Badmotorfinger
Encyclopedia
Badmotorfinger 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
(1989), Soundgarden began the recording sessions for its next album with new bassist Ben Shepherd
. The music on the album maintained the band's heavy metal sound while featuring an increased focus on songwriting as compared with the band's previous releases.
The focus on the Seattle grunge
scene helped bring attention to Badmotorfinger. The singles "Outshined
" and "Rusty Cage
" were able to find an audience at rock radio and MTV. Badmotorfinger became the band's highest charting album at the time on the Billboard 200
. The band supported the album with tours of North America and Europe, including opening for Guns N' Roses
on that band's Use Your Illusion Tour
. In 1992, Badmotorfinger was nominated for the Grammy Award
for Best Metal Performance
. The album has been certified two times platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) in the United States, and had, by October 2010, sold 1,517,000 copies in the United States.
, who joined the group in April 1990. Shepherd replaced previous bassist Jason Everman
. The album was recorded in late 1991 at Studio D in Sausalito
, California
, Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington
, and A&M Studios
in Los Angeles
, California
. Soundgarden chose to work with producer Terry Date again as it had on its previous release Louder Than Love. Frontman Chris Cornell
said the band decided to work with Date again seeing as the band had a good relationship with him and did not want to go through the pressure of trying to find a new producer.
Cornell said that Shepherd brought a "fresh and creative" approach to the recording sessions, and the band as a whole said that his knowledge of music and writing skills redefined the band. Before joining, Soundgarden had been Shepherd's favorite band. Compared with Louder Than Love, the band took a more collaborative approach to the writing process.
audiences, but it attacks with scientific precision." Guitarist Kim Thayil
jokingly called it the "Heavy Metal White Album
." Cornell said, "I think there's songs on the new record which are almost more commercially viable because they have that memorable feel to them, and I think if anyone expected us to come out and make something more commercial than Louder Than Love, then I'm glad that they were surprised." Cornell also added that the album is more representative of how the band is live. Shepherd contributed the song "Somewhere" and collaborated on the musical composition of several other songs on the album. Thayil said that Shepherd's contributions helped make the album "faster" and "weirder."
On the opening song, "Rusty Cage
", Thayil uses a wah pedal as an audio filter
, producing an unusual guitar sound. In describing the song's guitar riff he said that it "almost sounds backward." Soundgarden utilized alternative tunings and odd time signature
s on several of the album's songs. "Jesus Christ Pose" and "Outshined" were performed in drop D tuning
. On "Rusty Cage", "Holy Water", and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed", the bottom E string is tuned all the way down to B. On "Mind Riot" every string is tuned to one of several E's. Soundgarden's use of odd-meter time signatures was varied as well; songs like "Jesus Christ Pose" are in typical 4/4 time, "Outshined" is in 7/4, "New Damage" is in 9/4 and 4/4, "Somewhere" is in 6/4, "Face Pollution" uses 9/8 and 6/4, "Rusty Cage" is in 4/4 and 19/8, and "Holy Water" is in 4/4 with a section of 10/8 at the end. Thayil said that he didn't "push for weird time signatures," but rather "push[ed] to get the quirkiness out of things."
Cornell said that he tried to not get too specific with his lyrics and was more interested in "creating colourful images." Thayil suggested that it is "like reading a novel [about] man's conflict with himself and society, or the government, or his family, or the economy, or anything." "Jesus Christ Pose" was written about famous people who exploit the symbol of Jesus
' crucifixion as to suggest that they're persecuted by the public. Cornell said that "Outshined" is about going from "periods of extreme self-confidence" to "plummeting in the opposite direction." "Holy Water" was written about people who force their beliefs unto others. Thayil wrote the lyrics for "Room a Thousand Years Wide", and said that the song is about "experience in general." "New Damage" subtly criticizes the right-wing
government of the United States.
