Love this album, love it more than any Nirvana album. I re-bought it last year after not hearing it for probably 10 years. It didn't leave the CD player in my car for about a month. Never really known what any of the songs are called though - think I'll give it a listen over the weekend before voting.
First instinct is to vote for Head Down, though.
― nate woolls, Friday, 13 March 2009 11:39 (fifteen years ago) link
the day i tried to live
― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Friday, 13 March 2009 11:57 (fifteen years ago) link
When Helgeson bigged up "Pretty Noose" on that "Spoonman" thread, he wasn't wrong, as I'm now discovering. Put that song on here instead of "Let Me Drown" and we've got another contender.
― This is the day when fisticuffs happened everywhere (country matters), Friday, 13 March 2009 12:10 (fifteen years ago) link
Hmmm, probably Black Days, but I might have to think about it. Let Me Drown is a great opener IMO.
― chap, Friday, 13 March 2009 12:14 (fifteen years ago) link
"Mailman" is probably the only track here I have no real time for.
― This is the day when fisticuffs happened everywhere (country matters), Friday, 13 March 2009 12:17 (fifteen years ago) link
(and listening to it now, it's not that bad!)
― This is the day when fisticuffs happened everywhere (country matters), Friday, 13 March 2009 12:19 (fifteen years ago) link
I never need to hear Black Hole Sun again as long as I live.
― chap, Friday, 13 March 2009 13:08 (fifteen years ago) link
i definitely had a spell with this way back (though not all the way back). vote for "The Day I Tried to Live" because of the part where cornell shreeks and the guitar fades in. or is it the other way round? maybe i should listen to it again...
― sonderangerbot, Friday, 13 March 2009 13:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Also need to listen to this again, I know every note of it but several of the songs have obscure titles and I want to be sure...
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 13 March 2009 13:23 (fifteen years ago) link
"Fell On Black Days" or "Spoonman."
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 13 March 2009 13:28 (fifteen years ago) link
or "My Way"! Lots of good songs here.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 13 March 2009 13:29 (fifteen years ago) link
i love "My Wave," at first it kinda felt like the lightweight pop song of the album but there's so many layers to the riffs and the rhythms and the whole outro is awesome.
― s1ocrates (some dude), Friday, 13 March 2009 13:36 (fifteen years ago) link
the outtake/international bonus track "She Likes Surprises" is pretty awesome too
― s1ocrates (some dude), Friday, 13 March 2009 13:42 (fifteen years ago) link
fell on black days.i never want to hear "Black Hole Sun" again especially dont want to see the overplayed video.
― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 13 March 2009 13:45 (fifteen years ago) link
She Likes Surprises is a great little song, yeah.
― chap, Friday, 13 March 2009 13:56 (fifteen years ago) link
Lots of good songs here
no shit!!!!!
― autogoblin (surfboard dudes get wiped out, totally), Friday, 13 March 2009 14:17 (fifteen years ago) link
im voting for "Kickstand"
― autogoblin (surfboard dudes get wiped out, totally), Friday, 13 March 2009 14:21 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm voting "My Wave" for the twisty bass/drum interplay in the middle and the weird E power chord tuning that Kim Thayil used. (E-E-B-B-B-E)
― lolling through my bagel (Pancakes Hackman), Friday, 13 March 2009 14:33 (fifteen years ago) link
How are you listening to these songs? My Wave (all the singles really) always seemed to sound much better on the radio than on the CD -- more peppy if that makes sense.
Also which riff is Spoonman taken from? It's a 70s song and Rikki Rachtman busted Chris Cornell's chops for it on MTV, and he's all "shucks, you're right" but it's not very confrontational -- they're kicking back, bowling.
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 13 March 2009 14:36 (fifteen years ago) link
The Day I Tried To Live
This record was a monster in every sense of the word. And it's aged really well.
― kornrulez6969, Friday, 13 March 2009 14:39 (fifteen years ago) link
I remember part of Cornell's score for Singles included an acoustic version of the "Spoonman" riff, but I know that's not what you mean...really the rhythm/time signature makes the riff, if what he ripped it off from doesn't have that then he still made it his own.
