Earlier this year Soundgarden announced their triumphant return and to celebrate they have compiled another ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation.
The track selection is different to ‘A-Sides’, which came out in 1997, but no so different that both versions are essential to your collection. The first track ‘Hunted Down’ - the band’s first single - is a welcome addition that was glaringly absent from the band’s previous compilation.
It’s easy to forget after all of these years just how many great songs Soundgarden had, with ‘Outshined’, ‘Rusty Cage’, ‘Spoonman’, ‘My Wave’, ‘Fell On Black Days’, Burden In My Hand’ and ‘Blow Up The Outside World’ each stirring up a certain memory.
It’s also a relief to see that their last stinker of an album ‘Down On The Upside’ is limited to it’s two shining moments, ‘Burden In My Hand’ and ‘Blow Up The Outside World’.
‘Black Hole Sun’ is deliberately absent from the previous list. The band’s strength is heavy riffs in odd time signatures and their biggest hit sounds like watered down tripe when placed in the middle of these riff-laden gems.
The compilation closes with the previously unreleased ‘Black Rain’. The song was started in the 90s, but only completed recently for this project. If this song is anything to go by, Soundgarden have that fire in their belly that they had in the ‘Loud Love’ and ‘Badmotorfinger’ era and if this is the case, I can’t wait to check them out live again.
This album would certainly be a four star compilation, but it loses a star for being kind of unnecessary. If you already have ‘A-Sides’, don’t rush out and buy this, but if you don’t (or you’re unfamiliar with Soundgarden), this is a great way to get reacquainted with the band, or introduced to them.
The track listing for ‘Telephantasm’ is:
Hunted Down
Hands All Over
Outshined
Rusty Cage
Birth Ritual
My Wave
Spoon Man
Black Hole Sun
Fell On Black Days
Burden In My Hand
Blow Up The Outside World
Black Rain
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