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Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth CD

Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth CD is without a doubt one of the singer’s greatest musical accomplishments. Not only is Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth one of the singer’s best albums, the Higher Truth CD is one of the strongest rock albums to have been released in the last twenty years. The reason is simple; extraordinarily well written songs, just the right amount of production, and a stellar vocal performance by Cornell. On Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth, Chris Cornell has presented his fans with a collection of songs that pay tribute to the sound of the late nineteen sixties and early seventies rock period. Even though the stylistic arrangements bear resemblance to the classic rock era, the songs on Higher Truth sound fresh and in tune with the recent resurgence of rock music in an era of hip hop candy coated color by number pop songs.

The sound of the album has been fueled by the talents of record producer Brendan O’ Brien. On Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth album, O’ Brien set a balance between sparse arrangements featuring only vocals and guitar, to chamber sounding filled productions. Songs like “Let Your Eyes Wander,” and “Josephine,” resonate with a personal sentiment that seems completely genuine. The honesty found within the lyrical content of those beautiful ballads power is intertwined with beautiful melodies and chord changes that echo the spirit of 1970 to 1971 Elton John.

Photo: By Lijealso (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

While Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth album may feature some beautiful rock ballads, the album presents rock fans with a collection of passionate rock performances that border the landscapes between despair, hope and salvation. Songs like “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart,” and “Worried Moon,” echo the sounds of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album. On songs like and “Murderer of Blue Skies,” one can hear the influence of groups like Black Sabbath which Cornell has many times referenced as one of the bands that inspired him to play music.

The influence of the classic rock era on Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth album is similar to the same impact that era had on Bruce Springsteen’s Magic LP. It was no coincidence that both albums were produced by Brendan O’Brien. On Springsteen’s Magic CD, Bruce and O’Brien both revisited the melodic and chordal structures of 1960’s classic rock. Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth, and Springsteen’s Magic featured even more similarities than just musical structures. Both albums feared lyrical ideas written by men in their fifties somehow finding content within their personal lives. Both albums questioned the political decision making process in the wake of foreign and domestic issues that impacted multiple class structures. In the end however, the greatest similarity between both records was they featured some of them best written songs the artists had written since the ones that made them famous at the start of their careers.

Let Your Eyes Wander

This one is just breathtaking. The simple acoustic guitar opening set the stage for a melody and lyric that will stop you in your tracks completely mesmerized by the truth in the melody, the lyrics and most of all the vocal. It’s an honest song that may also hold the key to some off the issues that Chris Cornell may have faced in his personal life.