*99.9 Percent Chance of Audioslave Breakup*
Chris Cornell has dropped the bomb. In a press release sent out to
announce the release of Cornell’s new solo album Carry On (out May 1st)
the singer also announces he’s leaving Audioslave. “Due to irresolvable
personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently
leaving the band Audioslave,” Cornell said. “I wish the other three
members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors.”
Without Chris Cornell, Audioslave is just three guys who used to be in
Rage Against the Machine before they were in Audioslave, so this almost
certainly means the band is on the brink of an official breakup.
But what if there’s someone out there to save them? Who could step out of
the shadows and lead three 90s rockers into the future with a new, fresh
version of the supergroup?
We nominate Sammy Hagar, Mark Lanegan, Ed Kowalczyk, James Iha or Peter
Gabriel.
Who would you pick?
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... e-breakup/
*UPDATE: Chris Cornell Speaks About His Split With Audioslave*
Earlier today we reported that Chris Cornell had announced he’d be leaving
Audioslave — a disclosure tantamount to the end of Audioslave as a whole.
Our Andy Greene spoke to Cornell immediately following the news:
Was there any one moment when you knew you wanted to leave Audioslave?
There wasn’t a key moment when I knew I wanted to quit. We finished our
third record and I went back to Paris and felt like we needed some time
away from each other. We did a lot of touring. We did three records. We
had done a lot of stuff in a short time period of time. Everyone ran off
and did their own thing. I got real busy working on music and getting into
a world I was missing on the last record - which was the ability to
experiment with where a song could go and spend some time on the craft of
making songs. When you have four guys in a room writing songs, it
different. It’s great - that’s what makes a band a band. Audioslave was
great. But there’s a lot I want to do and I don’t want to juggle that with
a band.
When did you tell the band?
They’ll be hearing about this today. I haven’t spoken to anyone in the
band in a few months.
Where you guys not getting along towards the end?
We were getting along. Getting along as people is one thing. Getting along
as a group of people that can work together in a band situation…We weren’t
particularly getting along well, no. Bands work in a way where everyone at
some point has to have a similar idea of how you do things. A band that
makes records and tours is also as business. That’s usually where a lot of
disagreements come. It’s four guys who are musicians and don’t really know
much about business, but are very passionate and have very specific ideas.
In this case it was a collaboration that was very satisfying and we all
had a great time. When I started I was already in the midst of a solo
career. It didn’t feel to me like this was ever a band I wanted to be in
if there were going to be problems being in it. But we ran into this issue
right away, even before the first record came out. Three albums into it,
it started to seem like our interests weren’t as conjoined anymore.
Are you surprised by the Rage reunion?
A little bit. In the time I had been in Audioslave I’m pretty sure that
none of them had even talked to Zach, which is a long time (laughs). It
was a bit surprising, but I think it’s a cool thing. Audioslave, for my
part, existed because of my memory of seeing them play shows in 1996. I
thought they were one of the best live bands I’d ever seen. When I got a
call from Tom and Rick Rubin about maybe making a record with them I was
really curious. What they bring live is different than anything anyone has
ever done. If they can actually be a band, it will be great.
Any chance of a Soundgarden reunion?
I seriously doubt it. If that were ever going to happen, someone would
have to rally behind it. We ended on a great note. There is no unfinished
business and no record to make and no more tours to play. I think that’s a
great thing. At the end of the day it’s the fans who make you who you are.
We can all be proud that a Soundgarden fan can always put on a Soundgarden
record and not have to try and get some uncomfortable memory of a bad show
or a new record in their mind. (laughs)
-- Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... udioslave/