Chris Cornell

GETHURT.COM REVIEW OF SCREAM

http://gethurt.com/2009/02/08/album-of-the-week-scream/

Review

Great review. It's a negative review but the writer didn't go about it too negatively. "In reality, it’s a fine album. There are good songs, and the production is certainly up to par within the genre." What I took from this is that sure it's up to par within the genre but not up to par for Chris Cornell.

"Imagine that Timbaland went about producing a record just the same way he does for Justin Timberlake, and had Chris Cornell sing on it."

Exactly, the singer is replaceable. It's a Timbaland album with "insert artist here".

I agree, it's not bad for what it is. For the genre it's in, it's an ok album. But for a Chris Cornell album, most people know that he's capable of so much more.

I Promise it's not goodbye...

is the only reason why I visit to site to listen to this beautiful song. This is what CC is capable of doing.
Scream is a different story and I'm sorry I have to agree with Ron and Get Hurt's reviewer. The only good track is Take me Alive and perhaps the Justin Timberlake sounding track before that one.

I don't like the multiple compressed voices, that is the biggest turn off. I listened to Scream 3 or 4 times now and I find it boring and in some parts annoying.
Some people will love it though.

I'd rather listen to Jonathan Segel and his computer.

Uh huh

And yet, another review on this blog gives Kanye's new album 808's and heartbreak the most improved because he is doing something other than rap, and breaking out of that mold. He also employs many of the same techniques used on Scream.
I guess, because we expect different from Chris, many can't get past that.

For the record, I love Kanye's newest cd, and yes his voice isn't the greatest, but the emotion and concepts shine through.

That is how I feel about Scream, also. Is Chris destined to be a pop/funk/r&b/club artist? No, but the effort he puts forth along with the emotion and concepts shine through here for me, also.

Jill

Re: Uh huh

hear4cc wrote:
And yet, another review on this blog gives Kanye's new album 808's and heartbreak the most improved because he is doing something other than rap, and breaking out of that mold. He also employs many of the same techniques used on Scream.
I guess, because we expect different from Chris, many can't get past that.

For the record, I love Kanye's newest cd, and yes his voice isn't the greatest, but the emotion and concepts shine through.

That is how I feel about Scream, also. Is Chris destined to be a pop/funk/r&b/club artist? No, but the effort he puts forth along with the emotion and concepts shine through here for me, also.

Jill

Re: Re: Uh huh

cdnron75 wrote:

hear4cc wrote:
And yet, another review on this blog gives Kanye's new album 808's and heartbreak the most improved because he is doing something other than rap, and breaking out of that mold. He also employs many of the same techniques used on Scream.
I guess, because we expect different from Chris, many can't get past that.

For the record, I love Kanye's newest cd, and yes his voice isn't the greatest, but the emotion and concepts shine through.

That is how I feel about Scream, also. Is Chris destined to be a pop/funk/r&b/club artist? No, but the effort he puts forth along with the emotion and concepts shine through here for me, also.

Jill

Maybe it's because Kanye's album is actually a decent album whereas Scream isn't (at least in it's recorded album form)? From what I've heard of Kanye's new stuff, I like it. I have no problem with CC doing something different, as long as it's done well. I don't blame CC for that though, I blame Timbaland for wrecking what could have been an amazing album. I really like Take Me Alive aside from a little overproduction here and there and I like Ground Zero aside from the yelps. I think those are good songs. Of the songs that I have heard live, I think they're really good (except Part Of Me, live or recorded I don't like that song). For the most part, the lyrics are pretty solid as well, other than a few songs where they get pretty repetitive and lack real emotion.

The concepts that you say shine through on Scream were mainly placed there by Timbaland, not CC. All of the beats, blips, yelps, auto-tune, etc were masterminded by Timbaland. Thus why this album is an "insert any artist" album. The lyrics were a collaboration with mostly CC writing but other than that it was mainly Timbaland that took the reins. I think CC, unbeknownst to himself, was a puppet of Timbaland.

!

"insert any artist," you say Ron
gosh what an insult
what artist sounds even remotely like Cornell - even through all the fancy effects, that some people like and some people don't so much
it IS distinctly Cornell
different but clearly it's him, esp. in the darkness of the lyrics

and i think everyone knows by now exactly how you feel about the record, Ron - fine you don't like.
but why must you endlessly try to convince the world not to like it - people are not stupid - they have ears and can make their own minds up, without being badgered

Re: !

seafud wrote:
"even through all the fancy effects, that some people like and some people don't so much it IS distinctly Cornell different but clearly it's him, esp. in the darkness of the lyrics

Re: Re: !

