2 [FROM THE CRATES #22] Soundgarden - Louder Than Love (1989)

Words by Matt Abramson

Soundgarden - Louder Than Love
(A&M - 1989)

The 90's reunions are in full swing. STP, Jane's Addiction, Faith No More and now our boys in Soundgarden are back touring and basically embarrassing today's "rock" stars. This is highly awesome. However, I have a slight beef with the type of attention these reunions are getting. All of these bands put out highly influential, cutting edge music but now seem to be largely regarded as nostalgic "buzz bin" fodder. Jane's Addiction gets together and people want to hear "Been Caught Stealing", not "Three Days". For Alice in Chains it's "Man in the Box" over "Frogs". The bands' monumental status works against them in this way. These aren't bands like Aerosmith or AC/DC that can spend thirty years rehashing the same bullshit to the same white trash fan base, these are bands that possessed (and still do possess) a high-level of artistic influence and credibility.

Soundgarden is not a nostalgia "grunge" act. Soundgarden is one of the best, most original metal bands ever to record. This is very apparent on 'Louder Than Love' - a record that just turned twenty and still sounds like the second coming of Sabbath, except for the part where Chris Cornell could shatter a ten foot plate glass window with his insane pipes while Kim Thayil cranks doom riffs and solos that have plopped shit in so many drawers it's a wonder he never got sponsored by Hanes. Listen to "Loud Love" or "Gun" - maybe it's the twenty-year hindsight that really brings out the genius in this material, but frankly the shit is just kicking some ass.

Keep in mind that this is all pre-'Ten', pre-'Nevermind', pre-"grunge" Seattle. Following 1991, recording contracts fell from the sky like rain, but Soundgarden making the transition to a major in '89 was a pretty impressive feat. Also, 'Louder Than Love' stands well apart from the Appetite for DeSUCKtion-type shit and all the pretty-boy L.A. clones. The sludgy, grinding riffs, modal flirtation and intentional forays into psychedelia are nothing like the butt rock that was so inescapable during that time. Soundgarden spent their cash on gnarly pedals instead of Aqua Net and fingernail polish. The only real giveaway that the album was released during the 80's is that Terry Date's production, while still sounding awesome, is way more glossy than on both his and Soundgarden's subsequent work. Otherwise, 'Louder Than Love' might as well have been a classic 70's metal record or a 2000's doom metal revival album.

So what the fuck? Do I shun all these top-dollar reunions? Fuck no. Jane's Addiction murdered at Sasquatch last year and I was somehow fortunate enough to witness Soundgarden blow the fucking roof off of the Showbox last week. I just get a little worried that amidst all the excitement people are forgetting what got them so excited in the first place: the music. So do what you know is right. Dust off your 'Louder Than Love' and play it louder than fuck.