The powerful opening track of ‘As Hope And Promise Fade’ sets the mood for the entire album by slowly exposing us to Chris’ vocal range and his emotive song writing style and we are soon bedazzled by the simplistic acoustic guitar and vocal arrangement of a song that originally featured as a hidden track on his 2009 album ‘Scream’ and was entitled ‘Two Drink Minimum’. A collection of songs from his past and present, from the many projects Cornell has been involved in and some covers that have inspired him along his journey as a musician, make up the album and offer a stripped down insight into the voice that has propelled him through the years and attracted so many to his music.

It is with this in mind then that ‘Songbook’, his first live solo album, engages, ensnares and draws in the listener. However for the rest of the musically capable world Cornell is known as the talented singer-songwriter with a voice so raw, unique and soulful that it can only be described as two steel bars being rubbed together and garnished lavishly with something so sickly sweet that it makes it irresistible to your ears. Anyone living in a cave for the past twenty five years will be unaware of Chris Cornell and the music he has blessed more than a few generations of fans with since the inception of Soundgarden, his first band, back in 1984.

Chris cornell songbook album cover