MKButler wrote:

seafud wrote:
"even through all the fancy effects, that some people like and some people don't so much it IS distinctly Cornell different but clearly it's him, esp. in the darkness of the lyrics

Actually (I'm not trying to start an argument) but I disagree with this statement. While I agree that SOME of the lyrics are definitely him, several of these songs could have (and judging by the writing credits) have been written by anyone and there are songs on this album that are so overproduced that if I didn't know it was CC, I wouldn't be able to tell it was him. I think that's one of the things that bothers me most on this album. Timbaland has been able to take mediocre singers and through his "production" either drown them out or make them sound great, so really he's very valuable to a marginal artist. CC's voice is his instrument and (IMHO) doesn't need to be "over-produced" as he does with other artists. It truly bothers me how much he screwed around with his voice on this.

MKB

Re: Re: !

MKButler wrote:

seafud wrote:
"even through all the fancy effects, that some people like and some people don't so much it IS distinctly Cornell different but clearly it's him, esp. in the darkness of the lyrics

Actually (I'm not trying to start an argument) but I disagree with this statement. While I agree that SOME of the lyrics are definitely him, several of these songs could have (and judging by the writing credits) have been written by anyone and there are songs on this album that are so overproduced that if I didn't know it was CC, I wouldn't be able to tell it was him. I think that's one of the things that bothers me most on this album. Timbaland has been able to take mediocre singers and through his "production" either drown them out or make them sound great, so really he's very valuable to a marginal artist. CC's voice is his instrument and (IMHO) doesn't need to be "over-produced" as he does with other artists. It truly bothers me how much he screwed around with his voice on this.

MKB

Re: Re: Re: Uh huh

hear4cc wrote:

cdnron75 wrote:

hear4cc wrote:
And yet, another review on this blog gives Kanye's new album 808's and heartbreak the most improved because he is doing something other than rap, and breaking out of that mold. He also employs many of the same techniques used on Scream.
I guess, because we expect different from Chris, many can't get past that.

For the record, I love Kanye's newest cd, and yes his voice isn't the greatest, but the emotion and concepts shine through.

That is how I feel about Scream, also. Is Chris destined to be a pop/funk/r&b/club artist? No, but the effort he puts forth along with the emotion and concepts shine through here for me, also.

Jill

Maybe it's because Kanye's album is actually a decent album whereas Scream isn't (at least in it's recorded album form)? From what I've heard of Kanye's new stuff, I like it. I have no problem with CC doing something different, as long as it's done well. I don't blame CC for that though, I blame Timbaland for wrecking what could have been an amazing album. I really like Take Me Alive aside from a little overproduction here and there and I like Ground Zero aside from the yelps. I think those are good songs. Of the songs that I have heard live, I think they're really good (except Part Of Me, live or recorded I don't like that song). For the most part, the lyrics are pretty solid as well, other than a few songs where they get pretty repetitive and lack real emotion.

The concepts that you say shine through on Scream were mainly placed there by Timbaland, not CC. All of the beats, blips, yelps, auto-tune, etc were masterminded by Timbaland. Thus why this album is an "insert any artist" album. The lyrics were a collaboration with mostly CC writing but other than that it was mainly Timbaland that took the reins. I think CC, unbeknownst to himself, was a puppet of Timbaland.

Your opinion, not fact, Ron. I like what I hear, and I don't think Chris can be a puppet for anyone, why else did he leave SG and AS? What you are saying, in effect, Ron, is that he is not a very smart guy and can be lead around by the nose,
I think the cd is full of emotion. The concepts that shine through on the cd FOR ME, RON, are that of soul, funk and the whole album as a story idea.
You have said how you feel, so allow me to say what I feel without interpreting it for me, please.

Jill

Re: !

seafud wrote:
"insert any artist," you say Ron
gosh what an insult
what artist sounds even remotely like Cornell - even through all the fancy effects, that some people like and some people don't so much
it IS distinctly Cornell
different but clearly it's him, esp. in the darkness of the lyrics

and i think everyone knows by now exactly how you feel about the record, Ron - fine you don't like.
but why must you endlessly try to convince the world not to like it - people are not stupid - they have ears and can make their own minds up, without being badgered

Re: Re: !

