A-Sides
Encyclopedia
A-Sides is a compilation album
by the American rock
band Soundgarden
with songs spanning the band's thirteen year career. It was released on November 4, 1997 through A&M Records
.
and was Soundgarden's last official release for 13 years, until 2010's Telephantasm
. It debuted at number 63 on the Billboard 200
album chart. A-Sides has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan
and over 700,000 copies worldwide, but has not yet been certified by the RIAA
. It peaked at number 51 on the UK Albums Chart
, number 39 on the Australian Albums Chart, and number 6 on the New Zealand Albums Chart
.
It contains one song absent from previous albums ("Bleed Together
") which appeared on import copies of the "Burden in My Hand
" single. Interestingly, the opening track "Nothing to Say" was originally not an A-side. It appeared as the B-side
to the band's first single "Hunted Down
" on Sub Pop
in 1987. In addition, "Get on the Snake" from Louder Than Love
was never released as a single. Also, the 1990 Sub Pop single "Room a Thousand Years Wide
" does not appear on A-Sides, nor the 1994 single "My Wave
" from Superunknown
.
Allmusic staff writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine
gave the album four and a half out of five stars. He said, "For an act that was one of the definitive album artists of the late '80s and '90s, Soundgarden was a surprisingly effective singles band. Their singles effectively conveyed all of their best ideas, from their sludgy
early Sub Pop recordings to the elaborate, post-metal
psychedelia
of their last two albums, Superunknown and Down on the Upside. That's the reason why the 17-track compilation A-Sides is such a successful overview of the band's too-brief career." Entertainment Weekly
reviewer David Browne gave the album an A. He said, "Pruning their best early songwriting ("Hands All Over", "Nothing to Say") and wisely highlighting chunks of their last two (and best) albums, A-Sides presents the band in all its evolving, bridling-horses glory and thunder. When all those Hanson
fans grow up and want to educate themselves on the flannel era they missed, here's where they should turn."
; all music composed by Cornell, except where noted.
Production
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by the American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
with songs spanning the band's thirteen year career. It was released on November 4, 1997 through A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
.
Overview
The album was released in 1997 on A&M RecordsA&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
and was Soundgarden's last official release for 13 years, until 2010's Telephantasm
Telephantasm
Telephantasm is a compilation album by the American grunge band Soundgarden. Featuring songs spanning the band's 13-year career, it was released on September 28, 2010 through A&M Records...
. It debuted at number 63 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. A-Sides has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
and over 700,000 copies worldwide, but has not yet been certified by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. It peaked at number 51 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, number 39 on the Australian Albums Chart, and number 6 on the New Zealand Albums Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
.
It contains one song absent from previous albums ("Bleed Together
Bleed Together
"Bleed Together" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Bleed Together" was first released in the United States on Soundgarden's post-breakup greatest hits album, A-Sides . It had previously appeared as a B-side on some foreign copies of the band's 1996...
") which appeared on import copies of the "Burden in My Hand
Burden in My Hand
"Burden in My Hand" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Burden in My Hand" was released on September 18, 1996 as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside . The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,...
" single. Interestingly, the opening track "Nothing to Say" was originally not an A-side. It appeared as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to the band's first single "Hunted Down
Hunted Down
"Hunted Down" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by guitarist Kim Thayil, "Hunted Down" was released in June 1987 as the band's first single. It is the first track on the band's first release, the Screaming Life EP...
" on Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
in 1987. In addition, "Get on the Snake" from Louder Than Love
Louder than Love
Louder Than Love is the second studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on September 5, 1989 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its first full-length studio album, Ultramega OK , Soundgarden signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label...
was never released as a single. Also, the 1990 Sub Pop single "Room a Thousand Years Wide
Room a Thousand Years Wide
"Room a Thousand Years Wide" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by guitarist Kim Thayil and music written by drummer Matt Cameron, "Room a Thousand Years Wide" was released as a single in 1990 through Sub Pop...
" does not appear on A-Sides, nor the 1994 single "My Wave
My Wave
"My Wave" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil, "My Wave" was released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown...
" from Superunknown
Superunknown
Superunknown is the fourth album by American grunge band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger...
.
