limo Wreck," "4th of July," and "Superunknown"