MKButler wrote:

seafud wrote:
"even through all the fancy effects, that some people like and some people don't so much it IS distinctly Cornell different but clearly it's him, esp. in the darkness of the lyrics

Actually (I'm not trying to start an argument) but I disagree with this statement. While I agree that SOME of the lyrics are definitely him, several of these songs could have (and judging by the writing credits) have been written by anyone and there are songs on this album that are so overproduced that if I didn't know it was CC, I wouldn't be able to tell it was him. I think that's one of the things that bothers me most on this album. Timbaland has been able to take mediocre singers and through his "production" either drown them out or make them sound great, so really he's very valuable to a marginal artist. CC's voice is his instrument and (IMHO) doesn't need to be "over-produced" as he does with other artists. It truly bothers me how much he screwed around with his voice on this.

MKB

What the F ever

The album has a few ups and downs but to say Insert Artist Here is a complete joke.

......

"It is fact that Timbaland wrecked this project."

It's statements like this that make us come to this album and CC's defense.

It's NOT fact as Jill pointed out! It's your opinion and belief. Implying that your opinion is fact doesn't make it so. It's your opinion, you are entitled to that. But fact is based on evidence. What evidence, aside from your opinion, do you have that Timbaland wrecked this album, that has not officially been released? Are the sales down? Has concert attendance been affected? Are little old ladies coming up to him and hitting him with their purse???

Reviews can't be figured in as evidence. Positive or negative ... they are still opinion. Negative or postive posts cannot be figured in as evidence. It's still opinion.

Give me some cold, hard evidence to back up your statement if you want it to be worth more than space on a screen. Otherwise don't try to pass it off as anything other than your opinion.

And, raw feeling and emotion doesn't always have to be in your face to be effective. Whether it's Chris' restrained vocals or his voice blanketed by a layer of Timbaland sounds, sometimes vocal subtlety better conveys the mood of a song than primal wailing. (Although I do like when Chris does his signature wail.)
This isn't fact, it's only my opinion.

Re: ......

warriorwoman25 wrote:
"It is fact that Timbaland wrecked this project."

It's statements like this that make us come to this album and CC's defense.

It's NOT fact as Jill pointed out! It's your opinion and belief. Implying that your opinion is fact doesn't make it so. It's your opinion, you are entitled to that. But fact is based on evidence. What evidence, aside from your opinion, do you have that Timbaland wrecked this album, that has not officially been released? Are the sales down? Has concert attendance been affected? Are little old ladies coming up to him and hitting him with their purse???

Reviews can't be figured in as evidence. Positive or negative ... they are still opinion. Negative or postive posts cannot be figured in as evidence. It's still opinion.

Give me some cold, hard evidence to back up your statement if you want it to be worth more than space on a screen. Otherwise don't try to pass it off as anything other than your opinion.

And, raw feeling and emotion doesn't always have to be in your face to be effective. Whether it's Chris' restrained vocals or his voice blanketed by a layer of Timbaland sounds, sometimes vocal subtlety better conveys the mood of a song than primal wailing. (Although I do like when Chris does his signature wail.)
This isn't fact, it's only my opinion.

Re: Re: ......

"It amuses me how much the same few people rush to CC's defense and demand that people provide evidence to back up their statements. Get a life people!"

Interpret that as, "I don't have any evidence to provide for support."

"I don't have to prove anything but if it isn't fact, why are droves of long-time fans shunning and crying out against Scream?"

How many in a drove? Seems the same few people come on and post that they don't like Scream about as much as the same few people post in defense of Scream and CC.

"You speak of vocal subtlety. You can spin it all you want to try to make it positive but vocal subtlety and overproduction are two very different things. I can differentiate between the two and Scream suffers from overproduction."

Please explain it to me so I know the difference.

" I also know that feeling and emotion don't have to be in your face to be effective but Scream is neither in your face wailing nor is it subtle. Timbaland's overproduction is in your face but CC's vocals are far from it. The album is just meh. It has few shining moments but overall it's forgettable. It will never rank up there with SG or AS albums. It could have been so much better. Here's hoping that CC will return to form for the next album."

This is your opinion .... thank you for sharing it. But when you want to talk fact, please support what you say with something other than your opinion. We all have one. Does that make us all either right or wrong?

...

I am so bored with this site. Every time I come here (which is usually every day, looking for some news etc) I see the same thing. A new review of Scream has been posted, cdnron tells us how bad Timbaland made this album, 5 or 6 others tell cdnron that his opinion is not fact, and defend the CC/Timbaland collaboration, and then a very long winded thread of bickering back and forth ensues.

It's the same fucking cookie cutter thread over and over and over. Seriously, can we maybe try something different here for once, or I am going to be sick of Scream before the album is even officially released. This forum is becoming a parody of itself, I swear people are just cutting and pasting their posts from what they wrote in other threads now.

cdnron, I'm sure you're probably a reasonable guy/gal, but seriously, enough is enough, we are all fully aware of your opinion by now. People either like Scream or they don't, I don't think you're going to change anyone's mind. Same with you people that like Scream, you're not going to sway anyone who seriously has made up their mind that they're not going to like it.

