Superunknown was a breakthrough in many ways.
Not only did the album bring Soundgarden a new audience, it dramatically expanded their vision, as well as their accomplishments.
If Down on the Upside initially seems a retreat from the grand, layered textures of Superunknown, let it sink in.
The sound of Down on the Upside is certainly more immediate, but the band hasn't returned to the monstrous, unfocused wailing of Louder Than Love.
Instead, they've retained their ambitious song structures, neo-psychedelic guitar textures, and winding melodies but haven't dressed them up with detailed production.
Consequently, Down on the Upside is visceral as well as cerebral -- "Rhinosaur" goes for the gut, while "Pretty Noose" is updated, muscular prog rock.
Down on the Upside is a deceptive album -- it might seem like nothing more than heavy metal, but a closer listen reveals that Soundgarden haven't tempered their ambitions at all.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretty NooseChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | RhinosaurMatt Cameron, Chris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 3 | Zero ChanceChris Cornell, Ben Shepherd | Soundgarden | Play | 04:18 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 4 | DustyChris Cornell, Ben Shepherd | Soundgarden | Play | 04:34 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 5 | Ty CobbChris Cornell, Ben Shepherd | Soundgarden | Play | 03:05 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 6 | Blow up the Outside WorldChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 05:45 | 13 MB | 38 MB |
| 7 | Burden in My HandChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 04:50 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 8 | Never NamedChris Cornell, Ben Shepherd | Soundgarden | Play | 02:27 | 5 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | ApplebiteMatt Cameron, Chris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 05:09 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 10 | Never the Machine ForeverKim Thayil | Soundgarden | Play | 03:36 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 11 | Tighter & TighterChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 06:06 | 13 MB | 43 MB |
| 12 | No AttentionChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 34 MB |
| 13 | Switch OpensChris Cornell, Ben Shepherd | Soundgarden | Play | 03:52 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 14 | OverfloaterChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 05:08 | 11 MB | 35 MB |
| 15 | An UnkindBen Shepherd | Soundgarden | Play | 02:08 | 4 MB | 14 MB |
| 16 | Boot CampChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 02:58 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 65 mins | 150 MB | |||||
| 65 mins | 459 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Bayles | Assistant Engineer |
| 2 | John Burton | Assistant Engineer, Tracking Assistant |
| 3 | Matt Cameron | Composer, Drums, Moog Synthesizer, Percussion |
| 4 | Dave Collins | Mastering |
| 5 | Chris Cornell | Composer, Fender Rhodes, Guitar, Mandola, Mandolin, Piano, Vocals |
| 6 | Sam Hofstedt | Assistant Engineer |
| 7 | Adam Kasper | Engineer, Mixing, Piano, Producer |
| 8 | Ben Shepherd | Bass, Composer, Mandola, Mandolin, Photography |
| 9 | Tom Smurdon | Assistant Engineer, Tracking Assistant |
| 10 | Soundgarden | Mixing, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 11 | Kim Thayil | Composer, Guitar |
| 12 | Kevin Westenberg | Photography |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |