Blow Up the Outside World

Infobox Single
Name = Blow Up the Outside World


Caption =
Artist = Soundgarden
from Album = Down on the Upside
A-side =
B-side = "Dusty" (Moby mix)
Released = November 18, 1996
Format = CD single, Vinyl
Recorded = November 1995 – February 1996
Genre = Grunge
Length = 5:46
Label = A&M
Writer = Chris Cornell
Producer = Soundgarden
Certification =
Last single = "Burden in My Hand" (1996)
This single = "Blow Up the Outside World" (1996)
Next single = "Ty Cobb" (1997)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Down on the Upside
Type = studio
prev_track = "Ty Cobb"
prev_no = Track 5
this_track = "Blow Up the Outside World"
track_no = Track 6
next_track = "Burden in My Hand"
next_no = Track 7

"Blow Up the Outside World" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released on November 18, 1996 as the third single from the band's fifth studio album, "Down on the Upside" (1996). The song became a hit, topping the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for four weeks. It would later appear on the band's greatest hits album "A-Sides" and the 2007 Chris Cornell compilation "The Roads We Choose - A Retrospective".

Origin and recording

The song was written by frontman Chris Cornell. Guitarist Kim Thayil on the song's guitar solo:

A blues-type thing, exactly. And after I recorded it, the rest of the band loved it, and the assistant engineer loved it, but I kept feeling like it was too stiff. I was using a Tele with .011's. I was listening to it, going, 'You know, it doesn't have my trademark finger vibrato,' like you can hear on "Ultramega OK" and "Badmotorfinger". I wasn't quite satisfied with it, but because everyone else really enjoyed it, eventually I let it go...I finally had to relax and trust the guys that it was cool. [ [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/gplayer_7-96.shtml "Seattle Supersonic: The Screaming Life & Odd Times of Soundgarden's Kim Thayil"] . "Guitar Player". July 1996.]

Composition

Regarding the song, drummer Matt Cameron stated that "there's certain points in that tune that are just a really nice, emotional crunch that happens somehow....that one in particular, that made my girlfriend cry the first time she heard it." [Cameron, Matt. "Down on the Upside" World Premiere". Canadian Broadcast. May 13, 1996.] Thayil on the song:

A nice ironic, final single in a way. People said there was a Beatles-ish element. I suppose there is a bit of Paul McCartney and a little bit of Lennon in the flavour of the song. Everyone in the band grew up with the Beatles and we had a certain degree of respect and admiration for them that's not uncommon. I think many people were Beatles fans, especially for that period in time. There's a number of acoustic guitars on the track as well and then, towards the end of the song, it gets louder and aggressive and goes to these power chords, and is maybe a little reminiscent of AC/DC. [ [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/hammer_1-98.shtml "Kim Thayil's A-Sides"] . "Metal Hammer". January 1998.]

Lyrics

When asked if he really wanted to "blow up the outside world," Cornell said, "All the time, so it doesn't encroach on me -- you can hibernate and not have to worry about it." [Lanham, Tom. [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/cmj_7-96.shtml "Soundgarden"] . "CMJ New Music Monthly". July 1996.]

Release and reception

Among other songs, this single contains a previously unreleased song entitled "A Splice of Space Jam". The cover art is taken from photographs by Catherine Chalmers, and at one point this image was considered for use for "Down on the Upside". [ [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/releases/sing-blowup.shtml "Blow Up the Outside World"] . Unofficial SG Homepage.]

It appeared on "Billboard" magazine's Hot 100 Airplay chart, reaching the top 60. The song peaked at number one on the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number eight on the "Billboard" Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Outside of the United States, the single was released in Australia. In Canada, the song reached the top 90 on the Canadian Singles Chart, and later it charted on the Canadian Alternative Top 30 chart where it reached number two.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Clear Channel included the song on its list of possibly inappropriate songs.

Music video

". December 1996.] The video was released in October 1996.Cite web|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Soundgarden&first=&sortord=1=|title=Soundgarden music videos|accessdate=2008-02-22|publisher=Music Video Database]

Track listing

;European CD #1 and 7"
#"Blow Up the Outside World" (Chris Cornell) – 5:46
#"Dusty" (Moby mix) (Cornell, Ben Shepherd)

;European CD #2, Australian CD
#"Blow Up the Outside World" (Cornell) – 5:46
#"Gun" (live) (Cornell)
#"Get on the Snake" (live) (Cornell, Kim Thayil)
#"A Splice of Space Jam";Radio Promo CD
#"Blow Up the Outside World" (Cornell) – 5:46
#"Blow Up the Outside World" (edit) (Cornell)

Chart positions

References

External links

*YouTube | id = sWRDjgByyzY | title = Music video for "Blow Up the Outside World"