Reflecting on an old supergroup and first impressions for music this week

 So, I found out that in April 1991, Chris Cornell released the Temple of the Dog album, famous for the backing band being Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder getting a guest vocal on “Hunger Strike.”  I often look back to the song “Say Hello 2 Heaven” myself, namely because there is a version on YouTube from a Chris Cornell tribute concert in January 2019 where Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard play the song with a different backing band and Miley Cyrus on lead vocals.  She delivers a powerhouse vocal performance, screaming much like Chris did on the original recording.  At the end, she quietly says “Thank you, Chris, for bringing us together, like you always did.”  Combined with the unique photo Billy Ray posted the day Chris’ life ended, I keep wondering if there’s some secret Cyrus-Cornell connection that I want to be privy to.  I know both Miley Cyrus and Toni Cornell are great soft rock/pop vocalists (and daughters of early 90s singers) that captured the emotions just right for me in the wake of losing my uncle in late 2018, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to it.  Maybe we’re not supposed to know, but it creates curiosity.  There were a lot of great songs typifying the style of 1991 Seattle Grunge on the album and I recommend “Pushing Forward Back,” “Hunger Strike” and “Say Hello 2 Heaven.”  I feel this brief chapter should be more appreciated among Grunge, Alternative Rock and Seattle music fans.

 

I also can’t help but urge people to speak out against whatever is in their life that hurts them.  Call the hotline if you need to, I don’t want to hear excuses to not get help, I got a ton of those through social media from a man who flat-out refused to get help until I stopped caring.  If there’s a bad relative or neighbor, do what you can to make yourself and your presence known.  Don’t be a victim of hate from within or outside, stand up, because YOU are enough.

 

 

I also just heard Nancy Wilson’s new album “You and Me.”  It’s amazing how it captured the late 60s-early 70s rock sound, a song like “The Battle of Evermore” wouldn’t feel out of place on it and this also featured a great party song with Duff McKagan and Taylor Hawkins and a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boxer” with Sammy Hagar.  The intro track with Sue Ennis, a new version of “The Dragon” from her Roadcase Royale days and the instrumental “4 Edward” all gave it a classic rock sense that I had missed from other releases from artists active around that time.  It felt very much like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and even a little Elton John.

 

The Dead Daisies complemented this release with a new version of their song “Like No Other,” proving why Glenn Hughes is a rock and roll master, and Duff’s daughter Grace released a single called “So Hyper” that was also a fun little amount of Hard Rock and Roll.  I think her previous singles were better, but all three suggest a good woman-sung hard rock album is in the near future.