For some, the death of Chris Cornell last year is a pain that has yet to fully heal. It’s hard to mistake the feeling that the Soundgarden frontman had so much music left to offer; so much work yet undone. His unmatched talent as a singer was driven home once again today thanks to a take on Johnny Cash’s “You Never Knew My Mind,” that Cornell recorded just before he took his own life on May 18, 2017.
Cornell’s performance is simply staggering. Starting out with just his voice and an acoustic guitar, the song builds and builds with drums, lush harmonies, and a mournful guitar solo near the end. It’s a fitting tribute to say the least considering that Cash once recorded Soundgarden’s song “Rusty Cage” for his 1996 album Unchained.
Chris Cornell’s take on “You Never Knew My Mind” is set to appear on the upcoming tribute album Johnny Cash: Forever Words, that is scheduled to drop on April 6th. The album features a wide selection of songs adapted from Cash’s poems, that had been previously collected in a book published under the same name. Along with Cornell, the album features contributions from the likes of Kacey Musgraves, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, the Jayhawks, Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson to name a few.