― s1ocrates (some dude), Friday, 13 March 2009 14:44 (fifteen years ago) link
My favorite album when I was fourteen- consistently strong songwriting for such a long album. And all the dudes in the band contributed to the songwriting. Ben Shepard wrote Head Down, definitely one of the high points. Haven't heard it in years, maybe I'll download it tonight. Anyway, I guess I'll vote for Let Me Drown just over the title track and Like Suicide. I'm kinda sick of the singles which there seemed to be a lot of for one album.
― ColinO, Friday, 13 March 2009 14:50 (fifteen years ago) link
Listening now for the first time in years and really enjoying it. I'd forgotten how good Head High is.
― chap, Friday, 13 March 2009 16:11 (fifteen years ago) link
Sorry, I mean Head Down.
― chap, Friday, 13 March 2009 16:12 (fifteen years ago) link
hardly seems fair to unvote "Black Hole Sun" for overplay... not a prob for me though since 4th of july low/high vox take the biscuit
― butt-rock miyagi (rogermexico.), Friday, 13 March 2009 16:19 (fifteen years ago) link
this record is flawless imo. i'm voting 'half' w/ 'the day i tried to live' a close 2nd
― 6335, Friday, 13 March 2009 17:02 (fifteen years ago) link
i always meant to check out Ben Shepherd's other bands based on all is songwriting credits on some of SG's best songs, anyone have any reccomendations?
― s1ocrates (some dude), Friday, 13 March 2009 17:06 (fifteen years ago) link
argh argh argh Head Down or Limo Wreck....with a late run from The Day I Tried To Live :-/
― This is the day when fisticuffs happened everywhere (country matters), Friday, 13 March 2009 17:36 (fifteen years ago) link
fell on black days
― 69, Friday, 13 March 2009 17:40 (fifteen years ago) link
4tth of July, Head Down, Limo Wreck, Mailman, and The Day I Tried to Live in five-way tie for first...
Soundgarden = easily the most underrated band of the '90s...
― sing everybody deutsche deutsche (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 13 March 2009 22:48 (fifteen years ago) link
best thing out of seattle since jimi amirite
― butt-rock miyagi (rogermexico.), Friday, 13 March 2009 22:52 (fifteen years ago) link
Not a letdown, but not what I was hoping for after Badmotorfinger. "Fell On Black Days" was the disappointment- the first song that sounded like grunge was falling into it own cliches of power-balladry (moaning, soft to loud build-up, awkward bad poetry for a hook). (I mean, Pearl Jam was already there, but no one respected them at that point...) But so much of this is great. (and in retrospect, "Black Days" is strong stuff considering Audioslave and Part of Me lay ahead) Because I've long had a weakness for Krawling Kromatic Kashmir riffs, I'd have answered "Day I Tried to Live" until recently. But for some reason, that spell has lifted. 'Cause I've rationed playing this record and don't hear the track on the radio, I'm voting for the Dingley-Jingly-Dear Prudence riffery of "Black Hole Sun." Tho' my single favorite Soundgarden song is might be "Pretty Noose".
― bendy, Friday, 13 March 2009 23:27 (fifteen years ago) link
down on the upside is mightily underrated
― butt-rock miyagi (rogermexico.), Friday, 13 March 2009 23:28 (fifteen years ago) link
i have been feasting on "pretty noose" today
― This is the day when fisticuffs happened everywhere (country matters), Friday, 13 March 2009 23:29 (fifteen years ago) link
I hope Thayil gets a second wind someday.
― bendy, Friday, 13 March 2009 23:36 (fifteen years ago) link
Aw, he's only got 79 myspace friends. Good for him.
He was the brains of that operation.
― bendy, Friday, 13 March 2009 23:39 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Thursday, 19 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Surprised myself a bit by going for Head Down. I've been coming back to it a lot these past few days.
― chap, Thursday, 19 March 2009 14:21 (fifteen years ago) link
am about to spin a coin to decide on "Limo Wreck" or "Head Down"
("Head Down" is tails, obv)
― POLLonius (country matters), Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:28 (fifteen years ago) link
Limo Wreck wins.
― POLLonius (country matters), Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:29 (fifteen years ago) link
Best of three?
― chap, Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:30 (fifteen years ago) link
Too late. If Head Down finishes one short of or tied with Black Hole Sun then I'll repent.