-like design. In the center of the logo is a triangle containing a spark plug
. The album's cover art was illustrated by guitarist Mark Dancey from the Sub Pop
band Big Chief. Thayil suggested the title Badmotorfinger as a joke on the Montrose
song "Bad Motor Scooter
". Regarding the title, Thayil said, "It was sort of off the top of my head. I simply like it because it was colorful. It was kinda aggressive, too...It conjures up a lot of different kinds of images. We like the ambiguity in it, the way it sounded and the way it looked."
album chart. It was released in the same year as Nirvana
's Nevermind
and Pearl Jam
's Ten
, all of which helped to break grunge
into the mainstream. Although overshadowed at the time of its release by the sudden popularity of Nirvana's Nevermind, the focus of attention brought by Nevermind to the Seattle scene helped Soundgarden gain wider attention. Badmotorfinger was among the 100 top selling albums of 1992. Badmotorfinger has been certified two times platinum by the RIAA.
Allmusic staff writer Steve Huey gave the album four and a half out of five stars, calling it "heavy, challenging hard rock full of intellectual sensibility and complex band interplay." Ann Powers of Blender
said, "Cornell strikes the perfect Jesus Christ pose on this sonic wallop." Gina Arnold
of Entertainment Weekly
gave the album a B+. She said, "On songs like the cynical "Jesus Christ Pose" and "Slaves and Bulldozers", Soundgarden sound a hell of a lot smarter than their peers, who seldom get beyond extolling booze, girls, and cars." She ended her review by stating that "the final effect is merely stylishly bombastic rather than bludgeoningly bombastic. Tuneless heavy metal is, after all, still tuneless heavy metal, and in that department, Soundgarden are as functional as they make 'em." Critic Robert Christgau
gave the album a B-, calling it a "credible metal album" while also criticizing the album's lyrical writing.
Badmotorfinger included the singles "Jesus Christ Pose
", "Outshined
", and "Rusty Cage
". The three singles gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations, while the videos for "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" gained considerable airtime on MTV
. The lead single "Jesus Christ Pose" and its music video
were the subject of widespread controversy in 1991, and the video was removed from MTV
's playlist. Many listeners were outraged by the song and its video, perceiving them as anti-Christian. The band received death threats while on tour in the United Kingdom in support of the album.
At the 1992 Grammy Awards
, Badmotorfinger received a nomination for Best Metal Performance
. It was also ranked number 45 in the October 2006 issue of Guitar World
on the magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time.
during October and November 1991. Afterward, the band took a slot opening for Guns N' Roses
in North America on the band's Use Your Illusion Tour
. Soundgarden was personally selected by Guns N' Roses as its opening band. This was Soundgarden's first arena tour. Afterward, the band took a slot opening for Skid Row in North America in February 1992 on the band's Slave to the Grind
tour. Soundgarden then headed to Europe
for a month-long headlining theater tour. Afterward, the band then returned for a tour in the United States
. Soundgarden rejoined Guns N' Roses as part of the Use Your Illusion Tour in the summer of 1992 for a tour of Europe along with fellow opening act Faith No More
. Regarding the time spent opening for Guns N' Roses, Cornell said, "It wasn't a whole lot of fun going out in front of 40,000 people for 35 minutes every day. Most of them hadn't heard our songs and didn't care about them. It was a bizarre thing." The band would go on to play the 1992 Lollapalooza
tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
, Pearl Jam
, and Ministry
, among others. The band later released the video compilation Motorvision
, which was filmed at the Paramount Theatre
in 1992.
, except where noted.
Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas (or SOMMS). The title is a palindrome
. This EP includes three covers
, a Soundgarden original, and a song recorded at a concert. For its cover of Black Sabbath
's "Into the Void
", the original lyrics are replaced by words of protest by Chief Sealth
, which fit the meter of the song. At the 1993 Grammy Awards
, "Into the Void (Sealth)" received a nomination for Best Metal Performance
.