Allmusic staff writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
gave the album four and a half out of five stars. He said, "For an act that was one of the definitive album artists of the late '80s and '90s, Soundgarden was a surprisingly effective singles band. Their singles effectively conveyed all of their best ideas, from their sludgy
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
early Sub Pop recordings to the elaborate, post-metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
psychedelia
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
of their last two albums, Superunknown and Down on the Upside. That's the reason why the 17-track compilation A-Sides is such a successful overview of the band's too-brief career." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reviewer David Browne gave the album an A. He said, "Pruning their best early songwriting ("Hands All Over", "Nothing to Say") and wisely highlighting chunks of their last two (and best) albums, A-Sides presents the band in all its evolving, bridling-horses glory and thunder. When all those Hanson
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
fans grow up and want to educate themselves on the flannel era they missed, here's where they should turn."
Track listing
All lyrics written by Chris CornellChris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
; all music composed by Cornell, except where noted.
- "Nothing to Say" (Kim ThayilKim ThayilKim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
) – 3:56- Originally from Screaming LifeScreaming Life-Outtakes:The song "Toy Box" was recorded during the sessions for Screaming Life. It was later featured on the "Flower" single. The instrumental track "The Telephantasm" was recorded mostly during these sessions and was released as a separate single in late 2010 and as an iTunes bonus track on...
.
- Originally from Screaming Life
- "Flower" (Thayil) – 3:25
- Originally from Ultramega OKUltramega OKUltramega OK is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on October 31, 1988 through SST Records. Following the release of the EPs Screaming Life , and Fopp , both for the Sub Pop record label, Soundgarden signed with the independent record label SST and went to work...
.
- Originally from Ultramega OK
- "Loud LoveLoud Love"Loud Love" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Loud Love" was released on August 30, 1989 as the first single from the band's second studio album, Louder Than Love . It is the quasi-title track from album, and was also the basis for the EP Loudest...
" – 4:57- Originally from Louder Than LoveLouder than LoveLouder Than Love is the second studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on September 5, 1989 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its first full-length studio album, Ultramega OK , Soundgarden signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label...
.
- Originally from Louder Than Love
- "Hands All Over" (Thayil) – 6:00
- Originally from Louder Than Love.
- "Get on the Snake" (Thayil) – 3:44
- Originally from Louder Than Love.
- "Jesus Christ PoseJesus Christ Pose"Jesus Christ Pose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in 1991 as the first single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger...
" (Matt CameronMatt CameronMatthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
, Cornell, Ben ShepherdBen ShepherdBen Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
, Thayil) – 5:51- Originally from BadmotorfingerBadmotorfingerBadmotorfinger is the third studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its previous album, Louder Than Love , Soundgarden began the recording sessions for its next album with new bassist Ben Shepherd...
.
- Originally from Badmotorfinger
- "OutshinedOutshined"Outshined" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Outshined" was released in 1991 as the second single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger...
" – 5:11- Originally from Badmotorfinger.
- "Rusty CageRusty Cage"Rusty Cage" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Rusty Cage" was released in 1992 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger . The song became an instant hit and was released as a single in several different formats...
" – 4:26- Originally from Badmotorfinger.
- "SpoonmanSpoonman"Spoonman" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 15, 1994 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown . "Spoonman" is often credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career...
" – 4:06- Originally from SuperunknownSuperunknownSuperunknown is the fourth album by American grunge band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger...
.
- Originally from Superunknown
- "The Day I Tried to LiveThe Day I Tried to Live"The Day I Tried to Live" is a song by the American grunge band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "The Day I Tried to Live" was released in 1994 as the second single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown . The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock...
" – 5:19- Originally from Superunknown.
- "Black Hole SunBlack Hole Sun"Black Hole Sun" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris finneran, "Black Hole Sun" was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown . It is arguably the band's most recognizable and most popular song, and remains a well...
" – 5:18- Originally from Superunknown.
- "Fell on Black Days" – 4:42
- Originally from Superunknown.
- "Pretty NoosePretty Noose"Pretty Noose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Pretty Noose" was released in March 1996 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside . The song reached number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart...
" – 4:12- Originally from Down on the UpsideDown on the UpsideDown on the Upside is the fifth studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996 through A&M Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Superunknown , Soundgarden commenced work on a new album...
.
- Originally from Down on the Upside
- "Burden in My HandBurden in My Hand"Burden in My Hand" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Burden in My Hand" was released on September 18, 1996 as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside . The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,...
" – 4:50- Originally from Down on the Upside.
