1994 … The Year In Grunge!

1. // Soundgarden – Superunknown

By the time the Seattle Grunge scene hit the mainstream in 1991 with the release of Pearl Jam’s debut Ten, and the juggernaut of Nevermind from Nirvana, Soundgarden were veterans of the scene and already releasing their third LP Badmotorfinger. The record featured key songs in their catalogue such as ‘Rusty Cage’ and ‘Jesus Christ Pose,’ that began to take them to the next level commercially. However it would be with their next album Superunknown, that Soundgarden would absolutely establish themselves as a true force in mainstream Rock and Metal, with a striking frontman in Chris Cornell who would become an icon of the scene.

From the scintillating opening bars of ‘Let Me Drown’ and into ‘My Wave,’ this was a record that immediately showcased extraordinary songwriting, from four musicians who could experiment with unconventional time signatures and arrangements in order to produce a wholly unique sound and vibe. With the sumptuous ‘Fell On Black Days’ they would create one of the pivotal and most recognisable songs of their career, while the radio friendly ‘Black Hole Sun’ became their biggest ever hit, and one of the most iconic Rock songs of all time. ‘The Day I tried To Live’ is another undeniably classy song, while Soundgarden showed they could also still get down and dirty with the gloriously sludgy ‘4th Of July.’ KZ

2. // Alice In Chains – Jar Of Flies

Alice In Chains had announced themselves with their strong debut album Facelift back in 1990, and the song ‘Man In The Box’ which provided them with a hit on MTV. They solidified their place as Alternative Rock royalty with their follow up Dirt in 1992, while also establishing their role as the darkest of all of the Seattle bands that had been categorised by the press under the Grunge banner. Dirt was heavy, dark and melancholic. Full of muddy down-tuned riffs and tortured vocals from singer Layne Staley, with lyrics based largely around the theme of addiction. But their next move would prove to be a surprising one, as AIC entered the studio and recorded the predominantly acoustic based Jar Of Flies EP.

Jar Of Flies was a vast departure from the distortion and overall darkness of Dirt, however the vocal melodies and off-kilter key choices were still very much Alice In Chains through and through. Opening with the mellow and tender bars of ‘Rotten Apple,’ a subtlety infectious bassline is joined by the gorgeous Blues-soaked lead guitar work from Jerry Cantrell, before the soulful croon of Layne Staley joins the music. A couple of songs – the brooding melancholia of ‘Nutshell’ and the up-tempo and thoroughly up-lifting ‘No Excuses,’ are two of AIC’s finest compositions. While ‘I Stay Away’ and ‘Swing On This’ provide a distinctive style the band would explore further on their final studio album in 1995. KZ

3. // Pearl Jam – Vitalogy

Rising from the ashes of Mother Love Bone following the untimely death of singer Andrew Wood, Pearl Jam arrived with Ten in 1991 after MLB guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament had regrouped and hooked up with lead guitarist Mike McCready, and then unknown singer Eddie Vedder. To suggest that Pearl Jam hit the ground running would be an understatement of epic proportions. Ten catapulted them to stardom with songs such as ‘Alive’ and ‘Even Flow’ helping put them, and the Seattle scene firmly on the map. Their follow up Vs (1993) cemented their success with a similarly styled record, full of radio ready Alternative Rock, while their live performances at the time were also helping them gain a strong fanbase and plenty of press.