As a tribute of sorts, special editions of the 2006 album Altar
, a collaboration between the bands Sunn O)))
and Boris
, feature a second disc (of just one song) that also has the title of Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas. Kim Thayil plays guitar on "Blood Swamp", another track from the main disc of the album.
s from the Badmotorfinger recording sessions that weren't included on the album, "Stray Cat Blues", "Into the Void
(Sealth)", "Cold Bitch", "I Can't Give You Anything", "Girl U Want
", "Show Me", "I Don't Care About You", "Can You See Me", "Homicidal Suicidal", "Touch Me", "She's a Politician", and "Black Rain
". "Show Me" was later featured on the 1993 No Alternative
compilation, "Cold Bitch" was later featured on the "Spoonman
" single, "Girl U Want" was later featured on the "Fell on Black Days" single, and "She's a Politician" was later featured on the "Burden in My Hand
" single. "Cold Bitch" was one of Shepherd's favorite songs that the band recorded. The song "Birth Ritual" was worked on during the recording sessions, but was not completed. It would eventually see release on the Singles soundtrack, and on Telephantasm
. "No Attention", which later appeared on the band's 1996 album, Down on the Upside
, was attempted during the Badmotorfinger recording sessions. Thayil said that the recording of "No Attention" that came out of the sessions did not work. "Black Rain" was released for the first time ever on the Telephantasm
greatest hits set on September 28, 2010.
Additional musicians and production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the American grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
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...
, released on October 8, 1991 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:...
. After touring in support of its previous album, 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...
(1989), Soundgarden began the recording sessions for its next album with new bassist Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd
Ben 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...
. The music on the album maintained the band's heavy metal sound while featuring an increased focus on songwriting as compared with the band's previous releases.
The focus on the Seattle grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
scene helped bring attention to Badmotorfinger. The singles "Outshined
Outshined
"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...
" and "Rusty Cage
Rusty 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...
" were able to find an audience at rock radio and MTV. Badmotorfinger became the band's highest charting album at the time 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...
. The band supported the album with tours of North America and Europe, including opening for Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
on that band's Use Your Illusion Tour
Use Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 194 shows in 27 countries...
. In 1992, Badmotorfinger was nominated for the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
. The album has been certified two times platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
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...
(RIAA) in the United States, and had, by October 2010, sold 1,517,000 copies in the United States.
Recording and production
Badmotorfinger was the band's first album with bassist Ben ShepherdBen Shepherd
Ben 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...
, who joined the group in April 1990. Shepherd replaced previous bassist Jason Everman
Jason Everman
Jason Mark Everman is an American guitarist/bassist who played with Nirvana and Soundgarden. Everman is currently studying philosophy at Columbia University.-Nirvana:...
. The album was recorded in late 1991 at Studio D in Sausalito
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties...
, and A&M Studios
Henson Recording Studios
Henson Recording Studios was established in 2000 at the former A&M Studios. The remake of We Are the World was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in February 2010 to benefit the Haiti earthquake victims....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Soundgarden chose to work with producer Terry Date again as it had on its previous release Louder Than Love. Frontman Chris Cornell
Chris 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...
said the band decided to work with Date again seeing as the band had a good relationship with him and did not want to go through the pressure of trying to find a new producer.
Cornell said that Shepherd brought a "fresh and creative" approach to the recording sessions, and the band as a whole said that his knowledge of music and writing skills redefined the band. Before joining, Soundgarden had been Shepherd's favorite band. Compared with Louder Than Love, the band took a more collaborative approach to the writing process.
Music and lyrics
Steve Huey of Allmusic said that the songwriting on Badmotorfinger "takes a quantum leap in focus and consistency." He added, "It's surprisingly cerebral and arty music for a band courting mainstream metalHeavy 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...
audiences, but it attacks with scientific precision." Guitarist Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim 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...
jokingly called it the "Heavy Metal White Album
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
." Cornell said, "I think there's songs on the new record which are almost more commercially viable because they have that memorable feel to them, and I think if anyone expected us to come out and make something more commercial than Louder Than Love, then I'm glad that they were surprised." Cornell also added that the album is more representative of how the band is live. Shepherd contributed the song "Somewhere" and collaborated on the musical composition of several other songs on the album. Thayil said that Shepherd's contributions helped make the album "faster" and "weirder."
