Soundgarden

It has taken long enough but finally Soundgarden have released their first ever live album. Culled from performances in their 1996 West Coast tour (Interstate 5 travels the length of California) and I was surprised by just how strong and immediate the material is even 15 years later.

The album has all their best numbers, kicking off with ‘Spoonman’ and taking in ‘Outshined’ with a huge and pounding drum from Matt Cameron and stun-guitar riffs from Kim Tayil and ‘Rusty Cage’ which send the crowd wild in the background – you can just about close your eyes and imagine Chris Cornell doing a dervish dance as the number hits its frenetic peak. ‘Burden In My Hand’ has the crowd going bozoid and ‘Helter Skelter’ starts with almost a Bluesy opening before the psychedelic mid-section and then segues into the monstrous ‘Boot Camp.

They play all that you would expect and the power and passion cover over a few less than perfect numbers but this is Soundgarden at their peak and numbers such as ‘Search And Destroy’, showing their punk roots and almost as good at the Stooges original or a masterful ‘Black Hole Sun’ performed solo by Chris Cornell sound amazingly fresh.

The album closer ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ is the song that defined the band’s following for many and this version ois dark, deranged and just comes at you like a juggernaut.

Personally, I always felt that Soundgarden were the best of the Seattle rockers and this set shows just why – imperious.