Between a rock and a soft place

Cornell is making a hip-hop record? Don’t laugh. He’s going to release Scream on Nov. 4, in collaboration with none other than Mr. Hip-Hop R & B himself: Timbaland. It’s not just a matter of going in and adding a few beats and samples to the guitar rock sounds Cornell’s known for, but rather a 180-degree turn. If the three songs released  so far are any indication, it is a complete departure from the music Cornell’s made in the past.  Is it a desperate bid by a middle-aged rocker for continued fame and relevance? Or the opposite: a creative lark by a guy who’s seen and done it all in the last 20 years and won’t lose any sleep if it’s not a huge success?

It’s not as earth-shattering as it might have been 10 years ago. Cornell’s star has waned a bit since Soundgarden broke up a decade ago. While Audioslave sold big numbers, their music didn’t resonate with fans the way his former band did. His two solo albums have been inconsistent, unfocused and poor sellers. While Cornell does seem to be laying it on the line creatively and commercially with his new project, a failure wouldn’t be as costly to him if he’d been in Soundgarden at their creative peak.

Cornell has never been afraid to try different things, but most of these things were still safely inside the rock canon.   Soundgarden’s mix of Led  Zeppelin riffing with Stooges’ raw power helped re-invent rock as we know it, and while his move to supergroup Audioslave in 2001 could be called careerist, it was no mean feat to fill the shoes of Zack de la Rocha and fit into the offbeat musical dynamic of Tom Morello and company.

Love or hate his new direction, choosing to collaborate with. Timbaland was a shrewd move; he’s a veritable hit machine. He’s been behind Missy Elliot’s greatest work. He helped turn Justin Timberlake from a boy-band refugee to one of the most marketable stars around these days. He coaxed a strong record out of Madonna as she turned 50. He has a Rolodex full of artists whose careers he either revved up or saved, including Jay Z, Nelly Furtado and Aaliyah.  The last few years, Timbaland has taken an interest in more rock-oriented fare,   executive producing a hit record by One Republic and an unreleased collaboration with Coldplay.

Cornell and Timbaland’s intention was to make a record one would listen to from beginning to end, a huge challenge in and of itself with today’s iPod-crazed listeners. “This is unlike anything I have ever done, which was the whole point in the first place, and at a time when everyone seems to want to consume one song at a time it seems crazy to try and bring an album that is the most album-oriented record I have made,” said Cornell on his blog.  “It was mine and Timbaland’s hope that the first time anyone heard this, it would be a one-hour experience.”

 If the three tracks released are any indication, he’s right. This sounds much more like a Timbaland record than it does a Cornell record.  It is certainly Cornell’s voice you hear, and he sounds fine, singing around robotic guitars and a Latin rhythm on “Watch Out,” or the spare hip-hop/psychedelic beat of “Ground Zero.” The best of the trio is “Scream,” which reminds one of  Protection-era Massive Attack. Taken strictly on their own terms, these tracks work as slightly deep pop/r&b but because of Cornell’s background, it never will be perceived that way.

Throughout his 20-year music career, fans — be they Midwestern metalheads or Northwest grunge aesthetes — have come to expect certain things from Cornell, and aside from a polite detour or two, he has never disappointed. Most of these people like their rock and rarely stray from it. Asking them to accept something like this will elicit responses ranging from anger to ignorance. Perhaps that’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. Many old grunge fans are now soccer moms and accountants, and if they still buy music, they play it safe. This isn’t safe, not to fans who are perfectly happy listening to old Pearl Jam records.

Cornell may have a better shot with the kids. Most have no idea who Soundgarden is, but they know who Timbaland is, and Cornell, with his big voice and still-youthful good looks plus undeniable charisma, may be on to something here.  Perhaps his Mephistophelean deal will buy him a few more years as a star.            

Chris Cornell will perform live at the Ventura Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Ventura Theater, 653-0721, www.venturatheater.net.