On the opening song, "Rusty Cage
Rusty 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...
", Thayil uses a wah pedal as an audio filter
Audio filter
An audio filter is a frequency dependent amplifier circuit, working in the audio frequency range, 0 Hz to beyond 20 kHz. Many types of filters exist for applications including graphic equalizers, synthesizers, sound effects, CD players and virtual reality systems.Being a frequency dependent...
, producing an unusual guitar sound. In describing the song's guitar riff he said that it "almost sounds backward." Soundgarden utilized alternative tunings and odd time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s on several of the album's songs. "Jesus Christ Pose" and "Outshined" were performed in drop D tuning
Drop D tuning
Drop D tuning, also known as DADGBE, is an alternate, or scordatura, form of guitar tuning — specifically, a dropped tuning — in which the lowest string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D.- Uses of drop D tuning :In drop D the three bass strings...
. On "Rusty Cage", "Holy Water", and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed", the bottom E string is tuned all the way down to B. On "Mind Riot" every string is tuned to one of several E's. Soundgarden's use of odd-meter time signatures was varied as well; songs like "Jesus Christ Pose" are in typical 4/4 time, "Outshined" is in 7/4, "New Damage" is in 9/4 and 4/4, "Somewhere" is in 6/4, "Face Pollution" uses 9/8 and 6/4, "Rusty Cage" is in 4/4 and 19/8, and "Holy Water" is in 4/4 with a section of 10/8 at the end. Thayil said that he didn't "push for weird time signatures," but rather "push[ed] to get the quirkiness out of things."
Cornell said that he tried to not get too specific with his lyrics and was more interested in "creating colourful images." Thayil suggested that it is "like reading a novel [about] man's conflict with himself and society, or the government, or his family, or the economy, or anything." "Jesus Christ Pose" was written about famous people who exploit the symbol of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' crucifixion as to suggest that they're persecuted by the public. Cornell said that "Outshined" is about going from "periods of extreme self-confidence" to "plummeting in the opposite direction." "Holy Water" was written about people who force their beliefs unto others. Thayil wrote the lyrics for "Room a Thousand Years Wide", and said that the song is about "experience in general." "New Damage" subtly criticizes the right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
government of the United States.
Packaging
The Badmotorfinger logo consists of a jagged, cycloneCyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
-like design. In the center of the logo is a triangle containing a spark plug
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
. The album's cover art was illustrated by guitarist Mark Dancey from the 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...
band Big Chief. Thayil suggested the title Badmotorfinger as a joke on the Montrose
Montrose (band)
Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar...
song "Bad Motor Scooter
Bad Motor Scooter
"Bad Motor Scooter" was the second track from the album Montrose by the band of the same name. It, along with "Rock Candy" was arguably the best known song by the band, Montrose, with lyrics penned by frontman Sammy Hagar. The song's intro, a distorted electric slide guitar sound which closely...
". Regarding the title, Thayil said, "It was sort of off the top of my head. I simply like it because it was colorful. It was kinda aggressive, too...It conjures up a lot of different kinds of images. We like the ambiguity in it, the way it sounded and the way it looked."
Release and reception
Badmotorfinger peaked at number 39 on the Billboard 200Billboard 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. It was released in the same year as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's Ten
Ten (Pearl Jam album)
Ten is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. Following the disbanding of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard's previous group Mother Love Bone, the two recruited vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and...
, all of which helped to break grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
into the mainstream. Although overshadowed at the time of its release by the sudden popularity of Nirvana's Nevermind, the focus of attention brought by Nevermind to the Seattle scene helped Soundgarden gain wider attention. Badmotorfinger was among the 100 top selling albums of 1992. Badmotorfinger has been certified two times platinum by the RIAA.
