Johnny Cash: Rusty Cage (1996)

Johnny Cash completely owned this Soundgarden song. In fact, the band dedicated the song to him after it won Cash a Grammy. People rightly focus on "Hurt" as one of the great covers of all-time. However, "Rusty Cage" is right up there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtbuUlSGXzc

Soundgarden: Burden in My Hand (1996)

The protagonist murders his girlfriend and leaves her in the desert. The man regretted his action and admitted to having anger issues.  The band called it "Hey Joe" for the 90s. At the time, I thought the song could have been partially inspired by the O.J. Simpson case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmIqIVxUuKs

Soundgarden: The Day I Tried to Live (1994)

The song is about trying to live life as opposed to being closed off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbckIuT_YDc

Top 40 songs of 1992 (#21-30)

My favorites...

21. Rusty Cage- Soundgarden
22. Help Me Up- Eric Clapton
23. Let's Get Rocked- Def Leppard
24. Keep The Faith- Bon Jovi
25. Outshined- Soundgarden
26. Drown- Smashing Pumpkins
27. Try Not To Breathe- REM
28. Sliver- Nirvana
29. I Can't Dance- Genesis
30. Come As You Are- Nirvana

Top 10 songs of 1994

My favorites...

1. High Hopes- Pink Floyd
2. What's the Frequency Kenneth?- REM
3. Interstate Love Song- STP
4.Lost For Words- Pink Floyd
5. Basketcase- Green Day
6. Estranged- GnR
7. Betterman- Pearl Jam
8. Love is Strong- The Rolling Stones
9. My Wave- Soundgarden
10. The Day I Tried to Live- Soundgarden

Top 35 songs of 1994 (#21-30)

My favorites continued...

21. Spin the Black Circle- Pearl Jam
22. Found Out About You- Gin Blossoms
23. Fell on Black Days- Soundgarden
24. Big Empty- STP
25. Mary Jane's Last Dance- Tom Petty
26. Wild Night- John Mellencamp
27. Keep Talking- Pink Floyd
28. What Do You Want From Me?- Pink Floyd
29. Streets of Philadelphia- Bruce Springsteen
30. Because the Night- 10,000 Maniacs

Top 10 songs of 1996

My Top 10 favorite songs of 1996


1. Bullet with Butterfly Wings- Smashing Pumpkins



2. Burden in My Hand- Soundgarden
3. Until It Sleeps- Metallica

4. Pretty Noose- Soundgarden

5. Binky the Doormat- REM

6. Hail Hail- Pearl Jam

7. I Got ID- Pearl Jam

8. So Fast So Numb- REM

9. Me Wise Magic- Van Halen

10. Heaven Beside You- Alice in Chains

Soundgarden: My Wave (1994)

"My Wave" switches time signatures throughout, but is mainly in 5/4, which is an odd time signature. It also included a bass wah pedal. It's an outright rocker that peaked at #11 on the rock charts. Matt Cameron's drums on this track were compared to Ringo Starr's work on Abbey Road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEbYxEXM2cE

Top 10 songs of 2012

My favorite songs released in 2012. 

1. We Take Care of Our Own- Bruce Springsteen
2. Bridges Burning- Foo Fighters
3. Gold on the Ceiling- The Black Keys
4. Little Talks- Of Monsters and Men
5. Doom and Gloom- The Rolling Stones
6. She's the Woman- Van Halen
7. Little Black Submarines- The Black Keys
8. Drive By- Train
9. Skyfall- Adele
10. Live to Rise- Soundgarden

The Doors: Waiting for the Sun (1970)

The Doors released the album Waiting for the Sun in 1968, but the single did not appear for two years. “Waiting for the Sun” finally makes an appearance on Morrison Hotel. The song was just not ready in 1968. Soundgarden later covered the track in 1996. On a side note, it has one of my favorite lines of all time “This is the strangest life I have ever known.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kypyGSKsE

Songs of 2012 part 2

Continuing the look back at 2012...Big year for the Foos and Black Keys, Soundgarden returned, and Shawn Colvin has a song that is all over Austin radio...

Walk- Foo Fighters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PkcfQtibmU

Lonely Boy-Black Keys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8

Live to Rise- Soundgarden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ZNtOcY_1A

Little Black Submarines-Black Keys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k8es2BNloE

All Fall Down Shawn Colvin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHGZF8alJ9E

808. Outshined by Soundgarden (1991)

Originally, Soundgarden was a metal band. They changed their sound and expanded their horizons after breaking with the Badmotorfinger album. Their breakthrough single, "Outshined" features an outstanding riff and one of the greatest lines in music history. Not many lines are better than "I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6c1iv2Jhcc

815. Fell On Black Days by Soundgarden (1994)

Chris Cornell says the song is about being very happy and then realizing you are very unhappy and life sucks. I always thought it was about someone that committed a crime and ended up in prison for life. In a sense, I was not far off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpecGg07cFQ

841. Blow Up the Outside World by Soundgarden (1996)

"Blow Up the Outside World" sounds like it comes from a prisoner's perspective. Imagine being in jail and watching with bitter regret the progression of everyday life. Of course, one does not have to be an actual prisoner to feel imprisoned. Chris Cornell has admitted he would not mind blowing up the outside world to keep it from encroaching on him. On a side note, the song itself has been compared to a Beatles composition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC2GjXMk7i4