- "Blow Up the Outside WorldBlow Up the Outside World"Blow Up the Outside World" is a song by the American grunge band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Blow Up the Outside World" was released on November 18, 1996 as the third single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside . The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock...
" – 5:46- Originally from Down on the Upside.
- "Ty CobbTy Cobb (song)"Ty Cobb" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by bassist Ben Shepherd, "Ty Cobb" was released in April 1997 as the fourth single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside...
" (Shepherd) – 3:05- Originally from Down on the Upside.
- "Bleed TogetherBleed Together"Bleed Together" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Bleed Together" was first released in the United States on Soundgarden's post-breakup greatest hits album, A-Sides . It had previously appeared as a B-side on some foreign copies of the band's 1996...
" – 3:54- Originally from the "Burden in My HandBurden in My Hand"Burden in My Hand" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Burden in My Hand" was released on September 18, 1996 as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside . The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,...
" single.
- Originally from the "Burden in My Hand
Personnel
Soundgarden- Matt CameronMatt CameronMatthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
– percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Chris CornellChris CornellChris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Ben ShepherdBen ShepherdBen Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 6-17 - Kim ThayilKim ThayilKim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Hiro YamamotoHiro YamamotoHiro Yamamoto is an American bassist who was a founding member of grunge band Soundgarden, along with Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell in 1984...
– bass guitar on tracks 1-5
Production
- Nelson Ayres, John Jackson – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
assistance - Michael BarbieroMichael BarbieroMichael Francis Barbiero , is an American record producer, mixer, engineer, songwriter, and journalist.-Background:Michael Barbiero has worked with a number of artists, such as Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tesla, Cinderella, Blues Traveler, Ziggy Marley, Belouis Some, Cutting Crew, Counting Crows,...
, Brendan O'BrienBrendan O'Brien (music producer)Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
, Ron Saint GermainRon Saint GermainRon Saint Germain is a record producer, engineer, and mixer who was born in post-war Frankfurt, Germany into a career Air Force Family. He has helped several up and coming artists enjoy a long career in the music industry, and has even taken to naming bands...
, Steve ThompsonSteve Thompson (musician)-Biography:Steve Thompson is an American record producer, Having worked with Guns N Roses, Madonna, John Lennon, Wu Tang, Korn, Cutting Crew, Belouis Some,Public Enemy, Whitney Houston, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers...
– mixing - Matt BaylesMatt Bayles-Information:Bayles is known for his work with bands such as Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch, Mastodon, The Fall of Troy, Minus The Bear, Burnt by the Sun and Norma Jean....
, Stuart Hallerman, Efren Herrera, Sam Hofstedt – assistant engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Michael BeinhornMichael BeinhornMichael Beinhorn is an American musician and record producer.Beinhorn started his professional career as a musician, playing keyboards in Bill Laswell's Material during the 1980s...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Larry Brewer – production assistance
- John Burton, Tom Smurdon – additional tracking assistance
- Drew Canulette – production, engineering
- Dave Collins, Howie WeinbergHowie WeinbergHowie Weinberg is a music mastering engineer who has worked with numerous bands.- Career :He has worked at Masterdisk, New York City, since 1977...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Jason Corsaro, Lance Limbocker – engineering
- Terry DateTerry DateTerry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
– production, engineering - Jack EndinoJack EndinoJack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
– production, engineering, assistant engineering - Larimie Garcia, Steve Gilbert, Michael LavineMichael LavineMichael Lavine is a portrait photographer based in New York City. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, and graduated from Denver's South High School in 1981....
, Jan Van Oldenmark, Charles PetersonCharles Peterson (photographer)Charles Peterson is an American photographer well known for his work with the independent record label Sub Pop. His photos are presented in the movie Kurt Cobain: About a Son...
, Mark Seliger, Kevin Westenberg – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film... - Adam KasperAdam KasperAdam Kasper is a Seattle area record producer and engineer, working with such bands as Cat Power, Pond, Seaweed, The Tragically Hip, Truly, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, R.E.M., Soundgarden and Pearl Jam...
– assistant engineering, mixing assistance, co-production, engineering, mixing - Oogie – art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
and design - Soundgarden – production, mixing
Album
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
6 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
63 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
90 |
| Chart (1998) | Position |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
39 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Main | US Mod |
||
| 1997 | "Bleed Together" | 13 | 32 |