Sunday, August 28, 2011

Euphoria Morning





Chris Cornell's Sunshower was played many times over on NU-107. And yet, I didn't bother listening to it from start to finish. I might have found Cornell's vocals too raw, or the song gained radio airplay at a time when my sound preference had already shifted to Electronic music.

It is only when the song was played - for the last time - by the same radio station did it hit me with elegiac discontent. "Why only now?!?" I bemoaned while leaning my forehead against the glass surface next to the disc jockey's booth.  Maybe it was the pervading glum that allowed me to absorb the message and the climactic vocals near the Outro served as my soft pillow that evening. I was grieving and Sunshower made me feel it wasn't the end.

Alternative music lives.

Released in 1999 as a bonus track for Cornell's first solo studio album "Euphoria Morning," the single was also featured in the Great Expectations' soundtrack album.



Chris Cornell went on to become the front man of the rock supergroup Audioslave. He seldom spoke about his first solo album, which flopped commercially. Sunshower on the other hand edged closer to being forgotten. No explanation was ever given as to what the single is all about. Yet, for all its obsolesce, the song plays best when everything around seems to crumble. It is a depressingly uplifting song that leaves you hoping  - for better days - even when the timeline remains uncertain.





7 comments:

ZaiZai said...

Great Expectations has one of the best soundtracks - and Sunshower is one of my fave songs.It's quite comforting, in a noisy way :)

zeke said...

We do differ in song preferences, right? Hehe..

Sean said...

great song - thanks for sharing. and i like the way you described it as "depressingly uplifting".

Mugen said...

Zaizai:

Nice to have you back - here! Never saw the Great Expectations movie pero familiar rin ako sa ibang tracks na kasama sa album. :)

Greenbreaker:

Not really. Sabi ko nga, you haven't peeled my music preference yet. :)

Sean:

Contrast diba? Glad you liked the song.

Lyka Bergen said...

So this guy is from Audioslave eh? Love their "Doesn't Remind Me" :)

This music style re-invents itself. 90's Alternative is from 80's New Wave, 70's Punk, and 60's Garage. Now, 2000's has its own version... Indie!

ZaiZai said...

the movie is just as good :) yung soundtrack ko cassette tape pa :)

Mugen said...

Zaizai:

Honga, mga 1999 pa yan eh. :D

Lyka:

Like A Stone lang alam ko sa Audioslave eh. Pero tama ka, music reinvents itself. Ang next feature song ko eh most likely alam mo rin. Hehe.