Superunknown is the fourth studio album by Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. It is the band’s second album with bassist Ben Shepherd and features new producer Michael Beinhorn. Soundgarden began work on the album after a tour promoting their previous album, Badmotorfinger (1991). The album cover (known as Screaming Elf) is a distorted photograph of the band members, photographed by Kevin Westenberg, above a burning forest in upside down black and white. On May 25, 2017, photographer Kevin Westenberg revealed the full cover photo for the first time on his Instagram account.
Although the album’s singles featured quite a few B-sides, only Exit Stonehenge (from the Spoonman single) was sourced from the Superunknown recording sessions in 1993. Cold Bitch (also from Spoonman) was recorded during the Badmotorfinger recording sessions in 1991, Kyle Petty, Son of Richard and Motorcycle Loop (both from the Fell on Black Days single) were recorded by Stuart Hallerman at Avast Studios in Seattle in 1994.
Kyle Petty, Son of Richard was later featured on the 1996 Home Alive compilation. Tighter & Tighter, No Attention, and An Unkind, all of which later appeared on the band’s 1996 album, Down on the Upside, were attempted during the Superunknown recording sessions. An instrumental entitled Ruff Riff-Raff and a light-hearted song called Bing Bing Goes to Church were recorded at album rehearsals but were presumably not recorded during the Superunknown recording sessions. Both were released in 2014 on the 20th anniversary Super Deluxe edition.
Superunknown was Soundgarden‘s breakout album, earning the band international recognition. Upon its release in March 1994, Superunknown debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, and eventually closed the year as the 13th best-selling album of 1994, with 2.5 million copies sold.
The album Superunknown has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA in the United States, three times platinum in Canada and Australia, two times platinum in Sweden, platinum in the United Kingdom, and gold in the Netherlands and Italy.
As of 2019 Superunknown has sold 3.9 million copies in United States according to Nielsen. The album spawned the EP Songs from the Superunknown and the CD-ROM Alive in the Superunknown, both released in 1995.
Tracklist:
- Let Me Drown
- My Wave
- Fell on Black Days
- Mailman
- Superunknown
- Head Down
- Black Hole Sun
- Spoonman
- Limo Wreck
- The Day I Tried to Live
- Kickstand
- Fresh Tendrils
- 4th of July
- Half
- Like Suicide
LP and international CD bonus track - She Likes Surprises
Soundgarden
Chris Cornell: lead vocals, backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Kim Thayil: lead guitar
Ben Shepherd: bass, drums and percussion (track 6), backing vocals (track 8), lead vocals and guitar (track 14)
Matt Cameron: drums, percussion, Mellotron (track 4), pots and pans (track 8)
Additional musicians
April Acevez: viola (track 14)
Artis the Spoonman: spoons (track 8)
Michael Beinhorn: piano (track 1), production
Fred Chalenor: harmonic guidance (track 9)
Justine Foy: cello (track 14)
Gregg Keplinger: drums and percussion (track 6)
Natasha Shneider: clavinet (track 12)
Production
David Collins: mastering
Jason Corsaro: engineering
Adam Kasper: assistant engineering
Kelk: front cover design
Gregg Keplinger: studio assistance
Tony Messina: studio assistance
Brendan O’Brien: mixing
Reyzart: layout
Soundgarden: production
Kevin Westenberg: band photography
Susan Silver: management
Chris Cornell (July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017).
