No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol.1
I can still remember vividly the shock and sadness that consumed me with the death of Chris Cornell in 2017. Cornell’s unique voice had helped to soundtrack the formative years of my life through his solo work and that of Soundgarden, and for me the biggest influence – Audioslave. Memories of not just his death but the manner of that death still thrust great sadness upon me and no doubt his legion of fans.
I recently spoke of the relationship between my mental health and music in my blog ‘Mental Health, Music and Me’. It’s important to remember that talking helps and you can find some vital links to resources in that blog.
With the surprise release this week of the aptly named ‘No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1’ fans of Cornell have been given an early Christmas present; the chance to savour once again those dulcet tones of his. Looking at the tracklist I must admit that I hesitated to listen to the album. Not because I wasn’t sure that the work would be amazing, but because I knew that hearing Cornell sing these songs would elicit a range of emotions including immense sadness.
I’m really glad however that I took the dive into this amazing snapshot of Cornell. Through the course of the album many emotions are felt including thankfully joy and celebration of an incredible once in a lifetime artist. I’m not ashamed to admit that the one-two punch of ‘Patience’ and ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ hit very hard and deep. Be prepared to cry at times and smile wide at others. This album is perhaps the perfect way to seal the legacy of a true icon in rock music.
As you progress through this stunning album you can see the effort put into the careful curation and construction of the record. You can feel the love that has been put into the album by those upholding the legacy of Cornell. This is not a cash grab release, and fans of Cornell are privileged to have the opportunity to listen to these songs. On this release, the true power and adaptability of Cornell’s heavenly voice is there for all to see.
Whilst I close by saying that this is a must own for fans of Cornell and his previous work; I must also stress that this album is an incredible piece of work in its own right, and even those not familiar with the great man will find joy, sadness and everything in between, on this record.