― POLLonius (country matters), Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:30 (fifteen years ago) link
"Limo Wreck" is the only song on here that I can't instantly recall how it goes by reading the title ("Mailman" took a second but I got there).
― hahaha sorry all you music-hippies (some dude), Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:34 (fifteen years ago) link
"The Day I Tried To Live" heavy in the best way.
Great record but I prefer Badmotorfinger...they hadn't yet tipped into such seriousness yet, were still kinda "fun" on the heels of the Cheech & Chong/Spinal Tap goofs...but anyway yeah this is a good one if about 15 minutes too long
― Hadrian VIII, Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:43 (fifteen years ago) link
This is a really consistent album - in a pinch I could cut a couple of things, but most of it is great songs on an equal playing field. I think I'll throw my vote to "Let Me Drown" just because I don't think it'll get too many picks here and it starts the album out very nicely, kind of a blueprint for everything that follows.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 19 March 2009 21:59 (fifteen years ago) link
The really underrated song that deserves more votes than it's gonna get is the title-track. I would say the same for Like Suicide but never underestimate the lurker vote.
― POLLonius (country matters), Thursday, 19 March 2009 22:00 (fifteen years ago) link
fwiw, the title track edges past the US singles to make my top three along with The Day I Tried To Live and 4th of July.
The singles all kill though. Even Black Hole Sun, which probably gets shafted here on account'a getting played to death and beyond.
― butt-rock miyagi (rogermexico.), Thursday, 19 March 2009 22:36 (fifteen years ago) link
I really like Black Hole Sun! But I think it'll do better (lurker-vote-wise) on account of being a huge single, not worse.
― POLLonius (country matters), Thursday, 19 March 2009 22:38 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Friday, 20 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Huh, glad "4th of July" placed as high as it did.
― Sundar, Friday, 20 March 2009 00:04 (fifteen years ago) link
they're a band that sound great together, they could put out hookless whatevers forever and i'll be down. was surprised that my favorite songs on king animal are all cornell-written though
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 June 2014 16:52 (nine years ago) link
i think he probably missed playing with people that could handle the weird tunings and time signatures and had a whole bunch of ideas saved up that he couldn't really put to much use for a decade.
― some dude, Sunday, 8 June 2014 17:04 (nine years ago) link
bones of birds def my favourite off king animal
― it definitely wasn't designed to be a pants pocket player (stevie), Sunday, 8 June 2014 22:23 (nine years ago) link
is 'black days' the best song ever to have used 'whatsoever' in a lyric
― j., Saturday, 27 September 2014 22:58 (nine years ago) link
it's the only best song to use "whatsoever" in a lyric
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 28 September 2014 02:55 (nine years ago) link
undisputed champion
― j., Sunday, 28 September 2014 03:02 (nine years ago) link
also scores big in the whomsoever category
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Sunday, 28 September 2014 05:06 (nine years ago) link
Am utterly confused by how unremarkable album track "Fell On Black Days" has won this tbh.
― leigh exodus (country matters), Friday, 20 March 2009 14:50 (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
During this song I always feel like I'm just waiting for Mailman to start (I don't like to skip tracks)
― a proclamation of tortoise intent (ultros ultros-ghali), Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:01 (nine years ago) link
srsly
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:03 (nine years ago) link
Mailman is the one I really came around to
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:04 (nine years ago) link
Man, 4th of July was robbed, such a massive song. Idk how that track was received at the time but it's weird to me hearing something so doomy on a relatively mainstream rock album.
― a proclamation of tortoise intent (ultros ultros-ghali), Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:11 (nine years ago) link
my friends and i were teenagers, we just took it all ine
*nedlike flip of the hair*
― j., Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:53 (nine years ago) link
uug relentlessly otm rn
― its a kirt not a skilt (Drugs A. Money), Sunday, 28 September 2014 13:59 (nine years ago) link
yes!! fresh fucking tendrils!!
