At this point in time, many are still at a loss with the loss of Chris Cornell and that is more than understandable. The best that I could do in editorial form manifested in the piece Euphoric Mourning.
Chris Cornell’s grave sight @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Because music and loving it is such a personal act, every music fan of a band or an artist has a very particular and unique relationship with that which they love so much. Chris Cornell’s fans – whether they have tracked his career from its earliest Seattle days with rock titan Soundgarden, discovered him through Audioslave or as a solo artist – are no different. As a whole, they are a legion of the dedicated who have – and will always – appreciate Cornell not only for his otherworldly vocals, but also for his ability to craft songs of abstract and surrealistic beauty that spoke to them…spoke for them.
Since his passing, it only feels right to re-shine some light back on a particular passion project as it is one of the many ways that he will carry on in our memories. In 2015 a monumental body of work was released: Photofantasm Soundgarden: Nudedragons to King Animal. Created by Jaye and Mike English, it was a book the likes of which no one had ever seen before and the ultimate in respect being paid to Soundgarden as a chronicle of their 2010 reformation under the moniker Nudedragons to officially taking on the world again as Soundgarden to the release of King Animal (their first studio album in 16 years) and touring through 2013. Wholly created by fans and for fans.
Produced in limited quantities (only 1,000 printed) Photofantasm is a hell of a collector’s item: 592 pages, over 1,000 photos, interviews and commentary from artists like Duff McKagan, Korn, William DuVall (Alice in Chains), Bill Kelliher (Mastodon), Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), Peter Cornell (Chris’ brother) and more along with contributions from over 300 fans from over 30 countries sharing their personal Soundgarden accounts. Whether the fans were regular people, media, or music legends, the stories range from professional critiques, live show reviews to intimately heartfelt expressions of the emotional importance of Chris and Soundgarden in their lives. He, himself, stated that he “loved the book.”
Signed fan copy of Photofantasm Soundgarden: Nudedragons To King Animal