So please...can we talk about something else for once.

Thank you for listening, if you chose to.

Re: Re: Re: ......

warriorwoman25 wrote:


"I don't have to prove anything but if it isn't fact, why are droves of long-time fans shunning and crying out against Scream?"

How many in a drove? Seems the same few people come on and post that they don't like Scream about as much as the same few people post in defense of Scream and CC.

Re: Re: Re: Re: ......

well i think thats rubbish merkin. Maybe your friends are all hard rock fans but i'm just awoman who works in a shop and i like all kinds of music and I think this is great. Blabbermouth and sites like that hates it but they hated audioslave too. Go on myspace and round about on other sites and you see a lot of people liking scream, I don't see thm laughing at Cornell over this,they are interested. haha wait till it sells bigtime, you will have to eat your words.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ......

bladerunner262 wrote:
well i think thats rubbish merkin. Maybe your friends are all hard rock fans but i'm just awoman who works in a shop and i like all kinds of music and I think this is great. Blabbermouth and sites like that hates it but they hated audioslave too. Go on myspace and round about on other sites and you see a lot of people liking scream, I don't see thm laughing at Cornell over this,they are interested. haha wait till it sells bigtime, you will have to eat your words.

Re: ...Screaming at the top of my head.

cmac32 wrote:
I am so bored with this site. Every time I come here (which is usually every day, looking for some news etc) I see the same thing. A new review of Scream has been posted, cdnron tells us how bad Timbaland made this album, 5 or 6 others tell cdnron that his opinion is not fact, and defend the CC/Timbaland collaboration, and then a very long winded thread of bickering back and forth ensues.

It's the same fucking cookie cutter thread over and over and over. Seriously, can we maybe try something different here for once, or I am going to be sick of Scream before the album is even officially released. This forum is becoming a parody of itself, I swear people are just cutting and pasting their posts from what they wrote in other threads now.

So please...can we talk about something else for once.

Thank you for listening, if you chose to.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ......

merkin51 wrote:

bladerunner262 wrote:
well i think thats rubbish merkin. Maybe your friends are all hard rock fans but i'm just awoman who works in a shop and i like all kinds of music and I think this is great. Blabbermouth and sites like that hates it but they hated audioslave too. Go on myspace and round about on other sites and you see a lot of people liking scream, I don't see thm laughing at Cornell over this,they are interested. haha wait till it sells bigtime, you will have to eat your words.

Did I say it wouldn't sell? There are enough casual music fans like you in the world to make it a success, I realise that. By selling-out, that's who Cornell is aiming at, that's the whole idea. He's putting out a record full of Radio Friendly Unit Shifters. But in the more-than-casual-music-fan communities, it's getting panned.

Excuse me...I'll just bypass the boring bickering...

Davidsatan said: "I'd rather be talking about the qualities of drying paint." Me, too! It's another fascinatingly boring topic.

Acrylic paint dries faster than oil paint because it’s water–based. It’s inflexible, quick and easy to clean. It forms a continuous film and sometimes you can peel it off in one big piece but then, what do you do with that big useless paint piece? That’s a real puzzler. Now, if you paint with oil paint and try to apply it OVER the latex paint, it will crack. It doesn’t adhere properly. You know...oil and water don’t mix. Oil works only with oil. You can manipulate oils easier and work with them for a longer period of time because it takes awhile for them to dry. But if the drying out is happening too fast, you should just add more oil (not water) to keep it alive longer. There’s a smelly dirty and yet pleasant, mess to deal with at the end, which is quite satisfying. You should never actually stand around watching the paint dry, though. Unless there’s really nothing else to do.

(Hmmm...note Timbo/CC metaphors in the paint...)

Whatever

There were many who thought that debating and talking were part of a forum, esp. if it was Ron having his say over and over again.

Personally, I was talking about the similarities and differences of Kanye's album, as this reviewer liked Kanye's album and so do I.

You can read everything or nothing or watch paint dry and talk about it.
I don't give a f**k.

Jill

.......

I do agree that this thread has gone the way of the dozens of other similar threads before it. Yes, it does get old, but this is CC fan forum and quite frankly what else are we suppose to discuss with a new album coming out that is completely different than anything else he's ever done....although Artbrut does make drying paint sound quite fascinating! LOL

What's interesting to me is that the review that started this whole thread rolling isn't really a review at all. All this dude said was that he didn't like it....wouldn't call that a comprehensive review.....

MKB

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ......

