Thursday was a day of mourning for music fans. Celebrated rock vocalist Chris Cornell’s passing has been a miserable piece of news to absorb. Losing a talent like Cornell has naturally led to a lot of reflection on the Soundgarden frontman’s career and the work he’s left behind. It’s the reliably uncomfortable and unasked for consolation prize that comes with the realization that an artist you love is gone.
Among the impressive output in the grunge pioneer’s career as a man with the Herculean pipes is a remarkable cover recorded for SiriusXM in 2015. Cornell provided his haunting rendition of the Prince-penned Sinead O’Connor 1990 smash “Nothing Compares 2 U” for the satellite radio giant’s Lithium station. This version nothing like a half-assed radio curiosity. It’s positively haunting. Cornell reconfigures the megaballad into its own animal. It’s still the “Nothing Compares 2 U” that we all know and love, but the former Audioslave singer puts himself into the rendition.
Chris Cornell had a knack for covering tunes. There’s no shortage of excellent Cornell covers floating about, but let’s add another on principle. Here’s Chris Cornell providing a stripped-down acoustic take on the Bruce Springsteen gem “Thunder Road” in scenic Atlantic City in 2011.
(Via BroBible)
