Soundgarden: Halfway There – new video

Borrowing words from SOUNDGARDEN's ‘Halfway There’: “Have you got a car? Somewhere to sleep? Someone who loves you? Something to eat? I would say you’re doing better than most - though maybe not as well as some”, I wish you all a very happy 5774. The above video was directed by the band's art director, Josh Graham, who also directed the band's video for ‘Been Away Too Long’, available for your viewing pleasure below. Both tunes come off SOUNDGARDEN's first original material album in over 15 years, ‘King Animal’. Produced by Grammy Award winner Adam Kasper, the group's sixth album which was released in November 2012 on Universal Music Group, ‘King Animal’ sold 83,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release and landed at position number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The album also performed well in Europe where in entered Italian charts at number 18, Greek charts at number 20, UK Albums Chart at number 21 – to mention just a few of its achievements. ‘King Animal’ awaits you here (Universal store):

“ ‘King Animal’ is a big, bright album, executed with precision and professionalism. The bandmembers sound older, not quite as loud, and possess a keener sense of good taste, and it sounds as if they’ve aged together, which is a testament to their innate chemistry. Simply put, SOUNDGARDEN sound like they belong together; Cornell [Chris, vocalist and guitarist] sounds richer, fuller when anchored by drummer Matt Cameron, bassist Ben Shepherd, and the deceptively sinewy and brainy guitarist Kim Thayil, whose presence has sorely been missed over the past decade,” [commented Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic – read the rest here]

Formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer and guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto, SOUNDGARDEN was the first grunge band to be signed by a major label, A&M Records, in 1988. Matt Cameron joined as full-time drummer in 1986 and Ben Shepherd replaced Yamamoto as bassist in 1990. Following the release of two EPs, 1987's ‘Screaming Life’ and 1998's ‘Fopp’, SOUNDGARDEN issued their debut studio album, 1988's ‘Ultramega OK’, to critical acclaim and Grammy Award nomination (in 1990) for Best Metal Performance. 1989's ‘Louder Than Love’ become the band's first album to chart on the Billboard Top 200 (at number 108). Recorded with new bassist Ben Shepherd, 1991's ‘Badmotorfinger’ proved a significant hit, reaching position number 39 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, receiving a Grammy Award nomination in 1992 and eventually turning platinum twice in the USA:

“… SOUNDGARDEN suddenly developed a sense of craft, with the result that ‘Badmotorfinger’ became far and away their most fully realized album to that point. Pretty much everything about [the album] is a step up from its predecessors - the production is sharper and the music more ambitious, while the songwriting takes a quantum leap in focus and consistency,” [wrote Steve Huey, Allmusic – more here]

‘Superunknown’, released in 1994, was the band's breakthrough album; it debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 (an achievement it matched in Australia), reached position number 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart, and position number 4 in the U.K. The album was certified platinum five times in the U.S. and three times in Canada alone, and has sold approximately 9 million copies worldwide. The album was, of course, nominated for Best Rock Album in 1995, while the single ‘Black Hole Sun’ won Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, and its brother, ‘Spoonman’, won Grammy for Best Metal Performance. SOUNDGARDEN's fifth album, ‘Down On The Upside’, debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified platinum in the U.S. Internal strife caused SOUNDGARDEN's break up in 1997. In 2010, the band announced a reunion and the release of a compilation album, ‘Telephantasm’.

SOUNDGARDEN features: Chris Cornell – vocals and guitar, Kim Thayil – lead guitar, Matt Cameron – drums and Ben Shepherd – bass