With their third record Vitalogy, produced by Brendan O’Brien, Pearl Jam would create an album that would begin a firm experimentation in their sound, and a change that would springboard them into the next phase of their career. The record opens with ‘Last Exit’ and ‘Spin The Black Circle’ – two sub 3 min punky high-tempo numbers, before dropping into the slower and more thoughtful ‘Not For You’ – one of the great Pearl Jam songs. Elsewhere ‘Tremor Christ’ features a deliciously pulsating riff, ‘Corduroy’ is beautifully multi-layered and with the band firmly firing on all cylinders. While ‘Immortality’ is melancholic and deeply moving. KZ

4. // Nirvana – Unplugged In New York

When Nirvana took to the MTV stage to record their Unplugged concert in Nov 1993, no-one could have predicted that just six months later Kurt Cobain would no longer be alive. The extraordinary frontman who had been uncomfortable with the level of success he had achieved became a legend, and when their album Unplugged In New York was released six months after his suicide, it unsurprisingly debuted at number one while also earning the band a Grammy for ‘Best Alternative Record.’ The stripped back and acoustic set absolutely resonated with fans, not only because Cobain was no longer alive, but that it had perfectly captured a moment in time and a phenomenal set by a band at their peak.

Many of Nirvana’s songs would lend themselves incredibly well to the Unplugged format, and listening back to the performance it is always a pleasure to listen to Cobain’s sarcastic wit as he briefly chats to the audience in between songs. ‘About A Girl’ from their first record Bleach (1989) opens the recording, followed by ‘Come As You Are.’ The second big single from their 1991 opus Nevermind. And while a number of their most haunting compositions from both Nevermind and In Utero (1993), such as ‘Dumb’ ‘Polly’ and ‘Something In The Way’ sit perfectly within the set. They also performed a number of cover versions for the show, including David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World,’ as well as well as ‘Plateau’ and ‘Ring Of Fire’ by The Meat Puppets. KZ

5. // Stone Temple Pilots – Purple

While Seattle may well have been the epicentre of the early 90s Grunge scene, with the big four of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden largely stealing the commercial limelight. If any band from outside of the city epitomised the sound, while staking a claim as the rightful ‘fifth’ big-player, it would be San Diego’s Stone Temple Pilots. They burst onto the scene with Core in 1992, catapulting themselves into the limelight with a fine collection of songs and an incredibly strong front-man in singer Scott Weiland. And STP would follow this up with Purple, an absolute classic of a sophomore album.

The record opens with one hell of a rolling groove on ‘Meatplow,’ with a delicious riff concocted by guitarist Dean DeLeo. While ‘Vasoline’ provided a strong melodic chorus and was a successful early single on the release. A stripped back intro and slide guitar on ‘Lounge Fly’ bleeds into a highly recognisable song for STP, while ‘Interstate Love Song’ provided another huge hit for the band. Many of the songs are built around a prominent and pulsating bassline from Robert DeLeo, with ‘Silvergun Superman’ providing a fine example of how his bass connects and weaves perfectly with his brothers riffs. While both ‘Big Empty’ and ‘Army Ants’ towards the backend of the record, provide two further moments of genius. KZ

6. // Hole – Live Through This

Another non-Seattle band forever associated with the Grunge sound would be the LA based Hole, fronted by Courtney Love, a singer and guitarist who modelled herself on the likes of Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, and famously (or infamously) of course married Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Forming a partnership who unfortunately lived their relationship very much in the limelight, with a connection that was always overshadowed by their reported drug use and of course Cobain’s suicide. Live Through This was Hole’s follow up to their 1991 debut Pretty In Pink, and is a record that many feel Cobain had a hand in writing, with the songs showcasing a band at their very peak.

‘Violet’ opens the record with Courtney Love’s distinctive vocal drawl, while highlighting the ‘soft verse, loud chorus’ ethos purveyed by Nirvana, as well as other early bands that influenced the Grunge sound such as The Pixies. There is a snarl in Love’s vocal delivery which has a clear Punk influence, while many of her vocal hooks are infectiously catchy. ‘Miss World’ and ‘Asking For It’ show a little more of a tender side in the vein of The Smashing Pumpkins. ‘Jennifer’s Body’ and ‘Credit In The Straight World’ highlight their brash, anarchic side. While the highlight of the album comes in the form of ‘Doll Parts,’ which also provided Hole with their biggest hit of the era. KZ

Words by Abstrakt_Soul