Allmusic staff writer Steve Huey gave the album four and a half out of five stars, calling it "heavy, challenging hard rock full of intellectual sensibility and complex band interplay." Ann Powers of Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
said, "Cornell strikes the perfect Jesus Christ pose on this sonic wallop." Gina Arnold
Gina arnold
Gina Arnold is a rock critic whose articles have appeared in Spin, Rolling Stone and various free weeklies.She grew up in Palo Alto, California...
of 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...
gave the album a B+. She said, "On songs like the cynical "Jesus Christ Pose" and "Slaves and Bulldozers", Soundgarden sound a hell of a lot smarter than their peers, who seldom get beyond extolling booze, girls, and cars." She ended her review by stating that "the final effect is merely stylishly bombastic rather than bludgeoningly bombastic. Tuneless heavy metal is, after all, still tuneless heavy metal, and in that department, Soundgarden are as functional as they make 'em." Critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album a B-, calling it a "credible metal album" while also criticizing the album's lyrical writing.
Badmotorfinger included the singles "Jesus Christ Pose
Jesus 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...
", "Outshined
Outshined
"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...
", and "Rusty Cage
Rusty 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...
". The three singles gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations, while the videos for "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" gained considerable airtime on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. The lead single "Jesus Christ Pose" and its music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
were the subject of widespread controversy in 1991, and the video was removed from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's playlist. Many listeners were outraged by the song and its video, perceiving them as anti-Christian. The band received death threats while on tour in the United Kingdom in support of the album.
At the 1992 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1992
The 34th Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1992. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year . Natalie Cole was the big winner winning three awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
, Badmotorfinger received a nomination for Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
. It was also ranked number 45 in the October 2006 issue of Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
on the magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time.
Tour
Following the release of Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden went on a tour in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
during October and November 1991. Afterward, the band took a slot opening for Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
in North America on the band's Use Your Illusion Tour
Use Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 194 shows in 27 countries...
. Soundgarden was personally selected by Guns N' Roses as its opening band. This was Soundgarden's first arena tour. Afterward, the band took a slot opening for Skid Row in North America in February 1992 on the band's Slave to the Grind
Slave to the Grind
Slave to the Grind is Skid Row's second album, released on June 11, 1991. Slave to the Grind is notable for being the first heavy metal album to enter the Billboard 200 at #1 during the SoundScan era,....
tour. Soundgarden then headed to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for a month-long headlining theater tour. Afterward, the band then returned for a tour in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Soundgarden rejoined Guns N' Roses as part of the Use Your Illusion Tour in the summer of 1992 for a tour of Europe along with fellow opening act Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
. Regarding the time spent opening for Guns N' Roses, Cornell said, "It wasn't a whole lot of fun going out in front of 40,000 people for 35 minutes every day. Most of them hadn't heard our songs and didn't care about them. It was a bizarre thing." The band would go on to play the 1992 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, and Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, among others. The band later released the video compilation Motorvision
Motorvision
Motorvision is a home video by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on November 17, 1992.- Overview :It features eight songs performed live at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington on March 5, 1992 and March 6, 1992 during the Badmotorfinger tour. Allmusic gave it three out of...
, which was filmed at the Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)
The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
in 1992.
Track listing
All lyrics and music 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...
, except where noted.
Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas
In anticipation of the band's appearance at the 1992 Lollapalooza tour, a limited edition of Badmotorfinger was released on June 23, 1992 with a second disc containing the EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas (or SOMMS). The title is a palindrome
Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction, with general allowances for adjustments to punctuation and word dividers....
. This EP includes three covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
, a Soundgarden original, and a song recorded at a concert. For its cover of Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's "Into the Void
Into the Void (Black Sabbath song)
"Into the Void" is a song by Black Sabbath, released in 1971 on their album, Master of Reality. An early version of "Into the Void" called "Spanish Sid" was released on the deluxe edition of Master of Reality...
", the original lyrics are replaced by words of protest by Chief Sealth
Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
, which fit the meter of the song. At the 1993 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1993
The 35th Grammy Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Eric Clapton was the night's big winner, winning 6 awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
, "Into the Void (Sealth)" received a nomination for Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
.
