Shop Ireland

Down On The Upside by: Soundgarden

Click to tell a friend about this item...

More Product Details...

Review Pages: 1 2 Next »

Click here to add a review!

Average rating -

Rating: - Soundgarden - Down on the Upside

Soundgarden's last gasp produced a classic rock album, that fits both as the natural progression of the band's sound, and as a standalone rock album that would attract a new audience. Down on the Upside is Soundgarden's most mature album and sees them make the final move away from their grunge roots.

What first strikes the listener, is the way the sound had been expanded from Superunknown, into a grander, more apocalyptic sonic landscape. Gone are most of the sludgy guitars and the chaos of their earlier days, and on the opener "Pretty Noose", the climactic tone is set. Slow mover "Rhinosaur" breaks spontaneously into a torrent of guitar soloing and madness - an indication that the band still have the capacity to surprise.

Where Soundgarden really soar though, are on the slow burning epics. "Blow up the Outside Would", the keystone to the album's first half, builds throughout to the grand wailing chorus, and stands tall amongst the rest of the album. Likewise, "tighter and tighter" with its monumental guitar solo (clearly inspired by previous efforts "4th of July" and "Limo Wreck") and its ear crushing finale, is a bombastic last word, resonating vividly amongst the playful and the obscure album second half.

Down on the Upside winds down from this point on and ends leaving you with a sense of completion, as the band's last breath of life roars out of your stereo. It is an inspirational and rewarding listen, from artists who rarely achieved less, and is a lasting tribute to their creativity and their willingness to push the boundaries of Grunge and Alternative Rock.

Rating: - kings of grunge

for me down on the upside is one of the best albums of the 90,s
as a listener it has always kept me gripped from start to finish.This is a bunch of great musicians experimenting on there landmark album SUPERUNKOWN,and by doing that they create some very intelligent and intense rock music.Every band out there creating music needs to listen to soundgarden THEY DONT MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE.

Rating: - Giving everything they own

Lets abandon the fruitless comparisons and labelling of this to earlier records of the "Grunge" viene. The truth is, Soundgarden were slowing down, and they knew that this would be their last. For this reason they were bound to turn to their own experiments and search for another direction on their own. This brings the disjointed nature of 'Ty Cobb' and the slightly misguided 'Never named'. Of course we looked for Cornell's lushous syrupy lyrics and at times he doesn't dissapoint, but to ask for "Superunknown 2" would be a tragic waste of talent. It retains the essential, infinate quality of every Soundgarden album. I can listen to the album endlessly and each time I find something new. The thoughtful and melodic 'Zero Chance' and 'Switch Opens' being these overlooked, hidden mysteries. They resonate deep sadness that makes this an essential album for any fan of their unique and unmistakable charm. Its an album for all seasons with the racous and thumping 'No Attention', the pensive 'Boot Camp', the reflective 'Burden in my hand' and the tuneful and radio rocking 'Pretty Noose'. Talent shines through in every lick and thump and Im left wondering of the complexities of their poetry. This album can never sprout the same boredom or familiarity of 'Nevermind' or 'Dirt', and this is where the album's power lies. Its difficult to entirley warm to imediatly but given a little time 'Down on the Upside'proves to be the most rewarding of albums. All experiments have their flaws, but look beyond some isolated weaknesses and this is a truly wonderful music experience. They leave you wanting more, as any great artist would. They avoided the grinding routine of Pearl Jam's recent years and the endlessly dissapointing final Smashing Pumpkins work. They left on a high note, and that should be respected as a rarity in modern rock. This truly is their highest note of all. Thankyou Soundgarden.

Rating: - 16 Class Songs!!

Ignore what other people say about this album. It had a lot of expectations to live up to, as people thought that i was gonna be the next In Utero. Unfortunatley it wasn't, but it still a great album. Here Soundgarden have continued in the footsteps of Superunknown, turning away from metal and more into rock, and all the tracks are in different styles than Badmotorfinger (e.g. slow, heavy, fast, grungy etc.). This album will keep you hooked until track 16. Buy it!!!

Rating: - Down on the Upside - Soundgarden

Down on the upside, released in 1996 was Soundgarden's final installment and followed in the footsteps of Superunknown. Down on the upside possesses most of the instrumental features common to Superunknown and as always, Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron perform in their, close-to-perfection manners. Cornell's vocals have evolved once more, from his original 80's, almost theatrical, hard rock vocals featured on early Soundgarden albums, to become coarser and scratchier, discarding the melodic and whinny vocals, which have been his trademark for so long. Though, at times, Cornell briefly retains his beautiful, syrupy vocals which epitomised Superunknown, evidence of this return to form can be heard on the track 'Tighter and Tighter'.

Down on the upside points Soundgarden in a new direction, severing their roots in 'grunge', and opening up the gates of alternative rock/metal. Song highlights include; 'Burden in my hand' - worthy of being on Superunknown and 'Rhinosaur' - containing an impressive lead guitar, others worth noting are 'Pretty Noose', 'Overfloater' and 'Boot Camp'. Down on the Upside is laced with 'album quirks', songs which tend to fill gaps in other albums, appear to dominate this one, examples are 'Applebite' and 'Never Named'. These songs feature at the core of the album, tracks 8 and 9, material that is usually used as an album outro, now creates the illusion that there are two parts to this album. The first part unquestionably being the best. The nature of songs like 'Applebite' and 'Never Named' suggest that Soundgarden were further experimenting with their 'style', the random and careless organisation of such experimental tracks, on the album, echoes that of Pearl Jam's No Code.

Though it is unfair to continuously compare Down on the Upside to the masterpiece Superunknown, this album, were it not under the shadow of Superunknown, is a bitter disappointment. The album aims to achieve a certain sound; too many of the tracks are similar (in tempo), the lyrics are lifeless and dull and the majority of the experimental songs, lack anything unusual. Overall, there is more to dislike, than to enjoy about this album. After sampling career highlights such as Badmotorfinger and Superunknown, Down on the upside comes as a shock, as they are capable of so much more. Those impressed by the band's previous work, and expecting a consistent, serious and mature offering, regrettably do not receive it. To put it plainly, one word to describe this album would be - annoying.

Review Pages: 1 2 Next »