Grungedown Returns
We’re into top-ten territory now on the Grungedown — Not only does it mean I’m startlingly close to my pilgrimage to the homeland, it’s also time to recap the last fifteen entries.
25. Alice In Chains, It Ain’t Like That
24. Temple of the Dog, Reach Down
23. Screaming Trees, Sworn and Broken
22. Green River, Swallow My Pride
21. Pearl Jam, Why Go
20. Nirvana, Sappy
19. Neil Young, Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)
19. Malfunkshun, My Only Fan
18. Nirvana, Here She Comes Now
17. Mad Season, I Don’t Know Anything
16. Alice In Chains, Got Me Wrong
15. Soundgarden, Jesus Christ Pose
14. Mother Love Bone, Stardog Champion
13. L7, Pretend We’re Dead.
12. Nirvana, All Apologies.
11. Alice In Chains, A Little Bitter.
And, with that, two heavy hitters:
10. Pearl Jam, Footsteps. (Or Temple of the Dog, Times of Trouble).
Once upon a time (hee), the powerful, haunting, and passionate Footsteps was a fan treasure — the famed middle segment of the Mamasan Trilogy, sandwiched between Alive and Once, and performed in entirety at the famed Volkshaus concert in 1992.
Footsteps remains the perfect mix of emotion, despair, and hurt. It’s not the fastest, song, not the heaviest — but it’s exceptionally raw and revealing. Even now, it’s a fan favorite (along the lines of the somewhat-rareHard to Imagine, or even the popular and stunning Black) among Pearl Jam classics.
However, it’s Vedder’s lyrics and delivery that immortalize it as a Pearl Jam song and a lynchpin of grunge. Its counterpart, Times of Trouble, incorporates the same Gossard riff into a Chris Cornell-penned Dog song about Andy Wood, and heroin addiction. Naturally. It’s still raw, still resonant, and if not quite as powerful emotionally, a little heavier structurally. I personally prefer Footsteps, but either way, the simple, elegant guitar riff coupled with heavy emotion belongs in the top ten.
9. Mother Love Bone, Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns.
What more can I say, ever, about CDCT? If I wasn’t desperately trying to avoid predictability, this would have been a threat for number one. It’s Mother Love Bone’s opus. It’s echoing, swirling, fuzzy guitar rock. It encapsulates Mother Love Bone with Andy Wood and hints at Pearl Jam. It’s a song applicable, in some way, somehow, to each single moment of my life. If my wife didn’t hate it, I would request that it be played at my funeral.