Along with today's release of the self-titled posthumous box set Chris Cornell, a touching video starring the late singer's son has been unveiled. Christopher Cornell Jr. plays a paper boy in Seattle, a role meant to mimic his father's own youth, and mementos and places that were important to the singer are shown throughout. The young Cornell says of his involvement, "For me this video represents my dad and all the art he created throughout his life and what his music meant then and what it means now, not just to me and my family but the city of Seattle and all of his fans." His precocious acting chops and stunning resemblance to his dad lend a haunting, emotional feel to the scenes, from peering through the windows at Sub Pop Records to riding his bike with Seattle's iconic Space Needle looming in the background.
The clip was directed by former Soundgarden collaborator Kevin Kerslake ("Loud Love" and "Hands All Over"), who says he "wanted to highlight an aspect of Chris' talents often overshadowed by his more obvious virtues, which is his place as one of this generation's greatest lyricists ... but do it within a specific context that turned a simple, straightforward journey through the streets of Seattle into a eulogy, of sorts, with mystical undertones." He accomplishes this by digitally superimposing some of the Cornell's more famous lyrics on different shots, such as along highway lane markers and across the facade of buildings.
The track, released in a lyric video in September, remained in Cornell's personal archives until friend and actor Josh Brolin reminded the singer's widow of its existence. Chris Cornell is a cross-section of his life and talent as a poet, songwriter, and musician that spans his lengthy career with groups like Temple Of The Dog and Audioslave in addition to his solo work and most famous role in Soundgarden. The album is available here, and a charity event honoring his life is set to happen this evening in Los Angeles.