As a tribute of sorts, special editions of the 2006 album Altar
Altar (album)
Altar is a collaboration album between Japanese doom band Boris and American drone doom duo Sunn O))), released on October 31, 2006 through Southern Lord Records. A limited two-CD edition was released on October 23 via Southern Lord with a 28 minute bonus track with Sunn O))), Boris, and Dylan...
, a collaboration between the bands Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
and Boris
Boris (band)
is a Japanese experimental rock band, known for often combining and switching between different music genres including drone metal, sludge metal, noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient and pop...
, feature a second disc (of just one song) that also has the title of Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas. Kim Thayil plays guitar on "Blood Swamp", another track from the main disc of the album.
Outtakes
The album's singles featured eleven B-sideA-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...
s from the Badmotorfinger recording sessions that weren't included on the album, "Stray Cat Blues", "Into the Void
Into the Void (Black Sabbath song)
"Into the Void" is a song by Black Sabbath, released in 1971 on their album, Master of Reality. An early version of "Into the Void" called "Spanish Sid" was released on the deluxe edition of Master of Reality...
(Sealth)", "Cold Bitch", "I Can't Give You Anything", "Girl U Want
Girl U Want
"Girl U Want" is a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It was the first single released from the album Freedom of Choice. In 1995, Devo rerecorded the song for the soundtrack to Tank Girl.-Song Information:...
", "Show Me", "I Don't Care About You", "Can You See Me", "Homicidal Suicidal", "Touch Me", "She's a Politician", and "Black Rain
Black Rain (Soundgarden song)
- Track listing :- Chart performances :...
". "Show Me" was later featured on the 1993 No Alternative
No Alternative
-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
compilation, "Cold Bitch" was later featured on the "Spoonman
Spoonman
"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...
" single, "Girl U Want" was later featured on the "Fell on Black Days" single, and "She's a Politician" was later featured on 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. "Cold Bitch" was one of Shepherd's favorite songs that the band recorded. The song "Birth Ritual" was worked on during the recording sessions, but was not completed. It would eventually see release on the Singles soundtrack, and on 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...
. "No Attention", which later appeared on the band's 1996 album, Down on the Upside
Down on the Upside
Down 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...
, was attempted during the Badmotorfinger recording sessions. Thayil said that the recording of "No Attention" that came out of the sessions did not work. "Black Rain" was released for the first time ever on the 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...
greatest hits set on September 28, 2010.
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...
– 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.... - 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...
Additional musicians and production
- Larry Brewer – production assistance
- Mark Dancey – front cover illustrationIllustrationAn illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
- Terry DateTerry DateTerry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
– 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...
, 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... - Scott Granlund – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on "Room a Thousand Years WideRoom 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...
" and "Drawing Flies" - Efren Herrera, John Jackson – assistance
- 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....
– 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... - Ernst Long – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
on "Face Pollution", "Room a Thousand Years Wide", and "Drawing Flies" - Len Peltier – 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....
- Soundgarden – production
- Ron St. 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...
– 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... - Damon Stewart – narrationNarrativeA narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
on "Searching with My Good Eye Closed" - Walberg Design – design
- 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...
Album
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
39 |
| 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... |
39 |
| Canadian Albums Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
50 |
| Chart (1994) | 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... |
49 |
Singles
| Year | Single | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... peak chart position |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Jesus Christ Pose" | 30 |
| "Outshined" | 50 | |
| 1992 | "Rusty Cage" | 41 |
Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to Badmotorfinger is adapted in part from AcclaimedMusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guitar World Guitar World Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
"100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time" | 2006 | 45 |
| Revolver Revolver (magazine) Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy... |
United States | "The 69 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" | 2002 | 26 |
| Kerrang! Kerrang! Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
"100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" | 1998 | 25 |
| Visions | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
"The Most Important Albums of the 90s" | 1999 | 3 |
| Juice | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
"The 100 (+34) Greatest Albums of the 90s" | 1999 | 48 |
| The Movement | New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
"The 101 Best Albums of the 90s" | 2004 | 84 |