Soundgarden was one of the first bands I learned to play on guitar. Blow Up the Outside World is one of the songs that rings my soul. It reminds me of the dead-inside way I was during the war and the time soon after.

I saw Soundgarden at Beale Street Music Festival last Sunday. Just 11 days ago. They were the band I wanted to see out of everyone. They put on a great show, they looked like they were having fun, and I'll never forget it. It was my first time seeing them after having wanted to for a long time, and now I guess it will be my last, even though I was hoping to see them this weekend in St. Louis too.

Chris Cornell is one of the greatest rock voices ever. He stands peerless in many respects. When Scott Weiland died I felt like he had been living on borrowed time for a while, that he was too pained to be asked to continue on, and that release from this world was deserved after giving so much to everyone else. With Chris Cornell I'm more selfish. I'll miss his voice singing new songs, and it's harder.

Proof of that is his cover of Nothing Compares 2 U.