Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil discussed the band’s unfinished final album with Chris Cornell in the liner notes for his new retrospective album. He first discussed the band reuniting.
“Our time in the studio writing and recording over the next seven and a half years were memorable, fun, and productive, no different than where we had left off. The ideas were coming quick and easy, and of course, Chris was writing plenty of material much of which he felt would be best voiced by Soundgarden. His generosity in sharing and collaborating continued to thrive in a band dynamic.
His attention to the creative process and encouragement of his fellow band members had not diminished. In fact, it seemed to have increased and become more sensitive as well as patient. A quality that I attribute to his having become a loving father three times over.”
He later wrote, “Still today, I think about all of the works in progress that were suspended, the ideas and songs that we were building, now left with unknown potential, the unfinished recordings awaiting a guitar or bass track, additional percussion or backing vocals. I imagine these songs taking their place alongside all of the others in our catalog. A catalog where every song, every track on every album, is a medal of achievement and honor adorning our soul and bestowed upon us by Chris.”
