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Ultramega OK

Soundgarden

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Album Review

The best expression of Soundgarden's early, Stooges/MC5-meets-Zeppelin/Sabbath sound, Ultramega OK is a dark, murky, buzzing record that simultaneously subverts and pays tribute to heavy metal. At times, the band and its recasting of over-the-top '70s hard rock seem smirky (Hiro Yamamoto's ridiculous vocal on "Circle of Power"; a "cover" of John Lennon's "One Minute of Silence"); a few, like the cover of "Smokestack Lightning," really do sink into turgid metal silliness. But the best moments are startling fusions of classic metal, punk rock, and psychedelia of the fuzz guitar variety, plus the local flavor of Green River and the Melvins. The difference was, Soundgarden were better songwriters, and their feel for memorable riffs and hooks lends greater power to both the rockers and the creepy, dirge-like slow numbers. It's a shame the album as a whole isn't more fully realized, because when separated out from the filler, the numerous highlights show why Soundgarden had such an enormous impact on the development of grunge. It may not be quite as complex or consistent as some of Soundgarden's later albums, but Ultramega OK is easily the best document of grunge's early, pre-Nirvana days.

Customer Reviews

Great Album

Early Soundgarden; this stuff is truly part of the alternate universe. Best tracks: Flower, Beyond the Wheel, Mood for Trouble, and their great cover of Smokestack Lightning. iTunes needs to get Louder than Love too. Oh, and it's pathetic that iTunes doesn't have an Essentials liist for Soundgarden when they have one for Jessica Simpson, seriously.

FOR HARCORE FANS ONLY!

This album is Soundgarden in their earliest stage. There's still hints of great talent and songwriting, but overall the album is very heavy, and probably was not intended or expected to sell many copies. If you like Soundgarden the band, and not just their softer later hits, this album is a great buy, because it showcases a heavier, metal-driven side of them. There are flashes of brilliance in this album (Cornell's vocals in Beyond the Wheel, Thayil's guitar in Smokestack Lightning, and Cameron's drums in Incessant Mace), and for Chris Cornell fans, who are looking for some heavy stuff, this album is a goldmine. That said, if this were the only album that Soundgarden made, they would not have become such a big band, and honestly, its unlikely that itunes would have this album for sale. Still, this album has become a favorite of mine, because as Chris Cornell gets older, and has started playing acoustic guitar, there will be precious few heavy songs. If you liked Louder than Love, or Badmotorfinger, I GUARANTEE you'll love this album. If you liked Superunknown or Down on the Upside, you'll like some of the songs, like Flower, but this may not be for you, because there is not one light song in the bunch. And if you got into Cornell because of Euphoria Morning, or Audioslave, or the Bond theme, You'll be in for quite a surprise here. Song ratings: Flower (9/10-very good solid song, easiest to listen to) All Your Lies-(8.5/10--Fast paced, showcase of talent, but gets repetitive; basically a half-assed version of SUPERUNKNOWN's "Let me drown" ) 665, 667--these songs suck, i won't lie Beyond the Wheel--(10/10! Awesome song, but REALLY heavy. Not for the faint of hearing.) Mood for Trouble--(7/10)--Good as a filler track Circle of power--2/10 or 9/10. They were just screwing around here, and it shows. If you want a serious good song, don't listen to it--its one of the few times cornells vocals are pathetic. However, the song is HILARIOUS to listen to, and its very entertaining. As a joke I played it on my parents stereo, to show them why I love soundgarden so much, and they almost sent me to a psychiatrist. He Didn't--(7.5/10. Psychedelic song, written by Matt Cameron, that really grows on you.) Smokestack Lightning--(9.5/10. GREAT SONG, even though its a cover. Cornell sings his heart out and shows his range, and Thayil treats us to a KICKASS guitar solo.) Nazi Driver--(7/10). Great vocals, not a whole lot of song structure. Easy to get lost in. Head Injury--(8.5/10) Good solid song, shows that when they try, they make real good music. Roots of their creativity and style they'll show later on. Incessant Mace--(9/10)--GREAT TRACK. Matt Cameron's drums really make this song. Its slow, thick, and heavy, and if thats how you like it, this song is just for you. Its also pleasantly long, so you can savor it. But if you don't like it in the first 15 seconds, skip it--the whole song sounds like it, with a few solos. One Minute of Silence--0/10. Uhh, yeah, whatever. Bottom line: a very good heavy album, and if you like Soundgarden, you'll like it. Otherwise, its not a good album to introduce you to that wonderful seattle band. This is them, jamming just how they liked it. I mean, all bands say money is not an object, but here, the band were still roommates, and still lived in a dumpy apartment, and had to walk to the store to pick up groceries. Very raw, unfocused, intense, showcases tremendous talent and potential. If you are an SG fan get it, if not check out a few of their other albums (Badmotorfinger is a great primer to this), and then check this out again.

One of Soundgarden's best.

The fact that someone has reviewed this album as not radio ready should be a red flag beckoning you to check it out. This record has all the elments that killed cheeze metal, it is unpretentious and raw. The only SG release that tops this album is their "Sreaming Life EP", check it. It's far better than their mediocre radio play stuff.

Biography

Formed: 1984 in Seattle, WA

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '80s, '90s, '10s

Soundgarden made a place for heavy metal in alternative rock. Their fellow Seattle rockers Green River may have spearheaded the grunge sound, but they relied on noise rock in the vein of the Stooges. Similarly, Jane's Addiction were too fascinated with prog rock and performance art to appeal to a wide array of metal fans. Soundgarden, however, developed directly out of the grandiose blues-rock of Led Zeppelin and the sludgy, slow riffs of Black Sabbath. Which isn't to say they were a straight-ahead...
Full Bio

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