Some people think everybody is replaceable, that we are only bricks on the wall, just dust in the wind. Fortunately, it’s not everybody who shares this kind of thought. Soundgarden’s guitarist Kim Thayil told Billboard Soundgarden are highly unlikely to continue operating after last year’s death of frontman Chris Cornell. Read it here:
“It’s not likely that we could ever do Soundgarden without a missing piece. I’d like to do more with Matt in the future. I’d like to do something with Ben in the future.”
“It’s likely Matt and Ben and I will do something in the future – it just probably won’t be Soundgarden. I don’t see the dignity in pursuing that course.”
About the end of Soundgarden and their legacy:
“I’m completely satisfied, but it needs to be maintained. That’s why I’m overseeing the catalog and the merchandise, and I’ve been doing that all along because it’s important that the legacy is understood.”
“There’s an ever-expanding demographic of potential Soundgarden fans amidst a shrinking demographic of consumers, so it’s important that they there are good ways for them to hear what we did.”
So, what’s next?
“Really the ‘Screaming Life’ and Sub Pop sessions. We recorded enough material for an album-plus, but we only released an EP initially [ni 1987], and the moved on to doing the Fopp thing [in 1988] and had some new songs for that.”
“So there were things that were recorded for [a full] album that weren’t released because we had to compact it into a nice little EP, which is what Sub Pop was interested in doing ’cause in the early and mid-80s, EPs were punk-rock albums and a great way to introduce new artists.”
“So we have other material and Sub Pop is interested in putting it out, so we’re gonna do that, with Jack Endino mixing. There’s interest in putting out the ‘Live at the Paramount’ that was part of the [1991’s] ‘Badmotorfinger’ 25th anniversary, in the super deluxe version, as a standalone.”
“We’re coming up on the 30th anniversary of [1989’s] ‘Louder Than Love,’ and the ‘Louder Than Live’ album was never released commercially, just as a promotional thing.”
“I’m sure there’ll be another greatest-hits recording. And there are so many lives shows we recorded over the years that have interesting takes and covers.”