― forkshighwaytopoopon (some dude), Tuesday, August 16, 2011 11:01 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark
― i wanna be a gabbneb baby (Hungry4Ass), Sunday, June 30, 2013 5:58 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, July 2, 2013 9:29 AM (11 months ago) Bookmark
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, June 3, 2014 7:48 PM (3 months ago) Bookmark
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, 28 September 2014 22:39 (nine years ago) link
hi brad
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 28 September 2014 22:41 (nine years ago) link
Fresh Tendrils getting one vote is insane.
― 29 facepalms, Sunday, 28 September 2014 22:44 (nine years ago) link
AND THE WRECK OF YOU
― j., Sunday, 9 November 2014 19:17 (nine years ago) link
WHILE THE REST OF YOU HARVEST GOLD
― you fuck one chud... (stevie), Sunday, 9 November 2014 20:03 (nine years ago) link
WHILE THE REST OF YOU HARVEST THE SOULS
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, September 28, 2014 3:39 PM (4 months ago) Bookmark
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Saturday, 7 February 2015 21:50 (nine years ago) link
cuz i fell awwwwnnnnnnnnn
― j., Friday, 17 April 2015 20:25 (nine years ago) link
4th of July best song they ever did. Best album is Badmotorfinger. Drawin flies and face pollution baby.
― Prince Kajuku (Bill Magill), Saturday, 18 April 2015 03:59 (nine years ago) link
yes fresh fuckin tendrils
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Saturday, 18 April 2015 05:17 (nine years ago) link
/sponeman/
― j., Monday, 3 August 2015 00:54 (eight years ago) link
http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1745&context=etd_hon_theses
Exploring the Superunknown: Composition and the Music of Soundgarden
― j., Friday, 24 November 2017 18:58 (six years ago) link
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Saturday, February 7, 2015 2:50 PM (four years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Wednesday, 13 February 2019 19:28 (five years ago) link
Fell on Black Days winning is as weird to me now as it was four years ago
― ultros ultros-ghali, Wednesday, 13 February 2019 21:32 (five years ago) link
25 YEARS
― j., Friday, 8 March 2019 16:57 (five years ago) link
Wow. I just started listening to this album this week. I had always had something against SG when I was a kid that I never got over (excepting the Singles soundtrack songs), but I finally found my way in. 25 years too late I guess.
― ☮ (peace, man), Friday, 8 March 2019 17:00 (five years ago) link
https://www.stereogum.com/2034893/17-essential-songs-in-74/franchises/ultimate-playlist/
respeckt to whiney
― j., Friday, 8 March 2019 23:39 (five years ago) link
me: i have a lot of different drumming inspirations but i wonder who my favorite drummer of all time is
*listens to superunknown*
me: oh, it's matt cameron
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 4 December 2020 17:20 (three years ago) link
Man, I feel bad for Mailman - what a monster tune!
― chap, Friday, 4 December 2020 17:23 (three years ago) link
I swear the echo on the vocals on the title track sound just like Nilssons jump in the fire
― calstars, Saturday, 18 November 2023 20:42 (five months ago) link
also 30 years old today
still really long
― mookieproof, Saturday, 9 March 2024 01:27 (one month ago) link
I rate LTL higher but this is a close second When you’re really alone, you’re superunknown
― calstars, Saturday, 9 March 2024 01:36 (one month ago) link
I remember polling this album too, I'm such a screw up. Such a monster album, this with Alice in Chains were probably unmatched. If you take out Nirvana.
― Bee OK, Saturday, 9 March 2024 03:31 (one month ago) link
Listened to it earlier this week with no idea it was the 30th anniversary, still their pinnacle for me. Head Down probably my favourite now, but Fourth Of July, Limo Wreck and The Day I Tried To Live all contenders too.
― Is he an evil man who makes chocolate or is the chocolate itself evil? (stevie), Saturday, 9 March 2024 11:01 (one month ago) link
Let me drown > my wave is a hell of a twofer to open an album
― calstars, Saturday, 9 March 2024 16:29 (one month ago) link
I like to start on track 3 and skip over “spoonman”
― brimstead, Saturday, 9 March 2024 20:35 (one month ago) link
CC’s scream after the bridge on “drown” is so epic
― calstars, Saturday, 9 March 2024 20:38 (one month ago) link
Would still rather have Giannis
also 30 years old todaystill really long
― infinite wiggles (Spottie), Saturday, 9 March 2024 22:10 (one month ago) link