The third issue of my musical review of the decade reaches 2012, with a surprise flashback to the nineties. Soundgarden had reformed, and returned with a new album and a series of UK dates.
Of all the grunge bands that had soundtracked my teenage years, Soundgarden have had the most lasting influence and longevity. I bought Superunknown from Ourprice in Lewisham in 1994, after hearing Black Hole Sun on the radio. It was the first time I had made a decision on musical taste based purely on my own, with no guidance from the preferences of my older brother Simon.
They were and still are one of a select few bands that I can name every member, and describe their exact contribution to the band’s overall sound. As they mellowed through the bluesier ‘Down on the Upside’, their intricate arrangements and dynamic shifts had a major effect on my own guitar playing style, and I still get a lot of pleasure from listening to them today.
Over 2012 and 2013 I saw them live three times, which more than made up for missing them in 1996. ‘King Animal’ may not be the album of the decade, ore even their finest work, but it came with enough quality and memories to make an impression, that’s why I chose it to represent 2012.
