Heavy Rotation- Mark Lanegan/Chris Cornell

first appeared at Spin.com, 9-14-99
by Amy Sciarretto


Chris Cornell and Mark Lanegan, the co-valedictorians of the early-90s grunge class are releasing solo albums on the exact same day (coincidence or some evil post-grunge conspiracy to subjugate the masses with their angst ridden, distortion-heavy music--you decide). Cornell, in case you've been dwelling beneath a rock, once fronted the full-throttle rock monster Soundgarden with his glass-shattering voice. Lanegan was frontman for the Screaming Trees, another Seattle rock Godzilla, but his was a deep, sad baritone strong enough to make a forest wilt while simultaneously maintaining an underlying poignancy all its own. Euphoria Morning and I'll Take Care of You are like the battle of the baritones. The question is who'll emerge victorious?

Well, strangely enough it's not much of a battle. In fact, the only thing Cornell and Lanegan are both battling (besides tears) is their own inertia with mellow and equally worthwhile albums. I'll Take Care of You is Lanegan's fourth solo effort, so he's got experience on his side and less to prove than Cornell. As if accepting some unspoken challenge, though, Lanegan goes out on a limb covering songs by a panoply of artists who influenced him and helped shape his career. It's a sweet, heartfelt tribute, but when you're dealing with Lanegan and that unmistakable, utterly haunting voice that lingers like bittersweet chocolate, it's like their original songs. With his I-nearly-lost-you death experience, Lanegan is capable of bringing your mood down to gutter levels with his plaintive, Tom-Waits-in-hand-to-hand-combat-with-Nick-Cave singing style.

He's no longer Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees fame; he exists unto himself. Picture your strong, silent father on his darkest, most desperate day, emoting and pouring his heart out to you. That's how I'll Take Care of You will make you feel. Lanegan drones deliciously on the Gun Club's "Carry Home," and adds a smoky-smooth, velvety touch on Brook Benton's "I'll Take Care of You" as well as on Buck Owens's "Together Again"--creating altogether different renditions of these rather ambitious, diverse, and time-honored classics. Musically, it's a somewhat scaled back and lo-fi affair that helps to accentuate the melancholic, tear-in-your-beer quality that both Lanegan and his guitar use to gently weep and creep their way into your heart.

Grrrls everywhere fawned over Chris Cornell and his blue-eyed Jesus Christ pose long before thousands of female fans were traumatized by him chopping off his gorgeous black locks. But it was always Cornell's piercing voice that was truly captivating and was universally fetishsized. Cornell can sing like a fuckin' siren; that's not in dispute. The real question is can he be a presence with out the louder than love Soundgarden behind him? Oft-beleaguered STP frontman Scott Weiland could carry a tune magnificently, but proved he could not rock without the support of the DeLeo brothers. On his maiden solo voyage Euphoria Morning, fans may have to do some readjusting. In terms of loudness, intensity, and "rock'n'roll" quotient--this album is at about five (whereas Soundgarden were usually an 11). But on the mellow scale that we're now measuring on, Cornell is and remains an 11 with that golden larynx clearly in tact.

The opening song "Can't Change Me" would seem a whimpering start, but it's just one style that Cornell experiments with. It's also later in the decade now and mid-tempo modern rock is top dog, so don't be surprised if this song is soon charting and making airwaves. "When I'm Down" is an almost lounge-y tune, flavored with old time R&B tones. It's ambitious and completely stunning. "Mission" is the closest thing to a Badmotorfinger- style tune with its sludgy riffs. "Steel Rain" finishes off the album, and is an acoustically-driven ballad that will wrap around you like a fleece blanket on a bitter night. Cornell's warm voice fills the room on every moment of Euphoria Morning. It's exciting to see the softer side of a former-grunge icon through soul bearing efforts and laid back sounds. All in all though, this album will do little to allay your SG reunion jones, but, it nicely fills the gap until that time.

So while there's no clear victor in the battle of these talented baritones, it is comforting to note that the legacy of grunge has something much more valuable to offer us than ripped jeans and flannel shirts. Here at least there's a prevailing honestly, musicality, and introspection that transcends the fashion and formulae that so many of yesterday and today's rockers so egregiously flaunt.


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