Songbook (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)

 
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5.0 out of 5 stars MUST HAVE, November 21, 2011

By 

T K (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Songbook (Audio CD)

Chris Cornell absolutely is one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Before Songbook tour, he had been constantly criticized for his unstable vocal performances. I believe that the critics were somewhat right for the Audioslave era in which Chris also admitted that he had problems with alcohol and smoking that could have affected his vocal ability during that time. But man... The Old Chris is back. I watched one of the tours last May in Seattle, and his vocal performance was a way beyond my expectation. After seeing his concert, I also have been watching his Songbook tour videos on Youtube and I have to say that he sounded so good throughout the tour. To me, he sounds even better than how he sounded when he was in Soundgarden in the early 90s. The voice is more mature and powerful than ever before. What surprises me is that his vocal performance was so stable throughout the entire tour despite that he had to perform without much gap between tour dates. Having just one or two days off after performing more than two hours for three or four days in a row, and then performing again, on and on, for a few months is not an easy thing for any musician. Although this may not be much of a problem for many singers whose songs do not require much of vocal range, this is not the case for Chris, as many of his songs are above high C. Also, we all know many vocalists, even those who are considered the greatest of all time, could not maintain their quality of voice when they turned about age of 40. Chris is almost 50 now...! He deserves much respect for keeping his singing ability.

As you may hear from the tracks, he does not have any problem with hitting right pitch. "Call Me A Dog", for example, goes up around high E or F, but he sounds just fine hitting that note. Now if you think about it, what kind of musicians nowadays can hit that note with power, timbre and soul like Chris's while playing a guitar at the same time? Not just this, but also, without losing voice after performing for more than two hours for three or four days in a row? I certainly can't think of anyone. Of course, vocal range and power are not the only factors that define a good singer, but they certainly indicate the singer's vocal ability. I am so glad to see that Chris gained his master vocal ability back, and I strongly hope he does more tour like Songbook in the future.

A tiny little complain I have about this album is that I wish they made it into two CDs because there are so many songs from the tour that could have been included, such as "Say Hello 2 Heaven", "Preaching the End of the World", "Billie Jean", "Getaway Car","Redemption Song", and especially "When I'm Down".

Anyway, just one unofficial acoustic album- Unplugged In Sweden - was not adequate for a great acoustic live performer like Chris; fans certainly want more. This Songbook album is a must have for all those who thirst for 'that vocal performance'.found 

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Chris Cornell raw!, November 21, 2011

By 

Michael (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songbook (Audio CD)

Songbook is the new live acoustic album from Chris Cornell showcasing his awesome vocals and songwriting ability as performed along his very successful recent solo tour. Chris Cornell is a true survivor of rock having had success with Soundgarden, Audioslave, and three solo albums prior to this amazing collection of acoustic tunes. There was a little taste of what this album contains with the hidden track at the end of his previous solo album but Songbook is definitely what fans of this iconic voice wanted to hear. Highlights include the amazing Temple Of The Dog classic "Call Me A Dog", the brilliant version of the Audioslave track "I Am The Highway", the dark sound of Soundgarden's classic track "Fell On Black Days", and the memorable melodies of the Audioslave hit "Like A Stone". It is amazing how he can turn relatively simple chord progressions into memorable songs with his powerful voice and interesting lyrics. I saw Chris Cornell perform these songs at The Sydney Opera House recently and I can tell you it was a stunning show and Songbook is a great memento of his tour. What more can be said about Chris Cornell and his decision to please his fans with a gift like this - essential listening!