Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog (1991)If you walk up to an average person and ask them if they like Temple of the Dog, they may look at you like you're a total lunatic. To be completely honest, I myself was perplexed by the name when I first heard it. I couldn't imagine there being above average music on this lone album by a band that had such a brief run. But then I listened to the music, and after one listen to the album I was completely hooked. If my experience doesn't intrigue you, then maybe the story behind the album will. To start off, the band features an all-star cast (who at the time were really just getting started); Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) fills the lead vocal position, and boy does he do it well. His vocals on the album opener "Say Hello 2 Heaven" are quite inspiring, and I get chills every time. Future Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron sits in on the skins and does an excellent job of adding to the tone of each song. One could say that this recording is when the soon-to-be Pearl Jam was formed, for lead guitarist Mike McCready, rhythm-guitarist Stone Gossard, and bassist Jeff Ament comprise the remainder of the band's lineup. To me, the chemistry shared between these musicians is utterly fantastic. The album, which was released during the heart of the Grunge era, has that mild grungy tinge to it, but in my mind the final product is a heavily classic-rock-injected spectacle. The icing on the cake of this album is the hit single "Hunger Strike" (which most people have heard, but sadly never knew it was by this band); this song is really special because it features inspiring vocals from guest and friend of the band Eddie Vedder, who we all know went on with McCready, Gossard, and Ament to form Pearl jam and make their masterpiece, Ten, just a few months later. Vedder only landed in this song though because apparently Cornell had heard him rehearsing outside the studio and was quite moved by Vedder's unique, low-register style of singing. I think it was fate.
Do yourself a favor and GET THIS ALBUM!
Cornell's voice and emotions in this song are just too perfect. It's so good that it hurts:
