In a new Kerrang interview, Kim Thayil revealed that less than a month after Chris Cornell’s death, Universal Music Group and Soundgarden’s management were already discussing a Chris Cornell retrospective album, which eventually came out a year and a half later on November 16, 2018. Thayil was included in these conversations, less than a month after what he calls ‘the incident.’ The album was done with the blessing of Vicky Cornell.
“I thought it was a bit premature at the time, so it was hard to focus on it.”
“We put our hand on it to slow for a bit while we all organized our thoughts and emotions at such a difficult time.”
He seemed proud though of the set, which he helped put together and write liner notes for.
“It’s important to recognize the breadth of his work over time.”
“From the younger, wilder, more aggressive music of his youth, to his solo work as an older man and a father that was more contemplative of that maturity and that role. And then there’s the years in between, where he was growing, experimenting and taking more risks, creatively and emotionally. That gives the listener so much more insight into the body of music, being able to hear how he transformed through the material, and similarly how the material transformed him throughout his life.”
Thayil discussed Soundgarden compilations in a new Vulture interview.
“Other collections we’ve made — Telephantasm, the Echo of Miles collection, the 20th anniversary of Superunknown, the 25th anniversary of Badmotorfinger, the Sub Pop reissue of Ultramega OK— all of those already gave me a perspective on the body of work Soundgarden has. All those things allowed me to reexplore that material, as well as bonus and unreleased material.”
