The Pink Floyd album Chris Cornell listened to more than any other
It is hard to imagine a world without the music of Chris Cornell. Across Audioslave, Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog, his impact on the music industry is irrefutable. Leaving a mark on the industry that can be seen and heard way beyond his years, Cornell’s abilities as a songsmith and singer remain as remarkable today as they always have been.
Known as ‘The Voice’ by those close to him, Alice Cooper described how the moniker was given to Cornell for the simple reason that his voice was that much better than that of his colleagues. A man whose body of work has served to influence the masses, Cornell’s relationship with music was multi-layered, spanning a range of interests.
Explaining to The Guardian back in 2009, Cornell admitted that the artists that shaped his taste in music were as varied as they were exceptional. Stating that: “From 17 to 19, all I listened to was Elvis Costello and the Beat.” In that same interview, Cornell would openly admit that the trio of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones all had an impact on his musical style due to their constant radio play.
Yet, in the same year as that Guardian interview, Cornell peeled back the curtain on his later teenage years, revealing that it was fellow English artist Pink Floyd’s 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn that he would find himself constantly drawn back to.
“I was 19 the first time I heard it,” Cornell told Rolling Stone Magazine. “I don’t know how many times I’ve had to buy it — five times on CD, cassettes, different versions of vinyl. I used to have the back of that album painted on my leather jacket.”
On ‘Black Hole Sun’, Soundgarden’s iconic track, there is no mistaking who stood head and tall above all other musical influences for Cornell. From the moment the intro kicks in with the swirly scratchy noises leading into Cornell’s vocals, follow this with the time given to allow each instrument to work in tandem, and the impact of Pink Floyd is clear. It is influenced by without imitating the best of Pink Floyd, a belief that was held by Cornell himself. “I liken it to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, where there’s a happy veneer over something dark,” Cornell explained to Uncut. “It’s not something I can do on purpose, but occasionally, it will happen by accident.”
Barrett, was crucial to the production of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, writing all but one song on the finished album. He would also write ‘Jugband Blues’ for the band’s follow-up release, 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets. Barrett would also play guitar on both Remember a Day and Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun from the same release. He would be removed from the band that same year.
Never afraid to hide how those who came before affected his own music, Cornell’s solo shows would, on several occasions, see the musician take to the stage to cover and pay homage to those who inspired him.