GottinHemel wrote:

merkin51 wrote:

bladerunner262 wrote:
well i think thats rubbish merkin. Maybe your friends are all hard rock fans but i'm just awoman who works in a shop and i like all kinds of music and I think this is great. Blabbermouth and sites like that hates it but they hated audioslave too. Go on myspace and round about on other sites and you see a lot of people liking scream, I don't see thm laughing at Cornell over this,they are interested. haha wait till it sells bigtime, you will have to eat your words.

Did I say it wouldn't sell? There are enough casual music fans like you in the world to make it a success, I realise that. By selling-out, that's who Cornell is aiming at, that's the whole idea. He's putting out a record full of Radio Friendly Unit Shifters. But in the more-than-casual-music-fan communities, it's getting panned.

Why should liking all kinds of music necessarily mean you are merely a casual music fan, Mr Merkin? I should have thought having catholic taste is more likely to indicate a DEEPER commitment to music, isn't it? So, conversely, someone who only likes heavy rock music would necessarily be a blinkered bigot, then? Obviously, I'm sure you're nothing of the sort. Any gentleman sharing an esoteric interest in pubic wiggery with Mr Keenan has established his unimpeachable musical credentials. But it makes you think doesn't it?

As does the Cornell Bubble in Streatham. Thanks for telling us all about that. Boy, do we miss out north of the river. You have the Eden Project and now this! No wonder people south of the Thames are clammering all over themselves [huh?!]. Or is that what the wig is supposed to cover up?

Re: .......

MKButler wrote:
...the review that started this whole thread rolling isn't really a review at all. All this dude said was that he didn't like it....wouldn't call that a comprehensive review.....
MKB

Re: Re: .......

megahurt wrote:

MKButler wrote:
...the review that started this whole thread rolling isn't really a review at all. All this dude said was that he didn't like it....wouldn't call that a comprehensive review.....
MKB

Where did I say I didn't like it? If you learn to read, you'll find that I actually said "it’s a fine album".

Re: Re: .......

megahurt wrote:

MKButler wrote:
...the review that started this whole thread rolling isn't really a review at all. All this dude said was that he didn't like it....wouldn't call that a comprehensive review.....
MKB

Where did I say I didn't like it? If you learn to read, you'll find that I actually said "it’s a fine album".

Re: Re: Re: ......

"Interpret that as, "I don't have any evidence to provide for support.""

Interpret that as whatever you want, but what do you personally get out of demanding facts and evidence? I don't have to explain myself to you or any of the other Street Teamers on this forum. Like I said, get a life!

"How many in a drove? Seems the same few people come on and post that they don't like Scream about as much as the same few people post in defense of Scream and CC."

Like someone else had posted, outside of the Street Team bubble on this site, there has been a lot of negative reaction and the negative far outweighs the positive. From reactions I have personally witnessed to most I've read off of this site, it's mostly been negative.

"Please explain it to me so I know the difference."

I hope that was just a sarcastic remark.

"This is your opinion .... thank you for sharing it. But when you want to talk fact, please support what you say with something other than your opinion. We all have one. Does that make us all either right or wrong?"

The album IS just meh. It's nothing groundbreaking and that's a fact (a much more groundbreaking album with eastern influences is M.I.A.'s new album). Scream is getting panned. It looks like all the die hard Scream fans are doing whatever damage control they can to try to prove otherwise. If CC really stated that Scream is the best work he's done in his career, then I will have lost all respect for him. It's FAR from his best work.

Re: Re: Re: .......

MKButler wrote:

megahurt wrote:

MKButler wrote:
...the review that started this whole thread rolling isn't really a review at all. All this dude said was that he didn't like it....wouldn't call that a comprehensive review.....
MKB

Where did I say I didn't like it? If you learn to read, you'll find that I actually said "it’s a fine album".

Excuse me...."if I learn to read?" Your review was void of any critical content and told us nothing...except some comment about Justin Timberlake and since I've never listened to him...thank God....I don't know what he sounds like. There's no need to come on here hurling insults at people you don't even know. Quite frankly, I'm very intelligent and read quite well....well enough to know that your website sucks. My fifth and sixth graders (and maybe even my 2 second graders) are better descriptive writers than you. (insert raspberry here :P) And oh by the way if we're going to be insulting, from what I saw I'm a better artist (and photographer) than you AND my kids are cuter!!!!! So there.....

Hey Ron....help out a damsel in distress! I don't take lightly to having my intelligence insulted by this putz!

MKB

w

There may be a lot of negative press about this album but you can never claim that something as subjective as music is fact.

closed

This thread is now closed.